The Practice of the Three Jewels’ Advice
Composed by Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa
OM, may happiness and goodness arise.
The Practice of the Three Unsurpassable Jewels’ Advice:
Respectfully I go for refuge at the lotus feet of the reverend guru, Manjushri.
To those who, through steadfast faith, follow after the Conqueror and,
Through thorough engagement in not inferior analysis,
Wish to take the essence of the Able One’s speech,
I will proclaim the yoga of three jewels’ advice. (1)
The Giver, Manjushri, who by just fragments of
The droplets of your compassion entering one’s mind,
Effortlessly bestows supreme words.
To you I bow. Please act that our hopes bear fruit. (2)
The pleasures of samsara fluctuate like a dance of lightening.
Like a rushing waterfall, youth does not remain.
If, having realized this, a few wise ones wonder,
How can one train in the topics of knowledge;
Analysis which distinguishes the subtle paths of reasoning,
Practice to which the scriptural systems appear as advice,
The glory of speech skilled in the way of composition
On this ground the three kinds of jewels appear. (3-4)
As for these, they are very rare and satisfy desires;
Because they increase marvellous joy,
They are renowned among all the wise as “jewels”.
For pleasing the minds of the wise, there are no other jewels. (4)
If one has not repeatedly cleansed the stains of the mind’s eye,
With the paths of reasoning which have come well, like streams of nectar,
From the Arya father and son 1, leaders among [philosophical] 2 proponents,
And from Dignaga and Dharmakirti, who defeat proponents of false views,
What need is there to speak of seeing the very profound nature;
If one analyzes even the course meaning of scriptural passages,
Mostly wrong concepts will increase.
Even if one holds merely correct thesis,
Although searching for certainty, since by the power of the valid cognition
Of proofs and refutations, one cannot overcome doubt,
Becoming like a stake stuck in mud, 3
One will not be able to firmly establish pure imprints. (6-8)
This being so, although you thoroughly study the two scriptures of reasoning, 4
Like one who desires to go east, travelling west, and
Like a hungry ghost, burned by moonlight’s touch,
Through the power of your mind’s eye being polluted again and again
By wrong concepts, which are based on the scriptures of reasoning themselves,
Henceforth all virtue and goodness is destroyed, [and] for a long time
Causes for turning away from the correct view
Will greatly solidify, accumulate, and appear in abundance. (9-10)
Therefore, until one’s intelligence becomes subtle, learned,
And like a tip of kusha grass 5,
Without being easily satisfied, rely on a friend
Learned in the textual systems of reasoning and train well. (11)
Like that, with the mind’s eye thoroughly opened, you will find the intent,
The profound meaning of the supreme vehicle,
According to the two systems, Cognition Only 6 and
Naturelessness 7, spoken by the Conqueror. (12)
After that, having trained in all the many stainless texts
By the unconquerable, the supreme dharma holder, Nagarjuna,
Asanga, Vasubandhu and other openers of chariot ways,
All those who through extensive instruction, from the beginning,
From right now, until the Buddha-ground,
Understand the well explained profound instructions, and by that
All the Buddha’s holly speech and commentaries on its intent
Appear to them as supreme advice, are called scholars. (13-14)
The rest are like the recitations of a parrot,
A waterless well, and the butter lamp of a painting.
If one asks why, all the supreme among scholars [will say ]
All scriptures are composed in order to understand how to practice. (15)
Alas, the two aims of the nine types of beings 8 cannot be accomplished.
Without relying on pure scriptural systems.
Although relying on those, if one passes (one’s life) being intent on mere sounds,
What could be more deceptive than that? (16)
Like some swept away by water who have died of thirst,
Those who though having listened much are bereft of dharma,
Err due to the scriptural systems not appearing as advice.
Therefore, whatever was taught, cherish its appearance as advice. (17)
Like that, where one has not erred in any of the meaning’s points,
If the composition is inferior, it is a minor flaw indeed.
Nevertheless, the Conqueror himself praised excellent speech saying,
“Good meanings and good syllables.”
