7/30/2019 Lam Rim Quick Guide 1

1/1

The Dark Forrest:

Life without a spiritual path.

Lam Rim Quick Guide: Key steps on the Path to Freedom

Stages Feelings Realizations

Lost, alone, angry,

vengeful, irritable, guilty,stuck, scared, confused

This isnt working. Im hurting

myself and others, I need a diffeway

Seeing your teacher:

Shoreline.Holy Castle across water.

Your Teacher.Boat of Leisure.

Turtle & gold ring of fortune.

Hope. Amazement.First moments of clarity.A small bit of relief. A

sense of impending life-changing consequence.

Perspective on theopportunity offered.

gratitude, reverence,faith, trust.

Find a teacher. Learn how to thinabout them and act towards themRecognize your leisure and fortu

I have finally found my holy teac

and they are my only chance at tfreedom. I must serve and follow

teacher as the image of perfectiomy life. I have everything I need also the freedom to pursue this g

and I WANT to pursue it.

Steps shared with thoseof lower or foundational

scope:

Triangle room. Coffin. Yourown corpse. Black and

White deeds. Purificationfire. Refuge robe.

Face death without fear.

Finally recognize life anddeath as part of a cycle.

Get a little scared thenrelieved realizing your

good and bad deedsdont disappear,

Tomorrow is not promised to me

I must strive to purify my actionsthis life and to take refuge in the

things I know to be true, the teacthe teachings, and those who ha

succeeded, so I may at LEAST ntake a lower rebirth in the next lif

Steps shared with thoseof medium scope:

Hall of impermanence. All

your best acquaintancesand possessions fail fadeand wither in time.

Room full of mirrors and

fragile statues on unsteadypedestals.

Bittersweet recognition of

the fleeting nature ofeven our best joys in this

kind of life.

Ownership. Inability to

blame others for ourperceptions. Real sense

of imperative for extremecautiousness in every

moment.

Everything I know of, even the

things I currently consider mycauses for happiness, are actual

in the nature of suffering becausthey cannot last or keep me hap

Everything I experience is a perfreflection of my own actions, so

am especially careful of what I dsay, and think, I may create the

causes for ultimate happiness.

Steps shared with those

of greater scope:Hexagonal Room.

Gift. Waterfall into still pool.Bonsai Tree.

View of children playing.Microscope. Diamond.

Sweet incense permeating

the room. The Mother figure

Confidence. Enthusiasm.Understanding. Energy.Intellectual and spiritual

stimulation. Ability.Connectedness. Peace.

All feelings infused withan extraordinary sense of

personal responsibility to

help others.

Vowed morality with the rightintention is the way to free myseand others. I must perfect my

Ethics, Giving, Patience, JoyfulEffort, Meditative Concentration,

most of all my Wisdom about theway things are REALLY working

must do all these for the purpose

helping all suffering beings.

The Goal:

Full Buddhaood.Round central courtyard

open to the sky. Sunlight.Proud teacher. Perfect

ageless beautiful body oflight with infinite capacity.

Tantric Path

Perfectly and ecstatically

happy. Tremendousoverpowering love for all

beings.

I have achieved a perfect

understanding of the nature of rewith Bodhicitta in my heart, whic

among other things brought aboucomplete omniscience, an escap

from time, and an ability to appeanywhere in the universe to offe

help to any suffering being, withwhom I understand perfectly thatam connected. I am not a me.

I have gone beyond the beyond.