Source: http://www.purifymind.com/LampEnlightenment.htm

Commentary on A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment Khunu Lama Rinpoche

Before listening to this teaching, first cultivate bodhicitta, thinking, "I want to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all mother sentient beings." In other words, before listening to teachings, it is necessary to think of, to remember, all mother sentient beings.

The subject today is Lam-drön, A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, which was written in Tibet by Atisha, who was also called Dipamkara Shrijnana, who was born the son of a Bengali king. Bengal is in northeast India.

Buddhadharma had already been established in Tibet before Atisha's arrival there, but an evil king called Langdarma (Udumtsen), who was said to have horns growing from his head, hated the Dharma and cause it to degenerate in Tibet. But even though the teachings had been corrupted, they still existed, but not as purely as before. It took about sixty years to restore the teachings to their original purity in what became known as the later spreading of the Dharma in Tibet.

How that happened was that in western Tibet, in the kingdom of Gugé, there lived a Tibetan king, Lha Lama Yeshe Ö, and his nephew, Jangchub Ö. They decided to invite a learned and realized teacher from the great Indian monastery of Vikramashila to spread Dharma in Tibet. When they investigated to see who was the most learned and realized person there, they discovered that Atisha would be by far the best one to invite.

But before Lha Lama Yeshe Ö could request Atisha to come from Vikramashila to Tibet, he needed to find gold to make a proper offering, so went to a place called Garlog in search of it. But the ruler of Garlog threw him in prison, where he died. In that way, Lha Lama Yeshe Ö he sacrificed his life to bring Atisha to Tibet.

Then his nephew, Jangchub Ö, sent emissaries to India to invite Atisha to Tibet. When he finally met Atisha, he explained how the Dharma there had degenerated during Langdarma's rule and how correct teachings no longer existed in Tibet. He requested Atisha to write the precious teaching, A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, to give fundamental teachings to the Tibetan people because they were so ignorant. He requested Atisha to explain about refuge, bodhicitta and so forth.

Therefore, Atisha wrote the precious teaching, A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, the source of all the Gelug lam-rim texts, as well as those of the Sakya and the other schools of Tibetan Buddhism, who all practice the graduated path to enlightenment and quote the Lam-drön in their teachings. Furthermore, the Lam-drön is based on the Prajnaparamita teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.

After generating bodhicitta, our main task is to attain enlightenment. Now, even though we might think that life in samsara is pleasant, it's not. There is no true pleasure in samsara. Enlightenment can be attained only through the practice of Dharma. Therefore, we should all practice Dharma.

In terms of teachings in general, there are two types: Buddhadharma and the teachings of the mu-teg-pa (Skt: tirthika) [See Meditation on Emptiness, pp. 320-21.] The latter are teachings based on mistaken beliefs, an understanding opposite to that of Buddhadharma - teachings followed by outsiders. By following such non-Buddhist teachings, you can be born anywhere from the lower realms to the peak of samsara, the highest of the four formless realms, but can never escape samsara.

Within the Buddhadharma, there are also two divisions: Hinayana and Mahayana. By following Hinayana teachings, you can escape from samsara but cannot attain enlightenment. To attain enlightenment, you have to practice Mahayana teachings. Within the Mahayana, there are the teachings spoken by the Buddha himself and those recorded later by the learned followers of the Buddha, the great Indian pandits. Included in the latter are such teachings as those written by the six great pandits, the ornaments of the world. Then there are also the teachings written by learned Tibetan masters. The teaching we are discussing here is that written by the learned pandit Dipamkara Shrijnana.

What does the Lam-drön contain? It derives from the Abhisamayalankara and explains the three levels of teaching: the paths of the lower, intermediate and highest practitioner, especially that of the highest.

The text opens with the title of this teaching in Sanskrit, which in Tibetan is Jang-chub lam-gyi drön-ma. This is followed by homage to Manjushri. 1. The first verse includes three things. First there is homage to the Triple Gem: the buddhas of the three times, the oral teachings and realization of them, and the sangha-those who have received the unshakable, or noble, path. Second, he mentions that his pure disciple, Jangchub Ö, requested him to give this teaching. Third, he makes the promise, or vow, to write this teaching, this lamp for the path to enlightenment, the Lam-drön.

2. In the second verse, Atisha explains what he's going to write about: the graduated paths of the persons of least, intermediate and greatest capacity. These are also the paths that Lama Tsong Khapa explains in his short, middle-length and great lam-rim teachings; in the various lam-rim teachings of Lama Tsong Khapa, he, too, explains the graduated paths of the persons of least, intermediate and greatest capacity.

3. Of the three levels of follower, Atisha first explains the graduated path of those of least capacity. Such people think, "I don't care what suffering or happiness I experience in this life; I must avoid rebirth in the lower realms and attain an upper rebirth." With this in mind, beings of least capacity abstain from negative actions and practice virtue.

4. Persons of intermediate capacity develop aversion to not only the sufferings of the three lower realms but also to those of the upper realms; to the whole of samsara. Such practitioners abstain from negative actions in order to free themselves from samsara, without concern for other sentient beings.

5. Who, then, are the beings of greatest capacity? They are those who, having understood their own suffering, take it as an example of the suffering that other beings are also experiencing and generate the great wish of wanting to put an end to the suffering of all sentient beings.

