37 Practices

Ngulchu Thogme's Prologue:
I pay homage through my three doors,

To my supreme teacher and protector, Chenrezig,
Who while seeing all phenomena lack coming and going,
Makes single-minded efort for the good of living eings!
"erfect #uddhas, source of all well-eing and happiness,
$rise from accomplishing the e%cellent teachings,
$nd this depends on knowing the practices,
&o I will e%plain the practices of #odhisattvas!

No
.
Root Verses of "The 37 Practices of
Bodhisattvas"
Memory
Device
1 Having gained this rare ship of freedom and
fortune,
Hear, thin and meditate un!averingl"
night and da"
In order to free yourself and others
from the ocean of cyclic existence
-- This is the practice of #odhisattvas!

# $%ort
& 'ttached to "our loved ones "ou are stirred
up lie !ater(
Hating "our enemies "ou )urn lie *re(
+n the darness of confusion, "ou forget
!hat to adopt and discard(
Give up your homeland ,, This is the
practice of #odhisattvas!

#
-enunciation
3 B" avoiding )ad o).ects, distur)ing
emotions graduall" decrease(
# /eclusion
0ithout distraction, virtuous activities
naturall" increase(
0ith clarit" of mind, conviction in teaching
arises(
Cultivate seclusion -- This is the practice
of #odhisattvas!

1 2oved ones !ho have long ept compan"
!ill part(
0ealth created !ith di3cult" !ill )e left
)ehind(
4onsciousness, the guest, !ill leave the
guesthouse of the )od"(
Let go of this life -- This is the practice of
#odhisattvas!

#
'ttachment
5 0hen "ou eep their compan" "our three
poisons increase,
6our activities of hearing thining and
meditating decline,
'nd the" mae "ou lose "our love and
compassion(
Give up ad friends -- This is the practice
of #odhisattvas!

, Negative
peers
7 0hen "ou rel" on them "our faults come to
an end
'nd "our good 8ualities gro! lie the
!a9ing moon(
Cherish spiritual teachers even more
than "our o!n )od"
# /piritual
friend

7 Bound himself in the .ail of c"clic e9istence,
0hat !orldl" god can give "ou protection:
Therefore !hen "ou see! refuge, tae
refuge in the Three ;e!els !hich !ill not
)etra" "ou

# -efuge
< The /u)duer said that all the un)eara)le
su%ering of )ad re)irths
+s the fruit of !rongdoing(
"herefore# even at the cost of your life#
never do $rong

, Negative
actions
= 2ie de! on the tip of a )lade of grass,
pleasures of the three !orlds
2ast onl" a !hile and then vanish(
%spire to the never&changing supreme
state of lieration

Pleasure >
+mpermanenc
e
1? 0hen "our mothers,
!ho have loved "ou since time !ithout
)eginning,
're su%ering, !hat use is "our o!n
happiness:
Therefore to free limitless living )eings,
Develop the altruistic intention ,, This is
the practice of Bodhisattvas(

# Bodhichitta
11 'll su%ering comes from the !ish for "our
o!n happiness(
Perfect Buddhas are )orn from the thought
to help others(
Therefore exchange your o$n happiness
for the su'ering of others
,, This is the practice of Bodhisattvas(

/u%ering >
4ompassion
1& $ven if someone out of strong desire
/teals all of "our !ealth or has it stolen,
Dedicate to him your ody# your
possessions and your virtue# past#
present and future ,, This is the practice
of #odhisattvas!

Theft >
4ompassion
13 $ven if someone tries to cut o% "our head
0hen "ou have not done the slightest thing
!rong,
(ut of compassion ta!e all his
misdeeds upon yourself

+n.ur" >
4ompassion
11 $ven if someone )roadcasts all inds of
unpleasant remars
')out "ou throughout the three thousand
!orlds,
In return# $ith a loving mind# spea! of
his good )ualities

/lander >
4ompassion
15 Though someone ma" deride and spea )ad
!ords
Humiliation >
4ompassion
')out "ou in a pu)lic gathering,
Loo!ing on him as a spiritual teacher#
o$ to him $ith respect

17 $ven if a person for !hom "ou have cared
2ie "our o!n child regards "ou as an
enem",
Cherish him specially# li!e a mother
does her child $ho is stric!en $ith
sic!ness -- This is the practice of
#odhisattvas!

+ngratitude >
4ompassion
17 +f an e8ual or inferior person
@isparages "ou out of pride,
*lace him# as you $ould your spiritual
teacher $ith respect on the cro$n of
your head -- This is the practice of
#odhisattvas!

/pite >
4ompassion
1< Though "ou lac !hat "ou need and are
constantl" disparaged,
'Aicted )" dangerous sicness and spirits,
0ithout discouragement ta!e on the
misdeeds and the pain of all living
eings -- This is the practice of
#odhisattvas!

@iscouragem
ent >
4ompassion
1= Though "ou )ecome famous and man" )o!
to "ou,
'nd "ou gain riches to e8ual Baishravana's,
+ee that $orldly fortune is $ithout
0ealth >
+mpermanenc
e
essence and do not e conceited

&? 0hile the enem" of "our o!n anger is not
su)dued
Though "ou con8uer e9ternal foes, the" !ill
onl" increase(
Therefore !ith the militia of love and
compassion# sudue your o$n mind

Cind >
4ompassion

&1 /ensual pleasures are lie salt!ater:
The more "ou indulge, the more thirst
increases(
%andon at once those things $hich
reed clinging attachment

Pleasure >
+mpermanenc
e
&& 0hatever appears is "our o!n mind(
6our mind from the start is free from
fa)ricated e9tremes(
Dnderstanding this, do not ta!e to mind
,inherent- signs of su.ect and o.ect ,,
This is the practice of Bodhisattvas(

Non,dualit"
&3 0hen "ou encounter attractive o).ects,
Though the" seem )eautiful
2ie a rain)o! in summer, do not regard
them as real#
%nd give up attachment -- This is the

'ttachment
>
+mpermanenc
e
&1 'll forms of su%ering are lie a child's death
in a dream(
Holding illusor" appearances to )e true
maes "ou !ear"(
Therefore, $hen you meet $ith
disagreeale circumstances#
+ee them as illusory -- This is the

Dnpleasant
circumstance
s > +llusion
&5 0hen those !ho !ant enlightenment must
give even their )od",
There is no need to mention e9ternal things(
Therefore !ithout hope of return or an"
fruition
Give generously -- This is the practice of
#odhisattvas!

# Eenerosit"
&7 0ithout ethics "ou cannot accomplish "our
o!n !ell,)eing,
/o !anting to accomplish others' is
laugha)le(
Therefore !ithout !orldl" aspirations
+afeguard your ethical discipline -- This
is the practice of #odhisattvas!

# $thics
&7 To Bodhisattvas !ho !ant a !ealth of virtue
Those !ho harm are lie a precious
treasure(
Therefore to!ards all cultivate patience
$ithout hostility

# Patience
&< /eeing even Hearers and /olitar" -ealiFers,
!ho accomplish onl" their o!n good,
/trive as if to put out a *re on their head,
Gor the sae of all )eings ma!e .oyful
e'ort
"o$ard the source of all good )ualities

# $8ualit"
&= Dnderstanding that distur)ing emotions are
destro"ed
B" special insight !ith calm a)iding,
Cultivate concentration $hich
surpasses the four formless
asorptions

# Ceditative
sta)ilit"
3? /ince *ve perfections !ithout !isdom
4annot )ring perfect enlightenment,
'long !ith sillful means cultivate the
$isdom $hich does not conceive the
three spheres ,as real- -- This is the

$mptiness
31 +f "ou do not e9amine "our errors,
6ou ma" loo lie a practitioner )ut not act
as one(
Therefore, al!a"s examining your o$n
errors#
Rid yourself of them -- This is the

, $rrors
3& +f through the inHuence of distur)ing , 4riticism
emotions
6ou point out the faults of another
Bodhisattva,
6ou "ourself are diminished, so do not
mention the faults of those $ho have
entered the Great Vehicle -- This is the

33 -e!ard and respect cause us to 8uarrel
'nd mae hearing, thining and meditating
decline(
Gor this reason give up attachment to
the households of friends# relations
and enefactors -- This is the practice of
#odhisattvas!

, Human
attachment
31 Harsh !ords distur) the minds of others
'nd cause deterioration in a Bodhisattva's
conduct(
Therefore give up harsh $ords $hich
are unpleasant to others

, Harsh
speech
35 Ha)itual distur)ing emotions are hard to
stop through counter actions(
'rmed !ith antidotes, the guards of
mindfulness and mental alertness
Destroy disturing emotions li!e
attachment at once# as soon as they
arise

, ;'P+@
I;ealous",
'nger, Pride,
+gnorance,
@esireJ
37 +n )rief, !hatever "ou are doing,
's "ourself, "0hat is the state of m"
mind:"
/ith constant mindfulness and mental
alertness
%ccomplish others0 good -- This is the

#
Cindfulness
# '!areness
37 To remove the su%ering of limitless )eings,
Dnderstanding the purit" of the three
spheres,
Dedicate the virtue of e'ort to
enlightenment

