No More Learning

These marks may appear outwardly, as the external form of the buddha-body; inwardly, as the network of energy channels, currents and seminal points (rtsa dung thig-le) within the buddha-body; secretly, as present in the seed which is enlightened mind, or the nucleus of the tathagata (de-gshegs snying-po, Skt. tathagatagarbha); and, most secretly, as the rapture of the Great Perfection (rdzogs-pa chen-po) which is experienced when the energy channels and seminal points are naturally expressed as supreme bliss.
As such, the five components of mundane cyclical existence find their true natural expression in the Teachers of the Five Enlightened Families, namely, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi; while the five elemental properties of space, cohe- sion, solidity, warmth and movement find their true natural expression as the five consorts: DhatvIsvarI, Locana, MamakI, PaIfcjaravasinI, and Samayatara. The four sensations of seeing, hearing, tasting and smel- ling, as well as the four sense objects, the four sense organs, the four temporal dimensions, the four aspects of sexual contact, and the four extremes of permanence, decay, self and character all find their true natural expression in the deities of the surrounding maIfcjalas. This pure vision, it is emphasised, lies within the perceptual range of the buddhas' pristine cognition alone, and remains invisible even to bodhisattvas of the highest level who are not liberated from all obscur- ations. It is maintained that all these elements of mundane cyclical existence are transmuted into the pure, divine nature through experien- tial cultivation of the Buddhistteachings. As the Extensive Magical Net (sgyu-'phrul rgyas-pa, NGB Vol. 14) says:
22 Fundamentals
Translator's Introduction 23
The Nyingma tradition in particular holds that twelve teachers of the emanational body have appeared as the blessing of the body of perfect rapture in this world system to disclose the three emanational teachings of the buddha-body, speech and mind. A hand-sized vajra (rdo-rje) is said to be the actuality of the body of reality, a four-inch book is said to be the actuality of the body of perfect rapture, and the physical form, exemplified in those twelve teachers, is the actuality of the emanational body. The emanational body, in the Nyingma view, is endowed with sixty attributes; for each of those twelve teachers is connected with the five excellences of place, teacher, retinue, doctrine and time. A single emanational body also possesses ninety-six doctrines with respect to enlightened activity . Yet this enumeration is not regarded as a limitation because (p. 138):
The Sugata, learned in skilful means, manifests the body of form in ways which correspond to the number of atoms in the myriad fields of those requiring training, which are of oceanic extent.
The Buddha-body of Awakening
The buddha-body of awakening (mngon-par byang-chub-kyi sku, Skt. abhisambodhikaya), which is derived from the distinct apparitional func- tions of the aforementioned three bodies, possesses the four fearless- nesses, the eighteen distinct attributes of the buddhas, great compassion and the ten powers. These are all enumerated in the Mahavyutpatti, the great glossary of technical terms composed by the Tibetan trans-
lators, probably during the reign of Senalek.
The Buddha-body of Indestnlctible Reality
Finally, the buddha-body of indestructible reality (rdo-rje sku, Skt. vajrakaya), which derives from the indivisible essence of the first three bodies, is the original unchanging expanse of reality in which all paths are concluded and all conceptual elaboration transcended. It is the taintless buddha nature pure from the beginning.
The Five Pristine Cognitions
The five pristine cognitions (ye-shes lnga) Skt. paiicajiiana), which are among the buddhas' attributes, are also discussed here. They are the pristine cognition of the expanse of reality (chos-dbyings ye-shes, Skt. dhannadhiitujiiana), which is the perception of the buddha-body of reality; the mirror-like pristine cognition (me-long ye-shes, Skt. adarsa- jiiiina),which is the unbroken causal basis of all pristine cognition; the pristine cognition of sameness (mnyam-nyid ye-shes, Skt. samatiijiiiina),
which continuously abides in tranquillity, loving kindness and compas- sion without falling into the extremes of cyclical existence or nirval). a; and the pristine cognition of discernment (sor-rtogs ye-shes, Skt. which is unimpeded with regard to the knowable, and refers to contemplations, dharal). l and other attributes. These last three are the perceptions of the body of perfect 'rapture. Finally, the pristine cognition of accomplishment (bya-grub ye-shes, Skt. krtyanu- sthanajiiana) is diversified in all realms, within the emanations who act behalf of living beings. Thus it is the perception of the emanational body.
The Author asserts that the nature of the buddhas who have purified obscurations and become vast in enlightened attributes of buddha-body and pristine cognition is to be experientially cultivated through the Buddhist teachings - both indirectly, through the sutra texts, and di- rectly through the mantra texts which are respectively a long and a short path to the same goal.
He concludes Part Two by distinguishing between the attributes of the buddha-bodies as they are revealed in the causal vehicles of dialec- tics, and in the resultant vehicles of secret mantra. The sutras of the causal vehicles require one to undertake a long path of causal gradation, whereby conflicting emotions are abandoned, and merits and pristine cognition are accumulated. The resultant vehicles of the way of mantras, however, begin from the ultimate view of the buddha nature and insist that the whole of cyclical existence and nirval). a conform to the pattern of the three buddha-bodies.
P ART THREE: CAUSAL VEHICLES OF DIALECTICS
The causal vehicles of dialectics (rgyu mtshan-nyid-kyi theg-pa, Skt. are classified either according to the three successive promulgations of the doctrinal wheel or according to the philosophical systems included within the lesser vehicle (theg-pa chung-ba, Skt. Hfnayana) and the greater vehicle (theg-pa chen-po, Skt. Mahayana).
The Three Promulgations of the Doctrinal Wheel
In the first promulgation the Buddha expounded the four truths of its origin, the path and the cessation of suffering, with the Intention that sentient beings should forsake cyclical existence. In the second promulgation he expounded the teaching on the transcendental perfection of discriminative awareness (shes-rab-kyi pha-rol-tu phyin- Palma, Skt. prajiiaparamita) with the intention that the buddha nature should be comprehended through topics of emptiness, signlessness and
24 Fundamentals
Translator's Introduction 25
aspirationlessness, and that consequently the ultimate truth which is referred to by synonyms in order to bring about the partial cessation of conceptual elaboration might become the foundation for those who enter the greater vehicle.
Then, in the third promulgation he excellently analysed all things from form to omniscience in accord with the three essential natures, namely, the imaginary (parikalpita), the dependent (paratantra), and the absolute (parini$panna), and disclosed the nucleus of the tathagata (tathagatagarbha), intending that the ultimate truth for which there is no synonym should become the nucleus of the path of the greater vehicle. Such were the three promulgations delivered by Sakyamuni Buddha.
The Lesser Vehicle
Among the philosophical systems of the causal vehicles of dialectics, those which belong to the lesser vehicle are the and the Sautrantika systems.
V aibha$ika
The pious attendants of the school classify the knowable into five categories: perceptual forms, mind, mental events, disjunct conditions unassociated with mental events, and uncompounded en- tities. They hold that consciousness ultimately exists as a series of time- moments and that the material substances composing the world are an association of indivisible atomic particles unified by vital energy. They claim the subject-object dichotomy to be created through the recognition of objects by consciousness, but that there is no intrinsic awareness apart from this consciousness.
