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Sakya Teachings

The Three Levels of Perception - 1

Nagarjuna: Letter to a Friend, France, La Sonnerie, August 13-21, 2010

Nagarjuna, the founder of the Madhyamika school of Buddhism, wrote ‘Letter to a Friend’ as advice to his friend Satavahana King, Gautamiputra. Despite its short length (only around 120 verses), ‘Letter to a Friend’ gives an overview of the whole Mahayana path including many pith instructions on, for example, trusting karma, adopting virtuous deeds and abandoning non-virtuous deeds, genuine devotion to Triple Gem and how to live a proper life. Since these teachings are for King Gautamiputra, they are particularly applicable to lay practitioners.

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Letter To A Friend 05

Of course there are many different kind of discipline one can engage with. Even to free ourselves from post pasta depression one needs discipline. If you think that you are overweight you should have discipline of not eating pasta. But because when the pasta is in front of you with all the right sauce and arrangement and all the hype of so and so restaurant is the best in this and that, you end up eating, first you think well maybe just one spoon. You ended up eating all. At that time while you are gulping down the pasta it is very delicious and blissful. But once you finished the pasta then you go through the post pasta depression. So there are even a small suffering like overeating even that requires discipline. And when you do actually, apply the discipline of just eating vegetables or salads or whatever, the whole day you feel that you have achieved something. Whole day, the day is kind of at least not too much anxiety.

~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

three level

Terence Tang