Lam Rim Research Articles

Geshe Tupten Pelsang and his Contribution to Proving the Authenticity of Lamrim Je Tsongkhapa

The article is devoted to the Tibetan-language work of the modern Tibetan master Geshe Tupten Pelsang "Compilation of Sutras for the synthesis of the path to Enlightenment with reference to the topics set forth in the Great Lamrim" (lam rim chen mo'i sa bcad kyi zur rgyan mdo btus lam sgrig). It is established that this is the first Roman (extra-sectarian) Lamrim based solely on excerpts from the Word of the Buddha (Kangyur) and does not use a set of Buddhist shastras ‒ Tengyur. There are various texts that bring together the instructions transmitted by Shakyamuni Buddha. It is determined that in this case such kind of genre as anthology (btus-pa) is considered. It is a thematic selection and bringing in a certain order of quotations of the Word of the Buddha, but at the same time expresses a certain opinion and creativity of the author himself. At the same time, it was revealed that the work is based on a structural presentation of the stages of the path to enlightenment according to the "Big Lamrim" of Je Tsongkhapa. It is determined that the author does not derive the justification of the correctness of the provisions of the lamrim (step-by-step path) from logical argumentation, but conducts it by fully quoting a canon that is appropriate in the meaning of a part of the text. The source editions for citation are the Kangyur editions of Nartang (snar-thang) and Derge (sde-dge).

Raman Spectroscopy Analysis of the Mural Pigments in Lam Rim Hall of Wudang Lamasery, Baotou Area, Inner Mongolia, China

This paper presents scientific analyses of the wall paintings in Wudang Lamasery, which is located in the Baotou area of Inner Mongolia, China. Raman spectroscopy was used to analyze the pigments of the mural of the Lam rim Hall. The results show that vermilion, red lead, chrome yellow, emerald green and synthetic ultramarine were used. The existence of synthetic pigments provides a clue for the date the mural was painted.

The Structure of the <i>Byang Chub Lam Gyi Rim Pa</i> and Its Attribution to Atiśa

In this work, I introduce the structure of the Byang chub lam gyi rim pa, a text commonly attributed to Atiśa. The Byang chub lam gyi rim pa contains fifteen parts including summaries, content lists and such. Within these fifteen parts, I used the content list of the main work to outline the stages to the path of enlightenment as shown in the text. The path to enlightenment begins with the taking of refuge appropriate to an inferior being. With this, one goes from being an inferior being to the next level and then after that to the level of an adept. In this way the characteristics of the different stages of the way are expressed. Besides the Byang chub lam gyi rim pa, there are no other works about Lam rim attributed to Atiśa. Although the Byang chub lam gyi rim pa was edited by a later person, it is clear that it preserves Atiśa’s original Lam rim teachings.

The Meditation on Death and Practice in Lam rim - Focused on the viewpoint of ThanatologyT

본 논문에서는 생사학의 관점을 바탕으로 람림(Lam rim, 道次第)에 나타난 죽음관과 수행 내용을 고찰하였다. 생사학에서는 죽음을 삶의 한 과정으로 보고 죽음 교육을 통하여 존엄한 죽음을 맞을 수 있다고 말한다. “죽음을 맞이하는 방식, 죽어 가는 환자를 돌보는 방식, 나아가 삶을 영위하는 방식에 대한 논의와 철학적 성찰이 필요하다”고 말하는 것은 죽음을 육체적 관점만이 아닌 정신적, 영적 관점에서 이해하는 생사학의 태도를 보여준다.<BR> 람림의 수행체계는 인간 존재의 가치를 절실하게 일깨워 주는 것에서 시작한다. 쫑카빠는 인간의 삶의 방식을 하사, 중사, 상사 세 단계로 나누고 각 단계에서 배워야 할 가르침과 의요, 실천의 내용을 체계적으로 설명한다. 그는 욕망 충족의 삶을 궁극적인 진리의 완성으로 점차 전환시켜야 한다는 점을 강조한다. 삼사도는 단계에 따른 가르침의 내용이지만, 하사도와 중사도는 상사가 공통으로 수행해야 하는 단계로서 보리심을 내기 위해 먼저 요구된다. 상사가 자신의 적정을 구하지 않고 중생을 제도하고자 기꺼이 윤회 세계에 들어가는 것은 이러한 체득을 미리 했기 때문이다.<BR> 람림에서는 죽음에 대한 억념을 통하여 “우리는 죽는다”는 사실과 “죽음이 예고 없이 우리에게 온다”는 사실을 직시하게 한다. 죽은 뒤에 다시 인간으로 태어난다는 것은 윤회 세계에서 너무나도 희귀한 일이며 인간은 깨달음을 얻을 수 있는 가장 좋은 조건을 갖고 있기 때문에 바로 지금 수행해야 한다고 말한다. 람림의 가르침은 범부의 삶을 어떻게 궁극적인 진리의 길, 완성의 길로 이끄는가에 대한 이론과 실천의 가르침을 제공한다는 점에서 죽음 준비교육을 위한 자료로도 이용될 수 있을 것이다.