Through the vehicle of the pious attendants (sravaka), the status of an arhat is realised by meditation on the sixteen aspects of the four truths, so that the obscurations of the three poisons and ignorance are destroyed. As it is said in the Sequence a/the Path (Mayajalapathakrama, P 4736):
If, without realising non-duality,
Everything is viewed to exist substantially
In terms of the four truths,
And one resorts to renunciation and non-renunciation, This is the level of the pious attendants.
Sautrantika
The self-centred buddhas and pious attendants ofthe Sautrantika school hold ultimate reality to agree with consciousness, which is a series of time moments. They also hold that, although consciousness refers to
· cts external objects are not actually perceived, a single, uncom-
obJe , . . d' h f fl .
nded sensum bemg transmltte m t e manner 0 a re ectlOn on a
The subject-object dichotomy therefore becomes a subjective conventionally known as the recognition of objects. They are prid to surpass the in holding the conglomerate of atoms to unknown and in their appreciation of an intrinsic awareness.
Through the vehicle of the self-centred buddhas (pratyekabuddha), the twelve modes of dependent origination are meditated on and re- versed. Whereas pious attendants hold the individual self to be aban- doned in ultimate truth, the self-centred buddhas hold external objects to be ultimately fallacious and subjective consciousness to exist genuinely. They are said to be realised in one and a half parts of what is implied by selflessness. This is because they realise selflessness with reference to the individual and understand that the atomic particles df external phenomena do not independently exist, but still hold time moments ofconsciousness or internal phenomena to be ultimately real.
The Greater Vehicle
Among the philosophical systems of the greater causal vehicle, there are the Vijfianavada or proponents of consciousness, and the Madh- yamika or adherents of the middle path.
Vijfianavada
The Vijfianavada confirm the Sautrantika view that objects are not perceived. All things are held to be apparitional aspects of mind, definit- ively ordered according to three essential natures: the imaginary which includes both phenomena and characteristics such as the concept of selfhood; the dependent which includes the five impure components of mundane existence and the pure attributes of buddha-body and pristine cognition; and the absolute which includes the unchanging abiding nature of reality and the incontrovertible absence of conflicting emotions.
The Mind Only school, which emphasises the ontological aspect of the Vijfianavada, is divided into those who hold sensa to be veridical (Sakaravada), and those holding sensa to be false, admitting only con- to be genuine (Nirakaravada). These have many subdivi- While the VijiHinavada is held to surpass the and Sau- of the lower vehicle, it fails to understand the absolute nature, SInce it holds consciousness to exist absolutely in the ultimate truth.
Madhyamaka
The Madhyamika or adherents of the middle path are either those who uphold the coarse outer Madhyamaka or the subtle inner Great Madhyamaka (dbu-ma chen-po).
26 Fundamentals
Outer M adhyamaka
The Outer Madhyamaka include the Svatantrika (rang-rgyud-pa) who employ independent reasoning, and the Prasangika (tlzal-'gyur-ba) who employ reductio ad absurdum.
The Svatantrika surpass the previous philosophical systems which adhere to substantiality and subjective conceptual elaboration, and they avoid both extremes. All things which appear are said to exist in relative truth, which is either correct or incorrect in conventional terms, but are inherently empty and non-existent in the ultimate truth, which cuts through conceptual elaboration. All relative appearances can be refuted by logical arguments, but it is also proven that no scrutiny or judgement can be made in relation to ultimate truth.
The Prasangika distinguish between the unbewildered intellect or pristine cognition of the buddhas, in which relative phenomena never appear, and the bewildered intellect of sentient beings. Ultimate truth, the reality of the unbewildered intellect of the buddhas, is vitiated by bewilderment, and so mundane cyclical existence appears and is as- signed conventionally to the relative truth, though not really admitted.
The Prasangika also employ the five kinds of logical axioms used by the Svatantrika, but unlike them do not seek to prove their conclusions positively with reference to relative appearances and conceptual elabora- tion, having refuted them. Rather they refute all possible views which lie within the range of the four extremes of being, non-being, both being and non-being, and neither being nor non-being. Ultimate truth is thus the pristine cognition of the buddhas, free from all conceptual elaboration of the subject-object dichotomy. It is said that the two truths form the Madhyamaka of the ground; the two provisions of merit and pristine cognition form the Madhyamaka of the path; and that the coalescence of the two buddha-bodies of reality and form is the Madhyamaka of the result.
Great Madhyamaka
The Great Madhyamaka (dbu-ma chen-po) is aloof from the reasoning of the Outer Madhyamaka which is based upon dialectics, and instead must be experientially cultivated in meditation. In accord with the analysis of all things made by Sakyamuni in the third promulgation of the doctrinal wheel with respect to the aforementioned essential natures, it holds the imaginary to imply that attributes are without substantiality, the dependent to imply that creation is without substantiality, and the absolute to imply that ultimate reality is without substantiality. Absolute reality is thus empty of all the imaginary objects which are to be refuted and all conceptual elaboration of cyclical existence, it. is not of the enlightened attributes of buddha-body and pnstme cogmtlon which are spontaneously present from the beginning.
Translator's Introduction 27 The Supreme Continuum ofthe Greater Vehicle (Mahayanottaratantra-
iastra, T 4024) says:
The seed which is empty of suddenly arisen phenomena,
Endowed with divisive characteristics,
Is not empty of the unsurpassed reality, Endowed with indivisible characteristics.
The Great Madhyamaka therefore maintains that the conceptual area of the subject-object dichotomy is intrinsically empty (rang-stong), while the buddha-body of reality endowed with all enlightened attributes is empty of that extraneous conceptual area which forms the subject-object dichotomy (gzhan-stong). If enlightened attributes were themselves in- trinsically empty oftheir own essence, the entire structure ofthe ground, path and result would be negated and one would be in the position of the nihilistic extremists who deny causality, progress on the path to
liberation and so forth.
This expanse of reality, the ultimate truth, is said to pentade all
beings without distinction and is known as the nucleus of the tathagata (tathagatagarbha) or the nucleus of the sugata (sugatagarblza). It is held to be only fully developed and qualitatively perceived according to its true nature by buddhas, and yet equally present in ordinary sentient beings and bodhisattvas who are partially purified on the path to liber- ation. It is when the obscurations covering this seed of the buddha nature are removed that liberation is said to occur. Now, there are two kinds of renunciation of obscurations which have been expounded, one that is a naturally pure, passive fait accompli, and another which actively removes the obscurations by applying an appropriate antidote. Although the nucleus of the tathagata is held to be present from the beginning
in all beings, it is not therefore claimed that all beings are buddhas free from all obscuration. Similarly there are two kinds of realisation, one that is naturally present and passive, and another that is dependently produced and active. They are equivalent to the truths of cessation and of the path described above in Part One.
