Vast as the Heavens, Deep as the Sea

  Verses in Praise of Bodhicitta

Khunu Rinpoche I, Author
Gareth Sparham, Translator
Gareth Sparham, Introduction
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Foreword

Revered by many, especially His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as the very embodiment of altruism, the late Khunu Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen devoted his life to the development of bodhicitta—the aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Presented in both English and the original Tibetan, this modern classic is a collection of Khunu Rinpoche's inspirational verse.

In 1959, in order to familiarize himself with and commit himself to the practice of bodhicitta, he set down a verse each day of the year in praise of the loving kindness which cherishes others more than self. The original text from which these verses are taken was titled "The Jewel Lamp: A Praise of Bodhicitta" and took the form of a diary. It recorded the day’s events, books he read, and (the year was 1959) the Chinese invasion of Tibet.

Gareth Sparham writes on the topic, Bodhicitta
All three hundred and fifty-six verses in Khunu Rinpoche’s The Jewel Lamp are about bodhicitta, the spontaneous altruism, free from bias, that is distinctive to Buddhism. What better introduction, then, to this finest of all spiritual possessions than the verses themselves? Khunu Rinpoche writes from the perspective of a person who knows what bodhicitta is—he is writing from within the presence of bodhicitta, so to speak, standing in the center of a region and describing it. Were a reader to persevere and recognize in Khunu Rinpoche’s verses their own path from the perspective of the place it leads to, they would feel a confident understanding in the form of a natural feeling of love for others. Those unfamiliar with the idea of bodhicitta may, however, become confused by such a perspective, so this short introduction to the topic is intended to provide the necessary background for an informed understanding of the verses.
   Bodhicitta is the thought to become enlightened for the sake of others. Having in mind what one wants for others, Khunu Rinpoche says:

The basis of this wish is great renunciation—the strong desire to be free from suffering. When focused on others, this becomes great compassion—the wish that others be free from suffering as well. From this stems bodhicitta—the determination to become enlightened in order to free others from suffering. …

The Dalai Lama’s Commentary
That the Dalai Lama greatly admires "The Jewel Lamp" cannot be questioned. He wrote the short foreword for the first 1966 Varanasi edition of the Tibetan text printed by his sister Tsering Dolma and has read the verses aloud many times to gatherings of Tibetans. This is noteworthy because, while it is not unusual for Tibetan teachers to teach old scriptures like Santideva’s Bodhicaryavatara again and again, it is unusual for them to give new books such importance. …

"To hold in your hands Khunu Rinpoche's own words on bodhicitta is to be given a priceless opportunity - of touching the heart of a master who had made it the guiding light of his entire life...whenever I think of Khunu Rinpoche, I always say to myself, this is what St.Francis of Assisi must have been like". Sogyal Rinpoche.
   "Vast as the Heavens, Deep as the Sea is extremely inspiring and very poetic, very sweet and pleasing to read, like drinking nectar or eating cream." Lama Thubten Zopa.
   "A classic, in the tradition of Shantideva's great masterpiece, the Way of the Bodhisattva." Matthieu Ricard.