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Buddha-Nature: The Mahayana Uttara Tantra Shastra: Maitreya's Root Text and Asanga's Commentary

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This is a transcription of a series of teachings on the Uttaratantrashastra from a somewhat traditional Geluk teacher, the 13th Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. The teaching is focused on Maitreya’s root text and Asaṅga’s commentary, which he gave during a retreat at Lake Cowichan, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, from May 10-17, 1985. The text is based on the translation by E. Obermiller, chapter 1, "On the Essence of Buddhahood," verses 1-165 and covers the first Four Vajra Topics. Hosted by Zuru Ling (formerly Gaden Rimé Zong Ling) Dharma Centre.

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Citation	Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. Buddha-Nature: The Mahayana Uttara Tantra Shastra; Maitreya's Root Text and Asanga's Commentary. Based on the translation by E. Obermiller, chapt. 1, "On the Essence of Buddhahood," verses 1-165. Vancouver, BC: Zuru Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre, 2001.

ContentsQuotes

• INTRODUCTION TO THE USAT STUDY PROGRAM AND THE BUDDHA-NATURE TEACHINGS:III
• CLASS 1. [MUTS01/00:00]1
  • • (#1)1
  • VERSE 1: THE CONTENTS OF THE WORK9
  • VERSE 2: THE SEVEN SUBJECTS ACCORDING TO THE DHARANISVARA-RAJA-PARIPRCCHA10
• CLASS 2: [MUTS01/41:20]11
  • VERSE 3: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SEVEN SUBJECTS11
    • (#2)12
  • THE JEWEL OF THE BUDDHA17
  • VERSE 417
  • VERSE 517
  • VERSE 617
  • VERSE 717
  • VERSE 817
    • (#3)24
• CLASS 3 [MUTS03/0:00]25
• CLASS 4: [MUTS03/41:50]39
  • • (#4)39
• CLASS 5. [MUTS04/34:55]51
  • THE JEWEL OF THE DOCTRINE51
  • VERSE 951
    • (#5)53
  • VERSE 1055
• CLASS 6. [MUTS05/24:50]59
  • • (#6)64
• CLASS 6 OPTIONAL: MAHAYANA PRECEPTS [MUTS06/08:00]67
• CLASS 6 OPTIONAL: MINDFULNESS OF BREATHING MEDITATION [MUTS06/37:00 TO 38:45]72
• CLASS 7. [MUTS06/38:53]73
  • VERSE 1173
  • VERSE 1274
    • (#7)74
  • VERSE 1375
  • THE JEWEL OF THE CONGREGATION:75
  • VERSE 1479
  • VERSE 15. THE SAINT’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH80
  • VERSE 16. THE EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE SAINTS81
• CLASS 8. [MUTS07/28:25]83
  • • (#8)87
  • VERSE 17. THE PERCEPTION OF THE SAINTS IS INTROSPECTIVE KNOWLEDGE88
  • VERSE 1889
• CLASS 9. [MUTS08/25:30]95
  • VERSE 1995
  • THE DOCTRINE AND THE CONGREGATION ARE NOT REFUGES IN THE ULTIMATE SENSE97
  • VERSE 2097
    • (#9)102
• CLASS 10. [MUTS09/13:30]107
  • THE BUDDHA IS THE UNIQUE ABSOLUTE REFUGE:109
  • VERSE 21109
  • THE MEANING OF "THE 3 JEWELS":110
  • VERSE 22110
    • (#10)113
• CLASS 11. [MUTS10/22:10]121
  • PART 2: THE BASIS FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT121
  • GENERAL COMMENT ON THE LAST 4 VAJRA TOPICS121
  • (1) THE POTENTIAL [ED. OBERMILLER USES "GERM", BUT RINPOCHE USES POTENTIAL], (2) ENLIGHTENMENT, (3) THE ATTRIBUTES, AND
    (4) THE ACTS OF THE BUDDHA, IN THEIR INCONCEIVABLE
    NATURE:121
  • VERSE 23121
    • (#11)128
• CLASS 12. [MUTS11/18:45]135
  • VERSE 24135
  • VERSE 25135
  • (#12)143
  • THE POTENTIAL AND THE 3 OTHER SUBJECTS AS THE CAUSE AND CONDITIONS OF BUDDHAHOOD147
  • VERSE 26147
• CLASS 13. [MUTS12/15:55]149
  • THE 4TH VAJRA TOPIC: THE BUDDHA-NATURE:149
  • THE POTENTIAL OF THE ABSOLUTE:149
  • VERSE 27149
  • VERSE 28153
  • ANALYSIS OF THE (POTENTIAL, ESSENCE) FROM 10 POINTS OF
    VIEW:154
  • SUMMARY:154
  • VERSE 29154
  • THE ESSENCE OF THE SEED (1) AND THE CAUSES OF ITS PURIFICATION (2)156
  • VERSE 30156
  • VERSE 31158
• APPENDIX A: MAHAYANA FAST DAY VOWS159
• INDEX163
• GLOSSARY166

All sentient beings have the cause of Buddha... It is very profound, very complicated, and also at the same time, very beautiful, very interesting. Because all sentient beings do have the Tathagatagarbha, pure mind, it’s a very positive way of thinking. It’s very important to think like that. You know, “I have the Buddha, cause of Buddha already with me. It’s not that I don’t have anything.” It’s very important to think like that.  

~ Zasep Tulku in Buddha-Nature: The Mahayana Uttara Tantra Shastra: Maitreya's Root Text and Asanga's Commentary, page(s) 122

tantra - Tantra, when juxtaposed with Sūtra, generally refers to the scriptures and texts which discuss esoteric topics. While the term is used to refer to texts on other topics, it is mostly used to refer to the genre of scriptures and texts on themes and topics associated with Vajrayāna Buddhism. Skt. तन्त्र Tib. རྒྱུད། Ch. 密宗

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Geluk - The Geluk tradition traces its origin to Tsongkhapa, who propagated a modified version of the Kadampa lojong and lamrim teachings. It is the dominant tradition of Tibet, having established its control of the government under the figure of the Dalai Lama. Tib. དགེ་ལུགས་

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