The Three
External
Tantras 68 ii.
Jig-Me-Lingpa-The-Dzogchen-Innermost-Essence-Preliminary-Practice
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Li I ,_,.
? ? The Dzogchen
Innermost Essence
Preliminary Practice
11Long-chen Nying-thig Ngon-dro" with original Tibetan text
by
Jig-Me Ling-Pa (1729-1798)
Translated with commentary by Ven. Tulku Thondup
Edited by Brian Beresford
LIBRARY OF TIBETAN WORKS AND ARCHIVES
? (C) 1982 Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
First Edition: 1982
Second Revised edition: 1989 Third edition 1998
Fourth edition 2002
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 81-85102-19-8
Published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala-176215, India, and printed at lndraprastha Press, New Delhi-110002.
? Publisher's Note
It is with pleasure that we are able to introduce another text in our Bilingual series of translations. The Long-chen Nying-thig Ngon- dro is probably one of the most important liturgical texts for actual meditational practice found in the Nying-ma tradition. It is widely practiced and forms the basis for the introductory meditations of the Dzog-chen, or "Great Completeness" system of practices. Such texts are meant to be followed in close conjunction with direct in- structions from a qualified spiritual master. It is supplemented by a concise commentary on the various aspects of the meditation and in the conclusion there is a lucid explanation of the Nying-ma sys- tem of dividing the Buddha's teachings into the Nine Spiritual Ve- hicles or yanas. Both Tulku Thondup and his editor, Brian Beresford, are to be commended for making this valuable translation avail- able at this time of growing interest in the practice of Tibetan Bud- dhism. Special thanks are also due to Michael Richards for his ex- cellent help and guidance in preparing the final manuscript for the press, and Ani-la Kelsang Chokyi for her assistance in typing and
bringing the work to completion.
Gyatsho Tshering Director
February 1982
? Contents
Preface vii Introduction ix
Part I:THEExCELLENTPAmoFOMNlscmNCE:Preliminary Practice of Dzog-pa-chen-po Long-chen Nying-thig
Homage 2
1 Prayer Invoking the Mind-stream of the Gracious Lama 3
2 Refuge 8
3 Activating the Awakening Mind 9
4 Meditation and Recitation of Vajrasattva 9
5 Mat:tc;lala offering 11
6 The Yogi-mendicant's Accumulation of Merit 11
7 Unification with the Spiritual Master (Guru Yoga) 12
8 Prayer to the Lamas of the Lineage 16
9 Receiving the Four Empowerments 18
10 Dedication 21 11 Special Prayers of Aspiration 21
Part II :THE SUMMARY oF PRAcnCE: A Commentary to the Longchen Nying-thig
1 The Common Preliminary Practice 25 1 The Necessity for Dharma 25 2 The Necessity for the Preliminary Practices 25 3 The Actual Preliminary Practices 27
i The Rare Privilege of a Human Rebirth 28 ii The Impermanence of Life 29 iii Karma: the Cause and Result of Action 31 iv TheSufferingofSamsara 33 v The Benefits of Liberation 34 vi The Value of a Spiritual Guide 35
? vi
2 The Uncommon Preliminary Practice 36 1 Going for Refuge 37 2 Activating the Awakening Mind 39 3 Meditation and Recitation of Vajrasattva 43 4 Mar,t<;fala Offering 46 5 Prostrations 48
3 The Actual Path 50 1 Unification with the Spiritual Master (Guru Yoga) 50 2 Prayers to the Lamas of the Lineage 58 3 Receiving the Four Empowerments 59 4 Dedication 59
Part III: THE NINE YaNAS
A Guide to the Approaches to Enlightenment 63 1 The Three Causal Vehicles 64 2 The Six Resultant Vehicles 67
i. The Three External Tantras 68 ii. The Three Internal Tantras 70
Notes 77 Tibetan Text 79
? Preface
The first part of this book is a direct translation of the liturgy on the Preliminary Practices of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig (Klong. chen. snying. thig. ) tradition of the Great Completeness, or Dzog-ch'en (rdzogs. chen; mahasandhi) teaching. The text is entitled The Ex- cellent Path to Omniscience (rnam. mkhyen. lam. bzang) written by the All-knowing Jig-me-ling-pa ('jigs. med. gling. pa) (1729-1798), and compiled by the first Do-drub-ch'en (rdo. grub. chen) (1745- 1821). Jig-me-ling-pais considered the founder of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig tradition, and Do-drub-ch'en is looked upon as the prin- ciple holder of the doctrine. It is in effect a condensed practical handbook of Buddhism for followers of the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism. Its main subject, though not its sole concern, is the preliminary practices or that which "goes before" (sngon. 'gro) the actual practice. However, this is somewhat misleading, since it also contains a complete course of practice for achieving Buddhahood itself.
A line by line translation of the full text has been prepared and precedes the Tibetan root text. A few sub-headings have been added for clarity, but these have been placed in parentheses.
The second part of the book is summation of the liturgy, giving a brief yet comprehensive explanation of the method of practice. this summary draws upon instructions I have received from my principle Lamas and from the following texts:
1. Kun. bzang. bla. ma'i. zhal. lung. by sPal. sprul. Rin. po. ch'e.
2. Khrid. yig. dran. pa. nyer. bzhag. by Kun. mkhyen. 'Jigs. med. gLing. pa. 3. rNam. mkhyen. Iam. bzang. gsal. byedby mKhyen. brtse'i. dbang. po. 4. Thar. lam. gsal. byed. sgron. me. by 'Gro. 'dul. dPa. bo. rdo. rje.
5. Rig. 'dzin. zhal. lung. by mKhan. po. ch'e mch'og. don. grub.
The third part of the book contains a brief outline of the Nine Vehicles of the Nying-ma (rnying. ma) school on the basis of the books of Long-ch'en-pa, Jig-me-ling-pa and others. The kind and
? viii
able assistance of Mr. Perna Lodro Gyatsho made it possible for me to render this work into English, and thereby make this small book available to its readers. I am greatly indebted to him. I also grate- fully acknowledge my thanks to Mr. Perna Thrinley Gyathso and other members of the Buddhayana Foundation, United States of America, for sponsoring the preparation and translation of several works, including this one, in the United States.
Thanks to Ani-la Kelsang Chokyi (Dee) for her assistance in typing and bringing this work to completion.
My thanks also go to Mr. Gyatsho Tshering, the Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, for sponsor- ing the publication of this book. My appreciation also goes to Brian Beresford for his assistance and his work on editing the entire manu- script.
