Atisha’s Key Instructions of the Middle Way

In the language of India: Madhyama-upadesha-nāmaIn the language of Tibet: Umey Men-ngak Shejawa/dbu ma’i man ngag zhes bya baIn the English language: Key Instructions of the Middle Way

Homage to the Lord of the World

The light of your speechOpens the lotus in the heartOf myself and others, all deluded beings.Supreme, genuine being, I bow to you.

These are the key instructions of the Mahāyāna’s Middle Way. From the perspective of those who see only the near side, all causes and results and so on are real in just the way they appear, and are presented as such. On the ultimate, or genuine, level, however, when the appearances of relative phenomena themselves have been investigated and disproved by the great reasonings, there is not even one hundredth of a hair’s breadth of anything to hold on to. One must comprehend this with certainty.On a comfortable seat, sit with your legs crossed. Th ere are two types of phenomena to contemplate: physical phenomena and nonphysical phenomena. Physical phenomena are assemblages of subtle particles. When one analyzes these particles by splitting them into their own sections, not even the smallest part is left [that cannot be dismantled]. Not even the tiniest appearance [of a real entity] remains.Th e nonphysical refers to mind. The mind of the past has ceased and dissolved. The mind of the future has not arisen or come into being. The mind of the present is extremely difficult to identify: it has no color or shape; it is like space. Therefore it is not established [as a thing]. Furthermore, it is beyond being one or many things, it has never arisen, and it is luminous by nature. We use these and other forms of the sword of reasoning to investigate and analyze phenomena. Th rough this, we realize that they do not inherently exist.Since both physical and nonphysical phenomena are not established as any entity and do not exist, the prajnā of discriminating investigation also does not exist. For example, when one rubs two pieces of wood together to create fi re, both pieces of wood are burned. In the end, the fire that has done the burning also dissipates on its own. In the same way, once all specifically and generally characterized phenomena have been established as nonexistent, the prajnā [that discovered this reality] no longer appears; it is luminous, not existing in any manner whatsoever.Therefore, dispel all faults [of meditation] such as dullness and torpor. In the gap [of the experience of the insight described above], do not allow the mind to conceive of or cling to anything. Abandon all recollection and mental engagement. For as long as the enemies, thieves, or bandits of thoughts and attributes do not arise, let your mind rest.When you wish to rise, slowly release the cross-legged posture. With an outlook of illusion, perform as much virtue as you can in body, speech, and mind. Fortunate ones who practice in this way with dedication and consistency for a long time will see happiness in this very lifetime. Like the center of the sky, they will be free from eff ort and strain in naturally and spontaneously actualizing all positive qualities.The postmeditation practice is to understand that all phenomena are like illusions and so on. However, from the time one attains the vajralike samadhi onward, one does not experience post-meditation. For if one did, what diff erence would there be between buddhas and bodhisattvas? Th ere are further scriptural quotations and reasonings [to prove the difference between buddhas and bodhisattvas regarding equipoise and postmeditation], but I will not state them here.[When buddhahood is attained], the benefit of others happens in precise accordance with the wishes of the beings to be tamed by oneself, due to one’s own aspirations [of

the past]. There are a great number of further scriptural quotations and reasonings [that could be explained], but these will not be elaborated on here.

The Key Instructions of the Middle Way, composed by the paṇḍita Dipaṃkara, is now complete.

Th e translator, bhik hu Tsültrim Gyalwa,ṣ 674 translated, edited, and fi nalizedthis edition in the Trülnang Temple of Lhasa.In the great temple of Trulnang in Rasa,I, a Tibetan monk, Lekpey Sherab,675

Supplicated the wise one, Dipa kara,ṃAnd then translated this text.Th e elder Dipa karaṃHolds the textual tradition of the three types of person.“Do not wander down mistaken paths!”—Th is is what I, Naktso Tsültrim Gyalwa, declare.

SOURCE:Th e Karmapa’s middle way : feast for the fortunate / the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje ; translated under the guidance of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and according to the explanations of Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen & Acharya Tashi Wangchuk by Tyler Dewar ; with editing by Andy Karr.p. 595-597