The Four Hundred Verses of Aryadeva

Whoever sees the nature of one thing

Is said to see the nature of everything.

For the emptiness of one thing

Is the emptiness of everything.

Aryadeva, Four Hundred Verses, Chapter 8, Verse 16

Welcome to these online teachings on The Four Hundred Verses (Catuḥśataka) by the great Indian master Āryadeva.

Over the course of these weekends, Do Tulku Rinpoche will guide us through this profound and practical Madhyamaka text, one of the most important texts in the Mahayana tradition. The Catuḥśataka presents the complete path of a Mahayana practitioner—View, Meditation, and Conduct—showing not only how to understand reality, but how to transform the way we live and practice.

Across its sixteen chapters, Āryadeva carefully unpacks some of our deepest misconceptions, such as believing that things are permanent, that worldly pleasures can provide lasting satisfaction, that the body is inherently pure, or that there is an independent self. Step by step, he shows how these misunderstandings give rise to suffering and how they can be overcome through careful reflection, meditation, and wisdom. Each chapter explores a complete aspect of the path, making the text both philosophically profound and deeply practical for anyone wishing to follow the Mahayana path.

The Four Hundred Verses has long been regarded as one of the foundational texts of Buddhist philosophy. It is traditionally included among the Thirteen Great Texts studied in Tibetan Buddhist shedras, forming an essential part of a complete Mahayana education. For centuries it has been studied alongside Nāgārjuna's works as a key guide to understanding how to practice the Middle Way, and it continues to be treasured as an indispensable manual for cultivating wisdom and compassion.

Course Structure

The programme will run over approximately ten weekends, with the possibility of extending if needed.

While we warmly encourage participants to join the full course in order to appreciate the text as a complete presentation of the path, each of the sixteen chapters can also be studied as a self-contained teaching. This means that if you are only able to attend certain weekends, you will still be able to benefit from the individual topics being covered.

Whether you are approaching the Four Hundred Verses for the first time or returning to deepen your understanding, we hope this programme offers a meaningful opportunity to study one of the Mahayana's most treasured and transformative texts under Do Tulku Rinpoche's guidance. 🌟Practical details