Manual of Vinaya - Reading Eight: Introduction to the Steps of the Path

Here I am going to explain the Song of My Spiritual Life, also known as the Short Book on the Steps of the Path, composed by your and my Lama, the King of the Dharma, the great Tsongkapa. My explanation will be in three divisions: first the preliminaries of the offering of praise and the other preparatory steps, then the meaning of the actual body of the text, and lastly some concluding details.

THE PRELIMINARIES

The preliminary division of my text has two parts of its own: the offering of praise, and an identification of that which is to be to be explained.

OFFERING OF PRAISE

I bow down to Guru Manjushri.

The offering of praise is in two sections. First is the line “I bow down to Guru Manjushri,” which appears in some editions of the text. Its meaning is easy to understand.

Prostration to the Lord of the Able Ones

The second section of the offering of praise is contained in five points. The first is an obeisance to the Lord of the Able Ones which is expressed in the first four lines of the root text which begins “To His exalted body born from perfect complete goodness and millions of virtues.”

(1)

To His Exalted body

born from perfect complete goodness

and millions of virtues,

To His exalted speech

which fulfills the hopes

of infinite living beings,

To His exalted mind

which sees each and every

knowable thing just as it is,

To the Prince of the Shakyas,

with my head

I bow down.

The general good qualities of the Buddha are the three of His knowledge, love, and power; and also those things which He has realized and those which He has abandoned. However, if we were to restrict ourselves to the good qualities of His exalted body alone, it is His major and minor marks which set Him apart. There are certain causes which produce these great qualities—they are born from millions of instances of goodness and virtue. They are not produced by merely some isolated occasions of this goodness and virtue, but rather by their perfect completion, which is subsumed under the accumulations of merit and wisdom.

Here the word “million” does not necessarily refer specifically to the exact number one million, but is used rather to express a great quantity. If you are interested in the exact kinds of causes which go into each major and minor mark, that is clarified in The String of Precious Jewels. Such works as the Mother Sutras, as well as the Ornament of Realizations, go through their each and every cause individually.

The good quality of His exalted speech could be explained with regards to its nature, but let us here consider it from the point of view of its result. The good quality or function of the speech of the One Thus Gone is acting to fulfill both the temporal and ultimate hopes of living beings who are infinite in number. By what means does it fulfill their hopes? It benefits them by teaching them those teachings which resolve the doubts at every juncture in their life, and by leading them toward the higher realms and definite good.

As for the nature of the particular good qualities of His exalted mind, it sees directly each and every knowable thing just as it is—all of them, the way they are, as many as they may be.

There is a way in which we may bow down to the Prince of the Shakya clan, to Shakyamuni, who possesses these exalted qualities of body, speech, and mind. To Him, the able one of the Shakyas, we may bow down with the very highest of our limbs, making prostrations with our head.

Prostration to Loving One and Gentle Voice

The second point is contained within these lines of the root text:

(2)

I bow down

to the Undefeatable,

and to Gentle Voice,

Those supreme sons

of our Teacher,

who is without rival.

Having taken on

the load of all the

Victorious One’s activity,

They act by

emanating themselves

In countless paradises.

Having taken on—that is, accepted—the load of all the activity of the Victorious One’s exalted body, speech and mind, the Undefeatable Loving One and Gentle Voice are putting on a show. Not only on this planet but in countless Buddha paradises they are acting out their parts by emanating themselves as bodhisattvas and other types of beings. Je Tsongkapa bows down to those two dharma sons of our unrivaled Teacher, the two who are supreme among all bodhisattvas. The way in which they take on the load of His activity is as follows. Both Loving One and Gentle Voice cause the holy teachings of the Able One in general, and more specifically, the lineage of widespread activities and the lineage of profound view to remain and flourish in the world.

Prostration to Nagarjuna and Asanga

The third point of the offering of praise is expressed in the following verse:

(3)

To those jewels

of our Southern Continent

who commented just as was meant

Upon the Mother of the Victors

which is so very

difficult to fathom.

To those who are

known throughout

all of the three realms

To Nagarjuna and Asanga

at their feet

I bow down.

Here the prostration is made in general to the highest form of speech—that of the Victorious Buddhas—and more particularly to the savior Nagarjuna and the realized being Asanga. These two are here named to represent all of those who commented just as it was meant to be upon the true intent of those sutras which are so very difficult to fathom; that is, to grasp. Here we are referring to the Mother of the Victors in all its three forms—extensive, middle length, and brief. These two masters, who are known throughout all the three realms—below the earth, upon the earth, and above the earth— have become like the jewels of our Southern Continent. The “I” referred to here in the text, the one who is bowing down at their feet, is the glorious Lobsang Drakpa.

Prostration to Atisha

These lines contain the fourth point of the offering of praise:

(4)

I bow down to the Maker of Light,

the one who holds

the treasury of instructions

Which contain without mistake,

the totality of

all the important points—

Those of the path

of profound view,

and those of widespread activity—

Which came down to him

so perfectly through the lineage

of the two great innovators.

[?]Here Je Tsongkapa bows down to Atisha, the glorious Maker of Light. He is the one who holds the treasury of instructions which contain in their entirety without mistake the totality of all the important points of the steps of the path of the teachings on profound view and widespread activity. These instructions came down to him perfectly through the lineage which began with the two great innovators, Nagarjuna and Asanga. By relying on the Lama Serlingpa, the Great Lord Atisha heard those teachings which came down through the lineage of Loving One and Asanga, and by relying on Vidyakokila he heard in their entirety the teachings from the lineage of Gentle Voice and Nagarjuna. He then composed commentaries combining together these two great currents of teachings.

Prostration to all Spiritual Guides

The last point of the offering of praise in contained within this verse of the root text:

(5)

I bow down

with deep respect

to all Spiritual Guides.

Inspired by their love

they act with skillful means

in order to make clear

The supreme entry point

for those fortunate ones

who are travelling to freedom—

That eye which can see

all the myriad forms

of the Buddha’s supreme speech.

This very teaching on the steps of the path for people of the three capacities is like an eye with which you can see all the myriad forms of the Buddha’s supreme speech, and not only certain parts of it. It is also the supreme entry point and path which allows fortunate disciples to travel to freedom. Here our Lord bows down to all the Spiritual Guides who inspired and driven by their exalted thoughts of love are acting with skillful means in order to make this teaching clear to their disciples. He bows down not only in his words, but with deep thoughts of respect.

Some people explain that the words “that eye which can see” refer to the Spiritual Guide, but Je Tsongkapa’s true intention was that the “eye” refer to the teaching on the steps itself. This fact is made clear towards the ends of his

Great Book on the Steps of the Path.

IDENTIFICATION OF WHAT IS GOING TO BE EXPLAINED

Now I shall identify that which is actually going to be explained in three sections: details of the lineage of the teaching, its special features, and its necessity.

Details of the Lineage

The details of the lineage are explained in this verse:

(6)

These steps of the path to enlightenment

progressively came down

Through an excellent lineage

from both Nagarjuna,

and Asanga—

Those jewels on the crowns

of all the great masters

of our world—

Whose brilliance shines

like a victory banner

among living beings.

That which I shall explain is precisely those great books on the steps of the path to enlightenment which came down to us progressively thorough an excellent lineage beginning with both Nagarjuna and Asanga. Of all the great masters who ever came to our world, they were like the jewels on the tips of their crowns. In this land, among living beings, the fame of their knowledge was as brilliant and clear as the sun, shining in all directions like a banner of victory.

Implicitly in these lines Je Tsongkapa pledges to compose his treatise.

Special Features of the Teaching

There are two points to the special features of this teachings: certain special metaphors and their meanings, and its actual special features. The special metaphors and their meanings are set forth in this verse of the root text:

(7)

Because it fulfills every

desire of the many

kinds of people,

It’s like a king among lords

of the precious gems

of instruction.

Because it combines all together

the river currents

of thousands of fine scriptures,

It’s like a great ocean

of glorious and

excellent explanation.

There are special metaphors used to describe this teaching on the steps of the path to enlightenment, which was passed down to us in the lineage just described. Because it fulfills every desire of the many kinds of people who seek freedom, it is like a king among the lords of all the precious gems of instruction—just like that special jewel which grants your every wish. It can fulfill your wishes because if you practice its true meaning, you will achieve higher births and definite good.

Because this teaching combines all together the river currents of the fine explanations found in the thousands of fine scriptures of the greater and lesser ways, it is like a great ocean of glorious—that is, perfect—and excellent explanation. It brings them all together not by including each and every word of the scriptures, but rather by incorporating the meanings of all their subject matter.

The expression “thousands of scriptures” is used here to indicate a great number of scriptures, and does not necessarily refer to exactly one thousand scriptures.

The actual special features of the teachings are indicated here in the root text:

(8)

You’ll realize that

all the Buddha’s teachings

totally lack inconsistency,

And His highest of speech

will strike you as

personal advice.

You will easily

find the true intent

of the Victorious Buddhas,

And be protected from

falling into the chasm

of the great mistake.

This teachings possesses four special features, or you could say four great qualities. The first is that if you rely on this teaching you will come to realize that all of the Buddha’s teachings are totally lacking any inconsistency. Of all the teachings spoken by the Victorious Buddhas, however many there may be, some of them teach the principal paths and others teach that which branches off from them. Once you know this, you will come to understand that they are all either direct or indirect factors in reaching enlightenment.

You will not have the wrong view which considers the open and secret teachings of the Buddha—those highest of all words—and the classical commentaries which comment upon their true intent to be mere explanations. You will not think that you have to look somewhere other than in the content of these books for something to use for your personal practice. Rather you will come to see that the entire subject matter of the Buddha’s supreme speech along with its classical commentaries is perfectly in keeping with the progressive structure through which you do your actual practice. You will come to understand how it is that every step from taking yourself to a Spiritual Guide all the way up to the practices of developing quietude and special vision can be put into your personal practice, either through analytical meditation or through fixation meditation.

If you understand these points, then all of the high speech of the Buddha will strike you as personal advice. This is the second of the great qualities. Even though all of the teachings of the Buddha are the ultimate form of personal instruction, us spiritual beginners who haven’t studied enough are unable to understand the true intent of the great scriptures on our own, nor are we able to bring them into our personal practice. Therefore we need to rely on something like this teaching on the steps of the path to enlightenment, through which our Lamas give us their personal advice on the true meaning of these original works.

This makes it easy for us to grasp the true intent of the Victorious Buddhas, and that is another great quality of the teaching on the steps. Once you find this true intent, you will understand that every word the Buddha ever said contributes either directly or indirectly to our reaching enlightenment, and that there is not a single word He spoke which does not teach a method of achieving enlightenment.

In the Buddha’s teachings there can appear to be some slight inconsistencies, which are required due to the needs of particular disciples, and there are also distinctions between the higher and lower teachings. But there is no difference between any of them from the point of view that they were all taught solely as methods for reaching enlightenment. If you become certain of this, you will never commit the bad deed of rejecting Buddhist teachings, and will thus be protected from falling into the chasm of that great mistake. This is the last of the four great qualities.

Necessity of the Teaching

The necessity of the teaching has two points: first why it is proper to practice this teaching which has these great qualities, and then the benefits of having put it into practice. These lines explain why it is proper to practice this teachings:

(9)

Therefore,

many learned masters,

both Indian and Tibetan,

Those ones with virtue’s seed,

took as the very basis

of their personal practice

The supreme instructions

on the steps of the path

for people of three capacities.

Would they not then

steal away the heart

of any discerning person?

This tradition possesses the great qualities I explained above; for this reason, therefore, many learned Indian and Tibetan masters who had the necessary seeds of virtue took as the very basis of their personal practice the supreme instructions on the steps of the path for people of three capacities—those of lesser, medium and the greater capacities. Would these instructions not then steal away the heart of any discerning person? Of course they would.

The benefits of having put the teachings of the path to enlightenment into practice are explained here:

(10)

In but a single session

of imparting and learning

this system of teaching,

Which incorporates in brief

the very essence

of all the supreme speech,

You are certain to obtain

in one fell swoop

all the benefits

Of explaining and listening to

the entire teachings;

contemplate this fact.

The major scriptures describe a great number of benefits that occur when you explain or listen to any one teaching of the Buddha. Suppose you were to devote but a single session, much less a number of sessions, to imparting and learning this system of teaching: the steps of the path. Because it incorporates in brief the very essence of all the supreme speech belonging to both the greater and lesser ways, it is certain that you would then in one fell swoop obtain all the benefits of explaining and listening to all the Buddha’s teachings in their entirety.

You should therefore contemplate this fact. In a brief way then Je Tsongkapa is giving us personal advice about our practice.

The phrase “incorporates in brief” [du du in the Tibetan) refers to the fact that the teachings on the steps of the path incorporate [du] the vital points of the entire supreme speech of the Buddha, and do so in an abbreviated [du] way.

Source

jetsongkapa.wordpress.com

Manual of Vinaya - Reading Eight: Introduction to the Steps of the Path

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