Differentiating Consciousness From Wisdom

Beginning Tuesday, 5/18/21 from 4-6pm PST / 7 - 9pm EST

The entire path of Buddhism can be characterized as a quest for understanding the mind and then ridding the obstacles to mind. While the mind is the foundation of Buddhism, it is rarely directly described in its complexity. For this reason the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, wrote a treatise called Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom, which describes the eight consciousnesses in great detail and explains how we as ordinary beings are deluded by them. He then describes how to transcend ego and transform these consciousnesses into the five enlightened wisdoms.
Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom presents a translation of Rangjung Dorje’s brilliant 36 verse doha spanning this topic and includes a lucid and accessible commentary on these verses by Thrangu Rinpoche. This book is a virtual textbook of Buddhist psychology by an authentic teacher from a lineage that continues to be alive today even though it is a thousand years old.

“An illuminating text which provides the ‘missing link’ between Yogacara philosophy and Mahamudra practice, demonstrating how we might transform our confusion and emotional obscurations into wisdom. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche has lucidly and generously provided a commentary which will deepen your understanding and enliven your practice. A must for all practitioners of Vajrayana!” --Judith Simmer-Brown PhD, Professor Naropa University

Distinguishing Dharma and Dharmata is a text that is very brief and direct in its presentation and is included within the class of oral instructions. It is a work which clearly portrays the character of nothing less than non-conceptual original wisdom, the point of utmost profundity within the Mahayana.

With regard to meditation, there are the particular traditions, views and practices of Mahamudra and Dzogchen, the basis of which are the teachings of the Buddha and the commentaries or shastras on those by the great masters. In order to achieve the high view of Mahamudra or Dzogchen we need to cut our doubts, hinderances and aberrations, which is accomplished by listening to and contemplating the Mahayana dharma.

Realizing dharmata or the nature of mind is what is to be known and this we understand through hearing and thinking about it. Nevertheless, due to the obstruction of conventional appearances we are not able to realize this. If we can realize this profound nature then we will naturally separate from confusion and conventional appearances. Thus, this text, Distinguishing Dharma and Dharmata, is devoted to identifying exactly what is conventionally true and what is ultimately true. So this text is extremely important for all those who wish to practice the meditations of Mahamudra and Dzogchen.

Other course topics include:

The importance of evaluating the Buddha’s teachings, how to interpret when Buddhist teachings are literal or figurative, how to evaluate apparently conflicting teachings, a summary of the teachings The Buddha gave in each of the three Turnings of the Wheel of the Dharma, the goal of each of the three Turnings of the Wheel, an explanation of the ideas held by each of the main schools of Buddhism, ultimate reality (emptiness) according to each of the schools, the three progressively higher understandings of emptiness, the three attributes of reality, a comparison of the Mind-Only School and the Middle-Way School explanations of emptiness and dependent origination, how to use an understanding of emptiness to end suffering, specifically by bringing an end to death and rebirth.

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Materials for This Course

Texts for this course:

Thrangu Rinpoche Distinguishing Dharma and Dharmata, A Commentary on The Treatise of Maitreya

Secondary Text
Thrangu Rinpoche Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness From Wisdom: A Treatise of the Third Karmapa

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