While the second and the third promulgations of the doctrinal wheel give authenticity to the view of Great Madhyamaka, it is the third or final promulgation which extensively reveals the nucleus of the tathagata. Certain scholars of the past have, as the Author states, errone- ously linked the views of Great Madhyamaka and Vijfianavada. How- the former is concerned with absolute reality, and the latter is dIrected towards consciousness. There is held to be a great distinction between the pristine cognition of the buddhas and the consciousness of. the ground-of-all. The proponents of Mind Only maintain that is not transcended in ultimate truth, but this is a view which IS bound within cyclical existence. According to Great Madhyamaka,
28 Fundamentals
the ultimate truth is the obscurationless pristine cognition, the uncor- rupted expanse of reality transcending consciousness. This is because subjective consciousness is only dependently real, and pristine cognition
is free from the subject-object dichotomy.
This view of the Great Madhyamaka is revealed in the compositions
of Nagarjuna,7 Asanga and others, whether they belong to the second or third promulgation of the doctrinal wheel, for both refer to the three essential natures. Once Mind Only has been provisionally taught, the apparitionless Madhyamaka is taught, and when that has been trans-
cended, the apparitional Madhyamaka is revealed. Without reaching that, the profound meaning of the greater vehicle is not perceived.
Those who actually and experientially cultivate the path to liberation do not differentiate the two modes of Madhyamaka (rang-stong and gzhan-stong), as is attested by the writings of Nagarjuna, Asanga and
other pa1). Qitas who commented on the intention of the definitive mean- ing (nges-don). While the second promulgation is generally confined to an outright negation of conceptual elaboration, this is merely a step in
the experiential cultivation of Madhyamaka, which must subsequently
transcend the Prasangika and Svatantrika reasoning.
When meditational experiences have been established, it is the Great
Madhyamaka, as taught in the third promulgation, which is profound and vast; and the vehicles of the secret mantra which are even more extensive. The purposes of the lower sequences of the vehicle are
gathered within the higher. Otherwise the buddhas would not have given the three promulgations and nine sequences of the vehicle in that
appropriate order.
Provisional and Definitive Meaning
Thus, in the Nyingma view, the first and second promulgations may be allocated provisional meaning (drang-don, Skt. neyiirtha) because they are a basis for debate, respectively rousing the mind from cyclical existence by teaching impermanence and destroying by means of the
three approaches to liberation the reductionist view which adheres to the selfhood of phenomena. The third promulgation, however, is allo- cated definitive meaning (nges-don, Skt. nitiirtha) because it teaches that all relative appearances are intrinsically empty (rang-stong) and that all
enlightened attributes are empty of those same extraneous appearances (gzhan-stong). The range of the buddhas' pristine cognition is therebY revealed and debate is surpassed by experiential cultivation, Yet, as
the Author asserts, there is no difference between the transcendental perfection of discriminative awareness (prajfiiiparamita) revealed in the second promulgation and the pristine cognition revealed in the third. The distinction merely concerns the extent to which ultimate reality is
The Enlightened or Buddha Family
Since all beings are endowed with the nucleus of the t th- h
f h b ddh a agata,t eseed
a they ar. e all part of the buddha or enlightened romteultimatepomtofview thO f: '1' . .
revealed.
FU
the natura1expreSSIOn of enlightenment is said to b'd . h
0 t. le amIy.
. ' IS amIyISonemwhIch
[:
from the conventional or dynamic point of' . a . 1 em. and " vIew, It IS one m whIch that
n. aturfa1exprbessIOn. IS t,o be attained. The former I. S the ground ofsepara- tIon rom 0 scuratIOn (bral-rgyu) in which th th 1
· . I ' '
e ree resu tant buddha
f'
0 cessation accordmg to the
actua Ise ral- bras). The three buddha-b d' h ' ,
, 1d' 11 ' 0 lesaret ussatdtoabIde
o les anse. t IS also known as the truth b d . 1 Th
. - greaterv. ehICe. 'elatteristhetruthofthepath h' h h ' ,
of ment
. d (b ' remove an the result be
' d "
an p
obscuratIons covenng the nucleus may be d d
pnmor Ia y m the nucleus of the enlightened fam'l d realised by the removal of the obscurat' h' hI y, an
are not themselves compounded by th 1 ' . y provisions. e accumu atIOn of causal
This indivisible essence of the enlightened f: '1 h
t th- " amIy,t enucleusofthe
a agata, IS extensIvely revealed in the writings of N '
such as L R ymgmapa authors
ongce,npa, ongzompa, Terdak Lingpa and Miph R '-
and aKlsodm the compositions of the great masters of
i nrath1 IOns - a amp,a, K . . Sakyapa and Gelukpa, as can be seen e many quotatIOns CIted from their works
The Two Truths according to Great Madhyamaka
moments of ,meditative absorption, the outer and inner . hhyamaka do not dIfferentiate the two truths since one then ab'd
m t e expanse of r h ,.
Ity, t e pnstme cognition that is free from 11
1 es of the subject-object dichotomy, During
differently however, they are distinguished ultimate truth u er a yamaka, which allocates emptiness to Madh k to the relative truth; and the inner Great
, _ a, w lch determines ultimate truth to be the 1" f lllrvana m which th b' , . rea ltIes 0
perception, as or pnstl? e and the object of its relative truth to be the y conventional ,lOgIC, ,are harmonious, and subJ'ectl've c ' phenomena of cyclIcal eXIstence, in which the
onSCIOusness and th b', being established ' e 0 Ject 0
, even m terms ofcon
dIchotomy. Ultimate t h' h ven IOna OgIC, are m a state of
appearances and e
Translator's Introduction 29
onw IC t eprOVISIOns nstme cognition are accumu1ated'm order that the
are merely IOns w IC cover them The
f ' ,
Its perception, incapable of
IS t us the expanse of reality in which pure mptmess are coalesced Alth h h'
even more elaborately revealed in th . oug IS coalescence is
mantra, it must first be established e result,ant vehIcles ,of the secret
Madhyamaka, on which the su er' to, VIew of Great
are all based. The Great M Pdh
vIews ,from Knyatantra to Atiyoga
t' 11' .
lor
a yamaka IS therefore said to be the
30 Fundamentals
Translator's Introduction 31
climax of the philosophical systems according to the causal vehicles of dialectics.
Through the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who uphold the Vijfianavada and Madhyamaka philosophies, the ten levels and five paths are gradu- ally traversed, and liberation is finally attained in the buddha-body of reality on the eleventh level (Samantaprablui). Manifesting the two bodies of form, the bodhisattva then acts on behalf of others until all beings have been liberated from cyclical existence. It is therefore held that the vehicle of the bodhisattvas is the first of the nine sequences of the vehicle which may be conducive to total liberation.
Key to the Appraisal oFCausal Vehicle Texts
Texts belonging to the causal vehicles of dialectics are firstly divided bet- ween those of the definitive third promulgation and their commentaries which reveal the full extent of the buddha nature, and those of the provi- sional earlier promulgations and their commentaries which partially re- veal the buddha nature. There are also four kinds ofintention with which buddhas deliver the teaching, unknown to the listener, and four kinds of covert intention which buddhas are said to employ in order for their precise meaning to be eventually understood by the listener.
Recapitulation of the Causal Vehicles
To facilitate comprehension of the above philosophical systems, Part Three is completed by a recapitulation of the three causal vehicles of dialectics, namely, those of the pious attendants, self-centred buddhas and bodhisattvas, within the context oftheir respective entrances, views, moral disciplines, meditations, modes of conduct and results.
PART FOUR: RESULTANT VEHICLES OF SECRET MANTRA
Part Four concerns the resultant vehicles of secret mantra, on which subject our text says (p. 244):
. . . in the vehicle of dialectics, mind-as-such [or pristine cog- nition] is merely perceived as the causal basis ofbuddhahood. Since it is held that buddhahood is obtained under the con- dition whereby the two provisions increasingly multiply, and since the purifying doctrines which form the causal basis of nirvaQ. a are made into the path, it is called the causal vehicle. Therein a sequence in which cause precedes result is admit- ted. According to the vehicle of mantras, on the other hand, mind-as-such abides primordially and intrinsically as the
essence of the result, identified as the buddha-bodies and pristine cognitions. Mind-as-such is thereby established as the ground which exists within oneself from the present moment as the object to be attained. It is then established as the path through its functions of bringing about recogni- tion and removing the provisional stains which suddenly arise by means of inducing the perception of just what is, and it is established as the result through its function of actualising this very ground. Since a sequence in which cause precedes result is not really distinguished therein, it is called the resultant vehicle and the vehicle ofindestructible reality.
Superiority of Secret Mantra
The resultant vehicles are said to surpass the causal vehicles in many ways. They are held to be unobscured, endowed with many means, without difficulties, and referred to by those of highest acumen; or to be swift, blissful, and endowed with skilful means. The Tantra of Inconceivable R a l i Cakrasarrzvara (Srfcakrasarrzvaraguhyacintyatantra- raja, T 385) speaks of fifteen such superior qualities. Above all, the resultant vehicles are said to transcend all conceptual elaboration and logical reasoning, and to establish pristine cognition as the nucleus of the buddha-body of reality, the coalescence of appearance and empti- ness, within one lifetime and so forth. Since a sameness with respect to all things is to be experienced, they are capable of making relative appearances into the path, without requiring them to be renounced as in the causal vehicles. Thus one meditates through the outer mantras of Kriyarantra, Ubhayatantra and Yogatantra with reference to the deity's body, speech and mind, and according to the inner mantras all things are realised and experienced as the maQ. galas ofthe buddha-body, speech and mind.
Essence and pefinition of Secret Mantra
Mantra is defined as an attribute of buddha-body, speech and mind which protects the mind with ease and swiftness. It also includes the deities in which emptiness and appearances are coalesced, symbolised by the seed-syllables because they too protect the mind from rebirth in the three realms of cyclical existence. Those who attain realisation through the mantras are known as awareness-holders (rig- 'dzin, Skt. vidyadhara) and the texts which convey the mantra teaching are known as the Pi! aka of Awareness-holders. There are said to be three kinds of mundane awareness-holder and enumerations of either four
or seven kinds of supramundane awareness-holder. The resultant veh- icle is also known as the vehicle of indestructible reality (rdo-rje theg-pa, Skt. Vajrayana) because pristine cognition or mind-as-such is imperishable
32 Fundamentals
and unchanging, despite the divergent apparitional modes of cyclical
existence and nirval). a.
The Three Continua
Again, the resultant vehicle is also known as tantra, which is defined both as a means for protecting the mind and as the continuum extending from ignorance to enlightenment. There are said to be three such con- tinua - those of the ground, path and result.
The continuum of the ground is another name for the nucleus of the tathagata, the buddha-body of reality, the family in which the natural expression of enlightenment abides and the pristine cognition of the ground-of-all - which have previously been explained in the context of Great Madhyamaka. However, the same continuum of the ground is also spoken of in Kriyatantra as one's own real nature (bdag-gi de-kho-na- nyid), in Ubhayatantra as the blessing of that reality, which is the ultimate truth without symbols (don-dam mtshan-ma med-pa'i byin- rlabs), and in Yogatantra as a deity of the expanse of indestructible reality, who relatively appears (kun-rdzob rdo-rje dbyings-kyi lha).
Similarly, it is also spoken of in Mahayoga as the superior and great body of reality in which the two truths are indivisible (bden-gnyis dbyer- med lhag-pa'i chos-sku chen-po), in Anuyoga as the fundamental mal). <;lala of enlightened mind, the offspring of the non-duality of the expanse and pristine cognition (dbyings-dangye-shes gnyis-su med-pa'i sras rtsa-ba byang-chub sems-kyi dkyil-'khor), and in the Great Perfection of Atiyoga as the ground conventionally known as essence, natural expression and spirituality (ngo-bo rang-bzhin thugs-rje).
The continuum of the path refers to the skilful means which purify the obscurations covering the ground, and cause all cyclical existence to be experienced as an array of deities and their fields of rapture. The continuum of the result is actualised when those obscurations have been removed, although it is essentially identical to the continuum of the ground. All accomplishments are therein actualised. . It is said that when the ground and result are indivisible, the truth of the origin of cyclical existence appears as the truth of the path to its cessation, and that the truth of suffering appears as the truth of its cessation.
The Four Tantrapitaka
The texts in which the teachings of the resultant vehicles of the secret mantra are expressed are divided into four tantrapi! aka, namely, Kriyatantra, Ubhayatantra (or Caryatantra), Yogatantra, and Unsurpas- sed Y ogatantra (Anuttarayogatantra) , which are taught as the means respectively for those oflowest, middling, superior and highest acumen who require training. According to the Nyingma tradition, the first three of these are known as the vehicle of austere awareness (dka'-thub
Translator's Introduction 33
rig-pa'i theg-pa) because they all, to a greater or lesser extent, include rnal observances of body and speech. The last one is known as the
of overpowering means (dbang-bsgyur thabs-kyi theg-pa), in '? :hich skilful means and discriminative awareness are coalesced.
Kriyatantra
Kriyatantra (bya-ba'i rgyud) , or the tantra of action, emphasises external observances of body and speech, while continuing the subject-object dichotomy. It holds that meditation is required alternately on an ulti- mate truth, which is one's own real nature, and on a deity of relative appearance endowed with pristine cognition, distinct from that reality, who externally confers the accomplishments. By aspiring towards ac- complishment, regarding the deity as a servant would his master, and by practising ablutions, fasting and other austerities which delight the deity, one may be granted the realisation of a holder of indestructible reality (rdo-rje 'dzin-pa) within seven lifetimes.
Ubhayatantra
Ubhayatantra (gnyis-ka'i rgyud), or the tantra which gives equal em- phasis to the view and conduct, includes both symbolic meditation on the seed-syllables, seals and form of the deity and non-symbolic medi- tation on ultimate reality, the blessing of which may confer accomplish- ment as a holder of indestructible reality within five lifetimes.
