to the
perfection
stage.
Dudjom Rinpoche - Fundamentals and History of the Nyingmapa
After finally being united on the highest path, the. rank of one embodies the twenty-five resultant realities is actuahsed. . These prise: the five buddha-bodies, namely, the body of real. lty, the ctibl of perfect rapture, the body of emanation, the body of mdestru h
reality and the body of awakening; the five modes of namely, the speech of uncreated meaning, the speech of mtentl
e
THE TEXTS
OF MAHA YOGA
[162b. I-162b. 4] The pilaka in which these [Mahayoga teachings] are revealed comprises both the class oftantras (NGB Vols. 14-19) and the class of means for attainment (NGB Vols. 20-33),278 of which the former includes the Eight Sections of the Magical Net (sgyu-'phrul sde-brgyad,
NGB Vols. 14-15), including the Tantras of the Magical Net of Vaj- rasattva, and the latter, the eight general and particular classes ofmeans for attainment. These are [the cycles of]: MafijusrI the Body ('iam-dpal sku, NGB Vols. 20-2), Lotus the Speech (padma-gsung, NGB Vols.
23-4), Yangdak the Mind (yang-dag thugs, NGB Vol. 25), Nectar the Attributes (bdud-rtsiyon-tan, NGB Vol. 26), VajrakIla the Activity (phur-ba phrin-las, NGB Vols. 27-9) Matarah the LIberating Sorcery (ma-mo rbod-gtong, NGB Vols. 30-1, 33), the Mun-
dane Praise ('iig-rten mchod-bstod, NGB Vol. 32), and the Malign Mantra (dmod-pa drag-sngags, NGB Vol. 32). 279 In addition, there are Father tantras such as the Guhyasamaja, the Red) Black and Bhairava Tantras
fnYamantaka (gshin-lje-? shed gsum, T 468-70, 473-5, 478), d those such as the Hzdden Poznt ofthe Moon (Candraguhyatilakatantra
1 _477), Mother tantras such as the Cakrasarrtvara (1 368) and
kalacakra,
which should also be subsumed within [Mahiiyoga].
6 Anuyoga
of the expanse and pristine cognition, and in whom both of these [rnaI). Qalas] abide in coalescence, essentially without differentiation.
These form the ground which is to be realised and, together with the path through which it is realised, are all subsumed and then explained under three yogas. The General Sutra which Gathers All In- tentions says:
Friends! what, one might ask, is the inconceivable form? One unites with the form of all things, which is inconceiv- able, through three kinds of yoga. Just what are these three? are the yoga which is an object of activity, the yoga WhICh performs that activity and the yoga which is not an object of activity.
In the Root Tantra ofAll-Gathering Awareness (rtsa-rgyud kun-'dus rig-pa, T these are also spoken of as the yoga of the basis, the yoga of condltlOnS and the yoga of the result.
Subsuming and teaching the intention of both these tantras, the root and the exegesis,281 in a single meaning, the Summation ofthe Meaning of the Secret Sutra (GuhyasutrapirJ4artha, P 4751) says:
from the definitive vehicle of ultimate reality, WhIch, with all-positive compassion on behalf of living
beings,
Instructs through the appearance of three vehicles, The truth of the siitras and tantras,
Which illustrate the secret approach,
Should be known to be of three kinds:
The yoga of the basis which is an object of activity, That of the conditions which perform the activity, And that of the result which is free from activity, Are explained to be the root of all things.
. In way, there are three yogas, namely, those of the basis which IS an object of activity, of the conditions which perform the activity and of the result which is free from activity, among which the first as follows. The abiding nature of all things is the reality which abides r;rfectlyand distinctly, as the nature of the three This
ummatwn of the Meaning] says:
All things, as many as there are outer and inner distinctions,
Primordially abide in the disposition of enlightened mind.
This is the meaning of tantra which is to be known.
. Concerning the second of these yogas: Rebirth in mundane existence IS transcended . by persevering on the path. This refers to the three
[162. b. 4-163. a. 2] Secondly, concerning the Anuyog. a transmissions [which emphasise] the perfection [stage]: The [Sansknt] Anuyoga con- veys the sense of subsequent yoga. It forms the connecting link between the Mahayoga of the creation [stage] and the vehicle of extremely perfect yoga [i. e. Atiyoga]. The view which is to be realised according t? is
[Anuyoga] is that all things are buddhahood from the very in the fundamental maI). Qala of enlightened mind, charactensed as a coalescence of the expanse [of reality] and pristine cognition, in which the three kinds of maI). Qala are indivisible. It says in the General Sutra
which Gathers All Intentions:
Since everything is therein identical,
The supreme bliss of primordial buddhahood Is the nucleus without creation or cessation. The three maI). Qalas, where there is no activity,
Are accomplished from the beginning, spontaneously present.
