From ADAM's Time, Fell from SPACE - "CINTAMANI STONE" of “Wish-Fulfillin...

Lhabab Duchen 1 - Morning Prayers (24 Nov 2013)

~THE KING-LIKE BODHISATTVA, THE CAPTAIN-LIKE BODHISATTVA, AND THE SHEPHERD-LIKE BODHISATTVA~

~THE KING-LIKE BODHISATTVA, THE CAPTAIN-LIKE BODHISATTVA, AND THE SHEPHERD-LIKE BODHISATTVA~
A bodhisattva is someone who says from the depth of his or her heart, “I want to be liberated and find ways to overcome all the problems of the world. I want to help all my fellow beings to do likewise. I long to attain the highest state of everlasting peace and happiness, in which all suffering has ceased, and I want to do so for myself and for all sentient beings.” According to theBuddha’s teaching, anyone who makes this firm and heartfelt commitment is a bodhisattva. We become bodhisattvas from the moment we have this vast and open heart, called bodhichitta, the mind bent on bringing lasting happiness to all sentient beings. Buddhist literature defines three types of bodhisattvas: the king-like bodhisattva, the captain-like bodhisattva, and the shepherd-like bodhisattva. A king-like bodhisattva is like a good king who first wants everything luxurious for himself, like a big palace, a large entourage, a beautiful queen, and so on. But once his happiness has been achieved, he also wants to help and support his subjects as much as possible. Accordingly, a king-like bodhisattva has the motivation, “First, I want to free myself from samsara and attain perfect enlightenment. As soon as I have reached buddhahood, I will help all other sentient beings to become buddhas as well.” A captain-like bodhisattva would say, “I would like to become a buddha, and I will take all other sentient beings along with me so that we reach enlightenment together.” This is just as the captain of a ship crosses the sea, he takes his passengers with him, and they reach the far shore simultaneously. A shepherd-like bodhisattva is inspired by thinking, “I want to help all sentient beings to reach enlightenment and see the truth. Only when this is achieved and samsara is emptied will I become a buddha myself.” In actual fact it may not happen this way, but anyone who has this motivation is called a “shepherd-like bodhisattva.” In the old days, sheep were not kept in fenced pastures, and the shepherds had to bring them down from the mountains to protect them from wolves. They would follow behind the sheep, guide them into their pen, and lock them in. A shepherd would take care of his sheep first, and only then would he go home and eat. The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara developed this shepherd-like motivation and is therefore considered to be the most courageous and compassionate of beings. He vowed, “I will not attain complete enlightenment until I have led all sentient beings to liberation without leaving a single one behind.” Because of this utterly selfless and far-reaching promise, Avalokiteshvara is called the “father of all bodhisattvas,” “the main bodhisattva,” and “the embodiment of compassion.”
— Ringu Tulku

Tenga Rinpoche BPL 2001. Tsa Patrul . Verses 18 - 24. Part 2: "View, Med...

Urgyen Tulku - Describing Nature of primordial mind, Dzogchen

Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdral Yeshé Dorjé - Wisdom Nectar

I, a roaring lion, do not need a palace:
My lion palace is the snow mountains’ exalted heights.
I shake my excellent turquoise mane as I please
As I roam at will in delightful snow mountain ravines.

I, an eagle, do not need a fortress:
My white eagle fortress is the loftiest cliff.
I spread wide my excellent wings as I please
As I soar through the space of the vast blue heavens.

I, a tiger, do not need a castle:
My tiger castle is the densest jungle.
I show off my stripes as I please
As I set out to prowl in the best sandalwood forests.

I, a golden bee, do not need farmland:
My bee farmland is the finest lotus groves.
I sing beautiful melodious songs as I please
As I hover to take the sweetest tasting nectar.

I, a yogi, do not need a home:
My yogi home is good any place I roam.
I naturally achieve my two noble goals
As I set out to wander aimlessly as I please.

- Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdral Yeshé Dorjé - Wisdom Nectar

(via https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1045026302214034&set=gm.665539243601241&type=3&theater)

70 Nagarjuna's Precious Garland Verses 370-381 09-15-16. Via Venerable Thubten Chodron

Tilopa

To realise this inexpressible truth, do not manipulate mind or body but simply open into transparency with relaxed natural grace, intellect at ease in silence, limbs at rest in stillness like hollow bamboos. Neither breathing in nor breathing out with the breath of habitual thinking, allow the mind to be at peace in brilliant wakefulness. -- Tilopa

TIBETAN Shamans MELONG TOLI BRONZE MIRROR. Perfect copy of ancient mirror.

TIBETAN Shamans MELONG TOLI BRONZE MIRROR. Perfect copy of ancient mirror.
Link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151846420235…
This melong / toli mirror has been hand crafetd by a jeweller in Nepal. It is a perfect copy of an ancient original mirror. This type of melong / toli mirror has been used for many thousands of years. This melong / toli mirror is perfect to wear as a protective amulet. These amulets are used for divination and protection, and were said to have been created by Padmasambhava when he came to Tibet in the 7th Century CE. Tibetan's hang them over their front doors, inside their houses or wear them as talismans. The outer ring (on the back) shows the domain of Rahu, the Star God, a deity in charge of the planets and time, the next ring shows the twelve zodiac animals of the Tibetan zodiac, and the inner circle shows the eight Trigrams. The front of the melong mirrors away negativity by reflecting it away from you.





 

Complete Dzogchen Teaching on Karma Lingpa's "Beholding Naked Awareness"

Enjoy a Complete Dzogchen Teaching on Karma Lingpa's "Beholding Naked Awareness"

On September 26, 2015 in Portland, Oregon, Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche taught on the very famous Dzogchen teaching revealed by Karma Lingpa, "Self-Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness," which is sometimes translated as "Beholding Naked Awareness" (Rigpa Chertong).

Portland, Oregon
Video Producer and Still Photography by Damien Genardi.

For more information about Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Rinpoche and the Padmasambhava Buddhist Center:
www.padmasambhava.org

Buddhism and belief in God

via www.hinduwebsite.com

Buddhism and belief in God

Buddhism believes in the existence neither God nor soul in a

theistic sense.  It is basically a religion of the mind, which

advocates present moment awareness, inner purity, ethical

conduct, freedom from the problem of change, impermanence and

suffering and reliance upon one's own experience as the sole

teacher, rather than an external authority, on the Eightfold

path.



Unlike other major religions of the world, Buddhism is not

centered around the concept of God or a universal supreme

being, who is responsible for the creation and dissolution of

the world and the existence of Sentient beings.

Buddhism does not even support the existenceof an eternal and

unchanging soul. According to Buddhism the whole existence is

in a state of flux and there is nothing that is either

permanent or unchanging.



The Buddhist scriptures, however do confirm the existence of

Devas or Celestial Beings, Bodhisattvas or pure beings, both

heavens and hells and other planes of existence.

But none of these are permanent entities.  They all are

subject to change and evolution.  It is said that the Buddha

either maintained silencee or discouraged questions when he

was asked to confirm the existence of a Supreme Being.

Buddha's views on God


The Buddha did so with a purpose.  He wanted his followers to

remain focused upon Nirvana without distractions.  Therefore,

he did his best to keep them focused upon that single and

virtuous goal, without getting distracted by theological

speculation or intellectual disputation, which was the common

preoccupation for many scholars and religious teachers of his

time.

However, this does not mean that he favored the notion of God

as the ruler and creator of the worlds and beings.  The Buddha

did not believe in hidden causes but apparent causes that made

sense to the mind and the intellect.  Karma was a hidden

process, but its effects could be felt and experienced by one

and all.  Hence no supernatural testimony was required to

establish its universality or working.

