In Elista, a Series of Lectures by the Venerable Geshe Lharampa Jagba Gyatso Has Begun

This past weekend, the first lectures by the venerable Geshe Lharampa Jagba Gyatso took place at the Central Khurul. This is already his third visit to Kalmykia. This time the Teacher is bestowing a commentary on one of the sutras most revered among Buddhists — the “Sutra of Golden Light” (Kalmyk: “Altn gerl”).

Buddha Shakyamuni himself enumerated the benefits of listening to, reading, and copying this sutra:

Those who hear this sutra, Those who prompt others to hear it, Those who rejoice upon hearing it, And who make offerings to it Over the course of tens of millions of eons, Will be honored by gods and nagas, By humans and kinnaras, By asuras and yakshas…

The venerable Teacher spoke first and foremost about the importance of taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, and about how, when reading the “Sutra of Golden Light,” it is important to generate a wholesome motivation — bodhichitta. Geshe Jagba Gyatso explained in great detail how powerful it is and how it fulfills wishes, as well as bringing peace and happiness to all living beings. In addition, the sutra helps one to understand more deeply the laws of karma and the nature of the mind, and it possesses a tremendous ability to heal people. The teachings from the sutra are applicable in everyday life — from relationships to work. Anyone can read and listen to this text, regardless of their religion.

It is worth noting that the series of lectures by Geshe Lharampa Jagba Gyatso will continue over the course of several months, during which the Teacher will fully examine not only the structure of the “Sutra of Golden Light,” but will also explain in detail the meaning of each chapter. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 11, at 18:00, in the conference hall of the Central Khurul.