THE GROUND OF ANUYOGA
[163a. 2-164b. 1] Now the three kinds of maI). Qala are, firstly, the
dial maI). Qala (ye ji-bzhin-pa'i gathers all thmgs
sl
phenomenal existence, sarpsara and mrvaI). a, m the natural expres power of the mind, and which is uncreated free all extremes of conceptual elaboration, the pure spaclOus expanse
the mother consort SamantabhadrI: The second. is the
present mandala of natural expresslOn (rang-bzhm lhun-grub-kyz dky 'khor), the present pristine cognition that is which all-pervasively arises manifest in and of itself, without unimpeded throughout the entire extent of this [expanse]. The thl! .
is the fundamental maI). 9ala of enlightened mind (rtsa-ba dkyil-'khor), the supreme bliss or offspring in whom there is no duahty
Anuyoga 285
286 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
vehicles of pious attendants, self-centred buddhas and bodhisattvas which cause one to enter into the provisional result of tranquillity. As
the above text says:
This vehicle, in which guidance is effected By conduct endowed with perseverance,
Is the condition which performs the activity.
As for the third of these yogas: It refers to the outer and inner vehicles of the mantras which are without the hopes and doubts connected with the laborious attainment that seeks the result extraneously, because the reality of the mind is naturally pure from the beginning. This same
text again says:
Proceeding through study, thought and meditation, One enters in three ways:
The mind [pursues] ideas and scrutiny,
Truth, and syllables.
First, [the mind] which pursues ideas and scrutiny establishes the
view that precedes the path. The spiritual and philosophical
system of [Anuyoga] holds the apparitions of reality as the objects
THE
Without hoping or striving for a result elsewhere, The path abides in that which is to be attained. So it is that this vehicle of supreme skilful means
Is free from activity.
P A TH OF ANUYOGA
Concerning the second [way ofentering the liberating path ofdiscrimina- a w a r e n e s s ] : T h e w h i c h p u r s u e s t h e t r u t h a b i d e s i n t h e n o n - s y m - bolIc, non-conceptualIsIllg contemplation. The meditating intellect is es- tablished just as it is in the corresponding disposition of reality which is the object of meditation. The Siltra which Gathers All Intentions says:
Having established the intellect just as it is284 In the corresponding reality,
There is an unwavering recollection
Derived from that inexpressible disposition.
As for the third [way of entering the liberating path of discriminative The mind which pursues syllables refers to contemplative medItatIOn on the symbolic deity. The uncommon distinction of this pat? is that, by the mere recitation of the seed-syllables or mantras, the different supporting [celestial palaces] and supported III the manner of a fish leaping from the water,285 there is an expenential cultivation which emphasises clear, distinct meditation on all worlds and their contents as the deity's celestial palace and the circle of the maI)qala.
THE RESULT OF ANUYOGA
[l6Sb. 1-166a. 6] Concerning the result which is accomplished through
the attainment of these [paths]: Beings of great intellectual power be-
free from the effort involved in traversing the sequence of levels
a. nd paths because they have all at once reached the limit of all realisa-
tIons and experiences. Those of middling and inferior intelligence who
hav . h '
e. en er gradually or all-surpassingly traversed the four paths of
Iearn h' h
clu . mg w IC correspond to the ten levels, are united with the con-
Slve result of the path of no-more-Iearning.
Now the first level, that ofindefinite transformation (,gyur-ba ma-nges-
Pa'i s ) 286 d h . .
a , an t second level, that of the basIs of rehance (brten-pa
[164b. 1-16Sb. l] The two latter kinds of yoga are called the path which is common to all, and if, among them, the path of this extraordinary [Anuyoga] is classified, it comprises both the definitive path of skilful means (thabs-kyi nges-pa'i lam) and the liberating path of discriminative
awareness (shes-rab rnam-par grol-ba'i lam). As the same text says: Its essence is of skilful means
And discriminative awareness.
The former path is the skilful means whereby the supreme, ing bliss, or the co-emergent pristine cognition of melting bliss, IS attained. It includes both esoteric instructions concerning the door of skilful means" (thabs steng-sgo'i man-ngag) through which medI- tation connected with the four centres gradually leads to the co-emergent
pristine cognition, and esoteric instructions concerning the "lower door of skilful means" (thabs 'og-sgo'i man-ngag) which immediately lead to the co-emergent pristine cognition by relying on the meditative absorp- tion connected with the secret [or sexual] centre [of the consort]. That
[Summation of the Meaning of the Secret Sutra] says:
Through skilful means of esoteric instruction, Such as concerns the "source of all display" ,282 One enters therein.
