Dalai Lama concludes teachings, hopes to visit Mongolia

By Phuntsok Yangchen

Dec. 5, 2014 Tsuglakhang, Phayul Photo: Kunsang Gashon

DHARAMSHALA, December 5: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama today concluded four-day teachings for a group a Mongolians, expressing hope to meet again in Mongolia next year. 

On the last day of the teachings today, His Holiness conferred the Avalokiteshvara Empowerment here at Tsugla khang, the main temple in Dharamshala. Around four thousand people from 48 countries including 700 Mongolians attended the teachings on Tsongkhapa’s “Great Stages of the Path”.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that it is important to have right motivation to receive the initiation. “You need to have right motivation to take this initiation of Avalokiteshvara Empowerment. You should not have motivation of such things as wanting to have wealth, success and longevity in this life alone. Because that is the wrong motivation,” said the Dalai Lama. 

Devotees receive empowerment of Avalokiteshwara, Tsuglakhang, Dec. 5, 2014 Phayul Photo: Kunsang Gashon

He said that one should be motivated to attain omniscient state of Buddhahood. “The purpose of Buddhism is not to gain wealth and it is the liberation that we are looking for in this life. Therefore when it comes to doing practices of dharma, we have to be really careful in our way of how we carry about the practice of the teaching of the Buddha,” His Holiness added. 

“You should know yourself and not just jump to conclusion and jump to some higher practices without really having the qualifications. Otherwise it is not good. Therefore, when you do the practices what you need to do is follow the orderly manner of practicing the dharma so that you will be able to become more and more adapt to the teachings, the practices so that you can make progress higher and higher.”

His Holiness also offered prayers for His Eminence the Ninth Khalkha Jestun Dhampa Dorjee Chang Jampel Namdrol Choekyi Gyaltsen, the spiritual head of the Jonang tradition of the Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual head of Mongolia, who passed away on March 1, 2012 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The title, Khalkha (the largest district of Mongolia) Jetsun Dhampa (Lord of Refuge) was conferred by the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, who recognised the First Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa, a young tulku from Mongolia as the reincarnation of Taranatha. The Great Fifth Dalai Lama became the lineage lama of the First Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa, conferring on him all his lineage initiations, empowerments and the further teachings.

From December 12-14, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Rome, Italy, to attend the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates which was chosen after South African government refused visa for the Tibetan leader.

He will then continue his teachings on the 18 Great Stages of the Path (Lam Rim) Commentaries in Mundgod at the request of Ling Choktrul Rinpoche and Gaden Sharte Monastery from December 23- 29.

Source:http://www.phayul.com/