The ThirtySeven Practices of a Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones

by

Nglchu T'og e !ang"o

#N$%&S' T()NS%)T&ON B*

i+e dic+ an

N),O %O-#S'.)()*)/To the %ord of the .orld, & bo0 do0n1 2illed 0ith faith, & a+e constant "rostration 0ith y body, s"eech and ind to all su"re e s"iritual teachers and the Protector )valo+iteshvara, 0ho, although "erceiving that all "heno ena are free of co ing or going and devoid of inherent being, still 0or+ single"ointedly for the 0ellbeing of all that lives1 The "erfectly enlightened Buddhas, source of everything s"iritual or te "oral that is of value, are born of their realisation of the 'oly 3har a1 Since this de"ends on understanding ho0 to train oneself, & shall no0 e4"lain the "ractice of all Bodhisattvas, Children of the Victorious Ones1 567 No0 that you have obtained this "recious hu an body of endo0 ent and leisure so hard to find, 0or+ day and night 0ithout 0eariness to free yourself and others fro the ocean of cyclic e4istence1 %istening, reflecting and editating are the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 587 Obsessive attach ent to friends and loved ones is as unstable as 0ater9 anger and hatred for ene ies bla:es u" li+e fire9 forgetting 0hat is to be acce"ted or avoided, you 0ander in the gloo of ental dar+ness1 %eaving behind your ho eland is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5;7 )s you set aside un0holeso e ob<ects, your conflicting e otions decrease by stages9 in the absence of distraction, virtuous "ractice easily develo"s9 as "ure a0areness brightens, certainty as to "heno ena arises1 -ee"ing to solitary retreat is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5=7 *ou 0ill be se"arated fro beloved friends and relatives, no atter ho0 close you thin+ they are or ho0 long you've been together9 regardless of ho0 carefully and diligently they've been collected together, all valuables and chattels 0ill be left behind9 consciousness is a ere guest at the inn of the body1 (enouncing all "reoccu"ation 0ith this life is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5>7 &f you consort 0ith the de"raved the three "oisons 0ill increase and your study, reflection and editation 0ill deteriorate1 The "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to avoid such un0orthy friends as destroy love and co "assion1 5?7

Those co "anions in 0hose co "any all 0rongdoing co es to an end and enlightened @ualities e4"and li+e the 0a4ing oon, the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to value such 0orthy s"iritual friends ore than your o0n body1 5A7 &f they, the selves, are tra""ed in a "rison of re"eated 0andering through e4istence, ho0 can 0orldly gods be a refuge to anyone elseB Therefore the one true and unfailing refuge is the Three (are and Precious $e s and ta+ing refuge in the alone is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5C7 The #nlightened One has sho0n ho0 the lives of beings in lo0er real s of suffering are difficult to bear and are the result of 0rongs they have co itted1 This being so, to avoid acting in a sinful 0ay even if your life is at sta+e is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5D7 %i+e the de0 on the ti" of a blade of grass, the "leasures of the three 0orlds are a "heno enon of e4tre ely short duration 0hereas those attained in reaching realisation are "erfect and unchanging1 To strive for that goal is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 56E7 .hen the others 0ho have cared for you fro beginningless ti e are suffering, ho0 can you thin+ only of your o0n ha""inessB $enerating the altruistic ind of enlighten ent so that all sentient beings ight be saved is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5667 )ll suffering s"rings fro desiring your o0n ha""iness, 0hile "erfect buddhahood ste s fro the attitude that see+s the benefit of others1 This being so, to "erfectly a+e over your o0n "ersonal ha""iness in e4change for the sufferings of others is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5687 .hen, under the s0ay of great desire, so eone steals your 0ealth or arranges for it to be stolen, the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to dedicate to that one their body and 0ealth and all the erit they have accu ulated throughout the three ti es1 56;7

.hen, though you have actually done nothing 0rong, so eone 0ishes to see you "ut to death, the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to co "assionately ta+e u"on yourself the totality of that "erson's sin1 56=7 Though there are so e 0ho 0ill see+ to defa e you throughout the entire trichiliocos , your heart filled 0ith love, to "raise their @ualities again and again is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 56>7 &f, in the idst of a vast gathering, you are singled out by so eone and harshly rebu+ed as he "ries into and cries aloud your hidden faults, recognising that "erson as your teacher and bo0ing do0n to the in res"ect is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 56?7 &f so eone you have loved and cherished as your o0n child should co e to loo+ u"on you as an ene y, li+e a other 0hose child has fallen ill, 0ith even greater love is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 56A7 .hen you're arrogantly des"ised by your e@uals and those beneath you, to see the as your teacher and res"ectfully "lace the above you is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 56C7 .hen you are in a lo0ly estate, the constant butt of the scorn and disdain of one and all, stric+en, again and again, 0ith grave illness and de onic obscurations, to dauntlessly and 0ithout the least regard for yourself ta+e u"on yourself the sin and suffering of all living beings is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 56D7 #ven if "raised and lauded and res"ectfully considered by any to be their su"erior, even if your store of riches is co "arable to that of Jambhala, %ord of .ealth, to clearly see that 0orldly 0ealth and glory are devoid of all essence and be free of selfsatisfaction and "ride is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1

to treat the

58E7 &f you don't subdue the ene y of your o0n anger and hatred, you ay van@uish e4ternal ene ies but they 0ill only increase in nu ber1 Therefore, the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to sub<ugate their o0n 0ith the ar y of love and co "assion1 5867 3esirable ob<ects and @ualities are li+e salt 0aterF the ore you have, the ore you thirst after the 1 .henever clinging attach ent and desire for ob<ects a""ears, the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to abandon the 0ithout the slightest hesitation1 5887 .hatever a""ears is si "ly your o0n ind9 the essence of a0areness is free of ind ade li itations fro the very first1 To +no0 this essence and no longer entally create the characteristics of duality is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 58;7 Though you eet 0ith "leasant ob<ects, they are li+e the su er rainbo0F beautiful, certainly, but 0ithout any ulti ate reality1 To get rid of gras"ing and attach ent is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 58=7 The various sorro0s and sufferings you e4"erience are li+e the death of a beloved child in a drea F Clinging to an ulti ate reality in the a""earances that ste fro your o0n delusion is <ust endlessly tiring yourself out1 Since this is certainly so, 0hen you eet 0ith uncongenial circu stances to recognise the as illusions is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 58>7 Those 0ho really strive for enlighten ent 0ill give u" even their bodies in the @uest, if necessary, 0hat need to s"ea+ of the ob<ects of the e4ternal 0orldB This being so, the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to give freely 0ithout the least ho"e of return1 58?7 &f you lac+ oral restraint, you 0ill not realise even your o0n goals9 to e4"ect, then, to fulfil the ai s of others is <ust a <o+e1 This being so, carefully aintaining oral disci"line 0ithout the least regard for 0orldly concerns is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1

ental continuu

>

58A7 2or those Children of the Victorious Ones 0ho 0ish to a ass a great store of erit, har doers are li+e a "recious treasury of <e0els1 $iving u" all hatred and ill0ill as regards others and editating u"on "atience is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 58C7 Si "ly to realise their o0n ends, Pious 'earers and Solitary )0a+ened Ones are +no0n to strive for it as energetically as if trying to "ut out a fire on their heads, but the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to generate attentiveness and carefulness based on the @ualities that ste fro see+ing the 0ellbeing of all living beings1 58D7 Through "eerless insight, those 0ho have "erfected abiding in ental cal co "letely destroy conflicting e otions, and, "assing entirely beyond the four for less states, editate on the stability of a0areness1 This the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5;E7 &f you lac+ that of su"re e understanding you 0ill not attain "erfect enlighten ent by "racticing the other five transcendent "erfections1 .ith these five as s+ilful eans, the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, editate u"on the "rofound 0isdo of nonconce"tual threefold "urity, the ulti ate absence of inherent e4istence in actor, action or ob<ect of action1 5;67 though you &f you are fooling yourself and still have no idea 0ho you are, ay loo+ li+e a "ractitioner, you are "robably still acting contrary to the 3har a1 Therefore, carefully e4a ining your o0n faults and then getting rid of the is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5;87 ,otivated by conflicting e otion and s"ea+ing of the faults of other Bodhisattvas si "ly destroys your o0n good @ualities, so not to s"ea+ of the ista+es of anyone 0ho has entered the )ll#nco "assing Vehicle of the ,ahayana is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5;;7 There 0ill al0ays be argu ents concerning 0ealth and riches, and these interfere 0ith study, reflection and editation, so abandon attach ents in the ho es of your fa ily, friends and "atrons1 This is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1

is to

5;=7 Coarseness and abuse disturb the inds of others, and the "ractice of a Bodhisattva is da aged as a result1 This being so, s"ea+ing only that 0hich is "leasing to the inds of others and avoiding all offensiveness is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5;>7 .hen you're used to conflicting e otions, it beco es difficult to reverse the 0ith antidotes1 The "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones, is to ta+e hold of the shar" 0ea"on of the "erfect antidote, the indful a0areness of a great being, and to fell conflicting e otions such as clinging desire as soon as they arise1 5;?7 &n brief, 0hatever your lifestyle and 0hatever you do, it should be done in full +no0ledge of the state of your ind at that ti e1 .or+ing for the 0ellbeing of others indfulness and a0areness is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 5;A7 .ith full +no0ledge of the ulti ate "urity of the three s"heres of all action, dedicating all erit that ste s fro striving in this 0ay to the realisation of this goal and the dis"elling of the suffering of the innu erable living beings is the "ractice of the Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones1 Basing yself u"on the elucidations by learned teachers of the actual eaning e4"ressed in the sutras, tantras and shastras, & have co "osed this te4t on the thirtyseven "ractices of a Bodhisattva, Child of the Victorious Ones / for the benefit of all 0ho see+ to +no0 about the Bodhisattva Path1 Since & a not very clever and y o0n "ractice of "urification is deficient, &'ve not been able to 0rite the sort of verses that 0ould "lease those "roficient in such things, but, since it is based on 0hat is said in the sutras and the e4"lanations of those 0ith e4"erience, & thin+ it does truly e4"ress the "ractice of the Children of the Victorious Ones 0ithout error1 'o0ever, since it is difficult for so eone 0ith an intelligence as li ited as y o0n to really sound the de"ths of the ocean of activity of the Children of the Victorious Ones, there are surely any contradictions and dis<unctions of sense111 & beg those of you 0ho are learned to be "atient 0ith these errors on y "art1 By the erit that ste s fro this ay all beings realise the ordinary and su"re e enlighten ent ind, and, "assing beyond the li its of cyclic e4istence and ulti ate "eace, beco e <ust li+e the Protector )valo+iteshvara1

0ith constant

Thus, for the benefit of both myself and others, this was composed by the monk T'ogme, expounder of scripture and philosophy, at Nglchu Rinchen P'ug,The rotto of Precious !uicksil"er#
This translation, albeit lacking in all grace and elegance, was completed with great $oy by the %uddhist layman, Orgyen Norbu, on the first day of the sixth month, )shada, of the male year of the &ater 'orse and reworked slightly on the twenty(fourth and twenty(fifth days of ,rigashira, the ele"enth month of the female &ater )nake#