Concerning the latter, [the liberating path of discriminative aware- ness], the above-cited passage continues:
to be cogmsed, and, by a particularising analysis through the axioms 283 h'h . h h . .
of w I. C cogmse t em, t e abIdmg nature of all things is establIshed as the meffable, unthinkable, inexpressible nature of the three primordial maI)qalas of reality.
Anuyoga 287
288 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
gzhi'i sa), are subsumed by the yoga of the spiritual warrior who aspires on the path of provisions (tshogs-Iam 'dun-pa sems-'dpa'i mal-'byor) and bring the accomplishment of the divine body of devoted conduct, the clairvoyance of common accomplishment, supernormal cognitive POWer and so forth.
The next three levels [the third, fourth and fifth], which are called the level of important purification (gal-chen sbyong-ba'i sa), the level of the continuity of training (bslab-pa rgyun-gyi sa) and the level of suPpOrt- ing merit (bsod-nams rten-gyi sa), are subsumed by the yoga which reveals the great enlightened family of the path of connection (sbyor-Iam rigs-chen 'byed-pa'i mal-'byor), and bring accomplishment of the divine body [which coalesces] vital energy and mind.
After all corruption has then ceased and the coarse, transitory bliss which depends on progress in conduct connected with the provisions has been destroyed, the [sixth] level of superior progress through re- liance (brten-pas khyad-par-du 'gro-ba'i sa) is subsumed by the yoga which confers the great liberating inspiration of the path of insight (mthong-Iam dbugs-chen 'byin-pa'i mal-'byor), and brings the accomplish- ment of the divine body in which bliss and emptiness [are coalesced] in inner radiance.
Then, there is the [seventh] level which gives birth to the result with reference to the aftermath of inner radiance on the path of insight (mthong- lam 'od-gsal-las langs-pa'i rjes-la dmigs-pa 'bras-bu skye-ba'i sa). This is subsumed by the yoga which obtains the great prophetic declaration of the path of meditation (sgom-lam lung-chen thob-pa'i rnal_'byor),287 and brings the uninterrupted accomplishment of the divine body in which pristine cognition and the pure [path of] learning are coalesced.
The next three levels, that is, the [eighth] level of unchanging abode (gnas-pa mi-'gyur-ba'i sa), the [ninth] level of expanding reality (bdal-ba chos-nyid-kyi sa) and the [tenth] level of riding on perfection (rdzogs-pa ci-chibs-kyi sa), are subsumed by the yoga which perfects the great expressive power of the final path (mthar-Iam rtsal-chen rdzogs-pa'i rnal- 'byor).
Thereafter, the resultant empowerment is conferred according to the path of great desire ('dod-chags chen-po'i lami88 which depends on the unobstructed path at the conclusion of the path of no-more-Iearning, and the subtle propensities which transfer consciousness to the three appearances (snang-gsum) are also purified. 289 The rank of the glorioUS Samantabhadra, who is the identity of the four buddha-bodies and five pristine cognitions, is mastered. This is the essence in which the twenty- five resultant realities are indivisible and spontaneously present, coalesced in the path of no-more-learning, and it is thereby that deeds on behalf of those requiring training are performed through enlightened activity which is permanent, pervasive and spontaneously aCCOlnp- lished. It is said in the Summation of the Meaning of the Secret Sutra:
Anuyoga 289
Concerning the nature of the result:
The perfect Buddha is an infinity
Subsumed in the twenty-five aspects
Of speech, mind, enlightened attributes and aCtIVitIes;
This is a spontaneously perfect omniscience.
THE TEXTS OF ANUYOGA
Now the pitaka in which this [Anuyoga] is revealed the. Four Root (rtsa-ba'i mdo bzhi, NGB Vols. 11-12) ":lth All-Gatherzng Awareness, the Six Tantras which Clarify the Szx Lzmzts (mtha'-drug gsal-bar byed-pa'i rgyud-drug, NGB Vol. 13), the Rare bcu-gnyis, NGB Vol. 13) and the Seventy Lzterary Transmzsszons (lung-gi yi-ge bdun-cu).
7 Key to the Appraisal of Secret Mantra Texts
continuu. m of the basis, the nucleus of the tathagata and the supreme, unchangmg Great Seal. For example, it is said in the Hevajra Tantra (Pt. 1, Ch. 1, v. 12):
The great cognition abides in the body;
It has genumely renounced all conceptions
And it pervades all substances. '
It abides in the body but is not born from the body.
