Dharma Wheel

The Complete Path
by the Seventh Dalai Lama
Whatever you want for yourself and others
With a human form is easily attained;
Disengage yourself from meaningless efforts,
Strive to accomplish the highest goals.
Because all things composite are impermanent
Life changes and never abides;
That change is the basis of suffering,
For the samsaric mind fills with frustration
On watching its creations continually fade.
The higher you climb in samsara,
The higher the cliff on which you perch;
The more things you own,
The tighter you are bound.
The dearer you hold someone,
The greater the chance he will hurt you.
The faster you subdue enemies,
The faster their numbers increase.
This body is a thing borrowed for a moment,
And possessions are things stored for others.
Now we dally with them,
But quickly are they lost and misused,
And only are sources of misery.
Therefore no worldly possession
Is worth the effort of gaining.
Turn your back on that which only handicaps:
An unburdened mind is joy supreme.
The pinnacle of aims is to follow this path:
Body, speech and mind kept stainless with pure self-discipline,
Mind held in samadhi blissful and clear,
And wisdom seeing all realities of every situation.
The mother beings wandering in the six realms,
To me, their son, are pieces of my heart.
For many times have they soothed my troubles
And in infinite ways have they brought me joy.
These infinite beings, so kind,
Are covered by the fog of ignorance.
Constantly slashed by whips of delusions,
They have no chance to lay down
The burden of misery from their minds.
Therefore whenever you meet anyone,
Greet them with eyes smiling with love.
Why mention that you should not even consider
Holding evil intentions or deceptive thoughts?
The way people and things seem to be
Other than projected labels
Is a distortion created by deluded mind.
If we look at the root of things,
Emptiness is clearly understood.
And in the vast space of perception of emptiness,
Mental grasping for ultimate subsides.
Then one looks into the face of the world,
Everything is seen without essence.
Understanding interdependence we understand emptiness,
Understanding emptiness we understand interdependence;
This is the view which is the middle,
And which is beyond the terrifying cliffs of
Eternalism, nihilism, neither or both.

Translated by Glenn Mullin

Wonderful summary. Can you give an exact source?

The writing of The Complete Path by the Seventh Dalai Lama was translated to english by Glenn Mullin and this was distributed by FPMT which is a very reliable source for Gelugpas and anyone else.

Is there anywhere on their website or in a book? I'm asking because a Google search did not help me to find it. I just want to get the references clear if I happen to translate or quote it.

This is a very profound text.

A portion of it comes up at this site when you do a Google search.

http://theosophytrust.org/tlodocs/artic ... .htm&p=113" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

OK. Where do you have it from?

My teacher at FPMT gave this to me to recite everyday.

Astus wrote:Is there anywhere on their website or in a book? I'm asking because a Google search did not help me to find it. I just want to get the references clear if I happen to translate or quote it.

It's from the book Meditations to Transform the Mind : The Seventh Dalai Lama, translated, edited and introduced by Glenn H. Mullin, Snow Lion Publications, 1999, pages 202-206.

The song by the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kalzang Gyatso, (1708 - 1757), is titled Fundamentals of the Sutras and Tantras.

Mullin writes:

"The colophon to the next piece states, 'This song on all the principal points of the path that combines the sutras and tantras was written at the request of the great Changkya Rinpochey, a supreme being who accomplished his own noble prayers and aspirations by safeguarding the Buddhadharma in this degenerate age. This work contains nothing not found in the song I wrote for him earlier, but because he persistently asked for another, I wrote it to silence his constant requests.'

Thus it was written at the behest of the same lama who requested "Song of the Tantric Path." Changkya Rolpai Dorjey was destined to become the Seventh's greatest tantric disciple, and thus heir to his many lineages.

One verse in this song, perhaps better than any other in the collection, expresses the Seventh Dalai Lama's personal philosophy of life, and the approach he advocated to those seeking enlightenment:

The pinnacle of aims is to follow this path:
Body, speech, and mind kept stainless with pure self-discipline,
Mind held in samadhi blissful and clear, and
Wisdom seeing all realities of every situation.

If you forget everything else that the Seventh Dalai Lama has written on these pages, at least keep this one verse in your mind. It will serve you well."

There are 28 stanzas in the song. What kerby posted in the OP are verses 5, 6, verses 9-15, verses 17-19. As presented in the book, the verses read:

5.

Whatever you want for yourself and others,
With a human form is easily attained;
Disengage yourself from meaningless efforts,
Strive to accomplish the highest of goals.

6.

Because all things composite are impermanent,
Life changes and never abides;
That change is basis of all suffering,
For the samsaric mind fills with frustration
On watching its creations continually fade.

9.

The higher you climb in samsara, the higher the cliff on which you perch;
The more things you own, the tighter you are bound.
The dearer you hold someone, the greater the chance he or she will hurt you;
The faster you subdue enemies, the faster their numbers increase.

10.

This body is a thing borrowed for a moment,
And possessions are things stored for others.
Now we dally with them, but quickly are they lost,
And, misused, they end only as sources of misery.

11.

Therefore, no worldly position
Is worth a struggle to gain.
Turn your back on that which only handicaps:
An unburdened mind is joy supreme.

12.

The pinnacle of aims is to follow this path:
Body, speech, and mind kept stainless with pure self-discipline,
Mind held in samadhi blissful and clear, and
Wisdom seeing all realities of every situation.

13.

The mother beings wandering in the six realms,
To me, their son, are pieces of my heart.
For many times have they soothed my troubles
And in infinite ways have they brought me joy.

14.

These infinite beings, so kind, are covered by the fog of ignorance.
Constantly slashed by the whips of delusion,
They have no chance to lay down
The burden of misery from their minds.

15.

Therefore, whenever you meet anyone,
Greet them with eyes smiling with love.
Why mention that you should not even consider
Holding harmful intentions or deceptive thoughts?

17.

The way people and things seem to be other than projected labels
Is a distortion created by the conceptual mind.
If we look at the root of things,
Emptiness is clearly understood.

18.

And in the vast space of perception of emptiness,
Mental grasping for ultimates subsides.
Then, when one looks into the face of the world,
Everything is seen as being without a self.

19.

Understanding interdependence, we understand emptiness,
Understanding emptiness, we understand interdependence:
This is the view that lies in the middle,
And which is beyond the terrifying cliffs of "is," "is not," "neither," and "both."


.

very good , thank you

Tom Watson wrote:

Astus wrote:Is there anywhere on their website or in a book? I'm asking because a Google search did not help me to find it. I just want to get the references clear if I happen to translate or quote it.

It's from the book Meditations to Transform the Mind : The Seventh Dalai Lama, translated, edited and introduced by Glenn H. Mullin, Snow Lion Publications, 1999, pages 202-206.

The song by the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kalzang Gyatso, (1708 - 1757), is titled Fundamentals of the Sutras and Tantras.

Mullin writes:

"The colophon to the next piece states, 'This song on all the principal points of the path that combines the sutras and tantras was written at the request of the great Changkya Rinpochey, a supreme being who accomplished his own noble prayers and aspirations by safeguarding the Buddhadharma in this degenerate age. This work contains nothing not found in the song I wrote for him earlier, but because he persistently asked for another, I wrote it to silence his constant requests.'

Thus it was written at the behest of the same lama who requested "Song of the Tantric Path." Changkya Rolpai Dorjey was destined to become the Seventh's greatest tantric disciple, and thus heir to his many lineages.

One verse in this song, perhaps better than any other in the collection, expresses the Seventh Dalai Lama's personal philosophy of life, and the approach he advocated to those seeking enlightenment:

The pinnacle of aims is to follow this path:
Body, speech, and mind kept stainless with pure self-discipline,
Mind held in samadhi blissful and clear, and
Wisdom seeing all realities of every situation.

If you forget everything else that the Seventh Dalai Lama has written on these pages, at least keep this one verse in your mind. It will serve you well."

There are 28 stanzas in the song. What kerby posted in the OP are verses 5, 6, verses 9-15, verses 17-19. As presented in the book, the verses read:

5.

Whatever you want for yourself and others,
With a human form is easily attained;
Disengage yourself from meaningless efforts,
Strive to accomplish the highest of goals.

6.

Because all things composite are impermanent,
Life changes and never abides;
That change is basis of all suffering,
For the samsaric mind fills with frustration
On watching its creations continually fade.

9.

The higher you climb in samsara, the higher the cliff on which you perch;
The more things you own, the tighter you are bound.
The dearer you hold someone, the greater the chance he or she will hurt you;
The faster you subdue enemies, the faster their numbers increase.

10.

This body is a thing borrowed for a moment,
And possessions are things stored for others.
Now we dally with them, but quickly are they lost,
And, misused, they end only as sources of misery.

11.

Therefore, no worldly position
Is worth a struggle to gain.
Turn your back on that which only handicaps:
An unburdened mind is joy supreme.

12.

The pinnacle of aims is to follow this path:
Body, speech, and mind kept stainless with pure self-discipline,
Mind held in samadhi blissful and clear, and
Wisdom seeing all realities of every situation.

13.

The mother beings wandering in the six realms,
To me, their son, are pieces of my heart.
For many times have they soothed my troubles
And in infinite ways have they brought me joy.

14.

These infinite beings, so kind, are covered by the fog of ignorance.
Constantly slashed by the whips of delusion,
They have no chance to lay down
The burden of misery from their minds.

15.

Therefore, whenever you meet anyone,
Greet them with eyes smiling with love.
Why mention that you should not even consider
Holding harmful intentions or deceptive thoughts?

17.

The way people and things seem to be other than projected labels
Is a distortion created by the conceptual mind.
If we look at the root of things,
Emptiness is clearly understood.

18.

And in the vast space of perception of emptiness,
Mental grasping for ultimates subsides.
Then, when one looks into the face of the world,
Everything is seen as being without a self.

19.

Understanding interdependence, we understand emptiness,
Understanding emptiness, we understand interdependence:
This is the view that lies in the middle,
And which is beyond the terrifying cliffs of "is," "is not," "neither," and "both."


.

Tom Watson...Thank you so much for this.

Oh, wow! What a beautiful dharma text!