On to Lines of
Experience Verse 15
After death, you have no assurance that you can avoid being reborn into one
of the three unfortunate states of rebirth (24).
Nevertheless, it is certain that the Three Jewels of Refuge have the power to
protect you from the fearfulness of these lower realms. For this reason, your
belief in taking refuge should be firm, and you should never let your
commitments from having taken refuge become lax. Your success in doing this
depends on properly fulfilling what is to be practiced and avoided. This you
will be able to do by thinking thoroughly about the white and black types of
karmic cause and effect. (25)
I, who actually have traveled a true path that leads to Enlightenment, have
had the experience of doing just that. If you would also seek Liberation, please
cultivate yourself in the same way.
The basis most conducive for successful practice of the Mahayana path is an
ideal human body (fully endowed with the eight favorable qualities (26) for
Dharma study and practice which are the ripened fruits of previously committed
virtuous actions.) Because your practice will not advance by the fullest strides
unless you obtain such a body, you should practice those virtuous actions that
will cause you (to be reborn with this ideal form.) Likewise, it is very
important to make a great effort to remove from the gateways of your body,
speech, and mind the karmic obstacles that might prevent such a rebirth. As
these three gateways have become polluted with the foul odor of the unripened
consequences of your previously committed non-virtuous actions (27) and of
your breaches of vowed moral conduct, you should always have great respect and
esteem for the four opponent powers (28) (which
can fully purge you of having to suffer these unripened consequences.)
I, who actually have traveled a true path that leads to Enlightenment, have
had the experience of doing just that. If you would also seek Liberation, please
cultivate yourself in the same way.
If you do not make an effort to think about the First Noble Truth of
suffering and that it is the unfortunate (consequence of your previously
committed non-virtuous actions), you will not become properly motivated to take
an interest in attaining Liberation from suffering (Nirvana). If you do not make
an effort to think about the Second Noble Truth concerning the causes for your
continued rebirth with suffering in samsara, you will not know the means for
cutting the root of samsara, (which is ignorance of Sunyata (29)).
Therefore you must depend upon developing a complete abhorrence for suffering
and having a pure renunciation of samsara (in order to become motivated to
attain Liberation.) Thus, it is very important for you to know precisely what
the factors are that bind you to samsara.
I, who actually have traveled a true path that leads to Enlightenment, have
had the experience of doing just that. If you would also seek Liberation, please
cultivate yourself in the same way.
The development of Bodhicitta is the framework upon which the Mahayana path
is built. It is the basis and foundation for great waves of the Enlightened
Conduct (30) of the
Bodhisattvas. (31)
Bodhicitta turns all accumulations of both good merit and meditational insight
into effective causes for the attainment of Buddhahood, just as the alchemists'
elixir turns all metals into gold. Thus Bodhicitta builds up a treasure of good
merit which it gathers from the accumulations of numberless meritorious deeds.
Because the brave Bodhisattvas, (who fear neither the obstacles to Liberation
nor to Omniscience,) know this, they hold this precious Bodhicitta as the heart
of their meditations.
I, who actually have traveled a true path that leads to Enlightenment, have
had the experience of doing just that. If you would also seek Liberation, please
cultivate yourself in the same way.