쫑카빠(Tsong kha pa)의 삼매에 대한 소고

This article purports to examine how Tsong kha pa (1357~1419), through the text of the <italic>Lam rim chen mo</italic>, defined meditative concentration (<italic>samādhi, sānmèi</italic> 三昧), so called calm-abiding and meditative insight (<italic>śamatha- vipaśyanā, zhǐguān</italic> 止觀), and the unification meditation between calm-abiding and meditative insight (<italic>śamatha-vipaśyanā-yuganaddha-vāhin, zhǐguānshuāngyùn</italic> 止觀 雙運). In addition, I explore how Tsong kha pa explained the meditative concentration of direct encounter with the buddhas of the present (<italic>pratyutpanna-buddha-saṃmukhāvasthitasamādhi, pánzhōu sānmèi</italic> 般舟三昧), which can be achieved by the body of the tathāgata as the object of concentration. In the second chapter, I suggest two possibilities that are derived from the original terms from Chinese. As a response to Mie Ishikawa (石川 美惠)’s mention that the meaning of the word “ting nge” is obscure in his commentarial translation of the <italic>sGra sbyor bam po gnyis pa</italic> (二卷本譯語 釋), while the word “samādhi is usually translated into the word ting nge

A comparative study of Tshong khan pa's samatha vipasyana and Tian tai zhi guan - focusing on 『Lam rim chung ba』 and 『Tian tai xiao zhi guan』

지관(止觀) 수행을 중심으로 티벳의 쫑카빠와 중국의 천태 지의의 수행법을 비교하였다. 두 인물이 동아시아 불교에서 차지하는 비중이 매우 크다. 비록 그들이 활동한 시대와 지역적 기반이 다르지만 교학과 실천에서 뛰어났다는 점과 함께 그 사상과 방법론을 남기고 있다. 또한 그들은 각각 겔룩빠와 천태종이라는 종파를 일으킨 장본인이다.<BR> 쫑카빠가 지은 『보리도차제약론』은 지관을 중요 수행법으로 채택하고 있다. 지의는 『천태소지관』을 설하여 입문자들에게 가르쳤다. 지관을 중심으로 두 저술을 세 가지로 비교하고 고찰하였다. 첫째, 지관 수행을 위한 환경을 조성과 좌선 실수를 위한 각종 준비, 그리고 실천 방법을 비교하였다. 둘째, 좌선 실수(實修)에 따른 여러 가지 장애들을 상정하고 그 장애들을 제거하는 방법을 비교하였다. 셋째, 『보리도차제약론』과 『소지관』에서 말한 지관 수행이 미도지의 수행임을 밝혔다. 이에 따라 지관의 성취 후 금강승과 원융으로 나아간다는 점을 부각시켰다.<BR> 인도 불교는 철저하게 차제 중심의 불교였고, 그것을 후기 대승불교가 유입된 티벳불교의 전적에서 확인할 수 있다. 이와 달리 대승불교의 수행법이 포함된 다수의 선경류 역시 중국에 전역되었다. 선경류를 바탕으로 일찍 형성된 천태지관이 있었고 차제를 계승하였다. 그러나 『육조단경』에서 보듯이 돈오(頓悟)의 법문이 자리 잡았고 차제 행법과 다르게 중국 선종을 형성하였다. 노장 사상의 영향을 받은 선종은 번쇄한 절차들을 생략하고 무위(無爲)에 안주하려는 경향을 보이며 돈오 수행을 선호한 것으로 보인다. 돈오 수행의 대척점으로서 천태종과 티벳불교의 공통점인 지관이 나타난다.

A Study on the Practice of Visualization as a system of Yogācāra in Lam rim chen mo

A Study on the Practice of Visualization as a system of Yogācāra in Lam rim chen mo

『ラムリム・チェンモ』における『入中論』の二諦説

『ラムリム・チェンモ』における『入中論』の二諦説

The Flourishing of the bKa gdams pa and dGe lugs pa, and the Practices of Lam rim

The Flourishing of the bKa gdams pa and dGe lugs pa, and the Practices of Lam rim

Response to Mark Tatz' Review of "Ethics of Tibet": Bodhisattva Section of Tsong-kha-pa's Lam rim chen mo

The review by Mark Tatz (Philosophy East and West 43, no. 2 [1993]: 337-341) was so full of gratuitous insults, misinformation, and self-exaltation that no reader should be surprised that I must respond with contrary evidence and let the chips fall where they may. The first point made by Tatz is that my initial translation (Calming the Mind and Discerning the Real) from Tsong-kha-pa's great opus, the Lam rim chen mo, was distinguished by a controversy with the reviewer Ceshe Lhundup Sopa, who, according to Tatz, showed how I had completely misconstrued Tibetan grammar. Buddhist texts stress that the external world is not really as it is imagined by ordinary consciousness, but also stress that persons differ in their ability correctly to assess these externals. I apparently did better than Tatz in this case, because I recognized at once that the review in that Buddhalogical journal, then being published in Madison, Wisconsin, was not written by Geshe Sopa. This was awkward for me; in responding to whoever actually wrote the review, readers might think I was impolite to the wonderfully educated Ceshe. When I included a remark on the excellent English, the then editor suppressed it (so he bet on the wrong horse). Later, at a Tibet day anniversary at the Dalai Lama's Tibet House in New York City, Ceshe Sopa's assistant-to my memory a certain Jones-confessed to me that he had written the review. Later, when the International Association of Buddhist Studies conducted an international meeting on Buddhism in Bologna, Italy, where I delivered a paper, Ceshe Sopa also attended; and on that occasion he initiated a handshake with me. This was as close as he would come to

