Back to: Notes & TranscriptsBack to: HomeDedicationTo the long life of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and
all the Holy Masters of the Buddhadharma. Return to the IndexAcknowledgementsKeys to Great Enlightenment is based upon two meditation courses given by the Venerable
Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen to students of Thub-ten Dhargye Ling as commentaries to the
classical root texts: Eight Verses of Thought Training by Geshe Langri Tangpa and The
Thirty- Seven Bodhisattva Practices by the Bodhisattva Togmey Zangpo. The commentaries were transcribed and revised by Gary
Schlageter and Karen Gudmundson. Under the supervision of Robert Stone, these working
texts were then proofread and edited with the help of Pat Aiello, Paul McClelland, Nancy
Nason, and others. Revised drafts were checked with the author for clarification and
corrections. Overall preparation of the final draft of the book was carried out by Pat
Aiello, Karen Gudmundsson, Gary Schlageter, and Robert Stone. Book design and layout was
skillfully performed by Mooky Ben-David. Printing of the final draft was carried out Pat
and Gabriel Aiello, whose generosity and assistance is deeply appreciated. Technical NotesThese commentaries focus on practical applications, not on
developing a scholarly work. Thus, technical details have been kept to a minimum. Tibetan
proper names have been written in simplified phonetics to assist the reader. Return to the IndexPrefaceAll people wish for great happiness and joy, but for a number
of reasons, many times we suffer from recurrent problems, pain, frustration and anguish.
Even though we have many modern conveniences that make our lives temporarily easier, many
of us often focus on the immediate pleasure, and are unaware of the cost and resultant
suffering of what we imagined would bring us happiness. For example, when buying a new
house one usually experiences joy upon the initial purchase. But soon this joy can turn to
anxiety about the mortgage payments, burglaries and costly repairs. This example
illustrates the truth about most objects of enjoyment in our lives. It is common that an
object cultivated for happiness instead turns into suffering and problems.
Return to the IndexIntroductionThere are two main things one must do to become a Buddha for
the benefit of all sentient beings. These are to purify all our negativities and to
collect the necessary merit. To do this first we have to cultivate relative bodhichitta
and absolute bodhichitta. Relative bodhichitta is the aspiration to attain Great
Enlightenment for the benefit of all living beings. Absolute bodhichitta is the
experiential realization that all phenomena are void of inherent self-existence. These two
types of bodhichitta unlock the door to the Mahayana path. Return to the IndexPreparation for PracticeMotivation for Studying Dharma The initial step for starting a Dharma action is to develop a proper motivation. This produces a proper session. To substantiate this, we can quote the great Lama Tsong Khapa who said that if our mind is kind or noble, then so will be our path and the teachings. The kind of Mahayana thought we need to correctly generate is a sincere wish to attain Great Enlightenment in order to benefit all sentient beings. The topic of discussion is, of course, a Mahayana teaching, so our effort should be to make ourself a Mahayana being, as well. Our topic is the quintessence of the eighty-four thousand teachings of the Buddha. It is the system of the supreme vehicle (yana), which helps the fortunate practitioner on his way towards Enlightenment. It is one of the most supreme paths, highly admired by the great beings like Maitreya, Manjushri, and a great many other Bodhisattvas. It was introduced by great trailblazers such as Arya Asanga and Nagarjuna and is the heart essence of the practices of the great Atisha and Lama Tsong Khapa. So, in short, it is the essence of the Graduated Path to Enlightenment or Lam Rim. Return to the IndexSuffering and the Cause of SufferingJust as we detest suffering, so do all other sentient beings. Since we detest
suffering, it becomes our duty to eradicate our present suffering and also to prevent the
