Treasury of Precious Qualities: Revised edition

741 Pages·2011·2.78 MB·English

by  H. H. the Dalai Lama, Padmakara Translation Group, Kyabje Kangyur Rinpoche, Jigme Lingpa, Longchen Yeshe Dorje

“I believe the members of the Padmakara Translation Group have taken
great pains to render a clear, accessible English translation that readers will
find illuminating.”
—His Holiness the Dalai Lama
ABOUT THE BOOK
This book is a translation of the first part of Jigme Lingpa’s Treasury of
Precious Qualities, which in a slender volume of elegant verses sets out
briefly but comprehensively the Buddhist path according to the Nyingma
school. The concision of the root text and its use of elaborate poetic
language, rich in metaphor, require extensive explanation, amply supplied
here by the commentary of Kangyur Rinpoche.
The present volume lays out the teachings of the sutras in gradual stages
according to the traditional three levels, or scopes, of spiritual endeavor. It
begins with essential teachings on impermanence, karma, and ethics. Then,
from the Hinayana standpoint, it describes the essential Buddhist teachings
of the four noble truths and the twelve links of dependent arising. Moving
on, finally, to the Mahayana perspective, it expounds fully the teachings on
bodhichitta and the path of the six paramitas, and gives an unusually
detailed exposition of Buddhist vows.
LONGCHEN YESHE DORJE, KANGYUR RINPOCHE (1897–1975), of
the monastery of Riwoche in Kham, was a great scholar and tertön. He
spent much of his life as a wandering hermit, living in mountain retreats
and practicing in various parts of Tibet. He left Tibet in the 1950s and was
one of the first Tibetan masters to accept Western disciples.
Sign up to learn more about our books and receive special offers from
Shambhala Publications.
Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala.
Buddha Shakyamuni
The Padmakara Translation Group gratefully acknowledges the generous
support of the Tsadra Foundation in sponsoring the translation of this book.
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
www.shambhala.com
© 2001, 2010 by the Padmakara Translation Group
Drawings by Olivier Philippot
Cover art: Detail from fresco of Jigme Lingpa, used by permission of the Kangyur Trust, Orgyen Kunzang
Chöling Monastery, Darjeeling.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Klong-chen Ye-shes-rdo-rje, Bka’-’gyur Rin-po-che.
[Yon tan rin po che’i mdzod kyi mchan’grel theg gsum bdud rtsi’i nying khu. English]
Treasury of precious qualities. Book one, The rain of joy by Jigme Lingpa. With the Quintessence of the
three paths commentary by Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche.—1st pbk. ed.
p. cm.
In English; includes translation from Tibetan.
Previously published: 2001.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
“Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group; forewords by
H. H. the Dalai Lama and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche.”
eISBN 978-0-8348-2310-5
ISBN 978-1-59030-711-3 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. ’Jigs-med-glin-pa Ran-byun-rdo-rje, 1729 or 30–1798.
Yon tan rin po che’i mdzod. 2. Rdzogs-chen—Doctrines. I. ’Jigs-med-glin-pa Ran-byun-rdo-rje, 1729 or
30–1798. Yon tan rin po che’i mdzod. English. II. Comiti de traduction Padmakara. III. Title. IV. Title:
Rain of joy.
BQ7662.4.J573K59 2010
294.3′420423—dc22
2009047770
Contents

Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Foreword by Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche

Introduction

Treasury of Precious Qualities

by Jigme Lingpa

The Quintessence of the Three Paths

by Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche

Prologue

The title

Homage to the Three Jewels

Commitment to Compose the Text

PART ONE: Turning the Mind to the Dharma

CHAPTER 1 The Value of Human Existence

Samsaric existence

Eight conditions in which there is no freedom to practice the Dharma

Five individual and five circumstantial advantages
The rarity of a precious human existence

PART TWO: An Incentive for the Practice

CHAPTER 2 Impermanence

The impermanence of the outer world

The impermanence of living beings

PART THREE: The Gradual Path of the Three Kinds of Beings

The Path of Beings of Lesser Scope

Ethical Teachings in Relation to the Karmic Law of Cause and Effect

CHAPTER 3 The Law of Karma

The karmic process in general

Actions never fail to produce an effect

The karmic process is irresistible

Karmic effects are not transferable from one mindstream to another

An explanation of the eight worldly concerns and thirteen influential factors

The proliferating tendency of karmic results

Assessing the gravity of positive and negative actions

The basis of the karmic phenomenon