Tashi Choeling will commence teaching Bodhisattva’s Way of Life from 2nd of June 2021. Shanti Deva was a master from the monastic university of Nalanda in India. His work, “A guide to a Bodhisattva’s life” was written in the eighth century. His work is one of the greatest mind training teachings of all time. HH The Dalai Lama is full of praise for Shanti Deva’s work and has been teaching it extensively.
We all wish to have a peaceful life but often it is just like chasing a mirage. We are never able to grasp it. By and by, life comes to an end.
This is obviously the result of not knowing how to go about in finding peace of mind. As Shanti Deva says, “even though every being wants to avoid suffering, yet it seems everyone is in fact chasing suffering itself. Even though every being desires happiness, they reject happiness as if it is their enemy”. This is crux of the matter. We are all wanting happiness desperately but through our ignorance, instead of sowing the seeds of happiness we are sowing the seeds of further suffering, which seems like driving away our happiness.
Shanti Deva teaches how to transform the mind through reason and logic which is appealing because in order to change our present mind set, we need sound reason why the present state of mind is not conducive to achieve happiness and need to be transformed. This human life is the perfact opportunity to subdue our wild and untamed mind that can change the trajectory of all our future lives. It is therefore advised to make every effort to attend the teachings while the opportunity exists. Attending the teachings should be seen as ones most important deed in this life to create merit and also as a mental health management effort to maintain a peaceful life for oneself. When we have peace of mind, we are most likely to be happy and Dharma in general and especially by the works like Bodhisattva’s Way of life are in the forefront of mind training teachings to assist us on a path of calm and contented mental demeanour.
All are welcome!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR SAGA DAWA!
Saga Dawa is the holy month to Tibetan Buddhists. Every positive deed is multiplied hundred thousand times and vice versa for the negativities as well. It’s a time to create merit for ones own well being as well as for all mother sentient beings. People should avoid eating meat as much as possible during this month. The climax of this event is on the 15th of the Lunar month which falls on Wednesday 26th of May 2021 in the western calendar. This is owing to the reason that the holy Buddha was born, achieved Enlightenment and parinirvana (passed away) on the same day. The Buddhists use the word parinirvana for the passing of the Buddha which means “gone beyond suffering”. Every year, we take the Eight Mahayana Precepts ones during Saga Dawa. We have to get up early and take it because according to the rules laid down, it should be done before we can decipher the lines of the palms of our hands. Those who want to take the precepts should be at the centre by 5.30am You can bring offerings such as flowers, candles and incense. Make sure the incense are made by Tibetans which are free of chemicals otherwise no need to bring them.
After taking the precepts, two most important things are no meat and intoxicants and no untimely meal, which means no meals after lunch. One must not transgress all eight precepts for twenty hours. Then it becomes meaningful because we create only merit.