Ethics of Tibet: Bodhisattva Section of Tsong-kha-pa's Lam Rim Chen Mo

Ethics of Tibet: Bodhisattva Section of Tsong-kha-pa's Lam Rim Chen Mo

Ethics of Tibet: Bodhisattva Section of Tsong-kha-pa's Lam rim chen mo

Ethics of Tibet: Bodhisattva Section of Tsong-kha-pa's Lam rim chen mo

Ethics of Tibet: Bodhisattva section of Tsong-kha-pa's Lam rim chen mo

Ethics of Tibet: Bodhisattva section of Tsong-kha-pa's Lam rim chen mo

Sources of Tibetan Buddhist Meditation

known through the efforts of various educated Lamas during the past ten years. For example, there are many young students practicing Soto Zen at the Zen Center in San Francisco and at Tassajara. Rinzai Zen is established at Mt. Baldy on the outskirts of Los Angeles and in Honolulu. Large numbers of students studying Tibetan Buddhism participate in summer sessions at the Naropa Institute in Colorado and at the Nying-ma Institute in Berkeley, California. The Japanese word zen is now an international term which is derived from dhyana (meditation) in Sanskrit. It goes without saying that religious practice is the most important part of any religion. Without practice, religion has no meaning. Buddhism has emphasized meditation in terms of calmness (samatha) and discernment (vipasyana) throughout the traditions of Theravada, Vajrayana, and Mahayana. Here I would like to focus on this calming of the mind and discerning the real following the direction of the Process of Meditative Actualization (Bhavanakrama I, II, III) by Kamalaslla (?-c. 778 A.D.). I feel this text greatly influenced the formation of later Tibetan meditation as we can observe by the many times it is quoted in A Torch for Realizing Enlightenment (Bodhipatha Prad4pa) by AtIsa (982-1045 A.D.) and the Gradual Way to Perfection (Lam rim c'en mo) by Tsofi kha pa (1357-1419 A.D.), founder of the Dge legs pas tradition of the present Dalai Lama. Recently Prof. Alex Wayman of Columbia University translated the samatha vipasyana section from the Lam rim c'en mo of Tsofi kha pa and published it through Columbia University Press under the title of the and the in 1978.1 The Bhavanakrama is quoted more than thirty-five times in the Calming the Mind section and fourteen times in the Discerning the Real section of the text. This immediately shows us something of the importance of the Bhavanakrama as an influential text in the Tibetan meditation tradition.

Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies. Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology: The Tradition of Nyāya-Vaiśeşika up to Gaṅgeśa. Edited by Karl H. Potter. Princeton University Press: Princeton, N.J., 1977. Pp. xiii, 744. - Philosophy and Psychology in the Abhidharma. By Herbert V. Guenther. Shambhala, Berkeley, 1974. Pp. xi, 270. - Calming the mind and discerning the real: Buddhist Meditation and the Middle View,

Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies. Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology: The Tradition of Nyāya-Vaiśeşika up to Gaṅgeśa. Edited by Karl H. Potter. Princeton University Press: Princeton, N.J., 1977. Pp. xiii, 744. - Philosophy and Psychology in the Abhidharma. By Herbert V. Guenther. Shambhala, Berkeley, 1974. Pp. xi, 270. - Calming the mind and discerning the real: Buddhist Meditation and the Middle View, from the Lam rim chen mo of Tsoṅ-kha-pa. Translated by Alex Wayman. Columbia University Press: New York, 1978. Pp. ix, 512. - Volume 14 Issue 4

Calming the Mind and Discerning the Real: Buddhist Meditation and the Middle View. From the Lam rim Chen mo of Tson-kha-pa. Translated by Alex Wayman. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978. xii, 512 pp. Notes, Glossaries, Bibliography, Index. $25.50.

Calming the Mind and Discerning the Real: Buddhist Meditation and the Middle View. From the Lam rim Chen mo of Tson-kha-pa. Translated by Alex Wayman. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978. xii, 512 pp. Notes, Glossaries, Bibliography, Index. $25.50.

Calming the Mind and Discerning the Real: Buddhist Meditation and the Middle View. From the Lam rim Chen mo of Tson-kha-pa. Translated by Alex Wayman. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978. xii, 512 pp. Notes, Glossaries, Bibliography, Index. $25.50.

Calming the Mind and Discerning the Real: Buddhist Meditation and the Middle View. From the <i>Lam rim Chen mo</i> of Tson-kha-pa. Translated by Alex Wayman. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978. xii, 512 pp. Notes, Glossaries, Bibliography, Index. $25.50.