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From October 22 to 28, Guru Vajradhara the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa gave a seven-day transmission on "Dharma and Sacred Dharma". It was requested and organized by the Palpung Institute of Buddhist Studies and was attended by students from all over the world. Guru Vajradhara began the transmission with a general presentation of Dharma, explaining that it refers to relative manifestations as well as ultimate nature of all phenomena within samsara and nirvana. He continued with a detailed analysis of the essence, definition and characteristics of worldly pure human Dharma as well as sacred Dharma. He pointed out the benefits of practicing Dharma and sacred Dharma along with shortcomings of not doing so, illustrating both with practical examples. Guru Vajradhara advised anyone who wants to become a good human being, regardless of their nationality, race, religion or philosophy, to develop eight qualities. These qualities are: stability of character, openness of mind, breadth of vision, balanced disposition, gentle nature, goodness of heart, determination to fully develop our innate ability and clarity resulting in gaining the right view. For those who want to attain the ultimate goal of complete enlightenment, he explained the path of practice, which begins with contemplating the notion of impermanence and developing the view of selflessness, as well as giving rise to genuine renunciation and bodhicitta. Based on these, we need to practice shamatha and vipashyana meditations, as well as the yogas of the creation and completion stages. Guru Vajradhara also spoke about how to use shamatha meditation methods to eliminate our daily life challenges and problems, which arise because of confusion in our minds. He indicated that merely calming the mind allowed our inherent qualities to begin to spontaneously manifest. He also spent a significant amount of time answering students' questions, clarifying difficult points as well as clearing any doubts and misunderstandings. On the last day of the teaching, Guru Vajradhara gave an introduction to Buddhism meant especially for those who are new to Dharma, emphasising the history of Tibetan Buddhism as well as detailing the extraordinary qualities of each of the eight practice and ten academic lineages. Thus, he concluded a clear, extensive and complete transmission with guidance and instructions on the topic of Dharma and sacred Dharma, leaving students with precious insights and joyful memories.
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