Nalanda Certificate Course 1 Session 5

Tibet House News Delhi Nalanda Certificate Course NCC1

5th Session Notes /19/06/2022)

 ལྟ་བ་བཀའ་བཏགས་ཀྱི་ཕྱག་རྒྱ་བཞི།

འདུ་བྱས་ཐམས་ཅད་མི་རྟག་པ། ཟག་བཅས་ཐམས་ཅད་སྡུག་བསྔལ་བ།

ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་སྟོང་བཞིན་བདག་མེད་པ། མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ་ཞི་བའོ།

 THE FOUR SEALS

 All composite things are impermanent. All contaminated things are suffering nature

All phenomena are empty of nature. Transcending sorrow is peace, Nirvana.

 This is the four seals of Buddhist teachings. In Sanskrit it is Mudra, in Tibetan, it is called phyag-rgya, pronounced as Chaggya.

 To be free from misery and suffering, you need to know this seal properly. Study these four lines. You will need to get conviction to realize the true meaning of this seal through learning, reflection, and meditation. Buddha did not say everything is impermanent, he said all composite things are impermanent. What are composite and non-composite phenomena?

 We are body and mind. Body is a material part and mind is a mental and temporal part. Temporal means parts in time. Anything which is composed of particles, materials, and temporal parts is composite phenomena. A table is composed of so many materials composites, this is how our the material world are. Mind is a mental world where attention, fear, joy are experienced. It doesn’t have material parts. They have temporal parts. Book by Stephen Hawkin "A brief history of time" is good. Mind is made of temporal segments of mind.

 All phenomena composed of physical parts and temporal parts are impermanent in nature. Impermanence is of two kinds: gross impermanence and subtle impermanence. Gross impermanence is a phenomena whose continuum can come to an end. Subtle impermanence is momentariness involved in any phenomena.

 Impermanence can also be of three kinds:

1.      Impermanence whose continuum can invariably come to an end no matter what you do. The dates and years, 2021 end its own.

2.      Impermanent phenomena whose continuum never ends like time and mind, whose continuum can never be stopped.

3.      Impermanent phenomena which if you make effort, you can stop otherwise it will continue and perpetuate, never stops on its own.

  Our mind belongs to the second category. Our mind never ends no matter what we do. Within the mind we have the self grasping ignorance and self centered attitude, afflictive obscuration and cognitive obscuration. But we can stop these feelings and afflictions if we make effort.

 All composite phenomena of gross impermanence also has elements of subtle impermanence. A seed of peepal tree growing into a big tree, change is visible but subtle changes it under goes are not visible to our eyes.

 Mediation on gross impermanence and subtle impermanence is very important. Transformation comes through meditation. All contaminated things are of the nature of suffering. Contamination here means afflictions. What is influenced by afflictions is contamination. Driver's of our mind is under the dictates of self grasping ignorance and self centered attitude.

 Arya Nagarjuna explains:

When ceasing of karma (action) and affliction leads to nirvana

Action and affliction arise from conceptual thought

This arises from (mental) elaboration

Elaboration ceases through emptiness

 The ceasing of contaminated karmas and afflictions is Nirvana. Contaminated karmas and afflictions arise from conceptual thought. Conceptualization of inappropriate attention, which in turn arises from the elaboration of self grasping ignorance and elaboration ceases through the wisdom of emptiness. Five points are mentioned here, suffering, karma, affliction, inappropriate attention, and self grasping ignorance.

 So the root cause of our suffering is the self grasping ignorance. Just as we don't see anything darkness, with ignorance we don't see the reality. How get rid of this darkness of ignorance? Just as you need a light to remove darkness, you need a light wisdom to remove the darkness of ignorance. What is this wisdom?

 Wisdom is a discerning mind whose apprehension of the object tallies with reality. What is reality? Reality is what is indicated in the third seal, everything is of nature of emptiness and selflessness. What is emptiness and selflessness? We shall study in the next class.

 Note: This is a student's note. Error and omissions are bound to be there. A serious student should study the actual teachings of the teacher, Geshe Dorjee Damdul la, from www.tibethouse.in website. I write these notes to help my understanding and recollections. རང་གི་ཡིད་ལ་ངེས་ཕྱིར་ངས་འདི་བྲིས། (Tib:Rang gi yid la nges phyir ngas dhi bris).