@edicating
merits
Ngulchu Thogme's $pilogue:
'elying on what is taught in the sutras, tantras, treatises,
$nd the words of the genuine masters,
I have composed these thirty-seven #odhisattva practices
To ene(t those who wish to train on the #odhisattva)s path!
#ecause my intelligence is small and my studies few,
I cannot compose poetry to please the scholars!
*et since they are ased on sutras and teachings
of the genuine masters, I elieve these practices of a #odhisattva are
not mistaken!
+evertheless, since the vast conduct of a #odhisattva is di,cult to
fathom
-or one with an inferior intellect such as mine,
I pray to the genuine masters to consider with patience
$ll my mistakes such as contradictions, incoherence, and so on!
#y virtue of the merit gathered here,
#y the power of relative and ultimate odhichitta,
May all sentient eings ecome like the "rotector Chenrezig
Who dwells neither in the e%treme of e%istence nor in that of peace!
The monk Thogme,
$ proponent of scriptures and logic,
.as composed these verses
In a cave known as +gulchu 'inchen "uk
To ene(t himself and others!
+ummary
# '!areness
# Bodhichitta
# $%ort
# $8ualit"
# $thics
# Eenerosit"
# Ceditative
sta)ilit"
# Cindfulness
# Patience
# -efuge
# -enunciation
# /eclusion
# /piritual friend
, 4riticism
, $rrors
, Harsh speech
, Hate
, Human attachment
, ;'P+@
, 2ove
, Negative actions
, Negative peers
'ttachment >
+mpermanence
@iscouragement >
4ompassion
Humiliation > 4ompassion
+ngratitude > 4ompassion
+n.ur" > 4ompassion
Cind > 4ompassion
/lander > 4ompassion
/pite > 4ompassion
/u%ering > 4ompassion
Theft > 4ompassion
Non,dualit"
Pleasure > +mpermanence
Pleasure > +mpermanence
0ealth > +mpermanence
Dnpleasant circumstances >
+llusion
$mptiness
@edicating merits
Life and Teaching of Ngulchu Thogme Sangpo (Translated from Tibetan)
Translated By Erik Pema Kunzang
Buddhist Himalaya: A Journal of agar!una "nstitute of E#a$t %ethods
&ol' "" o' " ( "" ()*+*)
,o-yright )*+* by agar!una "nstitute of E#a$t %ethods
gul$hu .yalsey Thogme /ang-o (dngul $hu rgyal sras thogs med bzang -o) 0as born in the
year of the 0ood /hee- of the fifth rab!ung $y$le ()1+2) in the 3i$inity of /akya in $entral Tibet'
oble beings al0ays inherently -ossess the feeling of im-ermanen$e but they seem to need a
-rom-t from negati3e $ir$umstan$es like in the life e#am-le of Prin$e /iddhartha' "n the life of
gul$hu something similar took -la$e' His lo3ing mother died 0hen he 0as at the age of three4
follo0ed by the -assing a0ay of his father t0o years later' His aunt then brought him u- until he
0as nine 0hen also she left this 0orld' 5ollo0ing this4 he 0as taken $are of by his maternal un$le
0ho taught him to read and 0rite' At the age of )6 he took the full monk ordination of bhikshu at
the age of 1*'
gul$hu Thogmey then engaged in the studies of the tea$hings of the /ugata4 first re$ei3ing the
bodhi$itta trainings a$$ording to the systems of both %adhyamika and ,ittamatra as 0ell as the
em-o0erments4 reading transmissions and oral instru$tions of &a!rayana' "n fa$t4 he tried to
re$ei3e all the tea$hings of the sutras4 tantras and oral instru$tions -resent in the land of Tibet4 as
0ell as the %ahasandhi tea$hing (7zog$hen)' "n this 0ay he be$ome a great master of Buddhism
in Tibet'
As the story goes one day 0hen he 0as )2 years old4 he 0as able s-ontaneously to $larify a
diffi$ult -oint in Arya Asnga8s Abhidharma9samu$$aya4 to his tea$her and the students in the
$lass' 5rom that time on he 0as $alled Thogmey (Asanga)' Another time he 0as bodly infested
0ith li$e but refused to kill them and ke-t the li$e until they died by themsel3es' ,hanting dharani
mantras for them and making tsa9tsas ($lay images) out of their remains4 he 0as gi3en the name
.yalsey4 Jina-utra (/on of the Jinas)'
About being si$k4 gul$hu Thogmey on$e said4 :"n a$tuality4 si$kness does not e#ist but in one8s
deluded e#-erien$e the feeling of being si$k o$$urs as the effe$t of one8s o0n negati3e karmi$
a$tions' That sho0s the unfailing ;uality of $ause and effe$t' "t also sho0s that si$kness is like a
magi$al a--arition4 it is felt and yet it is unreal' "n that 0ay si$kness is a s-iritual tea$her sho0ing
the nature of samsara' "t is the dire$t $ause for $ulti3ating the -atien$e of a$$e-ting -ain and for
feeling $om-assion for -eo-le 0ho suffer' /in$e si$kness in this 0ay is a most eminent method
for -urifying the misdeeds and obs$urations gathered in former li3es' " do not deliberately try to
get rid of being si$k' E3en if " 0ere do die be$ause of this si$kness4 " 0ill ha3e no dee- anguish4
so for me there is nothing more !oyful than ha3ing a si$k body':
This great master and true bodhisatt3a 0rote more than one hundred te#ts $larifying the
tea$hings of the Buddha the most famous of 0hi$h is the .yalsey <aglen4 The Pra$ti$e of the
/ons of the Buddha'
gul$hu Thogme -assed a0ay in )=>* at the age of ?2 a$$om-anied by many many 0onderful
signs'
Dzogchen Practice in Everyday Life
by HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
The everyday practice of dzogchen is simply to develop a complete carefree acceptance, an openness to all
situations without limit.
We should realise openness as the playground of our emotions and relate to people without artificiality,
manipulation or strategy.
We should experience everything totally, never withdrawing into ourselves as a marmot hides in its hole.
This practice releases
tremendous energy which is usually constricted by the process of maintaining fixed reference points.
Referentiality is the process by
which we retreat from the direct experience of everyday life.
Being present in the moment may initially trigger fear. But by welcoming the sensation of fear with
complete openness, we cut through
the barriers created by habitual emotional patterns.
When we engage in the practice of discovering space, we should develop the feeling of opening ourselves
out completely to the entire universe. We should open ourselves with absolute simplicity and nakedness of
mind. This is the powerful and ordinary practice of dropping the mask of selfprotection.
We shouldn!t make a division in our meditation between perception and field of perception. We shouldn!t
become like a cat watching a mouse. We should realise that the purpose of meditation is not to go "deeply
into ourselves" or withdraw from the world. #ractice should be free and nonconceptual, unconstrained by
introspection and concentration.
$ast unoriginated selfluminous wisdom space is the ground of being the beginning and the end of
confusion. The presence of awareness in the primordial state has no bias toward enlightenment or non
enlightenment. This ground of being which is known as pure or original mind is the source from which all
phenomena arise. %t is known as the great mother, as the womb of potentiality in which all things arise and
dissolve in natural selfperfectedness and absolute spontaneity.
&ll aspects of phenomena are completely clear and lucid. The whole universe is open and unobstructed
everything is mutually interpenetrating.
'eeing all things as naked, clear and free from obscurations, there is nothing to attain or realise. The nature
of phenomena appears naturally and is naturally present in timetranscending awareness. (verything is
naturally perfect )ust as it is. &ll phenomena appear in their uni*ueness as part of the continually changing
pattern. These patterns are vibrant with meaning and significance at every moment+ yet there is no
significance to attach to such meanings beyond the moment in which they present themselves.
This is the dance of the five elements in which matter is a symbol of energy and energy a symbol of
emptiness. We are a symbol of our own enlightenment. With no effort or practice whatsoever, liberation or
enlightenment is already here.
The everyday practice of dzogchen is )ust everyday life itself. 'ince the undeveloped state does not exist,
there is no need to behave in any special way or attempt to attain anything above and beyond what you
actually are. There should be no feeling of striving to reach some "amazing goal" or "advanced state."
To strive for such a state is a neurosis which only conditions us and serves to obstruct the free flow of
,ind. We should also avoid thinking of ourselves as worthless persons we are naturally free and
unconditioned. We are intrinsically enlightened and lack nothing.
When engaging in meditation practice, we should feel it to be as natural as eating, breathing and
defecating. %t should not become a specialised or formal event, bloated with seriousness and solemnity.
We should realise that meditation transcends effort, practice, aims, goals and the duality of liberation and
nonliberation. ,editation is always ideal+ there is no need to correct anything. 'ince everything that
arises is simply the play of mind as such, there is no unsatisfactory meditation and no need to )udge
thoughts as good or bad.
Therefore we should simply sit. 'imply stay in your own place, in your own condition )ust as it is.
-orgetting selfconscious feelings, we do not have to think "% am meditating." .ur practice should be
without effort, without strain, without attempts to control or force and without trying to become "peaceful."
%f we find that we are disturbing ourselves in any of these ways, we stop meditating and simply rest or
relax for a while. Then we resume
our meditation. %f we have "interesting experiences" either during or after meditation, we should avoid
making anything special of them. To spend time thinking about experiences is simply a distraction and an
attempt to become unnatural. These experiences are simply signs of practice and should be regarded as
transient events. We should not attempt to reexperience them because to do so only serves to distort the
natural spontaneity of mind.
&ll phenomena are completely new and fresh, absolutely uni*ue and entirely free from all concepts of past,
present and future. They are
experienced in timelessness.
The continual stream of new discovery, revelation and inspiration which arises at every moment is the
manifestation of our clarity. We should learn to see everyday life as mandala the luminous fringes of
experience which radiate spontaneously from the empty nature of our being. The aspects of our mandala
are the daytoday ob)ects of our life experience moving in the dance or play of the universe. By this
symbolism the inner teacher reveals the profound and ultimate significance of being. Therefore we should
be natural and spontaneous, accepting and learning from everything. This enables us to see the ironic and
amusing side of events that usually irritate us.
%n meditation we can see through the illusion of past, present and future our experience becomes the
continuity of nowness. The past is
only an unreliable memory held in the present. The future is only a pro)ection of our present conceptions.
The present itself vanishes as
soon as we try to grasp it. 'o why bother with attempting to establish an illusion of solid ground/
We should free ourselves from our past memories and preconceptions of meditation. (ach moment of
meditation is completely uni*ue and full of potentiality. %n such moments, we will be incapable of )udging
our meditation in terms of past experience, dry theory or hollow rhetoric.
'imply plunging directly into meditation in the moment now, with our whole being, free from hesitation,
boredom or excitement, is enlightenment.
THE MIRROR O E!!E"TI#L POI"T!
A Letter in Praise of Emptiness From Ven Nyoshul Khenpo
Jamyang Dorje to his Mother
% pay homage at the lotus feet of Tenpai 0yima, Who is inseparable from 1harmalord 2ongchen Rab)am
and perceives the natural state of emptiness of the oceanlike infinity of things.
& letter of advice % offer to you, my noble mother #aldzom+ 2isten for a while without distraction.
'taying here without discomfort, % am at ease and free from worries %n a state of )oyful mind. &re you well
yourself, my dear mother/
3ere, in a country to the West, there are many red and white skinned people. They have all kinds of magic
and sights, like flying through the skies and moving like fish in the waters. 3aving mastery over the four
elements, they compete in displaying miracles with thousands of beautiful colours.
There is an endless amount of spectacles, like designs of rainbow colours, but like a mere dream, when
examined, they are the mistaken perceptions of the mind.
&ll activities are like the games children play+ if done, they can never be finished. They are only completed
once you let be, like castles made of sand.
But this not the whole story+ all the dharmas of 'amsara and 0irvana, though thought to be permanent, they
do not last. When examined, they are but empty forms, that appear without existence. &lthough unreal, they
are thought to be real, and when examined, they are unreal like an illusion.
2ook outward at the appearing ob)ects, and like the water in a mirage, they are more delusive than
delusion. 4nreal like dreams and illusions, they resemble reflected moon and rainbows.
2ook inward at your own mind5 %t seems *uite exciting, when not examined. But when examined, there is
nothing to it. &ppearing without being, it is nothing but empty. %t cannot be identified saying, "that!s it5"
But is evanescent and elusive like mist.
2ook at whatever may appear %n any of the ten directions. 0o matter how it may appear, the thing in itself,
its very nature, is the sky like nature of mind, beyond the pro)ection and dissolution of thought and
concept.
(verything has the nature of being empty. When the empty looks at the empty, who is there to look at
something empty/ What is the use of many classifications, such as !being empty! and !not empty! as it is
illusion looking at illusion, and delusion watching delusion/
"The effortless and skylike nature of the mind, the vast expanse of insight, %s the natural state of all things.
%n it, whatever you do is all right, however you rest, you are at ease." This was said by 6etsun
#admasambhava and the great siddha 'araha.
&ll the conceptual designs, such as "it!s two5" or "it!s not two5" 2eave them like the waves on a river, to be
spontaneously freed in themselves.
The great demon of ignorant and discursive thought causes one to sink in the ocean of samsara. But when
freed from this discursive thought, there is the indescribable state, beyond conceptual mind.
Besides mere discursive thoughts, There is not even the words of !samsara! and !nirvana!. The total calming
down of discursive thought %s the suchness of 1harmadhatu.
0ot made complex by complex statements, this unfabricated single bindu is emptiness, the natural state of
mind. 'o it was said by the 'ugata.
The essence of whatever may appear, when simply left to itself, %s the unfabricated and uncorrupted view,
the 1harmakaya, emptiness mother.
&ll discursive thought is emptiness, &nd the seer of the emptiness is discursive thought. (mptiness does
not destroy discursive thought, &nd discursive thought does not block emptiness.
The fourfold emptiness of the mind itself %s the ultimate of everything. #rofound and tran*uil,free from
complexity, uncompounded luminous clarity, beyond the mind of conceptual ideas7 This is the depth of the
mind of the $ictorious .nes.
%n this there is not a thing to be removed, nor anything that needs to be added. %t is merely the immaculate
looking naturally at itself.
%n short, when the mind has fully severed the fetters of clinging to something, &ll the points are condensed
therein. This is the tradition of the supreme being Tilopa &nd of the great pandita 0aropa.
'uch a profound natural state as this, %s among all the kinds of bliss, the wisdom of great bliss. &mong all
kinds of delight it is the king of supreme delight. %t is the supreme fourth empowerment of all the tantric
sections of the secret mantras. %t is the ultimate pointing out instruction.
The view of !'amsara and 0irvana %nseparable!, and that of ,ahamudra, of 1zogchen, the ,iddle Way and
others, have many various titles but only one essential meaning. This is the view of 2ama ,ipham.
&s an aid to this king of views one should begin with Bodhicitta, and conclude with dedication.
%n order to cut off through skilful means the fixation on an ego, the root of 'amsara, the king of all great
methods is the unsurpassable Bodhicitta.
The king of perfect dedication %s the means for increasing the roots of virtue. This is the special teaching of
'hakyamuni which is not found with other teachers.
To accomplish complete enlightenment more than this is not necessary but less than this will be
incomplete. This swift path of the three excellences, called the heart, eye and lifeforce, is the approach of
2ongchen Rab)am.
(mptiness, the wish fulfilling )ewel, %s unattached generosity. %t is uncorrupted discipline. %t is angerless
patience. %t is undeluded exertion. %t is undistracted meditation. %t is the essence of pra)na. %t is the meaning
in the three yanas.
(mptiness is the natural state of mind. (mptiness is the nonconceptual refuge. (mptiness is the &bsolute
Bodhicitta. (mptiness is the $a)rasattva of absolving evils. (mptiness is the ,andala of perfect
accumulations. (mptiness is the 8uru 9oga of 1harmakaya.
To abide in the natural state of emptiness %s the !calm abiding! of shamatha, &nd to perceive it vividly clear
is the !clear seeing! of vipasyana.
The view of the perfect 1evelopment 'tage, The wisdom of bliss and emptiness in the :ompletion 'tage,
The nondual 8reat #erfection, &nd the single bindu of 1harmakaya, all these are included within it.
(mptiness purifies the karmas. (mptiness dispels the obstructing forces. (mptiness tames the demons.
(mptiness accomplishes the deities.
The profound state of emptiness dries up the ocean of passion. %t crumples the mountain of anger. %t
illuminates the darkness of stupidity. %t calms down the gale of )ealousy. %t defeats the illness of the kleshas.
%t is a friend in sorrow. %t destroys conceit in )oy. %t con*uers in the battle with 'amsara. %t annihilates the
four ,aras. %t turns the eight worldly dharmas into same taste. %t subdues the demon of ego fixation. %t
turns negative conditions into aids. %t turns bad omens into good luck. %t causes to manifest complete
enlightenment. %t gives birth to the Buddhas of the three times. (mptiness is the 1harmakaya mother.
There is no teaching higher than emptiness. There is no teaching swifter than emptiness. There is no
teaching more excellent than emptiness. There is no teaching more profound than emptiness.
(mptiness is the !knowing of one that frees all.! (mptiness is the supreme king of medicines. (mptiness is
the nectar of immortality. (mptiness is spontaneous accomplishment beyond effort. (mptiness is
enlightenment without exertion.
By meditating emptiness .ne feels tremendous compassion towards the beings obscured, like ourselves,by
the belief in a self, and Bodhicitta arises without effort.
&ll *ualities of the path and bhumis will appear naturally without any effort, and one will feel a heartfelt
conviction regarding the law of the infallible effect of actions.
%f one has but one moment of certainty %n this kind of emptiness, the tight chain of egoclinging will shatter
into pieces. This was said by &ryadeva.
,ore supreme than offering to the 'ugatas and their sons all the infinite Buddha fields filled with the
offering of gods and men+ %s to meditate on emptiness.
%f the merit of resting evenly )ust for an instant in this natural state would take on concrete form, space
could not contain it.
The peerless 2ord of the sages, 'akyamuni, for the sake of this profound emptiness, threw his body into
pyres of fire, gave away his head and limbs, and performed hundreds of other austerities.
&lthough you fill the world with huge mounds of presents of gold and )ewels, this profound teaching on
emptiness, even when searched for, is hard to find. This is said in the 3undred Thousand $erses of #ra)na
#aramita.
To meet this supreme teaching %s the splendid power of merit of many aeons beyond count.
%n short, by means of emptiness, one is, for the benefit of oneself, liberated into the expanse of the unborn
1harmakaya, the manifest complete enlightenment of the four ;ayas and the five Wisdoms. The
unobstructed display of the Rupakaya will then ceaseslessly arise to teach whoever is in need, by stirring
the depths of 'amsara for the benefit of others through constant, all pervading spontaneous activity. %n all
the 'utras and Tantras this is said to be the ultimate fruition.
3ow can someone like me put into words &ll the benefits and virtues hereof, when the $ictorious .ne with
his va)ra tongue cannot exhaust them, even if he speaks for an aeon/
The glorious 2ord, the supreme teacher, who gives the teachings on emptiness, appears in the form of a
human being, but his mind is truly a Buddha.
Without deceit and hypocrisy supplicate him from your very heart, &nd without needing any other
expedient, you will attain enlightenment in this very life. This is the manner of the &ll (mbodying 6ewel
which is taught in the Tantras of the 8reat #erfection. When you have this )ewel in the palm of your hand,
do not let it meaninglessly go to waste.
2earning, like the stars in the sky, will never come to an end through studies. What is the use of all the
various kinds of the many teachings re*uested and received/ What is the use of any practice which is
higher than emptiness/
1o not aim at having many ascetic costumes, such as carrying a staff and wearing braids and animal skins.
2eaving the elephant back in your house, do not go searching for its footprints in the mountains.
,other, meditate the essence of the mind, as it is taught by the guru, the $a)ra 3older, and you will have
the essence of the essence of all the eighty four thousand teachings. %t is the heart nectar of a billion
2earned and accomplished ones. %t is the ultimate practice.
This advice from the core of the heart of the fallen monk 6amyang 1or)e, is the purest of the pure essence
from the bindu of my life blood. Therefore keep it in your heart, mother. These few words of heart advice
were written in a beautiful countryside, the city of the spacious blue sky, rivaling the splendour of divine
realms.
To the devoted :hokyi 0odzom, my dear and loving mother, and to my own devoted students, % offer this
letter of advice.
This letter to my students was composed by one who goes by the name !;henpo!, the Tibetan 6amyang
1or)e, in the 1ordogne 3erbal $alley of 8reat Bliss, in the country of -rance beyond the great ocean in the
western direction.
,ay virtue and auspiciousness ensue5
<This was put into (nglish, with the help of ;henpo Rinpoche, by (rik and 2odro. #erigueux Retreat =>?@A
A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (of
Gampopa)
)" 2ongchenpa I/long-chen 'a-)yams-pa 0ri-med )od-zerJ
translated )" 'le9ander BerFin and Catthe! Kapstein, 1=71
revised )" 'le9ander BerFin, Ge)ruar" &??7
Prologue
%n 'anskrit, <this textA is called Dharma-chatur-ratna-mala. %n Tibetan, it is called Chos-bzhi rin-po-chei
phreng-ba. B%n (nglish, it is called A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (of Gampopa.C
% prostrate to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
<=A With a crown of a hundredfold belief in whatDs fact, % make offerings to you, . sun<like BuddhasA
8one to Bliss. %n the sphere of the space of your naturally <abidingA 1harmakaya <a :orpus (ncompassing
(verythingA, the mandaladisc of your :orpus of -orms having five certainties spreads forth and causes the
lotus <mindsA of disciples to blossom through the rays of your enlightening deeds.
<EA The cool shade of the precious wishgranting tree of the ways of the Triumphant .neDs 1harma offers
protection from all the torments of compulsive <samsaricA existence and complacent <nirvana. Therefore,A
as a way for all beings with belief in whatDs fact to enter <into its shadeA, step by step, % shall explain the
massive tree of good *ualities of the four aspects <of the 1harmaA. 2isten well.
1 Haing the Min! "o to#ar! the Dharma
*recious 1uman Reirth
<@A What anyone who wishes to cross the boundless ocean of recurring samsaric existence first must think
is to make full effort, right now in this lifetime, to achieve the stilling and the blissful awareness that are
the phenomenon of liberation.
<FA &t <thisA time when you have obtained the ship of a <humanA body, with respites and enrichments,
difficult to find and easily lost, if you do not exert yourself, you will never liberate yourself from the ocean
of compulsive existence or break the continuity of having many and varied <kinds ofA sufferings.
<GA 9ou will be tossed about in this unbearable, fearsome great ocean <of samsaraA, where an end to the
current of birth and death is not evident, where streaks of foam of sickness and old age thicken everywhere,
and where the tides of disturbing emotions spread everywhere, up to the far reaches of the highest realm of
compulsive existence.
<HA <ButA whoever hears <the 1harma teachingsA will be able to break the continuum of birth and death and
will never be parted from a supremely great blissful awareness. <Therefore,A with the excellent and precious
ship <of a fully endowed human bodyA, make efforts in the supreme 1harma, <which bringsA a stilling, in
order to cross the repository of waters of the disturbing emotions of the three planes of existence.
<IA %f this time around you have not practised toward actualizing a purified state with a pathway of mind
<that leadsA to liberation, in the future you will never even hear the name fortunate rebirth, and, through
endless unfortunate rebirths, one after the next, you will lack any methods for liberating yourself from
eternally remaining in uncontrollably recurring samsaric existence.
<?A Therefore, people with sense, having now attained a human body of respites and enrichments, practise
to achieve <a state ofA benefit and bliss, with great effort from your hearts, and by means of this, come to
fulfil the aims of both yourself and others.
Death and Impermanence
<>A (ven if you have attained the respites and enrichments, there is never any mental security. &s all things
are unstable, everchanging, without any essence, momentary, nonstatic, disintegrating phenomena, think
from your hearts, J'oon % shall die, all of a sudden.K
<=LA %t is the same as well with the entire perishable world of your environment. &t the times of its
disintegration through seven fires, one flood, or wind, everything will become void, without even a
remnant of a tip of a hair left7 there will be only space.
<==A %ts inhabitants, nonstatic wandering beings, ever are moving. 0o matter how many limited beings there
may be M divine <godlyA beings, the wouldbe divine, humans, animals, clutching ghosts, or )oyless realm
beings M when their time is up, they must plunge into the waters of death, transference, and rebirth.
<=EA 9ears, months, days, seasons, and moments are impermanent, disintegrate, and march on. &s you have
sadness with the changing of the four seasons, think about how your own time, too, will be impermanent.
<=@A There is no mental security7 very soon your body and lifeforce will part <from each other. Therefore,A
from today on, think with certitude, J%t is uncertain which will occur first, tomorrow or the time when my
life shall be spent.K
"he +hortcomings of +amsara
<=FA The sufferings of rebirth are more frightening than those of death. There is never any happiness no
matter where you are reborn, for the functional nature of recurring samsara is like that of a pit of fire.
<Therefore,A seek a method to liberate yourself from it right now.
<=GA 6oyless realm beings suffer from heat and cold, clutching ghosts from hunger and thirst, and animals
by devouring each other, stupidity, and being muddleheaded. 3umans are tormented by the three and the
eight faults, the wouldbe divine by fighting and *uarrelling, and divine beings by death, transference, and
falling <to lower rebirthsA.
<=HA The happiness <of the divine beingsA may change into grief and their affective suffering abounds. &fter
their lives transfer from the pleasures associated with the divine realms, they may once again enter the fires
of a )oyless realm. 3aving thought like this, work to pass beyond compulsive existence.
<=IA The appearances of this life are like a dream )ust as you are about to wake up. They are changing and
impermanent. Because you must go on, after having left them behind, what can retinue, wealth and such do
for you/ ,ake effort in the 1harma right now5
Developing a +tilled and +ettled +tate of +hamatha
<=?A 1esire is like poison, weapons, or fire. Tormented <by itA, there is never a chance for happiness. There
is suffering through accumulating, protecting, and increasing <what you desire, and conse*uentlyA you are
always bound by arrogance, greed, and stinginess. 3aving *uarrels with everyone, the taints of your
disturbing emotions increase. 9ou have mental wandering with busywork and it threatens your body and
life.
<=>A 3aving your aims and activities be too numerous and contradictory to the 1harma is always scorned
by the highly realized aryas. <ButA for those whose desires are few, constructive <activities and *ualitiesA
automatically increase. Therefore, those <of youA who would enter into a pathway of mind <that leadsA to
liberation, which is a stilled state, make your desires be few and have contentment.
<ELA %t is said that if you exhaust your desires, you are a real arya+ and if your desires are few, you are of the
arya type. 6ust as suffering and disturbing emotions increase for those with desire, what is constructive
naturally increases for those whose desires are few. Therefore, by following in the footsteps of the hallowed
beings of the past, be always content and make your possessions be few.
<E=A The faults of associating with people are indeed without limit. There is far too much useless distraction
and activities. &nger, arguments, and fighting increase, and attraction and repulsion arise. 9ou always
become infected with suffering and thatDs pointless.
<EEA 0o matter what you have done, there is never a time when you can please <othersA. 0o matter how you
try to teach them <the 1harmaA, the chances to benefit <themA are slim. 2ikewise, even when you listen <to
themA, itDs never the excellent 1harma. (ven if you are close <to themA as friends, in the end you will have
to part.
<E@A Therefore, rid yourself completely of close relationships of dependency on followers, friends, or
relatives, and make a definite effort, from today on, to practise the hallowed 1harma, alone in isolation.
<EFA 'upreme hallowed beings of the past have said that from living in isolation, they found the nectar <of
1harma experienceA. Therefore, <resolve thatA % too shall live alone in isolation in a forest in order to
actualize a state of being stilled.
<EGA 2iving in isolation has been praised by the Triumphant <BuddhasA. With no one unruly <around youA,
you increase your absorbed concentration on what is profound. 9ou naturally practise the 1harma and
develop sombre thoughts of impermanence. 9ou put material possessions aside and have no busywork or
distractions.
<EHA 9our bountiful stores of belief in whatDs fact, renunciation, and good *ualities enlarge and, not having
close relationships, automatically your activities decrease. Therefore, without <concern forA the eight
transitory things in life, or for keeping the minds of others <happyA or saving face, pass your days and
nights with the 1harma in the bliss associated with being under your own control.
<EIA ,aking your respites and enrichments have meaning and taking the essence of your attainment <of
themA M as words cannot encompass those and more benefits, practise absorbed concentration on the
profound <1harmaA for your entire life, alone, in the middle of a totally isolated forest.
<E?A ,ay the cooling rain of the 1harma, well spoken like that, after stilling <allA disturbing emotions and
tormenting conceptual thoughts, fill the pond of lotuses, which are constructive masses of absorbed
concentrations, and <thusA spread an endowment of a stilled state.
This <concludesA the first chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (of Gampopa, J3aving the
,ind 8o toward the 1harma.K
$ Haing the Dharma Fun%tion as a Path#ay of Min!
"he Necessity for 1aving the Dharma 2unction as a *ath$ay of Mind
<E>A Those of you who wish for a pathway of mind <that leadsA to liberation, having, through belief in
whatDs fact, engaged yourselves with the supreme, lustrous, hallowed 1harma like that M cherish making
the 1harma go <within youA as a pathway of mind, in order that your very mind becomes fully tamed.
<@LA There are those who have engaged themselves with the teachings of the Triumphant <BuddhasA like
this and have even embarked on hearing, thinking, and meditating <on themA. 9et some have not stilled
<their disturbing emotionsA7 their mental continuums are worse. 'ome engage themselves with distorted
pathways of mind, or inferior ones, or pathways of mind that lead astray.
<@=A <'ome haveA great desires and craving, and <some areA distracted with <concerns forA this life and the
like. &ll those faults, contradictory to the 1harma, have come from their not having made that 1harma go
<within themA as a pathway of mind. The faults <that comeA from that in this and future <livesA are
boundless.
<@EA Whoever is fooled by <suchA deception will be <filled withA regret at the time of death, will have terror
and anxiety in the bardo inbetween period, will go to worse rebirth states in the future, and not have the
opportunity to liberate themselves forever from compulsive existence. Therefore, make the 1harma go
<within youA as a pathway of mind.
<@@A 6ust as you may improperly even take hygienic medicine as an antidote for a sickness, yet since it was
in fact improperly <takenA, it would make you even more tormented than you were tormented <beforeA+
likewise, what use is the 1harma if you have not made it go as an antidote/ Therefore, as there are
boundless faults like that+ . people having belief in whatDs fact, understand this well.
3ntrusting 4ourself to +piritual Mentors
<@FA :oncerning that, since making that 1harma go <within youA as a pathway of mind depends, first of all,
on spiritual mentors, cherish entrusting yourself to *ualified hallowed gurus. &ll excellent bounteous good
*ualities come from that.
<@GA &s for that, entrust yourself fully and with great <respect andA appreciation to those who are skilled in
methods, have a compassionate nature, are stilled, are tamed and have patience+ who have a splendid
manner of behavior <in accordA with their vows and close bonds, have heard many <teachingsA, and have
<achievedA a great <levelA of having trained <in themA well+
<@HA <Those whoA have a boundless enlightening influence that automatically transforms the appearances of
others+ who are not corrupted with <thoughts ofA this life+ who are purified, like the sky, of concerns about
the eight <transitoryA things in life+ who have making <lifeA meaningful as the gauge for association <with
themA, and who set out <for othersA the pathway of mind <that leadsA to liberation. <'uch spiritual mentors
asA this are emanations of the Triumphant <BuddhasA at <thisA time of the deteriorations.
<@IA The benefits from that are boundless and inexhaustible7 9ou become disgusted with compulsive
existence and renounce it. <Thus,A your worldly planning becomes less+ your concerns for this lifetime
become lame+ and your grasping for an impossible JsoulK <based onA deceptive appearances falls apart+
<@?A 9ou naturally become tamed+ you come to possess <the powers ofA listening, thinking, and meditating
<on the teachingsA+ you come to possess the good *ualities of having extensively trained, such as belief in
whatDs fact+ your present life becomes meaningful+ and your future ones will reap the results. Therefore,
entrust yourself to hallowed <spiritual mentorsA.
<@>A ,oreover, by being undeceiving with your three gateways <for actionA, always please <your spiritual
mentorsA by showing respect from your appreciation <of their kindnessA, like a patient to a doctor, a sea
merchant to a navigator, a passenger to a ferryman, and a visitor to an escort.
<FLA %t has been said that if you develop thoughts of disbelief <in your spiritual mentorsD actual good
*ualitiesA or a distorted view <of themA, you enter a worse rebirth state for <as many eons asA the number of
moments <you develop itA. Therefore, make effort to protect, as you would your eyes, keeping your close
bonds <with your teachersA pure, by being extremely sincere in openly admitting <if you ever violate themA,
restraining yourself <from breaking themA, and feeling regret <should you ever transgress themA.
Developing Renunciation
<F=A 3aving fully entrusted yourself like that to hallowed spiritual mentors, and then having trained your
own mental continuum by listening, thinking, and meditating on <their teachingsA, transform whatever you
do into something intent on a constructive <goalA, with the thought of desiring only liberation. This is the
*uintessence teaching for making that 1harma go <within youA as a pathway of mind.
<FEA Whenever you are listening to, thinking about, or reciting <the teachingsA, undertake that for the
intention of liberating your own mental continuum. Whenever you are writing, reading, memorizing, or
teaching <the 1harmaA, undertake it with the desire only for liberation.
<F@A Whenever you are meditating, <studying the correctA view, or conducting yourself <with itA, strongly
make effort to <feelA renunciation and disgust <with samsaraA by never parting your thoughts from being
<setA only on liberation. There is nothing higher then this heartessence *uintessence teaching.
<FFA (ating, sleeping, walking, sitting, talking, speaking, thinking, and so on in short, whatever activities
you do, enhance your disgust <with samsaraA by never parting from an attitude of wishing liberation and
<thusA tame your mental continuum. This is the essential point for making the 1harma go <within youA as a
pathway of mind.
Developing a 5odhicitta %im
<FGA <-urthermore,A for making <the 1harmaA go <within youA as a ,ahayana pathway of mind in particular,
direct toward the benefit of others whatever constructive things you do. <%n other words,A develop, with
compassion, a bodhichitta aim+ have firm conviction <in the good *ualities of enlightenmentA+ dedicate
<your positive force toward achieving this goalA+ and re)oice <in your own and othersD efforts toward thisA,
and <thusA practice in full in order to <bring aboutA the benefit of <allA limited beings.
<FHA <#racticingA like this, all wandering beings, <having previously beenA your fathers, mothers, relatives,
and dear friends, are <appropriateA fields for <receivingA your help. &nd <soA, by developing a bodhichitta
aim for <fulfillingA the aims of others as well as your own, practice whatever is constructive for the sake of
wandering beings.
<FIA JBy my constructive <forceA, may <allA Nwandering beings become happy and may the sufferings of all
of them ripen on me. ,ay my constructive <forceA ripen on <allA wandering beings and <thusA may all
embodied beings attain enlightenment.K Thinking that, train yourself to develop a bodhichitta aim of
immeasurable compassion.
<F?A Whatever constructive <actions you doA, as preparation develop a bodhichitta aim, as the actual
procedure do not be aimed <at impossible ways of existingA, and as the conclusion dedicate <to your own
and othersD enlightenment the positive forceA. ,oreover, completely purify <yourself of misconceptions
about the nature ofA the three circles M the ob)ect to be trained in, the act of training, and the one who is
training. 2ike illusions, they are mere appearances <basedA on nothing real, like magical emanations.
<Therefore,A purifying <yourself concerningA the natures <of these threeA, dedicate <the positive forceA in
order to benefit others.
<F>A J-irm convictionK is having supreme belief in <the good *ualities ofA the Triumphant <BuddhasA, the
Triumphant .nesD 1harma teachings, the hallowed <bodhisattvaA spiritual offspring of the Triumphant, and
the fields for <growingA positive force M <in the good *ualities ofA all of these, without exception. -rom
having firm conviction in <the good *ualities of what fulfilsA your own aims, the aims of others, and the
aims of both, you will receive praise, shows of respect, and esteem beyond all examples.
<GLA JRe)oicingK is habituating yourself <in meditationA to feeling happy about all the constructive acts of
the Triumphant .nes, their spiritual offspring, and all wandering beings. This is a supreme method for
transforming fathomless masses of positive force into something immeasurably great.
<G=A ,ake Jaspiration prayersK of the purifying <typeA, for the sake of benefiting wandering beings. <%n this
connection,A meditate in accord with the *uintessence teachings concerning purifying the ob)ects of your
actions.
<GEA Without being distracted for even a moment to the side of ordinary affairs, take as your heartessence
<practiceA having the constructive <actionsA of your three gateways <for actionA be for the benefit of others.
3aving tamed your own mental continuum, then coming to have the development of an exceptional resolve
is said to be <the way toA make any 1harma <practiceA go <within youA as a pathway of mind.
<G@A %n this way, may the melodious beat of the sound of the wondrous drum of the profound meaning, the
renowned roar which is vast and profound, wake all wandering beings from the intoxicating sleep of their
unawareness. ,ay they behold, on a widespread scale, a )oyous ban*uet of being stilled.
This <concludesA the second chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (of Gampopa, "3aving
the 1harma -unction as a #athway of ,ind."
& Haing the Path#ay Min!s Eliminate 'onfusion
"he +hared Mahayana *ath$ay of Mind
<GFA -urthermore, out of the shared, special, and unsurpassable methods for having the pathway minds
eliminate confusion, the first is the great ,ahayana pathway of mind that is shared in common <by sutra,
all classes of tantra, and dzogchenA. With its identitynature of the four immeasurable attitudes, the
development of a bodhichitta aim, aspiration prayer, and compassion, and through great waves of
bodhisattva behavior, you eliminate confusion.
<GGA When you have <bodhichittaA with a heartessence of voidness and compassion, and are practicing
fully for both your own and othersD aims, then in order to cleanse away fleeting stains from the sphere of all
things, which is constructive and unaffected, meditate on the thirtyseven factors leading in the direction of
a purified state, which are <cultivatedA on the four pathways of mind of building up, applying, seeing, and
accustoming. &lso, fully perfect the six farreaching attitudes with the pure view of the sixteen voidnesses
and faultless bodhisattva behavior.
<GHA <Thus,A understanding the lack of the impossible JsoulsK of both persons and <allA phenomena and then
training with methods that are antidotes for the disturbing emotions and attitudes is the excellent pathway
of mind of the bodhisattvas.
<GIA %n other words, from <understanding that everything conventionally existsA merely in the manner of
mirages, dreams, and deceptive appearances, you abandon and adopt <appropriate practicesA, work for the
aims <of othersA, adopt what is constructive and re)ect what brings negative force. 9ou cleanse away the
disturbing emotions of longing desire, hostility, and naivety with the waters of <their antidotes, namely
meditation onA ugliness, love, and dependent arising+
<G?A While, on the level of deepest fact, <you understand thatA because <this levelA is unborn and pure, there
are no dualistic <distinctionsA of samsara and nirvana7 it is parted from <suchA mental fabrication. The
pathway mind <that understands theseA two truths <in terms ofA dependent arising is the causal great
,ahayana vehicle of mind, that of dialectics.
"he +pecial Mahayana *ath$ay of Mind
<G>A The special great ,ahayana pathway of mind, that of secret mantra, has outer and inner <classesA. %t
has the fathomlessly supreme method of the generation and complete stages as a unified pair, by which you
cleanse away confusion through various steps.
<HLA &s for the three outer <classes ofA secret mantra, through their taking purification as the main
<practiceA, you abandon and adopt in turn <what is appropriateA and thus remove taints <from your pathway
of mindA by <applying theirA antidotes. &s for the inner <three classes of secret mantra, the emphasis is onA
deep awareness, which is a nondualistic unified pair. %n terms of <this deep awarenessA, through <the
application ofA methods, you transform into a pathway of mind those things that are to be abandoned.
<H=A %n the mandala of the sphere of the basis, which is a womb containing a Blissfully 8one .ne, all
phenomena, which are its reflexive appearances, are mere appearances of your own limited mind. They are
deceptions, not true phenomena M devoid forms that are <)ustA clarity and appearance itself.
<HEA When you have become mindful that the aggregate factors of experience, the element sources, the
cognitive stimulators, and so on, are, in pure <formA, the five <BuddhaA families, then through the
generation stage <practicesA, the samsaric world of appearances becomes a single mandala. 9ou )oin bodies
to deities, speech to mantras, and remembrances and <otherA conceptual thoughts to emanating and
reabsorbing <deep awareness+ so thatA in the end, <allA deceptive appearances are regarded as a Buddha
field.
<H@A With the complete stage <practicesA, everything is made to enter into the sphere of the actual nature <of
all thingsA and clear light mind beyond all thought. <To accomplish this,A through yoga <practicesA dealing
with the energychannels, energywinds, and creative energydrops, the energywinds and the mind <are
madeA serviceable and the sphere <of voidnessA and deep awareness are con)oined. The pathway mind of
the great seal, mahamudra, which is <thisA indivisible unified pair, is the resultant $a)rayana vehicle of
mind of secret mantra.
"he 6nsurpassale *ath$ay Mind of D7ogchen
<HFA The unsurpassable vehicle of mind of the supremely secret great completeness, dzogchen, connects
you directly with the sphere that spontaneously establishes <all appearancesA. %n the sphere of the basis,
which is unchanging like space, <the appearances ofA all good *ualities are spontaneously established like
the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars. Because <their appearances areA spontaneously established
from the depths, without need for being sought, <this isA a pathway of mind with a functional nature of
being straightforward, making no effort or exertion.
<HGA The mandala of the sphere of the clear light mind is unaffected. %t is the naturally abiding 1harmakaya
<a :orpus (ncompassing (verythingA, the intended point <of the BuddhasD teachingsA, which is e*ually <in
everyoneA. 3aving stable realization <of itA is <to haveA the supreme <correctA view of the abiding nature <of
all thingsA.
<HHA .n the sphere that is <primallyA pure, the clouds of fleeting obscurations <causeA deceptive appearances
<to arise onA the limited minds of wandering beings. While not truly existing, yet through their nevertheless
appearing, the three planes <of samsaric existenceA and the six classes <of wandering beingsA are
perpetuated. But whatever appears, at the time of its appearing is not <trulyA established on the deepest
level. 2ike the sky and the clouds <in itA, it is merely appearing <dependently onA fleeting circumstances.
<Therefore, as the appearances ofA uncontrollably recurring samsaric existence are interpolations+ <when
you realizeA their defining characteristic, they stop.
<HIA <%n other words,A Jwhile not <trulyA existing, <the phenomena of samsaraA nevertheless appearK <means
that,A being void by their own essential nature, void appearances are not <trueA phenomena. They are like a
blur, falling hairs <seen by someone with cataractA, a dream, a mirage, or a conch perceived as yellow <by
someone with )aundiceA. &t the very time of their appearing in whatever way <they may appearA, they can
never be <validlyA experienced as being <trulyA established. They are without a basis, without a support, and
without an <actualA beginning, middle, or end. ;now that, by functional nature, they are pure from the start.
<H?A :oncerning <allA phenomena like this M the samsaric world of appearances7 environments and their
inhabitants M there are no <trueA cognitive ob)ects to be taken. They are like magical emanations or visual
apparitions. &nd there are no <trueA limited minds to cognitively take them <as ob)ects. &ll isA pure like
empty space. <'inceA there is no <trueA pair7 cognitive ob)ects to be taken and <limited mindsA that
cognitively take them, samsara has never been <validlyA experienced as being <trulyA existent. 2iberate
<yourselfA by knowing that <samsaraA is an appearance of what doesnDt <trulyA exist and has the functional
nature of being deceptive.
<H>A Because the appearances of things to be abandoned or adopted, causes, effects, and circumstances
naturally purify themselves away, know that, on the deepest level, their abiding nature is beyond cause and
effect. The basis support for this <natural purificationA is pure awareness, rigpa, the <deepestA bodhichitta
mind. The sphere of <naturallyA released nirvana, the great spontaneous establisher <of all appearances M
this isA the deepest truth, pure from the start.
<ILA %n other words, with an identitynature of being without a beginning and without an end, <pure
awarenessA is the clear light mind in its selfnature M profound, stilled, and parted from mental fabrication.
%t is <the deep awarenessA naturally abiding from the depths, a stainless 1harmakaya :orpus (ncompassing
(verything. %t abides as an essential nature, without shifting or changing over the three times.
<I=A This is the sphere of the basis, the diamondstrong va)ra essence. %n other words, whoever has stable
realization of that <pure awarenessA has the <correctA view itself of the abiding nature+ and, with
interpolation and repudiation stilled, has stable realization of it as the heartessence of the deepest level.
Cultivating a Correct Vie$ of D7ogchen in Meditation
<IEA 'tainless meditation, <doneA within a state of stable realization of the heartessence of the clear light
mind, is parted from mental dullness, flightiness of mind, and mental fabrication. %t is without distraction,
parted from the dualistic mind, and extremely expansive. %n other words, it is completely pure like the sky,
without restriction or selective bias, beyond all thought, expression, and imagination.
Cultivating Correct 5ehavior 5ased on the D7ogchen Vie$
<I@A &s for behavior, whatever appears has no true <existenceA7 it purifies itself away. <Thus, concerningA
internal <limited mindsA taking <ob)ectsA, any that dawn naturally liberate themselves <by automatically
dissolving. &nd concerningA external <ob)ectsA cognitively taken, they are like a dream or an illusion. .n
the deepest level, there isnDt the pair, and <soA act without adopting or discarding.
Recapitulation of D7ogchen
<IFA Regarding <limited mindsA taking <ob)ects, ob)ectsA cognitively taken, disturbing emotions and
attitudes, negation and affirmation phenomena M in arising, they are automatically liberating themselves.
<That is to say,A with knowing their functional nature, <you know that they automaticallyA liberate
themselves. With their liberating themselves, then within a state of e*uality in 1harmakaya, complete from
the depths, there is no need to seek a nirvana from having an abandonment of samsara.
<IGA Whatever <cognitive ob)ectsA appear, they are mirrors revealing the deepest <levelA. Whatever <limited
mindsA dawn, <that cognitively take themA, know that they automatically liberate themselves. They are the
effulgent display of a 1harmakaya. 2ike water and waves, they have a singular support in 1harmakaya.
This is the <BuddhasDA intended point concerning the ultimate level, the very summit of views, the great
completeness, dzogchen.
+ummary
<IHA %n short, whoever practices in any of these ways, <know thatA grasping for an impossible J soulK
automatically liberates itself and disturbing emotions and attitudes purify away in the sphere <of voidnessA.
Being skilled in the pathways of acting with <theseA methods in all <situationsA is taught as <the way forA
having the pathway minds eliminate confusion.
<IIA ,ay all beings, without exception, cross the ocean of compulsive existence by means of the precious
great ship of <theseA ways of the 1harma like that, and, on the supreme island of a stilled state of precious
liberation, behold a ban*uet of an untainted stilling and bliss.
This <concludesA the third chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes of (Gampopa, J3aving the
#athway ,inds (liminate :onfusion.K
( Purifying 'onfusion into Deep A#areness
*rovisional *uri8cation
<I?A 0ext is purifying your confusion into deep awareness. .f the stages for <thisA point, the provisional
and ultimate, the first is the provisional <purification, dealing withA the time <when you haveA a pathway of
mind of practicing <to actualize the goalA. By familiarising yourself by means of profound methods,
whatever disturbing emotions arise totally purify into the sphere <of deep awarenessA. To make manifest
<the underlyingA deep awareness which is the natural clarity <of the mindA is called "purifying conceptual
thoughts of confusion into the sphere of deep awareness."
<I>A That <provisional stageA can be divided into shared, special, and unsurpassable <methodsA according to
the methods on which you rely. <These are respectivelyA cleansing away <the confusion of disturbing
emotionsA with their antidotes+ transforming <themA with methods+ and having them purify into the sphere
<of deep awarenessA without <need forA abandoning them, <sinceA they automatically liberate themselves in
their own place. Regardless of how you train with whichever <methodA you like, stopping <the disturbing
emotionsA comes to the same point as the disturbing emotions <automaticallyA purifying themselves.
<?LA When you recognise the natural ground for the arising of longing desire, hostility, naivety, pride, and
)ealousy, <you see thatA they automatically settle and automatically liberate themselves, purifying into the
five aspects of deep awareness. This is called Jprovisionally purifying the confusion of the five poisonous
emotions into the <fiveA ma)or deep awarenessesK M analytic, mirrorlike, sphere of reality, e*ualising, and
accomplishing.
6ltimate *uri8cation
<?=A The ultimate <purificationA is the parting of <allA fleeting stains from the source. %n other words, when
you discover the purified state that is stilled and parted from any speck <of defilementA, you make manifest
the functional nature of the sphere )ust as it is and discover the deep awareness of the three (nlightening
:orpuses of a Buddha as being of one taste in 1harmakaya. <ThisA is called the :orpus of the 'phere
#ossessing 1ouble #urity. %t is not a cognitive ob)ect <knowableA by anyone other than the Triumphant
<BuddhasA themselves.
<?EA The three (nlightening :orpuses <of a BuddhaA, namely a :orpus (ncompassing (verything
<1harmakayaA, a :orpus of -ull 4se <'ambhogakayaA, and a :orpus of (manations <0irmanakayaA,
together with deep awareness, are incorporated into a :orpus of (ssential 0ature <'vabhavakayaA, which is
static, allpervasive, unaffected, and without shift or change.
<?@A %t remains in the sphere of 1harmakaya, which is a wishfulfilling gem, and, within that state of its
real nature, its 1eep &wareness :orpus of (nlightening %nfluence, as a glittering play of :orpuses of -ull
4se and of (manations, appears <respectivelyA to those with <arya bodhisattvaA levels of bhumimind and to
other wandering beings.
<?FA -urther, it appears like that from the purifying <powerA of the combination of the strengths of the
enlightening inspiration of the Triumphant .nes and the positive force of the disciples to be tamed.
Because <of that purifying power, the attainment ofA the enlightening influence <of a BuddhaA fulfilling the
hopes <of all limited beingsA, like a wishgranting tree or gem, without any break for as long as compulsive
existence endures M this is called Jthe <ultimateA purification of confusion into deep awareness.K
<?GA ,ay the sevenhorsedrawn <sunA, which is the heartessence of the profound meaning <explainedA like
that, shed thousands of lightrays of its various words and their meanings on the world of disciples through
the pathway of the sky of their minds and clear away the darkness of unawareness from all wandering
beings.
This <concludesA the fourth chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (of Gampopa, J#urifying
:onfusion into 1eep &wareness.K
Author)s 'olophon
<?HA This spread of a ban*uet <laid outA for the sake of both myself and others from the magnificent
mansion of the broad intelligence of these <1harmaA methods, and garnished with a lavish amount of
hearing, thinking and meditating, has been arranged in accordance with the meaning of the sutras, tantras,
and heartessence *uintessence teachings.
<?IA By the constructive <forceA of this, may % and all wandering beings level the mountain of compulsive
samsaric existence in this lifetime and attain a supreme purified state that is stilled and parted from any
speck <of defilementA. ,ay we become Buddhas, completely fulfilling the aims of both ourselves and
others.
<??A &nd then in a land beautified with expansive snowmountains of clear meaning, may <the sun of ourA
lustrous good *ualities, which extends to the limit of <allA directions, highlight the heartessence points on
the precious gems of the scriptures and <therebyA bring )oy to the masses of people with belief in whatDs
fact.
This work, called J& #recious 8arland for the -our Themes <of 8ampopaA,K has been composed by the
yogi of the 'upreme $ehicle, ;unkyen 0gaggiwangpo <2ongchen Rab)ampaA, illumined by the crystal
moon in the magnificent mansion of 'amantabhadra in a garden called J& :loud of -lowersK on the slopes
of 2imestone ,ountain and completed in one sitting.
,ay a rain of great bliss fall for all times and in all directions as in the <goldenA age of a complete eon,
granting everything hoped for in everyoneDs wishes.
Pages #ith *imilar 'ontent+
The Gour Themes of Eampopa as Presented in @rugpa Kag"u )" Padmaarpo
Cahamudra $liminating the @arness of Dna!areness L Part Gour: $nhancing 6our
Practice
Ho! Eampopa -eached His /piritual 'ttainments
The Ca.or Gacets of @Fogchen
$oin %s in trying to benefit others&
!%pport o%r 'or()
This website relies completely on donations. %ts maintenance, preparation of the remaining ILO of our
planned material, and further translating is costly. &lthough we currently have ?L volunteers, E@ essential
team members re*uire payment. 3elp us raise the =LL,LLL euros <4' P=GL,LLLA re*uired each year to
continue providing our website free of charge.
Reaching O%r *oal +,-./
Page 0ontents
Prologue
1 Having the Cind Eo to!ard the @harma
o Precious Human -e)irth
o @eath and +mpermanence
o The /hortcomings of /amsara
o @eveloping a /tilled and /ettled /tate of /hamatha
& Having the @harma Gunction as a Path!a" of Cind
o The Necessit" for Having the @harma Gunction as a Path!a" of Cind
o $ntrusting 6ourself to /piritual Centors
o @eveloping -enunciation
o @eveloping a Bodhicitta 'im
3 Having the Path!a" Cinds $liminate 4onfusion
o The /hared Caha"ana Path!a" of Cind
o The /pecial Caha"ana Path!a" of Cind
o The Dnsurpassa)le Path!a" Cind of @Fogchen
o 4ultivating a 4orrect Bie! of @Fogchen in Ceditation
o 4ultivating 4orrect Behavior Based on the @Fogchen Bie!
o -ecapitulation of @Fogchen
o /ummar"
1 Purif"ing 4onfusion into @eep '!areness
o Provisional Puri*cation
o Dltimate Puri*cation
'uthorMs 4olophon
,he Nine Vehi%les
We hear about different levels of tantra practice. &nd in general in 0yingma we speak of nine vehicles.
What does vehicle mean/ %tDs a vehicle of mind+ it is a level of working with the mind to bring us
somewhere, like a vehicle. .f these nine, the first three are dealing with basic sutra level, and then there are
six tantra levels.
"he +utra Vehicles
'o in terms of sutra we have whatDs called the shravaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva vehicles.
"he +hrava!a Vehicle
& shravaka is a JlistenerK to the teachings. These are people who either listened directly to Buddha or to
teachers who followed Buddha. &nd they are aiming for their own liberation from uncontrollably recurring
rebirth, samsara. &nd this is a small vehicle, or modest vehicle M thatDs the word !ina"ana M because the
goal is modest+ itDs for their own liberation. .f course they develop love and compassion M you canDt
achieve anything without love and compassion M so we shouldnDt think that they donDt have that, and we
shouldnDt think that theyDre selfish either. %tDs )ust that their goal is small, )ust their own liberation. 'o what
they need to overcome for that is the confusion about how they themselves exist.
"he *ratye!auddha Vehicle
#ratyekabuddhas are those who live in the times when there are no Buddhas and no Buddha teachings
available, so they have to rely on instincts from previous lives in order to practice the Buddhist path. They
donDt have teachers.
ThereDs confusion here because some people think that7 J.h, % can study without a teacher, % can practice
without a teacher, like a pratyekabuddhaK now. But teachers are available now. The teachings are available.
&nd although we might have instincts from previous lives, 1harma instincts, so intuitively we have some
understanding, we still need teachers. That intuitive understanding usually manifests as what some people
call the Jof courseK test of 1harma. The intuitive understanding manifests in the form of when we hear a
teaching, we say, J.f course. .f course that makes sense.K ThatDs an indication that we have heard this
before M J.f courseK M and weDre )ust being reminded. But we shouldnDt think that we can only rely on
intuitive understanding. This is a mistake. The teachers are living examples of what it is that we are trying
to attain, and so their living example is very, very inspiring, and itDs that inspiration which drives us, which
gives us the energy to work to achieve this ourselves.
The Tibetans have a very good saying7 JThe best teacher is the teacher who lives three valleys away.K The
teacher who lives three valleys away you donDt see very often. 9ou have to go over big high mountain
passes to get to this teacher, or for them to come to you, so you donDt see them all the time, which means
that you donDt see shortcomings in them. 9ou see them in an optimal situation, and this helps you to always
focus on their good *ualities and get inspiration from that. 'o if you only have teachers coming here a few
times a year, donDt complain about that. That actually is helpful. %f they were here all the time, you would
find a lot of faults in them.
'o, anyway, pratyekabuddhas are these very brave beings who live in these dark ages when nothing is
available. &nd they also work )ust for their own liberation+ even if they wanted to teach, nobody would be
receptive.
"he 5odhisattva Vehicle
&nd then the bodhisattva vehicle, those who work for enlightenment to benefit all beings, but without this
additional practice of imagining themselves already in the form of a Buddha.
"he "antra Vehicles
9riya "antra# Charya "antra# and 4oga "antra
0ow in terms of tantra, we have first of all kriya tantra, then charya tantra, then yoga tantra. When we hear
in the 0ew 'chools M ;agyu, 'akya, and 8elug M about four classes of tantra, these three classes <kriya,
charya, and yogaA are the first three classes of the four class division. These are systems of tantra practice
in which youDre not actually aiming to activate and gain access to rigpa M youDre still working with grosser
levels of mind M but as tantra youDre working with imagining yourself in the form of a Buddha.
;riya tantra emphasizes external, ritual behavior. 'o this is our usual Tara and :henrezig and ,an)ushri
type of practice. ThereDs a special diet that you have. ThereDs special practices of keeping clean. These type
of ritual practices.
:harya tantra, the second class, has a combination of these rituals and more internal practice.
&nd yoga tantra has much more emphasis on the internal practices, but with a lot of mudras, these hand
gestures, a tremendous amount of them, and *uite complex mandalas. & mandala is a system of all these
different deities.
&nd like the bodhisattva path, the bodhisattva vehicle, the result of Bthis pinnacle ofC these three vehicles is
enlightenment. 'o not only getting rid of the obscurations M whatDs called the emotional obscurations M
concerning the self, which you need to gain liberation <the shravaka or pratyekabuddhaA, but also whatDs
called the cognitive obscurations regarding how everything exists. .kay, so all of this brings you to
enlightenment.
Benera)le Khenpo Karma Namg"al

Instructions on
-,he ,hirty.*een Pra%ti%es of a /o!hisatta01
composed y Ng:lchu "hogme

+nstructions presented at Karma Thesum Tashi 4hNling in Ham)urg, @ecem)er &??<

Introduction

Thank you for coming here and taking your time for my talk. % hope it will not be boring for you. Before
beginning, let us recite #The $hort Dor%e Chang &ineage Pra"er' together.

%n Tibetan Buddhism, #The () Practices of a *odhisatt+aK is a very popular text when it comes to gaining
understanding and practicing. 'ome of you might know it better than me and some of you are new. %t wonDt
be possible to go through the entire text during this short seminar, so % will talk about a few important
points.

#The () Practices of a *odhisatt+a' was composed by Thogme, which is his traditional short name. 3is
full name is 0gQlchu Thogme, 0gQlchu being the name of the village he came from. 'ometimes he is
called 8yRlsrR Thogme, rG",l-sr, meaning JBodhisattva.K %f he came from 8ermany and wrote a text like
this these days maybe he would be called J8erman ThogmeK like that. % think he had another name, but
Thogme was his nickname. %t means Jno obstacles.K 3e was called like that because he was very well
known throughout Tibet for his ability to answer difficult *uestions, so we could translate his name as
meaning Jno problem.K 3e was not only very intelligent and a great scholar, but he was a real Bodhisattva
practitioner. 3e summarized the main points of a BodhisattvaDs practice in this short and very
comprehensible text. When % read it, % recognize the main points of the Buddhist teachings on the activities
of a Bodhisattva as taught in the #*odhichar"a+atara-' which was composed by the %ndian ,aster
'hantideva. % donDt think one can practice all points in oneDs life, but it will be very beneficial to practice
the one or the other point that one thinks is good and easy.

There is a story about how 0gQlchu Thogme practiced that % really like. &ctually, there were many masters
in Tibet and % cannot tell all their stories. %n -ebruary ELLI 3is 3oliness 8yalwa ;armapa visited 1rubten
#emo 6alpay 8atsal, the newly constructed Tilokpur 0uns! ,onastery near 1haramsala in 3imachal
#radesh. 1uring his visit, 3is 3oliness taught # The @I #ractices of a Bodhisattva. ' % was there and could
listen to him for three or four days. % cannot repeat everything he said, but % really like the story that % heard
from him and want to share with you.

0gQlchu Thogme was a monk and of course stayed in a monastery. &lready a great master who had many
good students, while outside the monastery one day he ran into a beggar, who was wearing the traditional
Tibetan warm cloak made of sheep fur, but it was filled with lice. % donDt know whether Westerners have
experience with lice or not.
Translator7 J9ou get them at school.K
;henpo7 % was rich with lice when % was a child in the monastery % had many. The beggar that Thogme
met had an uncountable number of lice in his clothes and got sick because he was undernourished. Thogme
had great compassion for the beggar, gave him his cloak, and took his clothes. 3e couldnDt throw the lice
ridden clothes away, because he knew that the lice would die of hunger. 3e wore the clothes so that they
could feed on him and he got seriously ill. When % get a little sick, my first thought is to go to the doctor.
But Thogme didnDt want any medicine. 3is students asked him to throw the clothes away. 3e told them,
JWe are making wishing prayers to take on all suffering of sentient beings and to give them all our
happiness. Why should % take medicine when % actually have the chance to practice/K 'lowly the lice
disappeared and he recovered. 'o we see that he was an author who didnDt )ust study and imitate others, but
he practiced and meant what he wrote, that it will really help us to practice.

% can say that this is the most popular text in Tibet. There are the traditions of ;agyQ, 'akya, 0yingma, and
8elug, and not every lineage studies what another lineage teaches is good. But disciples of every lineage
study and practice # The @I #ractices of a Bodhisattva. ' % heard that anybody who wants to become a
student of ;henpo Tsultrim 8yatso Rinpoche must recite it =LLL times.
Translator7 J9es, they must recite it a lot.K

-,he ,hirty.*een Pra%ti%es of a /o!hisatta1
)" NgOlchu Thogme

J0amo 2okeshvaraya.
To the .ne who sees that all phenomena neither come nor go
&nd who seeks only to benefit all beings,
To the supreme 2ama and #rotector :henrezig
: ontinually % pay homage in respect with body, speech, and mind. <aA

The perfect Buddhas, who are the source of benefit and bliss,
&rise from having fully accomplished the genuine 1harma.
'ince this depends upon knowing the practices,
% will explain the practices of Bodhisattvas.K <bA

The first verse is the homage and the second describes the purpose of writing this text. %t is the tradition in
Buddhism to offer a prayer to oneDs teacher before beginning to compose a text. The prayer Thogme wrote
is to the Bodhisattva of 2ove and :ompassion, who is :henrezig. The second verse explains the purpose
for writing the text. %tDs impossible to attain Buddhahood without taking the Bodhisattva vows and without
engaging in the practices of a Bodhisattva, so Thogme stated that he wrote the text so that disciples know
what to practice.

The Practices

J0ow having the great vessel of leisure and resources, difficult to find,
To free yourself and others from the ocean of samsara,
1ay and night without break
To listen, reflect, and meditate is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <=A

The first practice, described in the first verse, is to receive the teachings, to contemplate, and to meditate
them. &t school one is taught to study and reflect what one has learned, but % donDt think that the practices
of a Bodhisattva are taught at school. % think that if one wants to practice, one needs to know how to
meditate and that study and meditation need to be practiced together. % think itDs important to receive
instructions from a *ualified teacher who can really explain what to meditate before one begins. % donDt
think one can follow a master in the same way that 6etsQn ,ilarepa followed 2otsawa ,arpa. % also donDt
think that itDs good to learn to meditate in reliance on books that one found in a bookshop or library,
although itDs better than nothing. %f one really wants to attain fruition, one needs to be introduced to
meditation by someone who practiced *uite well. % remember an incident ,ingyur Rinpoche told that
happened here two years ago. 3e said he went to a park and saw a man flapping his arms like an eagle. 3e
approached the man and asked him, J(xcuse me. What are you doing/K The man answered, J%Dm
meditating.K ,ingyur Rinpoche asked him, JWhat kind of meditation are you doing/K The man replied,
J'hamata.K 3e was a bit surprised and asked the man, JWhat kind of 'hamata are you doing/K The man
told him that he was practicing one of the sevenfold postures he had read about in a book, that the arms
should be like the wings of an eagle about to soar into the sky, so he was doing that. There can be many
misunderstandings from reading. 2et me tell an example that is like a )oke. %tDs about how to eat food that is
in the monkDs bowl.

%t is taught that monks should not handle the food they take out of the monkDs bowl as though they were
fashioning a 'tupa with their hands. & monk read about this in a book. 3e probably isnDt a good teacher.
(ven if he is a good teacher, he misunderstood what he read because every time he ate, he fashioned the
food like a 'tupa before putting it in his mouth. 3e was asked why he did that and answered that he had
read about it in books. % remember another story. There are many small monks in my monastery. .ne little
monk gets a headache *uite often and learned about pain pills. .ne day he found an old ladyDs medicine
that he took when he had a headache. 3e fell asleep and hardly woke up again.

.ne needs a good teacher who one learns from by listening to him. .ne must check the teachings for
oneself by contemplating them. % donDt think listening and contemplating alone will be very helpful,
though. %f one meditates what one has learned, then one achieves a result. %f one practices all three aspects
together listening, reflecting, and meditating M, then one will feel better, one will have more trust, be more
interested in the practice, and one will have less doubts about what one is doing. % donDt think that one will
gain any results from only studying the teachings. 'ometimes % feel that one knows a lot by studying but
doesnDt have experiences because one doesnDt practice. .ne can only have good feelings if one practices.
.ne will be more interested and do more and more if one has a good feeling and then oneDs practice will
develop nicely. Therefore, listening, reflecting, and meditating the teachings is the first practice of a
Bodhisattva. %f one practices the three steps for oneDs own benefit, then it wonDt be the practice of a
Bodhisattva. Therefore, before one begins, one should think that one will practice so that all living beings
become free of suffering.

%n #The Aspiration Pra"er of .ahamudra-' the Third 8yalwa ;armapa, Rang)ung 1or)e, also tells us7
J2istening to scriptures and reasonings frees us from the obscurations of ignorance. Reflecting on the key
instructions van*uishes the darkness of doubt. ,editationDs light illuminates the true nature )ust as it is.
,ay the brilliance of the three wisdoms spread.K % think itDs very important to take this verse to heart. 2ha)e
8ampopa also taught that one needs to practice listening, contemplating, and meditating together.
'ometimes students leave big gaps between them. % can talk from my own experiences7 1uring my
monastic education % always thought, J0ow itDs time to study.K #ractitioners in a threeyear retreat think
studying is inferior to meditating, which is a mistake. &fter having completed my studies, % didnDt have
time to do the threeyear retreat because % worked at the school in the monastery. ;nowing that it is
possible to engage in the three aspects of practice together anywhere, % followed 8ampopaDs advice. 'ome
people go into a threeyear retreat or think they are meditating without having studied, but they donDt know
what kind of meditation they did. %f they study what they did in retreat afterwards, it is not good. % think
they meditated too early, so there are people who meditate too early and there are people who meditate too
late. %f one knows from the beginning that the three aspects need to be practiced together, then everything
will be fine.

3is 3oliness the 8yalwa ;armapa is really taking the three aspects of practice seriously. ,any elderly,
uneducated people attended a speech that he presented in Bodhgaya in either ELL= or ELLE and he told
them, J9ou must study a little bit.K %f one hasnDt studied the teachings, one cannot feel the experiences one
has when one meditates. %n the West, % am always saying that one doesnDt have to become a Buddhist
academic and one doesnDt need to follow strict rules and regulations, rather one needs to learn, ask
*uestions, practice, and check if the results accord with the teachings if not, one waits and does it another
time.

&t this point % would like to add a fourth point to the teachings that are an impetus to practice correctly.
.ne imagines being a patient suffering from an illness or disease and thinks that the 2ama is the doctor and
the 1harma is the medicine one needs to take in order to get well. But medicine doesnDt always taste good
because it is often bitter, and oneDs doctorDs advice isnDt always pleasant to hear because he might tell one
not to eat oneDs favourite food and not to drink the beverage one likes the most. % donDt think one can
recover from a sickness if one doesnDt listen to the doctor and doesnDt take the medicine he prescribes,
whereas one can feel better by listening to the doctor and taking the medicine. When one has recovered and
sees the doctor again, one feels happy and says to him, JThank you very muchK this is the fourth point. %
think everyone has experienced situations like this. % experience it every morning when % wake up and have
to remember to practice the 1harma. 2ike that, there is advice in every teaching, )ust like the advice a
mama and papa give their child when it does nonsense. When one reads a lot, one often gets m/de, Jtired,K
and wishes the author would have come to the end sooner. %f one wants to recover from an illness, one
should listen to oneDs doctor and take the medicine. When one feels better and better, it wonDt be necessary
to follow oneDs doctorDs advice. %f one doesnDt feel better, maybe one received wrong instructions, i.e.,
medicine, and therefore something is wrong. %f one received correct instructions or read the right books,
one will feel less disappointed.

The second practice is7

JTowards friends, attachment churns like water.
Towards enemies, hatred burns like fire.
1ark with ignorance that forgets what to adopt and re)ect,
To give up this homeland is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <EA

What is JhomelandK in 8erman/
Translator7 J!eimat. 0aterland is not so good.K
;henpo7 -atherland. %f you read the above verse you might think that giving up your fatherland and going
somewhere else is the practice of a Bodhisattva. There is no instruction in this short line, so it can be
misunderstood *uite easily. %f one only reads it, one might think that giving up oneDs fatherland is the
practice of a Bodhisattva, which would be very easy. %n that case, % would be engaging in the practice
because % have been away from my fatherland for more than EL years now and could boast, J6ust look at
me5 %Dm a Bodhisattva practitioner5K The fourth line in the second instruction does not speak about that
kind of fatherland, pha-"/l, Jhomeland.K Pha-"/l refers to the place where one lived for a long time. % lived
in my homeland for a long time, so % know many things about it. But homeland in this context means oneDs
n"1n-mong- oneDs Jnegative, disturbing emotions.K The negative mental and emotional defilements are our
homeland we have been staying there for many, many years. (veryone needs to see for themselves. &s
long as one is still living in the homeland of oneDs disturbing emotions, itDs very hard to accept that one is
ignorant and to understand what is described in the first two lines of the above verse, which state7 JTowards
friends, attachment churns like water. Towards enemies, hatred burns like fire.K % donDt think one can get
out of oneDs homeland all at once. %tDs necessary to look at oneself and see in which disturbing emotion one
has been staying the longest. %f one realizes that one has spent many hours living in anger, then one needs
to try to get out of that emotion a little bit. % donDt think one can get out all at once.

The main point of Buddhist practice is trying to get out of negative emotions. Buddhism teaches that all
suffering and pain come from negative emotions, so Buddhist practice is always aimed at directly or
indirectly dispelling oneDs disturbing emotions. When one reduces oneDs negative emotions, inner peace
automatically arises M this is the nature. %tDs not due to Buddhism or because of someoneDs declaration that
the nature of fire is heat and that snow is cold. .ne of my habits is watching wrestling matches on T.$.
They are broadcast for E hours twice a week. % know itDs )ust entertainment and % en)oy watching all the
acting going on, but % noticed that % was spending too much time watching. % decided to get rid of my T.$.
and do something else instead. %f % go somewhere else and have the chance to watch wrestling matches on
T.$., then % do, but % donDt watch in my room anymore. %tDs okay to have a special interest that has nothing
to do with nonsense.

#eople need to work in order to survive. They have no money, no life, no 1harma if they donDt work.
0agar)una explained in one text that one will not be healthy if one doesnDt get enough sleep and doesnDt
nourish oneself correctly. % notice that if % have no .ittagessen, Jlunch,K then % start shaking and my
1harma practice is gone because % only think about food. %f one knows that one needs to get enough sleep
and must eat properly so that one can practice the 1harma, then sleeping and eating are also 1harma
practices. % think in the West you have to think that if you have no work, then you have no money+ if you
have no money, then you have no livelihood+ if you have no livelihood, then itDs difficult to practice the
1harma. 1aily obligations become 1harma practices if you think like that.

% think itDs very important to look inwards. %f one finds oneDs homeland, itDs very important to try to get out.
% donDt think % can finish the entire text this weekend, but if you read the text and ask *uestions, then % can
answer. %f you donDt ask *uestions, then % canDt answer.

The third verse instructs us to rely on solitude. %t is 7

J&bandoning negative places, kleshas gradually decrease.
With no distractions, virtuous activity naturally grows.
Through a clear mind, certainty in the 1harma rises.
To rely on solitude is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <@A

The Tibetan term translated as JsolitudeK is dben-pa and means Jto retreat,K but it doesnDt mean leaving
house and home and living in utter solitude. &s it is, oneDs body and mind are overly active. .ne is busy all
day satisfying oneDs physical needs and running after rather useless ideas that one has. .f course, everyone
has obligations and responsibilities that they need to live up to, but it would be good to spend a little time
each day refraining from useless activities and engaging in virtuous activities that benefit oneself and
everyone else. 2iving oneDs life that way is what to rely on solitude means.

%tDs very hard for a beginner to deal with negative emotions+ itD all the more difficult to dispel them
completely. 'eeing that one cannot remove oneDs 2leshas <the 'anskrit term for Jnegative emotionsKA that
easily, especially not all at once, itDs advisable to stay away from the ob)ects that give rise to oneDs mind
poisons, i.e., to rely on solitude by staying away from useless things and not wasting oneDs time with them.

2ooking at oneDs mind is the best way of going into solitude. %f one investigates well, one will discover that
oneDs mind determines everything one does with oneDs body and speech, therefore it would be good to be
mindful and aware of any useless thought the moment it arises. %f one notices oneDs thoughts, refrains from
following after useless ones, and gives rise to benevolent thoughts instead, oneDs negative thoughts will
automatically be cleansed. %t would be useless living in the forest or in a cave on a mountain and looking at
towns or cities in the distance, wondering what people are doing, how they are driving their cars, etc., as
long as one doesnDt take care of oneD mind. ThereDs no difference between staying in the city and living in a
cave as long as oneDs mind moves around oneDs body would only be staying in a different place, while
oneDs mind would be the same. % donDt think a beginner can always check his mind, but % think it would be
the best solitude to make a schedule and to do 'hamata meditation or a 'adhana practice for a while every
day and during that time not to run after thoughts that one has. -inding solitude through any other means is
very difficult M we will never find it. .ne needs to find solitude in oneDs own mind and not outside oneself.

%t would be good to get away from mundane concerns and daily distractions by seeking the peace of
solitude for a short while regularly. The aim of practice is to overcome oneDs mind poisons, which isnDt
possible right away, but weakening them by abiding in peace as often as possible is a means to pacify oneDs
aversion, greed, etc. 0egative thoughts arise in con)unction with ob)ects that one perceived, i.e., one
apprehended an ob)ect before one became angry or greedy, etc. %n the absence of an ob)ect that causes one
to become angry, anger will not arise and one will feel peace. 9et, itDs very hard finding a place where oneDs
negative emotions arenDt present. % donDt think that there is a place where oneDs mind poisons arenDt present
too. But one might feel good if one gets there, so the best thing to do is to learn to control oneDs mind.

2et me repeat that oneDs mind is pivotal. %f one doesnDt train and control oneDs mind and lets it run rampant,
then any practice one does will be extremely difficult, for example, one could think of other things and let
oneDs mind roam around while reciting the 'adhana of 0oble :henrezig. %tDs indispensable to hold oneDs
mind in onepointed concentration while engaging in any practice, instead of remaining trapped in
constant, uncontrolled thoughts and ideas. .f course, the environment is important. %t can be very helpful
to visit a 1harma :enter regularly in order to get away from the stress that everyday life brings on and in
order to abstain from negative physical activities. .ne experiences peace when one refrains from giving in
to distractions. The main point is that everyone needs to control their own mind themselves and to practice
that. Trying to hold oneDs mind on whatever one is doing, without giving in to distractions, is a very
important and good practice.

The next practice of a Bodhisattva is explained in the fourth verse, which is7

J:lose friends and relatives separate+
Wealth gained with effort is lost+
The guest, consciousness, leaves its lodging, the body, behind+
To let go of this life is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <FA

% think one can manage the other practices a little bit, i.e., one can stay away from ob)ects that cause one to
give rise to the mind poisons and, instead, be *uiet by doing 'hamata meditation. But giving up thinking
about this life is difficult. %t isnDt even nice hearing about it, because everybody wants to en)oy life. -or
example, somebody who really likes eating meat wonDt like hearing a doctor say that itDs necessary to give
it up, and it wonDt be easy. %f one thinks about it carefully, though, one will know that itDs important to
become a good practitioner. 'omebody who lets go of this life will be a really good practitioner and will
not be in need of advice, because they will automatically do what is right. % think this practice is difficult,
because usually oneDs mind is busy doing things for this life and wishing for more and more things. %f one
contemplates the first three lines of the fourth verse well, then it will be easier to not only think about this
life.

The fourth verse speaks about impermanence. %t will be easier giving up oneDs attachment to this life if one
tries to really understand that everything is impermanent and that nothing lasts.
Suestion7 J%Dve been living in a very isolated place in 8reece for a long time and therefore experience the
noise and calamity in 8ermany as excruciating, especially during the :hristmas season. 3ow can % deal
with this/ % also try to keep away from my family, my children and grandchildren too, but one is always
condemned in the West if one does, so itDs not easy. ,aybe itDs easier to let go in the (ast. 1o you have any
suggestions/K
;henpo7 There is a story. 'hould % tell it/
Translator7 J9es.K
;henpo7 %n ancient times there was a kingdom with one king M of course, one king. 3is astrologer told him
that it would rain heavily in a weekDs time and anybody who drank the rainwater would go mad. 3e told
the king, JTake care.K The king took lots of care that the rain would not fall into his well. 3e could take
care but others couldnDt, so they drank the rainwater and everybody except the king went mad. Whoever
saw him said that the king was mad, because everybody else was the same. 'ince the king was not the same
as everybody else, he really got into trouble. #eople pointed at him and said, JThe king is mad.K 'o, he
drank the water. %Dm not suggesting that you drink that water, but it would be important not to act in a
manner that causes others to think one is mad. % think that nothing can upset one if one is careful. % also
think that this story is very helpful.

We are human beings and we all have negative emotions, so our activities are similar. %f we see somebody
who got out of the place of the mind poisons by having overcome them and who only has positive
emotions, we would think that this person is mad. %f we do our best and even if we cannot help others, the
persons in our environment will imitate us inasmuch as they think about it.

%tDs hard for me to answer your *uestion concerning your family, because %Dm far away from family life, but
%Dve seen many people use their life to become rich and stay healthy for the sake of their relatives, without
being concerned about themselves. 'ome people do dangerous work or commit crimes so that their family
prospers. % think itDs okay to stay in touch with oneDs family and to help them in a good way, but % donDt
think itDs good to help them go in a wrong way. Buddhist teachings again and again remind us of karma, so
if one does something bad for the sake of oneDs relatives, one creates bad karma for oneself. %n #A &etter to
a Friend-' 0agar)una wrote7 J1onDt engage in bad karma, even for the sake of your family. Try to survive
by doing good.K % canDt decide whether itDs good or bad for you to have stronger contact with your relatives,
but % think that itDs always good to stay in touch with people in a good way.

%tDs very important to reflect the deep meaning of the first three lines of the fourth verse, which will help
one to give up oneDs strong involvement with this life only and to become more interested in practicing for
the benefit of lasting peace. % think itDs very important to learn to live alone. % neednDt discuss death, seeing
everyone knows that one day they will go alone % donDt think that anybody will go along when one goes.
%f one thinks about it, one will look for a friend when one is alone.

There are many practices taught in Buddhism that state it is necessary to be alone. The instructions above
belong to 'utrayana and are an introduction, whereas $a)rayana teaches methods that one practices during
life in order to know what to do when one dies. 1eath is only a concept about the end of the inhalation and
exhalation of oneDs body, but oneDs mind continues. The *uestion is, what happens to the mind after oneDs
body dies/ %Dm )ust talking about it a little bit, so you can find out for yourself.

The first line of the fourth verse concerns letting go of oneDs friends and relatives, the second line oneDs
possessions, and the third line oneDs body. .ne is most strongly concerned about oneDs body. 'ome people
work a whole life long to become rich, but they must drop everything when their life ends. 9et, the
strongest impulse one has is to care for oneDs body. .ne identifies with the five skandhas, which are t he
five aspects that comprise the physical and mental constituents of a sentient being7 physical form,
sensations, conceptions, formations, and consciousnesses. .ne identifies with and is extremely attached to
the first skandha, oneDs physical form, thinking and saying, JThatDs me5K &s a result, one has wants and
needs and can become obsessed by thoughts such as, J% must take care of my body. % need this and % need
everything % can get my hands on for my body.K %tDs more than difficult, if not impossible, to mature
spiritually as long as one is obsessed by such thoughts. %t would be very helpful to reflect that the body one
points to and identifies as, JThatDs me5 ThatDs most important5 ThatDs the most valuable thing5K in truth is a
collection of atoms, molecules, etc. .ne should ask oneself, %s it worth spending so much time and effort
on such an aggregation of particles/ :ontemplating in this way is a method to weaken oneDs attachment to
oneDs physical form.

%f one realizes that thereDs more to life than oneDs body, one will be more interested in making preparations
for oneDs future life. .f course, itDs important to appreciate oneDs body and one should take care of it
because it is a means to ac*uire provisions for oneDs future. This topic is dealt with in greater detail later on
in the text, but at this stage one is instructed to see oneDs body as a guesthouse for oneDs mind. .ne has
moved into the guesthouse, oneDs body, has been residing in it as a guest for a while and feels comfortable,
but one will leave it behind on the day that one continues oneDs )ourney. .ne cannot stay M everyone has to
go. :ontemplating in this way inspires one to make best use of the time one spends in the guesthouse and
to meet preparations to attain a precious human body in oneDs next life so that one can practice the 1harma.
%t would be very helpful to become accustomed to living oneDs life as a guest, which is possible if one has a
profound understanding of impermanence. &ll three factors described in the fourth verse M oneDs friends
and relatives, oneDs possessions and wealth, and oneDs body M are impermanent and only last for a short
while. (veryone sees this in their own life, because everyone looks different today than they did when they
were young.
'tudent7 JWe ourselves are examples of impermanence.K
;henpo7 9es.

& method to give up oneDs attachment to oneDs body is to realize that this is not the only life that one has,
rather that this life is connected to oneDs past and future lives and that oneDs actions in this life determine
oneDs future life. %f one is aware of the law of cause and effect, one wonDt invest oneDs entire energy in
satisfying oneDs present life that is transitory, but one will do anything beneficial with oneDs future life in
mind. .ne can see this for oneself. ,aybe you have met or heard about Tul2us, Jreincarnate saints and
sages,K who show us the conse*uences of having led a meaningful past life. They inspire us to let go of
only being concerned about this life.

The fifth verse of #The () Practices of a *odhisatt+a' instructs one to stay away from bad friends and is7

J&ssociate with bad friends and the three poisons grow+
2istening, reflecting, and meditating degenerate+
2oving kindness and compassion are destroyed.
To cast off such friends is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <GA

The term JBuddhistK was translated into Tibetan as nang-pa, which means Jinwards.K %tDs very important to
know this so that one remembers to turn oneDs attention inside and not outside oneself. %f one can manage
oneDs inner life, then experiences related to outer appearances will be all right.

4sually one is very involved with what takes place outside oneself, e.g., one complains about people who
may be speaking badly about one. (ven being concerned about someone who speaks kindly about one is
looking outside oneself. .ne needs to look inwards and recognize whether someone isnDt a good friend. %tDs
not necessary to tell that person, J9ou are a bad friend. -rom now on we are not friends anymore.K .ne
needs to look inwards, discover if someone is a bad friend, and deal with the situation from that angle. That
is the only way to give up bad friends.

% donDt think an advanced practitioner needs to worry about having good or bad friends, but beginners and
intermediate students need to stay away from people who have a negative influence on them. -or instance,
if one partner in a relationship makes prostrations wholeheartedly, his or her friend or spouse will
eventually want to make prostrations too. -or example, % cook for myself because % need spicy food, so my
friends and colleagues have become used to it. They didnDt eat what % served them at first, but now they do.
There are two ;henpos who are my friends. They were like Westerners and couldnDt eat chilli. We stayed
together many years. .ne friend is unbelievable M in the meantime he takes the chilli directly from his plate
and eats it before he starts with the meal. % am most powerful among my friends when it comes to chilli.
3ad they been more powerful, maybe they would have influenced me to give it up. 2ike this, oneDs habits
depend upon the people one associates with. % think many of you have experienced that your teenage
children are very difficult to control if they are around friends who like to drink and go to the disco. % have
seen them stop listening to their parents, who only kept on shouting. 'o, everything depends upon oneDs
friends. The fifth verse does not mention alcohol and things like that, but says that bad friends are those
persons who cause oneDs negative emotions to increase. #ractice means trying to weaken and control oneDs
negative emotions, and one must do this oneself. ThatDs the best way to give up bad friends. %f one
succeeds, then those persons who cause problems will follow oneDs example, but it depends upon who is
more powerful. % think that if one can train oneDs mind, it will be easy to influence others.

% have a friend in %ndia % have known for many years. 3e is a little bit lazy. 3e went to another monastery
where the monks study a lot. We asked him, JWhy did you change to a monastery where you have to get up
so early in the morning/K 3e replied, J% feel ashamed sleeping longer when everybody else gets up so early
to study.K

The fifth verse instructs that itDs necessary to give up bad friends and it might sound like it isnDt really
important. But itDs really meaningful if one thinks about it. 'o many people are wasting their lives by being
around bad friends. %tDs often too late when they realize that they have gone the wrong way. % think it will
be very helpful to take the fifth verse to heart. .f course it will help M itDs the practice of a Bodhisattva.

JRely on your spiritual friend and defects disappear+
Sualities increase like the waxing moon.
To care for this friend
,ore than your own body is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <HA

The sixth practice is relying on oneDs spiritual teacher or friend and doing what he says. &s mentioned, the
teacher is like a doctor. %f the medicine he prescribes can cure diseases, then one should follow his advice
and take it when one is sick. %n the same way, if one feels that daybyday oneDs faults decrease and oneDs
*ualities increase because one is close to oneDs spiritual friend and does what he says, then one should not
lose touch but continue relying on him. 'uffering arises due to wrongdoings, but one cannot recognize
them because one always thinks, JWhat %Dm doing is right5K & good spiritual teacher will tell his disciples,
J0o, you are doing wrong.K 3e will instruct one, JThis is right and that is wrong.K %t will show in time that
he is right. %s the translation Jspiritual friendK okay/
Translator7 J9es.K
;henpo7 %n Tibetan we say J2ama.K

& practitioner can go the right way and not the wrong way if he follows the advice of his spiritual friend.
-or Westerners, going through the empty point is very difficult. %t was very difficult for me to even cross
the street when % first came to (urope from &sia. %t was very confusing for me to know when % could cross
and when it was forbidden. %n &sia, we donDt care about red lights but stay out of the way when a car
comes. 3ere there are rules and regulations, but sometimes % forget. 2ast year % saw the red light but
wanted to cross the street anyway. 'omeone grabbed and stopped me, because it was very dangerous. %
donDt know if my health insurance will work if % do nonsense and am hit by a speeding car. 2ike that,
assuming that one is going the right way, 1harma gets hold of one when one goes the wrong way. % think
one is always in ignorance as long as one has not reached Buddhahood and doesnDt know the nature of
samsara. 0ow % see that what % believed in when % was => or EL years old was not true. 'o % think itDs very
important to listen to oneDs spiritual teacher and to do what he says.

-inding a good spiritual teacher isnDt easy. Before one becomes committed, itDs very important to check
whether someone is an authentic teacher or not. %tDs dangerous thinking someone who is not good is a
spiritual friend and to follow him one would land where he is if one followed him. Buddhism again and
again teaches that one must follow a spiritual teacher in order to practice correctly. % think everyone needs
to check for themselves, though, because % canDt say who is a good spiritual teacher or that % am a good
spiritual teacher. % think everyone has to check whether attending a specific spiritual teacher diminishes
their mind poisons and increases their good *ualities or not. %f one notices that it is the case, then that is a
spiritual teacher or a 1harma friend. %f one notices that it is not the case, one needs to search for another
teacher or make wishing prayers. :oncluding #The Dor%e Chang &ineage Pra"er' is the wishing prayer
one recites, which is in all lifetimes never to be separated from oneDs perfect 2ama and the glorious
1harma and to become like oneDs 2ama.

&t fruition, oneDs isnDt different than oneDs spiritual 1harma friend presently one is. -or example, now %
can go to the city of 3amburg by myself and without a map. When % first came here, % didnDt even try going
alone. % )ust went with friends who know the city and looked at the map. 0ow itDs no problem M % donDt get
lost in the )ungle anymore, so donDt worry about me. %Dll make it back to the 1harma :enter. 2ike that, until
one can see the true nature oneself, one needs to rely on a 1harma teacher who is a friend and on the
1harma books that are like a map. &s long as one canDt go by oneself, one needs friends.

JBound themselves in the prison of samsara,
Who could worldly gods protect/
Therefore, to go for refuge to the Three 6ewels
Who will not deceive you is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <IA

The seventh verse deals with 3uflucht, Jrefuge.K %Dm sure you know about Tuflucht and the Three 6ewels,
so % neednDt explain them in detail here. %n this verse, 0gQlchu Thogme explained why one takes refuge in
the Three 6ewels in a very short way.

,any rich people, especially in the West, donDt feel that they need to take refuge because they have
everything to en)oy their life. But taking refuge is seeking help to get out of samsara. %Dm not speaking for
everyone, because % was born into a Buddhist family. ,y father was a Buddhist. % donDt remember if my
mother was, because she passed away when % was very young. &s a child, they told me to do prostrations. %
didnDt know why % was taking refuge then but )ust followed the advice that % received. % can say, though,
that in the West all of you are taking refuge in the Three 6ewels because you have realized that there is a
reason, so % really appreciate you for this.

%f one wants to get out of samsara that is marked by much suffering, then there is no other refuge than the
Three 6ewels M itDs the only way. %Dm not saying this because %Dm a Buddhist. The BuddhaDs teachings
seemed like a law or dogma to me when % was => and EL, and % thought that if one follows them, then the
result will be like that, and if one doesnDt follow them, then the result will not be like that. 'o, % believed
what % was taught and )ust went on. &fter having studied more, % was able to compare philosophies and saw
that the BuddhaDs teachings only arose from the way things are, e.g., that all oneDs actions have a result and
that every result accords with its cause, i.e., positive actions lead to wellbeing and happiness and negative
actions lead to suffering, which isnDt a matter of faith but accords with how things arise and appear. %n that
way, the Buddha didnDt make demands, saying, J9ou must follow me5K Rather, the Buddha showed how
things are and how they appear and, having demonstrated the path, everyone is free to find out for
themselves if his words are true or not. Therefore, by studying his exemplary life and the lives of his
disciples, who attained the result and were thus able to die consciously, one will gain certainty and have
deep devotion for the truth of the words that 2ord Buddha spoke. %f one studies the life stories of the saints
and sages, one will notice that their lives affect one.

%tDs very important to understand that the Buddha isnDt like a mighty god reigning over the universe and
who frees living beings from the ocean of suffering. This isnDt his responsibility and nobody can do it
anyway. 2ord Buddha is the teacher who shows disciples how to work at freeing themselves from samsara.
%f one practices introspection, investigates whether the BuddhaDs words are true, and realizes that his
teachings are valid, one will have gained certainty and have profound devotion for the truth of the
BuddhaDs teachings. Those are the two ob)ects of refuge, the Buddha being the teacher and the 1harma
being his teachings. The third aspect of refuge is all adepts who followed and follow the teachings of the
Buddha, achieved the results, and are therefore friends one can rely on while one is on the way.

0gQlchu Thogme mentioned gods in the above verse. % think it depends on the country. %n 0epal, for
instance, many people make offerings to a being they believe in and call JgodK and who they take refuge
in. &ctually, people in small 3imalayan villages believe in many confusing things+ in Bhutan too. % think
they feel helped temporarily, but there certainly is no god who can remove oneDs suffering. % have never
been in Tibet, but %Dm sure that there are people living there who believe in mountain spirits and take refuge
in them. They work very hard all year to be able to make offerings to a spirit they believe in and trust. %n
%ndia, too, people believe in spirits and gods. Buddhist literature speaks of gods and teaches that they are
also in samsara, in the godsD realm of conditioned existence. The teachings say that some gods live
thousands and thousands of years and have the power to share their health and wealth with others, but only
if they are happy. %t is said that they can disturb us if they arenDt happy. %n any case, the longliving beings
cannot show how to get out of samsara, because they are still in samsara themselves. Tibetan scriptures
bring the example of swimming. &ctually, % can swim in the bathtub but not in a pool, river, or lake. The
example is that someone who cannot swim canDt save somebody who is drowning+ should someone who
cannot swim )ump into the river and try to save somebody who is being swept away by the current of a
river, they would both drown. %f % were to be drowning, % would need somebody who can really swim to
take over and save me. % tried to swim in a pool in 8ermany and drank a lot of water. %t was good in
1enmark, because they put salt in the pool, so it tasted a little bit like Tibetan tea.

3uman beings can live to the age of HL, IL, ?L, or >L. %n comparison, cats or dogs have a short life and one
knows about their lives when they die. %n the same way, longliving gods or spirits know a few things about
us, but they really donDt know how to get out of samsara. ThatDs why 0gQlchu Thogme reminded
practitioners that the Three 6ewels never cheat, that they are unfailing and nondeceptive. 3e instructed
disciples that taking refuge in the Three 6ewels is the right way M it is the right place to take refuge.

% already mentioned that itDs important to check if the view is true or not. Belief is also good M itDs better
than nothing , but itDs best to check and follow. .therwise one will have doubts, and dealing with doubts is
not easy anymore. .ne will be fearful as long as oneDs doubts arenDt dispelled. -or example, when % walk
through places that % donDt know, %Dm afraid as long as %Dm not sure whether % will arrive where % wanted to
go. %f one checks and knows the way to the place one wants to go, one will have no doubts, go without fear,
and get to the right place. 'o % think that itDs very important to follow the instructions that are given in the
first verse to listen, to reflect, and to meditate.

%f, after having investigated well, one has gained certainty that the Three 6ewels are the true refuge and
seeks refuge in them with sincere trust and devotion, then one connects with them by making prostrations
and reciting #The 4efuge Pra"er-' which is7 J4ntil % awaken, % take refuge in the Buddha, 1harma, and the
'upreme &ssembly.K .ne establishes a firm connection with the Three 6ewels by again and again
re*uesting their protection and help, until one has attained freedom from samsara. J4ntil awakeningK
means that one takes refuge in the Three 6ewels with the innermost wish to uphold oneDs connection
throughout all lives that one knows one will need in order to accomplish the result. The two strengths
addressed in this prayer are the strength of oneDs trust and devotion and the strength of the ob)ects of refuge
that are reliable, stable, and constant, until one has awakened to Buddhahood.

J'uffering in the lower realms, so difficult to bear,
Results from negative actions, thus the Buddha taught.
'o even at the risk of your life,
To avoid all negative actions is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <?A

The eighth practice of a Bodhisattva concerns 2arma, the 'anskrit term for the principle that every action
has a result, translated as l,s in Tibetan. 3ow is l,s translated into (nglish/
Translator7 J&ction.K
;henpo7 There are many religions and therefore varying views in the world. 3aving unwavering trust in
karma is paramount to Buddhism. Therefore, the highest view that a beginner needs to have is to
understand karma correctly and to know that any suffering or happiness one experiences is due to oneDs
own actions. There are many religions in %ndia that teach its followers that they must turn to a god of their
faith who gives them happiness or takes away their suffering and pain. 2ord Buddha stated clearly that no
god can wash away anybodyDs suffering or give anybody happiness. 3e taught that every individual is
responsible for his or her own experiences, i.e., oneDs experiences solely depend upon oneDs actions. %f one
engages in virtuous activities, one will experience happiness+ if one engages in nonvirtuous activities, one
will experience suffering and pain.

3indus say that a god of the %ndian pantheon created all living beings and the world. &dherents of other
religions living in other countries, for instance &rabians, say their god is the creator. $illagers of small (ast
%ndian territories say another god is the creator. Westerners do not know about 3indu deities but say that
living beings and the world were created by their god. (ven though they are not associated with each other,
most peoples of the world believe that a god created everything. ,aybe the gods are the same, are brothers
and sisters M % donDt know.

%tDs important for a Buddhist disciple to gain certainty in the infallible law of cause and effect and to know
that everyone is responsible for himself or herself. -or instance, one will work hard to achieve a goal that
one has in mind and one knows that one wonDt achieve it as long as one sits back and doesnDt do anything.
4nderstanding karma is an impetus to do oneDs best to establish the conditions to overcome suffering and to
attain happiness.

We can see that, although they donDt work hard, things always go good for some people M they have a good
business, a good family, a good house, and so forth. We can also see that, although they work very, very
hard, nothing goes in the right way for some people and then we think that they arenDt doing the right
things. (verything depends upon oneDs past good and bad karma. (ven if one works hard but has a bad
karmic background, it will work but it will be difficult to attain oneDs goal. ThatDs why Buddhism teaches
disciples to purify negative karma and to create positive karma.

The Buddha offered teachings about the various kinds of suffering that living beings experience in samsara.
3e explained that very negative karma leads to one to experience the hell realms. 1oes hell truly exist/ %s it
possible to see the hell realms/ 0o. .ur apprehensions are reflections of our own past actions. 'omeone
who spent his entire life causing others much pain and harm will personally experience similar results that
others do not perceive.

'ometimes one reads books about karma or receives teachings on it, but believing in karma isnDt easy.
'ometimes our ears fail us when we hear Jkarma, karma, karma.K %tDs very difficult to believe, but in #The
5ords of ." Perfect Teacher' #atrul Rinpoche wrote that on the deathbed a person who has done bad and
was evil all life long is a good teacher of karma. .ne can hardly know what such persons go through, but %
have heard that they experience a lot of fear+ when they die, they see something terrifying that their
relatives or the nurses donDt see, point their finger into space, and say, J'omebody is coming.K %f hell
exists, everyone would be able to see it. But only somebody who has bad karma can see and feel the
suffering of hell. -or example, a thief automatically has lots of fear when caught by a policeman because
he knows he is at fault, whereas someone who knows they are not at fault isnDt afraid of the Polizei- Jthe
police.K .ne automatically feels afraid when one knows one is at fault.

There will be no place of suffering if one doesnDt have a bad karmic background. .n the other hand, % donDt
think that one will experience peace on account of the environment, even if one sits on an elegant chair in a
beautiful garden. When one has a headache, for example, one has it wherever one goes. 'uffering is with
one, even when one has a good blanket and sleeps in a nice bed. %n contrast, it doesnDt matter where one
lies down to sleep when one is happy and at peace. ThatDs why the Buddha saw that all suffering comes
from oneDs own bad karmic background and taught to try not to go that way.

%tDs not that easy winning certainty in the law of karma. %f one really believes in karma fully and not )ust on
and off, one would refrain from negative actions and engage in positive actions until they become a natural
habit. -or example, if % know that there is poison in this cup and that % will die if % drink it, then % donDt
think % will take a sip, even if someone offered me a good present. % donDt think you will drink poison
either, if you know. But if one doesnDt know, maybe one will drink from the cup. %n the same way, % donDt
think one will )ump to do negative actions if one really knows and trusts =LLO that negative karma is the
source of suffering. % can say that right now we believe in karma somewhat and havenDt fully given up
doing bad and always only doing good. -or example, 6etsQn ,ilarepa committed many bad things when he
was young he killed E> people. % donDt think he would have a chance to practice in these times but would
have to stay in )ail. %t was a different situation in Tibet during his times and he knew that he would suffer
immensely as a result of his actions. 3is only thought was to remove the conse*uences of his actions and
so he became a good practitioner. % think we will become very good practitioners if we believe in the law of
karma =LLO you could become a 8erman master.

%f you have time and want to learn more about karma, you can read #The 5ords of ." Perfect Teacher' by
#atrul Rinpoche or #The 6e7el 8rnament of &iberation' by 2ha)e 8ampopa. %f you want to learn more
than is explained in those excellent books, then you will find a very detailed and clear account in the
#Abhidharma2osha' by $asubandu.

%tDs hard to believe and understand that everyone creates their own karma. %tDs really hard to trust and
believe that one creates all appearances one apperceives. #racticing the 'adhana of 0oble :henrezig at the
1harma :enter together with others is a good method to remove bad karma.

J#leasures of the three realms are like dew on the tips of grass7
Their very nature is to evaporate instantly.
To strive for supreme liberation,
Which never changes, is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <>A

0obody likes to suffer. (ven though one has trust in the law of cause and effect and accumulates good
karma, nevertheless one makes wishing prayers to be in a good place, to be healthy and wealthy, to have
friends, and to have everything nice. .f course, itDs better than nothing, but itDs not good enough. %n the
ninth instruction, 0gQlchu Thogme tells us not to practice in order to achieve such aims, seeing any peace
and happiness that one has or wishes to attain while in samsara is impermanent M one day it will change.
The only purpose of oneDs practice should be to learn to get out of samsara, which is marked by suffering.

%tDs very important to know that everything depends on oneDs mind. %f oneDs mind is strong, one will do
everything to achieve freedom from suffering. 6ust like a businessman makes wishing prayers to overcome
problems and to make a good business, one makes wishing prayers to become free of suffering. .f course,
the businessmanDs wishes are better than nothing, but everything changes M rich people become poor and
forests burn down. .ne can clearly see how oneDs environment as well as how one changes, too. The ninth
verse tells us that any practice one does shouldnDt be carried out in order to attain transient satisfaction,
rather any practice one does should be done in order to attain reliable and lasting happiness and peace. %
think itDs very important to keep this in mind.

J-rom beginningless time my mothers have cared for me+
When they suffer, whatDs the point of my happiness/
Therefore, to liberate endless numbers of beings,
(ngendering Bodhicitta is the purpose of Bodhisattvas.K <=LA

When one realizes that itDs necessary to do what one can to attain lasting freedom from suffering, it would
be very limited and would not accord with the way of Bodhisattvas to think of oneself only. There are six
main practices of Bodhisattvas, known as Jthe six paramitas,K which are generosity, ethics, patience,
diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdomawareness. .ne couldnDt practice the paramitas and
accomplish fruition if one only has oneDs own wellbeing in mind. By knowing that achieving lasting
happiness and peace for oneself only is not enough, one gives rise to the vast motivation and engages in the
practices of Bodhisattvas with the welfare of other living beings in mind, which is having *odhicitta.
#racticing the six paramitas is a very effective and *uick method to cleanse oneDs obscuring negative
emotions and to accumulate merit and wisdom. 'ince one needs to have ac*uired skills in order to reliably
help others to a larger extent, at this stage one continuously develops and increases oneDs wish to put oneDs
motivation into action and then oneDs practice will be strong.

#racticing mind training is a very good method to put oneDs vast motivation into action. .ne imagines
taking on the suffering of others and giving them any happiness and wellbeing one has accomplished.
&gain and again practicing what is called Jexchanging self for othersK enhances oneDs Bodhicitta. Working
for oneself only renders minimal results, whereas working for othersD intensifies anything one does
immensely.

Buddhism always distinguishes between ordinary living beings, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. &n ordinary
being is said to be someone who has much selfcherishing and egoclinging. (veryone can check for
themselves where they presently are, whether they tend to be Bodhisattvas or are ordinary. .neDs state
depends upon and is created by oneDs own mind. 3aving intense egoclinging means that one does
whatever one does for oneself, for oneDs family and friends, and against oneDs enemies. 0o matter if he has
a title or not, whoever always thinks about himself or about those persons he thinks support his ego
clinging is an ordinary being. There are many titles in Tibet, Rinpoche, Tulku, etc., which are only names
if the mind has egoclinging, that person is an ordinary being. 'omebody who only thinks about other
living beings, who is only concerned about what he can do for others how to help them, how to make
others happy, how to help them become free from the suffering house and area they live in is a
Bodhisattva. & Bodhisattva doesnDt wear a uniform, because itDs all mind.

%t does happen that one ponders what good one can do for others but thinks that one canDt. %tDs also not easy
to do something for oneself M there are so many bills to pay. .ne thinks itDs scary to do things for others
and thinks that one canDt become a Bodhisattva who never hesitates to help others. 'uch thoughts come to
oneDs mind again and again. % donDt know what your mind is like, but % know that my mind is involved with
doing things for myself, for my future life. -or instance, we rush to the bathroom when we have stomach
pains, or we are in a hurry to find something to drink, or we run to the cafU when we are thirsty. We do so
much for ourselves. ThatDs the kind of mind we have had since beginningless time and have now if we
arenDt practicing the way of a Bodhisattva.

0gQlchu Thogme instructs us to again and again give rise to the wish to help others, to practice mind
training, and to exchange self for others. .f course, one begins by merely imagining that one gives
everything nice that one has to others and takes upon oneself anything negative that they experience. %f one
practices in this way, oneDs mind will slowly become purified. .f course, it isnDt possible to eliminate oneDs
longstanding habit of selfcherishing on the spot, but one can gradually weaken this ingrained, bad habit.
When oneDs selfcherishing and narrowmindedness have been overcome, then it isnDt hard to put oneDs
motivation to help others into action. #erforming wholesome activities is natural for Bodhisattvas.

.neDs tendencies to be greedy, to be angry, to be )ealousy, miserly, and so forth do not disappear when one
has a stable altruistic motivation but are strongly weakened. .ne will experience a great change in oneself
when one realizes that a hostile world, threatening enemies, and unpleasant situations one thinks exist
outside oneself are manifestations of oneDs own negative emotions and mind poisons. .ne will experience
more peace and happiness inasmuch as oneDs mind poisons have been weakened and pacified. .thers will
also be happy when they are helped, and thus problems will automatically diminish. The practice of
making prostrations while carrying out 0gVndro consists of taking refuge and cultivating Bodhicitta+
engaging in the practice is very helpful.

JThe source of all suffering is the pursuit of oneDs own happiness+
The source of perfect Buddhas M the intention to benefit others.
Therefore, to exchange completely your happiness
-or the suffering of others is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <==A

Bodhicitta has two aspects7 relative and ultimate. (ngaging in the practices of the first five paramitas,
which are being generous, developing patience, morality, diligence, and contemplative meditation, and
learning to exchange self for others are practices of relative Bodhicitta. What is the purpose or benefit of
cultivating relative Bodhicitta/ They are methods to realize ultimate Bodhicitta. %t isnDt possible to fully
eradicate oneDs negative emotions by engaging in the practices of relative Bodhicitta, but practicing them
weakens oneDs tendencies to give in to and to be overwhelmed by oneDs mind poisons as strongly as is the
case and thus to act negatively, creating causes for further suffering and pain. The benefits of cultivating
relative Bodhicitta are experiencing less suffering and more peace.

8enerally speaking, one develops relative Bodhicitta by engaging in the first five paramitas mentioned
above, but oneDs mind needs to have changed before one can. 3ow is this done/ .neDs mind needs to have
changed from selfcherishing to cherishing others more than oneself, which is accomplished by exchanging
self for others. .ne does this by not keeping anything nice one has accomplished for oneself but generously
gives it to others in exchange for their suffering. %tDs impossible for us to practice giving and taking in our
present state of mind, so itDs a meditative practice that one imagines doing again and again. By practicing in
this way and thus having pacified more and more mind poisons, oneDs mind becomes clearer and one
attains the stage of a Bodhisattva who, instead of being overwhelmed by mind poisons, is filled with )oy
when he actively benefits others. The happiness one experiences when one helps others, which is the
source of Buddhahood, is enough. When one helps others, one experiences happiness and peace. This is the
reason 'hantideva wrote in the #*odhichar"a+atara'7 Why strive to get the name JBuddhaK/ 2et me give
an example.

'ometimes % invite guests over for dinner. %snDt it so that one is happy when oneDs guests show that they
en)oyed the meal one cooked for them and that they thought it was lec2er, JtastyK/ .ne wouldnDt feel
comfortable if they refused eating what one cooked and sat at the table with an unhappy face. %n the same
way, % think Bodhisattvas are really happy when they see that others benefit from their activities. By the
way, the Tibetan word l,s-2a- which is pronounced )ust like the 8erman word lec2er, means Jwork.K % went
to a restaurant with friends when % was in Bhutan three years ago and in my dialogue made a remark about
the bald head of an %ndian man sitting near our table. % said, JWow, how shiny. & fly would slide off if it
landed on his head.K % noticed that he unfortunately understood what % said. % was careful as of then.
Translator7 J1id he laugh/K
;henpo7 0o. 3e stayed serious.

%tDs very important to understand the meaning of relative and ultimate Bodhicitta well. & detailed
explanation would take much time, which we donDt have because this is the last teaching during this
seminar.

& short explanation why it is important to know the significance of developing relative Bodhicitta7 .neDs
mind poisons will not be as dominant as they presently are and conse*uently, the more one practices, they
will pollute oneDs activities less and less. -urthermore, one will accumulate merit and wisdom by engaging
in the practices of relative Bodhicitta. &s a result, one will experience less suffering, have more happiness,
and one will achieve the stage of a Bodhisattva. & short explanation why it is important to know the
significance of developing ultimate Bodhicitta7 .neDs delusive ways of apperceiving appearances will be
uprooted. %n other words, oneDs deluded apprehensions that one creates due to erroneously believing and
clinging to a truly existing self, which is the source of samsara, are fully resolved when one realizes
ultimate Bodhicitta. %t will be impossible to completely uproot the source of samsara, which is the illusory
apprehension of appearances, as long as one hasnDt realized ultimate Bodhicitta. #erfecting both relative
and ultimate Bodhicitta support and enhance each other in that realizing the nature of reality enables one to
practice relative Bodhicitta better. Buddhahood will have been achieved when one has perfected both
aspects of Bodhicitta.

& short explanation of the three names for the three different states of the mind7 'omeone who is
dominated by the mind poisons and who has very strong egoclinging and selfcherishing is called Jan
ordinary being.K 'omeone who is moved by the altruistic motivation to benefit others is called Ja
Bodhisattva.K &nd somebody who has fully perfected the result of the path is called Ja Buddha.K

0ext to developing and increasing relative Bodhicitta, the purpose of our practice should be to realize as
best as we possibly can the e*uality of oneself and all living beings. Thinking one is better than others is
not at all )ustified, so one practices exchanging self with others through giving and taking, as discussed
above. 'eeing that the time at our disposal is running out, letDs )ump to verse EL.

J%f someone, in great desire, seizes all your wealth
.r makes another do so,
To dedicate body, resources, and all virtue of the three times
To this very person is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=EA

0ot having the least fault,
(ven though your head is severed by others,
.ut of compassion
To take on their negativity is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=@A

&lthough someone broadcasts throughout millions of universes
& legion of libel about you,
%n return, with a mind full of lovingkindness
To tell of their good *ualities is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=FA

&lthough in front of a huge gathering
'omeone speaks badly of you and exposes your hidden faults,
'eeing them as a spiritual friend,
To bow with respect is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=GA

&lthough another, cherished as your very child,
'ees you as an enemy,
2ike a mother whose child is gravely ill,
To love them even more is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=HA

&lthough a person, who is your e*ual or less,
Through pride seeks to defame you,
With respect as for a teacher,
To place them on your crown is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=IA

&lthough immersed in poverty and always scorned,
#lagued by grave illness and evil spirits too,
To take on yourself the negativities and suffering of all beings
Without losing heart is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=?A

&lthough famous with crowds bowing down,
&nd affluent as a god of wealth,
'eeing the riches of samsara as insubstantial,
To have no arrogance is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <=>A

0ot taming the enemy of your anger,
9ou seek to tame external enemies, and they simply multiply.
Therefore, with the army of loving kindness and compassion,
To tame your mindstream is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <ELA

% think that practicing patience is very important. While teaching here and in my monastery last year, %
spoke about patience and % am now trying to practice it more. &fter having written about taking and
sending, 0gQlchu Thogme taught a lot about practicing patience in #The () Practices of a *odhisatt+a9'
.ne lives in a community, in a family, at the office, at school, in a monastery we have to live with people
wherever we are. % can say that many problems arise if one doesnDt have patience. .ne isnDt happy when
one gives in to anger instead of being patient. % donDt like being angry either, but it comes with me. %f we
try to deal with anger, problems decrease. % think itDs very difficult to be in a community if one doesnDt try
to take care. % think we have to think about it again and again.

'hantideva presented a very good example about anger in the #*odhichar"a+atara9' 3e wrote that all
outer enemies will automatically dissolve if one tames one thing oneDs anger. .ne cannot van*uish each
enemy one has, but one can van*uish oneDs anger. 3e illustrated this by giving the example7 %tDs impossible
to protect oneDs feet by covering the entire stony earth with a carpet, but one can protect oneDs feet by
wearing shoes. 2ike that, one will see no more enemies when one has subdued oneDs anger. % think all of us
have experience with anger and know that a friend will see one as an enemy when he is angry, and then he
looks small and a little bit black, like something is wrong with him. .ne will feel like that when one is
angry and wherever one goes. %tDs a big problem if one goes ahead with oneDs anger when someone is
disturbing, instead of being patient. % think itDs very important to practice being patient. %Dm trying my best,
too, and canDt say that %Dm always patient, but % can say that the results are good if one is patient.

% will explain verses E= M E@ together, which talk about Anhaftung, JattachmentK M shen-chags in Tibetan.

