Chapter 1: Verses 63-68
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Teachings at Sravasti Abbey 
Sep 10, 2015 Chapter 1 addresses what to abandon and what to practice to attain upper rebirth and highest good. Part of a series of talks on Nagarjuna's Precious Garland of Advice for a King.
- Refuting inherent existence by refuting inherent coming and going
- Refuting inherent existence by refuting inherent arising, abiding and ceasing
- The person transcends existing inherently in the three times—past, present and future
- The proper way to understand the equality of samsara and nirvana is to know that both lack inherent existence and are established nominally
- Examining the assertions of non-Buddhists
- Things are composed of tiny, partless particles that are permanent and neither produced or destroyed
- The person is old and permanent
- Buddhists assert the person is impermanent and transitory and the results of karma are experienced by the continuum of the person
Precious Garland 19: Verses 63-68 (download)
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.