Intention is explained to be that which is understood with reference to the intentional of the meaning, when bound by the use of [apparently] contradIctory expressions. This is because there are differ- phrases of reality which express a single point pertain- mg to the creatIOn and perfection stages. And there are also intentions diverse meaning in a single phrase of indestructible reality, wIth reference to whIch there is an intention directed towards time an intention directed towards meaning and an intention directed thought. The first. kind of intention is exemplified by the following words the Lztany of the Names of Manju§rf, v. 141c] which were spoken wIth an intention directed to events in future time:
Perfect buddhahood is attained in an instant.
. The sec? nd kind ofintention [that which is directed towards meaning] IS by t? e quotation from the Mahamaya Tantra whIch has an mtentIon duected t? the necessity ofpermanently enjoying of buddhas, . PraJfiaparamita, who, in the manner of a
eflected Image, IS the emptmess endowed with all supreme aspects:
Having been snatched away from all the buddhas, The daughter born from the supreme deity Should be enjoyed.
is ;he thi:d kind of intention [that which is directed towards thought] . xemp. hfied by the following quotation from the Hevajra Tantra
whlchwItha. t. d' d ' , n mentIOn Irecte toward the necessity of slaying egotism
under the name of the "vital energy of great life-breath" (smg- c en-po 1 rlung) says:
You should slay living creatures (smg-chags). 290
there are passages which are clearly understood regarJ the rev. elatIOn their actual words of expression, without and ar or the basIs of meaning. These are not intentional,
e exemplIfied m the following quotation:
You should not slay living creatures.
You should. not speak words of falsehood.
[166b. l-166b. 2] The uncommon tantras, literary transmissions, esoteric instructions and definitively secret tantras in which phrases of in- destructible reality (vajrapada) are most profoundly contained, are never established by the scriptural authority and reasoning of pretentious
sophistry, but they are to be understood by means of the six limits and the four styles of appraisal.
THE SIX LIMITS
[166b. 2-168a. l] It is said in the Root Tantra ofthe Kiilacakra (Kiilacakra-
mulatantra) T 362):
Tantras are characterised by these six limits:
There are those which employ the language of [hidden]
intention
And likewise those which do not,
Those which are literal and likewise those which are not, And those of provisional meaning and ofdefinitive meaning.
A single string of phrases of indestructible reality (vajrapada) reveals
different meanings with an intention directed toward those who e
and those who possess the fortune to understand the meaning of genUln reality. Among these [vajrapada] there are those of provisional meaning which refer to skilful means and its aspects and introduce the inner structure of the mandalas including those made of coloured powder, of offerings, hand gestures or seals, and of burnt offerings,
the creation stage and the attainment of ritual feast offerings and SO forth. There are also those of definitive meaning, referring to the textS which teach the binding of the energy channels, currents and "en- lightened mind" [i. e. seminal points] according to the perfection stage, and the abiding nature of the naturally radiant mind which is the
Key to Secret Mantra Texts 291
292 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Those texts which are literal are the rituals including maJ)Qalas, burnt offerings and torma offerings, which are taught through the language familiar in treatises, and so forth, mundane in word and meaning. Those which are not literal are unknown in the mundane treatises and
bound by the mysterious, symbolic language of the Tathagata, as exemplified by kotiikhyii and so forth among the names for the ten kinds of vital energy, and by iilikiili ["vowels and . consonants"]: which
is employed as a name for the rites concerned WIth sexual umon and "liberation,,291 in the Tantra ofthe Secret Nucleus. Since all secret expres- sions and meanings do not bypass these, they are called the six limits.
THE FOUR STYLES
[168a. 1-169. 4] Secondly, concerning the four styles [employed the exegesis of these texts], it is said in the Tantra of the CompendIum of the Indestructible Reality of Pristine Cognition (Vajrajiiiinasamuccaya-
tantra, T 447):
The four styles of exegesis are the lexical,
The general, the concealed and the conclusive.
The first among them, [the lexical style,] refers to the appraise merely the meaning of the syllables: Arranged m conformIty with the texts of grammar and logic, they are said to be lexical or,
according to the Henlka Galpo, semantical.
