Instructions on Turning Happiness and Suffering Into the Path of Enlightenment

INSTRUCTIONS ON TURNING HAPPINESS AND SUFFERING INTO THE PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT

BY JIG-MED TEN-PA 'I NYI-MA THE THIRD DODRUP CHEN RINPOCHE

TRANSLATED BY TULKU THONDUP

@

Tulku Thondup 1979

Published by: Buddhayana P.O. Box 66 Marion, MA 02738

Foes are (as unlimited) as space, They cannot possibly all be overcome; Yet if you just overcome the thought of hatred This will be equal to overcoming all foes. Where is the leather With which one can cover the earth? But (wearing) a leather sandal Is equal to covering the earth with leather.

-and If a problem can be remedied Why are you unhappy? And if it cannot be remedied What is the use of being unhappy?

-Shantideva

Ill.

-The Buddha

PREFACE This short text, "Instructions on Turning Happiness and Suffering Into the Path" (sKyid-sDug Lam-Khyer-Gyi ManNgag) was written in Tibetan by the renowned sage and scholar Jig-med Ten-pa'i Nyi-ma, the third Dodrup Chen Rinpoche (1865-1926). The subject dealt with here is one of the most important practices for the Bodhisattva's training in the Buddhist Mahayana: the various methods by which the experience of happiness and suffering can be used as the means of gaining liberation from the bonds of sam sara. This is done by making use of both relative and absolute truth as is taught in the Bodhicharyavatara and other Mahayana scriptures. In these troubled days, not only ordinary people but even many practitioners experience happiness and sorrow in an ordinary way, full of hopes and fears; they do not know how to make these situations work for their development. Many people try to get as much happiness as they can from worldly pleasures, but, while experiencing them they forget the true aim of life and fritter away their time in endless egocentric goals. On the other hand, many people are oppressed by intolerable suffering, and sometimes find no escape other than by taking their own lives. Experience shows that to make use of suffering is relatively easy by such practices as developing revulsion towards samsara and turning instead to the spiritual trainings. The author also deals with the more difficult matter of using happiness and favorable circumstances as part of the Path; here the difficulty lies in the ease with which we become attached to joy and

v.

happiness, even though worldly happiness can be neither pure nor enduring. So in fact both happiness and suffering can become obstacles to spiritual training and practice. If we can perfect our training in turning happiness and suffering into the Path, then, no matter what we experience in our relations with the outer world, our mind will remain calm and at ease, unperturbed either in happiness or in sorrow. To the unfortunate people of this dark age in which chaos and difficulties prevail, this practice is most useful, bringing relief from the exhaustion of doubt and expectation, and guiding the mind to find rest in its natural state of purity and peace. I am grateful to Harold Talbott for all the assistance he kindly gave me during the translation of the text. Thanks are also due to Michael Baldwin and other members of the Buddhayana Foun· dation, U.S.A. for their generous sponsorship and for all the arrangements they made for the research and translations (including this text) that I have been carrying out in the U.S.A. during the last four years. Tulku Thondup 28th October, 1979 Santiniketan During the last few years I have heard from a great number of people that this booklet was beneficial for them when they needed spiritual guidance on the journey through the wild paths of their lives. I hope this second edition will reach more friends and that they will read it not as an academic text to generate intellectual anxiety and excitement but as a spiritual recipe for tasting the peaceful state of the mind. I am thankful to Constance Bigony for doing the typesetting and arranging for the text to be printed. T.T. Cambridge January, 1984

VI.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. THE WAY OF ACCEPTING SUFFERING AS THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT I. 1.

By Means of Relative Truth

Rej~>et

the State of Mind of Exclusively Desiring not to Have Suffering. (a) The uselessness of considering suffering as something unfavorable. (h) The great harm of eonsidering suffering as something unfavorable. 2. Dt>velop the Attitude of Being Happy That Sufferings Arise. (a) Sufft>ring as the support of training in the thought of turnin~ away from samsara. (b) Suffering as the support of training in Taking Refuge. (e) Sufferin~ as the support of training in overcoming pride. (d) Sufferin~ as the support for purification of defilements. (e) Suffering as the support for attraction to virtue. (f) Suffering as the support for training in compassion. (g) Taking suffering as the support of the meditation that others are dearer than oneself. II.

By Means of the Absolute Truth

B. THE WAY OF TAKING HAPPINESS AS THE PATH I.

By Means of Relative Truth

II.

By Means of Absolute Truth

VII.

