Ngulchu Thogme's Prologue: I pay homage through my three doors, To my supreme teacher and protector, Chenrezig, Who while

seeing all phenomena lack coming and going, Makes single-minded effort for the good of living beings !erfect "uddhas, source of all well-being and happiness, #rise from accomplishing the e$cellent teachings, #nd this depends on knowing the practices, %o I will e$plain the practices of "odhisattvas

No. Root Verses of "The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas" 1 Having gained this rare ship of freedom and fortune, Hear, thin and meditate un!averingl" night and da" In order to free yourself and others from the ocean of cyclic existence -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas &ttached to "our loved ones "ou are stirred up li e !ater' Hating "our enemies "ou (urn li e fire' )n the dar ness of confusion, "ou forget !hat to adopt and discard' Give up your homeland ** This is the practice of "odhisattvas B" avoiding (ad o(,ects, distur(ing emotions graduall" decrease' -ithout distraction, virtuous activities naturall" increase' -ith clarit" of mind, conviction in teaching arises' Cultivate seclusion -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 0oved ones !ho have long ept compan" !ill part' -ealth created !ith difficult" !ill (e left (ehind' 1onsciousness, the guest, !ill leave the guesthouse of the (od"'

Memory Device
# $ffort

# +enunciation

# .eclusion

# &ttachment

Let go of this life -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 2 -hen "ou eep their compan" "our three poisons increase, 3our activities of hearing thin ing and meditating decline, &nd the" ma e "ou lose "our love and compassion' Give up ad friends -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas -hen "ou rel" on them "our faults come to an end &nd "our good 5ualities gro! li e the !a6ing moon' Cherish spiritual teachers even more than "our o!n (od" -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas Bound himself in the ,ail of c"clic e6istence, -hat !orldl" god can give "ou protection7 Therefore !hen "ou see! refuge, ta e refuge in the Three 8e!els !hich !ill not (etra" "ou -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas The .u(duer said that all the un(eara(le suffering of (ad re(irths )s the fruit of !rongdoing' "herefore# even at the cost of your life# never do $rong -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas
* Negative peers

# .piritual friend

# +efuge

* Negative actions

0i e de! on the tip of a (lade of grass, pleasures of the three !orlds 0ast onl" a !hile and then vanish' %spire to the never&changing supreme state of li eration -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas

Pleasure ; )mpermanence

1< -hen "our mothers, !ho have loved "ou since time !ithout (eginning,

# Bodhichitta

&re suffering, !hat use is "our o!n happiness7 Therefore to free limitless living (eings, Develop the altruistic intention ** This is the practice of Bodhisattvas' 11 &ll suffering comes from the !ish for "our o!n happiness' Perfect Buddhas are (orn from the thought to help others' Therefore exchange your o$n happiness for the suffering of others ** This is the practice of Bodhisattvas' 1% $ven if someone out of strong desire .teals all of "our !ealth or has it stolen, Dedicate to him your ody# your possessions and your virtue# past# present and future ** This is the practice of "odhisattvas 13 $ven if someone tries to cut off "our head -hen "ou have not done the slightest thing !rong, 'ut of compassion ta!e all his misdeeds upon yourself -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 1/ $ven if someone (roadcasts all inds of unpleasant remar s &(out "ou throughout the three thousand !orlds, In return# $ith a loving mind# spea! of his good (ualities -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 12 Though someone ma" deride and spea (ad !ords &(out "ou in a pu(lic gathering, Loo!ing on him as a spiritual teacher# o$ to him $ith respect -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 14 $ven if a person for !hom "ou have cared 0i e "our o!n child regards "ou as an enem",
.uffering ; 1ompassion

Theft ; 1ompassion

)n,ur" ; 1ompassion

.lander ; 1ompassion

Humiliation ; 1ompassion

)ngratitude ; 1ompassion

Cherish him specially# li!e a mother does her child $ho is stric!en $ith sic!ness -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 17 )f an e5ual or inferior person =isparages "ou out of pride, )lace him# as you $ould your spiritual teacher $ith respect on the cro$n of your head -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 19 Though "ou lac !hat "ou need and are constantl" disparaged, &fflicted (" dangerous sic ness and spirits, -ithout discouragement ta!e on the misdeeds and the pain of all living eings -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas
.pite ; 1ompassion

=iscouragement ; 1ompassion

1: Though "ou (ecome famous and man" (o! to "ou, &nd "ou gain riches to e5ual >aishravana's, *ee that $orldly fortune is $ithout essence and do not e conceited -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas %< -hile the enem" of "our o!n anger is not su(dued Though "ou con5uer e6ternal foes, the" !ill onl" increase' Therefore !ith the militia of love and compassion# su due your o$n mind -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas %1 .ensual pleasures are li e salt!ater: The more "ou indulge, the more thirst increases' % andon at once those things $hich reed clinging attachment -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas %% -hatever appears is "our o!n mind'

-ealth ; )mpermanence

?ind ; 1ompassion

Pleasure ; )mpermanence

Non*dualit"

