Thirty Counsellors
The Dharma realm is all over the empty wisdom and wishes in the clouds,
The nectar water of the light of great compassion,
Tanaka Migami I,
Salute the feet of the Savior of the Treasure Savior.
Although it was taken by the Wishing Power Inheritor,
Since I don’t strive to spend this life without righteousness,
Consider the Sunnah to be ashamed of himself,
Advise the heart to be tired of saying this piece of advice.
Oh!
All kinds of convenient to photograph the audience’s families,
Although he has a good fate to preside over temples, etc.,
The source of the dispute is the cause of greed,
Living alone is my advice.
Chanting prayers and subduing demons, etc.,
Although from the people whose merits are spread,
For the gluttony of money, his heart was made by demons,
Regulating one’s mind is my advice.
By collecting high taxes from the poor,
Although the statue of Buddha is distributed to almsgiving, etc.,
For the cause of the accumulation of evil by others,
Self-cultivation is my advice.
In order to preach the Dharma above him,
and to facilitate the protection of the virtuous and humble,
The reason why I am slow to cling to my heart,
Reducing the mind is my advice.
business profiteering, fraud, etc.,
Though they are devoted to the evil life,
Seeking fame and doing good deeds in the world’s eight causes,
Cultivating and departing is my advice.
Notarization and litigation, etc.,
Although thinking about mediating disputes is altruistic,
According to the cause of his desires,
No doubt is my advice.
Although it has the good fortune of the dependents,
Pleasant words are all over the Zhanbu Continent,
But from the moment of death, there is no benefit,
Intensive practice is my advice.
treasurers, attendants, masters, etc.,
Although he is the backbone of the monastery,
Second, the mind gives rise to the cause of anxiety,
Staying away from distraction is my advice.
Buddha statue offerings, scriptures, stoves, etc.,
Though he walks in the Silent Mountain with what he needs,
Temporary supplies dispute pain causes,
If you don’t need it, that’s my advice.
In the turbidity of the savage,
Although it is good to blame for it,
According to the cause of his troubles,
Peace of speech is my advice.
Without selfish desires, sincere altruism,
to expose the faults of others,
Although thinking about the right intention of the other heart stones,
Words that are pleasant to the ear are my advice.
Those who support their own sects and destroy other sects,
Although the debate clears the dust of the teachings,
According to the cause of his troubles,
Prohibition of self-talk is my advice.
Partiality protects teachers and sects, etc.,
Even though they think they are servants,
Praise himself for the cause of his covetousness,
All giving up is my advice.
Widely observe the categories of the Dharma,
Knowing that his thoughts are wisdom,
For the cause of his own evil,
Contemplating and purifying is my advice.
Evil words are empty and slander all causes and effects,
Although thinking and doing nothing is the ultimate law,
If you give up the two qualifications and cut off the cultivation relationship,
When cultivating double luck, it is my advice.
For the three infusions, cultivate the bright point, etc.,
Although thinking of his body is the help of the way,
There are leaks that deceive many major cultivators,
When you practice the Enlightenment, it is my advice.
Although there is no fate to give empowerment in front of the people,
Blessings and so on are distributed to the people,
The root of slander is the cause of the destruction of the secret vows,
Straight ahead is my advice.
Running naked in the midst of the crowd, etc.,
Arrogant deeds are forbidden to think,
The laity of the world do not have faith because of this,
Prudence is my advice.
Here is the special position of self-desire,
Though he seeks to be pure and learned, and virtuous,
It is from the top of the high to the low,
No tightness is my advice.
Villages, temples, mountains, etc.,
Though you should not have relatives and friends wherever you live,
Whoever touches each other does not complain or kiss,
Steadiness and autonomy are my advice.
Though they are fed and clothed by men and women who are believers,
Respectful service is self-deceptive,
To protect his heart from bondage,
Equality is my advice.
Craftsmanship and calculating medicine and other immeasurable books,
Although it is convenient to cause the cause of Buddhahood,
But all these scattered and quiet causes,
To give up what I know is my advice.
When you live at home, you are committed to decorating the house,
Seek the blessings of perfection in the silent mountains,
Trivialities make life wasted,
Cutting off all things is my advice.
Although he is diligent in his erudition, etc.,
Even though a certain merit has been transcended,
Greed is bound by the heart,
Not to fall into the side is my advice.
All kinds of victories are subject to thunder and hail, etc.,
Although thinking about the cause of adjusting the difficulty,
Burning him continues to cause evil pleasures,
When you are in a humble place, it is my advice.
Texts, teachings, and records, etc.,
Though all the books of deep meaning that are needed are gathered,
Juvenile Shu Chi NDE Muri,
Contemplation is my advice.
