Introduction

Gampopa was a physician before he was a monk. He had married, had children, and practiced medicine in a small Tibetan town. Then plague swept through his village and took his wife and both his children. In the months that followed, grief cracked open something in him that could not be closed again. He gave away his remaining possessions and entered monastic life.

He spent several years studying in the Kadampa tradition, which originated with the Indian master Atisha — a rigorous, systematic approach to the graduated path to enlightenment (lam-rim). Then he heard of a ragged yogi living in a cave, a man who was said to have achieved full realization through sheer devotion and practice. That man was Milarepa.

When Gampopa arrived at Milarepa's cave, the old yogi offered him a skull cup of beer. The young monk hesitated — it violated his monastic vows. But something in Milarepa's presence told him to drink. He drank. And with that act of surrender, two great rivers of Tibetan Buddhism began to flow together in one person: the systematic Kadampa approach to the path and the wild, direct transmission of mahamudra and Vajrayana from Milarepa's lineage.

As Lama Jampa Thaye explains: "We say that with Gampopa two streams of dharma practices and teachings become one: Ka-chak chu-nyi in Tibetan — the two rivers of the Kadam (Ka) and mahamudra (Chak). These came into one stream with Gampopa and this became the fundamental approach and syllabus of study and practice in the Kagyu tradition."

The Jewel Ornament of Liberation is the fruit of that meeting. It allows us to start from the level of a complete beginner and train stage by stage — developing renunciation toward samsara, the conviction of taking refuge, the ethical impulse of bodhicitta, and the training on the bodhisattva path through the six perfections. Resting on top of these are the powerful Vajrayana teachings through which one can accelerate the journey to Buddhahood for the benefit of sentient beings.

Lama Jampa Thaye puts the text's significance simply: "If there was only one Kagyu text to study, it would be this one, because everything else rests on this teaching. Although this text is so important for the Kagyu, there is nothing in it which would make it difficult for the other three Tibetan dharma traditions — Sakya, Gelug, and Nyingma — to use it as a foundation. If someone wants to know the essence of Mahayana Buddhism, what it means and how to practice it, and they can only study one text, it could be this one."

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Homage

I prostrate to the noble Manjushri in youthful form.

Manjushri is the bodhisattva who embodies the transcendental wisdom of all the Buddhas. By dedicating the text to him, Gampopa signifies that the principal topic of the text is wisdom. The epithet "Manjushri Kumara-bhuta" refers to the fact that when Manjushri first entered the bodhisattva path, he was a prince known as Prince Amba.

I pay homage to the Victorious Ones, their followers, the holy Dharma, and to the lamas who are their foundation.

The "Victorious Ones" are the Buddhas who have conquered all disturbing emotions. Their "followers" (children) are the bodhisattvas who will inherit the royal position from their parents in due course. The lamas are "the foundation of the jewels" because without meeting spiritual teachers, we cannot actually find the Three Jewels.

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Promise to Compose

This noble teaching, which is like the wish-fulfilling jewel, Will be written for the benefit of myself and others by depending on the kindness of Mila and Lord Atisha.

The dharma is like a wish-fulfilling jewel because if we practice it, it will fulfill all wholesome wishes—from the achievement of happiness to a good rebirth, up to the definitive goodness of enlightenment itself.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "This signifies that the teaching combines two streams: the mahamudra-Vajrayana stream from Milarepa and the sutra, graduated path, Mahayana stream from Atisha. Although Gampopa pays homage in this way, the text is much more reliant on the Atisha stream than the Milarepa stream, as we will see."

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The Nature of Samsara and Nirvana

In general, all phenomena are included in the two categories of samsara and nirvana.

Samsara

That which is called samsara is empty by nature, a confused projection. Its defining characteristic is that it manifests as suffering.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "'Emptiness' means that whatever phenomena we assign to the category of samsara—karma, suffering, happiness, confused sentient beings—all are empty of any intrinsic nature. They do not have any core solidity. 'Error' means that we imagine them to be something but they are not."

Nirvana

That which is called nirvana is also empty by nature, but all the confused projections are exhausted and dissipated. Its defining characteristic is freedom from all suffering.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "Nirvana, obtained by the Buddhas, is not a thing or an entity, nor a place. It is lacking any intrinsic nature. The Buddhas have exhausted all error."

To contrast samsara and nirvana: their real nature is empty, but samsara appears as error—what we see as things are not as they appear, and we experience them as suffering. Nirvana lacks intrinsic nature because it is not a thing produced by any cause, but how it manifests is that all errors disappear. The Buddhas see things as they are; they don't experience suffering because there is no cause of suffering.

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Seven Questions About Confusion

Gampopa approaches our condition the way a physician approaches a disease — by asking precise diagnostic questions. He poses seven:

Who is confused? All sentient beings in all three realms — the desire realm where we live, the form realm of refined meditative gods, and the formless realm of the highest gods. Everyone. No one within samsara sees things as they really are.

On what basis does confusion arise? On the basis of emptiness itself. As Lama Jampa Thaye explains: "People do not understand that emptiness is the true nature of all things and therefore they elaborate all kinds of fantasy projections. But really there is nothing there except emptiness. Beings are confused but there is nothing really to be confused about."

What causes confusion? Great ignorance — ma rig pa in Tibetan, the failure to recognize things as they are. If we recognized emptiness, we would not elaborate our fantasies, our confused projections, our error.

