Contents: Zurchungpa's Testament, A Commentary on Zurchung Sherab Trakpa's Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Based on Shechen Gyaltsap's Annotated Edition |
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Foreword
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xv |
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Translators' Introduction
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xvii |
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DILGO KHYENTSE RINPOCHE'S COMMENTRY ON THE EIGHTY CHAPTERS OF PERSONAL ADVICE
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1 |
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Introduction
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3 |
Title; homage; different teachings to match different capacities; Deshek Gyawopa; the Tibetan translators; the defects of samsara; the importance of Zurchungpa's advice; a summary of the five sections
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I FAITH
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15 |
1 Six faults in not having faith
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15 |
Definition of Dharma; faith; faults of not having faith
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2 Six virtues of faith
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19 |
Advantages of having faith - the story of Lilavajra
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3 Ten causes that give rise to faith
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22 |
One's present life and circle of friends; the karmic law of cause of effect - Ravi and his black and white pebbles - the hunter Gonpo Dorje - the story of Lopon Pawo; death and impermanence - the story of King Mandhata; karma and rebirth; making the best use of one's human existence; the sufferings of samsara ; the Three Jewels; teachers and holy beings; spiritual companions
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4 Thirteen things to be abhorred
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32 |
Giving up attachment to one's home country; giving up household distractions; practicing when one has the opportunity - Gonpo Dorje's meeting with Milarepa; pure perception; wealth, contentment, and the seven noble riches - the boy who offered seven peas; not being distracted by one's reatives; the importance of practicing while one has the chance; using one's wealth for the right purposes - the story of Anathapindaka - Milarepa's offering to Marpa; renunciation; keeping death in mind
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5 Thirteen things that are very important |
40 |
Realization, experiences, and compassion; the importance of the teacher; suitable disciples; giving up attachment; long-term vision - examples of Asanga and Ananda; devotion to the yidam and the Three Jewels - Songtsen Gampo, Lama Mipham; diligence; avoiding negative actions; dealing with discursive thoughts; compassion and bodhichitta; faith in the teachings; keeping one's vows and commitments; the unborn nature of the mind; secrecy in preserving the profound instructions
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II DISCIPLINE
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55 |
6 Ten facts with regard to timeliness in the practice |
55 |
Taking advantage of the continued presence of the Buddha's doctrine; the exceptional chance of coming across the teachings; the chance of having the right qualities for practice; and exhortation to practice - don't listen to your relatives; generosity; dealing with difficilties in the pratice; patience - the example of Jigme Lingpa - the rishi Patient Words; the point of practicing correctly; remembering death and countering attachment; demons - obstacles to practice
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7 Thirteen instructions to put into practice |
64 |
Remembering death as a spur to diligence - how precious the Dharma is - a king's offering in order to receive teaching; avoid seeing faults in the teacher - King Trisong Detsen's doubts; keeping harmony with other practioners - practicing the teachings best suited to one - avoiding sectarianism; pleasing the teacher and avoiding upsetting him; keeping the precepts; the unborn nature of the ground-of-all; obstacles and distractions; the four boundless qualities; avoiding negative actions - mindfulness and vigilance; cultivating positive actions; understanding suffering - the value of hardships; diligence until enlightenment is reached; uniting the two accumulations
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8 Five things that are useless |
75 |
The importance of practicing correctly - renunciation, getting rid of attachment and desire, integrating the practice, devotion
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9 Five things one needs to do |
78 |
Devotion, merit, a fit mind, concentration, freedom from afflictive emotions
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10 Five things that become lies |
82 |
Making sure that your are following the genuine path - renunciation, refuge, meditation, the view, and understanding karma
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11 Five things that are true |
85 |
Buddhahood is up to you - King Trisong Detsen's daughter; the importance of the samaya and devotion - Gampopa's swineherd disciple, Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu's hunter disciple; combining skillful means and wisdom; uniting view and conduct; the nature of mind
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12 Five things that are pointless |
92 |
Wrong teachers; wrong disciples - Sunakshatra; samay breakers; mixing positive and negative actions; knowing the teachings but not putting them into practice - Devadatta
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13 Eight instructions |
94 |
Diligence, forbearance, contentment, following a master of the profound teachings, courage, dealing with attachment and anger, maintaining the essential practice
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14 Thirty-four pieces of advice |
100 |
Avoiding distractions, preparing for death, the right conditions for practice, maintaining the correct view, diligence, renunciation, contentment, making offerings to the teacher and receiving his instructions, humility, mindfulness, confidence, avoiding hypocrisy,generosity, patience, hardship, avoiding obstacles
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15 Six instructions for warding off defects |
112 |
Metaphors for avoiding errors - Milarepa's mistake
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16 Ten things that do no harm |
114 |
The experienced practitioner's approach to different situations
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17 Eighteen objects of derision |
118 |
Eight things that help avoid mistakes in the practice; eighteen statements on how things can go wrong with one's faith, the teacher, the practice, one's experience, the view, and the result
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18 Fifteen ways in which the practice goes wrong |
124 |
With regard to the view; meditation, action, samaya, master, disciple, practice, experiences, result, instructions, human body, death, one's name, conceit, and one's final fate
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19 Twenty-six kinds of folly |
130 |
Metaphors for not practicing in the correct manner
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20 Nine pieces of personal advice |
