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Lam Rim (Tib: lam "path", rim "stages") is the presentation of Buddhas doctrine of Tibetan Buddhism based on extensions of Atisha's root text A Lamp for the Path.
History
When Atisha was invited and came to Tibet he was asked by Djang Jup Ö to give a complete and easy accessible summary of the doctrine in order to clarify wrong views - especially the apparent contradictions found across the Sutras and their commentaries. Based upon this request Atisha (whose presentation of the doctrine became later known as the Kadampa tradition) taught what came to be known as the Lam Rim for the Tibetans. Later he was honored very much for this by the Pandits of his original monastery Vikramalashila, in India.
The Kadampa monk and student of Milarepa, Gampopa, introduced the Lam Rim to his disciples as a way of developing the mind gradually. Gampopa's work on Lam Rim is known as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-Fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings and is studied to this day in the various Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism founded by his disciples.
As Tsongkhapa's Gelug school is derived from and mainly based upon the Kadampa school, it comes to no surprise that Tsongkhapa wrote one of his masterpieces on Lam Rim: The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment (Tib. Lam Rim Chen Mo) which has about 1000 pages, and is primarily based on literary sources. There is also a medium Lam Rim text by Tsongkhapa (200 pages) and a short one, called Lam Rim Dudon (Tib.), which is often recited daily by Gelugpas and is about 10 pages long.
Philosophy
The foundational criteria of the Lam Rim is the tripartite division of practitioners, based upon the motivation of their religious activity. (Note that this division is distinct from the Triyana).
Excluded from this division were individuals whose motives revolve around material benefits within this life.
Three kinds of person
Atisha wrote in "Lamp of the Path" (verse 2) that one should understand that there are three kind of persons:- 1. Persons of low motive
- 2. Persons of medium motive
- 3. Persons of high motive
Persons of low motive are searching with all means for happiness within Samsara; their motive is to achieve high rebirth, typically in a heaven. Buddhists traditionally considered this domain included followers of most non-Buddhist religions.
Persons of medium motive are searching for their own peace and abandon worldly pleasure. This includes the paths of the PratyekaBuddhas and SravakaBuddhas.
Persons of high motive seek (based on their insight of their own suffering) by all means to stop the suffering of all beings. This is the Mahayana paths of the SamyakSamBuddhas.
Mind and nature
Although the Lam Rim texts cover the same subject areas, the subjects are arranged in different ways.The Lam Rim of Atisha starts with Bodhicitta, the altruistic mind, followed by taking the Bodhisattva vows, whereas Gampopa's lam Lam Rim starts with the Buddha nature, followed by the Precious Human Life and Tsongkhapas texts start with reliance to a master, followed by the Precious Human Life, and continues with the paths of the low, medium and high scopes.
Gampopa and Tsongkhapa expounded the short root-text of Atisha into an extensive system to understand the entire Buddhist philosophy. In this way, subjects like karma, rebirth, Buddhist cosmology, the practice of meditation, up to and including tantra are gradually explained in logical order.
The Lam Rim teachings are in essence very similar to the Lamdre teachings of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism.
External links
Available Classical Lamrim Books
- The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment, Vol. 1-3 by Tsong-Kha-Pa, Snow Lion Publications
- Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment by Geshe Sonam Rinchen, Snow Lion Publications
- The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-Fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings by Gampopa, Snow Lion Publications
- Liberation in the Palm of your Hand, Je Phabonkhapa, Wisdom Publications
Available Modern Lamrim Books & Commentaries
- Practicing the Path: A Commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo, Yangtse Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications, ISBN 086171346X
- Steps on the Path to Enlightenment, Volume 1: A Commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo, The Foundational Practices, by Geshe Lhundub Sopa, Wisdom Publications, ISBN 0861713036
- Steps on the Path to Enlightenment, Vol.2: Karma : A Commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo by Geshe Lhundub Sopa, Wisdom Publications, ISBN 0861714814
- Joyful Path of Good Fortune, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, (New Kadampa Tradition), Tharpa Publications
- The New Meditation Handbook, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, (New Kadampa Tradition), Tharpa Publications
"Lamrim"