Chapter 2: Verses 101-108
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Teachings at Sravasti Abbey 
Nov 12, 2015 Chapter 2: An interwoven explanation of the causes and effects of higher rebirth and highest good. Part of a series of talks on Nagarjuna's Precious Garland of Advice for a King.
- When things are conceptually designated they don’t then become inherently existent
- Just as when you examine the plantain tree you find no core, when you search the constituents you find no person
- The Buddha was a skillful teacher when he taught selflessness in different ways that were suitable for each audience
- Analyzing the objects of the six consciousnesses to refute the two extremes, absolutism and nihilism
- Why the Buddha remained silent when asked certain questions about the world and the self
- Cyclic existence does not have a beginning, but there is an end
- There was no first buddha and there have always been buddhas, but that doesn’t mean some beings have always been buddhas
Precious Garland 27: Verses 101-108 (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.
