(1) I prostrate before you,
Foremost of the Shakya Clan. Your body is born from a host of positive
actions and splendid attainments, Your speech grants the wishes of
limitless beings. Your mind sees all knowables just as they are.
(2) I prostrate before you, Maitreya and Manjushri, Supreme
spiritual sons of this peerless Teacher. Accepting the mantle (to
enact) the full set of Triumphant Ones’ deeds, You display emanations
in countless worlds.
(3) Before your feet, I prostrate, Nagarjuna and Asanga,
(Gems) adorning the Southern Continent. Celebrated throughout the
Three Realms, You have commented on the most difficult to fathom
Mother of the Triumphant (The Prajnaparamita Sutra), In
perfect accord with its intended meaning.
(4) I bow before you, Dipamkara (Atisha), Holder of a fortune
of instructions, Which encapsulate in full and without a mistake,
The essential points of the paths of profound view and extensive
behavior, In excellent lineage from these two outstanding pioneers.
(5) Respectfully, I prostrate before you, my spiritual mentors,
Eyes for beholding all the infinite scriptures, Superlative ford
for the fortunate to cross to liberation. You clarify everything
through skillful means, prompted by your loving-concern.
(6) The stages of the path to enlightenment have passed down
intact Through successive generations from Nagarjuna and Asanga,
The crown jewels of all erudite masters of the Southern Continent,
And the banner of whose fame flies gloriously above the wandering
masses. As (following the stages) can fulfill, without an exception,
The desired spiritual aims of the nine types of rebirth, They
constitute a power- granting king of precious instruction. Because they
gather within them the streams of myriad excellent classics, They
comprise a veritable ocean of all-around perfect, correct explanation.
(7) You understand all Buddha’s teachings with no contradictions.
The scriptural pronouncements, without an exception,
dawn on your mind as personal
guidelines. You easily discover the Triumphant One’s intended meanings.
They protect you from the abyss of the great misdeed
(of forsaking the Dharma). Because
of these (benefits), what scrutinizing persons among
the erudite masters of India and Tibet
Will not have their minds enraptured by the stages of the path
of three spiritual scopes, The
supreme instructions to which many fortunate ones have relied upon fully.
(8) Although (positive potential accrues) from reciting or hearing
even once (Atisha’s) manner (of text) that fully encompasses The
essential points of all scriptural pronouncements, Even greater waves
of massive benefit, for certain, build up From actually teaching or
studying the sacred Dharma (contained
within). Therefore, consider the points (for doing this properly).
(9) A healthy relation, (worked on) with effort in thought and
action, With a holy spiritual mentor who indicates the path Is the
root most appropriate for the dependent arising Of the hugest networks
(of potential and awareness) for this
and future lives. Seeing this, then (having taken the safe direction
of refuge), Please (your mentors) by offering practice That
accords with their enlightening words, Which you would not forsake
even at the cost of your life.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama (Tsongkhapa) has practiced like that. If you
too would seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(10) This working basis (of a human life) with (eight) respites
Is far more precious than a wish- granting gem. (A rebirth) like
this is gained perhaps only once. Hard to acquire and easily lost, (it
passes in a flash) like lightning in the sky. Considering (your
precious human life) in these ways And realizing that (engaging in)
any worldly activities Is like trying to winnow (something meaningful
from) chaff, You must try to take the essence of life at all times,
day and night.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(11) After death, there is no assurance of avoiding one of the
worse rebirth forms. Yet, it is certain that the Three Supreme Gems
provide safe direction away from any
dread (of this fate). For these reasons, be extremely steadfast in
taking their safe direction in life And unrelenting in following their
points for training. (Success in not falling) further depends on
considering well Which types of impulsive behavior are noble or dark,
and what are their results, Then
living by adopting (the former) and avoiding (the latter).
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(12) The fullest strides in actualizing the supreme paths will not
come about Until attaining as a working basis (a precious human life)
with a full set of (eight) definitional
factors. Therefore, train in their causal (constructive acts), So
that you will not be lacking in any of these (factors). As it is
utterly essential to cleanse your three channels Of tarnishes from
stains of negative potentials and from downfalls (from vows), And
especially (to purge them of) obstacles from karma, Cherish healthy
and continual reliance on a full set of
four opponent forces.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(13) Without working hard at pondering true problems and their
drawbacks, You will not properly gain keen interest in liberation
(from them). Without considering the stages whereby (true) origins of
suffering like that. If you too draw you into samsara, You will
not see the means for cutting the root of this vicious circle.
Therefore, relish knowing the factors that bind you to this wheel,
Exuding disgust, and becoming determined to leave such existence.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(14) Developing and enhancing bodhichitta is the bedrock for
the Supreme Vehicle’s paths. It is
the basis and foundation for great waves of enlightening conduct. Like
an elixir for transmuting into gold, (it transfigures into enlightening
features) all aspects of the two
networks (of potentials and awareness). It (builds up, day and night) a
treasure of positive potential, Amassed from an endless array of
constructive acts. Realizing this, bodhisattvas take this supreme
precious mind as their innermost bond.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(15) Total willingness to give is the wish- granting gem for
fulfilling the hopes of wandering
beings. It is the sharpest weapon to sever the knot of stinginess.
