The Preparatory Rites – Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand

Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand is a transcript of an oral discourse given by Pabongka Rinpoche, one of the most influential Gelug lamas of the 20th century. In his 24-day discourse, Pabongka condenses both Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment and Tsong Khapa’s masterwork The Great Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. He brilliantly illuminates these core teachings that trace back to Shakyamuni Buddha from an unbroken lineage. For that reason, this text is considered one of the 18 great Jangchub Lamrim texts of the Gelugpa lineage. COURSE DESCRIPTION The Preparatory Rites is the second course in our Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand series. The six preparatory practices were taught by Atisha, who learned the rites from his own teacher before coming to Tibet. The 5th Dalai Lama recommended doing the six preparatory practices as part of one’s morning meditation session. In this course, students will learn how to set up their meditation space, make offerings, the best body posture and mind-set for meditation sessions, and how to visualize the Merit Field (a.k.a. Field of Accumulation). Should time permit, Kushok will cover the Seven-limb Prayer and Requesting the Lineage Lamas. The six preparatory rites are significant because they are completely sufficient for anyone wishing to start a Buddhist practice. COURSE OBJECTIVE The objectives of the second course in the Liberation series are to: 1) provide guidance on how to develop a strong connection with the Merit Field in order to imprint a strong karmic connection to the path to enlightenment, and 2) to accumulate enough merit to ensure a future human rebirth to allow us to continue on that path. Only through a human rebirth do we have the potential to achieve enlightenment. This is the reason why such emphasis is placed on not wasting this precious opportunity. COURSE MATERIAL A syllabus will be provided outlining the proposed weekly topics and readings. Students will be asked to prepare for each class by completing assigned readings and to bring their texts and questions on the material to class. Please note that the syllabus may be subject to change as the Teacher will always accommodate the needs of the students at the time. COURSE TEXT Liberation in the Palm of your Hand – A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment, Pabongka Rinpoche, Edited by Trijang Rinpoche. New Revised Edition 2006. Copies of the book can be purchased from Gaden Samten Ling’s bookstore. The text can also be purchased on-line through FPMT and Amazon. An e-book copy of the text is available through FPMT. Older copies of the book can also be used but page numbers will differ from those listed in the syllabus. COURSE PRELIMINARIES The Preliminaries is highly recommended as a prerequisite to this course but is not essential. If you did not take The Preliminaries course, it is recommended that you request The Preliminaries Syllabus from the office and catch up on the readings. TARGET AUDIENCE: Anyone with an interest in Buddhist philosophy is welcome to attend this course. INSTRUCTOR: Please visit http://www.gsl-ab.ca/spiritual-director/ to learn more about our Spiritual Director Kushok Lobsang Dhamchöe. COURSE DATES: Course runs 7:00-8:45 p.m. Thursdays from February 21 to April 4. COURSE FEE Your investment is $80 for 7 classes. REGISTRATION DEADLINE The deadline to register is February 18, 2019. HOW TO REGISTER: Register online by clicking on the More Info link below (preferred). If you are unable to register online, please contact our office using the phone number or email listed below. WHAT TO BRING: – Course text: Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand – Notebook – Pen – Shawl to keep warm – Whatever else you need to be comfortable – Note: Meditation cushions and chairs are provided REFUND POLICY If you cannot attend the course, please contact the Gaden Samten Ling office for details as soon as possible. Contact: Gaden Samten Ling Office Email: info@gsl-ab.ca Phone: 780-479-0014 More Info: http://www.gsl-ab.ca/buddhist-philosophy-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand/