His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give a three-day teaching on Nagarjuna's Commentary on the Awakening Mind at the request of Russian Buddhists by video link from his residence in Dharamsala, HP, India on November 5-7, 2020. He will also answer questions from the same group during the last 30 minutes each day. This year, due to COVID-19, the Teachings for Buddhists in Russia will be held online for the first time. The teachings are dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the birth of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The live webcast can be viewed on-line.Nagarjuna's Bodhicittavivarana was selected for the 2020 online teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who previously included it in the list of essays recommended for translation into Russian. The main theme of Nagarjuna's Bodhicittavivarana is the development of two types of Bodhichitta: relative Bodhichitta (striving for full awakening for the benefit of all living beings) and higher Bodhichitta (comprehending the nature of reality). The book was published in Russian in 2011, translated by Algirdas Kugevičius and edited by Andrey Terentyev. The translation was commissioned by the Save Tibet Foundation.
The teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are not only a course of lectures, but also Oral Transmission. That is why, before starting the teachings, the teacher must mention a mentor from whom he received explanations on the work in question.
When the Dalai Lama reads aloud a classical work on the philosophy of Buddhism, the listener not only perceives its content on an intellectual level, but also receives an energetic impulse from the teacher contributing to a deep penetration into its essence.
This impulse, which Buddhists call the blessing of the Lineage, extends not only to present life, but also to subsequent rebirths. That is why Tibetan monks and lay people try to get Oral Transmission to read and study as many fundamental Buddhist treatises as possible.
The webcasts are also available in Russian language.