Yogatantra
Yogatantra (mal-'byor-gyi rgyud), or the tantra of union, emphasises meditation. The blessing of ultimate reality relatively appears as a deity of the expanse of indestructible reality. Persevering in the acceptance and rejection of positive and negative attributes in relation to this deity, one may attain the accomplishment of a holder of indestructible reality belonging to the five enlightened families within three lifetimes. Sym- bolic meditation in this context includes the experiences of the five awakenings (mngon-byang lnga), the four yogas (mal-'byor bzhi), and the four seals (phyag-rgya bzhi) associated with the deity, and non-sym- bolic contemplation concerns the real nature of the mind. External observances are not, however, rejected.
Unsurpassed Yogatantra
The Unsurpassed Yogatantra (bla-na med-pa'i rgyud, Skt. Anuttara- emphasises the coalescence of skilful means and discriminat- 1ve awareness, and is said to surpass the lower tantras which have not abandoned duality. The three poisons are carried on the path - desire as the essence of bliss and emptiness, hatred as the essence of radiance
34 Fundamentals
Translator's Introduction 35
and emptiness, and delusion as the essence of awareness and emptiness - and the result may be achieved within a single lifetime. In the Nyingma tradition, the Unsurpassed Yogatantra is divided into Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga.
Mahayoga
Mahayoga (rnal-'byor chen-po) unites the mind in the superior body of reality, in which the two truths are indivisible. The continuum of the ground is established as the genuine view to be realised by means of four axioms. The continuum of the path has two stages, among which the path of skilful means (thabs-Iam) carries the three poisons on to the path by means of practices concerning the network of energy channels, currents and seminal points (rtsa rlung thig-Ie) within the body. The path of liberation (grol-lam) comprises a ground of discriminative aware- pess, a path ofcontemplation and, as its result, the status ofan awareness holder (rig-'dzin) is attained. Contemplation chiefly refers to the five contemplative experiences of the divine mal)9alas in their creation and perfection phases (bskyed-rim-dang rdzogs-rim) , which purify the rebirth process including the moment of death, the intermediate state after
death (bar-do), and the three phases of life (skye-ba rim-gsum). At the successful. conclusion of this practice one is said to become an awareness- holder and to actualise twenty-five resultant realities ofthe buddha level.
Anuyoga
Anuyoga (rjes-su rnal-'byor), or subsequent yoga, emphasises the perfec- tion phase, and so forms a bridge between the creation phase of Mahayoga and the Great Perfection of Atiyoga. The ground or view of Anuyoga is that the expanse of reality, which is the primordial mal)9ala of SamantabhadrI, and pristine cognition, which is the spontaneously present mal)9ala of Samantabhadra, are indivisible in the fundamental mal)9ala of enlightened mind.
The path of Anuyoga comprises these three mal)9alas of the ground, along with all the nine sequences of the vehicle. Among them the specific Anuyoga practices include the definitive path of skilful means (nges-pa'i thabs-Iam) in which the co-emergent pristine cognition of melting bliss is realised through the perfection of the energy channels, currents and seminal points within the body (see p. 286); and the liberat- ing path ofdiscriminative awareness (shes-rab grol-Iam) which establishes the view that all things are of the nature of the three mal)9alas, and employs both a non-symbolic contemplation of reality and a contempla- tion of the symbolic deity. While the divine mal)9alas of Mahayoga and the lower sequences are gradually created or generated, those of Anuyoga arise spontaneously in a perfect manner. The result is that the five paths and ten levels known to Anuyoga are traversed, all the
btle propensities which lead to rebirth in cyclical existence are refined, the rank of Samantabhadra is realised along with the twenty-five :esultant realities of the buddha level.
Key to the Appraisal of Secret Mantra Texts
At this point, Dudjom Rinpoche discusses the criteria by which the texts of the resultant vehicles of secret mantra are to be appraised. The language of the texts is said to observe six limits and their styles of presentation are said to number four. Each line or verse of the teaching of indestructible reality (vajrapada) is to be analysed in terms of these criteria before the meaning can be ascertained.
Atiyoga
According to the Nyingma tradition, the Great Perfection of Atiyoga (rdzogs-chen shin-tu rnal-'byor) or "highest yoga" is the climax of the nine sequences of the vehicle. The expanse of reality, the naturally present pristine cognition, is herein held to be the ground of great perfection. The eight lower sequences of the vehicle have intellectually contrived and obscured by their persevering activities the pristine cog- nition which intrinsically abides. Accordingly, the text says (pp. 294-5):
In this way the pious attendants and self-centred buddhas among the lower vehicles, with reference to the selflessness
which they realise, hold consciousness and atomic matter to J be the ultimate realities; and the proponents ofconsciousness
who hold consciousness, self-cognisant and self-radiant in nature, to be the absolute characteristic of ultimate reality,
do not transcend [the view of] mind and mental events har- boured by mundane beings. The Madhyamika adhere to a
truth of cessation scrutinised by four great axioms and the
like, concerning the absence of creation, absence of cessation, absence of being and absence of non-being, which are ap- praised according to the two truths, and they adhere to an emptiness which is, for example, like the sky, free from extremes and free from conceptual elaboration. The Kriyatantra among the lower ways of mantra hold that ac- are attained which delight the deity endowed WIth the three purities, by means of cleanliness and other such austerities. The Ubhayatantra are attached to super- ficialities in their equation of the higher view and the lower The Yogatantra, having regarded the blessing of ultImate reality as a deity, objectively refer to the yoga of
four seals. The Mahayoga holds that pristine cognition IS generated by incisive application ofthe creation stage, and
36 Fundamentals
Translator's Introduction 37
[practices associated with] the energy channels, currents and seminal points according to the perfection stage. The Anuyoga regards the expanse of reality and pristine cognition as mal). Qalas of the deity which are either to be created or are in the process of creation.
Since these lower sequences are all drawn together by the intellect, they are said to be points of great deviation (gol-sa) from the Great Perfection, as the long quotation from the Tantra o/the All-Accomplishing King (pp. 295-7) clearly demonstrates. They are said to have been de- signed and so intended for the differing degrees of acumen in those requiring training through the vehicle, or as stepping-stones to Atiyoga.
The Great Perfection, on the other hand, refers not to consciousness but to pristine cognition. It is the intrinsic awareness of mind-as-such (sems-nyid-kyi rang-rig), transcending the mind, and buddhahood is said to emerge not through compounded provisions but through realisation of pristine cognition without activity. Thus the nucleus of all Buddhist teachings, in the Nyingma view, is pristine cognition, and the establish- ment of it through intrinsic awareness is the path of the Great Perfection. While the structure of the buddha level was revealed in the third pro- mulgation by Sakyamuni, the path or means by which it is actualised was not revealed to the adherents of the causal vehicles. The lower mantras, too, are not considered to be definitive since they persevere with intellectually contrived activities. If the nucleus of pristine cogni- tion is not realised in accordance with the Great Perfection, all aspects of the path, such as the six transcendental perfections (pha-rol-tu phyin- pa drug), the creation stage and the perfection stage, will not transcend the ideas and scrutiny of one's own mind. Yet these aspects of the path are not, it is emphasised, to be renounced, since they are spontaneously perfect in the ground. So the text declares (p. 307):
. . . in this abiding nature that is free from all activity, all things belonging to the truth of the path are naturally com- plete, without effort, in the manner of a hundred rivers converging under a bridge.