Tulku Thondup Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan1977
? Introduction
There are many different methods of teaching the Dharma that were expounded by the Buddha, the realized saints who followed after him in India and Tibet, and the traditional scholars. All of these are for the benefit of disciples of differing capabilities. For the practice of Dharma to be effective one should start at a level suited to one's own mental capacity. It is essential to understand the meaning of the teaching first of all through study. Trying to practice it without having studied it properly would be like trying to scale a cliff with- out hands. Conversely, a great deal of study and no practice would be like being surrounded by an abundance of food while dying of hunger. it is important, therefore, for the practice of Dharma to combine both understanding its meaning and trying to realize it through practice.
This text, the Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig, belongs to the category of "Dharma Treasures" (gTer. chos) and the writings of the All-knowing Master, Jig-me Ling-pa. The tradition of the Long- chen Nying-thig in Tibet became very popular, and was a widely studied and practiced system within the Nyingmapa tradition, one of the four major Buddhist sects in Tibet. The Long-chen Nying- thig is a relatively new system, even though the teachings and the practices are basically the? same as the earlier Dzog-chen Nying- thig, which was broughfto :Tibet about the time of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, in the eighth century. The lineages of transmis- sion of the Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long-chen Nying-thig are as follows:
1. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig Lineage
According to the tradition of the Nyingma school, Tibet's earliest, the highest teaching is known as the Great Completion, or Dzog- pa Chen-po (rdzogs. chen; mahiisal! lpatra or mahashiindi), or the Atiyoga direct" method for realizing the nature of the mind and attaining Buddhahood. The Nying-thig, or the "Essence of the
? X
Heart" teachings, precisely explain the various methods for directly actualizing the innermost teachings of the Dzog-pa Chen-po. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig, as a teaching, fundamentally deals with the expression of the doctrine of the Three Kayas, or the Three Perfect Bodies of a Fully Awakened Being, and they have arisen through the three systems of spiritual transmit:sion.
The first is known as the Mind Transmission of the Buddhas. In this system the teacher transmits the teachings to a disciple with- out using words or any other indication. The disciple attains a state of union with the teacher like a reflection of the moon in the still water, which mirrors a perfect likeness of the moon itself. This level of spiritual transmission is from the Primordial Buddha, Kun-tu Zang-po (kun. tu. bzang. po; Samantabhadra), on the level of the Dharmakaya, or Perfect Body of Truth. The Dzog-chen teachings are then passed on through the level of the Sal! lbhogakaya, the Perfect Body of Enjoyment, which includes the Five Dhyani Bud- dhas on the level of pure mystic vision.
The second level of spiritual transmission is known as the Knowledge-holders' Indication system. Here, a Knowledge-holder (rig. 'dzin; vidyadhara), a being who has direct and pure vision of the nature of reality, manifests to a receptive disciple and transmits the teaching by means of pronouncing a mantra or showing a sign. In this case the 5al! 'bhogakaya Being, Vajrasattva, mystically ap- peared before the Indian teacher Prahevajra who existed on the level of the Ni~r. :taka. ya, or Perfect Body of Manifestation, and in one instant transmitted all empowerments and instructions so that Prahevajra spontaneously and effortlessly attained Enlightenment. He in tum transmitted the teachings to his disciple Maiijushrimitra, who passed them on to Shrisiilha. Shrisiilha transmitted his insight to Jnanasiitra, Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, the Indian Tantric saint who later brought them into TI- bet. Vimalamitra also received his teachings from Pramodhavajra and Maiijushrimitra, and Padmasal! lbhava himself also received the teaching directly from Maiijushrimitra.
The third system of spiritual transmission of the Dzog-chen lineage is that known as the Audial Transmission of the Yo&! -s. In this system the complete verbal empowerment and instructions are transmitted by word of mouth from practitioner to practitioner. This form of spiritual transmission in Tibet initially spread through two lineages in the beginning and the early part of the ninth cen- tury. One originates from Vimalamitra, the other from Guru
? Rinpoche. Vimalamitra transmitted the teachings in Tibet to Nyag Tmg-dzin Zang-po and King Tri-song De-tsen and other disciples. From Nyag this unbroken lineage of audial transmission came down to Long-chen Rab-jam, and through various spiritually real- ized teachers. The other lineage, from Guru? Rinpoche, was passed on to his disciple, the J? akini Yeshe Tso-gyal and Princess Pema- sal. The texts for these teachings were mystically concealed by Guru Rinpoche, to be unearthed later for the benefit of his disciples. These were later discovered by a male incarnation of the Princess, the teacher Perna Ui-tro-tsal, and in his next incarnation as Long-chen Rab-jam-pa. He expounded these teachings together with extraor- dinary commentaries.
The Innermost Essence teachings through the first lineage are known as the Vimala Nying-thig, and the second are known as the Kha-dro Nying-thig. In this way both of these Innermost Essence transmissions meet in Long-chen Rab-jam-pa, who lived from 1308- 1363. From him the uninterrupted audial transmission of these teachings have extended until the present day.
The three systems outlined above are divided here in a very general way. There were also numerous mystical saints and practi- tioners, both in India and Trbet, who received or gave teachings through the Mind or Indication spiritual transmissions.
2. The Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig Lineage
In the eighteenth century the spiritual master Jig-me Ling-pa (1729- 1798), a reincarnation of the king Tri-song De-tsen, received the complete Dzog-chen Nying-thig teachings in a mystical vision from Manjushrimitra, Guru Rinpoche, Vunalamitra, and Long-chen Rab- jam-pa, through Mind, the Indication and the Audial transmissions, in the state of pure vision. In these visions he saw Long-chen Rab- jam-pa three times, received the blessings of being inseparable from the Spiritual Master and thereby the true state of Perfect Accom- plishment, or Buddhahood. He discovered the "Concealed Treas- ures of Dharma" (gter. chos) of the Long-chen Nying-thig, and thus founded this tradition. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long- chen Nying-thig are also known respectively as the Earlier and Later Nying-thig teachings. The lineage of Audial transmission through which these have reached my teacher, the Fourth Do-drub-chen Rinpoche, is as follows:
xi
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
The Three External Tantras 68 ii. The Three Internal Tantras 70
Notes 77 Tibetan Text 79
? Preface
The first part of this book is a direct translation of the liturgy on the Preliminary Practices of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig (Klong. chen. snying. thig. ) tradition of the Great Completeness, or Dzog-ch'en (rdzogs. chen; mahasandhi) teaching. The text is entitled The Ex- cellent Path to Omniscience (rnam. mkhyen. lam. bzang) written by the All-knowing Jig-me-ling-pa ('jigs. med. gling. pa) (1729-1798), and compiled by the first Do-drub-ch'en (rdo. grub. chen) (1745- 1821). Jig-me-ling-pais considered the founder of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig tradition, and Do-drub-ch'en is looked upon as the prin- ciple holder of the doctrine. It is in effect a condensed practical handbook of Buddhism for followers of the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism. Its main subject, though not its sole concern, is the preliminary practices or that which "goes before" (sngon. 'gro) the actual practice. However, this is somewhat misleading, since it also contains a complete course of practice for achieving Buddhahood itself.
