Introduction to the Middle Way: Chandrakirti's Madhyamakavatara with Commentary by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

483 Pages·2003·6.216 MB·English

by  Chandrakirti, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, Alex Trisoglio

Introduction to the Middle Way
Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara
With commentary by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
Given at the Centre d’Etudes de Chanteloube
Dordogne, France
1996, 1998, 1999, 2000
Arranged according to Gorampa’s commentary
Edited by Alex Trisoglio
©2003 by Khyentse 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 Khyentse Foundation
Publication of this text has been sponsored by the Khyentse Foundation
FOREWORD

The view of Madhyamika in Buddhism

In Buddhism, the view is essential for both theory and practice. All the various Buddhist schools
and paths have been established based on the right view, and the result of the Buddhist path –
enlightenment – is none other than the complete understanding or realisation of the view. The
view is indispensable for all kinds of Buddhist practice, from the simple and seemingly mundane
acts of a Theravadin monk shaving his head and not eating after midday, to the Mahayana
practitioner abandoning meat, offering butterlamps and circumambulating, to more complicated
and exotic paths such as building monasteries or practicing kundalini yoga. The view not only
gives us the reason to practice; it is also the result we seek to attain through practice.
Furthermore, the view is also a safety railing that prevents us from going astray on the path.
Without the view, the whole aim and purpose of Buddhism is lost. If we wish to reach a
destination, it is fruitless to proceed aimlessly on the journey if we have not established our
direction and destination. Likewise, meditation and action will not bear fruit unless we have
established the view.

For example, when teaching the Four Noble Truths, Buddha taught that the fundamental truth –
the view – is that we are not suffering; we merely have suffering. Therefore, by knowing the
nature and cause of suffering, we can follow the path to liberate ourselves from suffering.
Nevertheless, although many of us are eager to follow the path to liberate ourselves from
suffering, and we may even understand what our suffering is caused by, few of us pay attention
to the view: the fact that we are not suffering, we just have suffering. Because we do not
understand the view, we still cling to primordial suffering. Therefore, no matter how much we
practice and seek to apply methods to end our suffering, our path is not a middle path – a
Madhyamika path, a path beyond conceptual clinging. Instead, it ends up becoming an extreme
path – a path of concepts, which will not liberate us from suffering.

Another example is the concept of renunciation mind, and the familiar images of monks with
begging bowls, shaved heads on so on. When the Buddhist path teaches us to develop
renunciation mind, we might think that we are being asked to renounce samsara with the attitude
that it is imperfect, full of pain and endless futility – i.e. to recognise that samsara is suffering.
Most of us find such renunciation difficult, as we feel we’re missing out on the good things – we
long for the pleasant and beautiful aspects of samsara, which we still believe truly exist out there.
But it is something quite different to renounce samsara based on the view – the view of
emptiness – which holds that both the desirable and futile aspects of samsara are just fabrications
of mind. With the view of emptiness, we can see that renouncing samsaric life is not something
painful. It’s not really a penance or sacrifice, because we realise that there is, in reality, nothing
to sacrifice.

This text, the Madhyamakavatara,is an indispensable text that is widely studied both in Buddhist
philosophical schools and Buddhist meditative schools, and Chandrakirti’s method of
establishing the view in this work has been one of the most venerated throughout the ages. Now
that Buddhism is taking root in the West, I feel it is important for at least some of us to pay
attention to the study of the view and how it is to be established. Unfortunately, our human
tendency is to be much more attracted to the methods of doing something, rather than why we are
doing it. The study of the view appears to be very dry, boring and long-winded, whereas anyone
can just buy a cushion, sit on it, and after a few minutes feel satisfied that they have sat and
meditated. In this age of materialism, people suffer from alienation and lack of purpose, and
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Foreword
many people are seeking for something more. When there is so much seeking, there is a danger
that a path specially designed to relieve temporal pain might come to overshadow the real path
that uproots suffering, the true path to enlightenment. Interest in dharma is scarce to begin with,
and even then, such interest is very fickle. And if we were to encounter a path that did not have
the view, we would become even more disillusioned. This would be very sad, because there is
genuine seeking. Without the view, the whole purpose of Buddhism is lost. It is then no longer
Buddhism – a path to enlightenment – but merely a method for temporal healing. So, even for
the sake of insurance, at least some of us should pay some attention to establishing the view.

Iwould like to stress that this work is not meant to be final and complete, but I believe it can be a
start, a basis for us to work on and improve. The subject itself is very complex, and when I
taught this text in France from 1996-2000, it was decades after I studied it myself. Moreover,
even as I was teaching this, I never felt satisfied at my ability to express what I wanted to
express, primarily due to my lack of language skills in English. Also, because the audience was
mixed, you will find some very general teachings as well, and because it was taught over several
years, you will find lots of repetition.

Imust acknowledge the success of the teaching itself to the persistence of Tulku Pema Wangyal,
and a lot of assistance from his disciples, to name a few: John Canti, Wulstan Fletcher, Helena
Blankleder, and Patrick Carré, and my own inscrutable friend Jakob Leschly. This particular
transcript and editing was done diligently and meticulously by Alex Trisoglio, who I hope will
continue working to improve it. I don’t believe there is any merit in this kind of work, but if
there is any, let us dedicate it to the further understanding of the Madhyamika, through which we
can topple the kingdom of extremism

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Foreword
Editor’s Introduction

This document contains a transcript of Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings on
Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara, ‘Introduction to the Middle Way’, which were given during
the summers of 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 at the Centre d’Etudes de Chanteloube in Dordogne.
The teachings have been lightly edited to improve readability, while keeping to the original style
and vocabulary of the teachings as far as possible. In addition to Rinpoche’s teachings, this
document also contains the slokas (verses) of the root text, the Madhyamakavatara, which are
indented and appear in italics.

Structural outline and logic trees

In his teachings, Rinpoche followed various commentaries, principally the one by Gorampa, a
15th century Sakya master, and also that of Shenga Rinpoche, a 19th century Dzogchen master.
The root text, Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara, does not have any kind of table of contents,
outline or headings, but each commentator creates a sabche (structural outline) that presents the
contents and arguments in a structured framework. The sabche is in fact the commentary itself
in its most essential form. It is common practice for Tibetan scholars to memorise the entire
sabche when studying a text, and the master will often stop to ensure the students understand
where they are in the outline, a tradition that Rinpoche has continued in these teachings. In this
case, the teachings and headings are organised according to Gorampa’s structural outline (which
appears in full after this introduction). However, although this outline is logically structured, it
is quite difficult to present graphically due to its complexity (for example, at one point in this
outline the headings run 28 levels deep!)

So, rather than numbering each heading completely in all its levels (e.g. 2.i.a.ii.b.i.a… etc.) and
indenting each level, an alternative approach is used here. Each heading is marked in the margin
by the letter ‘H’ followed by a number to indicate the level of the heading (where H1 is the top-
most level, H2 is the second level, and so on until H28 – the 28th and lowest level). Successive
headings at the same level are numbered (a, b, c…) or (i, ii, iii…), although this numbering has
been added to facilitate comprehension; it does not appear in the Tibetan original of the structural
outline. In addition to the headings from the structural outline, the text contains another set of
headings that have been added during editing to aid comprehension. These headings do not have
the letter ‘H’ or any numbering, and they are not part of the structural outline.

For an overview of the outline and structure of the arguments in the Madhyamakavatara,readers
may find it helpful to consult the logic trees at the end of this text, which present the structural
outline (in an abbreviated form) in a set of tree-structured diagrams.

Margin notes

In order to improve readability, to help locate information and to increase the overall usefulness
of this document, margin notes have been provided. These notes, which aim to highlight
important points from Rinpoche’s teachings, were added during editing, and Rinpoche has not
checked them. They are not part of the structural outline or Chandrakirti’s text.

Tibetan words and phrases

The first appearance of a Tibetan word or phrase in the teachings will include its pronunciation,
transliteration (according to the Wylie system), and English translation. In subsequent
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Editor’s Introduction
appearances, the word will typically only be referred to by its pronunciation, e.g. tsendzin. Some
of the more common Tibetan vocabulary is included in an appendix. For example:

tsendzin 02,-73Ý,- (mtshan ’dzin)=fixation on characteristics
Following the convention of T.R.V. Murti and Padmakara, the word ‘Madhyamika’ is used to
refer both to the Madhyamika philosophy and to a student/practitioner following this philosophy.
Alist of some of the more important and more commonly used Tibetan words and phrases from
the Madhyamakavatara is included as an appendix.

Index and Frequently-Asked Questions

An index and a list of frequently-asked questions may be found at the end of the document, as
well as a bibliography and references.

Hyperlinks

For ease of navigation, the electronic version of this document contains hyperlinks for each
heading from its location in the structural outline to where it appears in the text. .