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Nalanda Certificate Course 1 Session 4

Tibet House New Delhi Nalanda Certificate Course / NCC1

4th Session (15/06/2022) Wed

 Review: This is the truth of sufferings that we have studied. Buddha was referring to the pervasive suffering as truth of suffering. The third pervasive exist in all the realms. It is said to be conditioned because Afflictions and Contaminated Karma condition the beings existence in the Samsara. Mundane happiness is bait; good and attractive, which leads to loss of freedom and the loss of freedom mean misery. Affliction and contaminated karma are the root causes our suffering. We are the sway of affliction and contaminated karma.

  Three things determine our being under the third pervasive sufferings:

1.      Being under the sway of Contaminated Karma and Afflictions

2.      Involuntary birth in Samsara

3.      All the contaminated neutral feeling that we feel in Samsara.

 These 3 things are example of pervasive conditioned sufferings. Total fearlessness and infinite happiness is our two aspirations.

 Suffering of suffering exits only in desire realm. Suffering of change exist in desire realm and the first three of the form realm. Pervasive suffering exist in all the three realms.

 Arya Nagarjuna in Mulamadhyamikakarika, Fundamental of Middle Way, (Chapt.18) has said:

When ceasing of action and affliction leads to nirvana

Action and affliction arise from conceptual thought.

This arises from (mental) elaboration.

Elaboration ceases through emptiness. 

 Ceasing of karma and affliction is Nirvana. Karma and affliction arise from inappropriate conceptualization which in turn arises from elaboration of self grasping ignorance. Elaboration ceases through wisdom of emptiness.

 Opposite of Nirvana is Samsara. Samsara is an existence where you lack freedom, a system where there is no freedom. There is no external Samsara. It is your mind which makes the lack of freedom. Because of ignorance, Samsara is nothing but printing of your mind, prison of ignorance.

 1.      Samsara: Samsara is the result of contaminated karma

2.      Contaminated Karma: It arises from mental afflictions

3.      Mental afflictions: It arises from inappropriate attention

4.      Inappropriate attention: It is arises from ignorance

5.      Ignorance: It arises from the elaboration of self grasping ignorance

 We are discussing this in relation to what Buddha said "This is the truth of the cause of suffering".

 Let's say you dream of an Iphone 13 mobile, you crave for it and someone too wants it. There is a fight, police comes, and put you in prison. Fighting activates karma, affliction, elaboration of the mobile, and ignorance. Not to see the dream mobile could have saved all the fight and leading into the prison. You wake from the dream, all the problems are gone.

 Of the 5 points, Samsara is the resultant state, other four are causal state. This is what Buddha meant by the truth of the cause of suffering.

 Afflictions that we discussed here is the gross afflictions, not the subtle afflictions. The afflictions are of three kinds:

1.      Gross afflictions

2.      Inappropriate attention

3.      Self grasping ignorance

 Contaminated karma and afflictions are what Buddha meant by the truth of the cause of suffering. Within the afflictions there are three category as above.

 Now, the truth of the cessation of suffering, remember the sound of suffering due to the clapping of two hands metaphor. If on hand is removed, there is no sound, suffering stops. This is the truth of the cessation of the cause of suffering.

 Cessation of suffering, what needs to be ceased and what needs to be stopped. We need to stop our mental defilement and remove afflictive obscuration and cognitive obscuration. When you remove afflictive obscuration, you attain Nirvana. When you remove afflictive obscuration as well as cognitive obscuration, you attain perfect enlightenment, the Buddhahood.

 Cessation of afflictive obscuration and cessation of cognitive obscuration is the truth of cessation of suffering. Within the cessation of afflictive obscuration, there are two, one of Shravakas and other of Preteyakabuddha. In total there are three cessations:

 1.      Cessation of Shravakas

2.      Cessation of Preteyakabuddhas

3.      Cessation of Buddhas (Mahayaha practioners)

 This is the truth of the cessation of sufferings.

 The path leading to the cessation of the causes of suffering is the five paths: Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, boddhisaha. They are:

1.      Path of accumulation (Tib:tshogs lam)gate

2.      Path of preparation (Tib:sbyor lam) gate

3.      Path of seeing (Tib:mthong lam) para gate

4.      Path of meditation (Tib:sgom lam)para sam gate

5.      Path of no more learning (Tib:mi-lob lam) boddhisaha

 The path 3rd, 4th, and 5th are what Buddha meant by the truth of the path leading to cessation of the cause of sufferings. The path in general are five, first two are conducive path and the last three are the paths leading to the cessation of sufferings.

 The path Arya beings are those above the 3rd path, the path of superior beings, seeing ultimate reality, emptiness. We can say there are 15 paths, 5 each of Shravakas, Prateyakabuddhas, and Mahyanists. There are qualitative difference in the 3 groups' path.

 After the identification, what are the practices associated with the four Noble Truths.

1.      Truth of the suffering is to be identified (3 sufferings)

2.      Truth of the cause of suffering is to be abandoned. (Contaminated karma and afflictions)

3.      Truth of the cessation of suffering is to be actualized or experienced. (3 cessations of afflictive obscuration, and cognitive obscuration)

4.      Truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering is to be meditated upon. (Last 3 of the 5 paths: gate, gate paragate, parasamgate, bodhisaha)

 The first four paths are learner's path. When you are at the first four stages, you are at the conventional stage. You need to identify, abandon, actualize, and meditate. But at the fifth stage, the ultimate level, there is nothing to identify, nothing to abandon, nothing to actualize, and nothing to meditate upon. Therefore, third the set associated with the Four Noble Truths:

 1.      Although the truth of suffering is to be identified at conventional level, there is nothing to identity at the ultimate level

2.      Although the truth of the cause of suffering is to abandoned at conventional level, there is nothing to abandon at the ultimate level

3.      Although the truth of the cessation of suffering is to actualized at conventional level, there is nothing to actualize at the ultimate level

4.      Although the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering is to be meditated upon at conventional level, there is nothing to meditate upon at the ultimate level.

 When a projection is created, it is samsara. When the projection stops, it is Nirvana. You projected a dream, you projected as dream samsara. You wake up and stop projecting the dream, it is Nirvana.

 Example, Mount Kailash is pure and beautiful. Seeing through two goggles, one clean and one dirty, you see different Mount Kailash. One seen through a clean goggle is Nirvana and one seen through dirty goggle is samsara. Same object is seen through two difference lenses or glasses of goggles, wisdom. Dirty Mount Kailash seen through dirty goggle is our mental projection, Mount Kailash is not dirty.

 Note: This is a student's note. Error and omissions are bound to be there. A serious student should study the actual teachings of the teacher, Geshe Dorjee Damdul la, from www.tibethouse.in website. I write these notes to help my understanding and recollections. (Tib:Rang gi yid la nges phyir ngas dhi brtsams).

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The Ancient Tibetan Civilization

The Ancient Tibetan Civilization: Studies in myth, religion, and history of Tibet by Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya

Published by Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, Dharamsala, India

ISBN: 978-93-90752-72-0

 

The book is based on the author's research in some grey areas in Tibetan study where more research needs to be encouraged to bring out the full extent of study in Tibetan myth, religion, and history. Tibet is an ancient nation with rich indigenous myths, religion, and history dating back to more than 1000 BC[1]. Scientists have said that human civilization existed in Tibet as far as 12,000[2] years back, and primitive tools and implements found in the regions date back to some 8000 years[3]. But in most of the Tibetan work and literature, it had shown as if the Tibetan civilization started from the 7th century only. Not much is discussed about pre-7th century Tibet. What little discussion found on the subject, too, is not aligned with the time and facts. The question here in the book is - does Tibet have any indigenous myth, religion, and history before the 7th century CE? 

Buddhism from India brought enormous change in Tibet and greatly enriched the Tibetan religious and cultural history. But much before the advent of Buddhism in the 7th century, there existed an indigenous religion in Tibet, which sustained the Tibetan culture and greatly influenced the neighboring regions too. As Buddhism gained a strong foothold and support in the land, indigenous religion and values suffered discrimination. Ancient myths and values were cast into oblivion. New myths of Indic affiliation ascribed significant aspects of Tibetan civilization, the origin of the Tibetan race, the first King of Tibet, Tibetan language, etc., to India.

As native values were castigated, Bon scholars too began to assert the origin of Bon religion to some Tagzig [Tib:sTag-gzig], a distant land supposed to be Persia of the time. In this way, Bon and Buddhist scholars, the two foremost authorities in Tibet, competed in ascribing the native wisdom and culture to Tagzig and India. Therefore, despite being an ancient civilization with rich history and culture, we find some serious contradictions in Tibetan myth, religion, and history, which do not corroborate the history and ancient nature of the Tibetan civilization. 

Contrary to popular belief, the research hypothesis established here is that Tibet's myth, religion, and history dates back to 1000 BCE. The first king, Nyatri Tsanpo, appeared much before 127 BCE and was of Tibetan origin. An ancient Zhangzhung civilization greatly influenced Tibet and the neighboring countries along the Himalayan ranges. The 33rd King Srongtsan Gampo lived for 82 years, and there existed some form of writing system in Tibet before the 7th century CE.  

