A Commentary on A Lamp for the Path His Holiness, the Dalai Lama Translated by Thubten Jinpa Melbourne, Australia

May 1 !"", "##"

$ood mornin%& 'o( o)er the ne*t fe( days there (ill be an e*planation about +uddhadharma a,,ordin% to the Tibetan tradition& This means that if (e e*amine the te*t, (hi,h (e learned by not only readin% or study but also learned by heart& All those ma-or te*ts (ere a,tually (ritten by the pandits or s,holars of 'alanda +uddhist .ni)ersity in an,ient times in /ndia& 0o all of our pra,ti,e is a,tually based on those te*ts so therefore is really (orth(hile to mention that Tibetan tradition is 'alanda tradition, pure 'alanda tradition& The te*t that / (ill e*plain (as (ritten by Atisha Dipam1ara& He also ori%inally studied at 'alanda and later at 2i1ramashila so all his 1no(led%e a,tually based on the te*t (ritten by 'alanda s,holars li1e 'a%ar-una, Arya Asan%a, Aryade)a, 2asubandhu, Di%na%a li1e that& .sually / ma1e sort of a ,orre,tion& 0ome s,holars, mainly from the 3est des,ribe Tibetan +uddhism as Lamaism, not %enuine, ori%inal +uddhism& This is a mista1e& 0in,e the 'alanda s,holars or 'alanda institution they pra,ti,ed or studied all +uddhist traditions, Thera)ada system, +odhisatt)ayana as (ell as the 2a-rayana& All of the 'alanda s,holars had different )ie(s (hether the te*ts (ere re%ardin% Tantrayana or Madhyami1a4 some (ere (ritten usin% one name& 0ome s,holars say there (ere t(o 'a%ar-unas, not the same& 5f ,ourse Dipam1ara Atisha a,,epted the Tantrayana tradition& 0o the Tibetan tradition (hi,h ,omes from the 'alanda tradition in,ludes all the pra,ti,es, Thera)ada system, Paramita!0utrayana system, and the Tantrayana& 0o therefore usually / des,ribe Tibetan +uddhism as a ,omplete form of +uddhism& 6Dalai Lama in 7n%lish8 /f one loo1s at the te*tual e)iden,e one finds that it is 9uite ob)ious that (ithin the 'alanda tradition, amon% the 'alanda masters there (ere %reat masters (ho had a,tually (ritten treatises on 2a-rayana +uddhism& :or e*ample the (ell 1no(n ,ommentator on the Perfe,tion of 3isdom literature, parti,ularly the ,ommentary 1no(n as the Commentary on the Twenty-five Thousand Lines on the Perfection of Wisdom ,omposed by Mo1tesayna 60P;8& 3hen he dis,usses the ,on,ept of the +uddha<s four embodiments, the four 1ayas he alludes to an alternati)e tradition (hi,h ,learly su%%ests that he (as referrin% to the 2a-rayana understandin% of the :our =ayas& 0imilarly one of the main /ndian sour,es for the linea%e of the 0a1ya tradition (as 2irupa (ho (as pre)iously 1no(n as the %reat master at 'alanda as Dharmapala& He (as a %reat pandit (ho later also be,ame 1no(n as 2irupa (ho is the sour,e of the ma-or linea%e of 0a1ya pra,ti,e& 0o all of this su%%ests that the 2a-rayana tea,hin%s and pra,ti,es (ere a,tually present durin% the time of the 'alanda tea,hers& 0o of ,ourse all ma-or traditions of reli%ion parti,ularly in the +uddhist tradition the main tas1 is to ,he,1 or (at,h our o(n minds then try to transform it, parti,ularly the emotional le)el& 5ne uni9ue thin% / thin1 about +uddhism is tryin% to transform emotion throu%h intelli%en,e, throu%h reasonin%& This is perhaps one uni9ue aspe,t of +uddhism&
6H&H& in 7n%lish8

0o the ne*t three days our main tas1 is to transform our minds, of ,ourse not easy 6lau%hter8& :or e*ample in my o(n ,ase / thin1 sin,e a%e si*!se)en / started +uddhist study, supposed pra,ti,e also& +ut / had no interest in pra,ti,e, e)en no interest in study 6Lau%hter8 but around fifteen! si*teen years old then / be%an to de)elop a %enuine interest in pra,ti,e& 0o no( today / am almost si*ty!se)en years old and still / am pra,ti,in%, still studyin%& 3hene)er / ha)e time / read,
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thin1, analy>e and try to absorb at my emotional le)el& 0till not at all a satisfa,tory result but ,ertainly / feel that as the result of pra,ti,e / %ot immense benefit in my daily life& 0o therefore it is useful4 it is somethin% really (orth(hile& Ma1e attempt but at the same time you should also 1no( that it is not easy, ta1es time and needs re%ular effort&

Perhaps amon% the audien,e here some are follo(ers of different traditions, maybe some non! belie)ers& As / said last e)enin% first / thin1 it is important to ha)e %ood heart, sense of ,arin% for one another, sense of ,ommunity, sense of responsibility& This is / feel most important 9ualities of human bein%s& 0o lon% as (e are human bein%s (e need these basi, human )alues be,ause (ithout these human )alues that person (ill not be happy person& 3here)er that person %oes al(ays ,reate some problems and the person himself or herself also not be happy& Al(ays some 1ind of frustrations inside& +ut as far as reli%ious belief is ,on,erned, yes if someone has reli%ious beliefs in order to in,rease and stren%then these human )alues, it is )ery %ood& +ut other(ise (ithout any reli%ion you ,an be a %ood person, you ,an be a happy person& 0o for a %ood life, for a happy life reli%ion is not ne,essary so it is perfe,tly alri%ht if you remain a nonbelie)er pro)ided you are a (arm! hearted, %ood person, sin,ere person, honest person& This is )ery important& Amon% the belie)ers there are different traditions& 0ome differen,es are fundamental& .sually / ma1e t(o ,ate%ories, one is a %odly reli%ion, a theisti, sort of reli%ion li1e Christianity, Muslim or Judaism, most Hinduism& The other ,ate%ory / usually des,ribe as %odless reli%ion, no %od, no ,on,ept of %od and here is Jainism, a part of the 0am1hya tradition and +uddhism, no ,on,ept of a ,reator& 0o there are these fundamental differen,es ho(e)er both emphasi>e the importan,e of the messa%e of lo)e, ,ompassion, toleran,e, for%i)eness, ,ontentment, relief of sufferin%& 0o all tea,h human )alues and therefore in spite of different philosophies and different (ay of approa,h the main tar%et is to try to ma1e a ,ontribution for humanity, try for a human bein% to be,ome a %ood human bein%& All ha)e this same potential to help humanity, to ser)e humanity& Loo1in% at it this (ay, in spite of different philosophies it is the same %oal, not ultimate %oals li1e nir)ana or hea)en, /<m not tal1in% about that& +ut as far as transformation of a ,ompassionate so,iety, %ood so,iety, happy so,iety, all ha)e the same potential, same %oal& 0in,e amon% humanity there are so many )arieties of many dispositions therefore (e need a )ariety of reli%ions& ?uite simple& 0o (ith understandin% this ,ertainly it is )ery, )ery important to respe,t and appre,iate, to admire all different traditions, all ma-or traditions& Therefore (hene)er / %i)e a +uddhist tea,hin%, +uddhist e*planation to 3esterners or non! +uddhist ,ommunity, / al(ays ma1e ,lear that / am not tryin% to promote the +uddhadharma but simply tryin% to promote basi, human )alues& :or this, / as1 ho( to ma1e a ,ontribution from my tradition in order to build happier human family, more pea,eful human so,iety& This is my thou%ht, my )ie(& Those of you (ho follo( different traditions, it is mu,h better and safer to 1eep your o(n tradition& /n the meantime out of these thousands of people some li1e Tibetans, the ma-ority, @ are +uddhists ho(e)er amon% Tibetans there are Christians and Muslims& Muslims ha)e been there for the last fe( ,enturies& 0o similarly in the Christian ,ountries the ma-ority of the people are Christians but at the same time some may ha)e an in,lination or the mental disposition (hi,h pla,es them ,loser to the +uddhist approa,h, this approa,h is more suitable&
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0o for an indi)idual there are t(o ,hoi,es, either remain nonbelie)er, (hi,h / sometimes ,all radi,al atheist be,ause +uddhism also is atheist& 0o a radi,al atheist means no belief at all in any )alue of spirituality& 0o one is either a radi,al atheist or +uddhist& :rom some indi)iduals there are only t(o ,hoi,es, either a,,ept +uddhism or remain radi,al atheist& /n the meantime the radi,al atheist )ie( is also 9uite similar, not satisfa,tory so then prefer it to +uddhism& This is o1ay if that person if they are not ,omfortable (ithin their o(n tradition, find it unbelie)able or is una,,eptable, not suitable& Then if they find the (ay of the +uddhist approa,h is suitable then o1ay but in this ,ase also thin1 )ery ,arefully, don<t follo( fashion or fad& Thin1 )ery ,arefully& After you really ,arefully thin1 that the +uddhist approa,h is most suitable to you then o1ay as an indi)idual ri%ht follo( to +uddhism, a,,ept +uddhism& +ut then one important thin% is after you be,ome +uddhist you must not sho( disrespe,t to others< traditions, parti,ularly your o(n pre)ious tradition& This you must a)oid& Aou must respe,t& Althou%h in your o(n ,ase your o(n tradition no lon%er has an effe,t but that does not mean that it no lon%er has any effe,t at all for humanity& Aour pre)ious tradition still helpin% millions of human bein%s on this planet& 0o (e must respe,t, must a)oid any 1ind of disrespe,t& Those people from 0ri Lan1a, Thailand, +urma, Laos, Cambodia, China, =orea, Japan and all of Tibet and Mon%olia, people from these areas the ma-ority of them are +uddhists, traditionally they are +uddhist& .sually / feel more ,omfortable to %i)e +uddhist tea,hin%s to Chinese and also Mon%olians but to %i)e +uddhist tea,hin%s to traditional +uddhists there is no dan%er of ,ompetition& 'o( / (ill e*plain the +uddhadharma in Tibetan& :irstly it is mu,h easier for me and / ,an rest (hile he translates& Also more importantly if / try to e*plain in my bro1en 7n%lish then althou%h / ha)e studied 7n%lish sin,e 1 BC, / am a )ery old student of 7n%lish study 6lau%hter8& +ut / ne)er pro%ress, no pro%ress& Also / am %ettin% older, my 7n%lish also is %ettin% older, so more diffi,ult 6lau%hter8& Than1 you& 'ormally (hen / %i)e tea,hin%s in a ,onte*t (here there are %athered )arious members of the +uddhist tradition then / re9uest the members of the Pali 0an%ha to ,hant the Mo%%allana 0utra& 6Chantin%8& Amon% the follo(ers of the %reat tea,her +uddha 0ha1yamuni there are many different traditions and of all of these traditions (hat is 1no(n as the Pali tradition is in terms of seniority the most senior& /t is probably the ,ase that in fa,t the tea,hin%s that (ere ori%inally %i)en by the +uddha (ere %i)en in the lan%ua%e of Pali& 0o this is (hy (e are honored to ha)e the representati)es from the Pali tradition to ,hant the Pali 0utras& Tomorro( if there are members of the Chinese 0an%ha (ho ,an re,ite the Heart Sutra in Chinese / re9uest them to do so tomorro( mornin%& /n terms of ,hronolo%y the Chinese +uddhist tradition is the se,ond most senior 0an%ha& 5n the third day / (ould re9uest members of the 2ietnamese 0an%ha to ,hant a%ain the Heart Sutra& 'o( (e (ill do the re,itation of (hat are 1no(n as the three daily pra,ti,es (hi,h (ill be follo(ed by the re,itation of the Heart Sutra in Tibetan& 'e*t is a salutation to the +uddha from the Fundamentals of the Middle Way&
DI prostrate to the Perfect Buddha, The best of teachers, who taught that Whatever is dependently arisen is
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Unceasing, unborn, Unannihilated, not permanent, Not coming, not going, Without distinction, without identity, And free from conceptual construction F
!ulamadhyama"a"ari"a

'o( is the salutation to the Perfe,tion of 3isdom from Maitreya<s Abhisamayalam ara, the Clear !eali"ations& /t (as the established tradition in 'alanda (hene)er one en%a%es in the ,ondu,t of either %i)in% a tea,hin% or listenin% to a tea,hin% to ,ulti)ate the appropriate state of mind and moti)ation& This done by %oin% for refu%e to the Three Je(els (hi,h distin%uishes the uni9ueness of the path of the +uddha and this is follo(ed by ,ulti)atin% the altruisti, aspiration to attain +uddhahood for the benefit of all sentient bein%s, the %eneration of bodhi,itta& This is to reinfor,e one<s ,ommitment to the (ellbein% of others and throu%h this (ay both the tea,her and also the students (ho parti,ipate in the tea,hin% are ad)ised to ,ulti)ate the ri%ht frame of mind (hen en%a%in% in su,h a,ti)ities& /f am / ri%ht this )erse (as ,omposed by Atisha himself, Atisha Dipam1ara& /n Tibet there (as a parti,ular ,ustom (hi,h e)ol)ed in the eastern part of Tibet, the =ham re%ion (hi,h / inherited from the late =hunu Lama, Ten>in $yaltsen Ginpo,he (here on the part of the tea,her before be%innin% the a,tual formal e*position of the tea,hin%s to remember the +uddha& 5ne pays homa%e to him as the tea,her by re,itin% some )erses of praise to the +uddha so / (ill do that no(& As it is (idely 1no(n in the ,on)entional sense in terms of history the +uddha 0ha1yamuni emer%ed on this planet more than ",H## years a%o& This %reat tea,her, +uddha 0ha1yamuni (hen shared his tea,hin%s (ith the (orld he did so by %i)in% se)eral publi, series of sermons& The first publi, series of sermons is 1no(n as the :irst Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma and the main topi, or theme of these tea,hin%s (as the :our 'oble Truths& 5ne finds in fa,t that the tea,hin%s embodied in the :our 'oble Truths laid the basi, frame(or1 for the o)erall aspe,ts of the +uddha<s tea,hin%s& /f one loo1s ,losely at the tea,hin%s of the :our 'oble Truths (hat one finds is that +uddha lays out all of the 1ey aspe,ts that are important for one<s en%a%in% in the path to(ards enli%htenment& 3hat one finds in the :our 'oble Truths are the ob-e,ts of one<s pra,ti,e thus layin% the foundation (here one establishes a basi, understandin% of the (ay thin%s e*ist& 5n the basis of this one then finds the a,tual pra,ti,e that is presented or embodied in the three hi%her trainin%s, morality, ,on,entration and (isdom& 5f these three hi%her trainin%s, morality ser)es as the basis and in this tea,hin% one has different ,ate%ories of pre,epts& :or e*ample broadly spea1in% there is the layperson<s pre,epts and the ordained members< morality or pre,epts& All to%ether there are listed se)en or ei%ht different ,lasses of pre,epts (hi,h to%ether embody the tea,hin%s on morality& 0o ta1in% morality, the ethi,al dis,ipline as the foundation, as a basis then the indi)idual pra,titioner ,ulti)ated sin%le!pointedness of mind thus de)elopin% the se,ond hi%her trainin%, (hi,h is the hi%her trainin% in ,on,entration& The reason (hy +uddhists refer to these pra,ti,es as hi%her trainin%s is to distin%uish them from -ust ordinary pra,ti,es of ethi,s or sin%le!
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pointedness& The pra,ti,e of sin%le!pointedness in itself is nothin% uni9uely +uddhist so (hat is re9uired in the ,onte*t of +uddhism for su,h a pra,ti,e to be a hi%her trainin% is to ha)e the appropriate moti)ation& 5ne is to ta1e refu%e in the Three Je(els parti,ularly the Dharma Je(el as understood as the ,essation of sufferin%, as mo1sha or liberation& Also one<s pra,ti,e of sin%le!pointedness must %rounded on a deep reali>ation of true renun,iation& 0o (ith these t(o as a basis then ,ulti)atin% the pra,ti,e of sin%le!pointedness of mind be,omes a hi%her trainin% in ,on,entration& 5n the basis of these t(o, morality as the basis and sin%le!pointedness as the method, then the a,tual path is enshrined in the tea,hin%s on (isdom& These tea,hin%s on (isdom are e*plained in the :irst Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma (ithin the frame(or1 of (hat are 1no(n as the Thirty!se)en Aspe,ts of the Path to 7nli%htenment& There is then the 0e,ond Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma (here all of the tea,hin%s e*ist in 0ans1rit& These tea,hin%s, parti,ularly the most popular set of tea,hin%s 1no(n as the Perfe,tion of 3isdom (ere tau%ht by the +uddha at the summit of 2ulture<s Pea1 in Ga-a%hra& These s,riptures (hi,h belon% to the 0e,ond Turnin% emphasi>e and e*plain in %reat detail t(o essential points of the +uddhist pra,ti,e& 5ne is the ,ulti)ation of the altruisti, intention to attain +uddhahood for the benefit of the infinite numbers of sentient bein%s, (hose numbers are e9ual to the infinity of spa,e& +ased on ,ompassion to(ards all of these sentient bein%s one ,ulti)ates the altruisti, aspiration to attain +uddhahood for their sa1e& This is the first essential pra,ti,e tau%ht in the 0e,ond Turnin%& The other aspe,t of the pra,ti,e that is presented in these sutras of the 0e,ond Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma is the ultimate nature of reality& 3hen one spea1s of the ultimate nature of reality one is really referrin% to a deeper understandin% of the Third 'oble Truth& The :irst 'oble Truth is the Truth of 0ufferin%, the se,ond is the Truth of the 5ri%in of 0ufferin% and the third is the Truth of Cessation& /n the Perfe,tion of 3isdom te*ts the Third Truth, the Truth of Cessation is e*plained and elaborated further in %reat detail (ith a deepenin% understandin% of the nature of true ,essation& /n order to understand (hat is the true nature of ,essation, ,essation refers to the ,essation of the affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts, (hi,h one a,hie)es as the result of applyin% the appropriate antidotes or remedies& /n order to understand the true nature of ,essation first of all one needs to ha)e some understandin% of (hat lays at the root of the affli,tions& 3hat state of mind a,ts as a dire,t antidote to the affli,ti)e thou%hts and emotions; Do these affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts ha)e any sound basis; /s there the possibility of rootin% out the basis of these affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts; The point is in (hat sense ,an one understand the possibility of attainin% su,h a true ,essation; 3hat ma1es it possible for the affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts to be eliminated; These points are de)eloped in %reat detail (ith a deepenin% understandin% in the 0e,ond Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma& The need for understandin% the ultimate nature of reality (hi,h the s,riptures refer to as 0u,hness, the ultimate mode of bein% and ho( in one<s day!to!day e*perien,e in en%a%in% (ith the (orld often one sees a %ap bet(een the (ay thin%s e*ist and the (ay thin%s really are and the (ay one per,ei)es them& 0o there is a %ulf bet(een the appearan,e of per,eption of thin%s and the reality of thin%s& Thus throu%h deepenin% one<s understandin% of the ultimate mode of bein% of thin%s or ultimate reality then this %ulf ,an be brid%ed& All of these e*planations are found in %reat detail in the Perfe,tion of 3isdom sutras and this deepened le)el of understandin% is in fa,t the true path& 0o (hat one finds in the tea,hin%s of the
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0e,ond Turnin% are a further elaboration on the themes that (ere presented in the :irst Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma, parti,ularly the Third and :ourth 'oble Truths, the Truth of Cessation and the Truth of the Path& The Third Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma is (here the term three turnin%s itself ,ame from in the Mahayana tradition& This is found in the 0utra ,alled 0amdhinirmo,ana, the Sutra #nravelin$ the %ntention of the &uddha in (hi,h the distin,tion is made bet(een the Three Turnin%s of the 3heel of Dharma& The 0amdhinirmo,ana 0utra is identified as representin% the 1ey sutra of the third ,lass of publi, tea,hin%s of the +uddha& /t is also des,ribed as the sutra ,learly differentiatin% the ultimate intentions of the +uddha& 5f ,ourse this understandin% is from the point of )ie( of the Mind!5nly 0,hool (hereas other +uddhist traditions do not re,o%ni>e this sutra as representin% the definiti)e tea,hin% of the +uddha& The s,ripture that is then ,ited as the 1ey e*ample of the definiti)e tea,hin%s of the third ,lass of publi, tea,hin%s is the Tatha$ata$arbha Sutra, the 'ssence of &uddhahood Sutra& This sutra is the basis for Maitreya<s ,omposition of (ell!1no(n #ttaratantra, the Sublime Continuum in (hi,h there are detailed dis,ussions of the understandin% of the ultimate nature of mind& A tea,hin% is %i)en that so far as the ultimate nature of the mind is ,on,erned, it is luminous and de)oid of inherent e*isten,e& This is a further presentation of emptiness of mind as opposed to an e*ternal ob-e,t su,h as a )ase& Althou%h in so far as both the emptiness of the )ase and the emptiness of the mind are ,on,erned, they are both emptinesses (ithout any differen,e& Ho(e)er %i)en that one is the emptiness of mind (hile the other is the emptiness of an e*ternal ob-e,t, there is a )ast differen,e bet(een the impa,t is has by understandin% these t(o different emptinesses& /n the Tatha$ata$arbha Sutra and Maitreya<s treatise based upon it, it is presented that if one e*amines the ultimate nature of the mind ,arefully one finds that the ultimate nature of the mind is empty, de)oid of intrinsi, e*isten,e& /n fa,t mind in its natural state is luminous, a mere 1no(in% and ,lear& All of the affli,tions that pollute the mind are separable in prin,iple from the basi, mind by applyin% the appropriate antidotes and remedies& This su%%ests the affli,tions of the mind are in some sense ad)entitious, not part of the essential nature of the mind& They are ad)entitious (hile the potential for the perfe,tion of enli%htenment, the potential for the reali>ation of omnis,ien,e or the potential for the enli%htened 9ualities of a +uddha are all inherent in the mind& Maitreya points out that the affli,tions of the mind are ad)entitious, remo)able and separable from the essential nature of the mind& The 9ualities of enli%htenment, the 9ualities of perfe,tion lay in the )ery mind one possesses in the form of a seed and is referred to as the +uddhanature, the essen,e of +uddhahood& These 9ualities of the +uddha are not somethin% that need to be ,ulti)ated from outside but rather the seed or potential e*ists naturally in all of us therefore (hat is re9uired is the a,ti)ation of this potential and the perfe,tion of this potential& These points are e*plained in %reat detail in the Tatha$ata$arbha Sutra and in this sutra there is a )ery profound understandin% of the :ourth 'oble Truth, the Truth of the Path& The te*t on (hi,h this tea,hin% is bein% %i)en is The Lam( for the Path to 'nli$htenment is a )ery ,omprehensi)e te*t, (hi,h brin%s to%ether all the essential points of the tea,hin%s of all three Turnin%s of the 3heel of Dharma& These are ,omplemented by a brief dis,ussion on 2a-rayana +uddhism as a means of ,larifyin% doubts&

0ome of the =adampa masters in Tibet (hen tea,hin% Atisha<s Lam( of the Path to 'nli$htenment %i)en the fa,t that it inte%rates most of the essential points of the )arious s,riptures e)en thou%h the te*t itself is )ery short 6three folios in Tibetan8, (ould sli%htly boast& They (ould say that althou%h this te*t is short, it is so profound and pulls to%ether from all of the )arious s,riptures that (hen this is tau%ht they ,ould feel the other )olumes of %reat tea,hin%s sha1e& This te*t (as ,omposed by the /ndian master Atisha Dipam1ara and the pla,e (here he ,omposed it (as in Tibet& The immediate ,atalyst (as the re9uest for its ,omposition made by the Tibetan monar,h in 3estern Tibet, +yan%!,hub!od& 3hen he re9uested Atisha to tea,h he e*pli,itly made the re9uest that he (as not see1in% a profound soundin% tea,hin% or )ery impressi)e but rather a tea,hin% that (ould be of benefit to the people of Tibet& 3hen this re9uest (as made Atisha (as deeply tou,hed and pleased by the sin,erity of this re9uest ,omposin% this te*t as a response& /n terms of the transmission of the tea,hin%s of this te*t, my o(n linea%e, / re,ei)ed the transmission of this te*t from the late tea,her from Drepun%, the =hunu master, Gin>en Tempa 60P;8 (ho in turn re,ei)ed this tea,hin% from Depse1ansha 60P;8 Ginpo,he& / re,ei)ed another line of transmission from the late 0er1on% Ginpo,he (ho himself re,ei)ed the tea,hin%s from a )ery sin,ere meditator from Drepun%!$oman% (hose name / thin1 is $endun Tushi 60P;8& He (as an ordinary mon1 but a %reat pra,titioner and meditator& 0o / re,ei)ed the transmission of this te*t from t(o different linea%es& /t appears as if at a ,ertain point the transmission of this te*t (as 9uite rare& :or e*ample both of my tutors did not ha)e the transmission of this te*t& 3e (ill no( read from the te*t& /t opens (ith the 0ans1rit title Bodhipathapradipam and in Tibetan Byang-chub lam-gyi sgron-ma& This is follo(ed by a homa%e to Man-usriJ #omage to the bodhisattva, the youthful !an$usri The first )erse readsJ I pay homage with great respect % To all the &ictorious 'nes of the three times To their teachings and to those who aspire to virtue Urged by the good disciple Byang(chub()od I shall illuminate the *amp for the Path to +nlightenment /n Tibet there (as an established ,ustom in order to indi,ate the authenti,ity of the tea,hin% that is bein% imported from /ndia, parti,ularly those te*ts ori%inally translated from an /ndian lan%ua%e, to first %i)e the /ndian title& This (as to affirm the ori%in of the te*t and also its authenti,ity& 5f ,ourse in later times e)en for te*ts (ritten in Tibet, some Tibetan masters used a 0ans1rit title as (ell but ori%inally the pra,ti,e (as to reassure the read of the authenti,ity of tea,hin%s&

/n terms of the meanin% of the title of the te*t, The Lam( for the Path to 'nli$htenment , the term enli%htenment in 0ans1rit is bodhi& 7tymolo%i,ally spea1in% bodhi has the ,onnotation of dispellin% somethin%, ,learin% a(ay somethin% but also it has a ,onnotation of reali>in% somethin%, perfe,tin% somethin%& 0o the Tibetan translators instead of ,hoosin% one (ord ,hoose t(o syllables to ,arry the dual meanin%& The Tibet e9ui)alent for bodhi is byan%!,hub (ith byan% indi,atin% the notion of dispellin% or ,learin% a(ay (hile ,hub ,onnotes the perfe,tion or reali>ation aspe,t& To%ether they ,arry the notion of enli%htenment& 'o( to relate the understandin% of the term byan%!,hub, (hi,h translates the 0ans1rit (ord bodhi, (hi,h is part of the title of the te*t and translated here as enli%htenment& The term bodhi or enli%htenment ,an be related to the dis,ussion of the :our 'oble Truths, (hi,h / presented earlier& Here there are the t(o elements of meanin% of the term enli%htenment, one the ,learin% a(ay and dispellin%, the other the reali>ation or attainment& These t(o relate to the :our 'oble Truths and also indi,ate the t(o 1ey aspe,ts of the enli%htened 9ualities of a +uddha& 5ne is +uddha<s 9uality of the total abandonment or elimination of all defe,ts and the other is the total reali>ation of all positi)e 9ualities& 'o( to relate this to the dis,ussion on the :our 'oble Truths& The idea of dispellin% or ,learin% a(ay is dire,tly related to the first t(o 'oble Truths, the Truth of 0ufferin% and the Truth of the 5ri%in of 0ufferin%& 3hat is ,leared a(ay, (hat is bein% dispelled is all of the sufferin%s and their ori%ins& 0o (hen one tal1s about sufferin% in the ,onte*t of the +uddhist path, of ,ourse one needs to understand that sufferin% o,,urs at different le)els& A,,ordin% to +uddhism one spea1s of three different le)els of sufferin%& :irst is ob)ious sufferin% that all ,an instin,ti)ely identify as painful, undesirable and so on and is 1no(n as the sufferin% of sufferin%& The se,ond le)el of sufferin% is 1no(n as the sufferin% of ,han%e (hi,h ,on)entionally spea1in% one tends to identify this le)el of e*perien,e as pleasurable and not painful& Ho(e)er if one ,ontinues to persist in this e*perien,e e)en these pleasurable e*perien,es ultimately ,ulminate in dissatisfa,tion, sufferin% and pain& Therefore these are 1no(n as the sufferin% of ,han%e& .nderlyin% both of the pre)ious t(o le)els of sufferin%, the sufferin% of sufferin% and the sufferin% of ,han%e is a mu,h more fundamental state of bein% (hi,h a%ain +uddhism ,hara,teri>es as a state of sufferin%& This is the )ery ,onditionedness of one<s e*isten,e and this le)el of sufferin% is 1no(n as the sufferin% of per)asi)e ,onditionin%& This is the )ery fa,t of one<s e*isten,e as a ,onditioned bein% and ser)es as the basis that then %i)es rise to the t(o other le)els of sufferin%& 3hat is bein% dispelled here, (hat is bein% ,leared a(ay in the ,onte*t of understandin% the term bodhi or enli%htenment are these sufferin%s alon% (ith their ,auses and ,onditions that %i)e rise them, the ori%in of sufferin%& Throu%h the appli,ation of the ,orrespondin% antidotes and remedies, (hen one attains a state of freedom from these sufferin%s and their ori%in then one has a,tuali>ed the Third 'oble Truth, the Truth of Cessation& The Truth of Cessation and the path that leads to it, the means that ma1e ,essation possible are (hat are bein% reali>ed in the ,onte*t of enli%htenment, byan%!,hub& Althou%h ,essation is not dire,tly produ,ed from ,auses and ,onditions but it is still a ,onse9uen,e of effort and also by see1in% the ,onditions that %i)e rise to it& These ,onditions and the effort that is in)ol)ed in ma1in% the ,essation possible are the Truth of the Path& Therefore the se,ond element of the term byan%!,hub, ,hub or reali>ation relates to the 'oble Truth of Cessation and the path that leads to it& /n this (ay (hen one loo1s at the t(o syllables one understands that in the )ery etymolo%y of the term bodhi or byan%!,hub there is an
K

understandin% of the essential points of the :our 'oble Truths& Also by e*tension one understands the t(o aspe,ts of the 9ualities of the +uddha<s mind, one is the total elimination of all defe,ts and the other is the total reali>ation and perfe,tion of all positi)e 9ualities& 3hen one spea1s of the path it refers to pro%ressi)e sta%es of de)elopment in one<s mental ,ontinuum be%innin% from the earliest sta%es of spiritual reali>ation ,ulminatin% ultimately into the omnis,ient mind of the +uddha& /n this state of full enli%htenment the indi)idual is able to per,ei)e both ,on)entional and ultimate truth (ithin a sin%le ,o%niti)e e)ent, (ithin a sin%le moment of time& 0o the path refers to this (hole pro,ess from the be%innin% to the ultimate reali>ation of the +uddha<s omnis,ient mind& Therefore it is referred to as a path as a path is somethin% that one tra)els upon& Here the metaphor of a path is used for a -ourney that is internal, that ta1es pla,e (ithin one<s o(n mental ,ontinuum& The lamp here refers to the a,tual tea,hin% itself as embodied (ithin this te*t be,ause the tea,hin% presents all of the 1ey elements of the path in their proper order and (ith all of the essential points ,ompletely defined& The ri%ht se9uen,e of pra,ti,e is e*plained and also all of the relationships bet(een the different elements of the path are e*plained properly& 0o in this sense this te*t ser)es the fun,tion of a lamp sho(in% the path one is to follo( and this is (hy this title is %i)en to the te*t, The Lam( for the Path to 'nli$htenment& 3hen one spea1s of enli%htenment %enerally spea1in% a,,ordin% to +uddhism, it is understood that amon% the spiritual pra,titioners there are different mental in,linations& +ased on these in,linations some pra,titioners are more in,lined to(ards the enli%htenment of a sra)a1a or Listener, some are more in,lined to(ards the Pratye1abuddha or the 0olitary Geali>er<s enli%htenment (hile some are more in,lined to(ards the bodhisatt)a path ,ulminatin% in the full enli%htenment of +uddhahood& The enli%htenment referred to in this parti,ular te*t is the enli%htenment of a +uddha therefore it is sometimes also referred to as the $reat 7nli%htenment to distin%uish it from the other t(o aspe,ts of enli%htenment& 'e*t is the salutation to Man-usri, (hi,h has been inserted by the translator of the te*t& There are t(o purposes for the translator insertin% a salutation ri%ht at the be%innin% of the te*t& 5ne is to insure that the tas1 of translatin% this te*t (ill not fa,e obsta,les, that it (ill be su,,essfully ,ompleted& More spe,ifi,ally the purpose is to ,onform to a de,ree that (as issued by one of the early Tibetan monar,hs that (hen te*ts (ere bein% translated from an /ndian lan%ua%e into Tibetan that in order to assist the reader to identify (hi,h of the three main s,riptural ,olle,tions a parti,ular te*t belon%ed to& The three s,riptural ,olle,tions are the Tripita1a of 2inaya or ethi,al tea,hin%s, the 0utras and Abhidharma& /f the te*t belon%s to the 2inaya Pita1a then a salutation is made to the omnis,ient +uddha& The rationale here is that (hen one spea1s the minute aspe,ts of the ethi,al pre,epts, parti,ularly the ethi,al ,odes of ,ondu,t for the monasti, ,ommunity and (hat ,onstitutes an infra,tion this ,an only be fully understood by an omnis,ient mind& /n order to a,1no(led%e this humility homa%e is paid to the omnis,ient +uddha if the te*t belon%s in the 2inaya ,olle,tion& /f a te*t belon%s to the 0utra ,olle,tion then the salutation is made to the +uddhas and +odhisatt)as& /f the te*t belon%s to the Abhidharma ,olle,tion then the salutation is made to the +odhisatt)a Man-usri, (hi,h is the ,ase (ith this te*t here& Althou%h The Lam( for the Path to 'nli$htenment brin%s to%ether tea,hin%s from all three s,riptural ,olle,tions but the main theme that is presented belon%s more to the Abhidharma ,olle,tion so this is (hy a salutation is made to Man-usri here&

The first stan>a ,omprises the salutation and the promise to (rite the te*t& The &ictorious 'nes refers to the +uddhas (ho are des,ribed as )i,torious be,ause they ha)e ,on9uered the :our Maras or the four obstru,ti)e for,es& +oth the %ross le)els of the four obstru,ti)e for,es as (ell as the subtle le)els of the obstru,ti)e for,es ha)e been o)er,ome& The subtlety here is defined in terms of the affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts and also the underlyin% propensities for the affli,tions (hi,h are 1no(n as the subtle obstru,tions to 1no(led%e& 0o the fully enli%htened +uddhas are those (ho ha)e %ained )i,tory o)er all four of the obstru,ti)e for,es and so homa%e is made to the +uddhas of the three times& Homa%e is also paid to their teachings, to their Dharma, (hi,h refers not so mu,h to the literary te*ts but more to the inner reali>ations of these +uddhas and the Arya +ein%s, espe,ially +odhisatt)a Aryas (ho ha)e attained hi%h le)els of reali>ation alon% (ith the dire,t reali>ation of the ultimate nature of reality& 0o (hat is translated here as teachings or Dharma a,tually refers to the inner reali>ations of the +uddhas of the three times and also the bodhisatt)as as (ell as the Arya +ein%s (ho ha)e %ained dire,t insi%ht into the truth& This is the Dharma& Then it reads to their teachings and to those who aspire to virtue and this refers to the 0an%ha& The 0an%ha here refers to the Arya +ein%s (ho ha)e attained the Path of 0eein% and thus ha)e %ained a dire,t reali>ation of the truth& 0o a salutation is thus made to the Three Je(els, the Je(el of +uddha, Dharma and 0an%ha& After this is the promise to (rite the te*t& 3hy did Atisha ,ompose a salutation to the Three Je(els; 3hat is the tas1 he (ill underta1e; He states I shall illuminate the *amp for the Path to +nlightenment throu%h (ritin% this te*t& 3hy is he (ritin% it; Atisha (rites that he (as urged by the good disciple Byang(chub()od & The reason Atisha e*pli,itly mentions that he is (ritin% this te*t be,ause he (as ur%ed to do so is that this adheres to a %eneral pra,ti,e in the +uddhist tea,hin%& 5ne ,an read in the Pratimo sa Sutra, the Scri(ture on %ndividual Liberation (here it states that one should not %i)e tea,hin%s (ithout bein% re9uested to tea,h& 0o %enerally it is the ,ustom in +uddhism that one should not %i)e tea,hin%s unless one is re9uested to do so& / (ould li1e to ma1e a short ,omment on the translator<s salutation to Man-usri& /t reads #omage to the bodhisattva, the youthful !an$usri& /t seems the translator (as rather enthusiasti, in usin% the (ord youthful& 3hen referrin% to Man-usri in the Tibetan tradition there is a different understandin% of Man-usri in different ,onte*ts& :or e*ample in the 2a-rayana ,onte*t Man-usri is re,o%ni>ed more as a fully enli%htened +uddha rather than a bodhisatt)a& Ho(e)er in the ,onte*t of the Perfe,tion 2ehi,le tea,hin%s Man-usri is understand at the le)el of a bodhisatt)a rather than a +uddha& 0o one needs to understand the different ,onte*ts in (hi,h bodhisatt)as li1e Man-usri, A)alo1itesh)ara and Maitreya appear& The name Man-usri in Tibetan is Jampel (ith -am meanin% %entleness and pel referrin% to %lory& 0o a%ain -ust li1e the t(o syllables for enli%htenment byan%!,hub, here the name of Man-usri, Jampel is ,omposed of t(o syllables, %entleness and %lory& /n the 0ans1rit itself Man-u and sri are t(o syllables and ,onnote t(o aspe,ts of the enli%htened state& 5ne is the o)er,omin% of all defe,ts, here ,onnoted by the term %entleness 6-am8 des,ribin% his state of mind or his mental ,ontinuum as he has been made %entle by eliminatin% all of the affli,ti)e for,es that ,ould ma1e his mind a%itated or disturbed& :reedom from this brin%s about the %entleness or settledness of mind& $lory 6pel8 alludes to Man-usri<s attainment of the )arious ma-or and minor noble mar1s that define or illustrate a person as a fully enli%htened bein%& 0o if it is in the ,onte*t of a sutra then Man-usri is a bodhisatt)a at a )ery hi%h le)el of reali>ation (ho has attained a similitude of

1#

the ma-or and minor mar1s of a fully enli%htened +uddha& The point is a%ain is that in the name of Man-usri one sees both the 9ualities of abandonment and a,,omplishment or perfe,tion& /n the )erse of salutation of this te*t, the ob-e,t of homa%e (as identified as the +uddha, Dharma and 0an%ha& 0o these are the three ob-e,ts of refu%e and in +uddhism they are 1no(n as the Three Je(els& The first -e(el is the +uddha (ho is defined as a bein% (ho has attained total perfe,tion of all reali>ations and 1no(led%e as (ell as the total elimination of all defe,ts and limitations& Ho( does one understand su,h a fully enli%htened bein%; Ho( does one understand the ,hara,teristi,s of su,h a fully enli%htened bein%; /n this respe,t it is helpful to refle,t upon a )erse (ritten by the /ndian master Di%na%a& /n his te*t A Com(endium on )alid Co$nitions he pays homa%e to the +uddha by pointin% out that Aou (ho ha)e become a )alid bein%& DI bow to the 'ne who turned correct,
Who helps all beings, the Teacher, The 'ne who went to bliss, And our Protector F
,ompendium of &alid ,ognition

The operati)e (ord, the 1ey (ord here is the (ord be,omin%& The point bein% made here is that the fully enli%htened +uddha, the tea,her (as not an eternally enli%htened bein% but rather someone (ho had become a )alid tea,her, become fully enli%htened& 0o this (ord be,omin% has a )ery si%nifi,ant meanin%, (hi,h is that +uddhahood, does not ,ome about (ithout any ,ause4 +uddhahood ,omes about from ,auses& Also it does not ,ome about from ,auses that are ,ompletely dis,ordant (ith the result& /n other (ords the ,auses are themsel)es not permanent& 7nli%htenment ,omes about from a ,ause and it also ,omes about from ,auses that are ,ommensurate (ith their results& Di%na%a then identifies (hat is the 1ey ,ause for attainin% +uddhahood& /t is the ,ulti)ation of uni)ersal ,ompassion, the %reat ,ompassion is identified as the 1ey fa,tor, the 1ey ,ause& 0o in the salutation to the +uddha made by Di%na%a he pays homa%e to the +uddha as someone (ho has be,ome a )alid tea,her, a )alid bein%, an authenti, bein% throu%h the sustained pra,ti,e of ,ompassion& DAnd now out of love
-or those mista"en in their logicF

3hat one sees here is that the fully enli%htened bein% had attained that state of enli%htenment as the result of a sustained and prolon%ed pra,ti,e of ,ompassion as (ell as other asso,iated aspe,ts of the path su,h as the (isdom reali>in% emptiness& The 1ey here is the reali>ation that the +uddha has attained (hi,h is the true Dharma& /t is on the basis of the reali>ation of the Dharma that one defines the 0an%ha and the +uddha be,ause those (ho are still on the path and ha)e attained the Path of 0eein% %ainin% a dire,t insi%ht into the ultimate nature
11

of reality, they are the true 0an%ha& 5n,e one pro,eeds on this path and attain the total ,ulmination of this reali>ation, that is the state (here one has attained +uddhahood& 0o it is on the basis of the Dharma that the other t(o -e(els, the 0an%ha Je(el and the +uddha Je(el are also defined& This is ho( one needs to understand the nature and ,hara,teristi,s of the fully enli%htened +uddha on the basis of understandin% the nature and ,hara,teristi,s of the true Dharma& /n terms of ,hronolo%y of a parti,ular era then there is a se9uen,e in the Three Je(els in terms of an e)olution& /n the ,ase of the present +uddha 0ha1yamuni in terms of the e)olution of the tea,hin%s of this +uddha, first the +uddha 0ha1yamuni ,ame as a 'irmana1aya, an 7manation +uddha& +uddha then tau%ht the Dharma, initially the tea,hin%s on the le)el of s,riptural te*ts therefore there are the s,riptures tau%ht by the +uddha& 5n the basis of the s,riptures tau%ht by the +uddha his dis,iples en%a%ed in the pra,ti,e and ,ulti)ated the reali>ations of these s,riptures thus e)ol)ed the Dharma as reali>ation& Those (ho %ained reali>ation of the Arya sta%e, the Path of 0eein% then be,ame the 0an%ha& 0o (ithin the ,onte*t of a sin%le era one ,an say that the +uddha ,omes first, the Dharma ,omes se,ond and the 0an%ha e)ol)es third& +e,ause of this the order in (hi,h one offers refu%e or pay homa%e to the Three Je(els is al(ays the +uddha, Dharma and 0an%ha& +e,ause of this one finds in te*ts (hen referrin% to these Three Je(els the metaphor of medi,ine is used& The +uddha is li1ened to a physi,ian, the Dharma is li1ened to the pres,ribed medi,ine and the 0piritual Community, the 0an%ha is ,ompared to a si,1 nurse, the one (ho helps and loo1s after the si,1& 3hat is to be understood from this analo%y is that it is in fa,t the Dharma that is the true medi,ine that dire,tly ,ounters the spiritual ailment& /t is the +uddha (ho pres,ribes the medi,ine of the Dharma and the ,ollea%ues, ,ompanions on the path, the 0an%ha a,t as a support (hile one is %oin% throu%h this pro,ess of therapy& Therefore the Three Je(els are often referred to as +uddha, the true tea,her, Dharma as the re)ealed tea,hin% and the 0an%ha as ,ompanions (hom support one in one<s pra,ti,e& The 9uestion arises (hat e*a,tly is this Dharma Je(el (hi,h defines the other t(o -e(els of the +uddha and 0an%ha; 3hat are its ,hara,teristi,s; Ho( ,an one ,ulti)ate it (ithin oneself; As / mentioned earlier (hen one spea1s of the Dharma Je(el in the ,onte*t of the Three Je(els, the true Dharma really refers to true ,essation, (hi,h is the Third 'oble Truth& Cessation here refers to the freedom that an indi)idual %ains as the result of applyin% the antidotes a%ainst the affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts, those ne%ati)e aspe,ts of the mind& As a result of applyin% the ,orrespondin% antidotes, (hen one %ains a 1ind of a freedom that pre)ents the future arisin% of the affli,tions is ,alled a ,essation& These ,essations ,an be of many different le)els& This is the true Dharma and also the path that leads to that ,essation is also the true Dharma& 0o the true Dharma here refers to the Third 'oble Truth, the Truth of Cessation and the :ourth 'oble Truth, the Truth of the Path& 'o( the 9uestion is if the true Dharma refers to this ,essation of the ne%ati)e aspe,ts of the mind, the affli,ti)e thou%hts and emotions then (hat is the pro,ess or pro,edure for brin%in% about su,h ,essation; Ho( ,an one ,ulti)ate the antidotes and ho( do they (or1 in brin%in% about the ,essation of the ne%ati)e aspe,ts of one<s mind; 5ne needs to understand that a,,ordin% to +uddhism one<s )ery e*isten,e as ,onditioned bein%s is itself understood to be ,hara,teri>ed by sufferin%& Conditioned e*isten,e is referred to as the per)asi)e sufferin% of ,onditioned e*isten,e, the third le)el of sufferin%& /n this sense one<s bein% in,ludin% one<s

1"

physi,al embodiment is of the nature of sufferin% and somethin% that ultimately needs to be %otten rid of or eliminated& Ho(e)er in +uddhism (hen one spea1s of one<s )ery e*isten,e as sufferin% this does not imply that mere physi,al or bodily e*isten,e is sufferin%& :rom the +uddhist point of )ie( e)en the +uddha 0ha1yamuni is seen as an embodied bein% ho(e)er the +uddha is free of sufferin% as (ell as the Arhats (ho ha)e %ained freedom from all ne%ati)e emotions and thou%hts e)en thou%h they still ha)e the fi)e s1andhas& 3hat is bein% referred to as sufferin% is a ,onditioned e*isten,e, one<s present e*isten,e that is ,onditioned by 1arma and the affli,tions& The root of one<s ,onditioned e*isten,e is the ,auses of 1arma and the affli,tions& =arma here refers to an a,tion, an indi)idual a,t (ith a positi)e or ne%ati)e moti)ation& 3hen one spea1s of a,tions, a sentient bein%<s a,tions it automati,ally implies an a%en,y, a moti)e or intention& The a,ts themsel)es are not the primary ,ause4 the primary ,ause is the moti)ation behind the a,tion, (hat propelled the a,tion& 0o here one is tal1in% about the (orld of intentions, the (orld of thou%hts and emotions& .nderlyin% mu,h of one<s 1arma, parti,ularly the ne%ati)e a,tions are affli,ti)e states of mind& .ltimately (hat one arri)es at the root of one<s sufferin% is the affli,tions, the affli,ti)e thou%hts and emotions& /n +uddhism they are ,alled 1leshas and the entomolo%y of 1lesha su%%ests that they are states of mind (hose )ery o,,urren,e brin%s about disturban,e (ithin the indi)idual<s mind& These defile one<s thou%hts and emotions affli,tin% the indi)idual from (ithin& /t is these affli,tions that lay at the root of one<s sufferin% and it is these affli,tions that need to be eliminated by applyin% the dire,t antidotes& 'o( the 9uestion is ho( do the antidotes (or1 (hen ,ounterin% the affli,tions; These affli,tions do not %o a(ay simply by ma1in% prayers or (ishin% them a(ay& These affli,tions need to be eliminated by ,ulti)atin% their ,orrespondin% remedies or antidotes& Ho( does this pro,ess of applyin% the antidotes (or1; 5ne ,an obser)e similar pro,esses in the physi,al (orld& /n the physi,al (orld one ,an ,ontrast hot and ,old& /f one is sufferin% from bein% too hot by mo)in% to a ,ooler spot one ,an ,ounter the effe,ts of the heat and if one is too ,old then one applies heat to ,ounter the ,old& 7)en in the physi,al (orld one ,an see instan,es (here opposin% for,es ,ounter ea,h other& 0imilarly one ,an use another metaphor su,h as li%ht and dar1& These oppose ea,h other& The moment a li%ht sour,e is on the dar1ness is dispelled and (hen there is dar1ness there is no li%ht& There is an instantaneous relationship or di,hotomy bet(een these t(o opposites& Ho(e)er in the (orld of internal emotions and thou%hts the pro,ess in (hi,h antidotes oppose their opposites is different& :or these one needs to ,ulti)ate a spe,ifi, antidote or ri%ht state of mind in order to ,ountera,t an affli,tion& The (ay in (hi,h it does this is by fo,usin% on the same ob-e,t but by ,ulti)atin% dire,tly an opposite (ay of en%a%ement (ith it& :or e*ample one has hatred and ,ompassion or lo)e& /n the ,ase of hatred and ,ompassion they are t(o different emotions but they ,an both be fo,used on the same ob-e,t su,h as another bein%& +ased on this (hen one e*perien,es hatred or an%er one has a hostile e*perien,e to(ard that ob-e,t& 5n the other hand if one has ,ompassion for the same ob-e,t one<s attitude and feelin%s to(ards that ob-e,t are ,ompletely different& /n fa,t one ,ould say that by reinfor,in% one side one ,an automati,ally and natural diminish the for,e of the opposin% feelin%& :or the sa1e of ar%ument say there is an indi)idual (ho disli1es ,ompassion and (ishes to de,rease (hate)er remnants of ,ompassion that mi%ht be left (ithin them& /n su,h a ,ase the indi)idual ,ould most effe,ti)ely do this by deliberately ,ulti)atin% hostility to(ards any ob-e,t
1E

that (ould %enerate feelin%s of ,ompassion& Alon% (ith this they (ould try to analy>e the do(nside of ha)in% ,ompassionate feelin%s, the disad)anta%es of lo)in%!1indness and so on& Throu%h this (ay one ,ould en)ision that an%er and hatred ,ould be in,reased& Ho(e)er for a spiritual pra,titioner this is not the %oal be,ause an%er brin%s one harm, it brin%s disturban,e and affli,tion& Therefore from the perspe,ti)e of a spiritual pra,titioner an%er and hatred are somethin% that needs to be dispelled, needs to be relin9uished (hile ,ompassion and lo)in%!1indness need to be deliberately ,ulti)ated& These brin% pea,e of mind, benefit and help& 0o this is ho( the antidotes (or1 in de,reasin% and e)entually eliminatin% the affli,ti)e thou%hts and emotions& 5ne ,an as1ed the 9uestion if in the ,ase of t(o opposin% states of mind, t(o opposin% emotions li1e hatred and ,ompassion, if it is the ,ase that by reinfor,in% one the other automati,ally diminishes the for,e of the other, does this mean that there is total symmetry bet(een the t(o; /s there no differen,e at all bet(een them; Could one ,ompletely eliminate ,ompassion; /t is important here to ha)e a deeper understandin% of the ,ontrast bet(een the positi)e emotions li1e ,ompassion and lo)in%!1indness and the ne%ati)e emotions li1e an%er and hatred& $enerally spea1in% if one loo1s at the +uddhist understandin% of (hat is meant by 1lesha or affli,tion, one obser)es t(o %eneral ,ate%ories of affli,tions& 5n the one hand are affli,tions that tend to be instin,tual su,h as atta,hment, an%er and so on& Althou%h in ,ertain ,ir,umstan,es there mi%ht be some immediate ,atalyst (here reason may play a role but %enerally these affli,tions are rea,ti)e and impulsi)e& 5n the other hand there is a ,ate%ory of affli,tions that tend to be mu,h more ,o%niti)e and here is in,luded false or (ron% )ie(s su,h as selfhood as (ell as false )ie(s %raspin% ,ertain e*tremes )ie(s as bein% authenti, or )alid& Althou%h these are affli,tions they are more ,o%niti)e, more in the ,ate%ory of the intelle,t& /n fa,t this se,ond ,ate%ory of affli,tions is sometimes referred to as affli,ti)e intelli%en,e sin,e reasonin% plays a %reater role in their de)elopment& This is a %eneral +uddhist understandin% of the t(o broad ,lasses of affli,tions& Ho(e)er if one loo1s deeper one (ill understand that the deeper nature of the emotions, the root of them is a subtler emotion of delusion, parti,ularly the delusory mind %raspin% at the true e*isten,e of thin%s and e)ents& Here one finds a deeper understandin% of the nature of the affli,tions in the Madhyami1a (ritin%s& :or e*ample in the Four Hundred )erses on the Middle Way Aryade)a (rote that -ust as the bodily fa,ulty permeates all of the sensory fa,ulties in the same (ay delusion underpins all of the affli,tions& The point made here is that (hen one e*amines ,arefully the e*perien,e of a stron% affli,tion li1e an%er or atta,hment one finds underlyin% it is a ,ause, (hi,h is some 1ind of %raspin% on to an ob-e,t& This ob-e,t ,an be per,ei)ed as desirable or undesirable (hi,h then %i)es rise to an emotional response or rea,tion&
DAs the tactile sense .pervades/ the body %01 ,onfusion is present in them all By overcoming confusion one will also 'vercome all disturbing emotions F
-our #undred &erses

1B

0o at the %ross le)el delusion ser)es as a ,ause for the o,,urren,e of these affli,tions ho(e)er at the subtle le)el in fa,t Aryade)a su%%ests that the delusions ,oe*ist (ith the affli,tions themsel)es -ust as the body or%an permeates all of the sensory fa,ulties& /n the same (ay the delusion %raspin% at the true e*isten,e of thin%s and e)ents underpins all of the affli,tions& /n fa,t one ,an say that the arisin% of affli,tions is dependent upon this %raspin% at the true e*isten,e of thin%s& This delusory mind %raspin% at the true e*isten,e of thin%s is distorted be,ause the real nature of thin%s is emptiness& Ho(e)er this delusory mind %rasps of to ob-e,ts as ha)in% some 1ind of real or true e*isten,e& /n ,ontrast if one loo1s at a positi)e emotion li1e lo)in%!1indness althou%h there are ,ases (here delusory %raspin% on to an ob-e,t<s true e*isten,e may %i)e rise to or support lo)in%!1indness, but the arisin% of lo)in%!1indness is not dependent upon %raspin% on to the ob-e,t as ha)in% some 1ind of true e*isten,e& /n fa,t lo)in%!1indness is an emotion that ,an be de)eloped to an infinite potential (hereas ne%ati)e emotions li1e an%er, be,ause their underlyin% root is a distorted state of mind and therefore do not ha)e a )alid support or )alid %round in either reason or reality& +e,ause of this by ,ulti)atin% a dire,t insi%ht into the true nature of thin%s, (hi,h is emptiness, one (ill be able to penetrate throu%h the delusion of the misunderstandin% of reality as ha)in% some 1ind of true e*isten,e& Throu%h this (ay one ,an e)entually eliminate the affli,tions by under,uttin% the )ery basis for the arisin% of the affli,tions& 0o ,ertainly there is a )ast differen,e bet(een the positi)e emotions li1e lo)in%!1indness and ,ompassion on the one hand and the ne%ati)e emotions li1e an%er and atta,hment on the other in terms of their sustainability and their potential for infinite de)elopment& The 9uestion no( arises if underlyin% all of the affli,tions is this delusion, (hi,h underpins them on (hat %rounds does one understand this delusion to be the %raspin% at the true e*isten,e of thin%s; /n the Four Hundred )erses on the Middle Way , immediately after the )erse / ,ited earlier, Aryade)a (rote that it is by %ainin% insi%ht into the truth of dependent ori%ination that one (ill brin% about the ,essation of delusion& The point made here is that (hen an indi)idual de)elops deep insi%ht into the subtle aspe,ts of the tea,hin%s on Dependent 5ri%ination then they (ill brin% about the ,essation of their delusion& The delusion here is identified or defined as a mis,on,eption or a state of mind that per,ei)es the (orld and the self in a (ay ,ontrary to the prin,ipal of Dependent 5ri%ination& A,,ordin% to the prin,iple of Dependent 5ri%ination all thin%s and e)ents ,ome into bein% as the result of dependen,e on other fa,tors& DWhen dependent arising is seen
%02 ,onfusion will not occur Thus every effort has been made here To e3plain precisely this sub$ect F
-our #undred &erses

The opposite of this (ould be to a,,ord a status of independen,e e*isten,e to thin%s and e)ents& /f thin%s possessed an independent status or independent e*isten,e then of ,ourse they ,annot ha)e the nature of dependen,e upon others& This pro-e,ted status of independen,e is (hat is bein% referred to as self in the ,onte*t of the tea,hin% on selflessness& +y tea,hin% selflessness the absen,e of an independent e*isten,e of thin%s and e)ents is tau%ht be,ause all thin%s and
1H

e)ents ,ome into bein% as the result of dependin% upon other fa,tors su,h as ,auses and ,onditions& Aryade)a ,on,ludes by sayin% that (hi,h dependently ori%inated ,annot posses the nature of independen,e& This absen,e of independent e*isten,e is (hat is ,alled Dependent 5ri%ination& As to (hether or not this delusion %raspin% at thin%s and e)ents as possessin% true e*isten,e, (hether or not this is ,onsidered to be a defilement in the ,ate%ory of the affli,tions or a subtle obstru,tion to 1no(led%e, amon% 'a%ar-una<s dis,iples there is a di)er%en,e of opinion& 5n one side are ,ommentators li1e +ha)a)i)e1a (ho understood this %raspin% at true e*isten,e of thin%s to be a subtle obstru,tion to 1no(led%e rather than a defilement or affli,tion& 3hile based upon 'a%ar-una<s o(n Seventy Stan"as on the Middle Way other ,ommentators maintained that it is a,tually part of the affli,tions or an affli,ted state of mind& They ar%ued that e)en to attain the state of an Arhat or freedom from samsara one needs to eliminate this %raspin% at true e*isten,e& /t is on the basis of this understandin% that the assertion is made that the insi%ht into emptiness is the sole path to liberation4 there is no se,ond path or door other than the (isdom of no!self or selflessness& Here the (isdom of selflessness is understood in terms of (hat are ,alled the Three Doors of Thorou%h Liberation (here the insi%ht into emptiness of thin%s and e)ents is ,ulti)ated on the basis of understandin% its nature from the point of )ie( of its ,auses as (ell as its effe,ts& 3hen spea1in% about this rea,hin% on no!self and the understandin% of selflessness one needs to relate ba,1 to the tea,hin%s on the :our 'oble Truths from the first publi, ,eremony that the +uddha %a)e& 3hen the +uddha tau%ht the :our 'oble Truths he presented them in terms of si*teen ,hara,teristi,s, four in relation to ea,h truth& The four ,hara,teristi,s of the first 'oble Truth of 0ufferin% are impermanen,e, unsatisfa,toriness, emptiness and no!self& All of the different s,hools of +uddhism, all of the follo(ers of the +uddha in one (ay or another understand the 1ey tea,hin% of the +uddha to be embodied in the tea,hin% on no!self or anatman& 5f ,ourse there are di)er%ent interpretations as to (hat this no!self means& /n fa,t if one loo1s at the history of philosophi,al thou%ht in /ndia one sees a )ery lon% tradition of analysis on this nature of selfhood, the nature of bein%& 3hen one e*perien,es pain or pleasure, (ho is it that e*perien,es it; 3ho is it that under%oes this e*perien,e; 3hen one spea1s of the a,,umulation of 1arma, (ho is it that a,,umulates the 1arma; 3ho is the a%ent of the 1armi, a,t; 3hen one spea1s of e*perien,in% the fruits of one<s ripenin% 1arma, (ho is it that e*perien,es the fruits of 1arma; The fa,t that there is an indi)idual, a bein% that one labels, as / is somethin% that is ,ommonly a,,epted but the 9uestion is (hat e*a,tly is the nature of this self, (hat is the nature of this bein%; Here one finds a )ery lon% tradition in an,ient /ndia in the analysis of (hat the nature of this self is& 5n the (hole amon% the non!+uddhist s,hools in /ndia espe,ially those s,hools that a,,ept the idea of rebirth, there (as a ,on)er%en,e of opinion that sin,e the physi,al body is ,ontin%ent upon a parti,ular life and it is transient sin,e it ends at death, the self ,annot be identified (ith the body& Therefore on the (hole the non!+uddhist s,hools maintained that the self must be somethin% ,ompletely independent of the physi,al and psy,holo%i,al ,onstituents that ma1e up an indi)idual<s e*isten,e& There must be a self, an eternal prin,iple that is endurin% in that it trans,ends indi)idual life ,y,les and maintains its ,ontinuum throu%hout all of these temporal sta%es& 3hether or not they ,hara,teri>e it as eternal, unitary and un,han%in% the belief in this atman if one probes deeper these three ,hara,teristi,s are thou%ht to be the main ,hara,teristi,s of the self4 that it is temporally spea1in% eternal, unitary or indi)isible and that it is independent or self!%o)ernin%&
1I

This is the atman or self and on the (hole all +uddhist s,hools re-e,t this 1ind of notion of a self, the notion of an eternal self& Ho(e)er (ithin +uddhism the different s,hools ha)e di)er%ent opinions as to if this 1ind of self ,an be posited then ho( does one understand the notion of a person; Ho( does one understand the a%en,y; 3ho is this bein%; Amon% the +uddhist s,hools there are some s,hools (ho try to identify the person or self on the basis of the psy,hophysi,al a%%re%ates& :or e*ample some s,hools maintain that the totality of the fi)e s1andhas is the self (hile others maintain that the self is the ,ontinuum of ,ons,iousness& The Mind!5nly 0,hool of the :ollo(ers of 0,ripture maintains that it is not -ust the mental ,ons,iousness but rather there is a uni9ue ,ontinuum of ,ons,iousness ,alled the foundational ,ons,iousness that is identified as the person& The follo(ers of 'a%ar-una espe,ially those (ho understand his ultimate standpoint maintain that any attempt to identify self as somethin% independent of the body and mind is untenable& Ho( do they e*plain the relationship bet(een the self and the transient body and mind; 79ually untenable is the attempt to identify self (ithin the body and mind& The follo(ers of 'a%ar-una parti,ularly those (ho ta1e 'a%ar-una<s subtle )ie( maintain that both of these di,hotomies identifyin% the self as either independent of the body and mind or identifyin% the self as either one of the a%%re%ates are problemati,& The self or person must be understood only as a mere label, an appellation, a desi%nation %i)en on the basis of the a%%re%ation of the mind and body& 0o one must understand the nature of self or the person to be mere desi%nation, somethin% (ithout any intrinsi, or absolute reality& /f one obser)es thin%s and e)ents deeply one (ill re,o%ni>e that all thin%s and e)ents ,ome about as the result of the a%%re%ation of many fa,tors& They are dependent upon many fa,tors for their e*isten,e and none of them en-oy any type of independent e*isten,e& The ultimate nature of all thin%s and e)ents is mere dependen,e upon other fa,tors& Ho(e)er (hen one per,ei)es or obser)es thin%s and e)ents someho( one tends to %et the impression that they possess some 1ind of dis,rete, independent reality of their o(n& 5ne does not per,ei)e thin%s and e)ents to be inter,onne,ted and dependently ori%inated but as ea,h ha)in% its o(n independent, dis,rete, identifiable units& There is this %ulf bet(een the (ay thin%s really are and the (ay that one per,ei)es them& This disparity bet(een one<s per,eption of the (orld and the reality of thin%s underpins the )arious affli,ti)e and emotional responses that one has in dealin% (ith the (orld& Therefore this su%%ests that the basis, the root of many of the affli,tions su,h as atta,hment, an%er and so on is a distorted state of mind, a distorted understandin% of the (orld& 0o the root of the affli,tions is this distorted state of mind and se,ondly this per,eption of the (orld as ha)in% an independent reality is %roundless, (ithout )alid %rounds& Thirdly (hen one ,ulti)ates the dire,t antidote, (hi,h is the (isdom of no!self then this (isdom of no!self (ill dire,tly ,ounter one<s mis,on,eption of the (orld as ha)in% some 1ind of true and independent e*isten,e& 3hen one ,ompares the t(o, the false )ie( of the (orld as opposed to the insi%ht into no!self, one has a )ery )alid %roundin% in both e*perien,e and reason (hile the false )ie( is (ithout )alid %roundin% in reason or e*perien,e& +e,ause of this (hen one ,ompares the t(o )ie(s and let them ,ompete (ith ea,h other, ob)iously the )ie( (ith )alid %roundin% in reason and e*perien,e in reality (ill as the result of ,ulti)atin% it, as the result of de)elopin% it, one (ill %et to the point (here one (ill be able to totally eliminate the false )ie( of the (orld& :urthermore this insi%ht into no!self, the (isdom of no!self be,ause it is a 9uality of mind, its basis is )ery endurin%& /t is not a ,hara,teristi, li1e a physi,al 9uality (hose basis is limited4 it
1C

is a mental 9uality (hose basis is )ery endurin% be,ause of its ,ontinuum& Another ,hara,teristi, of this mental 9uality is that on,e one ,ulti)ates it to the point (here it be,omes spontaneous then for further de)elopment one need not ma1e a deliberate ,ons,ious effort to brin% it to mind& A simple ,atalyst or impetus ,an immediately %i)e rise to this understandin%, to ha)e that mental 9uality arise in one<s mind& 0o (hen one ,ompares all of these points to%ether and (hen one also understands that the affli,tions are separable from the essential nature of the mind as their basis is a distorted state of mind that ,an be o)er,ome then e)entually one (ill arri)e at a point (here the (ord liberation or mo1sha has a truly profound meanin%& 5ne (ill also %et a sense that liberation is possible and this is (hat is meant by liberation& 0o (hen one understands that liberation is possible then one ,an e*tend this ,ombinin% this understandin% (ith one<s understandin% of +uddhanature as e*plained in the Tatha$ata$arbha Sutra& /n this sutra the essential nature of mind is des,ribed as luminous, mere luminosity and unpolluted& 3hen one understands this then one (ill also ,ome to reali>e that not only are the affli,tions remo)able but also the propensities and imprints left by the affli,tions ,an also be remo)ed& /f the affli,tions themsel)es ,an be eliminated then of ,ourse their propensities and imprints left by the affli,tions ,an also be eliminated& Throu%h this (ay one %ets an understandin% of the real possibility of liberation& DWith my Buddha vision
I see that all sentient beings are li"e this Within the mud shell of passions, All have the Tathagata(nature By means of adamantine wisdom, We brea" the mold of "leshas And reveal the Tathagatagarbha, *i"e pure, shining gold F
Tathagatagarbha 4utra

/n this (ay one also understands the possibility of attainin% +uddhahood, (hi,h is the total elimination of not only the affli,tions but also their propensities and imprints& 3hen one spea1s of the resultant state of +uddhahood in the +odhisatt)a s,riptures, the Mahayana s,riptures it is defined and des,ribed in terms of the :our 7mbodiments of :ull 7nli%htenment or the :our =ayas& The most profound and detailed understandin% of the :our =ayas ,an be de)eloped on the basis of readin% and studyin% the 2a-rayana te*ts& There the understandin% of the :our =ayas is presented on the basis of the subtle mind, the fundamental innate mind of Clear Li%ht& Here the emptiness of the fundamental, innate mind of Clear Li%ht of the state of +uddhahood is des,ribed as the 0)abha)a1aya, the 'atural 7mbodiment of the +uddha& The omnis,ient mind of the +uddha at that state is des,ribed as the 3isdom Dharma1aya or 3isdom Truth +ody& The subtle ener%y or prana that is inseparable from the +uddha<s Dharma1aya state is e*plained as the 0ambho%a1aya, the +uddha +ody of Perfe,t Gesour,e& 3hen this subtle ener%y assumes a form that is )isible at a %ross le)el then that embodiment of +uddhahood is des,ribed as the 'irmana1aya, the +uddha +ody of Perfe,t 7manation& 0o one ,an see that the 2a-rayana
1K

e*planation of the :our =ayas is done in terms of the understandin% of the fundamental, innate mind of Clear Li%ht& 3ith this understandin% if one refle,ts alon% these lines then one (ill %et a deeper understandin% of (hat is meant by Dharma and on the basis of Dharma one (ill understand the +uddha (ho is the e*ample of the total perfe,tion of the Dharma as (ell as the 0an%ha that is those (ho are on the path of the reali>ation of this Dharma& This is ho( on the basis of the first )erse of this te*t, the )erse of salutation to the Three Je(els that one ,an %ain a %eneral introdu,tion to (hat is meant by +uddha Dharma& 0o it is important for one (ho ,onsiders themsel)es to be a pra,ti,in% +uddhist to ha)e these understandin%s so that (hen one %oes for refu%e to the +uddha, Dharma and 0an%ha one 1no(s or has an understandin% of the ob-e,ts of refu%e& +y ,ulti)atin% a deep admiration by refle,tin% upon the 9ualities of the +uddha one %oes for refu%e in the +uddha of the past and ,ulti)ates deep ,on)i,tion and faith in their 9ualities and attainments& +ut it is also important to understand that one is %oin% for refu%e to the Three Je(els must be related to one<s o(n inner reali>ations and e*perien,es of the path so that (hen one %oes for refu%e in one<s faith there is also faith of emulation& 'ot only does one ha)e admiration for the Three Je(els but also one emulates their e*amples so that one aspires for oneself the reali>ation of the Three Je(els& Deri)ed throu%h the faith of emulation then one en%a%es in the path and ,ulti)ates in oneself all of the )arious le)els of reali>ations, be%innin% from the le)el of the initial s,ope& As the result of attainin% the true path one attains ,essations (hi,h then allo(s one to be part of the Arya 0an%ha and as a result of ,ontinuin% alon% one<s path (hi,h ,ulminates in one<s o(n reali>ation one attains the state of +uddhahood& 0o in this (ay one should be able to not only understand the a,t of %oin% for refu%e in relation to the histori,al Three Je(els but also to one<s o(n resultant future attainments of the +uddha, Dharma and 0an%ha& Ha)in% no( e*plained the )erse of salutation, startin% (ith the se,ond )erse the a,tual e*planation of the tea,hin% be%ins& /t readsJ Understand there are three "inds of persons 56a,b7 Because of their small, middling and supreme capacities

3hat is presented here and (hat is uni9ue about this te*t by Atisha is that here the presentation of the tea,hin%s is arran%ed in su,h a (ay that there is a definite se9uen,e to the order of the different topi,s of the pra,ti,es& These are arran%ed in ,onformity or in relation to the (ay in (hi,h these should be pra,ti,ed in their proper se9uen,e& :or e*ample in )arious other /ndian treatises su,h as 'a%ar-una<s Madhyami a ula ari a, the Fundamentals of the Middle Way and Candra1irti<s Su((lement to the Middle Way, Madhyama avatara all of the paths are presented ,orre,tly and most of the 1ey elements of the path are presented& 5f ,ourse this is done (ith different de%rees of emphasis& :or e*ample in 'a%ar-una<s Fundamentals of the Middle Way the main emphasis is on the tea,hin%s of Dependent 5ri%ination and emptiness and their relationship& Ho(e)er the other aspe,ts of the path are also presented& 3hat is la,1in% in these treatises is that the presentation of the tea,hin%s is not done (ith a definite se9uen,e of the pra,ti,es by a,tual appli,ation for one (ishin% to initiate pra,ti,e&
1

Atisha points out that this is )ery important in order to en%a%e in the pra,ti,es to ha)e a full understandin% of the proper se9uen,e in (hi,h one should en%a%e in the path& 3hat pra,ti,e should be underta1en first; 3hat pra,ti,es should follo( this initial pra,ti,e and so on; Atisha states that (ithout this 1no(led%e then the effe,ti)eness of one<s pra,ti,e may not be )ery %reat& :or e*ample ta1e the e*ample of bodhi,itta, the altruisti, aspiration to attain +uddhahood for the benefit of all bein%s& /t is not simply enou%h to say may / attain +uddhahood for the benefit of all sentient bein%s& /t is easy to say in (ords but (hen it ,omes to a,tually ,ulti)atin% it, ho( does one %o about ,ulti)atin% su,h an altruisti, aspiration& .ntil and unless the pra,titioner has de)eloped some understandin% of (hat is the ob-e,t of aspiration, +uddhahood or full enli%htenment then it is not possible to truly de)elop bodhi,itta& 0o some understandin% of (hat is meant by enli%htenment is important& 3hat is also important is to ha)e some deeper understandin% of the nature of sufferin% that one (ishes others to be free of& /n order to de)elop this stron% ,ompassion see1in% for others to be free of sufferin%, one must ha)e a deeper understandin% of the nature of sufferin% in relation to one<s o(n personal e*perien,e& 5n the basis of this personal e*perien,e of one<s o(n understandin% of sufferin% then one (ill be able to ,ulti)ate a stron% desire to %ain freedom from this sufferin% (hi,h is true renun,iation& 3hen all of these elements are ,ombined to%ether then one (ill be able to %i)e rise to bodhi,itta, the altruisti, aspiration to attain +uddhahood for the benefit of all bein%s& 3hat one sees here is that in order for an important aspe,t of the path su,h as bodhi,itta to ta1e root in one<s mindstream, one needs to ,ulti)ate the different ,omponents of it indi)idually first& 3hen one does this then e)entually one (ill be able to ,ulti)ate bodhi,itta& 0o there is a ,ertain order to the a,tual de)elopment of these aspe,ts of the path and Atisha in this te*t e*plains these )arious aspe,ts of the path in relation to the a,tual se9uen,e of indi)idual pra,ti,es and their ,ulti)ation& Here he does so by usin% the frame(or1 of the pra,titioner of three different ,apa,ities& 3hen one spea1s of the small, middlin% and supreme ,apa,ities one is not ne,essarily referrin% to three ,ompletely different indi)iduals& /n fa,t (hat is bein% referred to here is the different le)els of mental states (hi,h an indi)idual pra,titioner may attain throu%h pro%ressi)e sta%es& 0o at the be%inner<s sta%e the pra,titioner ,an be referred to as one (ith a small ,apa,ity and then as the result of pra,ti,e pro%resses to the ne*t sta%e and is then referred to as one of the middlin% ,apa,ity& As the indi)idual ,ontinues to pro%ress they rea,h the supreme ,apa,ity& 0o these three ,apa,ities ,an be understood in relation to an indi)idual pra,titioner in a pro%ressi)ely e)ol)in% sta%es of mental de)elopment& Atisha e*plains the importan,e of understandin% the proper order of the pra,ti,es and referrin% them to the different le)els of mental reali>ations& He (roteJ I shall write clearly 56c,d7 8istinguishing the individual characteristics

5ne ,an see an analo%y to e)en modern edu,ation, (hi,h is ,omposed of elementary s,hool, hi%h s,hool and ,olle%e (here one slo(ly spe,iali>es into an area of study& These three

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le)els of pra,ti,es in ,orresponden,e to the three ,apa,ities ,an be li1ened to the different le)els of s,hoolin%& 5ne ,an also relate Atisha<s tea,hin% on the three s,opes or three ,apa,ities to an earlier di)ision of the three phases of spiritual de)elopment found in Aryade)a<s Four Hundred )erses on the Middle Way (here he (rote that at the first sta%e one must a)ert or re)erse one<s un(holesome deeds& /n the middle sta%e one must re)erse one<s preo,,upation (ith the self or %raspin% at selfhood and in the final sta%e one must eliminate all (ron% )ie(s, dismantle all )ie(s& This ,an be related to Atisha<s presentation of the three s,opes be,ause (hen one says un(holesome deeds these are referrin% to ne%ati)e a,tions and thou%hts (hi,h are the main ,auses of one<s sufferin%&
D-irst prevent the demeritorious, %9: Ne3t prevent .ideas of a coarse/ self *ater prevent views of all "inds Whoever "nows this is wise F
-our #undred &erses

3hen one spea1s of the ,auses of sufferin% here one is tal1in% about 1arma or a,tions& 3ithin 1arma there ,an be made three distin,tions, ne%ati)e or un(holesome 1arma, meritorious or (holesome 1arma and immutable or un,han%eable 1arma& 'e%ati)e 1arma %i)es rise to sufferin% in the lo(er realms and it is meritorious 1arma that %i)es rise to birth in the hi%her realms as a human or ,elestial& /t is the immutable or un,han%eable 1arma that %i)es birth in the :orm and :ormless Gealms& 5ne ,an say that Aryade)a<s first sta%e (here the pra,titioner is ad)ised to re)erse or eliminate all ne%ati)e 1arma ,orresponds to Atisha<s initial s,ope or small ,apa,ity pra,ti,e& Here the main ob-e,ti)e is to %ain freedom from the immediate ,auses of sufferin%, the ob)ious sufferin%s of the lo(er realms& /n this s,ope the spiritual 9uest is moti)ated by a fear of under%oin% the e*perien,es of sufferin% in the lo(er realms& 0o moti)ated by this fear one see1s freedom from it and the main pra,ti,e to a,,omplish this is embodied in the pra,ti,e of morality of abstainin% from the ten ne%ati)e a,tions of body, spee,h and mind& This is the pre,ept of the a,tual pra,ti,e of %oin% for refu%e (hi,h is to li)e one<s life in a,,ordan,e (ith the ethi,al dis,ipline of refrainin% from the ten ne%ati)e a,tions& 5ne ,ons,iously adopts the ethi,al dis,ipline by refrainin% from these and is the a,tual pra,ti,e of the initial s,ope ,orrespondin% to the first phase of the pra,ti,e as referred to Aryade)a<s Four Hundred )erses& The se,ond line in Aryade)a<s te*t states that selfhood must be eliminated or a)erted& This ,orresponds to Atisha<s se,ond middlin% s,ope be,ause the main moti)ation or aspiration of the pra,titioner of the middlin% s,ope is to %ain freedom from ,y,li, e*isten,e& The a,tual pra,ti,e is to eliminate the affli,tions that %i)e rise to the e*perien,e of ,y,li, e*isten,e& The third line of Aryade)a<s te*t (here he says that finally all )ie(s must be dismantled and this ,orresponds to Atisha<s third s,ope of supreme ,apa,ity& The moti)ation here is to not only %ain freedom from the sufferin%s of ,y,li, e*isten,e but to also %ain full enli%htenment for the benefit of all bein%s brin%in% about the ,essation of sufferin% for al sentient bein%s&

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5ne ,an see that if one is to use the analo%y of ,ombat, one ,an say that the pra,ti,e of Dharma is to en%a%e in ,ombat (ith one<s inner enemy, the affli,tions& 0o (hen (a%in% a (ar a%ainst the affli,tions, the first sta%e is to insure that one has a )ery %ood defense so that one is se,ure, not )ulnerable to the atta,1 of the affli,tions& /n order to do this one needs to build a defense and this defense is built by tryin% to o)er,ome the manifestations of the affli,tions in one<s bodily and )erbal a,tions as (ell as one<s thou%hts& This is a,,omplished by adoptin% the ethi,al dis,ipline of refrainin% from the ten ne%ati)e a,tions of body, spee,h and mind thus insurin% a se,urity for the pra,titioner& 5n,e one has %ained ,onfiden,e in ha)in% a se,ure defense, that one is not )ulnerable to atta,1s from the affli,tions then at the ne*t sta%e one a,tually ta1es on the affli,tions head!on, dire,tly4 one ,ounters them dire,tly& 5ne ,an do this as one is no( assured of one<s o(n defense& :inally, not only must the enemy be defeated, the affli,tions be eliminated but also one must insure that not e)en tra,es are left, in other (ords not e)en the propensities of the affli,tions are left in one<s mental ,ontinuum& This is the third phase of spiritual pra,ti,e as mentioned by Aryade)a, (hi,h also ,orresponds to Atisha<s third s,ope& 5ne ,an understand this pro,ess of de)elopment in terms of the three different le)els as Atisha<s e*planation of the three s,opes or Aryade)a<s three phases of reali>ation or pra,ti,e& :rom another perspe,ti)e, from the ob-e,t of one<s aspiration (hat one as a pra,titioner aspire to is the attainment of hi%her rebirth as a temporary ob-e,ti)e and one<s ultimate ob-e,ti)e is to attain liberation from ,y,li, e*isten,e alon% (ith the omnis,ient state of +uddhahood& 0o the pra,ti,e of the initial s,ope the 1ey pra,ti,e is embodied in the ethi,al dis,ipline of refrainin% from the ten ne%ati)e a,tions of body, spee,h and mind& This insures the fulfillment of the temporary ob-e,ti)e (hi,h is the attainment of rebirth in the hi%her realms su,h a human or as a ,elestial bein%& As 'a%ar-una points out in his Precious *arland that for the spiritual pra,titioner there are t(o primary ob-e,ti)es& The temporary ob-e,ti)e is birth in one of the hi%her realms Dhi%h statusF and the ultimate one is definite %oodness& /n terms of the fa,tors that %i)e rise to these t(o a,hie)ements, faith is primary for the attainment of hi%h rebirth and (isdom is primary for the attainment of definite %oodness& Definite %oodness here refers to liberation from ,y,li, e*isten,e and also +uddhahood, the fully enli%htened state&
D+liminating defects and ac;uiring good ;ualities 50: Are the practices of those see"ing high status Thoroughly e3tinguishing conceptions through consciousness .of reality/ Is the practice of those see"ing definite goodness F
Precious <arland

The se,ond s,ope and the third s,ope ob)iously relate to one<s 9uest for the attainment of definite %oodness& 3hen one spea1s of faith in the +uddhist ,onte*t, althou%h %enerally spea1in% there are many different 1inds of faith, faith is understood as somethin% that is reinfor,ed by (isdom or intelli%en,e& /n fa,t it is important to ha)e faith %rounded in reason or (isdom as (ell as ha)in% (isdom reinfor,ed by faith and ,ompassion& These should be ,ulti)ated in a mutual, ,omplimentary manner bet(een the s1ilful means aspe,t of the path and the (isdom aspe,t of the path as one reinfor,es and ,ompliments the other&
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This ,an be summari>ed by sayin% that the pra,ti,es that are asso,iated (ith the 9uest for attainin% hi%her rebirth Dhi%h statusF and those pra,ti,es are of the initial s,ope& 3ithin definite %oodness there are t(o le)els, liberation from ,y,li, e*isten,e (here liberation is ,onstituted by the elimination of the affli,tions& Then there is the ultimate definite %oodness4 the attainment of full enli%htenment defined as a state (here not only the affli,tions ha)e been eliminated but also their propensities and imprints& All of the pra,ti,es that are asso,iated (ith the attainment from ,y,li, e*isten,e belon% to the middlin% ,apa,ity or s,ope and all of the pra,ti,es that are asso,iated (ith the attainment of the omnis,ient state of +uddhahood belon% to the supreme ,apa,ity or s,ope& Althou%h one ,an ima%ine that there ,ould be three ,ompletely different indi)iduals ea,h follo(in% the pra,ti,es of a different ,apa,ity& :or e*ample there ,ould be an indi)idual pra,titioner (hose only (ants to pursue the pra,ti,es asso,iated (ith the initial s,ope& Ho(e)er in the te*t here, in Atisha<s te*t (hen he spea1s of the three s,opes or ,apa,ities he is referrin% primarily of an indi)idual (ho %oes throu%h ea,h of these s,opes in a pro%ressi)e, e)ol)in% manner& +e,ause the ultimate purpose of the pra,titioner of this te*t is someone (ho is see1in% the attainment of full enli%htenment, this te*t presents the point of )ie( of someone (ho pro%resses throu%h all three different sta%es of ,apa,ity& The point is that e)en for the pra,titioners of the middlin% and supreme ,apa,ities, they must first underta1e the pra,ti,es asso,iated (ith the initial s,ope& 0o there is a definite se9uen,e in that the pra,ti,es of the former s,ope are ,ommon preliminaries to the pra,ti,es of the latter s,ope& The initial s,ope pra,ti,es are ,ommon to the pra,ti,es of the middlin% s,ope and the pra,ti,es of the middlin% s,ope are ,ommon for the pra,titioner of the supreme s,ope& 67nd of day8

The %reat tea,her 'a%ar-una (ho is in fa,t ,onsidered as a se,ond tea,her in this era of the +uddha 0ha1yamuni<s tea,hin%s, he states in his Precious *arland or !atnavali that those (ho aspire to attain the state of full enli%htenment must see1 the three prin,ipal fa,tors& He states that anyone (ho aspires to attain full enli%htenment must see1 its means, see1 its ,auses& 3hat are these ,orre,t ,auses; He identifies three prin,ipal fa,tors& The first is bodhi,itta, (hi,h is the aspiration to attain +uddhahood for the benefit of all bein%s thus the %eneration of this altruisti, intention, is the first prin,ipal ,ause&
DThus observe the practices incessantly %=> And abandon those counter to them If you and the world wish to attain Unparalleled enlightenment, Its roots are the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment %=1 -irm li"e the monarch of mountains, ,ompassion reaching to all ;uarters,

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And wisdom not relying on duality F

