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							THE THIRTY ALRIGHTS 
							 
						 
								Master, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, 
								Take under your protection these fortunate children! 
								 
								Now, listen without distraction 
								To this advice which will help you later on--alright? 
								 
								The guru is like the guide who leads the blind: 
								Hold onto him and never let him go-- alright? 
								 
								His word is like ambrosia, the supreme panacea: 
								Drink it to cure yourself from the illness of the obscuring emotions--alright? 
								 
								Spiritual brothers and sisters are like good companions on a journey: 
								Accompany them as you would beloved friends--alright? 
								 
								This precious human birth is like a wish-fulfilling jewel: 
								Don't waste it--alright? 
								 
								Human life lasts no longer than the rays of the setting sun on a mountain pass: 
								Practice the Dharma, so as to be ready for death--alright? 
								 
								The consequences of your good and evil deeds will follow like your shadow: 
								They accompany you even through death--alright? 
								 
								Samsara is like living on a cannibal island: 
								Do something to escape quickly--alright? 
								 
								Friends and relatives are like the snares of samsara: 
								Don't be so attached to them--alright? 
								 
								One's homeland is like Mara's prison: 
								Escape! Leave it far behind--alright? 
								 
								All beings are like your parents of this life: 
								Protect them with love and compassion-- alright? 
								 
								A vicious enemy is like an autumn flower: 
								He will vanish all by himself, so don't get angry--alright? 
								 
								Wealth and possessions are like a bee's honey: 
								They get consumed by someone else, so don't be attached--alright? 
								 
								Your many projects are like drawings made on water: 
								There is no way to finish them, so just forget them--alright? 
								 
								Pleasant and unpleasant words are no more than echoes: 
								Don't react to them with pointless joy or sadness--alright? 
								 
								Happiness and suffering alternate like summer and winter: 
								Don't fall prey to elation or depression-- alright? 
								 
								A rich person is like a hungry ghost guarding a treasure: 
								Have few desires and be content with what you have--alright? 
								 
								To assume an air of self-importance, like an army commander--who needs it? 
								Keep to the lowest position--alright?. 
								 
								Religious wealth misused is like poisoned water: 
								Don't keep wanting so many things- alright? 
								 
								Husband and wife are like people who come together for a fair: 
								Don't take anything as permanent and don't be too attached--alright? 
								 
								Anger is like a house on fire: 
								Extinguish it, or it will scorch your mind-- alright? 
								 
								Learning is like a torch which dispels darkness: 
								Listen to the lama's teachings--alright? 
								 
								Generosity is like making provision for the next life: 
								Give away all that you possess--alright? 
								 
								Discipline is like a stairway to liberation: 
								Guard it as you would your own eyes-- alright? 
								 
								Patience is like armor on the battlefield: 
								Abandon anger and cultivate patience-- alright? 
								 
								Diligence is like riding a good horse: 
								It will take you along the entire path, so exert yourself--alright? 
								 
								Firm inner calm is like a fortress. 
								Practice undistracted samadhi--alright? 
								 
								Insight is like the sun illuminating darkness: 
								Light the torch of wisdom--alright? 
								 
								The natural state of mind is like the sky: 
								Rest in that state--alright? 
								 
								Phenomena are like rainbows appearing in space: 
								Regard them as insubstantial apparitions--alright? 
								 
								Mystical visions are like the allure of a beautiful woman: 
								Don't be attached to them--alright? 
								 
								The various teachings are all like the fruit of a good harvest: 
								See all of them as pure--alright? 
								 
								Keep in mind this advice 
								Called Thirty Alrights--alright? 
								 
								By the power of all merit, symbolized by this merit, 
								May all beings practice the Dharma and achieve Buddhahood. 
								 
								 
							 
							 
							 
						 
						
							-Shabkar 
									(1781-1851) 
									 
								 
							***** 
									 
									from The Life of Shabkar: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin 
									by Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol, Matthieu Ricard (Translator) 
									Published by Snow Lion, Ithaca, 2001 
						 
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