With this phrase Je Tsongkhapa begins The Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Highest Enlightenment (translated by Gelek Rimpoche as The Three Principles of the Path). In this way, Tsongkhapa acknowledges his debt to his predecessors in the Lam Rim ("Stepwise Path") lineage.

Those who hope to benefit from this study of the Lam Rim should extend admiration and gratitude to the entire Lam Rim lineage, and especially to Gelek Rimpoche, the Dalai Lama and the rest of the accomplished masters of their generation, who through their great generosity, skillful means and tireless teaching have brought the benefits of this tradition to the Western world. We should also remember with joyful gratitude all those who have passed on to us, sometimes at great cost, the wisdom of the Hebrew Bible and the teachings of the Great Master: