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1. Introduction

1. EXPLAINING THE MEANING OF THE TITLE

IT IS called “Profound Path” because those who gain the state of union obtain union in dependence on the practice of such guru yoga. This practice of guru yoga called “yoga of the hundreds of deities of Tuṣita” was secretly imparted to some in the lifetime of Jé Rinpoché, and Gendün Drup selectively taught this instruction in statements such as “From the snow-capped eastern peak . . .” and so on. A student of Gendün Drup called Dülkarwa collated this material on the hundreds of deities of Tuṣita, and another student, Dülnakpa, whose full name was Dülnakpa Palden Sangpo, acted as the scribe. There are many brief and extensive versions of “how to practice the yoga of the hundreds of deities of Tuṣita,” [11] and from among them this is an extensive version [by Pabongkha Rinpoché] called Bountiful Advice Clarifying the Oral Transmission and Explaining the Deep Meaning, Called “A Treasury of Precious Jewels.”

Since this is bountiful advice clarifying the oral transmission, it is said that if you do not uphold the view and conduct of the 12Ganden oral transmission, if you deprecate the Geden⁴ tradition, or if you practice such impure view and conduct, then the three types of oath-bound guardians will impose a heavy punishment. In terms of seals (mudrās) of secrecy,⁵ there are the vajra seal, the essence seal, and so forth. This is a vajra seal.

2. HOMAGE AND THE PLEDGE TO COMPOSE

Solitary father, your youthful smile, like ten million suns,

is fully concealed amid robes of morning clouds.

You are the Lord of Speech with a melodious voice;

I bow to Tsongkhapa who is Mañjuśrī.

These are words of homage. You are called “solitary father” for you are Venerable Mañjuśrī, who appears as the father of all the conquerors, as their son, and as their mother. Since the body of Venerable Mañjuśrī is orange in color, [12] it is said that “your youthful smile of ten million suns is fully concealed amid robes of morning clouds.” You should understand that the orange-hued morning clouds refer to the youthful marks and signs of Mañjuśrī, which are concealed amid the orange outer robe, or Dharma robe, of Jé Rinpoché. “You are the Lord of Speech with a melodious voice” since you are the Lord of Speech with a voice capable of imparting instructions on any sutric or tantric treatise. “Lord of Speech” is the name of Mañjuśrī. The body of Venerable Mañjuśrī remains concealed amid these robes, but since his speech emerges and manifests as Mañjuśrī, it is said: “I bow to Tsongkhapa who is Mañjuśrī.”

In the land of āryas, all that remains is the name of Śākyamuni,

and the northern region is filled with counterfeit explanations.

Even when influential teachers analyzed the profound meaning,

they mistook the extreme of nihilism for the Middle Way.

Now the teachings have degenerated in the land of āryas, and all that remains is the name of Śākyamuni. The Bhagavān himself said that when the teachings declined [in India] they would spread to the north, and in accordance with his words they [13] spread to the northern region of Tibet after they declined in India. The verse states, however, that [now Tibet] became filled with counterfeit explanations, for though the earlier period of the Dharma kings was propitious, later the land became filled with wrong explanations. And even when influential teachers analyzed the profound meaning, they mistook the extreme of nihilism for the Middle Way, for when the influential scholars who had proclaimed the teachings delineated the profound meaning of emptiness, they did not recognize the extreme of nihilism and mistook it for the Middle Way.

Alas, those of the mountainous region

were adorned with the jewel-like qualities

of scripture and realization, but what use are they

when saturated with the poisonous waters of evil view?

This is an expression of sadness for what has happened in Tibet. In earlier times there were many who upheld the teachings in the Land of Snow. Though they were adorned with jewel-like ornaments such as bodhicitta and internal qualities 14of realization, what use are they? To sever the root of saṃsāra, you must generate the mind realizing emptiness that directly opposes the mode of apprehension of self-grasping ignorance. You must settle [the view of] emptiness exactly as it is, but if you do not do that, what use [are good qualities]? Even if you have [other good] internal qualities, they will not benefit you if you lack [perfect] view and [your good qualities] are saturated with the poisonous waters of evil view. It is like wholesome food [14] that is soaked in poisonous water not benefitting us. Therefore, when affected by evil views, [other qualities] cannot benefit us.

