Session 2: The Treasury of Knowledge

Service Description

Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé’s The Treasury of Knowledge also referred to as Jamgön Kongtrul’s encyclopedia of Buddhist wisdom and knowledge. Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Tayé was one of the leading scholars of the nineteenth century. He broke through sectarian constraints and achieved a deep understanding of the different philosophical approaches in Tibet. Ringu Tulku Rinpoche will discuss Jamgon Kongtrul's Rime or non sectarian approach and in doing so, lay the ground for discussion on such topics as Buddha-nature. Buddha nature is an expression of groundlessness - rather than being something that we can hang onto, it is helpful to understand certain approaches, e.g. if one is engaged in analyzing reality, then the rangtong approach is best. And if one is trying to describe the experience of buddha-nature, then the zhentong approach works best. In this way Rinpoche brings these two approaches together and sees them as two different ways of describing the same thing. Bio: Ringu Tulku Rinpoche was Born in Kham, Eastern Tibet in 1952, Ringu Tulku is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher whose scholarship, fluent English, and entertaining, responsive teachingstyle have become popular among students of Buddhism throughout the world.Ringu Tulku was recognised by His Holiness the sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa as the incarnation of one of the tulkus of Ringu monastery, a Kagyüpa monastery. He was trained in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In particular he studied with some of the most distinguished masters of the Nyingma and Kagyü traditions, including Thrangu Rinpoche, Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche and the Gyalwang Karmapa. He was also a close disciple of Khenpo Tsöndrü.He took his formal education at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok and Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, India and has served as Professor of Tibetology in Sikkim for 17 years. His doctoral thesis was on the Ecumenical Movement in Tibet. In 1975 he was awarded the title of Khenpo, and in 1983 the title of Lopön Chenpo (Great Master).