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ProvisionalPurificationDRIKUNG KAGYU GOLDEN ROSARY LINEAGE

DORJE CHANGTILOPA NAROPA

MARPA MILAREPAGAMPOPA PHAGMODRUPA

DRIKUNGPA LORD JIGTEN SUMGON

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The Four Dharmas of Gampopa

“Grant your blessing so that my mind mayturn towards the Dharma.

Grant your blessing so that Dharma mayprogress along the path.

Grant your blessing so that the path mayclarify confusion.

Grant your blessing so that confusion maydawn as wisdom.”

༈ བློ་ཆོས་སུ་འགྲོ་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས།།lo chö su dro war chin gyi lop

ཆོས་ལམ་དུ་འགྲོ་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས།།chö lam du dro war chin gyi lop

ལམ་འཁྲུལ་བ་ཞིག་པར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས།།lam trul wa shyik par chin gyi lop

འཁྲུལ་པ་ཡེ་ཤེས་སུ་འཆར་བར་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས།།trulpa yeshé su char war chin gyi lop

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[2 TWO: COMMENTARIES]

A Precious Garland for the Four Themes of GampopaCommentary by Lonchenpa

The Four Dharmas of GampopaCommentary by Kalu Rinpoche

A Precious Garland for the Four Themes of Gampopa

Commentary by Lonchenpa

I prostrate to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

(1) With a crown of a hundred-fold belief in what's fact, I make offerings to you, O sun(likeBuddhas) Gone to Bliss. In the sphere of the space of your naturally (abiding) Dharmakaya (aCorpus Encompassing Everything), the mandala-disc of your Corpus of Forms having fivecertainties spreads forth and causes the lotus (minds) of disciples to blossom through the rays ofyour enlightening deeds.

(2) The cool shade of the precious wish-granting tree of the ways of the Triumphant One'sDharma offers protection from all the torments of compulsive (samsaric) existence andcomplacent (nirvana. Therefore,) as a way for all beings with belief in what's fact to enter(into its shade), step by step, I shall explain the massive tree of good qualities of the fouraspects (of the Dharma). Listen well.

1: Having the Mind Go toward the Dharma

Precious Human Rebirth

(3) What anyone who wishes to cross the boundless ocean of recurring samsaric existence firstmust think is to make full effort, right now in this lifetime, to achieve the stilling and theblissful awareness that are the phenomenon of liberation.

(4) At (this) time when you have obtained the ship of a (human) body, with respites andenrichments, difficult to find and easily lost, if you do not exert yourself, you will neverliberate yourself from the ocean of compulsive existence or break the continuity of havingmany and varied (kinds of) sufferings.

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(5) You will be tossed about in this unbearable, fearsome great ocean (of samsara), where anend to the current of birth and death is not evident, where streaks of foam of sickness and oldage thicken everywhere, and where the tides of disturbing emotions spread everywhere, up tothe far reaches of the highest realm of compulsive existence.

(6) (But) whoever hears (the Dharma teachings) will be able to break the continuum of birthand death and will never be parted from a supremely great blissful awareness. (Therefore,)with the excellent and precious ship (of a fully endowed human body), make efforts in thesupreme Dharma, (which brings) a stilling, in order to cross the repository of waters of thedisturbing emotions of the three planes of existence.

(7) If this time around you have not practised toward actualizing a purified state with apathway of mind (that leads) to liberation, in the future you will never even hear the namefortunate rebirth, and, through endless unfortunate rebirths, one after the next, you will lackany methods for liberating yourself from eternally remaining in uncontrollably recurringsamsaric existence.

(8) Therefore, people with sense, having now attained a human body of respites andenrichments, practise to achieve (a state of) benefit and bliss, with great effort from yourhearts, and by means of this, come to fulfil the aims of both yourself and others.

Death and Impermanence

(9) Even if you have attained the respites and enrichments, there is never any mental security.As all things are unstable, ever-changing, without any essence, momentary, nonstatic,disintegrating phenomena, think from your hearts, "Soon I shall die, all of a sudden."

(10) It is the same as well with the entire perishable world of your environment. At the times ofits disintegration through seven fires, one flood, or wind, everything will become void,without even a remnant of a tip of a hair left: there will be only space.

(11) Its inhabitants, nonstatic wandering beings, ever are moving. No matter how manylimited beings there may be - divine (godly) beings, the would-be divine, humans, animals,clutching ghosts, or joyless realm beings - when their time is up, they must plunge into thewaters of death, transference, and rebirth.

(12) Years, months, days, seasons, and moments are impermanent, disintegrate, and march on.As you have sadness with the changing of the four seasons, think about how your own time,too, will be impermanent.

(13) There is no mental security: very soon your body and life-force will part (from eachother. Therefore,) from today on, think with certitude, "It is uncertain which will occur first,tomorrow or the time when my life shall be spent."

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The Shortcomings of Samsara

(14) The sufferings of rebirth are more frightening than those of death. There is never anyhappiness no matter where you are reborn, for the functional nature of recurring samsara islike that of a pit of fire. (Therefore,) seek a method to liberate yourself from it right now.

(15) Joyless realm beings suffer from heat and cold, clutching ghosts from hunger and thirst,and animals by devouring each other, stupidity, and being muddleheaded. Humans aretormented by the three and the eight faults, the would-be divine by fighting and quarrelling,and divine beings by death, transference, and falling (to lower rebirths).(16) The happiness (of the divine beings) may change into grief and their affective sufferingabounds. After their lives transfer from the pleasures associated with the divine realms, theymay once again enter the fires of a joyless realm. Having thought like this, work to passbeyond compulsive existence.

(17) The appearances of this life are like a dream just as you are about to wake up. They arechanging and impermanent. Because you must go on, after having left them behind, what canretinue, wealth and such do for you? Make effort in the Dharma right now!

Developing a Stilled and Settled State of Shamatha

(18) Desire is like poison, weapons, or fire. Tormented (by it), there is never a chance forhappiness. There is suffering through accumulating, protecting, and increasing (what youdesire, and consequently) you are always bound by arrogance, greed, and stinginess. Havingquarrels with everyone, the taints of your disturbing emotions increase. You have mentalwandering with busy-work and it threatens your body and life.

