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Keys to Great Enlightenment
Book
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Description
Keys to Great Enlightenment is based upon two meditation courses given by the Venerable Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen to students of Thubten Dhargye Ling as commentaries to the classical root texts: Eight Verses of Thought Training by Geshe Langri Tangpa and The Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices by the Bodhisattva Togmey Zangpo.
The commentaries were transcribed and revised by Gary Schlageter and Karen Gudmundsson. Under the supervision of Robert Stone, these working texts were then proofread and edited with the help of Pat Aiello, Paul McClelland, Nancy Nason, and others.
Citation
Gyeltsen, Tsultim. Keys to Great Enlightenment: Commentaries on: Kadam Geshe Langri Tangpa's Eight Verses of Thought Training and Bodhisattva Togmey Zangpo's The Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices. Based on oral translation by Lobsang Gyaltsan. Los Angeles: Thubten Dhargye Ling Publications, 1989.
Table of contents
- Acknowledgements 9
- Technical Note 11
- Preface 13
- Introduction 15
Part One
- The Preliminaries 17
- Preparation for Practice 19
- Graduated Path to Enlightenment & Levels of Attainment 25
Part Two
- Eight Verses of Thought Training 43
- The Root Test 45
- The Commentary 47
- Questions & Answers 61
Part Three
- The Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices 67
- The Root Test 69
- The Commentary 85
- Questions & Answers 147
Appendices
- Tong-Len Practice 153
- Outline of the Root Text Verses 161
- Glossary 163
- Bibliography 173
Interconnections
2 Full translation of
Gyalse Tokme Zangpo's (1295–1369) highly influential work on Mind Training (blo sbyong) that outlines the training of a bodhisattva in a series of thirty-seven verses is still very popular today with Buddhist practitioners around the world. The colophon states: "This was composed at the Jewel Cave of Ngulchu by the monk Tokme [Zangpo], expounder of scripture and reasoning, for the benefit of myself and others." Since he gathered together all the paths of the bodhisattvas and composed them in the form of thirty-seven verses, the title is clearly fitting.
Composed by the Buddhist Master Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), Eight Verses for Training the Mind is a highly revered text from the Mahayana Lojong (mind training) tradition. These instructions offer essential practices for cultivating the awakening mind of compassion, wisdom, and love. This eight-verse lojong enshrines the very heart of Dharma, revealing the true essence of the Mahayana path to liberation. Even a single line of this practice can be seen as encapsulating the entire teaching of the Buddha. For even a single statement of this mind training practice has the incredible power to help us subdue our self-oriented behavior and mental afflictions. The fundamental theme of mind training practice is the profound reorientation of our basic attitude, both toward our own self and toward our fellow human beings, as well as toward the events around us. The goal of mind training practice is the radical transformation of our thoughts, attitudes, and habits. Presently, we tend to cherish the welfare of our own self at the expense of all others. However, the mind training teaching challenges us to reverse this process. This involves a deep understanding of others as true friends, and the recognition that our true enemy lies inside of ourselves, not outside. Source Accessed Jan 30, 2025)
2 Teaching based on
Gyalse Tokme Zangpo's (1295–1369) highly influential work on Mind Training (blo sbyong) that outlines the training of a bodhisattva in a series of thirty-seven verses is still very popular today with Buddhist practitioners around the world. The colophon states: "This was composed at the Jewel Cave of Ngulchu by the monk Tokme [Zangpo], expounder of scripture and reasoning, for the benefit of myself and others." Since he gathered together all the paths of the bodhisattvas and composed them in the form of thirty-seven verses, the title is clearly fitting.
Composed by the Buddhist Master Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), Eight Verses for Training the Mind is a highly revered text from the Mahayana Lojong (mind training) tradition. These instructions offer essential practices for cultivating the awakening mind of compassion, wisdom, and love. This eight-verse lojong enshrines the very heart of Dharma, revealing the true essence of the Mahayana path to liberation. Even a single line of this practice can be seen as encapsulating the entire teaching of the Buddha. For even a single statement of this mind training practice has the incredible power to help us subdue our self-oriented behavior and mental afflictions. The fundamental theme of mind training practice is the profound reorientation of our basic attitude, both toward our own self and toward our fellow human beings, as well as toward the events around us. The goal of mind training practice is the radical transformation of our thoughts, attitudes, and habits. Presently, we tend to cherish the welfare of our own self at the expense of all others. However, the mind training teaching challenges us to reverse this process. This involves a deep understanding of others as true friends, and the recognition that our true enemy lies inside of ourselves, not outside. Source Accessed Jan 30, 2025)
