Bodhicharyavatara - Guidelines
In 2010, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche kindly offered to give a series of detailed explanations on the Bodhicharyavatara through Bodhicharya website. Currently we are in Chapter 6. All the videos so far can be found in the playlist on a page dedicated for each chapter, and if you prefer, you can also listen to them in audio. They are approximately 20 minutes long.
To start from the beginning, please first take the Introduction and then go to Chapter 1. The teachings have been on hold since 2014 due to Rinpoche’s other activities. We will make an announcement to all Archive members when Rinpoche starts sending new Bodhicharyavatara video teachings again.
Questions and Answers
Rinpoche has also offered to answer students' questions regarding the teachings. The Questions & Answers videos are included in the chapter playlists. A timeline for leaving questions to Rinpoche will be given with each new teaching and there will usually be one week for leaving them. You can leave your question as a comment to the teaching post or on the Chapter page. To leave comments you will need to register and log in as a member of the website. Alternatively, you can send your question by email to
studyquestions[at]bodhicharya.org. However, it would be very nice if you could leave your question as a comment so that others can read it too. Please be concise and use one short paragraph no more than 80 words, if possible. Longer questions may have to be edited. -
If your native language is not English and you find writing in English difficult, you are also welcome to send your question in your native language and it will be translated to English for Rinpoche.
Reference texts and books
In addition to Rinpoche's video teachings, you can study a transcript of Rinpoche's teachings on the Bodhicharyavatara given in Rigpa centers during the years 1997-2001. The transcript is available for downloading in the
Library. In those teachings Rinpoche taught according to the famous commentary by Khenpo Kunpal (Kunzang Palden) which has now been translated into English by Padmakara Translation Group as
The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech. This book can be used as a reference.The English translation of the Bodhicharyavatara root text recommended for the study group is
The Way of the Bodhisattva, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group and published by Shambhala Publications. There are two editions of this book, the first edition is from the year 1997, and the revised edition is from 2008. They are not similar. Rinpoche was referring to the first edition in the transcript that is used as a reference text in the Shedra. In his new teachings he will refer to the revised edition.
Self study questions
After the completion of each chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, a set of self study questions is provided which you can use to self assess your knowledge and understanding of the teachings and reference material. If you like, you can take some time and find out the answers to some or all of the questions, either from your memory or from Rinpoche's talks or the reference texts. It's up to you whether you use any of these questions or not, and how much time and effort you put into answering them, but we hope they are useful. The self study question sets provided so far are available in the
Library.
Other languages
Teachings will be originally given in English and the teaching transcript is in English only. However, the Bodhicharyavatara as well as The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech have been translated into many other languages, and those translations can be consulted. A list of book translations can be found on Rigpa Wiki. Audio translations of Rinpoche’s video teachings will be provided by volunteers into several languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Finnish. More audio translations will be added gradually. If you can translate and would like to contribute to this, please contact us at teachings[at]bodhicharya.org.
Where can I get the study books?
The transcript of Rinpoche’s commentary on the Bodhicharyavatara will be freely available in the Library chapter by chapter. The translation of the Bodhicharyavatara root text and the commentary by Kunzang Pelden you may try to find through your local bookstore or through an online bookstore. –There is an English translation of the root text and the commentary, up to Chapter 5, available on the internet as well: http://www.kunpal.com.
The last guideline
It is not absolutely necessary to view every video, read all the books and take the tests. You are warmly welcome to just enjoy some great moments with Rinpoche's brilliant teaching. Take a breath. Relax. That's it.
Contacts
If you have questions, suggestions or any other feedback, contact us
here.
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