The Cycle of Profound Advice through Questions and Answers

NAMO GURU.

The great master Padmakara was born from a lotus flower, untainted by a physical womb. He underwent various types of ascetic practices and finally attained the vidyadhara level of life mastery and there remains, having interrupted the river of birth and death. He taught the 84,000 doors to the Dharma. He understands the tongues of the six classes of beings and of the eight classes of gods and demons. With his Brahma-like voice he brings benefit to all

beings. His mind possesses the realization of total omniscience. He has understood the nature that transcends arising and ceasing and he does not divide the nature of things with partiality. As all required qualities arise from himself, he is the foundation and source of everything eminent. He is skilled in

the means of taming all beings. His activity invokes the minds of the sugatas and he controls the life force and heart of the eight classes of gods and demons. Padmakara took birth on an island in the ocean and ruled the kingdom of Uddiyana. He practiced in the eight charnel grounds. Having undergone

ascetic practices in India, through his compassion he came to Tibet. He fulfilled the wishes of the king of Tibet and established the kingdoms of India and Tibet in peace. This kind master accepted as his spiritual consort me, Lady Tsogyal, the princess of Kharchen, from the time I was thirteen years of age. I

was a mere girl who had faith, great compassion, an altruistic frame of mind, constancy, and sharp intelligence. During the one hundred and eleven years 1 the master remained in Tibet, I served him and pleased him. Without exception, he bestowed upon me the entire extract of his oral instructions, the essence

of his mind. During this time, I collected and committed to writing all the teachings that he gave and kept them concealed as precious treasures.

2 TEN FOUNDATIONS OF TRAINING

The master said: When practicing the Dharma, you must train perfectly in the ten foundations of training. The lady asked: What are

these ten foundations of training? The master said: You must resolve through the view, gaining understanding of all the teachings, like the garuda bird soaring in the skies. You must find certainty through the conduct, without being intimidated by anything whatsoever,

like an elephant entering the water. You must practice through the samadhi, clearing away the darkness of ignorance, like lighting a lamp in a dark room. You must accomplish the aim through the instructions, liberating all phenomena in your nature, like finding a wish-fulfilling jewel. You must progress

gradually through the empowerments, being free from the fear of falling into samsara, like a prince ascending the royal throne. You must keep the basis through the samayas, not letting any of your actions be wasted, like fertile ground. You must liberate your being through learning, becoming adept in all

aspects of the Dharma, like a noble steed freed from its chains. You must compare all sources, understanding all the philosophical schools of the Dharma, like a bee seeking a hive. You must condense them into a single point, understanding that all the numerous teachings are of one taste, like a trader adding

together his profits. You must reach eminence in knowledge, understanding clearly and distinctly the meaning of all the teachings, like arriving at the summit of Mount Sumeru. The people of Tibet who desire to be learned without training themselves in these points are not learned in the essential meaning,

but become practitioners with much sectarianism. This is due to the fault of not having become adept in these ten foundations of training.

TEN FAULTS

Master Padma said: You will possess the ten faults of being unsuccessful in Dharma practice when you have not become adept in the ten foundations of

training. The lady asked: What are those faults? The master said: If you do not resolve through the view, you will have the fault that where you may fare lies uncertain. If you do not find certainty through the conduct, you will have the fault of being unable to unite view and conduct. If you do not know how

to practice by means of samadhi, you will not perceive the nature of dharmata. If you do not accomplish the aim through the oral instructions, you will not know how to practice. If you do not progress gradually through the empowerments, you will not be suitable to practice the Dharma. If you do not keep the

basis through the samayas, you will plant the seeds for the hell realms. If you do not liberate your being through learning, you will not taste the flavor of the Dharma. If you do not compare all sources, you will not cut through the sectarianism of philosophical schools. If you do not condense them into a single point, you will not comprehend the root of the Dharma.

If you do not reach eminence in knowledge, you will not perceive the nature of the Dharma. The so-called spiritual teachers who have not trained themselves in Dharma practice do not comprehend that the Dharma is free from sectarian confines. They attack each other with great prejudice. Since all the vehicles are valid in themselves, do not get involved in bickering. Rest at ease.

TEN KEY POINTS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma you must possess ten key points. The lady asked: What are the ten key points? The master said: You must possess the key point of faith free from fluctuation, like a river. You must possess the key point of compassion free from enmity, like the sun. You must possess the key point of generosity free from prejudice, like a spring of

drinking water. You must possess the key point of samaya free from flaws, like a crystal ball. You must possess the key point of the view free from partiality, like space. You must possess the key point of meditation free from being clarified or obscured, like the sky at dawn. You must possess the key

point of conduct free from adopting or avoiding, like dogs and pigs. You must possess the key point of fruition free from abandonment or attainment, like arriving at an island of precious gold. You must yearn for the Dharma like a starving person yearning for food or a thirsty man seeking water. In any case,

it seems that people only avoid practicing the Dharma as the main point, taking instead wealth as their focus. You cannot bring your wealth along at the time of death, so make sure not to go to the lower realms.

TEN TYPES OF SUPERFICIALITY

Master Padma said: There are many people who let their Dharma practice become superficial. The lady asked: How is that? The master said: It is superficial to chant the scriptures without having faith. It is superficial to be altruistic without feeling compassion. It is superficial to act generously without

being free from stinginess. It is superficial to be a tantrika who does not keep the samayas. It is superficial to be a monk who does not keep the vows. It is superficial to be noble without meditating. It is superficial to have knowledge without practicing the Dharma. It is superficial to engage oneself in a

Dharma that does not possess the essence of practice. It is superficial to teach others when one does not act in accordance with the Dharma oneself. It is superficial to give advice that one does not follow oneself. In any case, my ears are tired of listening to “learned” people whose Dharma practice does not tame their own minds but who simply let it add disturbing emotions; whatever they say is nothing but superficial talk.

TEN TYPES OF EXAGGERATION

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, there are ten types of exaggeration. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is exaggeration to profess to know the Dharma without having listened to teachings. It is exaggeration if you profess to have powers without having practiced sadhana. It is

exaggeration if you profess to receive the blessings without having devotion. It is exaggeration if you profess to having attained buddhahood without having meditated. It is exaggeration if you profess to have found a master without serving him. It is exaggeration if you profess to be liberated through a

teaching that has no lineage. It is exaggeration if you profess to have realization without the oral instructions. It is exaggeration if you profess that your being is liberated without having done any practice. It is exaggeration if you profess to pratice without having diligence. It is exaggeration if you

profess to have auspicious circumstances without keeping the samayas. In any case, people who wish to practice easily without undertaking hardship are nothing but braggarts and will have no success.

