Category: Mahabodhi Mission

From “Words Of My Perfect Teacher” ( A guide to the preliminaries for the “Heart-essence of the Vast Expanse” from the Great Perfection)
By: Patrul Rinpoche
Chapter 1 “The difficulty of finding the freedoms and advantages” herein outlined

I. The proper way to listen to spiritual teaching

The proper way to listen to spiritual teachings has two aspects: right attitude and right conduct.

1. Attitude

Right attitude combines…

(1.1) the vast attitude of the mind of enlightenment, bodhichitta,

While doing what is positive, whether of major or minor importance, apply the three supreme methods. Arouse skillful means of bodhichitta to ensure accumulation of positive merit, avoid conceptualization so merit is not destroyed by circumstance, seal action by dedicating accumulated merit.

(1.2) the vast skill in means of Secret Mantrayāna.

“The teacher is the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. The teacher is the one who accomplishes everything. The teacher is Glorious Vajradhara.”

“All beings are Buddhas, but this is concealed by adventitious stains. When their stains are purified their Buddhahood is revealed.”

2. Conduct

Right conduct is described in terms of what to avoid and what to do.

2.1 What to avoid

2.1.1 The three defects of the pot: listening but distracted (pot that leaks), listening without remembering (pot upside down), listening with wrong attitude (pot tainted) 

2.1.2 The six stains: pride, lack of faith and effort, outward distraction, inward tension,  discouragement

2.1.3 The five wrong ways of remembering: remembering the words but forgetting the meaning, remembering the meaning but forgetting the words, remembering but not understanding, remembering out of order, remembering incorrectly

2.2 What to do

2.2.1 The Four Metaphors: Think of yourself as someone who is sick, the Dharma as the remedy, of your spiritual friend as a skillful doctor, and as diligent practice as the way to recovery

2.2.2 The six transcendental perfections, the application of: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, wisdom

2.2.3 Other modes of conduct: all forms of disrespectful behavior should be avoided

II. An Explanation of how difficult it is to find the freedoms and advantages

The main subject of the chapter, explained in four sections

1. Reflect(ing) on the nature of freedom

In general, here, “freedom” means to have the opportunity to practice Dharma, not born in one of the eight states without that opportunity: 

“Being born in the hells, in the preta realm, as an animal, a long-lived god or barbarian, having wrong views, being born when there is no Buddha, or being born deaf and mute; these are the eight states without freedom .”

2. Reflect(ing) on the particular advantages related to Dharma

2.1 The five individual advantages

Reflect on the particular advantages of Dharma.

As Nārgājuna explains them, “Born a human, in a central place, with all one’s faculties, without conflicting lifestyle and with faith in the Dharma”

2.2 The five circumstantial advantages

“A Buddha has appeared and has preached the Dharma, His teachings still exist and can be followed, There are those who are kind-hearted towards others.”

2.3 The eight intrusive circumstances that leave no freedom to practice

2.4 The eight incompatible propensities that leave no freedom to practice.

3. Reflect(ing) on images that show how difficult it is to find the freedoms and advantages

”The Buddha declared that like a blind sea turtle that once every one- hundred years surfaces can perchance  place its head within a yoke adrift upon a shoreless sea, this human birth is more difficult to obtain.”

4. Reflect(ing) on numerical comparisons

…

Human life is called a “precious human life” only when it is complete with all aspects of the freedoms and advantages. These freedoms and advantages do not come by chance or coincidence. They are the result of an accumulation of merit and wisdom. This present life is the turning-point at which you can choose between lasting good or lasting evil. If you do not make use of it right now to seize the citadel of the absolute nature within this lifetime… it will be hard to obtain such freedom again.

“Although I have won these freedoms, I am poor in Dharma, which is their essence.

Although I have entered the Dharma, I waste time doing other things.

Bless me and foolish beings like me
That we may attain the very essence of the freedoms and advantages.”

“In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” –John 1:1

“The Gospel In Brief: The Life of Jesus” by Leo Tolstoy, a fusion of the four Gospels into one, according to the real sense of the teaching.”

Herein an outline thereof and synthesis of teaching therein.

