The Sūtra on the Three Trainings
The Sūtra on the Three Trainings
In the Indian Language [[[Sanskrit]]]: Shiksha Traya nama Sūtra
In the Tibetan Language: Lappa Sum gyi Do zheyjawa
In the English Language: The Sūtra known as “The Three Trainings”
ADORATION TO ALL Buddhas AND BODHISATTVAS.
Thus have I heard: At one time, the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror was wandering the countryside and traveling in the country of Vaishali. He came to a village of thatched huts, and in a forest of sāla trees to the north of the village of thatched huts, he stayed in one congregation with a great Sangha of seekers of Virtue.
Then, the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror granted teaching to the seekers of Virtue thus:
“Seekers of Virtue, these are ethical discipline. This is Meditative absorption. This is discerning Wisdom. Seekers of Virtue, if one becomes accustomed to ethical discipline, then one will come to dwell in Meditative absorption for a long time. If one becomes accustomed to Meditative absorption, then one will come to attain discerning Wisdom. If one becomes accustomed to discerning Wisdom, then the following will occur: One will be totally liberated from Greed, hatred, and Delusion, into a purely perfect Mind. The Ārya Shrāvaka who has been totally liberated into a purely perfect Mind will come to understand the following to be utterly authentic:
The contamination of ‘self’ has been extinguished,
The holy Life has been adhered to,
What had to be done has been done,
I shall not know another conditioned existence from here on.
The Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror bestowed teaching with those words, and the seekers of Virtue rejoiced, and deeply praised what had been spoken by the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror.
THE SŪTRA ON THE THREE TRAININGS IS COMPLETE.
Translated from Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos
in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, India; November 2012.
Thanks to Dr. Lobzang Gyamtso for his help with reviewing the translation and providing commentary and explanation for many points in the text.
