english introduction tHE t-iBETAN bUDDH-iST MONASTERY OF rATO dATSANG WAS FOUNDED BY dRAKPA sANGPO/ A VER-iTABLE LORD OF bUDDH-iST LEARN-iNG WHO L-iVED -iN ThE 15Th CENTURY. hE HA-iLED FROM ThE mA REG-iON OF kHAM/ EASTERN t-iBET/ AND SERVED AS A LAMP FOR ThE TEACH-iNGS OF ThE bUDDHA ThROUGHOUT H-iS L-iFE. dRAKPA sANGPO D-iD H-iS -iN-iT-iAL STUD-iES UNDER ThE sAKYA MASTER rONG tON (1367-1449)/ AS WELL AS MANY OThER GREAT LAMAS OF H-iS ERA. lATER HE MET ThE GREAT tSONGKAPA (1357-1419)/ AND RECE-iVED FROM H-iM -iNSTRUCT-iON -iN ThE TRAD-iT-iONAL SUBJECTS OF PHAR-PHY-iN (ThE TEACH-iNGS OF ThE sVATANTR-iKA mADHYAM-iKA SCHOOL OF CLASS-iCAL bUDDH-iST PH-iLOSOPHY)/ TSAD-MA (bUDDH-iST PRESENTAT-iONS OF LOG-iC AND PERCEPT-iON ACCORD-iNG TO ThE sAUTRANT-iKA SCHOOL)/ AND DBU-MA (ThE pRASANG-iKA mADHYAM-iKA SCHOOL). hE COMPLETED A CAREFUL STUDY OF ThE VAR-iOUS TOP-iCS OF EACH SCHOOL AND ThEN WENT ON TO PUT ThESE -iNTO ACTUAL PRACT-iCE -iN H-iS L-iFE. tH-iS EARNED dRAKPA sANGPO A PLACE AS ONE OF ThE PR-iNC-iPAL D-iSC-iPLES AMONG ThE MANY LEARNED AND ACCOMPL-iShED STUDENTS OF ThE mASTER. iN ThE VAR-iOUS B-iOGRAPH-iES OF jE tSONGKAPA/ -iNCLUD-iNG WHAT -iS KNOWN AS ThE gREAT b-iOGRAPHY/ WE F-iND L-iSTS OF H-iS D-iRECT D-iSC-iPLES; HERE dRAKPA sANGPO -iS COUNTED AS A MEMBER OF ThE GROUP OF TEN GREAT STUDENTS KNOWN AS "lAMPS OF ThE lAND OF u-tSANG/" ThE REG-iON OF CENTRAL t-iBET. dUR-iNG jE tSONGKAPA'S F-iNAL HOURS/ AS HE WAS PRETEND-iNG TO PASS ON TO ThE OThER WORLD/ HE SENT A MESSAGE TO dRAKPA sANGPO ThROUGH gYALTSAB jE dARMA r-iNCHEN/ ThE ONE WHO WOULD LATER BECOME H-iS REGENT. hE SA-iD ThAT dRAKPA sANGPO OF mA-kHAM ShOULD GO AND FOUND A NEW MONASTERY/ TO BE LOCATED -iN ThE LAND KNOWN AS nYETANG/ AND DED-iCATED MA-iNLY TO ThE TEACH-iNG OF TSAD-MA/ ThE STUDY OF bUDDH-iST LOG-iC AND PERCEPT-iON MENT-iONED ABOVE. tO HELP START ThE NEW MONASTERY/ ThE mASTER SENT W-iTh H-iS MESSAGE A QUANT-iTY OF GOLD KNOWN AS A SRANG. iT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE dRAKPA sANGPO HAD FOUNDED ThE MONASTERY OF rATO -iN nYETANG/ -iNST-iTUT-iNG ThERE A PROGRAM FOR ThE TRANSM-iSS-iON OF ThE bUDDHA'S TEACH-iNGS. tHUS BEGAN AT rATO A LONG SUCCESS-iON OF LEARNED MASTERS/ STRETCH-iNG ThROUGH H-iSTORY L-iKE A GREAT STR-iNG OF GOLDEN MOUNTA-iN PEAKS/ -iNCLUD-iNG SUCH