6-11. There are six preparatory practices. First, visualize the merit field and make offerings. Then kneel down with your hands in prostration and take refuge in the Triple Gem. After that, generate love for other sentient beings by thinking of the sufferings of death, old age, sickness and rebirth as well as the three sufferings and the general suffering of samsara. In that way, generate bodhicitta.

12-17. It is necessary to generate the aspiration to attain enlightenment, and the benefits of doing so have been explained in the sutra called Array of Trunks. Atisha also quotes three verses from another sutra, the Sutra Requested by Viradatta, to further explain the benefits of bodhicitta.

18-19. There are two types of bodhicitta, relative and absolute. Within the category of relative there are two further divisions, the bodhicitta of aspiration-wanting to receive enlightenment for the benefit of other sentient beings, thinking, "Without my receiving enlightenment, I cannot enlighten others"-and the bodhicitta of engagement, actually following the bodhisattva's path by taking the bodhisattva precepts and engaging in the

actions of a bodhisattva, thinking, "In order to engage in positive actions and avoid negative ones, I am going to practice the six perfections."

20-21. The teachings explain that in order to practice engaged bodhicitta, we should take the bodhisattva ordination, but in order to do so we should hold one of the seven levels of pratimoksha ordination, such as gelong, gelongma, getsul, getsulma and so forth. Ideally, then, we should hold one of these fundamental ordinations before taking the bodhisattva vow, but the learned ones say that in general, those who avoid negative karma and create virtuous actions can receive bodhicitta, even if they don't hold any pratimoksha precepts.

22. The bodhicitta of aspiration can be generated without dependence upon a lama, but engaged bodhicitta depends on a lama. To find a lama from whom we can take the bodhisattva vow, we have to know the qualifications of such a lama. 23-24. First, the lama should know all about the ordination and how to bestow it.

He should have compassion for the disciple and himself be living in the bodhisattva ordination. That's the kind of lama we need to find in order to take the ordination. But what if we can't find a perfect lama like that? Atisha then goes on to explain what we should do in that case.

25-31. The Ornament of Manjushri's Buddha Land Sutra explains how, long ago, Manjushri received bodhicitta. This is what we can do. Visualize the merit field and all the buddhas and generate bodhicitta, the wish to receive enlightenment. Then promise, "I invite all sentient beings as my guest to the sublime happiness of liberation and enlightenment. I will not get angry or harbor avarice, covetousness, jealousy and so forth. I will not harm other sentient beings in any way. I will live in pure discipline by avoiding all negative actions, even worldly desires and sense objects of attachment, such as attractive sounds and beautiful forms and so forth. I shall give up such things. As all the buddhas have followed pure moral conduct, so shall I. "I will not try to receive enlightenment for myself alone. Even though it takes and endless amount of time to work for even one sentient being, I shall remain in samsara. I shall make pure the impure realms of sentient beings, places where there are thorns, rocks and ugly mountains. I shall also purify my three doors of body, speech and mind and keep them pure. I shall create no negative actions from now on."

32-35. The best way of keeping our three doors pure is by generating the bodhicitta of aspiration and engaging in bodhicitta and following the path to enlightenment. This depends on observing the three different levels of

moral conduct. If we do this properly, we can complete the two collections of merit and transcendent wisdom. One thing that really helps us complete these two collections is the ability to foresee the future, therefore we should try to acquire clairvoyance. Without it, we are like a baby bird that has not yet grown feathers and whose wings are undeveloped, and remains stuck in its nest, unable to fly. Without clairvoyance, we cannot work for other sentient beings.

36-37. The person who has achieved the psychic power to foresee the future can create more merit in a day than a person who does not have this ability can create in a hundred years. Therefore, to complete the collections of merit and transcendent wisdom quickly, it is necessary to acquire the psychic power to see past, present and future.

38. In order to do this, it is necessary to achieve samadhi-single-pointed concentration. For this, we must understand the details of the method of attaining samadhi, such as the nine stages, the six powers and the four mental engagements. [See Opening the Eye of New Awareness pp. 53-66.]

39. In order to practice samadhi meditation properly, we must ensure that the conditions are perfect. If they are not, then even though we try practicing it hard for even a thousand years, we'll never achieve it. Therefore, we should find a perfect environment, remain quiet and avoid having to do work such as healing the ill and making astrological predictions-any activity that keeps us busy.

40. The way to meditate to attain single-pointed concentration is to focus our mind on a virtuous object, such as an image of the Buddha. Visualize such an image in front of us and simply concentrate on that. As we focus our mind on the object again and again, we'll be able to hold it for increasingly greater periods of time, and through the continuity of such practice will eventually attain calm abiding (shamatha) and single-pointed concentration. Thus we will gain ngön-she or, literally, higher seeing, the psychic power to see the future and so forth.

41-43. But that is not the point. Next we have to practice lhag-tong, or vipashyana-penetrative insight. Without it, our samadhi cannot remove our delusions. In order to eradicate our two levels of obscuration-the obscurations of delusion (nyön-drib) and the obscurations to knowledge (she-drib)- we must achieve the wisdom realizing the non-self-existence of the I. Doing so also depends upon achieving method, such as compassion and so forth. It's a mistake to practice only wisdom and not method. This can lead us to fall into individual liberation, the lower nirvana. Similarly,

practicing only method and not wisdom is also a mistake and causes us to remain in samsara.

44-46. The Buddha taught that of the six perfections, the last of the six is the path of wisdom and the first five-charity, morality, patience, effort and concentration-are the path of method, or skillful means (Tib: thab). First, we should meditate on method, then on wisdom, then on both together. By practicing both together, we can receive enlightenment; by practicing the wisdom of selflessness alone, we can't.