Bon, the indigenous religion of Tibet, has greatly influenced Tibetan civilization and culture. But unfortunately, it is not openly embraced because of the persecution it suffered in the early period of Buddhist supremacy. Therefore, understanding the Bon religion and Zhangzhung civilization is imperative to get a broader picture of Tibetan history and culture.

The popular Tibetan origin myth based on the Buddhist theory, Boddhisattva monkey and rock ogress, of Tibet and Tibetans coming after the enlightenment of Buddha, has failed to stand the test of the time. Jampal Tsagyu, the text on which the statement is based, does not touch anything about Tibet and Tibetans. The origin of the first Tibetan king Nyatri Tsanpo as an Indian Shakya king or the descendants of Pandava or Kauravas of Mahabharata too has been found invalid[4]. The traditional native theory of origin myth of cosmic egg and the first king as the descendant of god has been found more mythically rationale.

Chronology of the Tibetan kings with Nyatri Tsanpo at 127 BCE, 28th King Lha Thothori at 173 CE, and the 33rd King Srongtsan Gampo at 617 CE does not flow well to explain the existence of 43 Kings of the Yarlung dynasty[5]. The study has found it more reasonable and scientific to put Nyatri Tsanpo beyond 127 BCE, Srongtsan Gampo's birth at 569 CE.

The book dwells on the importance of the Zhangzhung kingdom and the indigenous Bon religion to prove the existence of advanced civilization in Tibet since early times. The origin of the Tibetan script and writing system has been discussed from a new angle to encourage a fresh perspective to look at the subject.

In a nutshell, the book presents some strong working hypotheses for young scholars to work on. If the book could offer a glimpse of what is obscured and unexplored but vast area of study in the field of myth, religion, and history of Tibet, the author's purpose would be more than fulfilled.

Link to buy paperback from Amazon.in:

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09R52DG59?ref=myi_title_dp

Link to buy eBook from Google PlayBook Store: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=SNhaEAAAQBAJ

 

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[1] 1) Tenzin Namdak, sNga rabs bod kyi byung ba bjod pa [An early history of Tibet], p-168, 2) Jonh V. Bellezza, gShen rab myi bo - His life and times according to Tibet's earliest literary sources

[2] Tibetan Lived in Himalayas Year Round Up to 12,000 Years Ago by Laura Geggel, Senior Writer / Jan 5, 2017. Live Science. [http://www.livescience.com/57403-humans-inhabited-tibet-mountains-earlier-than-thought.html]

[3] Bod kyi lo rgyus bgro glen, LTWA, p-1ix [Ancient artifacts found in Chamdo was said to be four thousand years old, and at one another place artifacts dating some eight thousand years have been found - Dalai Lama]

 [4] Three popular theories based on ancient texts have been discussed. Indian Mahabharata and Tibetan versions were compared and studied. According to Dr. P.V. Vartak, the Scientific Dating of the Mahabharata War happened around 5000 - 3000 BCE

[5] With Nyatri at 127 BC, the 28th King Lhathothori birth at 173 CE, and the 33rd King Srongtsan at 617 CE, the chronology doesn't flow well.

Early Japanese visitors in Tibet

Some early Japanese visitors to Tibet

_{བོད་དང་ཉི་འོང་དབར་སྔ་མོའི་འབྲེལ་བ།}

On the 121st anniversary of Rev Kawaguchi Ekai's reaching Tibet (the actual date: 4/07/1900), I reproduce below the notes I shared with the visiting Japanese university students in Dharamsala in 2004 at Tibet Museum. 

My respect and appreciation is with the Japanese who visited Tibet in those difficult times. They lived with the Tibetans and later told our true story. If possible, I would like to pay respect to the families of these devoted, adventurous, and brave souls. 

The talk note is here below:  

Like many foreigners, Japanese also took interest in Tibet, and they ventured into the land in the late 19th and early 20th century. Tibet remained in self isolation with a view to preserve its own religious faith, culture, and language. Tibet remained oblivious to the world wars and the impending danger from the aggressive neighbor in the east, China.

 It is recorded that some ten Japanese visited Tibet with different objects and motives at same and different times when Tibet was an independent nation. Some have seen the last days of Tibetan independence. Their writings and memoirs have become proof of Tibetan independence. They are known as Nyuzosha, one who had entered Tibet, in Japanese. Here is the brief notes on those determined Japanese and the purpose of their visit, and what they did in Tibet.

