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The Joyful Path of Good Fortune: The Vajrayana Paths

This is an outline summarizing the condensed meaning of the chapter "The Vajrayana Paths" 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.

Training in Vajrayana paths. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4] p.542

  1. Action tantra (first of the four classes of tantra).  [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.1]
  2. Performance tantra. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.2]
  3. Yoga tantra. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.3]
  4. Highest yoga tantra. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4]
    1. The two divisions of Highest Yoga Tantra (father and mother). [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.1] p543
    2. The five practices of Highest Yoga Tantra. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2] p.543
      1. Generating special bodhichitta. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.1] p.544
      2. Receiving an empowerment. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.2]
      3. Maintaining the vows and commitments purely. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.3]
      4. Practicing the yogas of generation stage. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.4] p.544
        1. Bringing the three basic bodies of a Buddha into the path. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.4.1] p.545
          1. Bringing ordinary death into the path of the Truth Body. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.4.1.1] p.545
          2. Bringing ordinary intermediate state into the path of the Enjoyment body. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.4.1.2]
          3. Bringing ordinary rebirth into the path of the Emanation Body. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.4.1.3]
        2. Meditating on clear appearance and divine pride. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.4.2]
        3. Overcoming ordinary appearance and ordinary conceptions independence upon clear appearance and divine pride. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.4.3]
      5. Practicing the yogas of completion stage (path truth body, path enjoyment body, path emanation body). [4.2.2.3.4.1.4.4.2.5] p.546

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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
    2. How to take the essence of our human life. [4.2] p.121
      1. How to develop the determination to take the essence of our precious human life. [4.2.1]
      2. Training the mind in the actual methods for taking the essence of our precious human life. [4.2.2] p.139
        1. Training the mind in the stages of the path of a person of initial scope. [4.2.2.1] p.144
        2. Training the mind in the stages of the path of a person of intermediate scope. [4.2.2.2] p. 267
        3. Training the mind in the stages of the path of a person of great scope. [4.2.2.2] p. 381
          1. Why we need to enter the Mahayana. [4.2.2.3.1]
          2. The benefits of bodhichitta. [4.2.2.3.2] p.382
          3. How to develop bodhichitta. [4.2.2.3.3] p.394
          4. How to engage in a Bodhisattva's actions. [4.2.2.3.4] p.447
            1. Training in the six perfections to ripen our own mental continuum. [4.2.2.3.4.1] p.448
              1. The six perfections in general. [4.2.2.3.4.1.1] p.448
              2. The perfections of mental stabilization and wisdom in particular. [4.2.2.3.4.1.2] p.482
              3. How to progress through the spiritual grounds and paths in dependence upon a union of tranquil abiding and superior seeing. [4.2.2.3.4.1.3] p.535
              4. Training in Vajrayana paths. [4.2.2.3.4.1.4] p.542