The Thirty-seven Practices of a Bodhisattva Part Two

They themselves are also captured

in samsara’s prison.

The worldly gods—whom can they

protect?

Therefore,

when you take refuge,

those who don’t deceive,

those rare, supreme.

To take them as refuge,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

What is so difficult to bear,

the suffering  in lower realms,

that is the fruit of evil actions

as the Buddha taught.

Therefore, even at the cost of

your life, evil actions.

Never to commit such,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

When you ally with someone

and your three poisons increase,

When listening, reflecting

and meditating activities decline,

Then those who destroy

loving-kindness and compassion,

To abandon such bad friends,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

When you rely on someone

and your transgressions end,

and positive qualities increase

like the waxing moon.

Such genuine a spiritual friend—to

cherish him much dearer than

the body of your own,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

They themselves are also captured

in samsara’s prison,

The worldly gods—whom can they

protect?

Therefore,

when you take refuge

those rare, supreme,

To take them as refuge,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

What is so difficult to bear,

the suffering in lower realms,

that is the fruit of evil actions

as the Buddha taught,

Therefore, even at the cost of

your life, evil actions,

never to commit such,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

The happiness of all three worlds,

like dew on a blade of grass,

is subject to destruction

within a single instant.

The never changing

supreme state of liberation,

To strive for that,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

From beginningless time

they cherished me,

my mothers—if they suffer,

what good is my own happiness?

Therefore, in order to liberate limitless sentient beings,

To develop the enlightened attitude,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

All suffering without

exception comes

from craving my own happiness.

Perfect Buddhas are born

from the intention to benefit others.

Therefore,

truly to exchange my own happiness

for the suffering of others,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Even if someone,

driven by great desire, steals

all my wealth or incites

someone else to steal it,

Body, possessions

and all the virtue of the three times,

To dedicate those to him,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Though I myself were not

in the slightest fault,

even if someone were

to cut my head off,

still through the power of compassion,

To take on that person’s sins,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

If someone were

to publish numerous unpleasant[r]ies

about myself throughout

a billion worlds,

still with a mind full of love,

As an answer to proclaim

that persons qualities

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

If someone in the middle

of a crowd of people

were to expose my hidden

faults and slander me,

Understanding that person

as a spiritual friend and thus

to bow down respectfully,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Someone whom I cared

for as dearly as for my own child,

if this person were to view

and treat me as an enemy,

then like a mother whose child

is plagued by sickness,

To love that person even more,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Even if a person

equal or inferior to myself,

driven by great self-esteem,

takes measures to despise me,

With respect as to a lama,

To raise him up

above my crown,

that is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Though living under

poor conditions,

always despised by men,

stricken by serious diseases

and evil spirits,

still on top of that,

To take upon myself the sins

and sufferings of every being

and not to be discouraged

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Though being famous prominent,

and many people bow their heads,

Piling up as much wealth

as that of the god of riches,

To see that all worldly splendor

has no essence

and thus not to be arrogant,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

If I have not tamed the enemy

of my own anger,

attempting to tame outer enemies

will make them multiply

Therefore, with an army

of loving kindness

and compassion,

To tame my won mind,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

The pleasures of the senses

are similar to salted water.

The more you enjoy,

the more your craving will increase.

Whatever things that arise,

To given the m up immediately,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Appearances as they appear,

these are one’s own mind.

Mind’s innate nature

is primordially free of

mental fabrications.

Knowing this, in characteristics

of perceived and perceiver

Not to engage the mind,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

When you encounter objects

pleasing to your mind,

they are like rainbows

in the summer season.

Though they appear so beautiful,

To see they are not real and

to give up attachment

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

All the different sufferings

are like your child dying in a dream.

Taking delusive appearances as real.

Oh,

how exhausting!

Therefore, whenever you encounter

unpleasant circumstances,

To see them as delusion,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Those who want enlightenment

even have to give their bodies

As for the giving of external things,

this is no need to mention!

Therefore, with no hope

for reward or karmic ripening,

To give with generosity,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Without discipline you won’t

accomplish your own benefit.

Then to wish to benefit others

that’s just a joke!!

Therefore, discipline with no

longing for worldly existence,

To protect such,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

For a Bodhisattva who wants the

wealth of virtue everything

that harms is like a precious treasure.

Therefore, patience that bears

no anger against anything,

To cultivate such,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Even Shravakas

and Pratyekabuddhas

who only practice

for their own benefit

show such effort as if wanting

to extinguish a fire

burning their heads.

Joyous effort,

source of positive qualities

benefitting all beings,

to strive with such

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Vipashyana which

is fully unified with Shamatha

completely conquers

all afflictions.

Knowing this, stable meditation truly

beyond the four formless states,

To meditate such,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Without superior knowledge,

only with the five paramitas,

it is not possible to attain perfect

enlightenment.

Therefore knowledge bearing

means and not conceptualizing

three-fold action,

To cultivate such

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

If I have not analyzed

my own delusion by myself

with the façade of dharma

I may act in non-dharmic ways.

Therefore, to analyze continuously my own delusion

and then to drop it,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

By the power of afflictions,

if I speak of the faults

of other Bodhisattvas,

I myself will be degenerated [sic].

Therefore, of an individual

who has entered the great vehicle,

Never to speak of their faults,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Influenced by wealth and hgonour,

I will end up arguing,

and listening, reflecting and

meditating activities will decline.

Towards the households of friends,

relatives and sponsors,

To give up attachment,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Speaking harshly will disturb

the minds of others,

and the conduct of the Bodhisattva will regress.

Therefore, harsh words

that do not please others.

To relinquish these,

that is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Afflictions when accustomed

to are hard to fight with antidotes.

A person fully aware

and conscious holds the

arms of remedies.

To stamp out afflictions

like attachment and so on

as soon as they arise,

is the practice of the Bodhisattva.

In brief, wherever you are,

whatever you do,

in all the ways of conduct,

you have to look for

what is your real state of mind.

Being fully aware and conscious

continuously,

To accomplish benefit for others,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

The merits accomplished

through such efforts as these,

in order to clear away

the suffering of endless beings,

With completely pure

knowledge of the

three-fold action

To dedicate these towards

enlightenment,

is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

What was taught in sutras,

tantras and treatises,

following the teachings

of the holy ones,

I composed into

thirty-seven practices for

Bodhisattvas.

To benefit those who wish

to study the Bodhisattva’s path.

Because my intelligence

is small and my studies little,

I cannot compose poetry

to please the scholars.

Since it they based on sustras

and the holy teachings,

I think these

“Practices of a Bodhisattva”

are not mistaken.

Still since the extensive conduct of a Bodhisattva

is difficult to fathom

for one with small

intelligence like me,

All mistakes of contradiction,

incoherence and so on,

I pray to the holy ones

to consider them with patience.

Through the merit of composing

this may all beings,

by means of supreme absolute and

relative enlightened attitude,

May they become equal

to Chenrezig, the protector,

who dwells neither

in the extreme of existence nor

in that of peace.

For the benefit

of himself and others,

Venerable Thogmne,

a scholar of scriptures and logic,

composed this

at the Jewel Cave of Silver Water.