AVOIDING THE TEN FAULTS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must make sure not to fall into the ten faults. The lady asked: What are these ten faults? The master said: Although you may practice meditation, if it does not become a remedy against your disturbing emotions and thoughts, you have the fault of the oral instructions not being made effective. Although you may have recognized your mind, if it does not liberate your consciousness free from partiality, you have the fault of not having met with the special instruction. Although you may have strong devotion, if you do not receive the blessings, you have the

fault of not having connected with an accomplished master. Although you may exert yourself with great effort, if your practice does not progress, you have the fault of your mind not being fully purified. If you feel tired when engaging in spiritual practice, you have the fault of not having recognized the natural state of awareness. Although you practice, if your mind is still scattered, you have the fault of not

having gained confidence in meditation. If experience does not arise directly in your state of mind, you have the fault of having only strayed into shamatha. If the strength of awareness does not arise in your being, you have the fault of not knowing how to take appearances as aids to the path. If you

find it difficult to cut through your attachment to disturbing emotions, you have the fault of not knowing how to take the five poisons as the path. If you cannot cope with suffering and difficulties, you have the fault of not knowing how to turn your mind away from samsara. In any case, when you claim to

practice the Dharma while being full of faults within, is there any chance to ever have good circumstances ?

TEN VIRTUOUS QUALITIES

Master Padma said: You need ten virtues as the sign of having practiced the Dharma. The lady asked: What are these virtues? The master said: If you can overcome discursive thinking, that is the sign of having recognized the natural state of awareness. If the wisdom of mind essence manifests without

partiality, that is the sign of the oral instructions having become effective. If you perceive your master as a true buddha, that is the sign of having generated devotion to the master. If you receive the blessings unimpededly, that is the sign that the lineage of siddhas is unbroken. When applying

awareness with effort, if you can change your state of mind unimpededly, that is the virtue of having trained the full power of awareness. If you do not feel tired although you practice day and night, that is the virtue of having reached the key point of the prana-mind. If there is no difference in clarity whether you practice or not, that is the sign of having attained confidence in meditation. If you can remind yourself of dharmata no matter what thought or

appearance occurs to you, that is the sign of having taken appearances as an aid on the path. If the zombie of disturbing emotions does not arise, or even if it does, if it is pacified immediately, that is the sign of spontaneously defeating the five poisons. If you are invincible to suffering and

difficulties, that is the virtue of having understood that impermanence is the characteristic of samsara. In any case, virtues appear from within yourself when the Dharma dawns in your being. The Tibetan people who do not have faith, diligence, or intelligence will hardly have any virtues arising from within them.

TEN SIGNS

Master Padma said: When you take the Dharma to heart, there will be ten signs. The lady asked: What are these ten signs? The master said:

When your grasping decreases, that is the sign of having expelled the evil spirit of fixation on concrete reality.

When your attachment grows less, that is the sign of being free from ambitious craving. When your disturbing emotions decrease, that is the sign of the five poisons being pacified from within. When your selfishness decreases, that is the sign of having expelled the evil spirit of ego-clinging. When you are

free from embarrassment and hold no reference point whatsoever, that is the sign that your deluded perception has collapsed. When you are free from the concepts of meditator and meditation object and never lose sight of your innate nature, that is the sign that you have met the mother of dharmata.3 When

any perception arises as unbiased individual experience, that is the sign of having reached the core of view and meditation. When you have resolved samsara and nirvana as being indivisible, that is the sign that full realization has arisen within. In short, when you have no clinging to even your own body, that is the sign of being totally free from attachment. When you remain unharmed by suffering and difficulties, that is the sign of understanding appearances to be illusion. When you have only a minor degree of the eight worldly concerns, that is the sign of having recognized the nature of mind. In any case, when

your inner signs show outwardly it is like a tree that has sprouted leaves. When the outer signs are noticed by other people it is like fruit of the tree that has ripened and can be eaten. There are many Dharma practitioners without even a single virtuous quality. People with realization are extremely rare, so it is essential to exert yourself in meditation practice.

TEN FACTS

Master Padma said: For all who can practice the Dharma there are ten facts. The lady

asked: What are they? The master said: When the presence of the Buddha’s teachings coincides with a person’s attainment of a human body, it is a fact that he has gathered the accumulations in former lives. When a person who has interest in the Dharma and a master who possesses the oral instructions meet, it is a fact that this is like a blind man finding a wish-fulfilling jewel. When the attainment of the complete human body coincides with having faith and

intelligence, it is a fact that your karmic continuity of former training has awakened. When you are rich and at the same time met with beggars, it is a fact that the time has come to perfect generosity. When the lake of misery overflows while you try to engage in spiritual practice, it is a fact that your evil karma and obscurations are being purified. If you meet with uncaused enmity while trying to turn your mind to the Dharma, it is a fact that this is a

guide to lead you on the path of patience. When your understanding of the impermanence of conditioned things and your possession of perfect faith coincide with receiving the profound instructions, it is a fact that the time has come to turn your mind away from the life of a worldly person. When your fear of dying coincides with the death of another

person, it is a fact that the time has come for exceptional faith to arise. In any case, if you first try to accomplish worldly pursuits and plan to engage in Dharma practice later on, it is amazing if you will find the chance to do so! Thus only few are liberated from samsara.

SEVEN CORRUPTIONS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma there are seven types of corruption. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: If your faith is small while your intelligence is great, you become corrupted by considering yourself a teacher. If you have many listeners while your self-regard is high, you become

corrupted by considering yourself a spiritual friend. If you assume superior qualities while not having taken the Dharma to heart, you become corrupted by considering yourself a leader. If you give oral instructions while not practicing them yourself, you become corrupted by being an insensitive “Dharma

expert.” If you are fond of senseless babble while lacking the Dharma in your heart, you become corrupted by being a craving charlatan yogi. If you have little learning while lacking the oral instructions, you become corrupted by being a commoner though your faith may be great. A genuine practitioner who

acts in accordance with the true teachings should liberate his being with intelligence, tame his mind with faith, cut misconceptions with listening to teachings, cast away social concerns, mingle his mind with the Dharma, perfect his knowledge with learning and reflecting, resolve his mind with the oral instructions, and gain final certainty through the view and meditation. That, however, is difficult.

