The Treasury of Knowledge - Book Seven and Book Eight, Parts One and Two - Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice PDF
Preview The Treasury of Knowledge - Book Seven and Book Eight, Parts One and Two - Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice
The Treasury of Knowledge JAMGON KONGTRUL FOUNDATIONS OF BUDDHIST STUDY & PRACTICE Richard Barron (Chökyi Nyima) KALU RINPOCHÉ TRANSLATION GROUP The Treasury of Knowledge Book Seven and Book Eight, Parts One and Two Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice The Higher Trainings in Sublime Intelligence and Meditative Absorption The translation and publication of this work have been made possible through the generous support of the Tsadra Foundation. The Treasury of Knowledge , Book Seven and Book Eight Parts One and Two Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice The Higher Trainings in Sublime Intelligence and Meditative Absorption Jamgón Kongtrul Lodro Tayé KALU RINPOCHÉ TRANSLATION GROUP under the direction of Klienpo Lodró Dónyó Rinpoché This volume translated, introduced, and annotated by Richard Barron (Chókyi Nyima) Snow Lion BOSTON & LONDON 2012 Snow Lion An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02.115 www.shambhala.com © 2.012. by Tsadra Foundation All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. 98765432.1 First Edition Printed in the United States of America ® This edition is printed on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standards Institute Z39.48 Standard. O Shambhala makes every attempt to print on recycled paper. For more information please visit www.shambhala.com. Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd Designed and typeset by Gopa & Tedz, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kon-sprul Blo-gros-mtha’-yas, 1813-1899. [3es bya mtha yas pa i rgya mtsho. English. Selections] The treasury of knowledge. Book seven and book eight, parts one and two, Foundations of Buddhist study and practice: The higher trainings in sublime intelligence and meditative absorption / Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Tay6; Kalu Rinpoche Translation Group under the direction of Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche; this volume translated, introduced, and annotated by Richard Barron (Chokyi Nyima). pages cm Includes translation from Tibetan. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-55939-399-7 (alk. paper) I. Spiritual life— Buddhism. 2. Meditation— Buddhism. I. Barron, Richard, 1951- II. Kalu Rinpochd Translation Group. III. Title. IV. Tide: Foundations of Buddhist study and practice. V. Title: Higher trainings in sublime intelligence and meditative absorption. BQ7815.K6713 2.012. 194.3*420413— dc23 2011010470 C ontents Foreword by the Venerable Ringu Tulku vii Translator s Introduction 1 B ook Seven: The Higher Training in Sublime Intelligence 29 The Source Verses 31 The Higher Training in Sublime Intelligence 33 Part 1. Keys to Understanding 53 Part 2. Understanding Truth and Meaning 79 Part 3. Authentic View 123 Part 4. Foundations of Spiritual Practice 175 Book Eight , Parts One and Two: The Higher Training in Meditative Absorption 205 The Source Verses 207 The Higher Training in Meditative Absorption 219 Part 1. Foundations of Meditative Absorption 221 Part 2. Meditation in the Cause-Based Dialectical Approach 259 Appendix: Oudine of Book Seven and Book Eight, Parts One and Two 291 Glossary 297 Abbreviations 311 Notes 313 Bibliography of Works Cited by the Author 403 Reference Bibliography 413 Index 423 Forew ord by the Venerable Ringu T ulku A few years back a respected Tibetan lama told me, “If you have the Treasury of Knowledge in English, then you have the whole of Buddhism in English.” At that time, it seemed a distant hope that all ten books of the Treasury would ever be translated. Even the commentary to the source verses is very compact and difficult to translate. Thanks to the ceaseless efforts of dedi cated translators such as Richard Barron and the generous support of the Tsadra Foundation, we are now extremely fortunate in that the entire work has been translated in a series of volumes. Jamgon Kongtrul the Great incorporates the whole of Tibetan Bud dhism and its complete system of education and practice into the Treasury of Knowledge. He shows us how all the works of the “ten pillars of study” and the “eight chariots of practice lineages” are genuine and complete paths with unbroken lineages transmitted by realized beings.1 Tibetan Buddhism stands apart from other Buddhist traditions in two main respects. In the first place, it follows the tradition of great Indian Bud dhist universities like Nalanda and Vikramaslla and encourages the accep tance, study, and practice of all aspects of the Buddhist teachings, whether those of the sravakayana, bodhisattvayana, or Vajrayana. All schools of Tibetan Buddhism follow the practice of each practitioners observing all three levels of ordination—those of the vinaya, the bodhisattva vow, and Vajrayana. Different stages of view and path are seen as a building of many stories. One may have a better view from the upper floors, but one must get there by way of the lower floors; the building may exist without an upper floor, but it cannot stand without the ground floor. That is why it is seen as very important for one to study all schools and the views of different traditions. The other feature of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition is the emphasis on the Buddhist system of logic. Santaraksita and Kamalaslla were great mas viii - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE ters of logic and reasoning who were instrumental in bringing Buddhism to Tibet, where the use of logical analysis and debate (deriving from the teach ings of Dignaga and Dharmaklrti) became an important part of Buddhist studies. Provisional truth and definitive truth are defined through analyti cal investigation; a clear way of reasoning and a reliable method of analysis became very important. This volume of the Treasury ofK nowledge is especially important in that it provides a basis for looking at the whole body of the Buddhist teachings and coming to a deeper understanding, free from fragmented ideas. I would like to congratulate Richard Barron for his excellent translation of this chal- lengingly compact work. This is certainly one of the most important texts to study for a deep and complete understanding of the profound Buddhist path. Ringu Tulku Gangtok January i, 2011
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