འཕགས་པ་འཇམ་དཔལ་གྱ་རྩ་བའ་རྒྱད 267

267

One should not perform such rites.

“These rites have been designated by the guides of the world
To be solely for the purpose of guiding beings,
Because the buddhas, having pure minds,
Do not resort to violent means.

“All the buddhas abhor
The rites that obstruct the life force;
No reciter should do such rites,
If he desires supreme accomplishment.

“One indulging in such wantonness
Will only see one’s own fall into hell.
This has been described as the ripening¹⁶⁷¹
Of one’s solely black¹⁶⁷² karma (the result of solely black rites).

“As observed by the most eminent among two-legged beings,
The diversity and efficacy of rites (karma)
Always makes the arising of virtue possible;
Black rites of the [practitioner] can still produce virtuous results.¹⁶⁷³

“Accordingly, the karma is mixed
And is taught as such.
This is why such a variety of rites
Have been taught by those who know reality.¹⁶⁷⁴

“The reciter should avoid
Black or mixed rites (karma),
But rely on the auspicious white ones,
Which will bring the karmic results of good karma (activities).

“Through destroying life,
The reciter will end up in hell again and again.
Desisting from it, which is the practice of ahiṃsā,
Is the supreme activity (karma).

“Mastering the mantras
Leads to paradise and happy rebirths,
Which are obtained through skillful rites (meritorious karma)
And blocked by the rites (karma) that are (is) their (its) opposite.

“I have explained Dharma and non-Dharma,
Differentiated (viceṣṭita) based on omniscient knowledge.
If the reciter desires accomplishment,
He should always perform virtuous rites (create good karma).

“When virtue is present,
The mantras of the practitioner will be successful.
If he is dedicated to white rites (to accumulating good karma),
His liberation is guaranteed.

“The tathāgatas proclaim that, for a mantra practitioner,
Accomplishment is obtained through virtue.
For guiding ordinary beings, though,
They teach different types of rites.¹⁶⁷⁵

“One may accomplish, if one so desires,
One thousand and eight rites.
Still, if one performs inferior rites,¹⁶⁷⁶