The second, the general style, is of three kinds. The first of these
counters the regret felt by one entering [the vehicles of] the sutras and so forth. If one who first enters the sutra [vehicles] or the Kriyatantra and Caryatantra without having ent. ered into this easy of the inner mantras feels regret WIth the thought that, ThIS IS no
good", [according to the general style of exegesis] these [le. sser are supports for the path of this [way of inner mantras]. It IS also sal
in the SiUra [which Gathers All Intentions]:
One endowed with the supreme skilful means Transforms conflicting emotions
Into aspects of enlightenment.
without and other aspects of purity, and that it is an extremIst doctnne because it propounds dangerous rites of sexual union and within the doctrine, then these [rites and con- are SaId to be general because they are a common object of for the sutras and so forth also claim that one who practises, thmkmg to renounce attachment, even after practising rites of sexual union and "liberation" with a virtuous mind such as killing an evil
,
sleepmg WIth a merchant's daughter,293 is un- covered by faults and that one's merit immeasurably increases. This is because, if attachment to filth and purity has not been renounced the
meaning of reality is not realised. ' The third general exegesis is that of the creation stage. It is so called medItatIOn on the supporting celestial palaces, sup- ported deItIes a? d other aspects connected with the creation stage are the objects of training according to both the creation and the
perfectIOn stages.
concealed style applies to concealed doctrines, such as
those w? Ich dIsplay the action seal (karmamudrii) and rites of meditative it is improper for them to emerge in public as- semblIes. There also the concealed style of the relative truth, including that of stage, which refers to the energy channels, currents. and semmal pomts as a blessing for oneself (sviidhi$thiina). These are concealed because they are like a kernel, entering between the two extremes [of skilful means and discriminative awareness].
[the c? nclusive style refers to] the perfection stage of inner the reality in which these [experiences] are sealed, IS the conclUSIOn of the path. And [it refers to] the realisation In whIch the two truths are coalesced, that is, the conclusion ofthe result.
four styles. are known as the four styles of exegesis. They are
because a smgle phrase of indestructible reality has to be dif-
[eretd· d .
n In accor ance WIth the lower and superior degrees of acu-
WIthout possessing these esoteric instructions, however refined the I? eaS and scrutiny of one's thoughts may be, one cannot realise the crUCIal secret of genuine [reality]; and one who does possess them easily
to realise the secret intention of the vehicle of indestructible realIty.
This is said to be general because the sutras and so forth also that among other features of the easy and swift path, the provislOnds
, f . . ecte of many aeons can be amassed by a single wave 0 conn. 1
with the provisions if one is endowed with the extraordmary skilfu
means of sharp acumen. e The second [general style of exegesis] counters the regret felt by on
entering the inner mantras. I f one feels regret with thoughts that conduct in this [vehicle] resembles that of dogs and pigs because It IS
·1 292 d armed assaI ant an
. . '
Key to Secret Mantra Texts 293
8 The Superiority of Atiyoga, the Great Perfection
of freedom from extremes and freedom from conceptual elaboratIon and so forth . . The Kriyatantra among the lower ways of mantra that are attained which delight the deity endowed with the three puntes, by means of cleanliness and other such
294
austerities. The Ubhayatantra
of the higher and the lower conduct. The Yogatantra, havmg regarded the blessmg of ultimate reality as a deity, objectively refer. t? yoga of the four seals. The Mahayoga holds that pristine cognItIOn IS generated by incisive application of the creation stage and [practices associated with] the energy channels, currents and seminal points according.
to the perfection stage. And the Anuyoga regards the
[of. realIty] and pristine cognition as of the deity whICh are either to be created or are in the process of creation.
In short, all [of the vehicle], from Anuyoga down- wards, are spIntual and philosophical systems contacted t h r o u g h t h e ? f t h e m , t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e i n t e l l e c t , p r o d u c e such thoughts. as, thIS IS non-eXIstent, this empty, and this is true". Apart thIS and their convictions and their boasting through ideas and scrutmy. that ! ies within the subject-object dichotomy, they do not the abIdmg nature of the natural state, just as it is.
Accordmgly, it is said in the Sutra of the Nucleus of the Tathiigata:
The king assembled many blind men and, showing them an elephant, commanded, "Describe its particular characteris- tics. " Those among them who felt the elephant's nose said that it resembled an iron hook. Those who felt the eyes said that they resembled bowls. Those who felt the ears said they winnowing baskets. Those who felt the back said resembled a sedan chair, and those who felt the tail said
It resembled a string. Indeed, though they did not describe the elephant as anything else, they were lacking in overall Similarly, though the nature of the Buddha IS described as emptiness, as illusory, as inner radIance and so forth, there is no overall understanding.
·f These paths have obscured the meaning of the Great Perfection and
their r. ealisations while abiding in the path of the Great
Ac It IS explamed to be a point of deviation (gal-sa). The All- comp/zshzng King says:
The six vehicles of definitive attainment
Are taught to be deviation points, according to the Great Perfection.
If one asks how this is the case
The sl1tras of the bodhisattava [vehicle] Uphold the . level of Universal Light.
