By Gosir Gyaltsab Rinpoche

 

 

 

Sakya Pandita, ”Free from the four clingings”

 

1. This is excellent by the Sakya master and this the text we are going through are from sakya tradition.

 

2. So appearance is like that. Although you see the things as if it is real, actually it is not like that. So therefor to be able to see the things as they really are, is the wisdom. ...

 

3. We examine the nature of things.

 

Through the wisdom, then the way things appear to us in the samsaric state of mind, which is confused and disturbed, we find that it`s not - that the situation is not - as it is ...

 

4. Therefor we try to – it says that therefor – not to let our mind be carried away by the things - by the memories of the things of the past, nor - not to get it involved into the coming or the expectations of the future - and nor to get distracted by the present arisings - and understanding that, then we can let our mind without any elaboration – free from elaborations in the simple state, that is then the awareness of the way our mind is.

 

 

5. So to understand this state of mind, we do like that, practise in this ways, though it is difficult, because we are not clinging to this life, we do not accumulate the causes, with which we will be born in the lower realms, - eh - because we are not clinging to the samsara, therefor we have started to work to be free from the cage of the samsara and because we are not clinging to my own benefit alone, so therefor we will be freed from egoistic and too much selfcherishing and therefor we go beyond – or get transcended from this - eh- hinayana – and because we are not stuck or clinging to the material or dogmatic view, we will -–our mind will be freed from fixation and therefor in a short while, i a short time we can become perfectly enlightened.

 

6. So this is an ” unstained” instruction on the – free from the four clingings, as according to the instructions by the great sakyapa, that means Sakya ”Kenga Kunga Nyngpo” and this is written by Sakya Pandita.

 

7. So that`s the translation of the short instruction of ”Free from the four clingings”.

 

Lamrim teachings of Attisha Depankara; the four clingings

 

8. Now he is reading the teachings of the Attisha Depankara, what we call as the great path of the lamrim, this is the basis of the lamrim teachings, all lamrim teachings, and this is also the main book which freed the tibet of the wrong use of vajrayana, what we call as ”Navrlok”.

 

9. After Buddhism was destroyed by the king ”Langtarma(?)” in Tibet, the Vinaya-order allmost extinguished, so therefor there were only lay-practioners and vajrayana teachings left, and there were a few who misused vajrayana and for a while there was a very big misuse of vajrayana in tibet. And Attisha Depankara was mainly invited to Tibet to clear away this misuse of vajrayana.

 

10. And this his text, what is called the greatest path to the enlightenment is actually the main text through which he accomplished this. – thank you very much -

 

11. .... and to find a path which is free from the false .... which would lead us to the right destination, so if we want to do that it is important, that we should try to understand and practise the .... free from the four clingings.

 

12. What is this free from the four clingings? First one it says not to cling to this life. Second is not to cling to the samsara, of this three cycle of samsara. And thirdly not to cling to just my own sake, or to my own benefit; and fourthly not to cling to the material and to the ideas and dogmas.

 

13. So to explain this a little bit – this life is like the bubble of water, we don`t know how long this will last, we don`t know how soon this will discontinue, so therefor this is not worth to cling to this life too much, because we cannot keep this for all the time, so therefor we should do something that is much morelasting then just this life, for the benefit of this life alone.

 

14. Then the second one, if we cling to the first two cycles of the samsara, this is like a sweet fruit, but actually is poiseness. It is sweet to eat, it maybe good tasting, but it will not help us in the end, it will kill us in the end. So if we are too much clinging to the samsaric state of being, also to the samsaric pleasures, we are mistaken. Because it would not give a lasting peace and happiness.

 

15. Then the third one is, if you cling to your own benefit alone, then it says it is like bringing up the son of your enemy- meaning who has in his heart to revenge against you. When you bring him up, he would look nice, but his main purpose is to kill you, to take revenge of you. So therefor, if you are only doing your own or if your only purpose or only objective is to benefit yourself alone, then it doesn`t really benefit yourself, in the end it actually harms you. And therefor, if one is completely klinging to ones benefit alone, then at the end one will be generating lots of suffering for oneself, so therefor it`s the wrong view.