Outline Thereof

Introduction: Knowledge of Life
1. The Son of God
2. God is Spirit
3. The Source of Knowledge
4. The Kingdom of God
5. True Life
6. False Life
7. The Father and I are One
8. Life Outside of Time
9. Temptations
10. The Struggle with Temptations
11. The Farewell Conversation
12. The Spirits Victory over the Flesh
Conclusion: The First Epistle of John the Evangelist

Synthesis Therein

Division of the teaching in the Gospel into the above twelve chapters (or six, since each pair of the twelve may be taken as one):

Jesus Christ’s proclamation replaced faith in an external God with a knowledge of [true] life:

1. Man, the son of God [infinite source], is powerless in the flesh and free in the spirit,
2. And therefore man should work not for the flesh, but for the spirit.
3. Every person’s life sprang from the spirit of the father [and is of divine source],
4. And therefore the will of the father [truth] is life [of reason] and goodness for all people.
5. The satisfaction of personal will [is not necessary for true life and] leads to death, the satisfaction of the father’s will favors true life,
6. And therefore, in order to receive true life, Man must renounce the false mortal life on earth and live by the spirit.
7. The true food of everlasting life is the fulfillment of the father’s will and communion with him [mortal life is food for true life],
8. And therefore only life in the present is true life [outside of time].
9. The illusions of temporal life conceal from people the true life of the present,
10. And therefore, in order to not fall into temptation, one should be united with the father every hour of one’s life [and strive to destroy the deception of the temporal life of past and future].
11. Individual life is a delusion of the flesh. True life is [life outside the individual,] a common life for all people [and is expressed in love],
12. And therefore, there can be no ill for the man within the father’s will, who lives in common with others and not his own individual life. The death of the flesh is unification with the father.

The Lord’s Prayer:

As Christ’s whole teaching, stated in most concise form,

Our Father	Man is the son of the Father
Which art in heaven	God is the infinite spiritual source of life
Hallowed be Thy name	May the Source of Life be held holy
Thy kingdom come	May His power be established over all men
Thy will be done, as in heaven	May His will be fulfilled, as it is in Himself
So also on earth	So also in the bodily life
Give us our daily bread	The temporal life is the food of the true life
This day	The true life is in the present
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors	May the faults and errors of the past not hide this true life from us
And lead us not into temptation	And may they not lead us into delusion
But deliver us from evil	So that no evil may come to us
For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory	And there shall be order, and strength, and reason

Select etymology:

spirit  Middle English “life, the animating or vital principle in man and animals,” from
esperit  Old French “spirit, soul” from
spīritus Latin, original meaning “breath, breathing” and hence “spirit, soul, courage, vigor,” “a breathing (of respiration, also of the wind), breath;” also “breath of a god,” hence “inspiration; breath of life,” hence life itself  from
*(s)peis Porto-Indo-European (PIE) root “to blow”

Compare with:
Lung (Tibetan: རླུང rlung) “wind or breath” and a key concept in the Vajrayana traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, a concept that is particularly important to understandings of the subtle body and the trikaya (body, speech and mind).

The distinction between “soul” (that which gives life to body) and “spirit” (that which transcends the body) mirrors that between “psykhē” and “pneuma” in Classical Greek:
psykhē  “cold air”, hence “breath of life” and “soul” from PIE root *bhes- “to breathe”
pneuma “breath, motile air, spirit” from verb pnéō  “to breathe”.

God  Old English “supreme being, deity” from
*guthan Proto-Germanic (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch god, Old High German got, German Gott, Old Norse guð, Gothic guþ) of uncertain origin; perhaps from
*ghut- PIE “that which is invoked” (source also of Old Church Slavonic zovo “to call,” Sanskrit huta-“invoked,” an epithet of Indra), from
*gheu(e)- PIE “root “to call, invoke”

Word Old English “speech, talk, utterance, sentence, statement, news, report, word,” from
*wurda- Proto-Germanic  (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian word, Dutch woord, Old High German, German wort, Old Norse orð, Gothic waurd), from
*were- PIE “speak, say”

Logos “the divine Word, second person of the Christian Trinity,” from
logos Greek “word, speech, statement, discourse,” also “a computation, account,” also “reason, judgment, understanding,” from
*log-o- PIE suffixed form of root *leg- “to collect, gather,” with derivatives meaning “to speak,” on notion of “to pick out words”

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

From “Bodhisattvacharyavatara” (A Guide to the Boddhisattava’s Way of Life)
By: Shantideva
Chapter 8 “Meditation” herein abridged with editorial subheadings.

