CHAPTER 3 TheLawofKarma 133
The karmic process in general 133
Actions neverfail to produce an iffect 133
The karmic process is irresistible 134
Karmic iffects are not transferablefrom one mindstream to another 135
An explanation oj the eight worldly concerns and thirteen influentialfactors 135
The proliferating tendency oj karmic results 136
Assessingthegravityojpositiveandnegativeactions 138
The basis oj the karmic phenomenon 139
Propelling and completing actions 140
The performed and stored aspects oj actions 141
Negative actions 142
Negative actions regarding the Three Jewels 142
The crucial role oj intention 142
The ten negative actions 142
The results oj the ten negative actions 146
The fully ripened effect 147
The effect similar to the cause 147
The conditioning or environmental effect 148
The proliferating effect 150
Conclusion 150
Virtuous actions 151
A recapitulation o f the path o f beings o f lesser scope 151
How beings of medium scope practice virtue 152
H o w beings o f great scope practice virtue 152

The Path of Beings of Medium Scope 155 Correct Conduct in Relation to the Four Truths CHAPTER 4 The Sufferings of Samsara 157 The four truths 157 The truth oj suffering 158 The all-pervasive nature of suffering 158 The conditions that perpetuate suffering 159 The sufferings of the lower realms 161 Tht tight hot htlls 161 Tht sixttm ntighboring htlls 16~ Tht tight (oM htlls 164 Tht tphtmtral htlls 165 Vll1 CONTENTS

The sufferings of the higher realms 165 Thesufferingofthegods 165

The suffering of the asuras 167 The suffering ofhuman beings 168 Suffering of suffering 168 Suffering of change 168 All-pervading suffering in the making 168 The eight complementary sufferings 169 Birth 169 Old agt 171 IlIntss 172 Dtath 172 Mttting unwanttd circumstancts 172 Stparation from what is lovtd 173 Not having what ont wants 173 Having what ont dots not want 173 The truth oj origin 173 The truth oj path and truth of cessation 174 The twelve links of dependent arising 175 The needfor this teaching 175 Definitions of the twelve links 176 Four wa)'s of presenting the principlt oj deptndent arising 177 The number of lifetimes requiredfor an entire cycle 179 How to meditate on the principle of dependent arising 1 8 0 The unoriginated nature of dependent arising 183 The Extraordinary Path of Beings of Great Scope 185 Meditation on the TwoJold Bodhichitta CHAPTER 5 The Preparation: The Four Wheels 187 Prerequisites for the practice 187 Solitude 187 Livelihood 189 Reliance on a spiritual master 191 Fully qual!fied masters 191 False teachers 193 Evoking the sublime qualities oj an authentic teacher 195 Relying on the teacher with a twentyfold attitude 197 The characteristics oj bad disciples 198 Thecharacteristicsojgooddisciples 200 How to serve andfollow the teacher 201 CONTENTS IX .

How to behave in the presence of the teacher 202 Reasons for serving the teacher 205

Conclusion 206 Excellent aspiration 208 The supreme protection of merit 210 CHAPTER 6 The Foundation of the Path: Refuge 213 The reasons for taking refuge 213 Faith as the cause oftaking refuge 213 The causes offaith 21 5 The qualities of the Buddha 215 The qualities oj elimination 215 The one hundred and twelve obscurations eliminated on the path of seeing 215 How the obscurations militate against the understanding of the four truths 216 The four hundred and fourteen obscurations eliminated on the path of meditation 2 1 7 The difference between the Hinayana and the Mahayana approaches to the removal of obscurations 219 The Hinayana and Mahayana ways of removing the obscurations by seeing 219 How the obscurations are eliminated on the path of meditation 222 The qualities oj a Buddha's realization 2 2 3 The qualities of the Dharma 225 Dharma posited Dharma difined The Dharma The Dharma The grounds as the two truths oj path and cessation 2 2 5 as the Dharma oj transmission and realization 2 2 5 of transmission 225 of realization 226 or stages of realization 2 2 7 The qualities of the Sangha 229 The Hina)'ana and Mahayana Sangha 2 3 0 What is refuge? 231 Causal and resultant refuge 231 The different motivesfor taking refuge 232 How to take refuge 233 The benefits of taking refuge 234 The btntfits of causal refuge 234 The btntfits of resultant refuge 235 The precepts of the refuge vow 236 The precepts of causal refuge 236 The precepts regarding things to be avoided 236 The precepts regarding things to be accomplished 236 Thepreceptsofresultantrefuge 237 ~f1hen the refuge vow is broken 237 x CONTENTS

