The Library of Tibetan Classics is a special series developed by the Institute of Tibetan Classics aimed at making key classical Tibetan texts part of the global literary and intellectual heritage. Eventually comprising thirty-two large volumes, the collection will contain over two hundred distinct texts by more than a hundred of the best-known authors. These texts have been selected in consultation with the preeminent lineage holders of all the schools and other senior Tibetan scholars to represent the Tibetan literary tradition as a whole. The works included in the series span more than a millennium and cover the vast expanse of classical Tibetan knowledge—from the core teachings of the specific schools to such diverse fields as ethics, philosophy, linguistics, medicine, astronomy and astrology, folklore, and historiography. The Tibetan Book of Everdyay Wisdom: A Thousnad Years of Sage Advice includes texts from a genre of Tibetan writing known as “wise sayings” (lekshé) containing guidance on both worldly and spiritual virtue, but the texts may be generally characterized as secular. Drawing inspiration from classical Indian wisdom literature pertaining to secular ethics and governance (nītiśastra), including the folktales in The Pañcatantra, the goal of the authors of these Tibetan texts is to educate young minds in the intricate ways of the world, especially by distinguishing the conduct of the wise from that of the foolish. This anthology contains Sakya Paṇḍita’s celebrated thirteenth-century classic A Jewel Treasury of Wise Sayings, Paṇchen Sönam Drakpa’s Ganden Wise Sayings, Gungthang’s Treatise on Trees and Treatise on Water, as well as commentaries on the first two works. The volume also features Dromtönpa’s Garland of Essential Advice, the Fifth Dalai Lama’s Pearl Garland of Advice, Kyilsur Lobsang Jinpa’s Treatise on Wind, and Panchen Chökyi Nyima’s Treatise on Earth. Historically these works have been used for educating the wider public, especially those outside the monastery. The final work in this volume is the intriguing Khaché Phalu’s Advice. Though ostensibly written by a wise Tibetan Muslim, this last work is widely suspected to have been authored by a Buddhist monk. This versified text enjoys great popularity within the Tibetan-speaking communities, such that most people are able to recite at least a few verses from memory. Enjoy popular Tibetan collections of advice, fables, and aphorisms for following the way of the wise and avoiding the path of fools. The Tibetan Book of Everyday Wisdom: A Thousand Years of Sage Advice presents a genre of Tibetan works known as “wise sayings” (lekshé). While most Tibetan literature focuses on the Buddhist path, wise sayings literature has traditionally been a centerpiece of secular education in Tibet and in the cultivation of social mores and an honorable way of life. Drawing inspiration from classical Indian literature on human virtue and governance (nītiśastra), including the folktales in the Pañcatantra, the authors of these Tibetan works strove to educate young minds in the ways of the civilized world, especially by distinguishing the conduct of the wise from that of the foolish. This anthology includes some of the best-loved classics of Tibetan literature, such as Sakya Paṇḍita’s Jewel Treasury of Wise Sayings, Paṇchen Sönam Drakpa’s Ganden Wise Sayings, and Gungthangpa’s Treatise on Trees and Treatise on Water. The final work is the intriguing Kaché Phalu’s Advice. Ostensibly written by a wise Tibetan Muslim, this versified text enjoys great popularity within Tibetan-speaking communities, such that many Tibetans are able to recite at least a few verses from memory. Message from the Dalai Lama THE LAST TWO MILLENNIA witnessed a tremendous proliferation of cultural and literary development in Tibet, the Land of Snows. Moreover, owing to the inestimable contributions made by Tibet’s early spiritual kings, numerous Tibetan translators, and many great Indian paṇḍitas over a period of so many centuries, the teachings of the Buddha and the scholastic tradition of ancient India’s Nālandā monastic university became firmly rooted in Tibet. As evidenced from the historical writings, this flowering of Buddhist tradition in the country brought about the fulfillment of the deep spiritual aspirations of countless sentient beings. In particular, it contributed to the inner peace and tranquility of the peoples of Tibet, Outer Mongolia—a country historically suffused with Tibetan Buddhism and its culture—the Tuva and Kalmuk regions in present- day Russia, the outer regions of mainland China, and the entire trans- Himalayan areas on the southern side, including Bhutan, Sikkim, Ladakh, Kinnaur, and Spiti. Today this tradition of Buddhism has the potential to make significant contributions to the welfare of the entire human family. I have no doubt that, when combined with the methods and insights of modern science, the Tibetan Buddhist cultural heritage and knowledge will help foster a more enlightened and compassionate human society, a humanity that is at peace with itself, with fellow sentient beings, and with the natural world at large. It is for this reason I am delighted that the Institute of Tibetan Classics in Montreal, Canada, is compiling a thirty-two-volume series containing the works of many great Tibetan teachers, philosophers, scholars, and practitioners representing all major Tibetan schools and traditions. These important writings will be critically edited and annotated and will then be published in modern book format in a reference collection called The Library of Tibetan Classics, the translations into other major languages to follow later. While expressing my heartfelt commendation for this noble project, I pray and hope that The Library of Tibetan Classics will not only make these important Tibetan treatises accessible to scholars of Tibetan studies but will also create a new opportunity for younger Tibetans to study and take interest in their own rich and profound culture. It is my sincere hope that through the series’ translations into other languages, millions of fellow citizens of the wider human family will also be able to share in the joy of engaging with Tibet’s classical literary heritage, textual riches that have been such a great source of joy and inspiration to me personally for so long. The Dalai Lama The Buddhist monk Tenzin Gyatso Special Acknowledgments THE INSTITUTE OF TIBETAN Classics expresses its deep gratitude to the Ing Foundation for its generous support of the entire cost of translating this important volume. The Ing Foundation’s long-standing patronage of the Institute of Tibetan Classics has enabled the institute to support the translation of multiple volumes from The Library of Tibetan Classics. We are deeply grateful to the foundation for offering us the opportunity to share many of the important texts of the Tibetan tradition with wider international readership, making these works truly part of the global literary, knowledge, and spiritual heritage. We also thank the Scully Peretsman Foundation for its generous support of the work of the Institute’s chief editor, Dr. Thupten Jinpa, enabling him to contribute a major essay as the introduction to this volume. Publisher’s Acknowledgment THE PUBLISHER WISHES TO extend a heartfelt thanks to the following people who have contributed substantially to the publication of The Library of Tibetan Classics: Pat Gruber and the Patricia and Peter Gruber Foundation The Ing Foundation We also extend deep appreciation to our other subscribing benefactors: Anonymous, dedicated to Buddhas within Anonymous, in honor of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche Anonymous, in honor of Geshe Tenzin Dorje Anonymous, in memory of K. J. Manel De Silva—may she realize the truth Dr. Patrick Bangert Nilda Venegas Bernal Serje Samlo Khentul Lhundub Choden and his Dharma friends Kushok Lobsang Dhamchöe Tenzin Dorjee Richard Farris Gaden Samten Ling, Canada Evgeniy Gavrilov & Tatiana Fotina Ginger Gregory Rick Meeker Hayman Steven D. Hearst