Great Treasury of Merit. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

The Preliminary Practices

       Visualizing the Field of Merit

       Offering the Practice of the Seven Limbs

       Making Praises and Requests

       Receiving Blessings

       Dedication

       Appendix I The Condensed Meaning of the Text

       Appendix II Sadhanas

       Liberating Prayer

       Offering to the Spiritual Guide

       The Yoga of Buddha Heruka

       Condensed Six-session Yoga

       The Condensed Meaning of the Swift Vajrayana Path

       Prayers of Request to the Mahamudra Lineage Gurus

       Glossary

       Bibliography

       Study Programmes of Kadampa Buddhism

       Tharpa Offices Worldwide

Illustrations

      The line illustrations include the Mahamudra Lineage Gurus

       Vajradhara

       Manjushri

       Je Tsongkhapa

       Togden Jampel Gyatso

       Baso Chokyi Gyaltsen

       Drubchen Dharmavajra

       Gyalwa Ensapa

       Khedrub Sangye Yeshe

       Panchen Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen

       Drubchen Gendun Gyaltsen

       Drungpa Tsondru Gyaltsen

       Konchog Gyaltsen

       Panchen Losang Yeshe

       Losang Trinlay

       Drubwang Losang Namgyal

       Kachen Yeshe Gyaltsen

       Phurchog Ngawang Jampa

       Panchen Palden Yeshe

       Khedrub Ngawang Dorje

       Ngulchu Dharmabhadra

       Yangchen Drubpay Dorje

       Khedrub Tenzin Tsondru

       Dorjechang Phabongkha Trinlay Gyatso

       Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche Losang Yeshe

      Dorjechang Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche (included at the request of faithful disciples)

       Tantric commitment objects

       Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka

       Twelve-armed Heruka

Acknowledgements

      This book, Great Treasury of Merit, is an extensive commentary to the profound traditional Guru yoga practice, Offering to the Spiritual Guide, the gateway through which we can accumulate the merit, or good fortune, necessary for successful Tantric practice. The book is based on detailed and authoritative oral commentaries given by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche during courses held first at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre through the winter of 1979-80, and then at Madhyamaka Kadampa Meditation Centre in 1986 and 1990. From the depths of our hearts we thank the author for his immeasurably great kindness in preparing this book, which will make these very precious and important teachings available throughout the world.

      We also thank all the dedicated, senior Dharma students who helped the author to edit the book and prepare it for publication.

      Roy Tyson,

      Administrative Director,

      Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre,

      May 1994.

      Vajradhara

Introduction

      Offering to the Spiritual Guide, or Lama Chopa in Tibetan, is a special Guru yoga of Je Tsongkhapa that is related to Highest Yoga Tantra. It was compiled by the first Panchen Lama, Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen, as a preliminary practice for Vajrayana Mahamudra. Although the main practice is reliance upon the Spiritual Guide, it also includes all the essential practices of the stages of the path (Lamrim) and training the mind (Lojong), as well as both the generation stage and completion stage of Highest Yoga Tantra.

      Guru yoga, or lamai neljor in Tibetan, is a special method for receiving the blessings of our Spiritual Guide. Here, the term ‘Guru’ does not imply that our Spiritual Guide should be Indian, nor does the term ‘Lama’ imply that our Spiritual Guide should be Tibetan. Our Spiritual Guide is any spiritual Teacher who sincerely leads us into spiritual paths by giving correct instructions. Thus our Spiritual Guide can be oriental or western, lay or ordained, male or female. These days, for example, it is quite possible to meet a Spiritual Guide who is a western lay female. The term ‘yoga’ in this context indicates a special way of viewing our Spiritual Guide.

      All schools of Buddhism agree that the practice of Guru yoga, or relying upon a Spiritual Guide, is the root of the spiritual path and the foundation of all spiritual attainments. We can understand this from our ordinary experiences. For example, if we want to acquire special skills, become proficient at a particular sport, or learn to play a musical instrument well, we naturally seek a qualified teacher to instruct us. By following our teacher’s example and sincerely applying his or her instructions, eventually we accomplish our aim and become just like our teacher. If reliance upon a qualified teacher is necessary for mundane achievements such as these, how much more necessary is it for spiritual attainments such as liberation or enlightenment?

      There are two main streams within Buddhism: the Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, and the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle; and the practice of relying upon a Spiritual Guide is fundamental to both. According to the Hinayana, we should regard our Spiritual Guide as being like a Buddha and, with a mind of faith and devotion, offer gifts and service to him or her and repay his kindness by following his advice and practising his instructions. According to the Mahayana, however, we should regard our Spiritual Guide as an actual Buddha and, with a mind of faith, rely upon him sincerely in both thought and deed.

      The ultimate goal of a Hinayana practitioner is the attainment of liberation. This depends upon practising the three higher trainings, and this in turn depends