THE DANGER OF MISTAKES

Master Padma said: There can be many types of mistakes for people who have entered the gate of the Dharma. Be careful! The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is possible to

mistake a teacher who has studied intelligently for a spiritual friend whose being is liberated through learning and reflection. It is possible to mistake an insensitive “Dharma-expert,” who has not practiced himself, for someone who has gained experience through personal practice. It is possible to mistake a

deceitful hypocrite for a noble being who has tamed his mind through Dharma practice. It is possible to mistake empty words of hollow eloquence for the realization of someone possessing the oral instructions. It is possible to mistake a braggart spouting the Dharma for the devotion to

Dharma practice of a faithful person. In any case, you must make sure to mingle your mind with the Dharma. People who practice the Dharma of lip service, claiming to be practitioners while keeping the Dharma as something apart from themselves, will have no success in Dharma practice.

FOUR DHARMAS

Master Padma said: You must make sure your Dharma practice becomes the real Dharma. You must make sure your Dharma becomes the real path. You must make sure your path can clarify confusion. You must make sure your confusion dawns as wisdom. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: When you have understanding

free from accepting and rejecting after knowing how to condense all the teachings into a single vehicle, then your Dharma practice becomes the real Dharma. When the three vipashyana states of bliss, clarity, and non thought dawn, they are dharmakaya itself. In any case, there are many people who fix their minds

on an inert state of shamatha. Through that they will be reborn either in the dhyana realms of the gods or, even if they do not incarnate, they will still be unable to benefit beings.

THE VOWS

Master Padma said: Taking refuge and keeping vows are the root of Dharma practice. The lady asked: At what time do

the refuge vow and the other vows arise in one’s being? The master said: The refuge vow arises the moment you feel fear of the lower realms and have faith in the Three Jewels. The vow of a lay person arises the moment you have trust in the cause and result of karmic actions. The vow of a novice arises the

moment your mind has turned away from samsara. The vow of a fully ordained person arises the moment your mind has turned away from all wrongdoing. The bodhicitta vow of aspiration arises the moment you out of compassion see yourself as equal to others. The bodhicitta of application arises the moment you

regard others as more important than yourself. When in any practice you do you possess refuge and bodhicitta, and have unified the stages of development and completion, and means and knowledge, then your Dharma becomes the real path. When you combine the path with the view, meditation, action, and fruition,

then your path clarifies confusion. When you exert yourself in practice having fully resolved the view and meditation, then your confusion can dawn as wisdom.

In any case, no matter what practice you do, failing to unify development and completion, view and conduct, and means and knowledge will be like trying to walk on just one leg.

AVOIDING THE DHYANA REALMS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, it is important to avoid letting your practice turn into a

lower vehicle. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: It is crucial to avoid clinging to the three shamatha states of bliss, clarity, and non thought. If you cling to them, you cannot escape becoming a shravaka or pratyekabuddha. The people of Tibet regard the practice of taking refuge as the

lowest teaching. The monastics have no discipline. Those who claim to practice Mahayana have no bodhicitta. The tantrikas do not keep their samayas. The yogis have no true meditation. It will be difficult to have any siddhas here in Tibet.

THE SAMAYAS OF BODY, SPEECH, AND MIND

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma you must keep the samayas, but that is difficult. The lady asked: How should one keep the samayas? The master said: When perceiving your master as a buddha in person you possess the samaya of enlightened body. When perceiving his words and teachings as the wish-fulfilling jewel you

possess the samaya of enlightened speech. When perceiving his oral instructions as nectar you possess the samaya of enlightened mind. When you cease to accept or reject the yidam you possess the samaya of body. When you have no doubt about the Secret Mantra you possess the samaya of speech. When you understand the meaning of the natural state of mind-essence you possess the samaya of mind. In any case, the samayas are pure when your mind is pure.

FIFTEEN ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma there can be fifteen adverse circumstances that you must give up. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: Idle gossip, banter, and frivolity are the three obstacles to meditation, so give them up. Relatives, friends, and disciples are the three diversions

of Dharma practice, so give them up. Material things, business, and enjoyments are the three distractions for Dharma practice, so give them up. Gain, fame, and honor are the three fetter-poles of Dharma practice, so give them up. Sleep, indolence, and laziness are the three arch-enemies of Dharma practice, so give them up. In any case, the most dangerous is to be dissuaded when practicing the Dharma.

FIFTEEN CONDUCIVE CIRCUMSTANCES

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you should possess fifteen conducive circumstances. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: Learning, reflecting, and meditating are the basic frameworks of Dharma practice. Diligence, faith, and trust are the three life-poles of Dharma practice.

Knowledge, discipline, and goodness are the three characters of Dharma practice. Nonattachment, non clinging, and nonfixation are the three harmonious factors for Dharma practice. In any case, there is not even one Dharma practitioner here who possesses even three of these conditions. It is difficult to be in accordance with the main principles of the Dharma.

TWENTY-ONE TYPES OF FUTILITY

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, there are twenty-one types of futility. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is futile to generate bodhicitta if you have not given up causing harm to sentient beings. It is futile to receive empowerments if you do

not keep the samayas. It is futile to learn many teachings if they do not benefit your own mind. It is futile to perform roots of virtue if they are mixed with evil deeds. It is futile to follow a master if you always engage in misdeeds. It is futile to become a teacher who gives up Dharma practice and

commits misdeeds. It is futile to carry out a task that promotes the eight worldly concerns. It is futile to follow a teacher who is always hostile to sentient beings, who are your own parents. It is futile to claim that you have fear of the hells if you constantly engage in evil deeds. It is futile to

perform acts of generosity if you do not embrace them by bodhicitta and have no faith. It is futile to take vows if you lack the determination to keep them. It is futile to practice patience if you do not embrace your anger by the right remedy. It is futile to practice meditation if your mind is always involved in either dullness or agitation.

It is futile to exert yourself with a diligence that does not aim toward the path of enlightenment. It is futile to develop perverted knowledge that increases envy and the other five poisons. It is futile to practice a Mahayana teaching that lacks the path of compassion. It is futile to practice a

meditation state that lacks understanding of the nature of your mind. It is futile to receive oral instructions if you do not put them into practice. It is futile to act for the benefit of beings without having embraced those acts with bodhicitta. In any case, although these things are futile and although there is no need for many such activities, childish people will not listen.

FOUR TYPES OF NONRETURN

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess the four types of nonreturn. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: By remembering death you will not fall back into concerns for this life. By cultivating the results of the ten virtuous actions you will not

fall back into the three lower realms. By cultivating loving-kindness you will not fall back into the lower vehicles. By meditating on emptiness you will not fall back into samsara. In any case, when practicing the Dharma you need to turn your mind away form the concerns of this life.