When they investigated the profound meaning,

their mind’s eye was completely blinded.

Thus former scholars labored in vain since they were confused

about the path in the darkness of the two extremes.

Although scholars prior to Jé Rinpoché investigated the profound meaning, they did not properly identify the object of negation. Some said that without placing the mind on anything in particular everything should be negated, but by making the object of negation too broad they fell into the extreme of nihilism. Others made the object of negation too narrow, and due to that they were unable to negate it. Thus their mind’s eye was completely blinded, and since they were not able to resolve the meaning of emptiness exactly as it is, they fell into the extreme of eternalism or of nihilism. Since they were like newcomers confused about the path, they did not know how to proceed in the darkness of the two extremes. 15Thus when such former scholars analyzed the meaning of emptiness, they labored in vain.

At this time, Mañjuśrī Tsongkhapa appeared,

and due to the light of the sun of his elegant explanation

of the profound state and dependent origination just as they are,

he universally took care of reincarnating beings.

At just this time Jé Tsongkhapa appeared in the snowy region of Tibet, and due to the light of the sun of his elegant explanation of the mutual compatibility of emptiness and dependent origination, where emptiness does not negate dependent origination [15] and dependent origination does not negate emptiness, he universally took care of reincarnating beings. The words that, “due to the light of the sun” eliminating the collective darkness of grasping at extremes, “he universally took care of reincarnating beings” express his quality of resolving the view [of emptiness] and dependent origination.

He brought to completion the wish-fulfilling jewel of the Sage’s teachings

with the purifying agent of the threefold examination

and placed it on top of the victory banner of the Sage’s teachings and practice,

producing hundreds of precious treasures in this land.

It is said if that if you pray to a wish-fulfilling jewel at the pinnacle of a banner of victory after you have made offerings to it, the siddhi you desire will be conferred upon you. So too, it is said that Jé Rinpoché brought to completion the entire 16teachings of the Sage, which are like a wish-fulfilling jewel, with the purifying agent of the threefold examination, like cleaning a wish-fulfilling jewel by washing, rubbing, and polishing it. Then he placed it on top of the victory banner of teaching and practice, producing hundreds of precious treasures in this land. Many became scholars in the snowy land of Tibet, graced with numerous qualities of scriptural and realizational [Dharma], and [their appearance] was similar to a rain of jewels from a wish-fulfilling gem. [16]

In former times, lotsāwas, paṇḍitas, scholars, and siddhas

could not discern the tradition of the Sugata.

Through evaluating treatises with fair-minded analysis,

have faith that he is the second Nāgārjuna.

In the snowy land of Tibet, in former times or prior generations, many lotsāwas, paṇḍitas, scholars, and siddhas appeared, but they could not discern reality as it is. It was Jé Rinpoché who discerned the tradition of the Sage, and he was thus known in the Land of Snows as “the One who Discerned the Tradition [of the Sugata].” Jé Rinpoché composed the Essential Explanation of Interpretive and Definitive Meaning and differentiated the interpretive and definitive meanings of the treatises exactly as they are. Through evaluating them while maintaining fair-minded analysis, he is not different from Protector Nāgārjuna himself. Have faith that he is the second Nāgārjuna.

Therefore he is Lord of All the Conquerors and manifests as a human

possessing three secret qualities unfathomed in depth or limit,

caring for us with kindness that exceeds myriads of conquerors,

and we should strive in this yoga with heartfelt recollection.

Question: What qualities should a practitioner of the profound path of this yoga have?

Reply: Jé Rinpoché is Vajradhāra, Lord of All the Conquerors, and he manifests as a human or appears in the aspect of a human being. It is said that he has “qualities unfathomed in depth or limit” since it is difficult to measure the depth or limit of the three secret qualities of his body, speech, and mind. It is said that he “exceeds myriads of conquerors” since [he acts] through combining both faith and [17] kindness. “With heartfelt recollection . . . and so on” is stated since we should strive in this yoga with faith that is heartfelt faith in one who possesses these three secret qualities difficult to measure, and who manifests as a human though he is all the conquerors; and by means of faith that recalls in general the one who has brought to completion the teachings of the Sage in this snowy land of Tibet, and in particular the one who has clarified profound dependent origination.

Although Conqueror Vajradhāra is understood to be the Lord of All the Conquerors, here it is more pertinent to take 18Venerable Mañjuśrī as Lord of All the Conquerors. Jé Rinpoché is established to be Venerable Mañjuśrī through a hundred lines of faultless scripture and reasoning since this is proven by citations in the Mañjuśrī Root Tantra, [Maitreyanātha’s] Ornament of Mahāyāna Sūtras, [the works of] Machik Labdrön,⁷ and the Collected Works of the Kadam, and so on.

In a previous life, when he made his pledge in the presence of [Buddha] Indraketu, he was called Bodhisattva Mahāsattva, [18] and the conqueror and his children praised him and declared “May the teachings of Conqueror Losang spread” due to the power of truth.”

When the Sage [Buddha] Indraketu appeared, this bodhisattva joined his retinue. And at that time, Indraketu asked: “Who is capable of spreading the Mantric Vehicle in conjunction with the profound Middle Way view in the border regions?” But from among his retinue only the one who possessed the same mindstream as the great Jé Tsongkhapa stood up and stated: “I will spread these teachings in conjunction with the profound Middle Way view in the border regions.” Thus Indraketu, along with all the buddhas and bodhisattvas in every direction, called him “Mahāsattva” [Great Being], and it is said that the banner of his renown unfurls ever more [widely].

In the snowy region of Tibet, Jé Rinpoché alone is called “Tsongkhapa who revealed the tradition in the Land of Snow.” Earlier scholars and siddhas were unable to clearly reveal the meaning of sūtra and tantra exactly as it is. But you alone revealed the tradition and thus set apart the intention of sūtra and tantra exactly as it is.

It is said that merely hearing the name of Jé Rinpoché plants the seed of liberation. [Tsongkhapa’s] For As Long As states:

By merely pronouncing or remembering my name,

may those tormented by the effects of negative karma

attain the glory of perfect happiness and

ascend the steps of the supreme vehicle.

Reciting this prayer made by Jé Rinpoché not only benefits through planting the seed of liberation and pacifying diseases and spirits, but also [ensures that] “the good fortune to enjoy vast and lasting well-being” will arise, and not just in this life.

Striving in the guru yoga of Jé Rinpoché in this way is supreme good fortune. 20Do not observe any other fortunate outcome to be greater than this.

Since from among these you have the advice on the practice cycle for accomplishing wisdom, you will progress in the essential points of study, contemplation, and meditation.

“Obstacles will not take root” refers to the harm of kings, violent spirits, and nāgas, which are removed in dependence on reciting the Miktsema praise. “Protect against” refers to rain, frost, and so forth. In the past, there were 108 activities [or feats] reliant on the recitation of the Miktsema praise, but these days, due to decline, only twenty-one remain.

Venerable Mañjuśrī and Jé Rinpoché are inseparable, and since Venerable Mañjuśrī is the deity of wisdom,

Kyabjé Dechen Nyingpo [Pabongkha Rinpoché] stated from his own experience that there was enhancement “after just one month.” It is also reported he said that when he recited the Miktsema praise in the [Sera] Mé College debate grounds, he experienced an extraordinary increase of wisdom by applying this visualization.

There are limitless benefits such as taking birth in the field of Tuṣita, since we set our minds on the field of Tuṣita.

His pledge to compose this work:

The meaning to be contemplated follows the word order.