Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism: With Kensur Lekden’s Meditations of a Tantric Abbot PDF
Preview Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism: With Kensur Lekden’s Meditations of a Tantric Abbot
, Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism Tsong-ka-pa With Kensur Lekden’s Meditations of a Tantric Abbot EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY Jeffrey Hopkins Co-editor for Tsong-ka-pa’s text: Lati Rinbochay Associate editor for Kensur Lekden’s text: Barbara Frye Assistant editors for Tsong-ka-pa’s text: Anne Klein and Elizabeth Napper Rider London Melbourne Sydney Auckland Johannesburg Contents Preface 13 Part One: MEDITATIONS OF A TANTRIC ABBOT by Kensur Lekden 15 INTRODUCTION 17 1 action 23 2 CYCLIC EXISTENCE 31 3 ALTRUISM 36 4 LOVE AND COMPASSION 40 5 ASSUMING THE BURDEN 46 6 WISDOM 50 7 NAGARJUNA 57 8 ARE A PERSON AND MIND AND BODY THE SAME OR DIFFERENT? 63 9 NOTHINGNESS IS NOT EMPTINESS 70 10 summary: the supreme practitioner 75 Part Two: WAY OF COMPASSION 81 In Praise of Compassion: A Preface by Jeffrey Hopkins 83 Illumination of the Thought, An Extensive Explanation of Chandrakirti’s ‘Supplement to the Middle Way’ by Tsong-ka-pa 93 introduction 95 Meaning of the Title 96 Obeisance of the Translators 99 1 HOMAGE TO COMPASSION Meaning of the Text IOI Expression of Worship, a Means of Beginning to Compose the Text 101 Praise of Great Compassion Without Differentiating Its Types 101 Compassion as the Main Cause of a Bodhisattva 102 The Way Hearers and Solitary Realizers arc Born from Kings of Subduers The Way Buddhas are Born from Bodhisattvas 107 2 CAUSES OF BODHISATTVAS The Three Main Causes of Bodhisattvas no Compassion as the Root of the Other Two Causes of a Bodhisattva H3 3 TYPES OF COMPASSION Homage to Great Compassion Within Differentiating Its Types 116 Homage to Compassion Observing Sentient Beings 116 Homage to Compassion Observing Phenomena and the Unapprehendable 119 4 THE INEXPRESSIBLE TRAIL Actual Body of the Text 126 Causal Grounds 126 Ways of Practising the Paths of This System in General 126 Ways of Practising on the Level of Common Beings in Particular 129 Presentation of the Grounds of Bodhisattva Superiors 131 Presentation of the Ten Grounds in Common 131 5 VERY JOYFUL Presentation of the Individual Grounds 137 The Five Grounds, the Very Joyful and so forth 137 First Ground, die Very Joyful *37 Entity of the Ground being Qualified Described in Brief 137 Features Qualifying the First Ground in Detail 139 Features Beautifying One’s Own Continuum 140 Individual Features Beautifying One’s Own Continuum on the First Ground 140 Feature of Attaining a Meaningful Name on the First Ground 140 Four Features of Birth in the Lineage and So Forth on the First Ground 141 Three Features of Advancing to Higher Grounds and so forth 142 Features Beautifying One’s Own Continuum in Brief 143 Features Outshining Others’ Continuums 143 On the First Ground Outshining Hearers and Solitary Realizers by way of Lineage 143 On the Seventh Ground Outshining Hearers and Solitary Realizers by way of Intelligence 145 6 HINAYANISTS COGNIZE EMPTINESS The Meaning Established by These Teachings 150 The Teaching in the Sutra on tlie Ten Grounds that Hearers and Solitary Realizers Cognize the Non-Inherent Existence of Phenomena 150 Clarification of the Thought of the Commentator, Chandrakirti 150 This is Also the System of Shantideva’s Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds 154 7 LIBERATION IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT WISDOM OP EMPTINESS Sources Proving Hearers’ and Solitary Realizers’ Cognition of the Non-Inherent Existence of Phenomena 161 Sources in Mahayana Sutras 161 Sources in Treatises and in Hinayana Sutras 165 8 DISTINCTION BETWEEN HINAYANA AND MAHAYANA Dispelling Objections to the Teaching that Hearers and Solitary Realizers Cognize the Non-Inherent Existence of Phenomena 172 Dispelling Objections Set Forth in Chandrakirti’s Commentary 172 Dispelling Objections Not Set Forth in Chandrakirti’s Commentary 176 9 PERFECTION OF GIVING Surpassing Feature on the First Ground 182 The Giving of Abiders on the First Ground 182 The Giving of Those with a Lower Basis 183 Attaining the Happiness of Cyclic Existence Through Giving 183 Attaining the Happiness of Nirvana Through Giving 184 Bodhisattvas’ Giving 185 Extraordinary Benefits of Bodhisattvas’ Giving 185 Importance of Discourse on Giving for Both the Compassionate and the Non-Compassionate 185 The Joy Attained by Bodhisattvas When Giving 186 Whether or Not Suffering Occurs When a Bodhisattva Gives Away His Body 186 Divisions of the Perfection of Giving 188 Conclusion by way of Expressing the Features of the First Ground 191 10 PERFECTION OF ETHICS Second Ground, the Stainless 192 Thorough Purification of Ethics on the Second Ground 192 Sublimity of Ethics on the Second Ground 192 Thorough Purification of Features in Dependence on Ethics 193 Superiority of Ethics on the Second Ground Over the First Ground 194 Another Cause of the Thorough Purification of Ethics 195 Praise