Discussion and perception during the cultivation of one fate,
writings, treatises, chanting, chanting, etc.,
Although the force is evident and the cause increases,
When the protection of centrifugation is my advice.
When the heart is separated, look directly at the essentials,
When you have been settled, you need to settle down,
Cultivation is to settle down without cultivation,
Practice without dispersion is my advice.
In emptiness, we hold on to cause and effect,
Enlightenment without doing support for the Three Disciplines,
Without the opportunity to be compassionate and diligent for the benefit of all,
The two capitals and double luck are my advice.
Relying on Professor Wenshen to win the teacher,
There is a deep reading of the heart,
Although he knows that he has no cultivation and deceives himself,
30 words of counsel for those who are like me.
The merit of this is made by disgust,
May all sentient beings be liberated and happy,
After the three Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
We will go with us, and we will become his firstborn.
These Thirty Advices were written by Tsultrim Lodro due to the prompting of the stage of disgust and renunciation.
The Explanation of Longchenpa’s Thirty Advices
Before listening to the Dharma, one must first develop the bodhicitta to listen to the profound teachings and practice according to the teachings in order to benefit countless sentient beings and attain perfect Buddhahood.
First, we need to generate bodhicitta. There are two reasons for generating bodhicitta. What are these two reasons? Maitreya Bodhisattva said, “I want all sentient beings to be free from suffering and guide them to attain Buddhahood.” This compassion to benefit sentient beings and the wisdom to guide sentient beings to attain Buddhahood must have these two reasons to be considered as truly generating bodhicitta.
There are three types of bodhicitta: the first is like the king’s bodhicitta, the second is like the boatman’s bodhicitta (the boatman is the so-called boatman), and the third is like the shepherd’s bodhicitta. When generating bodhicitta, as we have said above, we must have compassion for the benefit of other sentient beings and the wisdom to guide sentient beings to attain Buddhahood.
Longchenpa once said: “There are two stages in generating bodhicitta. One is the aspiration of bodhicitta, which is the aspiration to attain Buddhahood. The other is the practice of bodhicitta, which is the practice to attain Buddhahood.” And this aspiration and practice of bodhicitta are the “cause” of attaining Buddhahood.
The bodhicitta vow is to attain Buddhahood. This vow is for the benefit of all sentient beings and is based on the bodhicitta of Buddhahood.
How about practicing bodhicitta? It means vowing to “practice” the causes of attaining Buddhahood. In the causal vehicle, it is to practice the six perfections, and in the esoteric vehicle (i.e. the fruition vehicle), it is to practice the two stages of birth and perfection. One should also dedicate all the good roots and merits of practicing the six perfections and practicing the two stages of birth and perfection to all sentient beings.
The root of Bodhicitta is compassion. To realize the Buddhahood, one does not need to learn many methods. One only needs to cultivate great compassion. Therefore, the root of Bodhicitta is great compassion. If one has great compassion, one can be non-discriminatory about all dharmas, and wisdom will naturally arise.
There are three kinds of great compassion, one of which is unconditional great compassion. Padangpa Sangji once said that fish need to live in water. If they leave the water, they cannot survive. Just like this analogy, the water is great compassion, and the fish is non-discriminatory wisdom. Without great compassion, non-discriminatory wisdom cannot arise. Therefore, to obtain non-discriminatory wisdom, one must first have great compassion. “Only by relying on compassion and non-discriminatory wisdom, as well as bodhicitta, can one attain the fruition of Buddhahood. Therefore, these three kinds of great compassion, non-discriminatory wisdom, and bodhicitta are the causes of becoming a bodhisattva. If a bodhisattva does not have these three, he will not be able to achieve perfect enlightenment.
Therefore, the root of bodhicitta is compassion, and compassion needs water to irrigate it, and this water is loving-kindness. For example, if you want to grow a tree trunk, you need to irrigate the roots first. When the roots have water, the trunk will grow. When the trunk grows well, leaves will grow, and then flowers and fruits will be produced. The same sequence applies. The root of bodhicitta is great compassion. Therefore, based on great compassion, in order to make great compassion grow, you must have loving-kindness. By irrigating great compassion with the water of loving-kindness, you will naturally gradually enter the Mahayana teachings and then successively attain the Buddhahood. The above is a very brief description of the Mahayana “path” and “fruit”!