47-49. Realizing the five aggregates (Skt: skandhas), the twelve sources and the eighteen constituents as empty of self-existence is recognized as higher wisdom. There is existence and non-existence: there is no such thing as the production of the existent, nor is there such a thing as production of the non-existent. There is no such thing as production of both existent and non-existent, nor is there production of neither existent nor non-existent. That is one form of logic negating the production of both the existent and the non-existent. There is also another form of logic negating production of a thing from self, other, both or neither-the four extremes. The main thing to discover here is non-self-existence. That can be found through the first line of logical reasoning, which negates production of the existent and the non-existent, and through the second, which negates production of the four extremes.

50-51. It can also be discovered through a third line of reasoning that examines things to see whether they are one or many. These lines of reasoning are elaborated by Nagarjuna in his Seventy Stanzas on Emptiness and in other texts such as his Treatise on the Middle Way.

52-54. These things are explained in those texts, but here they are mentioned just for the purpose of practicing meditation. Meditating on the non-self-existence of the I and the non-self-existence of all other phenomena is meditation on shunyata, or emptiness. When the wisdom realizing emptiness analyzes the subject and the object, it cannot discover self-existence in either of those. Moreover, it cannot find self-existence in the wisdom of emptiness. Thus, we realize the emptiness of even the wisdom of emptiness itself.

55-58. Since this world is created by superstition (Tib: nam-tog) [conceptuality], if we eradicate the creator, superstition, we can attain liberation. The Buddha said that it is superstition that causes us to fall into the ocean of samsara. Therefore, that which is to be avoided is superstition, but the emptiness of superstition, which is like the sky, like empty space, is that which is to be practiced. By achieving this, we will be

able to see the absolute nature of existence. Therefore, the bodhisattvas' practice is to avoid superstition and thus to achieve the non-superstitious mind. Through the various different means of logic-by realizing the emptiness of the produced and of inherent existence-we can avoid superstition and achieve the wisdom of shunyata.

59. Then we can also attain the different levels of the path of preparation (Tib: jor-lam), the second of the five paths. We attain the four levels of this path and gradually the ten bhumis (Tib: sa), or bodhisattva grounds, as well. Finally, we attain the eleventh level, enlightenment itself.

60-67. Having realized shunyata, we can also gain the general realizations of tantra, such as the four powers of pacification, wrath, control and increase, and other attainments, such as accomplishing the "good pot." Accomplishing the good pot means doing a particular meditation in retreat for a long time, and if you are successful, just by putting your mouth to the opening of a pot and saying something like, "May I become the king of this country," your wish will be fulfilled-in this case, you will become king of that country. Or, we can gain the tantric power of "eye medicine." By accomplishing this technique, if you apply this ointment to your eye, you can see such things as gold, jewels and other precious things even hundreds of miles beneath the surface of the earth; no matter how far away it is, you can see it. By practicing tantra, we can receive enlightenment without the need of much austere practice. The tantric was to enlightenment is through happiness, while other paths to enlightenment are through hard, austere practice. There are four different level of tantra, such as highest yoga tantra and so forth; four different aspects of the tantric teaching. So, first we have to receive initiation. In order to do so, we have to make material offerings, such as gold, or even members of your family; a spouse, or a sibling, requesting our guru for the initiation with great devotion. If our guru is pleased, he will then give us the initiation out of his compassion. Having taken an initiation, we also receive the great fortune of being able to receive enlightenment and all these high realizations that come with it. There are four different initiations: the vase, secret, transcendent wisdom and word initiations, the latter being where the guru imparts clarification, or proof, through verbal explanation. However, the secret initiation should not be given to those living in ordination. If monks, for example, take the secret initiation, they have to leave the monastic order, because those who have taken the secret initiation are required to practice with a female consort. If they do these practices without first returning their ordination, they lose it, the consequence of which is rebirth in the hells. To receive tantric commentaries, you first have to receive initiation. Without initiation, you cannot receive tantric teachings. You also cannot perform pujas of burnt offering or give tantric teachings.

68. In the last verse, Atisha closes this text by describing himself as an elder (Tib: nä-tän), a full monk who, in the first twelve years after taking ordination, hasn't created any moral falls; a senior full monk. He states that he has briefly explained the teaching on the steps of path as requested by his noble follower, Jangchub Ö.

Conclusion

Every lam-rim teaching ever written refers back to this text, A Lamp for the Path, irrespective of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition; not only Gelug, but also Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya. Where does the Lamp itself refer back to? That is to the prajnaparamita teachings. In terms of prajnaparamita texts, there are elaborate, intermediate and short, but the author of all of them is the Buddha. Therefore, all lam-rim texts have their source in the teachings of the Buddha. If you want to understand the lam-rim well, you should study it as extensively as possible. When you understand the lam-rim well, you will understand the Lamp for the Path. Once you do, you should teach it all over the world. Even within the Mahayana tradition, the teaching has many aspects, but in general, it contains great knowledge. The main thing, however, the fundamental thing, is concern for others, working for others, benefiting others. Followers of the Hinayana are concerned with only their own samsaric suffering; in order to escape it, they follow the path of the three higher trainings: higher conduct, higher concentration and higher wisdom. But there are many ways in which the Mahayana is different from and higher than the Hinayana, many ways in which this can be explained, but the main difference is that Mahayana practitioners are more concerned with working for the welfare of others than their own. People nowadays might think of helping other people, but Mahayana practitioners benefit not only other people but also suffering hell beings, pretas, animals and every other sentient being. There is not one sentient being who has not been our mother; all sentient beings have been our mother numberless times, therefore, we should be concerned for their welfare, wanting them to become enlightened as quickly as possible. This, then, is the fundamental difference between the Hinayana and the Mahayana, this concern more for others than oneself, in particular, the wish to enlighten all sentient beings. That's what makes the difference. It is excellent that you are studying the vast and profound teachings of the Mahayana, thinking about them, analyzing them intently, and you should continue to do so. In general, there are many religions and everyone thinks that the teaching of his or her own religion is the best. But just saying that one's own religion is the best doesn't prove it's the best; that doesn't mean anything. Therefore, simply saying that Buddhadharma is the best religion in the world doesn't make it so. However, there are many logical reasons you can use to prove that Buddhadharma is, in fact, the best.

For example, even accepting and practicing bodhicitta is very different from not practicing bodhicitta. Even in this, there's a big difference between Buddhism and other religions; the fact of the presence of the practice of bodhicitta shows that Buddhism is higher than other religions, that Buddhism is the best. Buddhism also talks about dependent origination and emptiness; it explains dependent origination as it exists, right there. So, not only in conduct but also in view, Buddhism is very different from other religions and therefore the best. There are many ways to prove this. However, Buddhadharma is something that the more and more you study it, the deeper and deeper it becomes, the more and more profound you find it to be. This is a quality unique to Buddhadharma. With other teachings, the more you study them, the lighter they become. If you have understood any of what I have taught here, keep it in mind and build upon it. When you have understood more, keep that as your foundation and build further upon that. In this way, your knowledge will continually increase. Then, like the sun rising, spread Dharma in the West.

There are many countries, such as Vietnam, where Buddhism existed for centuries, but none were like Tibet. In those countries, there existed only one aspect of the Buddhadharma, not all, but in Tibet, all the aspects of the teaching existed, Hinayana, Sutrayana and Vajrayana. In order to study all this, you should learn the Tibetan language, study its grammar, and follow your lama properly. [Dedication prayers are made and then the monks and nuns try to make offering to Rinpoche.] Please, don't offer me anything. I have enough to eat and drink; that's all I need. The reason I have given you this teaching is not to receive something but for you to practice purely. I'm not building monasteries or making offerings to statues and so forth, so I have no need for money. I accept offerings only when I lack for something. When I have enough, I don't accept offerings, especially not from monks or nuns. My idea of wealth is different. Otherwise, teaching and taking money is a bit like making business. For now, I just want you to practice, but if things get bad and I don't have enough to eat or drink, then maybe I'll accept something.

[Then everybody received a blessing from Rinpoche, one by one.]

Source: http://www.bodhicitta.net/Atisha%27s%20Lamp.htm

A Lamp for the Path of Enlightenment

Atisha

1

I bow in great reverence to all past, present and

Future Victors, to their Doctrine and Communities.

I shall light a Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment,

At the request of my good disciple Byang-chub-'od.

2

In that they are Inferior or Mediocre or Superior,

Persons should be understood as three:

The characteristics of each are very clear,

and I shall note how they differ from one another.

3

One who by every means he finds,

Seeks by the pleasure of samsara,

And cares but for himself alone, that one

Is known as the Inferior Person.

4

One who puts life's pleasures behind

And turns himself from deeds of sin,

Yet cares only about his own peace,

That person should be called Mediocre.

5

One who wholly seeks a complete end

To the entire suffering of others because

Their suffering belongs to his own [conscious] stream,

That person is a Superior.

6

For those pure beings whose desire

Is the highest of Enlightenments,

I shall explain the right means

Which were taught me by my Gurus.

7

Facing a painted image of the Perfect Buddha,

Or in front of holy reliquaries and the like,

Give worship with flowers and incense

And whatever objects may be at hand.

8

Then with the Sevenfold Worship expressed

In the Deeds of Samantabhadra,

And a mind that does not turn back until

The Heart of Enlightenment is reached,

9

With great faith in the Three Jewels,

Bending knee to the ground,

And folding the hands

First take the Three Refuges thrice.

10

Then, because the Thought of Love for

All creatures is the prerequisite,

One looks out on all the world,

Suffering in death, transmigration,

And rebirth in the three bad destinies:

11

At sight of that suffering, one suffers;

And he who wants to free the world

From the very cause of such suffering,

Must beget this Thought of Enlightenment

That is pledged never to turn back.

12

Every quality that belongs to

Begetting thoughts of such Resolution

Has been well explained by Maitreya

In his sutra, the Stalks in Array.

13

Read that sutra or hear it from a Guru, and when

The infinite benefits of Perfect Enlightenment Thought

Are seen, then for that very reason you

Will beget the Thought again and again.

14

The merit of this is shown extremely well

In the sutra called the Questions of Viradatta;

And to give the essence of it,

I quote three of its verses here:

15

"If a form could be had for the full

Merit of the Enlightenment Thought,

It would surpass even one

That filled the whole realm of space."

16

"Or take a man who owns jewels, and with them

Fills every one of the Buddha-fields –

Reckoned as more than the grains of Ganga's sands –

Then offers all this to the Lord of the World;"

17

"Yet another who merely folds his hands,

And inclines his thought to Enlightenment.