Once in a  while, he expressed his opinions about creation and

the role of God.  When Ananthapindika, a wealthy young man met

the Buddha at the bamboo grove at Rajagriha, the Buddha made a

few statements about the existence of God and the real cause

behind the creation of beings in this world.  These views are

summarized as below:

1.  If God is indeed the creator of all living things, then

all things here should submit to HIS power unquestioningly.

Like the vessels produced by a potter, they should remain

without any individuality of their own.  If that is so, how

can there be an opportunity for any one to practice virtue?

2.  If this world is indeed created by God then there should

be no sorrow or calamity or evil in this world, for all deeds,

both pure and impure, must come from Him.

3.  If it is not so, then there must be some other cause

besides God which is behind HIM, in which case HE would not be

self-existent.

4. It is not convincing that the Absolute has createdus,

because that which is absolute cannot be a cause.  All things

here arise from different causes.  Then can we say that the

Absolute is the cause of all things alike? If the Absolute is

pervading them, then certainly it is not their creator.

5.  If we cnsider the Self as the maker, why did it not make

things pleasant?  Why and how should it create so much sorrow

and suffering for itself?

6.  It si neither God nor the self nor some causeless chance

which creates us.  It is our deeds which produce both good and

bad results according to the law of causation.

7.  We should therefore abandon the heressy of worshipping God

and of praying to him.  We should stop all speculation and

vain talk about such matters and practice good so that good

may result from our good deeds.

The Buddha did not encourage speculation on the existence of

Isvara, (God), among his disciples.  He wanted them to confine

themselves to what was within their field of awareness, that

is , to understand the causes of suffering and work for its

mitigation.

He preached that initially each being was a product of

ignorance and illusion and subject to suffering, karma and

transmigration.  He therfore urged his disciples to

contemplate upon the Four Noble Truths and practice the

Eightfold Path,lead a virtuous life by performing good deeds

and works towards their final liberation from all becoming and

changing.

It is difficult to categorized Buddhism as an atheistic,

theistic or agnostic tradition.  There is enough justification

to place Buddhism in any or all these categories.  As

explained in the concluding part of this article, Buddhism has

elements of both theistic and atheistic traditions of ancient

India, but none of them provide us with a comforting ground to

categorize it in either of them with conviction.

Although founded by the Buddha, Buddhism, like Hinduism, is a

complex religion, which underwent profound changes after his

death, resulting in the formation of many sects and subsects,

some of which made a radical departure from the original

teachings of the Buddha to the point of standing in their own

llight as independent religions.

Were he alive, the Buddha would be surprised to hear about

many traditions that rely upon his name to promote their

teachings but show marked disregard for his original

teachings, doctrinal matters and stand points.  What bindds

them to Buddhism and keeps them in its fold is their adherence

to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

While scholars may keep arguing about the essential nature of

Buddhism, it is the firm opinion of this writer that based

upon the teachings of the Buddha, it is difficult to place

Buddhism on the same footing as Hinduism or Christianity and

consider it a theistic tradition.

The Buddha ascribed no role to God in creation, in human

suffering or in the liberation of beings.  For the Buddha the

world was a Godless world in which bothe good and evil were

produced by the acctions of individual beings.  While many

beings had no choice, human beings and those above them had a

unique opportunity to exercise their discerning intellect

(buddhi)(((?)))  abd chose right living to excape from the law

of Karma and the cycle of births and deaths.

Therefore, to awaken their minds to the idea of righteous

living and virtuous actions, he taught the worldd the Four

Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, acscribing no role to God

in either of them and putting the entire burden of resolving

indiviual suffering upon the individuals themselves.

In drawing his conclusions and formulating Dharma and the Code

of Conduct (Vinaya) for the monks, he assiduously avoided all

manner of speculation about the supernatural to the extent

possible, keeping his focus firmly fixed upon the causes as

well as solutions to the problems of human existence within

the realm of the mind and its abilities, and without alluding

to anythings beyond that.

If he believed in transcendence or eternal realities, he kept

them out of the purview of his discussion and deliberation,

even when he was pressed for a clear answer, considering that

it was a major distraction for his followers in their quest

for Nirvana and for himself, in his attempts to show them the

right way.


Belief in Gods, Bodhisattvas and Primordial Buddhas

While Buddhism does not believe in the existence of an all

pervading eternal God who is the cause of the causes, it does

believe in the existence of Noble beings or gods of heaven.

The Buddhist texts mentin the names of serveral gods, whose

names are similar in many cases to the names of their

counterparts in Hinduism.

However, while the deities of Hinduism are eternal, those of

Buddhism are not.  They live for longer duration of time, but

lie all beings, they are prone to decay and subject  to the

cycle of births and deaths.

Some of the gods whose names appear frequently in the Buddhist

Canon are Brahma, Indra, Aapo (Siva), Vijja (Saraswati), Usha,

Pathavi (Prithvi) Sri (Lakshmi) Kuvera (Kubera), and Garuda.

The texts also refer to the existence of celestial beings such

as yakkhas (Yakshas), gandhabbas Pali Canon, which refers to

not one but several Brahmans inhabiting different planes.

Like other gods, Brahma in all these worlds is subject to

change and decay.

Apart from them, Mahayana Buddhism refers to the Bodhisattvas

or compassionate beings and primordial Buddhas who inhabit the

higher heaven and act as the guardians of the world.

The Bodhisattvas are truth beings, who are fully qualified for

Nirvana.  However, out of compassion they decide to postpone

their liberation and work for alleviating the suffering of the

sentient beings upon earth.

The primodial Buddhas are personalized embodiments of

different aspects of Buddha nature, possessing Dharmakayas

(bodies of truth), such as Samantabhadra, Vajradhara,

Vairochana, and Adi-Buddha, among others.

Thegods of Buddhism have greater powers than humans, but

unlike the gods of Hinduism, they do not enjoy absolute

powers.  They have the ability to impact our lives, but they

cannot change or alter the course of life upon earth beyond a

point.

Besides, since the gods are not liberated beings, their

actions have consequences and like humans, they are also

subject to the laws of karma.  Therefore, if gods indulge in

wrong acctions, it will lead to their downfall.  The same is

not true in case of primordial Buddhas.  They are not subject

to decay and they possess immense supernatural powers.

Life in heaven is not a class privilege.  The gods are not

created by a supreme being.  They reach the world of gods

through self-effort and good karma.  Ordinary human beings,

through their good effort can be reborn in the worlds of gods.

Although it is not encouraged, Buddhism does not rule out the

possibility of humans taking birth in the world of gods and

gods, having lost their virtue and due to bad karma, taking

birth in our world.  Since life in heaven is equally

conduccive to suffering, Buddhists aim for liberation rather

than rebirth in the heavens.

Devotion in Buddhism

The origin of Buddhism is rooted in the ascetic and monastic

traditions of ancient India.  The Buddha did not advise the

the monks to indulge in ritual worship or venerate him or

other beings with devotion.

However, a few centuries after his death, a schism in Buddhism

led to the formation of Mahayana sect of Buddhism which made a

radical departure from the traditional teachings of the

Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism and projected ritual worship of

venerable Buddha in his highest and purest aspect as worthy of

worship and devotion.

The Mahayana tradition supports the worship of Buddha to

cultivate virtues, practice love and compassion and receive

enlightenment.  The purpose of worship in Buddhism seems to be

to enable the worshippers to form a clear concept of the ideal

of Buddhahood and understand the Buddha nature rather than

seeking his grace or intervention in their personal lives for

the alleviation of their suffering.

Conclusion

Buddhism is primarily a monastic and scetic religion, with

some aspects of theism, borrowed mostly from Hinduism and some

aspects of atheism similar to Jainism.  Buddhism adapted the

theistic practices of Hindusm mostly in the context of iits

own teachings and for the ultimate purpose of facilitating

nirvana through individual efforth rather than divine

intervention.

