IwanttotakeamomentandreiteratetheimportanceofstudyingtheFoundationalteachingsoftheBuddha.

Inthe"EssenceofthePath"classonJuly24,Iwasabletotalkbrieflyaboutthebenefitspracticingthe
Hinayanainthecontextofapractitioner'spropensityandacumen,andstudyingtheHinayanabecauseitis
partoftheoverallteachingoftheBuddha.
WhatIwanttofocusonhereistheprofundityofthesocalled"LesserVehicle"regardingliberationand
renunciation.TheHinayanaisvastlyprofound,andallofusshouldstrivetopracticetheunderstandingof
noselfthatisthetruthofcessation.
Howcanwesaythefoundationalvehicleisprofoundwhentherearesomanymoresubtlevehiclesand
teachingstoreceive?MiphamRinpochestatesthattherealizationofselflessnessstartsachainreaction,so
tospeak,inourunderstandingofreality;analmostunstoppablecascadeofrecognitionthatendsinthe
culminationofAtiyoga.Theunderstandingofselflessnessoftheindividual(thesubject)leads,inavery
directwaytotherealizationofselflessnessofphenomena(theobject).Themoreonemeditates,andthe
deeperone'spracticebecomes,onecannothelpbutunderstandtheentirepathassparkedbytheinitial
realizationofselflessnessinrelationtheskandhas.Remember,Nagarjuna,revealerofthePrajnaparamita,
studiedthisfoundation,Asanga,andVasabundhu,andallthemastersthatusheredinthe"Greater"vehicle,
allstudiedandrealizedthecessationoftheHinayana.
The"lesser"vehicleisonlylessthaninthecontextofthemoresubtleBuddhistachievements,butthoseof
uswithnorealizationatallwoulddowelltorealizethisselflessnessofself.Inthecontextoftheworldly
vehiclesofthenonBuddhists,therealizationsoftheHinayanaarethepinnacleofspirituality.Themere
ideathatsamsaracanbeovercome,letalonepresentingtheactualmethodandwisdomtobringitabout,
immediatelyfostershope,faith,andrenunciation.
Please,withallyourheart,engage,ifonlybriefly,theanalysisandunderstandingofthisprofound
Hinayana.Embracetherenunciationofsamsaraandhabituationtothedestructiveemotionsandignorance.
Letthestabilityofknowledgestrengthenyourresolvetobringthemoresubtlevehiclestofruition.