Zurchungpa's Testament
Book
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Description
Zurchungpa's Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice was the final teaching given by the great Nyingma master Zurchung Sherab Trakpa. The original text consists of 580 maxims, covering the entire path of Dzogchen from fundamental teachings through to a series of pith instructions that bring the Dzogchen view to life. Much of the meaning of these often cryptic instructions could be lost to the reader without further explanations, so this book contains a complete, detailed commentary on Zurchungpa's text by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Originally intended as essential instructions for a group of practitioners in three-year retreat, it will undoubtedly serve as an indispensable guide to anyone who seriously wishes to practice the Great Perfection.
Citation
Khyentse, Dilgo. Zurchungpa's Testament: Commentary on Zurchung Sherab Trakpa's Eighty Chapters of Personal Advice. Translated by Stephen Gethin (Padmakara Translation Group). Boulder: Snow Lion Publications, 2006.
Texts Translated
From the translator's introduction, p. xxvii: "Khyentse Rinpoche gave this teaching in Tibetan, and it was from recorded tapes that Matthieu Ricard subsequently made an oral translation... this translation was then transcribed... edited and a fresh translation was made of Shechen Gyaltsap's original text. Two editions were used. One was published by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche at Shechen Monastery in Nepal and was the edition he taught from. The other was a photocopy made by Matthieu Ricard of an original woodblock edition brought back in 1989 from Shechen Monastery in Tibet... we have generally taken the altter as the more reliable..." No further citation given.
Foreword xv
Translators’ Introduction xvii
DILGO KHYENTSE RINPOCHE'S COMMENTARY ON THE EIGHTY CHAPTERS OF PERSONAL ADVICE 1
Introduction 3
- Title; homage; different teachings to match different capacities; Deshek Gyawopa; the Tibetan translators; the defects of samsara; the importance of Zurchungpa’s advice; a summary of the five sections
I Faith 15
- 1 Six faults in not having faith 15
- Definition of Dharma; faith; faults of not having faith
- 2 Six virtues of faith 19
- Advantages of having faith – the story of Lilavajra
- 3 Ten causes that give rise to faith 22
- One’s present life and circle of friends; the karmic law of cause of effect – Ravi and his black and white pebbles – the hunter Gonpo Dorje – the story of Lopön Pawo; death and impermanence – the story of King Mandhata; karma and rebirth; making the best use of one’s human existence; the sufferings of samsara; the Three Jewels; teachers and holy beings; spiritual companions
- 4 Thirteen things to be abhorred 32
- Giving up attachment to one’s home country; giving up household distractions; practicing when one has the opportunity – Gonpo Dorje’s meeting with Milarepa; pure perception; wealth, contentment, and the seven noble riches – the boy who offered seven peas; not being distracted by one’s relatives; the importance of practicing while one has the chance; using one’s wealth for the right purposes – the story of Anathapindaka – Milarepa’s offering to Marpa; renunciation; keeping death in mind
- 5 Thirteen things that are very important 40
- Realization, experiences, and compassion; the importance of the teacher; suitable disciples; giving up attachment; long-term vision – examples of Asanga and Ananda; devotion to the yidam and the three Jewels – Songtsen Gampo, Lama Mipham; diligence; avoiding negative actions; dealing with discursive thoughts; compassion and bodhichitta; faith in the teachings; keeping one’s vows and commitments; the unborn nature of the mind; secrecy in preserving the profound instructions
II Discipline 55
- 6 Ten facts with regard to timeliness in the practice 55
- Taking advantage of the continued presence of the Buddha’s doctrine; the exceptional chance of coming across the teachings; the chance of having the right qualities for practice; an exhortation to practice – don’t listen to your relatives; generosity; dealing with difficulties in the practice; patience – the example of Jigme Lingpa – the rishi Patient Words; the point of practicing correctly; remembering death and countering attachment; demons – obstacles to practice
- 7 Thirteen instructions to put into practice 64
- Remembering death as a spur to diligence – how precious the Dharma is – a king’s offering in order to receive teaching; avoid seeing faults in the teacher – King Trisong Detsen’s doubts; keeping harmony with other practitioners – practicing the teachings best suited to one – avoiding sectarianism; pleasing the teacher and avoiding upsetting him; keeping the precepts; the unborn nature of the ground-of-all; obstacles and distractions; the four boundless qualities; avoiding negative actions – mindfulness and vigilance; cultivating positiveactions; understanding suffering – the value of hardships; diligence until enlightenment is reached; uniting the two accumulations
- 8 Five things that are useless 75
- The importance of practicing correctly – renunciation, getting rid of attachment and desire, integrating the practice, devotion
- 9 Five things one needs to do 78
- Devotion, merit, a fit mind, concentration, freedom from afflictive emotions
- 10 Five things that become lies 82
- Making sure that you are following the genuine path – renunciation, refuge, meditation, the view, and understanding karma
- 11 Five things that are true 85
- Buddhahood is up to you – King Trisong Detsen’s daughter; the importance of the samaya and devotion – Gampopa’s swineherd disciple, Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu’s hunter disciple; combining skillful means and wisdom; uniting view and conduct; the nature of mind
- 12 Five things that are pointless 92
- Wrong teachers; wrong disciples – Sunakshatra; samaya breakers; mixing positive and negative actions; knowing the teachings but not putting them into practice – Devadatta
- 13 Eight instructions 94
- Diligence, forbearance, contentment, following a master of the profound teachings, courage, dealing with attachment and anger, maintaining the essential practice
- 14 Thirty-four pieces of advice 100
- Avoiding distractions, preparing for death, the right conditions for practice, maintaining the correct view, diligence, renunciation, contentment, making offerings to the teacher and receiving his instructions, humility, mindfulness, confidence, avoiding hypocrisy, generosity, patience, hardship, avoiding obstacles
- 15 Six instructions for warding off defects 112
- Metaphors for avoiding errors – Milarepa’s mistake
- 16 Ten things that do no harm 114
- The experienced practitioner’s approach to different situations
- 17 Eighteen objects of derision 118
- Eight things that help avoid mistakes in the practice; eighteen statements on how things can go wrong with one’s faith, the teacher, the practice, one’s experience, the view, and the result
- 18 Fifteen ways in which the practice goes wrong 124
- With regard to the view, meditation, action, samaya, master, disciple, practice, experiences, result, instructions, human body, death, one’s name, conceit, and one’s final fate
- 19 Twenty-six kinds of folly 130
- Metaphors for not practicing in the correct manner
- 20 Nine pieces of personal advice 139
- How to put negative traits to good use
- 21 Nine pieces of heartfelt advice 142
- Pith instructions on the essence of the practice
- 22 Five beatitudes 145
- The blessings of being able to practice correctly
- 23 Twenty things that lead to breaches of samaya 147
- Specific situations in which the samaya gets broken
III Concentration 153
- 24 Four practices that confer blessing 153
- Four ways, illustrated by similes, in which realization of the absolute nature leads to liberation
- 25 Four instructions for using things as the path, with similes 157
- 26 Four things to be known, with similes 159
- 27 Four crucial instructions, with similes 161
- 28 Four “cuts” 164
- Four ways of cutting concepts, with similes
- 29 Four views, with similes 166
- 30 Four kinds of meditation, with similes 167
- 31 Four kinds of conduct, with similes 169
- 32 Four kinds of experience, with similes 170
- 33 Four kinds of signs, with similes 172
- 34 Four instructions related to optical illusions, with similes 174
- 35 Ten ways of failing the Buddhas 176
- Ten ways in which one breaks one’s commitment to practice
- 36 Four ways not to be distracted, with similes 183
- 37 Four instructions on the method 186
- Pith instructions, with similes, on how to meditate
- 38 Four ways to stay 192
- Instructions on how to rest naturally in meditation
- 39 Six crucial points of the mind to be understood 194
- Illustrations with regard to relaxation; freedom from concerns, hesitation, expectation and apprehension, and fear; clarity and absence of thoughts
- 40 Four things one need not seek 197
- Illustrations with regard to view, meditation, action, and result
IV Wisdom 201
- 41 Twelve points that explain the view 201
- An introduction to the ultimate nature of the mind
- 42 Twelve kinds of confidence confirming the view 205
- Pith instructions on the nature of mind
- 43 Nine things one sees 208
- An introduction to the absolute nature
- 44 Seven sublime things 209
- Seven aspects of the sublime meditation
- 45 Six wisdom sense organs 210
- How a realized yogi perceives
- 46 Six wisdom objects 211
- The objects of a realized yogi’s perceptions
- 47 Six authentic experiences 212
- A realized yogi’s experience of nonexistence through his six senses
- 48 Six declarations on effortlessness 214
- When the absolute nature is realized, there is nothing to adopt or reject
- 49 Sixteen metaphoric practices 215
- Symbolic instructions on the practice of the Great Perfection
- 50 Five views 218
- Transforming afflictive emotions without adoption or rejection
- 51 Ten aspects to complete confidence 220
- How confidence in the natural state cannot be crushed
- 52 Four examples and their meanings 222
- Examples of how the absolute nature permeates everything
- 53 Four dissolutions of extremes 224
- Absolute truth, relative truth, and the four extremes
- 54 Four ultimates 227
- The ultimate view, meditation, action, and experience and realization
- 55 Five dharmakaya aspects of the mind 229
- Illustrations of the primal wisdom that is the nature of mind
- 56 Six primal wisdoms related to the mind 230
- Six kinds of wisdom explained in the language of the Secret Mantrayana
- 57 Seven ways in which the nature of the mind is introduced 231
- 58 Six ways of introducing the ultimate nature of everything that arises 233
- 59 Eight introductions to the ultimate nature of things that appear 234
- 60 Nine ways of introducing the unborn nature 235
- 61 Four similes introducing the ultimate nature 237
- Illustrations with conventional examples
- 62 Five instructions on the ultimate nature of appearances 239
- 63 Five experiences of wisdom 240
- The view of the one absolute nature
- 64 Four ways in which the nondual absolute nature arises 241
- 65 Six ways in which the nondual absolute nature arises 241
- 66 Four ways of arising without duality 242
- 67 Four instructions on the indivisible absolute nature 242
- 68 Eight kinds of natural dissolution 243
- How the objects of the six consciousnesses dissolve in the unborn absolute nature
- 69 Four things that are stainless 244
- View, path, experience, and result
- 70 Five things one will not find 245
- Object, mind, body, sentient beings, Buddha
- 71 Five instances where there is nothing to be found 246
- Appearances, awareness, body, beings, Buddha
- 72 Five things to take as the path 248
- 73 Three aspects of emptiness 250
- Phenomena, the mind, and the aggregates
- 74 Three things to take as the path 252
- 75 Four ties to be severed 253
- 76 Eight activities to be performed 254
- Eight practices that prepare one for meditation; and three practices that help progress – meditating on the teacher, examining samsara, and reflecting on the six intermediate states
- 77 Seven concentrations 260
- Concentrations uniting view and meditation
- 78 Six preparatory practices 262
- 79 Five branches in the main practice 265
V Conclusion 269
- 80 Three points in conclusion 269
- Unsuitable disciples, suitable disciples, and how they should practice
- Colophon 272
- Colophons by Zurchungpa’s disciple Khyungpo Yamarwa and Shechen Gyaltsap
ZURCHUNG SHERAB TRAKPA'S EIGHTY CHAPTERS OF PERSONAL ADVICE 275
SHECHEN GYALTSAP RINPOCHE'S A NECKLACE OF JEWELS 313
List of Chapters 385
Notes 389
Glossary 399
Bibliography 417
