Simple Words - NGES 'BYUNG

We only need to go through two new words in order to understand the second line of zhen pa bzhi bral, as the format of the grammar is the same for the four lines. Next is nges 'byung, renunciation.

This word is a good example of how Tibetans use smaller words and concepts to build new words. nges means to understand, be certain about, remember. We encountered 'byung before: will arise, will occur, will happen. So you could also translate nges 'byung as definite emergence.

However, the concept is to have a definite understanding the problem of Sanskrit Samsara, or in Tibetan 'khor ba. 'khor ba actually tells us the problem, 'khor ba means to turn in a circle, cyclic existence, 'khor is wheel. As long as one is stuck in a cyclic existence of suffering, and one does not accept this, then there's no nges 'byung. When one understands this and wants out from 'khor ba, then one has 'nges 'byung.

In the lam rim teachings this is the measure of someone being a practitioner of the lower scope, i.e. they have developed nges 'byung. lam rim is by the way stages of the path. lam means path, and rim means stages, but think of a missing genitive gyi particle beween, or lam gyi rim, so it becomes stages of the path. It's very common in Tibetan to shorten various expressions down to a few key words.