[The following selections consists of the first part of the Song of My ...

contemplate this fact. In a brief way then Je Tsongkapa is giving us personal
advice about our practice.
The phrase "incorporates in brief" [du du in the Tibetan] refers to the fact that the
teachings on the steps of the path incorporate [du] the vital points of the entire
supreme speech of the Buddha, and do so in an abbreviated [du] way.
,GNYIS PA GZHUNG GI DON BSHAD PA LA, MCHOD BRJOD SOGS NI,
GZHUNG GI YAN LAG YIN LA, 'DIR GZHUNG DON DNGOS KYI DBANG
DU BYAS TE 'CHAD PA LA GNYIS, THUN MONG BA DANG , THUN MONG
MA YIN PA'I LAM LA BSLAB TSUL LO, , DANG PO LA GNYIS, SNGON 'GRO
DANG , DNGOS GZHI'O, , DANG PO NI,
THE ACTUAL BODY OF THE TEXT
Those points concerning the offering of praise and so on are secondary parts of
the text. Here I am going to make my explanation with reference to the actual
meaning of the text. I shall do so in two parts: the way to practice the shared
paths, and the way to practice the path which is not shared.
THE WAY TO PRACTICE THE SHARED PATHS
The discussion of the way to practice the shared paths is divided into two: the
preliminary step followed by the main steps.
THE PRELIMINARY STEP
The preliminary step is covered in these lines of the root text:
,DE NAS 'DI PHYI'I LEGS TSOGS JI SNYED PA'I, ,RTEN 'BREL LEGS PAR
'GRIG PA'I RTZA BA NI, ,LAM STON BSHES GNYEN DAM PA 'BAD PA YIS,
,BSAM DANG SBYOR BAS TSUL BZHIN BSTEN PA RU, ,MTHONG NAS
SROG GI PHYIR YANG MI GTONG BAR, ,BKA' BZHIN SGRUB PA'I MCHOD
PAS MNYES PAR BYED, ,RNAL 'BYOR NGAS KYANG NYAMS LEN DE LTAR
BGYIS, ,THAR 'DOD KHYED KYANG DE BZHIN BSKYANG 'TSAL LO,
(11)
After having done this, see that