Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

are the Buddha's personal teachings. While they teach
mainly the Hinayana doctrines, they are also the basis
for all the schools of every vehicle. These extensive and
important scriptures have been completely translated
into Chinese and also into English, for in your country,
England, the Pali Text Society has long been established.
This is a good foundation for all Buddhist endeavors in
the West. Besides this, we must recognize that the aims
of all Hinayana meditation are based on these sutras.
We should revere these personal teachings of the
Buddha by practice of their good advice.
The five hundred Arhats attending the first Buddhist
Council at Rajagrha were the guardians of the
Enlightened One's personal teachings. Due to their great
care and devotion, we have these records preserved. We
should, from gratitude, make our deep obeisance to
these ancient worthy ones; they are, as it were, our
"schoolmates," for we have the same Teacher,
Sakyamuni, and they all attained wonderful powers
before they died. They are indeed a good example of the
arya Sangha which we should make all efforts to follow.
Why do we honor them in this order? We see
Tsong-khapa as not only a scholar and disciplinarian,
but also as a great Tantric guru. In the esoteric tradition
of Tantra, the exoteric instruction of the Four Reliances
(see Ch. VI, B, 1, a, ii) is reversed: to place reliance
upon a person (the guru) but not upon principles
(abstract formulation in books, etc.). As all our
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