A line by line translation of the full text has been prepared and precedes the Tibetan root text. A few sub-headings have been added for clarity, but these have been placed in parentheses.
The second part of the book is summation of the liturgy, giving a brief yet comprehensive explanation of the method of practice. this summary draws upon instructions I have received from my principle Lamas and from the following texts:
1. Kun. bzang. bla. ma'i. zhal. lung. by sPal. sprul. Rin. po. ch'e.
2. Khrid. yig. dran. pa. nyer. bzhag. by Kun. mkhyen. 'Jigs. med. gLing. pa. 3. rNam. mkhyen. Iam. bzang. gsal. byedby mKhyen. brtse'i. dbang. po. 4. Thar. lam. gsal. byed. sgron. me. by 'Gro. 'dul. dPa. bo. rdo. rje.
5. Rig. 'dzin. zhal. lung. by mKhan. po. ch'e mch'og. don. grub.
The third part of the book contains a brief outline of the Nine Vehicles of the Nying-ma (rnying. ma) school on the basis of the books of Long-ch'en-pa, Jig-me-ling-pa and others. The kind and
? viii
able assistance of Mr. Perna Lodro Gyatsho made it possible for me to render this work into English, and thereby make this small book available to its readers. I am greatly indebted to him. I also grate- fully acknowledge my thanks to Mr. Perna Thrinley Gyathso and other members of the Buddhayana Foundation, United States of America, for sponsoring the preparation and translation of several works, including this one, in the United States.
Thanks to Ani-la Kelsang Chokyi (Dee) for her assistance in typing and bringing this work to completion.
My thanks also go to Mr. Gyatsho Tshering, the Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, for sponsor- ing the publication of this book. My appreciation also goes to Brian Beresford for his assistance and his work on editing the entire manu- script.
Tulku Thondup Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan1977
? Introduction
There are many different methods of teaching the Dharma that were expounded by the Buddha, the realized saints who followed after him in India and Tibet, and the traditional scholars. All of these are for the benefit of disciples of differing capabilities. For the practice of Dharma to be effective one should start at a level suited to one's own mental capacity. It is essential to understand the meaning of the teaching first of all through study. Trying to practice it without having studied it properly would be like trying to scale a cliff with- out hands. Conversely, a great deal of study and no practice would be like being surrounded by an abundance of food while dying of hunger. it is important, therefore, for the practice of Dharma to combine both understanding its meaning and trying to realize it through practice.
This text, the Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig, belongs to the category of "Dharma Treasures" (gTer. chos) and the writings of the All-knowing Master, Jig-me Ling-pa. The tradition of the Long- chen Nying-thig in Tibet became very popular, and was a widely studied and practiced system within the Nyingmapa tradition, one of the four major Buddhist sects in Tibet. The Long-chen Nying- thig is a relatively new system, even though the teachings and the practices are basically the? same as the earlier Dzog-chen Nying- thig, which was broughfto :Tibet about the time of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, in the eighth century. The lineages of transmis- sion of the Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long-chen Nying-thig are as follows:
1. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig Lineage
According to the tradition of the Nyingma school, Tibet's earliest, the highest teaching is known as the Great Completion, or Dzog- pa Chen-po (rdzogs. chen; mahiisal! lpatra or mahashiindi), or the Atiyoga direct" method for realizing the nature of the mind and attaining Buddhahood. The Nying-thig, or the "Essence of the
? X
Heart" teachings, precisely explain the various methods for directly actualizing the innermost teachings of the Dzog-pa Chen-po. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig, as a teaching, fundamentally deals with the expression of the doctrine of the Three Kayas, or the Three Perfect Bodies of a Fully Awakened Being, and they have arisen through the three systems of spiritual transmit:sion.
The first is known as the Mind Transmission of the Buddhas. In this system the teacher transmits the teachings to a disciple with- out using words or any other indication. The disciple attains a state of union with the teacher like a reflection of the moon in the still water, which mirrors a perfect likeness of the moon itself. This level of spiritual transmission is from the Primordial Buddha, Kun-tu Zang-po (kun. tu. bzang. po; Samantabhadra), on the level of the Dharmakaya, or Perfect Body of Truth. The Dzog-chen teachings are then passed on through the level of the Sal! lbhogakaya, the Perfect Body of Enjoyment, which includes the Five Dhyani Bud- dhas on the level of pure mystic vision.
The second level of spiritual transmission is known as the Knowledge-holders' Indication system. Here, a Knowledge-holder (rig. 'dzin; vidyadhara), a being who has direct and pure vision of the nature of reality, manifests to a receptive disciple and transmits the teaching by means of pronouncing a mantra or showing a sign. In this case the 5al! 'bhogakaya Being, Vajrasattva, mystically ap- peared before the Indian teacher Prahevajra who existed on the level of the Ni~r. :taka. ya, or Perfect Body of Manifestation, and in one instant transmitted all empowerments and instructions so that Prahevajra spontaneously and effortlessly attained Enlightenment. He in tum transmitted the teachings to his disciple Maiijushrimitra, who passed them on to Shrisiilha. Shrisiilha transmitted his insight to Jnanasiitra, Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, the Indian Tantric saint who later brought them into TI- bet. Vimalamitra also received his teachings from Pramodhavajra and Maiijushrimitra, and Padmasal! lbhava himself also received the teaching directly from Maiijushrimitra.
The third system of spiritual transmission of the Dzog-chen lineage is that known as the Audial Transmission of the Yo&! -s. In this system the complete verbal empowerment and instructions are transmitted by word of mouth from practitioner to practitioner. This form of spiritual transmission in Tibet initially spread through two lineages in the beginning and the early part of the ninth cen- tury. One originates from Vimalamitra, the other from Guru
? Rinpoche. Vimalamitra transmitted the teachings in Tibet to Nyag Tmg-dzin Zang-po and King Tri-song De-tsen and other disciples. From Nyag this unbroken lineage of audial transmission came down to Long-chen Rab-jam, and through various spiritually real- ized teachers. The other lineage, from Guru? Rinpoche, was passed on to his disciple, the J? akini Yeshe Tso-gyal and Princess Pema- sal. The texts for these teachings were mystically concealed by Guru Rinpoche, to be unearthed later for the benefit of his disciples. These were later discovered by a male incarnation of the Princess, the teacher Perna Ui-tro-tsal, and in his next incarnation as Long-chen Rab-jam-pa. He expounded these teachings together with extraor- dinary commentaries.
The Innermost Essence teachings through the first lineage are known as the Vimala Nying-thig, and the second are known as the Kha-dro Nying-thig. In this way both of these Innermost Essence transmissions meet in Long-chen Rab-jam-pa, who lived from 1308- 1363. From him the uninterrupted audial transmission of these teachings have extended until the present day.
The three systems outlined above are divided here in a very general way. There were also numerous mystical saints and practi- tioners, both in India and Trbet, who received or gave teachings through the Mind or Indication spiritual transmissions.
2. The Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig Lineage
In the eighteenth century the spiritual master Jig-me Ling-pa (1729- 1798), a reincarnation of the king Tri-song De-tsen, received the complete Dzog-chen Nying-thig teachings in a mystical vision from Manjushrimitra, Guru Rinpoche, Vunalamitra, and Long-chen Rab- jam-pa, through Mind, the Indication and the Audial transmissions, in the state of pure vision. In these visions he saw Long-chen Rab- jam-pa three times, received the blessings of being inseparable from the Spiritual Master and thereby the true state of Perfect Accom- plishment, or Buddhahood. He discovered the "Concealed Treas- ures of Dharma" (gter. chos) of the Long-chen Nying-thig, and thus founded this tradition. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long- chen Nying-thig are also known respectively as the Earlier and Later Nying-thig teachings. The lineage of Audial transmission through which these have reached my teacher, the Fourth Do-drub-chen Rinpoche, is as follows:
xi
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? xii
JIG-ME LING-PA (1729-1798) 1st Do-drub-chen Jig-me Trin-Hi 0-zer (1745-1821)
II ChO. . kyiILO-dro 4th Dzog-chen
Rinpoche (1793-? )
Gyal-se Zhan-pan T'a-ya (18DO-? )
I<hen-pJ Padma Dor-je (Dam-cho 5-zer)
Jig-me G~al-wa'i Nft! -gyu
3rd Do-Drllb-chen Rinpoche
(1865-1926)
II
I
5th Dzog-chen Rinpoche (1872-? )
Gya-roog Jam-biil
I<hyen-tse Cho-kyi
LQ-dro (1893-1959)
Ge-kong Khen-po Kun-pal
Jam-yang Khyen-tse'i Wang-po (1820-1892)
4th Do-drub-chen 11mb-ten Trin-la Pal-zang-po (1927-)
? ? Part -1 The Excellent Path of
Omniscience
The Preliminary Practices of Long-chen-pa's "Innermost Essence for the Great Completion: Dzog-pa Chen-po"
Tibetan
rDzogs-pa chen-po kLong-chen snying-thig sngon-'gro
Composed by
The Knowledge-holding master Jig-me Ling-pa
Compiled by
The first D<rdrub-chen Rinpoche, Jig-me Trin-lii WO-zer
? Homage
_,__
You who have attained Buddhahood primordially but have never ceased appearing as the perfect body of form (riipakaya) for whomsoever is receptive to it;
Exhibiting various illusory manifestations yet free from both the grasping mind and its object, the body-mind constituents, sensory spheres and bases;
Appearing in human form while in fact a Buddha, radi- ating thousands of light rays comprising wisdom and compassion;
I depend on you for firm refuge not simply for this life but forever; bestow your blessings upon me.
? Preliminaries of Long-chen-pas "Innermost Essence for the Great Completion"
in eleven parts:
-l--
1. Prayer Invoking the Mind-stream of the Gracious Lama
0 Lama! 0 Lama! 0 Lama!
[Having invoked the presence of the Lama with intense devotion, recite thefollowing:]
From the blossoming lotus of devotion at the center of my heart
Sole protector, gracious Lama, arise!
For my protection against misfortune,
From torment by the vicious legacy of actions and de-
filements
Be enshrined as the ornament in the Wheel of Great Bliss
on the crown of my head;
Let there arise in me total recollection and mindfulness.
[The rarity ofa human rebirth characterized by eight freedoms and ten endowments. ]
At this time, I have gained this leisure free fro~ the eight kinds of bondage:
From hell, hungry ghost and animal realms;
From the realms of the long-lived gods, barbarians and
perverse philosophers;
From being a fool, from a place in which no Buddha has
appeared.
To have been born a human being complete with sen-
sory faculties, in a central land congenial to Dharma, Not to have reverted to extreme wrong deeds and to have
faith in the Buddhist teachings;
? 4
These comprise the five personal endowments.
When a Buddha has appeared,
Has expounded the tru~ of_Dharma,
When the teachings surVive and are being-followed, And when one has'been accepted by a spiritual friend;
these are the five circumstantial endowments, Which, despite my posses~ing thein completely, may
become wasted in this life
By uncertain circumstances,
Giving cause for birth into this transitory world again. 0 Guru, Rinpoche, tum my mind towards th~ Dharma. Long-chen-pa and Jig-me-ling-pa, exalted and all-know-
ing, let me not deviate into any wrong and inferior
path.
0 Lama, you who are one with them: Hear me!
If this present opportunity to practice Dharma is not taken seriously,
In the future this basis for achieving liberation will. not be regained.
Once the merits that gave cause for this happy existence have been consumed,
I will wander after death as an inferior being through the lower realms.
Unable to differentiate virtue from non-virtue I will not hear the sound of Dharma,
Nor will I meet with a virtuous spiritual friend-indeed a great disaster.
Merely to think about the numberless variety of sentient beings
Is to realize that obtaining a human body is just barely possible.
To see mankind doing non-virtue, irreligious acts,
Is to realize that those who act spiritually are as rare as
stars in broad daylight.
0 Guru Rinpoche, tum my mind towards the Dharma:a AII-knowing Long-chen-pa and exalted Jig-me-ling-pa,
let me not deviate into any wrong and inferior path.
