Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Dedication from “Stages of the Path to Awakening”

Dedication from “Stages of the Path to Awakening”

a monk walking on a road with a rainbow appearing in front of him.
Photo by Hartwig HKD

By accumulating through long effort, the two collections as vast as the sky, may I become the chief of the Victorious Ones, a guide of all beings whose minds are obstructed by ignorance.

In all lives until I reach that point, may Manjushri look after me with loving-kindness. After I find the supreme path, complete in the stages of the teaching, my I please all the Victorious Ones by accomplishing it.

By skillful means inspired by strong loving-kindness, may the vital points of the path that I precisely know clear away the mental darkness of beings. May I then uphold the Victorious One’s teachings for a long time.

In regions where the supreme, precious teaching has not spread or where it has spread but then declined, with my heart deeply moved by great compassion, may I illuminate this treasure of happiness and benefit.

May the stages of the path to awakening, well-founded on the wondrous deeds of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, bring glory to the minds of those who seek freedom and long preserve the Victorious One’s achievements.

May all human and non-human beings who eliminate adversity and provide conducive conditions for practicing the excellent path never be parted in any of their lives from the pure path praised by the Buddhas.

When we strive to properly accomplish the Universal Vehicle through the ten deeds of the teaching, may we always be assisted by the mighty ones and may oceans of good fortune spread everywhere.

Lama Tsongkhapa

Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) is an important master of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Gelug school. He is also known by his ordained name, Lobsang Drakpa, or simply as Je Rinpoche. Lama Tsongkhapa heard the Buddha’s teachings from masters of all Tibetan Buddhist traditions and received lineage transmission in the major schools. His main source of inspiration was the Kadampa tradition, the legacy of Atiśa. He expanded on the points of Lama Atisha's text and wrote The Great Exposition on The Gradual Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo), which sets out in a clear manner the steps to realizing enlightenment. Based on Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, the two distinguishing characteristics of the Gelug tradition are the union of Sutra and Tantra, and emphasis on the Lamrim along the three principal aspects of the path (a genuine wish for renunciation, generation of bodhicitta, and insight into emptiness). In his two main treatises, Lama Tsongkhapa meticulously set forth this graduated way and how one establishes oneself in the paths of Sutra and Tantra. (Source: Wikipedia)

More on this topic