The Great Path

of Awakening • •

'-""'• .�

The Classic Guide to Lojong,

a Tibetan Buddhist Practice

for Cultivating the

Heart of Compassion

J amgon Kongtrul

Translated by Ken McLeod

SHAMBHALA

Ho�ton & London

Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall

300 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 021 1 5

UJWU: shambha/a. com

OI987, 2005 by Ken Mcleod

Translation of The Root Text of the Seven Points of Training the

Mind © I 98 I, I 986 by Chogyam Trungpa; revised translation © I993 by Diana]. Mukpo and the Nalanda Translation

Committee.

All rights reserved. No part of chis book may be reproduced

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includ­

ing photocopying, recording, or by any informacion storage

and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the

publisher.

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I

Printed in che United States of America

@ This edition is printed on acid-free paper that meets the

American National Standards Institute z39-48 Standard.

Distributed in the United States by Random House

and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd.

The Library of Congress catalogues the previous edition of chis

book as follows:

Kon-sprul Blo-gros-mtha' -yas, I 8 I 3-I 899.

T he great path of awakening: The classic guide to lojong, a Tibetan Buddhist practice for cultivating the heart of compas­

sion.

Translated from Tibetan.

Bibliography: p. m. I. Mahayana Buddhism-Doccrines .

(Buddhism) I. Mcleod, Kenneth J. BQ740..Z.K66 1987 l94·.�'4448 ISUN 1-')706..:!-')87-5 (pbk.)

..z. Spir itual life

II . Tide. 87-12775

ISBN 1-590 30-.214-1 (Shambhala Classics)

To my teacher, Kalu Rinpoche,

who originally gave me this book

and, with it, the opportunity

to help others

Contents

Preface tx

Translator's Introduction Xtll

The Great Path of Au,akening I

THE SOURCE OF THE TRANSMISSION 3

THE NEED FOR MIND TRAINING 5

THE ACTUAL INSTRUCTIONS 7

The Explanation of the Seven Points of Mind Training 7

The Groundwork: Instruction on What Supports

Dharma 8

The Actual Practice: Training in Bodhicitta I o

The Transformation of Adversity into

the Path of Awakening I 7

The Utilization of the Practice in One's Whole Life 2 5

The Extent of Proficiency in Mind Training 29

Commitments of Mind Training 30

Guidelines for Mind Training 3 7

Concluding Verses 4 5

Addit ional I nstruct ions from the

Transm ission Li neage 4 6

VII

Contents

CONCLUSION 5 3

Notes 5 5

Appendices 87

The Seven Points of Mind Training (McLeod) 89

The Root Text of the Seven Points of Training

the Mind (Nalanda Translation Committee) 93

Soothing the Pain of Faith: A Prayer to the

Mind-Training Lineage 99

The Seven-Branch Prayer I o 5

Preface

I T H A S B EEN MOR E T H AN F I F T EEN YEA RS

since the first translation of this text was printed by Kalu Rin­

poche 's center i n Vancouver, Canada. Buddhism in the West

has developed considerably during that t ime. In particular,

many people have been i ntroduced to this teachi ng and have

had an opportunity to practice i t . Despite the many shortcom­

ings in my original translation , Kongtrul 's work has been the

focus of study and i nterest for many students of the dharma.

Other works on this topic-Advice from a Spiritual Friend, for

instance-have also appeared .

In 1979, a French translation of the E nglish text was pro­

posed . Well aware by then of the numerous corrections and im­

provements that should be made , I took that opportunity to

revise the original translation and expand the footnotes . This

new translation was subsequently published by Kagyu Li ng in

France under the t itle L'alchemie de souffram:e. Circumstances pre­

vented me then from prepari ng a proper English manuscript

IX

Preface

for publication. Thanks largely to the kindness of Rick Rova

and Sue Forster, this essentially new translation is now com­

plete. Many new resources were available for this translation

that were not available before. In particular, the Vidyadhara,

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, taught extensively on this sub­

ject, and his comments and explanations have been extremely

helpful.

A few of the changes warrant explanation . The origi nal En­

glish title was The Direct Path to Enlightenment. Trungpa Rin­

poche noted that this rendering was somewhat misleading in

chat the Tibetan indicated a main road or h ighway rather than

a shortcut . The present t i tle , i t is hoped , reflects that idea more

accurately. Further, in the previous edit ion, "The Seven Poi nts "

were originally attributed to Atisha . It is possi ble that all or

parts of the text that Chekawa composed came from Atisha .

Yet there is l i ttle direct evidence to j ustify that attribution and

some evidence (for example, the dialect i n which i t is written)

to suggest that it was principally Chekawa's composit ion .

What is clear, however, is the importance that Atisha placed on

this method as well as the wonderful power in his t ransmission

of these teachings .

With respect to the translation i tself, every attempt has

been made to render the text in natural Engl ish rather than

transposed Tibetan . Much of the latter part of the book (points

six and seven) are written in a Tibetan d ialect . I am grateful to

Cyrus Stearns , who worked with Dezhung Ri npoche, for giv­

ing me the benefit of his research on these phrases . Wri tten as

they are in idiomatic Tibetan , I have attempted to translate

them into id iomat ic Engl ish . Trungpa Ri npoche 's own render­

ing has also been helpful and has been i ncluded in the Appen­

dix for comparison.

X

Preface

Finally, I would l ike to thank Jane Gray, Tom Quinn , Eric

Lawton , and others for their ass istance in edi t ing and improv­

i ng the text .

Ken McLeod

Los Angeles, I 987

Translator's Introduction

IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY, BUDDHISM IN

Tibet was reestabl ish i ng i tself i n the wake of the attempted

suppression by Langdarma .1 It was a t ime of i ntense interest in

the Buddha's teachings . Numerous Tibetans undertook the

long and hazardous j ourney to India to study with Buddhist

masters , and Tibetan kings and rulers i nvi ted Indian masters to

Tibet . Among those i nvited was Atisha,2 one of the leading

teachers of his day. Rinchen Zangpo, known as the Great

Translator, had repeatedly urged him to come, both on his own

in itiative and as a representative of kings i n western Tibet . In

I 042, Atisha finally accepted the i nvitation .

In Tibet , Atisha worked to establ ish a proper perspective

and understandi ng for spi ri tual practice by teaching a synthesis

of three l ineages of Indian Buddhism : the li neage of Profound

Ph ilosophy, which origi nated with Shaky amuni Buddha and

was taught by Nagarjuna3 through the i nspiration of the bo­

dhisattva Manjugosha;4 the li neage of Vast Activity, which

came from Shaky amuni B uddha and was taught by Asanga "�

XIII

Translator's Introduction

through the inspiration of Mai treya, 6 and the lineage of Bless­

ing and Practice from Buddha Vaj radhara/ transmitted by

Tilopa. 8 Particularly crucial i n Atisha's presentation were the

roles of refuge9 and bodhicitta .10 His insistence on refuge as the

basis for all practice of dharma earned him the epithet "The

Refuge Scholar."

Earlier in his l ife Atisha had experienced numerous vis ions

and dreams that consistently pointed out the necessi ty of bo­

dhici tta for the attainment of buddhahood . He was led to em­

bark on a long sea journey to Indonesia to meet Serl ingpa, 11

from whom he recei ved the teachings of mind train ing in the

mahayana tradi tion. In this system , one 's way of experiencing

situations in everyday life is transformed into the way a bo­

dhisattva might experience those s ituations . Serli ngpa himself

composed texts on this method , one of which is i ncluded in the

work translated here . Atisha gave these teachings to his c losest

disciple , Drom-ton Rinpoche, 12 the founder of the Kadampa13

lineage . They were not taught widely at first and became gen­

eral ly known only with the Kadampa master Chekawa Yeshe

Dor je 1 4 (II02-II76). Chekawa had come across them quite

by accident . During a vis i t to a friend , he caught sight of an

open book on a bed and read these l i nes :

Give al l victory to others ;

Take defeat for yourself .

Intrigued by this unfamiliar idea , he sought out the author and

learned that the lines he h ad read came from Eight Verses of !\lind Training1., by Langri-cangpa ( 1054- I I 2 3). Although

Langri-tangpa had already d ied , Chekawa was able to find

Sharawa, another Kadampa teacher, who had also received chis

XIV

Tran.rlator's I ntrod11ction

transm ission . For twelve years , Chekawa studied and practiced mind trai n ing and summarized the teachi ngs in The Set'cn

Points of A1ind Training. In later years , these teach i ngs spread

widely, and many teachers were inspi red or u rged by thei r stu­dents to wri te further on th is subjec t .

Jamgon Kongtrul (I 8 I 3- I 899 ) was one of these teachers .

As one of the pri ncipals of the ni neteenth -cen tury rel igious re­

newal in eastern Ti bet, he l ikely welcomed the opportunity to

write on a h ighly regarded teaching that had , by his t ime, been

ass imi lated by al l schools of Buddhism i n Tibet .

Kongtrul was born and raised i n the Bon 16 tradi tion . At an

early age, he had acqui red a thorough knowledge of this rel i ­

gion from his father, who was a Bon priest . Swept up by the po­

l it ical disturbances i n his home country, Kongtrul found his

way in his late teens into the Kagyupa 1 7 monastery of Pepung

in eastern Tibet . His bri l l iance attracted the attention of Situ

Perna Nyin je , the senior Kagyupa teacher at Pepung . Under

his tutelage, Kongtrul progressed rap idly both spi ri tually and

intellectually to become a teacher of note by his mid-twenties .

His subsequent i nfluence on Buddhism was enormous .

The text translated here i s from the gDams. ngag. mdsod, a

collection of teachings compiled by Kongtrul that presents the

principal practices of each of the Tibetan schools of Buddhism.

This collection i s one of the five major works that Kongtrul

produced . Known as The Five Treasuries, these works embrace

all Tibetan learni ng and const i tute one of the greatest contri ­

butions of the rel igious revival i n eastern Tibet , the Ri-me

movement .

This moven1ent was in it iated by a number of nineteenth­

century teachers : Kongtrul , Khyentse Wangpo, Dza Patrul,

Chok-gy ur Lingpa, and others . These teachers had a number of

XV

Translator's I ntrod11ction

objectives in mind, the three most important bei ng to preserve

rare teachings , to d iscourage sectarian prej udice, and to reem­

phasize pract ice and the appl ication of dharma in everyday life .

The transmission of rare and l i ttle-known methods of prac­

tice is particularly vulnerable to interruptions . Since a broken

transmission l i neage cannot be restored, one concern of these

teachers was to collect rare and effective meditat ion techniques

that were in danger of bei ng lost . This aim was real ized princi ­

pally through Kongtrul 's and Khyentse 's massive collections of

contemplative techniques and their associated empowerments .

While Kongtrul and others wished to discourage rigid sec­

tarianism, they had no intention of creati ng a new school or

l ineage. The Ri-me idea was one of a practice based on the l in­

eage or teachings found most sui table by an i ndividual accom­

panied by an appreciation of the quali ty and val idity of al l

Buddhist tradit ions .

The third and perhaps most important concern was to

reemphasize the application of dharma to everyday l ife . For

these teachers , dharma could not be al lowed to calcify i nto

mere rote learning or chanting , a system of set responses and

practices , but should lead individuals to the employment of in­

tell igence and compassion i n every aspect of their l ives .

This theme is exactly the subj ect of The Set'erJ Points of !Hind Training. It is difficult for most of us to employ true in tel l i ­

gence and compassion in al l ci rcumstances . Our own i nterests ,

our own concerns for ourselves , constantly cloud and condi tion

our perceptions of and responses to events around us . When our

c l inging to se lf is strong, we do not surrender it eas i ly or wi l l ­

ingly, and our attempts to use con1 pass ion and intelligence are c l umsy and cause us regret or g u i lt . If, however, we understand that ego is a sham, that the self we cl i ng to is i n t:lCt noth ing ,

and we become familiar w ith the habi t of lett ing go of our own

XVI

Translator�r Introduction

interests in a s i tuation , we become more capable of surrender­

i ng ego, j ust as we are able to throw away withou t reg ret an old

sweater that never fit us anyway. This understanding and fa­

mil iarizat ion are deve loped in the sitting meditat ion that em­

ploys the techniques d i scussed in this work . Sitting meditation

is essent ial , for it i s the only method by wh ich this approach to

the world can be developed. Yet, if our day-to-day actions do

not reflect our practice , our meditation is not effective: that is,

not only should we become n1ore tolerant , less arrogant , more

open and responsive , but also we should feel genuinely at peace

wi th ourselves , naturally happy and cheerful even in difficult

si tuations , and our actions should not cause us regret or shame.

Consequently, a major part of the book consists of guideli nes

for meeti ng ordinary s i tuations in l ife . Conti nual practice of

meditation and attention to everyday conduct go together­

they are two aspects of pract ice rather than two unrelated activ­

i ties . For i nstance , people whose train ing in this technique is

well developed wil l , whenever they encounter someone who is

troubled or i n pai n , spontaneously i magi ne that they take on

the suffering of that person . When we work with both aspects ,

the habits of ego-cl ing i ng fall away, and true intell igence and

compassion , the real i zation of nonself and nonreferential com­

passion, wil l arise .

The Great Path of Awakening

Guru Buddha Bodhisattva Bhyonama18

With undivided faith, I place upon my head

The lotus feet of the Perfect Sage,

Who first set in motion the wheel of love

And triumphed completely in the two aims.19

To the renowned sons of the Victorious One I bow,

To Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and the others20

Who set out in the ship of courageous

compassiOn

And now liberate beings from the ocean of

suffering.

The spiritual friend unsurpassable Reveals the noble path of compassion and

empuncs,.

T H E G R E A T P A T H OF A W A K E NI N G

He is the guide of all victorious ones.

I prostrate myself at my guru's feet.

I shall explain here the one path

On which the Victorious One and his children

have traveled .

Easy to understand , i t i s not corrupted .

Easy to practice, it is entered with enthusiasm .

Yet i t i s profound, so buddhahood is attai ned .

In order to present a commentary on The Seven Points of Mind Training, which are particularly excel lent pith i nstruc­

tions for cul tivating bodhicitta, I shal l discuss three topics : the

source of this transmission, the need for this trai ning , and the

actual instructions .

The Source of the Transrtzission

THE GRE AT AND GLORIOUS LORD AT IS HA

studied for lengthy periods under three great masters : Dhar­

makirti/1 a master of bodhicitta who had received this oral

transmission of the pith instructions of the mighty Sage and his

sons ; Guru Dharmarakshita ,22 who real ized emptiness by rely­

ing on love and compassion and actually gave away some of his

own flesh in an act of generosi ty; and Yogin Mai treya,23 who

really could take the sufferings of others onto himself. Wi th

tremendous di l igence , Atisha carried his studies to completion ,

and bodhicitta fil led his mind . He came to Tibet as a lord of the

dharma. Although he had i nnumerable teachings that he could

have presented , he chose to present only the methods that are

discussed here . Of l imit less numbers of students of the three

kinds24 whom he establ ished i n enl ightenment and freedom,

his three principal disciples were Ku-ton Tson-dru, Ngo Lek­

pe Sherab , and Drom-ton Gyal-we J ung-ne .25 Drom-ton Ri n­

poche was held to be Avalokiteshvara, the embod i ment of

awakened compassion . Three traditions of teach i ng ori gi nate

3

THE GREAT PATH OF A W A KE N I N G

with him and his three principal disciples, emanations of the

lords of the three buddha families:26 the Canonical Texts, the

Key Instructions, and the Pith Instructions. 27

These teachings were transmitted by a succession of great

spiritual teachers. T he tradition of the exposition of the Six

Canonical Texts of the Kadampas fell to the Gelukpa, 28 the

presentation of the Key Instructions on the Four Truths29 fell

to the Dakpo Kagyu,30 and both schools preserved the teach­

ings of the Pith Instructions on the Sixteen Essences. The

renowned Kadampa tradition holds the teachi ngs of the Seven

Dharmas and Deities: the four deities that adorn the body, 31

the three containers that adorn speech;32 and the three disci­

pl ines that adorn mind . 33 Al though this precious tradi tion

contai ns limitless instructions that s tand firmly in the surra

tradition yet have some connection wi th the tantra tradi tion,34

they al l definitely show only the path of jo in ing compassion

and emptiness . Si nce the special ization of this teaching i s prin­

cipally in the area of relat ive bodhici tta, the maj ority of notable

individuals who have held this transmission have skil lfully pre­

sented instructions for exchangi ng oneself w i th others and

their success with them . From among the many d ifferent tradi­

tions of commentaries on this technique , The Sez•en Points ex­

plai ned here come from the tradi tion of spi ri tual i nstruction of

Chekawa Yes he Dorje .

The Need for Mind Training

DoN'T EVE N C ONS ID ER THE EP HEMERA L

happiness that results from birth i n the higher realms35 of

gods and men . Although the enl ightenment of shravakas and

pratyekabuddhas36 can be real ized , it is not a fi nal n irvana or

transcendence of misery.37 Consequently, we should strive only

for the state of completely perfected buddhahood . -'8 There are

no methods to effect this attai nment other than those which

rely on two forms of meditation : relat ive bodhici tta, which is

training the mind in love and compassion, and ultimate bo­

dhicitta, which is rest ing evenly i n a nondiscursive state free

from conceptual elaborations . Nagarj una says :

If the rest of humani ty and I

Wish to attain insurpassable awakening,

The bas is for this is bodhicitta

As stable as the King of Moun tains:w

Compassion, which touches everyth ing ,

And pristine wisdom, which does not rely on duality.

5

THE GREA T PAT H OF AWAK E N I N G

Moreover, whatever accumulations of merit and wisdom we

may have, the root of spiritual development in the mahayana,40

the six perfections, nonabiding nirvana,41 and so on, is simply

the arousal of bodhicitta. It arises on the basis of love and

compassion. Even when full buddhahood is attained, there is

nothing to do except to work for the welfare of others with

nonreferential compassion. True ultimate bodhicitta will not

arise in the course of experience of beginners , but relative bo­

dhicitta will definitely arise if they train in i t . With the de­

velopment of relative bodhicitta, ultimate bodhicitta will be

realized naturally.

So, for these and many s imilar reasons , we must meditate

energetically on relative bodhicitta at the beginning i f we are

to achieve any meani ngful results with respect to bodhicitta.