Li I ,_,.
? ? The Dzogchen
Innermost Essence
Preliminary Practice
11Long-chen Nying-thig Ngon-dro" with original Tibetan text
by
Jig-Me Ling-Pa (1729-1798)
Translated with commentary by Ven. Tulku Thondup
Edited by Brian Beresford
LIBRARY OF TIBETAN WORKS AND ARCHIVES
? (C) 1982 Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
First Edition: 1982
Second Revised edition: 1989 Third edition 1998
Fourth edition 2002
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 81-85102-19-8
Published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala-176215, India, and printed at lndraprastha Press, New Delhi-110002.
? Publisher's Note
It is with pleasure that we are able to introduce another text in our Bilingual series of translations. The Long-chen Nying-thig Ngon- dro is probably one of the most important liturgical texts for actual meditational practice found in the Nying-ma tradition. It is widely practiced and forms the basis for the introductory meditations of the Dzog-chen, or "Great Completeness" system of practices. Such texts are meant to be followed in close conjunction with direct in- structions from a qualified spiritual master. It is supplemented by a concise commentary on the various aspects of the meditation and in the conclusion there is a lucid explanation of the Nying-ma sys- tem of dividing the Buddha's teachings into the Nine Spiritual Ve- hicles or yanas. Both Tulku Thondup and his editor, Brian Beresford, are to be commended for making this valuable translation avail- able at this time of growing interest in the practice of Tibetan Bud- dhism. Special thanks are also due to Michael Richards for his ex- cellent help and guidance in preparing the final manuscript for the press, and Ani-la Kelsang Chokyi for her assistance in typing and
bringing the work to completion.
Gyatsho Tshering Director
February 1982
? Contents
Preface vii Introduction ix
Part I:THEExCELLENTPAmoFOMNlscmNCE:Preliminary Practice of Dzog-pa-chen-po Long-chen Nying-thig
Homage 2
1 Prayer Invoking the Mind-stream of the Gracious Lama 3
2 Refuge 8
3 Activating the Awakening Mind 9
4 Meditation and Recitation of Vajrasattva 9
5 Mat:tc;lala offering 11
6 The Yogi-mendicant's Accumulation of Merit 11
7 Unification with the Spiritual Master (Guru Yoga) 12
8 Prayer to the Lamas of the Lineage 16
9 Receiving the Four Empowerments 18
10 Dedication 21 11 Special Prayers of Aspiration 21
Part II :THE SUMMARY oF PRAcnCE: A Commentary to the Longchen Nying-thig
1 The Common Preliminary Practice 25 1 The Necessity for Dharma 25 2 The Necessity for the Preliminary Practices 25 3 The Actual Preliminary Practices 27
i The Rare Privilege of a Human Rebirth 28 ii The Impermanence of Life 29 iii Karma: the Cause and Result of Action 31 iv TheSufferingofSamsara 33 v The Benefits of Liberation 34 vi The Value of a Spiritual Guide 35
? vi
2 The Uncommon Preliminary Practice 36 1 Going for Refuge 37 2 Activating the Awakening Mind 39 3 Meditation and Recitation of Vajrasattva 43 4 Mar,t<;fala Offering 46 5 Prostrations 48
3 The Actual Path 50 1 Unification with the Spiritual Master (Guru Yoga) 50 2 Prayers to the Lamas of the Lineage 58 3 Receiving the Four Empowerments 59 4 Dedication 59
Part III: THE NINE YaNAS
A Guide to the Approaches to Enlightenment 63 1 The Three Causal Vehicles 64 2 The Six Resultant Vehicles 67
i. The Three External Tantras 68 ii. The Three Internal Tantras 70
Notes 77 Tibetan Text 79
? Preface
The first part of this book is a direct translation of the liturgy on the Preliminary Practices of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig (Klong. chen. snying. thig. ) tradition of the Great Completeness, or Dzog-ch'en (rdzogs. chen; mahasandhi) teaching. The text is entitled The Ex- cellent Path to Omniscience (rnam. mkhyen. lam. bzang) written by the All-knowing Jig-me-ling-pa ('jigs. med. gling. pa) (1729-1798), and compiled by the first Do-drub-ch'en (rdo. grub. chen) (1745- 1821). Jig-me-ling-pais considered the founder of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig tradition, and Do-drub-ch'en is looked upon as the prin- ciple holder of the doctrine. It is in effect a condensed practical handbook of Buddhism for followers of the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism. Its main subject, though not its sole concern, is the preliminary practices or that which "goes before" (sngon. 'gro) the actual practice. However, this is somewhat misleading, since it also contains a complete course of practice for achieving Buddhahood itself.
A line by line translation of the full text has been prepared and precedes the Tibetan root text. A few sub-headings have been added for clarity, but these have been placed in parentheses.
The second part of the book is summation of the liturgy, giving a brief yet comprehensive explanation of the method of practice. this summary draws upon instructions I have received from my principle Lamas and from the following texts:
1. Kun. bzang. bla. ma'i. zhal. lung. by sPal. sprul. Rin. po. ch'e.
2. Khrid. yig. dran. pa. nyer. bzhag. by Kun. mkhyen. 'Jigs. med. gLing. pa. 3. rNam. mkhyen. Iam. bzang. gsal. byedby mKhyen. brtse'i. dbang. po. 4. Thar. lam. gsal. byed. sgron. me. by 'Gro. 'dul. dPa. bo. rdo. rje.
5. Rig. 'dzin. zhal. lung. by mKhan. po. ch'e mch'og. don. grub.
The third part of the book contains a brief outline of the Nine Vehicles of the Nying-ma (rnying. ma) school on the basis of the books of Long-ch'en-pa, Jig-me-ling-pa and others. The kind and
? viii
able assistance of Mr. Perna Lodro Gyatsho made it possible for me to render this work into English, and thereby make this small book available to its readers. I am greatly indebted to him. I also grate- fully acknowledge my thanks to Mr. Perna Thrinley Gyathso and other members of the Buddhayana Foundation, United States of America, for sponsoring the preparation and translation of several works, including this one, in the United States.
Thanks to Ani-la Kelsang Chokyi (Dee) for her assistance in typing and bringing this work to completion.
My thanks also go to Mr. Gyatsho Tshering, the Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, for sponsor- ing the publication of this book. My appreciation also goes to Brian Beresford for his assistance and his work on editing the entire manu- script.
