The Dalai Lama initiates a special teaching session at Bodh Gaya

The 14th Dalai Lama on Monday initiated his special two-day preaching on Bodhisatva at the Kalchakra Maidan here this morning, amidst unprecedented security. Over 40,000 devotees from across the world attended the sesssion, that would conclude on Tuesday with His discourses on 37 practices of the Bodhisatva. The discourses are being translated into 20 languages, including Hindi and English for the devotees. The special teaching session started from 8.30 am.

Initiating the discourse on Bodhisatva in the opening session of his first teaching at Bodh Gaya, the Dalai Lama said that ignorance of truth is the route cause of all the miseries. Every sorrow has its reason and the reason generates within the self. Everyone should exert efforts to find out the truth through the ways and means showed by Lord Buddha. Performing different kinds of rituals or undertaking long and arduous penance can never lead to perfection. ‘’First kill yourself and forget your sorrows to think for others. Until you come out of yourself you can never get rid of anger, temptation, sex, greed and fear. Until you get rid of these vices you cannot enter the 37 practices to reach Bodhisatva, the ultimate perfection to become Buddha or Bodhichitta,’’ said the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama stressed on the need of self practice of the 37 commandments laid down by Lord Buddha for all those who wish to practice and experience Bodhichitta. “Lord Buddha never asked His followers to imitate Him and do what He is doing. Lord Buddha claimed Himself to be only a path-shower and a torch-bearer to rescue those lying in the deep darkness. He has only showed us the path and asked us to move on towards perfection. Unlike other religions of the world which teach us to accept the God as the Supreme Power. In Buddhism Lord Buddha asked His followers only to realise the truth in self and stressed the need of self-meditation and practice of all the 37 commandments of the Bodhisatva,’’ His Holiness in the concluding discourse of Monday session said.

The Dalai Lama will continue with his teachings tomorrow and analyse the 37 commandments of the Bodhisatva and would also teach the monks and devotees the ways and means to practice the preaching of Lord Buddha compiled in the Bodhisatva.