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Essential Insights into The Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment

Je Tsongkhapa gave the instructions of The Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment as advice from his heart. I will give an essential commentary to these instructions.

WHO IS JE TSONGKHAPA?

From the point of view of common appearance Je Tsongkhapa was a Tibetan Buddhist Master and scholar, and the founder of the New Kadampa lineage. The Indian Buddhist Master Atisha founded the Kadampa lineage in general, and Je Tsongkhapa founded the New Kadampa lineage in particular. Both lineages are the very essence of Buddha’s teachings and are most suitable for people of this modern age.

In truth, Je Tsongkhapa is an emanation of Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. Buddha emanates as Je Tsongkhapa to spread his pure teachings of Sutra and Tantra in general, and especially Highest Yoga Tantra, throughout the world. In the ‘Prediction’ chapter of King of Instructions Sutra Buddha gave a prediction about Je Tsongkhapa. He used Je Tsongkhapa’s actual name, Losang Dragpa, Sumati Kirti in Sanskrit, and the name of the monastery, Ganden, which Je Tsongkhapa founded not far from Lhasa; and he explained how Losang Dragpa would clarify Buddha’s teachings of Sutra and Tantra to prevent people from following mistaken views. This prediction indicates that in truth Buddha himself emanates as Je Tsongkhapa to spread his doctrine throughout the world.

In the Ganden Emanation Scripture the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri said:

Tsongkhapa, crown ornament of the scholars of the Land of the Snows,

You are Buddha Shakyamuni and Vajradhara, the source of all attainments,

Avalokiteshvara, the treasury of unobservable compassion,

Manjushri, the supreme stainless wisdom,

And Vajrapani, the destroyer of the hosts of maras.

O Venerable Guru-Buddha, synthesis of all Three Jewels,

With my body, speech and mind, respectfully I make requests:

Please grant your blessings to ripen and liberate myself and others,

And bestow the common and supreme attainments.

This request prayer to Je Tsongkhapa proves that Je Tsongkhapa is the manifestation of Buddha Shakyamuni, Buddha Vajradhara, Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom, and Vajrapani, the Buddha of Power. This in turn proves that he is the manifestation of all the Buddhas. Thus, if we sincerely rely on Je Tsongkhapa and put his oral instructions into practice with strong faith, we will attain enlightenment very quickly. The great practitioner Gyalwa Ensapa and many of his followers attained enlightenment within three years through sincerely practising the oral instructions of Je Tsongkhapa. This is magical!

Many scholars have said that the power of Je Tsongkhapa’s blessings and his skilful methods to lead practitioners to the state of enlightenment is unequalled among those of all other Buddhas. We should rejoice in having met the doctrine of Je Tsongkhapa, and in having the opportunity to listen to and practise the oral instructions of this precious Guru who is the synthesis of all Buddhas.

THE ACTUAL EXPLANATION OF THE ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS INTO THE THREE PRINCIPAL ASPECTS OF THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

In the root text Je Tsongkhapa says:

I will explain to the best of my ability

The essential meaning of the teachings of all the Buddhas [renunciation],

The main path of the Bodhisattvas, who have compassion for all living beings [bodhichitta],

And the ultimate path of the fortunate ones who are seeking liberation [the correct view of emptiness].

You should not be attached to worldly enjoyments,

But strive to find the real meaning of human life

By listening to and practising the instructions given here,

Which all the previous Buddhas practised with delight.

In this stage, through contemplating the meaning of these verses, we generate a feeling of happiness at receiving these precious instructions and advice from Je Tsongkhapa’s heart, and we make the strong determination to put these instructions into practice.

We should know that in this impure world there is no real happiness at all. The happiness that comes from worldly enjoyments is not real happiness but only a reduction of our previous problems. Understanding this we should develop a sincere wish to attain the supreme happiness of enlightenment, which is the real meaning of human life. As human beings only we can achieve this. The moment we attain enlightenment we have the ability to benefit each and every living being every day through our blessings and our countless emanations. Enlightenment is the inner light of wisdom that is permanently free from all mistaken appearance and whose function is to bestow mental peace, the source of happiness, on each and every living being every day. The method for attaining enlightenment is renunciation, bodhichitta and the correct view of emptiness, which are the paths to enlightenment, known as the ‘three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment’.

RENUNCIATION

Renunciation does not mean that we abandon our family and friends, and become isolated from people. In Buddhism renunciation is a part of wisdom – a wisdom that gives us great encouragement to liberate ourself permanently from lower rebirth, from rebirth in the cycle of impure life, samsara, or from a rebirth in which we possess a self-cherishing mind. We need this wisdom, which leads us to the correct path to our finding the real meaning of human life.

