“The main point of meditation is learning how to relax the mind within itself.” — The Karmapa in Freedom through Meditation, dharmaebooks.org
Our resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, offers guided meditation and short dharma teachings every Sunday at Karmapa Center 16 and online. As everyone is welcome, and no prior experience is needed, Acharya calls the Sunday sessions Meditation for All.
On November 17, 2024, Acharya Lhakpa started to include teachings on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva. Here we offer summaries of his explanations about this precious text, written by the great master Ngülchu Thogme Zangpo, that points out how to follow the heroic path of the bodhisattvas verse by verse.
Teaching Summaries for
The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva
- A Poisonous Tree and a Waxing Moon – 37 Practices – Session 5As beginning practitioners, once we distance ourselves from negative friends, what do we need in order to develop our positive qualities like hearing, reflecting, and meditating, as well as loving-kindness and compassion?
- Embracing Impermanence – 37 Practices – Session 4The verse itself, Acharya Lhakpa noted, is very clear and not difficult to understand. The most challenging part is how to bring it into practice. What is the true meaning of “letting go of this life,” and how can we internalize this verse?
- Leaving our homeland and samsaric distractions behind – 37 Practices – Session 3Bodhisattvas strive to liberate themselves and others from samsara. To do this, they keep to solitary places. What does it truly mean to “keep to solitary places”?
- Seizing the opportunity: Embrace life’s meaning: 37 Practices – session 2Understanding our precious human life as an opportunity to free ourselves and many others from suffering means that we must seize it. How do we seize this opportunity?
- The Heroic Path of Compassion: Meditation for All – 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva – session 1Following our practice of śamatha meditation together, Acharya began his teaching on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva by introducing the author of the root text, a great scholar and practitioner, Ngulchu Tokmé (ca. 1295 – ca. 1369).