Part I of "A Brief Explanation of the Four Dharmas of Gampopa" by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche

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A Brief Explanation of the Four Dharmas of Gampopa
Please bless the minds of all beings to turn towards Dharma.
Please bless us that Dharma may become the actual path. Please bless us that our path may be cleared of delusion. Please bless us that delusion may arise as timeless wisdom.
The incomparable Dagpo Lhaje had many names, Sonam Rinchen and so on. He was called Gampopa because he lived in the foothills of Gampo Mountain. A Lama of the Kadam teachings, he was born in 1079 of the western calendar and passed away in 1153. Just as rivers all meet back to the snow mountains, this peerless protector of living beings was the source of all four major and eight secondary lineages of the Kagyu teachings. If you wish to know more about his life, please read the extensive biographies that are available elsewhere.
Although Gampopa gave very many teachings, those which are most convenient for practice are classified in three categories: extensive, middling, and brief. The extensive one is the Sacred Dharma, the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel-Ornament of Liberation, itself. It is a scripture which, in essence, presents the entire basis, path, and result from the state of an ordinary being up to Buddhahood. It was the first Lamrim, or Stages of the Path scripture, composed by a Tibetan Lama.
The middling version is called the Jewel Garland of the Supreme Path. Between view and conduct, it is a scripture which mainly gives advice on conduct. It does not have very many pages.
The brief form is the Four Dharmas of Gampopa. It summarizes the meaning in a few words. It is very powerfully blessed. It includes the entire meaning of the basis, path, and result in four lines. It is convenient to practice and has many benefits. Here I will give a brief explanation of each line of the Four Dharmas of Gampopa for the benefit of beginners.