Customer Reviews

The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment: The Lamrim Chenmo

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Many people are looking for the entire picture of Tibetan buddhism, and this English edition of the "Lam Rim Chen Mo" is one of the most suitable works to get this entire picture. All the stages of the path of liberation are covered in their natural, logical sequence.

It is wonderful that such a thing exists: that it is possible to have a general and complete understanding of the path.
Reading and hearing, studying the teachings allows us to then contemplate their true meaning, that is, come to a personal understanding and conviction that the topic at hand is indeed true, relevant and workable. That is what contemplation is all about: coming to such a workable conviction.
Contemplative understanding is then the basis for meditation, or applying the workable conviction in daily life, until it becomes second nature, thereby transforming our life.
In this way we progress, step by step, from understanding to natural conviction to application to effortless realization.

It is therefore very, very beneficial to acquire a taste for this type of literature - which is itself often a gradual process. It may seem very dry in the beginning, but once you acquire a taste for a certain aspect of the teachings, you will want to read the entire chapter, and then marvel at the profound logic. Once you have a few of such experiences you will understand that other chapters just "might" contain equally valuable treasures, and slowly acquire a taste for them as well, by reading the text and pondering its profound meaning. Drawing our attention to the parts that we tend to ignore then proves to be the quickest way to true understanding!

This is why it is taught that by these very teachings you come to understand how all of the scripture are instructions for actual practice, and that these teachings cover all stages of the path in their natural sequence. Marvelous! Your intelligence, no matter what your present level, will develop naturally, and soon you will encounter understandings not previously met.

I started out with some attractive chapters or topics, and only much later my curiosity for the other parts of the book developed. And even then it took a while to translate the "script" into recognition in daily life. But now I use it as a reference: when I want to have a more thorough understanding of a certain aspect, I study from this book, by looking at its various parts and looking how it fits into the total picture (or mandala of the teachings).

Once you learn how to acquire a taste for this basic, foundational literature of "lam-rim" (graded path) and "lojong" (mind training), you can soon continue into the wisdom literature of "prajnaparamita" (transcendent perfection of wisdom), "tathagatagarbha" (primordially enlightened disposition), "madyamika" (middle way of no dualistic extreme), "secret mantra" (path of swift accomplishment through deity meditation), "mahamudra" (great seal of ultimate bliss), "dzogchen" (great completion in total awareness), and so on.

This "Lam Rim Chen Mo" belongs to a category of literature that is a direct legacy of Atisha, the great Indian master of the early 11th century, whose student founded the Kadampa school, one of the earliest denominations of Tibetan buddism.
These Kadampa teachings still form the basis of training in all four Buddhist schools and their monastic colleges, each school having its own slight variation in interpretation. Most of these have now been translated in English, so you can choose from among the following:

* Geluk school: the "Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim Chen Mo)" (subject of the present review) is the classic that belongs to this school;
* Kagyu school: "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation" (ISBN 1559390921) is the famous classic by Gampopa, founder of the Kagyu school, by seamlessly integrating the Kadampa teachings of the gradual path with the Mahamudra teachings of the non-gradual path;
* Sakya school: "The Three Levels of Spiritual Perception" (ISBN 0861713680);
* Nyingma school": "Treasury of Precious Qualities" (ISBN 1570625980) by Jigme Lingpa.

Although each of these four works cover the same main subject, they are not necessarily exactly the same. Which work you choose for study will probably depend on your main spiritual teacher, if you have one.
What I particularly like about the "Lam Rim Chen Mo" in its present English edition, is that the subject is covered in full detail, separated by chapters with clear titles, for easy reference. So it is very suitable as a Western student's manual.

From the Editor's Preface: "The "Lam Rim Chen Mo" has the special feature of blending the three types of persons (those of small, medium, or great capacities) with the three principal aspects of the path (the determination to be free, the spirit of enlightenment, and correct view."

For those of higher capacity this means: travelling from the intent of acquiring a better life in the future; to the intent of liberation from samsara; to the mahayana intent of an open, compassionate heart with sacred outlook and pure vision, in order to liberate all sentient beings.

In this English edition, there are three volumes: the first volume covers the training of small and medium scope; volume two covers the mahayana training of superior scope; of which volume three covers the training in meditative serenity (shamatha) and wisdom insight (vipashyana).