suffering that might happen in our future lives. This becomes our personal duty. Return to the IndexThe Method for Freedom from SufferingWe cannot eliminate our suffering by means of material objects because material objects do not have the power to eliminate it. We have to gain freedom from a different source. The means by which we can achieve total freedom from all suffering--from all our present and future suffering, as well as all the suffering of other sentient beings--is through Dharma practice, through meditation. How do we meditate? This is a skill we need to learn. Vasubhandu advises us that, "One should keep very pure moral conduct and be very well-informed." So, as well as maintaining pure morality, we must become well- informed. We do this by receiving teachings from the Lamas and studying the texts which illuminate the subject matter. We need good information and good teachings because without them we cannot properly conduct our meditation. If we have not heard anything about a subject, we cannot understand its meaning. To emphasize this point, the great Sakya Pandita said, "One who is trying to meditate without proper learning is like an armless person trying to climb a rock." We need sound learning, and the way to obtain it is by thorough study. Return to the IndexHow to Extract the Essence of the Dharma TeachingsWhen we learn a new concept, we should not just stop there. Rather, once we have understood the meaning, we should think about it repeatedly until it becomes a part of our mind. Only then will our meditation be successful. So, we need to follow this procedure: First, gain understanding by listening and by studying; second, think repeatedly about what we have heard; and third, meditate single-pointedly on the concept. These are the three wisdoms: the wisdom of learning, the wisdom of thinking upon what we have understood, and the wisdom received from meditation. These come consecutively, and because studying and listening to the Dharma is the first step, it is the foundation for the other two and thus becomes very important for our personal life. Even if we have received a certain teaching once or twice, we should not be complacent about hearing it again. Instead, we should try to receive teaching on Dharma subjects as many times as possible and then meditate on them. I know some monks who take teachings on certain texts as many as 20 or 30 times and, even then, would like to receive more teachings. So, the more times we hear teachings, the better it is for our understanding. Many lames say that if you attend teachings frequently, even on the same subject, you may not hear anything new, but you will understand something new. We need to remember that every time we attend a teaching we may gain new understanding even if we are already familiar with the subject. That is a gift from our teachers. Their advice is filled with blessings. Any time we hear a teaching, we can learn some new way to understand it, to adapt it and make it a part of our life, and to bridge the distance between the teachings and our mind. We should not listen to the teaching as a separate entity. Instead, we should try to blend the teaching and its message with our mind. Let them blend into each other; let them go together--that should be our goal. If our mind and the teaching go in two different directions, then even though the teaching may be extremely inspirational or blessed, we will not receive any lasting benefit. Return to the IndexRegarding the Teachings as a MirrorWe should regard the teaching as a mirror in which we check our actions. Whenever we study or look deeply into Dharma, we should be able to see clearly the reflection of our improper behavior and improper thought. When we view our bad behavior in the mirror of the Dharma, we should not get upset. We should remember that our purpose in studying Dharma is to expose and uproot our delusions. Still sometimes, when we attend a teaching, we may regard some part of it as a harsh criticism of our lives or as a view we do not agree with. We may even get upset, but that is not the way it should be. There is a Tibetan proverb which illustrates this point, and I would like to share it with you. During one discourse, the lama advised a group of students not to kill lice. But one student was very fond of killing lice, so he did not like that teaching. In fact, it upset him very much. That night, when he returned to his home, he was still upset. So, he got hold of a louse and he said, "Now bring your Lama here to protect you!" The point is that the student lacked the ability to use the mirror of the Dharma to check his actions. Upon hearing the teachings, he should have been able to acknowledge his own mistakes and resolved to learn how to stop himself from killing in the future. He should have been able to make a strong determination not to kill. Let's remember that whenever we hear or study Dharma, we
should make note of the things we should learn, as well as the ways we can implement them.
The important thing is to use the Dharma like a mirror. Just as we look in the mirror in
the morning for any sign of a black spot on our face, we can use the mirror of the Dharma
to find the black spots in our minds or actions. Once we find the black spots, we can
remove them. For that reason, we compare the Dharma to the mirror. The key point is to have the correct motivation when we listen to a teaching or study Dharma. Once we adopt the correct motivation, listening and study will be easy. Please keep the proper motivation in your mind at all times. Return to the IndexThe Qualities of Those Attending a TeachingWe need to discuss the attitude with which we should attend the teachings. The Lam Rim teachings discuss the qualifications of the master as well as the students. The Qualifications of the MasterThe teacher should not only have an intellectual grasp of the subject, but, more
importantly, he should also be practicing the teaching in his own life. The teacher should
have the following ten qualities The Qualifications of the ListenerWe have already discussed the motivation with which we should attend the teachings. We need to have a proper attitude. The three elements of the correct attitude are proper motivation, attentiveness, and the ability to retain whatever we have received. In addition, we should approach the teachings as well as our daily life and daily practice, with the six intentions discussed in the Lam Rim Chenmo. These six intentions are as follows: 1) To regard ourselves as being seriously ill with an illness from many delusions; 2) To seek a good doctor who can cure us of our illness our delusions;3) To regard the teachings as a pill or medication--to recognize that even though we may have found a skillful doctor, we can be cured only by the medication--the teaching itself is the true antidote for our illness; 4) To hold Dharma in high esteem, just as the patient would value the medication he takes; 5) To regard ourselves as chronic patients who must continue the medication program in order to be cured, to persist and be consistent in our daily practice, and to always revere the teachings and the teachers; 6) To be determined to stay on course in our Dharma practice, to decide every single morning to maintain our practice according to the teachings we have receive.
Return to the IndexGraduated Path to Enlightenment and Levels of AttainmentThe Lam Rim first teaches us about the human rebirth: how it
is very valuable with its freedoms and endowments, as well as how it is difficult to
obtain and easy to lose. It also teaches us about impermanence and death. Following this
comes the teachings on the law of cause and effect or karma, on the suffering of the three
lower realms, on taking refuge, and so on. Return to the IndexInitial AttainmentThe result of having the initial attainment as our goal is that we are assured of being reborn in one of the three fortunate realms of happiness either the deva (celestial-god) realm, the asura (demigod) realm or in the human being realm. The means by which we achieve this initial attainment is through Dharma works or practices. The kind of Dharma practice that enables us to achieve that result is to abstain from the ten non-virtuous activities and to engage in the excellent moral conduct of the ten virtuous deeds. Cultivation of morality should not be for a day or two, or a month or so, but it should be very persistent and continue for the whole month, the whole year, and even for the span of a lifetime. We should be able to keep lifelong morality. Additionally, this morality has to be supported by the six paramitas. If we can create within ourselves the qualities to become a very good person, then we will have received at least a minimal benefit out of this human rebirth through such means. Not only should it be supported by the six paramitas, but it should be well-connected with pure prayer or pure dedication. When we talk about dedication, we do not mean a single dedication for the entire life; we mean that every prayer or session, whether an hour long or only a few minutes should conclude with a prayer of dedication. In order for us to attain this level of achievement, we need to cultivate the properties of a very good person, with proper character. This attainment is achieved through realization of key topics set forth in the Graduated Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim). These topics include (1) Guru Devotion, (2) Precious Human Rebirth and the Difficulty of Obtaining It, (3) Death and Impermanence, (4) Certainty of Death, (5) Uncertainty of the Time of Death, (6) What Actually Helps at the Time of Death, (7) Types of Rebirths, (8) Refuge, (9) Karma or the Law of Cause and Effect, (10) Ten Types of Karmic Actions, (11) Suffering of Being in Samsara, and (12) Dissatisfaction of Samsara. Return to the IndexGuru DevotionIn Lam Rim, we introduce the Dharma teachings by discussing how to properly cultivate a spiritual master. The section on Guru Devotion covers three topics: The benefit of cultivating a guru; the loss or disadvantage of not cultivating a guru; and the negative consequences if we antagonize the guru- disciple relationship. The main idea is that we should regard our guru as a real