Attitudes incompatible with refuge 2~8

The benefits oj observing the precepts oj the refuge w w 2~8 CHAPTER 7 Cleansing the Mind by Training in the Four Boundless Attitudes 239 The Mahayana path 2~9 The four boundless attitudes 240 How to meditate on the four boundless attitudes 242 The benefits of this meditation 242 CHAPTER 8 The Vow of Bodhichitta 247 What is bodhichitta? 247 Classifications of bodhichitta 249 Bodhichitta in aspiration and action 2 4 9 Other c/ass!fications oj bodhichitta 249 Bodhichitta classijitd according to twenty-two similes 250 Bodhichitta classijitd according to its benefits 251 Bodhichitta classijitd according to the speed oj progression 25~ How to cultivate bodhichitta 25~ Thecausesojbodhichitta 254 Who can generate bodhichitta? 254 The ritual for taking the vow oj bodhichitta 255 Inculcating the correct attitude 255 Accumulating merit 256 Prtparing tht platt 256 Inviting thtfuM ofmtrit 256 Offtring cleansing wattrs and clothts 257 Rtqutsting to bt stattd 260 Exprtssionsofrtsput 260 Tht praytr of stvtn branchts 261 Offtring ontstlj in strvitt 264 Conclusion 265 The ritual of the bodhisattva vow 266 The conclusion of the ritual: the uplifting of one's own and others' minds 269 CHAPTER 9 The Precepts of Bodhichitta in Aspiration and Action 271 The Bodhisattva commitment 271 The precepts concerning what is to be avoided 27~ Repairingfaults 274 The precepts to be implemented 275 Thefour precepts ojaspiration bodhichitta 275 The first precept: taking suffering and giving happiness 275 CONTENTS Xl .

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The second precept: the seven-point causal sequence giving birth to the attitude of bodhichitta 276 The third precept: the four black and four white factors 278 The fourth precept: the four attitudes that strengthen bodhichitta 279 The precepts oj bodhichitta in action 2 8 0 A brief explanation of the paramitas 280 A categorization of Bodhisattvas according to their strength of mind 2 8 0 The Paramita of Generosity 281 Thegiftofmaterialthings 281 The gift of protection from fear 2 8 2 ThegiftofDharma 283 The Paramita of Discipline 284 The diScipline ofavoiding negative actions 284 The difference between the vows of the Hinayana and Mahayana 284 Avoiding negativity according to the Mahayana 286 The levels of ordination 287 Tht Prtctpts ofLayptoplt 287 Tht Monastic Prtctpts 288 The precepts of shramaneras 288 The precepts of a woman novice in training for full ordination 290 The precepts of full monastic ordination 290 Tht prtctpts conctrning what is to bt avoidtd 290 Tht prtctpts conctrning what is to bt dont 291 How the three kinds of vow may be observed simultaneously 293 Tht obstrvanct of tht thru vows as taught in tht Nyingma tradition 296 I. The aspects remain distinct 297 2. The three vows are the same both in purpose and as antidote 297 3. The transmutation of the vows 299 4. The gradual qualitative enhancement of the three vows 305 5. The absence of contradiction in the practice of the three vows 306 6. Observance should be appropriate to the moment 306 Tht thrtt vows as prtstnttd in othtr traditions 308 Concluding summary 312 The diScipline ofgathering virtue 316 The discipline ofbentjiting others 318 The Paramita of Patience 319 The Paramita of Diligence 322 The three kinds of laziness 322 Thethreekindsofdiligence 323 The Paramita of Concentration 324 The prerequisitesfor concentration 324 In praise of forest dwellings 324 Giving up attachment to wealth 324 XU CONTENTS

