From Faith to Tantra
with Gavin Kilty
Gavin talks about developing faith from reason, which depends on an understanding of the two truths and four truths. This becomes the basis for practice, which is primarily bodhicitta and understanding emptiness. These two form the basis of tantra.
The scope of this talk also encompasses some challenging themes such as the meaning of guru devotion, blessings, purification, refuge and prayer in the context of our contemporary culture.
He also cites from a talk he gave recently at a conference in Ganden Monastery in South India on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the passing of Je Tsongkhapa, entitled Tsongkhapa and the Guhyasamāja Tantra, which was based on his translation, Illuminating the Five Stages.
Teaching Overview
Gavin Kilty gives a brief overview of his background and explains why his talk is titled “From Faith to Tantra”, emphasizing that faith is the basis of all practice and must be understood in the context of reason and logic.
Recordings
About the Teacher
Gavin Kilty spent 14 years in India studying Buddhism with Tibetan teachers. Eight years were spent at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics Studies in Dharamsala set up by HH the Dalai Lama, where he completed the major part of the Tibetan monastic curriculum in the medium of the Tibetan language. He now works full time as a Tibetan to English translator of Tibetan texts, primarily for Thupten Jinpa’s Institute of Tibetan Classics, and as a teacher of Tibetan language for FPMT’s Rinchen Zangpo Lotsawa Program in India. His numerous publications include Lamp to Illuminate the Five Stages (Winner of the 2017 Shantarakshita Award by the Tsadra Foundation), Ornament of Stainless Light, Life of My Teacher; Biography of Tutor Ling Rinpoché, Splendor of an Autumn Moon, Mirror of Beryl, and Eight Great Folk Operas of Tibet. For a complete list of publications, please click here.
