“The Defeat of Māra” is the 13th Sarga (Canto or Chapter) of Aśvaghoṣa’s great Sanskrit poem about the life of Śakyamuni Buddha, the Buddhacarita. The Buddhacarita was important and influential enough during the early centuries of the 1st Millennium that it was among the first of all Sanskrit texts to be translated into Tibetan. Probably written between the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD, it became the dominant version of the life of Buddha throughout Asia. “The Defeat of Māra” describes Māra’s attempts to obstruct the Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment.
Dirk worked daily from February 6 through May 6 translating and preparing a Sanskrit Reader of “The Defeat of Māra.” A “reader” is a presentation of a text to help students read the text in the original and includes vocabulary, grammatical notes, and a literal translation. While working on the reader, Dirk reflected on the poem quite a lot. In this talk he shares some of his translations and reflections on the poem and how the poem blends with his practice.
Lion's Roar Dharma Center at Do Nga Dargey Temple in Sacramento, California, is a Tibetan Buddhist Temple within the Gelugpa Lineage. Lama Yeshe Jinpa is the spiritual director and resident teacher of Lion’s Roar Dharma Center, which he co-founded with Geshe Losang Gyatso in 1992. In 1995, Lama Jinpa received direct heart/mind transmission from Geshe Gyatso after 25 years of Dharma practice and study. He is one of the few western lamas thus far recognized within the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan or Vajrayana Buddhism, the lineage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Please visit lionsroardharmacenter.org/ for more information!