Acknowledgements

The rough translation of the root text of the Madhyamakavatara was prepared by Jakob Leschly,
and the commentary and teachings by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche were transcribed and edited
by Alex Trisoglio. The editor would like to thank all those who provided comments, suggestions
and inputs to this document as it has developed, particularly Jakob Leschly and Steven Goodman
for their help with the Tibetan. Every effort has been made to faithfully reproduce the words and
meaning of Rinpoche’s teachings, and any remaining errors are the editor’s responsibility.

We would like to thank everyone at the Centre d’Etudes de Chanteloube for hosting these
teachings, especially Pema Wangyal Rinpoche and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche. John Canti and
Wulstan Fletcher of the Padmakara Translation Group ran revision sessions each year to help
prepare students for the teachings, Patrick Carré provided French translation, and Khenpo
Jamyang Ösel from Dzongsar Institute taught and answered questions in 1999.

Most especially, we would like to thank Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, whose extraordinary
blessings, inspiration and patient explanation made this work possible. May his aspirations be
fulfilled! We dedicate our efforts so that all may realise the wisdom that is the ultimate
Madhyamika, and to the long life and work of the masters who uphold these teachings.

Contact

If you have any feedback or comments on how this document could be improved, or questions
about the teachings, please write to: [email protected]
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Editor’s Introduction
The publication of this Madhyamakavatara text has been sponsored by the Khyentse Foundation, a non-
profit charitable organization established in the United States in November 2001 under the direction of
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. The ultimate mission of the Khyentse Foundation is to support the
international community of dharma students and practitioners.

Publication of precious texts, such as this original Madhyamakavatara commentary by Dzongsar Khyentse
Rinpoche, is of primary interest to the Khyentse Foundation. In addition to providing study materials to
assist dharma students around the world, the Foundation hopes to sponsor the following publication projects
as soon as funding becomes available:

• Printing of the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro practice manuscript, another work based on
transcriptions of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings.
• Restoration of the Khyentse Library in Dzongsar Institute in Tibet, which was destroyed during
the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s.
• Translation of teachings by four great Longchen Nyingtik lineage masters: Longchenpa, Jigme
Lingpa, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö.
• Publication of an introduction to Buddhism to be distributed free to hotels, schools, libraries, etc.

Besides these publication projects, the Foundation will also establish an Endowment Fund for Monastic
Education and a Scholarship Fund to assist those who wish to pursue further studies or spend time in retreat,
but lack the necessary means. Another Foundation priority is to set up and Education Fund which will
endow a Chair or Professorship in Buddhist studies in a major university, and establish a Buddhist school
for western children.

The Khyentse Foundation depends entirely on the generosity of private donors to fund its wide range of
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Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Ackowledgments
STRUCTURAL OUTLINE

ACCORDING TO GORAMPA’S COMMENTARY
(Go Rabjampa Sönam Senge, 1429-1489, a great scholar of the Sakya tradition)
dbu ma la ’jug pa’i dkyus kyi sa bcad pa dang gzhung so so’i dka ba’i gnas la dpyad pa
lta ba ngan sel

- Numbers in (brackets and italics): Page number in Gorampa’s commentary (Tibetan text)
- Numbers in boldface: Chapter, verse, and line number in root text.
- Numbers at right hand margin: Page number in this transcript of Rinpoche’s teachings
[H1] THE TITLE..........................................................................................................................................5
[H1] THE TRANSLATOR’S HOMAGE.....................................................................................................9
[H1] THE MAIN BODY OF THE TEXT..................................................................................................11
[H1] THE CONCLUSION (749).............................................................................................................409

[H1] THE TITLE..........................................................................................................................................5
[H2] 1. Which Madhyamika is introduced...................................................................................................5
[H2] 2. How it is introduced.........................................................................................................................6

[H1] THE TRANSLATOR’S HOMAGE ....................................................................................................9

[H1] THE MAIN BODY OF THE TEXT..................................................................................................11
[H2] A. Explaining the introductory branches, the expression of offering.............................................11
[H2] B. Explaining the actual meaning of the main body of the text, that which is introduced (534)...24
[H2] C. Explaining the closing sections of the text (744).....................................................................407
[H2] A. Explaining the introductory branches, the expression of offering.............................................11
[H3] 1. Explaining the reasons for praising compassion (515)..............................................................11
[H3] 2. The actual praise based on these reasons (530).........................................................................19
[H3] 1. Explaining the reasons for praising compassion........................................................................11
[H4] a) Of the four kinds of [enlightened] individual, praising bodhisattvas above all (515).......11
[H5] (1) How shravakas and pratyekabuddhas are born from buddhas (515),1:1.1..............11
[H6] (a) How they are so born...........................................................................................11
[H6] (b) Examining doubts about that being so (516).......................................................12
[H6] (c) Definitions and etymology of the terms shravaka and pratyekabuddha..............12
[H5] (2) How buddhas are born from bodhisattvas (519), 1:1.2.............................................13
[H5] (3) Therefore bodhisattvas are worthy of praise (520)...................................................13
[H4] b) Explaining the three causes from which bodhisattvas are born (521), 1:1.3-4..................14
[H5] (1) Identifying these three causes...................................................................................14
[H5] (2) The sequence of these three causes (522).................................................................14
[H5] (3) Identifying the bodhisattva born from these three causes (523)...............................15
[H4] c) Showing how compassion is the most important of these three (529),1:2.......................16
[H3] 2. The actual praise based on these reasons (530), 1:3.1 - 4.2.......................................................19
[H4] a) Other ways of explaining the three types of compassion..................................................19
[H4] b) This extraordinary way of explaining the three types of compassion (531)......................19
[H5] (1) Explaining them in terms of their different objects..................................................19
[H6] (a) The meaning of the simile of the irrigation wheel...............................................20
[H6] (b) The first meaning of the simile of the moon’s reflection in water (532).............21
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Structural Outline (according to Gorampa) - i
[H6] (c) The second meaning of the simile of the moon’s reflection in water (533)........22
[H5] (2) Explaining that their form is common (533).............................................................23
[H5] (3) Summarizing the meaning of this important point (533)..........................................23

[H2] B. Explaining the actual meaning of the main body of the text, that which is introduced.............24
[H3] I. Explaining the bodhisattva levels (bhumi) which are the cause (534)..............................24
[H3] II. Explaining the level of buddhahood which is the result (721)
[H3] I. Explaining the bodhisattva levels (bhumi) which are the cause................................................24
[H4] A. Showing their nature in general in terms of the union of means (compassion) and
wisdom..............................................................................................................................24
[H4] B. Explaining the nature of each in terms of the paramita emphasized (535)........................25
[H4] C. Explaining the qualities of each in terms of the special enumerated features (720)........365

[H4] A. Their nature in general in terms of the union of means (compassion) and wisdom...................24
[H4] B. Explaining the nature of each in terms of the paramita emphasized..........................................25
[H5] 1. The first bhumi, Complete Joy..........................................................................................26
[H5] 2. The second bhumi, Without Stain (564)............................................................................50
[H5] 3. The third bhumi, Giving Out Light (568)..........................................................................56
[H5] 4. The fourth bhumi, Dazzling With Light (572)..................................................................62
[H5] 5. The fifth bhumi, Difficult to Overcome / Practise (573)...................................................63
[H5] 6. The sixth bhumi, Advancing / Knowing Clearly (574).....................................................64
[H5] 7. The seventh bhumi, Gone Far (711)................................................................................341
[H5] 8. The eighth bhumi, Immovable (712)...............................................................................349
[H5] 9. The ninth bhumi, Perfect Intelligence (719)....................................................................358
[H5] 10. The tenth bhumi, Cloud of Dharma (719).......................................................................360
[H5] 1. The first bhumi, Complete Joy (535)........................................................................26
[H6] a) Immaculate wisdom as the first, Complete Joy.........................................................................26
[H6] b) Detailed explanation of the qualities of this Complete Joy........................................................27
[H6] c) Concise summary of its qualities by means of similes (564).....................................................49
[H6] a) Immaculate wisdom as the first, Complete Joy, 1:4.3-5.2.........................................................26
[H6] b) Detailed explanation of the qualities of Complete Joy..............................................................27
[H7] (1) Expressing praise of those on this bhumi.............................................................................27
[H7] (2) Expressing the qualities of the paramita emphasized (558).................................................44
[H7] (1) Expressing praise of those on this bhumi..................................................................................27
[H8] (a) The quality that is transferred, the name, 1:5.3-4..............................................................27
[H9] (i) Defining the term Bodhisattva by action (practice)......................................................28
[H9] (ii) Defining the term Bodhisattva by view (realization)...................................................28
[H8] (b) The qualities that are obtained, the meaning (537)...........................................................29
[H9] (i) The quality of being born into the family, 1:6.1...........................................................29
[H9] (ii) The quality of the ability to discard and to realize, 1:6.2-4.........................................29
[H9] (iii) The quality of pressing on further (spontaneous progress), 1:7.1..............................31
[H9] (iv) The quality of passing beyond lower levels, 1:7.2-3..................................................31
[H8] (c) The qualities taught by analogy, 1:7.4.......................................................................................32
[H8] (d) The quality of outshining others................................................................................................33
[H9] (i) Outshining others by the strength of merit on this bhumi, 1:8.1-3.......................................34
[H9] (ii) Outshining others by the strength of understanding on later bhumis, 1:8.4.........................34
[H9] (ii) Outshining others by the strength of understanding on later bhumis, 1:8.4.................................34
[H10] (a) Outshining as implicitly stated in the sutra (539)..............................................................34
[H10] (b) The actual meaning stated in that quote (540)...................................................................35
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Structural Outline (according to Gorampa) - ii
[H11] (i) The sutra’s statement that shravakas and pratyekabuddhas understand phenomena
to have no true nature..................................................................................................35
[H11] (ii) What the other traditions state about this quote...........................................................36
[H12] What the two traditions state.....................................................................................36
[H12] What three quotes state.............................................................................................36
[H13] The first quote...........................................................................................................36
[H13] The second quote......................................................................................................36
[H13] The third quote..........................................................................................................36
[H11] (iii) Introducing the Master Nagarjuna’s understanding of this point (542)......................36
[H10] (c) Disposing of disputes on that question (542)....................................................................38
[H10] (d) Negating explanations based on conceptual analysis (545)..............................................41

[H7] (2) Expressing the qualities of the paramita emphasized (558).......................................................44
[H8] (a) Showing that the paramita of generosity is the principal one, 1:9....................................45
[H8] (b) Praising other kinds of generosity (559)...........................................................................46
[H9] (i) As what causes beings to escape from suffering, 1:10-11............................................46
[H9] (ii) As what also causes lasting happiness, 1:12...............................................................47
[H8] (c) Praising the bodhisattva’s generosity................................................................................47
[H9] (i) The result obtained, manifest joy, 1:13.1-2..................................................................47
[H9] (ii) This generosity is therefore of foremost importance, 1:13.3-4...................................48
[H9] (iii) It is much greater than a particular analogous kind of joy, 1:14................................48
[H9] (iv) Disposing of disputes about how this joy is obtained, 1:15........................................48
[H8] (d) Categorization of this paramita (560),1:16.......................................................................49
[H9] (i) Explaining the meaning of the word paramita (561)....................................................49
[H9] (ii) That which can truly be given this name.....................................................................49
[H9] (iii) That which can be given this name by association.....................................................49
[H6] c) Concise summary of its qualities by means of similes (564),1:17............................................49
[H5] 2. The second bhumi, Without Stain...........................................................................50
[H6] a) Detailed explanation of the qualities of the paramita emphasized.............................................50
[H6] b) Summary of its qualities in words of certainty (568).................................................................55

[H6] a) Detailed explanation of the qualities of the paramita emphasized.............................................50
[H7] (1) The features of discipline, the paramita emphasized.................................................................50
[H8] (a) Attaining perfect discipline, 2:1.1-2..................................................................................50
[H9] (i) Its definition.................................................................................................................50
[H9] (ii) Its nature......................................................................................................................51
[H9] (iii) The measure of its perfection.....................................................................................51
[H8] (b) Accumulating the ten positive actions, 2:1.3-2.2.................................................................52
[H8] (c) Making the bodhisattva beautiful, 2:2.3-4............................................................................52
[H8] (d) Being free of dualistic attachment to subject, object and action, 2:3...................................52
[H7] (2) In praise of other types of discipline (566)...................................................................................52
[H8] (a) The penalties of contravening discipline, 2:4-5................................................................53
[H8] (b) Keeping discipline as an antidote to these, 2:6.1-2...........................................................53
[H8] (c) Discipline as the basis of all good qualities, 2:6.3-4.........................................................53
[H8] (d) Discipline as the cause of higher rebirth and certain excellence, 2:7................................54
[H7] (3) Analogy for perfectly pure discipline (568),2:8.......................................................................55
[H7] (4) The divisions of this paramita, 2:9............................................................................................55
[H6] b) Summary of its qualities in words of certainty (568),2:10.......................................................55

[H5] 3. The third bhumi, Giving Out Light (568)..................................................................56
[H6] a) The nature of this bhumi in words of certainty (569),3:1.........................................................56
[H6] b) Detailed explanation of the qualities of the paramita emphasized.............................................56
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Madhyamakavatara Structural Outline (according to Gorampa) - iii