The latter's worship is higher by far,

Because in it there is found no limit."

18

When you get the thoughts of aspiring to Enlightenment,

Then with great effort strive to expand them fully;

And to recall your resolve in your other births,

Observe fully the Training I explained to you.

19

A right resolve will not be furthered

Without vows that have progress in mind;

Therefore he who seeks growth

in the resolve for Perfect Enlightenment,

earnestly takes them.

20

Only he who has lasting vows in

One of Pratimoksa's seven ranks

Is fit for the Vow of the Bodhisattva;

There is no other way for it to be.

21

The Tathagata has said that of

The seven ranks of Pratimoksa,

The glorious Pure Life is highest;

By which he meant the vows of a Monk.

22

According to the ritual given in the

Conduct Chapter of the Bodhisattva Levels,

One takes the Vow from any good Guru

Who has the proper characteristics.

23

One who is learned in the ritual of the Vow,

And himself lives the Vow he has taken,

And has the compassionate forbearance

To impart it -- know him to be the good Guru.

24

But if, after trying, one cannot

Find just such a Guru as this,

I will explain another ritual

For taking the vow in a correct way.

25

In this latter way, Manjusri in a former life

As Ambaraja begat the Enlightenment Thought;

And as told in the sutra called The Ornament of Manjustri's Buddha-field,

I write it down clearly here now:

26

"In the presence of the Lords,

I beget The Thought of Perfect Enlightenment,

And issuing invitation to all creatures,

I will save them all from the cycle of rebirth."

27

"Beginning from this moment and henceforth,

Until I obtain the Highest Enlightenment,

I shall not permit ill-will or anger,

Avarice or envy, to occupy my mind."

28

"I shall practice the Pure Life,

And renounce sin and base desire;

I shall imitate the Buddha

By rejoicing in the vow of Conduct."

29

"Myself, I am not keen to reach

Enlightenment in some swift way;

I shall remain until the final end

For the sake of but a single creature."

30

"I shall purify the innumerable

Inconceivable fields of the universe,

And from the taking of this [new] name,

[henceforth] I shall live in the ten directions."

31

"Purifying the actions of

My body and speech entirely,

I shall cleanse my mind's activity as well;

No unvirtuous deed will ever be mine."

32

In essence, one's purity of body, speech and mind

Means keeping vows with a mind for progress;

For by practicing well the Three Conduct Trainings,

Appreciation of those same Three becomes greater.

33

Hence, when one has striven in the vows which make up

The pure and perfect Bodhisattva Vow,

He will bring to complete perfection

The very Equipment for Perfect Enlightenment.

34

All the Buddhas have held that

Perfecting this Equipment,

The nature of which is Merit and Knowledge,

Lies essentially in the superknowledges.

35

Just as a bird with unfledged wings

Cannot fly up into the sky,

So without the superknowledges' power,

One cannot work for the good of others.

36

The merits which a man with the

Superknowledges gains in a single day

Could not be had in a hundred lives

By one who lacked those knowledges.

37

He who seeks to bring to perfection swiftly

The Equipment for Perfect Enlightenment

Strives hard for the superknowledges,

For they are not accomplished by sloth.

38

As long as Calmness is not attained,

The superknowledges will not occur;

Therefore, in order to achieve Calmness,

One must keep striving over and over.

39

One who neglects the Limbs of Calmness,

Even though he strive to meditate

For thousands of years, never

Will achieve Concentration.

40

Therefore, when well established in the Limbs

That are stated in the Chapter on Concentration Equipment,

One can then set the mind in virtue,

Fixed on any Topic he chooses.

41

When yogic Calmness is achieved,

So too are the superknowledges;

But obscuration is not destroyed

Without the Perfection of Insight.

42

Hence, to remove all obscuration

Of his affliction and his knowledge,

The yogin must continually cultivate

the Perfection of Insight together with Means.

43

Scripture says that bondage is from

Insight being divorced from Means,

And the Means from Insight as well.

Therefore, neglect not this union.

44

To remove any doubts about

What Insight is, and what are Means,

I make clear the difference

Between the Means and Insight.

45

The Victors have explained that

the Means Are all the Equipments of virtue,

Starting with the Perfection of Giving,

Up to, but excluding, that of Insight.

46

One who combines the mastery of the Means

With a true cultivation of Insight

Will swiftly attain Enlightenment, but

Not by cultivating merely Non-self.

47

"Insight" is fully explained as knowing

The Emptiness of intrinsic nature,

In comprehending that Aggregates

and Sense bases and Elements do not arise.

48

An existent's arising is impossible;

A non-existent's is like flowers in the sky;

For a thing to be both is absurd fallacy;

So neither do they originate together.

49

Since an entity does not arise from itself,

And is not from another, or even from both,

Nor is it yet without cause; therefore it has

No intrinsic nature by way of own-existence.

50

Furthermore, if one analyses all things

As identities or multiplicities,

Own-existence is not perceived; hence one is

Certain that intrinsic natures do not exist.

51 The reasoning of the Seventy Stanzas on Emptiness,

And of texts like the Basic Stanzas on the Middle Way,

Explains the proof that all entities

Are empty of intrinsic nature.

52

Wherefore, lest my text become too long,

I do not elaborate it here,

But will explain only proven tenets

In order to further contemplation.

53

Thus, not to perceive intrinsic nature

In any phenomenon whatever

Is to contemplate its Non-Self; which

Is the same as contemplating with Insight.

54

And this Insight which does not see

Intrinsic nature in any phenomena

Is that same Insight explained as Wisdom.

Cultivate it without conceptual thought.

55

The world of change springs from conceptual

Thought, which is its very nature;

The complete removal of such

Thought is the Highest Nirvana.

56

Moreover, the Blessed One declared:

"Conceptual thinking is the great ignorance,

And casts one into samsara's ocean; but

Clear as the sky is his contemplation who

Remains in Concentration without concepts."

57

And he also says in the Non-Conceptual Progress Formula:

"When a son of the Victor meditates on

This holy Doctrine without conceptual thought,

He gradually attains the non-conceptual."

58

When through scripture and reason one has

Penetrated the non-intrinsic

Nature of all non-arising phenomena,

Then contemplate without conceptual thought.

59

And when he has thus contemplated Thatness,

And by stages has attained "Warmth" and the rest,

Then he will gain the "Joyous" [Level] and on up:

Buddha-Enlightenment is not far off.

60

Through the rites of "Appeasement" and "Prosperity"

And the rest, effected by the force of Mantra,

And also by the strength of the Eight Great Powers,

Starting with that "Good Flask", and others,

61

It is maintained that the Equipment for

Enlightenment is perfected with ease;

And if one wants to practice Mantra as prescribed

In the Tantras: Action, Practice, and on,

62

Then, to gain the Preceptor-Initiation,

One must first win a holy Guru

By giving him attendance and precious things

And by obedience to his word.

63

And when the Preceptor-Initiation has been

Conferred by the Guru who was won over,

Then one is purified of all sin, and

Becomes fit to exercise the Powers.

64

The Secret and Insight Initiations

Should not be taken by religious celibates,

Because it is emphatically forbidden

In the Great Tantra of Primal Buddha.

65

If those Initiations were taken by one who stays

In the austerity of a religious celibate,

It would violate his vow of austerity

Since he would be practicing what is forbidden.

66

Transgressions would occur which defeat

The man of religious observance;

And by his certain fall to bad destinies,

He would not even succeed [in Mantra practice].

67

Having acquired the Preceptor-Initiation,

He may listen to all Tantras and explain them;

Perform Fire-offering, Gift-worship, and the like:

There is no wrong in wisdom about reality.

68

I, the Elder, Dipamkarasri,

Having seen this explanation in texts

Such as the sutras; and Byang-chub-'od's request

Have explained concisely the Path to Enlightenment.

[Colophon]

This completes the Lamp for the Enlightenment Path

Composed by the great Acarya, glorious Dipamkarajnana.

Translated and edited by the great Upadhyaya of India himself,

and by the revisor-translator Dge-ba'i blo-gros.

This text was composed at the Tho-ling temple of Zhang-zhung.

Source:

Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment(Byang-chub lam-gyi sgron-ma, Skt. Bodhipathapradipam)by Dipamkara Shrijnana Atishatranslated by Alexander Berzin, 1980in accordance with an explanation by Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpochefollowing the commentary by the First Panchen Lamaand revised January 2003

I prostrate to the Bodhisattva Youthful Manjushri.

Promise to Compose

(1) Having prostrated most respectfully to all the Triumphantof the three times,To their Dharma and to the Sangha community,I shall light a lamp for the path to enlightenment,Having been urged by my excellent disciple, Jangchub-wo.

(2) Since (practitioners) come to have small,intermediate, and supreme (scopes),They are known as the three types of spiritual persons.I shall therefore write about these specific divisions,Clarifying their defining features.

Initial Scope

(3) Anyone who takes keen interest in himself or herself(Achieving), by some means, merely the happinessOf uncontrollably recurring samsaraIs known as a person of minimum spiritual scope.

Intermediate Scope

(4) Anyone with the nature to turn his or her backon the pleasures of compulsive existenceAnd to turn back negative impulses of karma,And who takes keen interest in merely his or her own state of peace,Is known as a person of intermediate spiritual scope.

Bodhicitta as the Entranceway for the Advanced Scope

(5) Anyone who fully wishes to eliminate completelyAll the sufferings of othersAs (he or she would) the sufferings includedin his or her own mental continuumIs someone of supreme motivation.

(6) For these hallowed beingsWho have come to wish for supreme enlightenment,I shall explain the perfect methodsThat the gurus have shown.

The Ritual for Aspiring Bodhicitta, Together with Advice

(7) Before paintings, statues, and so on of fully enlightened Buddhas,As well as stupas and hallowed (Dharma texts),Offer flowers, incense,And whatever material things you may have.

(8) Also with the seven-limb offering mentioned in(The Prayer of) Excellent Conduct,With the mind never to turn back untilThe ultimate (realization) of your Buddha-essence,

(9) With supreme belief in the Three Supreme Gems,With bent knee touching the groundAnd palms pressed together,Firstly, take safe direction three times.

(10) Next, with a mind of love toward all limited beings as a start,Look to all wandering beings, barring none,Suffering from birth and so forth in the three worse realms,And from death, transference, and so on.

(11) Then, with the wish that all wandering beingsBe liberated from the suffering of pain,From suffering, and from the causes of suffering,Generate pledged bodhichitta with which you will never turn back.

(12) The benefits of generating aspiring minds like thisHave been thoroughly explainedBy Maitreya inThe Sutra Spread Out Like a Tree Trunk.

(13) When you have read this sutraor heard from your guru concerning this,And have become aware of the boundless benefitsof full bodhichitta,Then as a cause for making it stableGenerate this mind over and again.

(14) The positive force of this is shown extensivelyIn The Sutra Requested by Viradatta.As it is summarized there in merely three stanzas,Let me quote them here.

(15) "If the positive forceOf bodhichitta had form,It would fill completely the sphere of spaceAnd go beyond even that.

(16) Although someone may totally fill with gemsBuddha-fields equal in number

To the grains of sand on the GangesAnd offer them to the Guardians of the World,

(17) Yet should anyone press his or her palms togetherAnd direct his or her mind toward bodhichitta,His or her offering would be more specially noble;It would have no end."

(18) Having generated the aspiring states of bodhichitta,Ever enhance them with many efforts;And, to be mindful of it in this and other lives too,Thoroughly safeguard as well the trainings explained in the texts.

Taking the Vows for Engaged Bodhicitta

(19) Except through the vows that are the very natureof engaged bodhichitta,Your pure aspiration will never come to increase.Therefore, with the wish to progress toward aspired full enlightenment,Take them definitely on, energetically for that sake.

(20) Those who maintain at all times other vowsFrom any of the seven classes for individual liberationHave the proper share for the bodhisattva vows;Others do not.

(21) As for the seven classes for individual liberation,The Accordingly Progressed has asserted in his explanationsThat those of glorious abstinence are supreme;And those are the vows for fully ordained monks.

(22) Through the ritual well expounded inThe "Ethical Discipline Chapter" of The Bodhisattva StagesTake the (bodhisattva) vowsFrom an excellent, fully qualified guru.

(23) Know that an excellent guru is someone whoIs skilled in the vow ceremony,By nature lives by the vows,Has the confidence to confer the vows,and possesses compassion.

(24) However, if you have made effort in thisAnd have been unable to find such a guru,There is a ritual other than that for receiving the vows,Which I shall explain in full.

(25) Concerning this, I shall write here very clearlyHow Manjushri generated bodhichitta in previous times

when he was King Ambaraja,Just as is explained in The Sutra ofAn Adornment for Manjushri's Buddha-Field.

(26) "Before the eyes of my Guardians,I generate bodhichittaAnd, inviting all wandering beings as my guests,I shall liberate them from uncontrollable rebirth.

(27) From now until my attainmentOf a supreme purified state,I shall never act with harmful intentions,An angered mind, miserliness, or jealousy.

(28) I shall live according to abstinent behavior;I shall rid myself of negativities and attachment/greed.Taking joy in the vows of ethical discipline,I shall continually train myself as the Buddhas have done.

(29) I shall take no delight in attaining enlightenmentBy a speedy means for my own self,But shall remain until the end of the future,If it be a cause for (helping) one limited being.

(30) I shall cleanse everything intoImmeasurable, inconceivable realmsAnd remain everywhere in the ten directionsFor those who have called my name.

(31) I shall purify all the actionsOf my body and speech,And purify as well the actions of my mind:I shall never commit any destructive acts."

Practicing Bodhisattva Conduct

Training in Higher Ethical Discipline

(32) If you train yourself well in the three trainings of ethical disciplineBy living in accord with the vowsthat are the very nature of engaged bodhichittaAnd which are a cause for purifying completelyyour body, speech, and mind,Your respect for the three trainings in ethical discipline will increase.

(33) Through this (will come) the completely purified,full state of enlightenment;For, by exerting yourself in the vows of the bodhisattva vows,

You will fully complete the networks neededFor total enlightenment.

Training in Higher Concentration

(34) As for the cause that will fully complete these networksHaving the nature of positive force and deep awareness,All the Buddhas have asserted that it isThe development of advanced awareness.

(35) Just as a bird without fully developed wingsCannot fly in the sky,Likewise lacking the force of advanced awareness,You will be unable to fulfill the aims of limited beings.

(36) Whatever positive force is had in a day and a nightBy someone possessing advanced awarenessIs not had even in a hundred lifetimesBy someone lacking advanced awareness.

(37) Therefore, if you would wish to fully complete,Quickly, the networks for total enlightenment,Make effort and thereby come to attainAdvanced awareness. It is not to be had by the lazy.

(38) Someone who has not achieved a stilled settled mindWill not attain advanced awareness.Therefore, repeatedly exert effortTo actualize a stilled settled mind.

(39) However, should the factors for a stilled settled mind be weak,Then even if you have meditated with great effortAnd even if for thousands of years,You will not attain single-minded concentration.

(40) Therefore, maintain well the factors mentionedIn the chapter on A Network for Single-Minded Concentration.Then place your mind on something constructive:Namely one of the appropriate objects of focus.

(41) When a yogi actualizes a stilled settled mind,He or she attains as well advanced awareness.

Training in Higher Discriminating Awareness

However, if you have failed to apply yourselfto far-reaching discriminating awareness,You will be unable to deplete the obscurations.

(42) Therefore, in order to rid yourself of all obscurations,without exception,Regarding the disturbing emotions and knowable phenomena,Always meditate on the yoga of far-reaching discriminating awarenessTogether with methods.

(43) This is because discriminating awareness lacking methodsAs well as methods lacking discriminating awarenessHave been said still to be bondage.Therefore, never abandon having both.

(44) To get rid of doubts concerningWhat is discriminating awareness and what are methods,I shall clarify the actual divisionBetween methods and discriminating awareness.

