This past weekend, the 28th and 29th June, Lama Jampa Thaye returned to Manchester to continue teaching Maitreya’s Uttaratantra Shastra (The Supreme Continuity). This came one week after teaching for the first time in Stirling, Dundee, at the invitation of the newly established Dechen Scotland.
Over two sessions of teaching on Saturday, Lama Jampa completed a ‘scene-setting’ essay written by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye as an introduction to the work. This essay concluded with a synopsis of the Seven Vajra Points, the seven topics dealt with in The Supreme Continuity: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, Element, Enlightenment, Qualities, and Activity. The sequence of these Vajra Points comes from the Sutra Requested by King Dharanishvara and Lama Jampa explained how the order is meaningful, starting with the ultimate refuge of the Buddha, who then teaches the dharma, with each stage leading into the next, culminating in the effortless and non-conceptual activity of benefitting others.
On Sunday morning Lama Jampa began teaching from the main body of The Supreme Continuity alongside Jamgon Kongtrul’s detailed commentary, The Unassailable Lion’s Roar . He explained how these two works represent three layers, the first of which being the Mahayana sutras taught by the Buddha. Maitreya’s text is an organisation and structuring of these teachings into a shastra, upon which Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye wrote his commentary for further clarification and interpretation.
Starting with the first Vajra Point, and first of the Three Jewels, Maitreya says:
Buddha is without beginning, middle, or end. He is peace itself, fully self-awakened and self-expanded in Buddhahood.
Lama Jampa explained that Buddhahood is not created from causes and conditions, it has no beginning, middle or end, and is identical with true nature of reality, beyond all conceptual elaborations. Being endowed with knowledge, compassion and power, the Buddha ceaselessly benefits others and, in this way, is truly worthy of veneration.
Like gold in iron ore, or a Buddha in a decaying lotus, the Buddha nature is present under the temporary coverings of misunderstanding and misidentification. Those who have confidence in the Buddha nature, and a stable understanding of emptiness, can realise it fully, doing so through meditation, just relaxing into it as the natural state.
In the afternoon on Sunday, Lama Jampa gave the initiation of Green Tara with the Four Deities. The lineage for this initiation begins with Nagarjuna who received it directly from Arya Tara. It was brought to Tibet by Vairochana, who transmitted it to the 1st Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa. Green Tara is the expression of compassionate enlightened activity and her nature is the perfection of wisdom.
There was also good news over the weekend, as Lama Jampa announced that Steve Kelly has been appointed a Centre Coordinator of Kagyu Ling Buddhist Centre. Steve has worked tirelessly for many years to support the running of the centre, alongside Jonathan Macaskill, John Sainsbury and others, and it is very welcome that he will be stepping into this role. Lama-la then expressed his enthusiasm about the upcoming performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ being put on in the garden of Kagyu Ling on the 9th of July. He said he hoped it would be the first of many such events.
This beneficial and joyful occasion brought people together from all over the UK and beyond. We were very fortunate to share the time together receiving these teachings.
Lama Jampa Thaye will soon be crossing the Channel for France to teach at Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in July and Sakya Changlochen Ling in August.
The teaching of the Uttaratantra Shastra will continue early next year.