It leads to bodhisattva conduct that enhances self-confidence and
courage, And is the basis for universal proclamation of your fame and
repute. Realizing this, the wise rely, in a healthy manner, on the
outstanding path Of (being ever-willing) to offer completely their
bodies, possessions, and positive
potentials.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(16) Ethical discipline is the water to wash away the stains of
misdeeds. It is the ray of moonlight to cool the scorching heat of
disturbing emotions. (With it, you stand out) amidst the nine kinds of
beings, radiant like a Mount Meru. By its power, you bend all beings
(to your positive influence) without
(need for) mesmerizing stares. Realizing this, the holy ones
safeguard, as they would their eyes, The vowed discipline that they
have accepted purely.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(17) Patience (not to become angry or upset) is the best adornment
for those holding power, And the
perfect ascetic practice for those tormented by disturbing emotions. It
is the high-soaring eagle as the enemy of the snake of hostility, And
the thickest armor against the sharp weapons of abusive words.
Realizing this, (the wise) accustom themselves, in various ways and
forms, To (wearing) the padding of supreme patience.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(18) Once you suit up with the armor of resolute,
unswayable positive enthusiasm,
Your proficiency in scriptural understanding and in realization grow
full like the waxing moon. Your
entire mode of behavior takes on meaningful purpose, And you bring
whatever you start to its intended conclusion. Realizing this,
bodhisattvas exert great waves of positive enthusiasm, Washing away
all laziness.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(19) Mental constancy is the king wielding power over the mind.
When you fix it, it remains immovable like a mighty Mount Meru.
When you project it, it fully engages in any constructive aim. It
induces the exhilarating bliss of feeling physically and mentally fit.
Realizing this, yogis with (mental) control continuously rely on
absorbed concentration, in a healthy
manner, Overcoming their enemy, mental distraction.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(20) Discriminating awareness is the eye for beholding profound
(voidness), the actual way (in which everything exists). It is the
pathway of mind for extracting the root of compulsive existence. It is
the treasure of genius praised in all the scriptural pronouncements
And is renowned as the most brilliant lamp for dispelling the darkness
of naivety. Realizing this, those who are wise and who wish liberation
Make every effort to enhance this pathway- mind.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(21) Single-pointed constancy of mind, on its own, lacks the
perception That is able to sever the root of
samsara. Discriminating awareness, parted from a stilled and settled
pathway of mind, Cannot reverse disturbing emotions and attitudes,
No matter how much it analytically discerns. But, when the
discriminating awareness that can be totally decisive
about how things exist Mounts the
horse of an unwaveringly stilled and settled mind, And, with the lance
of Madhyamaka logic, devoid of extremes, Analytically discerns
(voidness) correctly, destroying all underlying
assumptions that would support any
grasping for extremist views, That wide-ranging discriminating
awareness expands the intelligence So that it realizes the actual way
(in which everything exists).
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(22) Mentally abiding on how everything exists, unwaveringly, with
total stability, While also (applying) the individualizing inspection
that analytically discerns (voidness)
correctly -- What need to mention that it actualizes absorbed
concentration through habituation with
single-pointedness of mind, It increasingly enhances that absorbed
concentration. Those who, seeing this, enthusiastically work to
actualize a state of mind That is jointly stilled and settled and
exceptionally perceptive are truly
remarkable.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(23) Having meditated both on space- like voidness during total
absorption And on illusion-like voidness as the subsequent
realization, Combining the two as awareness and method Is
acclaimed as "going to the far shore of bodhisattva conduct." From
this realization, being discontent with (achieving) a one-sided pathway of
mind Is the tradition of those with good fortune (to attain
enlightenment).
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(24) The causal and resultant Mahayana vehicles travel in common
These pathways of mind as requirements for
(reaching) the supreme pathway
(enlightenment). The more that you increasingly enhance these (stages
of the path), The more your attainment of (rebirth with) respites and
endowments Becomes meaningful and effective (for reaching
enlightenment) By depending on navigational guidance from tantric
masters, Embarking on the vast ocean of tantra, And healthily
relying on their full guideline instructions.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has practiced like that. If you too would
seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
(25) In order to accustom my mind (to these stages of the path)
And also to benefit others of good fortune, I have explained here
in easily understandable words The complete path that is pleasing to
the Buddhas. I pray that, by this constructive act, may all limited
beings Never be parted from this pure and excellent path.
The Ever-Vigilant Lama has offered prayers like that. If you would
also seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way.
This concludes The Abbreviated Points of the Graded
Path to Enlightenment, compiled in brief so that they may not be
forgotten. It has been written at Ganden Namgyel Monastery on the Great
Drog Mountain (Tibet) by the Buddhist monk, (Tsongkhapa) Lozang-dragpa, a
meditator who has heard many teachings.
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