- Shantideva

Homage to Arya Avalokiteshvara1 by the recollection of his qualities, which were celebrated thus:

.,He who will ever be made happy by the happiness of others, And who feels extreme distress when suffering comes to them, Having fully attained the quality of Great Compassion, He will renounce his own happiness and suffering." I am going to write a brief instruction on acceptance of happiness and suffering as the Path of Enlightenment. It is the most precious teaching in the world, and a necessary tool for the holy life.

A.

THE WAY OF ACCEPTING SUFFERING AS THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT I.

By Means of Relative Truth

Whenever harm comes to you from beings or nonbeings, if your mind experiences only the consciousness of sorrow, then even from a small incident great mental pain will develop. For it is the nature of any consciousness, either of suffering or happiness, that it will increase by the experiencing of it. If the experience gradually becomes stronger, a time will come when most of what appears will become the cause of drawing unhappiness to ourselves and happiness will never have a chance. If you do not know that the responsibility lies with one's own mind's way of experiencing, and you put the blame on external objects alone, then the ceaseless flame of suffering and anger - bad ka-rma 2 - will increase. That is called, .,Every appearance arising in the form of an enemy." 1

You should thoroughly understand that the reason why living beings of the dark age 3 are afflicted by suffering is fundamentally related to the weakness of their discriminative awareness. Therefore, not to be hurt by the obstacles of enemies, illness, and harmful spirits does not mean that we can drive away vicissitudes such as illness, and that they won't occur again. Rather it means that they will not be able to arise and take'the form of obstacles to the practice of the Path of Enlightenment. In order for this to come about, you should practice in the following two ways:

l.

Reject the State of Mind of Exclusively Desiring Not to Have Suffering.

Ascertain again and again the uselessness and harmfulness of anxiety 4 arising from aversion to suffering when it is considered as something totally unfavorable. Get the experience of determination repeatedly in the thought that from now on, whatever suffering ~omes, I shall not be anXlOUS.

a) The uselessness of considering suffering as something unfavorable: If you can cure the suffering, then you don't need to be unhappy. If you cannot change it, there is no benefit from being unhappy about it. b) The great harm of considering suffering as something unfavorable: If you do not feel anxious, your strength of mind can help you to bear even great sufferings easily. They will feel light and flimsy like cotton. But anxiety will make even small sufferings intolerable.

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For example, while you are thinking of a beautiful girl, even if your try to get rid of desire you will only exhaust yourself. Likewise, by concentrating on the painful characteristics of suffering, you cannot develop patience. So, as in the case of the instructions on sealing the doors of the faculties, you should not concentrate your mind on the characteristics of suffering, but should become experienced in keeping your mind in its normal condition and in its own state. s 2.

Develop the Attitude of Being Happy that Sufferings Arise:

Practice cultivating joy by considering suffering as an aid to the Path of Enlightenment. Whenever suffering arises, you must have a "training in virtuous deeds" to apply to it, according to the ability of your mind, because it will be difficult to succeed if you only ponder the general principle that a spiritual method can bring certain benefits from suffering as a support to practice. As it is said, "That is farther than the earth from the sky." a) Suffering as the support of training in the impulse to achieve liberation from samsara:6 Think that as long as you are wandering powerless in samsara, the arising of suffering is not an injustice, but is the nature of being in samsara. Reflect that if it is difficult to bear even the little sufferings of the happy realms, 7 then there is nothing to be said about the sufferings of the lower realms. Develop sorrow and revulsion from samsara by thinking that, alas, samsara is an endless and bottomless ocean of suffering; and turn your mind to liberation.

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b)

Suffering as the support of training in Taking Refuge: Practice Taking Refuge by gaining certainty that the Three Jewels8 are the only unbetraying refuge amidst the continuous suffering of fear and danger throughout the succession of one's lives, so that you should depend on them in all ways, not renouncing them in any circumstances. c) Suffering as the support of training in overcoming pride: Dispel pride and contempt for others, which are the enemies of merits, by becoming aware that one has no autonomy, and that one has not passed beyond the control of suffering. d) Suffering as the support for purification of defilements: The sufferings you have experienced, and sufferings that are unimaginably numerous and se,vere, all arise from the evil deeds alone. So think carefully about these four principles: The certainty of the operation of karma. The tendency of karma to increase greatly. That you will not encounter the result of what you have not done. That what you have done will not be wasted. So, reflect that if you do not want suffering, then you should renounce the cause of suffering, which is unvirtuousness; and purify the previously accumulated defilements by means of the ..four forces;" 9 and try to restrainl 0 future defilements from arising. e) Suffering as the support for attraction to virtue:

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Reflect that if you desire happiness, which is the opposite of suffering, you should try to practice its cause, which is virtue. Consider thoroughly and at length how to act for the increase of virtue. 0 Suffering as the support for training in compassion: Reflect that like myself, other living beings also are tortured by the same or greater suffering. Train yourself to think how good it would be if they also were to free themselves from all sufferings. By this means, you will also understand the way of practicing loving-kindness, which is the intention 11 to help those who are bereft of happiness. g) Taking Suffering as the support of the meditation that others are dearer than oneself: The fact that one is not released from suffering is the result of cherishing oneself from beginningless time. Now you should practice thinking that you will only cherish others, which is the source of happiness and virtue. It is very difficult to practice taking suffering as the Path of Enlightenment when you actually come face to face with sorrows. So it is important to become familiar in advance with the trainings of virtue that are to be applied to unfavorable circumstances. Also it is best for you to apply a training of which you have clear experience. It is not enough simply for suffering to become the support of virtuous training: you have to realize it perfectly and sincerely; and you should certainly obtain a strong and stable continuity of joy, which is brought about by that realization.

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So any time that you practice what I have unfolded, you should reflect that by the suffering you experience you are getting a great support for the good and manifold joys of the higher realms, and for liberation, difficult to obtain; and that in the future it will come about in this way again. So even if the suffering be severe, it is a supremely agreeable thing . ..It is like La-Du 12 of molasses mixed with cardamom and pepper." Think about this again and again, and gain experience of the peace of the mind. If this happens, the superabundance of mental peace will make the suffering of the sensefaculties as it were imperceptible. The criterion for illness to be overcome by patience is that the mind is not able to be harmed by suffering. This also gives you the clue to overcoming enemies and evil spirits as well. As mentioned above, reversing the thought of dislike for suffering is the foundation of taking suffering as the Path of Enlightenment. Because, while your mind is disturbed and your courage or intere~t is extinguished by anxiety, you will not be able to turn your sufferings into the Path. By training in taking suffering as the actual Path you will also improve your capacity for peace, as mentioned above, because by actually experiencing the increase of virtue through the training in suffering you will become more and more cheerful.

It is said: ..If you gradually train yourself through small sufferings, 'by easy gradual stages' as it is said, finally you will be able to train yourself in great sufferings also. " So you should act accordingly. For it will be difficult to gain experience through things that are beyond the capacity of your own mind. In periods of withdrawal from meditation, you should pray to the Lama and the Three Jewels in order to turn suffering into the Path. When your mind has grown a little stronger, after making offerings to the Three Jewels and the spirits, you should request them to send unfavorable circumstances, "In order that I may receive training in the practice of virtue." Yau should always have the confidence of happiness and cheerfulness. When first training yourself, it is important to keep entertainments 13 at a distance. ..In the midst of enter· tainments you may be influenced by many bad friends who say, how can you bear suffering and contempt?" From many worries caused by enemies. relatives. and wealth your mind will be polluted and disturbed beyond control, so that you will develop bad habits. In addition, the: mind may be diverted by various incidenta\ 14 circum· stances. In solitary places these distractions are not present. There the mind will be very clear, so that it will be easy to concentrate.

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For this reason, when Chod 15 pract1t10ners do the meditation of controlling sufferings, at first they will avoid practicing the training with the harmful actions of men or in places of distraction. Instead, they will mainly train with the apparitions of gods and demons in solitary cemetaries and other wild places. Briefly, not only so that the mind may be unaffected by bad circumstances and sufferings, but also in order to extract peace from the vicissitudes themselves, you should stop the arising of aversion to internal illness and outer enemies, evil spirits, and unharmonious speech, and should accustom yourself to the arising of just the feeling of liking. For this you should cease to view dangerous circumstances as defects, and should train yourself with every effort to view them as valuable. Because whether things are pleasing or not depends on how they are perceived by the mind. For example, if a person consistently perceives the faults in worldly enjoyments, then if his retinue and wealth increase he will feel all the more si~k of them. Whereas if a person perceives worldly enjoyments as beneficial, he will even aspire to increase his prosperity. By this kind of training the mind will become gentle and open; and you will become easy to be with, courageous, and free from obstacles to spiritual training. All bad circumstances will arise as noble and fortunate, and the mind will always be satisfied by the bliss of peace.

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~·~-~

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To practice the Path of Enlightenment in this dark era you must not be without the armour of this kind of training. When you are not afflicted by the suffering of anxiety, not only will other sufferings disappear, like weapons dropping from the hands of soldiers, but even most of the negative forces such as illnesses will automatically disappear. The holy ones of the past used to say: "By not having an unhappy mind and not being discontented about anything, your mind will not be disturbed." When your mind is not disturbed, your energy 16 will not get disturbed, in which case other elements of the body also will not be disturbed either. Because of this, your mind will not be disturbed, and so "the wheel of happiness will revolve." ..As birds find it easy to injure horses and donkeys with sores on their backs, evil spirits will easily get a chance to harm those whose nature is fearful. But it will be difficult to harm those whose nature is stable." We shall gain understanding through sayings like these. Learned people perceive that all happiness and suffering depend upon the mind. So they search for happiness from the mind itself. The causes of happiness are complete within oneself, they are not dependent on externals. There is nothing to be hurt by any afflictions from beings or nonbeings. The same (that is, not to be hurt by suffering) shall be true at the time of dying (when circumstances of sufferings and fears may arise). One shall always be free. The Bodhisattva 's 17 "samadhi 18 of pervading all elements by happiness" is also accomplished by this means.

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Foolish people run after external objects, thinking thereby to search for happiness. Whatever happiness great or small they try to gain, they will face many failures, such as non-attainments, imperfections, and misjudgements. Because, as people say, ..Control is in the hands. oj othersyour hair is tangled in a tree. " 19 Enemies and thieves will easily get the opportunity to do harm. One will be separated from happiness by a little criticism, and one's state of mind will be unreliable; as when a crow nurses a baby cuckoo, however much it nurtures him, it will be impossible for the cuckoo to become a baby crow. There is nothing that is not tiresome for the gods (positive forces), miserable for evil spirits, and suffering for oneself. This "essence-advice" is the condensation of a hundred different points in one. There are many other ways of acceptance of the suffering of ascesis for practicing the Path; instructions for turning idleness and harm into the Path, as taught in Zhi-ched, etc. But here I am just writing an easily understood outline of the acceptance of suffering based on the teachings of Shantideva20 and his learned followers. II.

The Way of Suffering as the Path by Means of Absolute Truth.

This is the drawing of the mind to supreme peace, and dwelling there by the knowledge of "the refutation of the arising of the four extremes," 21 etc.: dwelling in that empty nature in which there is no suffering or unfavorable circumstances, in which even the names (of suffering, etc.) cannot be found. Eve>l when you come out of that state (of supreme peace), the way in which suffering arises in your mind is not the same as before, when fear and apprehen· siveness arose. These you must overcome by observing them as being hollow, merely words. 10

B. THE WAY OF TAKING HAPPINESS ASTHEPATH I.

By Means of Relative Truth.

When happiness or objects that cause happiness come to you, if you slip under their c~ntrol, then pride, arrogance, and laziness will increase; and these will obstruct your path of enlightenment. It is difficult not to fall under their control, as Pha Dam-pa22 says: "Men can bear great suffering, but only a little happiness." For this reason, consider by various methods that all existent things are impermanent and full of suffering. Try to develop strong revulsion from them and turn your mind away from carelessness. Again, reflect that the wealth and happiness which the world affords are insignificant, and are connected with many harmful things · even though some of it has value. The Buddha 23 says: "For a person whose freedom is impaired by suffering, it is very difficult to attain Enlightenment, but it will be easy for a person to achieve Enlightenment is he is happy." You ought to think, "It is my great good fortune to have practiced the Dharma 24 in happiness. Now, whatever the circumstances, I am exchanging this happiness for Dharma." Also, from the Dharma happiness will arise continuously. Thus you should train Dharma and happiness to become the support of one another. Otherwise, like boiling water in a wooden pot, 25 in the end it will become what it was before. 26 You should achieve the essential by applying whatever happiness arises to the Dharma. This is the vision of the Ratnavali. 27 Even if you are happy, if you cannot recqgnize it, (the opportunity) will not become the instrument of Dharma training and you will waste your life in the pursuit of more happiness. So, as the antidote to hopes for 11

additional happiness, you should apply the appropriate method and should possess the "ambrosia" of contentment with whatever you have. There are other ways to take happiness as the Path based on the instructions of training in Bodichitta, 28 and by remembering the kindness of the Three Jewels; but for the time being this is sufficient. As in accepting suffering as the Path, in the case of happiness also, you should alternate the trainings of purification and accumulation of merits in a solitary place. II.

