of mind we cannot find stable, pure happiness for ourself, let alone for others; and the studies we engage in, no matter how advanced, will not bring real benefit.
All other Buddhist scriptures are either a part or a preliminary of Lamrim. For example, the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras are part of Lamrim. They are the source of the main Lamrim instructions, the Sutra instructions. Explicitly, the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras teach the stage of superior seeing according to Sutra, at which stage our object of meditation is emptiness. All the stages of the path that have emptiness as their object of meditation are the stages of the profound path. Therefore, explicitly, the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras teach the stages of the profound path according to Sutra. Implicitly, they teach the stages of the vast path according to Sutra.
All the stages of the path of Sutra and Tantra are divided into the stages of the profound path and the stages of the vast path. All Buddha’s scriptures, and all the philosophical texts composed after his time, such as Nagarjuna’s Six Collections of Reasonings and Asanga’s Five Sets on the Spiritual Grounds, are included within either the stages of the profound path or the stages of the vast path. Maitreya’s Ornament for Clear Realization is included within the vast path, and Chandrakirti’s Guide to the Middle Way is included within the profound path. Atisha’s Teacher Vidyakokila was very skilful in teaching the stages of the profound path, and Atisha’s Teacher Serlingpa was very skilful in teaching the stages of the vast path. Lamrim combines these two Lamas’ instructions in a way that enables us more easily to understand and practise them, and is therefore superior to other traditions.
When we begin to study philosophical texts such as those mentioned above we may at first think that we are studying different scriptures not to be found in Lamrim, and we may even think that because they are more difficult to understand they are intended for more intelligent students. In fact, all these philosophical texts are to be studied only as part of our main practice, the practice of Lamrim. If we were to try engaging in philosophy and logic on their own, without integrating them into our practice of Lamrim, we would lose their main point; for without continuous practice of Lamrim we will not gain control over our mind and we will not be able to help others overcome their problems.
If we have not studied the complete Lamrim these three pre-eminent characteristics will not be obvious; but if we meet someone actually putting the whole Lamrim into practice we may understand its supreme characteristics from this person’s example alone, without having to study all the instructions for ourself. Unfortunately, such a person is extremely rare. Even studying the whole Lamrim will not bring a full appreciation of all its qualities. Just as we need to savour a cup of tea to gain a full appreciation of its good qualities, which cannot be gained merely by reading the advertisements, so we need to put the complete Lamrim into practice to gain a full appreciation of its excellence.
the pre-eminent attributes of lamrim
Through gaining experience of Lamrim:
1 We will understand that none of Buddha’s teachings are contradictory
2 We will take all Buddha’s teachings as personal advice and put them into practice
3 We will easily realize Buddha’s ultimate intention
4 We will naturally become free from the great fault and from all other faults
WE will understand that none of buddha’s teachings are contradictory
By studying and practising the complete Lamrim we will see that there are no contradictions between Hinayana and Mahayana scriptures, between Sutra and Tantra, or between root texts and their commentaries. From a superficial reading of the scriptures it may appear that there are contradictions. For instance, some Hinayana scriptures emphasize meditation on the uncleanliness and repulsiveness of the body and on the impurities of the environment, whereas Tantric scriptures teach us to regard our body as the body of a Deity and our environment as pure. Hinayana scriptures teach us how to attain liberation for ourself alone, whereas Mahayana scriptures teach us how to attain full enlightenment for the benefit of others. Some scriptures advise against eating meat, whereas others encourage us to practise the yoga of eating whereby even the action of eating meat is transformed into a pure action. By studying the entire stages of the path we will see how such differences are reconciled because we will understand that each instruction is a method for solving a specific problem and is to be applied at a specific time. For example, the meditation on the uncleanliness and repulsiveness of the body reduces attachment, whereas the meditation on our body as the body of a Deity eliminates ordinary appearance which is the cause of samsara.
If a sick man goes to the doctor to be cured of a fever his doctor may advise him not to eat meat. If the same man returns to his doctor later because he is suffering from anaemia his doctor may this time advise him to eat meat. If the sick man ignores his doctor’s advice on the grounds that he has prescribed contradictory cures, he will not become well. A doctor gives different cures for different diseases. In the same way, Buddha gave different instructions for different afflictions. Not one remedy is superfluous or redundant. For our own sake we need to apply each different instruction at different times; and if we are to help others whose situation and experiences differ from our own we need to know all the methods and when and how to apply them.
If we know how to practise the whole Lamrim we will know how to practise all other scriptures. Whenever we receive any other teaching we will know where to place it within Lamrim. In this way each new instruction we receive will amplify and reinforce those we have already learnt. Suppose someone is given a handful of rice that he or she cannot use immediately. If that person has nowhere to store the rice he will not be able to put it to good use and will have to throw it away, but if he has built a storeroom to hold bags of different cereals he will be able to put the rice in the appropriate bag and increase his store. When the time is right he will be able to put the rice to good use. Lamrim is like such a storeroom. For example, Hinayana teachings can be stored amongst the stages of the path of a person of intermediate scope, Mahayana teachings can be stored amongst the stages of the path of a person of great scope, Vajrayana teachings can be stored amongst the stages of Secret Mantra within Lamrim, teachings on dependent relationship and the middle way can be stored within the stage of superior seeing, and so forth. Without studying the entire Lamrim we may receive many different instructions and still be wondering what to do, like a person standing with a handful of rice wondering where to put it. If we are like this, we will waste most of the instructions we receive.
While the great Tibetan Master Je Phabongkhapa was living in Kham in eastern Tibet, a Geshe arrived there from one of the great Gelug monasteries and went to receive practical instructions from a Nyingma Lama. The local people concluded that the Gelugpas had no practice since such a great Geshe needed to go looking for one. When Je Phabongkhapa heard of this he said that it was a great shame that this Geshe had wasted so many years of instruction by failing to realize that all his previous study was to be put into practice. It was possible for the Geshe to lose so much time only because he had not built the storeroom of Lamrim within his own mind.
we will take all buddha’s teachings as personal advice and put them into practice
By studying the complete Lamrim we will see that there are no contradictions between any of Buddha’s teachings and that all of them are to be put into practice. Knowing this we will take each instruction as personal advice and gain experience for ourself, thus discovering that every instruction is perfect and reliable.
When we practise Buddha’s teachings we should do so without omitting or adding anything. In Sublime Continuum of the Great Vehicle Maitreya says:
In this world there is no one more skilled than Buddha.
His omniscient mind directly perceives all objects to be known, without exception.
Therefore we should practise whatever