of Ethics 196 Enjoying the Fruits of Giving in a Happy Migration Depends on Ethics 196 Enjoying the Fruits of Giving in Continuous Lives Depends on Ethics 197 Liberation from Bad Migrations is Extremely Difficult for One Bereft of Ethics 197 Reason for Discoursing on Ethics after Discoursing on Giving 198 Praising Ethics as a Cause of Both High Status and Definite Goodness 199 Example of Non-Mixture with What is Not Conducive to Ethics 201 Divisions of the Perfection of Ethics 202 Conclusion by way of Expressing the Features of the Second Ground 202 11 PERFECTION OF PATIENCE Third Ground, the Luminous 204 Description of the Third Ground - the Base of Qualities 204 Qualifying Features of the Third Ground 205 Surpassing Patience on the Third Ground 20s Way of Observing Other Patience 207 Unsuitability of Anger 207 Unsuitability of Anger due to its Being Senseless and Very Faulty 207 Contradiction of Not Wanting Suffering in the Future and Making Harmful Response 207 Unsuitability oj Anger due to its Destroying Virtue Accumulated over a Long Time 208 Meaning of the Text on the Unsuitability of Anger due to its Destroying Virtue Accumulated over a Long Time 208 Ancillary Meanings 213 Stopping Anger by Reflecting on the Many Faults of Impatience 216 Suitability of Observing Patience 217 Reflecting on the Many Advantages of Patience 217 Summary Exhortation to Observe Patience 217 Divisions of the Perfection of Patience 218 Other Pure Features Arising on the Third Ground 218 Distinguishing Attribute of the First Three Perfections 221 Conclusion by way of Expressing the Features of the Third Ground 222 12 perfections of effort and concentration Fourth Ground, the Radiant 223 Surpassing Effort on the Fourth Ground 223 Description of the Fourth Ground 224 Features of Abandonment 226 Fifth Ground, the Difficult to Overcome 227 Description of the Fifth Ground 227 Surpassing Concentration and Skill in the Truths 227 Glossary 231 Bibliography 237 Notes 249 Acknowledgement The translator wishes to thank Mr Gerald Yorke for many suggestions that improved the rendering in English. Technical Note The transliteration scheme for Sanskrit names and titles is aimed at easy pronunciation, using sh, sh, and ch rather than s, s, and c. With the first occurrence of each Indian title, the Sanskrit is given, if available. Often Tsong-ka-pa refers only to the title or the author of a work, whereas both are given in translation to obviate checking back and forth. The full Sanskrit and Tibetan titles are to be found in the bibliography which is arranged alphabetically according to the English titles of sutras and according to the authors of other works. The Sanskrit and Tibetan for key terminology have been included in a glossary at the end. Preface Homage to Manjushri and Sarasvati. Kensur Lekden (1900-71) was abbot of the Tan trie College of Lower Lhasa prior to the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese Communists. At the time of the invasion, he had already been elevated to the position of ‘abbot emeritus’ and, after fleeing to India, helped to re-establish centres of Buddhist learning and meditation in India. Events brought him to France where he tutored several Tibetan monks, and in 1968 he came to a Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhist monastery in Freewood Acres, New Jersey, founded by Geshe Wangyal. In February of 1970 he was invited to teach at Tibet House in Cambridge, Wisconsin, founded by the late Professor Richard Robinson and myself, where I served as his translator. Kensur Lekden, an embodiment of the unified practice of sutra and tantra and transmitter of the ancient Tibetan know ledge of meditation, taught at Tibet House for a year and a half. In a series of lectures in the spring of 1970, he set forth the paths common to sutra and tantra, freely and intimately, as part of the transmission of Buddhism to the West. Part One of this book is comprised of those lectures. Part Two is a translation of the first five chapters of Tsong-ka-pa’s commentary to Chandrakirti’s Supplement to the Middle Way (Madhyamakava- tara), which Kensur Lekden taught me, along with Jam-yang- shay-ba’s sub-commentary, while at Tibet House. The short introduction to Part Two is from his and the Dalai Lama’s oral teachings. The chapter divisions and other titles in Tsong-ka- pa’s text were added to facilitate understanding, and for the same reason Chandrakirti’s verses have been inserted into the commentary. The combination of Kensur Lekden’s meditations and Tsong- ka-pa’s detailed explanation affords a unique blend of the oral and written traditions of Tibetan Buddhism on the principal motivation for enlightenment, compassion. Vast from the viewpoint of setting forth the compassionate deeds of Bodhisat tvas (heroes with respect to contemplating enlightenment) and profound from the viewpoint of presenting the empty nature of phenomena, these teachings shine with the sun of Buddha’s doctrine reflected so brightly in snowy Tibet. JEFFREY HOPKINS Charlottesville, Virginia
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