EM-iNENT MASTERS AS dRACHUNG yONTEN gYATSO (A D-iRECT STUDENT OF dRAKPA sANGPO); jAMYANG lAMA cHOKLHA oSER (WHOSE NAME WE SEE SPELLED AS BOTh mCHOG-LHA 'OD-ZER AND AS pHYOGS-LHA 'OD-ZER); AND dRUNGCHEN lEKPA sANGPO. bECAUSE OF ThE-iR TEACH-iNGS/ rATO SOON STOOD ABOVE ThE CROWD OF MONASTER-iES -iN ThE CENTRAL LANDS OF t-iBET/ D-iST-iNGU-iSh-iNG -iTSELF AS ONE OF ThE MAJOR CENTERS WHERE ONE COULD STUDY ThE GREAT TEXTS OF bUDDH-iST LOG-iC COMPOSED BY ThE lORD OF rEASON-iNG/ d-iGNAGA/ AND H-iS SP-iR-iTUAL SON/ dHARMAK-iRT-i. tH-iS TOO -iS WHY ThE "gREAT f-iFTh" dALA-i lAMA/ -iN H-iS AUTOB-iOGRAPHY/ REMARKED ThAT "rATO -iS L-iKE A JEWEL---iT STANDS OUT FROM ALL ThE OThER MONASTER-iES ThAT SPEC-iAL-iZE -iN PH-iLOSOPH-iCAL STUD-iES. aLThOUGH MY DREAM HAS NEVER BECOME A REAL-iTY/ i HAVE ALWAYS W-iShED ThAT i COULD STUDY ThERE." tHE BOOK GOES ON TO DESCR-iBE HOW ThE MONKS OF tAK tSANG rAWA tOPA (ANOThER NAME FOR rATO) -iNST-iTUTED SPEC-iAL DEBATE SESS-iONS AT dREPUNG mONASTERY SO ThAT ThE dALA-i lAMA COULD ATTEND AND LEARN. (tHE RELEVANT SECT-iON OF ThE AUTOB-iOGRAPHY/ WH-iCH -iS ENT-iTLED rA-iMENT OF dUKULA s-iLK/ BEG-iNS AT PAGE 280 OF ThE ED-iT-iON PUBL-iShED -iN dHARAMSALA/ iND-iA/ BY ThE pR-iVATE oFF-iCE OF h-iS hOL-iNESS ThE xiwTh dALA-i lAMA.) rATO mONASTERY HAS ALSO SUPPL-iED ThREE OF ThE gANDEN tR-iPA'S/ OR HOLDERS OF ThE ThRONE OF jE tSONGKAPA/ FROM ThE T-iME Th-iS -iNST-iTUT-iON BEGAN -iN ThE 15Th CENTURY. tHEY ARE tR-i lODRO gYATSO (ThE 30Th ThRONEHOLDER)/ tR-iCHEN kONCHOK cHOPEL (ThE 35Th)/ AND tR-i lOBSANG gYALTSEN (ThE 41ST). aND ThESE ARE BUT A FEW OF ThE MANY LAMAS OF rATO WHO ThROUGH ThE YEARS HAVE COME TO BE OUR LAMPS TO ELUC-iDATE ThE TEACH-iNGS OF ThE bUDDHA -iN ThE WORLD. tR-iCHEN kONCHOK gYALTSEN/ BY ThE WAY/ WAS A PERSONAL TUTOR OF ThE gREAT f-iFTh dALA-i lAMA/ WHO CONS-iDERED H-iM AMONG ThOSE LAMAS TO WHOM HE WAS MOST -iNDEBTED. aLThOUGH rATO -iS RENOWNED PR-iMAR-iLY FOR -iTS COURSE -iN bUDDH-iST LOG-iC/ SCHOLARS FROM ThE MONASTERY HAVE ALWAYS DEVOTED ThEMSELVES TO ThE OThER TRAD-iT-iONAL MONAST-iC SUBJECTS AS WELLH TO DBU-MA AND PHAR-PHY-iN AS MENT-iONED ABOVE/ AND TO 'DUL-BA (ThE STUDY OF VOWED MORAL-iTY) AND MDZOD (ThE TEACH-iNGS OF ThE wA-iBHAS-iKA SCHOOL OF CLASS-iCAL bUDDH-iSM). tHUS -iT -iS ThAT -iN EVERY OThER YEAR A MONK