Lama Je Tsongkhapa then taught this text to one of his closest disciples, Ngawang-dragpa, who had requested his master for some words of inspiration for his practice. In response to this request, Lama Tsongkhapa wrote this teaching – thus we have the written form of The Three Principal Aspects of the Path.
This is a small text, but it contains the essence of the entire teaching of Lord Buddha and is the basis for Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana vehicles. It is also the heart essence of the practice of Lama Je Tsongkhapa and of the Lam-Rim genre of texts. Also, while it is very simple and practical, it is a universal teaching that everybody can understand.
Setting the Proper Motivation
We
need proper motivation to listen to these teachings. The proper
motivation is that we should listen to the teaching with the thought 'I
must achieve the highest unsurpassable enlightenment for the benefit of
all sentient beings in order to lead them out of the state of
dissatisfaction into one of everlasting satisfaction'. So with this
motivation one should then listen to the teachings, not rather with the
motivation to gain fame or renown or some kind of strange blessings.
His
Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama advised that we must set a kind heart as
our motivation as it is the source of all happiness. If we lack such a
heart, and instead are proud, pretentious, and so on, this only brings
unhappiness and uneasiness. The effects in future lives of whether we
will be either a cultivated, gentle person or a rough, crude being will
be seen in terms of our conduct in this life. Even if we do not accept
the existence of future lives, yet having a kind heart, or on the other
hand being coarse and crude, will bring either happiness or unhappiness
in turn, now.
The Three Principal Aspects
The three principal aspects refer to:
i. Renunciation
– refers to the attitude of turning away from the faults of the cycle
of existence and yearning and directing one’s spiritual practice towards
liberation from such a state of existence
ii. Bodhichitta
– refers to the motivation, attitude and intention to achieve the
highest state of enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings
iii. Correct view of voidness
- refers 'wisdom' of understanding the actual abiding nature of reality
which is voidness, of non-inherent existence and of dependent arising
that is to say the middle way view. The 'middle way' here being a middle
way between the two extremes of annihilation and permanence. So this
correct view of reality then is the third of the three principal aspects
of the path.
The Three Principal Aspects in Relation to the Two Attainments
His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, taught that when the correct view voidness is held by a mind of renunciation, it brings attainment of liberation (refer to article on Four Noble Truths for details). Liberation is achieved by eliminating the obscurations that prevent liberation, namely the disturbing emotions and attitudes, the mental factors that keep us bound samsara.
When the correct view of voidness is held by a mind of bodhichitta, it eliminates as well the obscurations regarding all knowables, and leads to the attainment of omniscience
– namely, the habits of grasping for true and inherent existence.
Therefore, a correct view of voidness is the main opponent that destroys
the two sets of obscuration, and it is assisted by either renunciation or by both renunciation and bodhichitta.
The Three Principal Aspects in Relation to the Three Vehicles
The
Hinayana teachings are based on teachings of renunciation and the
correct view of voidness in order to reach their goal, liberation. In
addition to these two, Mahayana adds bodhichitta to eliminate all
obscuration completely. Thus, the three principal aspects of the path –
renunciation, bodhichitta, and voidness – incorporate the essence of all
the Hinayana and Mahayana teachings.
The
Vajrayana teachings share the same three principal aspects of the path.
His Holiness explained that Vajrayana practitioners must have extremely
strong bodhichitta and base their practices on the teachings of
voidness as taught by Nagarjuna. In addition to these, practitioners
hold the dignity on the potential of what can be achieved from the
subtle winds and consciousness. In this way, practitioners of Vajrayana
develop dignity or deity pride of either a Form Body or a Deep Awareness
Dharma Body of a Buddha, or on both of these. Although these
Buddha-bodies are not achieved during current time of practice, yet
based on strong bodhichitta and holding this deity pride, practitioners
will gradually achieve them. Thus, the three principal aspects of the
path are the basis of the entire sutra and tantra paths.
Special Features of the Text
His Holiness highlighted that there is a slight difference between Tsongkhapa’s style of teaching in the Three Principal Aspects of the Path and in the Lam-rim or Graded Path.
In the former, the explanation of renunciation is in two parts. The
first is to renounce our obsessions with this life through remembering
our precious human rebirth and impermanence. The second is to renounce
our obsession with future lives by remembering the suffering nature of
all of samsara. There is little emphasis on taking refuge. In the Lam-rim,
on the other hand, there is the discussion of the three scopes of
motivation. Since being a person of initial scope is the basis for the
higher levels, there is first the development of interest to benefit
future lives i.e. to avoid future births in lower realms. It is in this
context of protecting a person from future births in lower realms that
the teachings of taking refuge in the Three Jewels are taught (refer to
article on The Three Rufuges).
Homage Verse, Promise to Compose, and Exhortation to Listen Well
I bow to all the high and holy lamas.
In
the supplication, prostration is made to the field of merit which is
one’s spiritual master or lama – from which the one prostrating and
making the supplication receives the maximum amount of merit. The
meaning of 'high and holy' is interpreted through the Tibetan word
“je-tsun” (rje-btsun) which was used in the supplication. “Je”
refers to the lama who is very knowledgeable about the Buddhist practice
as a result of extensive hearing of the Dharma. “Tsun” refers to not
only having extensive heard of the teaching but as well as highly
accomplished or gained high realisation, that teaching through
practicing in a faultless fashion. So this then refers to the level of
realisation of the lama. Hence, “je-tsun” refers to the lama's knowledge
and then the realisation of that knowledge.