While in Hinduism, followers may strive for the four chief

aims, namely Dharma, Artha (wealth), Kama (pleasure) and

Moksha (liberation), in Buddhism folllowers aim for only two,

namely Dharma (Dhamma) and Moksa (Nirvana).

In ancient India, the atheists like the Lokayatas, on the

other hand, ignored these two and imed for Artha and Kama.

For them, life was a unique opportunity to strive for

happiness and death was the Nirvana, the end of all.  They

found no justification to suffer here and now in the hope of a

better life in the next birth or hereafter.

Thus, even in this regard, Buddhism retains its distinct

character as a spiritual religion that can be categorized

neither as a theistic traditin like Hinduism nor as an

atheistic tradition like that of the Carvakas or Lokayatas.

It is a tradition uniquely human, intellectual, practical and

rooted in verifiable, perceptual experience.

Queen Maha Maya's Dream. Mother of Buddha Shakyamuni

Queen Maha Maya's Dream

More than 2,500 years ago, there was a king called Suddhodana. He married a beautiful Koliyan princess named Maha Maya. The couple ruled over the Sakyas, a warrior tribe living next to the Koliya tribe, in the north of India, in what is now known as Nepal. The capital of the Sakya country was laid out across the foothills of the Himalayas and called Kapilavatthu.

Queen Maha Maya was the daughter of King Anjana of the Koliyas. Such was her beauty that the name Maya, meaning "vision" was given to her. But it was Maya's virtues and talents that were her most wonderful qualities, for she was endowed with the highest gifts of intelligence and piety. King Suddhodana was indeed worthy of his lovely wife. He himself was called "King of the Law" because he ruled according to the law. There was no other man among the Sakyas more honored and respected. The king was admired by his nobles and courtiers, as well as by the householders and merchants. Such was the noble family from which the Buddha was to arise.

One full moon night, sleeping in the palace, the queen had a vivid dream. She felt herself being carried away by four devas (spirits) to Lake Anotatta in the Himalayas. After bathing her in the lake, the devas clothed her in heavenly cloths, anointed her with perfumes, and bedecked her with divine flowers. Soon after a white elephant, holding a white lotus flower in its trunk, appeared and went round her three times, entering her womb through her right side. Finally the elephant disappeared and the queen awoke, knowing she had been delivered an important message, as the elephant is a symbol of greatness in Nepal. The next day, early in the morning, the queen told the king about the dream. The king was puzzled and sent for some wise men to discover the meaning of the dream.

The wise men said, "Your Majesty, you are very lucky. The devas have chosen our queen as the mother of the Purest-One and the child will become a very great being." The king and queen were very happy when they heard this.

They were so pleased that they invited many of the noblemen in the country to the palace to a feast to tell them the good news. Even the needy were not forgotten. Food and clothes were given to the poor people in celebration. The whole kingdom waited eagerly for the birth of the new prince, and Queen Maya enjoyed a happy and healthy pregnancy, living a pure life for herself and her unborn child.

Sangyum Kamala Rinpoche encourages women to reach their fullest potential.

The Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas by Gyalse Tokme Zangpo Namo Lokeśvaraye!

Shijay

21 hrs · 

The Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas

by Gyalse Tokme Zangpo

Namo Lokeśvaraye!

You see that all things are beyond coming and going,
Yet still you strive solely for the sake of living beings—
To you, my precious guru inseparable from Lord Avalokita,
I offer perpetual homage, respectfully, with body, speech and mind.

