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1. A Song of Spiritual Experience

Essential Points of the Stages of the Path

TSONGKHAPA LOSANG DRAKPA

1

Your body is created from a billion perfect factors of goodness,

your speech fulfills the yearnings of countless sentient beings,

your mind perceives all objects of knowledge exactly as they are.

O chief of Śākya clan, I bow my head to you.

2

You’re the most excellent sons of such a peerless teacher,

you carry the burden of the enlightened activities of all conquerors,

and in countless realms you engage in ecstatic display of emanations.

O Maitreya and Mañjuśrī, I pay homage to you.

3

So difficult to fathom is the Mother of Conquerors;¹³¹

you who unravel its content as it is are the jewels of the world,

hailed with renown throughout the three realms.

O Nāgārjuna and Asaṅga, I pay homage to you.

4

Excellently stemming from these two great trailblazers

are the two paths of profound view and vast practice.

The custodian of this treasury of instructions, preserving all key points

of these paths without error, O Dīpaṃkara [Atiśa], I pay homage to you.

5

You are the eyes for seeing the myriad collections of scripture,

you are the supreme gateway for fortunate ones voyaging to liberation,

stirred by compassion you illuminate the most skillful approaches.

O spiritual teachers, respectfully, I pay homage to you.

6

This [instruction on the] stages of the path to enlightenment

flowed excellently in succession from Nāgārjuna and Asaṅga,

crown jewels of all the learned ones of this world.

Your banners of fame flutter vibrantly among sentient beings.

7

Among instructions, it is the most precious of all gems,

fulfilling all the wishes of beings without exception.

It is also the ocean of the most glorious well-uttered insights,

the confluence of a thousand rivers of excellent treatises.

8

It helps you see all teachings as free of contradiction,

it helps all scriptures dawn on you as personal instructions,

it helps you easily discover the enlightened intention of the conquerors,

and it helps protect you from the abyss of grave negative deeds.

9

Therefore this most excellent instruction, relied upon

by countless fortunate ones like the learned ones of India and Tibet,

this teaching on the stages of the path of persons of three capacities: [4]

what intelligent person would not be captivated by it?

10

This concise instruction that distills the essence of all scriptures —

through reciting it or listening to it for even a single session,

you will definitely receive powerful waves of merit of

teaching and hearing the Dharma; so contemplate its meaning.

11–12

The root of creating well the auspicious conditions

for all the good things of this and future lives

is to rely properly, with effort in both thought and action,

on the sublime spiritual teacher who reveals the path.

Seeing this, never forsake him, even at the cost of your life,

and please him with the offering of following his advice.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.¹³²

13–14

This life of leisure is far more precious than a wish-granting jewel;

finding such an existence happens just once.

Hard to find, and yet, like a flash of lightning, it easily vanishes.

Contemplating this, you must see all mundane pursuits

like empty grain husks floating on the wind,

and you must extract the essence of your human life.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

15–16

There is no certainty you will elude birth in the lower realms after death;

protection from such terror lies in the Three Jewels alone.

Make firm therefore the practice of going for refuge,

and ensure that its precepts are never eroded.

This depends in turn on fully contemplating white and black karma

and their effects and on perfectly observing the ethical ideal.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

17–18

Until you’ve obtained the form best suited to

the excellent path, you’ll fail to make great strides in your journey.

Strive therefore to create all the causes for such a form.

Your three doors, so sullied with negative karma and transgressions —

it is especially vital to purify your karmic obscurations,

so prioritize constant application of the four powers.¹³³

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise. [5]

19–20

Without striving to contemplate the ailment, the truth of suffering,

a genuine aspiration for liberation does not arise;

without contemplating the causal process of suffering’s origin,

the way to uproot cyclic existence is not understood.

Thus it’s vital to prioritize seeking renunciation through disenchantment

with cyclic existence and to recognize the links that chain you to samsara.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

21–22

The awakening mind is the central beam of the supreme vehicle;

it’s the foundation and the support of all expansive deeds;

for the two accumulations,¹³⁴ it is like a philosopher’s stone;

it’s a treasure mine of merit holding myriad virtues.

