The Gem Ornament of Manifold Oral Instructions: Which Benefits Each and Everyone Appropriately

221 Pages·1986·13.64 MB·English

by  Kalu Rinpoche

His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche
wearing the ceremonial Gampopa Hat
Photograph taken at Kagyu Ling Retreat Center, Plaige, France
THE GEM ORNAMENT
OF
MANIFOLD ORAL
INSTRUCTIONS
WHICH BENEFITS
EACH AND EVERYONE APPROPRIATELY
by
His Eminence
Kalu Rinpoche
KDK PUBLICATIONS
San Francisco
1986
Copyright © 1986 by His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche.
All· rights reser\red.
Note: Dharma centers or students wishing ~o reproduce portions of this
book should write the author at Samdrub Thargay Ling Monastery, P .0.
Sonada 7342191 Darjeelin~, W. Bengal, India.
Published by KDK Publications
San Francisco, California
Printed in the United States of America
.L ibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publicatio11 Data
Karma-ran-byun-kun-khyab·phrin·las, Khenpo Kalu.
The gem ornament of manifold oral instructions.
1. Spiritual lif~ (Buddhism! 2. Buddhism-China
Tibet-Doctrines. I. Title.
\
BQ7775.K37 1986 294.3'4448 86·15372
ISBN 0·910165-12-5
Cover photograph courtesy of Kagyu Dharma, San Francisco
ISBN 0-910165-02-5
To order copies of this book, contact:
KDK PUBLICATIONS
1892 FellStreet
San Francisco, CA 94117
Contents
Editor's Preface ix
Acknowledgements xi
Foreword xiii
I. The Three Yanas 1
II. Ordinary Pr~minary Practices •21
III. Ngondro: Refuge· and Prostrations 39
IV. Ngondro: Dorje Sempa Meditation 49
V. Ngondro: Mandala Practice 57
VI. Ngondro: Guru Yoga Practice and
Guru-Disciple Relationship 67
VII. LayVows 85
VIII. The Bodhisattva Vow 101
IX. VajrayanaCommitment and the Fourteen
Root Downfalls 113
. X. Shamatha: Object Meditation .129
XI. Shamatha: Objectless Meditation 147
XII. Four Causes of Rebirth in Dewachen 161
XIII. Mahamudra 169
XIV. Concluding Remarks 179
Glossary 197
Bibliography 203
Dedication 204

.Here is the _Work entitled
The Gem Ornament
of manifold oral instructions
which benefits each and everyone appropriately
I go for refuge to the divine assemblies of the Three Jewels and
Three .Roots. Please grant us your blessings.
All sentient beings of the six kinds who have been our parents,
Who are bound in the state of cyclic ·existence due to self-clinging,
Who, by th~ir not having comprehended taking rebirth endlessly,
Are distracted by concerns of this life only,
I pity the distress of their pain and separation at the time of death.
From virtuous and nonvirtuous actionS, one exl>eriences the
· results as bliss and suffering.
By this nectar of oral instructions which point out this situation
To all sentient betngs who are confused as in a dream,
. Having sown in their mind streams the seed of liberation,
And having in the end freed them from· samsaric suffering,
I have written this for the purpose of attaining the state of
Buddhahood;
Permanent bliss.
vii
A Special Note of Thanks
I wish to address a note of thanks to Mr. John P. Staubo of Karma
Tashi Ling in Oslo, Norway. This gentleman is a long-time student of
His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche, someone who has made many dona
tions to Rinpoche's centers and to his monastery in Sonada.
It was Mr. Staubo's idea to seek Rinpoche's permission to publish
some of his teachings, and it is Mr. Staubo' s generous donation which
has made this book possible. For many hundreds of years, sponsors have
supported and spread the Dharma in the East; it is heartwarming to see
that tradition continue as the Dharma comes to the West.
KDK Publications is honored to publish this book which combines
Mr. Staubo's generous support and Rinpoche's generous teachings.
Lama Lodo
San Francisco
july, 1986
viii
Editor's Preface
A book of this nature challenges the boundaries of the mind. As
editors, we read a text many times over, and what has struck us force
fully is the perfect clarity of Rinpoche' s presentation. He makes the idea
o( transforming our limiting mental constructs seem quite logical and
attainable.
There are so few Tibetan Buddhist texts available in Western lan
guages that we must rely on the visits and oral teachings of each lineage
holder to bring us the living Dharma. The cycle of teachings in tl].is book
was delivered by His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche at a meditation retreat
in Marcola, Oregon, USA, in 1982. We were fortunate to hear those
teachings, so it is a special privilege to see them into print. In a small
way, this translation from oral to written carries on the tradition of
transmitting the Dharma from one culture to another.
We are grateful to Lama Lodo for his knowledge and patience as our
advisor on this project; he has unstintingly given his time and expertise.
Lama Lodo's devotion to his teacher, Kalu Rinpoche, has also been a
powerful example to .us.
It is His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche's compassion that has brought
Lama Lodo and his brother lamas to the West. We are indebted to his
generosity and their guidance.
May this book benefit all oeings.
Caroline M. Parke {Karma Yeshe Chadron}
Nancy]. Clark {Karma Perna Zangmoj
Eugene, Oregon
july, 1986
ix
In Appreciation
We wish to express our appreciation to Laina ChOkyi Nyima for his
wonderful translation of His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche's teachings. He
originally met with the Dharma in Vancouver, B.C., where he took
refuge with Lama Tsewang Jurme. Through the help of various lamas
and scholars, he thoroughly learned the Tibetan language. In time, he
participated in one of the Three-Year Retreats in France and then was
the personal translator for His Eminence Kal~ Rinpoche for a time. His
personal experience in practice and his very clear understanding of the
Tibetan language have made this book possible. Our heartfelt thanks go
out to him.
KDK Publications·
July, 1.986
X