 1900: Kawaguchi Ekai (1866-1945), a student of Sarat Chandra Das, visited Tibet disguised as a Chinese monk. He entered Tibet in 1900 and reached Lhasa in March 1901. He was inspired to study original translation of Buddha`s teaching. He studied in Sera monastery, one of the largest monasteries in Tibet. As he helped the local with his medical knowledge, he was also known as Sera Amchi. He is said to have informed Sarat Chandra Das about the Russian influence in Tibet that triggered Young Husband expedition of 1904. He returned in 1903. His book, "Three Years in Tibet", Chibeto Ryokoki, became very popular. He visited Tibet again in 1913-1915.

 1901: Narita Yasutera (1864-1915), a Buddhist priest and student of Nanjo Bunyo reached Lhasa in Dec 1901. He was earlier with Imperial army, later sent to the USA on a mission, then to Taiwan. It was not clearly known why he was sent to Tibet. His dairy "Shin-Zo Nishi" records his travel in Tibet. Black Dragon Society (Kokuryukai) also has his record in "Senkoku Shinshi Kiden".

Around that time a priest by the name of Nomi Kan (1868-?), also a student of Nanjo Bunyo, tried entering Tibet. He reached upto Bathang and it is not clearly known of his fate thereafter. 

1905: Teramoto Enga (1872-1940), a Buddhist priest, stayed briefly in Tibet and later continued to Peking. But his influence over Japanese – Tibetan relationship was considered substantial. He sent information to the Japanese government, Nishi Hongwanji Temple. In 1903, Count Otani Kozui was the head of the Hongwanji Temple. He had his brother Sonya Otani meet the 13th Dalai Lama at Wutaishen and planned student exchange and the visit of His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama to Japan.

1910: Yajima Yasujiro (1882-1963), a Russo-Japan war (1904-05) veteran. British took him for a spy. He stayed in Tibet briefly then left. He visited again in 1912 disguised as a coolie and stayed in Tibet till 1918. He drew a map and was later given charge of one section of the Tibetan army, which he trained in Japanese method of warfare. His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama was said to have been fond of him. He married with a Tibetan woman, bore a child Ishin. The boy later died in a war with China.

1912: Aoki Bunkyo (1886-1956), representative of Count Otani of Nishi Hongwanji, stayed in Tibet till 1916. Although a priest, his activities were mostly secular. It is said the idea of pan-Buddhism, pan-Asianism, and a Buddhist renaissance was dear to the nationalist Japanese. Count Otani was in favor of this idea. Aoki translated Japanese infantry manual into Tibetan, unfortunately, a copy could not be found. He is said to be in a committee who designed Tibetan flag. He was sent to buy arms (guns) for Tibetan government.

1913: Tada Tokan (1890-1967), also a representative of Count Otani, but he confined himself to the study of Buddhism and was very critical of Aoki Bukyo's activities. He stayed in Tibet for ten to eleven years. Both Aoki and Tada were said to have been invited by the Dalai Lama as result of the Dalai Lama`s meeting with Count Otani at Peking in 1908. Count Otani was said to have fallen from power in 1914. Tada wrote "Dalai Lama Jusanse" and "Chibtto Taizaiki". H.H. the 13th Dalai Lama continued correspondence with him with a hope that the Japanese government would help Tibet in checking Chinese aggressions.

1939: Kimura Hisao (Dawa Sangpo) (1922-1989), a spy disguised as Mongolian stayed in Tibet for more than a year. Around that time another spy, Nishikawa Kazumi (1918-2008) also visited Tibet. But it is said that they were so lost in the way that they reached Tibet only after the war. Kimura's story is in "Japanese Agent in Tibet" and Nishikawa's story is in "The Rising Sun in the land of Snow", both by Scott Berry.

1939: Nomoto Jinzo (1917-2014), a Japanese spy, wrote "Chibetto Senko". He was in Tibet on information gathering mission. He entered Tibet in 1939.

Above information was compiled for a talk given to a visiting Japanese University Students at the request of the Department of Information (DIIR), May 2004 / updated 17/02/2022 

 

Related books and important years:

Three years in Tibet by Kawaguchi Ekai

Japanese agent in Tibet by Kimura Hisao and Scott Berry

Monks, Spies and a Soldier of Fortune: the Japanese in Tibet by Scott Berry

A stranger in Tibet: A Japanese zen monk by Scott Berry

Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso (1876-1933) by Tada Tokan

Young Husband expedition to Tibet 1904

World War I (1914 - 1918) World War II (1939-1945)