faults of cyclic existence

From: “Great Perfection Buddha In the Palm of the Hand: The Lama’s Oral Instructions Upon the Recitation and Visualization of the Preliminary Practices Ngondro” as revealed by Vidydhara Terton Migyur Dorje

PAL KUNTUZANGPO LA CHAG TSHAL LO

I prostrate to the glorious Samantabhadra.

DAL JOR DI NI SHIN TU NYED PAR KA

This precious human birth is extremely difficult to obtain.

CHI DANG CHI LA KYE KYANG MI TAG CHI

All things born are impermanent and must die.

GE WA CHÖ LA BED NA SANGYE GYU

If one perseveres in virtuous Dharma, this is the cause for becoming Buddha.

DIG PA GANG CHE DE TA’I RIG DRUG KHYAM

Whatever negativity is produced will cause one to wander in the six realms.

YI DAG TRE KOM DÜD DRO LÜN PO DANG

Hungry spirits suffer from hunger and thirst, animals from stupidity,

NYAL WA TSHA DRANG MI KYE GE NA CHI

Hell beings from heat and cold, humans from birth, old age, sickness and death,

LHA MIN THAB TSÖD LHA YI DUG NGAL YÖD

Jealous gods from warfare, and even gods (Devas) also have their own particular suffering.

Contemplation on the Precious Human Rebirth

NYAL WA YI DAG DÜD DRO DANG

Birth in the hell, hungry spirit and animal realms, and

LA LO TSHE RING LHA DANG NI

As a Titan and Long-Life God,

LOG TA SANGYE KYI TONG PA

With incorrect view, in a dark eon,

KUG PA DI DAG MI KHOM GYED

Or in an incapacitated state, are the eight states of non-freedom.

MI NYID Ü KYE WANG PO TSHANG

Birth as a human being, in a land where the Dharma is flourishing, and with all faculties complete,

LE THA MA LOG NE LA DED

Without reversed karma, and with faith in the Three Jewels of Refuge

DI NGA RANG GI JOR PA YIN

Are the five personal endowments, which I possess.

SANGYE JÖN DANG DE CHÖ SUNG

Birth during the presence of the Buddha, the presence of the Buddha’s Teaching (Dharma),

TEN PA NE DANG DE JE JUG

The presence of the Doctrine and its pure followers in the world,

ZHEN CHIR NYING NE TSE WA-O

And in the presence of those who lovingly care for others from their hearts, are the five circumstantial endowments.

KYE BU TSHÜL THRIM KANG PA CHAG GYUR NA

If it occurs that the continuity of one’s moral discipline is interrupted,

JIN PE LONG CHÖD DEN YANG NGEN DROR TUNG

Then, even though one may possess material endowments, one will fall to the Lower Realms.

GYATSHO CHER YENG NYA SHING GI

On a turbulent ocean, although a yoke is being tossed about,

BU GAR RU BAL DRIN CHÜD TAR

The chances of an ocean turtle surfacing through the yoke’s center

MI NYID SHIN TU NYED KAR SUNG

Are as unlikely as the extreme difficulties of finding a precious human rebirth.

NGEN SONG SUM NI SA YI DÜL TSAM LA

In the three lower realms, beings are equal in number to the particles of dust on the earth.

MIR KYE WA NI SEN MO’I DÜL TSAM MO

The beings who have a human rebirth are equal to the number of particles on one’s thumbnail.

DAL JOR DI NI NYED PAR SHIN TU KA

This precious human rebirth is extremely difficult to obtain.

KYE BU’I DÖN DRUB THOB PAR GYUR PA LA

Since this accomplishes what is meaningful for man,

GAL TE DI LA PHEN PA MA DRUB NA

If I do not take advantage of this now,

CHI NE YANG DAG JOR PA GA LA GYUR

How will such a perfect opportunity come about again?

Contemplation on Impermanence

SID SUM MI TAG TÖN KA’I TRIN DANG DRA

The three states of transmigratory existence are impermanent like clouds in the autumn sky.