H.H The Dalai Lama, “To strengthen our practice, it is necessary to develop one-pointed concentration of the mind…. Lack of concentration prevents us from keeping our minds focused on the object of meditation… In brief, meditation is a way for training and transforming the mind.”

Calm abiding

1: I should place my mind in concentration:
For the person who’s mind is distracted
Dwells between fangs of disturbing conceptions.

2,3: Through solitude of body and mind
No distractions will occur:
I should forsake the worldly life,
And completely discard distorted conceptions.
I should entirely forsake attachments and cravings
For this is the way of the wise.

4: Having understood that disturbing conceptions are completely overcome
By superior insight endowed with calm abiding,
First of all, I should search for calm abiding,
This is achieved through the genuine joy of those unattached to worldly life.

82,83: The objects of desire will certainly perish,
[Wherein enlightenment]  is attained
With just one millionth of the difficulty
Involved in continually exhausting myself
For the sake of what is not great.

85: Having in this way developed disillusionment with desire,
Generate joy for solitude.
Devoid of disputes and disturbing conceptions.

87: Having abandoned the pain of clinging and guarding (possessions)
Abide, independent, free of care.

Equanimity (Awaking Mind)

89: Having in such ways as these
Thought about the excellence of solitude,
Completely pacify distorted conceptions
And meditate on the Awaking Mind.

90: Make an effort
To mediate upon the equality between self and others.
Intent on protecting all beings
As all are equal in (wanting) pleasure and (not wanting) pain.

110: Just as one protects themself
From unpleasant things however small,
In the same way act toward others
With a compassionate and caring mind.

120:  Thus whoever wishes to quickly afford protection
To both self and other beings
Should practice the holy secret:
The exchanging of self for others.

129:  Whatever joy there is in this world
All comes from desiring others to be happy,
And whatever suffering there is in the world
All come from selfish desires.

165: In brief, for the sake of all living creatures,
May all harms
I have selfishly caused to others
Descend upon myself.

Renunciation

178:  In the end this body will turn to dust;
Why do I grasp this unbearable
And unclean form as “I”?

184: Therefore, in order to benefit all beings
I shall give up this body without any attachment.
Although it may have many faults,
I should look after it while experiencing (the results of my previous) actions.

186: Just like the compassionate Children of the Conqueror,
I shall patiently accept what I must do;
For if I do not make a constant effort day and night,
When will misery ever come to an end?

187: Therefore, in order to dispel the obstructions,
I shall withdraw my mind from mistaken ways
And constantly place it in equipoise
Upon the perfect object.

HÜM

A Tibetan syllable that symbolizes the nature, attributes, and power of Buddha-mind.

The five parts of the syllable represent the five Transcendent Awarenesses of Buddha-mind:

1. awareness of all-perfected emptiness
2. mirror-like awareness
3. awareness of spontaneously arisen compassion
4. finely distinguishing, astute awareness 
5. awareness of equanimity

The Ornament of Clear Realization
Skt. Abhisamayalankara-prajnaparmita-upadesha-shastra

A commentary (shastra) on the Prajnaparmita Sutras of the Maitreya Buddha by Thrangu Rinpoche Geshe Lharampa. 

[Herein] a Summary of the Topics with Their Tibetan Names

Topics: I-III concern Wisdom; IV-VII concern Method; VIII concerns Attainment. 