Great Perfection is therefore defined as the naturally present pristine cognition, or as a sameness throughout the extent of cyclical existence and nirval). a, in which all lower sequences of the vehicle are perfected in a single essence.
The Divisions of Atiyoga
Within the teachings of Atiyoga, there are three modes of experiencing the goal of Great Perfection according to the nature of those who aspire to it. The text explains (p. 319):
There is the Mental Class (sems-sde), which teaches that all things are liberated from the extreme of renunciation, be- cause they are not separated from mind-as-such. There is the Spatial Class (klong-sde), which teaches that all appari- tions of reality are free from activity and liberated from the extreme of the antidote, because they are perfectly gathered in SamantabhadrI, the space of reality. And there is the profound Esoteric Instructional Class (man-ngag-sde), which teaches that the particular characteristics of truth itself are liberated from both extremes of renunciation and antidote, because they are established according to the modes of reality (yin-lugs).
The spiritual and philosophical goal of the Mental Class transcends the subject-object dichotomy. The compounded truth of the path as taught in the causal vehicles and lower mantras is determined in the great expanse of reality to be a pristine cognition of great purity and sameness. When the Mental Class is analysed, there are seven categories or areas of mind (sems-phyogs) in which this determination is made.
While the Mental Class holds the apparitions of reality to appear as the expressive power of mind-as-such, the spiritual and philosophical goal of the Spatial Class is the establishment of a great infinity of primordial liberation unscrutinised by mind. All that appears in the vast space of SamantabhadrI is an adornment of that array, free from all activities. The Spatial Class is divided into teachings concerning the Black Space propounded as Absence of Cause (klong nag-po rgyu-med-du smra-ba), the Variegated Space propounded as Diversity (klong khra-ba sna-tshogs-su smra-ba), the White Space propounded as the Mind (klong dkar-po sems-su smra-ba), and the Infinite Space in which Cause and
Result are Determined (klong rab-'byams rgyu-'bras la-bzla-ba).
While the Mental Class, referring to mind-as-such, mostly achieves profundity rather than radiance, and almost clings to mental scrutiny because it does not recognise the expressive power of radiance to be
reality, and while the Spatial Class almost falls into the deviation of
emptiness although it achieves both radiance and profundity, the
Instructional Class is considered to be superior to both because
gathers all apparitions of reality within reality itself. It is classified
Into three categories of the Random (kha-'thor), in which pristine
cognnion instantly arises without regard for formal structure, the Oral
T d··
ra nIOn (kha-gtam), which naturally shatters the source of all concep- tualisation and remains indefinite in character, and the Teaching which accords with its own Textual Tradition ofTantras (rgyud rang-gzhung-du that is, the Seventeen Tantras ofthe Esoteric Instructional Class
. GB Vols. 9-10), which turn to the origin of all transmitted precepts, WIthout renunciation or acceptance, saIPsara or nirval). a, or disputations
38 Fundamentals
Translalor's Introduction 39
regarding emptiness. These have their various subdivisions, and further subdivisions.
So in Atiyoga the awareness which transcends the mind is said to be a primordial liberation (ye-grol), a natural liberation (rang-grol) , a direct liberation (cer-grol), and a liberation from extremes (mtha'-grol). Once this intrinsic awareness or pristine cognition has been ascertained to be the distinctive doctrine, there are said to be two means of realising it, which are known as Cutting Through Resistance (khregs-chod) and AU-Surpassing Realisation (lhod-rgal).
The former, Cutting Through Resistance, is oriented towards the emptiness-aspect, or primordially pure awareness without conceptual elaboration, and so causes the cessation of inherently empty phenomena. The latter, All-Surpassing Realisation, clarifies the apparitional aspect, which includes material objects, into inner radiance in a spontaneously present manner, and so causes the cessation of apparitional reality. It is said that when firm experience in Cutting Through Resistance has come about, one dissolves finally into a great primordially pure point of liberation. The coarse atoms of the four elements are transformed into pristine cognition and vanish. If, however, activity on behalf of others is resorted to, the dissolving atoms emanate as, and leave behind, relics of four kinds, while the awareness centred in the buddha-body of reality acts on behalf of beings through unceasing emanation.
While it is held that Cutting Through Resistance directly liberates the bewildering appearance of objects in fundamental reality, the All- Surpassing Realisation brings about the liberation of all apparitional aspects of the three world realms of desire, form and the formless (see chart, pp. 14-1S) in the inner radiance or luminosity of a seminal point of five-coloured light which is the natural tone of awareness. Thus, the expanse of reality and its appearances, which are known as indes- tructible chains [of light, rdo-rye lu-gu rgyud], are the mature awareness itself. At the successful conclusion of this practice, it is held that the outer and inner elements of the three world realms all dissolve into inner radiance through a succession of four visionary appearances (snang-ba bzhi), and so all cyclical existence is reversed. The awareness enters a formless disposition, as in Cutting Through Resistance, but the buddha-body of form continues to appear in the manner of rainbow light, and to act on behalf of sentient beings. As such, it is known as the body of supreme transformation (,pho-ba chen-po'i sku, Skt. *maha- sankrantikaya), and this is recognised to be the buddha level attained by Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, Siiamafiju and others. If, for the while, there is no one requiring to be trained, the buddha-body of supreme transformation is absorbed into the body of reality or the youthful vase body (gzhon-nu bum-pa'i sku), the emanational basis of all pristine cognition, and the intrinsic awareness abides radiantly within it.
Furthermore, according to the esoteric instructions (man-ngag, Skt. amnaya/upadesa) of the _Perfection all belonging to cyclical existence and mrval). a are establIshed a dIsplay of. four . termediate states (bar-do, Skt. antarabhava), WhICh are respectIvely as the intermediate state of the birthplace, the intermediate state of the moment of death, the intermediate state of reality and the inter- mediate state of rebirth. Each of these transformations is provided with particular guidance, so that may conveyed to P? int of original liberation at any stage or III any CIrcumstance. It IS SaId that through the power of the descent of pristine cognition and the experien- tial cultivation of it in continuous yoga, the recollection of signs on the path, and the removal of obstacles, the result may be actualised within one lifetime.
Recapitulation of the Vehicles of Secret Mantra
Having detailed the overall meaning of the resultant vehicles of the secret mantra, Dudjom Rinpoche recapitulates them succinctly, categorising each sequence according to its entrance, view, moral dis- cipline, meditation, conduct and result.
This concludes the summary of the contents of the Fundamentals of the Nyingma School. The history of their transmission in India by Garap Dorje, Maiijusrlmitra, Jiianasutra, King Ja, Kukkuraja, Lllavajra and others, along with an account of their introduction to Tibet by Pad- masambhava, Vimalamitra, Buddhaguhya and so forth, has been recorded by Dudjom Rinpoche, in his History of the Nyingma School (mying-ma'i chos-'byung), which is published here in conjunction with the Fundamentals.