Precious <arland

Ho(e)er this prin,ipal ,ause, (hi,h is the altruisti, aspiration to attain +uddhahood for the benefit of all bein%s is rooted in %reat ,ompassion& He des,ribes %reat ,ompassion as infinite ,ompassion (ith infinite here referrin% to the infinity of the number of sentient bein%s for (hom one ,ulti)ates the (ish to be free from sufferin%& 0entient bein%s are said to be infinite and e9ual to the e*panse of spa,e& 0o one needs to ,ulti)ate ,ompassion not only (ishin% for all sentient bein%s to be free of sufferin% but in fa,t a more po(erful ,ompassion (hi,h has a sense of responsibility and ,ommitment in)ol)ed (ith it& 'ot only does one (ish others to free of sufferin% but also in fa,t one shoulders upon oneself the responsibility to brin% about this freedom from sufferin%& 0o this is the se,ond prin,ipal ,ause& The third prin,ipal ,ause that 'a%ar-una identifies is (hat he ,alls the non!dual (isdom& 'on!duality here refers to the (isdom of emptiness, (hi,h trans,ends the t(o e*tremes of absolutism and nihilism& This is the (isdom that penetrates into the ultimate nature of reality4 the (ay thin%s really are (hi,h is des,ribed as emptiness or the ultimate nature of reality& 5ne finds in the +odhisatt)a s,riptures the pro,ess of the path that is the pro,ess in)ol)ed in attainin% full enli%htenment des,ribed as a )ery lon% pro,ess& /t is des,ribed in terms of the Ten +odhisatt)a +humis or le)els and also in terms of the frame(or1 of the fi)e paths& This (hole pro,ess be%ins from the instant the indi)idual pra,titioner %enerates and %ains the reali>ation of %enuine bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention& :or an intelli%ent pra,titioner (ith hi%her ,o%niti)e fa,ulties they be%in the path by first ,ulti)atin% the (isdom of emptiness, the (isdom of no!self& This (isdom of emptiness %i)es rise to the reali>ation of %reat ,ompassion to(ards all sentient bein%s& This ,ompassion that aspires to remo)e others< sufferin% %i)es rise to a sense of responsibility, a sense of ,ommitment to brin% about the release of sentient bein%s from their sufferin%& This is ,alled the e*traordinary attitude or sense of responsibility, (hi,h then ,ulminates in the reali>ation of bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention& At this instant the indi)idual pra,titioner has be,ome a bodhisatt)a, has entered the first of the :i)e Paths, the Path of A,,umulation& As the pra,titioner pro%resses on this path, deepenin% their reali>ation of emptiness, the pra,titioner rea,hes a point (here their understandin% of emptiness does not remain merely at the le)el of the intelle,t but in fa,t a,9uires a meditati)ely!based e*periential dimension& At this point the understandin% of emptiness be,omes deri)ed from meditation rather than from intelle,tual understandin%& This is point (hen the pra,titioner has entered the se,ond path, the Path of Preparation or Lin1in%& As the pra,titioner pro%resses further deepenin% their insi%ht into emptiness, they rea,h a point (here the e*perien,e of emptiness be,omes dire,t no lon%er bein% ,o%niti)e but dire,t& At this point the pra,titioner has entered the third path, the Path of 0eein%& The pra,titioner has also attained the first bodhisatt)a le)el or bodhisatt)a bhumi& :rom the se,ond bodhisatt)a le)el on(ard the pra,titioner attains the Path of Meditation& 3ithin the ten +odhisatt)a +humis or le)els the first se)en are referred to as impure le)els (here the pra,titioner is still not free from the affli,tions and defilements& The last three le)els, ei%hth, ninth and tenth le)els are des,ribed as the pure le)els&

"B

/t is throu%h this pro,ess that the pra,titioner from the moment of first %eneratin% bodhi,itta %oes throu%h the pro,ess and rea,hes the hi%hest sta%e& These sta%es ,orrespond to the periods of the a,,umulation of merit des,ribed in the +odhisatt)a s,riptures& /t is said there that the attainment of +uddhahood re9uires the a,,umulation of merit o)er a period of three innumerable eons& The period of Paths of A,,umulation and Preparation ,onstitutes the first innumerable eon& The first se)en +odhisatt)a +humis, the impure le)els ,onstitutes the se,ond innumerable eon of a,,umulation of merit and then the final three +odhisatt)a +humis ,orresponds to the third and last innumerable eon of the a,,umulation of merit& /t is said that this attainment of +uddhahood durin% the period of three innumerable eons is in fa,t said to be a faster frame(or1 as some s,riptures mention the attainment of +uddhahood as the result of thirty or forty innumerable eons& 0o the point bein% made is that the attainment of enli%htenment or +uddhahood is not a matter of an instantaneous e)ent& Althou%h in some 2a-rayana te*ts there are referen,es to the attainment of +uddhahood (ithin a sin%le instan,e& :or e*ample there is a passa%e (hi,h says that by (hose 1indness one attains +uddhahood (ithin a sin%le instant and so on& 0ometimes people may %et the impression that there mi%ht be some spe,ial pra,ti,e that if one enter into a meditati)e session and durin% that session in a sin%le instant by re,itin% the mantra H.M somethin% happens so that one ,omes out of the session fully enli%htened& This ho(e)er is not the ,ase& This is a )ery unrealisti, e*pe,tation be,ause the attainment of +uddhahood is a pro,ess that in)ol)es the transformation of one<s mental ,ontinuum& 5ne<s mental ,ontinuum is permeated throu%h and throu%h (ith the pollutants of the affli,tions and this pollution of the affli,tions needs to be %radually remo)ed, layer after layer& This is a %radual pro,ess and it is throu%h this %radual pro,ess that one<s mental ,ontinuum be,omes more and more purified and refined e)entually ,ulminatin% in the attainment of +uddhahood& A 9uestion mi%ht then be raised that if +uddhahood ta1es su,h a lon% period of time then this is too mu,h& 5ne mi%ht feel dis,oura%ed& Here it is (orth re)ie(in% some of the passa%es one ,an find in 'a%ar-una<s Precious *arland (here 'a%ar-una states that the len%th of the period of time that it ta1es to attain +uddhahood should not be %rounds for dis,oura%in% a pra,titioner or for one to feel e*hausted& /n fa,t if the pra,titioner is su,h that they posses the s1illful method as (ell as (isdom, the union of these t(o then the time fa,tor should not ma1e any differen,e to their sense of ,ommitment and endea)or& He ,ompares this (ith one<s o(n day!to!day e*perien,e& He states that if one is under%oin% a painful e*perien,e then %enerally e)en if that period of time is )ery short, be,ause of the painfulness of the e*perien,e it seems as if it is a )ery lon% time& /n ,ontrast if an e*perien,e is pleasurable and pleasant then e)en if the time of the e*perien,e is )ery lon%, one feels as if it (ere too short& This is %enerally the ,ase& /f this is so 'a%ar-una says that for a %enuine pra,titioner (ho posses both the s1illful method of ,ompassion and bodhi,itta united (ith the (isdom reali>in% emptiness then at the initial sta%e althou%h the pra,titioner may en,ounter painful e*perien,es at a physi,al le)el but %i)en the stren%th of their inner reali>ation one ,an endure these hardships& As one pro%resses further then at a ,ertain le)el of reali>ation the pra,titioner be,omes in)ulnerable to physi,al hardship, pain and so on& /f this is the ,ase then the pra,titioner no lon%er feels pain and sufferin%& Therefore (hen the pra,titioner is en%a%ed in the pra,ti,es of the path to(ards the attainment of +uddhahood then the len%th of time (ill not ma1e any differen,e to the pra,titioner as there is no e*perien,e of pain& This is one reason not to feel dis,oura%ed&

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D4ince thus they are not greatly harmed 55> By physical and mental suffering, Why should they be discouraged Though they lead beings in all worlds? It is hard to bear suffering even for a little, 551 What need is there to spea" of doing so for long@ What could bring harm even over limitless time To happy beings who have no suffering? They have no physical sufferingA 552 #ow could they have mental suffering? Through their compassion they feel pain -or the world and so stay in it long #ence do not feel inade;uate thin"ing 55= BBuddhahood is far away C Always strive at these .collections/ To remove defects and attain good ;ualities F
Precious <arland

Another reason is that furthermore the bodhisatt)a pra,titioners ha)e dedi,ated their entire bein%s for the benefit of other sentient bein%s& 'a%ar-una e*presses the sentiment in the Precious *arland, May / be li1e the %reat elements of earth, fire, (ater and so on& May all parts of my bein% be of ser)i,e to other sentient bein%s& 0imilarly one finds in 0antide)a<s *uide to the &odhisattva+s Way of Life he e*presses the sentiment, :or as lon% as spa,e remains, :or as lon% as sentient bein%s remain, May / too remain, And dispel the sufferin%s of the (orld& D!ay I always be an ob$ect of en$oyment
>D0 -or all sentient beings according to their wish And without interference, as are the earth, Water, fire, wind, herbs, and wild forests F
Precious <arland

/f one ,an understand these sentiments properly then one (ill understand that the bodhisatt)a pra,titioner is someone (ho has dedi,ated their entire life, their entire bein% for the sole purpose to brin% about others< (ellbein% and to ser)e others& /f that is the ,ase then the time it ta1es to be,ome fully enli%htened a%ain has no rele)an,e& 7)en if the person is fully enli%htened the only
"I

tas1 that remains is to ser)e other sentient bein%s, (hi,h is the %oal of the bodhisatt)a pra,titioner any(ay (hile they are on the path& :urthermore (hen the pra,titioner is en%a%ed (ith the path and dedi,ates their entire bein% for the ser)i,e of other sentient bein%s then in a sense one is fulfillin% the pled%e that one has already made (hen %eneratin% bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention as (ell as the +odhisatt)a 2o(s& 5ne is li)in% the ideals that one has adopted and the pled%e that one has a,,epted& 3hen one thin1s alon% these lines then one (ill understand that the notion of someone (or1in% for others (ellbein% but someho( they ha)e some other self!interest is in fa,t false& This is be,ause the only tas1 that a bodhisatt)a pra,titioner has is the ser)i,e of others, brin%in% about the (ellbein% of other sentient bein%s& 0o in these (ays 'a%ar-una e*plains that the time in)ol)ed in the attainment of +uddhahood really has no rele)an,e as far as the pra,titioner is ,on,erned& /f one understands this point ,learly then one (ill a)oid the follo(in% dan%er& At times there is a tenden,y (hen a pra,titioner hears attra,ti)e statements li1e after doin% a three year, three month retreat one (ill ,ome out enli%htened or (ill ha)e %reat reali>ations& 0o (hen one hears su,h statements one be,omes e*tremely interested and has %reat enthusiasm& Ho(e)er (hen one hears the +odhisatt)a s,riptures< des,ription of the attainment of +uddhahood as re9uirin% effort o)er three innumerable eons, one<s interest diminishes& 5ne ,an a)oid this dan%er by ha)in% a realisti, outloo1& /n fa,t / too had this feelin% (hen / (as in my teens& 5n,e (hen / (as a teena%er in one of my tea,hin% sessions (ith my tea,her (ith LLLLL Ginpo,he / made the remar1 that after ha)in% loo1ed at the +odhisatt)a 0utras that the pro,ess of that path des,ribed in those sutras (as so lon% that it seemed almost impossible& / said that probably the 2a-rayana path (here there is des,ribed the possibility of attainin% +uddhahood in a mu,h shorter time period (ould be more suited to me& He responded ba,1 by sayin% that ho( ,ould one follo( a )iable 2a-rayana path (ithout the pra,ti,e of bodhi,itta or the altruisti, intention& / remember that reply to this day )ery ,learly& Also 'a%ar-una states in the Precious *arland that if an indi)idual pra,titioner stri)es to ,ulti)ate bodhi,itta (ith all of one<s effort and if one dedi,ates all of these efforts to the %eneration of this altruisti, intention (ithin oneself then throu%h this dedi,ation in the ,ulti)ation of this altruisti, ideal li)in% (ithin these ideals then one (ill %ain a sense of deep satisfa,tion& This is be,ause one (ill 1no( that they ha)e fulfilled the %oal of one<s human e*isten,e %i)in% one a tremendous sense of satisfa,tion and fulfillment& This deep sense of satisfa,tion and fulfillment ser)es as a ,ounterpoint pre)entin% any potential for any feelin%s of e*haustion or fati%ue& 0o in su,h a pra,titioner there is no room for any feelin%s of fati%ue& Therefore (hen as the result of stri)in% for the ,ulti)ation of bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention and ,ompassion, if one %ains the %enuine reali>ation of bodhi,itta, un,ontri)ed, non!simulated and spontaneous then one (ill attain a po(erful state of mind& 5ne<s )ision trans,ends all limits& :or e*ample one<s pra,ti,e of ,ompassion and bodhi,itta is dire,ted for the benefit of, for the purpose of infinite numbers of sentient bein%s& 0o far as the pra,ti,e is ,on,erned, it is infinite& The %oal of the pra,ti,e is infinite sentient bein%s& The purpose of this pra,ti,e is to attain the state of +uddhahood (hose enli%htened 9ualities are infinite4 infinite enli%htened 9ualities are one<s %oal& The means by (hi,h one en%a%es in the pra,ti,e are the infinite numbers of bodhisatt)a pra,ti,es so there is an infinity of bodhisatt)a deeds& The time durin% (hi,h one en%a%es in these altruisti, a,ti)ities is also infinite o)er innumerable eons& 0o there is an infinity of sentient bein%s for (hose benefit one is en%a%in% in the pra,ti,e& There is an infinity of
"C

enli%htened 9ualities that are one<s ob-e,ti)e to attain and then there is the infinity of bodhisatt)a deeds that one en%a%es in as the means& :inally there is an infinity of time o)er (hi,h one ,ulti)ates these pra,ti,es& 3hen these four infinite fa,tors ,ome to%ether, 'a%ar-una says that this is itself (ill ma1e it possible for the a,,umulation of merit o)er three innumerable eons to ta1e pla,e on its o(n& This is similar to (hat the =adampa masters said (hen they (ould say to pla,e all of one<s efforts into ,ulti)atin% bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention& This is be,ause on,e one has ,ulti)ated bodhi,itta, on,e one has %enerated bodhi,itta then it (ill ta1e ,are of e)erythin%& /t (ill ta1e ,are of a,,umulatin% one<s merits4 it (ill ta1e ,are of purifyin% all of one<s ne%ati)ities& 0o all of one<s a,ti)ities must be dire,ted to(ards the sole purpose of %eneratin% bodhi,itta& 0imilarly Tson%1apa said in his *reat ',(osition of the Sta$es of the Path that the ,ulti)ation of bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention is su,h that (hen one en%a%es in (or1in% for others< (elfare, one<s o(n self!interest (ill be fulfilled as a by!produ,t& Therefore the pra,ti,e of bodhi,itta is su,h that one ,an say that it is the sour,e of both one<s temporary aims as (ell as one<s ultimate aims& 5ften (hen one spea1s of the enli%htened 9ualities of a +uddha, one of these 9ualities des,ribed is the spontaneous a,hie)ement of any a,ti)ity& /n a (ay there is a similar spontaneity in)ol)ed here& 3hen one has reali>ed bodhi,itta then it allo(s one to fulfill all of one<s immediate aims and it also helps to one<s ultimate aim of obtainin% +uddhahood& /n a sense there is a similitude to a +uddha<s enli%htened spontaneous 9uality& 5ne also finds in the As(irational Prayer of Maitreya a stan>a that states, /t is (ith that the path to the lo(er realms (ill be blo,1ed, /t is (ith this that the paths to the hi%her realms (ill be opened& /t is (ith this that freedom from birth, a%in% and death (ill be brou%ht about& /t is to bodhi,itta that / pay homa%e& /n fa,t if one ,losely e*amine the entire spe,trum of the +uddha<s tea,hin%s one (ill reali>e that the pra,ti,e of bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention is really the essen,e, the main, a,tual pra,ti,e& All of the other aspe,ts of the +uddha<s tea,hin%s and pra,ti,es are either preliminaries to bodhi,itta or supplements to it as pre,epts& :or e*ample one ,an see that (ithin the frame(or1 of the three ,apa,ities, the three s,opes that Atisha outlined, all of the pra,ti,es that are asso,iated (ith the initial s,ope and the middlin% s,ope are in one (ay or another preliminary pra,ti,es to the a,tual pra,ti,e of bodhi,itta& Then are the pra,ti,es of the bodhisatt)a<s 0i* Perfe,tions follo(ed by all of the pra,ti,es and tea,hin%s of the 2a-rayana& /n fa,t the 2a-rayana tea,hin%s ,an be seen as further elaborations on the last t(o perfe,tions, tran9uil abidin% and (isdom, the Perfe,tion of Con,entration and the Perfe,tion of 3isdom& 5ne ,an see that all of the tea,hin%s and the pra,ti,es as embodied in the 0i* Perfe,tions and also in the 2a-rayana tea,hin%s are pre,epts that the bodhisatt)a pra,titioner of bodhi,itta needs to en%a%e in& 0o the heart or the main pra,ti,e of +uddhism really is bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention& 3hen one thin1s about these points, (hat is entailed in the pra,ti,e of ,ulti)atin% bodhi,itta, ,ompassion and so on, if someone feels that this is ,ompletely beyond them, it is impossible, too diffi,ult then of ,ourse one is free as an indi)idual to ,hoose not to en%a%e in the pra,ti,es& +ut then one needs to as1 the 9uestion, if this is so then (hat other means are there to brin% about the ,essation of sufferin% that one does not desire; Ge%ardless of (hether one a,,epts the notion of 1arma and affli,tions, the fa,t remains that all of us are ,onditioned by 1arma and the affli,tions& 5ne<s )ery e*isten,e, one<s present e*isten,e is the produ,t of 1arma and the affli,tions& 0o lon% as one remains ,hained to the ,onditions of
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1arma and the affli,tions there is no room for lastin% happiness& Calamities stri1e, undesirable e)ents befall one4 these are the natural fa,ts of one<s e*isten,e& 5ne<s sufferin%s in,lude the natural sufferin%s of birth, illness, a%in%, death and so on but they are also other ad)ersities that one fa,es in one<s life& 0o here it is (orth rememberin% (hat a =adampa master Poto(a said& He said that (hen one obser)es deeply the nature of one<s sufferin% in,ludin% the sufferin%s of birth, a%in%, death and si,1ness, see if there is e)er a possibility of e*haustin% ,ompletely this sufferin% simply by e*perien,in% them and li)in% them out& This ho(e)er does not seem to be the ,ase be,ause sin,e be%innin%less time one has endured these sufferin%s o)er and o)er a%ain& +ut someho( time itself simply by li)in% them out has not brou%ht them to an end& /f this is so then one ,an infer that e)en in the future simply throu%h e*perien,in% them (ill not brin% about an end of these sufferin%s& 3hat is re9uired is to ,ons,iously and deliberately brin% about their end& This ,an be a,,omplished only by understandin% the nature of sufferin% and see1in% out the ,orre,t means to brin% about their ,essation& A %reat s,holar or %eshe in a ,ourse of a ,on)ersation (hen dis,ussin% the nature of the self and the absen,e of selfhood, (e tal1ed about ho( elusi)e the phenomena of self is& 3hen one probes into it and sear,h for its e*isten,e, one finds that it is untenable4 the self is not findable (ithin the body or mind& The %eshe then remar1ed that the self is )ery elusi)e and )ery ,ompli,ated su,h that (hen one loo1s for it throu%h ,riti,al analysis, one al(ays tends not to find it& /t is unfindable& Ho(e)er if the self does not e*ist at all then in a sense that (ould ma1e thin%s )ery simple, (ould ma1e thin%s mu,h better& There (ould not be any e*perien,er of sufferin% and pain4 there (ould be no sub-e,t that under%oes su,h e*perien,es& 7)erythin% (ould be mu,h simpler ho(e)er this is not the ,ase& There is, re%ardless of (hether one ,an pinpoint it or not, an indi)idual bein% (ho under%oes the e*perien,es of pain and pleasure, (ho is the sub-e,t of e*perien,e& +ased on one<s o(n e*perien,e one does 1no( that there is somethin%, (hate)er one may ,all it that ma1es it possible for one to under%o the )arious e*perien,es& There is somethin% ,alled dis,ernment, the ability to per,ei)e thin%s, the ability to dis,ern ob-e,ts& /n fa,t if loo1s at the e*perien,e of sufferin%, althou%h some of the sufferin% may be at the sensory le)el, at the le)el of bodily pain, in fa,t the )ery e*perien,e of pain is intimately ,onne,ted (ith ,ons,iousness, ,onne,ted (ith the mind& This is be,ause the e*perien,e of pain is ,onne,ted (ith feelin% and feelin% is part of sensation (ith sensation bein% part of the mental (orld& This is (hat distin%uishes sentient bein%s from other or%anisms li1e plants and so on& 0entient bein%s ha)e this sub-e,ti)e dimension (hether one ,alls it e*perien,e, ,ons,iousness, the mental (orld or (hate)er& The 9uestion arises (hat e*a,tly is this phenomenon, this mental phenomenon; 3hether or not this mental phenomenon, mind or ,ons,iousness is one hundred per,ent ,ontin%ent upon the body, (hether one ,an identify this mental phenomenon totally (ith the physi,al (orld is the issue of the mindMbody relationship& This has been a ma-or area of interest in the philosophi,al traditions& 0o this is not an issue that is )ery re,ent& This is an issue that has been raised in an,ient /ndia for its entire history& :or e*ample one of the an,ient /ndian s,hools adopted a materialist standpoint DCar)a1aF& They ar%ued that the mind is ultimately redu,ible to the physi,al body& There is no separate phenomenon other than the physi,al body& They ar%ued that be,ause the mind is entirely
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,ontin%ent upon the body that (hen the body dies, the ,ons,iousness also ,omes to an end& They %a)e the analo%y of the mindMbody relationship as bein% li1e a (all and murals painted on that (all& 0o lon% as the (all stands the mural is there but (hen the (all is destroyed the mural is also destroyed& Another analo%y they used (as li1e (ine and its ability to into*i,ate& 3hen the (ine is drun1 and %one, the ability to into*i,ate is %one as (ell& 0imilarly the mind and body are related in that manner so that (hen the body dies that is the end of ,ons,iousness& Ho(e)er many other /ndian philosophi,al traditions re-e,ted this materialisti, approa,h& /n modern ,orrelates of this dis,ussion of the relationship bet(een the body and mind is our (hole ,osmolo%i,al understandin% of the ori%in of the uni)erse& :or e*ample a,,ordin% to modern ,osmolo%y the be%innin% of the ,urrent (orld system is posited as the e)ent of the +i% +an%& Also there is the 9uestion of (hether that e)ent (as the be%innin% of e)erythin%& 3here did ,ons,iousness arise; 5ne thin% (e ,an understand throu%h both s,ientifi, analysis and also from our o(n personal e*perien,e of per,eption is that (hate)er e*perien,es one has no( are ,onse9uen,es of ,onditions that pre,eded it& 'othin% ,omes into bein% (ithout ,auses& 0imilarly -ust as in the material (orld e)erythin% must ha)e ,auses and ,onditions that %i)e rise to it, similarly in the mental (orld as (ell all e*perien,es ha)e their o(n ,auses and ,onditions& 3hen one spea1s of the ,auses and ,onditions of ,ons,iousness, the mental (orld there are t(o prin,ipal ,ate%ories of ,ausation or ,auses and ,onditions& 5ne is a material ,ause or the substantial ,ause that turns somethin% into somethin% else and there are other ,onditions that are ,ontributory fa,tors that ma1e the pro,ess of ,ausation possible& The /ndian +uddhist master Dharma1irti pointed out in his Pramanavartti a or )alid Co$nitions that somethin%, (hi,h is not mental, ,annot turn into a mental phenomenon& /n other (ords, somethin% that is purely physi,al or material ,annot be,ome a mental phenomenon& 3hat Dharma1irti is pointin% out is that for an instan,e of ,ons,iousness to ta1e pla,e it must ha)e as its pre,edin% ,ontinuum another instan,e of ,ons,iousness& Throu%h this (ay one ,an tra,e its ,ausation to the be%innin% of ,ons,iousness in this life and throu%h this (ay one posits an earlier or pre,edin% life& :urthermore if one e*amines the 2a-rayana literature there is an understandin% of )aryin% le)els of subtlety of mental phenomena or the mental (orld& 'ormally (hen one spea1s of mind or ,ons,iousness one %ets the impression that one is referrin% to a sin%le, unitary phenomenon& This ho(e)er is not the ,ase& Just as the physi,al (orld is di)erse similarly the mental (orld of ,ons,iousness is also )ery di)erse (ith )aryin% le)els of subtlety& /t is ob)ious that the %rossest le)el of e*perien,e one<s ,ons,iousness< per,eptions and ,on,eptions are )ery ,ontin%ent upon one<s physi,al body& +ut as the le)el of ,ons,iousness be,omes subtler there is a %reater de%ree of independen,e from the physi,al body& /t is alon% these lines of reasonin% that one a,,epts the ne)er!endin% ,ontinuity of the ,ons,iousness& :rom the 2a-rayana point of )ie( on the basis of this subtle, luminous nature of mind& /t is not the ,ase that the an,ient /ndian s,hools in,ludin% +uddhism (ho a,,epted the ,on,ept of rebirth simply ma1e the ,laim for rebirth on belief alone& A %reat deal of thou%ht and analysis, philosophi,al refle,tion has %one into this& :urthermore one also finds ane,dotal e)iden,e of )ery ,lear rememberin% of past li)es by ,hildren& 7)en in some ,ases this has happened in families (here belief in the idea of rebirth or pre)ious e*isten,es (as not held& A%ain of ,ourse one needs to ,onstantly sub-e,t this to analysis and ,riti,al e*amination& $enerally (hen doin% so / thin1 it is important to bear in mind one )ery important lo%i,al point, (hi,h is the follo(in%& 5ne must be able to distin%uish ,learly bet(een ,ases (here one does
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not find somethin% sho(in% that it is not the ,ase, findin% an ob-e,t<s absen,e and not findin% an ob-e,t& These are t(o different out,omes& /nstead of not findin% a phenomenon or ,onfirmin% its absen,e many phenomena at the present may not be able to be found so far& 5ne needs to be able to ma1e a ,lear lo%i,al distin,tion bet(een those instan,es (here one has found somethin% not to be the ,ase, in other (ords ha)in% dispro)ed somethin% or instan,es (here one simply has yet to find the phenomenon or reason& /t is important to be able to ma1e this distin,tion bet(een ,onsensus (here somethin% has been found not to be the ,ase and instan,es (here (e simply ha)e not found (hat is bein% sear,hed for& Also (hen one uses ,riti,al reasonin% to analy>e somethin% one needs to understand the domain of the appli,ation of a parti,ular style of reasonin%& Different forms of analysis may ha)e different domains, different s,opes& :or e*ample in the Pramanavartti a, Dharma1irti<s te*t on lo%i, and epistemolo%y, many different forms of reasonin% are dis,ussed& /f one is establishin% the absen,e of somethin%, pro)in% the none*isten,e of somethin% then one ,annot simply state that it dose not e*ist simply be,ause one ,annot see it& This 1ind of simplisti, reasonin% does not operate& 3hat one needs to do is to use the ,orre,t form of reasonin% to the appropriate domain of dis,ourse& :or e*ample Dharma1irti ma1es a distin,tion bet(een t(o primary forms of lo%i,al ne%ation& 5ne is %enerally (here the thesis bein% dispro)en, if it (ere to e*ist (ould be obser)able& .nder su,h ,ir,umstan,es then if one ,an sho( that it ,an not be obser)ed then one ,an pro)e its absen,e& There are ho(e)er other instan,es (here (hat is bein% ne%ated is simply not per,eptible, e)en under ideal ,ir,umstan,es& .nder su,h a situation to simply state the fa,t that one ,annot obser)e it ,annot establish, ,annot pro)e its none*isten,e& Ho( does one %o about ne%atin% somethin%; There are t(o (ays& :irst either by pro)in% somethin% that is ,ontrary to the ,ase is true, by establishin% that ob-e,t<s ,ontrary one ,an ne%ate somethin%& 5r by ne%atin% somethin% ,losely related to or ,ausally ,onne,ted (ith somethin% then one ,an ne%ate the thesis& The point bein% made here is that it is throu%h ma1in% a ,lear distin,tion bet(een not findin% somethin% and findin% its absen,e& This is an important lo%i,al distin,tion& /t is throu%h these methods that an,ient philosophi,al traditions li1e +uddhism ,hose to a,,ept the notion of rebirth and pre)ious li)es& /f one ,ompares the t(o standpoints, the standpoint re-e,tin% rebirth and standpoint a,,eptin% the ne)er!endin% ,ontinuity of ,ons,iousness and pre)ious e*isten,es then one ,an ar%ue that the standpoint a,,eptin% rebirth has %reater e*planatory po(ers at its disposal& /f one does not a,,ept of the ne)er!endin% ,ontinuity of ,ons,iousness or the possibility of rebirth then there remain many phenomena that remain ine*pli,able& 5ne ,ould then ,hoose to ,all them mysterious or mira,ulous (hi,h is shorthand for i%noran,e& /n other (ords basi,ally one has no e*planation for su,h phenomena (hereas if one a,,epts the notion of rebirth and pre)ious e*isten,es throu%h the ,ontinuity of ,ons,iousness then althou%h one mi%ht not be able to %i)e ,ompletely satisfyin% e*planations to e)eryone<s satisfa,tion, but it at least %i)es one more e*planatory resour,es& $enerally (hen spea1in% of proofs it is )ery diffi,ult to try and pro)e somethin% that another person ,annot ha)e e*periential 1no(led%e of& :or e*ample ima%ine pro)in% the e*isten,e of dreams to someone (ho ,laims ne)er to ha)e dreamt at all& Ho( (ould one pro)e that e)erybody e*perien,es dreams; 0imilarly in the ,ase of all of us althou%h from the +uddhist point of )ie( (e ha)e all e*perien,ed different lifetimes but (hen one ,han%es lifetimes the body ,han%es and mu,h of the memory that %oes alon% (ith the body also ,eases to e*ist&
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Therefore one usually has no ability to re,all one<s past life e*perien,es so it is diffi,ult to say past li)es e*ist be,ause this is the ,ase& 5ne ,an say that bet(een these t(o standpoints, be,ause the standpoint that a,,epts rebirth alon% (ith pre)ious e*isten,es has mu,h more e*planatory resour,e +uddhism ,hoose to adhere to this standpoint rather than re-e,tin% and denyin% rebirth& 3hen spea1in% of memory it does seem to be the ,ase that mu,h of one<s ,ons,ious memory is )ery ,ontin%ent upon one<s present body, one<s physi,al e*isten,e& 0o a meditator (hen they enter into a )ery deep sta%e of meditation, the meditator is able to ta1e their ,ons,iousness to a subtler state& As they %o deeper it subtler le)els of ,ons,iousness then there is a %reater de%ree of freedom from the ,ontin%en,y of the body& 0o it seems that amon% the meditators that / 1no( personally there are indi)iduals (ho ha)e o,,asionally (hen enterin% )ery deep states of meditation had )ery )i)id re,olle,tions of past e*perien,es& These at the initial sta%e remain more li1e spontaneous %limpses, (hi,h are ,alled nyam 60P;8 in Tibetan (hi,h is more li1e a spontaneous e*perien,e& These e)entually if the meditator is able to pro%ress deeper and deeper may be turned into an a,tual reali>ation& This su%%ests that as one %oes deeper and deeper into meditati)e states the subtler that state of mind be,omes& 5ne then has a %reater ability to re,all past life e*perien,es (hi,h reside in a mu,h subtler state of ,ons,iousness as it is the subtlest ,ontinuum of the ,ons,iousness that ,onne,ts se9uential past li)es& /f ,ons,iousness is ultimately redu,ible the body then all of the fun,tions of the ,ons,iousness must be fun,tions of the body in (hi,h ,ase it is only by effe,tin% the body that the mind ,ould be effe,ted& The opposite ,ould ne)er be the ,ase& Ho(e)er a %ro(in% s,ientifi, interest has performed e*periments upon indi)idual meditators& /n some ,ases they are be%innin% to find e)iden,e (here as the result of an indi)idual meditator<s usin% purely the po(er of ,o%nition or mind either throu%h sin%le!pointed meditation or another type of meditation the meditator is able to effe,t physi,al ,han%e at the biolo%i,al le)el& Here one ,an see a re)erse effe,t that as the result of a purely mental thou%ht pro,ess ta1in% pla,e one ,an dete,t physi,al manifestations of that at a physiolo%i,al le)el& 0o there is no( a %ro(in% interest and ,ontinuin% e*periments are ta1in% pla,e (hi,h need to %o further into this issue& /f ho(e)er as the result of s,ientifi, or other ,riti,al in)esti%ation ,ertain aspe,ts of +uddhist thou%ht are pro)en to be (ron% or untrue then as follo(ers of the +uddha, as +uddhists one must a,,ept the ,onse9uen,es of this& / ha)e often made the ,omment that for e*ample the ,osmolo%i,al des,riptions of the (orld found in the +uddhist Abhidharma te*ts su,h as the Abhidharma osa, the Treasury of Phenomenolo$ical -nowled$e des,ribes the si>es of the sun and moon (ith )ery spe,ifi, numbers& /t also dis,usses the distan,es bet(een the earth and the sun and moon as (ell as Mount Meru in ,enter of the uni)erse& Most of these ,osmolo%i,al des,riptions that are found in the Abhidharma te*ts ,annot be a,,epted be,ause throu%h modern ,osmolo%i,al studies these distan,es ha)e been pro)en to e*a,t measurements& A,,ordin% to the Abhidharma the differen,e in si>e bet(een the sun and moon is des,ribe as rather small but (e no( 1no( there is a tremendous differen,e bet(een the si>es of the sun and moon& :or e*ample in the Abhidharma te*ts the distan,e is des,ribed as fifty!one yo-anas& These ,an no lon%er be a,,epted as (e no( ha)e )ery ,lear empiri,al e)iden,e that su%%ests other(ise& As +uddhists (ho if an idea or ,on,ept has been dispro)en throu%h )ery ,lear e)iden,e then one must re-e,t the dispro)en ,on,ept& Also for e*ample Tson%1apa states in one of his te*ts, the .ifferentiation &etween the .efinitive and %nter(retive Meanin$s of the Scri(tures he states that he (ho a,,epts a philosophi,al standpoint that is ,ontrary to reason, ,annot be a,,epted as a
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reliable s,holar& /f this is the ,ase then of ,ourse anyone (ho a,,epts or ,hooses to defy the e)iden,e or empiri,al proof is e)en (orse4 one must a,,ept the proof of the empiri,al e)iden,e& 3hen understandin% the +uddha<s tea,hin%s on emptiness if one (ere to rely entirely on the authority of the s,riptures then one (ill rea,h an impasse be,ause there are so many different )arieties of s,riptures& Many of these s,riptures on the surfa,e ma1e ,onfli,tin% ,laims, ,onfli,tin% philosophi,al standpoints& There is simply no (ay that one ,ould arri)e at a proper understandin% of the +uddha<s tea,hin% on emptiness by only relyin% on the authority of the s,riptures and their literal statements& /n fa,t there is a story that there (as a not )ery bri%ht student studyin% the %eshe ,ourse and at the debate sessions (hene)er an ar%ument (as made this student (ould a%ree& Then (hen a ,ounter ar%ument dispro)in% the other assertion (as made this student (ould then a%ree (ith the ,ounter ar%ument& This is a similar situation to one (ho only relies on the s,riptures at one<s disposal as an authority& /n the +uddhist tradition one loo1s at all of the di)ersity of s,riptures (hi,h tea,h on emptiness and then use oneNs o(n understandin% and reason to arri)e at a deeper, ,on)er%ent standpoint& +y usin% ,riti,al reasonin% one distin%uishes bet(een different le)els of subtlety of one<s understandin% of emptiness and by usin% ,riti,al reasonin% one ma1es differentiations bet(een the s,riptures that ,an be ta1en literally at fa,e )alue and those that re9uire further interpretation& /f this is so then of ,ourse (hen dealin% (ith the (orld of ,on)entional reality, the (orld of e)eryday di)ersity then one must a,,ept that there is a area of ,ommonality bet(een +uddhist e*planations of the nature of the ,on)entional (orld and the s,ientifi, e*planation& 3here one finds instan,es of empiri,al e)iden,e su%%estin% somethin% to be the ,ase then sin,e one is en%a%ed in the ,ommon area of dis,ourse and analysis, one must a,,ept the )alidity of the empiri,al e)iden,e& Ho(e)er this is not to su%%est that a,,ordin% to +uddhism all fa,ts of the (orld, all phenomena ,an be understood simply by usin% one<s ,riti,al fa,ulties as ordinary indi)iduals& :or e*ample there is an understandin% that %i)en the present state of one<s ,o%niti)e abilities there are ,ertain fa,ts and phenomena that lay, at least for the time bein% outside the s,ope of one<s ,omprehension or reali>ation& Therefore in +uddhism a distin,tion is made bet(een three ,lasses of phenomena& 5ne is 1no(n as e)ident or manifest phenomena, phenomena that one ,an dire,tly e*perien,e and per,ei)e throu%h one<s ordinary senses and so on& 0e,ond are the sli%htly hidden phenomena or sli%htly obs,ured phenomena (hi,h one ,an still understand throu%h inferen,e, throu%h usin% reasonin%& Throu%h the pro,ess of reasonin% one ,an %ain a ,o%nition or re,o%nition of these phenomena& The third ,ate%ory of phenomena is des,ribed as e*tremely or deeply hidden and these are phenomena that at the moment, %i)en one<s limited ,urrent ,o%niti)e ,apabilities, these phenomena lay beyond one<s present abilities to understand& These ,an only be understood on the basis of the testimony of someone (ho has %ained dire,t e*perien,e of these& The a,,eptan,e of this ,ate%ory of phenomena must be based upon the )alid testimony of third person& / often use the e*ample or analo%y of one<s birth date& 7a,h of us 1no(s our parti,ular date of birth ho(e)er this is 1no(led%e that (e ha)e not a,9uired firsthand& All of us ha)e a,9uired this throu%h someone else<s testimony su,h as our parents or %o)ernment offi,ials& /f it (as one<s parents (ho told that a ,ertain date (as the date of our birth then one a,,epts that as a )alid statement as there is no reason (hy one<s parents should lie& Also one ,an rely on their (ords as authorities&
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There are of ,ourse e*,eptions& These days in /ndia (e Tibetans need to ma1e tra)el do,uments or re%istration papers& 0ometimes there is fle*ibility on the dates& /f the purpose is to see1 retirement then one in,reases one<s a%e and if the purpose is to see1 employment then one redu,es one<s a%e& 5f ,ourse these are different ,ir,umstan,es but %enerally one a,,epts the testimony of a third person that su,h!and!su,h a date is one<s date of birth& 0imilarly in +uddhism there is an understandin% of this third ,lass of phenomena (hi,h are e*tremely hidden and e*tremely obs,ure a fa,t that one a,,epts on the basis of s,riptural authority of the +uddha& A%ain here the a,,eptan,e of this authority is not simplisti, simply by sayin% +uddha (as a holy person& This is not the ,ase& A%ain the pro,edure for a,,eptin% his authority re9uires ,ertain proper pro,edures& :or e*ample one of the prin,ipals of +uddhist analysis is 1no(n as the :our Gelian,es& 5ne does not rely on the person but on their (ords& 5ne does not rely on mere (ords but the meanin% behind the (ords and so on& 0o one sub-e,ts the authority of the +uddha to analysis first by ,riti,ally e*aminin% other s,riptures (here he made ,laims that are sus,eptible to ,riti,al reasonin% su,h as the :our 'oble Truths and so on& /f one finds those able to (ithstand ,riti,al analysis and pro)e them to be true then one ta1es this into a,,ount& 5ne also ta1es into a,,ount the fa,t that there (as no ulterior moti)e of the part of the +uddha to ma1e these ,laims4 there is no reason (hy the +uddha (ould be ma1in% false ,laims& 0o it is throu%h a ,ombination of )arious ,onsiderations that one a,,epts the authority of a third person& /t is not the ,ase that e)erythin%, all e)ents and phenomena are a,,essible to one as an ordinary bein% at the moment (ith oneNs present ,o%niti)e fa,ulties& As / e*plained before the essen,e, the prin,ipal ,ore of the pra,ti,e of the +uddha<s tea,hin%s is the ,ulti)ation of bodhi,itta, the altruisti, aspiration to attain +uddhahood& This as Asan%a points out in his Mahayanasutralam ara, the /rnament of Mahayana Scri(tures (here he states that the root ,ause of bodhi,itta is ,ompassion, so one needs to ,ulti)ate %reat ,ompassion& 3hen one spea1s of bodhi,itta it is defined as a state of mind, an aspiration that is endo(ed (ith t(o ,omponents& 5ne is the (ish to brin% about the attainment of enli%htenment and the se,ond is the aspiration to brin% about the (elfare of other sentient bein%s&
DIts roots are compassionA it is desiredA its constant aim is the happiness of othersA liberation and dharma are also the ob$ect of sufficient "nowledge F
!ahayanasutralam"ara ,h I& &erse 0