FROM rATO WOULD STAND AT ThE GREAT mONLAM FEST-iVAL -iN lHASA FOR H-iS EXAM-iNAT-iON AS A LHARAMPA GEShE/ OR mASTER OF bUDDH-iST pH-iLOSOPHY -iN ThE H-iGHEST DEGREE/ EQUAL -iN EVERY RESPECT TO H-iS FELLOWS FROM ThE "mAJOR tHREE" MONASTER-iES OF sERA/ gANDEN/ AND dREPUNG. aND EACH YEAR/ DUR-iNG ThE sUMMER dEBATES AT sANGPU -iN ThE FOURTh MONTh OF ThE t-iBETAN CALENDAR/ A MONK FROM rATO WOULD STAND AS WELL AMONG ThOSE OF ThE TEN COLLEGES OF ThE gELUK AND sAKYA/ TO TAKE H-iS EXAM-iNAT-iON AS A "GOLDThRONE/" OThERW-iSE KNOWN AS A "GEShE OF ThE GOLDEN ThRONE." eVERY YEAR/ ON ThE F-iRST DAY OF ThE ELEVENTh MONTh OF ThE t-iBETAN CALENDAR/ MONKS FROM rATO WOULD TRAVEL TO jANG/ A MONASTERY ThAT DATES BACK TO ThE T-iME OF ThE kADAMPAS/ ThE VERY EARLY bUDDH-iST SAGES OF t-iBET. iT WAS ThE-iR RESPONS-iB-iL-iTY TO ORGAN-iZE ThE GREAT FEST-iVAL OF PH-iLOSOPH-iCAL D-iSPUTAT-iON KNOWN AS ThE "w-iNTER dEBATES OF jANG." sCHOLARS OF ThE mAJOR tHREE/ AND OThER MONASTER-iES AS WELL/ WOULD CONVENE AT jANG FOR A FULL MONTh -iN ORDER TO STUDY TOGEThER ThE GREAT CLASS-iCAL TEXTS OF bUDDH-iST LOG-iC/ TSAD-MA. tHE aBBOT OF rATO WOULD TEACH ThE ASSEMBLED MONKS/ AND ThE MONASTERY'S dEBATE mASTER WOULD OVERSEE ThE BUSY SCHEDULE. tHE QUARTERMASTERS OF rATO HAD ThE DUTY OF PREPAR-iNG DA-iLY MEALS DUR-iNG ThE GREAT GAThER-iNGS OF MONKS. aND SO D-iD WE OF rATO SERVE ThE TEACH-iNGS OF ThE bUDDHA/ AND ThOSE WHO STUD-iED ThEM/ AT jANG. iN 1959 ThE cOMMUN-iST cH-iNESE -iNVADED t-iBET/ AND ONLY A HANDFUL OF MONKS FROM rATO WERE ABLE TO FLEE TO iND-iA. oVER ThE YEARS A GOOD NUMBER OF ADD-iT-iONAL MONKS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ESCAPE FROM t-iBET/ AND ALL ThESE HAVE GAThERED TOGEThER TO FORM A NEW rATO mONASTERY/ -iN ThE t-iBETAN SETTLEMENT CAMP AT mUNDGOD/ SOUTh iND-iA. rATO HAS QU-iTE A FEW MONAST-iC TEXTBOOKS/ WR-iTTEN ESPEC-iALLY FOR -iTS CURR-iCULUM OVER ThE CENTUR-iES. tHE PRESENT VOLUME/ ThE lOG-iC pR-iMER OF rATO/ -iS CONS-iDERED ThE PREDECESSOR OF ALL ThE MANY OThER PR-iMERS OF Th-iS TYPE FOUND -iN t-iBET. tH-iS BOOK SETS FORTh -iN A DEF-iN-iT-iVE WAY MANY ASPECTS OF FORMAL REASON-iNG WH-iCH MUST BE GRASPED BY ANY STUDENT WHO HOPES TO STUDY ThE CLASS-iCS OF bUDDH-iST PH-iLOSOPHY -iN GENERAL/ AND/ MORE SPEC-iF-iCALLY/ ThE GREAT PRESENTAT-iON OF bUDDH-iST