“Ambrosia for the Mind” – Continued
Part Two, Good in the Middle: the Main Subject of the Text, which has seven subdivisions
1. The Preliminaries, the Basis for Practice**
May the precious masters grant their blessings so that I may train thoroughly in the preliminaries,
Recognizing how hard it is to gain the freedoms and advantages and how easily they are lost,
So that I strive always to act in accordance with the laws of karma, adopting wholesome deeds and avoiding what is harmful,
And develop genuine renunciation for samsara.
2. The Main Part, Training in Bodhicitta
May the precious masters grant their blessings,
So that I may always cultivate the two aspects of bodhicitta,
Purifying my dualistic perceptions, which have no basis in reality, into all-pervading space,
And practising the profound exchange of my own happiness for others’ suffering.
http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/jamyang-khyentse-wangpo/ambrosia | Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2007. Revised 2012. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Comment: There’s a lot here. This is a prayer based on The Seven Point Mind Training brought to Tibet by the great Indian master, Atisha (The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse, Volume One. SHAMBHALA*Boulder*2010, pg 105). What are the freedoms and advantages referenced in the prayer? What are the preliminaries? What is bodhicitta? What are the two aspects of bodhicitta? I highly recommend reading The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse, and similar texts to better understand these teachings. If you can, find a teacher with an authentic lineage. Dedicated to your happiness – Mark.