The Quick Path to Enlightenment
Commentary
by Venerable Geshe Lobsang Dorje
Translated
by Sandup Tsering
Status:
2025-02-04 {t.0}
I. The explanation of
how to develop certainty about the number and sequence of the paths by
elucidating the authentic origin of the lineage lamas [missing in transcripts] {hl. 1; no. I.;}
Four special qualities
of the Dharma. {t.+0}
The greatness of the
author and the greatness of the Dharma; How to listen to and teach the Dharma;
The patient, the medicine and the doctor. {t.+0}
How to teach the
Dharma; Coping with difficulties; Mind can be a real problem; Is the Dharma
beneficial to us?; Some things to think over. {t.+0}
Breathing meditation;
How the Buddha’s teachings are included within the three stages of the path;
Bodhicitta is the only entry door to the sutric and tantric paths. {t.+0}
Visualisation of
Tathagata image; The person of the great stage of the path must follow the
stages of the path in common with the small and in common with the person of
middling scope; After developing certainty about the path, the explanation
Bodhicitta is the only entry door to Mahayana and Tantrayana. {t.+0}
Relying on the
spiritual teachers; What to do in the session; Preparation. {t.+0}
II. After developing
certainty [about the paths], the explanation of how to purify the mind on the
stages of the path {hl. 1; no. II.;}
A.
How to serve your spiritual teacher as the root of the path {hl. 2; no. A.;}
a.
What to do in the actual meditation session {hl.
3; no. a.;}
1.
Preparation {hl. 4; no. 1.;}
1.
Cleaning your room and arranging the symbols of enlightened body, speech, and
mind {hl. 5; no. 1.;}
2.
Obtaining offerings without deceit and arranging them beautifully {hl. 5; no. 2.;}
Quick reflection on the
outlines of the topics covered so far. {t.+0}
2.
The actual meditation session [inserted] {t.0}
Eight features of
meditation posture; Cultivating a special virtuous state of mind. {t.+0}
Motivation sets our
goal; Taking Refuge; Invoking Refuge Objects; Taking refuge in the guru; Taking
refuge in the Dharma. {t.+0}
Condensed refuge
practice; Generating bodhicitta; Bodhicitta is essential to all practices. {t.+0}
3.
Adopting the correct seating posture, taking refuge and generating bodhicitta {hl. 5; no. 3.;}
4.
Cultivating the four immeasurables {hl.
5; no. 4.;}
a.
Immeasurable equanimity {hl. 6; no. a.;}
b.
Immeasurable love {hl. 6; no. b.;}
c.
Immeasurable compassion {hl. 6; no. c.;}
d.
Immeasurable joy {hl.
6; no. d.;}
4.
Visualising the sublime assembly {hl.
5; no. 4.;}
The power of the merit
field's sublime assembly; Purifying negativities and accumulating merit; How to
visualise the merit field; Seeing four entities as one; Three kindnesses of the
root guru. {t.+0}
Dissolving wisdom being
into pledge being; Offering of a bath. {t.+0}
5.
Making seven branches of offerings including a mandala as the essence of
purification and accumulating merit. {hl.
5; no. 5.;}
The seven branches. {t.+0}
1.
Prostration {hl. 6; no. 1.;}
Prostration by mind;
Prostration by speech. {t.+0}
Body prostration. {t.+0}
2.
Second branch: Making offerings {hl.
6; no. 2.;}
Third branch:
Confession. {t.+0}
Preliminary practices;
Seven branches of offerings. {t.+0}
3.
The branch of confession {hl. 6; no. 3.;}
The purifying force of
regret and resolution; The purifying force of remedy. {t.+0}
4.
Branch of Rejoicing {hl. 6; no. 4.;}
Mandala offerings. {t.+0}
2.
Actual practice {hl. 4; no. 2.;}
The qualities of a
guru. {t.+0}
1.
The quality of being subdued {hl.
5; no. 1.;}
2.
The quality of being pacified {hl.
5; no. 2.;}
5.
The quality of perseverance {hl. 5; no. 5.;}
6.
The quality of having a wealth of scriptural knowledge {hl. 5; no. 6.;}
7.
The quality of having the realisation of suchness {hl.
5; no. 7.;}
8.
The quality of skill in teaching Dharma {t.0}
1.
Being honest or having an impartial mind {hl.
5; no. 1.;}
2.
Having a discriminating wisdom {hl.
5; no. 2.;}
3.
Having an interest and aspiration for the Dharma {hl.
5; no. 3.;}
3.
Conclusion {hl. 4; no. 3.;}
How to rely on the guru
as the root of the path. {t.+0}
2. What we do in the
break between sessions {hl. 1; no. 2.;}
Getting up in the
morning; Let go of worrying thoughts; Going to work; Practising the breathing
meditation; Restraining the sense doors; Eating yoga; Non-sleeping
and sleeping yoga; Dedication. {t.+0}
Motivation; Meditation;
Stabilising meditation; Object, timing and posture of meditation. {t.+0}
Benefits of breathing
meditation; It's an easy technique; No preconditions are necessary; Benefits of
using the Buddha as an object of meditative concentration; Meditation tips for
beginners; How to rely on the guru as the root of the path; How one trains
one’s mind in the stages of the path; The preciousness and rarity of this human
life; The characteristics of a human life. {t.+0}
Meditation; The
precious human life; Eight leisures; Ten endowments; Last week's homework; Making an effort. {t.+0}
Why do we meditate?; What is meditation?; Happiness and its causes;
Five forces of strengthening virtues and merits; Questions. {t.+0}
Meditation is to put
the mind at rest; The great potential of human life; Temporary and ultimate
happiness; Why is the human life of leisure difficult to find?;
Is there life before and after?. {t.+0}
How
to make the best use of life? {t.0}
The person of small,
middling, and great scope. {t.+0}
How to grasp the
essence [of this human life of favourable conditions and opportunity] (added) {hl. 1; no. 3.;}
What does it mean by
taking the essence of the life of leisure?; Why the person of great scope must
train in the stages of the path shared by those of small and middling scope.;
Why are the stages of the path of the person of great scope presented in three
stages?; Training the mind in the stages of the path shared by the person of
small scope – death and impermanence. {t.+0}
Benefits of meditation;
Subduing the mind; Be gentle with the mind; Know your goal and be passionate
about it; Be patient; Take a break; Beware of laziness. {t.+0}
Training
the mind on the stages of the path shared by the person of small scope {hl. 2; no. 1.;}
Death and impermanence;
Working towards happiness in our future life brings happiness in this life;
First root: Death is certain. {t.+0}
Monkey mind;
Shortcomings of a distracted mind; It all depends on the mind; Afflictive
emotions can be remedied; Meditation on impermanence as a remedy to afflictive
emotions; Afflictive emotions are based on subjective mental perspectives; The
time of death is uncertain; At the time of death only the Dharma benefits us. {t.+0}
Breathing meditation;
Death is certain; Why we meditate on death and impermanence?;
Reduce attachment; Thinking about our future life; Taking refuge in the Three
Jewels. {t.+0}
Breathing meditation;
Practise subduing the mind; The precious human rebirth; Death and impermanence;
Self-observation and assessment; Taking refuge. {t.+0}
The benefits of
meditation; Taking refuge in the Three Jewels; Taking refuge: the three types
of persons; Benefits of taking refuge; The law of karma; How to take refuge in
practice. {t.+0}
Causes for taking
refuge; Commitments after taking refuge; Specific commitments; Negative
commitments of taking refuge in the Buddha; Negative commitments of taking
refuge in the Sangha; Positive commitments of taking refuge in the Buddha;
Positive commitments of taking refuge in the Dharma; Positive commitments of
taking refuge in the Sangha; Common commitments of taking refuge; The actual
refuge is the Dharma; The law of karma. {t.+0}
Breathing meditation
basics; A meditation on the nature of the mind; The law of karma; The law of
karma and individual responsibility; Types of karma. {t.+0}
The ten non-virtues;
The three non-virtues of body; 1. The action of killing; 2. The non-virtue of
stealing; The four non-virtues of speech; 1. Lying to others; 2. Divisive
speech; The three non-virtues of mind; 1. Covetous thoughts; 2. Harmful
thought; 3. Wrong view; The ten virtues; The four purifying forces. {t.+0}