 

”The greatest path to enlightenment” by Attisha Depankara of the Kadampa tradition; the root text

 

16. .... few different commentaries on this in the third volume of the treasury of instructions; this is the tradition, that first the teachings of the treasury of instruction; he started with the Sakyapas teachings of cutting the four clingings and then start with the Kadampa – the older and new Kadampa traditions. And the main root text of this Kadampa teachings is the greatet path to enlightenment; since he is going very quickly through the commentaries, may be I`ll try to go through the root text and translate that in a loose way.

 

17. In this text first this is written by Attisha Depankara and this is actually written in Tibet, in Sanskrit and then also in Tibetan and this is one of the texts, wich is written by an indian Pandit in Tibet; and then lateron went back to India and became very popular there.

 

18. So this starts with an homage to the Buddha and it says, that he –- I bow down with my head to Buddha the chief of the Shakyas, and then he says he gives a praise to his body, speech and mind, and the body it says is the form of the buddha which is made up or created by billions of positive deads, this is because of buddhas appearance as a buddha to other beeings can only be seen because of the buddhas countless positive actions, what we sometimes call as creating the buddhafield, so that is why it`s something that is created with millions of positive deeds.

 

19. And then the speech of the buddha it says, the speech that fullfills the wishes of countless beeings and about the mind of the buddha it says the mind which sees the nature of everything as it is and to that leader of the shakyas I bow down with my head.

 

20. Then the second stanza; ”... tibetan...” this is a homage to the two great bodhisattvas; the Maitreya and manjushri; as you know, the teachings of the Mahayana or the bodhisattva vows or the bodhisattva-lineage/ teachings-lineage comes from this two sources, the Maitreya and Manjushri, so therefor he makes homage to them. The chief or the excellent ”haires(?)” - maybe heroes?- of this incomparable or unequaled teacher and who is carrying the responsibility of the activities of the buddha on their shoulders and who is creating emanations in countless worlds, to them the Maitreya and Manjushri I bow down.

 

21. Then the third stanza is the two chariots of the Mahayana Buddhism, the - an homage to them: Nagarjuna and Asangha. And what he says is the ”Gjalwe Yum” the mother of the buddhas. The mothers of the buddhas is the ”Prakja Paramita Sutras”, so he says ”Chindum Prakwendara” the phantomless, unpenetrated by the intellectual mind. The Prakja Paramita Sutras, which is truly or in a apropriate way, in a true way it`s been commented so therefor it`s like the ornament of the world are these two, the great Nagarjuna and Asangha and this two are known are famous are ”renound hroughout the three world, to them I bow down.

 

22. Then in the next stanza it says; This text is actually written by ”Gje Rinpoche Losang Tharpa”, and this is a kind of essentialising the teachings of lamrim. This text that I am reading is not actually written by ”mambenzi(?)” the main text is written by ”mambenzi” Attisha Depankara, this is an essence of the teachings, so this is a homage to Attisha Depamkara and here it says :

 

23. The two the great vehicles of Mahayana, the profound insight and expanded path of bodhichitta, great bodhisattva activities, these are the two paths. The profound path of insight is the path of expounded by Nagarjuna, because Nagarjunas teachings mainly on the buddhist view the Mahayana view, the Philosophie, the Shinyata. And the Asanghas teachings are called the great expansive teachings of the bodhisattvas activities or actions, because he explains more about the bodhisattva activities, the compassion; so therefor these two are sometimes called as the two chariots. So this both of this paths are essentialised and given to the world without having any mistakes or any additiones or anything left behind/ unclear, that is the Attisha Depankara, so therefor Attisha Depankara, is the treasure house of all the instructions. So therefor it is said here, that to Attisha Depankara I bow down, who is the treasure house of all the instructions, the bodhisattvas path instructions coming from Nagarjuna as well as Asangha; the profound insight as well as the bodhisattvas compassionate activities.

 

24. Then the next stanza is a homage to all the spiritual friends or masters who are transmitting and practising and holding this teachings. It is said here ”...tibetan...” this teaching wich is like the eye with which you can see the countless activities of the buddha, this is like the entrance for all the fortunate beeings into the path of enlightenment, so that great teachings, which is like the eye and the entrance who those people with great compassion and skillfull means shows this path to other beeings, or makes clear to other beeings, to those great masters also I bow down and I pay homage with great humbleness.

 

25. Then the next stanza is the Nagarjuna and Asangha who are like the juwel on the crown of alll the learned beeings in this world, whos fame and reknown is resounding throughout the world, from this Nagarjuna and Asangha greadually through many generations the greatest path of the bodhisattva has come with fullfilling the wishes and aspirations of countless beeings, so therefor this instruction is like wishfullfilling ”jam(?)” .

 

26. The next is the place, where the streams of many rivers come together, so therefor this text is also like the ocean of all the elegant sayings or the instructions. This is like the oceans of instructions because in this instructions or all other teachings and texts and lineages come as one. Now this says, that this makes one understand all the teachings all the different kinds of schools and different kinds of yanas as not contradictary, as uncontradictary, as one, that`s one point.

 

27. The second point is, with this teachings then all the instructions and all the teachings given to different people at different times in different scriptures, can all be seen as an instruction that would help one person in his or her own path, the second point.

 

28. The third point is, with this teachings then one can understand very easily and in an comprehensive way and without confusion the total, the complete teachings of the buddha, so therefor this particular teaching prevents us, protect us from falling into the precipices, you know from falling into a great hole, you know the precipices of misdeeds, because usually when we study one teaching, then we find, that if we don`t understand it well, it`s contradictory to other teachings. So therefor we don`t hold with as much respect the other teachings or sometimes even criticise, so therefor we make lots of negative deeds by criticising other very important and positive instructions, so therefor we have comitted a negative deed by that, so these kind of understanding will prevent us from there, from that kind of actions, it protects us from falling into the precipices of misdeeds. Therefor all the great beeings of India and learned beeings of Tibet have been receiving and practising this precious instruction and this instruction is a greatet path, the path which is suitbale for all the three catagories of beeings. So therefor, how can there be anybody who is not attracted by this great instructions?

 

29. Then the next says that this is the essance, the quint essence of all the teachings of the buddha essantialized and put together. So therefor, even one small section of this, if one teaches or if one listens, that also - even one small sections of this teaching , if one listens or if one teaches -, the positive deed coming from that, even that is great, just to listen to part of it, or teach a part of it, even that is great. Just to listen to part of it or listen to part of it, the positive deed of that is imeasurable! So therefor please it is – please all of you should try to listen to this and also contemplate in it`s meanings.

 

30. Now we come to the actual teachings, then it says that, the main ospicious condition, the ospicious conditions that will bring all the positives for this life as well as for the next lifes is wether we get a great spiritual friend and to be able to rely and get teachings from that positive spiritual friend, so therefor seeing this, one should try to find a true spiritual friend and once one has got or found a true spirituell friend, then not to give up that spirituell friend even for our live. And not only that, but make the offerings to this spirituell friend not as material things, but the offering of doing as according to the teachings or acting as according to the teachings of that spirituell master and therefor fulfilling the wishes of that spirituell friend. That is the first and most ospicious beginning. I the Yogi - that`s the TsonghKarpa - I the Yogi also practise in that way and you who want to liberate, I request you also to practise in that way.

 

31. And then the next thing is the precious human form - the precious human form, which is the leisure the free, with the freedom, the free basis for the fullfilling of beeing an human beeing is more important then the precious juwel; It is this time, that we have received such a great opportunity, but this is something which is difficult to obtain, but easy to loose, it`s as easy to loose as the lightening in the sky which lasts only for a few seconds. By reflecting on that, then all the activities of this life one should try to understand as temporary and unessential, like the husk of the rice and we should all try to get the essential purpose of this life day and night by practising the real dharma. That is how I the Yogi practised, and I also appeal to you all, who want liberation to practise in this way.

 

32. Then the next thing is after we die, we have no certainty, we have no confidence, that we will not be born into lower realms or negative states, so therefor to be able to protect us from that fears is certainly the three jewels, the buddha, dharma and sangha. Therefor it is important to have a very firm and confident understanding of the refuge and try to practise the instructions of the refuge without any laps. And that also depends mainly on understanding the positive and negative actions and their results meaning that what actions result into positive and what actions result into negative and by understanding that and accordingly to act in a appropriate way so it depends on that, so therefor this is my practise me the yogi and I also appeal to you, who also want liberation to practise in this way.

 

33. Then the next is in order to practise the excellent path, unless we get the full freedom and full positive basis it takes too long time to get the practise in the right way, and in order to that, we need to make it free, we need to make it positive and to do that, is actually what we call as purification; so to purify our three doors, body, mind and speech, and especially the karmic purification, the karmic purification means to try to purify and change positively our habitual tendencies and to do that, the main practise is the practise of purification with the four powers, that is continiously to practise the four powers is very important and I the Yogi although practised in this way and you who want liberation I ”beseach (?)-16, 32” you to although practise in that way.

 

34. Then it`s about the samsara if we don`t concentrate or reflect on the problems of the truth of suffering, then we will never seek freedom from the samsara. If we don`t concentrate or reflect on the problems of the truth of suffering, then we will never seek freedom from the samsara and the samsaric state of mind, that`s one point and if we do not concentrate or reflect on the causes of samsara or the samsaric sufferings, then we can never know how to cut the root of the samsaric state, so therefor we should try to – it`s very important! – to try to renounce the samsara and therefor feel disgussed to the samsaric state of suffering an dto understand, why we are bound to the samsara, that is the practise of me te yogi and beseach(?) you, who want to liberate also to practise in that way.

 

35. Then the next is on the bodhichitta, The bodhichitta is the beam - you know, when you built a house there is this beam - the beam of the mahayana path. Without the bodhichitta, there is no mahayana path, because without the beams and pillars there is no house. ”...tibetan...” this is the bodhichitta is also the basis and the ground of all the great activities of the bodhisattvas and this is also like the alchemie of making gold; for all the accumulations, accumulation of merit as well as accumulation of wisdom, if you have this bodhichitta, then even if you do a little positive deed, it becomes a big positive deed, and if you have a little wisdom, it becomes a great wisdom so it is like an gold alchemie.

 

36. And this is also like the treasure house where countless positive deeds are collected and preserved, so therefor one need to understand this and also great bodhisattvas should understand this bodhichitta as the essence of all practises and hold this as that; means hold the bodhichitta as the essence, the quintessence the main thing , the root of all the practises, this is how I practised and this how all those who wish to liberate themselves should practise although.

 

37. I think I will stop here for the time beeing and I will continue ti translate this text after the tea – thank you very much.

 

”Greatest path to enlightenment”
by Attisha Depankara

 

 

The 6 paramitas

 

38. It`s generally known as ”Gyay Rinpoche” and this is really strong, the greatest path to enlightenment text, by Attisha Depankara, so we`ll go into part of it, the path where he talk`s about the six paramitas;

 

39. The giving generosity is like the wishfullfilling jam, to fullfill the wishes of the sentient beeings it is that kind of generosity ............... and that kind of generosity and giving is the positive path the good path, and this is the path, which the nobel, the learned, the wise would take. And that is what I the Yogi practise, and I appeal to all those who wish liberation should also practise.

 

40. And then we come to the ”shila”, the discipline second paramita, ”Tsultrim yeshe ...tibetan...” The discipline, the positive ...... is like the water to wash the wrong doings, it is like the moonlight, which dispells the heat of mindpoisons, the afflictive emotions; if one maintains this positive selfdiscipline and rightful ethics, then one is glorious like the great mountain among the other beeings and one who is maintaining the rightful deeds is never been threatened by any powers, not only that, but he or she is respected by all; this life as well as all the time, so therefor knowing that, one should try to preserve, observe and be the disciplines, the ordinations, that one receives like your own eyes; a noble person would try to protect the rightful ethics as carefully as ones own eyes. This is my practise the yogi, me the Yogie`s practise and I also beseeds others, those who want liberation to practise in this way.

