Gaden Choling Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre

This is an outline summarizing the condensed meaning of the chapters "Preparing for Meditation" and "What is Meditation?" in the Lam Rim book "The Joyful Path of Good Fortune" by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (Tharpa Publications, 2nd rev. ed., 1995). It is a restructuring of a portion of the book's appendix "The Condensed Meaning of the Text."

The square brackets enclose the outline key (e.g. "[4.1.2]" means "the second part, of the first part, of the fourth part"). This page is available as a PDF document.

Preparing for meditation. ^{[4.1.1.1] p.41}

4. Explanation of the actual instructions of the stages of the path to enlightenment. ^{[4] p.39}
1. How to rely upon a Spiritual Guide, the root of spiritual paths. ^{[4.1] p.39}
1. How to train the mind during the meditation session. ^{[4.1.1] p.41}
1. Preparing for meditation. ^{[4.1.1.1] p.41}
1. Cleaning the meditation room and setting up a shrine with representations of Buddha's body, speech, and mind. ^{[4.1.1.1.1] p42}
2. Arranging suitable offerings. ^{[4.1.1.1.2] p.48}
3. Sitting in the correct meditation posture, going for refuge (visualizing the Buddha) ^p.52, generating ^p.60 (four immeasurables: equanimity ^p.62, love ^p.63, compassion ^p.64, joy ^p.64) and enhancing ^p.61 bodhichitta. ^{[4.1.1.1.3] p.50}
4. Visualizing the Field for Accumulating Merit. ^{[4.1.1.1.4] p.65}
5. Accumulating merit and purifying negativity by offering the practice of the seven limbs (prostration ^p.68, offerings ^p.72, confession (four opponent powers: regret, reliance, opponent force, promise) ^p.73, rejoicing ^p.77, beseeching to stay ^p.79, requesting teaching ^p.80, dedication ^p.80) and the mandala ^p.81. ^{[4.1.1.1.5]
   p.67}
6. Requesting the Field for Accumulating Merit in general and the Lamrim lineage Gurus in particular to bestow their blessings. ^{[4.1.1.1.6] p.82}

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Context

1. Explanation of the pre-eminent qualities of the author, showing that the instructions of Lamrim are authentic. ^{[1] p.5}
2. Explanation of the pre-eminent qualities of Lamrim to inspire faith and respect for the Lamrim instructions. ^{[2] p.17}
3. Explanation of how to listen to and teach Dharma. ^{[3] p.25}
4. Explanation of the actual instructions of the stages of the path to enlightenment. ^{[4] p.39}
1. How to rely upon a Spiritual Guide, the root of spiritual paths. ^{[4.1] p.39}
1. How to train the mind during the meditation session. ^{[4.1.1] p.41}
1. Preparing for meditation. ^{[4.1.1.1] p.41}
2. The actual meditation. ^{[4.1.1.2] p.95}
3. Concluding the meditation. ^{[4.1.1.3] p.116}