Homage to the spiritual teachers!
FOR THIS INSTRUCTION on taking joys and pains onto the path, you should first generate the awakening mind. Then, when experiencing joy, identify clearly what it is that experiences the joy—whether it is your body or your mind. Since your physical body is like a corpse, it cannot exist as the enjoyer of that happiness. Yet the mind is empty like the sky, and as such, it is devoid of itself, so it too cannot be the enjoyer of that joy. Therefore, since that which conceives of joy is devoid of itself, recognize what is empty as empty. Then place your mind—lucid, pure, relaxed, and settled—for as long as you can in this expanse of emptiness. This is the method for attaining the uncontrived, uncontaminated dharmakāya, the buddha body of reality.
While in this state, vividly conceive what you experience as joy to be in essence your meditation deity; and regardless of whether your mind is distracted, seal yourself inseparably with your meditation deity. This is the method for attaining the enjoyment body (saṃbhogakāya), which is the means for taming the pure trainees.147
Not divorced from this identity, dedicate what you perceive as joy for the benefit of all sentient beings and recite the following three times:
When happy, I will dedicate my virtues to all;
may benefit and happiness pervade all of space!148
This is the method for attaining the emanation body (nirmāṇakāya), which is the means for taming the impure trainees.149
Now if you experience pain, vividly identify what it is that experiences the suffering—whether it is your body or your mind. Since your physical body is like a corpse, it cannot exist as the subject of suffering. Yet the mind is empty like the sky; as such, it is devoid of itself, so it too cannot be the subject of that suffering. Then affirm the emptiness of that which conceives of suffering to be devoid of itself, and place your mind—lucid, pure, relaxed, and settled—for as long as you can in this expanse of emptiness. This is the method for attaining the uncontrived, uncontaminated dharmakāya.
While in this state, vividly contemplate what you conceive of as suffering to be in essence your meditation deity; and regardless of whether your mind is distracted, seal yourself inseparably with your meditation deity. This is the method for attaining the enjoyment body, which is the means for taming the pure trainees.
Not divorced from this identity, dedicate what you perceive as suffering for the benefit of sentient beings and recite the following three times:
When suffering, I will take on the pains of all beings;
may the ocean of suffering become dry!
This is the method for attaining the emanation body, which is the means for taming the impure trainees.
This, then, is the instruction for taking joy and suffering onto the path.
The lineage of this is as follows: Paṇchen Śākyaśrī, Trophu Lotsāwa, Khenchen Lhodrakpa, Khenchen Dewa Jamchenpa, Rinchen Drakpa Shenyen, Chöjé Sönam Rinchen, and Shönu Gyalchok.