As I look back on 2010, I see that Aloha Sangha started the year with a series of discussions on interspirituality, along with suggested readings in Christian mysticism. Back in 2009 we had a five week series on the Cloud of Unknowing, which I regard as an unparalleled and brilliant work on spiritual transformation written by an anonymous Christian hermit in fourteenth century England. Six years ago we had a 10 week series on the Bhagavad Gita and five years ago eight weeks on a Bodhisattva mind training text by the great 12th century Kadampa Buddhist master geshe Chekawa Dorje Chang.
In 2011 we will explore the path to enlightenment as presented in the traditional gradual path teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, following the 11th century classic, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation by Gampopa.
Here are a few reflections on the text we will study and why I chose it.
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Why The Jewel Ornament of Liberation?
If you were to study chemistry or any physical science you would need to become familiar with the periodic table if the elements. The Jewel Ornament of Liberation (let’s just call it the JOL for short) presents of the all the elements of Buddhism in a progressive and organized way.
One possible objection I want to address right at the start: some might say, but the JOL is about Tibetan Buddhism, you can’t claim it represents all of Buddhism. And I would partly agree with this objection. To begin with, there simply is single text that could represent the essential core of all of Buddhism.
Secondly we need to examine a little closer the possible objection that the JOL is about Tibetan Buddhism. The JOL was composed around 1148. Buddhism began in India around 500 BC. The JOL is a panoramic snapshot of Buddhism after 1600 years of tweaking, of intense debate, of millions and millions of person-hours of meditation, contemplation, austerity, of tens of thousands of cave yogis and monastic scholastic and householder dharma practitioners. It just happens to be the magnum opus of a brilliant, gifted mind which took birth in Tibet.
I also feel very comfortable with the text. I received teachings on it in the 1980s by the author of the edition we will be using. I also really, really like the book (which helps!).
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How will be do this?
This is study will certainly take up all of 2011, and quite possibly a good chunk of 2012. We will go through the entire text, as every line is full of very deep meaning. We will break the text into bite sized pieces which we will chew on in group emails and in our get togethers. I will also set up a separate page on the website dedicated to this project with a section for your comments (stay tuned, I will let you know when this is up).
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Which edition will we be using?
That’s easy. There are two editions readily available: the one by the brilliant Austrian scholar Herbert Guenther and the one by the monk Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche. Let’s go with the latter–it’s easier to read and it is just a flat out superbly put together book. If you don’t want to buy it, that’s OK, as you could just read the emails (all the emails will be organized on the JOL page on the blog).
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Resources for study
You can download the entire JOL text, in the edition we will be studying, simply by clicking the link below:
PDF: Gampopa – The Jewel Ornament of Liberation
If you are like me, you just might like to have a physical copy of the book, in which case you can purchase the edition from Amazon through the link below: (Note: purchasing through this link will help support Aloha Sangha).
Buy through Amazon here: The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-Fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings
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Here we go: simply click on the link to read the full text of each week’s study notes and suggested reflections.
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Week 1. Getting started: The three ways of developing one’s practice, plus reflections for the week. Read the notes by clicking the link below:
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Week 2. Samsara does not dissolve itself. The need to take action. Read the notes and reflections by clicking the link below.
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Week 3. How to get motivated, and stay that way. We can actually cultivate our motivation for Dharma study and practice.
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