Jataka Tales
Past life stories of Shakyamuni Buddha
with Ven. Tenzin Namjong
Tuesdays, 7:00pm – 8:30pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) September 26 – October 24, 2023 (5 sessions) We are using the Zoom video conferencing system for this course. Please register below to receive your online access information. The Jataka Tales are a collection of the past life stories of Shakyamuni Buddha when he was still training as a bodhisattva. The stories illustrate the courage, determination, and virtuous practice the Buddha perfected while training on the path to enlightenment. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has continued the centuries-old tradition of teaching a selection from the Jataka Tales during the annual Great Prayer Festival. In this class, Venerable Namjong will bring to life the Buddha’s teachings found in the Jataka Tales, providing students of any experience level wisdom and inspiration.
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Born and raised in Hawaii, Venerable Tenzin Namjong studied philosophy at Princeton. His plan was to do a Ph.D. in philosophy, but he became disillusioned with academic philosophy because “it seemed to have lost the big picture, meaning how we should live our lives.” In Buddhism, he found a rich philosophical tradition that was still very much connected to how we ought to live.
Venerable Namjong studied and trained in Zen and Theravada traditions before embracing the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, due mainly to the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. He is currently studying in the Geshe study program at Sera Je Monastery in Bylakuppe, India. Venerable Namjong is a registered teacher of the FPMT and teaches in FPMT Centers all over the world. |