Tulku Thondup Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan1977
? Introduction
There are many different methods of teaching the Dharma that were expounded by the Buddha, the realized saints who followed after him in India and Tibet, and the traditional scholars. All of these are for the benefit of disciples of differing capabilities. For the practice of Dharma to be effective one should start at a level suited to one's own mental capacity. It is essential to understand the meaning of the teaching first of all through study. Trying to practice it without having studied it properly would be like trying to scale a cliff with- out hands. Conversely, a great deal of study and no practice would be like being surrounded by an abundance of food while dying of hunger. it is important, therefore, for the practice of Dharma to combine both understanding its meaning and trying to realize it through practice.
This text, the Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig, belongs to the category of "Dharma Treasures" (gTer. chos) and the writings of the All-knowing Master, Jig-me Ling-pa. The tradition of the Long- chen Nying-thig in Tibet became very popular, and was a widely studied and practiced system within the Nyingmapa tradition, one of the four major Buddhist sects in Tibet. The Long-chen Nying- thig is a relatively new system, even though the teachings and the practices are basically the? same as the earlier Dzog-chen Nying- thig, which was broughfto :Tibet about the time of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, in the eighth century. The lineages of transmis- sion of the Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long-chen Nying-thig are as follows:
1. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig Lineage
According to the tradition of the Nyingma school, Tibet's earliest, the highest teaching is known as the Great Completion, or Dzog- pa Chen-po (rdzogs. chen; mahiisal! lpatra or mahashiindi), or the Atiyoga direct" method for realizing the nature of the mind and attaining Buddhahood. The Nying-thig, or the "Essence of the
? X
Heart" teachings, precisely explain the various methods for directly actualizing the innermost teachings of the Dzog-pa Chen-po. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig, as a teaching, fundamentally deals with the expression of the doctrine of the Three Kayas, or the Three Perfect Bodies of a Fully Awakened Being, and they have arisen through the three systems of spiritual transmit:sion.
The first is known as the Mind Transmission of the Buddhas. In this system the teacher transmits the teachings to a disciple with- out using words or any other indication. The disciple attains a state of union with the teacher like a reflection of the moon in the still water, which mirrors a perfect likeness of the moon itself. This level of spiritual transmission is from the Primordial Buddha, Kun-tu Zang-po (kun. tu. bzang. po; Samantabhadra), on the level of the Dharmakaya, or Perfect Body of Truth. The Dzog-chen teachings are then passed on through the level of the Sal! lbhogakaya, the Perfect Body of Enjoyment, which includes the Five Dhyani Bud- dhas on the level of pure mystic vision.
The second level of spiritual transmission is known as the Knowledge-holders' Indication system. Here, a Knowledge-holder (rig. 'dzin; vidyadhara), a being who has direct and pure vision of the nature of reality, manifests to a receptive disciple and transmits the teaching by means of pronouncing a mantra or showing a sign. In this case the 5al! 'bhogakaya Being, Vajrasattva, mystically ap- peared before the Indian teacher Prahevajra who existed on the level of the Ni~r. :taka. ya, or Perfect Body of Manifestation, and in one instant transmitted all empowerments and instructions so that Prahevajra spontaneously and effortlessly attained Enlightenment. He in tum transmitted the teachings to his disciple Maiijushrimitra, who passed them on to Shrisiilha. Shrisiilha transmitted his insight to Jnanasiitra, Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, the Indian Tantric saint who later brought them into TI- bet. Vimalamitra also received his teachings from Pramodhavajra and Maiijushrimitra, and Padmasal! lbhava himself also received the teaching directly from Maiijushrimitra.
The third system of spiritual transmission of the Dzog-chen lineage is that known as the Audial Transmission of the Yo&! -s. In this system the complete verbal empowerment and instructions are transmitted by word of mouth from practitioner to practitioner. This form of spiritual transmission in Tibet initially spread through two lineages in the beginning and the early part of the ninth cen- tury. One originates from Vimalamitra, the other from Guru
? Rinpoche. Vimalamitra transmitted the teachings in Tibet to Nyag Tmg-dzin Zang-po and King Tri-song De-tsen and other disciples. From Nyag this unbroken lineage of audial transmission came down to Long-chen Rab-jam, and through various spiritually real- ized teachers. The other lineage, from Guru? Rinpoche, was passed on to his disciple, the J? akini Yeshe Tso-gyal and Princess Pema- sal. The texts for these teachings were mystically concealed by Guru Rinpoche, to be unearthed later for the benefit of his disciples. These were later discovered by a male incarnation of the Princess, the teacher Perna Ui-tro-tsal, and in his next incarnation as Long-chen Rab-jam-pa. He expounded these teachings together with extraor- dinary commentaries.
The Innermost Essence teachings through the first lineage are known as the Vimala Nying-thig, and the second are known as the Kha-dro Nying-thig. In this way both of these Innermost Essence transmissions meet in Long-chen Rab-jam-pa, who lived from 1308- 1363. From him the uninterrupted audial transmission of these teachings have extended until the present day.
The three systems outlined above are divided here in a very general way. There were also numerous mystical saints and practi- tioners, both in India and Trbet, who received or gave teachings through the Mind or Indication spiritual transmissions.
2. The Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig Lineage
In the eighteenth century the spiritual master Jig-me Ling-pa (1729- 1798), a reincarnation of the king Tri-song De-tsen, received the complete Dzog-chen Nying-thig teachings in a mystical vision from Manjushrimitra, Guru Rinpoche, Vunalamitra, and Long-chen Rab- jam-pa, through Mind, the Indication and the Audial transmissions, in the state of pure vision. In these visions he saw Long-chen Rab- jam-pa three times, received the blessings of being inseparable from the Spiritual Master and thereby the true state of Perfect Accom- plishment, or Buddhahood. He discovered the "Concealed Treas- ures of Dharma" (gter. chos) of the Long-chen Nying-thig, and thus founded this tradition. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long- chen Nying-thig are also known respectively as the Earlier and Later Nying-thig teachings. The lineage of Audial transmission through which these have reached my teacher, the Fourth Do-drub-chen Rinpoche, is as follows:
xi
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
The Three External Tantras 68 ii. The Three Internal Tantras 70
Notes 77 Tibetan Text 79
? Preface
The first part of this book is a direct translation of the liturgy on the Preliminary Practices of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig (Klong. chen. snying. thig. ) tradition of the Great Completeness, or Dzog-ch'en (rdzogs. chen; mahasandhi) teaching. The text is entitled The Ex- cellent Path to Omniscience (rnam. mkhyen. lam. bzang) written by the All-knowing Jig-me-ling-pa ('jigs. med. gling. pa) (1729-1798), and compiled by the first Do-drub-ch'en (rdo. grub. chen) (1745- 1821). Jig-me-ling-pais considered the founder of the Long-ch'en Nying-thig tradition, and Do-drub-ch'en is looked upon as the prin- ciple holder of the doctrine. It is in effect a condensed practical handbook of Buddhism for followers of the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism. Its main subject, though not its sole concern, is the preliminary practices or that which "goes before" (sngon. 'gro) the actual practice. However, this is somewhat misleading, since it also contains a complete course of practice for achieving Buddhahood itself.