For someone who wishes instruction on this sub ject , the basic

method for train ing is, as Shantideva42 says :

He who desi res shelter quickly

For h imself and for all others

Should use this sacred mystery ,

The exchanging of oneself for others .

Consequently, only the method of meditation of exchang­

ing oneself for others is explained in what fol lows . Al l other

methods of m i nd trai n i ng are s i mply elaborat ions of this theme.

The Actual Instructions

THE THIRD S E C TION IS D IVID ED INTO TWO

parts: the actual explanation of the teachings of this tradition

and additional instructions from the transmission lineage.

The Explanation of the Seven Points of Mind Training

The seven points are:

r. The groundwork: instruction on what supports

Dharma

2. The actual practice, training in bodhicitta

3. The transformation of adversity into the path of awak-

enmg

4· The utilization of the pract ice in one's whole life

5 . The extent of profic iency in m ind training

6 . Comm itments of m i nd training

7. Guideli nes for mind training

THE GREAT PATH OF AWAKENING

The Groundwork: Instruction on What Supports Dharma

As to the first point , the root text g ives :

._..: First, do the groundwork. ·"

There are two points here , the groundwork for a period of

medi tation and groundwork instructions .

GROUNDWORK FOR A PERIOD OF MEDITATION

First, at the beginning of every period of meditation , imagine

your root guru43 s itt ing on a lotus-and-moon seat44 above your

head. His body is radiant and his face happy and smil ing as he

regards all bei ngs with nonreferential compassion. In him, all

the root and l ineage gurus are present . 45

With i ntense respect and devotion , repeat the l ineage

prayer46 if you wish and , i n particular, the following prayer a

hundred or a thousand times .

I pray for your bless ing , my guru , great and completely

worthy spiritual friend . I pray that you wi l l cause love ,

compassion and bodhici tta to arise in my mind .

Then, imagine that your guru descends through the aper­

ture of Brah ma17 and sits in your heart in a pavi l ion of light,

like an open shell. This exerc ise in intense respect and devot ion

is known a s guru yoga.·1H I t is important to begin every period

of meditation this way.

The Actllallnst,·llctirm.r

GROUNDWORK INSTRUCTIONS

Second , w i th respect to groundwork i nstruct ions , i f the four contemplat ions-that i s, the d i fficulty of obtai n i ng a free and

well-favored existence , deat h and i m permanence, considera­

tion of the shortcom i ngs of samsara;19 and act i on as seed and

result-are new to you , they are ful ly expla ined i n the

graded-path texts . 50 You need to work at these contempla­

t ions so that they defi n i tely become part of your thi nki ng .

Here i s a conc i se presentat ion of the bas ic po i nts for those

who would l i ke one .

In order to obtai n the framework for the practice of dharma,

this precious human existence , which , in being free and wel l

favored ,51 offers excellent opportunities , one must practice ex­

cellent virtue , s ince this is i ts karmic seed . Si nce the proport ion

of sent ient beings that do practice virtue thoroughly is very

small , the result , a free and well-favored existence , is d i fficult

to obtain . When one considers the numbers of other sentient

bei ngs , such as animals , i t i s evident that human existence is

just a remote possibility. Therefore , you should , above all else ,

work at dharma wholeheartedly so that the human existence

now obtained is not wasted .

Furthermore , s ince l ife is uncertain , the causes of death are

numerous , and one can't even be sure that death won't come to­

day, one must exert oneself in the dharma right away. At the

t ime of death, except for virtuous and nonvirtuous actions,

nothing will follow, not wealth , food , possessions , nor land ,

body, or status . Si nce these are not even as helpful as a straw,

there is not the s l ightest need for them.

After death, the power of karma52 causes one to experience

birth in one of the s ix classes of be i ngs . 5·) Wh ichever it is , there

wil l be nothing but suffering, not even a strand of happiness.

9

Since happiness and sufferi ng infallibly develop from virtu­

ous and nonvirtuous ac t ions , one should not do anythi ng evil

even at the risk of your l ife . One should practice only virtuous

act ions with great diligence.

You should energetical ly train yourself i n this kind of

thinking . At the end of every period of meditat ion, perform

the seven-branch prayer54 as many t imes as you are able to. In

postmeditation periods , put the poi nts of your reflections i nto

practice . These instructions apply to all forms of preparation

and actual practice.

The Actual Practice.· Training in Bodhicitta

As for the second poi nt, there are two sections in the actual

practice: the associated meditation on ult imate bodhicitta and

the pri ncipal meditation on relative bodhic i tta .

ULTIMATE BODHICITTA

The first section is again divided Into two topics : instruc­

tion for a period of medi tation and insrruct ions for daily life

practice.

lvieditation

With respect to the first topic , after the pract ice of guru yoga

descri bed above , you should sit with the body straight and , as

you breathe in and out , count wi thout d isturbance twenty­

one b reaths over and over again. This exercise will render

you a suitable vessel for med itation pract ice . For the actual

pract1ce:

.... Look at all experience aJ a dream. : ....

10

The Actual I n.rtructionJ

What we experience-that i s. the world and its i n habi ­

tants-are objects that w e grasp a t w i t h ou r senses. These ap­

pearances are s i mply our m i nd 's manifestations of confusion. In

the end , they are not actual ly existent.,., in any way whatsoeve r,

but are like the appearances i n a dream. By th i nk i ng along

these l ines , tra in yourse lf to have some feel i ng for look i ng at

the world this way.

Should you wonder if m i nd i n i tself�<) is real ,

..--: Examine the nature of unborn awareness. ·"

When you look d i rectly at the presence of m i nd , no color,

no shape , no form is perceived . Si nce mind has no orig in , i t has

never come i nto existence i n the first place . Now i t is not lo­

cated anywhere , inside or outside the body. Final ly, the mind is

not some object that goes somewhere or ceases to exist . By ex­

amining and i nvestigat ing m i nd , you should come to a precise

and certain understandi ng of the nature of this awareness ,

which has no origi n , location , or cessat ion .

Thoughts about this remedy for the tendency to c l ing to

existence may come up . For example , you may think, "Mind

and body al l are empty" or "Nothing is helpful or harmful i n

emptiness . " If this happens , then

...-: Let even the remedy release naturally. : ...

When you look right at the essence of the remedy itself,

i.e . , thoughts about the absence of t rue existence , i t has no ref­

erence and releases natural ly. Rest in this state .

These l i nes present the key i nstruct ions on the meaning

THE G R E A T PATH OF AWAK E N I N G

of existence from the potnt of view of i nvestigative medi­tatiOn .

'"": The essence of the path: rest in the basis of all experience. : ....

This instruction presents the actual method of placing the

mind . When there is no involvement with the act ivity of the

seven groups of consciousness, 57 there is sti l l the nature of all

phenomena, the natural state , which is the basis of everything . 58

It is pointed out by the term "noble buddha-nature ." Let go and

rest, wi thout the slightest idea of a nature exist ing as some­

thing, with absolutely no mental c l inging , in a state distin­

guished by nondiscursive clarity and pure s implicity. In

summary, for as long as you are able , fol low no tra in of thought,

but rest evenly in a state in which mind in i tself i s clear and free

of discursiveness . This is plac ing meditation . Then, complete

the period of practice with the seven-branch prayer as before .

Daily life

The instruction for dai ly life practice i s :

'""· In daily life, be a child of illusion. : ....

After med itation, do not al low the experience of resti ng

evenly to d i ssipate , no matter what form of activity you engage

in. Conti nual ly foster the feel ing of knowing that al l appear­

ances , yourself, others , ani mate or i nanimate , appear though

they seem to be noth ing 'i�>-be l ike a chi ld of i l lusion .60

12

Tbe Actual/ nstr11ctionJ

RELATIVE BoDHICITTA

Second , medi tation on relative bod h ic i t ta is explai ned i n three

parts : teachings on the p reparation , on the actual practice, and on postmeditation pract ice .

Preparation

First do the prel iminary practice of guru yoga as i t was descri bed

above . Then you should meditate on love and compassion . They

form the basis for taking and sending . Start by i magi n ing that

your own mother61 is present in front of you. Thi nk about her

carefully with such reflections on compassion as these :

This person , my mother, has looked after me wi th great

effort right from the moment I was conceived i n her

womb. Because she endured all the hardships of i l lness ,

cold , hunger, and others , because she gave me food and

clothing and wiped away my fil th , and because she

taught me what is good and steered me away from evi l ,

I met the teachings o f B uddha and am now pract ic ing

the dharma. What tremendous ki ndness! Not only i n

this l ife but i n a n infin i te series of l ives she has done ex­

actly the same thing . While she has worked for my wel­

fare , she herself wanders i n samsara and experiences

many different forms of suffering .

Then, when some real compassion , not j ust lip service, has

been developed and instil led , learn to extend it of step by step:

From time without beginning , each sentient bei ng has

been a mother to me in just the same way as my present

mother. Each and every one has he lped me.

THE GREAT PATH OF AWAKENING

With this so rt of reflection, first meditate on objects for

which it is easy to generate compassion: friends, spouse, rela­

tives, and assistants, those in the lower realms where suffering

is intense, the poor and destitute, and those who, though

happy i n this life, are so evil that they will experience the hell

realms as soon as they die. When compassion in these areas has

been i nst il led, meditate on more difficul t objects: enemies,

people who hurt you, demons, and others . T hen meditate on all

sentient beings, thinking along these l i nes :

All these, my parents, not only experience many d iffer­

ent kinds of suffering and frustration without intending

to, but are also full of potent seeds for future suffering.

How pitiable! What 's to be done? To return the i r kind­

ness , the least I can do is to help them by clearing away

what hurts them and by making them comfortable and

happy.

Train in this way unti l the feeling of compassion is intoler­

ably intense .

Meditation

Second ,

.... : Train in taking and sending alternately. Put them on the breath. =---

As you thi nk:

Al l these parents of mine , who are the focus of compas­

s ion, are hurt d irectly by suffering and indirectly by the

The Actual / nstruction.r

source of sufferi ng, so I shal l take on myself al l the d if­

ferent ki nds of sutTeri ng i n al l my mothers' course of ex­

perience and the source of sufferi ng, al l disturb ing

emot ions and act ions ,<>2

meditate that al l of th is negat ivity comes to you and foster a

strong feel i ng of joy at the same t ime .

As you thi nk :

Without regret , I send al l my v i rtuous act iv ity and hap­

pi ness i n the past , present , and future , my weal th , and

my body to all sentient bei ngs , my parents ,

meditate that each i ndividual receives al l this happi ness and

cul t ivate a strong feel ing of joy i n each one 's receiv ing i t .

In order to make th i s imagined exchange clearer, as you

breathe i n , imagi ne that black tar col lecti ng all the sufferi ng ,

obscurations , and evi l of all sentient bei ngs enters your own

nostrils and is absorbed i nto your heart . Thi nk that all sentient

bei ngs are forever free of misery and evi l . As you breathe out ,

imagine that all your happiness and vi rtue pour out in the form

of rays of moonlight from your nostrils and are absorbed by

every sentient being . With great j oy, th ink that all of them im­

mediately attai n buddhahood . To train the mind , use this prac­

t ice of taking and sendi ng with the breath as the actual practice

for the period of medi tat ion . Subsequently, always maintain

the practice through m i ndfulness and cont inue to work with it .

Shantideva , who has described this practice extensively, says:

If I don't completely exchange

My happi ness for others' sorrow,

Buddhahood will not be real ized.

There is no happ iness in samsara.

Postmeditation

Third, to apply th is i n postmed itation pract ice :

.... Three objects, three poisons, three seeds of virtue. ·"

The three pOisons continual ly anse In connection with

three objects . Compulsive attachment arises for objects that are

pleasant or useful; aversion arises for objects that are unpleasant

or harmful ; and stupidi ty or i ndifference for other obj ects . Rec­

ognize these poisons as soon as they arise . Then , for example,

when attachment arises , thi nk :

May every b i t of every sent ient bei ngs ' attachment be

contai ned in this attachment of m i ne . May al l sen­

t ient bei ngs have the seed of vi rtue of bei ng free of

attachment . May this attachment of m i ne contai n

al l their disturbi ng emotions and , unt i l they attai n

budd hahood , may they be free of such d i s turb i ng

emot ions .

Aversion and other emot ions are used i n pract ice by working

w i th them the same way. Thus , the three poisons become three

l imit less seeds of vi rtue .

...-: Use retninders in et'erything you do. ·"

All the t i me , repeat these or other sui table rem i nders and

cultivate these attitudes vigorous ly.

t6

The Act11al I nstr11ctions

From Shantideva:

While their evi l r ipens i n me,

May al l my vi rtue r ipen in them .

From the oral advice of the Kadampa trad i t ion :

I offer all gai n and victory to the lords , al l sent ient

bei ngs .

I take all loss and defeat for myself.

From Gyal-se Tokme's63 teach i ngs :

While all the sufferi ng and evi l of all sentient bei ngs . .

npens t n me,

May al l my happiness and virtue ripen in them .

..--: Begin the sequence of taking with you. . ....

In order to be able to take on the sufferings of others , begin

the sequence of taking with yourself. Right now, take on men­

tally all the suffering that wil l ripen for you in the future. When

that has been cleared away, take up all the sufferings of others .

The Transformation of Adversity into the Path of

Awakening

The third point concerns carryi ng practice i nto everyday l ife . 64

..... When misfortune fills the world and its inhabitants, Make adversity the

path of awakening. : ....

THE GREAT PAT H OF AWAKENING

When your world is full of the pain and suffering that are

the fruition of evil-when prosperity and wealth are diminish­

ing, troublesome people create difficulties, and so on-you

must change the adverse conditions i n which you find yourself

into the path of awakening. There are three ways to make this

transformation: by relying on relative bodhicitta, on ultimate

bodhicitta, and on special practices.

RELATIVE BODHICITTA

For the first way:

..--. Drive all blame into one. . ......

Whether you are physical ly ill , troubled i n your mind , in­

sulted by others , or bothered by enemies and disputes , i n short ,

whatever annoyance , major or m i nor, comes up in your life or

affairs, do not lay the blame on anythi ng else , thinking that

such-and-such caused this or that problem . Rather, you should

cons ider:

Th is mind grasps at a self where there is no self. From

t ime without begi nning until now, i t has , in follow i ng

its own whims i n samsara, perpetrated various nonvir­

tuous act ions . All the sufferi ngs I now exper ience are

the results of those act ions . No one else i s to b lame; this

ego-cheri shing att i tude i s to b l ame . I shall do whatever

I can to subd ue i t .

Skil lfully and vigorously direc t all dharma a t ego-c l ing i ng . As

Shantideva writes in Entering the Way of AU'akening:

18

and

The Actual Instrurtions

What troubles there are in the world, How much fear and suffer ing there is. L

If al l of these arise from ego-clinging,

What wi l l this great demon do to me?

For hundreds of l ives i n samsara

He has caused me trouble .

Now I recol lect al l my grudges

And shall destroy you , you selfish m i nd .

..... Be grateful to everyone. : ....

Work on taking and sendi ng w i th these considerat ions in

mind:

In general , all methods for attain i ng buddhahood rely

on sentient bei ngs . Therefore , to the i nd ividual who

wishes to awaken , sent ient beings are as worthy of grat­

itude as buddhas . Specifically, all sentient bei ngs are

worthy of grat i tude s ince there is not one who has not

been my parent . I n particular, all those who hurt me are

worthy of grat i tude s i nce they are my companions and

helpers for gathering the accumulat ions of merit and

prist ine wisdom and for cleari ng away the obscurations

of disturb i ng emotions and conceptual knowledge .

Do not be angry, not even at a dog or an insect . Strive to give whatever actual help you can . If you cannot help, then think and say :

19

THE G R EAT P ATH OF AWAKENING

May this sentient being (or troublemaker) quickly be

rid of pain and enjoy happiness. May he come to attain

buddhahood.

Arouse bodhicitta :

From now on, all the virtuous acts I do shall be for his

welfare .

When a god or a demon65 troubles you, think:

This trouble now occurs because I , from time w i thout

beginning, have made trouble for h im. Now I shal l g ive

him my flesh and blood in recompense .

Imagine the one who troubles you to be present i n front of

you and mental ly give him your body as you say:

Here , revel i n my flesh and blood and whatever else you

want .

Med itate with complete conviction that this troublemaker

enjoys your flesh and blood , and i s fi l led with pure happiness ,

and arouse the two kinds of bodhic i tta in your m i nd .

Or:

Because I had let mindfulness and other remedies lapse ,

disturbing emotions arose without my not icing them.

Since this troublemaker has now warned me of th is , he

i s certainly an expression of my guru or a buddha. I'm

very grateful to him because he has st imulated me to

train in boJhicitta.

The Actual Instructiom

Or, when i l lness or suffering con1es, th ink w i th complete

sincerity :

If this hadn't happened , I would have been distracted by

materialistic involvements and would not have mai n­

tained mi ndfulness of d harma. S i nce th is has brought

dharma to my attention agai n , i t i s the guru's or the

Jewels ' activity, and I am very grateful .

To sum up, whoever thinks and acts out of a concern to

achieve his or her own well-be ing is a wordly person ; whoever

thi nks and acts out of a concern to achieve the well-be ing of

others is a dharma person . Langri-tangpa has said :

I open to you as deep a teaching as there is . Pay atten­

t ion! All faults are our own . All good qual i ties are the

lords ' , sentient bei ngs . The poi nt here i s : give gain and

victory to others , take loss and defeat for ourselves .

Other than this , there is noth ing to understand .

ULTIMATE BoDHICITTA

Second :

..,.: The ultimate protection is emptiness; Know what arises as confusion to be the four aspects of being. :"

In general all appearances , and particularly adverse condi ­

tions , are l ike the distress experienced when you dream of be­

ing burnt in a fire or swept away by a flood . The confused

appearances of m i nd are i nvested with a real i ty that they do not

have . It is rigorously established that , although these appear­

ances arise , there is not even a particle of t rue existence66 in

21

T H E G R E A T PA T H O F AWA K E N I N G

them . When you rest in a state in which appearances simply

arise but there is no cl ingi ng to them , the dharmakaya aspect is

that they are empty in nature , the ni rmanakaya aspect is they

appear with clari ty, the sambhogakaya aspect is that this empti­

ness and clari ty occur together, and the svabhavikakaya aspect is

that these are inseparable . 67 This key instruction, to rest evenly

without grasping at origin , location , or cessation , points out the

four kayas . It is the armor of view, the protection c ircle of

emptiness , and the supreme instruction that cuts off confusion .

S P E C I AL PRAC TI C E S

As for the third approach ,

...-: The best way is to use the four practices. . ......

The four pract ices are accumulat ing meri t , confess ing evil

actions , givi ng torma68 to gods and demons, and offering

torma to dakinis and protectors . 69 These are the best of al l

methods for usi ng adverse conditions as a path .

Accumulating Merit

For the first , you should consider :

I wi sh to be happy, but sufferi ng and frustrat ion are al l

that come . This fac t rem i nds me to cease ev i l actions ,

which are the seeds of suffering , and to accum ulate

merit, the seed of com fort and happiness . I shal l do so.

Then , gather merit to t he best of your ab i lity through phys­

ical , verbal , and mental activities suc h as offerings to your guru

and the Three Jewels , serv ice to t he sangha , torma offeri ngs to

local sp irits , offer i ng candles , making clay rel iquaries , prostrat-

2 2

The Actual ln.rtr11ction.r

ing yourself, c ircumambulati ng. taking refuge . arous i ng bo­

dhicitta, and . particularly. usi ng the seven-branch prayer and

offeri ng mandalas. 7 0 Pray to put an end to hope and fear. 7 1

If i t 's better for me to be i l l .

I pray for the bless ing o f i l lness .

If i t 's better for me to recover, I pray for the bless i ng of recovery.

If i t 's better for me to die ,

I pray for the bless ing of death .

Confessing Evil Actions

Second , with the same considerations as i n the previous sec­

tion, practice the four forces properly. The force of repudiation

is to regret evi l actions that you have done . The force of turn­

ing away from faults i s the resolve not to repeat such actions,

even at the risk of l i fe . The force of rel iance is taking refuge in

the Three Jewels and arousi ng bodhic i tta. The force of ful l en­

gagement with remedies is the use of prayers that put an end to

hope and fear, and the p ractice of the six ki nds of remedies:

meditation on empti ness , repetit ion of mantras and dharanis ,7 2

the maki ng of images , perform i ng the seven-branch prayer and

offeri ng mandalas , the reci tation of sutras , and the repetition of

special purification mantras .

Giving Torma to Gods and Demons

Third , give torma to troublemakers and d i rect them to en­ligh ten i ng activity:

It 's very ki nd of you to chase after me in response to

what I 've done to you in the past and to bri ng this debt

to my attent ion . I ask you to destroy me now. I ask you

2 _,

T H E G R E A T P A T H OF AWAK E N I N G

to make al l the sufferings, unpleasantness, poverty, rui n,

m i sery, and disease that sentient beings experience ripen

in me. Make all sentient beings free from suffering.

If you are unable to do that, give the torma and command

them :

When I meditate on love, compassion , and tak ing and

sending, I am doing as m uch as I can to help you both

now and in the future . Don 't obstruct me i n the practice

of dharma .

Offering Torma to Dakinis and Protectors

Fourth , offer torma to the protectors and direct them to be ac­

t ive in calming d isruptive condit ions and establish i ng condi­

tions conducive to the practice of dharma. In part icular, use the

prayers g iven above to put an end to hope and fear. To turn un­

expected situations i nto the path :

..,.., Work with whatever you encounter, immediately. : ....

When i llness , demons, i nterrupt ions , or d isturbing emo­

tions come unexpec tedly, or if you see someone else troubled

by some unpleasant s i tuation , thi nk , " I shall j us t pract ice tak­

ing and sending . " In al l your vi rtuous thoughts and act ions

t h i nk :

May al l sent ient beings come to engage naturally tn

much greate r dharma act iv i ty than this .

The Actual Instructiom

Do the same when you are happy and comfortable . If you

have some evil thought or are forced to engage in some form of

evi l act ivi ty, think :

May every evil thought and act ion of every sentient be­

i ng be gathered in th is one.

In summary, mai ntai n the motivat ion to help others what­

ever you are doi ng : eati ng , sleeping , walki ng , or s itt ing . As

soon as you encounter a situation , good or bad , work at this

practice of mind train ing .

The Utilization of the Practice in One's Whole Life

The fourth poi nt , to teach a summary of practice for one 's

whole l ife, has two sect ions : what to do during one 's l ife and

what to do at death .

WHAT TO Do DU RIN G ON E ' s LIFE

As to the first section :

..... A summary of the essential instructions: Train in the five forces. : .....

The five forces summarize the crucial points of practice and ,

in a s ingle phrase , contain numerous profound key instructions

for the practice of the holy dharma. First is the force of impe­

tus , to give a strong impetus to the mind by thinki ng :

From this moment unt i l enlightenment , at least from

now until I die , and especially for the next year and the

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A WAK E N I N G

next month , and defin i tely from today unti l tomorrow,

the two aspects of bodhicitta wil l never be absent from

my mind .

The second is the force of famil iarization . Whatever occu­

pat ion or activi ty you are engaged i n-vi rtuous , nonvirtuous ,

or indeterminate-maintain mindfulness and awareness strictly

and train again and again in keepi ng the two aspects of bo­

dhicitta ever in mind . In a word , study and train in bodh ic itta

as your principal form of virtuous act ivity.

The third is the force of virtuous seeds . Always concentrate

your full energy-physical , verbal , and mental--on virtuous

activ i ty. Never be content with your efforts to arouse and

strengthen bodhicitta.

The fourth is the force of repudiation . Whenever ego­

cherishing thoughts come up, abandon them completely by

thinking :

Previously, for time without beginning , you have made

me wander in samsara and experience different kinds of

suffering . In addit ion , all the suffering and evi l that oc­

cur in this l ife are brought on by you. There is no hap­

piness in your company, so I shall now do everything I can to subdue and destroy you .

The fifth is the force of aspiration . At the end of any virtu­

ous activity, pray si ncerely and ded icate all vi rtue to these ob­

JeCt ives :

May I , on my own , gu ide al l sentient bei ngs to buddha­

hood . In part icular, from now unt i l I attain enl ighten-

The Actual / nstr11ction.r

ment , may I never forget the two aspects of prec ious bodhic i tta , even when I am d ream i ng . May the two as­

pects of bodhic i tta g row stronger and stronger. W hat­

ever adverse condi t ions I encounter, may I take them as

aids to bodhic i tta .

WH AT To Do AT D E AT H

Second , what are the i nstructions for the moment of death i n

this trad i t ion o f teachi ng ?

..... : The mahayana instructions for how to die A re the five forces. Posture is important. :"

When a person who has t ra i ned i n th i s teachi ng I S

stricken by termi nal i l l ness , he or she should pract ice the five

forces . F irst , the force of v i rtuous seeds means to g ive away al l

possessions w i thout a t race of attachment , c l i nging , or con­

cern . I n general , they can be given to one's gurus or to the

Jewels . In part i cular, they can be g iven wherever the person

thinks they w i l l be most helpful . The force of aspi ration

means to make enl ightenment the single focus of aspiration

by pract ic ing the seven-branch prayer i f poss ible or, if not

poss ible , by pray ing :

Through the power of whatever virtuous seeds I have

gathered in the three t imes , may I never forget but

train and strengthen precious bodhicitta in al l future

experiences in existence . May I meet the pure gurus

who reveal this teaching . I pray that these aspirations

be realized through the blessing of my gurus and the

Jewels .

T H I � C r H E A T P A T H f ) F A W A K E N I N G

The f(lrce of repud iat ion i s ro c h i n k :

Th i s ego-cherish ing has led me c o suffer for coun r less

ex istences , and now I experience the sufferi ng of dyi ng .

Ul timately, there i s noth ing chat d ies , si nce nei ther self

nor mind have true existence . I ' l l do whatever I mus e to

destroy you, ego-cl inging, who constant ly th ink i n

terms of ' ' I 'm i l l , I 'm dy i ng . "

The force of impetus is co chink :

I wi ll never be without the two ki nds of precious bo­

dhici tta, not at death , nor in the intermediate state , nor

in any future existence .

The force of familiarization is to bring clearly to mind the

two bodhicittas that have been practiced previously.

While the main point is to practice these forces s ingle­

mindedly, the accompanying actions are also important . Physi­

cally, one should sit in the seven-point posture7 3 or, if unable to

do that , lie down on the right side and rest the cheek on the

right hand while blocking the right nostril with the little fin­

ger. While breathing through the left nostri l , one should begin

by meditating on love and compassion and then train i n send­

ing and taking , in conjunction with the coming and going of

the breath . Then, without cl inging mentally to anything , one

should rest evenly in a state of knowing that birth and death,

samsara and nirvana, and so on, are all project ions of mind, and

that mind itself does not exist as anything . In this state , one

should continue to breathe as well as one can .

There are many highly regarded instructions on how to die,

but none , it is said , is more wonderful than this one .

The A ct11al ln.rtruction.r

An instruction for death that emp loys a sa lve states : Apply

to the crown of the head an o intment compounded of w i ld

honey, ash from burni ng unspoi led seashel ls , and fi l ings from

an i ron magnet .

The Extent of Proficiency in Mind Training

The fifth point teaches the extent of profic iency in mind training .

-: All instructions have one aim. : ....

Si nce the aim of al l dharma, both mahayana and hi nayana,

is s imply to tame ego-clinging , as you practice dharma or work

at mind trai n ing , ego-cli nging should decrease. If your efforts

in dharma do not counteract ego-cl i nging , your pract ice is

meaningless . Since this is the one cri terion that determi nes

whether dharma practice i s effective or not , i t is said to be the

yardstick by which a dharma person is measured .

-: Two testimonies: rely on the important one. ·"

For other people to see you as a dharma person is one tes­

timony, but ordinary people do not know what is hidden in

your mind and may j ust be taki ng joy in certain improve­

ments in the way you act . One sign of proficiency in mind

training is that there is never any shame or embarrassment

about your state of m i nd . Consequently, do not be attached to

the j udgment of others , but rely principally on the testimony

of m ind i tself.

-: A joyous state of mind is a constant support. : ....

29

When there i s never any fear or despai r no matter what

advers i ty or suffer i ng i s encountered , when d i fficul ty i s taken

as an aid to mind trai n i ng and you always have the help of a

joyful mind , then you have acq ui red proficiency i n mind

trai n ing . When adverse condi t ions come , medi tate j oyful ly

and , i n addit ion , learn to take joyfully all the advers ity others

expenence .

-: Proficiency nzeans you do it even when distracted. : ....

A skilled horseman does not fall from his horse, even when

he is distracted . In the same way, if you are able to take adverse

conditions that suddenly develop as aids to mind training even

wi thout expressly directing your attention to do so, then you

are proficient in mind train i ng . The two bodhicittas arise

clearly and effortlessly along with everythi ng that appears­

enemies , friends , troublemakers , happiness , or suffering .

These four li nes describe signs that your trai n ing i n bo­

dhici tta has been effective and that proficiency has developed .

They are not signs that you need not trai n further. U neil bud­

dhahood is attai ned , you should tra i n to strengthen bodhic i tta.

Commitments of Mind Training

The s ixth point concerns the commi tments of m i nd trai n i ng .

.. -: Alu'ays train in three basic principles. : ....

Of the three bas i c pr i nc iples , the fi rst i s not to break the

prom ises you have made i n m i nd trai n ing , that i s , not co be tarn ished by any t:1u l c or failing in any vow you have taken , in-

_:;o

The Actual I n.rtr11ctions

elud i ng even the most m i nor precepts of i nd iv idual l i berat ion , bodhisattva, or vaj rayana ord i nat ions . ., 1

The second pri nciple is not to act scandalous ly, that i s , to

refrain from scandalous acts 7 ., such as destroy i ng shri nes , d is­

turbi ng trees and other plan ts , pol lut i ng streams or rivers , as­

sociat i ng w i th lepers and beggars , and other ways you m igh t

behave i n the hope that others wi l l th i nk that you have no ego­

cli nging . Instead , n1ake your way of l ife and practice utterly

pure and faultless .

The th i rd pri nciple i s to avoid bei ng one-sided . For i n ­

stance , although you may be patient with the t rouble people

cause, you may not be patient wi th the trouble caused by

gods or demons , or vice versa . Or you may be able to hand le

those si tuat ions but be i mpat ient with such sufferi ngs as i l l ­

ness or disease . Maybe you can b e patient i n al l sorts o f d iffi­

cult s i tuat ions but let your practice of dharma lapse when you

are happy and comfortable . The commi tment is to avoid any

bias or one-sidedness in m i nd trai n i ng , so always practice

that .

...-: Change your intention, but behave naturally. : ....

To change and reverse your previous i ntention of concern

with your own welfare and lack of concern for the welfare of

others , take only the welfare of others as bei ng important .

Si nce all m i nd trai n i ng should be practiced with l i ttle fanfare

but great effectiveness , remain as natural as possible, keeping

your manners and conduct l ike those of your friends and associ ­

ates in dharma. Work at maturing your own experience with­

out making others aware of your efforts .

3 1

THE G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

�-: Don 't talk about others ' shortcomings. : ....

Don 't discuss unpleasant subjects : other people's faults in

worldly matters (such as phys ical or mental disabi l i t ies) or

their faults in spiri tual matters (violations of ordination , for

instance) . Talk cheerfully about pleasant topics i n a gentle and

friendly manner .

...-: Don 't dwell on others ' problems. : ....

Do not thi nk about other people 's problems : i n general , the

faults of any sentient being , but in particular, the faults of any­

one who has entered the practice of dharma. Rather, think:

Seeing this fault is due to the impuri ty i n my own out­

look . Such a fault is not in this person . I am l ike those

people who saw faults in B uddha, the en l ightened one.

Th us, terminate the faulty atti tude in your own m i nd .

...-: Work on your strongest reactions first. : ....

Exam ine your personal i ty to determ i ne which disturbing

emot ions are strongest . Concentrate all dharma pract ice on

them in the beg inning , and subdue and c lear them away .

.. -: G it'e up any hope for results. : ....

Gi ve up the hope of subd u i ng gods and demons by medi­

tat i ng on m i nd tra in i ng , o r the hope t hat you wi l l be consid­

ered a good person w hen you try to help someone who has hurt

The Actual Instructions

you . These are hypocrit ical att itudes . I n a word , g ive up al l hope for any result that concerns your own welfare , such as the

desire for fame, respect , happiness , and comfort in this l i fe , the

happi ness experienced in the human or god realms in future l ives , or the attainment of ni rvana for you rse lf.

.,.: Give up poisoned food. : ....

Since all virtuous thoughts and act ions motivated by c l i ng­

ing to a concrete real ity or to a self-cherishing att itude are l ike

poisoned food , g ive them up . Learn not to c l i ng , but to know

the phantomlike nature of experience .

.,.: Don 't rely on a sense of duty. : ...

A person who has a sense of duty in his affai rs doesn't forget

the people who concern him , no matter where he is or how

much time has gone by. When someone causes you trouble and

has made you angry, you might never let go of that resentment .

Stop it . Take a helpful att itude or action i n response to some­

one who causes trouble .

.,.: Don 't lash out. : ...

In general , don't take joy in provoki ng others . In part icular,

when another person says somethi ng bad about you, don 't re­

spond by talking mal ic iously about h im to others . In fact , even

if some in j ury has resulted , strive always to praise the good

qualities of others without blaming this or that person .

-= Don 't wait in ambush. : ....

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

When someone has caused you trouble , the tendency i s

to fix i t i n mind and never forget i t though many years go

by. When there is an opportunity to ambush the person and

to return the i nj ury, revenge is taken . Give up th i s approach

and be as helpfu l as you can i n your response to trouble­

some s ituations . For the ki nd of trouble caused by demons ,

don 't c l i ng to the problem , but work on ly on love and com­

pass i O n .

-: Don't go for the throat. : ....

Don 't speak in a way that causes pain for others , e ither by

maki ng pointed remarks and exposi ng the ir faults or, i n the

case of nonhuman beings , by using mantras that drain their

l ife .

-= Don't put an ox's load on a cow. : ....

To give someone else an unpleasant j ob that is your respon­

si b i l i ty or, by resort ing to trickery, to shift a problem you have

encountered to someone else i s l ike putting a horse 's load on a

pony. 76 Don 't do th i s .

-= Don 't be cornpetitive. : ....

I n a horse race , the ai m is to be the fastes t . Among dharma

peop le there are often hopes of rece iv ing more attent ion or be­

i ng more h ig h ly regarded than others , and l i ttle schemes are

made up to fi nd ways to acqui re possessions . Give these up .

Have no concern abou t rece i v i ng or not receivi ng recognit ion

or prest 1ge .

The Actual lnJtructiom

..... : Don 't make practice a shant. . ....

If you accept a setback for the t ime be i ng out of a des i re for

future benefits for yourself or if you pract ice m i nd tra in ing ex­

pecting to cure i l lness and mental disturbances and ward off

adverse s i tuat ions , your pract ice i s wrong , l ike hypocri t ical

charlatans . Don 't act this way. Whatever happi ness or sorrow

comes , meditate without arrogance , hes i tation , fear, or hope .

Gyal-se Tokme has said :

Mind train ing done with that kind of att i tude should be

considered a method for helping demons and distur­

bances . If you pract ice that way, i t 's no different from

evi l . Dharma work must counteract discursive thought

and disturbing emotions .

Wi th this example , consider the topic of mistaken dharma

practice . Mistaken outlooks are outlooks based on eternal ism or

nihi l ism ; mistaken medi tation is meditation that c l ings to

some sublime state ; mistaken conduct is conduct that is not

consistent with the three ord inations . Mistaken dharma de­

notes anythi ng that is contradictory to the ethics or outlook au­

thoritat ively taught i n the holy dharma, regardless of whom i t

comes from, you o r someone else , the very best o r the very

least . It wi l l propel you i nto samsara and the lower realms . I t 's

l ike taking the wrong medicine for an i l lness or applying the

wrong discipli nary measures .

