The Essence of Refined Gold By the Third Dalai Lama, translated by Glenn H. Mullin (1 !

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The $ature of the %nstruction To the feet of the Venerable Lama, Embodiment of the Three Jewels, Profoundly I turn for refuge; Bestow upon me your transforming powers. ere, for spiritually in!lined beings who wish to ta"e ad#antage of the opportunities afforded by human life, is a treatise on the Lamrim Tradition of meditation, a tradition "nown as $tages on the $piritual Path Leading to Enlightenment. %hat is the Lamrim Tradition& It is the essen!e of all tea!hings of Buddha, the one path tra#eled by the high beings of the past, present and future, the lega!y of the masters 'agar(una and )sanga, the religion of supreme people tra#eling to the earth of omnis!ien!e, the unabridged synthesis of all pra!ti!es in!luded within the three le#els of spiritual appli!ation. This is the Lamrim Tradition. Lamrim is an espe!ially profound aspe!t of *harma, for it is a tradition of pra!ti!e sound in origin. It has neither fault nor short!oming, for it is a !omplete pra!ti!e perfe!tly uniting both method and wisdom aspe!ts of the path. It pro#ides all le#els and grades of the te!hni+ues passed through 'agar(una and )sanga, from the pra!ti!es meant for beginners up to and in!luding the final pra!ti!e before full Buddhahood, the stage of non,pra!ti!e. This graduated *harma of taintless origin is li"e the wish,fulfilling gem, for, through it the infinite beings !an easily and +ui!"ly a!!omplish their purposes. -ombining the ri#ers of the e.!ellent tea!hing of both the /undamental Vehi!le and 0reat Vehi!le s!riptures, it is li"e a mighty o!ean. 1e#ealing the prin!ipal points of both the $utrayana and Va(rayana, it is a !omplete tradition with !omplete tea!hings. 2utlining the main te!hni+ues for taming the mind, it is easily integrated into any pra!ti!e, and, being a tea!hing !ombining the lineages of 0uru Vidya"o"ila, a sage of the 'agar(una $!hool, and Lama $erlingpa, a sage of the )sanga $!hool, it is a pre!ious ornament. Therefore, to hear, !ontemplate, or meditate upon a Lamrim dis!ourse is fortunate indeed. Je 1inpo!he3s Song of the Stages on the Spiritual Path says4 /rom 'agar(una and )sanga, Banners unto all human"ind, 2rnaments amongst the world3s sages, -omes the sublime Lamrim lineage /ulfilling all hopes of pra!titioners. It is a wish,fulfilling gem, -ombining the streams of a thousand tea!hings, It is an o!ean of e.!ellent guidan!e. The Lamrim tea!hing has four espe!ially great +ualities4 5. It re#eals how all the #arious do!trines of Buddha are non,!ontradi!tory. If you rely upon the Lamrim tea!hing, all the words of Buddha will be effe!ti#ely !omprehensible. 6ou will see

that there are root pra!ti!es and bran!h pra!ti!es, and that there are dire!t and indire!t tea!hings, all of whi!h aim at !reating helpful !ir!umstan!es along the stages of spiritual de#elopment for a pra!titioner li"e yourself. 7. 6ou will ta"e all the #arious tea!hings as personal ad#i!e. 6ou will see the profound tea!hings of the $utras and Tantras, the treatises and dissertations written by later masters, and all le#els and bran!hes of pra!ti!e as methods to use to o#er!ome negati#e aspe!ts of the mind. The signifi!an!e of all the tea!hings of Buddha and his su!!essors8from the tea!hings on how to follow a spiritual master up to those on how to per!ei#e the most profound aspe!ts of reality8will !ome into your hand. 6ou will learn how to pra!ti!e analyti!al meditation upon the words of the tea!hings and stabili9ing meditation upon the !entral themes of those words. Thus you will see all the tea!hings in perspe!ti#e to your life and progress. :. 6ou will easily find the thought of Buddha. 2f !ourse, the original words of Buddha and those of the later !ommentators are perfe!t tea!hings, but for a beginner they are o#erwhelmingly numerous, and !onse+uently their meaning is diffi!ult to fathom. en!e, although you may study and !ontemplate them, you probably will not gain e.perien!e of their a!tual essen!e; or, e#en if you should gain it, a tremendous effort and e.tent of time would be re+uired. owe#er, be!ause the Lamrim tradition has its sour!e in )tisha3s A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment , whi!h in!orporates all the #arious oral tea!hings of the supreme Indian masters, e#en someone li"e you !an easily and +ui!"ly arri#e at the thought of Buddha through it. ;. The great negati#ity of abandoning a lineage of *harma will spontaneously be arrested. %hen you reali9e the intent of Buddha, you will see all his dire!t and indire!t tea!hings as wise and s"illful means for satisfying the di#erse spiritual needs of the #ariety of beings. To say that some lineages of *harma are perfe!t methods and should be pra!ti!ed, whereas other lineages are imperfe!t and should be ignored, is the "arma !alled <abandoning *harma,= a great negati#ity indeed. owe#er, if you study the Lamrim you will see how all do!trines of Buddha and lineages !oming from him are non,!ontradi!tory. Then the great negati#ity of abandoning an aspe!t of *harma will ne#er o!!ur. These are the four great +ualities of the Lamrim tradition. %ho with any !ommon sense would not benefit from hearing a dis!ourse on it, a thing the fortunate of India and Tibet ha#e long relied upon, a generously high tea!hing to delight the heart, the tradition "nown as the $tages on the Path for the beings of the three !apa!ities. 1egarding these four effe!ts arising from hearing, !ontemplating, and meditating upon a Lamrim dis!ourse, Je 1inpo!he said4 >Through it? one per!ei#es all do!trines as non,!ontradi!tory, )ll tea!hings arise as personal ad#i!e, The intent of Buddha is easily found )nd you are prote!ted from the !liff of the greatest e#il. Therefore the wise and fortunate of India and Tibet a#e thoroughly relied upon this e.!ellent lega!y >@nown as? the stages in the pra!ti!es of the three spiritual beings; %ho of powerful mind would not be intrigued by it& Possessing su!h strength and impa!t, this tradition ta"es the heart of all the tea!hings of Buddha and stru!tures it into steps for gradual e#olution through the su!!essi#e e.perien!es of the path, running through the three le#els of spiritual !apa!ity. %hat an approa!h to *harmaA ow !an its greatness e#er be des!ribed&

-onsider the benefi!ial effe!ts of hearing or tea!hing the Lamrim e#en on!e4 an understanding of Buddha and his tea!hings arises and, by means of pure attitudes and appli!ation, the person who is a #essel suitable for *harma !olle!ts benefits e+ui#alent to those gained by ha#ing heard all the words of Buddha. Therefore abandon the three wrong attitudes8 li"ened to a dirty pot, a pot with a whole in its bottom, and an upturned pot8and generate the si. re!ognitions. In this way, you will be able to gather the wealth of ha#ing approa!hed the sub(e!t properly. %hether you are studying or tea!hing a Lamrim te.t, do so purely and with intensity. Je 1inpo!he said4 2ne session of hearing or tea!hing This tradition embodying the essen!e of all Buddha3s words, -olle!ts wa#es of merit e+ui#alent To hearing or tea!hing all Buddhadharma. &ualities of a '(iritual Master and a Disci(le owe#er, although merely hearing the Lamrim tea!hing with the proper attitude is an e.tremely dynami! e.perien!e, it is important to say something about the +ualities of a Lamrim tea!her. In general, the +ualities of the #arious masters of the /undamental Vehi!le, Bahayana and Va(rayana methods are manifold, and any Buddhist master is a worthy tea!her; yet the spe!ifi! +ualities re+uired of one who gi#es a dis!ourse on the (ewel,li"e Lamrim tradition are des!ribed in Ornament of Mahayana Sutras4 he or she should ha#e reali9ation, i.e., his mindstream should4 5. be tamed with reali9ation of the higher training in ethi!al !ondu!t 7. be stilled with reali9ation of the higher training in !on!entration :. be !ompletely tempered with reali9ation of the higher training in wisdom ;. ha#e authoritati#e s!riptural learning, i.e., heard many tea!hings on the Three Bas"ets of $!riptures and so forth from !ompetent masters C. be in possession of an awareness that !an per!ei#e emptiness D. ha#e more learning and reali9ation than the dis!iple These are the si. ne!essary +ualifi!ations of a Lamrim tea!her. )s well, he or she should ha#e four altruisti! attitudes4 5. s"ill and spontaneous !reati#ity in applying the methods to generate progress within the dis!iples, whom he tea!hes out of a pure moti#ation free from grasping for wealth, fame or power 7. enthusiasm and (oy in gi#ing time and energy to tea!hing :. diligen!e and perse#eran!e in tea!hing ;. beyond losing patien!e with dis!iples who pra!ti!e poorly If you !an find a guru possessing these si. personal and four altruisti! +ualities, re+uest him or her for tea!hings and then follow them well. The dis!iple should ha#e three fundamental +ualities4 5. sin!erity 7. intelligen!e able to dis!riminate between benefi!ial and misleading for!es on the path :. intense longing to gain spiritual understanding and e.perien!e )s well, he or she should ha#e a fourth +uality8appre!iation for the *harma and the tea!her. $ometimes si. +ualities are mentioned. ) dis!iple fit to be led along the sublime path of Lamrim pra!ti!e must4 5. ha#e great interest in the *harma

