Amazon.com
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama held a series of advanced teachings in the West, several of which have been captured in extensive video collections.
The Wisdom of Manjushri is one such video document: the record of three days in May 1998 when His Holiness was joined in New York City by Venerable Master Sheng-yen of the Ch'an lineage to discuss the central Buddhist teachings on wisdom. The Tibetan tradition, a Vajrayan tradition, incorporates tantric practices guided by a Lama along with more analytical meditations. Manjushri, one among the pantheon of tantric meditational deities, is the embodiment of Buddha's wisdom.
In the first tape, His Holiness addresses the core understanding of wisdom in Buddhist teaching: the right understanding of emptiness. Emptiness is thoroughly described in the Prajnaparamita Sutra (known in the West as the Heart Sutra, or teaching), but His Holiness goes also to the Four Noble Truths--particularly to the Third Truth of the Cessation of Suffering--for the root of wisdom. In the second tape, His Holiness discusses the three phases of Manjushri's wisdom: (1) Renunciation, or transcendence of suffering; (2) Cultivation of Bodhichitta, or the desire to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings; (3) Development of the wisdom of emptiness. The second tape also contains a powerful, personal moment for the Dalai Lama. In discussing his own life and struggles as a student of Buddhism, he stresses how difficult it is to achieve a clear understanding of emptiness. Then, pausing, he begins to weep. He reflects on the great strength he has found in his life from his faith and admiration for altruistic past masters. His tears are of thanks and joy. The third tape, in contrast, is a deeply intellectual discussion of the many philosophical interpretations--from Tibet, India, and elsewhere--of the nature of reality. Here, the Dalai Lama's impressive scholarship is readily apparent, though the discussion is infused with his compassion for the many views. In the final tape, His Holiness gives the Buddhist precepts and the Manjushri empowerment. Finally, Master Sheng-yen and His Holiness join for a dialogue on emptiness, a historic discussion that merges two of the greatest unbroken lineages in the Buddhist tradition. --Patrick O'Kelley