J1esired ob)ects are like salt water M
The more you en)oy them, the more craving increases.
To give up instantly all things
That give rise to attachment is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <E=A

Things as they appear are your own mind+
-rom beginningless time, the mind itself is free of fabricated extremes.
;nowing this, not to be taken in by the features
.f sub)ect and ob)ect is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <EEA

When meditating with a pleasing ob)ect,
'ee it as a rainbow in summer M
& beautiful appearance, but not real.
To give up attachment is the practice of Bodhisattvas.K <E@A

'ince one has been accustomed to being desirous and greedy for an extremely long time, they are very hard
to give up. This also applies to the other mind poisons, such as )ealousy, pride, etc. %tDs helpful to look at
the ob)ects of oneDs mind poisons. The ob)ects of oneDs desire and greed are ob)ects one perceives with
oneDs sensory faculties and thinks are pleasant. .ne is attached to ob)ects one considers pleasant. %tDs easier
to diminish and overcome oneDs attachment by examining the nature of the ob)ects that one craves.
0gQlchu Thogme compared them with salt water and wrote in the E= st verse that )ust like oneDs thirst will
never be *uenched by drinking salt water, one will never get enough as long as one craves for things. .ne
should think about the things one craves for and critically examine how fleeting they are.

0gQlchu Thogme presented the really good example of a rainbow to illustrate the delusory nature of
ob)ects that one desires in the E@ rd verse, which is easy to understand. There needs to be a little bit of
sunshine and a little bit of rain for a rainbow to appear in the sky M it is very beautiful and consists of many
colors. .ne can see the rainbow, but nobody can catch it. & rainbow appears in dependence upon
conditions but has no substantial existence and therefore is not real. This applies to all sensory ob)ects that
one can see, taste, smell, hear, or touch with oneDs respective sensory faculty. &ll appearances are a
collection of many causes and conditions and have no substantial existence that one can grasp and cling to
because they are fleeting and transient. .ne has problems as long as one cannot deal with things as they
really are. .ne has a huge problem if one thinks one can go into town and buy a rainbow, for instance. %n
the same way, craving for sensory ob)ects that make one feel good is )ust as illusory and insatiable as
craving to possess a rainbow. Being attached to ob)ects that can never satisfy oneDs desires is a great
impediment, so it would be helpful to understand this.

#erfection of ultimate Bodhicitta is realization that nothing really exists. .ne remains bound in problems as
long as one is deluded by perceiving and apprehending nonexistent appearances as truly existent and as
long as one doesnDt realize that one apperceives delusively. 2iberation means seeing that oneDs delusions
are delusions and realizing that no phenomenon really exists the way one believes. 3aving gained
liberation, one will have overcome the problem that keeps one bound in samsara, which is attachment to
the illusion that things truly exist. %t would be very beneficial to try to perfect both aspects of Bodhicitta,
which support and enhance each other.

The main problem that needs to be solved in order to transcend suffering is attachment to the belief that
things truly exist. 1iscriminating wisdomawareness is the means to cut through the source of samsara,
which is clinging to the belief that an apprehending sub)ect and apprehended ob)ects really exist. The
methods to develop discriminating wisdomawareness are listening, reflecting, meditating, and relying on
the oral transmission instructions of our spiritual teacher and 2ama. &n intellectual understanding of
discriminating wisdomawareness will not suffice to van*uish oneDs fundamental belief in the true
existence <i.e., the inherent existenceA of a sub)ect and ob)ects, because oneDs belief that appearances and
experiences that one has apperceived for such a long time and continues perceiving truly exist is a deeply
ingrained habit. 9et, itDs very easy to give up oneDs attachment to a self and things one only needs to
realize that everything one apperceives is an illusory appearance.

:ommencing the empowerment on pointing out the true nature of the mind in the practice text of #The 4ed
Chenrezig $adhana-' a good example for the way one perceives delusively is given. %tDs a really good
example7 When the sun shines brightly and itDs very hot, maybe FL degrees or more, animals like deer get
very thirsty. -rom far away, deer and other animals perceive that the heated earth sparkles and they think
that it is water. They run and run to get to what they believe is water, but the mirage on the horizon will
always be the same far distance away from them as it was before they started running. &s long as thirsty
deer do not realize that the sparkling appearance on the horizon that they are running for is an illusion, they
will experience immense exhaustion and pain. When they realize that the mirage is only an illusion that has
caused them to err and thus stop craving for it, their suffering ends. %n the same way, when one realizes that
the deceptive appearances one believes in and is attached to are illusions, one wonDt experience the
suffering that arises from craving and chasing after things that donDt really exist and that one can never
catch or hold.

1reams are also good examples for the delusory way one perceives oneself and the world. .ne experiences
appearances that arise in oneDs dream )ust as vividly as one experiences appearances while awake. .ne
doesnDt react differently to things one perceives while dreaming and while waking, but one does realize that
the images one apprehended while dreaming are illusory and donDt truly exist when one wakes up.

% have noticed that one experiences many problems and much fighting in oneDs dreams. .ne needs to
realize that everything one did while dreaming is useless. % think that what we are doing is not different
than what we do while dreaming. What we think is very important. (ven if we cannot practice in this life,
giving rise to and cultivating the mind of Bodhicitta and making wishing prayers again and again are very
beneficial. &s taught in Buddhism, practice isnDt restricted to one or two lives. 'o % hope that one day we
will be able to go through the entire text, will engage in all thirtyseven practices of Bodhisattvas, and will
attain Buddhahood.

Thank you very much for sharing your time with me and for having given me the chance to talk in broken
(nglish a little bit here. Dan2esch1n, Jthank you.K

J1iverse sufferings are like the death of a child in a dream+
To take such delusions as real, how exhausting5
'o when you encounter difficult situations,
To see them as delusions is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <EFA

%f those aspiring to enlightenment give even their body away,
What need to mention external ob)ects/
Without hope of return or good results,
To be generous is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <EGA

%f lacking discipline, you cannot even benefit yourself,
Then wishing to benefit others is absurd.
Therefore, with no desire for samsara,
To maintain discipline is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <EHA

-or Bodhisattvas aspiring to a wealth of virtue,
&nything that harms is a treasury of )ewels.
0ever getting hostile or angry,
To be patient is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <EIA

%f 'hravakas and #ratyekabuddhas, practicing for their benefit alone,
Toil as if extinguishing a fire on their head,
(ven more so, for the benefit of beings to develop diligence,
The source of all *ualities, is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <E?A

;nowing that special insight meditation, fully settled in calm abiding,
$an*uishes every klesha,
To stay in a meditative concentration that perfectly transcends
The four formless ones, is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <E>A

'ince perfect enlightenment cannot be attained
When the five perfections lack superior knowledge,
To cultivate this knowledge, endowed with skilful means
&nd without conception of the three aspects is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@LA

0ot examining your own confusion,
9ou can act contrary to 1harma in a practitionerDs guise.
Therefore, always observing your own confusion,
To discard it is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@=A

%f Bodhisattvas, through the power of kleshas, speak of othersD faults,
They themselves will be diminished.
Therefore, not to mention the faults of those
Who have entered the ,ahayana path is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@EA

Through wanting gain and honor arguments arise+
&ctivities of listening, reflecting, and meditating decline.
Therefore, to give up attachment to the households
.f friends, relatives, and donors is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@@A

3arsh words disturb the minds of others
&nd mar a BodhisattvaDs conduct.
Therefore, to give up harsh words
0ot pleasing to others is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@FA

.nce habituated to kleshas, itDs difficult to counter them with remedies.
The noble being of mindfulness and alertness takes up the weapon of an antidote
&nd slays the kleshas of desire and all others
&s soon as they arise M such is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@GA

%n brief, wherever you are and whatever you do,
While staying continually mindful and
&lert to the state of your mind,
To benefit others is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@HA

'o that the suffering of limitless sentient beings may be cleared away,
With a superior knowledge permeated by threefold purity,
To dedicate towards enlightenment all virtues
8ained by this effort is the practice of Bodhisattvas. <@IA

-ollowing the meaning of the 'utras, Tantras, and treatises
&nd the teachings of genuine masters,
% have given these thirtyseven verses of a BodhisatttvaDs practice
-or the benefit of those who wish to train on the BodhisattvaDs path. <cA

'ince my intelligence is low and % am little trained,
The art of this text will not delight the scholars.
9et since these practices of a Bodhisattva are based on the 'utras
&nd teachings of genuine masters, % believe they are free of confusion. <dA

'ince an inferior intellect such as mine has difficulty fathoming
The great waves of a BodhisattvaDs activity,
% pray that genuine masters will be patient
With all the defects here M contradiction, incoherence, and so forth. <eA

Through the virtue arising from these verses
,ay all beings through supreme Bodhicitta, both relative and absolute,
Become like the protector :henrezig,
Who remains in neither extreme of samsaric existence nor nirvanic peace. <fA

-or the benefit of self and others, the monk Thogme, who teaches scripture and logic, composed these
verses at the #recious :ave of 0gQlchu.K
Instructions on
The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom
by the Third Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje

" 0ish to s-eak about the te#t entitled The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom
rNam-shes-ye-shes-byed-pa that 0as 0ritten by the Third .yal0a Karma-a4 @ang!ung 7or!e4 and 0ill
base my instru$tions on the $ommentary that 0as 0ritten by Jamgon Kongtrul <odrA Thaye the .reat4
entitled An Illumination of the Thoughts of Rangjung Dorje' The root te#t by the .yal0a Karma-a is short4
but it is ;uite 3ast and -rofound' There isnBt enough time at our dis-osal during this seminar to deal 0ith
the -rofundity of this te#t4 therefore " 0ill only -resent a summary'

The Third .lorious Karma-a 0rote t0o large and t0o smaller treatises' The longer treatises are The
rofound Inner !eaning and The Aspiration rayer for !ahamudraC the shorter te#ts are The Treatise that
Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom and A Teaching on the "ssence of the Tathagatas# the $uddha
Nature% "n The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom4 the Third .yal0a Karma-a
e#-lained the $ons$iousnesses on the one hand4 -rimordial 0isdom on the other4 and s-oke of their
differen$e'

Homage and Introduction

To demonstrate humility after ha3ing -aid homage 0ith the line4

I pay homage to all the !uddhas and
!odhisatt"as,#

@ang!ung 7or!e tells us the reason he $om-osed this te#t:

D" gained a thorough understanding through hearing the tea$hings and $ontem-lating them' " then
resided in solitude4 in order to engage in the -ro$ess of meditation' " shall des$ribe here the kind
(of realization) that arose at that time'E

He e#-lained $ons$iousness and 0isdom 3ery $learly and tells us that $ons$iousness a$$ords 0ith
samsara4 the $y$le of $onditioned e#isten$e4 and -rimordial 0isdom 0ith nir&ana4 the state of -erfe$t and
lasting -ea$e' Although different4 both $ons$iousness4 rnam-shes in Tibetan4 and -rimordial 0isdom4 ye-
shes4 ha3e the same basis' This means to say that the inade;ua$ies of $onditioned e#isten$e as 0ell as
the ;ualities of -erfe$t and lasting -ea$e arise from the 3ery same ground' Fhat is the basis that samsara
and nir3ana ha3e in $ommonG HneBs o0n mind4 0hi$h is oneBs Buddha nature 0ithin' Then 0hat is the
differen$e bet0een $ons$iousness and 0isdom4 i'e'4 samsara and nir3anaG ot kno0ing the 0ay the mind
abides and the 0ay it a--ears'

$art %ne& The 'ight (onsciousnesses

The mind as the source of delusion

The differen$e bet0een $ons$iousness and 0isdom is due to ma-rig-pa4 0hi$h is not kno0ing and
therefore being deluded as to ho0 the mind abides and $learly a--ears' ot kno0ing ho0 oneBs mind
abides4 gn's-lug4 and the manner in 0hi$h it a--ears gi3es rise to desire4 (d)d-chags4 0hi$h in turn
$auses one to de3elo- mind -oisons' 7ue to not kno0ing the true nature of oneBs o0n mind4 0hi$h is $lear
light4 all the habits and tenden$ies4 bag-chags# that one a$$umulates subside and are stored in oneBs
ground $ons$iousness' And so4 oneBs ground $ons$iousness4 *un-g+hi,i-rnam-par-shes-pa in Tibetan
(abbre3iated as *un-g+hi4 literally Dthe foundation of e3erythingE) is the storehouse of samsara in its
entirety'

ot kno0ing $auses one to gras-4 (d+in4 i'e'4 to $ling to the false notion one has of oneself' The
erroneous notion one has of oneself arises due to $on$ei3ing oneBs all9ground $ons$iousness as
a self4 thus falsely asserting D" am'E This -ro$ess o$$urs 3ia the defiled or affli$ted $ons$iousness4
nyon-mongs-pa,i-yid-*yi-rnam-par-shes-pa (abbre3iated as nyon-yid)' Based u-on the -o0er of
oneBs affli$ted $ons$iousness4 oneBs $on$e-tual mind4 sems in Tibetan4 immediately gras-s at
one or all of the fi3e -er$e-tions that one -er$ei3es 0ith any of oneBs fi3e sensory fa$ulties and
thus one be$omes in3ol3ed 0ith thought -ro$esses' ,ons$iousness of the fi3e sensory
-er$e-tions is a fa$ulty that arises 0hen one sees a form4 hears a sound4 smells a s$ent4 tastes4
and feels te#tures 0ith oneBs body'

The eight $olle$tions of $ons$iousness4 rnam-shes-tshogs-brgy'd4 are the all9ground
$ons$iousness (+) that is $onne$ted 0ith the defiled $ons$iousness (?)' Based on the defiled
$ons$iousness4 the mental $ons$iousness (>) is a$ti3ated the moment one -er$ei3es any of the
fi3e sensory -er$e-tions (2 I ))' The basis for the se3en $ons$iousnesses is the all9ground
$ons$iousness'

Hne shouldnBt think that one has many minds I oneBs mind is al0ays the same' Jet one
a--rehends -rogressi3ely and su$$essi3ely4 therefore there are 3arious le3els of a--rehension4
0hi$h are des$ribed in the tea$hings on the eight kinds of $ons$iousness'

The all9ground $ons$iousness is not a$ti3e4 rather it is the storehouse for all oneBs tra$es or
habitual -atterns a$$umulated through oneBs former a$tions' The all9ground $ons$iousness is the
state in 0hi$h oneBs karmi$ tra$es are a$$umulated and ha3e not been e#hausted' Karma and its
tra$es4 that are habitual -atterns4 arise due to the affli$ted $ons$iousness4 0hi$h is $onditioned
by oneBs foregoing $on$e-tual mind' Fhen oneBs habits and therefore karma are s-ent4 then
-rimordial 0isdom freely shines forth as the -ure and true nature of oneBs all9ground
$ons$iousness'

<etBs look at this -ro$ess using the follo0ing e#am-le: The affli$ted $ons$iousness hooks in to a
3isual sensory -er$e-tion the moment a 3isual organ -er$ei3es an ob!e$t' As a result4 the 3isual
$ons$iousness arises' HneBs si#th mental $ons$iousness immediately !um-s in and inter-rets and
!udges 0hether the 3isual -er$e-tion one has is -leasant4 un-leasant4 and so forth' 7ue to
!udging and $ategorizing (0ith oneBs si#th mental $ons$iousness) things that one -er$ei3es (0ith
oneBs first fi3e sensory $ons$iousnesses)4 one automati$ally feels attra$ted to s-e$ifi$ ob!e$ts and
re-elled by others4 and so attra$tion and re!e$tion arise in oneBs mind4 attra$tion to0ards those
things one likes and re!e$tion of those things one dislikes' Attra$tion gi3es rise to desire4 re!e$tion
gi3es rise to a3ersion4 and 9 due to 0anting things to be different 9 greed and hatred de3elo- in
oneBs mind' Hne $an ha3e a third rea$tion4 0hi$h is a kind of mental dullness' "n any $ase4 the
same -ro$ess a--lies to all sensory -er$e-tions4 i'e'4 0hen one thinks a sound one hears is
either -leasant or un-leasant4 one automati$ally de3elo-s desire or a3ersion res-e$ti3ely'

HneBs affli$ted $ons$iousness is stirred as soon as $onta$t 0ith a sensory ob!e$t takes -la$e4 i'e'4
one a$ts out the im-ulse as soon as one identifies and !udges things as -leasant or un-leasant
0ith oneBs $on$e-tual mind and then de3elo-s either desire and greed or a3ersion and anger'
This means that one 0ill do anything in oneBs might to kee- or get 0hat one 0ants and to a3oid or
eliminate anything one doesnBt 0ant' 5o$using oneBs attention on methods and means to
a$$om-lish oneBs aims and a$ting them out is $alled Dkarma'E

HneBs mental $ons$iousness sets the entire -ro$ess in motion4 0hile the tra$es of oneBs a$tions
that be$ome habits subside into oneBs all9ground $ons$iousness and arise again as im-ulses
0hen the all9ground $ons$iousness is stirred' /o4 itBs $lear that any a$tions one $arries out are
based u-on oneBs thoughts as to 0hat one thinks is good or bad4 -leasant or un-leasant' A$tions
lead to results that one ne$essarily e#-erien$es4 i'e'4 oneBs -ositi3e a$tions lead to ha--iness and
oneBs negati3e a$tions lead to suffering' Hne $an say that due to oneBs habitual -atterns or
karmi$ im-rints4 that are stored in oneBs all9ground $ons$iousness4 ha--iness and suffering are
e#-erien$ed' And this is ho0 samsara is $reated4 not due to one fa$tor only4 for instan$e4 not by
the ob!e$t that is -er$ei3ed and not by one $ons$iousness alone' @ather samsara is $reated due
to the $oming together of an a--rehending sub!e$t and a--rehended ob!e$ts' This 3ery $oming
together a$ti3ates oneBs stored karma4 i'e'4 habitual -atterns4 and leads one to a--rehend
a--earan$es the 0ay one does' HneBs e#-erien$es de-end u-on the ;uality of oneBs karma'

All outer a--earan$es one a--rehends do not truly e#ist4 but one turns them into truly e#isting
e#istents be$ause of the 0ay one thinks they are4 i'e'4 one erroneously a--rehends ob!e$ts of
-er$e-tion that ha3e no inherent e#isten$e as truly e#isting entities and rea$ts a$$ordingly' 5or
e#am-le4 if one takes the many li3ing beings in the si# realms of $onditioned e#isten$e to mind
and understands that they are entangled in samsara yet e#-erien$e a--earan$es differently4 one
$an then a$kno0ledge that manifold e#-erien$es are a sub!e$ti3e matter that a$$ord 0ith an
indi3idualBs mind and not 0ith a--earan$es as su$h' <etBs take 0ater to e#em-lify this: A human
being $he$ks if 0ater is dirty or -oisoned before he drinks it to ;uen$h his thirst4 0hereas a dog
!ust drinks it' A hell being e#-erien$es 0ater as boiling li;uid -oured o3er its entire body4 0hereas
a hungry ghost e#-erien$es it as -uss or blood4 so it is e3ident that one and the same ob!e$t is
e#-erien$ed ;uite differently by different kinds of beings' Another e#am-le that sho0s that
differen$es do not -ertain to a--earan$es4 rather de-end u-on an indi3idualBs mind4 is eating
habits: /ome -eo-le like s0eets4 0hile others $anBt stand it' The many different !udgments that
gi3e rise to the many different a--rehensions are due to the great 3ariety of karmi$ im-rints that
human beings ha3e'

"f one asks 0here the karmi$ -ro-ensities that are energies stored in oneBs ground
$ons$iousness $ome from4 it is im-ortant to kno0 that karma does not arise from one $ause and
one $ondition only4 but from a $ombination of many $auses and $onditions' The immense 3ariety
of karma one $olle$ts again and again is due to the $oming together of many $auses and
$onditions' "f one asks 0ho the busy $olle$tor is4 then itBs the mental $ons$iousness that
dis$riminates4 DThis is ni$e and that isnBt4E and so forth' The tra$es of all oneBs a$ti3ities subside
into oneBs ground $ons$iousness and are stored there' Knderstanding this -ro$ess enables one
to understand that samsara4 $onditioned e#isten$e4 is $reated by oneBs o0n mind4 i'e'4 samsara is
not $reated by anything outside oneself' Had the 0orld of a--earan$es been $reated by a $reator
outside oneself4 then the $reator 0ould ha3e needed to ha3e $reated many things4 for e#am-le4
-ure 0ater for human beings4 murky 0ater for dogs4 boiling 0ater for hell beings4 et$'

"t is $lear that e3ery li3ing being a--rehends -henomena sub!e$ti3ely4 0hi$h is due to e3eryoneBs
indi3idual a$$umulation of karma 9 li3ing beings $reate their o0n a--earan$es and e#-erien$es'
<etBs take -arents 0ho ha3e three $hildren4 lo3e them e;ually4 and treat them alike4 ne3ertheless
e3ery $hild 0ill mature differently' "t does ha--en that one $hild in the family be$omes a 3ery
res-e$table $itizen4 0hile another $hild turns out not so ni$e' E3eryone has an o0n destiny4
be$ause their former karma is stored in their ground $ons$iousness as energeti$ -ro-ensities
that mo3e their mental $ons$iousness to -er$ei3e and a--rehend sub!e$ti3ely and therefore
differently'

All a--earan$es that one -er$ei3es and a--rehends 0ere not $reated by anyone outside oneself'
A--earan$es donBt truly e#ist and are mind only' 5ollo0ers of the ,ittamatra /$hool tea$h that all
a--earan$es are refle$tions of oneBs o0n mind and that no outer -henomenon e#ists of its o0n
a$$ord'

Fhy does one s-eak about samsara4 (*hor-ba in TibetanG Be$ause the mental $ons$iousness
that is dri3en by the energy of oneBs karmi$ tra$es4 yid-*yi-bag-chags4 fun$tions and $auses one
to a$$umulate ne0 karma that again subsides into oneBs ground $ons$iousness4 lea3ing further
tra$es that determine oneBs future I and thatBs ho0 samsara $ontinues to $hurn and s-in around
in $ir$les' "f one asks oneself 0ho $reated samsara and in3estigates $arefully4 one dis$o3ers that
one $reates oneBs 0orld oneself through the $oming together of oneBs affli$ted se3enth
$ons$iousness 0ith the first fi3e sensory $ons$iousnesses4 0hi$h $ause oneBs si#th mental
$ons$iousness to differentiate bet0een -leasant and un-leasant feelings' This -ro$ess gi3es rise
to atta$hment and a3ersion' Atta$hment and a3ersion $ause one to a$t and therefore a$$umulate
karma4 0hi$h subsides into oneBs ground $ons$iousness as im-rints or karmi$ tra$es' These
energeti$ -ro-ensities or tra$es kee- the 0heel of samsara turning4 0hi$h is oneBs o0n life' "f one
understands this -ro$ess4 then one a--re$iates ho0 im-ortant 7harma -ra$ti$e really is 9 it
enables one to kno0 ho0 to sto- the $hain rea$tion that kee-s the inade;ua$ies of $onditioned
e#isten$e re3ol3ing'

/hould one engage in meditation -ra$ti$e4 it is 3ery im-ortant to kno0 0hy' Just sitting do0n and
meditating 0ithout kno0ing the -ur-ose is like shooting an arro0 at a distant goal into the
darkness of the night' "t is ne$essary to understand oneBs mind if one 0ishes to meditate
$orre$tly' "f one in3estigates ho0 the eight ty-es of $ons$iousness fun$tion4 one 0ill dis$o3er that
the fi3e sensory $ons$iousness are 3ery a$ti3e during the daytime I one sees4 hears4 tastes4
smells4 and tou$hes many things 0hile one is a0ake' HneBs si#th mental $ons$iousness
differentiates and e3aluates the im-ressions -er$ei3ed through oneBs sensory $ons$iousnesses'
Then the inner $hattering begins and goes on all day4 su$h as4 DHh4 today " sa0 su$h beautiful
things4E or4 D " sa0 su$h ugly things that " ne3er 0ant to see again4E or4 DHh4 today " heard su$h
ni$e things4E or4 Do4 " heard a0ful things that " ne3er 0ant to hear again4E and so forth' %indBs
a$ti3ities do not 3anish4 rather all !udgments and thoughts subside into oneBs ground
$ons$iousness and are stored there as habitual -atterns'

7uring the night4 0hen one is aslee-4 the fi3e sensory $ons$iousnesses are ina$ti3e4 0hereas the
mental $ons$iousness $ontinues remaining a$ti3e' Hne goes through 3arious -hases 0hile
aslee-: dream and dee-9slee- -hases in 0hi$h $ase one doesnBt dream' Fhen one dreams4
oneBs mental $ons$iousness a--ears illusi3ely' Hne doesnBt dream if the mental $ons$iousness
sinks into the ground $ons$iousness 0hile aslee-' And so4 the mental $ons$iousness goes
through three -hases: the 0aking -hase in 0hi$h oneBs mind is a$ti3ely in3ol3ed 0ith oneBs a$ti3e
sensory -er$e-tions4 the dream -hase in 0hi$h oneBs mind is a$ti3e 0ithout being in3ol3ed 0ith
oneBs ina$ti3e sensory -er$e-tions4 and the dee-9slee- -hase in 0hi$h oneBs mind sinks into
oneBs ground $ons$iousness' These three -hases are the stream of being that $hara$terize a
li3ing being'