The second line of the first verse of the root text says that renunciation is ‘The essential meaning of the teachings of all the Buddhas.’ How can we understand this? In Expressing the Names of Manjushri Tantra Buddha said that although there are renunciations of the three paths the final result is only one. Renunciations of the three paths are renunciation that spontaneously wishes to liberate ourself permanently from lower rebirth, renunciation that spontaneously wishes to liberate ourself permanently from samsaric rebirth, and renunciation that spontaneously wishes to liberate ourself permanently from a rebirth in which we possess self-cherishing. The first renunciation is renunciation of the path of a person of initial scope, the second is renunciation of the path of a person of middling scope and the third is renunciation of the path of a person of great scope. This proves that renunciation is very important to begin, make progress on and complete the path to enlightenment, which in turn proves that renunciation is the essential meaning of the teachings of all the Buddhas. Although there are renunciations of the three paths the final result is only one, the attainment of enlightenment.

HOW TO DEVELOP PURE RENUNCIATION

The root text says:

Attachment to the fulfilment of your own wishes, uncontrolled desire,

Is the main cause of all your own problems and suffering,

And there is no method to abandon it without first developing renunciation.

Thus you should apply great effort to develop and maintain pure renunciation.

When, through daily training, you develop the spontaneous thoughts:

‘I may die today’ and ‘A precious human life is so rare’,

And you meditate on the truth of karma and the sufferings of the cycle of impure life, samsara,

Your attachment to worldly enjoyments will cease.

In this way, when uncontrolled desire for worldly enjoyments

Does not arise even for a moment,

But a mind longing for liberation, nirvana, arises throughout the day and the night,

At that time pure renunciation is generated.

The explanation in the root text on how to generate pure renunciation is the same as explained by Je Tsongkhapa in his Lamrim teachings, and I also explain this in detail in the book Modern Buddhism. Based on oral instructions we can also practise the following. We imagine and think:

Today as a human being I enjoy human conditions and tonight I go to sleep as a human being, but during sleep due to karma and other circumstances my breathing stops completely. Then tomorrow, instead of waking up as a human being, I reach a place pervaded by fire, and my body becomes inseparable from fire. I am reborn in hell, where I will experience unbearable pain for millions of years.

Contemplating this imagination, which comes from our wisdom, again and again, we will develop fear of samsaric rebirth in general and of lower rebirth in particular. This fear is renunciation, which comes from our wisdom. We meditate on this renunciation continually until we maintain this fear day and night without ever forgetting it. At this time we have developed pure renunciation, or renunciation of the path. Path in this context is a spiritual path or spiritual realization. The effectiveness of this meditation depends on our potential for spiritual realizations.

BODHICHITTA

‘Bodhi’ means enlightenment and ‘chitta’ means mind. Bodhichitta is a mind that spontaneously wishes to attain enlightenment to benefit each and every living being every day. It is the gateway through which we enter the path to enlightenment, and the supreme good heart of the Sons and Daughters of the Conqueror Buddhas, who are also called ‘Bodhisattvas’. They will all soon become Buddhas, enlightened beings. We should follow their example. The moment we develop bodhichitta we will become a Son or Daughter of the Buddhas and we will soon become a Buddha. How wonderful!

HOW TO GENERATE THE PRECIOUS MIND OF BODHICHITTA

The root text says:

However, if this renunciation is not maintained

By the compassionate mind of bodhichitta,

It will not be a cause of the unsurpassed happiness, enlightenment;

Therefore, you must apply effort to generate the precious mind of bodhichitta.

Through contemplating the meaning of this verse, we make the determination to apply effort to generate the precious mind of bodhichitta based on the following verses:

Swept along by the currents of the four powerful rivers [birth, ageing, sickness and death],

Tightly bound by the chains of karma so hard to release,

Ensnared within the iron net of self-grasping,

Completely enveloped by the pitch-black darkness of ignorance,

Taking rebirth after rebirth in boundless samsara,

And unceasingly tormented by the three sufferings [painful feelings, changing suffering and pervasive suffering] –

Through contemplating the state of your mothers, all living beings, in conditions such as these,

Generate the supreme mind of bodhichitta.

