actice of killing through being pestered by an insect； and through this we will inevitably receive the result of such actions。 If we don't want to have such unpleasant karmic results； we need to know what actions to abandon； and the only way we are going to understand what actions are to be abandoned is through hearing the Dharma teachings。 So again here then； the praise of listening to the Dharma teaching is that one will know exactly what negative actions to reverse and this is only understood through initially engaging in the practice of hearing a teaching upon that。
So then the third line talks about the higher training of concentration。 So if we talk about the mind of calm abiding； or shamatha； then this mind is one which spontaneously and effortlessly remains single…pointedly upon its object of observation。 So let's talk about the achieving of that state of mind … what does one need to initially engage in？ One needs to initially understand what is meant by the object of observation； the object upon which we are going to generate this single…pointed mind； this single…pointed concentration。 Then we need to understand what are the beneficial mental factors which we need to take up； for example faith in the practice； introspection and so forth。 Then we also need to know the objects of abandonment which are abandoned by these positive attitudes； for example mental sinking； laxity and so forth。 So when we understand what is to be taken up and what is to be abandoned on this path of achieving this single…pointed mind of concentration； we will be able to engage in this particular practice of achieving a mind of calm…abiding。 So again； we only know what objects are to be taken up and what objects are to be abandoned （in this case； mind…states） through engaging in the practice of hearing the teaching about this particular mind…state； or the mind of calm abiding。 Then the last line says that in essence one achieves the state of liberation through hearing the teaching。 So here when we talk about having engaged in the practice of the three higher trainings； the natural result of that is to achieve the state of liberation。 If we look for the root cause of achieving the state of liberation； we will find that it is hearing the teaching。 So initially when one engages in the practice of hearing the teaching； then generating the various wisdoms which arise form hearing； and then contemplating the teaching； and then meditating single…pointedly on the teaching； then through having done that one generates the yogic direct perception of suchness； and then through single…pointed placement on that； one goes through the various stages and paths and achieves then the state of omniscience。 So all good qualities arise through initially engaging in the practice of hearing the teaching； thus hearing the teaching is incredibly important。
The Root Text
So after having gone through the benefits of listening to the Dharma； we should engage in the practice of listening to the Dharma teaching。 So the Dharma teaching which we are going to receive today is known as 'The Three Principles of the Path'。 So when we talk hear about 'path'； what is meant by 'path'？ In general we can talk about various kinds of path； for example； a road or a rail…track； something which gets us from A to B。 However in this instance； we are not talking about a worldly path； we are rather talking about a spiritual path； and what is meant here by a spiritual path is one which gets us from a spiritual A to B； travelling through the various stages； based upon the oral instructions of the past masters； the present masters； and then taking those instructions to heart； putting them into practice； and through that moving through various stages of spiritual evolution。 Here 'principle' then refers to the main points of the path； like for example snatching the essence from what is known as the Lam Rim （or the graduated stages of the path to enlightenment） teachings。 So when we talk of these 'three principles of the path'； we talk about a person of smaller； middling and greater capacities and then the practices which are in mon with a person of smaller； middling and then the pinnacle practice which is unique to a person of greater capacity。 So within that division of three； what we find are various divisions and sub…divisions； but the essence is all kind of snatched together and put in these three principles of the path； which we are going to go through。 So this particular text was posed by Lama Tsong Khapa and it was something which he received while in munication； if you like； with Manjushri； and it is the heart…essence of his practice and also of the Lam Rim genre of texts。 So this was requested by a disciple of his who lived in a place called Gameron which is on the Chinese…Tibetan border。 This monk requested him to give him some inspiring word for his practice； and then Lama Tsong Khapa wrote this to him based on the teachings he had received in the pure vision； thus we have the written form of 'The Three Principles of the Path’。
The Three Principles
So if you ask – ‘what are these three principles of the path？’ Initially then it’s renunciation。 So 'renunciation' here refers to a turning away from the faults of the cycle of existence and yearning or directing one’s spiritual career towards liberation from such a state of existence。 Then the second is the mind of bodhicitta。 This refers to a mind which for the benefit of all sentient beings； through seeing sentient beings’ suffering； strives to achieve the highest state of enlightenment in order to be of maximum or optimum benefit。 So through seeing the faults in one’s state of mind； through abandoning those； gathering all the qualities； achieving the mind of omniscience of the Buddha … this desire to achieve such a state … the mind of bodhicitta … is the second of the three。 Then the third of the three is what is known as the 'correct view'； also known as 'wisdom'。 'Wisdom' here then refers to the mode of abiding of phenomena； that is to say the middle way view … 'middle way' here being a middle way between the two extremes of annihilation and permanence。 So this correct view of reality then is the third of the three principal aspects of the path。
Prostration
So then initially we have the prostration and then the promise to pose the text。 So initially then we have the first line of the text：
I bow down to the venerable lamas。
So then we should understand what is meant by this prostration … who is the object towards which the author is making this prostration？ It is the field of merit； that is to say； the field upon which the prostrator； or the one making the supplication； receives the maximum amount of merit； that is to say； one's spiritual mentor； or one's lama。 So here then the prostration is made to the venerable lamas。 So here then we should understand what is meant by 'venerable lamas' by looking at the Tibetan word。 If we look at the etymology of ＇Tib＇ … the first part ＇Tib＇ refers to the lama having heard a lot of teaching； that is to say； the lama is very knowledgeable about the Buddhist practice。 Then the second part of that word ＇Tib＇ refers to not only having heard the teaching but then has acplished； or has gained realisation of； that teaching through putting it into practice in a faultless fashion。 So this then refers to the level of realisation of the lama。 So here then ＇Tib＇ together refer to the lama's knowledge and then the realisation of that knowledge。 Then the third word 'lama' … if we look at the meaning of this word； what we find is that it refers to the highest； or that of which there is none higher。 So then this is the name given to one's spiritual master with whom there is none higher with regard to the knowledge of the teaching and the realisation of that teaching。 So thus we have ＇Tib＇。 In Tibetan； there is the plural ＇Tib＇ … so ＇Tib＇ here refers to the various lamas of the various lineages； that is to say； of the profound lineage； of the vast lineage； there are many what we call 'lineage lamas'。 So through saying 'I bow down to the venerable lamas' … using the plural； the author is showing his willingness to bow down before all the lamas of the lineage and in particular then his prin