Seminar at Gokokuji, Tokyo
Teaching: The Way of the Bodhisattva (Chapter III of the Bodhisatvacaryavatara)

Five days
4/28 -4/29 11:00 -13:00, 14:30 -17:00
4/30 - 5/1, 5/3 10:00 -12:00, 13:30-16:00

Teaching and Instructions on Ngondro (preliminary practice)
5/2 10:00 -12:00, 13:30-16:00

Manjushri Initiation
5/4 12:00-15:00

?The Tibetan Spiritual Festival 2007, organized separately by Tibet House, will also be held during the same period (Sunday, April 29 th -Sunday, May 6 th ). We would like to thank Tibet House and Gokokuji Temple for their tremendous cooperation, which has made this seminar possible. We are adjusting our timetable so that it does not clash with Festival events, so everyone can attend both!

Except for talks given by the Dalai Lama, this is the largest Tibet-related event to be held in Japan in recent years. We hope that everyone attending Patrul Rinpoche's reaching will also check out the Tibetan Spiritual Festival.

The Bodhisatvacaryavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva)

The Bodhisatvacaryavatara was written by the Indian saint Shantideva (circa 650 A.D.-700). This crucial text is studied thoroughly in all four of the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The first Patrul Rinpoche held it in such high regard that he is said to have carried a copy, one of his few possessions, at all times as he traveled around Tibet giving teachings.

 

Following in the footsteps of the first Patrul Rinpoche, the current Patrul Rinpoche teaches the Bodhisatvacaryavatara all over the world.

This teaching is extremely important and meaningful for both beginners and more advanced students. This is the fourth teaching Patrul Rinpoche will have given in Japan on the Bodhisatvacaryavatara. Each chapter of the Bodhisatvacaryavatara is a complete teaching in itself. Patrul Rinpoche will provide a review of previous teachings so that new students will have no trouble following.

 

Chapter III of the Bodhisatvacaryavatara: “Attaining Complete Understanding of Bodhicitta”

During his teachings of last November, Patrul Rinpoche remarked that even if a person does not do the various other Dzogchen practices, he or she can attain enlightenment by simply realizing Bodhicitta. One concept that forms the very basis of Mahayana Buddhism is that we must develop great compassion for all sentient beings. No matter how much one engages in esoteric practices, it is all meaningless without Bodhicitta. The Bodhisatvacaryavatara is about how to develop, maintain, and act on the Bodhicitta mind, and the third chapter is the essence of these teachings. In particular it covers the last four tents of the seven-limb practice *.

Patrul Rinpoche considers Chapter III to be particularly important, and he plans to teach on it in great detail.

* The seven-limb practice, compiled by the great Indian saint Atisha, is a means of accumulating merit. It consists of seven parts: prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting teachings, requesting that the Buddhas and spiritual masters remain, and dedication. The first three are covered in Chapter II, and the remaining four in Chapter III.
     

(2) Manjushri Initiation (May 4 th , 12:00-15:00)

--An initiation from the Mipham Rinpoche lineage--

As encapsulated in the Japanese proverb, “three heads together and you get the wisdom of Manjushri,” this Bodhisattva is a symbol of the wisdom, and especially the wisdom of pure enlightenment.

Since the word for wisdom in Sanskrit also means “to cut,” Manjushri is portrayed with a “sword of discriminating wisdom” that severs duality. This initiation is unusual in that it features the four-armed Manjushri instead of the more common two-armed Manjushri.

This initiation is a terma (“revealed treasure”) discovered by Mipham Rinpoche, who was a highly realized lama of the 19 th century believed to be an emanation of Manjushri. Patrul Rinpoche himself received this teaching from the former abbot of Dzogchen monastery, Pema Gyaltsen Rinpoche. See the following sites for further details:

http://www.dzogchenmonastery.info/Historic_Principals.htm
http://www.dzogchenmonastery.info/Historic_Dzogchen_Chief.htm

 

According to tradition, Shantideva, author of the Bodhisatvacaryavatara, was guided by the Bodhisattva Manjushri himself.

He received the sadhana of Manjushri when he was six, followed by direct teachings from the bodhisattva. Born a prince and destined to succeed his father as king, Shantideva instead left the place at the behest of Manjushri, later encountering a great yogi in the forest, who is said to have been Manjushri himself.

The Bodhisatvacaryavatara concludes with praise to Manjushri and to the lama.

Patrul Rinpoche decided to give the Manjushri initiation this time in light of this link between Manjushri and Shantideva, and because of the association of the principle image of Gokokuji Temple with Manjushri. (The two are both of the lotus family of Buddhas).

  • Tibetan >Japanese interpretation : Junko Miura
  • English-Tibetan interpretation: Rinpoche's close student Elizabeth Pakenham
  • Rinpoche can answer questions in English.
  • We are looking for volunteers to help us set up the venue on April 27th (10:00:21:00), including decorating the outside of the building, and to help us clean up on May 6 th .
  • Please contact us if interested. DVDs from Patrul Rinpoche's first and third teachings in Japan (both on the Bodhisatvacaryavatara) are available to seminar participants for 2000 yen(set of three, normally 3000 yen) and 3000 yen (set of four, normally 4000 yen).

Gokokuji Temple
Otsuka 5-40-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0012

Access: Gokokuji Station on the Yurakucho subway line, exit 1 (a three-minute walk to the Chureido Hall)

  • Parking around Gokokuji Temple is likely to be limited during the event, so we recommend that people come by train.
  • For questions on the day of the event, including directions, call 0-3382-2095.Click here for a map of the Gokokuji complex.

There is no set fee for the initiation of 5/4. Please donate as you wish.

  • Bodhisatvacaryavatara & Ngondro teachings: 33,000 yen (Advance payment by 4/16): 28,000 yen)
  • Bodhisatvacaryavatara teachings only: 30,000 yen(Advance payment by 4/16: 26,000 yen)
  • Half-day of teaching: 3500 yen (Advance payment by 4/16: 3000 yen)
  • Remit to: "Coordination team inviting Patrul Rinpoche to Japan", postal savings account number 10080-90410061
  • Children under 16, monks, Tibetans, and people coming for these teachings from overseas may make a donation in the amount they wish instead of the above rates.