As / e*plained yesterday ea,h of these t(o ,omponents that to%ether lead to the e*perien,e of bodhi,itta must be ,ulti)ated separately& :or e*ample in order to ,ulti)ate the aspiration to attain +uddhahood, one must first, espe,ially if one is to follo( the (ay of the intelli%ent pra,titioner, de)elop a deep understandin% of (hat is meant by the enli%htenment that one is aspirin% for& 0o therefore one must ha)e some de%ree of understandin% of the ,on,ept of liberation, the meanin% of the ,essation of sufferin%& 3hen one here spea1s of ,essation one is primarily spea1in% of the ,essation of the ori%in of sufferin%, the affli,tions& /n order to de)elop a %enuine, deeply felt aspiration to attain su,h a ,essation, one must ha)e a de%ree of understandin% of the nature of the affli,tions& 3hat 1inds of affli,tions are there; 3hat are their dynami,s; 3hat de%rees of subtlety e*ist amon%st these affli,tions; 5ne must ultimately %ain a deep understandin% of the distorted nature of delusion, (hi,h is the %raspin% at the true e*isten,e of phenomena& 3ithout su,h a deep understandin% of the meanin%
EB

of liberation, the meanin% of mo1sha it is simply not possible to ha)e a %enuine understandin% of (hat is meant by the omnis,ient state of +uddhahood& 3ithout this understandin% one (ill not be able to ,ulti)ate a deeply felt yearnin% or aspiration to attain this& This is one ,omponent& The other ,omponent is the aspiration to brin% about others< (ellbein% and this is the altruisti, dimension, ,ompassion& /n order to ,ulti)ate su,h %reat ,ompassion that aspires to brin% about others< (ellbein% t(o thin%s are re9uired& :irst is the e*perien,e of deep empathy and ,onne,tedness to(ards all sentient bein%s (ith a sense of the unbearableness of their sufferin%& 5ne then has a deep e*perien,e of empathy and ,onne,tedness (ith all other sentient bein%s& This a%ain needs to be ,ulti)ated separately& Alon% (ith this it is also important to de)elop a deeper understandin% of the nature of sufferin% that one (ishes others to be free of& The )ie( of sufferin% in +uddhism is the three different types of sufferin% as / des,ribed yesterday, the sufferin% of sufferin%, the sufferin% of ,han%e and the all!per)asi)e sufferin% of ,onditionin%& /n the ,onte*t of de)elopin% deep insi%ht into the nature of sufferin% one is primarily ,on,erned (ith the third le)el of sufferin%& This is be,ause as far as the first le)el of sufferin%, ob)ious or e)ident sufferin%, e)en animals ,an re,o%ni>e this as undesirable and all bein% (ish to be relie)ed of these sufferin%s& 3ith re%ard to the se,ond le)el of sufferin%, the sufferin% of ,han%e e)en non!+uddhist meditators ,an de)elop the aspiration to be free from this type of sufferin% but ,an also %ain a de%ree of temporary release from this type of sufferin%& :or e*ample (hen an indi)idual e*perien,es or attains hi%h le)els of meditati)e states su,h as the :our :orm Gealm Le)els, these le)els are ,hara,teri>ed by the absen,e of any %ross pleasure or pain& These le)els are ,hara,teri>ed by an e*perien,e of total neutrality& 0o one ,an say that temporarily e)en these states are free of the sufferin% of ,han%e& Ho(e)er it is for the ,essation of the third le)el of sufferin% that one must ,ulti)ate a deep understandin%& :reedom from this le)el of sufferin% is (hat is meant by nir)ana& 0o (hen one spea1s of the Dharma in the ,onte*t of +uddhism, Dharma here refers to nir)ana and this nir)ana is the ,essation of the third le)el of sufferin%& 3hen one de)elops a deep aspiration to %ain this reali>ation then one has effe,ti)ely ,ulti)ated the aspiration to attain liberation, (hi,h is renun,iation& The need to ,ulti)ate a deeper insi%ht into sufferin% indi,ates ho( the pra,ti,es of the initial s,ope and middlin% s,ope must pre,ede the a,tual pra,ti,e of bodhi,itta& 0ee1in% to be released from the first and se,ond le)els of sufferin% is the main ob-e,ti)e of the pra,ti,e of the initial s,ope& All of the pra,ti,es related to see1in% freedO67nd of day8 Aesterday / spo1e about ho( bodhi,itta is the essen,e of the pra,ti,e, the ,ore pra,ti,e& The ,ulti)ation of bodhi,itta re9uires its underta1in% throu%h su,,essi)e lifetimes& 0o althou%h one<s ultimate ob-e,t of aspiration is the attainment of definite %oodness parti,ularly the fully enli%htened state of +uddhahood but althou%h this is the final %oal in order to a,hie)e this aim one needs to %o throu%h su,,essi)e life forms suitable for underta1in% this pra,ti,e (ithout interruption& $ainin% appropriate life forms means to be born as a human or the hi%her realms of e*isten,e& /t is ne,essary therefore to see1 the ,onditions and ,auses for insurin% the ,ontinual attainment of hi%her realms, birth in the hi%her realms Dhi%h statusF so that one ,an ,arry on (ith the pra,ti,es that e)entually ,ulminate in the attainment of +uddhahood&

EH

5ne ,an summari>e all of the aspe,ts of pra,ti,e in the follo(in% manner& All of the pra,ti,es that are related to the a,hie)ement of birth in the hi%her realms belon% to the ,lass of the initial s,ope& All of the pra,ti,es that are related to the attainment of liberation from ,y,li, e*isten,e and the elimination of the defilements of the affli,tions belon% to the pra,ti,es of the middlin% s,ope& All of the pra,ti,es that are spe,ifi,ally related to the means of attainin% the omnis,ient state of +uddhahood belon% to those of supreme ,apa,ity or the hi%her s,ope& As / e*plained before the main ob-e,ti)e of the pra,titioner of this parti,ular te*t, the Lam( for the Path are those (ho see1 the attainment of full enli%htenment of +uddhahood& 0o the pra,ti,es that are e*plained as part of the initial s,ope and the middlin% s,ope are in fa,t prere9uisites or ,ommon aspe,ts of the path& 2erse three in the te*t readsJ Enow that those who by whatever means 0 4ee" for themselves no more Are persons of the least capacity The main point of this )erse has already been e*plained& This refers to the pra,titioners of the initial s,ope (here the primary ob-e,ti)e is to see1 the means of attainin% birth in the hi%her realms& 3hat are the means for attainin% birth in the hi%her realms that is the spiritual ob-e,ti)e for those of the initial s,ope; / tou,hed upon this yesterday& Here the 1ey pra,ti,e is li)in% one<s life a,,ordin% to the ethi,al dis,ipline of refrainin% from the ten ne%ati)e a,tions of body, spee,h and mind& These ne%ati)e a,tions of body, spee,h and mind are the prin,ipal ,auses that lead an indi)idual to ta1e birth in the lo(er realms of e*isten,e and under%o the sufferin%s of those realms& Therefore by ,ons,iously and deliberately adoptin% an ethi,al dis,ipline, refrainin% from these ne%ati)e a,tions ,onstitutes establishin% the method or means by (hi,h one attains freedom from rebirth in the lo(er realms of e*isten,e& 3hat are these ten ne%ati)e a,tions that one needs to refrain from; There are three a,tions of body, ta1in% life or 1illin%, stealin% and se*ual mis,ondu,t& There are four )erbal a,tions, tellin% lies, di)isi)e spee,h, harsh (ords and en%a%in% in %ossip or fri)olous spee,h& There are three mental a,tions, ,o)etousness, ill!(ill or harmful intent and harborin% (ron% )ie(s& /t is by li)in% a,,ordin% to the ethi,al dis,ipline of refrainin% from the ten ne%ati)e a,tions that one see1s freedom from birth in the lo(er realms of e*isten,e& Therefore the pra,ti,es that are in)ol)ed for the initial s,ope are primarily of t(o ,ate%ories& 5ne ,ate%ory of the pra,ti,e is to en%a%e in the trainin% of mind so that one ,ulti)ates the %enuine aspiration or (ish to %ain freedom from the lo(er realms of e*isten,e& The se,ond ,ate%ory is to then ,ulti)ate the means by (hi,h one ,an a,hie)e this aim& The means here refers to ,ulti)atin% the understandin% of the la(s of ,ause and effe,t, parti,ularly that of 1arma and then li)in% a,,ordin% to the la( of 1arma by abstainin% from the ne%ati)e a,tions of body, spee,h and mind& This is in fa,t the pre,ept that one ta1es as the result of ta1in% refu%e in the Three Je(els be,ause (ithout ha)in% some understandin% of the nature of the Three Je(els one (ill not be
EI

The pleasures of cyclic e3istence

able to appre,iate the important aspe,t of the la( of 1arma& Therefore in this pra,ti,e one needs both %oin% for refu%e and then li)in% out the pre,epts of refu%e (hi,h is to li)e a,,ordin% to the prin,ipal of 1arma, the la( of ,ause and effe,t& 0o one needs to ,ulti)ate ,on)i,tion in the la( of 1arma and also %o for refu%e& /n order to do this one must first ,ulti)ate a %enuine desire to see1 freedom from rebirth in the lo(er realms of e*isten,e& /n order to do this one must first de)elop some understandin% of the intensity of the sufferin% in the lo(er realms& This is done by refle,tin% upon the sufferin% of the lo(er realms and also appre,iatin% the transient nature of one<s life& /n order to fully appre,iate the importan,e of %ainin% a fa)orable rebirth throu%h en%a%in% in the pra,ti,e one must first appre,iate the pre,iousness of the opportunities that one has ri%ht no( as a human bein%& Therefore it is important to reali>e the )alue of human life and also the opportunities a human e*isten,e pro)ides for one& 0o in this (ay one ,an see ho( all of these )arious elements of the pra,ti,es are part of the spiritual pra,ti,es of the initial s,ope& 5ne has re,o%nition of the pre,iousness of human e*isten,e, the opportunities a,,orded to one by su,h a birth, understandin% the sufferin%s of the lo(er realms of e*isten,e, %oin% for refu%e, de)elopin% ,on)i,tion in the la(s of ,ause and effe,t and understandin% the transient nature of life& 5ne ,an see that all of these are interrelated and ,onstitute the pra,ti,es of the initial s,ope& 0ome Tibetan masters ha)e said that (hen refle,tin% upon the )alue of human e*isten,e and its pre,iousness that it is important for spiritual pra,titioners to insure that the human life one no( has be,omes truly pre,ious so that it be,omes of sour,e of -e(els, somethin% that leads to %oodness& /t is important to insure that one<s human life does not be,ome the sour,e of one<s o(n do(nfall, somethin% that brin%s ruin and disaster to oneself& 3hat is in)ol)ed here by en%a%in% in these pra,ti,es is in fa,t that one is en%a%ed in a pro,ess of trainin% the mind& /t is throu%h en%a%in% in the trainin% of the mind, throu%h dis,iplinin% one<s mind that one is tryin% to brin% about transformation not only at the mental le)el but also that of one<s bodily a,tions& 0o startin% from the pra,ti,es of the initial s,ope (hi,h in)ol)e adoptin% the ethi,al dis,ipline of refrainin% from the ten ne%ati)e a,tions, (hat one is doin% is not li)in% an ethi,al dis,ipline (hi,h is imposed from outside oneself a,,ordin% to the la( or di,tates but rather it is a dis,ipline that is )oluntarily embra,ed on the understandin% of its )alue& 5ne embra,es this dis,ipline for oneself so it is a form of self!dis,ipline that one embra,es for oneself& /t is throu%h this pro,ess that one ,an e*pe,t to effe,t ,han%e& /f the dis,ipline is e*ternally imposed a,,ordin% to the authority of some body su,h as a ,ourt or la( then its impa,t on one<s mental trainin% may not be )ery effe,ti)e& /n order for dis,ipline to be effe,ti)e it has to be )oluntarily embra,ed and it has to be a self! dis,ipline (here the dis,ipline is adopted on the basis of fully understandin% its )alue& Therefore in order to de)elop this full understandin% one needs to listen to someone (ho has this insi%ht, this understandin%& Therefore in +uddhism (hen one related to the +uddha 0ha1yamuni, one relates to the +uddha as a tea,her& 5ne refers to the +uddha as the tea,her& :or us +uddhists our relation to the +uddha 0ha1yamuni is not li1e relatin% to a ,reator, an all!po(erful ,reator& Gather (e do not e*pe,t the +uddha to ha)e po(er o)er our destinies but rather (e relate to him as a tea,her& /n fa,t +uddha himself has stated in the 0utras that oneself is one<s o(n master and oneself is one<s o(n enemy& 5ne<s o(n future destiny lies in one<s o(n hands& 5ne ,an say that in order to de)elop a proper understandin% of the pra,ti,es one needs to rely on a tea,her (ho is 9ualified in that they represent a tradition that stems from the histori,al +uddha 0ha1yamuni& 0o one ,an say that there is an uninterrupted linea%e, ,ustom or tradition has been
EC

maintained uninterrupted and a 9ualified tea,her is someone (ho has inherited that body of 1no(led%e, that body of insi%ht& Therefore sin,e the su,,ess of one<s pra,ti,e depends upon learnin% it from a 9ualified tea,her one finds that the role of the tea,her is ta1en to be )ery important in the +uddhist pra,ti,es& To emphasi>e this point one finds e)en in the s,riptures that all of the )ery detailed 9ualifi,ations of a tea,her are mentioned startin% (ith the 2inaya tea,hers up to tea,hers of the hi%hest le)els of the 2a-rayana li1e $uhyasama-a or =ala,ha1ra& All of this sho(s the importan,e of the tea,her as (ell as the importan,e of one<s tea,her ha)in% the 9ualifi,ations& 5ther(ise if the tea,her does not possess these 9ualifi,ations as des,ribed in the s,riptures there is the dan%er that the students may be let do(n& 'o( in the ,onte*t of Lam Gim or the 0ta%es of the Path pra,ti,es, (hi,h is the main theme of te*t / am dis,ussin%, the 9ualifi,ations that are re9uired on the part of the tea,her are mentioned in Asan%a<s /rnament of Mahayana Scri(tures& There he lists ten su,h 9ualifi,ations, the tea,her must possess reali>ations of the three hi%her trainin%s 6morality, ,on,entration and (isdom8, must be industrious in their dedi,ation to li)in% the ethi,al dis,ipline, must ha)e )ast 1no(led%e of s,riptures, a reali>ation of emptiness as des,ribed in the /rnament of Mahayana Scri(tures as the selflessness of phenomena or at least a deep understandin% of no!self, must be elo9uent and s1illful in spee,h, must possess ,ompassion and finally the tea,her must be resilient in that they do not feel demorali>ed or fati%ued (hen tea,hin%& These are the prin,ipal 9ualities that one needs to see1 in a tea,her of Lam Gim& 3hen dis,ussin% these 9ualifi,ations of the tea,her in his *reat ',(osition on the Sta$es of the Path, Tson%1apa ma1es a )ery ,on,ludin% statement (here he says that for someone (ho has failed to attain or dis,ipline their o(n mind, sin,e it is impossible for someone (ho has not tamed their o(n mind to train and dis,ipline someone elseNs mind, therefore those (ho (ish to a,t as tea,hers must first dis,ipline their o(n mind& 3hen spea1in% about the method for dis,iplinin% one<s o(n mind it is not ade9uate simply to ha)e one or t(o partial reali>ations but rather the method for dis,iplinin% one<s mind should ,onform to the o)erall tea,hin%s of the +uddha& Tson%1apa e*plains the o)erall tea,hin%s of the +uddha (ithin the frame(or1 of the three hi%her trainin%s& /n other (ords the tea,her must ha)e both understandin% and reali>ations of morality, ,on,entration and (isdom& /f ho(e)er after ha)in% found a 9ualified tea,her, e)en thou%h the tea,her may be fully 9ualified in ,ertain areas if one finds the instru,tion %i)en to one are ,ontrary to or in ,onfli,t (ith the o)erall tea,hin%s of the +uddha then it is stated in the 2inaya, the monasti, dis,ipline one must re-e,t it& 0imilarly one finds in the s,riptures, sutras 9uoted by Tson%1apa in his *reat ',(osition that those instru,tions that ,onform to the %eneral ethi,al norms must be follo(ed& Ho(e)er those instru,tions that do not ,onform to %eneral ethi,al norms must not be pra,ti,ed& /n the ,ase of the 2a-rayana one finds in the Fifty )erses on the *uru that it is e*plained that if an instru,tion %i)en to one by one<s tea,her one is either in,apable of fulfillin% that ad)i,e or if one understands that by follo(in% that ad)i,e one (ill ,ause harm then one needs to use ,ommon sense& 5ne needs to e*plain to one<s tea,her the reason (hy one ,annot implement the ad)i,e they ha)e %i)en& 0o these points are a,tually mentioned in the s,riptures themsel)es& D5> The wise should strive to listen to what the guru orders with a happy mind If one is not
reasonably able to do it, e3plain that one is unable F
-ifty 4tanFas on the <uru

