KUZHO LAMA GESHE TASHI TSERING SPEAKING ABOUT 'BUDDHIST SCIENCE'

For a few years now I have had this idea – you know in Buddhism we have this presentation of the basis, the path and then the results that follow from that. And when we talk about 'the basis', as the name itself indicates, it is something which is very basic. However we are confused in relation to that and all our problems and all our troubles come from this basic misunderstanding. For years now I have been thinking 'if only people could be educated or could understand those basic things'; because this understanding would be very beneficial.

As we say, it doesn’t matter if you are a religious person; it doesn’t matter which type of religion you want to follow. The basis is something that should be understood. From that point onwards though - the paths and the results - we are entering let’s say the sphere of religion because the path clearly is a spiritual path. According to your persuasion, according to your inclination, you might choose this path or another path. And then of course according to this path that you will follow, this path will bring about certain results, okay?

But the basis is something that applies to everybody, even people who are not religious. The basis is relevant to all of us and this is why His Holiness, the Dalai Lama also uses this terminology and refers to the basis as being 'Buddhist science'. It is something scientific. It is something that can be explained and if you understand it well, you will be well off in terms of happiness. If you are confused in terms of the basis, then only problems will come out of this; and that is why we put so much emphasis on understanding the basis.

So, what do I do now that I have this information? I am the one who will experience the good or the bad things and because I have certain preferences and I would rather have happiness than suffering I will educate my mind so that my mind will not create causes of suffering. So how am I going to educate this mind? This is completely your choice, whatever you like. Do you like a religious path, a religious way of training the mind? That’s fine. Do you have a preference for Buddhism? That’s fine. Do you have a preference for Christianity? This is fine. There are plenty of methods to train the mind. But whether or not there is a need to train the mind, there is no choice in that. We have to train the mind, because we know if we leave the mind untrained it just creates one problem and one type of suffering after the next. So there is no question: it has to be educated.

Just understand this basis we have been talking about and try to implement this in your life, just to see a little bit of improvement in your life. It’s that simple.

* Excerpts from teachings on 'The Two Truths' given at the Marriott Hotel, Brisbane, in February 2010; translated by Voula Zarpani.

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A new temple for Khangmar
[Jan 09] Khangmar Monastery in eastern Tibet is a major focus of The Good Fortune Trust's fundraising efforts. It is a small, very poor monastery in the countryside near the town of Kardze. Since 1959 the main building, housing the main temple and assembly hall, administrative area, and kitchen — the very heart of the monastery — has fallen into serious disrepair. Its upper two storeys have collapsed. What remains is unstable and potentially dangerous but still in use as there is no alternative. The Good Fortune Trust is aiming to help by raising awareness and funds to replace the ancient temple which is beyond practical repair. Any support will be gratefully accepted.

Read on ...

A new roof for Sera's House 12
There is an urgent need for more accommodation in Geshe-la’s house at Sera Je Monastery. Adding a second story to the old wing of House 12 will provide reasonable accommodation for another two dozen Khangmar monks who are studying in exile in India. The first phase is replacing the roof of the existing building and bracing the structure so there is a stable foundation for a new storey to be added.

The work become urgent because the old roof was eaten out by white ants and had to be replaced before it caved in! Adding to the pressure, the cost of raw building materials climbed steeply during 2008. Thanks to the generosity of Trust supporters, $10,000 was sent in October 2008 and work began without delay. Another $20,000 is required to complete this first phase — although labour is cheap in India, materials are not.

Here's the story in pictures of the work as it happened.

Photos of the second story
When Geshe Tashi Tsering last visited Sera Je in early 2006, the second story on the new wing of House 12 was taking shape but there was no roof and all the interior work was still to be started (story here). We have finally been able to get photos of the completed building and it looks fantastic! Click the thumbnails for full size images and captions.