1. I. The Knowledge of All Phenomena rnam pa tham cad mkhyen pa  
   1. A. Bodhicitta sems bskyed [1st condition]
      1. 1. Its Characteristics mtshan-nyid
      2. 2. Its Categories dbye ba
   2. B. Practice instructions gdams ngag [2nd condition]
      1. 1. Practice sgrub pa
      2. 2. The truths bdan pa rnams
      3. 3. The three jewels dkon mchog gsum
         The Three Types of Diligence brston ‘ grus ram pa gsum
      4. 4. Overcoming harmful activities ma zhen pa
      5. 5. Overcoming spiritual fatigue yongs su mi ngal ba
      6. 6. Overcoming faintheartedness lam yongs su ‘ dzin pa
      7. 7. The five kinds of visions spyan Inga
      8. 8. The six clear cognitions mngon shes drug
      9. 9. The path of insight mthong lam
      10. 10. The path of cultivation som lam
   3. C. The four stages of separation [3rd condition] (Path of Junction) nges ‘byed yan lag rnam pa bzhi
      1. 1. Warming drod
      2. 2. Peak rtse mo
      3. 3. Forbearance bod pa
      4. 4. Highest worldly dharma ‘jig rten chos mchog
   4. D. Buddha-nature, the basis for our practice [4 condition] sgrub pati rten rang bzhin gnas rigs
      1. 1-6. The six dharmas of realization rtogs pati chos drug
      2. 7. Achieving remedies gnyen po’i sgrub pa
      3. 8. Achieving abandoning spong ba’ isgrub pa
      4. 9. Achieving completions of two bde sdug yongs su gtugs pa’ i sgrub pa
      5. 10. Achieving wisdom with compassion shes rab snying rtser beas pa’ i sgrub pa
      6. 11. Achieving extraordinary disciples slob ma thun mong min pa’ i sgrub pa
      7. 12. Gradually achieving benefit of others gzhan don du rim pa byed pa’i sgrub pa
      8. 13. Achieving jnana without effort ve shes rtsol ba mi mngat bar ‘jug pati sgrub pa
   5. E. The Objects of Focus dmigs pa [5th condition]
      1. 1. Virtue dge ba
      2. 2. Non-virtue mi dge ba
      3. 3. Neutral actions lung ma bstan
      4. 4. Worldly understanding ‘jig rten pa’ i rtogs pa
      5. 5. Transcendental understanding jigs rten las ‘ das pa’ i riogs pa
      6. 6. Tainted phenomena zag beas kyi chos
      7. 7. Untainted phenomena zag pa med pa’ i chos
      8. 8. Created phenomena ‘ dus byas kyi chos
      9. 9. Uncreated phenomena ‘ dus ma byas kyi chos
      10. 10. Ordinary phenomena thun mong ba’ i chos
      11. 11. Uncommon phenomena thun mong ma yin pa’ i chos
   6. F. The Purpose ched du bya ba [6th condition]
      1. 1. Great mind sems chen po
      2. 2. Great abandoning spong ba chen po
      3. 3. Great realization rtogs pa chen po
   7. G. Armor-like Practice go cha’i serub pa [7th condition]
      1. 1. Generosity sbyin pa
      2. 2. Discipline tshul khrims
      3. 3. Patience brod pa
      4. 4. Diligence brtson ‘gurs
      5. 5. Meditation bsam gtan
      6. 6. Wisdom shes rab
   8. H. Applied Practice ‘jug pa’ i sgrub pa [8th condition]
      1. 1. Formless meditations bsam gtan gzugs med
      2. 2. Six Paramitas phar phyin drug
      3. 3. Paths Lam
      4. 4. Four limitless meditations tshad med bzhi
      5. 5. Having no object dmigs pa med pa dang Idan pa
      6. 6. Purity of the three circles ‘klor gsum
      7. 7. Purposefulness ched du bya ba
      8. 8. Six clear cognitions
      9. 9. Knowledge of all phenomena rnam pa thams cad mkhyen pa
   9. I. The Practice of Accumulation ishogs kyi sgrub pa [9th condition]
      1. 1. Great compassion snying rje chen po
      2. 2. Giving sbyin pa
      3. 3. Discipline tshul khrims
      4. 4. Patience bod pa
      5. 5. Diligence brtson ‘grus
      6. 6. Meditation bsam gtan
      7. 7. Wisdom shes rab
      8. 8. Tranquillity zhi gnas
      9. 9. Insight lhag mthong
      10. 10. The path of combining the two zung du ‘brel ba’ i lam
      11. 11. Skillful means thabs mkhas
      12. 12. Jnana ve shes
      13. 13. Merit bsod nams
      14. 14 Paths lam
      15. 15. Dharani gzungs
      16. 16. Bodhisattva levels sa
      17. 17. Remedies gnyen po
   10. J. The Practice of Certain Release nges par ‘byung ba [10th condition]
       1. 1. Purposefulness ched du bya ba
       2. 2. Sameness mnyam pa nyid
       3. 3. Accomplishing the benefit of beings sems can don sgrub
       4. 4. Effortless, spontaneous accomplishment bad med lhun gyis grub pa
       5. 5. Transcending eternalishm and annihilism rtag chad kyi mtha’ las ‘ das pa