FOUR THINGS THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, there are four things that should not happen. They should therefore be abandoned. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: If you do not remember death, you will find no time to practice the Dharma. If due to lacking trust in the law of karma you do not give up unvirtuous actions, you will find no chance to achieve the higher realms and liberation. If you do not fear the miseries of samsara and have no

renunciation, you will have no success in the practices for attaining liberation. If you desire to attain emancipation and liberation for yourself alone without arousing the intent of attaining enlightenment for the sake of others, you will have no chance of attaining complete buddhahood. In general, if you

do not turn away from aims limited to this lifetime, you will have no success in Dharma practice whatsoever. There are not even a few who have given up worldly concerns.

TAKING ADVANTAGE

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must take advantage of four futile things. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: In order to take advantage of the body that is futile, observe your discipline purely. In order to take advantage of possessions that are futile, be generous while keeping bodhicitta in mind. In order to take advantage of good conditions that are futile, gather the accumulation of merit as the cause and the accumulation of wisdom as the result. In order to take advantage of learning that is futile, exert yourself in meaningful practice. Unless you know how to take advantage in these ways, whatever you do is nothing but worldly activity.

FIVE UNMISTAKEN THINGS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess the five unmistaken things. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: You must unmistakenly observe the precepts and vows you have taken. You must always be unmistaken about the practice of love, compassion, and bodhicitta. When contemplating the law of cause and effect of karmic actions, you must unmistakenly shun even the tiniest misdeed. When meditating on your master as a buddha you must unmistakenly always visualize him above the crown of your head. In any case, you must be unmistaken when contemplating that all phenomena are emptiness.

PRACTICING THE SIX PARAMITAS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must practice by means of the six paramitas. The lady asked: How does one practice them? The master said: When you do not harbor any stinginess or prejudice whatsoever in your mind, that is the paramita of generosity. When you can skillfully relinquish

your disturbing emotions, that is the paramita of discipline. When you are totally free from anger and resentment, that is the paramita of patience. When you are neither lazy nor indolent, that is the paramita of diligence. When you are free from distraction and attachment to the taste of meditation, that is the paramita of concentration. When you are utterly free from constructed concepts, that is the paramita of discriminating knowledge.

THREE KINDS OF PURSUITS

The master said: When practicing the Dharma, there are three kinds of pursuits. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: The inferior person pursues activities only for the sake of future lives, without putting effort into other activities. Thus, there is no way he will avoid attaining the higher realms. The mediocre person, feeling weary of the whole of samsara, pursues only virtuous activities. Thus, there is no way he will avoid attaining liberation. The superior person pursues only the practice of bodhicitta for the sake of all sentient beings. Thus, there is no way he will avoid attaining

complete enlightenment. In general, all the aims that people pursue from the break of dawn to the close of day are merely for the sake of pleasure in this lifetime. Disturbed by negative emotions in this life, there is no way they can avoid going to the lower realms in following lives.

FIVE TRUE WAYS OF MOURNING

Master Padma said: People who practice the Dharma feel great sorrow at the death of their own relatives. That is not the correct way. When practicing the Dharma there are five things to mourn. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: When separated from an eminent master, you

should mourn by making funeral offerings. When separated from a good Dharma friend, you should mourn by gathering the accumulations. When you go against

your master, you should mourn by admitting it remorsefully. When you damage or break your vows, you should mourn by repairing and purifying them. When you have been unable to practice for a long time, you should mourn by following a master. When your mind strays into the eight worldly concerns, you should

mourn by feeling deep renunciation. In any case, people who do not understand that conditioned things are impermanent will never exhaust or clear away their sorrow.

FOUR WAYS OF FARMING

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess the four ways of farming. The lady asked: What are they?

The master said: You must till the rugged soil of your mind with the solid faith of trust. You must apply the soft manure of changing your attitude with the practice of meditation.

You must sow the good seeds of virtuous roots by embracing them with bodhicitta. You must completely destroy the five poisons and all discursive thinking by letting the plowman of great diligence fasten the plowshare of wisdom to the plow oxen of unified means and knowledge. If you do like that, it is impossible to avoid the sprouts of enlightenment growing into the fruition of buddhahood. In any case, there are too many who cannot do the farming of liberation, while never feeling tired of worldy farming. Poor sentient beings!

EIGHT KINDS OF SILENCE

The master said: When practicing the Dharma, you need to keep eight kinds of silence. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: To keep the silence

of body, stay in retreat places without falling into any extreme. Through this you will turn away from passion and aggression. To keep the silence of speech, remain in the manner of a mute. Through this you will not be distracted from spiritual practice by gossiping with others. To keep the silence of mind, do not let yourself be governed by discursive thoughts and distractions. This will allow you to abide in the innate nature of dharmakaya beyond

thoughts. To keep the silence of sense pleasures, abandon the concepts of pure and impure food. This will make living simple and will cause the dakinis to gather. To keep the silence of oral instructions, do not give them to unsuitable people. This will enable you to receive the blessings of the lineage. To

keep the silence of conduct, act spontaneously and without hypocrisy. This will enable progress and prevent your mind from collecting obscurations. To keep the silence of experience, be free from attachment or fascination with your experiences and do not relate them to others. This will enable you to attain

the siddhi of mahamudra within this lifetime. To keep the silence of realization, be free from ambition and rest without falling into any extreme. This will enable you to be liberated instantly in the moment of realization. In general, people who cannot practice for even the duration of a meal, who are

unable to remain silent until the session of recitation is completed, and who cannot keep their chattering mouths shut, will not have even the slightest success in keeping silence.

THE SEDUCTIONS OF MARA

Master Padma said: Dharma practitioners do not notice when they have been deceived by Mara. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: Powerful people are deceived by the Mara of pride and conceit. Dignitaries are deceived by the Mara of eloquence and delusion. Commoners are deceived by the Mara of ignorance and stupidity.

Rich people are deceived by the Mara of busy aims and the promotion of their wealth. Dharma practitioners are deceived by the Mara of increasing their material possessions. They are deceived by the Mara of bringing up children, their karmic creditors. They are deceived by the Mara of respectful disciples. They are deceived by the Mara of loving servants and attendants. They are deceived by the Mara of hated enemies. They are deceived by the Mara of affectionate words from relatives. They are deceived by the Mara of beautiful physical ornaments. They are deceived by the Mara of gentle voices and sweet-

sounding words. They are deceived by the Mara of their own attachment. They are deceived by the Mara of beauty and yearning for affection. All your effort in deluded actions is the seduction of Mara. The five poisons inherent in yourself are the Mara of your mind. The six sense objects remaining as habitual tendencies are the Mara of outer things. Clinging to the taste of samadhi is the Mara of inner phenomena. Hoping for fruition in Dzogchen is the Mara of

the view. All superior qualities are also Mara. All ignorance and delusion are also Mara. The greatest Mara is therefore ego-clinging. It does not exist anywhere else but within yourself. You must kill this demon from within. If you do that, he will not come from outside. There are only too many people who do not recognize this Mara.

FOUR BASIC QUALITIES

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess four basic qualities. The lady asked: What

are they? The master said: The person who has great compassion will possess the mind of enlightenment. The person who is free from hypocrisy will be able to keep the precepts. The person who is without deceit has pure samayas. The person who is free from affectation will have no shame and no fair-weather friendship. In any case, if you have great faith you will also have success in Dharma practice and if you are decisive you will be able to keep your vows.

In order to practice the Dharma you must be careful; be as firm as a bone in the core of your heart.

CUTTING THE FIVE POISONS AT THEIR ROOT

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must cut the five poisons at their root. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: The person with strong anger has the most suffering.

The person with great stupidity is like a beast and cannot understand the Dharma. The person with vast pride cannot assimilate virtues and has many enemies. The person with strong desire cannot keep the vows and will be slandered a lot. The person with great envy has strong ambitions and delights in

intrigue. Do not chase after these five poisons; you kill them from within by freeing them the moment they arise. People who unrestrainedly engage in the five poisons are creating their own misery.

TAMING ONE’S MIND

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must first tame your own mind. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: You must extinguish the scorching flames of anger with the water of loving-kindness. You must cross the river of desire on the bridge of powerful remedies. You must light the

torch of discriminating knowledge in the darkness of stupidity. You must crumble the mountain of pride to the ground with the pestle of diligence. You must overcome the storm of envy by wearing the warm garment of patience. In any case, these five poisons, your old archenemies, will ruin your being in the three realms of samsara if you uninhibitedly indulge in them. Do not let them run wild. There is a danger in that.

THE FIVE SIGNS OF SEEING

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess the five signs of seeing. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: You must see the immaterial nature of mind beyond the words of the sacred Dharma. You must see that these present appearances are self-liberated when free from fixation. You must see that whichever experience may arise is immaterial great bliss. With respect and devotion, you must see your master as a buddha in person. In any case, when practicing the Dharma you must see everything free from attachment. THE

FIVE ATTAINMENTS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess the five types of attainment. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: Without abandoning your master’s oral instructions by being lazy, you must possess the actual application of practice.

You must possess the benefit of self by having engaged in practice yourself. You must possess the ability of guiding disciples for the benefit of others by possessing the transmission of blessings. You must possess the attainment of unfabricated naturalness by liberating appearances into the dharmata. You must possess the attainment of your mind being the buddha by recognizing your natural face. The Tibetan practitioners of the present day who do not possess even one of these will not accomplish even one of their wishes.

THE FIVE TYPES OF GREATNESS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess the five types of greatness. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: You must have a master with the greatness of the oral instructions. These oral instructions must also be endowed with the greatness of the profound path of skillful means. You yourself must have the greatness of fortitude in undertaking hardship. You must possess the greatness of aspiration toward Dharma practice. You must have greatness of determination in practicing. Unless you possess these five when trying to be liberated from samsara you will not be successful.

FIVE KINDS OF MASTERY

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess five types of mastery. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: By gaining natural mastery over the Dharma, you must possess the “knowing one that frees all.” By gaining realization of dharmata, you must let the nonarising dawn within

your being. By gaining natural mastery over samaya, you must possess flawlessness of mind. By gaining mastery over the pranas through exertion, you must be able to undertake hardship. By gaining mastery over the oral instructions, you must be able to teach people according to their own dispositions.

FIVE SUPERFLUOUS THINGS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, there are five things that are superfluous. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is superfluous to generate devotion while you have no renunciation for samsara.

It is superfluous to contemplate emptiness while you have not turned away from clinging to materiality. It is superfluous to practice meditation while you have not turned away from craving. It is superfluous to expound an oral instruction while you have not turned away from attachment and aggression. It is superfluous to give well-sounding advice that does not accord with the expedient meaning.

4 FIVE NECESSARY THINGS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, there are five necessary things. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is necessary to be accepted by noble beings so that you can obtain the essence of the oral instructions. It is necessary to have deep and unceasing devotion to your master so

that you can naturally receive the blessings. It is necessary to gather a particular degree of the accumulations so that your mind can be pliant. It is necessary that your mind be pliant so that samadhi can dawn in your being. It is necessary that samadhi dawn in your being so that you quickly attain the

omniscient state of buddhahood. FIVE LIES Master Padma said: When claiming to be a practitioner, there are five things that become a lie. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is a lie to say that you fear for the future rebirth while being totally enamored of this life. It is a lie to say that

you are taking refuge while committing actions with no dread of the three lower realms. It is a lie to say that you are a meditator while your mind has not turned away from craving. It is a lie to say that you have understood the view while not knowing about cause and effect. It is a lie to say that you are a

buddha while not having crossed the abyss of samsaric existence. There are many people who claim to be Dharma practitioners and lie to both others and themselves. At the time of passing away, all the lies will be on themselves.

FIVE WORDS OF CERTAINTY

The master said: When practicing the Dharma, one needs to possess the instruction with five words of certainty. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: Without meditating, it is certain that experience and realization will not occur. If means and knowledge become separated in Mahayana practice, it is certain that you will fall down to the shravaka level. If you do not know how to unite view and conduct, it is certain that you will take an errant path. Without true realization of mind essence, it is certain that there exist both virtuous and evil actions. Without realizing your own mind, it is certain that you will not attain buddhahood.

FIVE FUTILE THINGS

The master said: When practicing the Dharma, there are five things that are futile. Avoid them! The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is futile to follow a master who does not possess the essence of the instructions. It is futile to give teachings to a disciple who does not uphold his commitments. It is futile to know teachings that you do not utilize and put into practice. It is futile to apply meditations that do not improve your mind. It is futile to engage in shallow teachings of mere talk that do not help yourself. In general, there are many people who practice what is futile. Because of ignorance they do not know the difference.

SIX NOBLE QUALITIES

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must possess six noble qualities. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: In order to master the view you must understand that everything is mind. In order to be free from hypocrisy in your discipline you must clear your mind of defilements. In order

to practice generosity without prejudice you must be free from expecting gratitude or reward. In order to be able to face difficulties with patience you must be free from anger toward enemies. In order to train your mind through learning and reflection you must be able to take the five poisons and painful

experiences as the path. In order to meditate you must be able to avoid being carried away by the “Mara of meritorious action.”5 However, these practitioners do not act in harmony with the Dharma.

FOUR DEFECTS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must give up four kinds of defects. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is not sufficient to practice at lesiure; your practice must be unceasing like the flow of a river. It is not sufficient to reach the experience of seeing spirits; you must

liberate your mind through Dharma practice. It is not sufficient to be hypocritical in your conduct; it must be natural and spontaneous. It is not sufficient to show respect and make promises; you must actually serve at the feet of a master. In any case, the practitioners here are not free from these four defects; at the time of death they will die as ordinary people and reap the consequences.

PRETENTIOUSNESS Master

Padma said: These Dharma practitioners are braggarts with too high selfesteem; they are even worse than ordinary people. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: They claim to practice the Dharma and to follow a master. They pretend to be teachers or to have many monks. They claim to manage a

monastery and to make exquisite offerings. They pretend to exert themselves in spiritual practice and to have higher perceptions. They claim to stay in strict retreat and possess the highest teachings. To try to fool others by hypocritical deeds while failing to divest oneself from worldly conceit will only be cause for regret at the time of death!

FOURTEEN THINGS TO LEAVE BEHIND

Master Padma said: If you want to practice the Dharma from the core of your heart, there are fourteen things that you must leave behind. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: Be a child of the wild deer and live in secluded mountain dwellings. Eat the food of fasting, practice the asceticism of

“extracting essences.”6 Do not roam among the upper class in the capital, keep a low profile in your conduct. Act in a way that pleases your enemies and cut all ties to your homeland. Dress in castaway clothing and be humble. Abandon attachment to relatives and friendships and sever all your ties. Try to

emulate the buddhas and engage in practice. Entrust your heart to the oral instructions and apply them in practice. Take your yidam as the innermost essence and recite its mantra. Regard misdeeds as being the most vile and give them up. Be generous toward your master and offer him whatever you can.

Leave samsara behind and give rise to weariness. Offer your victory to others and do not compete with the powerful. Take defeat yourself and expose your own faults.

By acting in this way your Dharma practice will progress as the true Dharma and you will turn away from samsara.

THREE DISEASES TO ABANDON

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, there are three diseases you must abandon. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: Unless you abandon your

homeland, the disease of the land, you will be caught in the prison of the five poisons and fall into the lower realms. Unless you abandon the clinging to owning house and property, the disease of dwelling place, you will be caught in the dungeon of grasping and ego-clinging and not be able to cut through the

Mara of attachment. Unless you abandon offspring and family, the disease of relatives, you will be caught in the muddy swamp of samsara and find no chance for liberation. It requires indeed great tolerance to live in the house of samsara without having abandoned these three diseases and yet still not notice being tormented by the sickness of the three poisons.

THE WAY TO BE LIBERATED FROM SAMSARA

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, there are ways to be liberated from samsara. The lady asked: What should we do? The master said: If you wish to give rise to extraordinary devotion, observe the guru’s outer and inner virtues. If you wish to act in harmony with everyone, do not falter in your

efforts to benefit others. If you wish to realize the mind of the guru, put his oral instructions into practice. If you wish to attain the siddhis swiftly, never fail to keep your samayas. If you wish to be freed from the four floods of birth, old age, sickness, and death, be incessant in resolving the

nonarising all-ground.7 If you wish to be without obstacles in practice, cast worldly distractions behind you. If you wish to effortlessly accomplish the benefit of others, train your mind in the bodhicitta of immeasurable love and compassion. If you dread going to the three lower realms in your next life,

give up the ten unvirtuous actions in this lifetime. If you wish to have happiness in both this and future lifetimes, exert yourself in the ten virtuous actions. If you wish to engage your mind in the Dharma, persevere in your practice during hardship and misery. If you wish to turn away from samsara,

search for unexcelled enlightenment within your own mind. If you wish to achieve the fruition of the three kayas, exert yourself in gathering the two accumulations. If you practice in this way, you will find happiness. People who have not turned their minds away from samsara have no happiness.

PRACTICING THE DHARMA WITH SINCERITY

Master Padma said: If you want to practice the Dharma from the core of your heart, there is a way. The lady asked: What is that? When engaging yourself in sadhana, be free from attachment and anger. When you study in the correct way, wear the armor of patience. When dwelling in secluded places, do not be

attached to food or wealth. If you yearn for the Dharma practice that leads to attainment, follow a master who has gained accomplishment. If you have met with a sublime teacher, do not turn against him but try your best to please him. When you feel doubt about the Dharma, ask your master for advice. When

your relatives turn against you, cut off your ties of attachment. Cast away being distracted by obstacles or ghosts. Practice immediately without procrastination. Do not yearn for company but remain in solitude. Friends and possessions, relatives and material things, are all illusory, so give them

up. Attachment and aggression will well up if you keep the company of other people. Live alone and engage in spiritual practice. Many diversions will only interrupt your practice, so give them up. In any case, people who are unable to engage in spiritual practice will find no true happiness.

KEEPING THE SAMAYAS

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, you must keep the samayas. It seems that people do nothing but violate their samayas because they are unable to undertake hardship. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: There are violators who keep their master a secret, claim to be learned, and

only promote their own greatness. There are violators who intend to make an offering to their master and then change their minds, keeping the offering deceitfully as a part of their own wealth. There are violators who cheat and deceive both their master and Dharma friends. There are violators who

disparage their kind master and then brag about their own fame. There are violators who project their own faults onto their master and still pretend to have pure samayas. There are violators who think they can judge the unjudgable life-example of their master. There are violators who proclaim their

master’s virtues to others but in the end aim at rivaling him. There are many stubborn people who claim to have knowledge without having listened to teachings, who claim to be ripened without having received empowerment and who claim to possess the oral instructions when they have not received them. Thus there are only a few who receive blessings and powers.

CONSTANT FAITH

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, constant faith is alone of great importance. There are ten causes for giving rise to faith. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: Recognize that your present activities, gain, and fame contain no happiness. Trust in the karmic results of both virtuous actions and misdeeds. Feel weariness while remembering that you will die. Understand that wealth and possessions, children, spouse, and relatives are unimportant since they will not accompany you at the time of death. Understand that you have no power to choose your environment in the next life, since it

is uncertain where one will take rebirth. Recognize that without practicing the Dharma after having obtained a complete human body you will leave this life empty-handed. Recognize that no matter where you may be reborn among the six realms of samsara you are never beyond suffering. Hear about the superior

qualities of the Three Jewels. Perceive the special actions of a sacred master as being good qualities. Keep company with good Dharma friends who abide by what is virtuous. The person who remembers or give rise to these things will turn away from samsara. But isn’t it difficult to give rise to even one of them?

THIRTEEN RENUNCIATIONS

Master Padma said: If you want to practice the Dharma from the core of your heart, you must possess the thirteen types of renunciation. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: If you do not renounce your homeland you cannot defeat the Mara of pride. If you do not give

up the activities of a householder you will not find the time to practice the Dharma. If you do not embrace the Dharma when you feel faith, you will not bring an end to karma. While you have no faith yourself, give up disparaging others. If you cannot abandon your own belongings, you will not be able to cut

through worldly affairs. If you do not keep your distance from relatives, you will not break the flow of attachment and anger. If you do not practice the Dharma right now, it is not sure where you will be reborn in the following life. If you aspire to do something in the future instead of doing it right now while you have the opportunity, it is not sure that it will ever happen.

Do not fool yourself; cut your ambitions and practice the sacred Dharma. Give up relatives and friends, lovers and belongings. If you do so right now, it will be most significant. Do not promote some unvirtuous social position that you definitely can’t take along; promote virtuous actions that are definitely

necessary. Do not make preparations for tomorrow that may or may not be necessary; engage instead in preparing for death through spiritual practice. That is definitely necessary. If you exert yourself in Dharma practice, you do not have to worry about food and clothing; they will be obtained automatically. I

have never heard about or seen anyone who starved to death while practicing the Dharma.

THIRTEEN IMPORTANT THINGS

The master said: To pracatice the Dharma sincerely, you must practice these thirteen imporant actions. The lady asked: What are they? The master said: It is important to attend a master who

possesses good qualities. It is important to follow for a long time a master who possesses the oral instructions. It is important to have steadfast devotion to the sublime Three Jewels. It is important to shun even the most subtle nonvirtue and evil deed. It is important to reflect on impermanence

three times during the day and three times at night. It is important to be diligent in practicing the virtuous Dharma. It is important to cultivate love and compassion for sentient beings at all times. It is important to skillfully cast away attachment to appearances and material things. It is important to

gain certainty in the unerring oral instructions. It is important to keep the samayas and vows in the proper manner. It is important to become clear about your own mind. It is important not to divulge the secret instructions to unsuitable persons. When practicing, it is important to exert yourself and stay in

secluded places. When you practice these, your Dharma practice will be successful.

THE WAY OF THE DHARMA

Master Padma said: If you want to practice the Dharma, here is the way. The lady asked: What should one do? The master said: If you wish to perceive the meaning of dharmata, you must follow a master. If

you desire to be liberated from samsara, you must abandon the life of a householder. If you realize that you have to die, you must practice the Dharma. If you wish to practice nonduality, you must give up activities. If you wish to perfect good qualities, you must accomplish the practices. If you desire to

cast away misery, you must abandon followers and attendants. If you desire to gain experience, you must frequent mountain retreats. If you want to be free from attachment, you must give up your homeland. If you wish

to watch a spectacle, you must look into the luminous mirror of your mind. If you wish to become accomplished, you must venerate the guru, the yidam, and the dakini above your head. There seems to be no one who practices the teachings of attaining liberation.

PERSEVERANCE

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma from your heart, you most possess perseverance. The lady asked: What does that mean? Friends and offspring, food and wealth, are all delusions, so give them up. Diversions, honor, and positive conditions are all severe obstacles, so give them up. Companionship, relatives, and attendants are all

roots of samsara and causes for attachment and anger, so give them up. The years and months, the days and moments, are all what shorten the time left before the moment of death, so practice quickly. People without perseverance and a true purpose regard their relatives, food, wealth, and offspring as

being exceptional. They regard distractions as positive conditions. They regard companionship as pleasant. Without noticing the passing of years, months, and days, they count the length of their life. At the time of death, they will have to be their own guides.

THE DIFFICULTY OF PRACTICING THE DHARMA

Master Padma said: It is indeed difficult to practice the Dharma. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: There is the danger of holding wrong views. The meditation is mistaken by mental fabrication. The worst enemy is broken samayas. The conduct is deluded by unvirtuous actions of body,

speech, and mind. The teachings are destroyed by too much ambition. The Dharma wanes by aiming to obtain wealth. The vows are spoiled by criticizing others. The path is mistaken by clinging to suffering as being real. Modesty is lost by craving desirable things. The goal is mistaken by all the gain and

fame of this life. Teachers without Dharma practice are embarrassing and such meditators are depressing. WAYS TO FEEL AT EASE The master said: There are ways to feel at ease if you know how. The lady said: Please explain that!

The master said: When free from dualistic fixation, the view is easy. When free from drowsiness, agitation, and distraction, meditation is easy. When attachment is purified like space, the conduct is easy. When the stains of your mind are purified, experience is easy. When your mind is free from

distress, your own dwelling place feels easy. When partiality is purified, compassion is easy. When fixation is purified from within, generosity is easy. When knowing food and wealth to be illusory, enjoyment is easy. When you do not have an arrogant profile, your daily activities are easy. When you do not

lead the life of a householder putting up with misery, livelihood is easy. When you do not compete for noble qualities, companionship is easy. When free from childish behavior and ego-clinging, one is at ease. When attending a noble master who possesses compassion and the oral instructions, one is at ease. When understanding that the sugata essence is present in all the six kinds of beings, it is easy to feel that they are your close relatives. When you cut

through attachment, you are at ease in whatever you do. When appearance and existence are spontaneously freed, it is easy to discover great bliss. When knowing sights and sounds to be illusory, it is easy to cut through misery. When you recognize your natural face, it is easy to be free from effort and struggle. When thoughts are recognized as dharmata, it is easy to use whatever you see as meditation. Understanding these, you will be at ease in whatever

you do. Sentient beings of the dark age who never depart from ego-clinging have no happiness. They are all to be pitied. WAYS OF HAPPINESS The master said: If you are able to follow these instructions, there are ways to be happy. The lady asked: What should we do? The master said: Since there is no bottom to the mud hole of attachment and clinging, you will be happy if you give up your homeland. Since there is no end to study and reflection upon fields of

knowledge, you will be happy if you realize your mind. Since ordinary empty talk is never exhausted, you will be happy if you can keep silent. Since the activities of worldly distractions are never brought to an end, you will be happy if you can stay in solitude. Since there is never an end to activities, you will be happy if you can give up actions. Since there is never contentment with accumulated wealth, you will be happy if you can cast away attachment.

Since your hated enemies can never be subdued, you will be happy if you can overcome your own disturbing emotions. Since relatives to whom you are attached can never be satisifed, you will be happy if you can cut through your longing. Since the root of samsara is never cut, you will be happy if you can cut

through ego-clinging. Since thoughts and concepts are never exhausted, you will be happy if you can cut through thought activity. In general, sentient beings who are not free from ego-clinging have no happiness. They suffer for a long time in the realms of samsara.

GOING ASTRAY

Master Padma said: There are many yogis who stray and become commoners after having taken their pledge. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: The yogi has gone

astray who talks about the view without having recognized the nature of mind and aims at the view in all other directions. The yogi has gone astray when he imprisons his mind and, without understanding, engages in “stupidity-meditation.” The yogi has gone astray when he claims that everything is mind and then

engages in frivolous conduct. The lady asked: How does one avoid going astray? The master said: The yogi has not gone astray when he recognizes appearances to be mind and takes dharmakaya as the path. The yogi has not gone astray when he cuts through all mental constructs and possesses the confidence of the

view. The yogi has not gone astray when he applies this in practice and takes awareness as the path. The yogi has not gone astray when he understands that appearances are helpers and is free from attachment and clinging. In any case, in the age of degeneration most yogis go astray. There are few who do not.

SOMETHING UNAVOIDABLE

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, some important things are unavoidable. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: When you recognize the coemergent wisdom that is present within yourself, there is no way to avoid attaining enlightenment. When you recognize the characteristic of

samsara to be a continuous misery and turn your mind away form it, there is no way to avoid being liberated from samsara. When you hold no prejudice toward philosophical schools, there is no way you can avoid gaining boundless learning. When you recognize that the characteristic of samsara is continuous

suffering and turn away from it, there is no way you can avoid being freed from samsara. When you have not separated yourself from grasping and fixation, there is no

way to avoid falling back into samsara. Since wisdom does not possess any concrete form, when you know how to clear the five poisons spontaneously, there is no way you can end up in the hells. There is no one here who possesses these methods, so all will be wandering in samsara for a long time.

LACK OF ATTAINMENT

Master Padma said: The way people are practicing the Dharma will bring no attainment. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: When giving teachings, they stray into exaggeration and denigration. When studying, they stray into hope and fear. When presiding over a feast offering, they stray

into clinging to food and drink. When meditating, they stray into dullness and agitation. When creating merit, they stray into seeking respect and material gain. When gaining skills of knowledge, they stray into greater craving. When linked to many disciples, they stray into being tense about their Dharma practice. There are too many practitioners who go against the Dharma in whatever they do.

SELF-CONCEIT

Master Padma said: These so-called Dharma practitioners have great ambition in their arrogance and self-conceit. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: Some have self-conceit

regarding themselves as possessing knowledge in learning and teaching. Some have self-conceit regarding themselves as pious and practicing the Dharma. Some have self-conceit regarding themselves as meditators who live in the solitude of mountain dwellings. Some have self-conceit regarding themselves as

powerful and as having great abilities. Some yearn like a carnivorous animal smelling blood when seeing wealth or a desirable object. When seeing something that is undesirable or harmful, they run away like a wild yak set free. They are fascinated by their own virtues as when they behold the eye of a peacock feather. They envy the virtues of others like a watchdog guarding property. In any case, these conceited Dharma practitioners are their own archenemy. I feel pity for such ignorant people who are in the grasp of Mara.

CUTTING THROUGH THE COMPLEXITY OF GOOD AND EVIL

Master Padma said: When practicing the Dharma, it is necessary to cut through the complexity of virtuous and evil deeds. The lady asked: What does that mean? The master said: When conceptual thoughts that hold the notion of an ego are exhausted, there are no Dharma, no evil deeds, no karma, and no ripening

of karma. Then you have cut through the complexity of virtuous and evil deeds. This being so, until you bring an end to the thoughts that hold the notion of an ego, unvirtuous actions will accumulate karma and yield results. Virtuous actions will also accumulate karma and bring results. When conceptual

thoughts are exhausted, there will be no accumulation of good or evil deeds and no results whatsoever will be brought about. This is called “the exhaustion of causes and conditions.” It is also called “the ultimate truth.” In the future, during the five hundred years of degeneration, some people will indulge

in coarse negative emotions, because of not recognizing ego-clinging and failing to diminish their conceptual thoughts. Professing to hold the ultimate view, they will claim that being careful about the effects of virtuous and evil actions is a low view. Belittling the law of karma, they will claim that

their minds are enlightened. There will be some people who act in a frivolous and unrestrained manner. Their conduct is perverted and will lead both themselves and others in the wrong direction. Do not follow their example for even one instant! I, Tsogyal, an ignorant woman, served the nirmanakaya

master for a long time. On different occasions, he gave advice on Dharma practice that I persistently retained in my perfect recall, collected, and wrote down for the sake of future generations. Since they were not meant to be spread at the present time, I concealed these teachings as a precious treasure.

May they meet with worthy and destined people. This “Cycle of Teachings Through Questions and Answers” was committed to writing in the Upper Cave at Chimphu on the twenty-fifth day of the second month of fall in the Year of the Sow. Seal of treasure. Seal of concealment. Seal of entrustment.

1. This way of counting must be in half years since most other sources tell that Padmakara stayed for exactly 55 years, naming all the places and the number of months each.

2. The number of teachings in each section in this chapter should not be taken too literally. During the centuries of copying these scriptures, some lines seem to have been lost.

3. This refers to the “mother luminosity” (ma’i ’od gsal), the ground luminosity of the natural state inherent as the enlightened essence of all sentient beings.

4. “Expedient meaning” refers to the relative truth. 5. The seduction to aim one’s spiritual practice toward selfish ends; virtuous deeds that are not embraced by renunciation or bodhicitta.

6. Skt. rasayana, a yogic practice of living off the essences of medicinal plants, minerals, and the energy of the five elements.

7. In this case, the “all-ground” (kun gzhi, alaya) is synonymous with dharmakaya.