Buddha and try to have immense respect for him. This attitude is extremely beneficial for
our spiritual development, so we should always remind ourselves of the kindness of our
guru. Daily, we need to fortify ourselves with the good wish: "Not only in this life,
but in all my future lives, may I always be in contact with these great Mahayana spiritual
masters like the one that I have at this moment." Return to the IndexPrecious Human RebirthThe next topic presented in the Lam Rim is the Precious Human Rebirth with its freedoms and richness. Again, I would like to quote the great Lama Tsong Khapa, who says that our present human rebirth with its freedoms and endowments is far more valuable than a wish-granting gem. This human rebirth is extremely rare to find, and it can be enormously meaningful and helpful for us. It has great potential. But if we allow it to go by without meaningfully living our lives, then we will not gain any meaningful results and may even have regrets. This human rebirth is adorned with the eight freedoms and ten endowments if we were to lose it without having achieved anything meaningful out of this life, then certainly this would be a great loss. How can we keep this life from becoming empty and not achieving any meaning? We need to look for some activity or action that makes it meaningful. It is that meaningful action-Dharma work and action-that we are discussing here. The essence we can extract out of this life is divided into three levels of achievement: initial, medium, and highest. If we want to achieve the minimal benefit of this human rebirth, we should at least try to avoid a rebirth in the lower realms or the hell realms or make an effort to liberate ourselves from any chance of falling into any of those lower realms. That is the least we can do with this human rebirth. But just the assurance of not falling into any of the lower realms is not good enough. We have to look further into permanently closing the door to the lower realms and assuring ourselves a rebirth in high status with happiness and prosperity. Return to the IndexDeath and ImpermanenceWe also need to deliberate on our own death and on impermanence. This is important because if we fail to reflect on death, then we will indulge in negative actions without thinking. On the other hand, if we do realize the inevitability of
death, we see that many things are not as important as we once thought, and we learn to
set priorities. This helps us to follow the paths that are explained in the teachings. Return to the IndexCertainty of DeathAfter we understand the benefits of thinking about death, we
need to contemplate death itself and to convince ourselves of the certainty of our own
death. Intellectually, we know that we are going to die, but we still try not to think
about it. We do need to think about it and to realize that we will die. Return to the IndexUncertainty of the Time of DeathUncertainty of the Time of Death Return to the IndexWhat Actually Helps at the Time of DeathWhat proves to be most valuable at the moment of death? We need to consider that. Does any of the wealth we have acquired give us any support at that moment? We need to consider that, too. Our parents and our friends are they of any help then? The fact is, at the moment of our death, others may share our concern and want to do everything they can to help us, but it is simply beyond them to help at that moment. We start the journey alone and in darkness. The only friend that can help us at that time is our Dharma practice, if we have done any. Our proper Dharma practice proves to be our dearest and most unfailing friend. It is not the only thing to go with us because our negativities follow us, too. We have to realize that at the moment of death, nothing is of greater help than our Dharma practice. We need to make a firm determination to continue with a very sound Dharma practice. Return to the IndexTypes of RebirthsWe need to consider where we may go once we leave this life. There are only two possible destinations: either the lower realms of suffering or the higher realms of happiness. Of these two possibilities, we are most likely to go to the lower realms. The reason for this is that the cause for rebirth in the lower realms is our own negative thoughts and actions. We do not need to learn negative thoughts and actions from anyone else. We learn them automatically or instinctively, and as a result, we are closer to the lower realms. On the other hand, the cause of a rebirth in the higher realms is the practice of pure morality, patience, and so on. These practices require much effort and hard work from us right now. We need to think, "How would it be for us, if we were in one of those lower realms? Would we be able to tolerate the unbearable sufferings we would experience in those realms?" We also need to ask ourselves, "Can anybody help me out of that situation, or not? Is there anything that can give me refuge?" Return to the IndexRefugeDefinitely, there is a refuge. We can be helped by the Buddha,
the Dharma, and the Sangha. Taking refuge in these three is very important. Many of us
feel that if we have taken refuge once, it is sufficient, but that is not true. We should
try to take refuge as often as possible. The more times each day we can go for refuge, the