DRO WA’I KYE CHI GAR LA TA DANG TSHUNG

Sentient beings are born and die like the whirl of a dance.

KYE BU’I TSHE DRO NAM KHA’I LOG DRA TE

The lifespan of beings is like a lightning flash in space,

RI ZAR BAB CHU ZHIN DU NYUR GYOG DRO

Or like a waterfall quickly rushing down a steep mountain.

SAG PA KÜN GYI THA DZED CHING

All accumulations become exhausted.

THÖN PO NAM NI MAR TUNG GYUR

All those who are elevated eventually fall down.

THRED PA’I THA NI DREL WA TE

At the end of meeting comes separation;

SÖN PO’I THA NI CHI WA YIN

At the end of life comes death.

SÖD PAR THRID PA’I TSÖN ZHIN DU

Like a prisoner being led to execution,

GOM RE BOR ZHIN CHI DANG NYE

Each step that he takes leads closer to death.

KYE WA YÖD NA CHI WA YÖD

If there is birth, there is death.

DAR WA YÖD NA GÜD PA YÖD

If there is expansion, there is regression.

LANG TSHO DE YANG MI TAG TE

Youth is also impermanent

DAR WA’I DOG KYANG NED KYI THROG

For even illness can steal the dexterity of youth.

TSHO WA’I TSHE YANG CHI WE THROG

The happiness of life is robbed by death.

TAG PA’I CHÖ NI GANG YANG MED

There is nothing of this world that is permanent.

GANG DU NE KYANG CHI WE MI TSHUG PA’I

No matter where one stays, there is no escape from death.

SA CHOG DE NI GANG DU-ANG YÖD MIN TE

There is no direction where death does not exist.

BAR NANG NA MED GYATSHO’I DENG NA-ANG MED

There is no escape in the atmosphere nor in the depths

of the ocean,

RI WO NAM KYI DRAG NA-ANG YÖD MA YIN

Nor is there any escape inside, over the crest of the mountains.

Contemplation on Cause and Effect

LE NAM KYANG NI NA TSHOG LE

All karma is the culmination of various activities.

DE YI DRO DI NA TSHOG JE

Therefore sentient beings possess various types of karma.

LE KYI GYU DRE MED PAR GANG DÖD PA

Whosoever believes that one’s actions do not produce specific causes and results

DE NI MU TEG CHED PAR TA WA YIN

Maintains a nihilistic, atheistic view.

SHI MA THAG TU NAR MED NYAL WAR KYE

At the moment of death, rebirth will be taken in the lowest hell realm.

DE YI RANG PHUNG ZHEN YANG LAG PAR CHED

Such a view is self-destructive and detrimental to others.

ME NI DRANG WAR GYUR YANG SID

It is possible for fire to become cold.

LUNG NI ZHAG PE JIN YANG SID

It is possible to catch wind with a lasso.

NYI DA THANG LA LHUNG YANG SID

It is also possible for the sun and moon to fall to the earth.

LE KYI NAM MIN LU MI SID

It is never possible for the maturation of karma to be deceptive.

KHYÖD KYI DRAM ZE GELONG LHA DANG NI

If for the sake of Rishis (holy men), fully ordained monks,

gods and

DRÖN DANG YAB YUM DAG DANG TSÜN MO DANG

Your guests, the Guru, the consort and royalty,

KHOR GYI LED DU DIG PA MI CHA TE

If you accumulate negative karma in order to serve them,

NYAL WA’I NAM MIN KAL NÖD GA MA CHI

This is also a small cause which produces the ripening result of rebirth in the hells.

DIG PA’I LE NAM CHÖD PA GA YANG NI

Whatever negative karma one accumulates

DE YI MÖD LA TSHÖN ZHIN MI CHÖD DE

Does not ripen instantaneously like being pierced by a weapon.

CHI WA’I DÜ LA BAB NA DIG PA YI

When the time of death arrives, one’s negative karma will

LE KYI DRE BU GANG LAG NGÖN SUM GYUR

Produce the result of exactly whatever was caused.

Contemplation on the Benefits of Virtue

YI GE DRI CHÖD CHIN PA DANG

Composition, offering, generosity and

NYEN DANG LOG DANG DZIN PA DANG

Attentiveness, recitation, memorization and

CHED DANG KHA TÖN CHA WA DANG

Teaching, praying,

DE SEM PA DANG GOM PA TE

Contemplation and meditation

CHÖD PA DI CHU’I DAG NYID NI

Are the ten activities which

SÖD NAM PHUNG PO PAG MED THOB

Generate an immeasurable abundance of merit.

DÜ SU JIN PA JIN CHED NA

If the practice of generosity is consistently performed,

SHI YANG DE NI SHI MA YIN

Such a person may seemingly die, but not an ordinary death,

GYAG ZANG WA YI DRÖN PO ZHIN

Like a traveler who is fully prepared for whatever occurs.

SANGYE CHÖ DANG GENDUN LA

If, for the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,

PÖ SAM MAR ME CHIG TSAM MAM

Incense or one simple butter lamp,

ME TOG CHIG TSAM CHÖD CHE NA

A flower or anything is consistently offered,

MI YO’I ZHING DER KYE WAR GYUR

Rebirth is taken in the Realm of unmovable Samadhi.

Contemplation on the Faults of Non-Virtue

CHAG DANG ZHE DANG TI MUG DANG

From attachment, hatred and delusion

DE KYED LE NI MI GE WA

Non-virtuous karma is generated.

MI GE WA LE DUG NGAL KÜN

All suffering arises from non-virtuous karma,

DE ZHIN NGEN DRO THAM CHED DO

And likewise, it causes all beings to be reborn in lower realms.

ZHE DANG GI NI NYAL WAR PHEN

Due to hatred one is thrown into the hell realm.

CHAG PE YI DAG JIG TEN DRO

Due to attachment one enters the world of hungry spirits.

MONG PE PHEL CHER DÜD DROR DRO

The usual result of delusion is rebirth as an animal.

DOG PA LHA DANG MI NYID DO

The opposite is rebirth as a god or human being.

Contemplation on the Faults of Cyclic Existence

YI DAG NA YANG DÖD PE PHONG PA YI

Because hungry spirits are so obsessed by desire,

KYED PA’I DUG NGAL GYÜN CHAG MI ZÖD PA

They generate continual, unbearable suffering.

TRE KOM DRANG DANG DRO DANG JIG PA YI

Due to their fear of hunger, thirst, heat and cold,

KYED PA SHIN TU MI ZED TEN TSHAL LO

They manifest these experiences and extreme, unbearable suffering ensues.

YI DAG NAM LA SÖ KA’I DÜ SU NI

During the summer months, all hungry spirits

DA WA TSHA LA GÜN NI NYI MA-ANG DRANG

Experience the moon to be hot and the sun to be cold.

JÖN SHING DRE BU MED GYUR DE DAG GI

Fruit-bearing trees disappear before them, and

TE PA TSAM GYI LUNG YANG KAM PAR GYUR

As soon as they see a great body of water, it evaporates.

KHA CHIG KHA NI KHAB KYI MIG TSAM LA

Some hungry spirits’ mouths are no larger than a needle,

TO WA RI RAB TÖ TSAM TRE PE NYEN

Yet they suffer from the hunger produced by their empty stomachs, the size of Mt. Meru.

MI TSANG GYI NA BOR WA CHUNG NGU YANG

Even though the unclean things we discard are small in comparison,

TSAL WA’I THU DANG NÜ PA MA CHI SO

Hungry spirits do not even have the strength or power to

find them.