139 |
How to put negative traits to good use
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21 Nine pieces of hearfelt advice |
142 |
Pith instructions on the essence of the practice
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22 Five beatitudes |
143 |
The blessing of being able to practice correctly
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23 Twenty things that lead to breaches of samaya |
147 |
Specific situations in which the samaya gets broken
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III CONCENTRATION |
153 |
24 Four practices that confer blessing |
153 |
Four ways, illustrated by similes, in which realization of the absolute nature leads to liberation
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25 Four instructions for using things as the path, with similes |
157 |
26 Four things to be known, with similes |
159 |
27 Four crucial instructions, with similes |
161 |
28 Four "cuts" |
164 |
Four ways of cutting concepts, with similes
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29 Four views, with similes |
166 |
30 Four kinds of meditation, with similes |
167 |
31 Four kinds of conduct, with similes |
169 |
32 Four kinds of experience, with similes |
170 |
33 Four kinds of signs, with similes |
172 |
34 four instructions related to optical illusions, with similes |
174 |
35 Ten ways of failing the Buddhas |
176 |
Ten ways in which one breaks one's commitment to practice
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36 Four ways not to be distracted, with similes |
183 |
37 Four instructions on the method |
186 |
Pith instructions, with similes, on how to meditate
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38 Four ways to stay |
192 |
Instructions on how to rest naturally in meditation
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39 Six crucial points of the mind to be understood |
194 |
Illustrations with regard to relaxation; frredom from concerns, hesitation, expectation and apprehension, and fear; clarity and absence of thoughts
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40 Four things one need not seek |
197 |
Illustrations with regard to view, meditation, action and result
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IV WISDOM |
201 |
41 Twelve points that explain the view |
201 |
An introduction to the utimate nature of the mind
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42 Twelve kinds of confidence confirming the view |
205 |
Pith instructions on the nature of mind
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43 Nine things one sees |
208 |
An introduction to the absolute nature
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44 Seven sublime things |
209 |
Seven aspects of the sublime meditation
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45 Six wisdom sense organs |
210 |
How a realized yogi perceives
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46 Six wisdom objects |
211 |
The objects of a realiozed yogi's perceptions
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47 Six authentic experiences |
212 |
A realized yogi's experience of nonexistence through his six senses
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48 Six declarations on effortlessness |
214 |
When the absolute nature is realized, there is nothing to adopt or reject
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49 Sixteen metaphoric practices |
215 |
Symbolic instructions on the practice of the Great Perfection
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50 Five Views |
218 |
Transforming afflictive emotions without adoption or rejection
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51 Ten aspects to complete confidence |
220 |
How confidence in the natural state cannot be crushed
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52 Four examples and their meanings |
222 |
Examples of how the absolute nature permeates everything
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53 Four dissolutions of extremes |
224 |
Absolute truth, relative truth, and the four extremes
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54 Four ultimates |
227 |
The ultimate view, meditation, action, and experience and realization
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55 Five dharmakaya aspects of the mind |
229 |
Illustrations of the primal wisdom that is the nature of mind
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56 Six primal wisdoms related to the mind |
230 |
Six kinds of wisdom explained in the language of the Secret Mantrayana
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57 Seven ways in which the nature of the mind is introduced |
231 |
58 Six ways of introducing the ultimate nature of everything that arises |
233 |
59 Eight introductions to the ultimate nature of things that appear |
234 |
60 Nine ways of introducing the unborn nature |
235 |
61 Four similes introducing the ultimate nature |
237 |
Illustrations with conventinal examples
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62 Five instructions on the ultimate nature of appearances |
239 |
63 Five experiences of wisdom |
240 |
The view of the one absolute nature
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64 Four ways in which the nondual absolute nature arises |
241 |
65 Six ways in which the nondual absolute nauture arises |
241 |
66 Four ways of arising without duality |
242 |
67 Four instructions on the indivisible absolute nature |
242 |
68 Eight kinds of natural dissolution |
243 |
How the objects of the six consciousnesses dissolve in the unborn absolute nature
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69 Four things that are stainless |
244 |
View, path, experience, and result
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70 Five things one will not find |
245 |
Object, mind, body, sentient beings, Buddha
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71 Five instances whre there is nothing to be found |
246 |
Appearances, awareness, body, beings, Buddha
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72 Five things to take as the path |
248 |
73 Three aspects of emptiness |
250 |
Phenomena, the mind, and the aggregates
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74 Three things to take as the path |
252 |
75 Four ties to be severed |
253 |
76 Eight activities to be performed |
254 |
Eight practices that prepare one for meditation; and three practices that help progress - meditating on the teacher, examining samsara, and reflecting on the six intermediate states
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77 Seven concentrations |
260 |
Concentrations uniting view and meditation
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78 Six preparatory practices |
262 |
79 Five branches in the main practice |
265 |
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V CONCLUSION |
269 |
80 Three points in conclusion |
269 |
Unsuitable disciples, suitable disciples, and how they should practice
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Colophon |
272 |
Colophons by Zurchungpa's disciple Khyungpo Yamara and Shechen Gyaltsap
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ZURCHUNG SHERAB TRAKPA'S EIGHTY CHAPTERS OF PERSONAL ADVICE |
275 |
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SHECHEN GYALTSAP RINPOCHE'S A NECKLACE OF JEWELS |
313 |
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List of Chapters |
385 |
Notes |
389 |
Glossary |
399 |
Bibliography |
417 |