Q&A WITH GESHE TASHI

LIVE Q&A VIDEOS

You can find all the Q&A videos from previous groups and terms below.  This is a really valuable resource, and well worth looking through. You will find the most recent Q&A’s listed first.

Because of the spread of countries across time zones, sometimes we need to have two sessions, one in the morning UK time, one in the afternoon.  This means questions from all the modules in order, one after the other.  We therefore recommend you listen to the relevant sections of your current module on both videos.

August 2024 Live Q&A All Groups 

Emptiness (0.00 – 29:25)

A few words from Geshe Tashi (0.00 – 08.15)
  1. Steve: Can you realise emptiness through non-analytical shamatha meditation?
  2. Manna: How are karmic propensities carried forward when there is emptiness?
  3. Nitesh: How does understanding or experiencing emptiness help improve our daily lives, particularly in dealing with challenges, relationships, and personal growth?

Tantra (29.25 – 1:17)

  1. Manna: Does the path to enlightenment inevitably pass through Tantra?
  2. Manna: The Buddha said the Dharma should shine openly. How to reconcile with the secrecy of Tantra?
  3. Andreanna: Can you have a Tantric relationship with a teacher if you are not physically close by?
  4. Nitesh: Can we practice Tantra without vows?
  5. Nitesh: How does working with winds, channels, and drops lead to deeper states of meditation?
  6. Kate: What causes the Sambhogakaya emanations & how do Buddhas send out blessings to all sentient beings?
  7. Kate: Is there a beginner practice on the death process we can do each day to help us remember and prepare for our death event?

Closing words from Geshe Tashi (1:13:49 – 1:17:19)

December 2023 Live Q&A All Groups 

Awakening Mind (0.00 – 1:15)

  1. Manna: Is having less opportunity to serve others a hindrance to developing bodhichitta?
  2. Heather: What is the relationship between bodhichitta and emptiness?
  3. Danny: Looking after ourselves vs serving others. How to judge if we go too far, if we are attached to a certain outcome? 
  4. Juan: What is the difference between “mind basis of all” and “soul”?
  5. Juan: What is the difference between praying to the Buddha and praying to a god?
  6. Sylvie: Is it helpful to start the 11 steps again, but with a shamatha meditation, to build on equanimity?
  7. Sylvie: Can we recognise the exaggerated self (as opposed to the nominal self) by the suffering  these “add-ons” create?
  8. Andreana: Working with physical pain and the self-centred mind
  9. Andreana: The power of rejoicing and appreciation.
  10. Kate: While aspiring to be a bodhisattva the question of suing of whether or not to sue for a family death through medical malpractice.

July 2023 Live Q&A All Groups 

Buddhist Psychology (0.00 – 1:31)

  1. Manna: To deal with the afflictions, how is mental vigilance achieved?
  2. Heather: Is it more important to reduce negative mental factors or cultivate wholesome mental factors?
  3. Heather: Non-implicative negation.
  4. Matthew: What to do when a burst of anger arises, can you suppress?
  5. Kate: Dealing with the Four Generalities & conceptions when they arise.
  6. Andreana: How to keep joyful effort and hope over a long period of time, especially during dry, difficult spells?
  7. Sylvie: How to benefit those who have already died through cause & effect?
  8. Lacey: How to balance confidence with insecurity & uncertainty?

March 2023 Live Q&A All Groups 

Four Noble Truths & Two Truths (0.00 – 1:47)

  1. Nitesh: The Ten Non Virtues
  2. Sylvie: Emptiness & Cessation the same & how to practise?
  3. Sylvie: Does Right View require a full understanding of emptiness?
  4. Manna: Buddhist teachings in the face of a chronic, degenerating disease.
  5. Lacey: The 4NT’s Sutra, knowledge & true knowledge.
  6. Lacey: Difficulties understanding the Two Truths.
  7. Kate: What are the best antidotes to unethical thoughts?
  8. Kate: How to work best with the four schools?
  9. Heather: The key (ancient) texts and whether these concepts have evolved since.
  10. Heather: The four schools, is one more correct, are they a path?
  11. Mathew: How to approach conventional truth in such a distracted, demanding world?
  12. Andreana: Is attachment synonymous with clinging & grasping?

July 2022 Live Q&A all groups 

Tantra (morning group) (0.00 – 35.44)

  1. Paul: The Four Empties and emptiness.
  2. Paul: How to practise the sadhana, as well as study, contemplate and understand it?
  3. Jonathan: How to practise the lam rim in the context of the sadhana?