LOG-iC KNOWN AS ThE cOMMENTARY ON wAL-iD pERCEPT-iON (ThE pRAMANAVARTT-iKA OF mASTER dHARMAK-iRT-i). iT -iS ThE COMMON V-iEW ThAT ThE lOG-iC pR-iMER OF rATO -iS ThE WR-iTTEN VERS-iON OF AN ORAL TRAD-iT-iON OF bUDDH-iST LOG-iC ThAT BEGAN W-iTh jAMYANG lAMA cHOKLHA oSER AND H-iS CLOSE D-iSC-iPLES. bEYOND Th-iS i PERSONALLY HAVE YET TO COME ACROSS MUCH CONCRETE -iNFORMAT-iON ABOUT ThE TEXT. aCCORD-iNG TO VAR-iOUS B-iOGRAPH-iES OF ThE dALA-i lAMAS/ jAMYANG lAMA cHOKLHA oSER WAS A D-iSC-iPLE OF ThE SECOND dALA-i lAMA. "jAMYANG" -iS A NAME FOR ThE EMBOD-iMENT OF ThE W-iSDOM OF ThE bUDDHAS/ AND ThE T-iTLE "jAMYANG lAMA" -iS MEANT TO -iND-iCATE JUST HOW GREAT ThE POWER OF H-iS UNDERSTAND-iNG WAS. nOT LONG AGO i WAS APPROACHED BY m-iCHAEL rOACH/ WHO -iS A MEMBER OF ThE gYALRONG cOLLEGE OF sERA mEY mONAST-iC uN-iVERS-iTY. hE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENT-iON A RARE WOODBLOCK PR-iNT ENT-iTLED a rESOLUT-iON OF pH-iLOSOPH-iCAL qUEST-iONS rA-iSED -iN ThE lOG-iC pR-iMER OF rATO/ WH-iCH WAS WR-iTTEN -iN ThE 1700'S BY jAMPEL gENDUN gYATSO/ A LAMA OF ThE tONGKOR sHABDRUNG L-iNE. hE SA-iD HE FELT -iT WOULD BE A GREAT SERV-iCE TO ThE TRAD-iT-iON AND TO ThE L-iV-iNG BE-iNGS OF Th-iS WORLD -iF A VOLUME WERE PR-iNTED WH-iCH CONTA-iNED BOTh ThE OR-iG-iNAL pR-iMER AND Th-iS EXPLANAT-iON OF -iTS D-iFF-iCULT PO-iNTS. aND HE ASKED ME -iF i WOULD BE W-iLL-iNG TO PROOFREAD BOTh OF ThE TEXTS. i MYSELF ThOUGH HAVE L-iTTLE OF ThE KNOWLEDGE ThAT WOULD BE REQU-iRED FOR SUCH A TASK--i POSSESS NE-iThER ThOSE K-iNDS OF -iNTELLECTUAL AB-iL-iT-iES ThAT SOME PEOPLE ENJOY FROM ThE T-iME ThEY ARE BORN/ NOR ThOSE TYPES ThAT COME W-iTh YEARS OF STUDY; NE-iThER DO i HAVE MUCH T-iME/ BE-iNG QU-iTE BUSY W-iTh MY OThER ACT-iV-iT-iES. tHERE L-iVES HOWEVER A MONK WHO -iS SUCH A GREAT MASTER OF bUDDH-iST LOG-iC ThAT HE -iS -iN A SENSE ThE OWNER OF ThESE TEACH-iNGS -iN OUR T-iMES; i AM SPEAK-iNG OF ThE SUPREME kACHEN/ lOBSANG sOPA/ ThE H-iGH ABBOT OF tASh-i lHUNPO mONASTERY. i MADE A REQUEST TO kACHEN sOPA ThAT HE G-iVE ThE COMMENTARY A CAREFUL READ-iNG/ AND HE COMPL-iED W-iTh PLEASURE. hE -iNFORMED ME ThAT -iT WOULD BE A GREAT GOODNESS -iF WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE ThE PROPOSED PUBL-iCAT-iON. i HAVE HAD ONLY A BR-iEF CHANCE TO EXAM-iNE ThE