PART I
Sayings of the Kadam Masters
WISE WORDS
Sayings of the Kadam Masters is a unique collection of pithy statements uttered by Tibetan teachers containing spiritual advice and reflections on life, mental cultivation, and the Buddhist quest for true enlightenment. These sayings, which are attributed to some of the greatest spiritual masters of Tibet, cover a wide range of themes of deep interest to spiritual aspirants, such as:
âą The balance between individual cultivation and compassionate action in the world
âą The balance and dynamic relationship among study, critical reflection, and meditation
âą The relationship between wisdom and compassion
âą The cultivation of greater self-awareness, especially in relation to our thoughts and emotions
âą The principles of nonattachment and nongrasping
âą The contemplation of death and impermanence
âą The practice of self-discipline
âą The way to bring the teaching of no-self into actual lived experience
âą The way to integrate our outlook with contemplative practice and action in the worldâa triad referred to as âview, meditation, and actionâ
âą Contemplative practices aimed at developing the four immeasurable thoughts of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity
Like the âSayings of the Desert Fathersâ of the early Christian church, these sayings of the Kadam masters have stood the test of time and have continued to provide a deep source of inspiration to seekers of truth. The essence of these teachings, beyond their specific cultural and temporal provenance, continues to resonate poignantly even in todayâs fast-paced technological age. If anything, these teachings are even more relevant today, because they provide contemporary people facing complex challenges and endless distractions a glimpse into the space of tranquility, contentment, and deep connectedness that the human mind is capable of. Indeed such inner cultivation may be vital for the survival of the human race.
Ever since their emergence in the Land of Snows during the first century of the second millennium, the teachings of the Kadam masters have not only nurtured the spiritual aspirations of so many seekers of truth, they have shaped and defined the spiritual aspirations and sensibilities of an entire civilization. From the eleventh century onward, every Tibetan work of spiritual instruction, especially those relating to the cultivation of universal compassion and the bodhisattvaâs altruistic ideal, or of philosophical enquiry into the nature of ultimate wisdom has been thoroughly informed by the teachings of the Kadam masters. Whether they are the writings of Gampopa (a founding father of the KagyĂŒ lineage), Sakya luminaries such as Sakya Paáčážita, NgĂŒlchu ThokmĂ© Sangpo (author of the famed Thirty-Seven Verses on the Bodhisattva Practice), the great Nyingma teacher Longchenpa, or Tsongkhapa (founder of the Geluk school), all subsequent great Tibetan teachers owe a deep debt to the wisdom and teachings of the Kadam masters.
Chegom Sherap DorjĂ©, also known as the adept Chegom, originally put together our present text in the twelfth century. In his editorâs colophon to the collection, Master Chegom writes, âHere, the monk Chegom has briefly collected and compiled the sayings of the Kadam masters, which represent the heart advice of the sublime teachers of Master AtiĆaâs lineage that had previously been scattered.â When I was a student monk at Ganden Monastery in South India, my personal teacher KyabjĂ© DzemĂ© RinpochĂ© gave me a traditional xylograph copy of the Scattered Sayings. It was a woodblock edition printed at the famous Shöl Printing Press in Lhasa. Since then this short text has been one of my most cherished works, a text that I always keep coming back to. I will often select a random passage from the text and read it in the morning as a thought for the day.
Chegom was an important Kadam master in his own right. He was a principal disciple of Jangchup Nangwa, who was in turn a student of Master Potowa. In the history of Tibetan spiritual literature, however, Chegom is honored more for his authorship of a trio of texts collectively referred to as âthe three heapsâ: (1) the Jewel Heap of Teachings through Similes, a lucid commentary on a root text composed by Master Potowa, (2) the Jewel Heap of Pith Instructions, a unique text weaving the Kadam instructions with the MahÄmudrÄ teachings, and (3) the Jewel Heap of Practices, a work no longer extant. Among his writings there is also a beautiful and moving work in verse entitled Lamp for the Fortunate Ones, a collection of advice for hermits living a way of life dedicated to single-pointed meditative practice.
The Scattered Sayings text is structured around three clusters, the first two dedicated to the sayings of the founding fathers of the Kadam traditionâAtiĆa and Dromâfollowed by selected sayings from other Tibetan masters of the Kadam lineageâthe immediate disciples of the founding fathers, such as Master Gönpawa and the three Kadam brothers (Potowa, Chengawa, and Phuchungwa), and second-generation Kadam teachers like Neusurpa and others.
It appears that other additions were made to the collection soon after its original compilation. The first was a cluster of sayings particular to Master Kharakpa organized in numerical sets as compiled by his disciple Geshé Lhopa. Later a selection of sayings by Master Chegom, the editor of our original collection, appears to have been added to the text. It is difficult to determine based on the material available when this final piece was added.
SAYINGS OF THE KADAM MASTERS
Compiled by Chegom Sherap Dorjé
Herein lie the scattered sayings of the sublime masters
of Kadam. Respectfully I pay homage
to the sublime teachers.
1. The Sayings of Master AtiĆa
ONCE WHEN the great master AtiĆa, the sole lord, visited central Tibet, his three disciples Khutön, Ngok, and Dromtönpa10 asked the following question: âAtiĆa, in order for a practitioner to attain liberation and the state of omniscience, which is the more important of the twoâthe sutras and their commentarial treatises or the teachersâ essential instructions?â
AtiĆa replied, âEssential instructions are more important than the treatises.â
When asked, âWhy?â he replied, âEven if one can recite the three baskets of scripture by heart and is versed in the definitions of all phenomena, at the time of actual meditative practice, if one lacks the application of the [essential instruction of the] teaching, the teaching and the person will remain separate from each other.â
They then reported, âIf one were to thoroughly condense the way to apply the essential instructions of the teachers, it appears to be abiding in the three vows and striving in the virtues through oneâs three doors. Is this not so?â
AtiĆa responded: âEven if you abide in accord with the three vows and remain pure, as long as your mind is not disenchanted with the three realms of cyclic existence, you will create the conditions for turning the wheel again. Also, even if you strive through your three doors in the virtues both day and night, if you lack the knowledge of how to dedicate them toward full awakening, they will be eroded through some distorted conceptualization. Even if you are a learned scholar, a disciplined practitioner, a teacher, or a meditator, if you fail to turn your thoughts away from the eight mundane concerns, whatever you do will be directed toward the goals of this life, and you will fail to find the path toward the future.â
Again, Khutön, Ngok, and Dromtönpa asked AtiĆa, âOf all the teachings of the path, which is the best?â The master replied:
The best learning is realizing the truth of no-self.
The best discipline is taming your mindstream.
The best excellence is to have great altruism.
The best instruction is the constant observation of your mind.
The best antidote is the recognition that everything is devoid of intrinsic existence.
The best conduct is that which is at odds with the mundane world.
The best higher attainment is the lessening of your mental afflictions.
The best sign of higher attainment is a decrease in your attachment.
The best giving is the absence of possessiveness.
The best morality is a tranquil mind.
The best forbearance is to uphold humility.
The best joyful perseverance is to be able to let go of the endeavor.
The best concentration is the uncontrived mind.
The best wisdom is to make no identification of âI amâ with anything.
The best spiritual tea...