Living an Enlightened Life: Lessons from Je Tsongkapa, Teacher of the First Dalai Lama (2010, Ann Arbor)

Geshe Michael Roach gave this lecture on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at Gelek Rinpoche’s Jewel Heart Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Ordained at the age of three, Gyalwa Je Tsongkapa Lobsang Drakpa is considered one of the greatest philosophers, the most prolific writers, and most charismatic social organizers in the history of Tibet.

Geshe Michael’s talk focuses on the writings of Je Tsongkapa, considered one of the foremost authorities on Tibetan Buddhism. Ordained at the age of three, Gyalwa Je Tsongkapa Lobsang Drakpa is considered one of the greatest philosophers, the most prolific writers, and most charismatic social organizers in the history of Tibet.

He is the founder of the Gelug school of Buddhism, the lineage of the Dalai Lamas, is the author of perhaps the most important text to ever come out of Tibet’s rich spiritual culture: the Lam Rim Chen Mo, Great Stages of the Path.

On March 10, 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his family fled Tibet under artillery fire, saving a priceless set of 15 scroll paintings called the Tsongkapa Eighty. After reaching India, the paintings were donated to a Kalmyk Buddhist Temple in New Jersey. This temple served as the home of Geshe Michael Roach for over 20 years, while he mastered the philosophical monastic tradition of Tibet with his main spiritual teacher, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, both in New Jersey and at Sera Mey monastery in India. Geshe Michael has extensively researched the Tsongkapa Eighty paintings and their history over the centuries, and will use images from the 200 scenes depicted to illustrate the life of Je Tsongkapa, in the many different roles that he took in his life. Je Tsongkapa’s life serves as a model of the great scholar-yogi tradition of Tibet, and is relevant today as a lesson in attaining spiritual goals in the face of obstacles.

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Reading

King of the Dharma: A Life for us to Live

Options for Further Study

Please refer to the following related courses on The Knowledge Base:

Daily Practice Series Course 10: Je Tsongkapa’s Mantra (Ganden Hlagyama) (1998, Redding)

This meditation is an excellent method to improve your spiritual capacity and to dramatically enhance your ability to practice. Learn to receive great spiritual blessings with this meditation practice that focuses on the Thousand Angels of the Heaven of Bliss, A Prayer of Lama Devotion. The visualizations associated with meditating upon the prayer are emphasized, with special attention given to the mantra recitation. This is an excellent preparation for advanced tantric meditation. It lays the foundation for tantric retreat by properly guiding you through mantra meditation and teaching you how to do mantra recitation and retreat.