The Three Turnings of the Wheel of the Dharma

In this teaching, taken from a talk given in Tarragona, Spain, Sogyal Rinpoche briefly explains the three major teachings given by the Buddha and how they correspond to the three different vehicles of Buddhism.

First the Buddha taught that the root cause of all our suffering is grasping, particularly at a false view of self, and that through meditation and analysis this can be overcome.

Next he taught the wisdom of the realisation of our ultimate nature—realising that not only the self but even phenomena are empty of inherent existence—as well as the importance of training the mind in compassion. Finally the Buddha taught who we really are. He showed that our true nature is buddha.