Lam Rim table and charts 1
All Buddha’s teachings can be condensed into the three scriptural collections
(also translated as three baskets).
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Three scriptural
Three higher trainings
In the beginning of a
collections
text, you see
Vinaya
Higher training in ethics
I prostrate to the
(the training in ethics of
Omniscient One
a householder is also
being explained in the
vinaya).
Sutra
Higher training in
I prostrate to the buddhas
concentration
and bodhisattvas
Abhidharma
Higher training in wisdom I prostrate to the youthful
Manjughosha
3 faults and their antidotes
Read row
3 faults of a vessel:
Antidotes:
Being upside down
listen thoroughly
Though held right side up, being dirty
listen well
Though clean, having a leaky bottom
hold on to mind
3 trainings
Read column
Higher training in ethics
Individual liberation vows
-for ordained
and lay person
Bodhisattva vows
Tantric vows
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Higher training in
concentration
Common concentration serviceability of the
mind of calm abiding
Uncommon concentration
- extreme stability of
the generation stage and
completion stage
Higher training in wisdom
Common wisdom – the
concentration of special
insight which is the union of
special insight and calm
abiding
Uncommon wisdom - the
special concentration of the
completion stage.
Hinayana and Mahayana
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Hinayana
Mahayana
Sutra
The lineage of
profound view
ie wisdom
The lineage of extensive deeds (or
conduct) ie method
The lineage that
came from
Manjushri who
passed down to
Nagajuna
The lineage that
came from
Maitreya who
passed down to
Asanga pertaining
to the practice of
bodhisattvas and
the training in
bodhicitta and so
forth
4 Buddhist tenets schools
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1
MWS (Middle Way School)
2
3
4
Tantra
The lineage that
came from
Manjushri who
passed down to
Shantideva
pertaining to the
mind training or
with regards to
conduct and so
forth
CMWS (Consequence MWS) – highest school.
AMWS (Autonomy MWS)
MOS (Mind Only School)
SS (Sutra School)
GES (Great exposition School) – lowest school
Mahayana path
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Shared Mahayana path
(ie common with the Hinayana path)
Unshared Mahayana
path
This includes the teachings on refuge, karma, the
general and the specific sufferings of cyclic existence,
renunciation or the thought to be liberated from cyclic
existence, the presentation of the Four Nobles
Truths, the presentation of the twelve links of
dependent arising, the presentation of the stages of
the three higher trainings.
This comprises the
thought that is the
development of the
spirit of enlightenment
and the deeds of
training in the six
perfections.
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The teaching of the Buddha can be divided into:
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1
Scriptural
teachings
The three scriptural Those scriptures
collections are the
that contain the
scriptural teachings information as to
how or what we
should put into
practice.
2
The realizational
Realizational teachings are the
three higher
teachings
trainings
The teachings or
methods that we are
supposed to put
them into practice.
One preserves and
upholds the
scriptural teachings
by first learning the
scriptures so one
understands and
holds the scriptures
On the basis of one’s
realization and then
spread those
teachings to others,
this is what we mean
by preserving and
upholding the
realizational
teachings
When we talk about how the teachings are free of contradiction, we mainly
refer to the realizational teachings.
Scriptural knowledge is knowing many texts.
Realizational knowledge is engaging on proper practice.
Attitudes for teacher and student
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5 attitudes for the teacher:
Those listening to the teachings as
sick persons
Think of yourself as a doctor
The teachings as medicine
The tathagatas as excellent beings
Wish that the teachings remain for a
long time.
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6 attitudes for the students:
Think of yourself as a sick person.
Think of the teacher as a doctor.
Think of the instructor’s explications as
medicine
Think of earnest practice as the way to
cure your disease.
Think of the Tathagatas as excellent
beings.
Wish that the teaching will endure for a
long time.
Characterisers of teachers and students
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10 defining characteristics of the Mahayana teacher
(as in Maitreya’s Ornament of the Sutras):
Discipline – The Mahayana teacher must have disciplined
themselves through the practice of ethics.
Serene - The Mahayana teacher must have pacified his own
mental distraction through the practice of concentration;
therefore making his mind serene.
Thoroughly pacified indicates a quality that comes from
the training in wisdom. Because of having trained in wisdom,
the teacher pacifies his own mental afflictions such as the
three mental poisons. It means having the realization of
the selflessness of persons.
3 Defining
characteristics of
the student
(as in Aryadeva ‘s
400):
Impartial
Intelligent
Full of endeavour
(hardworking)
Having good qualities surpassing those of the students The Mahayana teacher must possess qualities that exceed
or surpasses those he is going to teach
Energetic -The Mahayana teacher should be energetic, put
effort, enthusiastic about accomplishing the welfare of
others and helping others
Having a wealth of scriptural knowledge means having
heard and learnt extensively all the different teachings
Having thorough knowledge of reality – this can mean
having the realization of selflessness of phenomena; in
particular having the realization of emptiness as explained
by the highest Buddhist philosophical school -the
Consequence Middle Way School (CMWS).
Having skill in instructing the disciples means the teacher
has skilled in putting across the instructions to the
listeners (students) and skilled in guiding them according to
their abilities
The teacher should possess loving concern means
possessing sincere love and concern for the disciples that
are to be guided
The Mahayana teacher should have abandoned
dispiritedness means the teacher should not be
discouraged of having to explain things over and over again
because the students fail to understand
In addition to the 3 qualities of a student, Candrakirti mention 2 more qualities:
(4)
of being focused
(5)
having respect for the teaching and the teacher
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For teachers:
These six qualities — being disciplined, serene, and thoroughly pacified, having
good qualities that surpass those of the students, the wealth of knowledge from
studying many scriptures, and thorough knowledge of reality — are the good
qualities obtained for oneself.
The remaining qualities — being energetic, having skill in instruction, possessing
loving concern, and abandoning dispiritedness — are the good qualities for
looking after others.
Guru
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Best guru
have all the 10 characteristics
“Middling”
guru
possess the three trainings, realization of suchness and a loving
heart
(ie 5 characteristics or qualities)
At least,
guru is:
someone whose positive qualities exceed the faults.
In particular, that teacher should emphasize the happiness of
future lives more than happiness in this life. In weighing the
interest of others versus one’s self interest, the teacher should
emphasize the benefit of others’ welfare.
It is not possible to have bodhicitta but not have renunciation.
Read row
Have renunciation, compassion but not great compassion, Hearers, Solitary
wisdom directly realising emptiness
realisers
Have renunciation, great compassion, bodhicitta, wisdom Arya Bodhisattvas
directly realising emptiness
and Buddhas
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3 types of faith
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Clear
faith
In the context of correctly relying on the teacher in thought, the
faith here is clear faith; which means that through seeing the
qualities of the teacher, the mind becomes clean, clear and filled
with joy
Faith of
conviction
For example, when you think about dependent origination or cause
and effect, you come to be convinced of them. Then you will
develop faith. That is what we called faith of conviction
Aspiring
faith or
wishing
faith
Let’s take the four noble truths. By analyzing the four noble
truths correctly, you come to understand that the first two
truths -True Suffering and True Origin- are the objects to be
abandoned. Then you realized that True Cessation and True Path
are what we must achieve. One then develops this aspiring faith.
You are aspired to want to actualize the True Path and True
Cessation. The faith thinking “I shall definitely obtain them”
Interest
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Uncontrived interest in this life
Worldly being
Interest in the future life has become paramount. Attain
the joys of samsara by means for their welfare alone.
Person with the
small capacity
Interest to get out of samsara. Strive for their own peace. Person with the
medium capacity
Interest to attain non-abiding nirvana (ie Buddhahood).
Person with the
Sincerely want to extinguish all the sufferings of others by great capacity
understanding their own sufferings.
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4 greatness of Lam rim
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Nothing contradictory in all Buddha's
teachings
it is wrong for a Mahayanist not to
train in the Hinayana path
Every scriptural pronouncement
without exception dawn on my mind as
personal instruction
what you listen (on Buddha teaching eg
Lam Rim) and reflect, you meditate
Discover what the Buddha intended
by depending on Guru's instruction you
easily understand what is Buddha's
intention without the need to study the
84 000 teachings in its entirety
Protect you from the abyss of the
great error of abandoning the Buddha
teaching
if a Mahayanist say that he do not need
to practise Hinayana teachings, he is
abandoning the Buddha's teachings.
Setting up representations of body, speech and mind and offerings
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Body
eg Buddha Shakyamuni
eg Amitabha Buddha
eg Kuan Yin Pusa
Speech (Dharma Book)
eg Wisdom of Perfection
Sutra text
eg Heart Sutra text
Mind
Stupa
eg. electric light offering eg. 7 water bowls
offerings
eg. electric light offering
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Surpassable and unsurpassable offering
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Surpassable
offerings
Flowers, incense and so forth are those offerings made by
worldly persons
Unsurpassable The unsurpassable offerings are completely good things
offerings
created by those with power such as bodhisattvas e.g.
bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Wish fulfilling jewels, wish
granting tree and great treasure vase are unsurpassable
offerings created through the power of the bodhisattvas.
Generating bodhicitta -altruistic intention to achieve
enlightenment for the benefits of sentient beings is an
unsurpassable offering.
Generating great compassion in your mind is also an
unsurpassable offering.
Upholding the dharma: When we talk about the dharma, there
are two: scriptural teaching and realizational teaching.
Upholding these two teachings become an unsurpassable
offering.
Transforming our root of virtues into the aspect of offering
substances and then offer it, that is also considered as
unsurpassable offering.
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