If we want to subdivide bodhicitta, we can divide it into the first part, which is the great compassion of emptiness. We can divide it into the second part, which is the bodhicitta of aspiration and the bodhicitta of practice. We can divide it into the third part, which is the three kinds of bodhicitta, namely, superior precepts, superior concentration and superior wisdom. We can divide it into the fourth part. The bodhicitta in the path of accumulation and the path of preparation is called “superior understanding and practice bodhicitta”. The bodhicitta of bodhisattvas from the first stage to the seventh stage (called the impure stage) is called “pure and superior intention bodhicitta”. The bodhicitta of bodhisattvas above the eighth stage (the pure stage) is called “differentiated bodhicitta”. The bodhicitta of the Buddha stage is called “permanently eliminating obstacles and coverings bodhicitta”. We can divide it into the fifth part, which is the five perfections of giving, keeping precepts, patience, diligence and cessation and insight. We can divide it into the sixth part, which is the six perfections… etc., and the above can be divided into twenty-two kinds, and even more than eighty kinds of bodhicitta. Only with bodhicitta can one attain the fruition of Buddhahood. Without bodhicitta, one cannot attain the fruition of Buddhahood. Therefore, “bodhicitta” is the “cause” that is not wrong in becoming a Buddha.
Although there are many ways to divide bodhicitta, the fundamentals are “aspiration” and “action” bodhicitta. The explanation of aspiration and action bodhicitta has been explained above. “Action” bodhicitta is divided into two types, namely conventional truth bodhicitta and ultimate truth bodhicitta. The above is the initial intention of the practice.
Next, we talk about right practice without hindrance. Right practice without hindrance means that no matter what Dharma you practice, you will understand the emptiness of all Dharmas, the emptiness of no self, and meditate in this emptiness. If you can do this, it would be the best. If you can’t, you should also understand that all Dharmas are like dreams and illusions, and the nature of all Dharmas is emptiness. This is right practice without hindrance.
The third is to end the practice with dedication. The merits of practicing any Dharma and any good deeds should be dedicated according to the emptiness of the three realms. The emptiness of the three realms means “I dedicate all my merits to all sentient beings”. The nature of “I”, “sentient beings” and “merits” are all empty. The dedication without any idle talk is the best dedication. If you cannot dedicate like this, think about how Manjushri Bodhisattva, Guru Rinpoche, etc. dedicated all their merits to benefit sentient beings in the past. We should also dedicate all our merits and recite the four-line dedication text. That will be enough.
In all Mahayana Buddhism, no matter which method it is, it must have the three special methods, namely: the initial bodhicitta, the unobstructed practice, and the concluding dedication.
To practice Buddhism, we should first have the “renunciation mind”, then the “self-benefit and altruistic bodhicitta”, and finally see all appearances as pure, the “pure mind”. These three are the root of all “precepts”. If you have received empowerment, you should see all Dharmas as pure after receiving empowerment. We are Mahayana practitioners, so we must have the two minds of self-benefit and altruism. Renunciation is the cornerstone of all paths. It is not possible to practice without renunciation, so renunciation is very important.
Regarding renunciation and bodhicitta, there are detailed records in the preliminary practice of Dzogchen, namely the “Teachings of Guru Samantabhadra”, so we will not say more here. But we should remember that all dharmas are pure from the beginning. If we can know them, this is called “pure vision”.
Although all the phenomena we see now, such as suffering, accumulation, extinction, path, karma, afflictions, etc., are impure, all phenomena have always been pure. For example, a person with gallbladder disease sees snails as yellow, but the color of snails has always been white. In this example, we know that the phenomena we see due to external dust and afflictions are impure, but the essence of phenomena has always been pure.
The essence of all dharmas is pure, and it is not through the guru that impurities are transformed into purity. We have impure views due to the obstruction of external dust and afflictions. Now we practice according to the Buddhist path. After practice, the view that has been pure and realized from the beginning is the “pure view.”
The center asked me to teach Longchenpa’s Thirty Advices. To sum up, its entire meaning is mainly to enable us to:
1. Renunciation that gives rise to pratimoksha vows;
2. The self-interest and altruism of Mahayana bodhisattvas;
3. The tantric method of “pure seeing”.
Longchenpa said very modestly that he was not diligent, his mind was always scattered, and he was addicted to meaningless things, and he lived his life like this. Thinking about the Buddha’s behavior and looking at others who lived the same life as himself, he wrote this “Thirty Advices” in order to generate renunciation.
First, use various methods to gather many disciples and build temples. After the temples are built, there will be all kinds of disputes and lawsuits inside, and it is easy to give rise to greed in the heart. Therefore, the first advice is that it is best to live alone.
Second, praying for others and practicing Dharma will make everyone very happy, and you will also get a lot of food, clothing and wealth. However, after getting these food, clothing and wealth, you will also become greedy for what you have obtained, and your mind will be controlled and influenced by the demon of afflictions. So, what is the second piece of advice? It is to subdue your mind well.