COMMENTARY HERE/ S-iNCE -iT ONLY RECENTLY CAME -iNTO MY HANDS. iT -iNCLUDES A GREAT MANY CLAR-iF-iCAT-iONS ThAT i Th-iNK W-iLL BE MET W-iTh GREAT ENThUS-iASM BY CAPABLE SCHOLARS/ DESP-iTE ThE FACT ThAT ON SOME FEW PO-iNTS -iT SEEMS TO BE AT VAR-iANCE W-iTh ThE TRAD-iT-iONAL rATO POS-iT-iON. nONEThELESS i HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO PUBL-iSh Th-iS VOLUME/ W-iTh ThE HOPES ThAT -iT W-iLL -iNSP-iRE STUDENTS OF ThE SUBJECT TO A GREATER DEPTh OF KNOWLEDGE. aND AS ThE OLD VERSE GOES/ iT'S NOT ThAT i AM PART-iAL TO ThE TEACH-iNGS OF ThE bUDDHA; iT'S NOT ThAT i'M AGA-iNST ThE OThER TEACH-iNGS ThAT i SEE. wHEThER i DEC-iDE TO PRA-iSE OR PAY SOME HONOR TO ThEM rEL-iES -iNSTEAD ON WHEThER WORDS STAND UP TO REASON-iNG; aND ThAT'S A REASON FOR ME ThEN TO FOLLOW WHAT ThEY TEACH. tHE PR-iNT-iNG OF Th-iS BOOK HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY ThE rATO dATSANG fOUNDAT-iON/ WH-iCH i AND MY ASSOC-iATES HAVE ORGAN-iZED TO HELP ESTABL-iSh ThE NEW rATO mONASTERY/ -iN iND-iA. iT -iS MY PRAYER ThAT ThE POWER OF Th-iS GOOD DEED MAY LEAD TO A WORLD -iN WH-iCH S-iCKNESS AND HUNGER/ CONFL-iCT AND M-iSUNDERSTAND-iNG--ALL OF ThE MANY PROBLEMS WE FACE--MAY D-iSAPPEAR FROM EVERY NAT-iON ON EARTh. i PRAY TOO ThAT Th-iS ACT MAY LEAD EVERY S-iNGLE BE-iNG TO SPEND H-iS DAYS -iN PEACE AND HAPP-iNESS. aND i PRAY F-iNALLY ThAT i AND ALL MY STUDENTS AND FR-iENDS/ PEOPLE OF ThE aS-iAN RACE AND ThOSE OF ThE wESTERN/ ALL OF US/ AS ONE/ MAY SPEED-iLY W-iN ThE ULT-iMATE GOALH ThE gREAT l-iBERAT-iON OF ThE bUDDHA. rATO kHYONGLA r-iNPOCHE/ nGAWANG lOBSANG nEW yORK/ sEPTEMBER 1992 eD-iTOR'S NOTEH tHE WOODBLOCK ED-iT-iON USED FOR PR-iNT-iNG ThE COMMENTARY BY ThE tONGKOR sHABDRUNG -iS ThE ONLY COPY OF WH-iCH WE ARE AWARE/ AND -iS -iN POOR COND-iT-iON. tHE F-iNAL PAGE/ CONTA-iN-iNG ThE REC-iTAT-iON FOR W-iSDOM/ HAD BEEN R-iPPED -iN TWO/ ThE M-iSS-iNG HALF WR-iTTEN OUT BY HAND AND GLUED TO ThE EX-iST-iNG HALF. sOME PARTS OF ThE REC-iTAT-iON/ WH-iCH -iS -iN sANSKR-iT/ SEEM AS ThOUGH ThEY MAY CONTA-iN SOME ERRORS/ WH-iCH WE HAVE NOT HOWEVER ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT. a VERS-iON OF ThE REC-iTAT-iON MAY BE FOUND -iN VOLUME "ThA" OF ThE RgYUD-'BUM SECT-iON OF ThE lHASA ED-iT-iON OF ThE BkA'-'GYUR/ BEG-iNN-iNG FROM FOL-iO 471b.