[169a. 4-183a. 6] Thirdly, [following Mahayoga and Anuyoga,] there is the explanation of the definitive order of Atiyoga, the Great Perfection, which is the climax of all vehicles and the culmination of all [paths] to be traversed. This is revealed in two parts: its superiority over the lower [vehicles] and its divisions.
As to the first: This king among vehicles holds the expanse [of reality], the originally pure mind-as-such whose natural expression is inner radiance, and the naturally present, unchanging, pristine cognition that spontaneously abides in oneself to be the ground of great perfection. In the estimation [of Atiyoga], the vehicles of the eight lower sequences have intellectually contrived and altered that which is unchanging ex- clusively through their suddenly arisen ideas which never experience what in fact is so. They have applied an antidote to and abandoned that which is not to be renounced. They have referred to as flawed that in which there is nothing to be clarified, with an intellect which desires clarification. They have induced dissension with respect to that which is not to be obtained by their hopes and doubts that it is to be elsewhere obtained; and they have obscured the pristine cognition, which intrins- ically abides, by their strenuous efforts, with respect to that which is effortlessly present. Hence, they have had no occasion to make contact with the reality of the fundamental nature.
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 be the ultimate realities; and the proponents of consciousness (Vijfiiinaviida) 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 harboured by mundane beings. The Madhyamika adhere to a truth of cessation scrutinised by four great axioms and the like, concern- ing the absence of creation, absence of cessation, absence of being and absence of non-being, which are appraised according to the two truths. And they adhere to an emptiness which is, for example, like the sky,
Superiority ofAtiyoga 295
are attached to superficialities in their
Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
296
Through ideas and scrutmy concermng They hold reality to be empty as the sky.
The and scrutiny. and scrutiny is obscured by the
sutras. . ding to the Great Perfection, Ideas and scruuny, accor . _
In the pure maQQala of one's own mind,
The four branches of ritual service and rites of attainment
are achieved.
The supreme bliss of Atiyoga, however,
Is the enlightened mind transcending perseverance. That which transcends perseverance is obscured by
Mahayoga.
Perseverance, according to the Great Perfection, Is explained to be the deviation in Mahayoga.
The Anuyoga upholds indivisibility.
Having entered through the expanse and pristine
cognition,
The things which accordingly appear include
The cause, which is the view of the pure expanse, And the result, which is viewed as the maQQala of
pristine cognition.
The supreme bliss of Atiyoga, however,
Is the enlightened mind transcending cause and
result.
That which transcends cause and result is obscured
by Anuyoga.
To behold a duality of cause and result, according to the
Great Perfection,
Is explained to be the deviation in Anuyoga.
These [sequences of the vehicle] are created and fabricated by the mind, and yet [they hold that] the mind inclusive of the ideas present in all eight aggregates [of consciousness] is a stain to be rejected. This natural Great Perfection, on the other hand, refers to mind-as-such transcending the mind, the uncompounded inner radiance of pristine cognition which is the natural presence of awareness, in which all the enlightened attributes offundamental nature are spontaneously present. Apart from that, its essential point is that the abiding nature, charac- terised in the manner of the sky as unchanging, does not need to refer to causes and results that are either to be created or are in the process of creation, or to extraneous conditions and such elements, because it is naturally free from them. Thereby, [the Great Perfection] teaches that the nature of the Primordial Lord, Samantabhadra, is the buddha- hood attained without contrivance, by realising in one's own nature the naturally present pristine cognition, and that it does not otherwise emerge through extraneous conditions such as study, reflection and the accumulations of compounded provisions.
It is said in the Sutra of the Adornment of Pristine Cognition's Appear- ance which Penetrates the Scope ofAll Buddhas:
I · Are exp ame
d to be the deviation m the sutras. 'bl
lity .
. .
the twO truths
h Ids the holder of indestrucu e rea Knyatantraup0 . df 'ty
. -
H vin entered through the km. s 0 pun '.
dichotomy abIdes m a pure object. The supreme bliss AdtiYOga, subject-object
Is the enlightened mm transcen subject-object dichotomy is obscured
by Kriya. . d' Objectification and subjectificauon, accor mg
. and conduct of the Ubhayatantra. Concerning vle. w K . . _ d the attainment as in Yoga.
Th d ct IS as m nya an . is no point in [artificially] connecting VIew
and conduct,
They do not realise the truth.
The supreme bliss of Auyoga,
. h d 'nd without duahty.
Is the enhg tene ml d r ' bscured by Ubhayatantra.
Great Perfection,
Are explained to be the deviatIOn m Knyatantra. .
Thatwhichisfreefrom uattyIS0 .
That which creates duality, accordmg to the
Great
Perfection, .
Is explained to be the deviation m Ubhayatantra.
h ld the Bounteous Array.
