Just as a grammarian first has students
Read a model of the alphabet,
Buddha taught students
The doctrine that they could bear.

To some he taught doctrines
To turn them away from ill-deeds.
To some, for the sake of achieving merit.
To some, doctrines based on duality.

To some, doctrines based on non-duality.
To some, what is profound and frightening to the fearful –
Having an essence of emptiness and compassion –
The means of achieving unsurpassed enlightenment.

Nagarjuna

Precious Garland (stanzas 394-396)

quoted in the book Tsong-kha-pa's Final Exposition of Wisdom


translated by Jeffrey Hopkins


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