Samantabhadra’s King of Prayers is a practice text composed to help us cultivate the heart qualities of kindness, care, concern, love and compassion. Developing these qualities will help bring us peace of mind, confidence and a heightened sense of purpose, as well as nurturing and strengthening our relationships. Geshe Tashi once again turns to Jetsun Drakpa Shedrup to guide us through the material, who in turn references a series of commentaries including one by Nagarjuna in the 2nd century CE.
As always, Geshe Tashi’s emphasis in these teachings is on how we can best experience the material for ourselves.
In this class Geshe la starts the main body of the text, launching into the first of a series of aspirations that lead us step by step along the bodhisattva path. Translating and commenting on verses thirteen to twenty, Geshe la covers these first three beautiful bodhisattva aspirations we can hold in our heart at any time:
- The Aspiration for Purity of Attitude
- The Aspiration Never to Forget Bodhicitta
- The Aspiration to be Free from Defilements
In a live Q&A, Geshe la then gives answers to questions on: abandoning the arrogant mind; why the Buddha has the major and minor marks; what to make of the 21 Taras; The King of Prayers Sutra; and the order we can expect to realise the emptiness of self and the emptiness of phenomena.
This is another brilliant class, packed full of scholarship, common sense and heartfelt advice, we hope you enjoy.
You can find details of upcoming classes as well as the text available for download here.
Dear Geshe la, Thank you so much for these precious teachings. Yes please : ) for commentary on The Praises to the 21 Taras. And, my apologies for leaving before the end of the dedication prayers – am also attending teachings with Lama Zangmo at 4pm on Sundays and their Zoom entry is locked thereafter. All best wishes & much gratitude, Julie