- Preface by Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron xiii
- Abbreviations xxi
- Introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama i
- 1. The Self, the Four Truths, and Their Sixteen Attributes 5
- Three Questions about the Self 5
- The Four Truths 10
- The Coarse and Subtle Four Truths 18
- The Sixteen Attributes of the Four Truths of Aryas 19
- 2. Revolving in Cyclic Existence: The Truth of Duhkha 39
- Knowing Duhkha for What It Is 39
- Realms of Existence 41
- Three Types of Duhkha 47
- Feelings, Afflictions, and Duhkha 50
- Six Disadvantages of Cyclic Existence 51
- Eight Unsatisfactory Conditions 53
- Examining True Duhkha via Ten Points 54
- Our Human Value 57
- 3. True Origins of Duhkha 63
- The Six Root Afflictions 64
- More Types ofDefilements 87
- Afflictions 88
- Underlying Tendencies 88
- Auxiliary Afflictions 92
- Fetters 97
- Pollutants 98
- Hindrances 99
- 4. Afflictions, Their Arising, and Their Antidotes 101
- Eighty-Four Thousand Afflictions 101
- The Order in Which Afflictions Arise 104
- Factors Causing Afflictions to Arise 106
- Feelings That Accompany Afflictions 109
- The Ethical Dimension of Afflictions 110
- Counterforces to the Afflictions 112
- Afflictions, Our Real Enemy 119
- 5. Afflictions and Karma, Their Seeds and Latencies 123
- Acquired and Innate Afflictions 124
- Coarse and Subtle Afflictions 126
- Seeds, Latencies, and Having-Ceased 126
- Latencies and Ideas in Other Religions and in Psychology 135
- Virtue, Nonvirtue, Merit, and Roots of Virtue 137
- 6. Karma, the Universe, and Evolution 141
- The Origin of the Universe 141
- Mind and the External World 144
- The Laws ofNature and the Law of Karma and Its Effects 148
- Karma and Our Present Environment 150
- Karma, Instinctual Behavior, and Our Bodies 152
- 7. Revolving in Cyclic Existence:
- 1. The Self, the Four Truths, and Their Sixteen Attributes 5
The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination 155
- Dependent Arising 156
- How Cyclic Existence Occurs 158
- 1. Ignorance (avidya) 159
- 2. Formative Action {samskdra karman) 165
- 3. Consciousness (vijndna) 168
- 4. Name and Form (ndma-rupa) 170
- 3. Six Sources (sadayatand) 172
- 6. Contact (sparsa) 176
- 7. Feeling iyedana) 176
- 8. Craving {trsnd) 179
- 9. Clinging (upadana) 182
- 10. Renewed Existence (bhava) 183
- 11. Birth (jdti) 188
- 12. Aging or Death (jardmarana) 190
- 8. Dependent Origination: Cycling in Samsara 193
- How the Twelve Links Produce a Life 193
- An Example 197
- Flexibility 200
- Pali Tradition: How We Cycle 200
- An Example from a Pali Sutra 202
- Who Revolves in Cyclic Existence? 204
- The Ultimate Nature of the Twelve Links 211
- 9. The Determination to Be Free 217
- The Benefits ofMeditating on the Twelve Links 217
- Invigorating a Dry Dharma Practice 219
- Can a Leper Find Happiness? 222
- Compassion for Ourselves and Others 223
- The Demarcation of Generating the Determination to Be Free 227
- 10. Seeking Genuine Peace 231
- The "Ye Dharma" Dharani 232
- Forward and Reverse Orders of the Afflictive and Purified Sides of the Twelve Links 234
- Transcendental Dependent Origination (Pali Tradition) 238
- Karma in Samsara and Beyond 249
- 11. Freedom from Cyclic Existence 233
- Stages Leading to Liberation and Full Awakening 254
- The Two Obscurations 259
- Nirvana 262
- Pali Tradition: Nirvana 266
- Bodhi 274
- 12. The Mind and Its Potential 277
- The Mind's Potential 277
- Is Liberation Possible? 279
- Excellent Qualities Can Be Cultivated Limitlessly 281
- Afflictive Mental States and the Nature of the Mind 283
- The Equality ofSamsara and Nirvana 284
- Levels ofMind 286
- 13. Buddha Nature 291
- The Mind's Potential according to the Pali Tradition 291
- Arya Disposition according to the Vaibhasikas and Sautrantikas 292
- Buddha Nature according to the Cittamatra School 293
- Buddha Nature according to the Madhyamaka School 296
- Buddha Nature according to Tantra 301
- Nine Similes for Tathagatagarbha 302
- Three Aspects of the Tathagatagarbha 310
- Three Aspects ofBuddha Disposition 314
- A Puzzle 315
- 14. Going Deeper into Buddha Nature 319
- The Three Turnings of the Dharma Wheel and Buddha Nature 319
- A Link between Sutra and Tantra 322
- Nothing Is to Be Removed 325
- The Capacity Giving Rise to the Three Kayas 327
- A Buddha's Nature Dharmakaya 328
- Pristine Wisdom Abiding in the Afflictions 330
- Causal Clear Light Mind 332
- What Continues to Awakening? 332
- Dzogchen and Mahamudra 334
- Are We Already Buddhas? 337
- Awareness of Our Buddha Nature Eliminates Hindrances 341
- Notes 343
- Glossary 353
- Further Reading 367
- Index 371
- About the Authors 409