The History elaborately traces the distant lineage of transmitted pre- cepts (ring-brgyud bka'-ma) and the close lineage of concealed teachings or treasures (nye-brgyud gter-ma) from their first appearance in Tibet until the present century, and clearly indicates that the Nyingmapa for the most part remained aloof from the sectarianism which has so often been divisive in Tibetan history. Indeed, as the Author demonstrates, the destiny and propagation of all schools of Buddhism in Tibet have been interlinked from the earliest times.
THE LITERARY TRADITION REPRESENTED IN THE
FUNDAMENTALS
The literary heritage of the Nyingma tradition includes both tantras and siitras, along with the treatises or commentaries composed upon their intention over the centuries.
40 Fundamentals
Translator's Introduction 41
The tantras and sutras which emphasise the particular Nyingma teachings of Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga are found in the canonical transmitted precepts of the Kangyur (bka'-'gyur) and in the Collected Tantras ofthe Nyingmapa (rnying-ma'i rgyud-'bum). Among them, those which focus on Mahayoga are exemplified by the Tantra of the Secret Nucleus (rgyud gsang-ba'i snying-po, T 832, NGB Vol. 14), those which focus on Anuyoga are exemplified by the Siltra which Gathers All Inten- tions (mdo dgongs-pa 'dus-pa, T 829, NGB Vol. ll), and those which focus on Atiyoga are exemplified by the T antra o f the All-Accomplishing King (kun-byed rgyal-po, T 828, NGB Vol. I). However, there are many other texts which elaborate on each of these three categories. Among those which refer to the entire nine sequences of the vehicle there are the Tantra of the Great Natural Arising of Awareness (rig-pa rang-shar chen-po'i rgyud, NGB Vol. 10) and the Miraculous Key to the Storehouse (bang-mdzod 'phrul-lde, NGB Vol. 2).
The treatises composed by Indian scholars of the past on those trans- mitted precepts include long commentaries on specific texts such as those on the T antra o f the Secret Nucleus by LIlavajra (Srfguhyagarbha- mahatantraraja(fka, P 4718) and by Suryaprabhasirpha (Srfguhya- garbhatattvanirrJayavyakhyana(fka, P 4719). Yet they also include a tradi- tion of short, pithy explanations of the nine sequences of the vehicle, among which one should note the Garland of Views: A Collection of Esoteric Instructions (Upadesadarsanamala, P 4726) by Padmasambhava, the Sequence of the Path (Mayajalapathakrama, P 4736) by Bud- dhaguhya, the Lock ofthe Heart (Cittatdlaka, P 4758) by SrI Sirpha, and the Turquoise Display (gYu-thang-ma kras-dgu, P 4729) attributed to Nagarjuna.
When the Nyingma tradition was introduced to Tibet, the concise exegetical style was maintained by authors such as Kawa Peltsek who wrote the Seventeen/old Appearance of the Sequence of the View (Ita-rim snang-ba bcu-bdun-pa, T 4356).
During the medieval period of Tibetan history which followed the persecution of the Buddhist doctrine by Langdarma and its subsequent restoration, long treatises were composed concerning these "ancient translations" by Rongzom Pa1)<;iita (eleventh century), Yungtbnpa Dorjepel (1284-1365), Longcen Rapjampa (1308-63) and others. Longcenpa in particular was encouraged by his teacher Kumaradza (1266-1343) to compose the Seven Treasuries (mdzod-bdun) which definitively structured the entire Buddhist experience from the Nyingma point of view. These include his Treasury of Spiritual and Philosophical Systems (grub-mtha'i mdzod) which has had a profound in- fluence on later interpretations of the nine sequences of the vehicle. Among his other works, one should note the General Exposition [ofthe Sec- ret Nucleus, entitled] Dispelling Mental Darkness (spyi-don yid-kyi mun-pa sel-ba) which is a basic source-book for much of the present treatise.
Subsequently, Perna Trhinle (1641-1717) and Locen DharmasrI (1654-1717) have commented on the range of the in h 'r respective Collected Works, and have explored III depth the dIstant
r of transmitted precepts (ring-brgyud bka'-ma) and the meaning of Anuyoga Siltra which Gathers All Intentions (mdo dgongs-pa 'dus-pa, T 829, NGB Vol. 1I). The latter's Oral Teaching of the Lord of Secrets (gsang-bdag zhal-lung) is a primary source for the recapitulations found in Parts Three and Four of the present work.
In the eighteenth century, Jikme Lingpa (1730-98) intricately stated the view of the Nyingmapa tantras and the nine sequences of the vehicle in his nine volumes of Collected Works, particularly in the Treasury ofEn- lightened Attributes (yon-tan mdzod); and Gyurme Tshewang Chokdrup of Katok catalogued the Collected Tantras of the Nyingmapa in his Discourse Resembling a Divine Drum (rgyud-'bum dkar-chag lha'i che lta-bu), the first part of which corresponds closely to our present text.
During the nineteenth century, under the inspiration of his teacher the great Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgon Kongtrtil (1813-99) com- piled five anthologies (kong-spntl mdzod-lnga) which integrated the most important teachings from all schools of Buddhism.
More recently, Zhecen Gyeltsap and others have followed in this ec- lectic (ris-med) tradition, and Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912) has com- posed elaborate exegeses on Madhyamaka, on the mind in its natural state (gnyugs-sems), and on the integration of the views of intrinsic empti- ness (rang-stong) and extrinsic emptiness (gzhan-stongi within the sphere of the causal vehicles of dialectics. These are all included in the four cycles of his Collected Works, His Summary of the Spiritual and Philosophical Systems from Longcenpa's Wish-fulfilling Treasury (yid- bzhin mdzod-kyi grub-mtha' bsdus-pa) has been partially translated into English by H. V . Guenther. 9
These prominent texts and authors serve to illustrate the literary tradition which Dudjom Rinpoche has inherited. Looking back upon the development of the Nyingma exegetical tradition from the Indian period until the eclectic movement, he has produced a treatise, the which conforms to contemporary circumstances and re- Many Tibetans who currently practise the doctrine do so In a refugee environment, and so lack the time and resources which :vere once available for the detailed study ofvast commentaries. Captur- Ing, the elegance of traditional versification, and the scholarly insights whIch have gradually been acquired over the centuries, he has con- ? ensed the writings of past masters, presenting their reasoning in an contemporary manner, and at the same time has substan- tIated ,this summarisation with copious quotations from the concise eXegetIcal tradition of both Indian and Tibetan origin, which epitomises the Ancient Translation School.
42 Fundamentals
The formal title of this work is An Abridged Definitive Ordering of the Nyingma Teaching, the Ancient Translation School ofSecret Mantra, enti- tled Feast in which Eloquence Appears (gsang-sngags snga-'gyur rnying-ma- ba'i bstan-pa'i rnam-gzhag mdo-tsam brjod-pa legs-bshad snang-ba'i dga'- ston). Its two hundred and thirty-two Tibetan folios were composed dur- ing the summer of 1966. The xylographs for the first edition of the text were prepared in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India, where they are pre- served at the monastery of Zangdok Pelri. The text was subsequently re- printed in the Collected Works ofDudjom Rinpoche (Kalimpong, 1979).
