Examination of our Lamrim Practice
Through practising the stages of the paths of persons of initial scope, middling scope and great scope we may have developed some experience of renunciation, bodhichitta and the correct view of emptiness, which are known as the ‘three principal paths’. We should now examine ourself to see whether or not our experiences of renunciation, bodhichitta and the correct view of emptiness are qualified. Through judging our mind, if we realize that our attachment to the things of this life still remains, this is the sign that our renunciation is unqualified; if our self-cherishing that believes our own happiness and freedom are important, while neglecting others’ happiness and freedom, still remains, this is the sign that our bodhichitta is unqualified; and if our self-grasping that grasps at ourself, our body and all other things that we normally see still remains, this is the sign that our understanding of emptiness is unqualified.
We therefore need to apply great effort to become deeply familiar with the trainings in renunciation, bodhichitta and the correct view of emptiness. We need to practise these trainings continually until our attachment, self-cherishing and self-grasping reduce and we are able to control these delusions. When we have accomplished this, we have ‘passed our examination’ and we have the ‘position’ of being a great Yogi or Yogini.