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The Essential Instructions on he Three Places of Rest for the Mind - Longchenpa

English

Regarding the lamas, bodhisattvas, and great virtuous friends who have manifested supreme deeds for the benefit of others, in the presence of those who abide without teaching the Dharma, just as Brahma and Indra made requests in the past, I too emanate countless bodies, offering wheel-kings and jewels, and request them to turn the wheel of Dharma. After requesting, I contemplate that all have granted it and are showering down the rain of Dharma. Recite as it is said in the "Practice of the Noble," etc., and dedicate the merit from a state of non-objectification. This is the seventieth instruction. Then, the branch of supplicating not to pass into sorrow for the sake of sentient beings is: Having generated the mind of enlightenment, in this and other realms, before those lamas, buddhas, and bodhisattvas who have already accomplished the benefit of sentient beings and intend to pass into sorrow, just as the lay disciple Cunda made supplications in the past, my many emanated bodies make supplications: Contemplate abiding until samsara is empty and accomplishing benefit, then recite as it is said in the sutras and treatises, and dedicate the merit from a state of non-objectification. This is the seventy-first instruction. Then, the branch of dedication is: Starting from the branch of prostration, representing the virtue done now, dedicate all the accumulated virtue related to oneself, others, and the three times for the sake of all sentient beings until enlightenment. Also, recite as the noble ones have said in the sutras, tantras, and great treatises, and after resting for a moment in a state of no-self-nature, dedicate again. This is the seventy-second instruction. Then, the main part is: Then, with palms joined before the object of refuge, having generated the supreme mind of enlightenment for the sake of sentient beings, I will train in the vast conduct and vow to exert effort to such an extent that not even one sentient being remains in samsara. Recite these kings of words. I, named..., from this time until reaching the essence of enlightenment, take refuge in the great vajra-holder lamas! I take refuge in the supreme of the two-legged, the Buddhas, the Bhagavat! I take refuge in the supreme of the peaceful and free from desire, the sacred Dharma! I take refuge in the

Chinese

仪轨:皈依不再退转的僧众。祈请您摄受我为菩萨。祈请大金刚持上师们、诸佛薄伽梵以及安住在大地上的大菩萨们垂念我。如同往昔的诸佛薄伽梵以及安住在大地上的菩萨们为了利益一切有情而发起无上菩提心一样,我,名为……,也从此时起,直至证得菩提果位之间,为了利益一切有情而发起大菩提心。我将度化尚未度化的有情,解脱尚未解脱的有情,安慰尚未安慰的有情,使尚未涅槃的有情获得涅槃。如是念诵三遍。胜义菩提心的生起,是依靠观修特征的力量而获得的,不依赖于仪轨,这是智者们的观点。如是念诵三遍之后,自身即成为菩萨。人的生命变得有意义,成为包括天人在内的供养之对境。断绝了因业力而堕入恶趣之门。从安乐走向安乐,前往天界。成办广大利他之事。成为一切佛的儿子。想到迅速获得菩提,便赞叹并生起欢喜。这是第七十三条引导。之后,思维学处,分为发心和行持两种,首先思维发心的学处,即自他平等、交换、珍爱他人以及修持菩提心三种。首先是:为了利益一切有情,思维自他平等,修持菩提心,生起菩提心后,如此思维:一切有情和我一样,都 желают快乐,不 желают痛苦。如果总是快乐和幸福,那该多好啊。然而,有情们却对善恶取舍之因无知,因此总是遭受痛苦,这真是可怜。愿没有快乐的有情们获得快乐,愿被痛苦折磨的有情们远离痛苦,愿快乐幸福的有情们