GYURME DORJE
The Text
An Abridged Definitive Ordering ofthe Nyingma Teaching, the Ancient Translation School of Secret Mantra, entitled Feast in which Eloquence Appears
gsang-sngags snga-'gyurrnying-ma-ba'i bstan-pa'i rnam-gzhag mdo-tsam brjod-pa legs-bshad snang-ba'i dga '-ston
Verses of Invocation
May you who are the indestructible reality
Of the speech of all conquerors,
Having attained supreme accomplishment,
A level whose wonder cannot even be grasped,
And arisen embodied as an awareness-holder, Powerfully transforming the three spheres of existence, Orgyen Dorje Chang,lO confer your blessings.
May you who bind the entire network Of the supreme skilful means,
Which appears as great bliss,
In the seal of discriminative awareness, Which is emptiness in its natural state, Heruka, completely present
In mobile and motionless creatures, All-pervading lord and guru,
Grant protection until enlightenment.
When the brilliant, attractive lotus of eloquent discourse Born from the taintless ocean of doctrinal tradition Exudes honey drops of excellent meaning,
The feast of the discerning bee increases in all ways.
Introduction
[2b. 3-3a. l] On the basis of the unsurpassed aspiration and enlightened activity of the three ancestral religious kingsll who emanated in the land of snow mountains [Tibet], the field of the sublime and supreme Lokesvara,12 the Teaching of the Conqueror [Buddhism] was estab- lished. Its foundation was clearly made secure by the preceptors, mas- ters, pa1). Qitas, accomplished masters, bodhisattvas and translators who were representatives of the Teacher [Buddha] through their translations, exegeses, teachings, study, meditation, and attainment. Subsequently, an immeasurable number ofaccomplished awareness-holders manifestly equal to the Conqueror himself emerged, such as Nupcen Sangye Yeshe and his nephew [Nup Khulungpa Yonten Gyamtso], the generations of the Zur family, Nyang-rel Nyima Ozer, Rok Sherap-o, Rongzompa Choki Zangpo and Longcen Rapjampa. 13 Therefore, I wish to sum- marise and briefly explain the fundamentals of that body of teaching renowned as the Nyingma tradition or Ancient Translation School of the secret mantra, the exegesis, attainment and enlightened activity of which continue to be maintained without decline until the present day.
Part One
Doctrines of Sarrzsara and Nirvana
1 The Essence and Definition of Dharma
[3a. 1-4b. 5] At the outset, the doctrines of sarpsara and nirval)a must be recognised in general and their characteristics established. This has three aspects: essence, verbal definition and classification.
The essence is as follows: Mundane doctrines are characterised as those which, when referred to objectively, cause one to wander in the three realms by the power of corrupt deeds, and as those whose nature is flawed in such a way that suffering alone is experienced. Supramun- dane doctrines are characterised as those which destroy the two obscura- tions when founded upon the continuum of the mind, and which are endowed with positive attributes affording protection from the suffering of saqlsara. As it is said [in the Rational System ofExposition, Vyakhya- yukti, T 4061]:
The true doctrine (saddhanna) is that which removes all suffering and every obscuration.
The verbal definition is that the term dhanna, which is derived from the root dhr14 "to hold", holds or conveys ten meanings. The Wish- fulfiller (Amaratfkakamadhenu, T 4300) explains:
Because it holds everything It is the dhanna. 1S
In the Rational System ofExposition the ten meanings emerge as follows:
is that which is knowable, the path, nirval)a, an object of mind, merit, life, the scriptures, material objects, regulation, and the doctrinal traditions.
Accordingly, there are quotations from the siitras illustrating the
dhanna when it conveys the meaning of that which is knowable, or example:
Some things (dhanna) are compounded, Others are uncompounded.
52 Fundamentals: Doctrines ofSarrzsara and NirvalJa
And,
All things (dharma) should be known in that way.
When dharma conveys the meaning of the path, it may be illustrated by the words:
o monks, the wrong view is not the doctrine (dharma), but the correct view is the doctrine.
When it conveys the meaning of nirvu1). a, it may be illustrated by the words:
He took refuge in the doctrine (dharma).
When conveying the meaning of an object of mind, it may be illustrated by the expression "activity field of phenomena" (dharmayatana). When conveying the meaning of merit, it may be illustrated by the words:
He practised the doctrine (dharma) in the company of a retinue of queens and maidens,
When conveying the meaning oflife, it may be illustrated by the words: A childish person dearly holds to the things (dharma) which he sees.
When conveying the meaning of the scriptures, it may be illustrated by the words:
o monks, that which is called the doctrine (dharma) includes for instance the pitaka of the sutras and the pitaka of prose and verse combined.
When conveying the meaning of emergent objects, it may be illustrated by the words:
As for compounded substances, this is their reality (dharma). and:
Even I have not transcended the phenomenon (dharma) of death and the reality of death.
When conveying the meaning of regulation, it may be illustrated by the term "four doctrines (dharma) of a spiritual ascetic" ,16 and by the words:
o monks, to kill is not the doctrine, but to renounce killing is the doctrine (dharma).
And so forth. When it conveys the meaning of tradition, it may be illustrated by "national traditions" (dharma) and "ethnic traditions" (dharma).
If one then wonders how these [ten definitions] relate to the sense of the term "to hold", then the things which are knowable hold both
Essence and Definition ofDharma 53 . d'vidual and general characteristics. Individual characteristics are
as illustrated, for example, in the following words: Earth is hard, water wet, fire hot
And wind is light and mobile.
And the manner in which general characteristics are held may be illus- trated by the words:
All that is compounded is impermanent. All that is corrupt is suffering.
All things are devoid of self.
Nirvu1). a is peace.
By the path and nirvu1). a one is held from falling into sarpsura. By the object of mind the mind is held. By merit one is held from falling into evil existences. By the life-span or life itself one holds the body or its appropriate stations. The scriptures hold the unmistakable truth. Emer- gent objects hold that which has a transient basis. Regulations hold the precise foundation. Traditions uphold an idiosyncratic conduct; and by awareness [of all these] one is held apart from the area of bewilderment. Such analogies may be inferred by reason.
The classification is twofold, consisting of the doctrine of sarpsura and the doctrine of nirvu1). a. Concerning the distinction between these two, the [Long] Mother [i. e. the Transcendental Perfection ofDiscrimina- tive Awareness in One Hundred Thousand Lines] says:
Liberality is possessed by both mundane and supramundane
beings. What, you may ask, is mundane liberality? That
which, by the act of having made some offering, neither
moves beyond, nor sublimates, nor transcends the world,
is said to be mundane liberality. That which does move
beyond, sublimate, or transcend the world, by the act of
having made some offering, is called supramundane liber- ality.
According to such quotations, when one has reached a conclusion
through any method, the result is distinguished by having or lacking the power to sublimate the world.
2 Doctrines of Samsara
And:
Owing to that root which is the single indivisible! 7 cause,
The true essence is not perceived;
This, therefore, is the beginning of sarpsara.
And in the Great Array (bkod-pa chen-po):
Spontaneous presence arises as an object, Which is emptiness.