Joyful Path of Good Fortune: The Complete Buddhist Path to EnlightenmentWe all have the potential for self-transformation, and a limitless capacity for the growth of good qualities, but to fulfil this potential we need to know what to do along every stage of our spiritual journey. With this book, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso offers us step-by-step guidance on the meditation practices that will lead us to lasting inner peace and happiness. With extraordinary clarity, he presents all Buddha's teachings in the order in which they are to be practised, enriching his explanation with stories and illuminating analogies. Following these practical instructions, we will come to experience for ourselves the joy that arises from making progress on a clear and structured path that leads to full enlightenment. |
Common terms and phrases
abandon analytical meditation anger arise Asanga Atisha attain enlightenment attain liberation attain tranquil abiding bardo become benefit Bodhi bodhichitta Bodhisattva body Buddha Jewel Buddha Shakyamuni Buddhadharma Chandrakirti clairvoyance compassion completely concentration create the cause delusions dependent-related desirous attachment develop Dharma Jewel disciples Dromtönpa effort engage example experience faith feel full enlightenment future lives Geshe give going for refuge Grounds and Paths Guru happiness harm hell human rebirth hungry ghosts inherently existent instructions Je Tsongkhapa karma Lamrim lower realms Mahayana Mahayana path Manjushri meditation mental sinking merit Milarepa moral discipline mother negative actions non-virtuous actions offer ourself Perfection of Wisdom person placement meditation possessions practise Dharma precious human pure purify realizing emptiness samsara samsaric rebirth Sangha Sangha Jewel Secret Mantra self-cherishing self-grasping Shantideva someone Spiritual Guide stages subtle superior Sutra take rebirth Teacher teachings Three Jewels Training the mind true cessations Tsongkhapa understand Vajrayana virtuous actions vows wish Yoga
Popular passages
Page 604 - Primary mind A cognizer that principally apprehends the mere entity of an object. Synonymous with consciousness. There are six primary minds: eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mental consciousness. Each moment of mind comprises a primary mind and various mental factors. A primary mind and its accompanying mental...
Page 593 - In particular, a person of the desire realm or form realm has five aggregates: the aggregates of form, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors, and consciousness. A being of the formless realm lacks the aggregate of form but has the other four. A person's form aggregate is his or her body.
Page 602 - Nagarjuna A great Indian Buddhist scholar and meditation master who revived the Mahayana in the first century AD by bringing to light the teachings on the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. See Ocean of Nectar.
Page 597 - Arhat' in Sanskrit. A practitioner who has abandoned all delusions and their seeds by training on the spiritual paths, and who will never again be born in samsara. In this context, the term 'foe
Page 602 - Naga A non-human being not normally visible to humans. Their upper half is said to be human, their lower half serpent. Nagas usually live in the oceans of the world but they sometimes inhabit land in the region of rocks and trees. They are very powerful, some being benevolent and some malevolent. Many diseases, known as 'naga diseases', are caused by nagas and can only be cured through performing certain naga rituals.
Page 601 - Although the mara of uncontrolled death is not a sentient being, it is personified as the Lord of Death, or 'Yama'. The Lord of Death is depicted in the diagram of the Wheel of Life clutching the wheel between his claws and teeth. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune. Madhyamika A Sanskrit term, literally meaning 'Middle Way'.
Page 605 - See Understanding the Mind. Sense power An inner power located in the very centre of a sense faculty that functions directly to produce a sense awareness. There are five sense powers, one for each type of sense awareness - the eye awareness and so forth. They are sometimes known as 'sense powers possessing form'.
Page 132 - ... the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri. If we try our best to put Atisha's advice into practice, and to meditate on Lamrim according to Je Tsongkhapa's instructions, we shall develop a pure and happy mind and gradually progress towards the ultimate peace of full enlightenment. As Bodhisattva Shantideva says: By depending upon this boat-like human form We can cross the great ocean of suffering. Since such a vessel will be hard to find again, This is no time to sleep, you fool! Practising in this way is the...
Page 593 - Glossary Alertness A mental factor which is a type of wisdom that examines our activity of body, speech, and mind and knows whether or not faults are developing. See Understanding the Mind.
Page 605 - Sense of shame A mental factor that functions to avoid inappropriate actions for reasons that concern oneself. See Understanding the Mind. Six perfections The perfections of giving, moral discipline, patience, effort, mental stabilization, and wisdom. They are called "perfections" because they are motivated by bodhichitta.