       6. 6. Achieving meaning of the three vehicles theg pa gsum gyi don thob pa
       7. 7. Knowledge of all phenomena rnam pa thams cad mkhyen pa
       8. 8. Being in possession of the paths lam gyi yul can
2. II. Knowledge of the Path lam shes pa
   1. A. The Foundation of the Path lam gyi rten
      1. 1. Removing pride mog mog par byed pa
      2. 2. Certainty of the Object vul nges pa
      3. 3. Encompassing skyob pa
      4. 4. Nature rang bzhin
      5. 5. The functions (of the preceding) de yi las
   2. B. Knowledge of the shravaka path nyan thos kyi lam shes pa
   3. C. Knowledge of the pratyekauddha path bse rlu rang sangs rgyas kyi lam shes
   4. D. The path of insight of the Mahayana the chen mthong lam
   5. E. Functions of the Mahayana path of cultivation theg chen gyi sgom lam gyi byed pa
      1. 1. Complete pacification Ihun nas zhi’ ba
      2. 2. Respect for all beings skye bo thams cad la ‘ dud pa
      3. 3. Victory over the defilements nyon mongs pati gyul las rgyal ba
      4. 4. Not being subdued by negative influences god pas brazi ba med pa
   6. F. Aspiration of the Mahayana path of cultivation theg chen gyi mos pa sgom lam
      1. 1. One’s own benefit rang don
      2. 2. The benefit of others gnyis don
      3. 3. The benefit of others gzhan don
   7. G. Three kinds praise on path of cultivation bstod bkur bsngags gsum gyi gsom lam
   8. H. Dedication on the path of cultivation bsngo ba sgom lam
      1. 1. Special dedication bsngo ba khyad par can
      2. 2. Endowed with the non-objectifying aspect mi dmigs pa’i rnam pa can
      3. 3. Having the unerring characteristic bro phyin ci ma log pa ‘i mtshan nyid can
      4. 4. Isolated dben pa
      5. 5. Being mindful of nature of budddhas sang rgyas kyi rang bhin dran pa
      6. 6. Accompanied by skillful means thabs mkhas dang bas pa
      7. 7. No characteristics mtshan ma med pa
      8. 8. Pleasing to the buddhas sangs rgyas kyi rjes su yi rang ba
      9. 9. Not belonging to the three realms khams gsum du ma giogs pa
      10. 10-12. Lesser, middle, great dedication bsngo ba chung ‘bring che gsum
   9. I. Rejoicing on the path of cultivation rjes su yi rang ba’i sgom lam
   10. J. The achievement on the path of cultivation grub pa sgom lam
   11. K. The purification on the path of cultivation ram dag sgom lam
       1. 1. Causes rgyu
          1. a. Conducive causes skye ba’i rgyu
          2. b. Obstructing causes mi skye ba’i rgyu
       2. 2. Purification itself rnam dag angos
3. III. Knowledge of the Foundation gzhi shes pa
   1. A. Not remaining in samsara because of wisdom shes rab gyis srid pa la mi gnas pa
   2. B. Not remaining in peace because of compassion snying rjes zhi ba la mi gnas pa
   3. C. Remotness because of not being the skillful means thabs ma yin pas ring ba
   4. D. Not being remote because of being the skillful means thabs kyis ring ba ma yin nyid
   5. E. Unfavorable things mi mthun phyogs
   6. F. Remedying forces gnyen po’i phyogs
   7. G. Application sbyor ba
      1. 1. The basis of characteristics form and so on khyad gzhi gzugs sogs
      2. 2. The characteristics such as impermanence khvad chos mi rtag sogs
      3. 3. Whether it is the support of qualities on tan gyi rten. du mardzogs pa dang rab tu rdzogs pa
      4. 4. All one does spyod pa
   8. H. The equality of this de yi mnyam nyid
   9. I. The path of insight of hearers and so on nan thos la sogs mthong bati lam
      1. 1. The truth of suffering sdug bsngal gyi bden pa
         1. a. Impermanence mi rtag pa
         2. b. Suffering sdug bsngal ba
         3. c. Emptiness rang bzhin stong pa
         4. d. Selflessness bdag med pa
      2. 2. The truth of origination kun ‘byung gi bden pa
         1. a. Cause rgyu
         2. b. The origin of all kun’byung
         3. c. Thorough development rab rgyas
         4. d. Condition rkyen
      3. 3. The truth of cessation ‘gog pa’i bden pa
         1. a. Cessation ‘gog pa
         2. b. Peace zhi ba
         3. c. Excellence gya nom
         4. d. Definite emergence nges ‘byung
      4. 4. The truth of the path Lam gyi bden pa
         1. a. The path lam
         2. b. Intelligence rig pa
         3. c. Accomplishment sgrub pa
         4. d. Definitive emergence nges ‘byin
4. IV. The Application of Realization of All Aspects
   1. A. Aspects rnam pa
   2. B. Application of practice sbyor ba