There are i ndividuals who cal l certa in composed and re­

vealed works77 " mistaken dharma" w i thout exam i n i ng the

words or thoughts in a s i ngle chapter to see whether they

are pure or m istake n . I t would appear that they i ssue the i r

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

pronouncements ou t of attachment to the i r own systems or

from personal d i ffe rences . It is said that no one but a buddha

i s able to evaluate the worth of an i nd iv idual . So , even

though you may not l ike a person who has arrived at a proper

outlook and ethics , your d is l ike doesn 't make the dharma

mistaken . For example , a merchant may sell gold or g l i tter,

but i t doesn ' t make h im a better or worse merchant . Buddha

said over and over agai n :

Don 't rely o n individuals ; rely o n the dharma. I make

this digression here because i t is so imporrant to u nder­

stand this point .

..--: Don 't turn a god into a demon. : ....

If, as you medi tate on mind trai ning, your personali ty be­

comes stiff with pride and arrogance , i t 's as though you have

turned a god into a demon; dharma has become nondharma.

The more you medi tate on m i nd trai ni ng and dharma, the

more supple your personal ity should become . Act as the lowest

servant to everyone .

..,.: Don 't look to profit jro1n sorrou'. : ....

Don 't th ink : " I f that patron or person should become i l l or

die , I would receive a lot of food and money"78 or "If this fel low

monk or these d harma com pan i ons were to die , I would obtai n

the i r i mages and books " or " I f my col leagues were to die , all

the meri t wou ld come to me alone" or " Wouldn't it be wonder­

ful i f al l my enem ies were to die ! "

The Actual ln.rtructiom

In a word , you must refrain from hop i ng for sufferi ng to

come to others as a way of extend i ng your ow n comfort and

happi ness .

Guidelines for Mind Training

The seventh point presents guide l i nes for m i nd trai ning .

.,.: Use one practice for everything. :-..

Cont inue pract ice i nto everyday l i fe with a s ingle medi ta­

tion, always keepi ng in m i nd the i ntention to help others in al l

activit ies , eat i ng , dressi ng , sleeping , walking , or s i t t ing .

"'"· Use one remedy for everything. :-..

Analysis i tself i s used to correct mistakes in analysi s . If,

when you are medi tati ng on m i nd trai n ing , adverse conditions

develop, people cri t ic ize and i nsult you , demons , devi ls , ene­

mies, and disputes trouble you, your d isturbing emotions be­

come stronger, or you have no des i re to meditate , th i nk :

In the whole universe , there are many sentient beings

who have problems l ike mine ; my compassion goes out

to all of them ,

and :

In addition to this unwanted s i tuation, may all the un­

wanted circumstances and sufferi ng of all sentient be­

ings be collected here ,

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

and use the s ingle corrective of exchangi ng yourself for others .

'"""· Two things to do: one at the beginning, one at the end. : ...

At the beginni ng , as soon as you wake up i n the morning ,

generate very strongly the impetus :

Today, I shall keep the two bodhicittas with me .

During the day, maintai n them with cont inuous mindful­

ness . At the end , when you go to sleep in the evening, exami ne

your thoughts and actions of the day. If there were i nfri nge­

ments of bodhici tta, enumerate the i nstances and acknowledge

them , and make a commitment that such wi l l not occur i n the

future . If there have been no infringements, meditate j oyfully

and pray that you and all other bei ngs may be able to engage i n

bodhici tta even more effectively i n the future . Pract ice these

two activi ties regularly. Take the same approach to any in­

fringements or violations of ordination .

...--: What ever happens, good or bad, be patient. : ...

If you become utterly destitute and are suffe r i ng greatly,

consider your previous karma. Wi thout be i ng resentful or de­pressed , take up al l the sufferi ngs and evi l of others and work

hard at ways to clear away ev il act ions and obscurations . If you

find yourself very happy and comfortable , surrounded by g reat

weal th and servants , don 't succumb to carelessness or i nd iffer­

ence . U se the wea l th for v i rtuous pro jects , use your power con­

structively, and pray for al l sen t ie n t be i ngs to have the same

The Attual lnstr11ctions

comfort and happiness . In short , whichever occu rs , happiness

or sufferi ng , be pat ient .

__..: Keep these tu,o, even if your life is at risk. : ....

Si nce al l present and future happiness comes from carefully

observ ing the general precepts of d harma contai ned in the

three ord inat ions and the part icu lar precepts of m i nd trai n ing

with their correspond i ng commitments , observe both these

sets of precepts even at the risk of your l i fe . Moreover, whatever

you do, observe them not from a concern and considerat ion for

your own welfare but only with the i ntention of bei ng helpful

to others .

..,.: Learn to meet three challenges. : ....

The first challenge i s to recognize d isturbi ng emotions .

Then , to overcome them. The final challenge i s to cut thei r

continuity. Therefore , you should trai n to meet these chal­

lenges . F i rst , recognize d isturbi ng emotions for what they are

as soon as they arise . Then , stop them by taking corrective

measures . F inal ly, be deci s ive i n your att i tude that such distur­

bances wil l never arise agai n .

..,.: Foster three key elements. ·"

The primary elements for working at dharma are a good

guru , the proper practice of dharma with a workable mind, and

suitable condi t ions for dharma pract ice-food , clothing , and so

on . If these three are all avai lable to you , take joy in that and pray

that they be available to others , too . If t hey are not all avail­

able , medi tate on compass ion for others and take on yourself

3 9

the deficienc ies that all senti ent bei ngs experience in these pr i ­

mary elements . Pray that you and all others may have them .

..--: Take care to prevent three kinds of damage. : ....

Learn not to let these three things be damaged . Faith and re­

spect for your guru must not be damaged since all the fine qual­

i ties of mahayana dharma depend on him . Enthusiasm for

meditation on mind training must not be damaged since mind

training is the very core of the mahayana. Observation of the

precepts of the three ordinations must not be damaged either .

..--: Engage all three faculties. : ....

Make the three facult ies-body, speech , and mi nd-always

inseparable from virtuous actions , and refrai n from evi l .

..... Train on every object without preference. Training must be broad and deep. : ....

Wi thout partial i ty for certain areas , mind train ing by itself

should pervade everything , good or bad , which arises as an ob­

ject of experience : other sentient bei ngs , the four elements , or

nonhuman beings . Deeply trai ned proficiency, not just lip ser­

vtce , t s t mportant .

..--: Alu;ays U Jork on U'hat 1nakes you boil. : ....

Med itate by ski l l ful ly bri ng i ng out extra love and compas­

s ion for subjects that present d i fficult i es i n mind train ing : ag­

gress ive enem i es , troublesome obstac les , particularly those who

ac e perverse ly and respond to your help by maki ng trouble,

The A ctual ! nstrurtirm.r

people who compete with you , casual friends , peop le who are

troublesome even though there is no bad fee l i ng , or those wi th

whom you just don 't get along . In part icu l ar, avo id anyth ing

that wi l l cause t rouble wi th people with w hom you have a close

relat ionship--your guru or your parents , for instance .

..--: Don 't depend on extraneo11s conditions. . .....

Have no regard for conduc ive or adverse condi tions , strong

or weak health, wealth or poverty, good or bad reputat ion,

troubles or absence of troubles . If conducive condit ions come

about , trai n the m i nd right then . If conducive condi tions are

not present , then work on the two bodhici ttas right then . In a

word , don 't be concerned with your s ituation or other factors ;

never let go of your pract ice of mind trai n i ng .

.... : Practice what's important now. : ....

From time w i thout beginning , you have taken existence i n

innumerable forms , i n all o f which not h i ng meani ngful has

been done . A s imi lar coincidence of the conducive condi tions

in this l i fe wi l l not come about in the future . Now that you

have obtai ned a h uman existence and met the pure dharma,

you should put the main poi nts i nto pract ice in order to real ize

objectives of permanent significance . So aims for future l ives

are more important than aims for this l ife . For the future , free­

dom is more important than samsara . The welfare of others is

more important than your own . Of practici ng and teaching the

dharma, pract ic ing is the more important . Trai n ing in bo­

dhici tta is more i mportant than other practices . Further, in­

tens ive meditat ion on your guru 's i nstruct ions i s more

i mportant than analyt ical med i tat ion based on texts . S i t t ing

4 1

on your mat and tra i n i ng are more i m portan t than other forms

of act i v i ty.

..--: Don 't get things wrong. :-...

Avoid s ix mistakes . To endure pat iently the sufferi ng of

subduing enemi es , protect ing friends , and worki ng to make

money and not to endure patiently the d ifficul t ies of dharma

practice is mistaken patience. To want weal th , happiness , and

comfort in this l i fe and to have no i nc l i nation to practice

dharma thoroughly is mistaken i ncl i nat ion . To enjoy the taste

of wealth and possessions and not to enjoy the taste of hearing,

reflect ion , and meditation on the dharma is mistaken enjoy­

ment . To have compassion for a person who puts up with

hardship in order to pract ice d harma and not to have compas­

sion for those who do evi l is mistaken compassion . To engage

people who look to you i n betteri ng only the i r posit ion i n this

l i fe and not to engage them in dharma i s mistaken care . To

take joy in other people 's unhappi ness and i n the sufferings of

your enemies and not to take joy in vi rtue and happi ness i n

ni rvana o r samsara i s mistaken j oy. Avoid these s i x mistakes

completely.

.,.: Don 't switch on and off :-...

A person who somet in1es pract ices and sometimes doesn 't

has not developed a definite understand ing of dharma. Don 't

have a l ot of pro jects on your m i nd , but do mi nd trai ning

s i ng le- m i nded l y.

The A c111al / n.rtr11ctionJ

.,.: Train u ·holeheartedly. ·"

Wi thout i ndu lg i ng any d i s t ract ion , trai n you rse l f on ly

i n m i nd t rai n i ng , be i ng completely invo lved w i t h th i s one

concern .

----= Find freedo111 by probing and testing. ="

You must find freedom from disturbi ng emotions and ego­

cl inging by constant ly exam i n i ng and i nvest igati ng your

course of experience . Therefore , turn your attention to an ob­

ject that gives rise to d i sturb i ng emotions . Examine carefully

whether they arise or not . If they do arise, apply remedies vig­

orously. Again , look at ego-cl i ng i ng to see what it i s l ike . If it

appears that no ego-c l ing i ng is present , examine it agai n in ref­

erence to an object of attachment or avers ion . If ego-cherishing

then arises , i mmedi ately stop i t wi th the remedy of exchangi ng

yourself for others .

"'"· Don 't boast. :"

Don't make a big fuss even when you are k ind to another

person , because you are , i n fact , j ust worki ng at regardi ng oth­

ers as more i mportant than yourself. S ince all the t ime and

hardship you put i nto being well educated , moral , and practic­

ing the dharma benefit you , there i s no poi nt in making a fuss

about it to others . Don't trade boasts with others . In the coun­

sels of Ra-treng/9 it says : " Don't expect much of people ; pray

to your y idam . "80

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

"'": Don 't be hypersensitive. : ....

Don 't take a jealous atti tude toward others . When others

di sparage you in public or cause trouble for you , don't react or

let your mind and feel ings be disturbed . Potowa8 1 said :

Because all of us , though we are dharma persons , have

nor made dharma a remedy for ego-cl i nging , we are

more sens i tive than a newly healed wound . We are more

sensitive than Tsang-tsen. 82 This is not effective dharma.

Dharma, to be effective , must remedy ego-cl inging .

.... : Don 't be impulsive. : ....

Don 't trouble the minds of your companions by showing

your pleasure or displeasure on every l i ttle matter .

...-: Don 't expect thanks. : ....

Don't hope that others wil l express their grati tude i n words

of thanks for your own practice of dharma, your helping others ,

or your practicing virtue . In a word , get rid of any expectation

of fame or prestige .

All these points of advice are means that wil l strengthen

mind trai n ing and prevent it from weakening . In summary,

Gyal -se R i npocheH5 said :

Throughout our l ives we should train well i n the two kinds

of bodhic i tta , us i ng both med i tat i on and postmeditation

practices , and acq u i re the confidence of proficiency.

Make a n effort to fo l low th is i nstruction .

The Actual I nstr11ction.r

Cond11ding Verses

�: As the five kinds of decay spread. This practice changes the111 into the path of

auJakening. This instruction, the essence of elixir. Is a trans11zission fronz Serlingpa. =--·

Si nce the five k i nds of decay-the t i mes , sent ient bei ngs ,

l ife , emotions, and outlook-are stead ily advancing, happy s i t ­

uations conducive to d harma are few, and d isrupt ive and ad­

verse cond i t ions prol iferate . While the remed ies in other

teachings may not be effective , for someone who uses mi nd

train ing , vi rtuous act iv i ty i ncreases d i rectly with the prolifera­

tion of adverse condi t ions , j ust as the flames of a fire become

stronger and stronger as more and more wood is pi led on. This

teaching has a special feature that others lack. It changes all

disturbing emotions and adverse condit ions i nto the way of

awakening . These instructions are l ike the essence of an elixi r

and will enrich the course of experience and be helpful to

everyone whatever his or her capab i l i t ies . They are profound

teachings transmitted from Lord Serl i ngpa, the very ki ndest of

Lord Atisha's three principal gurus .

-: The awakening of the karmic energy of previous training A roused intense interest in me. There/ore, I

ignored suffering and criticism And sought instruction for subduing ego-clinging. Now, when I

die, I ' II have no regrets. :-..

When the karm ic energy from the prev ious exi stences of

the great spi r i tual teacher Chekawa was awakened , h is on ly i n­

terest was this teac h i ng . Through great hardsh ips , he sought

4 5

and received the root of al l d harma, the key i nstruct i ons for

subd u i ng ego-cl i ng i ng , from the great father-son l i neage of

Atisha. When he had trai ned wel l in these methods, he cher­

ished others more than h imself, and never agai n d id any concern

for his own desires arise . Because he had acquired confidence

through real i z ing the purpose of enteri ng the dharma, he re­

gretted nothi ng .

The last two verses above are the conclud i ng comments of

Chekawa, the author of this tradit ion of teachi ng .

Additional Instructions from the Transmission Lineage

The second section is a select ion of addit ional i nstructions from

the transmiss ion l i neage . This deep teaching on mind trai n ing

is helpful if you are on your own . Mind trai n i ng by i tself i s ca­

pable of bri nging al l happiness and suffering i nto practice . In

add i tion , when profound dharma st irs up evi l karma, your

m i nd is also st i rred up . When you are act ive , you want to s i t

st i l l ; when you s i t sti l l , you want to be active . I f this kind of

problem comes up , meditate in this way :

And :

When I am i n this k ind of mood

My mat is by far the bes t place to be .

Th i s presen t men tal state is fine .

Moreover, by putt i ng up w i th th is u npleasantness ,

I won 't be born i n the hel l real n1 s . How

wonderfu l !

I won 't be baked o r roasted . How wonderfu l !

The A ctual ln.rtructirm.r

Further, I should th ink we l l of tear and a la rm

And have a healthy sense of shame,

Accept mean food and bear hardsh ips ,

Wear poor c lothes and accept a low posi t ion ,

Work at remed ies , and d is regard happ i ness and suffering .

Accord ing to these teach i ngs from The Stage.r of the A waken­

ing \Varrior,84 self-cr it ic i sm should get to the poi nt .

When you are i l l , i l l ness i s the nurse . So , when you are agi­

tated , thi nki ng that your doctors , nurses , relatives , and others

should try harder to cure you , th ink :

No one else is to blame for th is i l lness ; ego-cl i nging

alone is responsible .

If medic ine and nurs ing do help , to think that the right treat­

ment wasn't tried earl ier is to take the wrong att i tude . Rather

think:

No one is free from this ki nd of affl iction . Now, ego­

cl inging , this is what you wanted , so be satisfied .

In addit ion , learn to take on the i l lness and disturbances that

trouble others .

Here are some of Lord Serl i ngpa's teachings : 85

Flatten all thoughts .

All remedies are weapons to strike with .

Concentrate al l plans into one.

All paths have one goal .

T H E G R E A T P A T H OF A W A K E N I N G

These four teachings are en lightening remedies .

You wil l need them to subdue the unciv i l ized .

In these degenerate times , they are needed to cope

wi th evi l associates and mistaken practices .

As soon as thoughts arise, flatten them in mind training or

emptiness . Remedies aren't j ust meditations to be used when

it 's convenient . As soon as disturbing emotions arise , j ump on

them, round them up, i solate and crush them. 86 Don't plan

many different projects for the present or future . Concentrate

only on what helps your mind and on doing the best you can to

destroy ego-cl inging . Since freedom from ego-cl inging is bud­

dhahood , this s ingle goal is enough . There is no need to enu­

merate the stages on the path . These four teachi ngs summarize

all the remedies concerned with enl ightenment .

Adverse condit ions are spi ritual friends .

Devi ls and demons are emanations of the victorious

ones .

Il lness is the broom for evi l and obscurations .

Suffering is the dance of what i s .

These four teachings are for really disruptive emo­

t ions .

You will need them to subdue the uncivi l ized .

In these degenerate t imes , they are needed to cope

with evi l assoc iates and mistaken pract ices .

You don 't have to avo id adverse condi tions , s i nce they per­

form the funct ion of a spi r i tual friend . By us i ng adverse condi ­

t ions , you can gather the accu rn ulat ions , clear away obscurat ions ,

be re m i nd ed of dharma, and der ive benefit from your under­stand i ng . There is no need to be frightened of v is ions and hal -

The Actual I nstructiom

luc i nations associated with gods or dev i ls or of t he trouble that

demons cause . Because they help to i ncrease your fa i th and vi rtue , they are emanat ions of your guru or of budd has . S i nce previous evi l karma is st i rred up when you pract ice the holy

dharma properly, various physical i l l nesses come agai n and

agai n . When th is happens , work at be i ng joyful when i l l , s i nce

it is repeatedly said in the sutras that even a sl igh t headache, to

say nothi ng of a serious i l lness , is l ike a broom sweeping away

dust . Sickness c lears away all the evi l and obscurat ions gath­

ered from t ime without beginning . When sufferi ng comes , if

you look at j ust what i t is , i t arises as emptiness . However much

you suffer, the suffer ing is j ust the dance of what is, so you

shouldn 't be depressed . I t 's good if all these things happen ,

since they can be taken as aids to putti ng dharma into practice.

Thus , the key point is not to avoid these four instructions for

really d isrupt ive emotions . Put them i nto practice .

There 's a great yoke for happi ness .

There 's a great l i ft for suffering .

The unwanted i s the first wish .

The worst portents are joyfully accepted .

These four teachings are correct ives for other

remedies .