EK

There is a tradition in Tibet (here a tremendous emphasis is pla,ed on the authenti,ity of the linea%e of one<s tea,hin%s& /n fa,t there is a sayin% that the sour,e of pure (ater must be able to be tra,ed to its sour,e in pure sno(!,o)ered mountains& /n the same manner the sour,e of an authenti, +uddhist tea,hin% must be able to be tra,ed the +uddha, the tea,her& This / feel is )ery important& 3hene)er one en%a%es in +uddhist pra,ti,es, parti,ularly those (ho ,onsider themsel)es follo(ers of the Tibetan +uddhist tradition, it is important to insure that one<s pra,ti,e is authenti, so that it is tra,eable throu%h an authenti, linea%e of transmission& 0ometimes there is a dan%er that (hen one isolates pra,ti,es from their authenti, roots then it ,an be,ome )ery diffi,ult to differentiate (hat is %enuine +uddhist pra,ti,e and (hat is not& /n fa,t these days there is a tenden,y be,ause of the so!,alled 'e( A%e phenomena to ta1es pie,es from here and there ma1in% up one<s o(n amal%amation or mi*ture of pra,ti,es& This may be fine but if one is follo(in% a parti,ular spiritual tradition li1e +uddhism, parti,ularly Tibetan +uddhism then it is important to insure the purity of the linea%e, that there is an authenti, sour,e for one<s pra,ti,es& 5ne does this by insurin% that one<s understandin% of the tea,hin%s truly ,onforms to the broad frame(or1 that is laid out in the (ritin%s of the %reat 'alanda masters& This is so one<s understandin% and pra,ti,e ,onforms to the traditions that ha)e been established in 'alanda& 5f ,ourse amon% the s,riptures %enerally spea1in% one ,an say that there are t(o prin,ipal types of s,riptures& A tea,her from =ham (ho had tremendous admiration for all four s,hools of Tibetan +uddhism althou%h he himself (as a $elu%pa, made a distin,tion that / thin1 is 9uite rele)ant& He made distin,tions amon% the s,riptures by t(o prin,ipal types& 5n the one hand are those s,riptures that ma1e a %eneral presentation (ithin the o)erall frame(or1 of the +uddha<s tea,hin%s su,h as the (ritin%s of the 'alanda masters& There is then the other ,ate%ory of the tea,hin%s, (hi,h are mu,h more spe,ifi, tea,hin%s in a spe,iali>ed ,onte*t& These in,lude su,h as the Dohas or the 7*periential 0on%s of 0araha (hi,h are )ery spe,ifi, instru,tions (ritten by a tea,her for a spe,ifi, indi)idual& 0ometimes one finds spontaneous e*periential son%s %i)en in )ery spe,ifi, ,onte*ts and ,ir,umstan,es& These are meant for )ery spe,iali>ed ,ir,umstan,es (here for the purpose of an indi)idual the te*t (as (ritten& These are for pra,titioners (ho already ha)e the basi, understandin% of the o)erall frame(or1 of the +uddhist path& 5ther fa,tors and ,onditions ,ame into play so that a parti,ular tea,hin% had a spe,ial resonan,e and effe,ti)eness& These are analo%ous to for e*ample in the 2inaya durin% the time of the +uddha it is said that there (as one parti,ular type of ritual (here the ,andidate (as so ready that he didn<t need to %o throu%h the elaborate ritual of the ordination ,eremony& The +uddha simply said, Come o)er here and that ,onstituted the a,tual ,eremony of ordination& There is also a story in Tibet of a lama (ho (as re9uested by a dis,iple for a spe,ifi, instru,tion and the lama (as in a hurry and said, $o a(ayP /n fa,t the student (as so ready that he felt this admonition to represent a profound instru,tion and is said to ha)e led to his reali>ation& These are )ery indi)iduali>ed ,ir,umstan,es and therefore it is important to 1no( that one ,annot uni)ersali>e from these types of spe,ifi, types of instru,tions meant for spe,ifi, ,onte*ts into an o)erall understandin% of the +uddhist path& There is another e*ample& There is the story of a %reat D>o%,hen master from =ham 1no(n as =henpo 'isan 60P;8 (ho is no lon%er ali)e& Ho(e)er / heard from one of his students that a student from Lhasa (ent to =ham to see the master& He felt tremendous de)otion to this master -ust from hearin% about him& 3hen he a,tually met this master in person the master (as readin% from a te*t& As the student approa,hed and prostrated to him, he (as so mo)ed that he ,ried& He
E

felt tremendous de)otion and deep ,onne,tedness (ith the master& 3hen the tea,her finished his readin% the student approa,hed and as1ed him to %i)e him an instru,tion& The master said there (as no need as he had already re,ei)ed it& The point is that be,ause the student (as so ready the simple en,ounter alone (as ade9uate to %i)e rise to a reali>ation& These sho( that (hen all of the ,onditions are present then a simple in,ident ,an tri%%er a reali>ation& 5n the other hand if the ,onditions are not present then e)en if one attends a =ala,ha1ra /nitiation (hi,h lasts se)eral days hardly anythin% (ill happen& The point / am ma1in% is that it is )ery important for one to de)elop one<s understandin% of the tea,hin%s on the basis of the te*ts (ritten from a %eneral frame(or1 of the +uddhist path& /f one has this 1ind of deeper understandin% of the o)erall aspe,ts of the path then one (ill be in a position to understand the profundity of those te*ts that are (ritten for spe,ifi, ,ir,umstan,es& /t is not so mu,h the %eneral presentation but the presentation made (ithin the ,onte*t of an o)erall understandin% of the +uddhist path& /t is important to de)elop this 1ind of understandin% so that one (ill then be able to appre,iate the si%nifi,an,e and meanin% of those te*ts that (ritten for more spe,iali>ed ,onte*ts& 3hereas if one la,1s the first 1ind of understandin% (hi,h is %rounded in an o)erall understandin% of the +uddhist path then there is a dan%er of misunderstandin% if one approa,hes te*ts that are (ritten for spe,iali>ed ,onte*ts& Another e*ample / ,an %i)e you is that in the Tibetan tradition there is a re,o%nition of the 0i* Ao%as of 'aropa as representin% a )ery profound instru,tion or pra,ti,e& Lama Tson%1apa had (ritten a separate ,ommentary or %uide to the pra,ti,es of the 0i* Ao%as of 'aropa and praised this pra,ti,e tremendously& Ho(e)er if the pra,titioner of this profound instru,tion, the 0i* Ao%as of 'aropa la,1s the 1ind of understandin% that / ha)e spo1en about ,on,ernin% the o)erall frame(or1 of the +uddhist path then it is )ery diffi,ult to ,on,ei)e ho( su,h an indi)idual ,ould %ain benefit from the profundity of these instru,tions& /n themsel)es many of these pra,ti,es of the 0i* Ao%as are ,ommon (ith non!+uddhist s,hools as (ell& /f one loo1s at the tea,hin%s of non!+uddhist s,hools one (ill find the pra,ti,es of transferrin% ,ons,iousness or pho(a, the inner heat pra,ti,e as (ell as )ase breathin%& There are also many te,hni9ues for brin%in% about the flo( of the prana, ener%ies and drops (ithin one<s ,hannels& 5ne also finds )arious te,hni9ues for the pra,ti,es of dream yo%a& Many of these ,an be found in the non!+uddhist pra,ti,es so there is nothin% uni9uely +uddhist about these pra,ti,es& Ho(e)er if the pra,titioner of the 0i* Ao%as %rounds their pra,ti,e in the deeper understandin% of the o)erall frame(or1 of the +uddhist path then of ,ourse one (ill be able to really benefit from the profoundness of these instru,tions& As for the spe,ifi, e*planations of topi,s of the Lam Gim pra,ti,es su,h as the re,o%nition of the pre,iousness of human e*isten,e, understandin% the transient nature of e*isten,e and so on / shall not %o into these in detail as of these ,an be studied from the many boo1s that are a)ailable& To read from the te*tJ Those who see" these for themselves alone > Turning away from worldly pleasures, And avoiding destructive actions
B#

Are said to be of the middling capacity Destru,ti)e a,tions here does not refer to un(holesome a,tions in the sense of ne%ati)e 1arma but rather destru,ti)e a,tions refers to the ori%in of sufferin% (hi,h is 1arma and the affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts, espe,ially the affli,tions& Therefore those spiritual pra,titioners (ho aspire to %ain freedom from these affli,tions are pra,titioners of middlin% ,apa,ity& The means by (hi,h they turn a(ay from these affli,tions is by eliminatin% them& As for the )arious elements of the pra,ti,es that are asso,iated (ith the pra,titioners of middlin% ,apa,ity, broadly spea1in% they fall into t(o ,ate%ories& 5ne ,ate%ory is the trainin% of mind to ,ulti)ate the %enuine (ish or desire to %ain freedom, thus ,ulti)atin% renun,iation& The se,ond ,ate%ory of pra,ti,es is the ,ulti)ation of the path that brin%s about the fulfillment of that (ish& /n order to train one<s mind to ,ulti)ate a %enuine desire to %ain freedom from ,y,li, e*isten,e, one needs to refle,t upon the defe,ts of ,y,li, e*isten,e and also one needs to de)elop an understandin% of the ,ausation that e*ists bet(een 1arma and the affli,tions& 0o it is throu%h these refle,tions, ,ulti)atin% the (ish to %ain freedom and then embar1in% on the path to %ain that freedom& 5ne finds that in the pra,ti,es asso,iated (ith the middlin% s,ope (hen des,ribin% the path that is 1ey for brin%in% about the liberation that one is see1in%, these pra,ti,es are embodied in the :our 'oble Truths& The :irst 'oble Truth is the Truth of 0ufferin% and (hen tea,hin% the truth of sufferin% +uddha tau%ht in terms of four ,hara,teristi,s of sufferin%& :irst is impermanen,e so that one finds here a ,ontemplation on the impermanent to be an important part of the pra,ti,e& 5ne also found earlier in the ,onte*t of the initial s,ope the importan,e of refle,tin% upon impermanen,e& Ho(e)er these t(o refle,tions on impermanen,e are different& /n the ,onte*t of the initial s,ope impermanen,e is understood more in terms of the transient nature of life and this impermanen,e is understood more at a %ross le)el as the possibility of the ,essation of a ,ontinuum at a ,ertain point& 3hereas in the ,onte*t of the refle,tion of impermanen,e asso,iated (ith the :our 'oble Truths, impermanen,e is mu,h subtler and refers to the dynami, nature of reality (here e)erythin%, all thin%s and e)ents %o throu%h momentary ,han%e, moment!by!moment ,han%e in a dynami, pro,ess& 'othin% is stable& /t is this understandin% of subtle impermanen,e (hi,h then leads to an understandin% of the unsatisfa,toriness or sufferin% of ,y,li, e*isten,e& 5ne ,an then on to an understandin% of no!self or selfhood& This interrelatedness of %ainin% insi%ht from impermanen,e to sufferin% and then to selflessness is e*plained in )arious te*ts su,h as Aryade)a<s Four Hundred )erses& Also in Dharma1irti<s Pramanavartti a, the ',(osition of )alid Co$nition he e*plains ho( the insi%ht into the former 6impermanen,e8 leads to insi%ht into sufferin% and the later into no!self& Ho( is one to understand this subtle impermanen,e; /f one obser)es the (orld of phenomena around one (hether it is a tree or a mountain, one feels as if there is no ,han%e happenin%& They appear to be endurin%& Ho(e)er o)er time, years or more, or in some ,ases thousands of years e)en these seemin%ly endurin% ob-e,ts ,han%e& The fa,t that they ,han%e is somethin% that one ,an obser)e (ith one<s o(n eyes& /n order to e*plain and a,,ount for this per,eptible ,han%e one needs to a,,ept that the pro,ess of ,han%e must be o,,urrin% on a moment!by!moment basis& /f thin%s did not %o throu%h ,han%e on a moment!by!moment basis then there simply (ould be no basis for a,,ountin% for the fa,t that o)er time one dete,ts a per,eptible ,han%e& 5n this basis

B1

one ,an say that anythin% that ,an be per,ei)ed as ha)in% ,han%eable 9ualities is sub-e,t to a pro,ess of ,han%e on a moment!by!moment basis& The 9uestion arises, (hat brin%s about this ,han%e; 3hat is it that ma1es somethin% ,ome to the point of ,easin%; Do thin%s and e)ents re9uire a se,ondary ,ondition to brin% about their ,essation; 5r do thin%s %o throu%h the pro,ess of ,essation naturally; Here one ,an say it is not the ,ase that thin%s first ,ome into bein% and then a se,ondary fa,tor ,omes into play brin%in% about their ,essation& /n fa,t the )ery ,ause that brou%ht about the ob-e,t in 9uestion also brin%s about or is the )ery ,ause brin%in% about the ,essation of that ob-e,t& All thin%s and e)ents ,ome into bein% (ith the seed for their ,essation inherent (ithin them& Therefore all thin%s and e)ents are under the po(er of their ,auses and ,onditions so in a sense they are other!po(ered, %o)erned by their ,onditions& /n the ,onte*t of one<s o(n ,onditioned e*isten,e sin,e one<s o(n e*isten,e is also sub-e,t to the same nature of ,han%e then one<s e*isten,e is %o)erned by ,auses and ,onditions& /n the ,onte*t of one<s ,onditioned e*isten,e, (hat are these ,auses and ,onditions; Causes here refer to 1arma and the affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts parti,ularly amon% the affli,tions the root is fundamental i%noran,e, the fundamental i%noran,e %raspin% at thin%s as inherently e*istent& /f this is so then one ,an understand that one<s )ery ,onditioned e*isten,e is under the po(er of this delusion, this affli,tion of i%noran,e& 7)en the )ery name i%noran,e su%%ests somethin% (ron% (ith it and distorted& 0o lon% as one remains under the po(er of su,h a for,e ho( ,ould there e)er be room for lastin% %oodness; Throu%h this (ay one (ill then be able to %ain insi%ht into the unsatisfa,tory nature of one<s ,onditioned e*isten,e& 5ne ,an also understand this statement of ho( insi%ht into impermanen,e ,an lead into insi%ht of sufferin% and ho( insi%ht into sufferin% ,an lead to insi%ht into no!self or anatman in the follo(in% (ay& 5n,e one reali>es that one<s o(n )ery ,onditioned e*isten,e is under the po(er of affli,ti)e for,es su,h as fundamental i%noran,e then one (ill also reali>e that it is only by %eneratin% insi%ht into no!self that is the dire,t opposite of fundamental i%noran,e that one (ill be able to dispel and eliminate this i%noran,e from (ithin one& Therefore one then de)elops the ,on)i,tion for the ne,essity of %eneratin% insi%ht into the (isdom of no!self& 5ther(ise one may %et the impression that this (hole dis,ussion of emptiness and no!self is so ,omple* that (hat is its point; 3hat is the point in en%a%in% in su,h ,omple* pro,esses; +ut on,e one reali>es that it is fundamental i%noran,e that binds one to one<s ,onditioned e*isten,e O / ,an tell you a story& /f one doesn<t fully understand the importan,e of ho( it is by %eneratin% (isdom into emptiness, into no!self that one ,an brin% about the elimination of this fundamental i%noran,e that binds one to one<s ,onditioned e*isten,e one (ill not appre,iate this point& 5ne may (onder (hat is the (hole point of en%a%in% in this ,omple* pro,ess of tryin% to understand emptiness, (hi,h is so diffi,ult and so ,omple*& 5n,e / %a)e an e*position on 'a%ar-una<s Fundamentals of the Middle Way , (hi,h is basi,ally on the topi, of emptiness& 5ne of the students (ho did not ha)e a prior ba,1%round of learnin% in the %reat treatises made a ,omment to another ,ollea%ue& He said today<s session (as a little stran%e be,ause His Holiness be%an (ith a presentation of the +uddha<s path buildin% up an edifi,e one layer at a time& Then all of a sudden he started tal1in% about emptiness and the absen,e of inherent e*isten,e so that the (hole edifi,e that he spent so mu,h time buildin% (as then ,ompletely dismantled& He ,ouldn<t see the point& 0o there is this dan%er ho(e)er if one understands the importan,e of the need to %enerate (isdom into emptiness, the means for brin%in% about the ,essation of the affli,tions parti,ularly fundamental i%noran,e then one (ill re,o%ni>e the )alue of deepenin% one<s understandin% of
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emptiness& Also as Dharma1irti pointed out in his ',(osition of )alid Co$nitions that emotions li1e lo)in%!1indness and ,ompassion ,annot dire,tly ,hallen%e fundamental i%noran,e& /t is only by ,ulti)atin% the insi%ht into no!self that one (ill be dire,tly able to ,ounter fundamental i%noran,e& Ha)in% e*plained the )arious aspe,ts of the trainin% of mind to ,ulti)ate a %enuine (ish for liberation from ,y,li, e*isten,e, then the a,tual path, the means by (hi,h one brin%s about this freedom is e*plained (ithin the frame(or1 of the three hi%her trainin%s& The te*t readsJ Those who through their personal suffering 1 Truly want to end completely All of the sufferings of others Are persons of supreme capacity This refers to the pra,titioners of the %reat s,ope (here by ta1in% their o(n personal e*perien,e of sufferin% as an e*ample, as a basis then they e*tend this understandin% of sufferin% to other sentient bein%s& They re,o%ni>e the fundamental e9uality of oneself and others so as far as the desire for o)er,omin% sufferin% is ,on,erned& Thus they e*tend the (ish to be free of sufferin% to(ards all sentient bein%s (ho are as infinite as the e*panse of spa,e& All of the methods that are related to brin%in% about that %oal belon% to the pra,ti,es of %reat ,apa,ity or s,ope& These pra,ti,es are follo(in% the t(o broad ,ate%ories& :irst is all of the pra,ti,es that are related to ,ulti)atin% the altruisti, intention or bodhi,itta and the se,ond ,ate%ory is all of the methods for en%a%in% in the bodhisatt)a pra,ti,es follo(in% the %eneration of the altruisti, intention& As for the pro,edure for trainin% one<s mind in %eneratin% this altruisti, intention, there are )arious methods& 5ne method is the 0e)en Point Cause and 7ffe,t Method and the other is method of 7*,han%in% and 79uali>in% 0elf and 5thers& As the result of either of these t(o methods or throu%h a ,ombination of both methods, on,e one has %ained the reali>ation of bodhi,itta, this altruisti, intention then the pra,titioner needs to affirm this by parti,ipatin% in a ,eremony of affirmin% the aspirational aspe,t of bodhi,itta& Ha)in% so parti,ipated this is then follo(ed by ta1in% the +odhisatt)a 2o(s& 'o( as for the a,tual pro,ess of the pro,edure for %eneratin% bodhi,itta by follo(in% 0e)en Point Cause and 7ffe,t method, / earlier e*plained that in order to ,ulti)ate ,ompassion first one must ,ulti)ate the )arious ,omponents that ne,essary for %eneratin% ,ompassion& 5ne of these ,omponents is a deeper understandin% of the nature of sufferin% that one does not (ish others to e*perien,e and to be free of& This deeper understandin% of sufferin% as / dis,ussed earlier must be %enerated and ,ulti)ated on the basis of one<s o(n personal e*perien,e of the )arious types and le)els of sufferin%& 5n the basis of this insi%ht into the nature of sufferin% one needs to de)elop a deep sense of re)ulsion for this sufferin% and de)elop a %enuine desire to see1 freedom from this sufferin%& 5ne<s desire to see1 freedom from sufferin% arises from one<s feelin% of the unbearableness to(ards one<s o(n sufferin%& 5n,e one de)elops this then in ,ulti)atin% ,ompassion one needs to e*tend this deeper insi%ht into one<s o(n sufferin% on to
BE

other sentient bein%s& 5ne ,omplements this by ,ulti)atin% a sense of empathy or ,onne,tedness (ith others& /t is relation (ith this parti,ular pra,ti,e that one ,an see the differen,e bet(een the 0e)en Point Cause and 7ffe,t method and the 7*,han%in% and 79uali>in% of 0elf and 5thers method& These t(o methods are different means of ,ulti)atin% a deep sense of empathy or ,onne,tedness (ith others& /n the ,ase of the 0e)en Point Cause and 7ffe,t method the main approa,h is to fo,us on ,ulti)atin% a manner of relatin% (ith all bein%s by )ie(in% them as one<s most dear relation su,h seein% all sentient bein%s as one<s mother and so on& 5ne then refle,ts upon the %reat 1indness of these sentient bein%s (hereas in the method of 7*,han%in% and 79uali>in% 0elf and 5thers the approa,h is not )ie(in% all bein%s as bein% dear to one li1e one<s mother but rather to %o further and to re,o%ni>e that e)en one<s enemy is a sour,e of tremendous 1indness& Thus one e*tends this re,o%nition of the 1indness of all sentient bein%s re%ardless of (hether or not they are ,urrently ,onsidered ,lose to one& This is then follo(ed by refle,tin% upon the disad)anta%es of self!,enteredness or self!,herishin% and the ad)anta%es and )irtue of the thou%ht ,herishin% the (ellbein% of others& This is done by finally ,on,ludin% that the thou%h ,herishin% others< (ellbein% is the sour,e of all %oodness, all )irtue and all e*,ellen,e& 0elf! ,enteredness and the attitude of self!,herishin% are seen as the sour,e of all undesirable e)ents, al ne%ati)e ,onse9uen,es and all ,alamities& Throu%h this (ay one de)elops a feelin% of empathy, intima,y and ,onne,tedness (ith all other sentient bein%s& As the result of ,ulti)atin% a deeper understandin% of these )arious methods and en%a%in% in their pra,ti,es and one %ains a ,ertain le)el of reali>ation of bodhi,itta then at that point one needs to affirm it formally by parti,ipatin% in a ,eremony of %eneratin% the mind of enli%htenment& This is e*plained in the te*t startin% (ith )erse si*& The a,tual ,eremony for %eneratin% the aspiration is e*plained from )erse si* on (here it readsJ -or those e3cellent living beings 2 Who desire supreme enlightenment I shall e3plain the perfect methods Taught by the spiritual teachers -acing paintings, statues and so forth, = 'f the ,ompletely +nlightened 'ne Geli;uaries and e3cellent teachings 'ffer flowers, incense, whatever one has With the seven(part offering D -rom the Prayer of Noble Conduct With a thought never to turn bac" Until one gains enlightenment
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With strong faith in the Three Hewels 9 Eneeling with one "nee on the ground And oneIs hands pressed together -irst of all ta"e refuge three times Ne3t, beginning with an attitude of love for all living creatures %: ,onsidering beings, e3cluding none 4uffering in the three bad rebirths As suffering birth, death and so on 4ince one wants to free these beings %% -rom the suffering of pain -rom suffering and the causes of suffering Arouse immutably the resolve to attain enlightenment :rom this point on the )irtues and benefits of %eneratin% this aspiration is e*plained& The ;ualities of developing %5 4uch an aspiration Are fully e3plained by !aitreya In the Stalks in Array Sutra #aving learned about its infinite benefits %0 'f the intention to gain full enlightenment By reading this sutra or listening to a teacher Arouse it repeatedly to ma"e it steadfast The Sutra Requested by iradatta %>6a,b7 -ully e3plains the merit therein

:rom this point on(ard the s,riptural sour,es for these merits are %i)en&

BH

%>6c,d7

At this point in summary

I will recite $ust three verses BIf it possessed physical form %1 The merit of the altruistic intention Would completely fill the whole of space And e3ceed even that C BIf someone were to fill with $ewels %2 As many Buddhafields as there are grains 'f sand in the river <anges, To offer to the Protector of the World C BThis would be surpassed by the gift of folding oneIs hands %= And inclining oneIs mind Towards enlightenment -or such is limitless C

#aving developed this sentiment constantly enhance it %D Through concerted effort to remember It in this and also in other lives Eeep the precepts properly as e3plained 0o up to this point is the ,eremony for %eneratin% bodhi,itta& :rom )erse 1 the te*t e*plains the ta1in% of the +odhisatt)a 2o(s& /t readsJ Without the vow of the engaged intention %9 Perfect aspiration will not grow !a"e effort definitely for it 4ince one wants the wish for enlightenment to grow Those who maintain any 5: 'f the seven "inds of individual liberation vows
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#ave the ideal prere;uisite for the bodhisattva vow And not others The Tathagata spo"e of seven "inds of individual liberation vows 5% The best of these is the glorious pure conduct 4aid to be the vow 'f a fully ordained person According to the ritual described in the chapter 55 'n the discipline in the Bodhisatt!a Stages, Ta"e the vow from a good And well(;ualified spiritual teacher Understand that a good spiritual teacher 50 Is one s"illed in the vows of ceremonies Who lives by the vow And had the confidence and compassion to bestow it #owever, in case one tries 5> But cannot find such a spiritual teacher, I shall e3plain another ,orrect procedure for ta"ing the vow I shall write here very briefly 51 As e3plained in the "rnament of #an$usri%s Buddhaland Sutra #ow when long ago when !an$usri was Ambara$a #e aroused the intention to become enlightened

BIn the presence of the protectors 52 I arouse the intention to gain full enlightenment
BC

I invite all beings as my guests And shall free them from cyclic e3istence C B-rom this moment onward 5= Until I attain enlightenment I shall not harbor harmful thoughts, Anger, avarice or envy I shall cultivate pure conduct, 5D <ive up wrongdoing and desire And with $oy in the vow of discipline Train myself to follow the Buddhas I shall not be eager to reach 59 +nlightenment in the ;uic"est way But shall stay behind to the very end +ven for the sa"e of a single being I shall purify limitless, 0: Inconceivable lands And remain in the ten directions -or all those who call my name I shall purify all of my bodily, 0% And my verbal forms of activity !y mental activities too I shall purify and do nothing that is non(virtuous This is ho( one en%a%es in the trainin% of %eneratin% bodhi,itta, the altruisti, intention& After ha)in% %enerated this altruisti, intention, (hat are the a,tual deeds one must en%a%e in, (hat is the tas1; The tas1 is to en%a%e in the pra,ti,es of the 0i* Perfe,tions& These deeds of the bodhisatt)a (hi,h are embodied in tea,hin%s of the 0i* Perfe,tions (hen elaborated are enumerated as the Ten Perfe,tions& /n this a,,ountin% the si*th perfe,tion of (isdom is further di)ided into four (hi,h in,ludes the Perfe,tion of Po(er, the Perfe,tion of Aspiration, the Perfe,tion of Trans,endental 3isdom& /f ,ondensed sometimes the 0i*
BK

