A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, The 37 Practices of A Bodhisattva and Nagarjuna's The Fundamental Wisdom; 14-August-2006 (Day 1 of 5; Afternoon) - Dalai Lama Audio Teachings on Tibetan Buddhism Podcast

Summary: Turning to Nagarjuna’s Fundamental Wisdom His Holiness discusses the Two Truths, conventional and ultimate truth. He goes on to explain the Twelve Links of Dependent Arising, a clear presentation of how ignorance is the source of sentient beings being caught in cyclic existence. Action motivated by ignorance leads to suffering. However, the process can also be reversed, by coming to a proper understanding of reality ignorance is overcome and liberation achieved. With the end of ignorance, suffering ceases. Crucial to understanding reality is examining how the self appears to the mind. Does the self exist as it appears, complete, autonomous and so forth? On the other hand, if the self does not exist as it appears, what is the status of the phenomena that are its possessions? Nagarjuna asserts that the self exists, but the question is how it exists? He examines this in relation to the Buddha. Selflessness concerns the person’s designation on the basis of the psycho-physical aggregates.