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Emptiness

A Gift of Liberation 28: Building My Practice Space Retreat (2017, Thailand)

For the second year, we return to Thailand for another installment of the Gift of Liberation series, which is based upon the Lam Rim teachings of Pabongka Rinpoche, in his seminal book, "Liberation Thrust into the Palm of Your Hand". At this retreat on the stunning beaches of Thailand, Geshe Michael Roach will teach us how to identify the six majors problems that most people experience at one time or another, and the how to finally end them.

The Lion’s Dance: A Meditation for the Wheel of Life (2017, Mexico)

This very special meditation practice is called The Dance of the Lion. It was taught by the future Buddha, Maitreya to Arya Asanga 1,700 years ago. Bodhisattva’s use it after they see emptiness directly to understand more about emptiness and The Wheel of Life.

Master Kamalashila Meditations on the Diamond Cutter Sutra, Part Three: An Arya’s Tears (2017, Arizona)

This is the third in a four-part series based on Master Kamalashila’s commentary on the Diamond Cutter Sutra led by Geshe Michael Roach. This retreat provided a unique opportunity to delve deeply into rarely taught meditations on emptiness. The retreat consisted of morning sessions led by Geshe Michael Roach followed by individual practice in the student's private retreat cabin.

Master Kamalashila: Meditations on the Diamond Cutter Sutra, Part Two (Arizona, 2016)

This is the second in a four-part series based on Master Kamalashila’s commentary on the Diamond Cutter Sutra led by Geshe Michael Roach. This retreat provided a unique opportunity to delve deeply into rarely taught meditations on emptiness. The retreat consisted of morning sessions led by Geshe Michael Roach followed by individual practice in the student's private retreat cabin.

Daily Practice Series Course 08: The Heart Sutra, A Meditation on Emptiness (1998, Redding)

The Heart Sutra is one of the most popular prayers in Buddhism. It contains seemingly mystical, impenetrable verses that describe how reality does exist, and the way in which it does not exist. This meditation penetrates into the real meaning of the sutra, which describes how our very nature, including our bodies, minds and identities are not what they appear to be. We meditate on the very nature of ultimate reality (emptiness) to discover where things come from and how they really exist. This is an excellent introductory overview meditation on emptiness.

Daily Practice Series Course 08: The Heart Sutra, A Meditation on Emptiness (2000, Soquel)

The Heart Sutra is one of the most popular prayers in Buddhism. It contains seemingly mystical, impenetrable verses that describe how reality does exist, and the way in which it does not exist. This meditation penetrates into the real meaning of the sutra, which describes how our very nature, including our bodies, minds and identities are not what they appear to be. We meditate on the very nature of ultimate reality (emptiness) to discover where things come from and how they really exist. This is an excellent introductory overview meditation on emptiness. This topic was covered twice, each time with a different emphasis, and both versions have been provided.

Daily Practice Series Course 09: The Emptiness of the Mind (Mahamudra) (1999, Soquel)

This meditation practice focuses on understanding ultimate reality (emptiness) on a more advanced level. Mahamudra is meditation on the ultimate nature of one’s own mind. We meditate on our mind, examining it on six different levels, each one leading to a more sophisticated understanding of our mind and its nature. Meditating on the ultimate nature of one’s own mind is an important part of a larger practice that leads to the direct perception of ultimate reality. The direct experience of ultimate reality is a key meditative realization that assures very quick enlightenment.

Locking The Door to the Lower Realms: Ultimate Protection on the Path of Preparation (Mexico, 2016)

There are five stages or paths in the spiritual evolution of a human being. The second of those five paths is called The Path of Preparation, preparation here specifically refers to gaining an increasingly deeper intellectual understanding of emptiness which gives us the necessary spiritual power to have the direct perception of emptiness on path number three. This increasingly deeper understanding of emptiness progresses through four distinct stages while traversing the second path.

How to Teach About Emptiness: The Pen (2016, Mexico)

Geshe Michael Roach explaining how to teach others about the core Buddhist idea of Emptiness using his favorite example of a pen.

