News from the annual Dechen Summer Course in France at Sakya Changlochen Ling.
The wild and beautiful Dordogne in France is often witness to dramatic changes of weather, leading to vivid sunsets and misty dawns. It was in this setting that Lama Jampa Thaye gave teachings on Shantideva’s classic guide to the Buddhist path, the Bodhicharyavatara or ‘Entering the Bodhisattva Conduct’.
Over the two weeks, people of all backgrounds and ages from the US, Mexico, Europe, the UK and Ireland encountered Shantideva’s beautiful and straight down the line poetry, taught with clarity, warmth and humour by Lama Jampa, relying on the structured and detailed commentary by Sakya master, Sonam Tsemo.
Whether directly or indirectly, I should do nothing apart from benefitting beings.
Through the first seven chapters of this work, Shantideva guides travellers on the path from the first glimmers of bodhichitta, the thought of enlightenment focused on buddhahood for others, through renunciation and regret for unskilful actions, to joyful effort, the fourth of the Six Perfections, where we are inspired to engage in beneficial actions…
…like an elephant tormented by the midday sun plunging into a lake.
Lama Jampa also gave the vajrayana initiations of Amitayus and Chenrezik Mahamudra, whose practice formed a key aspect of the course, joining compassion with experiential wisdom.