Atisha’s Lamp

In order to achieve this [enlightenment], before the actual stage of the unification you must have achieved the approximation of the unification: the clear light and the pure and impure stages of the illusory body.

But to be mature enough to do this, you must definitely have progressed fully in the coarser levels of the generation-stage maturation, and you must have preceded this by obtaining the four pure initiations that will definitely implant the seeds of the four kayas in you.

But in order to become the exceptional vessel or candidate fit enough to receive these, you must have purified your mindstream beforehand with the common path, bodhichitta.

Thus you must have received the causes for generating this bodhichitta: so much compassion that you cannot bear all sentient beings to suffer agonies and so forth.

The foundation for developing compassion is your inability to bear the general and specific sufferings of samsara that you yourself have to undergo. This should move you to renounce samsara.

But before this you must have developed fear and dread of the sufferings of the lower realms. And how could you develop any of these without having first contemplated the law of cause and effect and the uncertainty of when you will die? You must develop these things.

The sole cause for even thinking of beginning on such a path is contemplating how difficult it is to gain an optimum human rebirth—something entirely meaningful.

And to develop all these things, you must have devoted yourself properly, in both thought and deed, to a virtuous spiritual guide.

Thus you should not reach for the higher levels right away. You should train your mind by experiencing the progression [of the path], beginning with devotion to a spiritual guide.

—Pabongka Rinpoche

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116 viewsNov 7, 2024 at 16:10

In order to achieve this [enlightenment], before the actual stage of the unification you must have achieved the approximation of the unification: the clear light and the pure and impure stages of the illusory body.

But to be mature enough to do this, you must definitely have progressed fully in the coarser levels of the generation-stage maturation, and you must have preceded this by obtaining the four pure initiations that will definitely implant the seeds of the four kayas in you.

But in order to become the exceptional vessel or candidate fit enough to receive these, you must have purified your mindstream beforehand with the common path, bodhichitta.

Thus you must have received the causes for generating this bodhichitta: so much compassion that you cannot bear all sentient beings to suffer agonies and so forth.

The foundation for developing compassion is your inability to bear the general and specific sufferings of samsara that you yourself have to undergo. This should move you to renounce samsara.

But before this you must have developed fear and dread of the sufferings of the lower realms. And how could you develop any of these without having first contemplated the law of cause and effect and the uncertainty of when you will die? You must develop these things.

The sole cause for even thinking of beginning on such a path is contemplating how difficult it is to gain an optimum human rebirth—something entirely meaningful.

And to develop all these things, you must have devoted yourself properly, in both thought and deed, to a virtuous spiritual guide.

Thus you should not reach for the higher levels right away. You should train your mind by experiencing the progression [of the path], beginning with devotion to a spiritual guide.

—Pabongka Rinpoche

BY Atisha’s Lamp