Padmasambhava - The Light of Wisdom, Volume I:

The Light of Wisdom

VOLUME I

RANGJUNG YESHE BOOKS WWW.RANGJUNG.COM

PADMASAMBHAVA Treasures from Juniper Ridge Advice from the Lotus-Born Dakini Teachings

PADMASAMBHAVA AND JAMGN KONGTRL The Light of Wisdom, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, & Vol. 5

YESHE TSOGYAL The Lotus-Born

DAKPO TASHI NAMGYAL Clarifying the Natural State

TSELE NATSOK RANGDRL Mirror of Mindfulness Empowerment Heart Lamp

CHOKGYUR LINGPA Ocean of Amrita The Great Gate Skillful Grace Great Accomplishment

TRAKTUNG DUDJOM LINGPA A Clear Mirror

JAMGN MIPHAM RINPOCHE Gateway to Knowledge, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, & Vol. 4

TULKU URGYEN RINPOCHE Blazing Splendor Rainbow Painting As It Is, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 Vajra Speech Repeating the Words of the Buddha

ADEU RINPOCHE Freedom in Bondage

KHENCHEN THRANGU RINPOCHE King of Samadhi

CHKYI NYIMA RINPOCHE Present Fresh Wakefulness

TULKU THONDUP Enlightened Living

ORGYEN TOBGYAL RINPOCHE Life & Teachings of Chokgyur Lingpa

DZIGAR KONGTRL RINPOCHE Uncommon Happiness

TSOKNYI RINPOCHE Fearless Simplicity Carefree Dignity

DZOGCHEN TRILOGY COMPILED BY MARCIA BINDER SCHMIDT Dzogchen Primer Dzogchen Essentials Quintessential Dzogchen

ERIK PEMA KUNSANG Wellsprings of the Great Perfection A Tibetan Buddhist Companion The Rangjung Yeshe Tibetan-English Dictionary of Buddhist Culture & Perfect Clarity

MARCIA DECHEN WANGMO Confessions of a Gypsy Yogini

The Light of Wisdom

VOLUME I

THE ROOT TEXT

Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo

by Padmasambhava

as recorded by Yeshe Tsogyal, and revealed

and decoded by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

and Chokgyur Lingpa

THE COMMENTARY

The Light of Wisdom

by Jamgn Kongtrl the First

THE NOTES

Entering The Path of Wisdom

by Jamyang Drakpa

as recorded by Jokyab Rinpoche

SUPPLEMENTED WITH CLARIFYING REMARKS BY

Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse

and Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

TRANSLATED FROM THE TIBETAN ACCORDING TO THE TEACHINGS OF

Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

by Erik Pema Kunsang

Rangjung Yeshe Boudhanath, Hong Kong & Esby 1999

RANGJUNG YESHE PUBLICATIONS

125 Robinson Road, flat 6A

Hong Kong

Address letters to:

Rangjung Yeshe Publications

P.O. Box 1200,

Kathmandu, Nepal

Copyright 1999 Erik Hein Schmidt

First edition published 1995 by Shambhala Publications

on recycled acid-free paper

3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Special discount is given for classroom use.

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PUBLICATION DATA:

The root text, Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, by Padmasambhava, as recorded by Yeshe Tsogyal, and revealed and decoded by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Chokgyur Lingpa. The commentary, The Light of Wisdom, by Jamgn Kongtriil the First. The notes, Entering The Path of Wisdom, by Jamyang Drakpa, as recorded by Jokyab Rinpoche. Supplemented with clarifying remarks by Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse and Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.

Translated from the Tibetan according to the teachings of Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche by Erik Perna Kunsang (Erik Hein Schmidt).

Edited by Marcia Binder Schmidt.

The Root Text:

bla mai thugs sgrub rdo rje drag rtsallas zhal gdams lam rim ye shes snying po pad rna sam bhai snying thig go.

The Commentary:

bla mai thugs sgrub rdo rje drag rtsallas, zhal gdams lam rim ye shes snying poi grel pa ye shes snang ba rab tu rgyas pa.

The Notes:

bla med nang rgyud sde gsum gyi rgyab chos pad-mai zhal gdams lam rim ye snying grel pa ye shes snang bai zur rgyan brgyud ldan bla mai zhal rgyun rnams brjed byang gcig bsdus ye shes lam jug.

ISBN 9789627341932

1. The Light of Wisdom, Vol. I. 2. Eastern philosophyBuddhism.

3. VajrayanaTibet. I. Title.

COVER ART: Detail from a 19th century tangka depicting Buddha Amitabha.

TEACHERS CONSULTED FOR TRANSMISSION AND CLARIFICATIONS:

Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Chkyi Nyima Rinpoche

Tulku Pema Wangyal Rinpoche

Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche

Lama Putse Pema Tashi

Khenpo Pema Sherab

Khenpo Tashi Palden

Khenpo Knchok Mnlam

PREPARED BY RANGJUNG YESHE TRANSLATIONS

Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery

Kathmandu, Nepal

TRANSLATOR: Erik Pema Kunsang

ASSOCIATE TRANSLATOR AND EDITOR: Marcia Binder Schmidt

EDITORS: Judy Amtzis John Frederick

ASSISTANTS: Graham Sunstein and Ben Rosenschweig

Contents

The root text of Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, a terma revealed by the great treasure-finder Chokgyur Lingpa, and its commentary by Kongtrl Rinpoche, the great translator Vairochana in person, form together a complete scripture that embodies all the tantras, statements, and instructions of the Nyingma School of the Early Translations, which is most rare to find in the past, present, or future.

At this time when the sunlight of the precious teachings of the Buddha spread throughout foreign countries, the bright Dane Erik Pema Kunsang, with the thought to help others, has translated into English the sections on the preliminaries and the attitude of awakened mind. I find it important that all Dharma practitioners study and reflect upon this book.

This was written by old Dilgo Khyentse on the tenth day of the first month in the Year of the Iron Sheep [February 24, 1991] in order to inspire further goodness.

Lord of all mandalas, Lake-Born Vajra Holder,

Manifest in the form of a supreme vidyadhara,

Great lord and treasure revealer, only refuge for the people of Tibet,

Chokgyur Lingpa, I supplicate at your feet.

written by JAMYANG KHYENTSE WANGPO

Knower of all things as they are and how they exist,

Through nonconceptual compassion, you consider all beings your children.

King of Dharma, who overturns the depths of samsara,

Khyentse Wangpo, I supplicate at your feet.

written by JAMGN KONGTRL

Perceiver of all to be known, treasure of an ocean of virtues,

Lodr Thaye, foretold by the Victorious One,

Lord who encompasses all families, Padma Gargyi Wangpo,

Great Charioteer of the Jambu Continent, I supplicate you.

written by JAMYANG KHYENTSE WANGPO

Having begun with three verses chosen by His Eminence Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche as worthy of summarizing the life and examples of the three great masters whose enlightened qualities form the basis for this book, in this introduction I would like to explain where the teachings contained in The Light of Wisdom came from, the masters who revealed, propagated, and preserved its tradition, as well as the style of the book itself and how to approach it.

The Light of Wisdom presents the first part of Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo accompanied by a commentary composed by the illustrious nineteenth-century Buddhist master Jamgn Kongtrl the Great.

THE NATURE OF LAMRIM YESHE NYINGPO

The Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, the title of which is translated as the Gradual Path of the Wisdom Essence, is a sacred scripture that records oral teachings of the Second Buddha, Padmasambhava, given while he blessed Tibet with a fifty-five-year visit during the ninth century. This most precious, concise, profound teaching of Padmasambhava is a condensation of the entire path to enlightenment and, in its full version, it contains the pith instructions of the Three Inner Tantras: Maha, Anu, and Ati Yoga. Padmasambhava himself describes