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      • Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

        The FPMT is an organization devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings. We provide integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion. Our organization is based on the Buddhist tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught to us by our founders Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.

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      • Die Stiftung zur Erhaltung der Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) ist eine Organisation, die sich weltweit für die Erhaltung und Verbreitung des Mahayana-Buddhismus einsetzt, indem sie Möglichkeiten schafft, den makellosen Lehren des Buddha zuzuhören, über sie zur reflektieren und zu meditieren und auf der Grundlage dieser Erfahrung das Dharma unter den Lebewesen zu verbreiten.

        Wir bieten integrierte Schulungswege an, durch denen der Geist und das Herz der Menschen in ihr höchstes Potential verwandelt werden zum Wohl der anderen – inspiriert durch eine Haltung der universellen Verantwortung und dem Wunsch zu dienen. Wir haben uns verpflichtet, harmonische Umgebungen zu schaffen und allen Wesen zu helfen, ihr volles Potenzial unendlicher Weisheit und grenzenlosen Mitgefühls zu verwirklichen.

        Unsere Organisation basiert auf der buddhistischen Tradition von Lama Tsongkhapa von Tibet, so wie sie uns von unseren Gründern Lama Thubten Yeshe und Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche gelehrt wird.

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      • La Fundación para la preservación de la tradición Mahayana (FPMT) es una organización que se dedica a preservar y difundir el budismo Mahayana en todo el mundo, creando oportunidades para escuchar, reflexionar, meditar, practicar y actualizar las enseñanzas inconfundibles de Buda y en base a esa experiencia difundir el Dharma a los seres.

        Proporcionamos una educación integrada a través de la cual las mentes y los corazones de las personas se pueden transformar en su mayor potencial para el beneficio de los demás, inspirados por una actitud de responsabilidad y servicio universales. Estamos comprometidos a crear ambientes armoniosos y ayudar a todos los seres a desarrollar todo su potencial de infinita sabiduría y compasión.

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      • L’organisation de la FPMT a pour vocation la préservation et la diffusion du bouddhisme du mahayana dans le monde entier. Elle offre l’opportunité d’écouter, de réfléchir, de méditer, de pratiquer et de réaliser les enseignements excellents du Bouddha, pour ensuite transmettre le Dharma à tous les êtres. Nous proposons une formation intégrée grâce à laquelle le cœur et l’esprit de chacun peuvent accomplir leur potentiel le plus élevé pour le bien d’autrui, inspirés par le sens du service et une responsabilité universelle. Nous nous engageons à créer un environnement harmonieux et à aider tous les êtres à épanouir leur potentiel illimité de compassion et de sagesse. Notre organisation s’appuie sur la tradition guéloukpa de Lama Tsongkhapa du Tibet, telle qu’elle a été enseignée par nos fondateurs Lama Thoubtèn Yéshé et Lama Zopa Rinpoché.

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      • L’FPMT è un organizzazione il cui scopo è preservare e diffondere il Buddhismo Mahayana nel mondo, creando occasioni di ascolto, riflessione, meditazione e pratica dei perfetti insegnamenti del Buddha, al fine di attualizzare e diffondere il Dharma fra tutti gli esseri senzienti.

        Offriamo un’educazione integrata, che può trasformare la mente e i cuori delle persone nel loro massimo potenziale, per il beneficio di tutti gli esseri, ispirati da un’attitudine di responsabilità universale e di servizio.

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        La nostra organizzazione si basa sulla tradizione buddhista di Lama Tsongkhapa del Tibet, così come ci è stata insegnata dai nostri fondatori Lama Thubten Yeshe e Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

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        “护持大乘法脉基金会”( 英文简称:FPMT。全名:Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) 是一个致力于护持和弘扬大乘佛法的国际佛教组织。我们提供听闻,思维,禅修,修行和实证佛陀无误教法的机会,以便让一切众生都能够享受佛法的指引和滋润。

        我们全力创造和谐融洽的环境, 为人们提供解行并重的完整佛法教育,以便启发内在的环宇悲心及责任心,并开发内心所蕴藏的巨大潜能 — 无限的智慧与悲心 — 以便利益和服务一切有情。

        FPMT的创办人是图腾耶喜喇嘛和喇嘛梭巴仁波切。我们所修习的是由两位上师所教导的,西藏喀巴大师的佛法传承。

        繁體中文

        護持大乘法脈基金會”( 英文簡稱:FPMT。全名:Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition )是一個致力於護持和弘揚大乘佛法的國際佛教組織。我們提供聽聞,思維,禪修,修行和實證佛陀無誤教法的機會,以便讓一切眾生都能夠享受佛法的指引和滋潤。

        我們全力創造和諧融洽的環境,為人們提供解行並重的完整佛法教育,以便啟發內在的環宇悲心及責任心,並開發內心所蘊藏的巨大潛能 — 無限的智慧與悲心 –– 以便利益和服務一切有情。

        FPMT的創辦人是圖騰耶喜喇嘛和喇嘛梭巴仁波切。我們所修習的是由兩位上師所教導的,西藏喀巴大師的佛法傳承。

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Education FPMT Education Courses and Programs Discovering Buddhism Frequently Asked Questions about Discovering Buddhism

FAQ Module 12 Page 1

Discovering Buddhism at Home -FAQ

Module 12 – Wisdom of Emptiness

Lama Zopa teaches that the whole of existence depends on a valid mind labeling on a valid base. But in the story about Asanga and Maitreya, no one sees anything except Asanga who sees Maitreya and an old woman who only has the karma to see a sick dog. So is there a valid base for anything? It seems like it depends completely on our mind and what our karma forces us to see.

