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Clear Light of Bliss Mahamudra Tantra Ocean of Nectar Suggested study or reading order of books by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche How to Transform Your Life How to Understand the Mind Joyful Path of Good Fortune The New Heart of Wisdom Modern Buddhism Tantric Grounds and Paths The New Guide to Dakini Land Essence of Vajrayana The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra Great Treasury of Merit The New Eight Steps to Happiness Introduction to Buddhism How to Solve Our Human Problems Meaningful to Behold The Bodhisattva Vow Universal Compassion The New Meditation Handbook Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully Ocean of Nectar Heart Jewel Clear Light of Bliss Mahamudra Tantra This book is published under the auspices of the NKT-IKBU International Temples Project and the profit from its sale is designated for public benefit through this fund. [Reg. Charity number 1015054 (England)] Find out more: tharpa.com/benefit-all-world-peace Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche Ocean of Nectar THE TRUE NATURE OF ALL THINGS THARPA PUBLICATIONS UK • US • CANADA AUSTRALIA • ASIA First published in 1995 Reprinted 2003 Second edition 2017 The right of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means except for the quotation of brief passages for the purpose of private study, research, or review. Tharpa Publications UK Tharpa Publications US Conishead Priory 47 Sweeney Road Ulverston, Cumbria Glen Spey, NY 12737 LA12 9QQ, UK USA There are Tharpa Publications offices around the world, and Tharpa books are published in most major languages. See page 729 for contact details. © New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union 1995, 2017 Cover image: Chandrakirti Library of Congress Control Number: 2017945619 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-910368-71-8 – paperback ISBN 978-1-910368-72-5– ePub ISBN 978-1-910368-73-2 – kindle Set in Palatino by Tharpa Publications Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by Bell and Bain Ltd. Paper supplied from well-managed forests and other controlled sources, and certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council. Contents Illustrations vii Acknowledgements viii Introduction 1 A Praise of Compassion 13 Grounds and Paths 37 Very Joyful 42 Emptiness and Liberation 57 The Perfection of Giving 75 Stainless 90 Luminous 109 Radiant 143 Difficult to Overcome 156 Approaching 169 Identifying the Object of Negation 189 Refuting Production from Self 213 Refuting Production from Other 229 The Two Truths 241 The Good Qualities of this Refutation 265 Refuting the Chittamatra System 277 The Meaning of this Refutation 337 Selflessness of Persons 357 The Divisions of Emptiness 431 Gone Afar 475 The Three Pure Grounds 480 v The Good Qualities of the Ten Grounds 493 Resultant Grounds 500 Conclusion 543 Dedication 549 Appendix I: The Root Text: Guide to the Middle Way 551 Appendix II: The Condensed Meaning of the Commentary 621 Appendix III: A Brief Summary of Buddhist Tenets 657 Appendix IV: Liberating Prayer 687 Appendix V: Prayers for Meditation 691 Glossary 699 Bibliography 717 Study Programmes of Kadampa Buddhism 723 Tharpa Offices Worldwide 729 Index 731 Further Reading 757 Finding Your Nearest Kadampa Meditation Centre 760 vi Illustrations Buddha Shakyamuni 2 Maitreya 36 Asanga 76 Vasubandhu 110 Manjushri 144 Nagarjuna 170 Chandrakirti 214 Vajradhara 228 Tilopa 240 Naropa 264 Atisha 296 Dromtonpa 338 Geshe Potowa 358 Je Tsongkhapa 408 Jampel Gyatso 432 Khedrubje 494 Je Phabongkhapa 520 Vajradhara Trijang Rinpoche 542 Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche (included at the request of faithful disciples) 548 vii Acknowledgements Introduction This book, Ocean of Nectar, is the first authoritative com- mentary in the West to Chandrakirti’s Guide to the Middle THE ORIGIN OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS Way, a classic Mahayana scripture that to this day is regarded as the principal text on emptiness, the ultimate Buddha presented his teachings in three main stages called nature of reality. the ‘three turnings of the Wheel of Dharma’. He taught From the depths of our hearts we thank Venerable Geshe the first Wheel in the Deer Park at Benares, the second on Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for his inexhaustible determin- Massed Vultures Mountain at Rajagriha and the third at ation, compassion and wisdom in writing such a clear and Vaishali. During the second turning Buddha taught the complete commentary, and in preparing a completely new Perfection of Wisdom Sutras in which he revealed all the and authoritative translation of Chandrakirti’s root text. stages of the path to enlightenment. These are all included We also thank all the dedicated senior Dharma students in the stages of the profound path and the stages of the vast who worked tirelessly throughout the years of