DÜD DRO’I KYE NE NA YANG SÖD PA DANG

Animals from birth are raised to be killed,

CHING DANG DEG SOG DUG NGAL NA TSHOG DANG

Undergoing various types of suffering, such as being tied up, whipped, beaten, and so forth.

ZHI GYUR GE WA PONG WA NAM LA NI

All those beings who ignored the peaceful causes of virtue

CHIG LA CHIG ZA DUG NGAL MI ZED PA

Kill and eat one another, experiencing suffering impossible

to bear.

KHA CHIG MU TIG BAL DANG RÜ PA DANG

Some are killed for the pearl they produce, wool, tusk, bone, and

SHA DANG PAG PA’I CHED DU CHI WAR GYUR

Some must lose their life because of their own flesh and skin.

WANG MED ZHEN DAG TSHÖN CHA NÖN PO DANG

Powerless, they are poked by others who possess sharp weapons,

CHAG DANG CHAG KYÜ TAB TE DEG TE KÖL

Whipped and hooked to be put to work by others.

SEM CHEN NYE PA’I LE LA CHÖD PA NAM

All beings who have accrued the karma of harming others

MANG PÖ THIG NAG RAB TU TSHA WA NAM

Will be reborn in the extreme heat of the Black Line Hell Realm,

DÜ JOM NGU BÖD NAR MED LA SOG PA

Wailing in the Hell Realm of Continuous Destruction, or the lowest Hell Realm of all,

NYAL WA NAM SU RAB TU DUG NGAL GYUR

All those in hell will certainly experience extreme discomfort.

DI NA MI CHIG DUNG THUNG SUM GYA YI

For instance, if a man were pierced just now three hundred times with a spear,

RAB TU DRAG TAB DUG NGAL GANG LAG PA

Knowing how incredibly intense the pain would be,

DE NI NYAL WA’I DUG NGAL CHUNG NGU LA

This pain is nothing compared to the suffering in the realms

of hell.

Ö YANG MA YIN CHAR YANG MI PHÖD DO

In fact, it is not possible to try to measure any comparison.

NYAL WA DRI PA THONG DANG THÖ PA DANG

We have seen drawings depicting the hell realms and have heard about them as well.

DREN NAM LAG GAM ZUG SU GYI PE KYANG

Even if we try to contemplate upon them, read or draw an image,

DUG NGAL KYE WAR GYUR NA MI ZED PA’I

The suffering that is felt, in itself, is unbearable.

NAM MIN NYAM SU NYONG NA MÖ CHI GÖ

Is there any question about what it would be like if we were actually experiencing the results of such karma?

DE TAR DUG NGAL SHIN TU MI ZED LO

Thus this kind of suffering is truly beyond our ability to bear.

CHE WA THRAG GYAR NYAM SU NYONG YANG NI

Even if one must experience this for one hundred million years,

JI SID MI GE DE ZED MA GYUR PAR

Until the karma that one previously accumulated is fully exhausted,

DE SID SOG DANG DREL WAR MI GYUR RO

It is simply not possible to end one’s life in that realm!

MI NAM TSHO WA THUNG WE NYAM

The shortness of human life is degenerating.

LHA MIN THAB CHING TSÖD PE NYAM

The quarreling and aggression of Titans (jealous gods) is degenerating.

LHA NAM BAG MED PA YI NYAM

The unconscientious manner of Devas (long-life gods) is degenerating.

KHOR WA KHAB KYI TSE TSAM NA

In cyclic existence there is not even a needle’s worth of happiness,

DE WA NAM YANG YÖD MA YIN

And there never will be.

KHOR WA’I NYE MIG THONG WA NA

When one sees the faults of the state of cyclic existence,

KYO WA’I SEM NI RAB TU KYED

Intense sorrow wells up from within.

KHAM SUM TSÖN RA JIG PE NA

This terrifying jail of the three realms,

TSÖN PA’I SEM KYI PANG WAR CHA

I shall completely abandon with enthusiastic persistence!

(While reciting this, carefully consider the meaning.)