The Yogatantra 0 s h bolic and non-symbolic
Having entered tt throug sym methods ,295
The four seals are emphasised.
It cannot be entered without acceptance
bl' f Atiyoga however, The supreme ISS 0 . '
and rejection.
.
ce and rejeCtion.
. . '
Is the enlightened mind wIthout is That which is without acceptance an
obscured by d' to the Great Perfection, Accepting and reJectmg, Yogatantra.
Are explained to be the deViatIOn m
h Ids the Vajradhara. . The Mahayoga up 0 h kIf I means and discriminatIve
Having entered throug s 1 u awareness,
_
to the
Superiority ofAtiyoga 297
298
Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Nothing at all is seen by the buddhas, nor heard, nor in- tended, nor known, nor is the object ofomniscience. Nothing has been said or expressed by the buddhas. The buddhas neither speak nor make expression. The buddhas will not resort to speech and they will not resort to expression. The buddhas do not become manifestly, perfectly enlightened. The buddhas have not caused anything to become mani- festly, perfectly enlightened. The buddhas have not re- nounced conflicting emotions. The buddhas have not actu- ally disclosed purity. Nothing at all is seen by the buddhas, nor heard, nor tasted, nor smelt, nor known, nor cognised. If you ask why this is the case, MafijusrI, it is because all things are utterly pure from the beginning.
The lord Maitreya [in the Supreme Continuum of the Greater Vehicle, Ch. l, v. S I] has also said:
Subsequently, just as it was before, Is the unchanging reality.
And also [Ch. l, v. S]:
Uncompounded and spontaneously present,
It is not realised through other conditions.
According to such quotations, the natural expression or abiding nature, the fundamental nature or the reality of all things is uncompounded and uncreated through causes and conditions. It is not dependent on others, is not realised through extraneous conditions, and does not abide in a goal that is attained by the intellect.
It is said in the Sutra of the Dialogue with Kasyapa from the Sublime Pagoda of Precious Jewels:
That which is uncompounded is the enlightened family of the sublime ones. That which is the enlightened family of the sublime ones neither adheres to the training, nor tran- scends the training. That which neither adheres to the train- ing, nor transcends the training neither moves, nor rests, nor rushes. That which neither moves, nor rests, nor rushes, has neither mind, nor the properties which emerge from mind. That which has neither mind, nor the properties which emerge from mind possesses neither deeds, nor the ripening of deeds. That which possesses neither deeds, nor the ripen- ing of deeds knows neither pleasure nor pain. That which knows neither pleasure nor pain is the enlightened family of the sublime ones. That which is the enlightened family of the sublime ones possesses neither deeds, nor deed-form- ing volition.
Superiority ofAtiyoga 299 Thep, in the Sutra of the Greater Vehicle which Decisively Reveals the
Intention it is said:
The inexpressible and manifestly perfect buddhahood which is by the Sublime Ones through their sublime per- ceptIOn and sublime vision, is called uncompounded because itisthisinexpressiblerealitywhichistobeperfectlyrealised.
And in the Root Stanzas on the Madhyamaka eCh. IS, vv. I-2):
It is incorrect that independent existents
Emerge from causes and conditions.
That which has emerged from causes and conditions Would be a created independent existent.
In what way would it be admissable
To speak of a created independent existent?
For an independent existent must be uncontrived And not dependent on any other.
Extensive quotations, such as these, visibly set the tone in accordance with which the abiding nature of fundamental reality, the uncom- pounded pristine cognition transcending causes and conditions which is the spiritual and philosophical goal of the Great Perfection, is mani- festly realised.
Concerning the way in which this reality is established to be free from extremes also, it is said [in the same text, Ch. IS, v. 6] :
Whoever views independent existents, dependent existents,
Substantiality and non-substantiality, Has not seen the reality
Of the teaching of the Buddha.
Andc . h
ous t e sequence ? f. the path of Great Perfection, glori-
h Naropa s Means for Attaznzng the Real (de-kho-na-nyid sgrub-pa'i tabs zhes-bya-ba rdzogs-pa-chen-po'i lam-gyi rim-pa) says:
and sentient beings have a single nature.
ThIS mystery of the mind's pristine cognition
Is more amazing than the truth of the nucleus.
? ody in which the naturally present greatness IS Identified
Is the supreme, perfect bliss of intrinsic awareness. The emanational body in which spirituality appears Is . the secret mind, not essentially existing.
It IS the indivisibility of the apparent and the invisible . .
300 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Then concerning the fact that this [Atiyoga] does not objectively refer to 'a path as do the lower [vehicles], that same text says:
In the nucleus of perfect pristine cognition The goal is reached without a sequential path.
