7/28/2019 Chodrak's 35 Heartfelt Advice

1/7

A Short Collection of Drigung KagyTeachings

Drigung Dharmakrti HermitageAsheville, North Carolina

7/28/2019 Chodrak's 35 Heartfelt Advice

2/7

The Great Vanquisher of Hindrancesby Kyobpa Jikten Sumgn

I take refuge in the Father,The precious and kind king of Dharma.Through your blessings, noble father,The following instructions have dawned in my mind:

Son, as long as your non-objectifying compassion isstill unstable,

Except for diligence in making aspirational prayers,Do not be overambitious about benefiting others

You run the risk of chasing after results for which

there are no causes.

As long as you have not reached the state ofVajradhara,

Except for (the instructions of) the past lineagemasters,

Do not place disciples in meditation You run the risk of compounding more serious

confusions on to confusions.

As long as unbounded compassion has not arisen,If it is only with a mind that turns from this life,Do not meditate on the n,pra and bindu

You run the risk of surrounding yourself with yourown executioners.

As long as dualistic conceptions have not settled,

Do not waste your breath declaring that there is no

ego.You run the risk of meeting gurus of worldlyteachings,

Producing firewood that fuels the fires of Avci hell.

As long as plans for this life have not been crippled,Do not retire to the mountain-retreats for gain and

fame.You run the risk of the strength of poisonous

afflictive-emotions intensifying,

And plunging you into the miserable realms.

As long as appearances and mind have not blendedinto one,

Meditation should be your primary activity.Do not engage in various and sundry thingsAs you will risk both self and others going downhill.

These oral instructions are not something to repeatto others,

But are meant as a spur for your own mind.When you are free from the ruse of the afflictive

three poisons,Your aspirational prayers to definitely eliminate the

obscurationsWill quickly come into fruition how wonderful!

7/28/2019 Chodrak's 35 Heartfelt Advice

3/7

The Thirty-five Pieces of Heartfelt Adviceby the Omniscient Vidydhara Chdrak

You who have perfected the cultivation of the twoaccumulations,

And is now carrying the burden of loving-kindness forinfinite beings,

And has been appointed as chief of the enlightened-activities of all Conquerors,

To the root-guru, powerful Vajradhara, I prostrate.

From beginningless time until nowWe have wandered in samsara due to the power of

deluded ignorance.Driven about helplessly by the winds of afflictive

emotions,Not finding the authentic path of virtue.

1. Just as a turtle in the middle of an oceanGetting its neck right through the hole of a yoke,By the power of merit, we have now gained a body

with leisures and endowments.Do not squander away it away but take hold of its

essence.Taking hold of this purpose of life is my heartfelt

advice.

2. Since even after obtaining a human body,Meeting with the doctrine of the Conqueror is

difficult,And even hearing the sound buddha in this world is

difficult,While having freedom to train in the holy Dharma he

taught,

Practicing diligently is my heartfelt advice.

3. When you have met a qualified guru who isdifficult to find

Respectfully serve him by means of the three modesof pleasing.

As the flavor of the ambrosia of the gurus pith-instructions is sublime.

Cherishing this is my heartfelt advice.

4. The root of all good qualities and foundation of alltrainings

Is to accept the Three Jewels as supreme refuge.All the instructions of the Three, both coarse and

subtle without exception:Conceiving them as dear as ones own life is my

heartfelt advice.

5. The root of all Dharmas is loving-kindness andcompassion.

Cherishing others more than oneself, the collection ofaspiration and engagement (bodhicitta) vows,

Regarding these as dearly as ones own eyes andheart and

Upholding them firmly is my heartfelt advice.

6. The vajrayna path leads one to the attainment ofenlightenment.

7/28/2019 Chodrak's 35 Heartfelt Advice

4/7

What is taught is the essence of the paths of ripeningand liberation.

At all times (each of) the three vows upwardly

contains the others.Exerting oneself completely is my heartfelt advice.

7. The root ofsiddhis is the vajra-master.Reverentially upholding the guarding ofsamaya,

The root downfalls together with the branchesTaking whatever he teaches as the root of your

practice is my heartfelt advice.

8. Since the source of all good qualities is

heedfulness,Abandon distractions and remain in a secluded place,Hidden away like a wounded deer.Dwelling alone is my heartfelt advice.

9. If like packs of deer, one acts heedlesslyEven dwelling in isolation is pointless.With urgency and diligence, exhort oneself forcefully.Abandoning distractions is my heartfelt advice.

10. Wherever one resides and with whomever oneassociates,

There is never a need to disparage others or engagein idle chatter,

Or attempt to manipulate others.Living honestly is my heartfelt advice.

11. Abandon all involvement in rejecting and

acceptingAnd establishing and refuting the limits of others

tenets.

Maintain instead equanimity towards them.Putting into practice whatever your guru has taughtis my heartfelt advice.

12. If experience does not arise from within, andOne is not, through meditation, settled in the viewInsight will not come from following the path of logic

and scriptures.Meditating continuously is my heartfelt advice.

13. Without experiencing mahmudr whereknowing one liberates all,

One becomes satisfied instead with countless words.At the time of death, like a snake casting off its skin,One will be forced to leave with regret.Meditating on the mode of abiding is my heartfelt

advice.

14. Powerful people, monastics, wealthy ones, heroesand others

Even all these proud ones will eventually wander inthe bardo.

Due to their great haughtiness they will not beliberated.

