Precious Garland

by Archya Nagaruna  |  Presented by Dharma Friends of Israel (DFI)

In this text, which is one of Nāgārjuna’s most important treatises, the author instructs an Indian king both in Madhyamika philosophy and in practical matters such as how to live an ethical and compassionate life based on renunciation and bodhicitta. At the same time, Nāgārjuna shows how these seemingly disparate topics are interrelated and form a coherent whole. Although Nāgārjuna addresses the king directly, his timeless teachings apply to everyone, in all places and cultures.

The text serves as the basis for many other Indian and Tibetan commentaries, as its various points are elaborated in treatises such as Chandrakirti’s Entry into the Middle Way and Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva. And among Tibetan Buddhists it continues to be a subject of study in monastic institutions and public teachings.

 

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The Two Truths

 Presented by Tushita Meditation Center

The two truths—the conventional truth and the ultimate truth—is one of the essential topics in Buddhism, and it relates to the way we normally perceive phenomena and the way phenomena actually exist.

During this course we will reflect on and discuss the two truths as presented in the highest Buddhist philosophical system, the Madhyamika Prasangika. We will analyze how we can integrate our understanding of the two—however basic it may be—into our daily lives and use it to deal with our problems and difficulties. In particular, we will explore how we can use our understanding to develop greater love, compassion, and kindness toward ourselves and others, and to cultivate the mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta.

 

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