better. What distinguishes whether or not we are a Buddhist is determined by the presence
of the proper refuge in our mind. If we want to be a true Buddhist, then we need to take
proper refuge in a pure or proper manner each day. Moreover, taking refuge becomes the
foundation for all of the higher Buddhist vows, including the Pratimoksha vows, the vows
of monks and nuns (bhikshus and the bhikshunis), the Bodhisattva vows and the Tantric
vows. If we want to receive any of these three higher vows, we must first take refuge to
build the foundation. When we are to receive an initiation such as Avalokiteshvara, it
also begins with taking refuge. Again, refuge is the foundation, and we build the
initiation upon it. Therefore, taking refuge is very important for all of us. The Sangha refuge supreme community includes the Bodhisattvas, the Shravakas, the dakas or dakinis, and all the dharmapalas who have attained the Arya path or the transcendental path. We need to understand that if we take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha, they will not fail us. We need to understand the infallibility of that refuge. Not only are they capable of giving us refuge, but they are worthy of being our refuge. For instance, the Buddha is totally free from fear and can relieve others from fear as well. Moreover, he extends his great compassion equally to all beings. If one praises the Buddha and another insults him, the Buddha shows equal compassion to both, and he helps both, whether they benefit him or not. It does not matter. Unlike us, Buddha helps everybody equally. We need to realize that whither or not we receive help is actually up to ourselves. It is beyond any shadow of doubt that Buddha has the power to help us, but he can do so only if we take refuge in him. Return to the IndexKarma or the Law of Cause and EffectTaking refuge is not enough. We must also follow the instructions regarding which actions we should take and which actions we should avoid. If we do not, even though we take refuge, we will not achieve nirvana or liberation. We need to realize how important the law of karma (cause and effect) is, and that it is the root of all happiness and prosperity. Once we have strong faith in and respect for the law of cause and effect, once we realize that good action brings happiness and negative action brings suffering we can learn to refrain from negative actions and practice only good. There is much discussion about karma in the Lam Rim Chenmo, but the important thing we need to remember is that the results of every action are certain. Whatever karma we have created bears similar results. This does not mean that every karma has to bear a result, for there are modifying conditions; we can spoil the seeds. For instance, although we may commit a negative action, we can confess to purify that action and make that seed impotent. Thus, it is said that there is no negative action that cannot be cleansed with the four antidotes or four opponent powers of purification. We must also realize that any action we have committed, whether virtuous or non-virtuous, will keep on multiplying and compounding day after day. Once we realize this, we can learn to purify every negativity we have committed on that day. We simply cannot afford to let it continue because if we do, even a minute negative action can become huge after some time. We fall into the depth of the negativities if we let a single small one go by. Moreover, we need to recognize that if we haven't committed a particular action whether a virtuous or non-virtuous one, we will not receive the result or face the consequences. To experience the result, we must commit the action ourselves. For instance, the karma created by Tashi would not bear fruit on Ngodrup, nor would the karma created by Ngodrup bear its results on Tashi. Tashi and Ngodrup are two different people. Return to the IndexTen Types of Karmic ActionsHow many types of karma are there? To summarize them, there are ten types. We can refer to the ten white paths of action and the ten black paths of action. The ten negative paths or the black karmas include three negative actions of the body: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct; four negative actions of speech: lying, slandering, harsh talk, and idle gossip; and three negative actions of the mind: covetousness, ill-will and false views. If we have done any of these ten, we should feel a very strong remorse or regret for our actions. Also, we should try to refrain from committing such actions in the future. The ten white paths of virtue are the opposites of the ten non-virtuous actions. Return to the IndexSuffering of Being in SamsaraAfter we have some insight into karma, we need to think about the general suffering of being in samsara. This general disadvantage of being in the vicious cycle of samsara is the uncertainty of our status. We may have a tendency to think that our enemies will always be our enemies and our friends will always be our friends. But this is not so, enemies can easily change into friends and friends into enemies. In what way does our understanding of uncertainty as a general characteristic of samsara help us? Usually we create a lot of unnecessary karma because we have a fixed idea of enemy as enemy and friend as friend. Because of that we keep on committing negative karma, but once we realize the uncertainty of our status, we create less. Return to the IndexDissatisfaction of SamsaraThe next topic is the unsatisfying nature of samsara. Any samsaric pleasure, no matter how much we indulge in it or how much we enjoy it, never truly satisfies us. There is no samsaric pleasure about which we can say, "I haven't experienced that." We have been cycling in samsara since beginning less time. We have been everywhere and have enjoyed every single samsaric happiness. But do we have anything to show for it right now? No. The pleasures are gone. We also need to think about how being in samsara requires us to lose our body repeatedly. Every time we lose our bodies and our lives, we experience tremendous trauma not only for ourselves but also for our friends, relatives, and everybody who surrounds us during that life. It is the most traumatic experience we go through in our personal life, and we go through this not once, but repeatedly. Why do we repeatedly have to give up the form we have taken for a particular life? Why are we reborn again and trapped again in the vicious cycle of rebirth? Delusion and karma are the causes of samsara, and they are very much present at this moment. Thus, to stop the cycle of repeated rebirth, we must get rid of delusion and karma. Another negative attribute of being in the chain of samsara is
the fluctuation of our status. At times we are at the top of cyclic existence and at
others we are on the bottom. For instance, one who enjoys the highest life as a human
being, such as a king, may after death take rebirth on the glowing iron surface of hell
and become indistinguishable from the heat which consumes the body itself becoming one of
the lowest beings imaginable on the surface of hell. Such fluctuations happen in samsara.
Anyone, including professors, actors, singers, and the like, who enjoy a huge number of
fans and admirers may fall into the lower realms and undergo excruciating pain and
suffering alone. For that reason, the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso, wrote in one of
his poems for Avalokiteshvara that all the higher ones soon become slaves who are walked
upon by everybody. He also wrote that the beautiful physique of the peasant is like flower
of autumn: it soon vanishes. All of our riches are like borrowed ornaments that we may
enjoy for a brief moment but then must return. What we need to learn from these messages
is that all samsaric things lack meaning or essence. It is best to take this kind of
advice very personally, as if given to us alone by the author. If we can receive every
teaching in that way, at that level, it works very effectively. Return to the IndexReview of the Lam Rim Topics (For Initial Attainment)We started by discussing guru devotion, then went on to the cultivation of the spiritual master, and the disadvantages of being in the vicious cycle of samsara. If we have the realization of the freedom and preciousness of this human rebirth, if we understand the difficulty of obtaining such a rebirth, and, more importantly, if we have the realization of impermanence and death, we can reduce our total preoccupation with the pleasures of this life. If we do not, then we can never find the time for Dharma practice because we will always have something else to do. So, it is very important for us to work towards becoming less preoccupied with seeking happiness for this life only. We have also discussed the infallibility of the law of cause and effect, the law of karma, as well as the general and specific suffering of cyclic existence or samsara. Thinking properly on these topics can also help us reduce our preoccupation with this life and enable us to achieve a better rebirth. The realization of death helps us to have a very strong desire to renounce samsara. It makes us unwilling to take rebirth within samsara under the influence of karma and delusion, and once we have escaped samsara, we can return out of compassion and love for sentient beings. This can happen as a Bodhisattva. Return to the IndexMedium AttainmentIf we wish to achieve medium attainment during this human rebirth, which is liberation from samsara (cyclic existence), we need to cultivate and realize the meaning of the following Lam Rim meditations; namely, strong renunciation of samsara and realization of shunyata. First, we need to develop a strong renunciation or a strong urge to break free from the samsara. We can develop such an urge to break free from samsara by changing our attitude towards cyclic existence (samsara) itself, so that we perceive it as a glowing iron surface or as a hot ember. The cyclic existence which we are discussing does not require us to look or travel to a distant place or even out of our neighborhood, but rather it is in our every action through which we produce more causes for us to be bound to this ember-like samsara. We produce more and more causes each and every day, don't we? This cyclic existence is analogous to a hot iron surface, but we fail to perceive it in that way. As it says in the Lama Chopa, we see cyclic existence as a very beautiful park. In the Lama Rhoda, it is wished that we become able to sever this attitude- towards samsara. The reason we have this misconception is because we have almost become insane. For those who are mentally insane or incapacitated, it is immensely difficult for them to see even the worst prison as a prison. Under the very strong influence of the three poisonous delusions, hatred, attachment, and ignorance. We fail to see cyclic existence as a most dreadful place; instead we see it as something very desirable. What we need to understand is that cyclic existence is very unpleasant to live in. A right conception or right perception of cyclic existence helps develop the urge to remove ourselves from it. For instance, we would not want to live in a dangerous place surrounded by fear for even a single moment. We would want to try and get out of it as soon as we can. We need to contemplate these concepts because they don't come easily to our mind. With continuous contemplation, we reach a point where we do not wish to stay in cyclic existence at all. When a very sincere, strong urge to be released from cyclic existence comes to our mind, that is the point at which we have developed a very strong renunciation. We have a strong wish to get out of cyclic existence, but the wish alone does not deliver us. The final deliverance final deliverance from cyclic existence can only be achieved with insight into emptiness. The wisdom of shunyata can sever the very root of cyclic
existence. We need to understand that without the help of the wisdom that understands
shunyata, even if we spend our entire life in meditation, we cannot break ourselves free
from cyclic existence. There is no way out without the help of the wisdom of shunyata. It
is the key tool or key weapon with that we can cut the very root of ignorance, and thus
cut the root of hatred and attachment which stems from ignorance. Initially we need to
develop renunciation and then work towards the development of insight into the wisdom of
shunyata. Return to the IndexHighest AttainmentIf we wish to achieve the highest level of attainment during this human rebirth, which is the state of Great Enlightenment, we need to realize the meaning of the following Lam Rim meditations: Great Compassion, by either of the two special methods; Engaging in the Bodhisattva activities; and Completing the Five Paths and the Ten Bodhisattva Stages (Bhumis). We still have some obstacles that need to be overcome, and there is more to be obtained. What we need to do to enable us to overcome all the obstacles and achieve the final attainment or achievements is to enter into the Mahayana path. As we enter the Mahayana path, the first step is the development of Great Compassion (mahakaruna). There are methods or steps that we can follow to help us develop this great compassion. If we follow the supreme method set forth by the great Shantideva, we try to cultivate Great Compassion by the profound method of exchange of oneself with others. If we follow the steps or traditions set forth by the great Maitreya and Arya Asanga, then we need to develop the following seven steps: (1) recognizing all sentient beings as our mother, (2) recollection of their kindness, (3) an attitude to repay their kindness, and (4) cultivating Great Love towards all. Contemplation on Great Love produces (5) Great Compassion as its result. It comes quite rapidly and arises in our mind. When we have developed this Great Compassion, we become a member of the Mahayana family. It is almost like a passport. Further development and familiarization with great compassion produces (6) the Exceptional Thought. This is an Exceptional Thought in the sense that it is much more forceful due to the strength of our compassion. Our mind has become more forceful and much stronger. A result of the Exceptional Thought is (7) the precious bodhichitta. The difference between Exceptional Thought and Great Compassion is that with Great Compassion we have a very strong wish or desire that all sentient beings be free from suffering, but we do not have the exceptional sense of personal responsibility that says, "I will look for the means to make them free from suffering." At the Exceptional Thought stage, we accept that personal responsibility. As a result, if we have managed to cultivate the bodhichitta, then we have truly become a Bodhisattva. The level of attainment that we aspire determines the resultant attainment which we achieve. Maximum attainment should be our goal because it enables us to truly have the means to be of greatest benefit to others and also to fulfill our highest personal goals. Achieving the Highest Attainment during this lifetime is not something that is beyond our means. However, this task requires us to cultivate the proper outlook and to engage in activities that achieve this result. The following two texts help us to do this. The Eight Verses of Thought Training explains clearly how to develop the mind needed to achieve the Highest Attainment, i.e. the two bodhichittas, and The Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices explains the activities we must do in order to be a Bodhisattva. Return to the IndexOutline of the Root Verses
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