Giving up attachment to bad company 325 Giving up attachment to objects of the senses 326 In praise of solitude 327

Concentration itself 328 The essence of concentration 328 The categories of concentration 329 Childish concentration 329 Clearly disc"ning concentration 332 The excellent concentration of the Tathagatas 332 The qualities resulting from concentration 333 The Paramita of Wisdom 335 The categories of wisdom 335 The wisdom resultingjrom hearing the teachings 335 The keys that open the treasure chest of Dharma 336 The drjrnitivt and expedient teachings 336 The implied teachings and indirect teachings 337 Implied teachings 337 Indirect teachings 338 The difference between implied and indirect teachings 342 An explanation of the treasury of Dharma 342 A general exposition of the two truths 342 Thefour tentlsystems 345 The Vaibhashikas 345 The Sautrantikas 345 The Chittamatrins, the Mind Only school 346 The Svatantrika Madhyamikas 346 The Prasangika Madhyamikas 347 Conclusion 349 The wisdom resultingjrom reflection 351 Dependent arising with regard to the ground nature 351 The dependent arising of samsara 353 The dependent arising of nirvana 354 The wisdom resultingjrom meditation 355 Wisdom itself 355 Progress on the paths and the attainment of the result 356 A concluding summary of the six paramitas 357 APPENDIX I Impermanence demonstrated by the formation and destruction of the universe according to Buddhist cosmology 359 The gradual formation of the universe 359 The gradual formation of animate beings 360 The duration of the universe 362 The destruction of beings 363 CONTENTS Xl11

The destruction of the universe 364 The period of voidness 364 The four periods reflected in the existence of an individual being 365 The ceaseless continuity of the process of formation and destruction 366 APPENDIX 2 The bardo 369 The four bardos 369 The six uncertainties of the bardo of becoming 369 How to benefit the consciousness of beings in the bardo 371 APPENDIX 3 The four truths 373 Essential definitions and aspects of the four truths 373 The meaning of the term "four truths" 374 A sequential exposition of the four truths 374 APPENDIX 4 APPENDIX 5 The five aggregates 377 A Buddha's qualities of realization 387 The five paths and the thirty-seven elements leading to APPENDIX 6 enlightenment 391 APPENDIX 7 The two truths 397 The two truths according to the Madhyamika view 397 The specificity of the two truths 398 Their literal, etymological meaning 398 Their necessarily binary character 399 The kinds of cognition that validly ascertain the two truths 4 0 0 Divisions and categories of the two truths 4 0 0 The necessity and benefits of establishing the two truths 410 APPENDIX 8 The Madhyamika school 413 The Svatantrika Madhyamikas 413 The Prasangika Madhyamikas 417 Establishing the ground Madhyamika 417 IJentifying the object oj rifutation: the two selves 421 The difference between the "self" and "apprehension of (or clinging to) self" 421 Ana9'sis through the application oj reason 4 2 2 The four arguments 424 An investigation of causes: the Diamond Splinters argument 425 An investigation of results: no effects, whether existent or nonexistent, can be said to be produced 426 An investigation of the causal process itself: a refutation of origination related to four possible alternatives 426 XIV CONTENTS

An investigation into the nature of phenomena: the Great Interdependence argument and the argument of "Neither One nor Many" 427

Wiry the Madlryamika dialectic is superior to all other tenet systems 428 APPENDIX 9 The twenty-one qualities of Dharmakaya wisdom 431 APPENDIX 10 Notes 439 Glossary 491 Bibliography 531 Index 537

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