An Extensive Commentary on the Seven Point Mind Training

Book excerpt: The mind training tradition that developed in Tibet has its source from the great iIndian masters Nagarjuna and Shantideva and it was brought into Tibet by Atisa in the eleventh century. The practice of Mind training is based on the essential Mahayana teachings of impermanence, compassion, and the exchange of self and other. The lojong teachings are a source of inspiration and guidance shared by masters of all Tibetan traditions. The Seven Point Mind Training is a popular Tibetan Buddhist text by a twelveth century Kadampa master Geshe Chekawa. An Extensive Commentary on the Seven Point Mind Training is a commentary on The Seven Point Mind Training by Gesge Lobsang Gyatsho. In this book he explains the practice of Mind Training as the synthesis of all the various trainings of Mahāyāna Buddhism into one practice with nothing omitted whatsoever. He constantly emphasizes the daily practice of the Mind Training teachings over mere study or memorization and enjoins us to place whatever intellectual understanding we may have into pure Dharma practice right now. Since the root text used here comprises pithy statements handed down by the great Kadampa masters of Tibet that require further elucidation, Gen Lobsang Gyatso explains them with the expertise of an individual who has lived these teachings for many years and has come to a personal, experiential mastery of them. He espouses them as the fundamental antidote to our samsaric suffering and afflictive emotions – the adamantine antidote that crushes our own worst enemy – our self-centered attitude. Among many text on Mind Training, Geshe Chekawa’s Seven Points for Training the Mind is widely used Chekhawa, was said to possess all the marks of a great being right from his birth. He received the Milarepa instructions from Rechungpa and had many other great teachers like Geshe Tsan, Jayulpa and so forth. It is said that he had memorized over one hundred scriptures, but always felt incomplete, thinking that there must be some other teaching for achieving enlightenment. Then at thirty he met the great teacher Sharawa who gave him experiential teaching for twelve years. Geshe Chekhawa was very satisfied as we see at the end of his text on the Seven Points of Mind Training where he says, “Now I have no regrets even if I die.” Sharawa gave this practice of exchanging oneself for the other as a secret teaching to Chekhawa. Thus the special focus of this text is how to eliminate self-cherishing attitudes which are the source of all the sufferings and problems that we face in our life.