This text, Ganden Hla Gyama or A Hundred Deities of the Joyful Land, is the basis for Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga practice and an excellent introduction to tantra. It is one of the earliest texts dedicated to Lama Tsongkhapa, and includes key practices to bring us closer to him and his teachings. As Geshe la said recently, this short text is “important for us to learn.”
As always, Geshe Tashi’s emphasis in these teachings will be on how we can best experience the material for ourselves.
In this class, to help us get our bearings, Geshe Tashi first gives us an overview of the structure of this text. We have completed the first outline, the Invocation, and are now starting the second outline: Enhancing Merit & Purifying Negativities. These then are the Seven Practices, or Seven Limbed Prayer, although the order may seem unusual.
As part of Requesting to Remain a Long Time (1), Geshe la gives a detailed commentary on visualising and relation to the Field of Merit. He explains how Prostrations (2) can be done by body, speech, mind and all three; and how Offerings (3) are mainly done for our own sake. It is of real practical interest to hear how we can find greater meaning and benefit in our water bowl offerings by relating to the mental quality that each offering represents. The water bowls represent the qualities our teachers want to see in us. Being able to have conviction in the teacher and teachings, for example, arises in the aspect of scented water.
When Confessing (4), our actions may seem small, but repeated throughout a lifetime or longer, they become very significant. Geshe Tashi explains, through the Four Powers, how we can apply this practice to different sets of vows.
From beginning to end, Geshe Tashi delivered this class at a brisk pace, packing it with helpful advice, detail and instruction. Not to be missed!
With best wishes,
The Admin Team
You can find details of upcoming classes as well as the text available for download here.
https://foundationsofbuddhistthought.org/