You wi l l need them to subdue the uncivil ized .

In these degenerate t imes , they are needed

To cope with evi l associates and mistaken practices .

When you are happy and comfortable in body and mind , the desire to do something not concerned with dharma comes

up . When you look at j ust what this feel ing of happiness i s ,

there is nothing substant ial to i t . Take this s ituation into prac­

tice by giving this mere appearance of happiness to al l sent ient

49

TH E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

bei ngs . Not to succumb to th i s appearance of happiness , j ust to

rest in a natural state , is the yoke for happiness . When you are

suffering , don 't despai r. When you look at j ust what it i s , i t

disappears as being empty. I n addit ion to the appearance of suf­

fering , take on the suffering and unhappiness of all sentient be­

ings and rest i n a natural state . This practice is the l ift for

suffering . When everything you don't want or don 't wish for

descends on you , in being an aid to destroying ego-cl inging i t

i s , in fact, your first wish , your first concern. Let your mind rest

happily at ease as you think:

This is what you wanted , ego-cl ing i ng . May I t com­

pletely destroy you .

When there are bad portents o r when hal luc inations occur,

you wonder a lot about what is happening and what you should

do. At such times , think:

This had to happen . I t 's good that it has come up. May

all bad portents be heaped on top of this ego-cherish ing ,

and rest without self- indulgence o r hesitat ion . These four

teach ings are correctives for s i tuat ions other remedies can 't

handle .

Ego is the root of faults .

Th is i s a teac h ing to throw it out .

Others are the source of fine qual i t ies .

This i s a teach ing to accept them completely.

These two teach i ngs sum marize remedies .

You wi l l need them to subdue the unciv i l ized .

" 0

The Actual / nstr!lction.r

In these degenerate t imes , t hey are needed

To cope wi th evi l assoc iates and m i staken prac t i ces .

To be brief, because the whole bas i s of m i nd tra i n i ng i s con­

tai ned in the two pri nciples of throwing out concern for you r

own welfare and tak ing complete hold of the welfare of others ,

these teachings summarize th i s course of i nstruction . For t h i s

reason , take i t a s t h e bas i s for pract ice .

Turn error right around and look r ight i n .

Relax completely and rest comfortably.

Not bei ng held , they wi l l go freely.

If you follow any thought or emotion , major or m i nor, and

let your mind wander outward , your work is i n error and you ' re

no different from an ord inary person . Turn your attention right in and look right at your m i nd . When you look at i t , nothing

is seen . Relax completely, let everyth i ng go , and rest in that

state of emptiness . No matter how many thoughts or emotions

there are , when they aren't held , they go freely on their own

and become the accumulat ion of prist ine wisdom . This instruc­

tion is the essence of medi tat ion on ult imate bodhici tta.

Conclusion

THI S T RAD I T I ON OF T HE S EVEN P O I N T S I N ­

cludes al l the essential points of practice of every tradi tion of

commentary that transmitted i nstructions for the mind­

training practice com i ng from the oral trad it ion of Atisha. Of

al l the i nnumerable authors and their commentaries , detailed

or brief, I have received precisely this i nterpretation from the

written commentaries of the very noble Gyal -se Rinpoche

Tokme and the noble and revered Kunga N yingpo . 87 All the

teachings given by notable persons have been gathered and d is­

t i l led into a s ingle el ixir, which is presented here with the

pri ncipal aim of bei ng eas i ly understood by beginners . Thus ,

this comprehensive and clarify ing work was composed only

with the noble i ntent ion to help others .

The source of the path of sutras and tantras ,

The vi tal essence of all holy dharma,

Profound yet eas i ly practiced ,

Arises wonderful ly from al l i nstruct ion .

5 3

I t 's d ifficult to hear deep teaching l ike thi s .

I t 's d i fficult to apply i t when heard .

To act on this is to be rich in meri t .

I t 's as rare these days as gold found on the ground .

Now, too much talk is wearisome,

But with the pure wish to help others

I have wri t ten this text .

By this virtue, may al l bei ngs

Master the two bodhic i ttas .

At the long-standi ng urg ing of my student Karma Tu-tob,

who is well versed in the five fields of l earni ng, and at the more

recent requests of the i ncarnate Karma Tabke Namrol , who has

undertaken to hold closely to bodhic i t ta wi th honest determi ­

nation, and of Lama Karma Nge-don and others who are wor­

thy in thei r adherence to practice , and i n the face of consistent

entreaties by those who wished to clarify their pract ice , Lodru

Taye, a subject of the kind lords Karmapa and S i tu , composed

this work i n the retreat center of the Clear Light Park of Great

B l iss and Total Goodness at Pepung Monastery. May infini te

num bers of beings benefit .

May vi rtue grow strong .

Notes

I . Langdarma (80 3-84 2 ) . Buddhism was first established in

Tibet in the seventh century by King Song-tsen-gampo. Dur­

ing his reign , the Tibetan language was provided with an al­

phabet by Tumi Sambhota, and translations of texts from

Sanskrit to Tibetan began . Under the next king, Tri-song De­

tsen, Indian masters such as Shantarakshita, Padmasambhava,

and Vimalakirti were invited . The monastic code was intro­

duced , monasteries were bui l t , and the work of translation con­

tinued on a large scale . Buddhism flourished under the two

following kings , but when Langdarma came to the throne in

8 36 , he i nstigated a ruthless suppression of Buddhism , closi ng

monasteries , slaughtering monks , burni ng l ibraries , and de­

stroying shrines and other rel ig ious objects . Although his reign

ended in his assassination six years later, it left behind only the

most tenuous thread of Buddhism in Tibet .

Langdarma's reign marks the division between the Old and

New Translat ion schools : the Old School conti nued the trad i ­

tion of Buddhism chat was first introduced to Tibet and survived

5 5

the persecut ion� the New School consisted of the traditions

that were brought to Tibet after Langdarma 's reign . Ri nchen

Zangpo is general ly regarded as the first of the new generation

of translators.

2 . Atisha (9 8 2- 1 0 5 4) . From the t ime Atisha was eight years

old , he enjoyed a close relationship with the dei ty Green Tara,

the embodiment of the activity of awakened compassion . By

his early twenties , he was a proficient master of the esoteric

teachings of Buddhism and a profound scholar whose ski l l in

debate was highly valued i n contests with representatives of

other Indian rel igions . Both Tara, i n his visions , and h is own

associates consistently urged h im to become a monk i n order to

help be ings more effectively. Eventually accedi ng to this re­

quest , he became famous for the puri ty of his observance of the

monastic code . He was one of the principal teachers at Vikra­

mashila, one of the largest and most famous monastic universi­

t ies of Buddhist India. He was also named the Holder of the

Seat of Bodhgaya (the location of B uddha Shakyamuni 's awak­

ening), i n recognit ion of h i s mastery and attainment .

Atisha's spiri tual development i s closely l inked with the nu­

merous visions he had of Green Tara . It was she who urged him

to seek the teachings on bodhicitta . I n addition , Atisha repeat­

edly had other visionary experiences that indicated the impor­

tance of this subject . On one occasion at Bodhgaya, two of the

many statues that decorated the mai n temple spoke. One asked ,

" What is the most important teach ing for attain i ng buddha­

hood ? " The other repl ied , " Bod hici tta is the most important

teach ing . " The end resu l t was that At i sha jouneyed to I ndonesia

to s tudy with Dharmaki rti , whose understandi ng of bodhici tta

and the ways to deve lop i t were universal ly respected .

Notes

Later in his l i fe , Atisha committed a serious fault by per­

mitting an advanced pract i t ioner of esoteric teachings to be ex­

pelled from a temple for seem i ngly i nappropr i ate behavior.

When Atisha consulted with Tara on the matter, she adv ised

him to teach the d harma in Ti bet to c lear away the karm ic

residues of that action . Thus , with some re luctance , Atisha fi­

nally accepted Ri nchen Zangpo's i nvitations .

Atisha spent the last twelve years of his l ife in Ti bet , teach­

ing from his vast know ledge of B uddhist phi losophy and prac­

tice , ass ist ing translators such as R inchen Zangpo in their work

of rendering fai thfully the Sanskri t texts into Tibetan , and

guidi ng s tudents in thei r spiri tual practice .

3 · Nagarj una: an Indian master who l ived about the first cen­

tury of the common era . Nagar juna was one of the greatest d i ­

alecticians the world has known, and h is works defini tively established the "middle way" (madhyamika) between the dual­

istic extremes of origi n and cessation , nihi l ism and eternalism ,

comi ng and going , moni sm and plural ism . A teacher at the

famous monastic univers i ty of Nalanda, his exposi t ions on

emptiness and other topics of Buddhist phi losophy are st i l l

used today as authoritat ive guides for i ntellectual understand­

ing and contemplat ive practice .

The name Nagarj una means "he wi th power over the na­

gas"-the naga be ing a form of serpent . This epi thet refers to

his recovery of the Buddha's teachings on the Perfection of

Wisdom from the naga-k i ng who guarded them . Nagarj una's

commentaries on this profound teachi ng led to the formation

of the tradition of Profound Phi losophy, which establishes the

intel lectual understandi ng of empti ness as a basis for contem­

plat ion .

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

4 · Man j ugosha or Man j ushr i : the bodh i sattva (see note r o ) of

awakened i ntel ligence . He i s usually depicted hold ing the flaming sword of compassion, which cuts through c l inging to

dual i ty, and a volume of The Perfection of Wisdom, which he has

taken completely to heart .

5 . Asanga: a thi rd-century I ndian master who is regarded as

the founder of the tradi tion of Vast Activi ty. This tradit ion em­

phasized the primacy of experience and the understandi ng of

the false duality of sub j ective and objective existence .

Asanga is particularly known for his relationship with the

bodhisattva Maitreya (see note 6). After twelve years of medita­

t ion and prayer to meet Mai treya, Asanga gave up and left his

cave . He came across an old dog covered with sores that were

i nfested with maggots . The s ight aroused such pity i n him that

he sought to relieve the dog's suffering by remov i ng the

maggots-not with his finger, for fear of ki l l i ng them , but

with his tongue . As he extended his tongue and closed his eyes

agai nst the revolt i ng sight , the dog disappeared and Asanga

found himself l icking the ground . When he opened his eyes ,

Mai treya was standi ng before him . Mai t reya explained that it

was on ly Asanga 's obscurat ions that had prevented them from

meeting . This compassionate act had removed the last obscura­

tions, and Asanga could now see him . Mai treya then took

Asanga to the Tushi ta Realm , where he taught him the ma­

hayana teach i ngs known as The Fit'e Teachings ofAfaitreya .

6 . Mai treya : the future buddha. Before descending from the

Tush i ta Realm to appea r i n the world , Buddha Shakyamuni ap­

poi nted Mai treya as h is regent . The name Mai treya means "one

who possesses lov i ng -ki nd ness . ' ' He is usual ly depicted s i tt ing

i n a chai r teach i ng the dharn1a .

Note.r

7 . Vaj radhara , the Holder of the Va j ra : the express ion of fu l l

awaken i ng i n the tantra trad i t ion (see note .1 4 ) of B udd h ism .

The vaj ra i s the weapon of I nd ra, the I ndi a n coun terpart of

Zeus . It is made of i ndestructible material and can dest roy any

other obj ect without bei ng affected i tself. As such , it is a sym­

bol of the spi r itual potent ial of every sent ient be ing , wh ich ,

unaffected by all the relative real i t ies of existence , is i ndestruc­

tible and has the power to destroy al l the fabr ications that cre­

ate sufferi ng and misery. Vaj radhara is one who wields the fu l l

power o f spiri tual i ty, the awakening into buddhahood . Icono­

graphical ly, Vaj radhara is depicted as a blue figure (represent­

ing the sky, the unchangi ng nature of that which is ulti mate)

holding a vaj ra and a bel l , which are expressions of i ntell igence

and ski l l .

8 . Tilopa (988- r o69) : an Indian master who received direct

inspiration from B uddha Vaj radhara . In the l ineage of B lessi ng

and Practice, great emphasis is placed on the role of the guru

(see note 4 3 ) , the i nspi ration and blessi ng that he transmits ,

and actual practice on the pare of the s tudent .

9 · Refuge . In B uddhism, ord inary existence is viewed as being

fraught wi th suffering , fear, misery, and pain , and the init ial

spiritual urge is expressed by the phrase "going for refuge . "

Refuge, then, implies a n abandonment of allegiance to ordi­

nary cri teria of what is meaningful . In th is state of questioning,

one entertai ns the possibi l i ty of awakening and derives inspira­

t ion from the fact of the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Bud­

dha. "Going for refuge" means orienti ng oneself toward the

attainment of enl ightenment-tak ing refuge in Buddha. In

addit ion , one takes refuge in the dharma, the teachi ngs and ex­

perience of awakening, and in the sangha, the teachers and

5 9

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

other pract i t ioners , who provide gui dance and s upport on this

path . These three-Buddha, d harma, and sangha-are known

as the Three Jewels . From the po int of view of Buddhism , an

end to sufferi ng and frustration can be found only through

awakeni ng to a true understandi ng of oneself and the world ,

but the path to that internal understandi ng requires expert

guidance by someone who knows the way.

I o . Bodhici t ta. This term expresses the core of the mahayana

teachings . Conventionally, it denotes both the aspiration to

achieve buddhahood (see note 3 8) in order to help other beings

and the engagement i n the discipl ine by which that awakening

can be real ized . Ultimately, i t denotes the d i rect understanding

of the nature of reali ty. In short , bodhic i t ta i s the uncondi tional

i ntention to help all sentient beings become free of suffering . I t

is the complete abandonment of any sort of personal territory,

both in one's relationships with others and i n one 's understand­

ing of the world as it i s . It beg ins with the development of love

and compassion for others and matures i nto the ful l resolution

to help them as much as possible .

When this basic compassionate aim is j oi ned w i th d irect

nonconceptual knowledge of the nature of our experience, one

becomes a bodhisattva. The term for this in Tibetan can be

translated as "awakening warrior" : awakeni ng , because the pro­

cess of puri ficat ion and growth that wi l l culmi nate i n buddha­

hood has been set in motion ; warrior, because of the courageous

atti tude that overcomes all obstacles and d ifficult ies encoun­

tered in this way of l i fe .

I 1 . Serl i ngpa. Th i s Buddhist master, who l ived i n Indonesia,

held the transmission l i neage of the special methods of cul t i­

vating bodh ici tta known as mind trai n ing . He was the only

6o

Note.r

one of Atisha's one hundred and fifty gurus to i nstruct h i m i n

th is topic .

I 2 . Drom-ton Ri npoche ( I oo s - I 064) : the spir i tual he i r of

Atisha . He received al l Atisha 's teach i ngs and subsequently es­

tablished the Kadampa school of Buddhism . Although a lay­

man , he establ ished the monastery of Ra-treng in 1 0 5 6 .

I 3 · Kadampa: one of the fi rs t of the New Translat ion schools .

This trad i t ion emphasi zed str ict observance of the monast ic

code , expertise in logic and scholarship , and d i l igence i n bas ic

virtuous pract ices as a basi s for spi ri tual development . Not

only d id th is trad i t ion provide the i ni t ial train ing for such

masters as Gampopa (Mi larepa 's spi ri tual hei r and l i neage

holder of the Kagyu trad i t ion) , Kunga Gyal tsen (one of the

founders of the Sakya school) , and Tsongkapa (founder of the

Gaden or Geluk trad i t ion) , but it also in troduced the Lam ­

rim , or graded path , as a means of s tudy and practice . In this

approach , the student i s led through a series of topics pro­

ceeding from the i n i t ial motivation of self- interest in l ibera­

tion to the development of a total l y altruist ic concern to help

others . Thi s approach was subsequently uti l i zed by all schools

in Tibet .

I 4 . Chekawa. This Kadampa teacher became a monk at the age

of twenty-one and learned by heart the hundred volumes of the

Buddha's teachings . Chekawa formulated Atisha's teachings of

mind traini ng i nto The Seven Points of Mind Training.

I 5 . A translat ion and commentary on these verses may be

found in Kindness, Clarity, and Insight , by H . H . the Fourteenth

Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso (Snow Lion , 1 984) .

6 !

I 6 . Bon . General ly regarded as precedi ng B uddhism i n Tibet ,

this rel igion was g reatly influenced by the advancement of

B uddh i sm . I n i ts present form , i t is i n many respects si m i lar to

Tibetan Buddhism , though with i ts own formulat ion and

iconography.

I 7 . Kagyupa. Li terally meant ng " the transm tsswn of the

teachings , " this term refers to the Kagyupa schools establ ished

in Tibet by Marpa the Translator, h i s student Milarepa, and his

student Gampopa (see note 3 0) .

I 8 . A traditional formula found a t the beginning of many

texts . The Sanskri t phrase means " Homage to gurus , buddhas ,

and bodhisattvas . "

I 9 · The two aims : the aim for oneself is to become free of suf­

fering and confusion. This is real i zed through the understand­

ing of emptiness (see notes 5 5 -5 8 ) or ultimate bodhici tta. The

second aim is to help others become free , and this is real ized

through compassion or relative bodhicitta .

2 0 . Kong trul here alludes to a group of eight bodhisattvas

whose names are Man j ushri , Avaloki teshvara , Vaj rapani ,

Ksh i t igarbha, Vishkambi , Akashagarbha, and Samantabhadra.

2 I . Dharmakirti : the rel ig ious name of Serl ingpa (see note I I ) .

2 2 . Dharmarakshi ta . I n i t i a l l y a fo l lower of the shravaka

teac h i ngs of i nd iv i dual l i be rat ion (see notes 3 6 and 2 4 ) , Dharmaraksh i ta was m oved by compassion when one of h i s

assoc i ates fe l l very i l l . The attend i ng doc t o r sa id chat on ly the

flesh of a l i v i ng person wou ld cure the i l l ness , but noth i ng

6 2

NoteJ

could be done s i nce i t would be imposs i b le to ob ta i n any.

