Born Again Buddhists and Escaping The Iron Cage of Self Concern with Love + Compassion : Lam Rim Force For Good with Robert AF Thurman
In this short video Professor Robert AF Thurman discusses the place of transcendent compassion in developing the spirit of enlightenment (Bodhichitta), the three kinds of suffering, the dangers of becoming trapped in the “iron cage of self concern”, the metaphor of being born again within the context of Mahayana Buddhism and the value of enlightened self interest.
“To have perfect love, you actually have to be perfectly happy yourself; you have to be happy, since love is what wills the happiness of the beloved. If you don’t know yourself what happiness is, then how can you really be willing their happiness?
When you yourself have a kind of reliable type of inner bliss awareness, a sense of connectedness to the universe where you feel the bliss of life flowing up and bubbling up within you, the bliss of freedom coming up within you, then you want others to have that.”
Robert AF Thurman from www.awaken.com.
“Born Again Buddhists + Escaping The Iron Cage of Self Concern with Love + Compassion” was recorded at the 2016 Lam Rim: Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Sources Class Twelve of the Force for Good Series with Robert AF Thurman at Tibet House US.
“Born Again Buddhists Escaping The Iron Cage of Self Concern with Love + Compassion : Lam Rim Force For Good with Robert AF Thurman” Photo by Dani Toriumi, All Rights Reserved.
This video is an excerpt from the Tibet House US Member video “Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Sources : Madhyamaka Lam Rim” (1:56:24) and is apart of the Force For Good Class Series.
A continuation of our course to further H. H. the Dalai Lama’s contemporary world initiatives, from His Holiness’ American Institute of Buddhist Studies and Mind and Life science dialogues (Universe in a Single Atom) and His creation of Abhidharma 2.0 through the “Science for Monks” programs, his “secular ethics” (Ethics for the New Millennium and Beyond Religion), His nonviolent approach to conflict resolution, including His Nobel Peace Laureate activities to seek dialogue and a win-win reconciliation with China in the face of the ongoing ethnicidal policies in Tibet (Freedom in Exile and Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story) & along with his emphasis on positive activism (A New Reality: Charter of Universal Responsibility).
To join the on-going #ForceForGood series please visit: www.tibethouse.us.
To listen to audio selections from the Bob Thurman Podcast about past lives please visit: www.bobthurman.com.
To watch more videos from past ‘Force for Good’ programs please visit the Tibet House US Member Archive, available to monthly supporters.
