Ambrosia for the Mind

Ambrosia for the Mind

A Prayer for the Seven Points of Mind Training

by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

In commenting upon these seven points of mind training, a pith instruction of the precious Kadampas who upheld the teachings of the seven divine dharmas, in the tradition of Chekawa Yeshe Dorje, there are three main parts.

Part One, Good in the Beginning, which is divided into two

1. The Title of the Prayer

“Ambrosia for the Mind, A Prayer for the Seven Points of Mind Training.”

2. Homage

I bow down before the spiritual guides of the supreme vehicle,
The source of all that is positive in saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.
May the precious masters grant their blessings
So that my mind is purified through the three kinds of faith.

Part Two, Good in the Middle: the Main Subject of the Text, which has seven subdivisions

1. The Preliminaries, the Basis for Practice

May the precious masters grant their blessings so that I may train thoroughly in the preliminaries,
Recognizing how hard it is to gain the freedoms and advantages and how easily they are lost,
So that I strive always to act in accordance with the laws of karma, adopting wholesome deeds and avoiding what is harmful,
And develop genuine renunciation for saṃsāra.

2. The Main Part, Training in Bodhicitta

May the precious masters grant their blessings,
So that I may always cultivate the two aspects of bodhicitta,
Purifying my dualistic perceptions, which have no basis in reality, into all-pervading space,
And practising the profound exchange of my own happiness for others’ suffering.

3. Transforming Adversity into the Path to Awakening

May the precious masters grant their blessings,
So that whatever adversity and sufferings may arise
I see them as the wiles of this demon, ego-clinging,
And transform them into the path towards awakening.

4. Applying the Practice Throughout One’s Life

May the precious masters grant their blessings,
So that I may focus upon the essence of the practice throughout my life,
And always apply the five strengths of pure thought and pure deed,
Gathering merit, purifying obscurations and making prayers of aspiration.

5. The Measure of Mind Training

May the precious masters grant their blessings,
So that with joyful self-assurance and freedom of mind,
I may bring all adverse circumstances onto the path,
And everything may become a remedy to ego-clinging.

6. The Commitments of Mind Training

May the precious masters grant their blessings,
So that I may keep my promises without hypocrisy,
And always remain impartial, and free of ostentation,
Guarding the lojong commitments as I do my very life.

7. The Precepts for Mind Training

In short, may the precious masters grant their blessings,
So that I may genuinely follow all the precepts
For increasing the two aspects of bodhichitta,
And within this lifetime gain the realization of the supreme vehicle.

Part Three, Good in the End

1. Dedication

Through the merit of this heartfelt aspiration
To practise the seven points of mind training,
The heart-essence of the incomparable Jowo Atiśa and his heirs,
May all beings attain the level of perfect awakening.

2. Colophon

This one-pointed prayer was made before the precious statue of the glorious Atiśa at Kyishö Nyethang by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, a carefree yogin who wanders throughout the land and is extremely devoted to the precious Kadampa tradition. May it be accomplished!

The section headings were added by Maṅgala (Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche).

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2007. Revised 2012.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

bkra shis dpal 'byor. "blo sbyong don bdun ma'i gsol 'debs yid kyi bdud rtsi/." In gsung 'bum/_rab gsal zla ba. Delhi: Shechen Publications, 1994. (BDRC W21809). Volume 3: 74–76.

Version: 2.2-20220321