Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche teaching on “The Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras” in Singapore

Really good teachings by Rinpoche and he began by giving a good introduction to prepare us on the text.
Again below are just some pointers and pardon sought for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

Buddha does not teach to showcase his knowledge but teach because of his compassion 

Just like mother tell bedtime stories to get child to sleep,  she may tell stories about Alice in 
Wonderland or Cinderella 

Buddha teaches to wake us up.

Everything is Cinderella story except some like eg. Heart Sutra ...no eye no ear ... 

Who has potential to be in the Bodhisattva Club?

Only those who have jealousy, anger qualify with potential!
The club is to teach those who have negative emotions, etc. 
As If without the negatives, they are Buddha already !

Why lotus don't grow in clean water? 

Where there is filth, anger , jealousy then wisdom can be found.

- The view of Mahayana. 

Bodhisattva see potential of beings like farmer shown heaps of fertiliser vs dungs.

The grand attitude .

Mahayana don't make distinction .

It is the view not geographical that makes one Mahayana. 

Likewise if a person eats vegetarian and sits straight for meditation does not necessary mean he is 
a good Buddhist as we do not know what goes on in his mind.

Text : 

Medicine smell bad but taste good (like durian)

Mahayana beg for countless eons vs 3 lifetimes (Arhatship) 

A Bodhisattva after 1 countless eon complained to Buddha cannot stand it anymore, Buddha told him: 

Mothers jump into sea to save child , 1 eon is actually illusion, very short.

Non duality Mahayana view important 

Harmonise wisdom and method 

just like Mothers do not need Cinderella to sleep, they used the method to put their child to sleep. 

Ch2 Mahayana teachings are authentic.

Wake up from the Continuous delusion of dream.

With right view, right conduct it must be Buddha's teachings.

Stories told of Gender delusion of Shariputra.

Buddha talk to wake up beings from delusions.

Grand attitude 

Limitations of language to express 

Ch3 Refuge in Mahayana 

Refuge in Chinese - reliance 

Analogy of Trust and accepting this is water will help do job of moisture.

Accept I have the Buddha nature.

Look at all beings as raw materials of Buddha.

Take refuge in Buddha to help all sentient beings make them see their Buddha nature.

1. See all beings has Buddha nature 

2. Not just Arhatship for beings but Buddhahood 

3. Selflessness

4. Transcend from both Samsara and Nirvana 

Refuge is acceptance of Truth e.g Buddha  teaching on impermanence then accept defilement e.g pain 

Accepting the community is Sangha. 

Maha- our true nature of mind is Buddha.

Samsara Nirvana Triple Gems do not exist 

Heart Sutra : Gate Gate...

Nirvana is beyond extreme ...

Wisdom is to be free from delusions of ego, pride not influenced by delusion or illusion .

Without merit there is limited wisdom vice versa without wisdom there is long accumulation of merit.

Eg. Merit of offering water to someone to quest thirst has merit. 

May this water be cause of enlightenment of all sentient beings.

With this wisdom way of offering and dedicating merits 

Mahayana refuge is Adorn to accumulation of merit and wisdom. 

Compassion is not mere sympathy but draws from understanding of Sunyata (emptiness) 

Buddha is like Mother of child who has headache or delusions in their mind.

Mother will take care of the child though know the delusion in the child is not true.

Refuge in normal is like surrendering to or at someone better than you that is external .

Maha refuge

Eg. Laundry cleaning is for absence of temporary dirt, washing the dirt not buying of new clothes.

Taking refuge for absence of defilement. 

Fundamental to acceptance that dirt is temporary. 

Dirt is Not your nature or absolute truth.

Trust water is water so trust defilement is temporary. 

Right view everything as phenomenon 

Motivation to enlighten all sentient beings 

Externally submission to the Triple Gems while internally compassion to all sentient beings 

Fundamental Buddhism not same as other religion because of this view of all things are inherently 
non existence.

Rinpoche made good effort to distinguish Sthaviravada, Mahayana & Vajrayana.
He gave good examples such as pointing a glass of water as water to general audience, telling another 
50 Mahayana audience that the glass of water is vodka and fewer Vajrayana audience that it contains
drugs.
However, he also maintained that the root is Sthaviravada, Stem is Mahayana and Flowers? Vajrayana 
and if the latter two are not around, it is still fine but if the first is gone, the Foundation is gone and 
Buddhism cannot survive...something along the line though he is marketing Mahayana and Vajrayana,
he did not deny the importance of Sthaviravada.

We all feel that Rinpoche had gave an excellent teachings and it is really recommended when the 
Recordings are out by Siddhartha's intent to watch it again!
https://youtu.be/UAMjOZmTWUY

Reference Texts quoted:

English:

~Asanga, Universal Vehicle Discourse Literature Mahayanasutralamkara 
(Treasury of the Buddhist Sciences), American Institute of Buddhist Studies, 2004
~Maitreya. Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras: Maitreya’s Mahayanasutralamkara with 
Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham. Dharmachakra Translation Committee 
Shambhala Publications, 2014.

Chinese:

~弥勒菩萨.《大乘经庄严论》. 索达吉堪布译. http://bit.ly/2lv3cE2
~《大乘莊嚴經論》CBETA 電子版. 版本記錄: 1.2 完成日期: 2002/11/04. 資料底本: 大正新脩大正藏經
 Vol. 31, No. 1604. http://bit.ly/2mlCwF9