APENDIX 1: TSONGKHAPA’S ORIGINAL TEXT

The Homage
I pay homage to the foremost venerable lamas.
[The Promise to Compose]
I will explain, as well as I can,
The essence of all the teachings of the Conqueror,
The path praised by the Conqueror’s Children,
The entrance for the fortunate desiring liberation.
Exhorting the Disciples to Listen
Those who are not attached to the joys of cyclic existence
Strive to make meaning of this leisure and opportunity,
Rely on the path pleasing to the Conqueror;
Those fortunate ones, listen with a clear mind.
Need to Generate the Determination to Be Free
Without a pure determination to be free, there is no means to achieve peace
Due to fixation upon the pleasurable effects of the ocean of existence.
Embodied beings are thoroughly bound by craving for existence,
Therefore, in the beginning seek a determination to be free.
Contemplating how freedom and fortune are difficult to find
And that in life there is no time to waste, blocks the attraction to captivating appearances of this life.
Repeatedly contemplating action’s infallible effects
And the sufferings of cyclic existence, blocks the captivating appearance of future lives.
If you think repeatedly about the infallible law of actions and results
And the sufferings of cyclic existence,
You will be able to stop attachment to the next life.
The Measure of Having Generated a Determination to be Free
Having familiarized yourself in this way, if you do not generate admiration
For the prosperity of cyclic existence even for an instant,
And if you wish for liberation day and night,
At that time you have generated the determination to be free.
The Purpose of Generating the Mind of Enlightenment
If this determination to be free is not influenced by a pure mind of enlightenment
It will not become a cause for unsurpassable enlightenment, the perfect bliss.
Therefore, the intelligent should generate a mind of enlightenment.
The Means of Generating the Mind of Enlightenment
Carried away by the four torrential rivers
Bound by tight bonds of actions, difficult to undo,
Caught in the iron net of the conception of self
Thoroughly enveloped by the thick darkness of ignorance
Born into boundless cyclic existence,
And in their rebirths unceasingly tormented

by the three sufferings:
Contemplating the state of mother sentient beings in such conditions, generate the supreme mind.
Seeing the sufferings of the mother sentient beings
That are in such a situation we should generate the supreme mind.
The Need to Realize Emptiness
One who sees the infallible cause and effect
Of all phenomena in cyclic existence and beyond
And destroys all perceptions (of inherent existence)
Has entered the path which pleases the Buddha
Appearances are infallible dependent arisings;
Emptiness is free of assertions.
As long as these two understandings are seen as separate,
One has not yet realized the intent of the Buddha.
At the time when these two realizations are simultaneous and don’t have to alternate,
From the mere sight of infallible dependent arising comes ascertainment
Which completely destroys all modes of grasping.
At that time, the analysis of the profound view is complete.
Also, the extreme of existence is eliminated by the appearances
And the extreme of nonexistence is eliminated by the emptiness
And if the mode of the arising of cause and effect from emptiness is known,
You will not be captivated by the view that grasps at extremes.
[Having Gained Definite Ascertainment, Advice on Pursuing the Practice]
Thus when you have realized the essentials
Of the three principal aspects of the path accordingly,
Seek solitude and generate the power of effort,
And quickly actualize your ultimate purpose, my son.

PHỤ LỤC 2: BẢN DỊCH ANH NGỮ CỦA
LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE
(APENDIX 2: LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE’S TRANSLATION)

Expressing the Homage
I bow down to my perfect gurus.
The Promise to Compose
[1] The essential meaning of the Victorious Ones’ teachings,
The path praised by all the holy Victors and their Children,
The gateway of the fortunate ones desiring liberation -
This I shall try to explain as much as I can.
Persuading to Listen
[2] Those who are not attached to the pleasures of circling [samsara],
Who strive to make freedom and endowments meaningful,
Who entrust themselves to the path pleasing the Victorious Ones -
You fortunate ones: listen with a calm mind.
The Purpose of Generating Renunciation
[3] Without the complete intention definitely to be free from circling,
There is no way to pacify attachment seeking pleasurable

effects in the ocean of circling.
Also, by craving for cyclic existence, embodied beings are continuously bound.
Therefore, at the very beginning seek renunciation.
How to Generate Renunciation
[4] Freedom and endowments are difficult to find
And life has no time to spare.
By gaining familiarity with this,
Attraction to the appearances of this life is reversed.
By thinking over and over again
That actions and their effects are unbetraying,
And repeatedly contemplating the miseries of cyclic existence,
Attraction to the appearances of future lives is reversed.
The Definition of Having Generated Renunciation
[5] When, by having trained in that way,
There is no arising, even for a second,
Of attraction to the perfections of cyclic existence,
And all day and night the intention seeking liberation arises -
Then the thought of renunciation has been generated.
The Purpose of Generating the Mind of Enlightenment
[6] Even if renunciation has been developed,
If it is not possessed by the mind of enlightenment
It does not become the cause of the perfect bliss of unsurpassed enlightenment.
Therefore the wise generate the supreme mind of enlightenment.
How to Generate the Mind of Enlightenment
[7] Swept away by the current of the four powerful rivers,
Tied by the tight bonds of karma, so hard to undo,
Caught in the iron net of self-grasping,
Completely enveloped by the total darkness of ignorance,
[8] Endlessly reborn in cyclic existence,
Ceaselessly tormented by the three sufferings -
Thinking that all mothers are in such a condition,
Generate the supreme mind of enlightenment.
The Definition of Having Generated the Mind of Enlightenment
[8a] In short,
If like the mother whose cherished son has fallen into a pit of fire
And who experiences even one second of his suffering as an unbearable eternity,
Your reflection on the suffering of all mother sentient beings
Has made it impossible for you to bear their suffering for even one second
And the wish seeking enlightenment for their sake arises without effort,
Then you have realized the supreme precious mind of enlightenment.
The Reason to Meditate on the Right View
[9] Without the wisdom realizing ultimate reality,
Even though you have generated renunciation and the mind

of enlightenment
You cannot cut the root cause of circling.
Therefore, attempt the method to realize dependent arising.
Showing the Right View
[10] One who sees the cause and effect of all phenomena
Of both cyclic existence and the state beyond sorrow as forever unbetraying,
And for whom any object trusted in by the grasping mind has completely disappeared,
Has at that time entered the path pleasing the Buddhas.
The Definition of Not Having Completed the Analysis of the Right View
[11] If the appearance of dependent relation,
Which is unbetraying, is accepted separately from emptiness,
And as long as they are seen as separate,
Then one has still not realized the Buddha’s intent.
The Definition of Having Completed the Analysis of Right View
[12] If [these two realizations] are happening simultaneously without alternation,
And from merely seeing dependent relation as completely unbetraying
The definite ascertainment comes that completely destroys
The way in which all objects are apprehended [as truly existent],
At that time the analysis of the ultimate view is complete.
The Particular Special Quality of the Prasangika View
[13] Furthermore, appearance eliminates the extreme of existence
And emptiness eliminates the extreme of non-existence.
If you realize how emptiness manifests in the manner of cause and effect
Then you are not captivated by wrong notions holding extreme views.
Having Gained Definite Ascertainment, Advice on Pursuing the Practice
[14] In this way you realize exactly
The vital points of the three principal aspects of the path.
Resort to seeking solitude, generate the power of effort,
And quickly accomplish your final goal, my child.