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ILLUMINATING THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

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ILLUMINATING THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

Tenzin Gyatso

HIS HOLINESS THE FOURTEENTH DALAI LAMA OF TIBET

A COMMENTARY ON ATISHA DIPAMKARA SHRIJNANA'S A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment AND LAMA JE TSONG KHAPA'S Lines of Experience

Translated by GESHE THUPTEN JINPA

Edited by REBECCA MCCLEN NOVICK, THUPTEN JINPA AND NICHOLAS RIBUSH

Produced by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, Boston, Massachusetts for Thubten Dhargye Ling Archive, Long Beach, California

First published 2002 20,000 copies for free distribution Second printing 2005, 10,000 copies

THUBTEN DHARGYE LING

PO Box 90665 Long Beach

CA 90809, USA

? Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, 2002

Please do not reproduce any part of this book by any means whatsoever without our permission

ISBN 0-9623421-6-5

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Cover photos by Don Farber Book design by L.J.Sawlit

Printed in Canada on recycled, acid-free paper

CONTENTS

FOREWORD by Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen....xi

PROLOGUE Universal Responsibility....xxiii Question and answer period....xxx

1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION....1 The purpose of Dharma practice....3 Intellectual and experiential understanding....6 The basis for transformation....7 Investigating the nature of reality....10

2. FEATURES OF THE LAM-RIM TEACHINGS....13 Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment....13 Lamp for the Path: Verse 1....13 The meaning of the title....14 The objects of salutation....15 The two truths....17 The Four Noble Truths....18 The Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha....21 Lama Tsong Khapa's Lines of Experience....22 The origin of the lam-rim teachings: the greatness of the authors....25 Lines of Experience: Verse 1....27 Lines of Experience: Verse 2....30

Lines of Experience: Verse 3....31 Lines of Experience: Verse 4....34 Lines of Experience: Verse 5....37 The greatness of the lam-rim teachings....39 Lines of Experience: Verses 6 & 7....39 Question and answer period....42

3. RELYING ON A SPIRITUAL TEACHER....47 The qualities of a teacher....47 Lines of Experience: Verse 8....47 The practice of reliance....52 Lines of Experience: Verse 9....52 The qualities of the spiritual teacher....53 The qualities of the student....57 Establishing proper reliance....60 Question and answer period....62

4. BECOMING INSPIRED TO PRACTICE DHARMA....67 Levels of spiritual trainees....67 Lamp for the Path: Verse 2....67 Lamp for the Path: Verse 3....69 Developing faith in karma....69 The three levels of refuge....71 The value and transient nature of human existence....72 Lines of Experience: Verse 10....72 Meditation: cultivating mental discipline....73 Death and rebirth....78 The twelve links....81

5. REFUGE, KARMA AND PRECEPTS....83 Taking refuge...83

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