Recognizing these truths, heroic bodhisattvas uphold

the precious supreme mind as the heart of their life’s commitment.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

23–24

Generosity is the wish-granting jewel that satisfies the wishes of beings;

it’s the best weapon to cut the knots of miserliness;

it’s a deed of the bodhisattva dauntless and giving birth to courage

and is the basis to proclaim renown throughout the ten directions.

Knowing this, learned ones seek the excellent path

of giving away entirely their body, wealth, and virtues.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

25–26

Morality is the water that cleanses the stains of ill deeds,

the cooling moonlight soothing the burning agony of the afflictions.

It dignifies you amid people like the majestic Mount Meru;

it draws all beings to you with no display of power.

Knowing this, sublime ones guard, as they would their own eyes,

the perfect discipline they have adopted.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

27–28

Forbearance is the supreme adornment of the powerful;

it’s the greatest bulwark against the torments of the afflictions.

Against its enemy, the serpent of hatred, it is the sky-cruising garuḍa;

against the weapon of harsh words, it’s the mightiest armor.

Knowing this, acquaint yourself with

the armor of excellent forbearance by every possible means.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

29–30

When you don the armor of dauntless diligence,

knowledge of scripture and realization increases like the waxing moon. [6]

Your conduct comes to be imbued with noble purpose,

and whatever initiative you undertake succeeds.

Knowing this, bodhisattvas expend great waves of effort,

which helps to dispel all forms of laziness.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

31–32

Meditative absorption is the king that reigns over the mind.

When at rest, it stands unwavering as the king of mountains;

when engaged it takes up all objects of virtue.

It induces the great bliss of a serviceable body and mind.

Knowing this, great accomplished yogis

ceaselessly apply concentrations, destroying the enemy distraction.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

33–34

Wisdom is the eye that sees profound suchness,

the path destroying cyclic existence at its root.

It’s a treasury of higher qualities praised in all scriptures,

hailed as the supreme lamp for dispelling the darkness of delusion.

Knowing this, those who aspire to liberation strive

with myriad endeavors to cultivate this path of the wise.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

35–37

The power to cut the root of cyclic existence is not found

in one-pointed meditative absorption alone,

and no amount of probing with wisdom divorced

from the path of tranquil abiding will stop the afflictions.

So saddling this wisdom decisively penetrating the true mode of being

astride the horse of unwavering tranquil abiding, and with

the sharp weapon of reasoning of the Middle Way free of extremes,

tear down all sites of objectification of the mind grasping at extremes.

With such expansive wisdom probing with precision,

enhance your intellect so it realizes true suchness.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

38–39

What need is there to say that concentration is attained

through one-pointedness? But discriminative awareness

probing with precision can engender concentration too,

abiding utterly stable and unwavering in the true mode of being.

Wondrous are those who see this and strive

to unite tranquil abiding and insight.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

40–41

The space-like emptiness of meditative equipoise

and the illusion-like emptiness of subsequent realization —

praised are those who cultivate method and wisdom

by binding them together, journeying beyond the bodhisattva deeds.

Realizing this and not content with partial paths —

this is indeed the way of the fortunate ones. [7]

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

42–43

Having thus correctly cultivated the shared paths

essential for the supreme paths of causal and resultant vehicles,

enter the great ocean of tantras

by relying on the counsel of learned guides.

Through applying their quintessential instructions,

make this human life you have obtained meaningful.

I, a yogi, practiced in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should do likewise.

44–45

To cultivate familiarity in my own mind

and to also benefit fortunate others,

I’ve explained here in words easily understood

the complete path that pleases the conquerors.

Thus I pray: “Through this virtue may all beings

never be parted from the perfectly pure and excellent path.”

I, a yogi, prayed in this manner;

you who aspire to liberation should pray likewise.

This brief presentation of the practices of the stages of the path to enlightenment, written in the form of a memorandum, was composed by the well-read monk the renunciant Losang Drakpai Pal at the great mountain retreat of Geden Nampar Gyalwai Ling. [8]