The Index Page provides an outline of the topics discussed in each of the lectures. Click on the links below to go directly to a particular lecture.

Lecture One was a talk by Lama Yeshe, which has been transcribed but not published at this time.

LECTURE 2

• The need to practice for other sentient beings
• The Heart Sutra
• We need to taste the Dharma to understand its importance

LECTURE 3

• Happiness and suffering come from the mind
• Cutting off the four clingings
• Clinging to this life
• Renouncing the eight worldly dharmas is the best Dharma

LECTURE 4

• Holy Dharma and worldly dharma are complete opposites
• The perfect human rebirth
• Death is definite
• The continuity of the consciousness
• Lamas and lay people who remember previous lives

LECTURE 5

• The power of the mind
• Having the karma for happiness and suffering proves reincarnation
• Because the mind can change, we have the power to transform it
• When death happens the most powerful imprint will ripen
• Nonvirtue is generally more powerful than virtue
• The Buddha liberates us by guiding us

LECTURE 6

• Another happy migration is not enough
• Nothing is definite in samsara
• The two obscurations
• Having overcome both obscurations, a buddha can do perfect work for others
• The kindness of the mother
• I am one, others are numberless
• Repaying the kindness

LECTURE 7

• Only a buddha knows all the methods for relieving suffering
• The clear light nature of the mind
• Searching for the non-existent I
• The five paths

LECTURE 8

• The ten bhumis
• Entering the tantric path
• The generation and completion stages of Highest Yoga Tantra
• The lamrim is like the main road to enlightenment

LECTURE 9

• The Heart Sutra
• Khunu Lama Rinpoche
• Always have bodhicitta in your mind

LECTURE 10

• There is nothing more worthwhile than developing bodhicitta
• Put effort only into what is worthwhile

LECTURE 11

• Practice the Dharma continuously and correctly
• Lama Tsongkhapa received instructions from Manjushri
• The five stages of the generation stage and the five of the completion stage

LECTURE 12

• Lama Tsongkhapa sees the qualities of the Buddha
• Hymns of Experience commentary: Homage
• The meaning of Shakyamuni Buddha’s mantra
• Tibetans and mantras

LECTURE 13

• With bodhicitta, whatever you do you are happy
• Lama Tsongkhapa’s lineage
• Hymns of Experience commentary: Homage

LECTURE 14

• The four qualities of the lamrim: All teachings are free from contradictions
• The four qualities of the lamrim: Everything appears as advice
• The merely labeled I does not appear to us as merely labeled

LECTURE 15

• Ganden Lha Gyäma: Visualization of the merit field
• The four qualities of the lamrim: The meaning is easily found
• The four qualities of the lamrim: All the great negativities are stopped
• Hymns of Experience commentary: Homage to the Dharma
• The three incorrect ways of listening to the Dharma
• The first three of the six recognitions
• Question and answer

LECTURE 16

• The eight Mahayana precepts

LECTURE 17

• Ganden Lha Gyäma: Visualizing the merit field
• Visualizing purification and accumulation of merit
• Remembering bodhicitta, you forget your problems
• The thick-skulled cannot be subdued by the Dharma
• The fifth recognition: Recognizing the tathagata is a holy being

LECTURE 18

• Precepts motivation: Understanding suffering gives energy to practice Dharma
• Precepts motivation: All happiness comes from other sentient beings
• The eight Mahayana precepts

LECTURE 19

• Precepts motivation: Samsara is living on the tip of a needle
• Precepts motivation: Repaying the kindness of mother sentient beings
• Actions to be avoided after taking precepts
• The root of all happiness is karma
• Question and answer
• Whatever you do, do it with bodhicitta
• Hymns of Experience commentary: Guru devotion
• Purifying negative actions toward the Dharma
• Purifying negative actions toward the Sangha
• The three stages of the refuge practice: Purifying, entering and being guided
• Hymns of Experience commentary: The perfect human rebirth

LECTURE 20

• Precepts: Taking responsibility for all sentient beings
• Eight Mahayana precepts ceremony
• Bodhicitta subdues your mind
• Stories of Serkong Dorje Chang
• Bodhicitta subdues your mind (continued)
• Refuge in the Sangha means in all Sangha
• Avoiding negative actions toward the Sangha
• Rinpoche recovers by reciting the refuge prayer
• Guru yoga: The four immeasurable thoughts
• Guru yoga: The merit field visualization

LECTURE 21

• Great equanimity is cherishing all beings equally
• The eight Mahayana precepts: Motivation and ceremony

LECTURE 22

• The poison of self-cherishing
• With self-cherishing there is no perseverance
• With self-cherishing, you waste your life
• Ganden Lha Gyäma visualization
• Bringing the lamrim into your life is the real cure
• With tonglen, problems bring happiness
• Hymns of Experience commentary: The transience of life

LECTURE 23

• Developing equanimity
• The three reasons we and others are equal from our side
• The three reasons we and others are equal from the side of others
• Ganden Lha Gyäma: Visualization of Lama Tsongkhapa

LECTURE 24

• Ganden Lha Gyäma: Visualization of the three stacks

LECTURE 25

• The four immeasurable thoughts
• Hymns of Experience commentary: The imminence of death

LECTURE 26

• Ganden Lha Gyäma visualization: Lama Tsongkhapa and his disciples
• Only our delusions stop us seeing the buddhas
• Ganden Lha Gyäma: The first limb, wishing the guru to have a long life

LECTURE 27

• Precepts motivation: Friend and enemy are neither intrinsic nor permanent
• Hymns of Experience commentary: Extracting the essence
• Realizing impermanence and death, all actions become Dharma
• Milarepa transcended the fear of death

LECTURE 28

• There is nothing greater than working for others
• Ganden Lha Gyäma commentary: Contemplating the seven-limb prayer
• Ganden Lha Gyäma commentary: The limb of prostration
• The qualities of Lama Tsongkhapa’s body, speech and mind
• Hymns of Experience commentary: Impermanence and death

LECTURE 29

• Ganden Lha Gyäma: Offerings to the merit field
• Ganden Lha Gyäma: Confession

LECTURE 30

• There is no ultimate difference between self and other
• The eight Mahayana precepts
• The mud of the unsubdued mind
• Ganden Lha Gyäma commentary: Prostrations
• Ganden Lha Gyäma: Offering
• Hymns of Experience: Remembering death
• Hymns of Experience: The importance of refuge

LECTURE 31

• Hymns of Experience commentary: Purification and the four opponent powers