Third, obtaining money from others to build temples, print scriptures, build pagodas, or make offerings to the guru, etc., may seem like good deeds on the surface, but it can easily turn people into the cause of creating bad karma. Therefore, the third piece of advice is to hope that everyone can cultivate more good thoughts in their hearts.
Fourth, there are impure motives in one’s heart, such as gathering people to preach the sutras in order to improve one’s own reputation and status, but claiming that it is for the sake of educating others. With such motives, and clinging to the idea that all dharmas are real, one’s actions increase one’s arrogance. Therefore, Longchenpa said that we should not have too many strategies.
Fifth, doing some illicit business or lending at high interest rates, etc., and using a deceitful mind to obtain some wealth, this is the so-called evil livelihood wealth. Using these wealth to make offerings and charity may seem like good deeds on the surface, but in fact it is the eight worldly dharmas. Longchenpa said that we should develop a dislike for such eight worldly dharmas.
Sixth, being a judge, deciding who is right and who is wrong; or being a mediator when someone is arguing, etc., on the surface, it seems to be a behavior that benefits the public. But if you do this for a long time, you will have a strong attachment to these things. Therefore, Longchenpa hopes that everyone will not have expectations and doubts about such things.
Seventh, even if one has great power, wealth and fame, no matter how rich, famous, and well-connected one is during one’s lifetime, they will not benefit one after death. Therefore, Longchenpa hopes that everyone can practice diligently.
Eighth, the advice is that if you have a good organization, such as a manager, a cook, a secretary, etc., you can gather a lot of believers, but it is also easy to cause a lot of worries. Therefore, Longchenpa hopes that we can do less of these things that will cause trouble to ourselves.
The ninth to fourteenth advices are not explained here. Why? What Longchenpa said is the same as what the Buddha said. For those who understand words, they can directly understand the meaning from the words; for those who are well-educated, they can also see deeper truths from the words. Therefore, we will not explain it here.
Next, we look at the fifteenth advice, which is about emptiness.
Master Xianxian Jiangcan once said: “Many people do not have the foundation for progress. That is to say, it is as impossible to build a house without a foundation for the bright wisdom of Great Perfection.” Without the foundation for progress, it is impossible to build a house of Great Perfection.
Some people do not believe in or think about cause and effect at all, and only think that all dharmas are empty. This is wrong. Another is that compassion is not complete, and only the widow of emptiness is left. This is also wrong. This shows that convenience and wisdom must be combined, and neither can be missing.
If one thinks that all dharmas are empty and the ultimate dharma, but despises karma and cause and effect, thinking that there is no need to practice and no need to be afraid, then he is abandoning the two resources of merit and wisdom. Such a person simply does not have the merit to practice. Therefore, Longchenpa repeatedly advised that everyone must cultivate the two resources of merit and wisdom.
Some people think that it is beyond karma and cause and effect. It is true that Dzogchen is beyond karma and cause and effect, but this is the view. We have only heard that Dzogchen is beyond karma and cause and effect, but we have not really reached the point of transcending karma and cause and effect. If we can truly transcend, we should also be able to be like Guru Rinpoche who can survive in a fire, or like the Buddha, who was drunk by demons and wanted to harm the Buddha, but the mad elephant calmed down naturally when he saw the Buddha. If we cannot be like the Buddha or Guru Rinpoche, then we have not transcended karma and cause and effect.
Knowing the true nature of all dharmas, there is no need to make any effort, which is to realize the true nature of all dharmas. At this point, it is also necessary to properly protect the precepts of individual liberation, bodhisattva precepts and tantric precepts. Although there is no object, still diligently concentrate and do all the work that benefits sentient beings. This is the same as the two resources of merit and wisdom. Longchenpa is advising everyone to practice all the time.
Longchenpa wrote this Thirty Advices, and his mind was extremely profound and vast. If we want to truly realize Longchenpa’s state, we must be like Jigme Lingpa. Jigme Lingpa had great faith in Longchenpa. With great faith, he prayed to Longchenpa and practiced Longchenpa’s guru yoga. Because of his constant prayers, he saw Longchenpa three times in the three years he practiced guru yoga, received his blessings, and finally realized that his mind was one with his guru.
There are also other masters such as Kajinmei, Jigme Lingpa, Jigme Lingpa, etc., who all received Longchenpa’s blessings and realized natural wisdom, and at the same time achieved enlightenment and liberation. It is very important to have faith, respect and purity in Guru Rinpoche and Longchenpa, and to pray to them constantly!