How does confusion operate? Through our actions and experiences in the six realms. As Lama Jampa Thaye puts it: "I am imposing on the world an illusory structure, a dualistic structure. I am seeing things as if there is truly a subject — me, the perceiver — and out there a truly existent set of objects which I perceive. Error operates through my actions and my ways of experiencing the world and drives me from one birth to another."

What exemplifies confusion? Sleep and dream. In a dream, all kinds of unreal things arise and we take them to be true. Our waking experience, Gampopa suggests, is no different — we are acting and experiencing in error, and our experiences are no more solid than a dream.

When did confusion originate? In beginningless samsara. As Lama Jampa Thaye notes: "No matter how far one goes back in tracing the chain of confusion, one never arrives at a first point. It is not as if originally things were perfect and then they became imperfect. Dizzying though it may be, there is actually no beginning to samsara."

What is the fault of confusion? It produces suffering. If confusion did not produce suffering, there would be no urgency to remove it. But it does. And that suffering is precisely what motivates us to do something about our condition.

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The Possibility of Transformation

When can this confusion be transformed into primordial wisdom? When one attains unsurpassable enlightenment.

Primordial wisdom (ye shes in Tibetan, jñāna in Sanskrit) is not ordinary wisdom that knows things as an object, but transcendental wisdom which knows the ultimate nature of reality beyond all definitions, beyond all concepts and labels. Ordinary wisdom still has a dualistic framework. What we are striving for is the wisdom beyond all dualism.

Error can come to an end because enlightenment can be obtained, and with it primordial wisdom recognizing the true nature of reality.

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The Necessity of Effort

If you think that perhaps this confusion will disappear by itself, then understand that samsara is known to be endless. Understand that samsara is confusion. Understand how much suffering is there. Understand how long it endures. Understand that there is no self-liberation.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "If error came to an end by itself, it would have occurred long ago. No matter how far one looks back, one has never seen error spontaneously disappear. Samsara does not come to an end by itself."

Therefore, from today onward, you should make as much effort as possible to achieve unsurpassable enlightenment.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "Even though everything we think about the world is unreal, still that very thinking in an erroneous way has the power to produce suffering. Though what we are going to get rid of by following the path is unreal, we have to follow the procedure of getting rid of it by practicing the path."

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The Six Topics

What manner of things are needed in order to make this kind of effort?

Gampopa answers by outlining the six topics that summarize the path to unsurpassable enlightenment:

The primary cause, working basis, contributory cause, Method, result, and activities— All discriminating beings should understand that These six comprise the general explanation of unsurpassable enlightenment.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "More important even than the twenty-one chapters in the book are these six topics. Everything revolves around them—the entire path to enlightenment, from the level of a complete beginner to enlightenment itself. The six topics are the fundamental skeleton; everything else will be the flesh on those bones."

The Six Topics Defined

The logic of this sequence matters. As Lama Jampa Thaye explains: "It makes no sense to start with the fruit; you have to go back to the very thing which makes everything else possible. That is the cause, the primary cause. You add the working basis next, then you add the contributory cause, then you add the method. And then you get the result and what results from the result."

This is Gampopa the physician at work — diagnosis before treatment, cause before cure. Every chapter that follows rests on the chapters before it.

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The Structure of the Method

The fourth topic—the method—comprises sixteen chapters organized as follows:

Contemplations That Turn the Mind (Chapters 4–7)

1. Impermanence — Remedy for attachment to this life
2. The Suffering of Samsara — Remedy for attachment to samsaric pleasures
3. Karma and Its Result — Understanding cause and effect
4. Loving-Kindness and Compassion — Remedy for attachment to personal peace

Taking Refuge and Developing Bodhicitta (Chapters 8–11)

1. Refuge and Precepts — The foundation of Buddhist practice
2. Cultivation of Bodhicitta — The awakening mind
3. Training in Aspiration Bodhicitta — Developing the wish for enlightenment
4. Training in Action Bodhicitta — Engaging in bodhisattva activities

The Six Perfections (Chapters 12–17)

1. The Perfection of Generosity — dāna-pāramitā
2. The Perfection of Moral Ethics — śīla-pāramitā
3. The Perfection of Patience — kṣānti-pāramitā
4. The Perfection of Perseverance — vīrya-pāramitā
5. The Perfection of Meditative Concentration — dhyāna-pāramitā
6. The Perfection of Wisdom — prajñā-pāramitā

The Paths and Bhumis (Chapters 18–19)

1. The Five Paths — The stages of the journey
2. The Ten Bodhisattva Bhumis — The levels of realization

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The Unique Character of This Text

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "It is significant that the Jewel Ornament is topped and tailed by teachings based on the Uttaratantra Shastra, the Supreme Continuity of Maitreya. The first chapter on Buddha-nature and the final chapter on Buddha activities are both derived from this source. This gives the text its special character and makes it distinct from other lam-rim teachings."

The Jewel Ornament thus combines:

• The graduated path approach of the Kadampas
• The Buddha-nature teachings from the Uttaratantra
• The mahamudra and Vajrayana perspective inherited from Milarepa

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: "As Gampopa explained to his disciple Phakmo Drupa, for him the teaching on Buddha-nature in the Uttaratantra is another presentation of Mahamudra—not the same presentation as in the tantras, but nevertheless a presentation of Mahamudra."

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