A line by line translation of the full text has been prepared and precedes the Tibetan root text. A few sub-headings have been added for clarity, but these have been placed in parentheses.
The second part of the book is summation of the liturgy, giving a brief yet comprehensive explanation of the method of practice. this summary draws upon instructions I have received from my principle Lamas and from the following texts:
1. Kun. bzang. bla. ma'i. zhal. lung. by sPal. sprul. Rin. po. ch'e.
2. Khrid. yig. dran. pa. nyer. bzhag. by Kun. mkhyen. 'Jigs. med. gLing. pa. 3. rNam. mkhyen. Iam. bzang. gsal. byedby mKhyen. brtse'i. dbang. po. 4. Thar. lam. gsal. byed. sgron. me. by 'Gro. 'dul. dPa. bo. rdo. rje.
5. Rig. 'dzin. zhal. lung. by mKhan. po. ch'e mch'og. don. grub.
The third part of the book contains a brief outline of the Nine Vehicles of the Nying-ma (rnying. ma) school on the basis of the books of Long-ch'en-pa, Jig-me-ling-pa and others. The kind and
? viii
able assistance of Mr. Perna Lodro Gyatsho made it possible for me to render this work into English, and thereby make this small book available to its readers. I am greatly indebted to him. I also grate- fully acknowledge my thanks to Mr. Perna Thrinley Gyathso and other members of the Buddhayana Foundation, United States of America, for sponsoring the preparation and translation of several works, including this one, in the United States.
Thanks to Ani-la Kelsang Chokyi (Dee) for her assistance in typing and bringing this work to completion.
My thanks also go to Mr. Gyatsho Tshering, the Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, for sponsor- ing the publication of this book. My appreciation also goes to Brian Beresford for his assistance and his work on editing the entire manu- script.
Tulku Thondup Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan1977
? Introduction
There are many different methods of teaching the Dharma that were expounded by the Buddha, the realized saints who followed after him in India and Tibet, and the traditional scholars. All of these are for the benefit of disciples of differing capabilities. For the practice of Dharma to be effective one should start at a level suited to one's own mental capacity. It is essential to understand the meaning of the teaching first of all through study. Trying to practice it without having studied it properly would be like trying to scale a cliff with- out hands. Conversely, a great deal of study and no practice would be like being surrounded by an abundance of food while dying of hunger. it is important, therefore, for the practice of Dharma to combine both understanding its meaning and trying to realize it through practice.
This text, the Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig, belongs to the category of "Dharma Treasures" (gTer. chos) and the writings of the All-knowing Master, Jig-me Ling-pa. The tradition of the Long- chen Nying-thig in Tibet became very popular, and was a widely studied and practiced system within the Nyingmapa tradition, one of the four major Buddhist sects in Tibet. The Long-chen Nying- thig is a relatively new system, even though the teachings and the practices are basically the? same as the earlier Dzog-chen Nying- thig, which was broughfto :Tibet about the time of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, in the eighth century. The lineages of transmis- sion of the Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long-chen Nying-thig are as follows:
1. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig Lineage
According to the tradition of the Nyingma school, Tibet's earliest, the highest teaching is known as the Great Completion, or Dzog- pa Chen-po (rdzogs. chen; mahiisal! lpatra or mahashiindi), or the Atiyoga direct" method for realizing the nature of the mind and attaining Buddhahood. The Nying-thig, or the "Essence of the
? X
Heart" teachings, precisely explain the various methods for directly actualizing the innermost teachings of the Dzog-pa Chen-po. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig, as a teaching, fundamentally deals with the expression of the doctrine of the Three Kayas, or the Three Perfect Bodies of a Fully Awakened Being, and they have arisen through the three systems of spiritual transmit:sion.
The first is known as the Mind Transmission of the Buddhas. In this system the teacher transmits the teachings to a disciple with- out using words or any other indication. The disciple attains a state of union with the teacher like a reflection of the moon in the still water, which mirrors a perfect likeness of the moon itself. This level of spiritual transmission is from the Primordial Buddha, Kun-tu Zang-po (kun. tu. bzang. po; Samantabhadra), on the level of the Dharmakaya, or Perfect Body of Truth. The Dzog-chen teachings are then passed on through the level of the Sal! lbhogakaya, the Perfect Body of Enjoyment, which includes the Five Dhyani Bud- dhas on the level of pure mystic vision.
The second level of spiritual transmission is known as the Knowledge-holders' Indication system. Here, a Knowledge-holder (rig. 'dzin; vidyadhara), a being who has direct and pure vision of the nature of reality, manifests to a receptive disciple and transmits the teaching by means of pronouncing a mantra or showing a sign. In this case the 5al! 'bhogakaya Being, Vajrasattva, mystically ap- peared before the Indian teacher Prahevajra who existed on the level of the Ni~r. :taka. ya, or Perfect Body of Manifestation, and in one instant transmitted all empowerments and instructions so that Prahevajra spontaneously and effortlessly attained Enlightenment. He in tum transmitted the teachings to his disciple Maiijushrimitra, who passed them on to Shrisiilha. Shrisiilha transmitted his insight to Jnanasiitra, Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, the Indian Tantric saint who later brought them into TI- bet. Vimalamitra also received his teachings from Pramodhavajra and Maiijushrimitra, and Padmasal! lbhava himself also received the teaching directly from Maiijushrimitra.