What is “co-emerging existence” and how is it related to samsara?

Lama Zopa teaches that the whole of existence depends on a valid mind labeling on a valid base. But in the story about Asanga and Maitreya, no one sees anything except Asanga who sees Maitreya and an old woman who only has the karma to see a sick dog. So is there a valid base for anything? It seems like it depends completely on our mind and what our karma forces us to see.

A student asks:

Lama Zopa teaches: “The whole of existence, samsara and nirvana, depends on a valid mind labelling on a valid base. A vase that we can use is empty of being a vase that exists without depending on the base and the subject, the mind. And it is the same with all the rest of existence: all the respective existents exist by depending on the base and the mind that labels. They are empty of existing without depending on the base and the mind.”

Then I read what someone said about Asanga and Maitreya – something along these lines : “There is the story of Asanga who through his act of compassion of taking care of a dog saw instead of a dog, Maitreya, then he walked through town with Maitreya on his shoulder, he was carrying Maitreya, but other people saw him carrying a dog. A dog is not a valid basis upon which to impute Holy Guru – – So were the people who saw a dog wrong, or did they have completely different karmic projections? We project the base and then project upon that base.”

Now that sounds to me like there is no valid base for anything really, it depends entirely upon mind and what our karma forces us to see.

Would I be wrong to conclude in the case of Asanga and Maitreya…. Asanga when he saw a dog instead of Maitreya, at that time was under the influence of ignorance, delusions and karma, in other words there was not a valid mind labeling on a valid base, but rather an ignorant mind under the influence of karma, projecting an invalid base, and then labeling upon that base, dog, due to ignorant karmic projections??? In other words depending on our karma, we project the base and then project upon that base , but when there is a valid mind, the moment there is a valid mind, there would be no mistaken projection of invalid base, and so no invalid projection upon that base, and so no mistaken appearance, no mistaking Maitreya for a dog.???

But then if that is so why did so many people see a dog in particular ?? I mean if there was no valid basis for dog, why didn’t some see a cat, some a bird ?

Pende replies:

I sympathize with the problem you encountered with the example of Maitreya appearing as a dog. I too find such examples difficult to reconcile with explanations that apply to ordinary experience. The simple response on my part is to set extraordinary examples aside, and penetrate the meaning of instruction directed to the level of experience that most closely aligns with your own. The teachings after all are meant to help us overcome our misconceptions, replace inappropriate objectives with appropriate ones, and identify the right actions that will lead to those objectives. Sometimes I find that stories of extraordinary events, while entertaining and sometimes inspiring, are too remote from my life to be or more practical value.

The purpose of the story of how Asanga found Maitreya is to encourage perserverance with the right method, and to show the importance of loving kindness as a right method. Similarly, the example posited by Prasangika philosphers of the single object perceived as three contradictory objects is meant to illustrate the point that what appears in perception is not due to an inherently existing identifying characteristic. That example was an object that is validly perceived as a glass of water by a human, a goblet of nectar by a god, and a vessel of puss and blood by a preta. For someone who is not sure of the existence of gods and pretas, this would not be a good example, as their doubt about such beings would distract them from the main point.

In that case, it might be better to give an example of a single object that appears as refreshment to a thirsty person, a home to a fish, and a mixture of chemicals to a scientist.

A more sophisticated response on my part would have to deal with the issue of whether or not Asanga and others who saw Maitreya as a dog were viewing him with valid minds. That is, was the appearance of Maitreya as a dog, true or correct. We know Maitreya is not a dog, but Maitreya can appear as a dog, because buddhas can appear in whatever way will benefit sentient beings. They do this, by the way, without thinking about it – it happens spontaneously due to their previous accummulation of merit. Also, there is no “true” form that Maitreya appears in, as far as I know. The only true appearance I feel safe on saying is the appearance of Maitreya’s emptiness of inherent existence. His form body is more an instrument for guiding others according to their needs. Having said that, his sambhogakaya is described with certain characteristics and lasts forever, but is available only to arya bodhisattvas.

So, Asanga and others did not correctly recognize Maitreya when Maitreya appeared as a dog, but benefited from that appearance anyway. Maitreya appeared differently to Asanga when Asanga’s mind changed through the force of loving kindness. That new appearance was such that Asanga recognized Maitreya as Maitreya and obtained further benefits from communicating with that form.

All that I have said so far does not contradict the Pransangika formula that objects are identified through the interdependent process of an appearance and a designation by thought; they are not identified by perceiving an identity that inherently exists in the apparent object.


What is “co-emerging existence” and how is it related to samsara?

A student asks:

Does co-emerging existence have to do with samsara and the 12 dependent links? Or is it more to the effect of method/wisdom or bliss and emptiness?

Pende replies:

I believe that coemergence or as you stated “co-emerging existence” is an equivalent term to dependent arising, a fundamental concept in the teachings on emptiness. Translators keep coming up with new terms to translate ancient terms in their effort to keep ancient knowledge fresh and relevant to contemporary discourse.


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You don’t need to obsess over the attainment of future realizations. As long as you act in the present with as much understanding as you possibly can, you’ll realize everlasting peace in no time at all.

Lama Thubten Yeshe

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