      1. 1. The practitioner sbyor ba po’i gang zag
         1. a. Vessel for hearing nyan pa’ snod
         2. b. Vessel for adoption len pa ‘i snod
         3. c. Vessel for integration ‘dzin pa’i snod
      2. 2. The actual practice sbyor ba dngos
   3. C. The qualities yon tan
   4. D. The faults skyon
   5. E. The characteristics of Prajnaparamita mtshan nyid
      1. 1. Nature ngo bo nyid
      2. 2. Superiority khyad par
      3. 3. Knowledge shes pa
      4. 4. Function byed las
   6. F. In agreement with liberation thar pa cha mthun
      1. 1. Essence ngo bo
      2. 2. Qualities needed dgos pa’i yon tan
         1. a. Faith dad pa
         2. b. Diligence brtson ‘grus
         3. c. The very best attitude bsam pa phun sum tshogs pa
         4. d. Nonconceptual samadhi rnam par mi rtog pa’i ting nge tdzin
         5. e. Wisdom which knows the nature of everything chos rams rnam pa thams cad du shes pa’i shes rab
   7. G. In agreement with definite emerging nges ‘byed cha mthun
      1. 1. Equality in a loving attitude byams sems la mnyam pa
      2. 2. Equality in wishing to benefit phan sems la mnyam pa
      3. 3. Equality of mind in having no hatred khong khro ba med pa’i sems la mnyam pa
      4. 4. Equality in doing no harm rnam par ‘the ba med pa’i mnyam pa
      5. 5. Equality in no harsh speech tshig rtsub mi smra ba’i mnyam pa
      6. 6. Regarding beings as fathers and mothers pha dang ma’i sems
      7. 7. Regarding beings as brothers and sisters spun dang srin mo’i sems
      8. 8. Regarding beings as sons and daughters bu dang bu mo ‘i sems
      9. 9. Regarding beings as relatives and friends bshes dang grogs kyi sems
      10. 10. Regarding beings as kin gnyen dang snag gi sems
   8. H. Irreversible paths phyir mi ldog pa ‘i lam
   9. I. The Application of equality of existence and peace srid zhi mnyam nyid kyi sbyor ba
   10. J. The application of purifying zhing dag sbyor ba
   11. K. The application of skillful means thabs mkhas sbvor ba
5. V. Application when reaching the peak rtse mor phyin pa’ i sbyor ba
   1. A. The application of the signs of the peak rtse mo’ i sbyor ba’ i rtags
   2. B. Increase in merit bod nams ram par phel ba
   3. C. Stability brtan pa
   4. D. Perfect abiding of mind sems kun tu gnas pa
   5. E. The application of the peak of the path of insight mthong lam rtse sbyor
      1. 1. That to be removed spang bya
         1. a. Concept of object bung ba’ i rnam par rtog pa
         2. b. Concept of a perceiver ‘din pa’ i rnam par rtog pa
      2. 2. Application of the summit of path of insight mthong lam rtse sbyor dngos
   6. F. The application of the summit of the path of cultivation gsom lam rtse sbyor
   7. G. The application of peak of absence of obstacles bar chad med pa’ i rtse sbyor
   8. H. Mistaken concepts which are removed bsal bya log rtog
6. VI. Gradual Application of the Bodhisattva Path mthar gyis pa’¡ sbyor ba
   1. A-F. The six paramitas phar phyin drug
   2. G. The recollection of the Buddha sangs rgyas rjes su dran pa
   3. H. The recollection of the dharma chos rjes su dran pa
   4. I. The recollection of the sangha dge” dun rjes su dran pa
   5. J. The recollection of the right conduct tshul khrims rjes su dran pa
   6. K. The recollection of giving gtong ba rjes su dran pa
   7. L. The recollection of the divine state lha rjes su dran pa
   8. M. The true nature of phenomena chos thams cad kyi gnas lugs
7. VII. Instantaneous Application skad cig mati sbyor ba
   1. A. Showing the accumulation of merit bsod nams kyi tshogs bstan pa
   2. B. Showing the accumulation of wisdom ve shes kyi tshogs bstan pa
   3. C. Showing the simultaneity of the two accumulations tshogs gnyis zung ‘jug tu bstan pa
   4. D. Showing the simultaneity of how things are and how they appear gnas tshul dang snang tshul zung ‘jug tu bstan pa
8. VIII. The dharmakaya chos sku
   1. A. Svabhavikakaya ngo bo nyid sku
   2. B. Janadharmakaya ve shes chos sku
   3. C. Sambhogakaya longs spyod rdzogs pa’i sku
        Possessing the five certainties nges pa Inga Idan
      1. 1. Certainty of place gnas nges pa
      2. 2. Certainty of form skunges pa
      3. 3. Certainty of teachings chos nges pa
      4. 4. Certainty of entourage ‘khor nges pa
      5. 5. Certainty of time dus nges pa
   4. D. Nirmanakaya sprul sku

