Lecturer: Jeff Schoening, Ph.D
Wednesdays, June 4th and 11th
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: Cultural Hall
Suggested contribution: $20 Public, $15 Members
Prerequisite: None
Shantideva in his Compendium of Training recommends the study of dependent arising for the development of discriminating insight. Nagarjuna in his “Verses on the Root of the Middle Way” equates dependent arising with the middle way and emptiness. “The Young Rice Plant Sutra” is an oft-quoted teaching on dependent arising. This verse commentary presents the teaching concisely yet thoroughly. It is annotated using a longer commentary to both the Sutra and the verse commentary. Both verse commentary and longer commentary are attributed to Nagarjuna and follow the Mind-Only tradition. We will read and discuss the verse commentary and its annotation, translated by Jeff Schoening. Anyone interested in studying dependent arising is welcome.
Jeffrey Schoening (Upasaka), holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies, and is a longtime member and interpreter at Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. Jeff is the author of The Shalistamba Sutra and Its Indian Commentaries (Vienna 1995), a two-volume study on teachings about dependent arising. He has worked as a health care chaplain and as a private practice spiritual director.