Shastra on the Door to Understanding the Hundred Dharmas: Master Vasubandhu’s Treatise on Higher Abhidharma (China, 2014)

Meditations for the rest of your life? Yes, meditation can change your relationships, your career, and your life! How does this happen? Geshe Michael Roach taught this series of short, powerful meditations from Master Kamalashila at the Lincoln Center in February, 2016.

Master Kamalashila: Meditations on the Diamond Cutter Sutra, Part One (Arizona, 2016)

Meditations for the rest of your life? Yes, meditation can change your relationships, your career, and your life! How does this happen? Geshe Michael Roach taught this series of short, powerful meditations from Master Kamalashila at the Lincoln Center in February, 2016.

Meditation for the rest of your life (New York, 2016)

Meditations for the rest of your life? Yes, meditation can change your relationships, your career, and your life! How does this happen? Geshe Michael Roach taught this series of short, powerful meditations from Master Kamalashila at the Lincoln Center in February, 2016.

Perfect Happiness: How to Practice the Perfection of Giving (Arizona, 2015)

Geshe Michael teaching from his new translation of Je Tsongkapa’s Illumination of the True Thought — one of the greatest books ever written on emptiness. The subject of these two classes is the presentation of the perfection of giving as it's found in the explanation of the first bodhisattva level, known as “Perfect Happiness”. Je Tsongkapa's Illumination of the True Thought is one of the greatest presentations of emptiness in history. This work in turn is an explanation of Entering the Middle Way, by Master Chandrakirti, who lived during the seventh century and was commenting himself upon the 3rd‐century author Arya Nagarjuna, whose Root Text on the Wisdom of the Middle Way is considered the greatest commentary of all time upon the emptiness teachings of the Buddha himself.

The Meaning of Om: A Guided Meditation (1999, New York, Geshe Michael Roach)

Here's a little gem from our archives. This is a guided meditation led by Geshe Michael Roach to a few of his close students and was recorded on the morning of April 4, 1999 at 6th Street in New York City. It's a very special guided meditation which focuses on the breath, and the sound and meaning of Om.

Entering the Middle Way (Ongoing, Arizona)

The presentations of emptiness found in these textbooks are some of the most thorough and usable ever written. Students of Buddhism who avail themselves of these texts gain incredible insight into the every detail of this most profound and important teaching.

The Devil Debates an Angel, Part 11: Target Shooting with a Blindfold On (2017, Arizona)

These teachings are taken directly from The Angel Debates The Devil, an ancient Tibetan teaching on emptiness by His Holiness the First Panchen Lama, who lived 1565-1662. The text is at the same time, extremely funny and extremely deep. It will help us be successful in this life, and in the next as well. This is the 11th ACI program dedicated to this ancient classic. We’ll be focusing on how “me” relates to body & mind, and how to change body & mind into an enlightened being with a rainbow body and a clear-light mind. As the Lama says, we’ll be trying to hit emptiness with the arrow of our mind, even as we wear a blindfold.

What is Emptiness and How Can I Use It? (2013, Oslo)

Below a video and an excerpt from Geshe Michael’s new book The Karma of Love which discusses the idea of emptiness and how we can use it in your life.

A Better History of Time: A Solution to the Uncertainty Principle from Ancient Buddhism

The Principle of Emptiness explains our unanswered questions about the Uncertainty Principle, and the underlying nature of the physical world. A professional physicist—or a student on their way to becoming such a physicist—who gained some serious training in the Principle of Emptiness might be able to affect the entire future course of western science.

Postcards from Geshela, Part Two: What's The Use of Emptiness (2011, New York)

In part one of this series, Geshe Michael Roach taught us the core Buddhist idea of emptiness. In this video segment, Geshela will explain how this idea of emptiness is relevant to our daily life and level of happiness. This is part two of a new short series of videos called Postcards from Geshe la that were recorded in New York City in 2011.

Postcards from Geshela, Part One: The Pen (2011, New York)

Geshe Michael Roach teaching about the core Buddhist idea of emptiness using his favorite example of a pen. This is part one of a new short series of videos called Postcards from Geshe la that were recorded in New York City in 2011