By Means of Absolute Truth

You will understand "Happiness taken as the Path by means of Absolute Truth" by understanding the training. 29 When you are suffering, if you cannot practice Dharma by means of that sorrow; and when you are happy, if you cannot practice Dharma because of attachment to happiness, then it will be impossible for a chance to practice Dharma to present itself. So if you practice Dharma, there is nothing more essential than this training. If you have this training, whatever kind of place you stay in, whether in solitude or in a city; whatever sort offriends you associate with, either good or bad; whatever comes, riches or poverty, happiness or sorrow; whatever speech you hear, either praise or disparagement, good or bad, you will not be afraid that it will harm you. So this is called the "the Lion-like Yoga."

Whatever you do, your mind will be happy and relaxed. Your nature will be pure and, ultimately, accomplished. Even if, physically, you are living in the impure land, your mind will enjoy the splendor of unimaginable peace, like the Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land. It is like the saying of the Ka-dam Lamas: 30 "Happiness should be brought under control, and suffering ended. If you are lonely, it will be the companion in sorrow. If you are sick, it will nurse you." For example, goldsmiths purify gold by melting it; and by rinsing it in water again and again they make it flexible. It is like that with the mind also: if by taking happiness as the Path you develop ardent desire (for the practice of the Dharma); and if, by taking suffering as the Path, you cleanse the mind, then you shall easily attain the extraordinary samadhi which makes one's mind and body capable of accomplishing what one wishes. I understand this alone to be important for the method of perfecting moral discipline, the root of the virtues. Because of non-attachment to happiness, the foundation of the exceptional moral discipline of renunciation 31 is created, and absence of fear of suffering will purify moral discipline. As it is said, "Giving is the basis of moral discipline, and patience is the cleanser of moral discipline." By training this way now, when you reach the higher paths, then it will come about as it is said: "You shall realize that all phenomena are like Maya, 32 And that your births are like entering a garden. 33 It will be the same in time of prosperity and of decline You will have no fear of defiled emotions and suffering." 13

Here is an illustration from the life of the Buddha: before attaining Enlightenment he renounced the universal rulership as if it were straw and dwelt by the Nairanjana river with no concern for the harshness of the austerities he was practicing. This indicates that you should develop the non-distinction of happiness and suffering in order to realize Enlightenment. After he attained Enlightenment the chiefs of human beings and gods, up to the highest realms, placed the Buddha's feet on the crowns of their heads and offered him respect and service for all the needs of comfort. On the other hand the Brahmin Bharadvaja abused him with a hundred scoldings, a Brahmin's daughter slandered him with accusations of sexual misconduct, and he ate rotten horse fodder for three months in the country of King Agnidatta, etc.; yet the Buddha remained without any alterations of mind, excitement, or depression, just as Mount Sumeru cannot be displaced by the wind. This indicates that you should make no distinctions between suffering and happiness in order to act for the benefit of living beings. It is appropriate for this doctrine to be taught by those who are like the]o-Wo Ka-dam-pas, who have a history of "not crying when there is suffering" and of having "great revulsion from samsara when there is happiness." If a man like me teaches it, I am afraid that my own tongue will have contempt for me. But with the aim of myself achieving the habit of "same taste" in different circumstances, I, the poor old man Ten-pa'i Nyi-ma, have written this in the forest of many birds.

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FOOTNOTES 1.

He is the embodiment of the compassion of the Buddhas who manifests in the form of a Bodhisattva (see footnote 17). 2. The law of the cause and effect of actions - that every action one performs has a commensurate effect in this and future lives. 3. Tib.: sNyigs-Ma, the age of war, disease, famine and emotional struggles. 4. Tib.: bZe-Re. 5. If one's mind follows the sufferings, the sufferings will disturb the peace of the normal state of mind. So when suffering arises, without concentrating on it, keep the mind in its own normal, relaxed state. Then the mind will be free from the control of suffering. If the person is a meditator of higher practices such as Tantra or DZog-Pa Chen•Po, he can relax his mind free from suffering more effectively by his own particular meditative methods. 6. In contrast to Enlightenment, samsara is the vicious cycle of existences, the mundane world. It arises out of ignorance, functions through the causes and effects of emotional actions and is characterized by suffering. 7. Of the six realms of samsara constituting the ••cyclic existence," three are designated ••happy realms", namely the dwelling places of gods, demi-gods, a11d human beings. The remaining three are the ••tower realms," peopled by animals, hungry ghosts and the beings in hell. The central or axial position in this existential scheme is occupied by man, who alone has access to the possibility of Enlightenment. He alone can deal with suffering and happiness in a spiritually creative way, which is the subject of this instruction. 15

8.

