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Dromtonpas Outline of the Path

After Atisha passed into final liberation, Drom the Teacher became his successor. On

one occasion his three main disciples, the brothers Potowa, Chengawa, and

Puchungwa, asked him, "Please tell us the way of practice that includes the essence ofall paths to omniscient Buddhahood."

The spiritual friend Drom answered, "though there is an incalculable number of

precepts, each of which gives entry to the path of enlightenment, if one has the

necessary ground for practice, there is only one thing to attain."

"What is that one thing?" asked the three brothers.

"That which has the essence of voidness and compassion. To explain: things are

naturally and truly unborn. Compassion is the relative spirit of enlightenment; it is

universal compassion reaching out to all beings who have not yet realized theirfundamental birthlessness. Thus those who practice the path of the Universal Vehicle

should first strive to develop these two forms of the spirit of enlightenment. Once the

spirit of enlightenment has been conceived, it should be diligently cultivated. By

doing so, one is sure to realize Buddhahood with its Form Body and Truth Body, the

ultimate fruition of attaining the two kinds of spirit of enlightenment.

"There are many methods to conceive of the two kinds of spirit of enlightenment.

Condensing then into a way of practice, there are only three root methods and nine

branch methods growing from them. The three root methods are mind development,

the accumulation of merit and wisdom, and the quest for samadhi. Each root method

has three principal branches.

"The three principal branch methods of mind development are the meditations on

impermanence, love and compassion, and the selflessness of all persons and things.

Among the various methods of mind development, these three are the most important,

incorporating all the others.

"The principal branch methods for the accumulation of merit and wisdom are to honor

the Mentor, to venerate the Three Jewels, and to honor the Sangha. These three are the

only important methods, incorporating all others.

"The principal branch methods of the quest of samadhi are to maintain impeccable

ethical conduct, to pray to the mentors of the lineage, and to keep constant solitude. In

seeking the supreme samadhi of quiescence and insight, these are the only important

methods, incorporating all the others.

"By practicing these nine methods, you will naturally develop the two kinds of

spiritual enlightenment. When you develop the absolute spirit, you will effortlessly

realize that all outer and inner things are empty of reality status, originally lacking

true creation, and utterly free from proliferation. This realization will bring you

boundless joy. When you develop the relative spirit of enlightenment, you will feel a

profound love and compassion for those beings who have not realized the absolutespirit of enlightenment. From then on, whatever you do will only be for the benefit of

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those many beings, and, since you have attained the spirit of enlightenment, all you

have already done will benefit them also.

"There are two ways integrate absolute and relative spirits of enlightenment. When

you develop the absolute spirit, you experience the voidness of all existence; at that

very moment of experience of voidness, you will develop intense compassion for allbeings, since they are not negated by the experience of voidness. When you develop

this relative spirit of enlightenment, this profound compassion for all beings, you will

simultaneously feel the nonseperation of self and others. Appearances are like a

magicians illusions; they are actually devoid of intrinsic reality.

"When you have successfully developed this integrated realization of the two kinds of

spirit of enlightenment, you have correctly entered the path of the Universal Vehicle.

By cultivating that realization, you will perfect your meditation and will naturally

obtain the Form and Truth Bodies of Buddhahood. The Truth Body arises from

voidness, the absolute spirit of enlightenment. The Form Body arises from

compassion, the relative spirit of enlightenment. From the cultivation of theindivisible two kinds of spirit of enlightenment, you will reach the indivisible Truth

and Form Bodies of Buddhahood."

Essential Tibetan Buddhism, p. 110