Tibtrans06-02-Text

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DE BZHIN DU BZHI BRGYA PA, DBU MA SNYING PO, DBU MA RGYAN, DBU MA'I SGOM RIM GSUM DANG BCAS PA RNAMS KYIS BSTAN ZHING,

The 400 Verses, the Heart of the Middle Way, the Jewel of the Middle Way, and the three Stages of Meditation for the Middle Way teach the same two sides as well.

DE THAMS CAD LA NGES PA BDE BLAG TU STER BA'I THABS LAS DANG PO BAS 'JUG PA BDE BA NI,

But there is one presentation that gives us an easy way to come to a firm understanding of all of these—one which is very easy for beginners to access.

SHING RTA CHEN PO'I LUGS LA MKHAS PA'I, JO BOS MDZAD BA'I BYANG CHUB LAM GYI SGRON MAS NGES PA BDE BLAG TU STER BA YIN TE,

This is the Lamp on the Path to Enlightenment, composed by the Lord, a master in the system of the great innovators. This is a work which can bring us this kind of firm understanding.

'DIS RGYAL BA'I GSUNG RAB KYI DON THAMS CAD, SKYES BU GSUM GYI LAM GYI RIM PAR BSGRIL NAS, GO SLA BA'I TSUL GYIS GSAL BAR BSTAN PA'I PHYIR,

And that’s because this work takes absolutely all of the meaning of all the high speech of the victorious Buddhas and packs it into the steps of the path for people of three different levels of capacity, thus presenting everything in a way which is very easy to understand.

GNYIS PA, BYE BRAG TU SO SO SKYE BO'I SAR NYAMS SU LEN TSUL BSHAD PA LA,

Here then is the second part of our explanation of the causal levels: a more particular presentation of how one practices the levels of an ordinary person.

KHA CIG ,DBU MA 'JUG PA 'DIR SO SO SKYE BO'I CHOS GSUM, RGYAL SRAS 'PHAGS PA'I SA BCU BSTAN BYA'I GTZO BOR BYAS NAS STON NA,

Suppose here that somebody comes and makes the following statement:

Here in Entering the Middle Way, the teaching is given by using as the principal subjects the three qualities of an ordinary being and the ten levels of a realized being who is a bodhisattva.

MCHOD BRJOD KYI GZHUNG RDZOGS PA'I RJES SU, SO SO SKYE BO'I LAM NYAMS SU LEN TSUL DNGOS SU BSTAN PA'I MGON PO'I GZHUNG GCIG 'BYUNG RIGS PA LAS MI 'BYUNG BAS MI 'THAD DO ZHE NA,

As such, it would have been appropriate to present—after the text of the offering of praise—some citation of the Protector which directly described the way in which a person practices the path of an ordinary being. The fact though is that no such citation comes at this point, which is a mistake.

SKYON MED DE, MCHOD BRJOD KYI SKABS SU CHOS GSUM BSTAN PA LA DGONGS NAS, SKABS 'DIR DNGOS SU MA BSTAN PA'I PHYIR,

But there’s no such problem. And that’s because the reason that these three qualities are not covered here at this point is to indicate that the author is thinking that he’s covered them inside the offering of praise.

MCHOD BRJOD KYI SKABS SU DE GSUM BSTAN PAS DE 'GRUB PA YIN TE,

And this is something that we can understand from the fact that these three are presented during the offering of praise.

THEG CHEN PAR BYED PA LA GSUM PO DE NYAMS SU LEN DGOS ZHES SHES PAR BYA BA'I PHYIR DU BSTAN PAS

This is true because the presentation is made there in order that we should come to realize that these are the three qualities which a person needs to practice in order to become someone of the greater way.

CHOS GSUM PO DE BYANG SEMS LAS DANG PO BAR 'GYUR BA LA NYAMS SU LEN DGOS PAR MA ZAD, SEMS BSKYED NAS KYANG NYAMS SU LEN DGOS TE,

Not only are these three qualities that we need to practice in order to become a fledgling bodhisattva; we need to practice them even after we have reached the Wish.

GNYIS SU MED PA'I LTA BAS MTSON NAS RGYAL SRAS KYI SPYOD PA RLABS PO CHE LA SLOB DGOS PA'I PHYIR,

And this is because even at that point we must train ourselves in the powerful activities of a child of the Victors—activities that are represented here by the mention of the “view which has transcended duality.”

DER THAL, MDO SDE KUN LAS BTUS PA LAS, BYANG CHUB SEMS DPA' THABS LA MKHAS PA DANG BRAL BA CHOS NYID ZAB MO LA SBYAR BAR MI BYA STE,

And this is too the case, because the Compendium of the Sutras says—

A bodhisattva who lacks skill in the means should never apply themselves to the profound nature of things.

'DI LTAR THABS DANG SHES RAB ZUNG DU 'BREL BA NI, BYANG CHUB SEMS DPA' RNAMS KYI SBYOR BA YANG DAG PA'O ZHES GSUNGS PA'I PHYIR,

Combining the two of method and wisdom in this way is the perfect practice for bodhisattvas to apply themselves to.

KHA CIG ,DE KHO NA NYID LA DPYOD PA'I RIGS PAS, DGAG BYA GANG BKAG MA SHES PAR YOD PA THAMS CAD BKAG PAR GO NAS,

Some people don’t understand exactly what it is that we are denying when we use reasoning to examine the idea of suchness. They understand it to mean that we deny everything that exists.