Spiritual Practice: Selections of Tibetan Buddhism Texts by the Venerated Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa (vegetarian), Part 2 of 2

“The very ground of all good qualities Is said to be the seven vows of personal liberation. In brief, these are the vows of householders and renunciates. If you are unable to ordain and become a renunciate, There is always the upāsaka [lay devotee] discipline of householders, Which is to give up the four principal misdeeds: Killing, lying, stealing, and sexual misconduct— Such as adultery with another’s spouse, or desertion of one’s own. There is, as well, the branch precept of abandoning intoxicants— Substances that provoke unwholesome deeds. Additionally, talk that is divisive, harsh, or idle; And covetousness, ill will, and all wrong view, These are to be abandoned, And their opposites, the ten virtues, adopted. Though you may keep these vows of personal liberation, They will not lead to the attainment of unsurpassable awakening. For this, you must generate supreme bodhicitta [enlightenment-mind], The mind that is utterly set upon awakening. Aspire to the conduct of the Bodhisattvas, the Victorious Ones’ heirs, And apply yourself as best you can in any practice That brings equal benefit to self and other. […]”

“Consider the Guru to be like your heart; See your Dharma siblings as the deity; Know your body to be wisdom form, Your speech to be mantra, And your mind to be Buddha. Witness the world and its inhabitants as utterly pure. Do not discuss with others the view and conduct Or any other details of secret mantra; keep them secret. Ultimate, self-aware bodhicitta [enlightenment-mind]; Luminosity free of all distinctions; The motivation of relative bodhicitta [enlightenment-mind]; And the essence drop — do not let any of these decline. Uphold as best you can the branch samayas [vows]. If transgressions do occur, Go before the Guru […] As the object of your confession, the power of support. Regret your wrongdoing with the power of remorse. […]”

“In brief, paying close attention to cause and effect, Nurturing a kind and benevolent heart […]. Dedicate all virtue, worldly or undefiled, To the limitless number of wandering beings. Do not dedicate it toward a godly or human rebirth; Dedicate it as the cause for unsurpassable awakening. If virtue is dedicated with a focus on attaining The pleasant fruition of rebirth as a god or human, The result will be like the fruit of a plantain tree; Experienced just once, it then exhausts itself for good. Yet if it is dedicated to unsurpassable awakening, The result is like the fruit of the wish-fulfilling tree; As soon as one fruit is plucked, another one will ripen. The results, no matter how many enjoy them, Will never be exhausted, but will continue to multiply. Therefore, dedicate virtue as the cause for awakening. If you exert yourself in that, even in this very lifetime You will be free of all fear, and bliss will grow, And your every wish will be fulfilled. Then, in the next life you will be reborn In Sukhavati, the pure realm of bliss, And there gradually awaken to Buddhahood. […]”