From the Foreword: "Jey Tsongh-kha-pa's "Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment" is one of the greatest religious or secular works in the library of our human heritage. It presents a stunning vision (...) locating the precious jewel of an individual human embodiment at a critical moment of personal evolution. It provides this revelation in such a way that individual readers can be moved to achieve a fundamental paradigm shift in their vision of their lives: from having been a self-centered, this-life-oriented personal agent struggling with the currents and obstacles around them (...) to becoming a magnificent awakening being, soaring (...) in marvelous evolutionary flight toward an unimaginably beautiful destiny of wisdom, love, and bliss - buddhahood, or simply the supreme evolutionary glory attainable by any conscious being.

I like this literature tremendously, because it allows me to understand the foundation of the entire spiritual path, in the context of Tibetan buddhism in particular, but comparatively in the context of many other wisdom traditions and religions as well. Acquiring its taste has provided the condition, for me, for opening into endless study, imagination, reflection, meditation.

The Lam Rim Chen Mo is unquestionably one of the most cherished books in the Tibetan tradition. In it is lucidly and extensively detailed the precise stages of training the mind in the path to enlightenment. It is adorned with quotations from the Sutras, Indian Commentaries and Early Kadampa masters such as Lama Atisha. This particular translation is very clear and well done, with well written annotations and a glossary of terms.

I would recommend this book to any serious student of Buddhism. I found the lam rim in general difficult to understand at first so if you are a newer student I would recommend a shorter lamrim like The Path to Freedom by His Holiness.

Also :) I just wanted to answer some of the criticisms of the previous review:

Lama Tsong Khapa is not telling people that they should hire a prostitute, he is merely saying that it is not a path of non-virtue to do so. This is not Lama Tsong Khapa's assertion but one that comes from the Sutras themselves.

Also about the assertion in the last review that we should not tolerate other religious traditions, I don't know where in the Lam Rim the previous review got this idea from. In the section on taking refuge it mentions that we should refuse to acknowledge other refuges, but this is not saying we should not tolerate them. What Lama Tsong Khapa appears to be saying is that for our own individal practice of refuge we should understand the Triple Gem as the unique and worthy object of our refuge. Lama Tsong Khapa himself studied under teachers from many traditions including Nying-ma, Sakya and Kargyu so it would be difficult to accuse him of being biased to one tradition.

I do not mean to criticize the previous reviewer, just correct some misinterpretations that might discourage people from buying this wonderful book.

The work that this is a translation of has been the foundation and guide for my life for more than twenty years.

I consider the source work itself to be a useful component to any person studying or practicing ANY spiritual path.

Tsonkhapa was a great academic, and his writing is particularly rigourous. He lays his thoughts out with clarity and deliberation, and this work is no exception.

As a guide for life, it is my opinion that it is better if one can find someone to guide one through the book, -there are many references to stories and events that are not all explained by footnotes, however, this edition is definately a superb reader and essential companion.

The translation committee have had to work very hard in order to achieve an exemplar, and definitive English translation, and in my humble opinion, have done very well indeed.

There is the occasional Americanism, (so it is translated into American English, rather than International English), and sometimes the choice of term is not so intuitive for the well-read student of Buddhism (e.g. 'trailblazer' for 'Mahayana')

Regardless, other than posting the translation into a CVS repository for the global Buddhist community, I cannot imagine a better approach to this essential work.

We wait with respect for the second and third volumes.

Tsong Kha Pa tends to be very analytical in his discussions. This book is no exception. It is the first of a series of 3 to translate his Lam Rim text, bringing the reader through teachings for the small and middle capacity to Bodhichitta. The second text, when published will describe the Bodhisattva path, followed by the third which will focus on concentration and wisdom.

For those who wish to thoroughly investigate or understand the entire Buddhist path, this compendium is absolutely wonderful. It is a great complement to Yin Shun's "The Way to Buddhahood."

This book is a must read for people familiar with the Buddhist path. It provides a general framework for how all the different practices and teachings fit, in relation to one another and the Buddhist path more generally. In response to some of the critiques of the book below, the book must be taken within its historical context. Tibet was a patriarchial culture and Tsong-kha-pa did see Buddhism as a superior path to other paths. That said, Tsong-kha-pa's comments on these things need to be taken with a grain of salt and it is much better to look to current teachers, such as the Dalai Lama, for advice on these topics.

Je Tsong Kha Pa's Stages of the Path of Enlightenment, is arguably the single most important work ever produced about Tibetan Buddhism. This great Buddhist adept masterfully fashioned a cogent and logical exploration of the steps, that faithfully followed, could lead to Enlightenment in a single lifetime. The scholars involved in this translation are a veritable "Who's Who" of Tibetan Buddhist thought in the West. This eminently readable and thoroughly researched volume should be in the library of anyone who is interested in this rich spiritual tradition.

