Geshe Sonam Rinchen : The Three Principal Aspects of the Path

The three principal aspects of the path, encapsulating the path to enlightenment, are renunciation or the wish for freedom, bodhichitta or the altruistic intention to be of ultimate benefit to others, and the wisdom of emptiness. These three form the idispensable support for all the practices of both sutra and tantra.

Having recognized that any state within cyclic existence involves suffering, the practitioner develops a strong wish for freedom or renunciation. But to cut the root of cyclic existence it is necessary to know how things exist at the most fundamental level. Even if one has turned away from the causes of suffering and gained an undistorted understanding of reality, supreme enlightenment will remain out of reach without the altruistic intention to act selflessly for the good and happiness of all living beings.

In this oral teaching, Geshe Sonam Rinchen explains in clear and readily accessible terms Lama Tsong Khapa's renowned short text on the three principal aspects of the path. This engaging exposition of the essential steps to enlightenment will be appreciated both by those new to Buddhism and by those who wish to undertake the practices of tantra, for which at least a sound understandng of these three is essential.