9.

10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15.

16. 17.

18.

19. 20. 21.

( 1) Buddha, the enlightened guide who shows the Path of enlightenment, (2) Dharma, the Path of enlightenment with its attainments, and (3) Sangha, the community who pursues the Path of Enlightenment. The Forces are: (1) to rely on a blessed support, (2) to generate sincere regret for evil deeds previously committed, (3) to pledge to refrain from committing evil deeds again, and (4) to apply antidotes which are means of purification through spiritual training. Tib: bsDams-Pa, literally "to seal, close, refrain, prevent or bind." Tib: dMigs-Pa. An India~ sweetmeat, the taste of which is both sweet and spicy. Although it is hot, if you are used to it, you enjoy it. Tib: 'aDu-'aDzi: worldly affairs. Tib: gYeng-Ba: literally, "wandering, straying, or drifting" circumstances. Tib: gCod: the Tantric ritual and meditation for overcoming the four demons: "The demons of the body, death, pleasure and defiled emotions." Tib: rLung: "inner energy and air." An ardent Mahayana trainee who has taken the Bodhicitta vow (see footnote 28). These include beginners as well as highly enlightened ones; and when they become fully enlightened they are known as Buddhas. It is the absorption in contemplative meditation. There are many kinds and levels of samadhis, and they bring tranquillity and peace to the mind. Literally, "Hair is in the hands of a tree." If your hair gets caught in trees you won't be free to move. A celebrated Mahayana teacher, who wrote the B odhicharyavatara. The four extremes: ..,is; is not; both is and is not; neither is nor is not." 16

22.

Indian £aint who founded in Tibet the Zhi-ched-pa (Zhi-Byed-Pa) order. His principal student was the Tibetan woman saint, Ma-chig Lab-dron {Ma-Chig Lab-sGron) who propagated the Chod (gChod) teaching in Tibet. 23. Fully Awakened One or Fully Enlightened One. Buddha refers to the principle of enlightenment or to any enlightened individual such as Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. Here it refers to the historical Buddha. 24. The Buddhist teachings which consist of the scriptures and the spiritual training with its different levels of attainments. 25. When one feels happy he should remember to use that happiness in order to develop his Dharma practices. It will help to increase both his happiness and his practice continuously. Otherwise the happiness will be extinguished after a while and he will return to his previous condition without any development in his happiness or practice, "like boiling water in a wooden pot." 26. 27. 28.

29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

If you boil water in a wooden pot, the fire will burn up the container; similarly happiness will exhaust itself. By Nagarjuna. Tibetan title: Rin-Chen Phreng-Ba. The Awakened Mind. It is an aspiration to serve all living beings without self-interest and to pursue the training in the six perfections. That is, acceptance of suffering as the Path. Tib: bK'a-gDams -The school founded by the Indian pandit Atisha in Tibet in the llth century. Tib.: Rab-tu-chung (Rab-Tu-Byung). Renunciation of household life. This line is on the wisdom which is the ultimate aspect of teachings. This line is on compassion which is the skillful means aspect of the teachings. 17

..If I give this, what shall/ {have left to} enjoy?" Such selfish thinking is the way of demons. ,.If I enjoy this, what shall I (have left to) give?" Such selfless thinking is a qua~ity of the gods. - Shantideva

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Other Publications of Tulku Thondup Written and Translated Under the Auspices of Buddhayana: The Assemblage of the Knowledge-holders, the Inner Sadhana from The Long-chen Nying-thig Collection (translation) The Queen of Great Bliss, the Root Sadhana from The Long-chen Nying-thig Collection (trans.). Buddhist Civilization in Tibet. Commentary of the Seven Line Prayer The Dzogchen: Innermost Essence Preliminary Practice by Jig-med Ling-pa (trans. with commentary). The Blessing Treasure, A Liturgy of the Buddha by Mi-pham (trans.). The Excellent Path of Ominiscience by Jig-med Lingpa (trans.). The Short Preliminary Practice of Long-chen Nying-thig (trans.).

Forthcoming Publications: Dharma Treasure, the Discovered Esoteric Scriptures of Buddhism in Tibet by the third Dodrup Chen Rinpoche (trans. with introduction). Naturally Liberated Mind by Long-chen Rab-jam (trans. with introduction). The Tantric Tradition of the Nyingmapa, The Origin of Buddhism in Tibet

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