English

Procedure: I take refuge in the Sangha who will not turn back. Please accept me as a Bodhisattva. Please consider me, great Vajradhara Lamas, Buddhas, Bhagavat, and great Bodhisattvas who dwell on the great earth. Just as the Buddhas, the Bhagavat, and the Bodhisattvas who dwell on the great earth of the past generated the supreme Bodhicitta for the benefit of all sentient beings, so too, I, named..., from this time onwards, until I reach the essence of enlightenment, will generate great Bodhicitta for the benefit of all sentient beings. I will liberate those sentient beings who have not been liberated. I will free those who have not been freed. I will comfort those who have not been comforted. I will lead those who have not attained Nirvana to Nirvana. Repeat these words three times. The arising of ultimate Bodhicitta is obtained through the power of contemplating the characteristics, and does not depend on rituals, according to the wise. After reciting these three times, one becomes a Bodhisattva. Human life becomes meaningful, becoming an object of offering for gods and humans. The door to falling into the lower realms due to karma is cut off. One goes from happiness to happiness, to the realms of the gods. Great benefit for others is accomplished. One becomes the son of all Buddhas. Thinking of quickly attaining enlightenment, one praises and generates joy. This is the seventy-third instruction. Then, thinking about the precepts, there are two types: aspiration and engagement. First, thinking about the precepts of aspiration, there are three: equality of self and others, exchange, cherishing others, and cultivating Bodhicitta. First: For the benefit of all sentient beings, thinking of equality between self and others, cultivating Bodhicitta, and generating Bodhicitta, think like this: All sentient beings and I both desire happiness and do not desire suffering. How wonderful it would be if they were always happy and well. However, sentient beings are ignorant of the causes of virtue and vice, of what to accept and reject, and therefore always suffer. This is truly pitiful. May sentient beings who do not have happiness meet with happiness, may those who are tormented by suffering be free from suffering, may those who are happy and well

Chinese

永不分离。对有亲疏爱憎者,安住于无爱憎的舍心。所有众生都进入解脱道,恒常行持善法。我与一切有情迅速获得圆满正等觉,从内心深处以强烈的愿望修习之后,将一切法都不成立的空性稍微放松,以三轮清净回向。窍诀七十四。之后,自他交换菩提心,首先以慈悲心将一个众生观想在面前,将自己的安乐和美好,包括身体、受用和善根,全部毫不吝惜地施予他,像穿衣服一样,让他感到安乐和快乐。将他的一切痛苦都取过来,放在自己身上,对于痛苦感到欢喜并接受,就像换衣服一样。熟练时,呼气时将自己的善根施予众生,吸气时接受众生的痛苦并加以净化。就这样,从一个众生到所有众生之间,交替进行给予和接受,日夜精进努力,以加行、正行、后行三者圆满地修持。窍诀七十五。之后,珍爱他人的菩提心,像母亲疼爱独子一样修习。生起菩提心后,首先将一个容易生起慈悲心的有情,比如母亲,观想在面前,对于她的痛苦,自己以无法忍受的心情接受,并将自己的善根给予她,让她感到安乐。心想:我住在轮回中也可以,生病也可以,死亡也可以,遭受任何不幸也可以忍受,但她漂泊在轮回中受苦,我怎么能忍受呢?生起这种与众不同的慈爱之心。同样地,对一切众生修习,心想一切众生的重担都在我身上。无论是对我有利还是有害,从所见所闻的众生开始,到遍布虚空的一切众生,都以殊胜的菩提心来关照。修习之后,从无所缘的状态中回向。窍诀七十六。之后,进入的学处,

English

May we never be separated from them. May those with attachment and aversion towards loved ones abide in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion. May all enter the path of liberation, constantly engaging in virtuous Dharma. With a strong aspiration from the depths of my heart, may I and all sentient beings swiftly attain complete enlightenment. After meditating in this way, release for a moment into the emptiness where all phenomena are unestablished, and dedicate with the purity of the three spheres. Seventy-fourth instruction. Then, the mind of exchanging self and others, bodhicitta: First, with a compassionate heart, visualize one being in front of you. Generously offer all your happiness and goodness, including your body, possessions, and roots of virtue, to that being as if clothing them, so that they become happy and joyful. Take all their suffering upon yourself, placing it on yourself, and rejoice in suffering and hardship, accepting it as if changing clothes. When you are skilled, exhale, giving your virtue to sentient beings; inhale, taking on the suffering of sentient beings and purifying it. In this way, practice giving and taking alternately from one sentient being to all, exerting extra effort day and night, and cultivate it with the completeness of the three aspects: preliminary, main practice, and conclusion. Seventy-fifth instruction. Then, the bodhicitta of cherishing others: Meditate as a mother cherishes her only child. After generating bodhicitta, first visualize a sentient being who easily evokes compassion, such as your mother, in front of you. With unbearable sorrow, take on their suffering and give them your virtue, thinking that they will be happy. Think, "I can remain in samsara, I can be sick, I can die, I can endure any misfortune, but how can I bear for this being to wander in samsara and suffer?" Generate this extraordinary loving-kindness. Likewise, meditate on all sentient beings, thinking that the burden of all sentient beings is on me. Whether they are beneficial or harmful to me, from the sentient beings I see and hear, to all sentient beings pervading the sky, regard them with supreme bodhicitta. After the session, dedicate from a state of non-fixation. Seventy-sixth instruction. Then, the training of entering the pāramitās:

Chinese

六度中,第一布施度是:我为了众生的利益而行布施,这样发心后,对众生的境,实际能做到财物和法的布施,心中布施身体、受用和善根等,以实际和心中行布施、圆满布施和极圆满布施这三种。对三宝,尽力供养,以禅定在心中供养。对鬼神布施食子和水,在无所缘的状态中回向。这是第七十七个引导诀。然后是持戒度,分为体性和差别两种学处,第一是:舍弃恶行的心,以善约束自相续,发心后,如果是出家的菩萨,以前声闻乘所受的戒律要认真守护,在忏悔和依止对治力的基础上,守护愿行菩提心,再三以仪轨受持。如果是居士,也要修学菩萨戒,二者都要守护各自的相续,利益他人,再三以仪轨受持,之后在无所缘的状态中回向。这是第七十八个引导诀。然后是差别学处,分为两种,第一方面,在清净的日常行为中,菩萨进入房间时,要发心愿一切众生都能获得解脱之城。睡觉时,愿获得佛的法身。做梦时,愿证悟一切法如梦。系腰带时,愿与善根相连。坐在垫子上时,愿获得金刚座。点火时,愿焚烧烦恼的薪柴。燃烧时,愿智慧之火燃烧。饭菜做好时,愿获得智慧的甘露。吃饭时,愿获得禅定的食物。外出时,愿从轮回的城市中解脱。下楼梯时,愿为了众生的利益而进入轮回。开门时,愿解脱之

English

Among the six perfections, the first, the perfection of generosity, is: Having generated the mind with the thought, 'I will give generosity for the sake of sentient beings,' actually giving material and Dharma gifts to the objects of sentient beings as much as possible, and mentally giving the body, resources, and roots of virtue, etc., performing the three types of giving—giving, complete giving, and exceedingly complete giving—in actuality and in mind. Making offerings to the Three Jewels as much as possible, and offering with meditative concentration in the mind. Giving torma and water to spirits and pretas, and dedicating the merit in a state of non-objectification. This is the seventy-seventh instruction. Then, the perfection of discipline, which has two aspects: the essence and the distinction. The first is: Restraining one's own mind-stream with virtue, abandoning misdeeds. Having generated the mind, if one is an ordained Bodhisattva, one should diligently maintain the vows taken in the past in the Hearer vehicle, and on the basis of confession and reliance on remedies, protect the aspiring and engaging Bodhicitta, and repeatedly take the vows through rituals. If one is a householder, one should also train in the Bodhisattva vows. Both should restrain their own mind-streams, benefit others, repeatedly take the vows through rituals, and afterwards dedicate the merit in a state of non-objectification. This is the seventy-eighth instruction. Then, the distinction in training, which has two aspects. The first aspect: In the largely pure conduct, when a Bodhisattva enters a room, one should generate the mind with the thought, 'May all sentient beings attain the city of liberation.' When sleeping, 'May I attain the Dharmakaya of the Buddha.' When dreaming, 'May I realize all phenomena to be like dreams.' When tying a belt, 'May I be connected with the roots of virtue.' When sitting on a cushion, 'May I attain the Vajra seat.' When lighting a fire, 'May I burn the firewood of afflictions.' When it is burning, 'May the fire of wisdom blaze.' When the food is cooked, 'May I attain the nectar of wisdom.' When eating food, 'May I attain the food of meditative concentration.' When going out, 'May I be liberated from the city of samsara.' When descending the stairs, 'May I enter samsara for the benefit of sentient beings.' When opening a door, 'May the door of liberation'