Like a fine, very white house
Stroked by the light of “Cooling Rays” 9
Good meanings too, when by captivating phrases
Embellished, become much more beautiful. (18-19)
The styles of metered verse, called pritta and dzati, 10
Which were established by Mar-ser-jen and Gyal-wai-lha 11
Do not have an equivalent in Tibetan language. However,
If to the body of works combining both verse and prose,
The methods of composition, which embellish
With the beautifying ornaments of meanings, words, and so forth,
Are well applied, as in scriptures of poetry,
It will increase joy in all the clear minded. (20-21)
Like that, if all three kinds of jewels are not conjoined with [reliance on]
The sacred root, a virtuous friend of the supreme vehicle,
Although during many lives and through hundreds of difficulties one may strive,
This will not give rise to realizations.
Since if embraced by that friend, then in just one lifetime
Ascertainments will be bestowed with ease,
Throughout all rebirths strive at the methods for
Being compassionately cared for and embraced by the sacred spiritual friend. (22-23)
By the merit which has arisen from striving
At this practice of the jewel advice,
The supreme entryway for the intelligent who desire liberation,
May all transmigrators not be bereft of the sacred protector, a spiritual friend. (24)
Having relied on that [friend], may the mind’s eye be purified,
The Conqueror’s excellent doctrine be realized as it is,
As soon as it is realized be put into practice and
In that way may there be no obstacles to accomplishment. (25)
Through loving those without realizations, in the beginning,
By engaging them with material things, gladden them; and at the end,
By speaking beautifully, with noble meaning and eloquent words,
By encouraging, may you establish them in excellent behaviour. (26)
Colophon: This work called, The Practice of the Three Unsurpassed Jewels’ Advice, was composed by the learned monk and renunciate, the easterner Tsong-kha-pa Lo-sang-drak-pay-pal (Blo-bzang-grags-pa’i-dpal) at Trok Ri-wo che Ge-den Nam-par-gyal-wai Ling (i.e. The Great Mountain Solitude, the Land Possessing Virtue which is Utterly Victorious). 12 The scribe was Ka-shi Rin-chen-pal. By this may it be possible for the precious teachings to spread in all directions.
Translators’ Colophon: This translation was made by Shakyamuni’s bhikshu, tenzin legtsok, under the guidance of Khangser Rinpoche at Sera Jey Monastery, South India, in 2013.
Notes
1. i.e. Nagarjuna and Aryadeva
2. All words in square brackets have been added by the translator for the sake of clarity where deemed necessary.
3. Here the Tibetan phur pa refers to a wooden stake to which domestic animals are bound by a rope running around their necks. If merely stuck in mud, instead of firm ground, the stake can easily be pulled out by the animal.
4. This refers to two lineages of scripture emphasising proof of their assertions by arguments based on valid reasoning. One comes from the protector Nagarjuna and his spiritual sons, and the other from the masters Dignaga and Dharmakirti.
5. The tip of a reed of kusha grass tapers to a very fine point. According to Drakpa Shedrub’s (Grags pa bShad sGrub 1675 -1749) commentary on The Practice of the Three Jewels’ Advice (see his collected works Vol. nya p. 297) this is a metaphor for one’s intelligence becoming sharp.
6. This refers to the Cittamatra or Mind Only School from within the four schools of Buddhist tenets.
7. This refers to the Madyamika or Middle Way School.
8. Beings from each of the three realms, the desire, form and formless realms, take rebirth into one of the three realms. Hence, the three types of beings each divided into three according to where they take rebirth makes nine types of beings.
9. “Cooling Rays” or “Cooling Light” are poetic epithets for the moon.
10. According to Drakpa Shedrup these are two styles of composition in Sanskrit. “Pritta” is apparently a type of metered
11. Again, as per Drakpa Shedrup’s commentary, these are two famous ancient Indian authors of texts on methods for composition and poetics in the Sanskrit language.
12. This is an epithet for Ganden Monastery which was founded by Je Tsong-kha-pa (1357-1419).