In this practice there are five stages of contemplation and meditation. We first strongly recognize that all living beings are our mothers. In The Condensed Perfection of Wisdom Sutra Buddha said, ‘You should recognize all living beings as your mothers or fathers and always help them with loving kindness and compassion.’ We should keep this advice in our heart.

Because of our changing rebirths we do not recognize each other, and because of this we believe that there are many enemies and countless strangers. This is a mistaken belief and ignorance. In truth, all living beings are our mothers. In our countless former lives we took countless rebirths, and in each of these rebirths we had a mother and so we have countless mothers. Where are all these countless mothers now? They are all the living beings that are alive today. Understanding and thinking this, from our heart we strongly recognize that all living beings are our kind mothers and we cherish them, believing: ‘They are more important than myself who am only one single person.’

With this cherishing love for all living beings we engage in the following practice. In the first stage we contemplate and deeply think how countless mother living beings are experiencing the cycle of the sufferings of birth, sickness, ageing and death, continually in life after life without end. We should remember the detailed explanation in the book Modern Buddhism. Then we generate a strong wish to liberate all of them permanently from this suffering. This wish is compassion for all living beings. To fulfil this wish we make the strong determination to attain enlightenment. This determination is the compassionate mind of bodhichitta. We then meditate on this determination continually until we maintain our determination day and night without ever forgetting it.

In the second stage we contemplate how all mother living beings are tightly bound by the chains of karma – the non-virtuous actions they have performed out of attachment, anger or ignorance, and that cause them never to be free from suffering and problems. We generate a sincere wish to release all of them from these chains permanently, which is compassion. To fulfil this wish we make the strong determination to attain enlightenment. This determination is bodhichitta. We then meditate on this determination continually until we maintain our determination day and night without ever forgetting it.

In the third stage, the root text says that living beings are ensnared within the iron net of self-grasping ignorance. In this context, the definition of self-grasping is a mind that mistakenly believes that ourself or others that we normally see or perceive actually exist. We should contemplate the meaning of this definition again and again until we clearly recognize our self-grasping ignorance, which always abides at our heart and whose function is to destroy our mental peace and happiness. With this recognition we contemplate that because each and every living being is ensnared within the iron net of self-grasping ignorance none of them has any real happiness. This is because their mental peace, the source of happiness, is always being destroyed by their self-grasping ignorance, which always remains in their hearts. Understanding and thinking this we develop a sincere wish to give pure happiness to all living beings who are our mothers. To fulfil this wish we make a strong determination to attain enlightenment. This determination is bodhichitta. We meditate on this determination continually until we maintain our determination day and night without ever forgetting it.

In the fourth stage we contemplate that although each and every living being wishes to be happy all the time, and to be permanently free from every kind of problem and suffering, they do not know how to do this. This is because their minds are deeply covered by the thick darkness of ignorance not understanding the real nature of things. Whatever they see or perceive is a mistaken appearance, a hallucination. Understanding and thinking this we develop a sincere wish to liberate all living beings permanently from ignorance, a mind that mistakenly believes that the things we normally see actually exist. To fulfil this wish we make a strong determination to attain enlightenment. This determination is bodhichitta. We meditate on this determination continually until we maintain our determination day and night without ever forgetting it.

In the fifth stage we contemplate how each and every living being in life after life is wandering in samsara, the endless cycle of impure life, and is experiencing the sufferings of painful feelings, changing suffering and pervasive suffering, as explained in detail in the books Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Great Treasury of Merit. Through contemplating this again and again we develop a sincere wish to liberate all of them permanently from this suffering. To fulfil this wish we make a strong determination to attain enlightenment. This determination is bodhichitta. We meditate on this determination continually until we maintain our determination day and night without ever forgetting it.

The meaning of these explanations of the contemplations and meditations on both renunciation and bodhichitta is very clear. However, our normal problem is that our understanding remains only intellectual and does not touch our hearts, and because of this we achieve nothing. What we really need is to gain deep experience of these contemplations and meditations. Through this we need to change our mind, first into renunciation, then into cherishing love for all living beings, then into compassion for all living beings and then into bodhichitta. This is the advice from Je Tsongkhapa’s heart.

THE CORRECT VIEW OF EMPTINESS

The wisdom that believes the things or phenomena we normally see or perceive do not exist is the correct view of emptiness. Because the object of this wisdom is emptiness, the mere absence of the things or phenomena we normally see or perceive, this wisdom is called the ‘correct view of emptiness’. Only this view is the correct view through which we can attain permanent liberation from suffering and ignorance. The view believing the things we normally see or perceive actually exist is ignorance, the root of all suffering. In the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra Buddha says that if we search for things with wisdom we cannot find them. We cannot find our form, feelings, discriminations, compositional factors and consciousness. Thus we cannot find our self. This proves that the things we normally see do not exist. A detailed explanation of this can be found in the book Modern Buddhism.

If the things we normally see do not exist, then how do things really exist? Things exist in dependence on their mere name. If we are satisfied with their mere name, things exist. Beyond their mere name nothing exists at all.

To solve our daily problems we can practise as follows. From our heart we should understand and think, ‘All the suffering, problems, difficulties, sickness, painful feelings, receiving harm, not finding things I desire and losing things I am attached to, experienced by myself that I normally see, do not exist. This is because myself that I normally see does not exist.’ Understanding this and thinking deeply we can relax and remain with a peaceful mind all the time, so that we will be happy all the time. In this way, because we are happy all the time our own problems will all disappear.

There are three levels of the correct view of emptiness – according to Hinayana Sutras, according to Mahayana Sutras and according to the Vajrayana. The most supreme of these is the correct view of emptiness that Buddha explained in the Vajrayana. In Vajrayana, or Tantra, Buddha explained about the union of appearance and emptiness. The wisdom realizing this union is the correct view of emptiness, which is Buddha’s ultimate view. The union of appearance and emptiness means that all phenomena – the appearance – and their emptiness are one object, not two objects. For example, our body – the appearance – and its emptiness are one object, not two objects. When we see our body, in truth we see only the emptiness of our body because the real nature of our body is its emptiness. However, we do not understand this because of our ignorance. We normally see our body as something that exists from its own side. This is mistaken appearance from which all suffering and problems develop endlessly. We should know that there is no ‘our body’ other than its emptiness. We should apply this knowledge to all other phenomena. To understand this subject of union correctly we need to be very patient. When, through correctly understanding and continually training in the union of appearance and emptiness, we directly experience the union of appearance and emptiness we will directly experience our environment, enjoyments, body and mind as the enlightened environment, enjoyments, body and mind, and we will directly experience ourself as an enlightened being – the union of Buddha, the union of Vajradhara, the union of Heruka, and so forth.

The root text says:

But even though you may be acquainted with renunciation and bodhichitta,

If you do not possess the wisdom realizing the way things really are,

You will not be able to cut the root of samsara,

Therefore strive in the means for realizing dependent relationship.

Je Tsongkhapa advises us saying, ‘Therefore strive in the means for realizing dependent relationship.’ Dependent relationship is a very important subject. Through correctly understanding this we can understand the way things really are. The great scholar Aryadeva said,

Just as the body sense power pervades the entire body,

So ignorance pervades all delusions.

Thus, if we cut our ignorance by applying great effort to realize the real meaning of dependent relationship

All our delusions will cease.

Please keep this instruction in your heart.

Things exist in dependence on their causes and conditions, in dependence on their parts, in dependence on their basis of imputation and in dependence on their mere name. The last of these is subtle dependent relationship. When we realize subtle dependent relationship our understanding of emptiness is qualified. Things existing in dependence on their causes and conditions proves that things do not exist from their own side, and this in turn proves that the things we normally see or perceive do not exist. This in turn proves that things exist in dependence on their mere name, which is the real meaning of dependent relationship. The way things really exist is in dependence on their mere name. There are no things other than their mere name. This is subtle dependent relationship.

We should practise the following contemplation and meditation,

Things existing in dependence on their causes and conditions proves that they do not exist from their own side. This in turn proves that the things we normally see or perceive do not exist, and this in turn proves that things exist in dependence on their mere name. The way things really exist is in dependence on their mere name.

When through contemplating this again and again we realize clearly that the way things really exist is in dependence on their mere name, we hold this profound knowledge in our heart and meditate on it for as long as possible. Through continually practising this contemplation and meditation our self-grasping, the root of all suffering, will decrease and finally cease completely.

The root text says:

When you clearly see phenomena such as samsara and nirvana, and cause and effect, as they exist,

And at the same time you see that all the phenomena you normally see or perceive do not exist,

You have entered the path of the correct view of emptiness,

Thus delighting all the Buddhas.

In this stage we need to accomplish the following two things: (1) we need to negate the objects of negation of emptiness – the things and phenomena we normally see or perceive – and (2) we need to realize that the phenomena of samsara and nirvana, and cause and effect, all actually exist. When we accomplish these two without seeing any contradictions between them we have entered the path of the correct view of emptiness, thus delighting all the Buddhas.

The root text says:

If you perceive and believe that the appearance, phenomena,

And the empty, emptiness of phenomena,

Are dualistic,

You have not yet realized Buddha’s intention.

With these words Je Tsongkhapa is saying that if we perceive and believe appearance and emptiness are dualistic we have not yet realized Buddha’s intention. Thus we need to apply effort to realize Buddha’s ultimate intention, which is to realize non-dual appearance and emptiness.

In general, all phenomena are included within two, appearance and emptiness. Phenomena themselves are appearance and their emptiness is empty. This appearance and empty are non-dual, which means one object not two. This is like the blue of the sky and the sky itself. The blue of the sky is the sky itself; there is no blue of the sky other than the sky itself – the sky itself appears as blue. Because the real nature of phenomena is the emptiness of phenomena, when we perceive phenomena in truth we perceive the emptiness of phenomena, but due to ignorance we cannot understand this. There are no phenomena other than their emptiness. Thus, phenomena – which is appearance – and their emptiness – which is empty – are non-dual, which means one object, not two. Through this explanation we can understand the meaning of non-dual appearance and empty. When, through mentally contemplating the meaning of this explanation again and again, we realize the non-dual appearance and empty as an endless space of emptiness, we hold this profound knowledge in our heart and meditate on it continually until it becomes the spontaneous realization of non-dual appearance and empty. Through this our dualistic appearance and mistaken appearance will cease and we will thus attain enlightenment quickly.

For qualified Tantric practitioners, in this endless space of emptiness their own environment, enjoyments, body, mind and their own self naturally appear as the enlightened environment, enjoyments, body, mind and self of an enlightened being, all naturally existing in dependence on their mere name.

The meaning of non-dual appearance and emptiness is very profound and not easy to understand. The wisdom that realizes non-dual appearance and emptiness is a higher level of the correct view of emptiness, and training in this wisdom is the quick path to enlightenment. Je Tsongkhapa took these instructions from the Ganden Emanation Scripture, whose nature is the wisdom of Buddha Manjushri.

If we have within ourself a strong potential for spiritual realizations, then with this condition we will easily develop and maintain profound knowledge and spiritual realizations. We can accomplish this condition, a strong potential for spiritual realizations, within ourself by sincerely practising the Guru yoga of the Wisdom Buddha Je Tsongkhapa. Through this we will receive the powerful blessings of all the Buddhas through our Guru so that we will easily develop and maintain profound knowledge and spiritual realizations. Practitioners such as Gyalwa Ensapa and his disciples and Je Sherab Senge and his disciples are witnesses to this. They attained the state of enlightenment within three years. This is magical. Through this we can understand how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to practise these instructions. There are two principal Guru yogas of Je Tsongkhapa: Offering to the Spiritual Guide and The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land, which are both extracted from the Ganden Emanation Scripture. The practices of these two Guru yogas are powerful methods to grow our potential for attaining enlightenment quickly so that we can attain enlightenment quickly.

The root text says:

Through just seeing that things exist

In dependence on their mere name,

If your self-grasping reduces or ceases,

At that time you have completed your understanding of emptiness.

The meaning of this verse is very clear. At this stage we need to train in subtle dependent relationship – that phenomena exist in dependence on their mere name and not from their own side. This means that we need to contemplate and meditate on this subtle dependent relationship continually.

The root text says:

Moreover, if you negate the extreme of existence

By simply realizing that phenomena are just mere appearance,

And if you negate the extreme of non-existence

By simply realizing that all the phenomena you normally see or perceive do not exist,

And if you realize how, for example, the emptiness of cause and effect

Is perceived as cause and effect,

Because there is no cause and effect other than emptiness,

With these realizations you will not be harmed by extreme view.

Extreme view is very harmful for ourself and others. For this reason Je Tsongkhapa advises us to apply effort to develop the above realizations so that we will be free from this harmful view.

We should distinguish between extreme and extreme view. An extreme is something that is exaggerated and that actually does not exist, and an extreme view is a mistaken belief that exists in our mind. Phenomena existing from their own side is the extreme of existence, and phenomena completely non-existing is the extreme of non-existence. Neither of these extremes exists.

The root text says:

When, in this way, you have correctly realized the essential points

Of the three principal aspects of the path,

Dear One, withdraw into solitary retreat, generate and maintain strong effort

And quickly accomplish the final goal.

This is the final advice from Je Tsongkhapa’s heart. We should keep this advice in our heart and put it into practice.

Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka