1
Having patience I should develop enthusiasm;
For Awakening will dwell only in those who exert themselves.
Just as there is no movement without wind,
So merit does not occur without enthusiasm.
2
What is enthusiasm? It is finding joy in what is wholesome.
Its opposing factors are explained
As laziness, attraction to what is bad
And despising oneself out of despondency.
3
Because of attachment to the pleasurable taste of idleness.
Because of craving for sleep
And because of having no disillusion with the misery of cyclic existence,
Laziness grows very strong.
4
Enmeshed in the snare of disturbing conceptions,
I have entered the snare of birth.
Why am I still not aware
That I live in the mouth of the lord of death?
5
Do I not see
That he is systematically slaughtering my species?
Whoever remains soundly asleep
(Surely behaves) like a buffalo with a butcher.
6
When having blocked off every (escape) route
The lord of death is looking (for someone to kill),
How can I enjoy eating?
And likewise how can I enjoy sleep?
7
—For as long as death is actually approaching
Then I shall accumulate merits
Even if I then put a stop to laziness,
What will be the use? That is not the time!
8
When this has not been done, when this is being done
And when this is only half finished,
Suddenly the lord of death will come.
And the thought will occur, ʺOh no, I am done for!ʺ
9
Their faces flowing with tears
And their eyes red and swollen with sorrow,
My relatives will finally lose hope
And I shall behold the vision of the messengers of death.
10
Tormented by the memory of my evils
And hearing the sounds of hell,
In terror I shall clothe my body in excrement.
What virtuous can I do in such a delirious state?
11
If even in this life I shall be gripped with fear
Like that of a live fish being rolled (in hot sand),
Why even mention the unbearable agonies of hell
That will result from my unwholesome deeds?
12
Now can I remain at ease like this
When I have committed the actions (that will bear fruit)
In my delicate infantʹs body encountering boiling acids
In the hell of tremendous heat?
13
Much harm befalls those with little forbearance
And those who want results without making any effort.
While clasped by death they shall cry like the gods,
ʺOh no, I am overcome by misery!ʺ
14
Relying upon the boat of a human (body),
Free yourself from the great river of pain!
As it is hard to find this boat again,
This is no time for sleep, you fool.
15
Having rejected the supreme joy of the sacred Dharma
This is a boundless source of delight,
Why am I distracted by the causes for pain?
Why do I enjoy frivolous amusements and the like?
16
Without indulging in despondency, I should gather the supports (for enthusiasm)
And earnestly take control of myself.
(Then by seeing) the equality between self and others
I should practise exchanging self for others.
17
I should never indulge in despondency by entertaining such thoughts as,
ʺHow shall I ever awaken?ʺ
ʺHow the Tathagatas who speak what is true
Have uttered this truth:
18
ʺIf they develop the strength of their exertion,
Even those who are flies, mosquitoes, bees and insects
Will win the unsurpassable Awakening
Which is so hard to find.ʺ
19
So, if I do not forsake the Bodhisattvasʹ way of life.
Why should someone like myself who has been born in the human race
Not attain Awakening, since I am able to recognise
What is beneficial and what is of harm?
20
—But nevertheless it frightens me to think
That I may have to give away my arms and legs—
Without discriminating between what is heavy and what is light,
I am reduced to fear through confusion.
21
For over countless myriads of aeons
I have been cut, stabbed, burned,
And flayed alive innumerable times
But I have not awakened.
22
Yet the suffering
Involved in my awakening will have a limit;
It is like the suffering of having an incision made
In order to remove and destroy greater pain.
23
Even doctors eliminate illness
With unpleasant medical treatments,
So in order to overcome manifold sufferings
I should be able to put up with some discomfort.
24
But the Supreme Physician does not employ
Common medical treatments such as these,
With an extremely gentle technique
He remedies all the greatest ills.
25
At the beginning, the Guide of the World encourages
The giving of such things as food.
Later, when accustomed to this,
One may progressively start to give away even oneʹs flesh.
26
At such a time when my mind is developed
To the point of regarding my body like food,
Then what hardship would there be
When it came to giving away my flesh?
27
Having forsaken all evil there would be no suffering
And due to wisdom there would be no lack of joy;
But now my mind is afflicted by mistaken conceptions
And my body is caused harm by unwholesome deeds.
28
As their bodies are happy due to their merits
And their minds are happy due to their wisdom,
Even if they remained in cyclic existence for the sake of others
Why would the Compassionate Ones ever be upset?
29
Due to the strength of his Awakening Mind,
The Bodhisattva consumes his previous evils
And harvests oceans of merit:
Hence he is said to excel the Shravakas.
30
So, having mounted the horse of an Awakening Mind
That dispels all discouragement and weariness,
Who, when they know of this mind that proceeds from joy to joy,
Would ever lapse into despondency?
31
The supports when working for the sake of living beings
Are aspiration, steadfastness, joy and rest
Aspiration is developed through fear of misery
And by contemplating the benefits of (aspiration) itself.
[In the root text the term “appreciation” appears, but Thog-me Zang-po, in agreement with the Indian commentary ‘Grel-chen and the Tibetan translator Lama Pang, substitutes ‘aspiration.’]
32
Thus in order to increase my enthusiasm
I should strive to abandon its opposing forces,
To (amass the supports of) aspiration, self‐confidence, joy and rest,
To practise in earnest and to become strong in self‐control.
33
I shall have to overcome
The boundless faults of myself and others,
And (in order to destroy) each of these faults (alone)
(I may have to strive until) an ocean of aeons is exhausted.
34
But if within myself I do not perceive
Even a fraction of the perseverance (required) to exhaust these faults,
Then why do I not have a heart attack?
For now I have become an abode for infinite misery.
35
Likewise I shall have to realise
Many excellent qualities for myself and others,
And (in order to attain) each of these qualities (alone)
I may have to acquaint myself with its cause until an ocean of aeons is exhausted.
36
But I have never developed acquaintance
With even a fraction of these excellences!
How strange it is to squander
This birth I have found by some coincidence.
37
I have not made offerings to the Lord Buddhas,
I have not given the pleasure of great festivals,
I have not performed actions for the teachings,
I have not fulfilled the wishes of the poor,
38
I have not granted fearlessness to the frightened
And I have not given happiness to the weak.
All I have given rise to is
The agonies in the motherʹs womb, and to suffering.
39
Both now and in previous lives
Such deprivation has arisen
Because of my lack of aspiring for the Dharma:
Who would ever reject this aspiring for Dharma?
40
The Mighty One himself has said
That aspiration is the root of every facet of virtue;
Its root is constant acquaintance
With the ripening‐effects (of actions).
41
(Physical) pain, mental unhappiness,
All the various kinds of fear,
As well as separation from what is desired
All arise from an unwholesome way of life.
42
(However) by committing wholesome actions
Which are (motivated by aspiration) in the mind,
Whenever I go I shall be presented with
Tokens of the fruit of that merit.
43
But by committing evil (actions),
Although I may wish for happiness,
Whenever I go I shall be completely overcome
By weapons of pain (caused) by my evil life.
44
As a resut of virtue I shall dwell in the spacious,
fragrant and cool heart of a lotus flower,
My radiance will be nourished by the food of the Conquerorʹs sweet speech,
My glorious form will spring from a lotus unfolded by the Mighty Oneʹs light,
And as a Bodhisatttva I shall abide in the presence of the Conquerors.
45
But as a result of non‐virtue my skin will be ripped off by the henchmen of Yama,
In this feeble state liquid copper melted by tremendous heat will be poured into my body.
Pierced by flaming swords and daggers, my flesh will be cut into a hundred pieces
And I shall tumble upon the fiercely blazing iron ground.
46
Therefore I should aspire for virtue
And with great respect acquaint myself with it.
Having undertaken the wholesome in the manner of Vajradhvaja [Sutra].
I should then proceed to acquaint myself with self‐confidence.
47
First of all I should examine well what is to be done
To see whether I can pursue it or cannot undertake it.
(If I am unable) It is best to leave it,
But once I have started, I must now withdraw.
48
(If I do), then this habit will continue in other lives
And evil and misery will increase,
Also other actions done at the time of its fruition
Will be weak and will not be accomplished.
49
Self‐confidence should be applied to (wholesome) actions,
The (overcoming) of disturbing conceptions and my ability (to do this).
Thinking, ʺI alone shall do it,ʺ
Is the self‐confidence of action.
50
Powerless, their minds disturbed,
People in this world are unable to benefit themselves.
Therefore I shall do it (for them)
Since unlike me these beings are incapable.
