Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Je Tsongkhapa
with Paula Chichester
Connect with the fundamentals of the whole Buddhist path in this two-part talk by Paula Chichester, who teaches on Je Tsongkhapa’s much admired text, “Three Principal Aspects of the Path.” The great Lama Tsongkhapa devoted his scholarly life to organizing the Buddha’s teachings into a reliable sequence that any practitioner may follow all the way to enlightenment, resulting in great expositions and short works of verse like this one. Composed in 1398 by Tsongkhapa for his earliest attendant, “Three Principal Aspects of the Path” describes the three pathways of mind essential for reaching enlightenment: renunciation, bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment), and the correct view of emptiness. If lacking in any one of these, enlightenment is not possible. Though this concise text is a marvel of Buddhist scholarship, it merely points the way to deeply-felt realizations on the way to enlightenment. With Paula Chichester as your guide, consider these three essential aspects of the path: what they are and how to experience them for yourself! This is a perfect teaching for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike.
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About the Teacher
At Lama Yeshe’s encouragement, Paula Chichester entered the life of a meditator in 1983 when she did her first year-long retreat in the wilderness of Northern California. Lama Yeshe emphasized over and over again: the study of dharma isn’t enough. “You are too intellectual!” he would say. Scriptural knowledge is just the beginning; we need to contemplate, meditate, if we wish to transform our bodies, our voices and our minds. These two talks will be more of an experiential approach to Lama Tsong Khapa’s seminal work, derived from Paula’s decades of study and meditation under the guidance of Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche and inspired by the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the great masters from Tibet.