The third system of spiritual transmission of the Dzog-chen lineage is that known as the Audial Transmission of the Yo&! -s. In this system the complete verbal empowerment and instructions are transmitted by word of mouth from practitioner to practitioner. This form of spiritual transmission in Tibet initially spread through two lineages in the beginning and the early part of the ninth cen- tury. One originates from Vimalamitra, the other from Guru
? Rinpoche. Vimalamitra transmitted the teachings in Tibet to Nyag Tmg-dzin Zang-po and King Tri-song De-tsen and other disciples. From Nyag this unbroken lineage of audial transmission came down to Long-chen Rab-jam, and through various spiritually real- ized teachers. The other lineage, from Guru? Rinpoche, was passed on to his disciple, the J? akini Yeshe Tso-gyal and Princess Pema- sal. The texts for these teachings were mystically concealed by Guru Rinpoche, to be unearthed later for the benefit of his disciples. These were later discovered by a male incarnation of the Princess, the teacher Perna Ui-tro-tsal, and in his next incarnation as Long-chen Rab-jam-pa. He expounded these teachings together with extraor- dinary commentaries.
The Innermost Essence teachings through the first lineage are known as the Vimala Nying-thig, and the second are known as the Kha-dro Nying-thig. In this way both of these Innermost Essence transmissions meet in Long-chen Rab-jam-pa, who lived from 1308- 1363. From him the uninterrupted audial transmission of these teachings have extended until the present day.
The three systems outlined above are divided here in a very general way. There were also numerous mystical saints and practi- tioners, both in India and Trbet, who received or gave teachings through the Mind or Indication spiritual transmissions.
2. The Dzog-chen Long-chen Nying-thig Lineage
In the eighteenth century the spiritual master Jig-me Ling-pa (1729- 1798), a reincarnation of the king Tri-song De-tsen, received the complete Dzog-chen Nying-thig teachings in a mystical vision from Manjushrimitra, Guru Rinpoche, Vunalamitra, and Long-chen Rab- jam-pa, through Mind, the Indication and the Audial transmissions, in the state of pure vision. In these visions he saw Long-chen Rab- jam-pa three times, received the blessings of being inseparable from the Spiritual Master and thereby the true state of Perfect Accom- plishment, or Buddhahood. He discovered the "Concealed Treas- ures of Dharma" (gter. chos) of the Long-chen Nying-thig, and thus founded this tradition. The Dzog-chen Nying-thig and the Long- chen Nying-thig are also known respectively as the Earlier and Later Nying-thig teachings. The lineage of Audial transmission through which these have reached my teacher, the Fourth Do-drub-chen Rinpoche, is as follows:
xi
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? xii
JIG-ME LING-PA (1729-1798) 1st Do-drub-chen Jig-me Trin-Hi 0-zer (1745-1821)
II ChO. . kyiILO-dro 4th Dzog-chen
Rinpoche (1793-? )
Gyal-se Zhan-pan T'a-ya (18DO-? )
I<hen-pJ Padma Dor-je (Dam-cho 5-zer)
Jig-me G~al-wa'i Nft! -gyu
3rd Do-Drllb-chen Rinpoche
(1865-1926)
II
I
5th Dzog-chen Rinpoche (1872-? )
Gya-roog Jam-biil
I<hyen-tse Cho-kyi
LQ-dro (1893-1959)
Ge-kong Khen-po Kun-pal
Jam-yang Khyen-tse'i Wang-po (1820-1892)
4th Do-drub-chen 11mb-ten Trin-la Pal-zang-po (1927-)
? ? Part -1 The Excellent Path of
Omniscience
The Preliminary Practices of Long-chen-pa's "Innermost Essence for the Great Completion: Dzog-pa Chen-po"
Tibetan
rDzogs-pa chen-po kLong-chen snying-thig sngon-'gro
Composed by
The Knowledge-holding master Jig-me Ling-pa
Compiled by
The first D<rdrub-chen Rinpoche, Jig-me Trin-lii WO-zer
? Homage
_,__
You who have attained Buddhahood primordially but have never ceased appearing as the perfect body of form (riipakaya) for whomsoever is receptive to it;
Exhibiting various illusory manifestations yet free from both the grasping mind and its object, the body-mind constituents, sensory spheres and bases;
Appearing in human form while in fact a Buddha, radi- ating thousands of light rays comprising wisdom and compassion;
I depend on you for firm refuge not simply for this life but forever; bestow your blessings upon me.
? Preliminaries of Long-chen-pas "Innermost Essence for the Great Completion"
in eleven parts:
-l--
1. Prayer Invoking the Mind-stream of the Gracious Lama
0 Lama! 0 Lama! 0 Lama!
[Having invoked the presence of the Lama with intense devotion, recite thefollowing:]
From the blossoming lotus of devotion at the center of my heart
Sole protector, gracious Lama, arise!
For my protection against misfortune,
From torment by the vicious legacy of actions and de-
filements
Be enshrined as the ornament in the Wheel of Great Bliss
on the crown of my head;
Let there arise in me total recollection and mindfulness.
[The rarity ofa human rebirth characterized by eight freedoms and ten endowments. ]
At this time, I have gained this leisure free fro~ the eight kinds of bondage:
From hell, hungry ghost and animal realms;
From the realms of the long-lived gods, barbarians and
perverse philosophers;
From being a fool, from a place in which no Buddha has
appeared.
To have been born a human being complete with sen-
sory faculties, in a central land congenial to Dharma, Not to have reverted to extreme wrong deeds and to have
faith in the Buddhist teachings;
? 4
These comprise the five personal endowments.
When a Buddha has appeared,
Has expounded the tru~ of_Dharma,
When the teachings surVive and are being-followed, And when one has'been accepted by a spiritual friend;
these are the five circumstantial endowments, Which, despite my posses~ing thein completely, may
become wasted in this life
By uncertain circumstances,
Giving cause for birth into this transitory world again. 0 Guru, Rinpoche, tum my mind towards th~ Dharma. Long-chen-pa and Jig-me-ling-pa, exalted and all-know-
ing, let me not deviate into any wrong and inferior
path.
0 Lama, you who are one with them: Hear me!
If this present opportunity to practice Dharma is not taken seriously,
In the future this basis for achieving liberation will. not be regained.
Once the merits that gave cause for this happy existence have been consumed,
I will wander after death as an inferior being through the lower realms.
Unable to differentiate virtue from non-virtue I will not hear the sound of Dharma,
Nor will I meet with a virtuous spiritual friend-indeed a great disaster.
Merely to think about the numberless variety of sentient beings
Is to realize that obtaining a human body is just barely possible.
To see mankind doing non-virtue, irreligious acts,
Is to realize that those who act spiritually are as rare as
stars in broad daylight.
0 Guru Rinpoche, tum my mind towards the Dharma:a AII-knowing Long-chen-pa and exalted Jig-me-ling-pa,
let me not deviate into any wrong and inferior path.