prepar- path. The stages of the profound path include all the wis- ation to assist the author in rendering this profound text dom practices that lead to a direct realization of emptiness into clear and precise English, and who prepared the final and ultimately to the Truth Body of a Buddha. The stages manuscript for publication. of the vast path include all the method practices, from the initial cultivation of compassion through to the final attain- Roy Tyson, ment of the Form Body of a Buddha. Administrative Director The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras are difficult to under- Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, stand and Buddha himself predicted that after his death July 1995. great scholars would appear to explain their meaning. As Buddha predicted, four hundred years after he passed Buddha Shakyamuni away Protector Nagarjuna appeared in this world. Guided by Manjushri, he composed a number of works in which he clearly explained all the stages of the profound path that Buddha had taught in the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. These works include Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (often viii Introduction THE ORIGIN OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS Buddha presented his teachings in three main stages called the ‘three turnings of the Wheel of Dharma’. He taught the first Wheel in the Deer Park at Benares, the second on Massed Vultures Mountain at Rajagriha and the third at Vaishali. During the second turning Buddha taught the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras in which he revealed all the stages of the path to enlightenment. These are all included in the stages of the profound path and the stages of the vast path. The stages of the profound path include all the wis- dom practices that lead to a direct realization of emptiness and ultimately to the Truth Body of a Buddha. The stages of the vast path include all the method practices, from the initial cultivation of compassion through to the final attain- ment of the Form Body of a Buddha. The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras are difficult to under- stand and Buddha himself predicted that after his death great scholars would appear to explain their meaning. As Buddha predicted, four hundred years after he passed Buddha Shakyamuni away Protector Nagarjuna appeared in this world. Guided by Manjushri, he composed a number of works in which he clearly explained all the stages of the profound path that Buddha had taught in the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. These works include Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (often 1 Buddha Shakyamuni INTRODUCTION referred to simply as Fundamental Wisdom) and its four limbs – Sixty Reasonings, Seventy Emptinesses, Finely Woven and Refutation of Objections. Approximately six hundred years later Superior Asanga, guided by Maitreya, provided a clear explanation of all the stages of the vast path. Of the two, the stages of the profound path are the more difficult to understand, which is why the works of Nagarjuna are so important. They are like a treasury in which the precious wisdom of emptiness is stored, but to gain access to this treasury great wisdom is needed. Unfortunately, the wisdom of the beings in this world had declined and so it was as if this precious treasury was locked. To unlock it, Nagarjuna’s principal disciple Chandrakirti composed a commentary entitled Guide to the Middle Way. This is an outstanding book that explains per- fectly the stages of the profound and vast paths as taught by Nagarjuna. However, because the wisdom of the beings in this world has continued to decline, these days we find it difficult to understand even this text. For this reason I have prepared this book, Ocean of Nectar. I hope that with the help of this commentary many people will be able to study and practise Guide to the Middle Way. In writing this book I have relied on the works of Je Tsongkhapa, especially his commentary to Guide to the Middle Way entitled Clear Illumination of the Intention, an Extensive Explanation of the Great Treatise, Guide to the Middle Way. THE PRE-EMINENT QUALITIES OF THE AUTHOR Before looking at the Guide itself it will be helpful to con- sider the biography of its author. Chandrakirti was born 3 OCEAN OF NECTAR to Brahmin parents in the Salona region of Southern India about a thousand years after Buddha had passed away. His parents soon realized that he was an unusual child and consulted an oracle about his future. The oracle predicted that he would become a great Buddhist scholar and Yogi. Inspired by this prophecy, Chandrakirti’s parents sent their son to the monastic university of Nalanda where the Abbot Chandranatha ordained him as a monk, giving him the name Chandrakirti. While at Nalanda, Chandrakirti stud- ied under Nagarjuna who gave him many teachings on the Sutras and Tantras.
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