PROGRAMME:

Public Talk and Festival Day:
Saturday 29th May
8.30am Destruction of the Sand Mandala, made by Tashi Lhunpo monks, in Tramway followed by:

10.00am Distribution of the sand in the River Clyde near SECC

10.30am Hall 4, SECC A Panel Discussion 'An Introduction to Buddhism'. Entrance Free

10.30am Hall 5, SECC Exhibition open, with festival events throughout the day. Entrance Free

3.00pm Hall 4, SECC Public Talk by HH the Dalai Lama 'Inner Peace, Outer Harmony'. Tickets £5

7.30pm Hall 4, SECC Peace Concert, a celebration of diversity

Teachings:
Sunday 30th May
First Session 10.30am 12.30pm
Second Session 2.00pm 4.00pm

Monday 31st May
Third Session 10.30am 12.30pm
Fourth Session 2.00pm 4.00pm

Tuesday 1st June
Fifth Session Mitrukpa Initiation & Long Life Offering 10.30am 12.30pm
Sixth Session 2.00pm 4.00pm

ABOUT THE TEACHINGS AND INITIATION:

Over the course of these three days, the Dalai Lama will base his discussion on two classic Buddhist texts: the Stages of Meditation, by the 8th century Indian master Kamalashila, and the Thirty Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, by the 14th century Tibetan lama Togme Sangpo.

Kamalashila's 'Middle Stages of Meditation'
Acharya Kamalashila's text is a treatise in three parts. Here the Dalai Lama will be referring only to the middle part, which is a comprehensive practical manual on how to cultivate compassion and wisdom, establish conducive conditions for practice, engage in calm-abiding and special insight meditation, understand the relative and ultimate nature of reality, avoid pitfalls on the path, and enjoy the results of practice.

Togme Sangpo's '37 Bodhisattva Practices'
The text by Togme Sangpo is a beautiful devotional poem in praise of the activities of bodhisattvas, those beings whose loving-compassion inspires them to dedicate their lives to the service of others. It is also very practical: addressed to those who are inspired by the great ideal of bodhichitta the resolve to engage in the path to spiritual realisation in order to be able to help all beings it describes the qualities and actions of bodhisattvas and exhorts others to follow in their footsteps.The Dalai Lama often presents these two texts together, demonstrating the inseparability of wisdom and compassion both as indispensable qualities to be cultivated on the path to enlightenment and as the natural outpouring expression of the ultimate realisation of that enlightenment.

Mitrukpa Initiation
On the third day the Dalai Lama will give an initiation into the practice of the Buddha Akshobhya, called Mitrukpa (mi 'krugs pa) in Tibetan. Initiation or empowerment is essential in order to enter vajrayana practice, in which the practitioner begins to identify with his or her own deepest level of natural purity, the buddha nature, right here now. The name Mitrukpa means one who is imperturbable, immovable; it refers to one who is undisturbed by destructive actions or harmful emotions, who remains steadfast and stable in the face of vicissitudes. The dharmakaya arises in the form of Mitrukpa with the particular power to purify past negative deeds and afflictive emotions, and the practice of the sadhana of Mitrukpa is often recommended specifically for purification and for enhancing emotional stability.

Help us!
Download this poster to advertise the event and/or put the above banner on your website linking it to: www.dalailama
2004.org.uk

Visit the SOLUS web site for information about a full Festival Programme taking place.

More information about His Holiness' visit across the City of Glasgow

Important LINKS: