The influential Tibetan text known as the Seven Points of Mind Training (Blo sbyong don bdun ma) belongs to the blo sbyong or "mind training" literary tradition. This work was authored by Chekawa Yeshe Dorje ('Chad ka ba ye shes rdo rje), a scholar from the Kadam school, who drew upon the bodhicitta-generating teachings of "mind training" that had been passed down from the Bengali master Atiśa. The text also incorporates the framework established earlier by Langri Tangpa (Glang ri thang pa) in his Eight Verses on Mind Training (Blo sbyong tshig brgyad ma). Consisting of concise teachings and meditation practices, the Blo sbyong don bdun ma gained widespread influence throughout Tibet, inspiring commentaries from scholars across various Buddhist traditions. The nineteenth-century Tibetan polymath Jamgön Kongtrül ('Jam mgon kong sprul) outlined in his commentary that the treatise encompasses seven key points:
- Getting ready for mind training - this includes thinking about how precious human life is, remembering that we all die, understanding the problems of ordinary life, and learning about cause and effect
- Actually practicing compassion and the wish to help all beings
- Using difficult situations to help you grow spiritually
- Making this practice part of your whole life
- Checking how well your mind training is going
- Making commitments to keep practicing
- General guidelines for mind training
The text teaches people how to transform their thinking and develop a more compassionate heart through step-by-step methods that anyone can use.