Perfe,tions are ,ondensed in terms of the three ethi,al dis,iplines of a bodhisatt)a& These are the ethi,al dis,ipline of refrainin% from ne%ati)e a,tions, the ethi,al dis,ipline of en%a%in% in positi)e a,tions or (holesome a,tions and the ethi,al dis,ipline of (or1in% for others< (elfare& / thin1 that not only these three ethi,al dis,iplines of bodhisatt)as are ,omprehensi)e but also there is a definite order to these three, a definite se9uen,e& This is be,ause in order to be effe,ti)e in one<s en%a%ement in the ethi,al dis,ipline of (or1in% for other sentient bein%s, first of all one must ha)e the ability to li)e this ideal and for this it is ne,essary to en%a%e in the ethi,al dis,ipline of %atherin% )irtues and en%a%in% in positi)e a,tions& Ho(e)er to en%a%e in positi)e a,tions one must first refrain from the ne%ati)e a,tions of body, spee,h and mind& Therefore these three ethi,al dis,iplines of bodhisatt)as are not only ,omprehensi)e but also ha)e a definite order of se9uen,e& 0o althou%h as / said earlier that althou%h bodhisatt)a pra,titioners< aim is really to help others, but in order to do this they must first ta1e ,are of their o(n mental ,ontinuums& 0o it is not suffi,ient for a pra,titioner of bodhi,itta to say that their only (ish is to help others and entirely ne%le,t the need to purify their o(n minds4 this doesn<t (or1& /t is inappropriate as the Tibetans say to use the lan%ua%e of (or1in% for others< (ellbein% but in a,tual pra,ti,e doin% nothin%& /n the te*t from )erse E" the a,tual method of en%a%in% in brin%in% about the (elfare of others is e*plained& /t be%ins (ith an e*planation of the pra,ti,e of tran9uil abidin%, ho( to ,ulti)ate tran9uil abidin% or samatha& This si%nifi,an,e of this is that in order to truly (or1 for the benefit of other sentient bein%s it is helpful if one ,an de)elop a ,ertain sensiti)ity to the needs of others, ha)e some 1ind of ability to dis,ern (hat is an appropriate le)el of tea,hin% for a spe,ifi, sentient bein%& Here Atisha des,ribes in the te*t a method of ,ulti)atin% a form of the ability to per,ei)e others< mental states, in other (ords ,lair)oyan,e or pre,o%nition& Ho(e)er for these 9ualities one must first %ain a reali>ation of tran9uil abidin% or samatha& /n any ,ase tran9uil abidin% and sin%le!pointedness of mind, (hi,h is embodied in it, is a )ery ,ru,ial element of one<s pra,ti,e& Althou%h by itself sin%le!pointedness of mind, the pra,ti,e of tran9uil abidin% is nothin% uni9uely +uddhist& /n fa,t the pra,ti,e is re,o%ni>ed as bein% ,ommon to both +uddhist and non!+uddhist traditions in /ndia& Ho(e)er this sin%le!pointedness of mind is a fa,ulty that is indispensable for one<s spiritual pra,ti,e& 3hen one spea1s about brin%in% about the transformation of the mind it is somethin% that ,an ta1e pla,e if one ,ontinues to refle,t upon (hate)er the tea,hin% point is and refle,t deeply on it& 5ne then tries to de)elop a deep sense of ,on)i,tion %rounded upon understandin%& Then on the basis of this it is possible to )oluntarily embra,e the dis,ipline upon oneself and it is throu%h this type of )oluntary embra,in% of the pra,ti,e that mental transformation ,an ta1e pla,e& 5ther(ise one ,annot e*pe,t the transformation of the mind to ta1e pla,e simply by imposin% some 1ind of dis,ipline or rule from outside& As for the a,tual method for brin%in% about this transformation of the mind, %enerally there are t(o primary methods that are used& 5ne is to utili>e the ,riti,al fa,ulty to analy>e thin%s and throu%h that (ay de)elop an understandin% based on analysis& 0o this is the first method& The se,ond method is that on,e one has arri)ed at a ,ertain ,on,lusion as the result of the analyti, pro,ess then one pla,es one<s mind sin%le!pointedly upon the ,on,lusion one has arri)ed at throu%h analysis& 5ne maintains one<s mind pla,ed on and absorbed to this ,on,lusion& 0o it is throu%h a ,ombination of these t(o methods, analysis and absorption or pla,ement, that one ,an brin% about the mental transformation that one is see1in%&
B

Durin% the appli,ation of both of these t(o methods it is important to maintain one<s fo,us upon the ,hosen ob-e,t of meditation (hether is the analyti,al meditation or one is pla,in% one<s mind sin%le!pointedly upon the arri)ed at ,on,lusion& /n both ,ases it is )ery important to maintain one<s fo,us undi)erted from the ,hosen ob-e,t of meditation be,ause if one<s mind be,omes di)erted, distra,ted by some other ob-e,t e*traneous to one<s o(n pra,ti,e then one<s mind (ill not ha)e the stren%th or for,e it (ould other(ise posses& Therefore the ,ulti)ation of sin%le!pointedness of mind as e*plained in the tea,hin%s on tran9uil abidin% is )ery important& $enerally spea1in% as for the ob-e,t of one<s meditation on tran9uil abidin% or samatha, one ,an ,hoose an e*ternal ob-e,t or an internal ob-e,t su,h as one<s mind and so on& 0o the ob-e,t of tran9uil abidin% ,an be anythin% that one ,hooses& Ho(e)er dependin% upon (hat 1ind of meditati)e pro,ess one en%a%es in, one ,an des,ribe that ob-e,t as the ob-e,t of tran9uil abidin% or the ob-e,t of penetrati)e insi%ht or )ipasyana& This is be,ause if the ,hosen ob-e,t on (hi,h one is en%a%in%, if this en%a%ement is primarily analyti,al usin% one<s analyti, fa,ulties probin% into the deeper nature of that ob-e,t, then one<s meditation be,omes )ipasyana or penetrati)e insi%ht& 5ther(ise if one<s meditation is primarily fo,used on ,ulti)atin% sin%le!pointedness of mind and maintainin% this sin%le!pointedness of mind then this meditation is for tran9uil abidin% or samatha& 5f ,ourse one ,an also ta1e emptiness as the ob-e,t of one<s meditation for both tran9uil abidin% and penetrati)e insi%ht but %enerally this is the ,ase for pra,titioners (ho already ha)e a reali>ation of emptiness& 0o in the te*ts one finds su,h e*pressions as see1in% meditation by means of the philosophi,al )ie(, the )ie( of emptiness or see1in% the )ie( by means of meditation& $enerally spea1in% then there are both ,ases (here an indi)idual pra,titioner may ha)e first %ained a reali>ation of emptiness and from that ,ulti)ated an e*perien,e of sin%le! pointedness, tran9uil abidin% fo,used on emptiness& 5r there are instan,es (here an indi)idual pra,titioner first ,ulti)ates tran9uil abidin% and then applies this to fo,us on emptiness& :or us ho(e)er, for most of us it is )ery diffi,ult to first ha)e a reali>ation of emptiness and then de)elop tran9uil abidin% fo,used on emptiness& This is be,ause e)en if one has 9uite a deep intelle,tual understandin% of the emptiness of inherent e*isten,e and then meditates upon it, it may feel as if one is ,ulti)atin% a sin%le!pointedness of mind fo,used on emptiness& Ho(e)er it is )ery diffi,ult at the be%inner<s sta%e to insure that one<s as,ertainment of emptiness remains )ibrant and firm& 5ften in the pro,ess of ,ulti)atin% sin%le!pointedness of mind one tends to lose the )ibran,y or freshness of one<s understandin% of emptiness& 0o spea1in% %enerally for a)era%e pra,titioners one must first ,ulti)ate tran9uil abidin% and then learn to apply this fa,ulty of sin%le!pointedness on to emptiness& 'o( to read from the te*t from 2erse E" on(ard (hi,h e*plains first the need for ,ulti)atin% tran9uil abidin% and then the method for doin% so& /t readsJ When those observing the vow of the active altruistic intention 05 #ave trained well in the three forms of discipline Their respect for these three forms of discipline grows Which causes purity of the body, speech and mind Therefore through effort in the vow
H#

00

!ade by bodhisattvas for pure, full enlightenment

The collections for complete enlightenment Will be thoroughly accomplished All Buddhas say that the cause 0> -or the completion of the collections Whose nature is merit and e3alted wisdom Is the development of higher perception Hust as a bird with undeveloped wings 01 ,annot fly in the s"y, Those without the power of higher perception ,annot wor" for the welfare of living beings The merit gained in a single day 02 By those who posses higher perception ,annot be gained even in a hundred lifetimes By ones without such higher perception Those who swiftly want to complete 0= The collections for full enlightenment Will accomplish higher perception Through effort, not through laFiness Without the attainment of calm(abiding 0D #igher perceptions will not occur Therefore ma"e repeated effort To accomplish calm(abiding While the conditions for tran;uil abiding are incomplete 09 !editative stabiliFation will not be accomplished +ven if one meditates strenuously -or thousands of years
H1

Thus maintaining well the conditions mentioned >: In the collections of meditative stabiliFation chapter Place the mind on Any one virtuous focal ob$ect When the practitioner has gained calm abiding >%6a,b7 #igher perception also will be gained

0in,e the a,hie)ement of tran9uil abidin% depends upon (hether or not one is su,,essful in %atherin% the ri%ht ,onditions for its reali>ation, one finds in the s,riptures )arious ,onditions mentioned for the pra,ti,e of tran9uil abidin%& 0ome of these are see1in% solitude as (ell as settin% aside spe,ifi, time for a deliberate, prolon%ed, ,on,erted effort in the pra,ti,e of sin%le! pointedness of mind& 3hen one en%a%es in this pra,ti,e one needs to ha)e as many sessions as possible, )ery short sessions& The pra,ti,e should be underta1en in su,h a (ay that there is no brea1 durin% the day and ni%ht& There needs to be a ,omplete ,y,le of many short sessions, one after another& 5ne also need to do this o)er a sustained period of time as the a,hie)ement of tran9uil abidin% (ill not o,,ur by pra,ti,in% only on,e and a (hile (hen one ,an find the time& Gather one needs to set aside a spe,ifi, amount of time and pra,ti,e o)er a sustained period of time& /n addition one needs to insure the ri%ht and ,ondu,i)e (ay of life and en)ironment& 5ne needs to ma1e sure that one has as little responsibilities as possible (ith as fe( ,on,erns as possible& 5ne also needs to maintain a sound ethi,al dis,ipline as (ell as an appropriate dietary re%imen, (hi,h ,an ma1e a si%nifi,ant differen,e& The diet one follo(s needs to be suitable and appropriate for this 1ind of sustained ,ulti)ation of sin%le!pointedness of mind& 0o the reali>ation of tran9uil abidin% is somethin% not li1ely to o,,ur throu%h the simple pra,ti,e of sin%le!pointedness here and there& :or those (ho are pra,titioners of 2a-rayana +uddhism ho(e)er in the ,onte*t of the %eneration sta%e (hi,h is the sadhana pra,ti,e, althou%h %enerally many of those pra,ti,e re9uire the pra,titioner ha)in% already attained tran9uil abidin%, there are some allo(an,es in the sadhana pra,ti,es (here as part of one<s meditation there are spe,ifi, means for ,ulti)atin% tran9uil abidin%& $i)en the )arious fa,tors that are part of the 2a-rayana meditation pra,ti,es, it is said that in some ,ases the reali>ation of tran9uil abidin% ,an be easier in the ,onte*t of the 2a-rayana pra,ti,es& 3hen one is a,tually ,ulti)atin% tran9uil abidin% one needs to ,hoose an ob-e,t of meditation& This ob-e,t of meditation that is re9uired for the pra,ti,e of tran9uil abidin% is not somethin% that is a )isual ima%e at the sensory le)el& Gather it is an ima%e that needs to be ,ulti)ated at the mental le)el so the a,tual ob-e,t of meditation is not a physi,al ob-e,t but a mental ima%e of the ,hosen physi,al ob-e,t& Therefore these ob-e,ts of meditation are sometimes referred to in the s,riptures as meditati)e ima%es or refle,tions on the meditati)e state of mind& 5ne therefore first needs to ,ulti)ate familiarity to(ards the ,hosen ob-e,t so that one ,an ,all to one<s mind this ima%e at the mental le)el (ithout ha)in% to )isually loo1 at the ,hosen ob-e,t&

H"

5n,e one has learned to ,all to one<s mind the ,hosen ob-e,t of meditation one then needs to ma1e a stron% determination that one (ill retain the fo,us of one<s attention on this ,hosen ob-e,t& 3ith this determination one then tries to maintain this attention of fo,us to the ,hosen ob-e,t of meditation& 3hen one is pla,in% one<s mind on this ob-e,t of meditation then there are t(o elements that are ,ru,ial& 5ne is the ability to retain one<s attention to the ,hosen ob-e,t and the other is the aspe,t of the ,larity and alertness of one<s mind& These t(o elements need to be present at all times be,ause if there is no stability or the ability to sustain one<s fo,us on the ,hosen ob-e,t of meditation then one<s mind (ill be,ome distra,ted& 5ne<s mind (ill be,ome di)erted by some other e*traneous thou%ht or ob-e,t& 5n the other hand e)en if one has the ability to sustain one<s fo,us but if there is no ,larity, there is no alertness then the 9uality of one<s sin%le!pointedness (ill la,1 sharpness& Therefore it is important to insure that both elements are present, the ability to sustain one<s fo,us and the element of alertness or ,larity& 3hat undermines one<s ability to maintain one<s fo,us; /t is distra,tion therefore distra,tion is one of the most important and main obsta,les for one<s pra,ti,e of tran9uil abidin%& That (hi,h undermines the ability to maintain one<s ,larity of mind and alertness is mental e*,itement or mental la*ityMsin1in% therefore these t(o fa,tors of mental e*,itement and mental la*ity are ,onsidered to be the most important obsta,les to the ,ulti)ation of tran9uil abidin%& $enerally spea1in% there are other obsta,les su,h as mental s,atterin% and mental dullness but they are %ross forms of the t(o basi, obsta,les of mental e*,itement and mental la*ity& The meditator<s tas1 therefore is to try to identify and de)elop a sensiti)ity to dis,ern the arisin% of these obsta,les in one<s mind& This ,an be a,,omplished mainly on the basis of one<s o(n personal e*perien,e by -ud%in% the thou%ht pro,esses in one<s o(n state of mind and to really see (hat is at play (ithin one<s e*perien,e& 5ne (ill understand that mental la*ity arises (hen one<s state of mind is too rela*ed& 3hen the state of one<s mind is too do(n,ast then la*ity or sin1in% arises and in order to ,ounter this one needs to find a (ay to uplift one<s mind (hi,h (ill ,ounter mental sin1in% or la*ity& 5n the other hand (hen one<s mind is too uplifted then mental e*,itement arises& 5ne then needs to find a means to brin% the le)el of upliftedness do(n to a more sober state& 0o it is throu%h these (ays that the meditator needs to find for themsel)es sub-e,ti)ely and on the basis of one<s o(n e*perien,e a proper balan,e so that one<s mind is neither too e*,ited nor too la*& 5ne needs to ha)e the ri%ht balan,e and this is somethin% that needs to be done on the basis of one<s o(n personal e*perien,e of the pra,ti,e& $enerally for +uddhist pra,titioners it is )ery benefi,ial to ta1e the ima%e of the +uddha as one<s ob-e,t of meditation (hen ,ulti)atin% tran9uil abidin%& /f one does this it is 9uite helpful to ,hoose an ob-e,t that is the ri%ht si>e, not too lar%e about an in,h of t(o in hei%ht& 5ne tries to ima%ine this ima%e to be )ery brilliant and also rather substantial, ha)in% solidity& /ma%ine this ima%e of the +uddha in front of one and one fo,uses one<s mind upon it ,ulti)atin% tran9uil abidin%& This is most benefi,ial& /t is also possible to ,ulti)ate tran9uil abidin% on the basis of usin% one<s o(n mind as the ob-e,t of meditation& This is the ,ase in pra,ti,es su,h as the Mahamudra or $reat 0eal tradition (here (hen ,ulti)atin% tran9uil abidin% the main ob-e,t of meditation is ,hosen as one<s o(n mind& /f one does li1e this it is first of all ne,essary to ha)e some understandin% of the ob-e,t of meditation, (hi,h is one<s o(n mind& Here it is not suffi,ient to ha)e only a definition of mind4

HE

mind is that phenomenon that is luminous and 1no(in%& This alone is not suffi,ient, as one must ha)e an e*periential understandin% of (hat mind is& Ho( does one ,ulti)ate su,h an e*periential understandin% of the mind so that one ,an use it as an ob-e,t of meditation for tran9uil abidin%; 5ne method is to do the follo(in% pra,ti,e& 5ne tries to see if one ,an brin% about the ,essation of all past re,olle,tions, all thou%hts dire,ted and that del)e into past e*perien,es& 5ne tries to put an end to these types and thou%ht and then one also tries to put an end to any thou%hts pro-e,tin% into the future& These ,an be anti,ipatory thou%hts, fear or (hate)er thou%hts ,on,ernin% the future& 5ne thus tries to ,lear a(ay all thou%hts fo,used on either past e*perien,es and thou%hts pro-e,tin% into the future& 5n,e one finds this then one tries to maintain this fo,us on the present e*perien,e& 5ne then sear,hes for the %ulf or %ap and e*perien,es a sort of a )a,uum as normally in one<s day!to!day e*perien,e not only durin% the a,ti)e e*perien,es of the sensory fa,ulties but e)en in periods (ithout ob)ious sensory e*perien,es, one<s thou%hts are al(ays ,olored by ,on,eptuali>ation& /t is almost as if one<s mind is totally (rapped in layers of ,on,eptuali>ation so (hat one is tryin% to a,,omplish is try to remo)e those layers of ,on,eptuality a(ay lea)in% an e*perien,e of mind! as!it!is& This is a,,omplished by differentiatin% bet(een thou%hts d(ellin% on the past or d(ellin% on the future and the present moment& This initially may be e*perien,ed as a 1ind of a )a,uum, a 1ind of a %ulf (ith nothin%& +ut this is not the emptiness that is spo1en about4 this is basi,ally an absen,e of ,on,eptuali>ation that is dire,ted on to the past or the future& Throu%h prolon%ed and sustained pra,ti,e if one ,an e*tend the %ap or %ulf that one e*perien,es (hi,h initially may be )ery momentary, )ery fleetin% but %radually as the result of ,ontinued pra,ti,e one (ill be able to e*tend this period of the e*perien,e of the %ap& 7)entually one (ill %ain a sense of (hat is truly meant by luminosity and 1no(in%& 5ne then uses that a(areness as the ob-e,t of meditation& As a result of ,ulti)atin% this meditati)e absorption, the pro,ess of (hi,h is des,ribed in the s,riptures as in)ol)in% nine sta%es of mental de)elopment, and these nine sta%es des,ribe the %radual pro,ess throu%h (hi,h the pra,titioner a,9uires %reater and %reater abilities to sustain their fo,us (ithout distra,tion& /nitially (hen one enters a meditati)e session one may e*perien,e more moments of distra,tion than moments of bein% able to maintain one<s fo,us of the ,hosen ob-e,t& Ho(e)er %radually as the result of sustained pra,ti,e then that situation (ill ,han%e so that at least durin% the meditati)e session one (ill e*perien,e more moments of sin%le! pointedness than distra,tion& 0till as one pursues further into one<s pra,ti,e then one (ill be able to refine one<s fa,ulties of mindfulness and dili%en,e& These t(o fa,ulties of meditational pra,ti,e (ill be,ome more and more hei%htened so that they (ill be able to ,ounter e)en the arisal of subtle le)els of mental e*,itement or mental la*ity& Thereby one %radually as the result of the in,reases for,e of one<s mindfulness and dili%en,e rea,hes a point (here in the meditation session one is able to retains one<s fo,us on the ,hosen ob-e,t undistra,ted for as lon% as three or four hours& At this point the pra,titioner is said to ha)e rea,hed (hat is ,alled the ninth sta%e of mental de)elopment& As the pra,titioner pursues the pra,ti,e further then as the result of this hei%htened state of meditati)e absorption, one e)entually e*perien,es physi,al and mental plian,y, suppleness of the body and mind& This %i)es rise to an e*perien,e of bliss and at this point the pra,titioner has attained tran9uil abidin% or samatha&

HB

:rom )erse B1 line three on the te*t e*plains the ne,essity for ,ulti)atin% the (isdom of emptiness& /t readsJ >%6c,d7 But without the practice of the Perfection of Wisdom 'bstructions will not come to an end

Thus to eliminate all obstructions >5 To liberation and omniscience The practitioner should continually ,ultivate the Perfection of Wisdom with s"illful means Lord Atisha then e*plains the importan,e of ,ulti)atin% a union of the t(o& Wisdom without s"illful means >0 And s"illful means without wisdom Are referred to as bondage Therefore do not give up either To eliminate doubts concerning >> What is wisdom and what is s"illful means I shall ma"e clear the difference Between s"illful means and wisdom Apart from the Perfection of Wisdom >1 All of the virtuous practices 4uch as the Perfection of <iving Are described as s"illful means by the &ictorious 'nes Whoever under the influence of familiarity >2 With s"illful means cultivates wisdom, Will ;uic"ly attain enlightenment Not $ust by meditating on selflessness

HH

The 9uestion arises, if one needs to ,ulti)ate (isdom unified (ith s1illful means, (hat 1ind of (isdom must one ,ulti)ate; $enerally spea1in% there are many different types of (isdom& :or e*ample the s,riptures spea1 of the (isdom of understandin% the ,on)entional reality su,h as the fi)e fields of 1no(led%e as (ell as the (isdom understandin% ultimate reality& Here the te*t identifies (hat is meant by (isdom& /t readsJ Understanding the emptiness of inherent e3istence >= Through realiFing the aggregates, constituents and sources Are not produced Is described as wisdom The 9uestion arises, if the (isdom reali>in% the absen,e of inherent e*isten,e of the a%%re%ates and so on is the (isdom that needs to be ,ulti)ated here, ho( does one understand this (isdom of emptiness; 3hen one loo1s at the a%%re%ates, the ,onstituents, elements, sour,es and so on do they ha)e ori%ination or ,ome into bein% from ,auses; /f so ho( ,an they be said to be de)oid of inherent e*isten,e; The point made in the te*t is not that one is denyin% that those phenomena su,h as the a%%re%ates, elements, sour,es and so on do not posses any ori%ination nor that they do not ,ome into bein% throu%h ,auses& Gather (hat is bein% re-e,ted here is that phenomena ,ome into bein%, their ori%ination is someho( intrinsi, to their nature or someho( that phenomena posses any 1ind of intrinsi, e*isten,e& :or e*ample (hen one ,on)entional ma1es the ,laims that from su,h! and!su,h ,auses that su,h!and!su,h effe,t ensues, for su,h!and!su,h fa,tors that su,h!and!su,h results ,ome about& 3hen one ma1es su,h ,laims, one ma1es them at the le)el of ,on)entional reality (ithout probin% or e*plorin% deeper into the ultimate nature of phenomena& /f one is unsatisfied by an understandin% of thin%s, the operation of ,ause and effe,t at the mere le)el of appearan,e, the mere le)el of ,on)entional truth then if one see1s for some sort of inherent e*isten,e of ,ause and effe,t then the more one sear,hes one fails to find anythin% that ,an (ithstand su,h ,riti,al analysis& Therefore this unfindability is des,ribed as su%%estin% the absen,e of inherent e*isten,e& This mode of loo1in% beyond (hat one dire,tly per,ei)es, loo1in% for some 1ind of ultimate nature of thin%s and e)ents, an ultimate mode of bein% is des,ribed as see1in% the ultimate truth or see1in% their true mode of bein%& This true mode of bein% is their nature, (hi,h is des,ribed in the s,riptures as emptiness and the reali>ation of this emptiness is (hat is meant by (isdom in the ,onte*t here& As / e*plained earlier one should not ha)e the notion that someho( there is an isolated emptiness that is independent of e)erythin%, that it e*ists out there on its o(n, not dependent upon any ob-e,t or basis& 3hen one spea1s of emptiness one is spea1in% about the ultimate nature of thin%s and e)ents therefore emptiness ,an only be understood in relation to thin%s and e)ents& Therefore emptiness al(ays needs to be e*plained on the basis of some ob-e,t or basis and (hat is in)ol)ed here is the 9uest or sear,h to understand (hether or not thin%s and e)ents e*ist in the manner in (hi,h one per,ei)es them& 0o (hen one is see1in% to ,ulti)ate the (isdom of emptiness (hat one is see1in% is to really understand is (hat the ultimate mode of bein% of thin%s and e)ents a,tually are& 3hat is the ultimate nature of these thin%s and e)ents; Therefore one ,an ne)er ,ulti)ate an understandin% of
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emptiness di)or,ed from the (orld of multipli,ity& +e,ause of this 'a%ar-una stated in his Fundamentals of the Middle Way that (ithout dependin% upon the ,on)entional truth one (ould fail to reali>e the ultimate truth& DWithout a foundation in the conventional truth,
%: The significance of the ultimate cannot be taught Without understanding the significance of the ultimate *iberation is not achieved F
6!ulamadhyami"a"ari"a, ,hap JJI&7

Also in 0antide)a<s Si sasamuccaya, the Com(endium of Practices (here he presents the tea,hin%s on emptiness he pro)ides a profusion of ,itations from many different Mahayana sutras that all present an enumeration or lists of )arious ,ate%ories of the path alon% (ith a ta*onomy of reality& +ased upon these ,ate%ories and ta*onomy 0antide)a e*plains emptiness& This is similar to (hat / said yesterday that in a sense (hat happens is that by presentin% all of those )ast ,itations one is buildin% an edifi,e& After ha)in% built the edifi,e the point is then made that all of that is de)oid of inherent e*isten,e4 none of the ,ate%ories or ta*onomy possesses inherent e*isten,e& 0o in a sense there is a pro,ess of dismantlin% as (ell& The point is that (hat is in)ol)ed in de)elopin% the (isdom of emptiness is the analysis to determine (hether or not thin%s and e)ents e*ist in the manner in (hi,h one tends to per,ei)e them or (hether there is an ultimate mode of bein%, somethin% different from the (ay in (hi,h one tends to per,ei)e them& This really is the ,ru* of the meditation on emptiness& The basis on (hi,h one is ,ulti)atin% one<s understandin% of emptiness are thin%s and e)ents that ha)e a dire,t bearin% on sentient bein%s< e*perien,es of pain and pleasure& These are ob-e,ts (hose e*isten,e one ,annot deny4 they are real and ha)e an impa,t on one<s e*perien,e& :urthermore in the s,riptures the understandin% of dependent ori%ination is stated to be the most po(erful means of arri)in% at dire,t 1no(led%e of emptiness& 0o dependent ori%ination is des,ribed as the most po(erful proof of emptiness& This su%%ests that (hen en%a%ed in the 9uest for understandin% emptiness and as a result of dedu,ti)ely analy>in% the a%%re%ates and so on, then one does not (hen one fails to find an entity that possesses intrinsi, reality, one does not arri)e at the ,on,lusion that therefore it does not e*ist at all& 5ne does not dra( this ,on,lusion but rather one dra(s the ,on,lusion that sin,e an intrinsi, identity ,annot be found (hen sear,hed for throu%h ,riti,al analysis then thin%s and e)ents must only e*ist by means of dependent ori%ination& Therefore a %enuine understandin% of emptiness must ta1e pla,e (here the moment one refle,ts upon one<s understandin% of the emptiness of inherent e*isten,e that this )ery understandin% indi,ates that thin%s e*ist& 5ne should feel almost as if (hen one hears emptiness, the impli,ation that thin%s and e)ents e*ist throu%h dependent ori%ination arises spontaneously& Therefore a %enuine understandin% of emptiness is said to be (here one understands emptiness in terms of dependent ori%ination& A similar point ,an also be raised in 'a%ar-una<s Precious *arland (here (hen e*plainin% the emptiness of the person, the selflessness of person he pro,eeds by e*plainin% ho( in a redu,ti)e analysis he sho(s ho( the person is not the earth element, (ater element, fire element and so on& He approa,hes this analysis first throu%h this redu,ti)e pro,ess& After then failin% to find
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somethin% ,alled person independent of the elements and ha)in% failed to find the person to be identifiable as any of the elements separately or to%ether, he then raises the 9uestion, if this is the ,ase (here is this person; After this 'a%ar-una does not immediately ,on,lude that therefore the person does not e*ist at all but rather he then immediately brin%s up the idea of dependent ori%ination& He states that the person is therefore dependent upon the a%%re%ation of the si* elements& The point raised is that the person e*ists and that the person is real& The person under%oes the e*perien,es of pleasure and pain and also the elements that ,onstitute the person<s e*isten,e are also real& The elements ,an impa,t on the person<s e*perien,e& Althou%h the person e*ists, (hen one loo1s for it amon% the )arious elements that ,onstitute the indi)idual, (hi,h in a ,ommon sense (ay is (here one ,ould normally e*pe,t to find it, one fails to find the person (ithin the elements (here one (ould e*pe,t to find it& The 9uestion then arises, in (hat manner ,an one understand this e*isten,e of the person; There 'a%ar-una brin%s up the ,on,ept of dependent ori%ination& He states that one ,an therefore understand the person<s e*isten,e only in terms of its dependent ori%ination& Ha)in% made the point of the dependent ori%ination he then ,on,ludes that therefore the person is de)oid of intrinsi, e*isten,e& 0o this is an important point (here the transition is from the redu,ti)e analysis failin% to find the person then ne*t is the assertion of dependent ori%ination& As a result of understandin% dependent ori%ination one then arri)es at the final ,on,lusion that the person is de)oid of inherent e*isten,e& DA person is not earth, not water,
D: Not fire, not wind, not space, Not consciousness, and not all of them What person is there other than these? Hust as a person is not real D% 8ue to being a composite of si3 constituents, 4o each of the constituents also Is not real due to being a composite If .it is answered that/ fire is well "nown .not to e3ist without fuel but the other three elements e3ist by way of their own entities/, D= #ow could your three e3ist in themselves Without the others? It is impossible for the three Not to accord with dependent(arising F
Precious <arland

