Three higher trainings

The three higher trainings (Skt. triśikṣa; Tib. ལྷག་པའི་བསླབ་པ་གསུམ་, lhagpé labpa sum, Wyl. lhag pa'i bslab pa gsum) are the trainings in:

• discipline (Skt. adhiśīlaśikṣa; Tib. ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་ཀྱི་བསླབ་པ་, tsultrim kyi labpa, Wyl. tshul khrims kyi bslab pa),
• meditation (Skt. samādhiśikṣa; Tib. ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་བསླབ་པ་, ting ngé dzin gyi labpa, Wyl. ting nge 'dzin gyi bslab pa) and
• wisdom (Skt. prajñāśikṣa; Tib. ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་བསླབ་པ་, sherab kyi labpa, Wyl. shes rab kyi bslab pa).

These trainings are called “higher” because, unlike certain other non-Buddhist rituals and meditation practices, they actually lead to liberation and omniscience.

Sogyal Rinpoche writes:

The Tibetan word for discipline, tsultrim, literally means ‘acting appropriately’. The purpose of discipline is to simplify our lives. Discipline is a way of clearing our minds, preparing the ground, and creating the right environment, or a way of being that is conducive to positive and happy states of mind.

Meditation is the actual method of transforming the mind. When, through meditation, the mind is transformed, what dawns is wisdom, or prajña. With wisdom, you can simplify your life even more, so bringing more discipline, because you have the clarity and discernment to see what you should pursue or abandon. Then, even though you may be living in a complex world, you will possess an inner simplicity.

To simplify your life means you will have more time for meditation practice. When you practise, the whole point is to purify your ordinary mind and bring more wisdom. So, discipline supports meditation, through meditation you develop wisdom, and wisdom will create an environment of greater simplicity in the mind, naturally inspiring more discipline. This is the constantly turning ‘wheel of happiness’.

Alternative Translations

• three higher educations (Robert Thurman)

Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha

• Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 9 August 2003
• Dominique Side, Prajna online, 13 September 2021
• Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dzogchen Beara, 30 June-2 July 2023

Further Reading

• Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Zurchungpa's Testament: A Commentary On Zurchung Sherab Trakpa's Eighty Chapters Of Personal Advice (Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2007), chapters II, III & IV.
• Dzogchen Ponlop, Rebel Buddha (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), Ch. 7, 'The Three Trainings'.
• Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, translated by Padmakara Translation Group (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2004), pages 6-7.
• Thinley Norbu, The Small Golden Key (Shambhala Publications, 1999), ‘9. The Tripitaka and the Three Trainings'.

Internal Links

• three pitakas
• Sutra on the Threefold Training