The Buddha gave teachings in order to share with us the path to enlightenment that he had actualized himself. These teachings are practical, give us the tools to deal with difficulties, and show us how to live a meaningful life.

The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eight-fold Path are one way of formulating these teachings. The Gradual Path to Enlightenment is another. These two are compatible, and knowing both enables us to look at the same thing from different perspectives. In the early eleventh century, the Indian Buddhist master, Atisha condensed essential points from the sutras and ordered them into the text, "Lamp of the Path". These were then expanded upon in the fourteenth century by the Tibetan Buddhist master, Lama Tzong Khapa into the text "The Great Exposition on the Gradual Path to Enlightenment" ("Lam Rim Chenmo"). Venerable Chodron comments on this text and relates these practical teachings to our daily lives.

 

Subdivisions of the Lamrim teachings:

Preliminaries  |  Preparatory Practices  |  Foundations of the Path

Small Scope  |  Medium Scope  |  Great Scope

Supplementary materials:

Lamrim Outline in html  |  Lamrim Outline in Microsoft Word format/ in PDF format

Lamrim on Audio  |  Meditation Outline in PDF format | Meditaciones de Lamrim (Spanish audio)

* Listings below that are marked with an asterisk (*) refer to a series of Lamrim teachings that Ven. Chodron gave at Dharma Friendship Foundation, Seattle from 1991 to 1994. The related audio files were initially in realplayer format but have now been converted to mp3 format. The contents remain the same. These audio files and their transcripts have also been renamed to run in sequence. Another round of light editing has been done to most transcripts (last revision: 5 Jan 2006).

Note: Transcripts are in PDF format, Articles in html format.

Download free Adobe Acrobat Reader to read transcripts in PDF format.

*Introduction to the Lamrim series; Preeminent qualities of the compilers and of the teachings (transcript). 29 Apr 91, Dharma Friendship Foundation, Seattle. [Audio version]

*How the teachings should be studied and taught (transcript). May 91, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Intro to basic Buddhist topics: mind, rebirth, cyclic existence & enlightenment (transcript). May 91, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

The Six Preparatory Practices

*Preparatory practices 1 and 2 (transcript). 1991, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Preparatory practices 2 and 3 (transcript). May 91, DFF, Seattle [Audio version]

*Preparatory practices 3 to 5. (transcript). May 91, DFF, Seattle [Audio version]

Preparatory practice 5. (transcript). 22Jun 94, DFF, Seattle [Audio version]

*What is to be done in between sessions. (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle [Audio version]

Foundations of the Path

How to cultivate reliance on our teachers

*Part 1 of 4: introduction, advantages of relying on a teacher (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 2 of 4: disadvantages of improper reliance or abandoning the teacher (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 3 of 4: disadvantages-cont'd; how to rely on our teachers with our thoughts (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 4 of 4: relying with our thoughts-cont'd; how to rely on our teachers through our actions (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

Being persuaded to take advantage of our precious human life

*Part 1 of 4: The 8 freedoms (transcript) 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 2 of 4: The 10 richnesses (transcript) 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 3 of 4: Its importance and rarity (transcript) 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 4 of 4: Conclusion (transcript) 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

Small Scope

Remembering death

*Disadvantages of not thinking about death (including the 8 worldly concerns) (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Elaboration of the 3rd disadv of not thinking about death: detaching ourselves from the 8 worldly concerns & relying on the 10 innermost jewels of the Kadam tradition (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*9-point death meditation (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Meditations on death & impermanence (including imagining our own death) (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

Disappointment and Delight - the Eight Worldly Concerns (article). 2007.

Advantages and disadvantages of 2 kinds of rebirth

*The lower realms (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

Taking refuge

Guidelines for the Practice of Refuge (article)

*Part 1 of 10: what is refuge; why take refuge; objects of refuge, (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 2 of 10: conventional and ultimate refuge; causal and resultant refuge; why the Buddha is a reliable guide; 3 kinds of faith, (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 3 of 10: different views of the Buddha in different schools; qualities and skills of a Buddha's body and speech, (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 4 of 10: qualities and skills of a Buddha's mind (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 5 of 10: qualities and skills of a Buddha's enlightening influence; qualities of the Dharma; qualities of the Sangha (transcript). 1991/92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 6 of 10: taking refuge by knowing the differences (transcript). 10 Feb 92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

[Note: Part 7 of 10 was not recorded.]

*Part 8 of 10: benefits of having taken refuge (transcript). 1992, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 9 of 10: benefits-cont'd; specific guidelines for the practice of refuge (transcript). 1992, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*Part 10 of 10: common guidelines for the practice of refuge (transcript). 1992, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

Conviction in actions and their effects

Interview: Working with Karma (article)

Questions and Answers on Karma (article)

*General characteristics of karma (transcript). 25 May 92, DFF, Seattle. [Audio version]

*10 destructive actions - Part 1 of 6 (transcript). 1992, DFF, Seattle.[