Dharmaraksh i ta offered h i s own flesh , cu t t ing out a p iece of

h i s th igh . Lack ing the ex peri ent i a l u nd ers tand i ng of empt i ­

ness , h e suffered i n tensely, yet h i s com pass ion remai ned fi rm

and he d id not reg ret h i s ac t ion . The i l l person ate the flesh

and soon felt better. When Dharmaraks h i ta heard th i s , he

said that that was fi ne and he h i m se l f cou ld now d i e peace­

ful ly. He was unable to rest because of the pai n and it was al ­

most dawn before he began to s leep . He dreamed of a white

figure say ing to h i m , "If you wish to attai n enl igh tenmen t ,

you m ust do d ifficult th i ngs l i ke th is-very good . " The fig­

ure i n the dream then took some sal iva from his mouth and

rubbed it on the wound . The wound di sappeared , leaving no

trace . When Dharmaraksh i ta awoke , he found his thigh com­

pletely healed , j ust as he had dreamed . An experiential un­

derstandi ng of empt i ness arose , and he subseq uen tly fol lowed

the mahayana path .

2 3 . Yogi n Maitreya . On one occasion when this Indian master

was teaching , an onlooker threw a stone at a dog to drive i t

away. Maitreya cried out i n pai n and fell off his seat . S ince the

dog showed no sign of in j ury, everyone thought he was simply

making a poi nt . But when he showed people the bruise on his

back, which corresponded exactly to the point where the dog

had been struck , they real ized that he had actually taken the

pain of the dog onto h imself.

24 . The three kinds of students : a dist inction made on the ba­

sis of motivation . The first kind is motivated by a wish to at­

tain a better form of existence ; the second by the wish to be free

of the sufferi ng of ego-based existence ; the thi rd by the wish to

free all be ings from sufferi ng .

2 5 . The names in romanized Tibetan are Khu . ston .brtson .

'grus .gyung .drung , rNgog . legs .pa ' i . shes . rab , and ' B rom .ston . ­

rgyal . wa' i . 'byung .gnas .

2 6 . A l though buddhahood (or full awakening) i s undifferent i ­

ated , the expression of this experience i n act ivity varies from

individual to i ndividual . The three fami l ies present different

ways enlightenment may express i tself, through form , speech ,

or mind . Shakyamuni Buddha and the bodhisattva Manj ushri

embody the form manifestation of awakening , B uddha

Ami tabha and Avalokiteshvara the speech , and Akshobya

and Vaj rapani the m i nd . The three buddhas are the heads of

the fami l i es , wh i le the three bodhisat tvas are the lords . The

three s tudents of Drom-ton who were regarded as emana­

t ions of these three bodhisattvas are Potowa, Chen-ngawa, and

Puchungwa .

2 7 . The Six Canonical Texts (gzhung .drug) of the Kadampa

are : skyes . rabs , ched .du. brj od .pa' i . tshoms, byang . chub. spyod . ­

' j ug , bslab .pa .kun . las . bstus .pa , byang . chub . sems .pa ' i . sa , and

nyan . thos . pa' i . sa . These texts present the previous lives of

Shakyamuni B uddha, basic teachings on impermanence , suffer­

i ng , and nonego , the development of bodhicitta , codes of con­

duct , and the descriptions of stages of spir itual development

for shravakas and bodhisattvas .

The Key I nstruct ions on the Four Truths (bden . bzhi ' i . ­

gda ms . ngag) are methods of conte m plat i on based o n the sutras

(see note 3 4 ) . They i nc lude such topics as the precious human

ex istence , death and i mperma nence , act ion and resul t , the na­

tu re of cyc l ic ex istence , love , compassion , bodhici tta, mind

t rai n i ng , and the s i x perfect ions .

The P i th I ns t ruc t ions ( th ig . le . bcu .drug .gi . man . ngag) are

Note.r

based on the tantras (see note 34) and deal w i th methods used to transform one 's experience of the world .

2 8 . Gelukpa (dge . lugs . pa) : one of the four pri nc ipal schools of

the Tibetan tradi t ion . It emphas i zed monas t i c d i sc i pl i ne and a

thorough groundi ng i n log ic and scriptural knowledge as a ba­

sis for contemplative pract ice . I t origi nates w i th the found i ng

of Gaden Monastery i n I 409 by the great scholar and spi r i tual

master Je Tsongkapa ( 1 3 5 7- 1 4 1 9 ) . Tsongkapa's l i fe is an i n ­

spiring epic o f unremit t ing determination and perseverance i n penetrat i ng the deepest teachings of Buddh ism and of thor­

ough and extensive scholarship, which continues to be s i ngu­

larly authoritat ive even today.

2 9 . The Four Truths : the original formulation of Shakya­

muni 's teachings . The first truth is the truth of suffering : suf­

fering is an i nescapable element of our experience . The second

is the truth of orig in : d isturbing emotions that cloud and con­

fuse the m i nd are the source of suffering and frustration . The

third is the truth of cessation : the causes of suffering as we

know it can be el iminated . The fourth is the truth of the path :

The Noble E ightfold Path summarizes the way to live in order

to el iminate the sources of suffering .

30 . Dakpo Kagyu: the collective name of a group of transmis­

sion l ineages havi ng a common source in Gampopa, or Dakpo

Lharje . Gampopa ( 1 07 9- 1 I 5 3 ) first studied medic ine and be­

came a doctor. When his wife died i n an epidemic shortly after

the marriage , he lost al l interest i n conventional ways of l i fe .

He became a monk and studied the Kadampa trad i t ion under

several eminent masters , notably Jayulwa and several of Dram­

ton Rinpoche 's students . He attai ned d i rect understand i ng of

6s

the dharma only when he stud ied with Mi larepa , the famous

Kagyu poet-con templative . Gampopa combi ned the graded­

path approach of the Kadampas wi th the maham udra teach i ngs

of the Kagyupas , causi ng these two rivers of teachi ngs to be­

come one.

Four of Gampopa's students founded separate transmissions

of the mahamudra teachi ngs : Karma Kagyu, Tsalpa Kagyu,

Baram Kagyu, and Phagmo Kagyu. Subsequently, the Phagmo

Kagyu gave rise to eight more transmission l ineages . All these

comprise the Dakpo Kagyu .

3 I . The four deit ies are Buddha Shakyamuni , Avalokite­

shvara, Green Tara, and Acala.

32 . The three containers are the three maJor collections of

scriptures : the vinaya, or monastic code; the sutras , which ex­

plain the Four Truths ; and the abhidharma teachings , which

describe the i ndividual and the world in which he or she l ives .

3 3 . The three discipli nes are morals and ethics , contemplative

stabi l i ty, and in tell igence and wisdom .

3 4 . The teachings of the mahayana, or great vehicle (see note

40 ) , are divided into two groups , the sutras and the tantras .

The tradit ion of practice based on the surras cons ists of culti­

vat ing qual i t i es that will mature into the experience of awak­

en i ng : love , compass ion , and bodhic i tta, d i rect understanding

of empti ness , the s ix perfections (generos i ty, moral i ty, pat ience,

d i l igence , stable contemplat ion , and wisdom), and the four

ways of at tract i ng be i ngs (provid i ng what is needed , speaking

pleasan t ly, observ i ng soc ial customs , and engag ing i n mean-

66

Nott!s

ingful activity) . In the tantra trad i t ion , pract ice consists of iden­

tifying with the result , that i s , an expression of en l ightenmen t ,

cal led a yidam . By ident ifying one's m i nd w i th the y idam , one

comes to experience the world and onesel f as express ions of en­

l ightenment .

3 5 . The three states of samsaric ex istence , which contai n some experience of happi ness : the human real m , the realm of asuras ,

or antigods , and the realm of gods . See notes 49 and 5 3 .

3 6 . Shravakas and pratyekabuddhas . These two kinds of spi ri­

tual attainment result from practice based on self- i nterest . The

shravakas l isten to the dharma and practice i t in order to

achieve thei r own freedom from sufferi ng and frustration . With

a basis of strong renunciation , their practice consists of observ­

ing the monastic code and developing a medi tative composure

through which they real ize the lack of reali ty of the not ion of

individual self. With such an understanding , they overc01ne all

disturbing emotions and are free of samsara . Pratyekabuddhas

are similar, but their reali zation is deeper since i t includes the

understandi ng that subject and object are not i ndependent en­

tities . In both cases , however, they stop short of full buddha­

hood (see note 3 8) ; they have achieved only a state of rest from

the world of suffering . In the course of time, they wil l respond

to the inspiration of full awakening for the benefit of others and

wil l set out on the mahayana path .

3 7 . Nirvana, the transcendence of misery, always denotes free­

dom from samsaric existence . However, it sometimes refers to

the attainment of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas , who do not

real ize full awaken ing (see notes 3 8 and 4 I ) .

T H E G R E A T PAT H O F A W A K E N I N G

3 8 . Buddhahood, ful l awaken ing , is defined as the complete

removal of the two vei ls or obscurat ions : the obscurat ion of dis­

turb ing emotions and the obscurat ion of conceptual knowl­

edge. In comparison, the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas have

el iminated only the obscuration of disturbing emotions, but

the seeds of such emotions as well as the second obscurat ion re­

main . In the mahayana tradi tion , buddhahood is regarded as

the end of a process of awakening that i s brought about by the

accumulation of meri t and pris t ine awareness . Meri t refers to a

sense of wholesomeness or hea l thiness i n our actions , speech ,

and thoughts . Through a compass ionate att i tude toward oth ­

ers , we develop warmth , openness , and he lpfulness . In such an

environment, an understandi ng of the way we are , the way the

world is , can develop . This kind of understandi ng i s noncon­

ceptual , immediate, and d i rect , and const i tutes the develop­

ment of pristine awareness .

When this kind of understanding is present, there i s an awak­

ening which is free from the l imits of conceptual knowledge, be­

yond description , yet which embraces everything . This is called

the dharmakaya of Buddha. Out of that understanding and

through the force of meri t accumulated , there arise the communi­

cation of the richness of enl ightenment-the sambhogakaya of

Buddha-and the actual manifestation of enlightenment in the

world-the nirmanakaya of Buddha. (See note 67 . )

3 9 · The King o f Mounta ins refers t o Mount Meru , the center

of the world accord ing to trad i t ional Buddhist cosmology.

Mount Meru is general ly iden ti fied w i th Mount Kailash , a

large mounta i n i n western Tibet .

4 0 . Mahayana : the great veh i cle. A lthough spi ri tual under­

stand ing is in i t ial ly sought ou t of concern for one 's ow n well-

68

Note.r

being , as the experience of pract ice matures , a change of heart

may take place that leads to the mot ivat ion to come to ful l awaken ing i n order t o help others , i . e . , bod h i c i t ta (see note

r o ) . The presence of bodhic i tta as mot ivation characterizes the

mahayana, which is known as the great veh icle because it car­

ries a l l beings to freedom . It is contrasted w i th the h inayana, or

smal l vehicle , which i s based on the idea of attai n ing freedom

only for oneself. The hi nayana referred to in mahayana l i tera­

ture should not , however, be considered to refer to the southern

schools of B uddhism in Thailand , Burma, and Sri Lanka.

4 1 . Nonabid ing n i rvana: a synonym for full awakening or

buddhahood . Because of his real i zation of empti ness , a buddha

does not abide i n samsaric existence , and because of his com ­

passion and concern for others , he does not abide i n the peace of

the attainment of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas .

4 2 . Shantideva ( 6 8 5 -7 6 3 ) . This Indian master was an adher­

ent of the tradit ion of Profound Philosophy (see note 3 ) and is

best known as the author of Entering the Way of Awakening (Bo­dhicaryavatara) . This text i s a long poem about bodhici tta,

what it i s , and how it can be developed . Before composi ng this

text , Shantideva was regarded by his fel low monks as a lazy,

dim-witted person who j ust ate and slept . The monks decided

to have a bit of fun and asked Shantideva to take his turn in de­

livering a discourse on the dharma at an annual festival spon­

sored by one of the monastery 's patrons . Shantideva agreed , and

when he took his seat , he asked his audience if they wished to

hear someth ing with which they were already famil iar or an

original expos it ion . Amid laughter, the monks called for an

original exposit ion, and his response was Entering the Way of Awakening . As he s tarted on the ninth chapter, which deals

wi th u l t i mate bodh ic i tta, he started to r ise from his seat and

del ivered the rest of his discourse from above the clouds .

4 3 · Root guru . In the vaj rayana, or tantric , trad i tion of Bud­

dhism , the utmost importance is placed on the relat ionsh ip be­

tween teacher and student . The vaj rayana master is the source

or root of i nspiration for spi ritual practice and the source of the

teaching and training for that pract ice . More specifically, a root

guru is one who confers the ab i l ity to practice vaj rayana medi­

tation through empowerment , the maturation of the experi­

ence of the student so that he or she can pursue such practice

frui tfully. The guru also transmits the scriptures and explana­

tions associated wi th a particular practice, thus providing the

student with a sound basis for medi tation , and the actual in­

structions for practice by means of which the s tudent is able to

awaken .

4 4 . Lotus-and-moon seat : an open lotus blossom on which

rests the flat disk of the ful l moon . The lotus is an expression of

unstai ned puri ty appearing amid the mud of samsara . The

moon presents the refreshi ng calm of compassion after the

burning heat of sufferi ng , a image deriv ing from the hot days

and cool nights of the North Indian p lai ns .

4 5 · Root and l ineage gurus . (See note 4 3 . ) The l ineage gurus

are the teachers who have carried the l i neage of transm iss ion of

teach i ng from its source (Buddha Shakyamuni or Va j radhara

Buddha) down to the present day. The trans m iss ion l i neage is

i mportant � the orig in of the teach i ng as wel l as its effectiveness

are assured by the teachers of the l i neage who have used and

prac t iced it themse lves . Thus , students have grounds for confi-

Note.r

dence and i nspi rat ion that w i l l hel p t hem to app ly r he tt:ach­

i ngs effect ively.

46 . The l i neage prayer that Kong tru l w rote to accompany t h i s

commentary i s i n an append i x . I t has been augmen ted b y Kal u Ri npoche to i nc lude l i neage holders s i nce J a mgon Kong tru l .

4 7 . The aperture of Brahma: the top of the head at a po i nt

eight finger-w idths back from the hai rl ine where the bones

formi ng the skul l meet .

4 8 . Guru yoga. The term yoga i n this context means "union , "

union wi th the mind of one's guru.

49 · Samsara : The cycle of existence , so called because of the

self-perpetuati ng nature of ego-based existence . Lack of aware­

ness of one 's own nature leads to the development of ego . The

basic energies of m i nd are thus corrupted and become the

source of confusion and emotional turmoi l . Actions based on

that confusion lead to a further sense of al ienat ion and suffer­

ing, and the pattern of ego is strengthened . The anti thesis of

samsara i s n irvana-the end of that lack of awareness and hence

freedom from this endless and meaningless cycle .

5 0 . The graded-path texts : see note I 3. The jewel Ornament of Liberation by sGam .po .pa, translated by H. V. Guenther

(Boston: Shambhala Publ ications , I 9 8 6) , is a text of this genre .

5 r . Free and well favored . Free refers to freedom from eight

forms of existence in which spi ri tual practice is vi rtually i m ­

possible : a s a hel l being , a preta, o r an ani mal , i n each of which

the l i m i tations posed by confus ion and pai n prec lude sp i r i tual concerns ; as a god , where one i s con t i n ual ly d istracted by sen­

sual pleasures ; in an age when no buddha has appeared or in a

pri m i t ive , uncivi l i zed society; as someone with mental or phys­

ical i ncapac i ty or as someone who does not accept the val id ity

of the dharma. Well favored refers to the condi t ions needed i n

order t o practice . Five condi tions derive from oneself: t o be a

human, to be born in a region where the dharma i s asscess ible ,

to have the use of all faculties , not to be swept away by the t ide

of one 's own bad karma, and to have fai th i n the dharma. Five

condi tions derive from others : a buddha must have appeared ,

he must have taught the dharma, the dharma must have lasted ,

there must be many who fol low t he dharma, and there must be

people who support and maintain the pract ice of dharma.

5 2 . Karma means "act ion," and , i n B uddh ist teaching , each

act (phys ical , verbal , or mental) i s a seed that develops i nto cer­

tain patterns of thought and experience . Thus , one 's act ions de­

term ine how one sees and experiences the world . Tradit ionally,

it is said :

To see what you've done , look at your body.

To see what you ' l l be, look at your actions .

5 3 . Six classes of be ings : a tradi tional description of the possi­

bil i ties of experience in samsara . The six classes are as follows:

r . Hell bei ngs , w hose exi stence i s domi nated by i ntense

suffer i ng i n which the violent and extren1e environ­

ment reflects the aggression that causes this kind of

expenence .

2 . Pretas, or ghosts , whose existence is dominated by

want , part icularly for food and water. Their barren ,

7 2

NoteJ

l i feless env i ronment reflects the greed that prod uces

th is k ind of existence .

3 . Animal s , whose ex istence is dom i na ted by fear of

predators and bei ng helpless l y subject to their env i ­

ronmen t . Stupid i ty and insens i t ivity create th i s k ind

of experience .

4 · Humans , whose experience cons ists of bi rth , i l l ness , old

age , and death as well as anxiety and ceaseless activi ty.

The basic attachment that produces th is experience

manifests i n the constant effort to mai ntai n or improve

one's immediate c i rcumstances .

5 . Asuras , or demigods , whose existence is dom i nated by

frui tless and pai nful rivalry with the more powerful

gods-a reflect ion of the basic j ealousy that creates this

expenence .

6 . Gods , whose relat ively blissful existence in celestial

paradises i s termi nated i n fear and horror at the vis ion

of what their next exi stence wil l be . Pride and arro­

gance are the causes of this form of existence .

The s ix classes of bei ngs are divided i nto two groups : the

higher realms of gods, asuras , and humans ; and the lower

realms of animals , pretas , and hell bei ngs .

5 4 · The seven-branch prayer : a traditional format for ma­

hayana practice . Paying homage counteracts pride ; presenting

offerings counteracts greed ; acknowledgi ng and confessing evi l

acts counteracts aggression ; rejoic ing i n the good that others

do counteracts j ealousy ; request ing spiri tual teaching counter­

acts stupid ity ; asking the buddhas and teachers to remai n pres­

ent in the world counteracts the view of permanence ; and

dedicating vi rtue to the welfare of others leads to the attainment

of full awakeni ng . An example of this form of practice is in­

cluded in an append i x .