Tantra (afternoon group) (37.50 – 54.45)

Chat with Geshe la (37.50 – 39.16)

  1. Natascha: The very subtle body and karmic propensities.
  2. Natascha: The subtle body after buddhahood. Does it still rely on causes and conditions?

Emptiness (afternoon group) (54.45 – 1:24.37)

  1. Suzanne: How to understand Buddha Nature alongside selflessness?
  2. Tom: Advice on a daily practice after the course finishes.

Open Questions (afternoon group) (1:24.37 – 1:33.55)

  1. Paul: How to move forward after this course
  2. Natascha: Advice on moving forward with self study on Guide to Bodhisattva’s Way of Life
  3. Natascha: Contemplation rather than meditation.

April 2022 Live Q&A all groups 

Introduction (0.00 – 06.35)

Awakening Mind (06.35 – 22.40)

  1. Tom:  Is taking downtime self-cherishing? Does it depend on content or intention?
  2. Suzanne: Who are Bodhisattvas, where are they, do they appear as humans?
  3. Suzanne: What is the Buddhist view of the heart?

Emptiness (22.40 – 37.50)

  1. Henry: How are we subject to rebirth if nothing about us has intrinsic nature?
  2. Paul: 7 Point & 4 Point Analysis, should I do both?
  3. Natascha: Illusion-like emptiness and direct perception.

Tantra (37.50 – 56.40)

  1. Pik Pin: Do we need to learn the sutrayana calm abiding methods before tantra or can we go straight to vase breathing?
  2. Ergin: Walking the path alone, which type of training is best?
  3. Andy: Where and what to do next?

Concluding Talk on Finishing the FBT Course (57.20 – 1:04.50)

Community Discussion (1:04.50- 1:27.25)

November 2021 Live Q&A 10am group

Introduction (0.00 – 12.10)

Awakening Mind (12.10 – 26.17)

  1. Natascha:  how to generate and maintain enthusiasm.

Emptiness (26.17 – 53.15)

  1. Pik Pin: Questions about refuting the referent object and not the observed object.  

Tantra (53.15 –  1:22.57)

  1. Danny: how to continue studying with Foundations of Buddhist Thought and Geshe Tashi.
  2. Janice: what should I focus on next to continue my studies and practice?
  3. Alexandra: dream time emanations and instructions from lamas
  4. Alexandra: how to dispense of old offerings correctly.
  5. Alexandra: how to practice shamata when you have commitments to recite two sadhanas.

Concluding Remarks (1:22.57 – 1:27.23)

November 2021 Live Q&A 3.15pm group

Chat & Introduction (0.00 – 20.30)

Psychology (20.30 – 33.11)

  1. Leo:  How can we apply the understanding of apperceptive and non-apperceptive cognitions?

Awakening Mind (33.11 – 48.31)

  1. Paul: When practicing the four powers, how can I prevent regret turning into guilt?
  2. Henry: What is meant by ‘sentient beings’, and is there something special about humans?

Emptiness (48.31 – 1:10.00)

  1. Iklima: Can you help with my understanding of reincarnation of a selfless person?
  2. Araya: How do I get closer to directly perceiving the actual self or I?

Tantra (1:10.00 –  1:45.07)

  1. Carina: Questions about practicing the sadhana, prostrations, and tantric initiation.
  2. Jennifer: How literally should we take the advice on where the consciousness leaves the body, and the 49 day period for intermediate state beings?
  3. Sue: Death and the stages of meditation for a baby.

Concluding Remarks (1:45.07 – 1:48.00)

July 2021 Live Q&A 10am group

Introduction (0.00 – 10.45)

Psychology(10.45 – 39.16 )

  1. Jonathan: main mind and mental factors – “current substantial entity”.
  2. Ryan: inference using syllogisms.

Awakening Mind (39.16- 50.15)

  1. Tony: Individual liberation vows.

Emptiness & open questions (50.15 – 1:30.03)

  1. Wallace: intrinsic nature
  2. Pik Pin: various q.s

July 2021 Live Q&A 4pm group

Introduction (0.00 – 10.25)

Two Truths (10.25– 32.30)

  1. Tom: might there be a higher view after Prasangika?
  2. Suzanne: what is the first cause for cyclic existence?

Psychology(32.30- 40.26)

  1. Paul: Compassion towards ourselves or tonglen? 

Awakening Mind (40.26- 59.36)

  1. Ergin: approaching the Buddhist path practically.
  2. Araya: how to identify a positive karmic action.  

Emptiness (59.36-  1:24.49)

  1. Igor: repetition in the Seven Point Cause & Effect method.
  2. Jennifer: how can predictability and differentiation exist without an independent ontological status?

1. FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS Q&A VIDEOS

4NTs Jan 2020 Groups

Introduction (0.00 – 17.05)

Tri’s Group (17.05 – 1:00.24)

  1. Balancing intellectual vigour with compassion & mindfulness
  2. Help with establishing a consistent daily practice
  3. The two bodies of a Buddha
  4. How to stay calm when you don’t agree with the political leaders
  5. Karma, intentions and motivation
  6. The 5 aggregates & the self & karma through lifetimes

Peter’s Group (1:00.24 – 1:18.06)

  1. Emptiness & the five aggregates
  2. The 3rd & 4th aggregates and where concepts reside
  3. The Four Noble Truths and their emphasis in Tibetan Buddhism
  4. Practices to decrease the grossest affliction

4NTs May 2020 Groups

Introduction (0.00 – 5.35)

Tri’s Group (5.35 – 25.47)

  1. Dealing with or suppressing negative states of mind.
  2. Where does karma reside from life to life?
  3. Karma and expressing our feelings.

Peter’s Group (25.47 – 47.30)

  1. Karma & eliminating imprints.
  2. What is there that is permanent

4NTs Sept 2020 Groups

Peter’s Group (0.00 – 08.10)

  1. How is enlightenment empty of inherent existence and permanent?
  2. Taking refuge, setting intentions and dedication; and how to structure a daily practice.

Tri’s Group (08.10 – 11.59)

  1. How to purify negative karma

4NTs Jan 2021 Group

We apologise for the quality of this video, we had a bad internet connection with India.

Tri’s Group (0.00 – 23.29)

  1. How to keep motivation for practice strong, and to make it even stronger.
  2. How to explain the suffering of children around the world from war and famine, for example, in terms of karma.
  3. Balancing the craving for existence against the need for friends.
  4. How to reconcile the mere continuation of body and mind, karma, and the twelve links.
  5. If we become our own refuge, who will check on us and correct us?
  6. Do lay practitioners miss out by not doing debates and is there a substitute practice?

2. TWO TRUTHS Q&A VIDEOS

2Ts Jan 2020 Groups

Introduction (0.00 – 4.06)

Peter’s Group (4.07 – 13.03 )

  1. Experiencing ultimate truth with the awakening mind
  2. The 5 aggregates & mind

Tri’s Group (13.03 – 32.36)

  1. Conventional reality and the material sciences.
  2. The Svatantrika school & emptiness.
  3. The Madhyamika Schools & the continuation of karma.
  4. The Svatantrika School, Sautantrika School & belief in partless particles.

2Ts May 2020 Groups

Peter’s Group (0.00 – 07.26 )

  1. The three criteria for things to exist conventionally & the three meanings of samvriti sattva.

Tri’s Group (07.26 – 29.21)

  1. Perceiving progress on the path for self and others.
  2. Relating to enlightened beings

2Ts Sept 2020 Groups

We apologise for the quality of this video, we had a bad internet connection with India.

Tri’s Group (0.00 – 21.49 )

  1. How is karma carried from one life to the next in the Prasangika school?
  2. Advice on working with both logic and emotion.
  3. Concern over past involvement with the NKT, and practical advice on how to purify past actions and recover from the guilt and regret.

3. PSYCHOLOGY Q&A VIDEOS

Psychology Jan 2020 Groups

Tri’s Group (0.00 – 07.49 )

1a) Yogic direct perceivers and yogic direct perception.  

1b) Enlightenment and the conceptual mind.

Psychology May 2020 Groups

We apologise for the quality of this video, we had a bad internet connection with India.

Tri’s Group (0.00 – 06.37 )

  1. Whether to focus on the grossest mental factors, for example friendliness instead of compassion, first.

Peter’s Group (06.37 – 13.29)

  1. How do main minds influence our daily lives?

4. AWAKENING MIND Q&A VIDEOS

Awakening Mind Jan 2020 Groups

We apologise for the quality of this video, we had a bad internet connection with India.

Tri’s Group (0.00 – 10.25 )

  1. The state of bliss and living beings, bodhisattvas and enlightenment.

  2. Calm abiding as a prerequisite for bodhicitta

Peter’s Group (10.25  – 20.32)

  1. How to deal with the challenge of past and future lives and all beings as your mother.