Foreword by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche vii Translator's Introduction xiii The Excellent Chariot: A Vehicle for the Path to Liberation Homage and Pledge of the Composition 3 How to Listen to the Teachings 5 The Lineage History 7 Empowerment 13 The common Preliminaries 17 1. the Precious Human Existence & Refuge 19 The Freedoms and Endowments 19 Taking Refuge 27 The Practice of Taking Refuge 30 2. Impermanence & Bodhichitta 37 Death and Impermanence 37 Qualifications of Teacher and Student 37 Contemplating Impermanence 44 Compassion and Bodhichitta 57 Aspiration Bodhichitta 57 Application Bodhichitta 60 Bodhichitta in Practice 60 The Benefits of Bodhichitta 61 [Developing Bodhichitta] 61 3 Karma & the Three Vows 63 The Principle of Karmic Causality 63 The Ten Virtues 67 The Ten Forms of Vice 70 Virtue and Liberation 72 The Four Immeasurables 73 The Six Perfections 74 Karma and Samsara 75 Karma and Nirvana 76 The Three Vows 77 The Vows of Individual Liberation 77 The Bodhisattva Precepts 79 Samaya Vows 84 4. The Suffering of Samsara & the Practice of Vajrasattva 91 The Suffering of Samsara 91 How to Listen to the Teachings 91 Contemplating the Suffering of Samsara 93 The Meditation and Recitation of Vajrasattya 112 Confession 116 5. Liberation & the Mandala Offering 127 The Benefits of Liberation 127 How to Listen to a Teaching 127 Contemplating the Benefits of Liberation 129 Mandala Offering 135 Gathering the Accumulations 135 6. Faith & Guru Yoga 141 Faith and Liberation 141 The Nature of the Teacher 141 The Nature of the Student 142 Qualities Needed by Both Teacher and Student 143 Faith 144 The Guru 156 The Practice of Guru Yoga 162 Concluding Verses 171 Abbreviations 173 Glossary 177 Notes 229 Texts Cited 235 Bibliography 243 Index 249