The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment: Volume 1

Many people are looking for the entire picture of Tibetan buddhism, and this English edition of the "Lam Rim Chen Mo" is one of the most suitable works to get this entire picture. All the stages of the path of liberation are covered in their natural, logical sequence. It is wonderful that such a thing exists: that it is possible to have a general and complete understanding of the path. Reading and hearing, studying the teachings allows us to then contemplate their true meaning, that is, come to a personal understanding and conviction that the topic at hand is indeed true, relevant and workable. That is what contemplation is all about: coming to such a workable conviction. Contemplative understanding is then the basis for meditation, or applying the workable conviction in daily life, until it becomes second nature, thereby transforming our life. In this way we progress, step by step, from understanding to natural conviction to application to effortless realization. It is therefore very, very beneficial to acquire a taste for this type of literature - which is itself often a gradual process. It may seem very dry in the beginning, but once you acquire a taste for a certain aspect of the teachings, you will want to read the entire chapter, and then marvel at the profound logic. Once you have a few of such experiences you will understand that other chapters just "might" contain equally valuable treasures, and slowly acquire a taste for them as well, by reading the text and pondering its profound meaning. Drawing our attention to the parts that we tend to ignore then proves to be the quickest way to true understanding! This is why it is taught that by these very teachings you come to understand how all of the scripture are instructions for actual practice, and that these teachings cover all stages of the path in their natural sequence. Marvelous! Your intelligence, no matter what your present level, will develop naturally, and soon you will encounter understandings not previously met. I started out with some attractive chapters or topics, and only much later my curiosity for the other parts of the book developed. And even then it took a while to translate the "script" into recognition in daily life. But now I use it as a reference: when I want to have a more thorough understanding of a certain aspect, I study from this book, by looking at its various parts and looking how it fits into the total picture (or mandala of the teachings). Once you learn how to acquire a taste for this basic, foundational literature of "lam-rim" (graded path) and "lojong" (mind training), you can soon continue into the wisdom literature of "prajnaparamita" (transcendent perfection of wisdom), "tathagatagarbha" (primordially enlightened disposition), "madyamika" (middle way of no dualistic extreme), "secret mantra" (path of swift accomplishment through deity meditation), "mahamudra" (great seal of ultimate bliss), "dzogchen" (great completion in total awareness), and so

This book is a must read for people familiar with the Buddhist path. It provides a general framework for how all the different practices and teachings fit, in relation to one another and the Buddhist path more generally. In response to some of the critiques of the book below, the book must be taken within its historical context. Tibet was a patriarchial culture and Tsong-kha-pa did see Buddhism as a superior path to other paths. That said, Tsong-kha-pa's comments on these things need to be taken with a grain of salt and it is much better to look to current teachers, such as the Dalai Lama, for advice on these topics.

The Lam Rim Chen Mo is unquestionably one of the most cherished books in the Tibetan tradition. In it is lucidly and extensively detailed the precise stages of training the mind in the path to enlightenment. It is adorned with quotations from the Sutras, Indian Commentaries and Early Kadampa masters such as Lama Atisha. This particular translation is very clear and well done, with well written annotations and a glossary of terms.I would recommend this book to any serious student of Buddhism. I found the lam rim in general difficult to understand at first so if you are a newer student I would recommend a shorter lamrim like The Path to Freedom by His Holiness. Also :) I just wanted to answer some of the criticisms of the previous review:Lama Tsong Khapa is not telling people that they should hire a prostitute, he is merely saying that it is not a path of non-virtue to do so. This is not Lama Tsong Khapa's assertion but one that comes from the Sutras themselves. Also about the assertion in the last review that we should not tolerate other religious traditions, I don't know where in the Lam Rim the previous review got this idea from. In the section on taking refuge it mentions that we should refuse to acknowledge other refuges, but this is not saying we should not tolerate them. What Lama Tsong Khapa appears to be saying is that for our own individal practice of refuge we should understand the Triple Gem as the unique and worthy object of our refuge. Lama Tsong Khapa himself studied under teachers from many traditions including Nying-ma, Sakya and Kargyu so it would be difficult to accuse him of being biased to one tradition.I do not mean to criticize the previous reviewer, just correct some misinterpretations that might discourage people from buying this wonderful book.

The work that this is a translation of has been the foundation and guide for my life for more than twenty years.I consider the source work itself to be a useful component to any person studying or practicing ANY spiritual path.Tsonkhapa was a great academic, and his writing is particularly rigourous. He lays his thoughts out with clarity and deliberation, and this work is no exception.As a guide for life, it is my opinion that it is better if one can find someone to guide one through the book, -there are many references to stories and events that are not all explained by footnotes, however, this edition is definately a superb reader and essential companion.The translation committee have had to work very hard in order to achieve an exemplar, and definitive English translation, and in my humble opinion, have done very well indeed. There is the occasional Americanism, (so it is translated into American English, rather than International English), and sometimes the choice of term is not so intuitive for the well-read student of Buddhism (e.g. 'trailblazer' for 'Mahayana')Regardless, other than posting the translation into a CVS repository for the global Buddhist community, I cannot imagine a better approach to this essential work.We wait with respect for the second and third volumes.

Tsong Kha Pa tends to be very analytical in his discussions. This book is no exception. It is the first of a series of 3 to translate his Lam Rim text, bringing the reader through teachings for the small and middle capacity to Bodhichitta. The second text, when published will describe the Bodhisattva path, followed by the third which will focus on concentration and wisdom. For those who wish to thoroughly investigate or understand the entire Buddhist path, this compendium is absolutely wonderful. It is a great complement to Yin Shun's "The Way to Buddhahood."