The
Tibetan word 'lama' refers to the highest, or that of which there is
none higher with respect to the the two qualities of bodhichitta and
having a correct understanding of voidness, which brings him or her to a
superior or supreme state of enlightenment. Hence, “lamas” here refers
to the various lamas of the various lineages, of the profound lineage
and of the vast lineage. So through saying 'I bow down to the venerable
lamas' - using the plural, the author is showing his willingness to bow
down before all the lamas of the lineage and in particular then his
principal teachers. Lama Tsongkhapa was supplicating the gurus who
taught him lam-rim, and especially to his uncommon teacher, Manjushri.
Next is the verse of the promise to compose.
1. As far as I am able, I shall explain
the essence of all high teachings of the Victors,
the path that all their holy sons commend,
the entry point for the fortunate seeking freedom.
the essence of all high teachings of the Victors,
the path that all their holy sons commend,
the entry point for the fortunate seeking freedom.
“As
far as I am able, I shall explain” means that Lama Tsongkhapa will try
to teach in as abbreviated a form as possible. “The essence of all high
teachings of the Victors” – “Victors” refers to the Buddhas; “all high
teachings” encompass the various sutras and the various teachings of the
Secret Mantra and the fourfold division therein, “essence” refers to
renunciation. Hence, in order of accomplish the teachings of the
Buddhas, one must start with the attitude of renunciation.
“The
path that all their holy sons commend” – “the path” refers to
bodhicitta, “holy sons” means bodhisattvas. In the Tibetan text, the
word 'holy' or ‘exalted’ means that a being who has arisen the wish of
achieving full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings in his
mental continuum. The being becomes a superior individual, thus kind of a
holy individual. At that moment of generating the mind aspiring to the
highest enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, a lot of
negative karma is destroyed. Shantideva in his writing of “The Bodhicharyavatara”
said that just through having given rise to thought, no matter what
caste one is born to, one becomes renowned as the son or the daughter of
the Victorious One. This mind then is one is which is extremely
important and cannot be underestimated. Without this bodhicitta, no
matter what practice one engages in, one will not come any closer to the
state of omniscience. Hence all bodhisattvas praise the cultivation of
bodhicitta.
The last line refers to the cultivation of correct view of voidness as path to liberation. "The
entry point" refers to the path that one must undertake to achieve
liberation i.e. removal of destructive actions and afflictive emotions. "The
fortunate" refers to those who are engaging in the Buddhist practice -
fortunate in the sense that we have been born human, with senses
complete, come into contact with the Buddha's teaching and are able to
put them into practice, and in particular, fortunate in the sense that
we have come into contact with the teaching of the greater vehicle, or
the Mahayana teaching. So this sentence is describing the third of the
three principles of the path which is correct view, correct view of
reality.
2. Listen with a pure mind,
fortunate ones who have no craving for the pleasures of life,
and who to make leisure and fortune meaningful,
strive to turn their minds to the path which pleases the Victors.
fortunate ones who have no craving for the pleasures of life,
and who to make leisure and fortune meaningful,
strive to turn their minds to the path which pleases the Victors.
The
first line of the second paragraph is the request to listen well with
pure mind hearing these teachings. The meaning of "fortunate ones" here
refers to those who have come into contact with this teaching. Here "no
craving for the pleasures of life" means having developed the thought of
renunciation and of turning away from indulging in the pleasures of
samsara. The third line explains that having gained precious human
existence which is adorned with leisure and opportunity, the
practitioner makes it meaningful by directing his mind to the path which
pleases the Buddha. Here "the path which pleases" is the unmistaken and
complete path, with nothing missing, the path of the greater vehicle,
Mahayana. "Strive to turn their minds" suggest that the practitioner
must single-pointedly engage in the practice of aspiring to highest
enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.
The Relationship among the Three Principal Aspects
The
main body of the text is divided into three parts: the explanations on
renunciation, bodhichitta, and the correct view of voidness. These three
constitute graded stages of understanding.
His
Holiness explained that development of true renunciation is required
for development of genuine compassion. The stronger our renunciation,
the stronger will be our compassion for other beings. Whenever we see
people who are in worse off positions such as people with handicap and
beggars, it is relatively easy to develop compassion for them. But
without renunciation, for instance, in a big city, then instead of
compassion for people in the city, we may feel envious of the things we
see or if we live in the big city, we become proud of what we have. On
the other hand, if we are familiar with renunciation, with the idea of
how the so-called good things of samsara are ultimately meaningless,
then when we go to a place like New York, for instance, and see all
these people, our first thought will instinctively be to feel compassion
for them.
Renunciation
is twofold. The first, we look down at the suffering of samsara,
without any interest to partake in the pleasures of samsara, and we
develop the wish to be rid of suffering completely. The second is that
we look up to liberation and develop the wish to attain it. The stronger
this twofold attitude is, the stronger will be our bodhichitta aim,
which similarly has two directions, both up and down. With bodhicitta,
we look at down at beings suffering in samsara and develop the wish and
engage in activities to liberate them and we look upto the Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas and develop the wish to develop the same kind of wisdom and
limitless skills in liberating sentient beings. Then, based on these,
if we have a correct view of voidness, we will be able to attain either
liberation or enlightenment.
The
correct view is in terms of the two truths, which follow from the Four
Noble Truths. So, it is important to understand and realize them. With
bodhichitta, an understanding of voidness brings us the omniscient state
of a Buddha. If it is only with renunciation, then it brings us
liberation. Here in the text, the discussion is first of renunciation.END=RESEARCH BUDDHIST TIBET DHARMA BY GESHE TASHI TSERING.( MHDT ).25/4/2012.OM MANI PADME HUM.( 3 TIMES ).
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