5 5 . Actual ex istence . For most people , objects o f perception

are experienced as independent actual enti ces . I t i s relat ively

straightforward to expose the i naccuracy of this kind of percep­

tion by logical analys i s . However, even when there is some in­

tel lectual appreciation that objects of perception are not

indivisible ent it ies , depend on other factors for their appear­

ance , and are not permanent , one st i l l feels that the chair i n the

corner is a sol id , real object exist i ng i ndependently of oneself or

other factors . In this first i nstruction, one i s encouraged to

counteract this feel ing and , i nstead , to cultivate some feel i ng

for the phantomlike nature of experience, in which the objects

of perception s imply appear, empty of any kind of inherent ex­

istence , j ust l ike the images that arise in dreams .

5 6 . Mind i n i tself. Application of the previous i nstructions

necessari ly leads to the understandi ng that phenomena are ap­

pearances ari s ing in mind . The natural question i s , "What is

the nature of m i nd ? " Mi nd , in B uddhist thought , does not de­

note any idea of self or pervasive metaphysical enti ty but refers

s i mply to knowing , being aware . In the next instruction, this

function of know ing is subjected to careful scruti ny to deter­

mine whether it is truly existent or not . I n the subsequent in­

struct ion , attention is turned to the act of med i tation itself. I n

this way, one arrives a t a n apprec iation o f m i nd in i tself, a term

that refers to the nat ure of m i nd , which is at once empty, lumi­

nous , and unceas ing .

5 7 . Seven groups of consc iousness . In B uddhist phi losophy,

the m i nd i s v iewed as a complex composed of eight ki nds of

Note.r

consCiousness . The fi rst five are the consnousness assoc iated

with each of the five senses : s ig h t , hear i ng , taste , smel l . and touc h . The sixth is the consc iousness of thought and mental ac­

tivity. The seventh is the consc iousness of se l f, the fe l t sense of

" 1 . " It is referred to as the consc iousness of the emot ional m i nd

si nce the fel t sense of se lf is emotion a l l y flavored and leads d i ­

rectly to the developmen t of d i s t urbi ng emotional states . The

eighth consciousness is termed " t he bas is of everyth i ng , "

alayat 'ijfiana , and refers t o a k i nd o f consc iousness t hat precedes

ego in the sense that , whi le there are the pred ispos it ions to­

ward samsara, the sense of self is not explicit ly present . As long

as the habi ts of ego-cl inging are present , the other seven con­

sciousnesses develop from alayavi j fiana.

5 8 . The bas is of everything , alaya . This term is used in refer­

ence to the eighth consciousness (see note 5 7 ) but here refers to

mind as it is in i tself when none of the confusion and construc­

tions of samsara are present . When the process of samsara is

halted and there is no further reinforcement of those tenden­

cies , consc iousness as the basis of everythi ng (alayavi j fiana) sub­

sides and mind as it i s , the basis of everything (alaya), is

known. In other edi t ions of The Seven Points of Mind Training,

this l ine reads :

Rest in the essence of the path , the basis of everything .

The previous i nstructions have outl i ned a pattern of analy­

sis that leads one to an understandi ng of the nature of mind . In

order to cult ivate this appreciat ion to the point that the dis­

turbing and obscuring factors of ego- based habits subside and

mind in i tself i s ev ident i n i ts empty yet lumi nous presence ,

one must develop and foster the abi l i ty to let the m i nd rest i n a

clear, nondi scurs ive state , free from cl ing i ng or conceptual

7 5

postulation . Th is state , when properly real ized , i s the basis of

everyth i ng , alaya . When there i s some lack of awareness , al l the

elaborat ions of consc iousness and ego-based existence develop ,

but th is bas is i s also the potential for buddhahood . It is

buddha-nature, which wi l l shine effortlessly l ike the sun once

the clouds of confusion have been d ispersed .

These four instructions present all the phi losophy of

Mai treya's teachings to Asanga. As i t i s said i n Maitreya's

teachings :

After the awareness that there i s noth ing other than

mind

Comes the understanding that mind , too , i s nothing

i tself.

The intelligent know that these two understandi ngs

are not th i ngs .

And the n , not hold i ng onto even this knowledge, they come to rest i n the realm of total i ty.

These four l i nes correspond to the four i nstruct ions for

medi tat ion given in the text . Kongtrul g ives a short commen­

tary on these l ines in his wri t ings on philosophy :

From t ime without beg i nning , mind , based on the i nci­

dental impurit ies of lack of awareness , ari ses as various

appearances , which , if not i nvest igated or exam ined , are l i ke the bewi lderi ng appearances t n d reams . When

these appearances are exam i ned , they do not exist as

any th i ng and are e m pty by v i rtue of what they are .

Hence, al l appearances are s i mp ly creat ions of mind . Conseq uent ly, t he mode of be i ng o f the relat ive ly real is

that appearances , wh ich are held to arise external ly, have

Notes

no inherent natu re and are l i ke t he reflect i o n of the

moon tn water.

The m i nd that grasps , too , i s not located anywhere

external ly or interna l ly and does not ex i s t conc retely

w i th a color or shape . From the con t i n u i ty of ego­

c l ing i ng , which m istakes that w h i c h i s n ' t ( i . e . , a se lt) for

something which i s , come the e ight consc iousnesses ,

which are l ike sky-flowers , empty from the beginn i ng .

Yet that which s i mply i s , the pri st ine awareness or

wisdom that is empty of fixation and graspi ng , i s pres­

ent in all beings , from buddhas to sentient beings ; it is

the potent ial for buddhahood and is, by nature , total ly

lumi nous and has never been blemished by i ncidental

impuri t i es . This is the mode of bei ng of the ult imately

real .

When these two modes of being are properly recog­

nized , one i s to remain i n that state of recogni tion . This

i s the poi nt of The Five Teachings of Maitreya.

5 9 · The idea here i s that although experience of the world

ari ses , when that experience i s analyzed to determ ine what it i s ,

nothing can be found to exis t in fact . (See Kongtrul 's com­

ments i n note 5 8 . )

6o . The translation "chi ld of i llus ion" i s due to Trungpa Rin­

poche . Other teachers explai n this l ine as "be a sorcerer. " A sor­

cerer knows that the i l lusions that he creates through

enchantments or spells are i l lusion . In the same way, one

should know that the experiences that arise in l i fe are simply

appearances that arise in the m i nd and have no substantial ex­

Istence .

6 I . The procedure for the deve lopmen t of bod h ic i t ta consists

of a seq uence of contemplat ion s , w h ich may vary i n order and

subject matter depend i ng on the t rad i t ion . However, the care

and help one has rece i ved from one's parents is gene ral ly used

as a bas is for developi ng the experience of s i ncere warmth and

appreC lat 10n .

The ki ndness of one 's mother and the extent to which she

cared for her ch i ld duri ng pregnancy, b i rth , and infancy is, for

some people, obscured by subsequen t events i n home and fam­

ily l ife to the poi nt that contemplation of one's parents as an

example of kindness is in i tially difficult or impract ical . In such

cases , it may be more fruitful to begin this sequence with con­

templation on a close friend , teacher, or other i nd ividual whose

help and ki ndness are appreciated .

Al ternatively, one may fi nd t hat imag i n i ng that one never

had a mother wi l l bri ng about a different appreciation of one's

relationship .

In any case, s i nce development of a bas is of some kind of

experience of warm th toward all sentient bei ngs i s essential for

the fru i tful pract ice of taking and sending , i t i s worthwhile ex­

plori ng all aspects of these contemplations to find those meth­

ods which one is able to use effectively.

6 2 . Source of sufferi ng : emotional states of m i nd and the ac­

t ions that develop from them . The term for emotion in Tibetan

carries the idea of d i s turbance and d u l lness , i m p ly ing that

emotions c loud and confuse the m i nd . Thus, actions that de­

velop from such fee l ings are generally at odds with the s i tua­t i on and c reate more probems . The mental patterns laid down

in t h i nk i ng and act i ng i n th i s way create the potential for fur­

ther confus ion and d i sturbance , and hence more sufferi ng .

Notes

6 3 . Gyal-se Tokme ( r 2 9 5 - r 3 69) : a Kadam pa teacher tamed for his pract ice of bodhic i tta . He was probably the fi rst to wr i te

a commentary on The Sez•en PointJ , and a l l subseq uent works re­

fer to h im .

64 . Carrying pract ice i nto everyday l i fe . The Tibetan id iom

l i teral ly means " to carry {one's pract ice} to the {spi r itual]

path"-in other words , to make one's pract ice effective . The cri teria of effect iveness i n Buddhist trai n ing are not s i mply

how wel l one can s i t in meditat ion or how wel l one can focus

the mind, but how thoroughly the understanding one develops

through medi tation permeates one's l i fe and one's relationships

with others , how present i t i s i n everyday activi ty, and to what

extent i t is reflected i n one's behavior.

6 5 . God or demon . I n the course of awakeni ng to the nature of

the world , there is a natural i ncrease i n one's sensi t ivi ty and

perception of the many i nfluences that shape and determine

one's personal i ty and environment . These influences may be ex­

perienced as an intangible presence or feel i ng associated with a

certai n local ity, as d i sturbances i n physical or mental well­

being , or as images and patterns encountered in dreams , at the

point of s leep , or i n actual l ife . These experiences may be heav­

enly (pleasurable and en joyable) or demonic (horrific and terri­

fying) . The approach i n mind train i ng to such disturbances is

to accept the s i tuation as i t is and use it , however posi tively or

negat ively flavored , as a st imulus to wakefulness and an oppor­

tunity to express compassion .

66 . The reader i s referred to t he earl ier d iscussion on u l t i ­

mate bod hic itta . The poi n t of view here i s that al l chat we

7 9

have to deal with i s our experience of the world , and that the

world is a world of exper ience rather than an external ent i ty

that ex ists i ndependently of us . Thus , how we perceive deter­

m i nes what we experience . We tend to perce ive the world as

bei ng real , i ndependent , and so on , but this view cannot be

mai ntai ned i n the l ight of analys i s . We come to the conclu­

sion that all our experience i s j ust that-the aris i ng of experi ­

ences , some fixed and sol id , such as our perception of t he

world , others fleeti ng and i ntang ible , such as our thoughts

and ideas .

67 . The four kayas . Buddhahood is described in terms of four

kayas (l i terally "bodies" ) or four aspects of being . The first is

dharmakaya, or being as truth . It is l ike space, without begin­

ning or end , total s implici ty, beyond any logical determina­

tion , and free of all l imitations or obscurations . The second is

sambhogakaya, or bei ng as full of quali ties . Its domain is the

pure realm of natural well-be ing . I t arises in a variety of forms

as the express ion of compassion and communicates awakening

as transcend i ng awareness to high-level bodhisattvas . The

thi rd is nirmanakaya, or bei ng as expression . I ts domai n is

the world of the experience of sentient bei ngs , and it reveals

awaken i ng i n many d ifferent ways that inspire bei ngs to

seek freedom from ego-oriented existence . The fourth is sva­

bhavi kakaya, or bei ng as it i s . It is not so much a fourth kaya as

it is a way of express i ng the i nseparabi l i ty of the precedi ng

three . Although these four aspects of bei ng are real i zed i n their

ent i rety only when al l lack of awareness and obscurations have

been e l iminated , they are present in all experience . In his com­

mentary, Kongtrul poi nts out those aspects of experience

wh ich correspond to the fou r kayas .

Ho

Notes

68 . Torma: a kind of offeri ng or gift whose s igni ficance is ex­

plained as that which has power and capabi l i ty. Pou •er i nd icates

the power of overcoming the deadeni ng effect of ego, and capa­bility indicates the abi l i ty to overcome the four obsess ions (ob­

session with emotions , mortal i ty, entertai nment , and phys ical

existence) . I n present ing torma co gods and demons , one ac­

knowledges these forces and influences in one's experience and

comes to terms with them . In present ing torma to daki nis and

protectors ( see note 69 ) , one nourishes the presence of awak­

ened activity i n one 's experience .

A typical ceremony for this sore of offeri ng will include a

consecration of the physical torma (usually a cake or pastry

fashioned and decorated according to the particular purpose of

the ceremony) i n order to appreciate the richness and poss ibil i ­

ties of experience and its presentation co the recipients . Such

practices function s imultaneously on several levels , as i l lus­

trated by the following excerpt from a collect ion of prayers of

the Karma Kagyu tradit ion :

In the bowl formed by the universe of world systems

Rests the torma of the four elements (earth , water,

fire , and wind) .

I offer i t to the four guardian kings and the throng

of wrathful gods .

Bless me with the ful l performance of your work

for me .

In the bowl formed by my own skin

Rests the torma of my flesh, blood , and bones .

I offer i t to the vast host of protectors of the

dharma.

Bless me with a l ife that shines like the sun and moon.

8 1

T H E G R E A T P A T H O r A W A K E N I N G

In the bowl formed by the various appearances that

arise in m ind

Rests the torma of clear mindfulness and awareness .

I offer i t to the all-pervad i ng dharmakaya.

Bless me with the five prist ine wisdoms .

69 . Dakinis and protectors : expressions of awakened activi ty.

The former are female figures who embody compassion and

emptiness and , i n particular, present the playfulness of m i nd in

the space of total s implicity. Hence the name dakini, which

means "she who travels i n the sky. " Protectors are generally

wrathful expressions of bodhisattvas who have undertaken to

assist practitioners by clearing away disruptive forces through

the four kinds of activi ty-pacify ing , enriching , magnetiz ing,

and destroying .

7 0 . Mandala . In this context , mandala refers t o the practice of

offering the whole universe with all its richness and beauty to

one 's guru , the buddhas , etc . In this practice , grai ns of rice are

arranged on a disc of copper or s i lver i n a pattern derived from

traditional B uddhist cosmology.

7 1 . Hope can be understood as ego 's attempt to establish its

own priori t ies , while fear is ego's reaction to threats to i ts sur­

vi val . The two patterns conti nue to arise unt i l ego-cl ing i ng is

completely removed .

7 2 . Mantras and dharanis : formul� for reci tation associated

with part icular buddhas , bodhisattvas , and other figures . A

dharani is essent ial ly a very concise prayer that fosters recol lec­

tion of bodhic i t ta and guards agai nst i ts neglect . Mantras

guard tht: m i nd from nondharm ic att i tudes .

Notes

7 3 · The seven-poi nt posture . The l egs are crossed i n va j ra po­sition ; the right hand is placed on the left , and both rest w i t h

thumbs touch ing at the level of the naveL the back i s he ld

straight ; the l ips and teeth are c losed but not c lenched , and the

tongue is placed agai nst the palate; the arms are bent and held

sl ightly out from the body; the ch in i s d raw n i n toward the

throat ; and the eyes rest wi thout stra i n i ng on a po i n t about

eight fi nger-widths i n front of the nose .

7 4 · Ord i nat i o n . These three levels of ord i nat ion cor respond

to the three approaches to pract ice : h i nayana , mahayana, and

vaj rayana . I n the fi rst , emphas i s is placed on res trai nt , non­

aggression , and a s i mple , straightforward way of l i fe that

does not hurt or cause h arm to others . The ord i nat ion of i n ­

dividual l i berat ion i s concerned pri nc ipal ly with phys ical

and verbal conduc t . There are several types of ordi nation at

this level , from ful ly ordai ned monk or nun to a layperson

who observes poss ibly only o ne vow. However, the essence of

the ord i nat ion i s found i n the four vows not to k i l l , not to

steal , not to l i e , and not to engage i n i nappropriate sexual re­

lat ionships . I n the mahayana, the emphasis is on compass i on

and bodhic i t ta . The correspond i ng ord i nation , the bodhisat­

tva vow, focuses on one's relationship wi th others-that is ,

one 's aspi rat ion to buddhahood i n order to help al l bei ngs .

This ord i nat ion i s more a vow of consc ience and i s violated

even by the dec i s ion never to help a certai n individual or by

a sense of despair or fut i l i ty in one 's in tention to help others

by atta i n i ng buddhahood . At the vaj rayana level , one ident i ­

fies d i rect ly w i th awakened mind . This form of pract ice re­

quires a pure vis ion of the world and a comm i tment to

mai ntai n that vis ion .

8 1,

T H E G R E A T P A T H OF A W A K E N I N G

7 5 . The kinds of act ions Kongtrul c i tes here would be consid­

ered scandalous in Tibetan soc iety. S lash ing trees , for i nstance ,

would i nd icate complete disregard for local deit ies res id i ng in

groves and woods . Pol lut ing bodies of water by uri nat ing in

them would i ndicate a s imilar disregard for nagas . In Western

societies , this sort of exhibitionism might take the form of

highly unconventional dress or a blatant lack of manners or

personal hygiene.

7 6 . The Tibetan text refers to a dzo and an ox . The dzo is a

cross between a yak and a cow and has much greater carrying

capacity than an ox .

7 7 . Revealed teachings or treasure teachings . I n the course of

the history of Buddhism, new formulations of the B uddha's

teachings and different techniques of practice have been re­

vealed by certain teachers . I n Tibet , such revealed works were

called "treasures" h idden by Guru Padmasambhava for the

benefit of future generations .

7 8 . Monks could expect s izable offerings and donations when

they performed ceremonies for heal i ng s ick people or con­

ducted funeral ceremonies .

7 9 · Ra-treng ( R wa . sgreng) : the monastery founded by Dram­

ton Ri npoche i n 1 0 5 6 .

8o . The word yidam means " that to which the m i nd is bound . "

Generally, i t i s a vaj rayana term for an expression of enl ight­

ened m i nd that is used in med i tat ion (see note 34 ) . Here , how-

Notes

ever, the advice means to i nvoke the com pass i on and i ntel l i ­

gence that develop through mind trai n i ng .

8 r . Potowa: a student of Drom-ton R i npoche and a holder of the Kadampa l ineage .

82 . Tsang-tsen is the name o f a protective deity associated

with the Ny i ngma tradit ion . He has a reputation of bei ng ex­tremely sensit ive and eas i ly i rr itated .

8 3 . Gyal-se Rinpoche: Gyal-se Tokme. (See note 63 . )

8 4 . The Stages of the Awakening Warrior: a series of short texts

on mind t rai n ing that can be found in Blo. sbyong. brgya. rtsa

(A Hundred Teachings on Mind Train ing) , a collection by dKon. mchog . rgyal . mtsan published in Dharamsala, India .

8 5 . These teachings were given by Serl i ngpa to Atisha before

he left for Tibet .

86 . Despite the metaphorical language , there is no suggestion

of suppression of emotions in these methods . The proper use of

these techniques does not result in the dangerous effects of

simply suppress ing emotions . Guidance by a quali fied teacher

is necessary to understand how to practice properly.

87 . Kunga Nyingpo . Better known as Taranatha, this great

scholar and contemplative l ived at the end of the sixteenth cen­

tury and was the last l ineage holder of the Jonangpa tradi tion .

A P P E N D I C E S

The Seven Points of Mind Training

The Groundwork: Instruct ion on What Supports the Dharma

First , do the groundwork .

The Actual Practice : Trai ni ng in Bodhicitta

U LTIMAT E B ODH IC ITTA

Look at all experience as a dream .

Exami ne the nature of unborn awareness .

Let even the remedy release naturally.

The essence of the path : rest i n the basis of all experience .

In dai ly l i fe , be a child of i llusion .

R E L A T I V E B O D H I C I T TA

Train in taki ng and sending alternately.

Put them on the breath .

Three objects , three poisons , three seeds of virtue .

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A KENI N G

Use remi nders in everything you do .

Begin the sequence of taking with you .

The Transformation of Adversity into the Path of Awakening

When misfortune fills the world and i ts i nhabitants ,

Make adversi ty the path of awakening .

RE LAT I V E B ODHI C I TTA

Drive all blame i nto one .

Be graceful to everyone .

U LT I MAT E B ODHI C I TTA

The ultimate protection is emptiness ;

Know what arises as confusion to be the four aspects of

being .

S P E C I A L P RACT I C E S

The best way i s c o use the four practices .

Work w i th whatever you encounter, immediately.

The Util izat ion of the Practice i n One 's Whole Life

W H AT T O D O D U R I N G O N E ' s L I F E

A sum mary of the esse n t i a l i nstruct ions :

Trai n in the five forces .

W H AT T O D O AT D E AT H

The mahayana i ns t ruct ions for how co die Are the five forces . Posture i s i m portant .

The Set 'en Point.r of A l ind Tr,·1ining

The Extent of Proficiency i n M i nd Trai n i ng

Al l instructions have one ai m .

Two testi mon ies : re ly on the i mportant one .

A joyous state of mi nd i s a consta n t suppor t .

Proficiency means you do it even when d i s t racted .

Commitments of Mind Trai n i ng

Always trai n in three bas ic princ iples .

Change your i ntention , but behave natural ly.

Don 't talk about others · shortcomi ngs .

Don't dwell on others ' problems .

Work on your strongest reactions first .

Give up any hope for results .

Give up poisoned food .

Don't rely on a sense of duty.

Don't las h out .

Don 't wai t i n ambush .

Don 't go for the throat .

Don't put an ox's load on a cow.

Don't be competit ive .

Don't make pract ice a sham .

Don't turn a god i nto a demon.

Don't look to profit from sorrow.

Guidelines for Mind Training

Use one pract ice for everyth ing .

Use one remedy for everyth ing .

Two things to d o : one a t the beg i nn i ng , one at the end .

Whatever happens , good or bad , be patien t .

T H t ·: < ; R E A T P A T H 0 F .A W .A K E N I N ( 1

Keep t hese t w o , e v e n i f you r l i fe i s at r i s k .

Learn to meet t h ree c hal lenges .

Foster t h ree key elements .

Take care to prevent three ki nds of damage .

Engage all three faculties .

Trai n o n every obj ect without preference .

Trai n i ng must be broad and deep.

Always work on what makes you boi l .

Don't depend o n extraneous condit ions .

Pract ice what 's important now.

Don't get things wrong.

Don't switch on and off.

Train wholeheartedly.

Find freedom by probing and testing .

Don't boast .

Don 't b e hypersensit ive .

Don't be impuls ive .

Don't expect thanks .

Concluding Verses

As the five kinds of decay spread ,

This practice changes them into the way of awakening ,

This instruction, the essence of elixir,

Is a transmission from Serlingpa.

The awakening of the karmic energy of previous training

Aroused intense interest in me .

Therefore , I ignored suffering and criticism

And sought instruction for subdu ing ego-clinging .

Now, when I die, I ' l l have n o regrets .

The Root Text of the Seven Points of Training the Mind

Translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee under the direction

of Vidyadhara the Venerable Chb'gyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Poi nt One : The Prelimi naries , Which Are a Basis for Dharma Practice

[I P ROST RAT E T O T H E GREAT C OM PA S S I ONATE ON E . }

I . First , train i n the preliminaries .

Point Two : The Main Practice, Which Is Training i n Bodhichi tta

( A B S OL U T E B OD H I C H I TTA }

2 . Regard all dharmas as dreams .

3 · Exami ne the nature of unborn awareness .

4 · Self- l iberate even the antidote .

5 . Rest i n the nature of alaya, the essence .

6 . In postmedi tat ion , be a child of i l lusion .

9 3

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

[ R E L A T I V E B O D H I C H I TTA }

7 . Send ing and taki ng should be pract iced al ternately.

These two should ride the breath .

8 . Three objects , three poisons , and three seeds of vi rtue .

9 · In all activi ties , trai n wi th slogans .

I O . Begin the sequence of sendi ng and taking wi th yourself.

Point Three : Transformation of Bad Circumstances into the Path of Enlightenment

I I . When the world is fil led with evi l ,

transform all mishaps into the path o f bod hi .

I 2 . Drive all blames i nto one .

I 3 . Be grateful to everyone .

I 4 . Seeing confusion as the four kayas

is unsurpassable shunyata protection .

I 5 . Four practices are the best of methods .

r 6 . Whatever you meet u nexpectedly, j o in with medi tat ion .

Point Four: Showi ng the Util ization of Practice in One 's Whole Life

I 7 . Pract ice the five strengths ,

The condensed heart i nstructions .

I 8 . The mahayana i nstruction for e jection of consciousness

at death

Is the five strengths : how you conduct yourse lf i s tmportant .

94

The Root Text of the Seven Points �l Training the Al ind

Point Five : Evaluat ion of M i nd Trai n i ng

1 9 . All dharma agrees at one poi nt .

2 0 . O f the two wi tnesses , hold the princ ipal one .

2 1 . Always mai ntai n only a j oyful m i nd .

2 2 . I f you can pract ice even w hen distracted , you are wel l

trai ned .

Poi nt Six: Discipli nes of Mind Trai ning

2 3 . Always abide by the three basic principles .

24 . Change your atti tude, but remain natural .

2 5 . Don't talk about i n j ured l imbs .

2 6 . Don't ponder others .

2 7 . Work with the greatest defilements first .

2 8 . Abandon any hope of fruition .

2 9 . Abandon poisonous food .

30 . Don't be so predictable .

3 r . Don't mal ign others .

3 2 . Don't wai t i n ambush .

3 3 · Don't bring th ings to a painful poi nt .

34 · Don't transfer t he ox's load to the cow.

3 5 · Don't try to be the fastest .

36 . Don't act with a twist .

3 7 . Don't make gods i nto demons .

3 8 . Don't seek others ' pain as the l imbs of

your own happiness .

9 5

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

Poi nt Seven : Guidel ines of Mind Trai ning

3 9 · All ac t ivi ties should be done with one intention .

40 . Correc t all wrongs with one intention.

4 I . Two activi ties : one at the beginning , one at the end .

42 . Whichever of the two occurs , be pat ient .

4 3 . Observe these two, even at the risk of your l ife .

44 · Train in the three difficulties .

45 · Take on the three principal causes .

46 . Pay heed that the three never wane .

4 7 . Keep the three inseparable .

48 . Train without bias in al l areas .

49 · I t i s crucial always to do this pervasively and

wholeheartedly.

Always medi tate on whatever provokes resentment .

5 0 . Don 't be swayed by external c ircumstances .

5 I . Th is t ime , practice the main points .

5 2 . Don 't misinterpret .

5 3 · Don 't vac i l late .

5 4 · Trai n wholeheartedly.

5 5 . Li berate yourself by examining and analyzing .

5 6 . Don 't wallow in self-pi ty.

5 7 . Don't be jealous .

58 . Don't be frivolous .

5 9 · Don 't expect applause .

When the five dark ages occur,

Th is i s the way to t ransform them into the path of bodhi .

Th i s i s the essence of the am rita of the oral instruct ions ,

Which were handed dow n from the trad i t ion of the sage of

Suvarnadvipa .

The Root Text of the Seven Points of Training the Mind

Having awakened the karma of previous train ing

And bei ng urged on by i ntense dedicat ion ,

I disregarded m isfortune and slander

And received oral i nstruction on taming ego-fixat ion .

Now, even a t death , I wi l l have no regrets .

[These two verses are the concluding comments of Geshe

Chekawa Yeshe Dorje , the author of The Root Text of the

Seven Points of Training the Mind. ]

Soothing the Pain of Faith A Prayer to the !Yfind-Training Lineage

T H I S P R A Y E R W A S C O M P O S E D B Y L O D R U TA Y E

Gamgon Kongtrul) to be i ncluded with the wri tten commen­

tary on mind training . Additions to the lineage were made by

Kalu Rinpoche .

All the l ineages of the mind train ing transmission share a

common genes is i n Buddha Shakyamuni , the Indian masters

i ncluding Atisha, and the early Kadampa teachers . Different

l ines of transmission begin to emerge in the eleventh and

twelfth centuries . Kongtrul follows the Kadampa l ineage up to

Tokme Zangpo, who authored the first commentary on

Chekawa's Seven Points . By this time there were many systems

of mind trai ni ng . Shakya Chokden , a teacher of the Sakya tra­

dition, received some sixty different teach ings from Shon-nu

Lodru . With Kunga Chokdrup, this l ine of transm iss ion enters

the Jonangpa school and cont i nues as part of the Shangpa

transmiss ion after Taranatha 's time. The Shangpa transmission ,

i n turn, was carried by teachers of several d ifferent schools : Tse­

wang Norbu , a Nyi ngma mas ter; Tri n-le Shi ngta, a Drukpa

99

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W' A K E N I N G

Kagyu master; Situ Tenpa Nyinje of the Karma Kagyu tradi­

tion ; and others . Kongtrul (Lodru Taye) received these teach­

ings from Shenpen Ozer, a Shangpa l ineage holder, though he

undoubtedly received them from other teachers , too. After

Kongtrul , the l ine of transmission, as augmented by Kalu Rin­

poche, follows the Karma Kagyu and Shangpa l ineage holders

in eastern Tibet .

Glorious root guru , the precious one,

Si tt ing above my head on a lotus-and-moon seat ,

With your great kindness , please take care of me.

Grant the mastery of enlightened form, speech, and mind .

I pray to Shakyamuni and his regent Maitreya,

To the noble Asanga and the learned Vasubandhu,

To the two Sena and Gunam itra , and to Simhabhadra.

Bless me with the full development of love , compassion, and

bodhici tta,

And the abi l i ty to d ism iss and d ispel . *

I pray to Gang-pel and the greater and lesser Kusal i ,

To Dharmakirt i and lord Atisha,

To Drom-ton , Potowa, and Sharawa,

And to the contemplat ive Chekawa.

Bless me w i th the ful l development of love , compass ion , and

bodh ic i tta ,

And the abi l i ty to dism iss and di spe l .

* D•sm 1 ss .md J i sp d . I n h i s w ri l l n...:s . Kon...: r ru l cxpha i ns Jumi.o as c he d i s missal of e...:o-d m...: m...: J.nJ J,,pr/ J.S c hc J •spd l m...: of J i sc u rbi n...: emoc ions .

Soothinr, the Pain ol Ft�itb l. •

I pray to Ch i lbupa and guru Ozer,

To Lha-di ng , Jang -chub Bum , and Kun-gyal tsen ,

To Yonten - pal and the great pand i t Dewa -pal ,

And to Shon-nu, who procla i med the fou r teac h i ngs .

Bless me w i th the ful l deve lopmen t of love , compass ion , and bodhic itta ,

And the abi l i ty to dism iss and dispel .

I pray to the bodhisattva Sonam Trakpa,

To Tok-me Zangpo, Yonten Lodru, and Shon-nu Lodru ,

To the great pandit Shakya Chokden ,

And to Kunga Chokdrup and J etsun Drolchok.

Bless me with the full development of love , compassion , and

bodhici tta,

And the abi l i ty to d ismiss and dispel .

I pray to Lung-rik Gyatso and all-knowi ng Taranatha,

To the two regents Rinchen Gyatso and Yeshe Gyatso ,

To the contemplative Yonten Gon , to Gonpo Pal jor,

Gonpo Trakpa , and to Gonpo Namgyal .

B less me with the full development of love , compassion, and

bodhicitta,

And the abi l i ty to dismiss and dispel .

I pray to Tsewang Norbu and Tri n-le Shingta,

To Situ Tenpa Nyin je and the siddha Lodru,

To Karma Lhatong , Shenpen Ozer, and Lodru Taye .

Bless me with the ful l development of love, compassion , and

bodhici tta,

And the abi l i ty to dismiss and d ispel .

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

I pray to Kachab Dorje and Shiwa Nyingpo,

To Padma Wangchuk and Khyentse Ozer,

To Norbu Dondrub , whose experience and understanding

were complete,

And to all the root and lineage gurus .

Bless me with the full development of love, compassion, and

bodhici tta,

And the abi l i ty to dismiss and dispel .

In your form is united the compassion of Buddha and his sons .

You are the incomparable lord of dharma with whom any rela-

tionship is meani ngful .

My root guru, you embody the l i fe-breath of this l ineage .

I pray to you from the depths of my heart .

Bless me with the ful l development of love, compassion, and

bodhicitta,

And the ab i l i ty to dismiss and dispel .

Revulsion and renunciation form the foundation .

Supreme pure bodhicitta i n its two aspects

Is the secret for never veering from the mahayana path .

Grant your blessings that bodhici tta may arise ,

Be stabi l ized , and grow in strength .

When the confusion of the eight concerns* has been thrown

over,

Ego-c l ing ing complete ly severed ,

And genuine concern for others thorough ly deve loped ,

*The c i � h t concerns : � a i n and loss , hilppi ness and sutJeri ng , fame and notoriety, pmise and blame .

1 0 2

Soothing the Pain of Faith

Whatever appears can be experienced as an aid on the path of

awaken i ng .

Grant your blessings that m i nd trai n i ng may be complete .

With the d i rect understand ing that what is ult imate has no

orig in , cessation , or duration , is emptiness ,

Yet what is present arises from dependence and coincidence

l ike an enchantment ,

May I come to see everythi ng and work naturally for the wel­

fare of l imitless bei ngs

As long as samsara exists .

The Seven-Branch Prayer

With complete faith I bow

To all the victorious ones and their sons

Who abide i n the ten directions and three times .

I offer flowers , i ncense , l ight ,

Perfume, food , music , and many other thi ngs,

Both in substance and with my imagination .

I ask the noble assemblage to accept them .

I confess all evi l actions that I have done ,

Influenced by the defilements ,

From t ime wi thout begi nning until now:

The five that ripen im mediately,

The ten nonvi rtuous acts , and many others .

I rejoice in the meri t of whatever vi rtue

Shravakas , pratyekabuddhas ,

105

T H E G R E A T P A T H O F A W A K E N I N G

Bodhisattvas , and ordi nary people

Gather throughout the three t imes .

I pray for the wheel of the dharma to be turned ,

The teachings of the mahayana and hinayana,

In ways sui table for the different aptitudes

And motivations present in sentient bei ngs .

I ask the buddhas not to pass i nto nirvana,

But, wi th great compassion and

Until samsara is completely empty,

To look after al l sentient beings

Who drown in this ocean of sorrow.

May whatever merit I have accumulated

Become a seed for the enlightenment of all beings .

Wi thout delay, may I become

A splendid leader for sentient be i ngs .

Shambhala Classics

Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice , by Taizan

Maezumi Roshi .

The Art of Peace, by Morihei Ueshiba . Edited by John Stevens .

The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. Translated by the Denma Transla­

tion Group .

The Art of Worldly Wisdom, by Baltasar Gracian . Translated by Joseph Jacobs .

The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi . Translated by Thomas Cleary.

The Book of Tea , by Kakuzo Okakura.

Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation , by Larry Rosenberg .

The Buddha and His Teachings . Edi ted by Samuel Bercholz and

Sherab Chodzin Kohn. The Diamond Sutra and The Sutra of Hui-Neng. Translated by

Wong Mou-lam and A. F. Price. The Eight Gates of Zen: A Program of Zen Training, by John

Da ido Loori .

Thf Grt't�l Path rl A wakeninx, , by Jarn�on Kon� t ru l . Translated

by Ken McLeod .

/might l'rfeditation: A PJychology of Freedom , by Joseph G·oldste i n . Kabbalah: The Way of the jewish Mystic, by Perle Epstei n . Lm,ingkindness: The Revolutionary A rt of Happiness , b y Sharon

Salzberg .

Meditations, by J . Krishnamurti .

The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation , by Chogyam

Trungpa.

Narrow Road to the Interior and Other Writings , by Matsuo Basho.

Translated by Sam Hamill .

The Rumi Collection: A n A nthology of Translations of Mevlana

]alaluddin Rumi. Edited by Kabir Helminski .

Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation , by

Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield .

Seven Taoist i\1asters: A Folk Novel of China. Translated by Eva

Wong .

Siddhartha , by Hermann Hesse. Translated by Sherab Chodzin

Kohn.

Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi, by Ramana Maharshi .

Start Where You A re: A Guide to Compassionate Living, by Perna

Chadron.

T'ai Chi Classics . Translated with commentary by Waysun Liao.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation through Hear­

ing in the Bardo. Translated with commentary by Francesca

Fremantle and Chogyam Trungpa.

Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness, by Chogyam

Trungpa.

The Tree of Yoga , by B . K. S . Iyengar.

The Way of the Bodhisattva, by Shantideva. Translated by the

Padmakara Translation Group.

The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way . Trans­

lated by Olga Savi n .

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Adt-'ice for Difficult Times , by

Perna Chadron.

The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving-Kindness , by

Perna Chadron .

The Wisdom of the Prophet: Sayings of Muhammad. Translated by

Thomas Cleary.

The Yoga-Sutra of Pataiijali: A New Translation with Commentary .

Translated by Chip Hartranft .

Zen Lessons: The Art of Leadership . Translated by Thomas Cleary.