From “Meditation on Emptiness”
by Jeffrey Hopkins (1983)
Chapters 3 and 4, herein summarized

Ch3. Meditation: Identifying Self

The five stages in meditation on emptiness… outline the progress of one newly developing the powers of meditation:

1. How a beginner develops experience with respect to the view of emptiness (herein)
2. How to cultivate a similitude of special insight based on a similitude of calm abiding
3. How to cultivate actual special insight based on actual calm abiding
4. How to cultivate direct cognition of emptiness
5. How to meditate on emptiness during the second stage of Highest Yoga Tantra

FIRST STAGE OF MEDITATION ON EMPTINESS

How a beginner develops experience with respect to the view of emptiness

The thee basic essentials in meditation:

1. identifying the object negated in the view of selflessness
2. ascertaining that selflessness follows from reason
3. and establishing the reason’s presence in the subject.

The initial object of meditation is the selflessness of the “I”. 

The reasoning used is the sevenfold reasoning as set forth by Chandrakīrti. 

1) Identify the object negated in theory of selflessness

[The] I appears at times to be physical and at times mental.

From “Manual of Instruction on the view”

“…The I does not appear to be just a nominal designation, but appears as if self-established. Through holding that the I exists the way it appears, you are bound in cyclic existence.”

The appearance of a concrete I [when] analyzed, [is] found to be non-existent, and overcome, resulting eventuality in a direct realization of emptiness which the subject, the wisdom consciousness, is merged with its object, emptiness, like fresh water poured into fresh water.

Ch 4: Meditative Investigation

2) Ascertaining the selflessness follows from reason

If the I exists the way it is conceived, then it must be either the same entity as the mental and physical aggregates or a different entity from those aggregates.

3) Establishing  the presence of the reason in the subject

The seven-fold reasoning, in brief and outlined:

“I do not inherently exist because of 1) not being the aggregates, 2) not being an entity other than the aggregates, 3) not being  the base of the aggregates, 4) not inherently being based on the aggregates, 5) not inherently possessing the aggregates, 6) not being just the composite of the aggregates, and 7) not being the shape of the aggregates.

1. Establishing that the I is not mind and body
   • “The I is not the aggregates because” just as the aggregates are many, so the selves would be many, just as the I is one, so the aggregates would be one
   • ””  the I would be produced and disintegrate just as the aggregates are
2. Establishing that the I is not different from mind and body
   • The I is not a separate entity from the aggregates because if it were,  the I would be apprehenable apart from the aggregates
3. Establishing that the I is not the base of mind and body
   • The I is not inherently the base of the mental and physical aggregates… because if it were, the I and the aggregates would be different entities (already refuted: 2)
4. Establishing that mind and body are not the base of I
   • Already similarly refuted (3)
5. Establishing that the I does not inherently possess mind and body
   • Already similarly refuted (1,2)
6. Establishing that the I is not the composite of mind and body
   • The I is not the composite of the aggregates because the composite of the aggregates does not inherently exist; if the composite of the aggregates were inherently one with the aggregates, the composite would be many like the aggregates, or the aggregates would be one like the composite
7. Establishing that the I is not the shape of the body
   • The shape of the body is physical, not conscious and does not inherently exist as it is composite

[The] I and body and mind can have none of these seven relationships. Therefore, the I does not exist as a concrete entity as it is perceived.