 

41. Now we come to the next paramita the paramita of patience ”...tibetan...” . Patience is like the best ornament for those who are powerfull; and it is the most important ”hoster (?)” action, the most important practise to diminish the afflictive emotions, the mind poisons and the patience is like the garuda in order to destroy the snakes of hatred and anger it`s like the ornament to protect you from the harmfull words of others, knowing that one should try to put on the armor of great patience in anyway you can. That is the practise of this yogi myself and I also beseeds all those of you, who want to attain liberation to practise the same.

 

42. Then we go to the next ”...tibetan...” this is for diligence; if one put`s on the armor of diligence, which is steady and not reversible; so actually he is going now through this text, that we are reading, so may be we should listen to him, I will go through the rest of the text maybe next time, when I am able to, so let us carefully listen to the teachings, that he is going through, thank you.

 

43. The diligence, if one put`s on the armor of diligence, which is stable and irreversible, then one`s understandings and experience would increase, like that of the developping moon, and all the actions of this person would become purposefull and whatever one starts, all the activities will be accomplished as according to his or her own wish, so because there are so many positive qualities by trying to work on the diligence, so knowing this one should try to get rid of the lazyness and should try to generate great diligence; and this what the great bodhisattvas would incalcate; this is what me the yogi practised and this is what I would ask those who want liberation to also practise;

 

44. Now we come to the fifth paramita, the paramita of meditation, the meditation is like the king which controlls the mind, and with meditation one can have the full controll of the mind, so therefor if you leave your mind then you remain there unmoved like a mountain and if you let it go it will go only towards the positive side, positive intentions and mental activities, so therefor it will bring the mind and the body under controll and becomes easy to direct; therefor it creates great happiness and joy in oneself; knowing this the yogi would always try to vanquish the enemy of distrectedness and would try to generate meditation all the time; this is how I the yogi practised and this is how I ask those who want to liberate also to practise;

 

45. Then we come to the sixth paramita the paramita of wisdom the wisdom, the prakja is the eye to see the profound nature of the way it is to see the truth, this is the path through which the rootcause of the samsara is completely uprooted and this is the treasure house of all the positive qualities, which is very much recommended and praised in every teaching of all the noble beeings, this is also known as the most excellent lamp to dispell the darkness of ignorance; knowing this, those wise beeings who want to liberate - this path is developed with all efforts; this is how I the yogi practise and I request all those who want liberation also to practise this.

 

46. Then just in one point at the meditation, I don`t see the power to uproot the samsara; and if there is no path, no means of calm abiding, then whatever with only discursive wisdom, how ever much you contemplate and analyse, your afflictive emotions, the mindpoisons will never be stopped or reversed; so therefor, what is necessary to be done is, that we should the wisdom the prakja the understanding, which is complete understanding of how the things really are - through the doubtless understanding, if you put that doubtless understanding on the horse of studiing shine, or the meditation, then ”...tibetan...” so this what is called as the combination or the togetherness the practise of the shine or laktong as one, if we have that, then with the shine, then putting the true understanding of wisdom on the horse of shine; then you carry the weapon, the very sharp weapon of the madyamika view, which is free of all concepts or all ends or extrems; with that you cut off, all teh holdings, the clingings to any extrems and with that, then with the understanding the prakya of knowing the way it is in that great vast plain the vastness of knowing and the vastness of the wisdom, that you know, what the things are ”tib.” with that then you are understanding the realization of knowing the way it is, can develop. So what it means to say is, that one can not totally get liberated with just calm abiding meditation, shine, but without this kind of meditation shine, which is the basis of lactong one can not experientially generate the experience of the great simplicity or understanding beyond all concepts and beyond all extrems so therefor one should practise shine and lactong together, one supporting the other, then he says this is how I the yogi practised and this is how I recommend to those who want liberation to practise. If you onepointedly meditate, it is not necessary to mention, that it will bring the right kind of samadhi, but this will also help to bring the right insight, because when your mind becomes onepointed, then it becomes clear enough to see the true nature of the phenomena; so therefor when your mind is steadily and unmovingly looking or having the insight into the nature of things, then your realization is generated, your realization is awakened, so therefor it is wonderful to practise diligently the meditation of shine and laghtong as one together; this is how I the yogi would practise, and this is how all those who want liberation should practise to;