Fhere is the mind lo$atedG /$ientists are struggling to -ro3e that it is lo$ated in the brainC others
say itBs in the heart4 but Buddhism tea$hes it $an ne3er be lo$ated' Fhile a0ake4 the sensory
$ons$iousnesses are 3ery a$ti3eC 0hen dreaming 0hile aslee-4 the mental $ons$iousness is 3ery
a$ti3e4 and 0hile in dee-9slee- the ground $ons$iousness is a$ti3e4 so one 0ill ne3er find that the
mind e#ists in a s-e$ifi$ lo$ation in the body' %indBs lo$ation is e#tremely fleeting4 for e#am-le4 if
0e see something that 0e really like but something hea3y falls on our knee4 then our mind
immediately s-rings from the ob!e$t 0e 0ere looking at to our knee' ThatBs ho0 it is4 so itBs good
to a--re$iate and a$kno0ledge that oneBs mental $ons$iousness4 oneBs mind4 isnBt seated in
oneBs brain or heart4 but is al0ays 0here one fo$uses oneBs attention or noti$es something
ha--ening' Fhen one meditates $orre$tly4 one em-loys the mental $ons$iousness4 turns it
in0ards4 and then it 0ill be lo$ated in oneBs heart'

A skilled -ra$titioner of $alm abiding meditation 0ill rea$h a stage at 0hi$h it is ne$essary to ask
0hether the mental $ons$iousness $an be found to e#ist any0here' "f a -ra$titioner is able to hold
his or her mental $ons$iousness in the heart and abides in ease4 instead of be$oming in3ol3ed
0ith sensory -er$e-tions4 then it is a sign of ha3ing a$$om-lished le3els of $alm abiding
meditation4 +hi-gn's' "t is im-ortant to meditate in order to rea$h this stage4 and it doesnBt really
matter 0hether one -ra$ti$es zhi9gnLs or deity 3isualization at this -oint' The -ur-ose of $alm
abiding meditation -ra$ti$e is to be able to hold oneBs mental $ons$iousness 0ithin and to abide
in an un0a3ering state of non9dis$ursi3e ease' As long as one isnBt able to kee- oneBs mental
$ons$iousness still4 one 0onBt be able to 3isualize $learly' Kno0ing ho0 oneBs $ons$iousnesses
e3ol3e and ho0 karma is $reated and a$$umulated is a su--ort and -rere;uisite so that oneBs
meditation -ra$ti$e is benefi$ial'

%editation -ra$ti$es are remedies to o3er$ome and relin;uish oneBs dis$ursi3eness' Hne $an
only a--ly a remedy if one has understood ho0 one fabri$ates thoughts' %editation leads to
attainment of Buddhahood4 at 0hi$h -oint oneBs ground $ons$iousness 0ill ha3e been em-tied of
all habitual -atterns that are tra$es of oneBs o0n karma'

/ummary: The root of $onditioned e#isten$e is the ground $ons$iousness' The mental
$ons$iousness a$$umulates and $olle$ts karma by $oming into $onta$t 0ith any of the fi3e
sensory -er$e-tions that arise 0hen sensory ob!e$ts are -er$ei3ed 0ith the res-e$ti3e sensory
fa$ulty4 by then !udging those -er$e-tions4 and by rea$ting a$$ording to oneBs thoughts' The
tra$es of a$tions4 that are habitual -atterns4 subside into the ground $ons$iousness and
determine the $y$le of $onditioned e#isten$e that is re-eatedly e#-erien$ed 0hen $auses and
$onditions -re3ail'

"t is 3ery $ondu$i3e for oneBs meditation -ra$ti$e to understand ho0 the eight ty-es of
$ons$iousness arise and fun$tion' 5or e#am-le4 if one kno0s a $ity like Hamburg4 then itBs easy
finding oneBs 0ay around' "t 0ould be 3ery hard for me4 though4 be$ause " donBt really kno0
Hamburg' "n the same manner4 kno0ing the 0ay oneBs mind fun$tions is 3ery benefi$ial for oneBs
-ra$ti$e' Knderstanding oneBs mind 0ell is the -rere;uisite to de3elo- oneBs -ra$ti$e4 be$ause
one 0ill ha3e $ertainty in oneBs -ra$ti$e and be able to re$ognize 0hat needs to be done'

Fe ha3e been looking at sems4 Dthe mind4E and sa0 that it goes through many -hases that
$onsist of 3arious as-e$ts' "tBs not 3ery hel-ful thinking that one is dealing 0ith a singular mind
0hile one -ra$ti$es4 sin$e e3erything arises in de-enden$e u-on many $auses and $onditions'

All a--earan$es are mind

Buddhism tea$hes that all li3ing beings in the three realms of samsara e#ist due to being deluded
about the true nature of inner and outer -henomena' Anything that a--ears does not e#ist from
its o0n side or as it seems' <ord Buddha said in a /utra that all a--earan$es in the three realms
of $y$li$ e#isten$e (the form4 formless4 and desire realms) are mind' This means to say that
nothing really e#ists outside oneBs mind4 i'e'4 all a--earan$es are a result of thoughts that arise
from not kno0ing4 ma-rig-pa' /ome -eo-le think a $reator made e3erything4 but Buddhists do not
belie3e su$h things'

Buddhism tea$hes that all a--rehensions are illusory4 0hi$h " s-oke about' Again: The basis is
the ground $ons$iousness (+) that stores all im-rints of a$tions that one -erformed' The affli$ted
mind (?) mo3es the mental $ons$iousness (>) to $on$e-tualize sensory -er$e-tions () I 2)' "f
$onta$t bet0een a sensory ob!e$t and the res-e$ti3e sensory $ons$iousness o$$urs4 then the
mental $ons$iousness gras-s and !udges that -er$e-tion' "t is therefore logi$al that all
a--earan$es are $reated by $on$e-ts and thoughts and are $onse;uently illusory'

Although itBs not true4 due to not kno0ing ho0 things are and ho0 they a--ear4 one thinks that
a--earan$es that one a--rehends truly e#ist' Hne turns a--earan$es that do not truly e#ist into
truly e#isting ob!e$ts and $lings to them as real' 5or e#am-le4 one sees many things 0hile
dreaming4 su$h as being s0e-t a0ay by a ri3er $urrent4 but the ri3er $ertainly doesnBt e#ist and
doesnBt $onsist of a single dro- of 0ater or tiniest -arti$le' Jet4 one thinks the dream9image truly
e#ists and e#-erien$es tremendous fear' Fhen one 0akes u-4 one realizes it 0as !ust a dream'
"n the same manner4 one turns things that one -er$ei3es 0hile a0ake into truly e#isting ob!e$ts'

Ho0 the eight $ons$iousnesses $ause delusion

Hne $an say that delusi3eness o$$urs in three stages' The basis is the ground $ons$iousness'
Then there is the $on$e-tual mind that is a$ti3ated and mo3ed by the karmi$ im-ulses that are
stored in and arise out of the ground $ons$iousness 0hen $auses and $onditions -re3ail' After an
outer a--earan$e has been -er$ei3ed4 the mental $ons$iousness identifies and o3erlays that
ob!e$t 0ith the karmi$ im-rints that are $reated by affli$tions and thinks 0hat 0as -er$ei3ed is a
truly e#istent4 uni;ue4 and solid entity' This is 0hat is meant by delusion' "t means to say that
a0areness of an a--earan$e arises in the mind the moment a sensory -er$e-tion and the
res-e$ti3e ob!e$t of -er$e-tion $ome into $onta$t and !oin' The immediate moment of -er$e-tion
is not tainted4 but delusi3eness is $reated 0hen the $on$e-tual mind o3erlays 0hat 0as
-er$ei3ed 0ith thoughts and !udgments in the subse;uent moment and !oins both instants of
-er$e-tion and $on$e-tion as though they 0ere single' And so4 all things that $an be
a--rehended only a--ear in de-enden$e u-on $auses and $onditions' "t 0ill be 3ery benefi$ial
for oneBs -ra$ti$e if one $an $orre$tly understand ho0 oneBs $ons$iousnesses $ause delusion'

The main -ur-ose of meditation -ra$ti$e is re$ognizing and relin;uishing the misleading $onta$t
that takes -la$e immediately and dire$tly the moment an a--earan$e has been -er$ei3ed'
%editation -ra$titioners 0ill benefit immensely if they are a0are of the great 3ariety of thoughts
they ha3e and then realize that they are merely bubbles of the mental $ons$iousness'

Ho0 delusion is re$ognized and o3er$ome

9 %ahamudra

%ahamudra instru$tions of the Kagyu Tradition are generally e#-lained in three stages' They are
%ahamudra of ground4 -ath4 and fruition I phyag-rgya-chen-po-g+hi# phyag-rgya-chen-po-lam#
phyag-rgya-chen-po-(br's-bu' "tBs 3ery im-ortant to understand them $orre$tly'

.round %ahamudra em-loys three reasonings4 d)n-m*hyen-gsum# to des$ribe the
$ons$iousnesses' The reasonings are $arried out in order to kno0 three things: ho0 the mind
abides4 gn's-lug4 ho0 delusions are4 (*hrul-lug4 and ho0 the mind really is4 nyid-lug' "tBs
e#tremely im-ortant to $orre$tly understand in 0hi$h manner one a--rehends a--earan$es
delusi3ely in order to ha3e the $orre$t 3ie0 of %ahamudra and in order to realize ho0 the mind
truly is'

Path %ahamudra $onsists of three -rofound stages4 0hi$h are $alm abiding and insight
meditation4 +hi-gn's and lhag-mthong4 furthermore the s-e$ifi$ -ointing9out instru$tions4 ngo-
spr)d' The dire$t -ointing9out instru$tions $onsist of four ste-s4 the first being to re$ei3e the
transmission4 in 0hi$h $ase a tea$her introdu$es a ;ualified student to the truth that all
a--earan$es are mind' As long as de3otees donBt really understand ho0 the mind fun$tions4 they
0onBt be able to a--re$iate and understand the meaning of $alm abiding4 insight4 the sa$red
-ointing9out instru$tions4 and yidam meditation -ra$ti$es' <a$king $orre$t understanding4 oneBs
meditation -ra$ti$e 0ill be su-erfi$ial and shallo0' %editating these -ra$ti$es one9-ointedly and
$learly in3ol3es the $on$e-tual mind' Jidam meditation -ra$ti$es are remedies to -urify oneBs
mental $ons$iousness from delusi3eness by e#$hanging negati3e thoughts 0ith -ositi3e ones'

7iffi$ulties to $learly 3isualize a yidam4 a Buddha4 are natural4 be$ause the karmi$ im-rints and
tra$es4 that $ause one to -er$ei3e im-urely4 are stirred u-' HneBs karmi$ im-rints 0ill al0ays
interfere 0ith oneBs meditation4 notably 0hen one begins -rogressing in oneBs -ra$ti$e'
"nterferen$es that disturb 0ill o$$ur 0hile more and more subtle karmi$ tra$es are eliminated4 but
oneBs 3isualization of a yidam 0ill be$ome $learer and $learer during the -urifi$ation -ro$ess'
/ubtle disturban$es and interferen$es 0ill finally end 0hen fruition has been a$hie3ed4 and then
all a--earan$es 0ill be a--rehended $learly and -urely' Fhen a yidam is seen $learly4 then itBs
not an a--earan$e outside oneself4 but is an a--earan$e of oneBs o0n mind' A $lear 3isualization
is a sign that oneBs -ra$ti$e is going ;uite 0ell'

Per$ei3ing a--earan$es either -urely or im-urely de-ends u-on ea$h indi3idual4 i'e'4 u-on the
karmi$ tra$es ea$h and e3eryone has a$$umulated' "f one -er$ei3es im-urely4 then it is $alled
Dsamsara'E "f one only -er$ei3es -urely4 then it is $alled Dnir3ana'E Pure and im-ure
a--rehensions ha3e nothing to do 0ith something outside oneself4 rather de-end u-on oneBs
thoughts4 so oneBs thoughts are e#tremely im-ortant'

Anyone 0ho -ra$ti$es Pho0a (transferen$e of $ons$iousness) must understand the tea$hings "
am -resenting here' The main goal of Pho0a and all other -ra$ti$es is to em-ty oneBs ground
$ons$iousness I one $an a$tually say to relin;uish oneBs ground $ons$iousness' The more one
su$$eeds4 the easier oneBs Pho0a -ra$ti$e 0ill be$ome' ThereBs a moment during the dying
-ro$ess 0hen all sensory organs $ease fun$tioning and one $anBt -er$ei3e anything anymore' At
that stage in the death -ro$ess4 all elements ha3e subsided into the mental $ons$iousness that4
in turn4 subsides and be$omes inse-arable 0ith the ground $ons$iousness' 7eath has set in
0hen the karmi$ 0ind lea3es the body' "f one understands these instru$tions4 has -ra$ti$ed in
oneBs life4 and if one isnBt killed suddenly but dies slo0ly4 then one kno0s that one 0ill die in any
moment 0hen one loses the ability to -er$ei3e anything anymore' At that -oint4 one $an $ause
oneBs mental $ons$iousness to fall into oneBs ground $ons$iousness in order to alter oneBs 0ay of
dying'

/ummary: E3eryone has eight $ons$iousnesses' They are the ground $ons$iousness that stores
all im-rints of a$tions that one -erformed' The affli$ted mind mo3es the mental $ons$iousness to
$on$e-tualize sensory -er$e-tions' Hne $an say that the first se3en are the same as the ground
$ons$iousness' Fhen the ground $ons$iousness has been $om-letely em-tied of all karmi$
tra$es4 Buddhahood 0ill ha3e been attained'

The aim of all -ra$ti$es is to attain Buddhahood' Therefore it is im-ortant to kno0 that the all9
ground $ons$iousness determines oneBs -er$e-tions and needs to be -urified and em-tied of any
karmi$ tra$es so that one $an -er$ei3e -urely' Although one may e#-erien$e tem-orary results
through oneBs -ra$ti$e4 one 0ill not e3en be able to a--roa$h or $ome near the ultimate goal if
one doesnBt -urify oneBs ground $ons$iousness' The moment a 3ery ad3an$ed -ra$titioner
su$$eeds4 then he 0ill ha3e $ut the root of samsara and ha3e rea$hed the state of nir3ana'

9 Mhi9gnLs and lhag9mthong

The -ur-ose of -ra$ti$ing zhi9gnLs4 lhag9mthong4 or %ahamudra as it is taught in /utrayana is to
diminish oneBs habit of fo$using oneBs attention out0ards and as a result to -urify oneBs sensory
$ons$iousnesses' Hne turns oneBs attention in0ards and -a$ifies oneBs mental $ons$iousness
through zhi9gnLs -ra$ti$e' "f one -ra$ti$es diligently for a long time and is able to hold oneBs mind
in0ardly 0ithout 0a3ering 9 i'e'4 0hen one turns oneBs attention outside oneself less and less I4
then that is a sign that oneBs zhi9gnLs -ra$ti$e is good' "f one engages in zhi9gnLs meditation and
doesnBt kno0 0hat needs to be abandoned4 then it 0ould be like one 0ere thro0ing a stone at
something one $annot see in the dark night'

Fhen one gi3es u- $hasing after thoughts that mo3e one to 0ander outside oneself and be$ome
distra$ted by sensory -er$e-tions4 then one 0ill be able to -ra$ti$e lhag9mthong and -a$ify oneBs
mental $ons$iousness' The mental $ons$iousness $ontinuously (d+in-pa4 D$on$ei3es4 gras-s4
fi#ates4 and $lingsE to things' (D+in-pa is the basi$ aggression of 0anting things to be different
than they are' As a result4 oneBs mental $ons$iousness has the strong tenden$y to $ontrol
-er$ei3ed sensory ob!e$ts by identifying4 $ategorizing4 and !udging them'

%ahamudra meditation is based u-on -ointing9out instru$tions and addresses the ground
$ons$iousness' Fhen ad3an$ed -ra$titioners ha3e transformed their ground $ons$iousness by
fully em-tying it of last karmi$ tra$es4 then they 0ill ha3e dire$tly realized %ahamudra4 0hi$h is
the same as attaining Buddhahood' "f one 0ants to engage in zhi9gnLs4 lhag9mthong4 and
%ahamudra4 then one needs to kno0 0hat ea$h method of -ra$ti$e -urifies and eliminates' 5or
e#am-le4 one needs to take the right medi$ine that heals the si$kness one has 0hen one is si$k
I s0allo0ing any -ill one has sa3ed in oneBs $u-board 0ill most likely harm' <ike0ise4 it is
ne$essary to -ra$ti$e the right method to o3er$ome s-e$ifi$ ad3erse $onditions that one does
ha3e'

(onclusion

This has been a brief e#-lanation of the eight $ons$iousnesses4 rnam-shes-tshogs-brgy'd4 0hi$h
$an be summarized in three: the ground $ons$iousness4 the mental $ons$iousness that is
-lagued 0ith thoughts4 and the fi3e sensory $ons$iousnesses' Mhi9gnLs -ra$ti$e deals 0ith the
sensory $ons$iousnessesC lhag9mthong deals 0ith the mental $ons$iousnessC and %ahamudra
deals 0ith the all9ground $ons$iousness' These -ro$edural -ra$ti$es lead from $oarse to more
subtle -ra$ti$es as one ad3an$es from the one to the ne#t' <et me stress again that it is 3ery
im-ortant to re$ognize oneBs real enemies4 to kno0 the remedies4 and then the remedies one
a--lies 0ill be right' 5or e#am-le4 if the $u- in front of me has bla$k stains4 then " need to kno0
0hat kinds of stains they are if " 0ant to $lean the $u-' " 0ould need to kno0 0hether " should
use soa- or something else to s$rub the $u- $lean of stains' <ike0ise4 it is ne$essary to kno0
0hi$h defilements and affli$tions one has so that one kno0s 0hi$h method to -ra$ti$e'

<et me stress4 too4 that it is utterly im-ortant to understand ho0 oneBs defilements and affli$tions
im-ede a$hie3ing freedom from suffering and -ain4 0hi$h is samsara' Hne needs to $orre$tly
understand 0hat kinds of defilements and affli$tions one has4 ho0 they arise4 and 0hat their
negati3e im-a$t in oneBs o0n life as 0ell as on that of others they ha3e' "f one kno0s4 then one
$an a--ly the right remedy and engage in zhi9gnLs4 lhag9mthong4 %ahamudra4 yidam meditation4
or Pho0a'

"t 0ill be 3ery benefi$ial to dee-en oneBs understanding of the 7harma4 es-e$ially in -re-aration
for oneBs o0n death' The death -ro$ess is taking -la$e in this 3ery instant' HneBs sensory
fa$ulties are 3ery $lear and shar- 0hen one is 1N and =N years old4 but they are less $lear 0hen
one turns 2N and be$ome 0orse 0hen one is >N years old' Fhen one is ?N or ?24 they ha3e
be$ome rather sele$ti3e4 so by brushing the thought of oneBs imminent death a0ay4 by fighting
this fa$t4 and by a$ting as though one has lots of time is useless' Fhen the sensory fa$ulties
be$ome 0eak and e3en 0eaker4 it 0ill not be long and one 0ill ha3e died'

Hne $annot see4 hear4 smell4 tou$h4 or taste anything anymore 0hen the final death -ro$ess has
set in' At that stage4 the fi3e sensory $ons$iousnesses ha3e ended4 and then the subtle
-er$e-tion of the mental $ons$iousness a--ears4 0hi$h is the manifestation of red and 0hite' "f
one understands this 3ision by ha3ing -ra$ti$ed and be$ame -re-ared during oneBs life4 then one
kno0s that one is dying and $an $ontinue -ra$ti$ing 0hen red and 0hite a--ear' 7ying a$tually
means that the eight $ons$iousnesses dissol3e4 one into the other4 i'e'4 the sensory
$ons$iousnesses subside into the mental $ons$iousness4 and the mental $ons$iousness then
subsides into the ground $ons$iousness' At that -oint4 it 0ould be good to unite oneBs energy9
0ind 0ith oneBs ground $ons$iousness and to do Pho0a by sending oneBs $ons$iousness4 oneBs
mind4 out of oneBs body through the $ro0n of oneBs head'

The short but 3ery -rofound te#t4 entitled The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom
rNam-shes-ye-shes-byed-pa that 0as 0ritten by the Third .yal0a Karma-a4 @ang!ung 7or!e4 is 3ery
im-ortant if one 0ishes to understand the $ons$iousnesses and kno0 ho0 they arise in de-enden$e u-on
ea$h other' "t 0as only -ossible for me to offer a brief e#-lanation of the $ons$iousnesses during this short
seminary4 but it 0ould be 3ery good and benefi$ial if you study the te#t 0ell'

Fhen differentiating bet0een samsara and nir3ana4 it is im-ortant to kno0 that both are only mind'

All li3ing beings 0ithout e#$e-tion ha3e Buddha nature4 are therefore al0ays and already endo0ed 0ith
-ure and -erfe$t ;ualities of enlightenment' But indi3iduals differ in as mu$h as they donBt realize their true
nature due to their karmi$ tra$es' Those 0ho donBt realize their true nature mo3e about and remain
entangled in samsara'

Fhat did the Buddha tea$hG The methods by 0hi$h one $an sur-ass and o3er$ome ma-rig-pa4 the main
defilement that is not kno0ing' 5or those indi3iduals 0ho ha3e o3er$ome and relin;uished their habitual
-atterns (that are karmi$ tra$es stored in their ground $ons$iousness) and u-rooted the seed of negati3ity
(0hi$h is not kno0ing) their Buddha nature 0ill manifest o-enly and their imma$ulate ;ualities of
Buddhahood 0ill ha3e freely unfolded' The only differen$e bet0een those indi3iduals 0ho are fettered in
samsara and those 0ho ha3e attained nir3ana is gi3en in the $onnotation of the terms D$ons$iousnessE
and D0isdom'E Kno0ing this4 <ord Buddha therefore taught beings: DAll a--earan$es in samsara and
nir3ana are only mind'E

Fhat ha--ens as long as one doesnBt realize the true nature of oneBs o0n mind and erroneously thinks itBs
something elseG Hne 0anders in samsara4 a$$umulates karma4 and suffers' Fhat ha--ens 0hen one
realizes the true nature of oneBs o0n mindG Then one no longer has an all9ground $ons$iousness4 *un-
g+hi,i-rnam-par-shes-pa4 rather one has realized all9basis4 -rimordial 0isdom4 *un-gh+i,i-ye-shes'

The method to realize -rimordial 0isdom de-ends u-on understanding 3ery4 3ery 0ell ho0 oneBs mind is
and fun$tions' Based u-on oneBs understanding4 one diligently 0orks to eliminate oneBs negati3ity and
thus enables oneBs -ositi3e ;ualities to unfold from 0ithin' Hne should ne3er forget that oneBs mind
-ossesses immense $a-abilities and is 3ery -o0erful' 5or e#am-le4 $om-uters are 3ery $om-le#' Hn$e
someone sat do0n and thought it all out 9 a slight e#am-le for mindBs e#traordinary abilities' "f one is really
$onne$ted and is $ertain of 0hat needs to be abandoned and eliminated and has trust in the methods to
realize 0hat needs to be established4 then 9 due to the -o0er of oneBs mind 9 one 0ill definitely attain the
result4 0hi$h is $om-lete and -erfe$t enlightenment' "f one is able to establish an authenti$ and reliable
$onne$tion and re$ei3es the -ointing9out instru$tions4 then one 0ill attain enlightenment real4 real fast' "f
one isnBt able to make a $onne$tion and re$ei3e the instru$tions4 then it 0onBt be easy to -ra$ti$e'

<et me stress that it is ne$essary to again and again study and thoroughly understand ho0 the
$ons$iousnesses arise4 ho0 they $ause delusion4 and ho0 delusion $an be re$ognized and o3er$ome 9
then one 0ill attain the result' "f one studies de-endent arising of oneBs o0n mind4 one 0ill de3elo- and
ha3e the $orre$t 3ie0' Hne $an go astray if one be$omes negligent4 for e#am-le4 by belie3ing that nothing
e#ists or that things e#ist fore3er' /tudying the tea$hings -rote$ts one from going astray4 and then it
doesnBt matter 0hi$h meditation one -ra$ti$es4 0hether zhi9gnLs4 lhag9mthong4 %ahamudra4 or yidam
meditation' "n fa$t4 one $an meditate the method one -refers4 be$ause oneBs -ra$ti$e 0ill be to the -oint'