To read the <Jang Chub Lamrim Chenmo>, <The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volumes One, Two and Three: The Lamrim Chenmo> by Tsong-kha-pa demands great patience and diligence for the average reader.

In particular, the difficulty is partly due to the excellent and faithful translation of the three volumes of the author's work from Tibetan to English. And since the original work was written scholaric language during Je Tsong Khapa's time six hundred years ago, I reckoned that I needed some help when I purchased all three volumes of the Great Treatise several months ago after reading the first few chapters.

Help has come in the form of an useful preliminary reading. A companion, compendium, discourse-commentary on Je Tsong Khapa's profound and scholarly work has long been translated and available in English and in print for decades before as < Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment >.

It is to my knowledge that some Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Gelug/Gelupa school are actually using <Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment> as a course outline to teach Je Tsong Khapa's <The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment> to members of the Sangha in 24 days.

<Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment> is a document of a series lecture delivered by Pabongka Rinpoche over 24 days in Tibet the 1920s,the book is authored by Trijang Rinpoche and translated into English by Michael Richards.

Based on Je Tsong Khapa's work in The Lamrim Chenmo,<Liberation...> delivers an "executive summary" of the three volumes of <The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment> into 898 pages vis-a-vis three volumes of Je Tsong Khapa's detailed scholarly work.

This book <Liberation...> is not a Great Treatise on the Path to Enlightenment for Dummies, it is a concise commentary on <The Treatise...> which readers of The Great Treatise may find as a useful companion to the three profound and wonderfully translated volumes of <The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment: The Lamrim Chenmo>.

For readers who do not know what really to expect from three volumes of the <The Great Treatise...>, I would stongly recommend <Liberation in the Palms of Your Hand> as a preliminary read. By itself, <Liberation...> is already a classic, however, its next greatest value add is to serve as a pathfinder guide for the reader who would be learning the three volumes of the Lamrim Chenmo.

This is truly one of the greatest books I have ever read. Lama Tsong-Kha-Pa elucidates the nature of life and of meditation so clearly and beautifully. Using pure reason, this book leads one through to an understanding of many subtle points about the spiritual path that would otherwise be extremely difficult to understand. The translators seem to have done an excellent job, and I'm so very thankful to them for providing us with this book which is certainly worth more than its weight in jewels.

If you want to know what you must do to become enlightened, these three volumes are the ones to read. The steps are laid out very plainly. Be prepared -- these books are not a quick-read. It took 6 months of daily effort just to read through them once because the reading is heavy and thought-provoking. The third volume is the hardest to understand because it goes into Buddhist logic (Madhyamaka) so people who have not been exposed to those ideas before reading this book might find the third volume challenging. (My suggestion is to listen to Chapter 9: Wisdom and the Bodhisattva Path of Pema Chodron's CD set on the Way of the Bodhisattvah available at http://www.pemachodrontapes.org/bodhisattva.htm#bodhi or read Center of the Sunlit Sky by Karl Brunnholzl available through Amazon.com at The Center of the Sunlit Sky: Madhyamaka in the Kagyu Tradition (Nitartha Institute Series).) I have read a lot of books on this topic and this set is the most comprehensive and easiest to follow, albeit longest. Of course, putting what is contained within is the hard part, but at least the explanation is there so you have a leg up on the work. If I was only allowed three books to own for the rest of my life, these would be the ones I would keep.

I have been trying my best to follow Je Tsongkapa's advice for years now. These teachings are very special as they are the 'Lam Rim' or 'Stages of The Path' teachings originally formulated by Atisha for Tibetans. It is a very condensed yet essential presentation of all Buddha's teachings. In Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's Lam Rim texts, the number of meditations is 21. In other contemporary Lam Rim texts like that of Geshe Rabten, H.H. Dalai Lama, or Geshe Sopa, the number varies.

What is amazing is the Lam Rim's simplicity and clarity. Add to that Je Tsongkapa's stainless reasoning and vast scriptural knowledge and you have a spiritual masterpiece.

This is not to say other texts from other traditions aren't valid. I just relate to these teachings most powerfully.

If I have any complaints about the text it would be in the translation the word 'sin' is used instead of 'negativity' or something less charged. Also, there was not one Tibetan out of like 20 people on the translation committee for this book. That's why 4 stars.