(19) Having your aims and activities be too numerous and contradictory to the Dharma isalways scorned by the highly realized aryas. (But) for those whose desires are few,constructive (activities and qualities) automatically increase. Therefore, those (of you) whowould enter into a pathway of mind (that leads) to liberation, which is a stilled state, makeyour desires be few and have contentment.

(20) It is said that if you exhaust your desires, you are a real arya; and if your desires are few,you are of the arya type. Just as suffering and disturbing emotions increase for those withdesire, what is constructive naturally increases for those whose desires are few. Therefore, byfollowing in the footsteps of the hallowed beings of the past, be always content and make yourpossessions be few.

(21) The faults of associating with people are indeed without limit. There is far too muchuseless distraction and activities. Anger, arguments, and fighting increase, and attraction andrepulsion arise. You always become infected with suffering and that's pointless.

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(22) No matter what you have done, there is never a time when you can please (others). Nomatter how you try to teach them (the Dharma), the chances to benefit (them) are slim.Likewise, even when you listen (to them), it's never the excellent Dharma. Even if you areclose (to them) as friends, in the end you will have to part.

(23) Therefore, rid yourself completely of close relationships of dependency on followers,friends, or relatives, and make a definite effort, from today on, to practise the hallowedDharma, alone in isolation.

(24) Supreme hallowed beings of the past have said that from living in isolation, they found thenectar (of Dharma experience). Therefore, (resolve that) I too shall live alone in isolation in aforest in order to actualize a state of being stilled.

(25) Living in isolation has been praised by the Triumphant (Buddhas). With no one unruly(around you), you increase your absorbed concentration on what is profound. You naturallypractise the Dharma and develop sombre thoughts of impermanence. You put materialpossessions aside and have no busy-work or distractions.

(26) Your bountiful stores of belief in what's fact, renunciation, and good qualities enlargeand, not having close relationships, automatically your activities decrease. Therefore, without(concern for) the eight transitory things in life, or for keeping the minds of others (happy) orsaving face, pass your days and nights with the Dharma in the bliss associated with beingunder your own control.

(27) Making your respites and enrichments have meaning and taking the essence of yourattainment (of them) - as words cannot encompass those and more benefits, practise absorbedconcentration on the profound (Dharma) for your entire life, alone, in the middle of a totallyisolated forest.

(28) May the cooling rain of the Dharma, well spoken like that, after stilling (all) disturbingemotions and tormenting conceptual thoughts, fill the pond of lotuses, which are constructivemasses of absorbed concentrations, and (thus) spread an endowment of a stilled state.

This (concludes) the first chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (of Gampopa),"Having the Mind Go toward the Dharma."

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2: Having the Dharma Function as a Pathway of Mind

The Necessity for Having the Dharma Function as a Pathway ofMind

(29) Those of you who wish for a pathway of mind (that leads) to liberation, having, throughbelief in what's fact, engaged yourselves with the supreme, lustrous, hallowed Dharma likethat - cherish making the Dharma go (within you) as a pathway of mind, in order that yourvery mind becomes fully tamed.

(30) There are those who have engaged themselves with the teachings of the Triumphant(Buddhas) like this and have even embarked on hearing, thinking, and meditating (on them).Yet some have not stilled (their disturbing emotions): their mental continuums are worse.Some engage themselves with distorted pathways of mind, or inferior ones, or pathways ofmind that lead astray.

(31) (Some have) great desires and craving, and (some are) distracted with (concerns for) thislife and the like. All those faults, contradictory to the Dharma, have come from their nothaving made that Dharma go (within them) as a pathway of mind. The faults (that come) fromthat in this and future (lives) are boundless.

(32) Whoever is fooled by (such) deception will be (filled with) regret at the time of death,will have terror and anxiety in the bardo in-between period, will go to worse rebirth states in thefuture, and not have the opportunity to liberate themselves forever from compulsiveexistence. Therefore, make the Dharma go (within you) as a pathway of mind.

(33) Just as you may improperly even take hygienic medicine as an antidote for a sickness, yetsince it was in fact improperly (taken), it would make you even more tormented than you weretormented (before); likewise, what use is the Dharma if you have not made it go as anantidote? Therefore, as there are boundless faults like that; O people having belief in what'sfact, understand this well.

Entrusting Yourself to Spiritual Mentors

(34) Concerning that, since making that Dharma go (within you) as a pathway of minddepends, first of all, on spiritual mentors, cherish entrusting yourself to qualified hallowedgurus. All excellent bounteous good qualities come from that.

(35) As for that, entrust yourself fully and with great (respect and) appreciation to those whoare skilled in methods, have a compassionate nature, are stilled, are tamed and have patience;who have a splendid manner of behavior (in accord) with their vows and close bonds, haveheard many (teachings), and have (achieved) a great (level) of having trained (in them) well;

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(36) (Those who) have a boundless enlightening influence that automatically transforms theappearances of others; who are not corrupted with (thoughts of) this life; who are purified, likethe sky, of concerns about the eight (transitory) things in life; who have making (life)meaningful as the gauge for association (with them), and who set out (for others) the pathway ofmind (that leads) to liberation. (Such spiritual mentors as) this are emanations of theTriumphant (Buddhas) at (this) time of the deteriorations.

(37) The benefits from that are boundless and inexhaustible: You become disgusted withcompulsive existence and renounce it. (Thus,) your worldly planning becomes less; yourconcerns for this lifetime become lame; and your grasping for an impossible "soul" (based on)deceptive appearances falls apart;

(38) You naturally become tamed; you come to possess (the powers of) listening, thinking,and meditating (on the teachings); you come to possess the good qualities of havingextensively trained, such as belief in what's fact; your present life becomes meaningful; andyour future ones will reap the results. Therefore, entrust yourself to hallowed (spiritualmentors).

(39) Moreover, by being undeceiving with your three gateways (for action), always please(your spiritual mentors) by showing respect from your appreciation (of their kindness), like apatient to a doctor, a sea merchant to a navigator, a passenger to a ferryman, and a visitor to anescort.

(40) It has been said that if you develop thoughts of disbelief (in your spiritual mentors' actualgood qualities) or a distorted view (of them), you enter a worse rebirth state for (as many eonsas) the number of moments (you develop it). Therefore, make effort to protect, as you wouldyour eyes, keeping your close bonds (with your teachers) pure, by being extremely sincere inopenly admitting (if you ever violate them), restraining yourself (from breaking them), andfeeling regret (should you ever transgress them).

Developing Renunciation

(41) Having fully entrusted yourself like that to hallowed spiritual mentors, and then havingtrained your own mental continuum by listening, thinking, and meditating on (their teachings),transform whatever you do into something intent on a constructive (goal), with the thought ofdesiring only liberation. This is the quintessence teaching for making that Dharma go (withinyou) as a pathway of mind.

(42) Whenever you are listening to, thinking about, or reciting (the teachings),undertake that for the intention of liberating your own mental continuum. Whenever youare writing, reading, memorizing, or teaching (the Dharma), undertake it with the desireonly for liberation.

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(43) Whenever you are meditating, (studying the correct) view, or conducting yourself (with it),strongly make effort to (feel) renunciation and disgust (with samsara) by never parting yourthoughts from being (set) only on liberation. There is nothing higher then this heart-essence quintessence teaching.

(44) Eating, sleeping, walking, sitting, talking, speaking, thinking, and so on - in short,whatever activities you do, enhance your disgust (with samsara) by never parting from anattitude of wishing liberation and (thus) tame your mental continuum. This is the essentialpoint for making the Dharma go (within you) as a pathway of mind.

Developing a Bodhichitta Aim

(45) (Furthermore,) for making (the Dharma) go (within you) as a Mahayana pathway of mind inparticular, direct toward the benefit of others whatever constructive things you do. (In otherwords,) develop, with compassion, a bodhichitta aim; have firm conviction (in the goodqualities of enlightenment); dedicate (your positive force toward achieving this goal); andrejoice (in your own and others' efforts toward this), and (thus) practice in full in order to(bring about) the benefit −of (all) limited beings.

(46) (Practicing) like this, all wandering beings, (having previously been) your fathers,mothers, relatives, and dear friends, are (appropriate) fields for (receiving) your help. And(so), by developing a bodhichitta aim for (fulfilling) the aims of others as well as your own,practice whatever is constructive for the sake of wandering beings.

(47) "By my constructive (force), may (all) \wandering beings become happy and may thesufferings of all of them ripen on me. May my constructive (force) ripen on (all) wanderingbeings and (thus) may all embodied beings attain enlightenment." Thinking that, train yourself todevelop a bodhichitta aim of immeasurable compassion.

(48) Whatever constructive (actions you do), as preparation develop a bodhichitta aim, as theactual procedure do not be aimed (at impossible ways of existing), and as the conclusiondedicate (to your own and others' enlightenment the positive force). Moreover, completelypurify (yourself of misconceptions about the nature of) the three circles - the object to betrained in, the act of training, and the one who is training. Like illusions, they are mereappearances (based) on nothing real, like magical emanations. (Therefore,) purifying (yourselfconcerning) the natures (of these three), dedicate (the positive force) in order to benefit others.

(49) "Firm conviction" is having supreme belief in (the good qualities of) the Triumphant(Buddhas), the Triumphant Ones' Dharma teachings, the hallowed (bodhisattva) spiritualoffspring of the Triumphant, and the fields for (growing) positive force - (in the good qualitiesof) all of these, without exception. From having firm conviction in (the good qualities of whatfulfils) your own aims, the aims of others, and the aims of both, you will receive praise, shows ofrespect, and esteem beyond all examples.

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(50) "Rejoicing" is habituating yourself (in meditation) to feeling happy about all theconstructive acts of the Triumphant Ones, their spiritual offspring, and all wandering beings.This is a supreme method for transforming fathomless masses of positive force into somethingimmeasurably great.

(51) Make "aspiration prayers" of the purifying (type), for the sake of benefiting wanderingbeings. (In this connection,) meditate in accord with the quintessence teachings concerningpurifying the objects of your actions.

(52) Without being distracted for even a moment to the side of ordinary affairs, take as yourheart-essence (practice) having the constructive (actions) of your three gateways (for action) befor the benefit of others. Having tamed your own mental continuum, then coming to have thedevelopment of an exceptional resolve is said to be (the way to) make any Dharma(practice) go (within you) as a pathway of mind.

(53) In this way, may the melodious beat of the sound of the wondrous drum of the profoundmeaning, the renowned roar which is vast and profound, wake all wandering beings from theintoxicating sleep of their unawareness. May they behold, on a wide-spread scale, a joyousbanquet of being stilled.

This (concludes) the second chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (ofGampopa), "Having the Dharma Function as a Pathway of Mind."

3: Having the Pathway Minds Eliminate Confusion

The Shared Mahayana Pathway of Mind

(54) Furthermore, out of the shared, special, and unsurpassable methods for having thepathway minds eliminate confusion, the first is the great Mahayana pathway of mind that isshared in common (by sutra, all classes of tantra, and dzogchen). With its identity-nature ofthe four immeasurable attitudes, the development of a bodhichitta aim, aspiration prayer, andcompassion, and through great waves of bodhisattva behavior, you eliminate confusion.

(55) When you have (bodhichitta) with a heart-essence of voidness and compassion, and arepracticing fully for both your own and others' aims, then in order to cleanse away fleetingstains from the sphere of all things, which is constructive and unaffected, meditate on thethirty-seven facets leading in the direction of a purified state, which are (cultivated) on thefour pathways of mind of building up, applying, seeing, and accustoming. Also, fully perfectthe six far-reaching attitudes with the pure view of the sixteen voidnesses and faultlessbodhisattva behavior.

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(56) (Thus,) understanding the lack of the impossible "souls" of both persons and (all)phenomena and then training with methods that are antidotes for the disturbing emotions andattitudes is the excellent pathway of mind of the bodhisattvas.

(57) In other words, from (understanding that everything conventionally exists) merely in themanner of mirages, dreams, and deceptive appearances, you abandon and adopt (appropriatepractices), work for the aims (of others), adopt what is constructive and reject what bringsnegative force. You cleanse away the disturbing emotions of longing desire, hostility, andnaivety with the waters of (their antidotes, namely meditation on) ugliness, love, anddependent arising;

(58) While, on the level of deepest fact, (you understand that) because (this level) is unbornand pure, there are no dualistic (distinctions) of samsara and nirvana: it is parted from (such)mental fabrication. The pathway mind (that understands these) two truths (in terms of)dependent arising is the causal great Mahayana vehicle of mind, that of dialectics.

The Special Mahayana Pathway of Mind

(59) The special great Mahayana pathway of mind, that of secret mantra, has outer and inner(classes). It has the fathomlessly supreme method of the generation and complete stages as aunified pair, by which you cleanse away confusion through various steps.

(60) As for the three outer (classes of) secret mantra, through their taking purification as themain (practice), you abandon and adopt in turn (what is appropriate) and thus remove taints(from your pathway of mind) by (applying their) antidotes. As for the inner (three classes ofsecret mantra, the emphasis is on) deep awareness, which is a nondualistic unified pair. Interms of (this deep awareness), through (the application of) methods, you transform into apathway of mind those things that are to be abandoned.

(61) In the mandala of the sphere of the basis, which is a womb containing a Blissfully GoneOne, all phenomena, which are its reflexive appearances, are mere appearances of your ownlimited mind. They are deceptions, not true phenomena - devoid forms that are (just) clarityand appearance itself.

(62) When you have become mindful that the aggregate factors of experience, the elementsources, the cognitive stimulators, and so on, are, in pure (form), the five (Buddha) families,then through the generation stage (practices), the samsaric world of appearances becomes asingle mandala. You join bodies to deities, speech to mantras, and remembrances and (other)conceptual thoughts to emanating and reabsorbing (deep awareness; so that) in the end, (all)deceptive appearances are regarded as a Buddha-field.

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(63) With the complete stage (practices), everything is made to enter into the sphere of theactual nature (of all things) and clear light mind beyond all thought. (To accomplish this,)through yoga (practices) dealing with the energy-channels, energy-winds, and creativeenergy-drops, the energy-winds and the mind (are made) serviceable and the sphere (ofvoidness) and deep awareness are conjoined. The pathway mind of the great seal, mahamudra,which is (this) indivisible unified pair, is the resultant Vajrayana vehicle of mind of secretmantra.

The Unsurpassable Pathway Mind of Dzogchen

(64) The unsurpassable vehicle of mind of the supremely secret great completeness, dzogchen,connects you directly with the sphere that spontaneously establishes (all appearances). In thesphere of the basis, which is unchanging like space, (the appearances of) all good qualities arespontaneously established like the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars. Because (theirappearances are) spontaneously established from the depths, without need for being sought,(this is) a pathway of mind with a functional nature of being straightforward, making no effortor exertion.

(65) The mandala of the sphere of the clear light mind is unaffected. It is the naturally abiding

Dharmakaya (a Corpus Encompassing Everything), the intended point (of the Buddhas'teachings), which is equally (in everyone). Having stable realization (of it) is (to have) thesupreme (correct) view of the abiding nature (of all things).

(66) On the sphere that is (primally) pure, the clouds of fleeting obscurations (cause)deceptive appearances (to arise on) the limited minds of wandering beings. While not trulyexisting, yet through their nevertheless appearing, the three planes (of samsaric existence) andthe six classes (of wandering beings) are perpetuated. But whatever appears, at the time of itsappearing is not (truly) established on the deepest level. Like the sky and the clouds (in it), it ismerely appearing (dependently on) fleeting circumstances. (Therefore, as the appearances of)uncontrollably recurring samsaric existence are interpolations; (when you realize) theirdefining characteristic, they stop.

(67) (In other words,) "while not (truly) existing, (the phenomena of samsara) neverthelessappear" (means that,) being void by their own essential nature, void appearances are not (true)phenomena. They are like a blur, falling hairs (seen by someone with cataract), a dream, amirage, or a conch perceived as yellow (by someone with jaundice). At the very time of theirappearing in whatever way (they may appear), they can never be (validly) experienced asbeing (truly) established. They are without a basis, without a support, and without an (actual)beginning, middle, or end. Know that, by functional nature, they are pure from the start.

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(68) Concerning (all) phenomena like this - the samsaric world of appearances: environmentsand their inhabitants - there are no (true) cognitive objects to be taken. They are like magicalemanations or visual apparitions. And there are no (true) limited minds to cognitively takethem (as objects. All is) pure like empty space. (Since) there is no (true) pair: cognitiveobjects to be taken and (limited minds) that cognitively take them, samsara has never been(validly) experienced as being (truly) existent. Liberate (yourself) by knowing that (samsara) isan appearance of what doesn't (truly) exist and has the functional nature of being deceptive.

(69) Because the appearances of things to be abandoned or adopted, causes, effects, andcircumstances naturally purify themselves away, know that, on the deepest level, their abidingnature is beyond cause and effect. The basis support for this (natural purification) is pureawareness, rigpa, the (deepest) bodhichitta mind. The sphere of (naturally) released nirvana, thegreat spontaneous establisher (of all appearances - this is) the deepest truth, pure from the start.

(70) In other words, with an identity-nature of being without a beginning and without an end,(pure awareness) is the clear light mind in its self-nature - profound, stilled, and parted frommental fabrication. It is (the deep awareness) naturally abiding from the depths, a stainlessDharmakaya Corpus Encompassing Everything. It abides as an essential nature, withoutshifting or changing over the three times.

(71) This is the sphere of the basis, the diamond-strong vajra essence. In other words, whoeverhas stable realization of that (pure awareness) has the (correct) view itself of the abidingnature; and, with interpolation and repudiation stilled, has stable realization of it as theheart-essence of the deepest level.

Cultivating a Correct View of Dzogchen in Meditation

(72) Stainless meditation, (done) within a state of stable realization of the heart-essence of theclear light mind, is parted from mental dullness, flightiness of mind, and mental fabrication. It iswithout distraction, parted from the dualistic mind, and extremely expansive. In otherwords, it is completely pure like the sky, without restriction or selective bias, beyond allthought, expression, and imagination.

Cultivating Correct Behavior Based on the Dzogchen View

(73) As for behavior, whatever appears has no true (existence): it purifies itself away. (Thus,concerning) internal (limited minds) taking (objects), any that dawn naturally liberatethemselves (by automatically dissolving. And concerning) external (objects) cognitivelytaken, they are like a dream or an illusion. On the deepest level, there isn't the pair, and (so) actwithout adopting or discarding.

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Recapitulation of Dzogchen

(74) Regarding (limited minds) taking (objects, objects) cognitively taken, disturbingemotions and attitudes, negation and affirmation phenomena - in arising, they areautomatically liberating themselves. (That is to say,) with knowing their functional nature,(you know that they automatically) liberate themselves. With their liberating themselves, thenwithin a state of equality in Dharmakaya, complete from the depths, there is no need to seek anirvana from having an abandonment of samsara.

(75) Whatever (cognitive objects) appear, they are mirrors revealing the deepest (level).Whatever (limited minds) dawn, (that cognitively take them), know that they automaticallyliberate themselves. They are the effulgent display of a Dharmakaya. Like water and waves,they have a singular support in Dharmakaya. This is the (Buddhas') intended point concerningthe ultimate level, the very summit of views, the great completeness, dzogchen.

Summary

(76) In short, whoever practices in any of these ways, (know that) grasping for an impossible "soul" automatically liberates itself and disturbing emotions and attitudes purify away in thesphere (of voidness). Being skilled in the pathways of acting with (these) methods in all(situations) is taught as (the way for) having the pathway minds eliminate confusion.

(77) May all beings, without exception, cross the ocean of compulsive existence by means ofthe precious great ship of (these) ways of the Dharma like that, and, on the supreme island of astilled state of precious liberation, behold a banquet of an untainted stilling and bliss.

This (concludes) the third chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes of (Gampopa),"Having the Pathway Minds Eliminate Confusion."

4: Purifying Confusion into Deep Awareness

Provisional Purification

(78) Next is purifying your confusion into deep awareness. Of the stages for (this) point, theprovisional and ultimate, the first is the provisional (purification, dealing with) the time (whenyou have) a pathway of mind of practicing (to actualize the goal). By familiarising yourself bymeans of profound methods, whatever disturbing emotions arise totally purify into the sphere(of deep awareness). To make manifest (the underlying) deep awareness which is the naturalclarity (of the mind) is called "purifying conceptual thoughts of confusion into the sphere ofdeep awareness."

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(79) That (provisional stage) can be divided into shared, special, and unsurpassable (methods)according to the methods on which you rely. (These are respectively) cleansing away (theconfusion of disturbing emotions) with their antidotes; transforming (them) with methods; andhaving them purify into the sphere (of deep awareness) without (need for) abandoning them,(since) they automatically liberate themselves in their own place. Regardless of how you trainwith whichever (method) you like, stopping (the disturbing emotions) comes to the same point asthe disturbing emotions (automatically) purifying themselves.

(80) When you recognise the natural ground for the arising of longing desire, hostility,naivety, pride, and jealousy, (you see that) they automatically settle and automatically liberatethemselves, purifying into the five aspects of deep awareness. This is called "provisionallypurifying the confusion of the five poisonous emotions into the (five) major deepawarenesses" - analytic, mirror-like, sphere of reality, equalising, and accomplishing.

Ultimate Purification

(81) The ultimate (purification) is the parting of (all) fleeting stains from the source. In otherwords, when you discover the purified state that is stilled and parted from any speck (ofdefilement), you make manifest the functional nature of the sphere just as it is and discover thedeep awareness of the three Enlightening Corpuses of a Buddha as being of one taste inDharmakaya. (This) is called the Corpus of the Sphere Possessing Double Purity. It is not acognitive object (knowable) by anyone other than the Triumphant (Buddhas) themselves.

(82) The three Enlightening Corpuses (of a Buddha), namely a Corpus EncompassingEverything (Dharmakaya), a Corpus of Full Use (Sambhogakaya), and a Corpus ofEmanations (Nirmanakaya), together with deep awareness, are incorporated into a Corpus ofEssential Nature (Svabhavakaya), which is static, all-pervasive, unaffected, and without shift orchange.

(83) It remains in the sphere of Dharmakaya, which is a wish-fulfilling gem, and, within thatstate of its real nature, its Deep Awareness Corpus of Enlightening Influence, as a glitteringplay of Corpuses of Full Use and of Emanations, appears (respectively) to those with (aryabodhisattva) levels of bhumi-mind and to other wandering beings.

(84) Further, it appears like that from the purifying (power) of the combination of thestrengths of the enlightening inspiration of the Triumphant Ones and the positive force of thedisciples to be tamed. Because (of that purifying power, the attainment of) the enlighteninginfluence (of a Buddha) fulfilling the hopes (of all limited beings), like a wish-granting tree orgem, without any break for as long as compulsive existence endures - this is called "the(ultimate) purification of confusion into deep awareness."

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(85) May the seven-horse-drawn (sun), which is the heart-essence of the profound meaning(explained) like that, shed thousands of light-rays of its various words and their meanings onthe world of disciples through the pathway of the sky of their minds and clear away thedarkness of unawareness from all wandering beings.

This (concludes) the fourth chapter of A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (ofGampopa), "Purifying Confusion into Deep Awareness."

Author's Colophon

(86) This spread of a banquet (laid out) for the sake of both myself and others from themagnificent mansion of the broad intelligence of these (Dharma) methods, and garnished with alavish amount of hearing, thinking and meditating, has been arranged in accordance with themeaning of the sutras, tantras, and heart-essence quintessence teachings.

(87) By the constructive (force) of this, may I and all wandering beings level the mountain ofcompulsive samsaric existence in this lifetime and attain a supreme purified state that is stilledand parted from any speck (of defilement). May we become Buddhas, completely fulfilling theaims of both ourselves and others.

(88) And then in a land beautified with expansive snow-mountains of clear meaning, may (thesun of our) lustrous good qualities, which extends to the limit of (all) directions, highlight theheart-essence points on the precious gems of the scriptures and (thereby) bring joy to themasses of people with belief in what's fact.

This work, called "A Precious Garland for the Four Themes (of Gampopa)," has beencomposed by the yogi of the Supreme Vehicle, Kunkyen Ngaggi-wangpo (LongchenRabjampa), illumined by the crystal moon in the magnificent mansion of Samantabhadra in agarden called "A Cloud of Flowers" on the slopes of Limestone Mountain and completed inone sitting.

May a rain of great bliss fall for all times and in all directions as in the (golden) age of acomplete eon, granting everything hoped for in everyone's wishes.

Attribution: This is the printer-friendly version of: http: / / www.berzinarchives.com / web / en /archives /advanced / dzogchen / basic_points / four_themed_precious_garland.html

by Longchenpa (Klong-chen Rab-'byams-pa Dri-med 'od-zer)

Translated by Alexander Berzin and Matthew Kapstein, 1974Revised by Alexander Berzin, February 2007

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The Four Dharmas of Gampopa

Commentary by Kalu Rinpoche

Our precious human birth affords opportunity and leisure for Dharma practice and gives usaccess to the vast and profound tradition of the teachings of the Buddha dharma. Among these,the Four Dharmas of Gampopa provide a concise survey of the entire Path, divided into fourlevels.

The First Dharma: The Mind Turns Towards Dharma

This first teaching involves a thorough understanding of our situation in samsara and the differentdestinies within the cycle, the six states of rebirth: three lower ones —the hell realms, the hungryghost realm, and the animal realm; and three higher —the human, asura, and god realms. Throughthis teaching, we learn the consequences of virtuous and un-virtuous actions, which tendencieslead to these various rebirths, and the sufferings, which the beings in these realms undergo. Wecome to understand that although a particular karmic process may lead from higher to lower orlower to higher rebirths, samsara itself provides no means of escape, and if we rely on it, we canmake no progress towards Enlightenment. At the beginning of the Path, this understanding ofsamsara is necessary to turn the mind towards the Dharma, and to do this we contemplate the FourOrdinary Preliminaries.

The first of these concerns the unique value of the human life we are now experiencing. Becauseof the blessing of the Three Jewels and their influence in previous lives, we have, at some point,developed a virtuous tendency that has brought about our present human birth, with all itsopportunities, leisure and freedom to practice Dharma. Very few beings preserve this virtuoustendency (by avoiding negative actions, thoughts, and speech and encouraging positive ones),and very few achieve the resultant state of a precious human birth. If we think of the stars in thenight sky as representing the multitude of beings in samsara, then a star in daytime representsthe precious human birth —it is something possible, but most unlikely. Human birth is anextremely rare occurrence.

The second of the Four Preliminaries concerns impermanence. Now that we have the preciousopportunity of human birth we should make the best use of it and actually realize the fullpotential of being human. This can be accomplished through our efforts to transcend completelythe cycle of rebirth and achieve Buddhahood. In addition we must understand that mortality andimpermanence are part of our existence, and that our human birth, obtained with such difficulty,will pass away. In everything we experience, there is moment-by-moment change and instability.Like a candle flame blown by a strong wind, our human existence may be extinguished at anymoment; like a bubble on the surface of water, it may suddenly burst; like morning dew on thegrass, it soon evaporates.

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Next, to realize the full potential of being human, we must examine the concept of karma, theprocess of cause and effect, especially the relationship between our actions and their results. Weneed to recognize fully the unfailing connection between what we do now and what weexperience later.

The fourth contemplation that turns the mind towards Dharma deals with the unsatisfactory andpainful nature of samsara. Without an appreciation of impermanence and our own impendingdeath, we are likely to be distracted by the pleasures of the world and indulge ourselves inemotional conflict and confusion. When that happens, we become exhausted by the life we leadand do not get to what really matters. We neither really see what is actually happening in ourlives, nor make good use of our situation.

Before we know it, our life is finished and it is time to die. If we lack the foundation of a stablepractice, we go to death helplessly, in fear and anguish.

By contemplating these preliminaries—the potential of a precious human existence,impermanence and the inevitability of death, the karmic process of cause and effect, and thesufferings and limitations of samsara—we turn our minds to the Dharma, and thus fulfill thefirst of the Four Teachings, or Dharmas, of Gampopa.

The Second Dharma: The Dharma Becomes The Path

Once involved in the teachings, we come to the second of the Four Dharmas: the teachings of theDharma become our way of life, our path. Our attitude towards what is superior to us —the ThreeJewels— begins to change, and so does our attitude towards the beings in samsara who are equalor inferior to us. The first attitude is expressed when we take Refuge, with faith, devotion andrespect, in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. We realize that in Buddhahood one isomniscient and omnipresent, endowed with infinite capabilities. We see that the teachings of theDharma, which proceed from this enlightened state, are the Path that every being can follow toEnlightenment. We recognize that the Sangha, or assembly of practitioners who realize andtransmit the teachings, are companions or guides who can show us the Path. In the Vajrayânatradition, we add the Three Roots —Lama, Yidam and Dharma Protector— to the Three Jewels assources of Refuge (for a tantric practitioner).

When the Dharma becomes our Path, we develop a second attitude, that of compassion. Incontemplating the beings who are in samsara with us, we consider that space is infinite,pervading all directions, and that the realm of sentient beings extends as far as space itself. Atsome point in the past, every one of these numberless beings has been our mother or our father.Through innumerable cycles of lifetimes we have developed an extremely close karmicconnection with each one of them.

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When compassion develops we see that all life is the same, and that every single being wishes tobe happy: in every form of life a fundamental search for happiness goes on—but in a way thatcontradicts and defeats the aim of this search. Few beings understand that real happiness is theresult of virtuous conduct. Many are involved in actually destroying their chances for happinessthrough confused and harmful actions and thoughts.

When we see this we develop real affection and compassion for other beings. This infinitecompassion for all forms of life is the second attitude involved in making the teaching ourPath. Through faith and compassion the teaching that has attracted us becomes an entire wayof life.

The Development of Compassion

Although we realize the necessity of working not only for our own benefit but for the welfare ofall beings, we need to be honest about our own limitations and recognize that we have littlepower or ability to be truly effective in helping beings to free themselves. The way we becomeeffective in this is through achieving Buddhahood or, at least, by reaching some level ofBodhisattva realization. At these higher levels we gain the ability to manifest for the sake ofguiding beings out of their confusion.

The attitude of altruism is called Relative Bodhicitta; the desire to develop it is the foundation ofMahayana practice and the vessel for all virtue.

One method for developing Bodhicitta is called Tong len, which literally means "sending andtaking." The attitude here is that each of us is only one being, while the number of beings inthe universe is infinite. Would it not be a worthy goal if this one being could take on all thepain ofevery other being in the universe and free each and every one of them from suffering? Wethereforeresolve to take on ourselves all this suffering, to take it away from all other beings, even theirincipient or potential suffering, and all of its causes. At the same time we develop the attitude ofsending all our virtue, happiness, health, wealth and potential for long life to other beings.Anything that we enjoy, anything noble or worthy, positive or happy in our situation we sendselflessly to every other being. Thus the meditation is one of willingly taking on all that isnegative tendency to cling to what we want for ourselves and to ignore others.

We develop a deep empathy with everything that lives. The method of sending and taking is amost effective way of developing the Bodhisattva's motivation.

The kind of compassion we have described so far is called "compassion with reference tosentient beings." A dualism lingers here, however, because we are still caught by the threefoldidea of (1) ourselves experiencing the compassion, (2) other beings as the objects ofcompassion, and (3) the actual act of feeling compassion through understanding or perceivingthe suffering of others.

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This framework prepares our path in the Mahayana. Once this kind of compassion has beenestablished, we arrive at a second understanding: The realization begins to grow that the selfwhich is feeling the compassion, the objects of the compassion, and the compassion itself are allin acertain sense illusory. We see that these three aspects belong to a conventional, not ultimate,reality.They are nothing in themselves, but simply illusions that create the appearance of a dualisticframework. Perceiving these illusions and thereby understanding the true emptiness of allphenomena and experience is what we call "compassion with reference to all phenomena." Thisis the main path of Mahayana practice.

From this second kind of compassion a third develops, "non-referential compassion." Here weentirely transcend any concern with subject/object reference. It is the ultimate experience thatresults in Buddhahood. All these three levels of compassion are connected, so if we begin withthe basic level by developing loving-kindness and compassion towards all 1iving beings, welay a foundation, which guarantees that our path will lead directly to Enlightenment.

The Third Dharma: The Path Dispels Confusion

The third Dharma of Gampopa states that by traveling the Path our confusion is dispelled. Theprincipal theme of the teaching here is the experience of emptiness —the realization of theultimate nature of mind. In meditation we realize that our mind and all the experiences which itprojects are fundamentally unreal: they exist conventionally, but not in an ultimate sense. ThisRealization of Emptiness is known as Ultimate Bodhicitta.

An analogy can be drawn between the ocean and the mind, which is essentially empty, withoutlimiting characteristics or ultimate reality. This empty mind, however, has its projection, whichis the whole phenomenal world. The form, sound, taste, touch, smell, and inner thoughts, whichconstitute what we experience correspond to waves on the surface of the ocean. Once we see,through meditation, that the nature of mind is fundamentally empty, we become automaticallyaware that the projections of mind are fundamentally empty too. These projections are likewaves that arise from and subside into the ocean: at no point are they ever separate from it.

Although we may have some understanding that mind is essentially empty, it may be difficult torelate this idea to phenomenal existence. An example may help. At the present moment we have aphysical body, and during our waking existence we are extremely attached to it. We take it to bereal, a self-existent entity. But during dreams, we inhabit a different kind of body, and experiencea different state of being. A complete phenomenal existence is associated with this "dream body."We see, smell, touch, hear, feel, think and communicate—we experience a complete universe.

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But when we awaken it becomes obvious that the universe of the dream has no ultimate reality. Itcertainly is not in the outer world as we know it, nor in the room where we sleep, nor inside ourbody; it cannot be found anywhere. When the dream is over, its 'reality' simply disappears—itwas only a projection of mind. It is fairly easy to understand this in relation to the dream state.What we must also comprehend is that our experience in the waking state is of the same generalnature and occurs through the same process.

Realized Mahasiddhas, such as Tilopa and Naropa of India, or Marpa and Milarepa of Tibet, wereable to perform miraculous changes in the phenomenal universe. They could do so because theyhad realized the entire phenomenal world as essentially empty and a projection of mind. Thisallowed them to manifest miracles and actually change the phenomenal world. Suchtransformation is not possible when our mind clings to what we experience as ultimately real andimmutable.

The present phase of our existence ends in death, when the karma, which directs the course ofthis physical existence, is exhausted.

At death there is a definite and final separation of consciousness from the physical body,which is simply discarded. What continues is the individual consciousness, the mind of thebeing entering into the Bardo experience. During that after-death state, we experience anotherkind of phenomenal universe. Though lacking the basis of a physical organism, the mind isable to see, hear, smell, taste, touch, think, and perceive in much the same way as it does now.Though there is nothing more than a state of consciousness, the mind continues to follow itshabits and to manifest in set patterns. Thus our habitual conviction that experience isultimately real continues after physical death, and what happens there resembles what happensin the dream state and waking consciousness.

A story about a monk in Tibet illustrates this. It happened not very long ago, in fact, during thelifetime of my father. Near my home in Tibet there is a Nyingmapa monastery called Dzogchen.A monk from this monastery decided that he did not want to stay there any more, but preferred togo into business. He left and went to the north of that region to become a trader, hoping toaccumulate a fortune. He actually did become fairly successful. Because of his formerrelationship with a monastery, he was also considered something of a Dharma teacher, so he hada group of followers as well as the wealth amassed through his trading ventures.

One day he met a magician who was able to exercise a certain mental control over people. Thetrader didn't realize the power of this person, and the magician cast a spell that caused the traderto experience children: he acquired a large estate and family to look after, and passed his wholelife this way and became old with white hair and few teeth. Then the illusion disappeared: he wasback where he had been, and perhaps only one or two days had passed. During that time themagician had stolen everything he possessed, and the trader woke without a penny in the world.He had only the memory of his long fantasy of a lifetime's activities, distractions and projects.

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Just like the trader's fantasy, our own daily experiences have an illusory quality. In the Mahayanasutras, it is taught that everything the moonshining on the water's surface: everything weexperience has only conventional reality and is ultimately unreal.

We experience the third Dharma of Gampopa when, first, we become convinced that we mustdispel our confusion through understanding and experiencing the essential emptiness of mind,and, second, when this reveals the illusory nature of all phenomena; then the Path dispelsconfusion.

The Fourth Dharma: Confusion Arises as Primordial Awareness

The fourth Dharma of Gampopa is the transformation of confusion into Primordial Awareness.This fundamental transformation is effected on the level of Anuttarayogatantra, the highest ofthe four levels of Vajrayâna teachings.

This transformation is not difficult to explain theoretically. In an ordinary state awareness isclouded and confused; if we recognize the mind's nature, then we experience PrimordialAwareness. On a practical level, however, this does not happen automatically: a certain kind ofskillful means is needed. To transform discursive into enlightened awareness, we use the wealthof techniques available in the Vajrayâna, especially the Development and Fulfillment stages ofmeditation.

In our present situation as unenlightened beings, our three faculties of body, speech, and mindare obscured by basic ignorance. To transform that confusion into awareness, we must becomephysically, verbally, and mentally aware, so in Vajrayâna practice we utilize these very facultiesof our whole being to effect a complete transformation.

Considering our physical body, we can see how we are attached to it as something permanent,pure and real. Yet this physical body is temporary, composed of numerous impure and decayingsubstances. It is conventionally, not ultimately, real.

Our habitual and instinctive clinging to it obstructs the arising of Primordial Awareness. We mustcome to realize that this body is simply something that appears and that it has no self-nature.Based on the projections of the mind, the body represents the heart of the form aspect ofconsciousness. Until we realize this, the transformation of confusion into Primordial Awarenesswill not happen spontaneously in tantric practice, the body is transformed by a meditation thatleads us to identify with a pure or enlightened form, for example, Chenrezi, the Bodhisattva ofCompassion. Here we put aside the fixation on our own body and instead identify with a pureform.

In doing so, it is important also to realize that the deity is pure appearance, and does not partakeof substantiality in any way. In meditation we become completely identified with this form,which is empty, without solidity, without self-nature or ultimate reality beyond its pureappearance. This experience is called "The Union of Appearance and Emptiness."

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Such a transformation is based upon understanding that all our experience is a subjectiveprojection of mind, and therefore our attitude towards things is decisive. Through changing ourattitude we change our experience, and when we meditate in the way described, transformationis possible. This is especially true when we focus on an enlightened form such as theBodhisattva of Compassion. The image of Chenrezi itself is a real expression of the state ofenlightened compassion. It is not a fabrication. There is actually an enlightened being calledChenrezi, able to confer blessing and attainment. To experience this, certain conditions mustcome together. An analogy would be taking a photograph of someone.

We put film in the camera, we point it at whomever we're photographing and take the picture; theimage of the person is projected onto the film, and when it's developed, we have a certain imageof that person. Something similar happens when we meditate on an enlightened form. There is an"external" expression called Chenrezi. Through our efforts in meditation, we come to identifywith this pure form, to have faith in it, and to realize the intrinsic compassion and state ofawareness Chenrezi represents. In this way we can become a "copy" of the deity and receive theblessing of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. This is the first aspect of the transformation ofconfusion into Primordial Awareness based on meditation upon our body as an enlightened form.

The second aspect of transformation concerns our speech. Although it may be easy to considerspeech as intangible, that it simply appears and disappears, we actually relate to it as to somethingreal. It is because we become so attached to what we say and hear that speech has such power.Mere words, which have no ultimate reality, can determine our happiness and suffering. Wecreate pleasure and pain through our fundamental clinging to sound and speech.

In the Vajrayâna context, we recite and meditate on mantra, which is enlightened sound, thespeech of the deity, the Union of Sound and Emptiness. It has no intrinsic reality, but is simplythe manifestation of pure sound, experienced simultaneously with its Emptiness. Through mantra,we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it asessentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed intoenlightened awareness.

At first, the Union of Sound and Emptiness is simply an intellectual concept of what ourmeditation should be. Through continued application, it becomes our actual experience. Here, aselsewhere in the practice, attitude is all-important, as this story about a teacher in Tibetillustrates. The teacher had two disciples, who both undertook to perform a hundred millionrecitations of the mantra of Chenrezi, OM MANI PADME HUNG. In the presence of theirLama, they took a vow to do so, and went off to complete the practice.

One of the disciples was very diligent, though his realization was perhaps not so profound. He setout to accomplish the practice as quickly as possible and recited the mantra incessantly, day andnight. After long efforts, he completed his one hundred million recitations, in three years.

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The other disciple was extremely intelligent, but perhaps not as diligent, because he certainly didnot launch into the practice with the same enthusiasm. But when his friend was approaching thecompletion of his retreat, the second disciple, who still had not recited very many mantras, wentup on the top of a hill. He sat down there, and began to meditate that all beings throughout theuniverse were transformed into Chenrezi. He meditated that the sound of the mantra was not onlyissuing from the mouth of each and every being, but that every atom in the universe was vibratingwith it, and for a few days he recited the mantra in this state of samádhi.

When the two disciples went to their Lama to indicate they they'd finished the practice, hesaid, "Oh, you've both done excellently. You were very diligent, and you were very wise.You both accomplished the one hundred million recitations of the mantra."

Thus through changing our attitude and developing our understanding, practice becomes farmore powerful.

The six-syllable mantra of Chenrezi, Om Mani Padme Hung, is an expression of Chenrezi'sblessing and enlightened power. The six syllables are associated with different aspects of ourexperience: six basic emotional afflictions in the mind are being transformed; six aspects ofPrimordial Awareness are being realized. These sets of six belong to the mandala of the sixdifferent Buddha families which become manifest in the enlightened mind. The mantra ofChenrezi has power to effect transformations on all these levels.

Another way of interpreting the mantra is that the syllable OM is the essence of enlightened form;Mani Padme, the four syllables in the middle, represents the speech of Enlightenment; and the lastsyllable Hung represents the mind of Enlightenment. The body, speech, and mind of all Buddhasand Bodhisattvas are inherent in the sound of this mantra. It purifies the obscurations of body,speech, and mind, and brings all beings to the state of Realization.

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When it is joined with our own faith and efforts in meditation and recitation, the transformativepower of the mantra arises and develops. It is truly possible to purify ourselves in this way.

The mind aspect of the Chenrezi meditation centers in the heart region where the mantra andseed-syllable Hrih are located. Light is visualized as going out from these and making offeringsto all the Buddhas, purifying the obscurations of all beings, and establishing them inEnlightenment. The mind aspect is also connected with formless meditation, simply resting themind in its own empty nature. After practicing this for some time, a change will occur: we willhave the experience that anything arising in the mind, any emotion or thought, arises from anddissolves back into Emptiness. For that duration we are nowhere other than in Emptiness. In thisstate, we experience mind as the Union of Awareness and Emptiness. This is Mahamudra.

The threefold Chenrezi meditation thus utilizes meditation techniques relating to body, speech,and mind. At the end of a session of practice, the visualization dissolves into a formless state, andwe simply rest the mind evenly in its own nature. At this time we can experience body, speech,and mind as arising from basic, empty mind. We recognize this mind as the fundamental aspectand body and speech to be secondary projections based upon consciousness. This represents thegathering of all aspects of our experience into this, we have realized the fourth Dharma ofGampopa: confusion has arisen as primordial awareness.

The Four Dharmas of Gampopa (Tib. དྭགས་པོ་་ཆོས་བཞི་, Wyl. dwags po chos bzhi)