The same a--lies to the -ra$ti$es of mind training4 lo3ing kindness and $om-assion4 or gi3ing and taking
through $ulti3ating Bodhi$itta4 in any $ase4 la$king the -ers-e$ti3e4 oneBs efforts 0ill remain bereft of a
-ur-ose' "tBs more than ne$essary to kno0 0hat the mind is if one 0ishes to -ra$ti$e mind training that "
s-oke about on another o$$asion' Fhat is the mindG Hur thoughts' /o 0e need to -urify our thoughts'

"n the absen$e of the right 3ie04 oneBs -ra$ti$e of gi3ing others all oneBs !oy and taking on their -ain4 of
gi3ing them the $auses for their ha--iness and taking a0ay the $auses for their suffering and -ain 0ill be
useless if the one 0ho re$ei3es doesnBt ha3e the karma to re$ei3e' Therefore one does need to kno0 that
one -ra$ti$es mind training and gi3ing and taking in order to -urify oneBs o0n mind of atta$hment to a self
and all habitual im-ulses and $onse;uen$es that follo0'

Fhere do all oneBs negati3e and fre;uent -ositi3e thoughts $ome fromG E#$lusi3ely from oneBs si#th
mental $ons$iousness that is ensla3ed by oneBs $on$e-ts and thoughts' /o the mental $ons$iousness is
the enemy one atta$ks in order to de$rease and 3an;uish oneBs negati3e thoughts and in order to
in$rease and establish a bene3olent mind' A great Tibetan %ahasiddha on$e said4 D"f one 0ants to
3an;uish all harmful a--earan$es4 then one needs to u-root the $ause4 0hi$h is oneBs thoughts' "f one
su$$eeds4 then one has u-rooted the $ause of all -ainful manifestations'E /in$e this is the $ase4 then one
must kno0 0here the $ause is lo$ated' "tBs lo$ated in the mental $ons$iousness'

The Third .yal0a Karma-a said4 D"f one 0ants to bring the essen$e of the /utrayana and &a!rayana to a
-oint4 then it is $ru$ial to understand the differen$e bet0een $ons$iousness and -rimordial 0isdom'E
Therefore4 " do 0ant to ask you to -lease study the -rofound te#t4 The Treatise that Differentiates
Consciousness and Wisdom' Tea$hers 0ill 3isit Theksum Tashi ,hAling in the future and offer instru$tions'
"t 0ould be 3ery good and benefi$ial if you ask them to -resent further instru$tions on this to-i$ and to
-ersonally ans0er any ;uestions you may ha3e'

As long as 0e ha3e not attained Buddhahood4 0e are like a -atient 0ho does ha3e to find out 0hat he
needs to abandon and ado-t in order to be$ome 0ell' o0adays4 it has be$ome fashionable to buy a
7harma book or t0o4 to read them4 and then to -ra$ti$e 0hat one has read' This is not really a good idea4
be$ause -ra$titioners do need to re$ei3e -ersonal instru$tions from a ;ualified and authenti$ tea$her in
order to dee-en and intensify their understanding of the 7harma $orre$tly' "f one bases oneBs -ra$ti$e on
books4 it 0ill be rather diffi$ult' E3en if the books are $orre$t4 they are al0ays 0ritten from a s-e$ifi$
-ers-e$ti3e and in the $onte#t of a $ertain 3ie0-oint' /ome books e#-lain the -ra$ti$eC others des$ribe the
3ie04 yet others s-eak about ethi$al beha3iour' "f one doesnBt re$ei3e instru$tions on 0hi$h to-i$s -ertain
to 0hi$h as-e$t of the tea$hings4 it 0ill be rather diffi$ult' Thinking it is suffi$ient to read books resembles a
-atient 0ho !ust takes any old medi$ine he ha--ens to ha3e'

The te#t4 The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom is 3ery summarized and has been
translated into English' Jamgon Kongtrul <odrA Thaye 0rote a detailed $ommentary that you $an read in
English' "t 0ould be good if you study these books again and again as 0ell as the other treatises that the
Third .yal0a Karma-a 0rote'

Buddhism tea$hes that one needs to meet -re-arations $orre$tly and understand the -ur-ose of oneBs
-ra$ti$e' "f one fails4 one may think one is -ra$ti$ing meditation but 0ill not kno0 0hat the sour$e of lasting
ha--iness is4 0hi$h is our aim' <asting ha--iness is the same as -erfe$t enlightenment' And the sour$e of
lasting ha--iness lies in oneBs o0n mind' "n regions -o-ulated by many monkeys4 one $an see them
seated in a meditati3e -osture I eyes $losed and hands resting on their la-4 but they are

slee-ing' Just sitting like that and thinking one is meditating is rather useless and hel-s no one at all'

Part Two: The Five Wisdoms and Four Kayas

Transformation of the consciousnesses into wisdoms and )ayas

We saw that there are eight consciousnesses7 the allbasis ground consciousness, the afflicted
consciousness, and the mental consciousness that identifies and )udges the five sensory consciousnesses.
.ne can say briefly that they belong to samsara.

* The fi"e wisdoms

Fhat is -rimordial 0isdom4 ye-shes in TibetanG Fhen the all9ground $ons$iousness4 *un-g+hi,i-rnam-par-
shes-pa4 has been -urified of all stains4 then it is $alled Dall9basis4 -rimordial 0isdom4E *un-gh+i,i-ye-shes'

.enerally4 all li3ing beings 0ithout e#$e-tion ha3e Buddha nature4 but as long as they donBt realize it4 then
not kno0ing4 ma-rig-pa4 is the all9ground $ons$iousness' The se3en other $ons$iousnesses are im-ure as
long as the ground $ons$iousness is stained and obs$ured' Fhen the 3eils and obs$urations brought on
by not kno0ing ha3e been dis-elled from the ground $ons$iousness4 then the Buddha nature is free and
-rimordial 0isdom manifests in fi3e as-e$ts' The fi3e as-e$ts of -rimordial 0isdom4 ye-shes-lnga4 are: ())
me-long-lta-bu,i-ye-shes4 mirror9like 0isdom4 (1) mnyam-nyid-ye-shes4 0isdom of e;uality4 (=) sor-rtog-ye-
shes4 dis$riminating 0isdom4 (6) bya-grub-ye-shes4 all9a$$om-lishing 0isdom4 and (2) ch)s-bying-ye-
shes4 0isdom of the e#-anse of reality' The fi3e as-e$ts of -rimordial 0isdom manifest dire$tly 0hen a
-ra$titioner has attained the final result of the -ath4 0hi$h is $alled Dfruition'E As long as -ra$titioners are
on the -ath4 tra$es of not kno0ing $on$eal their mindBs true nature and the fi3e as-e$ts of -rimordial
0isdom do not manifest'

Hne attains fruition4 0hi$h is Buddhahood4 0hen the ground $ons$iousness has been totally em-tied of
finest and most subtle karmi$ tra$es' At that -oint4 -rimordial 0isdom is unleashed and manifests the fi3e
as-e$ts listed abo3e' As long as the -urifi$ation -ro$ess is not $om-leted4 a -ra$titioner is on the -ath and
does a$hie3e le3els of realization4 but -rimordial 0isdom 0ill not dire$tly manifest until fruition has been
fully established' Buddhahood is understood to be the -oint at 0hi$h the ground $ons$iousness has been
$om-letely negated4 be$ause the last tra$es and finest stains that arise from not kno0ing ha3e been
eradi$ated' Then the ground $ons$iousness manifests mirror9like 0isdom'

%t is important to understand that mirrorlike wisdom is not something new when the ground consciousness
has been purified, because mirrorlike wisdom is always and already present in oneDs mind. We are looking
at this from the viewpoint of the purification process. When the ground consciousness is free of all traces
and fully negated, then it is allbasis, primordial wisdom that is like a mirror.

Fe sa0 that the ground $ons$iousness is the basis and sour$e for the other se3en $ons$iousnesses'
<ike0ise4 mirror9like 0isdom is the root and sour$e of the other four 0isdoms' Based u-on mirror9like
0isdom4 the three follo0ing kinds of -rimordial 0isdom a--ear 9 0isdom of e;uality4 dis$riminating
0isdom4 and all9a$$om-lishing 0isdom' <ooking at the simile of a mirror that is free of stains4 the other
0isdoms a--ear $learly in the imma$ulate mirror of mirror9like 0isdom'

othing is added to the -urified ground $ons$iousness at fruition4 rather at that time it is $om-letely
transformed and a--ears $learly' As long as it is stained4 the ground $ons$iousness is the sour$e of
samsara' 7uring the -urifi$ation -ro$ess of the ground $ons$iousness4 it is the root of nir3ana' There is
only a differen$e bet0een the dimensions of samsara and nir3ana as long as the -urifi$ation -ra$ti$e
takes -la$e' And the mutual sour$e of samsara and nir3ana is nothing but the mind'

The ne#t -rimordial 0isdom that a--ears in mirror9like 0isdom does so 0hen the affli$ted $ons$iousness
is utterly defeated and the disturbing emotions are utterly eliminated' Fhen the affli$ted $ons$iousness is
-urified of all destru$ti3e mind -oisons4 then it is $om-letely transformed and is then 0isdom of e;uality'

Fhen great 0isdom of e;uality manifests freely4 the mental $ons$iousness that !udges the fi3e sensory
$ons$iousnesses and $onse;uently gi3es rise to thoughts is defeated' ,on$e-tualization is then
transformed into dis$riminating 0isdom' 5urthermore4 the fi3e sensory $ons$iousnesses are transformed
through dis$riminating 0isdom and 0hen they are -urified4 there is all9a$$om-lishing 0isdom'

/ummary: Hne $an briefly say that samsara is $hara$terized by the a$ti3ity of the eight $ons$iousnesses4
and nir3ana is $hara$terized by the manifestation of the fi3e -rimordial 0isdoms' Fe ha3e only addressed
the first four so far and 0ill look at the 0isdom of the e#-anse of reality in a moment' Hne $an des$ribe the
result of ha3ing $om-leted the -urifi$ation -ro$ess by means of the fi3e -rimordial 0isdoms or by means
of three or four *ayas4 the /anskrit term for Dbodies of a Buddha'E

* The four )ayas in relation to the fi"e wisdoms

Fhen the four kayas4 s*u-b+hi in Tibetan4 are dis$ussed in relation to the fi3e as-e$ts of -rimordial
0isdom4 then mirror9like 0isdom is e;ui3alent to the 7harmakaya4 0hi$h is the /anskrit term that 0as
translated into Tibetan as ye-shes-ch)s-s*u4 D0isdom body'E T0o as-e$ts of -rimordial 0isdom4 0isdom of
e;uality and dis$riminating 0isdom4 are related to the /ambhogakaya4 longs-spy)d-rd+ogs-pa,i-s*u4
D$om-lete en!oyment body'E And all9a$$om-lishing 0isdom is related to the irmanakaya4 sprul-pa,i-s*u4
Demanation body'E

/ummary: %irror9like 0isdom and 7harmakaya are the -urified ground $ons$iousness' 7is$riminating
0isdom and 0isdom of e;uality are the -urified affli$ted and mental $ons$iousnesses and the
/ambhogakaya' All9a$$om-lishing 0isdom is the -urified fi3e sensory $ons$iousnesses and the
irmanakaya'

A fifth 0isdom and fourth kaya are e#-lained so that one understands that the four 0isdoms and three
kayas are inse-arable4 sin$e their essen$e is one and the same' The fifth 0isdom is 7harmadhatu
0isdom4 ch)s-bying-ye-shes4 D0isdom of the e#-anse of reality'E 7harmadhatu 0isdom is e;ui3alent to
/3abha3ikakaya4 gno-bo-nyid-*yi-s*u4 Dthe body of their essentiality'E

Fhat is nir3ana4 mya-ng'n-l's--d's paG ir3ana is the state in 0hi$h the fi3e 0isdoms and four kayas
manifest dire$tly' Fhen this is so4 then it is a sign that ultimate fruition has been attained' Again4 the
sour$e of -rimordial 0isdom is mirror9like 0isdom4 0hi$h is the $om-letely -urified ground $ons$iousness'
Fhat is samsaraG /amsara is the state in 0hi$h duality abounds I suffering as 0ell as ha--iness' Karma
$reates both suffering and ha--iness' The mental affli$tions $reate karma4 and not kno0ing gi3es rise to
the mental affli$tions' ot kno0ing means being ignorant of oneBs true nature and as a result thinking it is
something foreign to oneself' Karmi$ tra$es and habitual -atterns are $reated as long as delusions are
$reated' Karma is stored in oneBs ground $ons$iousness' Fhen oneBs ground $ons$iousness has been
em-tied of all karmi$ tra$es4 then the four kayas manifest' And so one sees that the sour$e of samsara as
0ell as nir3ana is one and the same 9 oneBs o0n mind' The only distin$tion one $an make bet0een
samsara and nir3ana is 0hether one has realized the true nature of oneBs mind or not' Therefore the Third
.yal0a Karma-a4 @ang!ung 7or!e4 stated in this treatise4 DAll a--earan$es are only mind'E "tBs e#tremely
im-ortant to understand this'

"n our -resent situation4 itBs not 3ery useful re$ei3ing detailed instru$tions on fruition4 although itBs good to
kno0 0here one is heading' 5ollo0ers 0ill gradually understand the result 0hile -ra$ti$ing the -ath' Jet4
from the 3ie0-oint of Buddhism4 it is im-ortant for follo0ers to kno0 that both samsara and nir3ana are not
$reated by anyone else4 rather the e#-erien$e of samsara and nir3ana de-end u-on the state of oneBs
o0n mind' The only differen$e bet0een samsara and nir3ana lies in the amount of defilements one has or
has been able to -urify and eliminate' Fhen defilements and affli$tions ha3e been $om-letely dis-elled4
then the fi3e -rimordial 0isdoms and four kayas manifest' As a result4 an a$$om-lished -ra$titioner
e#-erien$es the en3ironment as a -ure realm and all a--earan$es -urely4 0hi$h is referred to as ha3ing
Dthe -ure 3ie0'E &i$e 3ersa4 as long as oneBs $ons$iousness has not been -urified and one is deluded4
oneBs same old defiled mind a--ears again and again4 i'e'4 one $ontinues e#-erien$ing suffering and -ain
due to karma and -er$ei3es a--earan$es im-urely4 0hi$h is referred to as ha3ing Dthe im-ure 3ie0'E

Hne 0ill not understand the signifi$an$e of differentiating $ons$iousness and 0isdom by only ha3ing heard
or read about it' @ather4 one $an only 0in a true understanding if one engages in the three trainings to
realize dis$riminating a0areness4 prajna in /anskrit4 shes-rab in Tibetan' The three trainings are: re$ei3ing
the instru$tions4 $ontem-lating them thoroughly4 and integrating them in oneBs life by meditating them' "t is
$ru$ial to in3estigate and refle$t the tea$hings one has re$ei3ed $arefully and thoroughly4 until one has
gained $ertainty in the truth of the tea$hings' ,ontem-lating the tea$hings dee-ly is a -rere;uisite if one
0ishes to meditate $orre$tly' %editating the tea$hings after ha3ing $ontem-lated them $arefully is the
method by 0hi$h one -erfe$ts dis$riminating a0areness' Ha3ing -erfe$ted dis$riminating a0areness4 an
ad3an$ed -ra$titioner has attained the kno0ledge needed in order to manifest the fi3e 0isdoms and four
kayas'

Summary of the Treatise

Ksually one has the tenden$y to think that Buddhahood is far4 far a0ay4 but these tea$hings sho0 that this
isnBt so' Buddhahood lies 0ithin e3ery li3ing being 0ithout e#$e-tion in e3ery single instant of time' As long
as one remains s-ellbound in a dream9like state that is $hara$terized by not kno0ing4 oneBs true nature is
e#-erien$ed as samsara' As soon as one 0akes u- from not kno0ing4 oneBs mind manifests and one
e#-erien$es nir3ana'

"t 0ill be 3ery hel-ful to gain $ertainty through oneBs meditation -ra$ti$e that oneBs -ra$ti$e is solely aimed
at one -oint4 0hi$h is oneBs all9ground $ons$iousness4 to re$ognize that it needs to be -urified of all karmi$
tra$es4 and to furthermore a$kno0ledge that oneBs -ure ;ualities of being 0ill manifest the moment the
-urifi$ation -ro$ess has been $om-leted'

A great /iddha of the Kagyu Tradition on$e said4 DBuddha resides in oneBs 3ery o0n mind and no0here
else'E "n order to a--re$iate this fa$t4 it is ne$essary to understand that samsara is based u-on the one
and 3ery same sour$e as all ;ualities that $hara$terize nir3ana' "f one doesnBt understand this and merely
reiterates4 DBuddha is 0ithin me4E then he isnBt'

"tBs 3ery im-ortant to understand these tea$hings' %any -eo-le belie3e that li3ing beings and all
a--earan$es of the outer 0orld truly e#ist' Buddhists do not think like that' othing 0hatsoe3er $ontains
the tiniest tra$e of real e#isten$e4 and nir3ana is not something that is ne0ly a$;uired and truly e#ists
either'

The .e&ajra Tantra states: DAll beings are Buddhas4 but obs$ured by in$idental stains' Fhen those ha3e
been remo3ed4 there is Buddhahood'E This means to say that the entire -ro$ess of be$oming free from the
e#-erien$e of suffering and attaining the e#-erien$e of -ea$e is nothing but a gradual -urifi$ation -ro$ess'
Fhen -urifi$ation has been $om-leted4 the goal 0ill ha3e been attained4 in 0hi$h $ase nothing has been
remo3ed from oneBs true nature and nothing ne0 has been added to it'

Conclusion

Please donBt forget that the Buddha -resented tea$hings in stages' He taught beginners that samsara
e#ists4 that karma is 3alid4 and that suffering is a true e#-erien$e' These instru$tions are ne$essary so that
a de3otee re$ognizes and is ins-ired to o3er$ome the $oarse inade;ua$ies of $onditioned e#isten$e' The
Buddhist tea$hings be$ome more and more subtle4 though4 until a -ra$titioner learns that nothing really
e#ists' Hne needs to be$ome -re-ared by slo0ly and gradually learning the meaning of the tea$hings4 so
that one is able to a$tually e#-erien$e the 3ery -rofound meaning oneself' "n relian$e u-on the BuddhaBs
instru$tions4 a -ra$titioner therefore takes one ste- after the other4 by first taking refuge in the Three
Je0els4 by -ra$ti$ing the -reliminaries4 by generating and de3elo-ing Bodhi$itta4 and by -ra$ti$ing the
further stages of the -ath' 5or e#am-le4 ha3ing studied 0ell4 s$ientists $an analyze4 break an atom4 and
destroy anything that has been made' Hur mind and mental affli$tions are different4 though 9 they $anBt be
destroyed that easily' E3en if a s$ientist 0ere to shoot a ro$ket and try to thro0 a bomb on our
defilements4 he 0ouldnBt su$$eed' "f it 0ere -ossible4 it 0ould really be useful and then it 0ould be easy to
attain enlightenment' Please think about this4 seeing no0adays s$ientists and neurobiologists are
s-ending mu$h energy studying the mind' "f one tries to $learly understand the $ause of suffering4 0hi$h is
samsara4 and the $ause of lasting ha--iness4 0hi$h is nir3ana4 and -ra$ti$es diligently4 regularly4 and
$ontinuously in relian$e u-on the kno0ledge one has 0on4 then one doesnBt need s$ientifi$ studies'

"tBs 3ery im-ortant to a$kno0ledge that the tea$hings of Buddhism again and again remind us that 0e
need to $ulti3ate the right 3ie0 !oined 0ith meditation -ra$ti$e' /hould someone -ra$ti$e meditation in the
absen$e of the $orre$t 3ie0 that is established by studying and refle$ting the tea$hings4 he 0ould
resemble someone trying to shoot an arro0 at a distant goal in the darkness of the night' /hould someone
$ulti3ate the $orre$t 3ie0 and not meditate4 he 0ould resemble someone trying to $limb a $liff 0ithout
hands'

As to meditation -ra$ti$es4 there are 3ery many methods a3ailable to -ra$titioners 0ho ha3e boarded the
3ehi$le of %ahayana' All methods ha3e the same sour$e4 0hereas the great 3ariety is due to the many
different in$linations and $a-abilities that li3ing beings ha3e'

Knderstanding the treatise 0e 0ent through here is a 3ery good -re-aration for oneBs -ra$ti$e' "tBs 3ery
im-ortant to differentiate bet0een $ons$iousness and 0isdom' "f one is then able to meditate one9
-ointedly in relian$e u-on oneBs $orre$t understanding4 0ithout thinking about it4 the ;ualities of -rimordial
0isdom 0ill arise and in$rease in and through us' A -ra$titioner 0ho has attained Buddhahood neednBt
take refuge any0here else'

"f no histori$al Buddha had e3er a--eared and offered instru$tions4 0e 0ouldnBt be able to attain
Buddhahood' "tBs also im-ortant to a--re$iate that there 0ere many Buddhas in the -ast4 that many
Buddhas li3e in our -resen$e4 and that many 0ill be born in the future4 i'e'4 e3eryone 0ithout e#$e-tion
has the $a-a$ity to be$ome a Buddha' Buddha /hakyamuni a--eared in the 0orld4 turned the Fheel of
7harma4 and sho0ed us the 0ay' "f 0e -ra$ti$e his instru$tions4 0e 0ill attain the result'

Please re$ognize and kno0 that there isnBt the slightest differen$e bet0een our -resent mind and that of a
Buddha' 5or e#am-le4 there is a huge differen$e bet0een a -re$ious bo0l made of -ure gold and one
made of $lay4 but the s-a$e in ea$h bo0l is the same' <ike0ise4 thereBs no differen$e bet0een the mind of
an ordinary being and that of a Buddha4 only the outer form differs'

"t is im-ortant to see that one is entangled4 $aught4 tra--ed in samsara' Fhat kee-s one $hained to
$onditioned e#isten$eG Belie3ing in and $linging to a--earan$es as though they 0ere real' Therefore
Tilo-a told aro-a4 D,hild4 it is not by a--earan$es that you are fettered4 but by $ra3ing'E Fho gras-s4
$lings4 $lut$hesG HneBs affli$ted and defiled $ons$iousness (number ? in the list)' Fhat does gras-ing and
$linging a$tually meanG 5or e#am-le4 letBs all lay our 0at$hes on a -ile on the table' Fhile noti$ing that the
other 0at$hes are there4 e3eryone 0ill stare at his or her o0n 0at$h and gras- and $ling to it' Those 0ho
donBt ha3e a 0at$h and therefore $ouldnBt lay it on the table 0onBt gras- and $ling if someone thre0 a ro$k
at the -ile and broke all the 0at$hes' This doesnBt mean that those 0ho had no 0at$h are free of
atta$hment and desire4 be$ause those 0ho 0ouldnBt lose a 0at$h they didnBt o0n in the first -la$e and see
the others broken 0ill e#-erien$e !oy that the 0at$h they didnBt o0n 0asnBt broken I and this is a sign of
atta$hment' Those 0ho ha3e lost their 0at$h 0ill e#-erien$e sadness I and this is also a sign of
atta$hment' This e#am-le $learly sho0s that a--earan$es are inno$ent4 so to s-eak4 and $ause no
-roblems4 rather oneBs o0n rea$tions $ause -roblems' And so4 it is ne$essary to gi3e u- oneBs gras-ing
and $linging4 !ust like Tilo-a told aro-a4 D,hild4 it is not by a--earan$es that you are fettered4 but by
$ra3ing'E /im-ly telling oneself that one is abandoning oneBs atta$hment 0ithout kno0ing ho0 it arises is
useless' Hne needs to $learly understand that oneBs o0n affli$ted and $on$e-tual $ons$iousnesses fetter
and bind' Thank you 3ery mu$h'
JThe goal is awakening to the enlightenment of all buddhas as our own.K
W 2ama 1echen 9eshe Wangm
J& mountain keeps an echo deep inside. ThatDs how % hold your voice.K
JRemain in wonder if you want the mysteries to open up for you. ,ysteries never open up for those who
go on *uestioning. Suestioners sooner or later end up in a library. Suestioners sooner or later end up with
scriptures, because scriptures are full of answersXK
8sho
JThe perfectionist is bound to be a neurotic, he cannot en)oy life, until he is perfect. &nd perfection
as such never happens, it is not in the nature of things. Totality is possible, perfection is not
possible.K
J,aybe you are searching among branches for what only appears in the Roots.K

37 Practices

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37 Practices

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Ngulchu Thogme's Prologue:

I pay homage through my three doors,

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