HH Phakchok Rinpoche ’09

Following on from last year’s visit to Bangkok His Holiness Phakchok Rinpoche will be returning to Bangkok for a spell Friday April 17 to Sunday April 26th with a series of events. For the first 3 days there will be be a five part course at the Ramana Tavana Hotel, co-sponsored by the Tawan Dhamma Foundation. The sessions will be in English with Thai translation. Free of charge.

Please call the Tawana Hotel and reserve your place if you are intending to attend the series of talks. You should mention the “Tawan Dhamma Project”  and book for the “37 practises” sto be connected with the right desk. The Hotel staff should speak English ok, but if you have real problems then leave your nace via the comment box at the end of this blog, and one of us will phone the hotel for you.

Tawan Dhamma Project,
The Tawana Bangkok.
02-236-0361.

37 Practices of Bodhisattvas

Fri 17th – Sunday 19th April

Ramana Tavana Hotel

 

Date	Afternoon 1:30 – 5pm	Evening 6:30 – 9:30pm
Friday 17th		Session I
Sat.     18th	Session II	Session III
Sun.    19th	Session IV	Session V (special guest)

On Sunday 19th in the evening there will be a guest appearance by Phra Raja Paitpanmunee, Deputy Abbot of Wat Prayoon and chairman of Tawana Dhamma foundataion – speaking of the topic Theravada’s 37 Practices (presumably in Thai only)

37 Practices of Bodhisattvas

Bodhisattvas are those who seek enlightenment for the sake of all beings. Their path is the way of selflessness whereby their minds are trained to transcend ordinary tendencies of ego clinging and disturbing emotions. The habitual obsessive self-centeredness is gradually replaced by a universal compassion that focuses on all other beings’ happiness and freedom from suffering. This altruistic attitude (or bodhicitta) is the very basis and heart essence of all of the Buddha’s vast teachings of the Great Vehicle.
The vastness and profundity of the Buddhist scriptures and their commentaries are beyond the ability of most practitioners to study, much less comprehend and realize in a single lifetime. Yet the 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas is able to succinctly capture all the quintessential key points of the ocean of Dharma.The entire path to full enlightenment is encapsulated in a mere 37 stanzas corresponding to 37 practices ranging from training in exchanging oneself for others (Tib. tonglen) to practical advice on how to transform inescapable hardships in lives into stepping stones towards spiritual perfection.
37 Practices of Bodhisattvas belong to the literature genre of graduated stages of the path (Tib. lam rim) and mind training (Tib. lojong) which were first transmitted into Tibet by the Indian mahapandita Atisha Dipamkara (982-1054 C.E.). Because the training methodology was easy to learn, eminently practical to apply in everyday life, and capable of swiftly bringing profound transformation to practitioners, the teachings quickly took root in Tibet where it was assimilated by all schools of Buddhism, further refined, and spread throughout the entire Himalayan region.
One of the most famous lineage holder of this precious teaching was Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo (1295-1369 C.E.) who authored the classical text 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas. He lived exactly the way he taught and became the epitome of a bodhisattva. For generations, this beautifully written text has touched, nurtured, inspired, and transformed countless practitioners.

The plush Ramana Tavana Hotel is a short walk from the Sala Daeng BTS Station and Silom MRT. Click the map below for a larger version: