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The Qualities of the Author

EXPLANATION OF THE PRE-EMINENT QUALITIES OF THE AUTHOR, SHOWING THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS OF LAMRIM ARE AUTHENTIC

The Lamrim instructions were originally taught by Buddha Shakyamuni. They were handed down in two separate lineages: the wisdom lineage of Nagarjuna and the method lineage of Asanga. The wisdom lineage, or profound path, passed from Buddha Shakyamuni to Manjushri, from Manjushri to Nagarjuna, and then through further Teachers to Atisha. The method lineage, or vast path, passed from Buddha Shakyamuni to Maitreya, from Maitreya to Asanga, and then through further Teachers to Atisha. Both these lineages include instructions on method and wisdom, but they differ in emphasis.

The author of Lamrim is Atisha because it was he who first combined all the instructions of these two great Mahayana lineages in his work, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, and gave his presentation the abbreviated title, Lamrim. He united the two traditions in a way that made both of them easier to understand and practise, and this work is the prototype for all subsequent Lamrim texts.

Atisha’s life and work are explained in three parts:

1 Atisha’s birth into a royal family and his early life

2 Atisha’s attainments of knowledge and spiritual realizations

3 Atisha’s work of spreading Buddhadharma in India and Tibet

atisha’s birth into a royal family and his early life

Atisha was born in AD 982 as a prince in East Bengal, India. His father’s name was Kalyanashri (Glorious Virtue) and his mother’s name was Prabhavarti Shrimati (Glorious Radiance). He was the second of three sons and when he was born he was given the name Chandragarbha (Moon Essence). The name Atisha, which means Peace, was given to him later by the Tibetan king Jangchub Ö because he was always calm and peaceful.

When he was still a child Chandragarbha’s parents took him to visit a temple. All along the way thousands of people gathered to see if they could catch a glimpse of the prince. When he saw them Chandragarbha asked ‘Who are these people?’ and his parents replied ‘They are all our subjects.’ Compassion arose spontaneously in the prince’s heart and he prayed ‘May all these people enjoy good fortune as great as my own.’ Whenever he met anyone the wish arose naturally in his mind, ‘May this person find happiness and be free from suffering.’

Even as a small boy Chandragarbha received visions of Tara, a female Buddha. Sometimes, while he was on his mother’s lap, blue upali flowers would fall from the sky and he would begin to speak, as if to the flowers. Yogis later explained to his mother that the blue flowers she had seen were a sign that Tara was appearing to her son and speaking to him.

When the prince was older his parents wanted to arrange a marriage for him, but Tara advised him ‘If you become attached to your kingdom you will be like an elephant when he sinks into mud and cannot lift himself out again because he is so huge and heavy. Do not become attached to this life. Study and practise Dharma. You have been a Spiritual Guide in many of your previous lives and in this life also you will become a Spiritual Guide.’ Inspired by these words Chandragarbha developed a very strong interest in studying and practising Dharma and he became determined to attain all the realizations of Buddha’s teachings. He knew that to accomplish his aim he would need to find a fully qualified Spiritual Guide. At first he approached a famous Buddhist Teacher called Jetari, who lived nearby, and requested Dharma instructions on how to find release from samsara. Jetari gave him instructions on refuge and bodhichitta, and then told him that if he wanted to practise purely he should go to Nalanda and learn from the Spiritual Guide Bodhibhadra.

When he met Bodhibhadra the prince said ‘I realize that samsara is meaningless and that only liberation and full enlightenment are really worthwhile. Please give Dharma instructions that will lead me quickly to the state beyond sorrow.’ Bodhibhadra gave him brief instructions on generating bodhichitta and then advised ‘If you wish to practise Dharma purely you should seek the Spiritual Guide Vidyakokila.’ Bodhibhadra knew that Vidyakokila was a great meditator who had gained a perfect realization of emptiness and was very skilful in teaching the stages of the profound path.

Vidyakokila gave Chandragarbha complete instructions on both the profound path and the vast path and then sent him to study with the Spiritual Guide Avadhutipa. Avadhutipa did not give guidance immediately but told the prince to go to Rahulagupta to receive instructions on Hevajra and Heruka Tantras and then to return to him to receive more detailed instructions on Secret Mantra. Rahulagupta gave Chandragarbha the secret name Janavajra (Indestructible Wisdom) and his first empowerment, which was into the practice of Hevajra. Then he told him to go home and obtain the consent of his parents.

Although the prince was not attached to worldly life it was still important for him to have his parents’ permission to practise in the way he wished. Thus he returned to his parents and said ‘If I practise Dharma purely, then, as Arya Tara has predicted, I will be able to repay your kindness and the kindness of all living beings. If I can do this my human life will not have been wasted. Otherwise, even though I may spend all my time in a glorious palace, my life will be meaningless. Please give me your consent to leave the kingdom and dedicate my whole life to the practice of Dharma, Buddha’s teachings.’ Chandragarbha’s father was unhappy to hear this and wanted to prevent his son from giving up his prospects as future king, but his mother was delighted to hear that her son wished to dedicate his life to Dharma. She remembered that at his birth there had been marvellous signs, such as rainbows, and she remembered miracles like the blue upali flowers falling from the sky. She knew that her son was no ordinary prince and she gave her permission without hesitation. In time, the king also granted his son’s wish.

Chandragarbha returned to Avadhutipa and for seven years he received the instructions of the Tantras. He became so accomplished that on one occasion he developed pride, thinking ‘Probably I know more about Tantra than anyone else in the whole world.’ That night in his dream Dakinis came and showed him rare scriptures that he had never seen before. They asked him ‘What do these texts mean?’, but he had no idea. When he awoke, his pride was gone.

Later, Chandragarbha began to think that he should emulate Avadhutipa’s way of practising and strive as a layman to attain enlightenment quickly by practising Mahamudra depending upon an action mudra; but he received a vision of Heruka who told him that if he were to take ordination he would be able to help countless beings and spread Dharma far and wide. That night he dreamt that he was following a procession of monks in the presence of Buddha Shakyamuni, who was wondering why Chandragarbha had not yet taken ordination. When he awoke from his dream he resolved to become ordained. He received ordination from Shilarakshita, and was given the name Dhipamkara Shrijana.

From the Spiritual Guide Dharmarakshita, Dhipamkara Shrijana received extensive instructions on the Seven Sets of Abhidharma and the Ocean of Great Explanation – texts written from the point of view of the Vaibhashika system. In this way he mastered the Hinayana teachings.

Still not satisfied, Dhipamkara Shrijana went to receive detailed instructions at Bodh Gaya. One day he overheard a conversation between two ladies who were in fact emanations of Arya Tara. The younger asked the elder ‘What is the principal method for attaining enlightenment quickly?’ and the elder replied ‘It is bodhichitta.’ Hearing this, Dhipamkara Shrijana became determined to attain the precious mind of bodhichitta. Later, while he was circumambulating the great stupa at Bodh Gaya, a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni spoke to him, saying ‘If you wish to attain enlightenment quickly you must gain experience of compassion, love and the precious bodhichitta.’ His desire to realize bodhichitta then became intense. He heard that the Spiritual Guide Serlingpa, who was living far away in a place called Serling, in Sumatra, had attained a very special experience of bodhichitta and was able to give instructions on the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras.

It took Dhipamkara Shrijana thirteen months to sail to Sumatra. When he arrived there he offered Serlingpa a mandala and made his requests. Serlingpa told him that the instructions would take twelve years to transmit. Dhipamkara Shrijana stayed in Sumatra for twelve years and finally gained the precious realization of bodhichitta. Then he returned to India.

atisha’s attainments of knowledge and spiritual realizations

By relying upon his Spiritual Guides Atisha gained special knowledge of the three sets of Buddha’s teachings – the set of moral discipline, the set of discourses and the set of wisdom; and of the four classes of Tantra. He also mastered arts and sciences such as poetry, rhetoric and astrology; he was an excellent physician, and was very skilled in crafts and technology.

Atisha also gained all the realizations of the three higher trainings: training in higher moral discipline, training in higher concentration and training in higher wisdom. Since all the stages of Sutra, such as the six perfections, the five paths, the ten grounds; and all the stages of Tantra, such as generation stage and completion stage, are included within the three higher trainings, Atisha therefore gained all the realizations of the stages of the path.

There are three types of higher moral discipline: the higher moral discipline of the Pratimoksha vows, or vows of individual liberation; the higher moral discipline of the Bodhisattva vows; and the higher moral discipline of the Tantric vows. The vows to abandon two hundred and fifty-three downfalls, undertaken by a fully ordained monk, are amongst the Pratimoksha vows. Atisha never broke any one of these. This shows that he possessed very strong mindfulness and very great conscientiousness. He also kept purely the Bodhisattva vow to avoid eighteen root downfalls and forty-six secondary downfalls, and he kept purely all his Tantric vows.

The attainments of higher concentration and higher wisdom are divided into common and uncommon. A common attainment is one that is gained by practitioners both of Sutra and Tantra, and an uncommon attainment is one that is gained only by practitioners of Tantra. By training in higher concentration Atisha gained the common concentration of tranquil abiding and, based on that, clairvoyance, miracle powers and the common virtues. He also attained uncommon concentrations such as the concentrations of generation stage and completion stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. By training in higher wisdom Atisha gained the common realization of emptiness, and the uncommon realizations of example clear light and meaning clear light of Highest Yoga Tantra.

atisha’s work of spreading buddhadharma in india and tibet

Atisha mastered the teachings of both Hinayana and Mahayana and was held in respect by Teachers of both traditions. Atisha was like a king, the crown ornament of Indian Buddhists, and was regarded as a second Buddha.

Before Atisha’s time the thirty-seventh king of Tibet, Trisong Detsen (AD circa 754–797), had invited Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita and other Buddhist Teachers to Tibet, and through their influence pure Dharma had flourished; but some years later a Tibetan king called Lang Darma (AD circa 836) destroyed the pure Dharma in Tibet and abolished the community of ordained monks and nuns. Until that time most of the kings had been religious, but it was a dark age in Tibet during Lang Darma’s evil reign. About seventy years after his death Dharma began to flourish once again in the upper part of Tibet through the efforts of great Teachers such as the translator Rinchen Sangpo, and it also began to flourish in the lower part of Tibet through the efforts of a great Teacher called Gongpa Rabsel. Gradually, Dharma spread to central Tibet.

At that time there was no pure practice of the union of Sutra and Tantra. The two were thought to be contradictory, like fire and water. When people practised Sutra they abandoned Tantra, and when they practised Tantra they abandoned Sutra, including even the rules of the Vinaya. False teachers came from India wishing to procure some of Tibet’s plentiful gold. Pretending to be Spiritual Guides and Yogis they introduced perversions such as black magic, creating apparitions, sexual practices and ritual murder. These malpractices became quite widespread.

A king called Yeshe Ö and his nephew Jangchub Ö, who lived in Ngari in west Tibet, were greatly concerned about what was happening to the Dharma, Buddha’s teachings, in their country. The king wept when he thought of the purity of Dharma in former times compared with the impure Dharma now being practised. He was grieved to see how hardened and uncontrolled the minds of the people had become. He thought ‘How wonderful it would be if pure Dharma were to flourish once again in Tibet to tame the minds of our people.’ To fulfil this wish he sent Tibetans to India to learn Sanskrit and train in Dharma, but many of these people were unable to endure the hot climate. The few who survived learnt Sanskrit and trained very well in Dharma. Amongst them was the translator Rinchen Sangpo, who received many instructions and then returned to Tibet.

Since this plan had not met with much success Yeshe Ö decided to invite an authentic Teacher from India. He sent a group of Tibetans to India with a large quantity of gold, and gave them the task of seeking out the most qualified Spiritual Guide in India. He advised them all to study Dharma and gain perfect knowledge of Sanskrit. These Tibetans suffered all the hardships of climate and travel in order to accomplish his wishes. Some of them became famous translators. They translated many scriptures and sent them to the king, to his great delight.

When these Tibetans returned to Tibet they informed Yeshe Ö ‘In India there are many very learned Buddhist Teachers, but the most distinguished and sublime of all is Dhipamkara Shrijana. We would like to invite him to Tibet, but he has thousands of disciples in India.’ When Yeshe Ö heard the name ‘Dhipamkara Shrijana’ he was pleased, and became determined to invite this Master to Tibet. Since he had already used most of his gold and more was now needed to invite Dhipamkara Shrijana to Tibet, the king set off on an expedition to search for more gold. When he arrived at one of the borders the evil king of that country captured him and threw him into prison. When the news reached Jangchub Ö he considered ‘I am powerful enough to wage war on this king, but if I do so many people will suffer and I will have to commit many harmful, destructive actions.’ He decided to make an appeal for his uncle’s release, but the king responded by saying ‘I will release your uncle only if you either become my subject or bring me a quantity of gold as heavy as your uncle’s body.’ With great difficulty Jangchub Ö managed to gather gold equal in weight to his uncle’s body, less the weight of his head. Since the king demanded the extra amount, Jangchub Ö prepared to go in search of more gold, but before he set out he visited his uncle. He found Yeshe Ö physically weak but in a good state of mind. Jangchub Ö spoke through the bars of the prison ‘Soon I will be able to release you for I have managed to collect almost all the gold.’ Yeshe Ö replied ‘Please do not treat me as if I were important. You must not give the gold to this evil king. Use it all to invite Dhipamkara Shrijana from India to our country. This is my greatest wish. I will give my life joyfully for the sake of restoring pure Dharma in Tibet. Please deliver this message to Dhipamkara Shrijana. Let him know that I have given my life to invite him to Tibet. Since he has compassion for the Tibetan people, when he receives this message he will accept our invitation.’

Jangchub Ö sent the translator Nagtso together with some companions to India with the gold. When they met Dhipamkara Shrijana they told him what was happening in Tibet and how the people wanted to invite a pure Spiritual Guide from India. They told him how much gold the king had spent for the purpose of inviting him, and how many Tibetans had died for the same purpose. Finally, they gave him Yeshe Ö’s message: To restore pure Buddhadharma in Tibet I sincerely wish to invite the qualified Teacher Dhipamkara Shrijana, and for this purpose I have accepted dying in prison. When they had made their request Dhipamkara Shrijana considered what they had said and accepted their invitation. Although he had many disciples in India and was working very hard there for the sake of Dharma, he knew that there was no pure Dharma in Tibet. He had also received a prediction from Arya Tara that if he were to go to Tibet he would benefit countless living beings. Compassion arose in his heart when he thought how many Tibetans had died in India, and he was especially moved by the sacrifice of Yeshe Ö.

Dhipamkara Shrijana had to make his way to Tibet in secret, for had his Indian disciples known that he was leaving India they would have prevented him. He said that he was making a pilgrimage to Nepal, but from Nepal he passed into Tibet. When his Indian disciples eventually realized that he was not going to return they protested that the Tibetans were thieves who had stolen their Spiritual Guide!

Since it was customary in those days, as it is today, to greet an honoured guest in style, Jangchub Ö sent an entourage of three hundred horsemen with many eminent Tibetans to the border to welcome Atisha and offer him a horse to ease the difficult journey to Ngari. Atisha rode at the centre of the three hundred horsemen, and by means of his miracle powers he sat one cubit above his horse’s back. When they saw him, those who previously had no respect for him developed very strong faith, and everyone said that the second Buddha had arrived in Tibet.

When Atisha reached Ngari, Jangchub Ö requested him: ‘O Compassionate Atisha, please give instructions to help the Tibetan people. Please give advice that everyone can follow. Please give us special instructions so that we can practise all the paths of Sutra and Tantra together.’ To fulfil this wish Atisha composed and taught Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. He gave these instructions first in Ngari and then in central Tibet. Many disciples who heard these teachings developed great wisdom.

While he had been in India Atisha had received a prediction from Arya Tara, ‘When you go to Tibet, a layman will come to receive instructions from you, and this disciple will cause Dharma to flourish far and wide.’ This prediction referred to Atisha’s foremost disciple, Dromtonpa. At first Atisha taught Lamrim mainly to Dromtonpa, and to other disciples he gave instructions on Secret Mantra. When Dromtonpa asked him ‘Why do you give Lamrim mainly to me and not to others?’, Atisha replied that he was especially worthy to receive Lamrim teachings. After Atisha’s death Dromtonpa was regarded as his successor and respected as his equal. Dromtonpa taught Lamrim extensively in Tibet.

Three lineages of Lamrim instructions were passed down from Dromtonpa. Kadam Shungpawa passed from Dromtonpa to Geshe Potowa to Geshe Sharawa, and through further Teachers to Je Tsongkhapa. Kadam Lamrimpa passed from Dromtonpa to Geshe Gonbawa to Geshe Neusurpa, and through further Teachers to Je Tsongkhapa. Kadam Menngagpa passed from Dromtonpa to Geshe Chengawa to Geshe Jayulwa, and through further Teachers to Je Tsongkhapa. Up to the time of Je Tsongkhapa these three lineages are called ‘Old Kadam lineages’. The three lineages from the time of Je Tsongkhapa to the present day are called ‘New Kadam lineages’. All three are still practised today. Practitioners of the three schools are differentiated in terms of the extent of their philosophical studies. Kadam Shungpawas study very extensively, Kadam Lamrimpas study less extensively, and Kadam Menngagpas study least extensively. However, they all have Kadam Lamrim as their main practice and integrate all their philosophical studies into their practice of Lamrim.

The great Spiritual Guide, Ngawang Chogden, is an example of a Kadam Shungpawa. He studied philosophy for many years in central Tibet, and when he had qualified as a Geshe he returned home to Kham in eastern Tibet. There he received instructions from Jamyang Shaypa and came to know the entire Lamrim. He then realized that all Buddha’s teachings are to be taken as reliable personal advice and put into practice. He saw that all his philosophical studies were part of Lamrim, not separate from it. He thought ‘When I was a student in central Tibet I was actually studying Lamrim, but I had not received complete instructions and so I could not see how to put all my studies into practice. However, now I can put them to good use by integrating them into my practice of Lamrim.’

Kadam Lamrimpas of the present day study texts such as Je Tsongkhapa’s Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path and Middling Exposition of the Stages of the Path. Kadam Menngagpas of the present day study a few short texts such as the first Panchen Lama’s Blissful Path and the second Panchen Lama’s Quick Path. Although these texts are brief they include all the practices of Lamrim.

All three lineages passed from Je Tsongkhapa until our present Spiritual Guide. After writing The Three Principal Aspects of the Path, which he received together with its title directly from Wisdom Buddha Manjushri, Je Tsongkhapa went into intensive retreat on Lamrim at Reting Monastery. While he was there he wrote a praise to all the Lamrim lineage Gurus called Opening the Door to the Supreme Path. At this monastery there was a very precious statue of Atisha. In front of this statue Je Tsongkhapa made requests and offered praises to Buddha Shakyamuni and all the Lamrim lineage Gurus, and received visions of Atisha, Dromtonpa, Geshe Potowa and Geshe Sharawa. They remained with him for one month and talked to him as one person to another. After one month Dromtonpa, Geshe Potowa and Geshe Sharawa absorbed into Atisha, who then touched Je Tsongkhapa’s crown with his right hand and said ‘You must work for the sake of Buddhadharma and I will help you.’ Je Tsongkhapa then wrote his Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path, the king of all Lamrim texts. Later he wrote his Middling Exposition of the Stages of the Path, and finally he wrote his Condensed Exposition of the Stages of the Path for those who are unable to study the longer texts.