51 (Even) if others are doing inferior tasks
Why should I sit here (doing nothing)?
I do not do those tasks because of self‐importance;
It would be best for me to have no such pride.
52
When crows encounter a dying snake,
They will act as though they were eagles.
(Likewise) if (my self‐confidence) is weak
I shall be injured by the slightest downfall.
53
How can those who out of faint‐heartedness have given up trying
Find liberation because of this deficiency?
But even the greatest (obstacle) will find it hard to overcome
One with self‐confidence who is developing exertion,
54
Therefore with a steady mind
I shall overcome all falls,
For if I am defeated by a fall
My wish to vanquish the three realms will become a joke.
55
I will conquer everything
And nothing at all shall conquer me!
I, a son of the Lion‐like Conqueror,
Should remain self‐confident in this way.
56
Whoever has self‐importance is destroyed by it:
He is disturbed and has no self‐confidence.
For those with self‐confidence do not succumb to the power of the enemy,
Whereas the former are under the sway of the enemy of self‐importance.
57
Inflated by the disturbing conception of my self‐importance,
I shall be led by it to the lower realms.
It destroys the joyous festival of being human.
I shall become a slave, eating the food of others,
58
Stupid, ugly, feeble and everywhere disrespected.
Tough people bloated by conceit
Are also counted among the self‐important;
Tell me, what is more pathetic than this?
59
Whoever seizes self‐confidence in order to conquer the enemy of self‐importance,
He is the self‐confident one, the victorious hero.
And in addition, whoever definitely conquers the spread of this enemy, self‐importance,
Completely (wins) the fruit of a Conqueror, fulfilling the wishes of the world.
60.
If I find myself amidst a crowd of disturbing conceptions
I shall endure them in a thousand ways;
Like a lion among foxes
I will not be affected by this disturbing host.
61
Just as men will guard their eyes
When great danger and turmoil occur,
Likewise I shall never be swayed by the disturbances within my mind,
Even at times of great strife.
62
It would be better for me to be burned,
To have my head cut off and to be killed,
Rather then ever bowing down
To those ever‐present disturbing conceptions.
(So likewise in all situations
I should do nothing other than what is fit)
63
Just like those who yearn for the fruits of play,
(A Bodhisattva) is attracted
To whatever task he may do:
He never has enough, it only brings him joy.
64
Although people work in order to be happy,
It is uncertain whether or not they will find it;
But how can those whose work itself is joy
Find happiness unless they do it?
65
If I feel that I never have enough sensual objects,
Which are like honey smeared upon a razorʹs edge,
Then why should I ever feel that I have enough
Merit which ripens in happiness and peace?
66
Thus in order to complete this task,
I shall venture into it
Just as an elephant tormented by the midday sun
Plunges into a (cool, refreshing) lake.
67
When my strength declines, I should leave whatever I am doing
In order to be able to continue with it later.
Having done something well, I should put it aside
With the wish (to accomplish) what will follow.
68
Just as an old warrior approaches
The swords of an enemy upon the battlefront,
So shall I avoid the weapons of the disturbing conceptions
And skillfully bind this enemy
69
If someone dropped his sword during a battle.
He would immediately pick it up out of fear,
likewise if I lose the weapon of mindfulness
I should quickly retrieve it, being afraid of hell.
70
Just as poison spreads throughout the body
In dependence upon the (circulation of) blood,
Likewise if (a disturbing conception) finds an opportunity
Unwholesomeness will permeate my mind.
71
Those who practise should be as attentive
As a frightened man carrying a jar full of mustard oil
Who is being threatened by someone with a sword
That he will be killed if he spills just one drop.
72
Just as I would swiftly stand up
If a snake came into my lap,
Likewise if any sleep or laziness occur
I shall quickly turn them back.
73
Each time something unwholesome occurs
I should criticise myself,
And then contemplate for a long time
That I shall never let this happen again.
74
ʺLikewise in all these situations
I shall acquaint myself with mindfulness.ʺ
With this (motivation) as a cause I shall aspire
To meet (with teachers) or accomplish the tasks (they assign me).
75
In order to have strength for everything
I should recall before undertaking any action
The advice in (the chapter on) conscientiousness,
And then joyfully rise (to the task).
76.
Just as the wind blowing back and forth
Controls (the movement of) a piece of cotton,
So shall I be controlled by joy,
And in this way accomplish everything.