0imilarly in the T(enty!fourth Chapter of 'a%ar-una<s Fundamentals of the Middle Way , one finds a 9uestion or ob-e,tion bein% raised from the +uddhist Gealists (ho ,har%e that the
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Madhyami1as, the proponents of emptiness are nihilists& The ob-e,tion is that if thin%s and e)ents are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e, (hi,h means that all of samsara and nir)ana are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e& /f this is the ,ase the essentially (hat the Madhyami1as are sayin% is that nothin% e*ists4 e)erythin% is empty& The ob-e,tion states that if 'a%ar-una maintains that all phenomena are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e then this is tantamount to ma1in% the assertion that nothin% possesses any e*isten,e& Therefore 'a%ar-una<s )ie( is nihilisti,& DIf all of this is empty,
% Neither arising, nor ceasing, Then for you, it follows that The -our Noble Truths do not e3ist

If the -our Noble Truths do not e3ist, 5 Then "nowledge, abandonment, !editation, and manifestation Will be completely impossible F
6!ulamadhyami"a"ari"a, ,hap JJI&7

To this ob-e,tion 'a%ar-una replies that su,h an understandin% of emptiness as nothin%ness as the Gealists present is a mis,on,eption of 'a%ar-una<s )ie(& +y emptiness the Madhyami1as do not mean mere nothin%ness& +y emptiness the Madhyami1as mean dependent ori%ination& 'a%ar-una then e*plains that (hate)er is dependent ori%inated he asserts that to be empty and in turn he asserts that to be dependently desi%nated or labeled& This 'a%ar-una ,alls the Middle 3ay& The point bein% made here is that by ma1in% the statement that all dependently ori%inated phenomena are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e 'a%ar-una is sayin% that the Madhyami1as trans,end the e*treme of absolutism by re-e,tin% any absolute reality of thin%s& +y statin% that all thin%s and e)ents are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e yet posses a dependent nature, that thin%s and e)ents e*ist as dependent ori%inations, 'a%ar-una trans,ends the e*treme of nihilism& DWe say that this understanding of yours
= 'f emptiness and the purpose of emptiness And of the significance of emptiness is incorrect As a conse;uence you are harmed by it Whatever is dependently co(arisen %D That is e3plained to be emptiness That, being a dependent designation, Is itself the middle way F
H

6!ulamadhyami"a"ari"a, ,hap JJI&7

Thus this freedom from the e*tremes of nihilism and absolutism represents the true Middle 3ay& Ha)in% made this identifi,ation of the understandin% of emptiness as the true Middle 3ay 'a%ar-una %oes on to ma1e the follo(in% statement& There is nothin% (hatsoe)er that is not dependently ori%inated therefore there is nothin% (hatsoe)er that is not de)oid of inherent e*isten,e&
D4omething that is not dependently arisen, %9 8oes not e3ist F
6!ulamadhyami"a"ari"a, ,hap JJI&7

4uch a thing does not e3ist

Therefore a nonempty thing

This is 'a%ar-una<s understandin% of dependent ori%ination in (hi,h he a,,epts nothin% (hatsoe)er that is not dependently ori%inated& This is be,ause 'a%ar-una a,,epts nothin% (hatsoe)er that possesses inherent e*isten,e& The 9uestion arises4 does this imply that a,,ordin% to 'a%ar-una that all phenomena both transient as (ell as permanent phenomena are dependently ori%inated; /t is helpful here to understand that there are different le)els of meanin% to the ,on,ept of dependent ori%ination& :or e*ample on the first le)el one ,an understand the notion of dependen,e in terms of ,auses and ,onditions& 0o this understandin% of dependent ori%ination is rele)ant to the (orld of ,auses and effe,ts& Here the dependen,e is understood in terms of dependen,e upon ,auses and ,onditions& Ho(e)er there is se,ond understandin% of dependent ori%ination that only ,o)ers ,onditioned thin%s& A subtler le)el of dependent ori%ination is (here dependen,e is understood in terms of mutual dependen,e4 for e*ample in the ,ase of the mutuality of ,on,epts, (hen one spea1s of lon% and short& Here there is a mutuality of ,on,epts in that somethin% ,an only be posited as lon% in dependen,e in relation to somethin% short& 0imilarly (hen one loo1s at thin%s one ,an understand that thin% or e)ent as ha)in% parts in relation to the (hole (ith (hole ,onstituted by its parts& The parts ,an only be posited in relation to the (hole that is the ,omposite of those parts& /n this sense one ,an understand the entire (orld, both ,onditioned and un,onditioned as bein% dependently ori%inated& Also there is a third le)el of the understandin% of dependent ori%ination (here dependen,e is understood in terms of the sub-e,t, the labelin% mind& :or e*ample (hen one states that somethin% e*ists and if one (ere to loo1 for the essen,e of this ob-e,t ob-e,ti)ely nothin% is able to (ithstand su,h ,riti,al probin%& 0o (hen one sear,hes for (hate)er it may be, (hen one sear,hes for it ob-e,ti)ely there is nothin% (hatsoe)er that ,an be referred to the true referent of the term& This does not su%%est that (hate)er the mind labels be,omes real& 5f ,ourse the labelin% pro,ess is there but also (hat is labeled must not be in)alidated by another ,on)entional 1no(led%e& Also it must not be in)alidated by the ,riti,al analysis that probes into its ultimate nature& 3hen one labels somethin% as some thin% and loo1 for its true referent of the term labeled ob-e,ti)ely, there is nothin% that really stands out to -ustify the label %i)en to that thin%&
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3hat does one ,on,lude from this; 'othin% possesses absolute, ob-e,ti)e reality& The e*isten,e of thin%s ,an only be understood and posited only as mere appellations, mere desi%nations or mere names& 5ne ,an therefore see that there are broadly spea1in% three le)els of meanin% to the ,on,ept of dependent ori%ination& A,,ordin% to 'a%ar-una dependent ori%ination ,o)ers the entire spe,trum of reality& Ho(e)er 'a%ar-una<s understandin% of emptiness as the absen,e of inherent e*isten,e of all thin%s and e)ents is somethin% that is of ,ourse a,,epted by all& :or e*ample yesterday / spo1e about the Third Turnin% of the 3heel of Dharma and one of the prin,ipal te*ts of that turnin% is the Samdhinirmocana Sutra, the Sutra #nravelin$ the %ntention of the &uddha, (hi,h is one of the primary s,riptures for the Mind!5nly 0,hool& The Mind!5nly 0,hool does not a,,ept literally the statements found in the Perfe,tion of 3isdom 0utras (here there is a ,ate%ori,al ne%ation of inherent e*isten,e a,ross the entire spe,trum of reality& 0o the follo(ers of the Mind!5nly 0,hool do not a,,ept that those statements should be ta1en literally& They ,onte*tuali>e those statements by differentiatin% bet(een three natures of phenomena& These are desi%nated or imputed nature, the dependent nature and the perfe,t nature& /n relation to these three natures, the Mind!5nly 0,hool ,onte*tuali>es and interprets the +uddha<s statement that all phenomena are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e& They differentiate meanin%s a,,ordin% to the ,onte*t (hereas the follo(ers of the Middle 3ay 0,hool, the Madhyami1a 0,hool a,,epts those statements from the Perfe,tion of 3isdom 0utras as definiti)e and a,,ept the ,ate%ori,al re-e,tion of inherent e*isten,e a,ross the entire spe,trum of reality& /f one ,an understand the prin,iple of dependent ori%ination in terms of mutual dependen,e of ,on,epts that / spo1e about earlier then there is a ,ertain simpli,ity to one<s (orld)ie( be,ause one ,an then posit the e*isten,e of thin%s in relation to other thin%s& :or e*ample one ,an then posit or define ob-e,ts in relation to sub-e,ts, one ,an define ob-e,ts of 1no(led%e in relation to ,o%nitions or one ,an define )arious thin%s in relation to others& Therefore they (ill be a ,ertain symmetry and also a 1ind of ,ompleteness to one<s (orld)ie(& There (ill be no need to stru%%le in the (ay in (hi,h the Mind!5nly 0,hool stru%%les (here in order to )erify the e*isten,e of ob-e,ts they posit )alid ,o%nition& /n order to )erify the e*isten,e of these )alid ,o%nitions then they need to posit a further fa,ulty that is all!per,epti)e, refle*i)ely self!,o%ni>in% and so on& This 1ind of problem arises (hen one fails to re,o%ni>e the absen,e of inherent e*isten,e a,ross the entire spe,trum of reality and ma1e distin,tions bet(een the (orld of internal ,ons,iousness or mind and the (orld of e*ternal ob-e,ts& :or e*ample the Mind!5nly 0,hool denies the reality of the e*ternal (orld of matter and maintains that the internal (orld of the sub-e,t su,h as ,ons,iousness and so on en-oy a %reater reality& They thereby a,,ord them a 1ind of inherent e*isten,e& This is ,ompletely ,ontrary to (ay in (hi,h the Madhyami1a 0,hool understands the nature of the (orld& They understand the e*isten,e of thin%s in terms of mutual dependen,e, the ,on,ept of dependent ori%ination& Thus the Madhyami1as are able to maintain that all thin%s and e)ents in,ludin% sub-e,ts, ob-e,ts, )alid ,o%nitions alon% (ith their ob-e,ts of 1no(led%e and so on are all mere desi%nations, mere labels or mere appellations& /f one is not able to truly understand the (orld in terms of this prin,ipal of dependent ori%ination (ith one feelin% the need to truly posit some sort of ob-e,ti)e reality to thin%s, then one runs into all sorts of problems& :or e*ample if one is sear,hin% for (hat e*a,tly is the nature of a person or self then if one en%a%es in this analysis (ith an underlyin% belief that there must be a person some(here that is ob-e,ti)ely real that is findable at the end of one<s sear,h, then one is
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,ompelled to posit all sorts of means to identify (hat this ob-e,ti)ely real person (ould be& /n the e*ample of the Mind!5nly 0,hool there (as the attempt to identify person or self (ith the mental ,ons,iousness and in some ,ases the mental ,ons,iousness is found to be too transient& This then lead to the need to posit another fa,ulty that is supposed to ha)e a mu,h more endurin% status ,alled the foundational or storehouse ,ons,iousness, the alaya)i-nana& 5n the ,ontrary if one is ,omfortable (ith the Madhyami1a (orld)ie( of understandin% e)erythin% in terms of the prin,ipal of dependent ori%ination then (hen analy>in% the nature of person one (ill arri)e at an understandin% that person is a mere desi%nation that e*ists in relation to the a%%re%ates (hi,h ,onstitute the person<s e*isten,e& /f one analy>es )ery deeply one<s o(n personal e*perien,e of ho( one en%a%es (ith the (orld one (ill find that many of the ,on)entions that one utili>es in one<s en%a%ement (ith the (orld, the terms or ,on,epts or ,on)entions that one applies to one<s e*perien,e, tend to be either %rounded in some past e*perien,e, shared e*perien,e or somethin% that has really happened in the past or are fears and e*pe,tations that are pro-e,ted on to the future& Mu,h of one<s en%a%ement (ith the (orld by usin% ,on)entions, terms and ,on,epts, these fa,tors that one uses in one<s en%a%ement (ith the (orld ,ome from either past e*perien,es or one<s pro-e,tions into the future& Therefore if one (ere to insist on somethin% dire,tly rele)ant in the ,on)entions of the terms that one applies to the (orld that are only appli,able to the present (ith no relationship (hatsoe)er to the past or future then there (ould essentially be nothin% left& Almost all of one<s en%a%ement, all the apparatus that one uses to en%a%e (ith the (orld mostly ,omes either from one<s past e*perien,es or one<s pro-e,tions into the future& /n fa,t if one tries to analy>e and sear,h for (hat is the present, it also is not findable& 3hen one loo1s at units of time and tries to pinpoint (hat e*a,tly is the present then one fails to find it& The units of time either tend to be past or they tend to be in the future& 5ne ,an rise the 9uestion, if by emptiness of inherent e*isten,e one is not propoundin% e)erythin% to be none*istent, if emptiness does not entail none*isten,e and nothin%ness and if emptiness really refers to the (orld of dependent ori%ination then (hat is the point of tryin% to really %o throu%h this ,omple* thou%ht pro,ess of understandin% ho( thin%s really e*ist; /n (hat sense do thin%s e*ist; Thin%s and e)ents do possess a le)el of e*isten,e yet they do not ha)e any ob-e,ti)e, independent reality& /f this is so then (hat is the point of tryin% to fine tune one<s understandin% of the e*isten,e of thin%s and e)ents sin,e e)eryone ,an ,onfirm their e*isten,e throu%h their e*perien,e; 0ufferin%s e*ist& Thin%s and e)ents e*ist& 7)erythin% is there so (hat is the point; 3hy not lea)e the (orld as it is; 3hy not lea)e the (orld alone; Here it is important to understand the ne,essity or the importan,e of ,ulti)atin% this 1ind of insi%ht into the nature of thin%s and e)ents& /f one obser)es one<s o(n thou%ht pro,esses, one<s o(n states of mind, one (ill find the o,,urren,e of )arious states and instan,es of thou%hts& :or e*ample one ,an ha)e spontaneous thou%hts of / am or / am doin% this& These thou%hts su,h as the thou%ht / am ,annot be said to be in)alid& They are )alid thou%hts& Ho(e)er (hen these thou%hts su,h as / am is a,,ompanied by a po(erful %raspin% at some sort of self as en-oyin% intrinsi, reality then this %raspin% on to this sense of self as possessin% intrinsi, reality tends to %i)e rise to other affli,tions in the mind su,h as hatred, an%er, atta,hment and so on& 0o there is a ,ausal dynami, in one<s mental states and it is that %raspin% at true e*isten,e of thin%s, that %raspin% at the inherent e*isten,e of thin%s that really ser)es as the basis for the arisin% of the affli,ti)e emotions and thou%hts (ithin one<s mind&

I"

Therefore by ,ulti)atin% the true insi%ht into the (ay thin%s really e*ist, (hi,h is ,ulti)atin% insi%ht into the emptiness of inherent e*isten,e, one (ill then be dire,tly atta,1in% this %raspin% at the inherent e*isten,e of thin%s& Thus one (ill redu,e this %raspin%<s for,e and the more one is able to redu,e the for,e of this %raspin% then automati,ally the for,e of the )arious mental affli,tions that deri)e from this %raspin% (ill also be redu,ed& Throu%h this (ay one (ill be able to %radually eliminate the affli,tions of one<s mind& This is somethin% one needs to analy>e by referrin% to one<s o(n e*perien,e& :or e*ample (hen one has an e*perien,e of the per,eption of an ob-e,t or person, try to e*amine ho( one per,ei)es this person or ob-e,t (hen one<s state of mind is ,alm and there is no turbulen,e or affli,tions& Compare this to one<s per,eption of the same ob-e,t (hen there is a ,ertain turbulen,e su,h as an%er, hatred and so on& 0ee the differen,e bet(een the t(o and try to do this ,omparison e*perientially and one thin% that (ill be ob)ious is that (hen there is turbulen,e in the mind then one<s per,eption of an ob-e,t there is a mu,h stron%er emotional rea,tion to the ob-e,t& 3hen one e*perientially re,o%ni>es this point then one (ill feel that indeed this %raspin% at the inherent e*isten,e of thin%s really does underpin mu,h of one<s affli,ti)e emotional responses to thin%s and e)ents& 5ne (ill also ,ome to reali>e that this %raspin% at the inherent e*isten,e of thin%s is a distorted state of mind4 it is a false (ay of seein% thin%s& /f it (ere simply a false )ie( or simply a false per,eption (ithout any ,onse9uen,es then that (ould not be mu,h of a problem& Ho(e)er this is not the ,ase& /t is not only a false understandin% but also it is a po(erful for,e of misunderstandin% that ,reates one<s o(n do(nfall by brin%in% forth )arious ne%ati)e affli,ti)e emotions& 0o (hen one %ains this 1ind of insi%ht then one (ill reali>e the importan,e of ,ulti)atin% an insi%ht into emptiness& 0imilarly as one then ,ombats (ith the ne%ati)e and affli,ti)e aspe,ts of one<s thou%ht and emotions, at the same time one (ill then be able to stren%then one<s positi)e thou%hts and emotions (hi,h are not %rounded in the %raspin% at the inherent e*isten,e of thin%s and e)ents& 3hen one is deepenin% one<s understandin% of emptiness %enerally it is easier to arri)e at an understandin% of emptiness by refle,tin% upon the dependent ori%ination of thin%s& 5ne uses dependent ori%ination as a reason then one ,an infer that sin,e thin%s and e)ents are dependently ori%inated they are de)oid of independent e*isten,e& /t is more diffi,ult then to ma1e the re)erse inferen,e, (hi,h is be,ause thin%s and e)ents are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e they are therefore dependently ori%inated& Ho(e)er this re)erse inferen,e also needs to be ,ulti)ated and this re9uires sustained pra,ti,e and familiarity& 7)entually -ust as one ,an ma1e the for(ard inferen,e one (ill also be able to ma1e the re)erse inferen,e& 5ne be%ins by de)elopin% an understandin% of emptiness at the le)el of the intelle,t or an intelle,tual understandin% by ,onstantly refle,tin% and studyin% upon this& 5n,e one has %ained a de%ree of understandin% then one needs to habituate to this throu%h ,onstant familiarity& 7)entually one (ill arri)e at the point (here one (ill feel its impa,t on the emotional le)el and in this (ay the e*perien,e (ill be deepened& /t reads in )erse BK thatJ 4omething e3istent cannot be produced >D Nor something none3istent li"e a s"y(flower These errors are both absurd
IE

And thus both of the other two will not occur either This is an allusion to a )erse in the Seventy )erses on 'm(tiness by 'a%ar-una (here he points out that if thin%s and e)ents possess inherently e*istin% reality then sin,e they possess intrinsi, e*isten,e ,ausation (ould ha)e no role to play& Therefore one ,annot ma1e a statement that they ,ame about as the result of ,ausation& 5n the other hand if thin%s and e)ents are ,ompletely none*istent then a%ain ho( ,ould one spea1 of ,ausation in relation to none*isten,e; This (ould be li1e a flo(er %ro(in% in the s1y sin,e a flo(er ,annot e*ist in su,h a (ay ho( ,an one spea1 of its ,omin% into bein%&
D%2 GeplyK If own(being were established, dependently arising things would not occur If .they were/ unconditioned, how could own(being be lac"ing? True being also does not vanish F
4eventy &erses on +mptiness

The point bein% made here is that (hen one spea1s of ,ause and effe,t, (hen one spea1s of ,ausation one is spea1in% on the le)el of appearan,e, at the le)el of ,on)entional reality& :or e*ample (hen one ma1es statements su,h as John is the son of +ob or that sprouts ,ome from their seeds, one is ma1in% a simple statement that one thin% %i)es rise to another& Abo)e and beyond this simple statement one is not ma1in% a statement on the basis of sear,hin% for the ultimate reality of these thin%s or e)ents& 5ne is not as1in% that if that is the ,ase (hether the ,ause that produ,ed the effe,t in 9uestion ultimately identi,al to the effe,t or ,ompletely independent from the effe,t and so on& 5ne does not ma1e these ,on)entional statements about ,ausation on the basis of ma1in% su,h metaphysi,al spe,ulations but rather one ma1es statements of ,ausation based simply at the le)el of e)eryday e*perien,e& Therefore (hen one tries to posit ,ausation on the basis of metaphysi,al spe,ulations then one runs into the problem of either ha)in% to ,hoose thin%s and e)ents ,omin% into bein% from ,auses that are ultimately identi,al or different& A position maintained by an /ndian s,hool in the past (here their understandin% (as that all of the features of the effe,t must be present in some form in the ,ause D0am1hyaF& The +uddhists ,riti9ued this by pointin% out that if all of the features of the effe,t are fully present at the ,ausal sta%e then (hat need is there for a ,ause or its produ,tion& /f one still maintains that produ,tion is ne,essary then this produ,tion (ould be infinite& 0o in this (ay these 1inds of metaphysi,al attempts to define ,ausation ha)e been ,riti9ued& 0imilarly in the ne*t )erse it readsJ A thing is not produced from itself nor from another, >9 Also not from both nor causelessly either Thus it does not e3ist inherently By way of its own entity A%ain the point here is similar&
IB

!oreover when all phenomena are e3amined 1: As to whether they are one or many They are not seen to e3ist by way of their own entity And thus are ascertained as not inherently e3istent 0imilarly (hen one spea1s of thin%s and e)ents the 9uestion ,an arise, do they e*ist as a sin%ularity or as a multipli,ity; /f these ,hara,teristi,s of sin%ularity and plurality are asserted as bein% intrinsi, properties or inherently real properties of the thin%s or e)ents a%ain many problems arise& /f thin%s posses inherently real identities then it ma1es it )ery diffi,ult to e*plain the relationship bet(een ,auses and effe,ts& Ho( ,an one understand a ,ausal relation bet(een t(o independently real, dis,rete entities; /f their independently, dis,rete real entities there is no (ay of e*plainin% their ,ausal relationship& :urther it readsJ The reasonings of the Se!enty Stan&as on 'mptiness 1% The Treatise on the #iddle (ay and so forth, +3plain that the nature of all things Is established as emptiness 4ince there are a great many passages 15 I have not cited them here But have e3plained $ust their conclusions -or the purpose of meditation Thus whatever is meditation on selflessness 10 In that it does not observe An inherent nature in phenomena Is the cultivation of wisdom

Thus (hen one arri)es at the understandin% that all phenomena, all thin%s and e)ents are de)oid of inherent e*isten,e then one needs to shift one<s fo,us on one<s analysis on to the )ery mind that is understandin% emptiness& 3hen one sub-e,ts the mind itself, ,o%nition itself one a%ain (ill find that the mind too shares the same nature of bein% de)oid of inherent e*isten,e& /n this (ay as the te*t e*plains one (ill e)entually arri)e at a non,on,eptual understandin% of emptiness&
IH

5ne readsJ Hust as wisdom does not see 1> An inherent nature in phenomena #aving analyFed wisdom itself by reasoning Non(conceptually meditate on that /n the follo(in% stan>as Lord Atisha e*plains (hy it is important to ,ulti)ate this non!,on,eptual (isdom& 5ne readsJ The nature of this worldly e3istence 11 Which has come from conceptualiFation is conceptuality Thus the elimination of conceptuality Is the highest state of nirvana The great ignorance of conceptuality 12 !a"es us fall into the ocean of cyclic e3istence Gesting in non(conceptual stabiliFation, 4pace(li"e non(conceptuality manifests clearly When bodhisattvas non(conceptually contemplate 1= This e3cellent teaching They will transcend conceptuality so hard to overcome And eventually reach the non(conceptual state #aving ascertained through scripture 1D And through reasoning that phenomena Are not produced nor inherently e3istent !editate without conceptuality Then in )erse H J #aving thus meditated on suchness +ventually after reaching heat and so forth
II

Heat here refers to Path of Preparation or Path of Lin1in% (here the meditator, the bodhisatt)a has ad)an,ed in their reali>ation of emptiness (here this reali>ation has no( be,ome meditati)ely deri)ed& The &ery Hoyful and the others are attained The 2ery Joyful is the name of the first bodhisatt)a le)el or bhumi& And before long the enlightened state of Buddhahood :rom )erse I# on tantra is e*plained& If you wish to create with ease 2: The collections for enlightenment Through activities of pacification, increase and so forth <ained by the power of mantra These a,ti)ities are the four a,ti)ities of pa,ifi,ation, in,rease, influen,e and (rathful a,ti)ities& Mu,h %reater resour,es of a,ti)ities are found in tantra, (hi,h ,an be employed in one<s tas1 of brin%in% about others< (ellbein%& Also through the force of the eight 2% And other great attainments li"e the good thought, Performance Tantras Then to receive the preceptor initiation 25 Lou must please an e3cellent spiritual teacher Through service, valuable gifts and the li"e As well as through obedience Through the full bestowing of the preceptor initiation 20 By a spiritual teacher who is pleased Lou are purified of all wrong(doing
IC

If you want to practice secret mantra as e3plained in the Action and

And become fit to gain powerful attainments /n )erse IB a 9uestion is raised that if this is the ,ase ho( does an ordained member (ho is a 2a-rayana pra,titioner relate to ,ertain pra,ti,es in the 2a-rayana su,h as relyin% on ,onsorts and so on& 5ne readsJ Because the great Tantra of the Primordial Buddha 2> -orbids it emphatically Those observing pure conduct 4hould not ta"e the 4ecret and Wisdom initiations These t(o initiations should not be ta1en in a,tuality by ordained members& /t is important for the pra,titioners to understand the appropriateness of the time (hen these different aspe,ts of the 2a-rayana path need to be applied in one<s o(n life and also by -ud%in% the le)el of one<s o(n reali>ation& 5ne needs to also ,ompare the )arious presentations of the different tea,hin%s& 0o it is on the basis of all of this ,umulati)e understandin% that one needs to approa,h these tantri, pra,ti,es&

If those observing the austere practices of pure conduct 21 Were to hold these initiations Their vow of austerity would be impaired Through doing that which is proscribed

This creates transgressions, which are a defeat 22 -or those observing discipline 4ince they are certain to fall to a bad rebirth They will never gain accomplishments There is no fault if one who has received 2= The preceptor initiation and has "nowledge of suchness *istens to or e3plains the tantras And performs burnt offering rituals or ma"es offerings of gifts and so forth

IK

I, the elder 8ipam"arasri 2D #aving seen it e3plained in sutra and in other teachings #ave made this concise e3planation At the re;uest of Byang ,hub )od This concludes the )amp for the Path to 'nlightenment by the great master 8ipam"ara$nana It was translated, revised and finaliFed by the eminent Indian abbot himself and by the great reviser, translator and fully ordained mon" <ewa *odra This teaching was written in the temple of Tho(ling in Mhang(Fhung 3ith this the transmission of the readin% of the Atisha<s Lam( for the Path to 'nli$htenment (ith some ,ommentary on the 1ey points has been presented& Althou%h / ,annot myself ,laim to ha)e any profound understandin% or reali>ation, use (hat / ha)e e*plained here as a 1ey& Try to deepen your o(n understandin% throu%h further study and pra,ti,e& Also as1 your tea,hers, espe,ially if you are a member of a +uddhist ,enter& As1 your resident tea,hers so that you ,an deepen your understandin%& 'otes& 1& ?uotes from the Mulamadhyami a ari a are from Jay $arfield<s The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, 5*ford Press& "& ?uote from Di%na%a<s Com(endium of )alid Co$nition is from $eshe Mi,hael Goa,h, The Asian Classi,s /nstitute Course /2J The Proof of :uture Li)es readin% materials& E& ?uotes from Aryade)a<s Four Hundred )erses are from the translation of $eshe 0onam and Guth 0onam in 0o$ic .eeds of &odhisattvas, 0no( Lion Publi,ations& B& ?uote from the Tatha$ata$arbha Sutra are from 3illiam $rosni,1<s translation in &uddhism in Practice, Prin,eton .ni)ersity Press& H& ?uotes from 'a%ar-una<s Precious *arland are from Jeffery Hop1ins< translation in &uddhist Advice for Livin$ 1 Liberation, 0no( Lion Publi,ations& I& ?uote from the Mahayanasutralam ara is from translation by 0ure1ha Limaye in Mahayanasutralam ara, 0ri 0at%uru Publi,ations& C& ?uote from 'a%ar-una<s Seventy )erses on 'm(tiness are from Chr& Lindtner in Master of Wisdom, Dharma Publishin%&