 

47. Then it says, the meditation, the realization, while meditating, within the meditation-practise the understanding of the emptiness the ”shønyata” is like the space itself, but when during the post-mediation the things move, as mirage as miracles, as it`s arising but not true in it`s nature, that`s also emptiness; so this two types of emptinesses is the complete clear understanding of emptiness like the space in your meditative state, which is unmoving, which is completely clear and the luminosity and then the after, when you`re not meditating and when the natural arising is there, within that also you`ll see the mirage as untruly arising, arising, but not completely real, so therefor you have no atachment to it, to much clinging to it; so this two understandings, if you meditate, then you have what we call the union of method and wisdom, and with this union of method and wisdom one can accomplish all the activities of the bodhisattva. That`s what the buddhas and bodhisattvas have always recommended and praised to unite the wisdom and the method by understanding these two ways of seeing the nature of the emptiness. By understanding in this way, that one should not be satisfied with a sectarian or just one section of the understanding is the tradition of great yogis, the great fortunate beeings, so therefor one should not feel sectarian and onesided, but understand the totality the full, every section of the teachings, and this is whaat I the yogi would practise and this is what I would recommend to all those who want liberation.

 

48. Then in that way, one should understand the mahayana path, the cause and it`s result, the causes and it`s results and this is the most important path which is common to all and one should try to understand this and then one after one understand this basic understanding, then one should rely, one should go under the protection of a learned guide and then understand all the tantras, the ocean of tantras and then enter into that part, should receive all the instructions, the complete instructions and if we do that, then we have made this human life purposefull and worth of living. And this is how I the Yogi would pratise and this is how I recommend to all those who seek liberation to practise too.

 

49. In order, that I should get accustomed to this teachings and also that it should be beneficial to other beeings too, this path of the buddha, which is the complete path that is pleasing to the buddha, I have explained here in a language that is easy to understand; by the merit of this may all the beeings never be seperate of the great, the good and true path, the pure and true path, this is how I would pray, this is how I the Yogi would pray and this is how I ask you, who seek liberation to pray to. That`s the end of it, now the collophone is:

 

50. The essential abrieviated teachings, of the greated path to liberation is written by the ”Bikschu Gelong Towonghpa; the ”Towonghpa is those who have given up, the renouncend; ”Losong Tagpa”, this is the name of the writer ”Losong tagpa” or the ”Tschesongkarpa ” has written this in gadang, gaden monastery, where the gaden monastery is ...

 

51. Then there is a slight kind of change, that we make, instead of saying, in the end of every kind of section, this how I the yogi would practise, this is how I ask, the one who want`s to liberation to practise, instead of that, you say that  the master, the lama also practise like that and I who seeks liberation – me - would like to, would try to practise like that, so this is how we kind of make changes and edit, when we use the short text as a prayer.
     

52. Tomorrow as you know is the bodhisattva vows and the bodhisattva vows in both traditions. So when one takes the bodhisattva vows, then it is recommended, that one do lot`s of things that is kind of great meritus, meritorius or the positive deeds; So I have arranged - from my side - to offer onethousand butterlamps, if anybody want`s to also join in or add to that, then one should go to this organizing (cometee?), and ask them each butterlamp cost`s 4 rupies, but it is not necessary just to do butterlamps; one can do anything actually, that`s for your information, so we will stop here today, thank you very much and see you next time.

 

© Transmission by Gyaltsab Rinpoche, 
Rumtek/Sikkim December 1999 to January 2000