7. during the a!tual tea!hing be able to "eep his or her mind alert and well,fo!used :. ha#e !onfiden!e in and respe!t for the tea!her and tea!hing ;. abandon wrong attitudes towards the tea!hing and maintain re!epti#e ones C. maintain !onditions !ondu!i#e to learning D. eliminate any un!ondu!i#e !onditions. If you gi#e a dis!ourse on the Lamrim, try to maintain the +ualities of a tea!her des!ribed abo#e, and if you listen to a dis!ourse !ulti#ate the abo#e +ualities of an ideal dis!iple within yourself. %hile training in the Lamrim under the guidan!e of a fully +ualified spiritual master, try to li#e in a +uiet pla!e pleasing to the mind. )rrange an altar ha#ing images of your tea!hers, the Buddha, a stupa and a s!ripture, as well as fresh, pure offerings. In front of your altar, prepare a !omfortable meditation seat, and either four or si. times ea!h day sit there in the se#en,point meditation posture, perform the Lamrim Preliminary 1ite and meditate as instru!ted. >The a!tually te.t has this rite in it, but 0lenn omitted it from his translation.? Ho) to Rely *(on a '(iritual Mentor The best way to rely on a spiritual master is to pra!ti!e analyti!al meditation upon his or her e.!ellent +ualities and his benefi!ial fun!tion in your spiritual life. -onsider the !ountless ways in whi!h he or she is "ind to you4 he is the root of all attainment, the sour!e of all goodness in this and future li#es, the do!tor who eradi!ates the disease of mental disturban!es with the medi!ine of the *harma. )lthough you ha#e wandered in samsara sin!e beginningless time, ne#er before did you met a spiritual master, or if you did meet one you did not !orre!tly follow the tea!hings, for you are not yet a Buddha. Thin", <I ha#e now met a spiritual master and will try to pra!ti!e as pleases him.= It is more "ind to gi#e a bowl of simple food to someone dying of hunger than to gi#e a handful of golden !oins to someone who has e#ery lu.ury. /or this reason, it is said that your personal spiritual mentor is "inder then e#en Buddha himself. The Five Stages states4 The self,born Buddha Is a being gone to perfe!tion; But "inder than Buddha is your own tea!her, /or he personally gi#es you the oral tea!hings. -ontemplate how your guru is "inder than all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future. To re!ei#e spiritual instru!tions, Buddha made offerings of possessions, ser#i!e, and pra!ti!e. /or e.ample, in a pre#ious life he offered 5EE,EEE pie!es of gold to a master to re!ei#e the half,#erse, <If there is birth there is death; stopping this pro!ess is bliss itself.= In another life, as a "ing he sa!rifi!ed his wife and his only !hild for a single #erse of the *harma. 2n another o!!asion, he made his body into a lamp and burned it as an offering to his spiritual mentor. In these and other ways, he abandoned wealth, possessions, and other ob(e!ts of atta!hment. $in!e you are a follower of Buddha, you should do li"ewise. If you ha#e heard many tea!hings from your spiritual master, is his or her "indness not immeasurable& $ome people thin" that a tea!her should be re#ered only if he or she has many ob#ious +ualities. They say, <I go to him to hear his words on *harma, not to see him,= and <I !an see no great traits in him, so there is no need for re#eren!e.= %hat foolsA /or instan!e, e#en if your parents ha#e no good +ualities, you should appre!iate their "indness, for, by so doing great benefits arise, whereas by not appre!iating them only pain and !onfusion result. The same holds true of your attitude toward your spiritual mentor.

6ou feel that someone who gi#es you a little wealth is #ery "ind, but the spiritual mentor !an gi#e you e#ery goodness of this and future li#es. If you !ontemplate deeply, it be!omes ob#ious that all stages of de#elopment8from that of a lay follower to those of a bodhisatt#a and Buddha8depend !ompletely upon pleasing the spiritual mentor. There are many e.amples of people who ha#e attained full enlightenment in one short lifetime by !orre!tly de#oting themsel#es to a master, and if you please your tea!her with the offerings of possessions, ser#i!e, and intensi#e pra!ti!e, there is no reason why you !annot do the same. Thus the importan!e of !orre!tly relying upon an all,"ind spiritual mentor !annot be o#er,emphasi9ed. Beeting with and being !ared for in this and future li#es by a spiritual mentor with whom you ha#e a *harma relationship is purely your responsibility, so ser#e your spiritual mentor well. %ithout following a +ualified tea!her, there is no method to a!tuali9e enlightenment. This point is stressed in sutras and !ommentaries. <Please pra!ti!e as pleases the spiritual mentor,= is said repeatedly. *o not regard this as an undesirable tas" li"e a prison senten!e, for who doesn3t want good fortune& )s stated in many sutras, tantras, and treatises, there is no faster or more powerful way to in!rease your store of positi#e potential than by !orre!tly following a spiritual mentor. %hen training under a spiritual mentor, be sure to maintain a !orre!t attitude towards him or her. %hate#er happens, do not permit the thought to arise that he has faults or short!omings. Beditate in this way not with words alone but from the depths of your heart, until the mere sound of his or her name or a thought of him ma"es your hair tingle and your eyes fill with tears. In general, all the Buddhas and bodhisatt#as ha#e said that you should ne#er see the ordinary failings of a human being in your spiritual mentor. If you see something low or base in him, !onsider it as a refle!tion of your impure attitudes. ow are you able to really "now what is and isn3t base& 2n!e when )rya )sanga did a retreat on Baitreya Buddha, he per!ei#ed Baitreya as a worm,ridden bit!h. 'aropa first saw his tea!her Tilopa as a lunati! !at!hing fish and eating them ali#e. In the Meeting between Father and Son Sutra, Buddha manifested as a de#il in order to wor" for the good of the world. In #iew of these in!idents, how !an you belie#e that the faults you see in your guru are real& 0enerate !on#i!tion that he is a manifestation of the Buddha. It is taught in the Root Te t of the !uhyasama"a Tantra and in )sh#agosha3s Fifty #erses on !uru $oga that there is no gra#er negati#ity than saying or belie#ing that your spiritual mentor has faults. Therefore, pra!ti!e guru yoga as related in the biography of Lama *rom Tonpa8without doubts or wa#ering. 2n!e you ha#e a!!epted a spiritual mentor, meditate so as not to gi#e rise to any disrespe!tful or unworthy thoughts, e#en if your life is at sta"e. Je 1inpo!he wrote, The root of all !auses produ!ing appiness here and hereafter, is the pra!ti!e 2f relying in thought and a!tion Fpon the sa!red friend who re#eals the path. $eeing this, follow him or her at any !ost )nd please him with the offering of pra!ti!e. I, a yogi, did that myself; 6ou, 2 liberation see"er, should do li"ewise. Je 1inpo!he ga#e this ad#i!e purely out of great !ompassion, and not be!ause he wanted his dis!iples to honor or to glorify him.

The Human 'ituation )t this point the +uestion may arise4 <If one relies upon a spiritual master who points out the path to enlightenment and tries to please him by ma"ing him the offering of pra!ti!ing as he tea!hes, what e.a!tly is meant by Goffering of pra!ti!e&3= Pra!ti!e means ta"ing upon yourself the responsibility of !ontinually li#ing in a!!ordan!e with the holy *harma, the tea!hings gi#en to you by your spiritual master. Through wor"ing with the tea!her and with the laws of !ause and effe!t, you !an ta"e ad#antage of your e.tremely #aluable human life, a life,form hard to find and, on!e found, #ery meaningful; a treasure more pre!ious than a wish,fulfilling gem. 2ther than doing this, there is no offering of pra!ti!e. 0rit your teeth, and do not let the on!e,attained opportunity afforded by human life slip away. If you do not utili9e this tremendous potentiality, is your heart not #ain& owe#er, it is of borderline #alue to listen to or pra!ti!e *harma with a moti#ation mi.ed with white, bla!", or gray aspe!ts of the eight worldly !on!erns, i.e., the moti#ation to outdo enemies and prote!t friends, whi!h is praised by worldly people but a!tually is shallow; the moti#ation to obtain material benefit, a uni#ersally !ondemned moti#ation; and the moti#ation of impressing others, whi!h some thin" good and some despise. If you do not meditate upon impermanen!e, death, and so forth, and thus pass beyond mundane thought patterns, you run the great ris" of ha#ing negati#e moti#ations dominate your mind. 2n the other hand, if you pra!ti!e the pure *harma well and with no pretenses, you +ui!"ly and firmly lay the foundations of lasting happiness. *is!ard as the hus" of a grain essen!eless worldly pursuits8wor"s of no positi#e !onse+uen!es and spiritually of great peril. Ta"e up the essen!e of *harma, so that at the time this pithless human body is left behind, you will not depart from life with regret. /urthermore, thin" to pra!ti!e immediately. *rin" the waters of meditation now and relie#e the thirst of wishing to hold life3s essen!e. Je 1inpo!he said, uman life, found but this one time, Bore pre!ious than the wish,fulfilling gem, $o hard to regain and so easily lost, Is as brief as a flash of lightning. $eeing this, dis!ard worldly a!ti#ity li"e the hus" of a grain )nd stri#e day and night to ta"e life3s essen!e. The Three Le+els of '(iritual ,((lication ow should you ta"e the essen!e of the opportunities pro#ided by this human #essel& It is e.tremely important to ha#e an understanding of the ways of generating a!tual e.perien!e of the general foundations of the path and pra!ti!es, and therefore I will briefly e.plain the pro!ess. This e.planation has two headings4 %& 'ow the Path of the Three Levels of Spiritual Appli(ation )ondense All Tea(hings of *uddha Buddha himself first de#eloped the bodhi!itta8the aspiration to attain perfe!t !ompassion, wisdom, and power as the best means of benefiting all sentient beings. In the end, to benefit all beings he attained full enlightenment. Then, solely to benefit beings he taught the holy *harma.

The pra!ti!es he taught fall into two di#isions4 those aimed at the temporary benefit of a high rebirth as humans or gods; and those aimed at bringing the two ultimate benefits of liberation from samsara and the attainment of omnis!ien!e. The first group of pra!ti!es is "nown as the pra!ti!es of the person of initial !apa!ity. Be!ause they are used as a basis for all higher pra!ti!es, they are !alled <Pra!ti!es -ommon with the Person of Initial -apa!ity.= The nature of the pra!titioner of initial !apa!ity is outlined in )tisha3s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment4 $omeone who by the #arious methods )ims at higher samsari! happiness %ith his own interests in mind, Is "nown as the spiritual aspirant of initial !apa!ity. That is, the pra!titioner of initial !apa!ity is one who does not wor" for the pleasures of this life, but instead sets his or her mind upon the pra!ti!es leading to rebirth as either a human or a god. The pra!ti!es that yield ultimate benefit are of two types4 5? those that bring nir#ana or liberation that is merely a freedom from samsari! suffering and 7? those that bring liberation with omnis!ien!e. The former is "nown as the pra!ti!es of the person of intermediate !apa!ity or <Pra!ti!es -ommon with the Person of Intermediate -apa!ity.= )tisha3s Lamp for the Path says4 e who with the aim of pea!e for himself Turns his ba!" on samsari! happiness )nd re#erses all negati#e "arma Is "nown as the spiritual aspirant of intermediate !apa!ity. That is, the intermediate pra!titioner turns his ba!" on the se!urities and (oys of higher samsari! rebirths and ta"es up the pra!ti!es of the Three igher Trainings8ethi!al !ondu!t, !on!entration, and wisdom8in order to attain that liberation whi!h is free from all affli!tions and "arma that !ause samsara. /inally, in addition to the /undamental Vehi!le pra!ti!es outlined abo#e, the methods that a!!omplish Buddhahood in!lude all the pra!ti!es of the Perfe!tion Vehi!le and the Va(ra Vehi!le. These methods are "nown as <Pra!ti!es E.!lusi#e for the Person of igh -apa!ity.= )tisha3s Lamp for the Path says4 e who sees suffering in his own life )nd, reali9ing that others suffer li"ewise, %ishes to put an end to all misery Is "nown as the spiritual aspirant of supreme !apa!ity. In other words, the supreme pra!titioner is one who, empowered by great !ompassion, ta"es up methods su!h as the si. far,rea!hing pra!ti!es and the two stages of tantra in order to attain full Buddhahood in order to e.tinguish the suffering of others. This is how the path of the three !apa!ities of spiritual appli!ation !ondenses all the tea!hings of Buddha. +& The Reason for Leading Aspirants through these Three Levels )lthough the pra!ti!es of all three le#els of spiritual appli!ation are taught in the Lamrim tradition, this is done only be!ause it is ne!essary to go through the two lower le#els of pra!ti!e

as bran!hes leading to the third and highest !apa!ity. In the Lamrim tradition you do not ta"e up the pra!ti!es of lower !apa!ity merely to gain the samsari! !omfort of higher rebirth, nor do you ta"e up those of intermediate !apa!ity merely to benefit yourself by gaining nir#ana or liberation from !y!li! e.isten!e. 6ou do both of these purely as preliminaries to the pra!ti!es of high !apa!ity. The a!tual body of Lamrim pra!ti!e is that of the highest of the three le#els. %hy is so mu!h emphasis pla!ed upon the pra!ti!es of high !apa!ity& Be!ause there is no door to the Bahayana other than bodhi!itta, and bodhi!itta is the uni+ue +uality of pra!titioners of highest !apa!ity. 6ou must therefore de#elop it. To do this, you begin by !ontemplating its benefits and thereby generate a longing to attain it. These benefits are of two "inds4 temporary and ultimate. Temporarily bodhi!itta guarantees the (oyous fruit of a high rebirth. Fltimately it gi#es rise to the liberated, omnis!ient wisdom of Buddhahood. en!e it is indispensable. )s a prere+uisite for bodhi!itta, you must generate great !ompassion that is unable to tolerate the sufferings of all sentient beings. This great !ompassion for others depends upon an intense awareness of the undesirable e.perien!es and sufferings of your own !ontinuum, so first train in the pra!ti!es of lower !apa!ity by !ontemplating the miseries e.perien!ed in the lower realms. /rom !ontemplating this, arises a mind that longs for liberation from those rebirths. Then ta"e up the intermediate pra!ti!es by !ontemplating the transient nature of the (oys of the hea#enly realms. /rom this arises renun!iation of e#erything in samsara. /inally, thin"ing that all mother beings fa!e the same sufferings as you do, generate !ompassion >wishing them to be free from suffering?, lo#e >wishing them to ha#e happiness?, and bodhi!itta, the aspiration for full enlightenment as the best means to fulfill that lo#e and !ompassion. Thus leading aspirants to the highest !apa!ity of pra!ti!e by first training their minds in the two lower !apa!ities is a supreme, perfe!t approa!h to *harma. To ta"e the essen!e of your human life, there are three a!tual pra!ti!es, to be a!!omplished, namely, the pra!ti!es of the three !apa!ities outlined abo#e. Death and the Lo)er Realms 6ou ha#e attained this pre!ious human form, diffi!ult to gain and e.tremely meaningful and are now a human being. owe#er, this life will not last fore#er, and it is definite that you will e#entually die. Boreo#er, you do not "now how long death will wait before stri"ing. Therefore immediately e.ert effort to ta"e life3s essen!e. 6ou ha#e had infinite pre#ious li#es in higher, lower, and intermediate realms, but the Lord of *eath, li"e a thief in a ri!h mar"et pla!e, has stolen them all indis!riminately. ow fortunate that he has let you li#e this longA 0enerate a mind so filled with the awareness of death that you sit li"e a man hunted by an intent assassin. )t the time of death, money, possessions, friends, and ser#ants will not be able to follow you. owe#er, the tra!es of negati#e "arma !reated for their sa"e will pursue you li"e a shadow. That is how you must go from life. Thin" it o#er. )t this moment, you are !ontent to eat, drin", and !onsume, yet life, wealth, sensual ob(e!ts, and food (ust burn on and on, and you a!!omplish nothing of #alue. /ully dire!t whate#er remains of your life to genuine *harma pra!ti!e. *o this from today onward, not from tomorrow, for death may stri"e tonight. 6ou may as"4 If, with the e.!eption of *harma, nothing helps at the time of death, then how does *harma help, and how does non,*harma harm& )t death you do not simply e#aporate. *eath is followed by rebirth, and whether your rebirth is happy or miserable, high or low, is determined by the state of your mind at the time of death. Thus e.!ept for the power of "arma, ordinary people are powerless. They ta"e the rebirth thrown by the for!e of their positi#e and negati#e "armas8the "armi! seeds left by pre#ious

deeds of body, spee!h, and mind. If at the time of death a positi#e thought predominates, a happy rebirth will follow. If a negati#e thought predominates, one is born into one of the three lower realms where one suffers intense pain. %hat are the torments of the three lower realms& To +uote )!harya 'agar(una, 1emember that in the lower hells, 2ne burns li"e a sun In the upper hells one free9es. 1emember that hungry ghosts and spirits $uffer from hunger, thirst, and !limate. 1emember that animals suffer The !onse+uen!es of stupidity. )bandon the "armi! !auses of su!h misery )nd !ulti#ate the !auses of (oy. uman life is rare and pre!ious; *o not ma"e it a !ause of pain. Ta"e heed; use it well. )s 'agar(una implies, the sufferings of the hot and !old hells are unendurable, the sufferings of hungry ghosts are horrendous, and the sufferings of animals8eating one another, being domesti!ated and ruled by humans, being dumb, and so forth8are o#erwhelming. 1ight now you !annot hold your hand in fire for e#en a few se!onds. 6ou !annot sit na"ed on i!e in the winter for more than a few minutes. To pass e#en a single day without eating or drin"ing anything brings great diffi!ulty, and merely a tiny bee sting seems terrible. ow then will you be able to bear the heat or !old of the hells, the anguish of the hungry ghosts, or the horrors of animal e.isten!e& Beditate on the sufferings of the lower realms until you are filled with dread and apprehension. 'ow that you ha#e gained an auspi!ious human form, abandon the !auses of lower rebirth and !ulti#ate the !auses of a happy rebirth. *etermine to apply yourself to the methods that !ut off the path to the lower realms. Ta-in. Refu.e %hat are the methods to !ut off the path to lower rebirth& These are awareness of the danger of the sufferings of lower rebirth, as e.plained abo#e, and re!ognition that Buddha, *harma, and $angha ha#e power to prote!t you from su!h rebirth. 0enerate awareness of danger by means of meditation and then ta"e refuge in the Three Jewels from the depths of your heart. ow do the Three Jewels ha#e the power to prote!t you from the terrors of the lower realms& The Buddha Jewel is free from all fear. Being omnis!ient, he is a master of ways that prote!t from e#ery fear. )s he abides in great !ompassion that sees all sentient beings with e+uanimity, he is a worthy ob(e!t of refuge for both those who benefit him and those who do not. Be!ause he himself has these +ualities, it follows that his tea!hings and the $angha established by him are also worthy. This !annot be said of the founders of many religious s!hools, few of whom were trans!endental; or of many do!trines, most of whi!h are filled with logi!al faults; or of many religious traditions, most of whi!h are fragmented. Be!ause Buddha, *harma, and $angha possess these sublime +ualities, they indeed are worthy. ow do you ta"e refuge in the Three Jewels& -hant three times, <I ta"e refuge in the perfe!t Buddha. Please show me how to free myself from samsari! sufferings in general and from the lower realms in parti!ular. I ta"e refuge in the *harma, the supreme abandonment of

atta!hment. Please be my a!tual refuge and lead me to freedom from the terrors of samsara in general and in the lower realms in parti!ular. I ta"e refuge in the supreme $angha, the $piritual -ommunity. Please prote!t me from the misery of samsara and espe!ially from the lower realms.= %hile re!iting these lines, generate an a!tual sense of ta"ing refuge in the Buddha, *harma, and $angha from the depths of your heart. owe#er, ta"ing refuge but then not obser#ing the refuge pre!epts is of #ery little benefit, and the power of ha#ing ta"en it is soon lost. Therefore, always be mindful of the pre!epts. a#ing ta"en refuge in the Buddha, no longer rely upon worldly gods su!h as $hi#a and Vishnu, and see all statues and images of Buddha as a!tual manifestations of Buddha himself. a#ing ta"en refuge in the *harma, do not harm any sentient being or be disrespe!tful toward the holy s!riptures. a#ing ta"en refuge in the $angha, do not waste your time with false tea!hers or with unhelpful or misleading friends, and do not disrespe!t saffron or maroon !loth. )lso, understanding that all temporary and ultimate happiness is a result of the "indness of the Three Jewels, offer your food and drin" to them at e#ery meal and rely upon them rather than upon politi!ians or fortunetellers for all of your immediate and ultimate needs. )!!ording to your spiritual !apa!ity, show others the signifi!an!e of refuge in the Three Jewels and don3t e#er forsa"e your own refuge, not e#en in (est or to sa#e your life. %ith awareness of the need to a#oid wasting time on mere words, re!ite the following refuge formula three times ea!h day and three times ea!h night4 'amo 0urubhyah, 'amo Buddhaya, 'amo *harmaya, 'amo $anghaya. %hile doing so, maintain awareness of the unsurpassed +ualities of the Three Jewels, and of their indi#idual uni+ueness and !ommitments. The La) of /arma and %ts Results 2ne may wonder4 0ranted, ta"ing refuge in the Three Jewels !an prote!t me from the misery of lower rebirth; but how !an I !reate the !auses that bring about a higher rebirth& /or this, we must !onsider the four aspe!ts of "armi! law4 5. positi#e and negati#e deeds plant seeds that will bear respe!ti#e fruit, i.e., goodness produ!es future happiness and e#il produ!es future misery 7. one seed produ!es many fruits, ea!h of whi!h has many seeds of a li"e nature :. a deed not done produ!es no result ;. e#ery deed you do with your body, spee!h, or mind lea#es a "armi! seed in your !ontinuum that is ne#er e.hausted >unless wor"ed out or neutrali9ed by purifi!ation?. %hen you ha#e !ontemplated these four aspe!ts of "armi! law, the importan!e of li#ing in a!!ordan!e with the tea!hings of abandoning harm and !ulti#ating good be!omes ob#ious. To pro#e the laws of "arma by mere for!e of logi! is an e.tremely diffi!ult and lengthy pro!ess, and only one well #ersed in logi!al reasoning !ould follow the pro!ess. $o instead, I will +uote a #erse from the ,ing of )on(entration Sutra, Boon and stars may fall to earth, Bountains and #alleys may !rumble )nd e#en the s"y may disappear, But you, 2 Buddha, spea" nothing false. Bearing these words in mind we !an !onsider the following tea!hing from Buddha himself, /rom e#il !omes suffering; Therefore day and night

6ou should thin" and re,thin" ow to es!ape from misery fore#er. )nd also, The roots of all goodness lie In the soil of appre!iation for goodness. -onstantly meditate upon how to ripen The fruits that !an grow therefrom. )s e.plained here, abandon all negati#e a!ti#ity in general and !ontemplate the four unpleasant aspe!ts of the ten non,#irtues of body, spee!h, and mind in parti!ular4 "illing, stealing, and unwise or un"ind se.ual a!ti#ity; lying, slandering others, spea"ing harshly, and indulging in meaningless tal"; !o#etousness, ill,will, and holding distorted #iews. To show the four unpleasant aspe!ts of "arma by the e.ample of the results of "illing4 5? the main effe!t is lower rebirth; 7? the !ausally !on!ordant e.periential effe!t is that in a future rebirth you will be "illed or will see many dear ones "illed; :? the !ausally !on!ordant beha#ioral effe!t is that you will ha#e the tenden!y to "ill again in future li#es and thus multiply the negati#e "arma; and ;? the effe!t on the en#ironment is that e#en if you gain a good rebirth the en#ironment around you will be #iolent. The effe!t is also graded into minor, medium, and hea#y degrees, depending upon the ob(e!t. /or e.ample, "illing a human results in rebirth in hell, "illing an animal results in rebirth as a hungry ghost, and "illing an inse!t results in animal rebirth. @eep in mind these words from )hapter of the Truthful One4 2 @ing, do not "ill, /or all that li#es !herishes life. If you wish to li#e long yourself, respe!t life )nd do not e#en thin" of "illing. )s said here, rely upon an attitude resol#ed not to entertain thoughts of any e#il a!tion su!h as "illing and the other non,#irtues. )bandon all forms of e#il and stri#e with all your might to a!tuali9e goodness. Je 1inpo!he said4 There is no !ertainty that after death lower rebirth does not await you, But there is !ertainty that the Three Jewels ha#e power to prote!t you from it. Therefore, base yourself upon refuge )nd let not the refuge pre!epts degenerate. )lso, !onsider the wor"ing of !onstru!ti#e and destru!ti#e a!tions. Pra!ti!ing !orre!tly is your own responsibility. By guarding the ethi!al !ondu!t of a#oiding the ten non,#irtues you will ha#e a good rebirth. But if you wish to go beyond that and gain the eight +ualities !ondu!i#e to !ontinuing along the supreme path to omnis!ien!e8+ualities su!h as high status, a good family, a strong mind, a harmonious body, and so forth8then also !reate their !auses4 abandon harming any li#ing beings, ma"e offerings of light and so forth to the Three Jewels, offer !lothes, et!., to the needy, and by o#er!oming pride, ha#e respe!t for all that li#es. Ta"e the responsibility of these pra!ti!es into your own hands through the for!es of mindfulness and !ons!ientiousness.