3our mind from the start is free from fa(ricated e6tremes' @nderstanding this, do not ta!e to mind +inherent, signs of su -ect and o -ect ** This is the practice of Bodhisattvas' %3 -hen "ou encounter attractive o(,ects, Though the" seem (eautiful 0i e a rain(o! in summer, do not regard them as real# %nd give up attachment -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas
&ttachment ; )mpermanence

%/ &ll forms of suffering are li e a child's death in a dream' Holding illusor" appearances to (e true ma es "ou !ear"' Therefore, $hen you meet $ith disagreea le circumstances# *ee them as illusory -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas %2 -hen those !ho !ant enlightenment must give even their (od", There is no need to mention e6ternal things' Therefore !ithout hope of return or an" fruition Give generously -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas %4 -ithout ethics "ou cannot accomplish "our o!n !ell*(eing, .o !anting to accomplish others' is laugha(le' Therefore !ithout !orldl" aspirations *afeguard your ethical discipline -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas %7 To Bodhisattvas !ho !ant a !ealth of virtue Those !ho harm are li e a precious treasure' Therefore to!ards all cultivate patience $ithout hostility -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas %9 .eeing even Hearers and .olitar" +ealiBers, !ho accomplish onl" their o!n good,

@npleasant circumstances ; )llusion

# Aenerosit"

# $thics

# Patience

# $5ualit"

.trive as if to put out a fire on their head, Cor the sa e of all (eings ma!e -oyful effort "o$ard the source of all good (ualities -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas

%: @nderstanding that distur(ing emotions are destro"ed B" special insight !ith calm a(iding, Cultivate concentration $hich surpasses the four formless a sorptions -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 3< .ince five perfections !ithout !isdom 1annot (ring perfect enlightenment, &long !ith s illful means cultivate the $isdom $hich does not conceive the three spheres +as real, -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 31 )f "ou do not e6amine "our errors, 3ou ma" loo li e a practitioner (ut not act as one' Therefore, al!a"s examining your o$n errors# Rid yourself of them -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 3% )f through the influence of distur(ing emotions 3ou point out the faults of another Bodhisattva, 3ou "ourself are diminished, so do not mention the faults of those $ho have entered the Great Vehicle -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas

# ?editative sta(ilit"

$mptiness

* $rrors

* 1riticism

* Human attachment 33 +e!ard and respect cause us to 5uarrel &nd ma e hearing, thin ing and meditating decline' Cor this reason give up attachment to the households of friends# relations and enefactors -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas

3/ Harsh !ords distur( the minds of others &nd cause deterioration in a Bodhisattva's conduct' Therefore give up harsh $ords $hich are unpleasant to others -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 32 Ha(itual distur(ing emotions are hard to stop through counter actions' &rmed !ith antidotes, the guards of mindfulness and mental alertness Destroy distur ing emotions li!e attachment at once# as soon as they arise -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 34 )n (rief, !hatever "ou are doing, &s "ourself, "-hat is the state of m" mind7" .ith constant mindfulness and mental alertness %ccomplish others/ good -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas 37 To remove the suffering of limitless (eings, @nderstanding the purit" of the three spheres, Dedicate the virtue of effort to enlightenment -- This is the practice of "odhisattvas

* Harsh speech

* 8&P)= D8ealous", &nger, Pride,

)gnorance, =esireE

# ?indfulness # &!areness

=edicating merits

Ngulchu Thogme's $pilogue:

&elying on what is taught in the sutras, tantras, treatises, #nd the words of the genuine masters, I have composed these thirty-seven "odhisattva practices To benefit those who wish to train on the "odhisattva's path "ecause my intelligence is small and my studies few, I cannot compose poetry to please the scholars (et since they are based on sutras and teachings of the genuine masters, I believe these practices of a "odhisattva are not mistaken )evertheless, since the vast conduct of a "odhisattva is difficult to fathom *or one with an inferior intellect such as mine, I pray to the genuine masters to consider with patience #ll my mistakes such as contradictions, incoherence, and so on "y virtue of the merit gathered here, "y the power of relative and ultimate bodhichitta, May all sentient beings become like the !rotector Chenrezig Who dwells neither in the e$treme of e$istence nor in that of peace The monk Thogme, # proponent of scriptures and logic, +as composed these verses In a cave known as )gulchu &inchen !uk To benefit himself and others

*ummary
# &!areness # Bodhichitta # $ffort # $5ualit" # $thics # Aenerosit" # ?editative sta(ilit" # ?indfulness # Patience # +efuge # +enunciation # .eclusion # .piritual friend * 1riticism * $rrors * Harsh speech * Hate * Human attachment * 8&P)= * 0ove * Negative actions * Negative peers &ttachment ; )mpermanence =iscouragement ; 1ompassion Humiliation ; 1ompassion )ngratitude ; 1ompassion )n,ur" ; 1ompassion ?ind ; 1ompassion .lander ; 1ompassion .pite ; 1ompassion .uffering ; 1ompassion Theft ; 1ompassion Non*dualit" Pleasure ; )mpermanence Pleasure ; )mpermanence -ealth ; )mpermanence @npleasant circumstances ; )llusion $mptiness =edicating merits