(45) The Triumphant One has explained thatLeaving aside far-reaching discriminating awareness,All networks of constructive factors,Such as far-reaching generosity and so forth, are the methods.

(46) It is by the power of having meditated on the methods that,Through meditating thoroughlyon something with discriminating awareness,Someone with a (bodhichitta) nature can quickly attain enlightenment.It does not come about by having meditated onthe lack of inherent identity alone.

(47) Awareness of the voidness of inherent existenceThat has come to realize that the aggregates, cognitive sources,And cognitive stimulators lack (inherently existent) arisingHas been fully explained as discriminating awareness.

(48) If things inherently existed (at the time of their causes),it would be illogical for them to have to arise.Further, if they (inherently) did not exist at all(they could not be made to arise),like a flower out of space.Moreover, because there would be the absurd conclusionsof both these faults,Things do not come about from being both(inherently existent and nonexistentat the time of their causes) either.

(49) Phenomenal things do not arise from themselves,Nor from something (inherently) different, nor from both.Neither do they (arise) from no causes at all.Because of this, everything by nature lacks inherent existence.

(50) Furthermore, when you analyze all thingsIf they are (inherently) one or many,Then since you cannot be aimed at anything that has existencefrom its own nature,You can become certain of the nonexistence of inherent existence.

(51) Furthermore, the lines of reasoning inThe Seventy Stanzas on VoidnessAnd from The Root Text on the Middle Way and so forthExplain as well how the nature of phenomenal thingsIs established as voidness.

(52) However, because this text would have become too long,I have therefore not elaborated here.What I have explained has been for the purpose of meditationOn merely a proven system of philosophical tenets.

(53) Thus, since you cannot be aimed at the inherent existenceOf any thing, without exception,Meditation on the lack of inherent identityIs meditation on discriminating awareness.

(54) With discriminating awareness, an inherent natureOf any phenomenon is never seen;And it is explained that the same is true regardingthe actuality of discriminating awareness itself.In this (way) meditate (on voidness) nonconceptually.

(55) This compulsive existence which comes from conceptual thoughts(of inherent existence)Has a true nature (merely fabricated) by these conceptual thoughts.Therefore, the state of being rid of all these conceptual thoughts,without an exception,Is the supreme Nirvana State Beyond Sorrow.

(56) Like this as well, the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All has said,"Conceptual thought (of inherent existence) is great unawareness,That which makes you fall into the oceanof uncontrollably recurring existence.By abiding in single-minded concentration devoid of conceptual thought(of inherent existence),You will make clear (the mind) that iswithout these conceptions just as is space."

(57) Also, from The Dharani Formulafor Engaging in the Nonconceptual, he has said,"If the Offspring of the Triumphantinvolved in this pure Dharma practiceWere to contemplate this stateof no conceptual thoughts (of inherent existence),

They would transcend these conceptual thoughtswhich are difficult to pass throughAnd would gradually attain the state of no such conceptions."

(58) When you have become certain,by these quotations and lines of reasoning,That all things are devoid of inherent existenceAnd without an (inherently existent) arising,Meditate in a state of no conceptual thoughts (of inherent existence).

Manifesting the Result

(59) When you have meditated on actuality like thisAnd have gradually attained the heat (stage) and so forth,You will then attain (the stage of) extremely joyous one and so on,And the enlightenment of Buddhahood will not be far.

(60) If, however, through actions such as pacifying,Stimulating, and so forth, attained from the force of mantrasAnd through the power as wellof the eight great actual attainments and so on,Such as actualization of an excellent vase and so forth,

(61) And through a blissful awareness, you wish to fully completeThe enlightenment-building networks,And if you wish also to practice the actions of the secret mantrasDiscussed in the kriya, charya, and so forth classes of tantra,

(62) Then, in order to be conferred the (vajra) master empowerment,Please your hallowed guru by all such thingsAs respectful service, giving him precious substances, and so on,And doing what he says.

(63) By being conferred the complete (vajra) master empowermentFrom having pleased your guru,You will purify yourself completely of all negative forcesAnd, in nature, become endowed with the proper shareto achieve the actual attainments.

(64) Because it has been strictly prohibitedFrom The Great Tantra of the Primordial Buddha,The secret and discriminating awareness empowermentsAre not to be (conferred or) received (in a literal fashion)by those who are abstinent.

(65) If you were to take these empowerments so conferredWhile living according to the ascetic practice of abstinence,You would be committing prohibited actionsAnd because of that, your vows of asceticism would degenerate.

(66) In other words, as a practitioner of tamed behaviorYou would contract the downfalls of total defeatsAnd since you would definitely fall to one of the worse rebirth states,You would never have any attainments.

(67) However, if you have received (in a nonliteral fashion)The conferral of the (vajra) master empowermentand are aware of actuality,There is no fault in your actions of listeningto all the tantras, explaining them,Performing fire pujas, making offering pujas, and so forth.

I, the Elder Shri Dipamkara, having seen (everything to be) as is explained from the Dharma teachings of the sutras and so on, and having been requested by Jangchub-wo, have composed this abbreviation of the explanation of the path to enlightenment.

This concludes A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment composed by the Great Master Dipamkara Shrijnana. It was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian Abbot himself (Dipamkara Shrijnana) and the Tibetan translator monk Geway-lodro. This Dharma (text) was composed at the Toling Temple in Zhang-zhung.