owe#er, if o!!asionally strong mental affli!tions o#erpower you, and you !ommit a brea!h of pra!ti!e, do not be apatheti! but !onfess the unwanted "armi! obsta!le at the proper time and pla!e and, by means of the four opponent powers, !leanse all stains of body, spee!h, and mind. These four are4 5. !ontemplating the short!omings of e#il in order to de#elop remorse for ha#ing !ommitted negati#ity; 7. relying upon the ob(e!ts of refuge and bodhi!itta as for!es with the power to purify the mind of "armi! stains; :. generating strong determination to turn away from su!h negati#e !ourses of a!tion in the future ;. applying positi#e !ountera!ti#e for!es, su!h as the Va(rasatt#a mantra and so forth. Je 1inpo!he wrote4 $hould you not find a suitable rebirth, It will not be possible to progress along the path. -ulti#ate the !auses of a high rebirth, )ppre!iate the importan!e of purifying The three doors from stains of e#il. -herish the for!e of the four opponent powers. By meditating in this way, the mind will turn away from the transient things of this life and ta"e genuine interest in more lasting things. %hen this effe!t has been reali9ed, you will be "nown as the spiritual aspirant of initial !apa!ity. Trainin. the Mind on the 0ath 1ommon to the 0erson of %ntermediate 1a(acity )lthough by a#oiding the ten non,#irtues and pra!ti!ing their opposites8the ten #irtues8you !an attain a spe!ial rebirth in the higher realms, you will not pass beyond the frustrations of !y!li! e.isten!e. /or this reason see" to attain nir#ana8liberation beyond all misery and pain. %hat is the nature of the short!omings of !y!li! e.isten!e& Those of the lower realms ha#e been e.plained abo#e. Beditate upon them well, for when you ha#e done so you will reali9e that you would not en(oy su!h long and intense misery, and you will automati!ally generate an intention to wor" by any possible means to remain free of su!h unsatisfa!tory modes of e.isten!e. owe#er, e#en the higher realms are not beyond the rea!hes of suffering, and to progress along the path you must e#entually fa!e this truth. uman beings, for e.ample, are wrapped in suffering. %hile in the womb, they suffer from dar"ness, !onstri!tion, and immersion in filthy substan!es. %hen, during the last months of the mother3s pregnan!y the downward pushing winds !ome, the unborn baby feels li"e a small pie!e of wood !rushed in a giant #ise, or li"e a sesame seed pounded for its oil. )fter he emerges from the womb, he feels as though he fell into a pit of thorns, e#en if he was wrapped in soft garments and pla!ed in a feathery bed. $u!h is the agony of birth. The baby gradually grows into a youth, and soon he is old. is ba!" bends li"e a bow, his hair turns white as a dried flower, and his forehead fills with wrin"les until he loo"s li"e a strip of sli!ed leather. $itting down is li"e dropping a hea#y load, and standing up is li"e uprooting a tree. If he tries to spea", his tongue will not obey, and if he tries to wal", he staggers. is sensory powers, su!h as sight and hearing, begin to fail him. is body loses its luster and resembles a !orpse. is memory degenerates and he !an remember nothing. The powers of digestion fail and

he !an no longer eat properly, no matter how mu!h he !ra#es food. )t this point, his life is almost finished and death is rapidly approa!hing. $u!h are the sufferings of aging. )s well as the sufferings of birth and age, throughout life he must !ontinually !onfront the sufferings of illness. %hen the elements of his body fall out of harmony, his s"in dries and his flesh sags. /ood and drin", usually so appealing, seem repulsi#e, and instead he must ingest bitter medi!ines and undergo unpleasant treatments li"e operations, mo.abustion, a!upun!ture, and so forth. $hould the disease be in!urable, he e.perien!es immeasurable suffering from fear, worry, and apprehension, and if the disease is fatal, he li#es with death in front of his eyes. Thoughts of e#ils he !reated during his lifetime !ause his heart to fill with regret, and he re!olle!ts all that he has left undone. e understands that he soon must lea#e his body, friends, relati#es, asso!iates, and possessions; his mouth dries, his lips shri#el, his nose sin"s, his eyes fade, and his breath passes in gasps. Tremendous fear of the lower realms arises within him and, though does not wish it, he dies. uman beings suffer in many spe!ifi! ways too. $ome meet with bandits and thie#es and lose all their wealth. Their bodies are pier!ed by weapons or beaten with !lubs and so forth. $ome suffer hea#y punishments at the hands of legal authorities for ha#ing !ommitted !rimes. 2thers hear dreadful news or rumors of distant family or friends and suffer terribly, or they fear the loss of their wealth and possessions and are si!" with worry. 2thers suffer from en!ountering people and situations that they do not wish to en!ounter, and still others suffer through not getting what they want. /or e.ample, although someone may try to farm a pie!e of land, drought, frost, or hail may destroy his !rop. e may wor" as a sailor or fisherman, but a sudden gust of wind may result in his ruin. If he goes into business, he may lose his in#estment or, after mu!h effort, ma"e no profit. e may be!ome a mon", but one day he may ha#e to fa!e the sorrow of ha#ing bro"en his dis!ipline. In short, ha#ing ta"en a samsari! human form under the for!e of "arma and affli!tions, you must fa!e the sufferings of birth, si!"ness, old age, death, and so forth. )s well, you use your pre!ious human life largely as an instrument to produ!e more !auses of lower rebirth and for greater misery in the future. ) samsari! form is merely a #essel holding the suffering of pain, the suffering of transient pleasure, and the all,per#ading suffering. Be!ause !y!li! e.isten!e is by nature all, per#asi#e suffering, you ne#er "now any (oy or happiness not !oated or embra!ed by misery and frustration. In the realm of the demi,gods, beings suffer from !onstant fighting, "illing and wounding ea!h other. )bo#e that, in the realm of the desire gods, when the fi#e signs of on!oming death manifests, the beings suffer more than do the hell deni9ens. )s their splendor fades and they are shunned by the other gods, they "now boundless mental anguish. $till higher in samsara are the gods of the form and formless realms, and although they do not e.perien!e the suffering of immediate pain, those of the first three le#els ha#e the suffering of transient pleasure, and those of the fourth le#el and of the formless le#els must endure all,per#asi#e suffering, whi!h is li"ened to an unruptured boil. Thin" about these general and spe!ifi! sufferings of the #arious realms of samsara and then stri#e in e#ery possible way to attain nir#ana, or liberation from them all. $u!h a state is not without !auses and !onditions, so train in the pra!ti!es that bring the a!tual attainment of liberation, i.e., the pra!ti!es of the Three igher Trainings8ethi!al !ondu!t, !on!entration, and wisdom. /urthermore, as the igher Trainings of !on!entration and wisdom depend and are based upon the igher Training in ethi!al !ondu!t, first train in it. Be!ause ethi!al !ondu!t is easily bro"en when alertness and su!h for!es degenerate, maintain !lear thoughts firmly supported by mindfulness and alertness and thus guard against all possible downfalls. If you e#er brea!h your ethi!al !ondu!t, don3t waste a moment but immediately !onfess your and resol#e to pro!eed !orre!tly in the future. %hen an affli!tion su!h as atta!hment, anger, (ealousy, and so

forth arises, meditate upon its opponent, su!h as non,atta!hment, lo#e, e+uanimity, et!. Be your own (udge in pra!ti!e, and do not fall short of your aims. Let nothing you thin", say, or do !ontradi!t the ad#i!e of your tea!her. Je 1inpo!he said4 If you do not !ontemplate the noble truth or suffering8the falla!y of samsara8 The wish to be free from samsara will not arise. If you do not !ontemplate the sour!e of suffering8the door to samsara8 6ou will ne#er dis!o#er the means of !utting the root of samsara. Base yourself on renun!iation of !y!li! e.isten!e; be tired of it. -herish "nowledge of the !hains that bind you to the wheel of !y!li! e.isten!e. %hen the thought wishing to be free from samsara arises within you as strongly as the thought of finding an es!ape e.it would arise in a person !aught in a burning house, you ha#e be!ome a spiritual aspirant of intermediate !apa!ity. Generatin. Bodhicitta )lthough through the igher Trainings in ethi!al !ondu!t, !on!entration, and wisdom, you !an attain nir#ana, or liberation from !y!li! e.isten!e, this attainment in itself is not suffi!ient. )lthough one who has gained nir#ana no more wanders in samsara, be!ause only a part of his or her faults ha#e been o#er!ome >!ogniti#e obs!urations remain? and only a fra!tion of perfe!tion has been attained >omnis!ien!e has not?, he has not fulfilled his own purposes. )lso, be!ause he la!"s omnis!ien!e, he has not fulfilled others3 purposes. $o loo" to the goal of !omplete Buddhahood, the ultimate fulfillment of both your own and others3 purposes. Boreo#er, do not thin" to gain Buddhahood merely for your own benefit. )spire for it purely to be able to benefit all sentient beings more e.tensi#ely and effe!ti#ely. Just as you ha#e fallen into the o!ean of samsara, so ha#e all others; they, li"e you, "now only its misery. There is no one who has not repeatedly been your father and mother and who has not shown you unimaginable "indness. It is only fair that if you gain liberation and omnis!ien!e, you should free them from anguish too. To benefit them, you must rea!h the state of peerless, non,abiding nir#ana. Thus generate the supreme bodhi!itta, the enlightened attitude. The best method to generate the bodhi!itta is the oral tradition "nown as the <si. !auses and one effe!t.= I will e.plain this first briefly and then in detail. , brief e2(lanation4 The first !ause is the awareness that all sentient beings ha#e been your mother. /rom this arises the se!ond !ause8mindfulness of the all,embra!ing "indness of ea!h and e#ery one of them. This gi#es birth to the third !ause8the wish to repay their "indness. This wish transforms into the fourth !ause8lo#e8and the fifth !ause8!ompassion. Lo#e and !ompassion are the for!es from whi!h spring the si.th !ause8the e.traordinary attitude !hara!teri9ed by a sense of uni#ersal responsibility. This e#entually ripens as the effe!t, bodhi!itta. This is the se#en,spo"ed wheel that rolls on to the omnis!ient state of enlightenment. )s a preliminary to all se#en of these meditations, ma"e your mind le#el by means of meditating on e+uanimity for all sentient beings. If the mind sees some being as dear, some as alien, and some as neutral, it is not suffi!iently mature to be able to meditate upon all beings as ha#ing been your mother. If the mind has no e+uanimity, any lo#e or !ompassion generated will be biased and unbalan!ed. Therefore, first pra!ti!e e+uanimity meditation. Begin this by #isuali9ing #arious <neutral= people8those who ha#e neither harmed nor helped you in this life. /rom their side, ea!h of them wants only happiness and does not want

