A Lamp for the Enlightenment Path (Jang-chub lamgyi drn-ma) by Atisha Dipamkara hri!

nana ("#$-%&'() 1 I bow in great reverence to all past, present and Future Victors, to their Doctrine and Communities. I shall light a Lamp for the Path to nlightenment, !t the re"uest of m# good disciple $#ang%chub%&od. ' In that the# are Inferior or (ediocre or )uperior, Persons should be understood as three* +he characteristics of each are ver# clear, and I shall note how the# differ from one another. , -ne who b# ever# means he finds, )ee.s b# the pleasure of samsara, !nd cares but for himself alone, that one Is .nown as the Inferior Person. / -ne who puts life&s pleasures behind !nd turns himself from deeds of sin, 0et cares onl# about his own peace, +hat person should be called (ediocre. 1 -ne who wholl# see.s a complete end +o the entire suffering of others because +heir suffering belongs to his own 2conscious3 stream, +hat person is a )uperior. 4 For those pure beings whose desire Is the highest of nlightenments, I shall e5plain the right means 6hich were taught me b# m# 7urus. 8 Facing a painted image of the Perfect $uddha, -r in front of hol# reli"uaries and the li.e, 7ive worship with flowers and incense !nd whatever ob9ects ma# be at hand. : +hen with the )evenfold 6orship e5pressed In the Deeds of )amantabhadra,

!nd a mind that does not turn bac. until +he ;eart of nlightenment is reached, < 6ith great faith in the +hree =ewels, $ending .nee to the ground, !nd folding the hands 2'81a3 First ta.e the +hree >efuges thrice. 1? +hen, because the +hought of Love for !ll creatures is the prere"uisite, -ne loo.s out on all the world, )uffering in death, transmigration, !nd rebirth in the three bad destinies* 11 !t sight of that suffering, one suffers@ !nd he who wants to free the world From the ver# cause of such suffering, (ust beget this +hought of nlightenment +hat is pledged never to turn bac.. 1' ver# "ualit# that belongs to $egetting thoughts of such >esolution ;as been well e5plained b# (aitre#a In his sutra, the )tal.s in !rra#. 1, >ead that sutra or hear it from a 7uru, and when +he infinite benefits of Perfect nlightenment +hought !re seen, then for that ver# reason #ou 6ill beget the +hought again and again. 1/ +he merit of this is shown e5tremel# well In the sutra called the Auestions of Viradatta@ !nd to give the essence of it, I "uote three of its verses here* 11 BIf a form could be had for the full (erit of the nlightenment +hought, It would surpass even one +hat filled the whole realm of space.B 14 B-r ta.e a man who owns 9ewels, and with them Fills ever# one of the $uddha%fields %%

>ec.oned as more than the grains of 7anga&s sands %% +hen offers all this to the Lord of the 6orld@B 18 B0et another who merel# folds his hands, !nd inclines his thought to nlightenment. +he latter&s worship is higher b# far, $ecause in it there is found no limit.B 1: 6hen #ou get the thoughts of aspiring to nlightenment, +hen with great effort strive to e5pand them full#@ !nd to recall #our resolve in #our other births, -bserve full# the +raining I e5plained to #ou. 1< ! right resolve will not be furthered 6ithout vows that have progress in mind@ 2'81b3 +herefore he who see.s growth in the resolve for Perfect nlightenment, earnestl# ta.es them. '? -nl# he who has lasting vows in -ne of Pratimo.sa&s seven ran.s Is fit for the Vow of the $odhisattva@ +here is no other wa# for it to be. '1 +he +athagata has said that of +he seven ran.s of Pratimo.sa, +he glorious Pure Life is highest@ $# which he meant the vows of a (on.. '' !ccording to the ritual given in the Conduct Chapter of the $odhisattva Levels, -ne ta.es the Vow from an# good 7uru 6ho has the proper characteristics. ', -ne who is learned in the ritual of the Vow, !nd himself lives the Vow he has ta.en, !nd has the compassionate forbearance +o impart it %% .now him to be the good 7uru. '/ $ut if, after tr#ing, one cannot Find 9ust such a 7uru as this, I will e5plain another ritual For ta.ing the vow in a correct wa#.

'1 In this latter wa#, (an9usri in a former life !s !mbara9a begat the nlightenment +hought@ !nd as told in the sutra called +he -rnament of (an9ustri&s $uddha%field, I write it down clearl# here now* '4 BIn the presence of the Lords, I beget +he +hought of Perfect nlightenment, !nd issuing invitation to all creatures, I will save them all from the c#cle of rebirth.B '8 B$eginning from this moment and henceforth, Cntil I obtain the ;ighest nlightenment, I shall not permit ill%will or anger, !varice or env#, to occup# m# mind.B ': BI shall practice the Pure Life, !nd renounce sin and base desire@ I shall imitate the $uddha $# re9oicing in the vow of Conduct.B '< B(#self, I am not .een to reach nlightenment in some swift wa#@ I shall remain until the final end For the sa.e of but a single creature.B ,? BI shall purif# the innumerable 2'84a3 Inconceivable fields of the universe, !nd from the ta.ing of this 2new3 name, 2henceforth3 I shall live in the ten directions.B ,1 BPurif#ing the actions of (# bod# and speech entirel#, I shall cleanse m# mind&s activit# as well@ Do unvirtuous deed will ever be mine.B ,' In essence, one&s purit# of bod#, speech and mind (eans .eeping vows with a mind for progress@ For b# practicing well the +hree Conduct +rainings, !ppreciation of those same +hree becomes greater.

,, ;ence, when one has striven in the vows which ma.e up +he pure and perfect $odhisattva Vow, ;e will bring to complete perfection +he ver# "uipment for Perfect nlightenment. ,/ !ll the $uddhas have held that Perfecting this "uipment, +he nature of which is (erit and Enowledge, Lies essentiall# in the super.nowledges. ,1 =ust as a bird with unfledged wings Cannot fl# up into the s.#, )o without the super.nowledges& power, -ne cannot wor. for the good of others. ,4 +he merits which a man with the )uper.nowledges gains in a single da# Could not be had in a hundred lives $# one who lac.ed those .nowledges. ,8 ;e who see.s to bring to perfection swiftl# +he "uipment for Perfect nlightenment )trives hard for the super.nowledges, For the# are not accomplished b# sloth. ,: !s long as Calmness is not attained, +he super.nowledges will not occur@ +herefore, in order to achieve Calmness, -ne must .eep striving over and over. ,< -ne who neglects the Limbs of Calmness, ven though he strive to meditate For thousands of #ears, never 6ill achieve Concentration. /? +herefore, when well established in the Limbs +hat are stated in the Chapter on Concentration "uipment, -ne can then set the mind in virtue, Fi5ed on an# +opic he chooses. /1 6hen #ogic Calmness is achieved,

)o too are the super.nowledges@ 2'84b3 $ut obscuration is not destro#ed 6ithout the Perfection of Insight. /' ;ence, to remove all obscuration -f his affliction and his .nowledge, +he #ogin must continuall# cultivate the Perfection of Insight together with (eans. /, )cripture sa#s that bondage is from Insight being divorced from (eans, !nd the (eans from Insight as well. +herefore, neglect not this union. // +o remove an# doubts about 6hat Insight is, and what are (eans, I ma.e clear the difference $etween the (eans and Insight. /1 +he Victors have e5plained that the (eans !re all the "uipments of virtue, )tarting with the Perfection of 7iving, Cp to, but e5cluding, that of Insight. /4 -ne who combines the master# of the (eans 6ith a true cultivation of Insight 6ill swiftl# attain nlightenment, but Dot b# cultivating merel# Don%self. /8 BInsightB is full# e5plained as .nowing +he mptiness of intrinsic nature, In comprehending that !ggregates and )ense bases and lements do not arise. /: !n e5istent&s arising is impossible@ ! non%e5istent&s is li.e flowers in the s.#@ For a thing to be both is absurd fallac#@ )o neither do the# originate together. /< )ince an entit# does not arise from itself, !nd is not from another, or even from both, Dor is it #et without cause@ therefore it has

Do intrinsic nature b# wa# of own%e5istence. 1? Furthermore, if one anal#ses all things !s identities or multiplicities, -wn%e5istence is not perceived@ hence one is Certain that intrinsic natures do not e5ist. 11 +he reasoning of the )event# )tanFas on mptiness, !nd of te5ts li.e the $asic )tanFas on the (iddle 6a#, 5plains the proof that all entities !re empt# of intrinsic nature. 1' 6herefore, lest m# te5t become too long, I do not elaborate it here, $ut will e5plain onl# proven tenets In order to further contemplation. 1, +hus, not to perceive intrinsic nature 2'88a3 In an# phenomenon whatever Is to contemplate its Don%)elf@ which Is the same as contemplating with Insight. 1/ !nd this Insight which does not see Intrinsic nature in an# phenomena Is that same Insight e5plained as 6isdom. Cultivate it without conceptual thought. 11 +he world of change springs from conceptual +hought, which is its ver# nature@ +he complete removal of such +hought is the ;ighest Dirvana. 14 (oreover, the $lessed -ne declared* BConceptual thin.ing is the great ignorance, !nd casts one into samsara&s ocean@ but Clear as the s.# is his contemplation who >emains in Concentration without concepts.B 18 !nd he also sa#s in the Don%Conceptual Progress Formula* B6hen a son of the Victor meditates on +his hol# Doctrine without conceptual thought, ;e graduall# attains the non%conceptual.B

1: 6hen through scripture and reason one has Penetrated the non%intrinsic Dature of all non%arising phenomena, +hen contemplate without conceptual thought. 1< !nd when he has thus contemplated +hatness, !nd b# stages has attained B6armthB and the rest, +hen he will gain the B=o#ousB 2Level3 and on up* $uddha% nlightenment is not far off. 4? +hrough the rites of B!ppeasementB and BProsperit#B !nd the rest, effected b# the force of (antra, !nd also b# the strength of the ight 7reat Powers, )tarting with that B7ood Flas.B, and others, 41 It is maintained that the "uipment for nlightenment is perfected with ease@ !nd if one wants to practice (antra as prescribed In the +antras* !ction, Practice, and on, 4' +hen, to gain the Preceptor%Initiation, -ne must first win a hol# 7uru $# giving him attendance and precious things !nd b# obedience to his word. 4, !nd when the Preceptor%Initiation has been Conferred b# the 7uru who was won over, +hen one is purified of all sin, and 2'88b3 $ecomes fit to e5ercise the Powers. 4/ +he )ecret and Insight Initiations )hould not be ta.en b# religious celibates, $ecause it is emphaticall# forbidden In the 7reat +antra of Primal $uddha. 41 If those Initiations were ta.en b# one who sta#s In the austerit# of a religious celibate, It would violate his vow of austerit# )ince he would be practicing what is forbidden. 44

+ransgressions would occur which defeat +he man of religious observance@ !nd b# his certain fall to bad destinies, ;e would not even succeed 2in (antra practice3. 48 ;aving ac"uired the Preceptor%Initiation, ;e ma# listen to all +antras and e5plain them@ Perform Fire%offering, 7ift%worship, and the li.e* +here is no wrong in wisdom about realit#. 4: I, the lder, Dipam.arasri, ;aving seen this e5planation in te5ts )uch as the sutras@ and $#ang%chub%&od&s re"uest ;ave e5plained concisel# the Path to nlightenment. 2Colophon3 +his completes the Lamp for the nlightenment Path Composed b# the great !car#a, glorious Dipam.ara9nana. +ranslated and edited b# the great Cpadh#a#a of India himself, and b# the revisor%translator Dge%ba&i blo%gros. +his te5t was composed at the +ho%ling temple of Ghang%Fhung. ta.en from the website of Gasep +ul.u >inpoche http*HHcommunit#.palouse.netHlotusHdefault.htm