Lections and presentations of festival «TIBET»

14-31 of October
Zurab Tseretelli Art Gallery

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

Unique video course of lections of His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV
The basic principles of Buddha teachings told by the spiritual leader of Tibetan people

On July 1996 His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV for two days was giving lectures on Four Noble Truths in London

It was a really historical event! For the first time he gave these teachings on the West, for the first time His Holiness was invited by the representatives of all Buddhist traditions to give the explanations on these principal truths.

How does a common person become a Buddha – an enlightened, intelligent and compassionate being, the one, who have realized the meaning of life? This is the main question of Buddhism. Right after the enlightenment in his first teaching Buddha gave the answer. These are four basic principles, otherwise called Noble Truths.

Four noble Truths are the basis of Buddha’s teaching and for this reason they are very important.

Moreover without knowing, understanding and experiencing of these four principles it’s impossible to practice Dharma, Buddhist teaching…

For what purpose did Buddha give these teachings? He followed the fact that all of us have innate necessity to overcome sufferings and find happiness. Just because of this Buddha insisted that we realized the course of sufferings – for there is a way out and we can get rid of them…

Lections of Columbia University professor
and the president of “Tibet House New York”

Robert Thurman (New York, USA)

about Tibet, Buddhism and psychology
of Tibetan Buddhism

"What I have learned from these people (Tibetans) has forever changed my life, and I believe their culture contains an inner science particularly relevant to the difficult time in which we live. My desire is to share some of the profound hope for our future that they have shared with me."

Professor Robert Thurman

Robert A. F. Thurman is one of the most famous tibetologists of our time, the head of the department in a Columbia University, and the first American to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Professor Thurman has lectured all over the world; his charisma and enthusiasm draw packed audiences.
Robert A. F. Thurman is a cofounder and president of a world-known cultural centre “Tibet House New York” created to preserve Tibetan culture. His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV (Tenzin Gyatso) is a spiritual mentor of “Tibet House”, and Thurman’s daughter, a Hollywood star Uma Thurman, is a member of trustees council. // >>>>

Bodhisattva’s way

Lecture course of Tsering Dhondup, culture and religion consultant of Tibet center of culture and information in Moscow on the basic text of Mahayana Buddhism “Bodhicharya-avatara”.
Text is composed by the greatest Buddhist master and scholar of Nalanda university Shantideva in the 8th century.

Tsering Dhondup was born in 1954 in the village of Tzona-Dzong on the south of Tibet . When he was five he left Tibet together with his parents, as well as more than hundred thousands of Tibetans, that became refugees in 1959 and the beginning of sixties. He grew up in India , became a Buddhist monk, and at the age of 25 took a full monastic empowerment from His Holiness Dalai Lama. He got an excellent Buddhist philosophical education; starting from 1972 till 1987 he studied in the Institute of Buddhist dialectics in Dharmsala ( India ), and then at the Central institute of highest Tibetan studies in Varanasi ( India ). Tsering Dhondup was the teacher in tibetan schools in India and Nepal , taught Buddhist philosophy to nuns during 5 years. Since 2003 he is the culture and religion counselor of Tibetan centre of culture and information in Moscow .

“Bodhicharya-avatara” is one of the most important classical works of Mahayana Buddhism. During many centuries this text has been unsurpassed source of inspiration for many generations of the great mentors, their successors and common people. It plays the same role in Mahayana, as “Dhammapada” in Hinayana and “Bhagavadgita” in Hinduism. This work was repeatedly translated into many oriental and European languages (there are at least seven translations of it in English). This book is needed now much more than the piles of tantric texts, which can appear to be absolutely useless for the unprepared mind. // >>>>

Lections of ngagrampa (doctor of Tantra) Lobsang Tsering

(tantric Gyudmed monastery, Karnataka, India)

Lobsang Tesing was born in 1967 in India, in the family of Tibetan refugees, who left Tibet in 1959. At the age of twelve he became a monk in one of the most honorable monasteries of Tibet – tantric monastic university of Gyudmed. In 1996 he completed many years of studies of tantric philosophy, rituals and arts, having got the degree of ngagrampa (doctor of Tantra). Soon all the monastic community chooses him to be the administrator of the monastery and he starts to care about the well-being of the 500 monks of the Gyudmed monastery. Having worked as the administrator of the monastery for three years, Lobsang Tsering takes the decision to present the unique ritual arts of the tantric monks to the people of the western countries and to enlist their support for Tibetans, who are compelled to live in hard conditions of exile. // >>>>

Tibetan medicine

Lection of doctor Tenzin Deche Kartsang
(“Men-tsi-khang” Tibetan institute of medicine and astrology. Dharmsala, India)

Doctor Tenzin Deche Kartsang was born in 1962. Since 1999 he is a practicing doctor in “Men-tsi-khang” branch-office in New Delhi. He also makes researches in the field of effective influence of Tibetan medicine on the cancer patients. He got the medical education, studying from such great masters, as doctor Tenzin Chodrak, the personal doctor of His Holiness Dalai-lama, and doctor Tenzin Namgyal, the chief pharmaceutics of “Men-tsi-khang”. In 1986 he got the degree of menpa kachupa, and in 1998 he completed the studies with the degree of menrampa (the Doctor of medical sciences).

In 1992-1996 he worked in “Men-tsi-khang” branch-office in New Delhi, and from 1996 to 1999 he was the first permanent doctor in the Holland fund of Tibetan medicine (NSTG) in Amsterdam. Doctor Tenzin Deche Kartsang gave medical consultations and lectures in many countries in the world, including France, Germany, Holland Belgium, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and the USA.

Tibetan astrology

Lection of Phurbu Tsering
(“Men-tsi-khang” Tibetan institute of medicine and astrology. Dharmsala, India)

Presentation of Heart Shrine Relic Exhibition