suffering. /rom your side, ea!h one of them is li"e a member of your family and has been your father and mother in many pre#ious li#es. Thin", <In some li#es I ha#e held them dear and ha#e helped them, whereas in others I ha#e held them as opponents and ha#e harmed them. This is hardly !orre!t. I should meditate now in order to generate an attitude of e+uanimity for them all.= 2n!e you ha#e meditated li"e this upon neutral people, then !onsider those who ha#e helped you in this life and whom you therefore hold as dear, and those who ha#e harmed you in this life and whom you !onse+uently hold as opponents *e#elop e+uanimity toward them both. /inally, generate e+uanimity towards all sentient beings of all si. realms. , more detailed e2(lanation4 5. 1e!ogni9e that all beings ha#e been your mother. Be!ause there is no findable beginning to sentient life and !y!li! e.isten!e, you must ha#e had an infinite number of pre#ious li#es, as ha#e all other beings. Thus there is no pla!e where you ha#e not ta"en birth, and there is no sentient being who has not been your parent. In fa!t, ea!h sentient being has been your parent !ountless times. If you sear!h throughout the endless round of birth, death, and rebirth, you !annot find a being who has not been your mother. )ll sentient beings ha#e shown "indness towards us e+ual to the "indness of our mother of this life. -onse+uently see them as being only "ind. 7. Be mindful of the "indness of the infinite sentient beings. ow has the mother of this life shown you "indness& %hen you were in her womb, she thought only about how to prote!t and !are for you. )fter you were born she too" you and wrapped you in soft garments, held you in her arms, ga9ed on you with eyes of lo#e, smiled on you affe!tionately, out of mer!y ga#e you mil" from her breasts, and held you to her body to "eep you warm. Then for year after year she prepared food for you and !leaned the mu!us and e.!rement from your body. E#en if she was mortally ill and you !ontra!ted a minor disease, she would thin" solely about you. $he shielded and prote!ted you from e#ery diffi!ulty, ga#e you whate#er she !ould to help you a!!omplish your wishes, and anything you !ould not do by yourself she did for you. In fa!t, she prote!ted your life and person in e#ery possible manner. In this way, repeatedly !ontemplate that your mother has helped you greatly and has been e.tremely "ind to you. Then #isuali9e simultaneously the three !ategories of being4 those !lose to you, su!h as your family and friends of this life; neutral people with whom you ha#e had no real !onta!t; and enemies or those who ha#e harmed you in this life. -onsider how ea!h of them has been your mother un!ountable times in the past. Fn!ountable times ha#e they gi#en you a human rebirth, prote!ting you as mu!h as has the mother of this life, showing you immeasurable "indness, and helping you limitlessly again and again. :. %ish to repay them. owe#er, the mother sentient beings who ha#e nurtured you with "indness so many times are disturbed by the demons of the mental affli!tions. Their minds are un!ontrolled, as if they were insane. Their wisdom,eye blinded with the smo"e of ignoran!e, and they ha#e no way to see the paths leading to higher rebirth, liberation, or omnis!ien!e. Bost of them la!" a spiritual master who !an lead them to the !ity of freedom and thus are li"e blind beggars with no guide. E#ery day they further di#or!e themsel#es from happiness be!ause of unwholesome a!tions of body, spee!h, and mind. Li"e members of a drun"en pro!ession staggering towards a !liff, they are stumbling o#er the pre!ipi!e of e#il into the sufferings of !y!li! e.isten!e and the lower realms. Thin", <If I do not do something for these patheti!, feeble beings, who will& If responsibility for them does not fall upon my shoulders, upon whose will it fall& If I ignored these "ind beings and wor"ed only for my own liberation from samsara, what

la!" of !ons!ien!e and !onsiderationA </urthermore, if they attained the #arious happy fruits of samsara, su!h as the states of Brahma, Indra, or the li"e, their pea!e would not be eternal. /rom now on, I will thin" less of myself and more of mitigating the samsari! suffering of the li#ing beings as #ast as spa!e, and by e#ery possible means I will wor" for enlightenment in order to be able to pla!e them in the (oy of peerless liberation.= ; H C. Lo#e and !ompassion. Thin", <%hy should these mother beings, bereft of happiness, not ha#e happiness& Bay they be happy. In e#ery way possible, may I !ontribute to their happiness. %hy shouldn3t mother beings who are a!hing with misery be separated from misery& Bay they be separated from it. Bay I !ontribute to their being separated from it.= D. The e.traordinary attitude, and the one effe!t, bodhi!itta. Thin", < owe#er, do I ha#e the power to a!!omplish these two wishes& 'ot to mention all sentient beings, I don3t ha#e power to free e#en one from suffering nor pla!e e#en one in trans!endental happiness. /or that #ery reason, I resol#e to attain perfe!t Buddhahood, and if I gi#e up that resol#e, surely I will fall into the lower realms. 6et I !an do nothing to free beings from suffering and pla!e them in peerless happiness until I ha#e attained full Buddhahood myself. Therefore with the wish to be able to free sentient beings from e#en the deepest suffering and bring them to ultimate (oy, I will immediately start wor"ing in e#ery !on!ei#able way to reali9e the state of !omplete, perfe!t enlightenment.= owe#er, merely meditating upon the bodhi!itta is not enough. 6ou must also maintain the following four trainings4 5. 1e!olle!t the benefi!ial effe!ts of bodhi!itta. This generates enthusiasm for de#eloping aspiring bodhi!itta and ensures that the resol#e you ha#e made does not degenerate in this life. 7. 0enerate bodhi!itta si. times a day. This strengthens your bodhi!itta. :. *o not mentally abandoning any sentient beings or gi#e up wor"ing for their benefit. ;. )!!umulate positi#e potential !ontinuously. To go into these in greater detail4 5. 1e!olle!ting the benefits of bodhi!itta means maintaining !ontinuous awareness of the following tea!hing >!ondensed? from $hantide#a3s A !uide to the *odhisattva-s .ay of Life& The moment you de#elop the thought of enlightenment, the bodhi!itta, you be!ome an ob(e!t of worship for both humans and gods. By means of fundamental nature, you surpass the brillian!e of the hearer and solitary reali9er arhats. 6ou pass will not be harmed by diseases and e#il spirits. The tantri! a!!omplishments8the powers to pa!ify, in!rease, o#erpower, and annihilate8are attained without diffi!ulty. 6ou will no longer be born into the three lower realms, as a hell being, hungry ghost, or animal. E#en if you do not attain enlightenment in this lifetime but are reborn in samsara, you will +ui!"ly gain freedom. The "armi! seeds of e#en the gra#est of your past negati#e a!tions will be +ui!"ly purified. %ere the benefi!ial effe!ts of de#eloping bodhi!itta to ta"e form, the s"y !ould not !ontain them. Ba"e a determination not to degenerate the bodhi!itta you ha#e already de#eloped, and to in!rease it e#ermore. 7. 0i#ing up bodhi!itta towards e#en a stranger has hea#ier negati#e "armi! !onse+uen!es than a mon" brea"ing one of his four root #ows8not to "ill, steal, ha#e se.ual inter!ourse, or feign spiritual +ualities. *o not gi#e up bodhi!itta until you a!tuali9e Buddhahood. Fntil then, re!ite the following #erses three times ea!h day and three times ea!h night4