Practicing the sacred Dharma is my heartfelt advice.

15. The heedlessness of alcohol, sexual misconductand so forth,

7/28/2019 Chodrak's 35 Heartfelt Advice

5/7

Are causes of shame in the eyes of noble beings andof loss of ethical conduct.

With a guarded mind, always be cautious.

Giving rise to respect is my heartfelt advice.

16. Even jumping around, running and all suchphysical amusements

Will only injure ones body and cause censure fromothers.

Constantly discard pride and train in dwellinghumbly.

Being careful with ones body is my heartfelt advice.

17. Enjoying idle chatter, jesting, teasing and so forthAmong gatherings of loudmouth gossipers,Is the basis of all wrongdoings and considered

shameful by wise ones.Disciplining ones speech is my heartfelt advice.

18. If ones body and speech are tamed but onesmind is not,

It is like the life-story of snakes or cats:Gentle on the surface but harsh at the core, with

afflictive emotions increasing inside.Taming ones mind is my heartfelt advice.

19. The nature of mind like clear water when taintedwith discursive thoughts, becomes polluted,

Stirred by the fleeting motions of the winds ofthoughts.

Do not fight it, for poison only perpetuates poison.

Training in non-grasping is my heartfelt advice.

20. (Conceptual) mind and mental events are like

incense and smoke:One arises from the other, without one the otherdoes not occur.

Because of that, each is empty of self-essence.Not needing antidotes is my heartfelt advice.

21. From beginningless time the nature of onesmind is beyond the intellect,

There is no need to engage in heedfulness andevaluations.

Being beyond the intellect, whatever arises, don't bedistracted and dont grasp.Meditating on the simultaneity of arising and

liberating is my heartfelt advice.

22. The diversity of appearances of the sixconsciousnesses is unceasing,

Do not grasp after them or follow them,Whatever appears is itself the fundamental nature of

mind itself.

Letting things liberate into their own nature is myheartfelt advice.

23. Thinking this is non-meditation is a thought;Thinking this is meditation is yet another thought.Therefore, do not think of either meditation or non-

meditation.Settling the mind at ease is my heartfelt advice.

7/28/2019 Chodrak's 35 Heartfelt Advice

6/7

24. Without judging whether it is or is not,When thought arises, do not follow it with another

but let it go.Do not modify, negate or establish.Maintaining freshness is my heartfelt advice.

25. Be without dualistic thoughts and abandon bothhope and fear.

Engage in physical and verbal actions within thestate free from conceptual elaborations,

Allow contrived thoughts to dissolve into the basicsphere of phenomena.

Placing ones mind in its nature is my heartfeltadvice.

26. Until one has gained stability in ones own natureof mind,

Contrived meditations such as the twelveyogas andothers,

However labeled, are in fact, the cause of goingastray.

Sustaining the innate is my heartfelt advice.

27. When the mind in tamed, one is freed from theroot of primordial self-grasping.

Some claim that they have realized the nature ofmind

And grasp on to the belief that they aremahsiddhas.

Repudiating that is my heartfelt advice.

28. When one realizes ones own mind, studentsspontaneously gather.

There is no need to advertise throughout the village,Little need is there to deceive beings with trickery.Not assembling a retinue is my heartfelt advice.29. Claiming oneself to have given up material

concerns,One continues to gather disciples and wealth from

others,Giving discourses by firesides and longing after

leisurely enjoyments.Abandoning such (activities) is my heartfelt advice.

30. Giving, giver and what is given and receiver andwhat is received

Be able to collect alms with minimal desire,(Because) through begging one may be indirectly

robbing others of their wealth.Giving up this disappointment is my heartfelt advice.

31. Whatever qualities such as experiencing love andso forth that might arise,

Do not brag about them and lose them but concealthem within instead.

(See) all your own good qualities as inferior to that ofothers.

Meditating on rejoicing is my heartfelt advice.

32. Do not relinquish a constant loving mind towardbeings

7/28/2019 Chodrak's 35 Heartfelt Advice

7/7

Give up self-praise and place others above, do notexpose their faults.

Not grasping anything, be open and free from

conceptualities.Achieving equanimity is my heartfelt advice.

33. With regards to the necessities that one has,Be free from grasping after them as they are only on

loan for this life.This includes retinues, friends, wealth and even ones

own body:These being impermanent and unnecessary, is my

heartfelt advice.

34. Whatever one has done, one should reflect on it.And vow to immediately confess the stains of ones

negative actions,And seal ones virtuous deeds through dedication.Diligently doing this day and night is my heartfelt

advice.

35. In brief, whatever one does in this life,Do not intentionally deceive or be hypocritical toward

others.Do not shame the rare and sublime Three (Jewels).Bringing all these practices together is my heartfelt

advice.

These then are my thirty-five pieces of heartfeltadvice,

Which are neither meant for exposing the faults of

others nor making me look like a scholar.Without falling into the two extremes, and having

abandoned deception and hypocrisy,

I have written this down due to the request of boththe monastic and lay disciples.

May this text, hastily composed by Chdrak, serve toincrease perfect virtue.

What I have written here is not merely my thoughtsand words,

But is based on experiences arising from mypractice.

If one aspires for liberation, one should rely on thesewords.But if one aspires for the chief of the assembly of the

hell-realms,Then these pieces of heartfelt advice will be like

wounds and poisons.But it can change if one has the wisdom to

comprehend this precious teaching.

May it be auspicious!