Initial Scope

Book excerpt: In the early eleventh century the Indian Buddhist master Atisha condensed essential points from the sutras and ordered them into the text Lamp of the Path. These were then expanded upon in the fourteenth century by the Tibetan Buddhist master LamaTsongkhapa into the text The Great Exposition on the Gradual Path to Enlightenment(Lamrim Chenmo). Venerable Thubten Chodron taught on this text over several years at Dharma Friendship Foundation, and related these practical teachings to our daily lives. These ebooks are lightly-edited transcripts of those teachings. They have been organized and formatted by Lai Wee Chiang. This second volume contains teachings on: - Remembering Death - The Actual Way to Become Mindful of Death - The Lower Realms - Taking Refuge - The Objects of Refuge - How to Take Refuge - The Benefits of Having Taken Refuge - Guidelines for the Practice of Refuge - Karma - 10 Destructive Actions and Their Results - Constructive Actions and Their Results - The Intensity of Karma - Other Ways of Differentiating Actions - Specific Aspects of Actions and Their Results - General Advice on Engaging in Positive Actions and Avoiding Destructive Ones