I ta"e refuge until I am enlightened in the Buddha, the *harma, and the $angha. By the positi#e potential I !reate by pra!ti!ing generosity and the other far,rea!hing pra!ti!es, may I attain Buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient beings. :. %e are de#eloping bodhi!itta in order to be able to benefit all sentient beings. Therefore, no matter how any of them relates to you, from your side ne#er abandon see"ing enlightenment in order to benefit them. ;. If you de#elop a spar" of bodhi!itta e#en on!e, try to pre#ent it from degenerating. )lso, try to further it by !reating positi#e potential by !ontemplating the +ualities of the Three Jewels, ma"ing offerings, meditating, and so forth. The !ause of not losing the power of the bodhi!itta in future li#es arises from the pra!ti!e of abandoning the four harmful dharmas and relying upon the four !onstru!ti#e dharmas. The four harmful dharmas are4 5. Lying to or de!ei#ing your abbot, tea!her, or any worthy being. *o not lie to them or de!ei#e them. The opponent for!e to this harmful dharma is not to spea" falsely to any sentient being whatsoe#er, neither in (est nor to sa#e your life. 7. -ausing others to regret the #irtuous a!tions they ha#e done. The opponent for!e to this harmful dharma is to dire!t anyone to whom one gi#e spiritual instru!tions towards the Bahayana. :. $pea"ing harshly and angrily to someone who a bodhisatt#a. The opponent for!e to this harmful dharma is to re!ogni9e all Bahayana pra!titioners as tea!hers and, when the o!!asion presents itself, to praise their good +ualities. )lso train yourself to see all li#ing beings as pure and noble. ;. Being hypo!riti!al and false with sentient beings. )#oid this and be sin!ere with e#eryone. Je 1inpo!he said4 *e#elopment of the bodhi!itta, the thought of enlightenment, is the !entral pillar of Bahayana pra!ti!e, The foundation of the bodhisatt#a a!ti#ities, )n eli.ir produ!ing the gold of positi#e potential and wisdom, ) mine holding the infinite #arieties of goodness. @nowing this, the !ourageous -hildren of the Buddhas old it tightly at the !enter of their hearts. The abo#e is the training "nown as the aspiring bodhi!itta. $omeone may as", <Is this dis!ipline suffi!ient&= The answer is, no. 6ou should also pra!ti!e engaging bodhi!itta, ta"e the bodhisatt#a #ow, and train in the #ast a!ti#ities of a bodhisatt#a4 the si. far,rea!hing pra!ti!es to ripen your own !ontinuum and the four ways of benefiting trainees to ripen the minds of others. 0racticin. the 'i2 3ar4reachin. 0ractices %& 'ow to train in far/rea(hing generosity& Based on the moti#ation to attain Buddhahood in order to be of benefit to all sentient beings, pra!ti!e 5? gi#ing !orre!t tea!hings to those destitute of *harma instru!tion, 7? gi#ing prote!tion to those oppressed by the wrath of "ings, soldiers,

et!., those frightened by sentient beings su!h as ghosts, demons, wild animals, sna"es and so forth, and those frightened by inanimate for!es su!h as burning, !rushing, drowning, suffo!ation, et!., and :? gi#ing food, drin", healing medi!ine, and so forth to those in need. In brief, with a free heart gi#e your body, possessions, and your positi#e potential of the past, present, and future for in order to attain enlightenment for the good of the world. Je 1inpo!he said4 /ar,rea!hing generosity is the magi! gem to fulfill the hopes of the world, The best tool with whi!h to !ut the "not of miserliness !onstri!ting the heart, The bodhisatt#a deed gi#ing birth to unfailing powers of the spirit, The foundation of benefi!ial reputation. @nowing this, the wise rely upon the pra!ti!e 2f gi#ing their body, possessions, and positi#e potential. +& 'ow to train in far/rea(hing ethi(al (ondu(t& 6ou must attain enlightenment for the sa"e of all sentient beings. In order to do so, maintain an attitude ha#ing the +ualities of mindfulness, mental alertness, !ons!ientiousness, humility, modesty, and so forth, and pra!ti!e the three types of ethi!al !ondu!t4 5? the ethi!al !ondu!t of abandoning destru!ti#e a!tions, with whi!h, e#en under the fear of death, you do not !ommit e#il; 7? the ethi!al !ondu!t of pra!ti!ing #irtue, whi!h is the basis of furthering your pra!ti!e of the si. far,rea!hing pra!ti!es, and :? founded upon the abo#e two, the ethi!al !ondu!t of wor"ing for the benefit of sentient beings. Je 1inpo!he said, Ethi!al !ondu!t is water to !lean away the stains of e#il, Boonlight to !ool the heat of affli!tions, 1adian!e towering li"e a mountain in the midst of sentient beings, The pea!eful for!e to unite human"ind. @nowing this, spiritual pra!titioners guard it )s they would their #ery eyes. 0& 'ow to train in far/rea(hing patien(e& %hen someone harms you, anger is not a worthwhile response, for the harm that he does to you is (ust the "armi! result of harm that you pre#iously infli!ted upon another. )lso, as he has no mental !ontrol and is helplessly o#erpowered by anger, be!oming angry and hurting him would be inappropriate. Be!ause one moment of anger destroys the roots of the three bases of positi#e potential a!!umulated o#er many eons, do not allow thoughts of anger to arise. This is the pra!ti!e of patien!e unmo#ed by harm. %hen you e.perien!e pain and suffering be!ause someone infli!ts harm on you, it dispels negati#e attitudes li"e pride, arrogan!e, and so forth and strengthens the mind renoun!ing samsara. 1emember that the e.perien!e of this unwanted harm !omes from your pre#ious negati#e a!tions and that if you respond with unwholesome a!tions based on anger, you are !reating the !onditions for further #iolent "armi! patterns. 1emember that without a !ause, an effe!t does not arise, and that if you meet this harm with patien!e, not only will the pre#ious negati#e deed that !aused this diffi!ulty be depleted, but also you will !reate a positi#e "armi! pattern by the s"illful pra!ti!e of patien!e. By a#oiding the non,#irtue of anger, you pre#ent future suffering for yourself. /urthermore, by meditating upon patien!e when others harm you, your pra!ti!e of the other far,rea!hing pra!ti!es de#elops and matures. /or these and many other #alid reasons, the spiritual masters ha#e ad#ised us to fa!e harm with meditation upon patien!e. 1emember their tea!hings and pra!ti!e the patien!e that #iews suffering deli#ered by others with great "indness.

/inally, re!ogni9ing that the power of the Three Jewels and the Buddhas and bodhisatt#as is in!on!ei#able, appre!iate the #alue of bodhisatt#as3 a!ti#ities and appre!iate meditation upon emptiness. Pra!ti!e the patien!e that is !ertain of *harma and wishes to train to be a bodhisatt#a. Je 1inpo!he said4 Patien!e is the best ornament of real heroes, ) supreme self,mortifi!ation to o#er!ome affli!tions, The garuda bird to destroy the sna"e of anger, )rmor to prote!t you from the arrows of !riti!ism. @nowing this, in e#ery way familiari9e yourself %ith the armor of patien!e supreme. 1& 'ow to train in far/rea(hing "oyous effort& If you do not meditate upon disillusionment with samsara and with the desire for low,+uality happiness su!h as that gained by lassitude, indulgen!e, sleep, and so forth, you will !ontinue to li#e in apathy. )bandon all !auses of apathy and de#ote yourself solely to noble wor"s of body, spee!h, and mind. In order to alle#iate the suffering of e#en one li#ing being, pra!ti!e the three types of (oyous effort4 5? armor,li"e (oyous effort, whi!h does not abandon diffi!ult pra!ti!es for any reason whatsoe#er; based on that, 7? (oyous effort whi!h rests in wholesome *harma and furthers your pra!ti!e of the si. far,rea!hing pra!ti!es; and by means of the abo#e two, :? the (oyous effort whi!h wor"s for others3 welfare by stri#ing for the goal of enlightenment of all sentient beings. Je 1inpo!he said4 If one wears the armor of unrelenting (oyous effort, Iualities of learning and insight will in!rease li"e the wa.ing moon, )ll a!ti#ities will be!ome meaningful, )nd all wor"s begun will rea!h !ompletion. @nowing this, the bodhisatt#a applies himself To #ast (oyous effort, dispeller of apathy. 2& 'ow to train in far/rea(hing meditative stabili3ation& %ith a bodhi!itta moti#ation, di#or!e your mind from e.!itement and la.ity and train in mundane and supramundane meditati#e stabli9ations. 2r, from the #iewpoint of dire!tion, train in the #arious serenity meditati#e stabli9ations, spe!ial insight meditati#e stabli9ations, and meditati#e stabli9ations !ombining serenity and spe!ial insight. 2r, from the #iewpoint of fun!tion, train in the 5? meditati#e stabili9ations whi!h abide in physi!al and mental (oy reali9ed and e.perien!ed in this #ery life, 7? meditati#e stabli9ations whi!h a!tuali9e higher +ualities su!h as !lair#oyan!e, magi!al powers, et!., and :? meditati#e stabli9ations whi!h a!!omplish the needs of the world. Je 1inpo!he said4 -on!entration is the "ing to rule the mind. %hen stabili9ed, it sits li"e a mountain, %hen dire!ted, it !an enter all #irtuous meditations. It leads to e#ery physi!al and mental (oy. @nowing this, great yogis always rely upon it, The destroyer of the enemy, mental wandering.

4& 'ow to train in far/rea(hing wisdom& %ith a bodhi!itta as moti#ation, train in the following three types of wisdom4 5? wisdom whi!h reali9es the ultimate mode of e.isten!e8su!hness, emptiness8and uproots samsara; 7? wisdom whi!h understands !on#entional realities; and, by means of the pre#ious two wisdoms, :? the wisdom whi!h a!!omplishes the needs of sentient beings. Je 1inpo!he said4 %isdom is the eye to see thatness, The pra!ti!e that eradi!ates the root of samsara, The treasure of e.!ellen!e praised in all s!riptures, The supreme lamp to dispel the dar"ness of ignoran!e. @nowing this, the wise, see"ing freedom *edi!ate e#ery effort to generating it. The 3our 5ays of Benefitin. Trainees %ith the moti#ation to attain enlightenment for the sa"e of all sentient beings, 5. Ba"e offerings in order to assemble an entourage of trainees 7. To please them, show them a smiling fa!e and spea"s to them gently :. Tea!h them the *harma8the si. far,rea!hing pra!ti!es and so forth8and tea!h them how a!tually to pra!ti!e it ;. Li#e and pra!ti!e in a!!ordan!e with the tea!hings you gi#e In e#ery possible way, de#elop these four profound methods of benefiting others. 1ombinin. 'erenity and '(ecial %nsi.ht Boreo#er, be!ause self,grasping is the root of samsara, a single,pointed !on!entration whi!h does not !ontradi!t that grasping does not ha#e the ability to se#er the root of samsara. )lternati#ely, a wisdom !ogni9ing non,true e.isten!e but la!"ing the serenity that dwells unwa#eringly and single,pointedly on ob(e!ts of meditation, will ne#er eliminate the affli!tions, no matter how mu!h it sear!hes. In order to attain liberation fore#er free from affli!tions, mount the horse of serenity meditation that does not wa#er when pla!ed on the #iew that reali9es emptiness, the ultimate and unmista"en nature of e.isten!e. 1iding this horse and brandishing the sharp weapon of the four great methods of Badhyama"a reasoning free from the e.tremes of absolutism and nihilism, generate the wisdom that understands the a!tual mode of e.isten!e, the for!e that destroys all grasping at e.tremes, and fore#er e.pand the !lear mind able to per!ei#e the ultimate. Je 1inpo!he said4 But the power to !ut the root of samsara Lies not in single,pointed !on!entration alone. %isdom di#or!ed from the path of serenity *oes not re#erse affli!tions, though it may try. %isdom sear!hing for ultimate truth rides The horse of unwa#ering samadhi )nd with the sharp weapon of Badhyama"a reasoning *estroys grasping at e.tremes. %ith #ast wisdom that sear!hes Thus E.pand the mind understanding su!hness.

)s stated, merely a!!omplishing the !on!entration that abides !almly when pla!ed unwa#eringly upon its ob(e!t is not suffi!ient. ) mind that rests in one,pointed !on!entration and analy9es with wisdom that distinguishes the #arious le#els of reality8i.e. dis!erns the mode of su!hness8 gi#es birth to a !on!entration resting firmly and unwa#eringly in the meaning of emptiness, the way things are. $eeing this, appre!iate how wonderful is the effort made to a!!omplish !on!entration !ombined with wisdom. Ba"e a sublime wish toward this end, and then plant its seed fore#er. Je 1inpo!he said4 2ne,pointed meditation brings a samadhi fantasti! beyond des!ription; 6et do not stop there; for that, !ombined with distinguishing awareness )ble to dis!ern the modes of being, 0i#es birth to a samadhi that rests firmly and unwa#eringly upon the ultimate. Fnderstanding that, see as wondrous Efforts made in samadhi (oined to wisdom. *uring meditation sessions, pla!e the mind e#enly in !on!entration and spe!ial insight, and fo!us single,pointedly upon emptiness, whi!h is as free of e.tremes as the s"y is of tangible hindran!es. Between sessions, wat!h how things, while not inherently e.istent, manifest li"e a magi!ian3s !reations. In this way ta"e up the pra!ti!es of wisdom and method !ombined8true meditation upon emptiness, held by great !ompassion and bodhi!itta8and go to the other side of a bodhisatt#a3s pra!ti!es. Fnderstanding this path worthy of praise, do not be satisfied by training in only method or wisdom, but whi!h !ombine the two in a balan!ed way. $u!h training is the spiritual lega!y of people of good fortune. )pply yourself to it. Je 1inpo!he said4 Beditate single,pointedly upon spa!e,li"e emptiness. )fter meditation, see life as a magi!ian3s !reation. Through familiarity with these pra!ti!es, method and wisdom are perfe!tly united, )nd you go to the end of the bodhisatt#a3s ways. Fnderstanding this, be not satisfied by a path e.aggerating either method or wisdom, But stay on the road of the fortunate. 6a7rayana, the Esoteric Mahayana These are the pra!ti!es !ommon to the $utra and Tantra Vehi!les. 2n!e you ha#e gained solid e.perien!es of them, !ast aside all doubts and enter into the way of se!ret mantra, Va(rayana. The gateway to this se!ret path is an appropriate initiation, gained from a fully +ualified tantri! master in order to ripen your mindstream. )t the time of initiation one pledges to do !ertain pra!ti!es and to a#oid !ertain modes of !ondu!t that !ontradi!t tantri! attainment; honor these pledges. If you gain initiation into any of the three lower !lasses of Tantra8@riya, -harya, or 6oga8pra!ti!e their systems of yoga with signs and then yoga without signs. If you are initiated into the ighest -lass Tantra8Bahanuttarayoga Tantra8first master the generation stage pra!ti!es and then those of the !ompletion stage. Je 1inpo!he said4

a#ing generated e.perien!e in these pra!ti!es !ommon and fundamental to the two Bahayana Vehi!les8 $utrayana3s !ausal #ehi!le and Va(rayana3s resultant #ehi!le8 1ely upon a wise guide, a tantri! adept, )nd enter into the o!ean of tantras. Then, basing yourself upon the !omplete oral tea!hings, 0i#e meaning to the human birth you ha#e gained. I, a yogi, pra!ti!ed li"e that; 6ou, 2 liberation see"er, should do li"ewise. , 'ummary of the 0ath This is how to approa!h the !omplete body of the path that !ondenses all the prin!ipal points of the $utras and Tantras and how to ma"e meaningful the opportunities afforded by your human rebirth. By pra!ti!ing in this graduated way, use the pre!ious Buddhadharma most effe!ti#ely for your own and others3 benefit. Je 1inpo!he too" the e.perien!e of these pra!ti!es into his heart and he ad#ises that those who follow him do li"ewise. @eeping this in mind, #isuali9e that Je 1inpo!he is sitting before you, e.horting you with a !alm, powerful, penetrating #oi!e to pra!ti!e as des!ribed here and to a!!omplish his words by means of a!tually using his tea!hings to tame your mindstream. Je 1inpo!he said4 a#ing generated e.perien!es in these pra!ti!es !ommon )nd fundamental to the two Bahayana Vehi!les8 $utrayana3s !ausal #ehi!le and Tantrayana3s result #ehi!le8 1ely upon a wise guide, a tantri! adept, )nd enter into the o!ean of tantras. Then, basing yourself upon the !omplete oral tea!hings, 0i#e meaning to the human birth you ha#e gained. I, a yogi, pra!ti!ed li"e that; 6ou, 2 liberation see"er, should do li"ewise. Je 1inpo!he then !on!ludes his Song of the Stages on the Spiritual Path as follows, In order further to a!+uaint my mind with the paths )nd also to benefit others of good fortune, I ha#e herein e.plained in simple terms )ll stages of the pra!ti!es pleasing to the Buddhas, )nd ha#e made the prayer that any positi#e potential thus !reated Bay !ause all beings ne#er to be separated /rom sublime ways always pure. I, a yogi, ha#e made this prayer. 6ou, 2 liberation see"er, should do li"ewise.

Bearing in mind these tea!hings of Je 1inpo!he >!on!lude ea!h session with these dedi!ations?4 /rom now onward, in this and future li#es, I will ma"e de#otion at your lotus feet )nd apply myself to your tea!hings. Bestow upon me your transforming powers That I may pra!ti!e only as pleases you %ith all a!tions of my body, spee!h, and mind. By the power of mighty Tsong"hapa )s well as of the Lamas from whom I ha#e re!ei#ed tea!hings Bay I ne#er be parted e#en for a moment /rom the sublime path pleasing to the Buddhas. >0yalwa $onam 0yatso !on!ludes his !ommentary with the following #erse,? By any merits of my ha#ing written this te.t -ondensing without error the prin!ipal points 2f the stages on the path leading to enlightenment8 The essen!e of the tea!hings of *ipam"ara )tisha and Lama Tsong"hapa8 Bay all beings progress in the pra!ti!es pleasing to the past, present, and future Buddhas. -olophon4 This !on!ludes the Essen(e of Refined !old, an e.position of the stages of pra!ti!e of the
three le#els of spiritual appli!ation. Based upon Je 1inpo!he3s Song of the Stages on the Spiritual Path and arranged in a format easy to follow, it is in the tradition of !larified do!trine and therefore is worthy of admiration and interest. It was written at the repeated re+uest of *o!ho -ho(e from the eminent abode of 2mnis!ient $herab Pal9ang, by the Buddhist mon" and tea!her 0yalwa $onam 0yatso at the 0reat $ite of *harma )!ti#ity, the mighty *repung Bonastery, in the room !alled <$wirling $unbeams in the Pala!e of $ublime Joy.= 0yalwa $onam 0yatso, e#en while only a baby, re!ei#ed signs of being in !ommuni!ation with Je 1inpo!he >and therefore fully +ualified to write this !ommentary to Je 1inpo!he3s Song of the Stages of the Spiritual Path?. Bay it !ause the +uintessen!e of good e.planation to spread in the ten dire!tions. Translated by 0lenn Bullin, lightly edited by Ven. Thubten -hodron $ee is oliness the /ourteenth *alai Lama3s boo", Essen(e of Refined !old, for his !ommentary on this te.t. It was translated by 0lenn Bullin and published by $now Lion Publi!ations.