Review Sessions

His Holiness will give three days of teachings on Chapter 2 of Dharmakirti’s Commentary on Valid Cognition (tsema namdrel) in the mornings at the Main Tibetan Temple at the request of Taiwanese.

Tushita does NOT organize or host His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Online Teachings (we wish!) For further information please see www.dalailama.com/live

Dharmakirti was a 6-7th century Indian scholar who is renowned for having composed The Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition, among which the main treatise is his Commentary on Valid Cognition. This text has four chapters, the first being focused on inferences in service of one’s own knowing, the second on valid cognition, the third on direct perception, and the fourth on inferences in the service of others’ knowing.

Dharmakirti was inspired by the opening verse of salutation in Dignaga’s Compendium of Valid Cognition, and the second chapter of his Commentary on Valid Cognition is structured as a commentary on that verse. In this chapter Dharmakirti uses logic to prove the basic tenets of the entire Buddhist path of theory and practice, including explaining rebirth, karma and its results, and how the Buddha is a valid source of knowledge for those seeking freedom from suffering.

As this second chapter touches on a wide array of subjects that are critical to the Buddhist path, His Holiness the Dalai Lama may choose to focus on any number of topics, depending on his assessment of the needs of the audience. Our review sessions will focus on reviewing, expanding, and clarifying the topics that His Holiness has focused on in his discussion of the text.