The perfect buddhas, who are the source of all benefit and joy,
Come into being through accomplishing the sacred Dharma.
And since this in turn depends on knowing how to practise,
I shall now describe the practices of all the buddhas’ heirs.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to study, reflect and meditate,
Tirelessly, both day and night, without ever straying into idleness,
In order to free oneself and others from this ocean of samsara,
Having gained this supreme vessel—a free, well-favoured human life, so difficult to find.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to leave behind one’s homeland,
Where our attachment to family and friends overwhelms us like a torrent,
While our aversion towards enemies rages inside us like a blazing fire,
And delusion’s darkness obscures what must be adopted and abandoned.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to take to solitary places,
Avoiding the unwholesome, so that destructive emotions gradually fade away,
And, in the absence of distraction, virtuous practice naturally gains strength;
Whilst, with awareness clearly focused, we gain conviction in the teachings.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to renounce this life’s concerns,
For friends and relatives, long acquainted, must all go their separate ways;
Wealth and prized possessions, painstakingly acquired, must all be left behind;
And consciousness, the guest who lodges in the body, must in time depart.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to avoid destructive friends,
In whose company the three poisons of the mind grow stronger,
And we engage less and less in study, reflection and meditation,
So that love and compassion fade away until they are no more.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cherish spiritual friends,
By regarding them as even more precious than one’s own body,
Since they are the ones who will help to rid us of all our faults,
And make our virtues grow ever greater just like the waxing moon.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to take refuge in the Three Jewels,
Since they will never fail to provide protection for all who call upon them,
For whom are the ordinary gods of this world ever capable of helping,
As long as they themselves are trapped within samsara’s vicious cycle?

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is never to commit a harmful act,
Even though not to do so might put one’s very life at risk,
For the Sage himself has taught how negative actions will ripen
Into the manifold miseries of the lower realms, so difficult to endure.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to strive towards the goal,
Which is the supreme state of changeless, everlasting liberation,
Since all the happiness of the three realms lasts but a moment,
And then is quickly gone, just like dewdrops on blades of grass.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to arouse bodhicitta,
So as to bring freedom to all sentient beings, infinite in number.
For how can true happiness ever be found while our mothers,
Who have cared for us throughout the ages, endure such pain?

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to make a genuine exchange
Of one’s own happiness and wellbeing for all the sufferings of others.
Since all misery comes from seeking happiness for oneself alone,
Whilst perfect buddhahood is born from the wish for others’ good.

Even if others, in the grips of great desire, should steal,
Or encourage others to take away, all the wealth that I possess,
To dedicate to them entirely my body, possessions and all my merits
From the past, present and future— this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

Even if others should seek to cut off my head,
Though I’ve done them not the slightest wrong,
To take upon myself, out of compassion,
All the harms they have amassed—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

Even if others should declare before the world
All manner of unpleasant things about me,
To speak only of their qualities in return,
With a mind that’s filled with love—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

Even if others should expose my hidden faults or deride me
When speaking amidst great gatherings of many people,
To conceive of them as spiritual friends and to bow
Before them in respect—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

Even if others whom I have cared for like children of my own,
Should turn upon me and treat me as an enemy,
To regard them only with special fondness and affection,
As a mother would her ailing child—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

Even if others, equal or inferior to me in status,
Should, out of arrogance, disparage me,
To honour them, as I would my teacher,
By bowing down my head before them—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

Even though I may be destitute and despised by all,
Beset with terrible illness and plagued by evil spirits,
Still to take upon myself all beings’ ills and harmful actions,
Without ever losing heart—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

Even though I may be famous and revered by all,
And as rich as Vaiśravaṇa, the god of wealth himself,
To see the futility of all the glory and riches of this world,
And to remain without conceit—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to subdue the mind,
With the forces of loving kindness and compassion.
For unless the real adversary—my own anger—is defeated,
Outer enemies, though I may conquer them, will continue to appear.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to turn away immediately
From those things which bring desire and attachment.
For the pleasures of the senses are just like salty water:
The more we taste of them, the more our thirst increases.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is never to entertain concepts,
Which revolve around dualistic notions of perceiver and perceived,
In the knowledge that all these appearances are but the mind itself,
Whilst mind’s own nature is forever beyond the limitations of ideas.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to let go of grasping
When encountering things one finds pleasant or attractive,
Considering them to be like rainbows in the summer skies—
Beautiful in appearance, yet in truth devoid of any substance.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to recognize delusion
Whenever one is confronted by adversity or misfortune.
For these sufferings are just like the death of a child in a dream,
And it’s so exhausting to cling to delusory perceptions as real.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to give out of generosity,
With no hopes of karmic recompense or expectation of reward.
For if those who seek awakening must give even their own bodies,
What need is there to mention mere outer objects and possessions?

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to observe ethical restraint,
Without the slightest intention of continuing in saṃsāric existence.
For lacking discipline one will never secure even one’s own wellbeing,
And so any thought of bringing benefit to others would be absurd.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cultivate patience,
Free from any trace of animosity towards anyone at all,
Since any potential source of harm is like a priceless treasure
To the bodhisattva who is eager to enjoy a wealth of virtue.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to strive with enthusiastic diligence—
The source of all good qualities—when working for the sake of all who live;
Seeing that even śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, who labour for themselves alone,
Exert themselves as if urgently trying to extinguish fires upon their heads.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cultivate concentration,
Which utterly transcends the four formless absorptions,
In the knowledge that mental afflictions are overcome entirely
Through penetrating insight suffused with stable calm.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cultivate wisdom,
Beyond the three conceptual spheres, alongside skilful means,
Since it is not possible to attain the perfect level of awakening
Through the other five pāramitās alone, in wisdom’s absence.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to scrutinize oneself
Continually and to rid oneself of faults whenever they appear.
For unless one checks carefully to find one’s own confusion,
One might appear to be practising Dharma, but act against it.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is never to speak ill
Of others who have embarked upon the greater vehicle,
For if, under the influence of destructive emotions,
I speak of other bodhisattvas’ failings, it is I who am at fault.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to let go of attachment
To the households of benefactors and of family and friends,
Since one’s study, reflection and meditation will all diminish
When one quarrels and competes for honours and rewards.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to avoid harsh words,
Which others might find unpleasant or distasteful,
Since abusive language upsets the minds of others,
And thereby undermines a bodhisattva’s conduct.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to slay attachment
And the rest—mind’s afflictions—at once, the very moment they arise,
Taking as weapons the remedies held with mindfulness and vigilance.
For once the kleshas have become familiar, they’ll be harder to avert.

In short, no matter what one might be doing,
By examining always the status of one’s mind,
With continuous mindfulness and alertness,
To bring about the good of others—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to dedicate towards enlightenment
All the virtue to be gained through making effort in these ways,
With wisdom that is purified entirely of the three conceptual spheres,
So as to dispel the sufferings of the infinity of beings.

Here I have set down for those who wish to follow the bodhisattva path,
Thirty-seven practices to be adopted by all the buddhas’ heirs,
Based on what is taught in the sutras, tantras and treatises,
And following the instructions of the great masters of the past.

Since my intellect is only feeble and I have studied but a little,
This is not a composition likely to delight the connoisseurs,
Yet since I’ve relied upon the sutras and what the saints have taught
I feel these are indeed the genuine trainings of the buddhas’ heirs.

Still, the tremendous waves of activity of the bodhisattvas
Are difficult for simple-minded folk like me to comprehend,
And I must therefore beg the indulgence of all the perfect saints
For any contradictions, irrelevancies or other flaws this may contain.

Through whatever merit has here been gained, may all beings
Generate sublime bodhicitta, both relative and absolute,
And through this, come to equal Lord Avalokiteśvara,
Transcending the extremes of existence and quiescence.

This was composed in a cave near Ngulchu Rinchen by the monk Tokme, a teacher of scripture and reasoning, for his own and others’ benefit.

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, Rigpa Translations, 2006.

The Four Noble Truths I

Conference: Buddhism & Science. HH 17th Karmapa