Now, if one were to ask just what of the. teaching of these lower sequences [ofthe vehicle], a IS e. lther wah reference to the intellectual degrees of those who reqUIre trammg, as the means by which one on a lower [path], having trained the mmd, gradually
. thO path [of Atiyoga] or else as a support for the path. The entersmto IS , . ' '.
nucleus of all the Sugata's teachings, the IS . . 't'on alone the transcendental perfection 0 IscnmmatlVe
abides without contradiction in the nature of the Great Perfection. This intention comprises the unaltered intention of the Collection of Madhyamaka Reasoning, which consists of the commentaries on the intermediate promulgation by the sublime and supreme Nagarjuna; and his [Collection of Eulogies] including the Eulogy to the Expanse of Reality, and the commentaries by the regent Maitreya, the sublime and supreme Asailga, and his brother [Vasubandhu] and so forth, which together form the intention of the final [promulgation]. If one were to ask why this is the case, it is because these masters did not claim anything other than the profound abiding nature of natural reality, and because the Great Perfection itself is none other than that.
Although the path through which this reality is actualised is superior only in the mantras, on further examination the lower ways of mantra consist of merely the symbolic and non-symbolic stages [of meditation]. The Six-limbed Yoga of the Kalacakra T 1367) which is renowned as supreme among the Unsurpassed tantras, the Five Stages (Paficakrama, T 1802) and others,297 too, merely explain the ten signs of inner radiance and the form of emptiness which is a reflection of the three spheres of existence within a black outline. 298 These are perceived by controlling the activity of the energy channels, currents and seminal points. As the experience of this perception increases and decreases, even one who has meditated appropriately cannot attain the body of indestruc- tible reality in which the elements have dissolved into light. Thus, those of lowly fortune contact herein not the definitive meaning but merely the
provisional meaning. So it is said by Naropa:
The single definitive means is the truth of the nucleus. The four successive seals and the six-limbed yoga,
The diverse vehicles of thought,
Have resorted to the provisional and not the definitive. The essential nature is neither high nor low.
It ends the thoughts conceived by those who devoutly enter.
Furthermore, the meditation of the creation stage according to the lower [paths] merely effects the ripening of the perfection stage, and, through that meditation, nothing but [the result] of a sky-farer is ac- complished by an awareness-holder of the desire realm or an awareness- holder of the form realm, whichever is appropriate in accord with the distinctions between the action seal and the seal of pristine cognition (kannamudra and jnanamudra). 299 Again, though one may desire to develop pristine cognition through the flexibility of the energy channels, currents and seminal points in accordance with the perfection stage, the conditions of tiresome efforts are not transcended. Even one who desires to develop the pristine cognition of bliss and emptiness in accord- ance with the thi. rd empowerment,300 subsequent on the delight experi-
pnstme cogm
1,
. dh
the natural state which is just what IS; an t e perlect awareness, . f. . .
establishment of it through the direct perceptIOn 0 mtnnslC awareness is none other than the path of Great The three vows, six transcendental perfections, the creation stage and perfection stage; all of these, indeed, are taught as the means of realIsmg the Gre. at Perfection and as mere rest-stations for those who progress towards It.
The Secret Nucleus (Ch. 22, v. 3) says: Distinctions are indeed arrayed in the levels,
But these are paths which progress to the secret nucleus.
And in Indrabhuti's Esoteric Instructions. Empowerment Circle (Ratnacakrabhi$ekopadesakrama, T 2472) a IS Said:
This is only spoken as the means to attain
That which is inner radiance by nature, .
And the culmination of the Great Perfection, . The supreme among the supreme of all esotenc
instructions.
And Santideva [in the Introduction to the Conduct ofa Bodhisattva, Ch. 9, v. l] has also explained:
All these aspects were taught by the Sage For the sake of discrimative awareness.
. f h G at Perfection: The Now concerning this natural expressIOn 0 t e re . d pre-
Sugata during the intermediate promulgation of the
cepts did not reveal the structure of the fundamenta rea 'h ut re- , h . . ble abiding nature WIt 0
he did extensively teach t e mconcelva, . h fi I prorn-
ferring to symbols of elaborate conception. reality, ulgation, though he did reveal the structure 0 t e u. n . ' ctualised . he did not teach the characteristic path through whIch It IS tually Therefore, the conclusive intention of the Two Promulgators ac
Superiority ofAtiyoga 301
302 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Superiority ofAtiyoga 303
enced when the two sexual organs are in union, is not liberated from the three realms [of saqlsara]. Therefore, the supre. me,. unchanging pristine cognition which is the supreme, unfading ? hss, IS taught to be realised by these methods, and the above practices the meditative absorptions in bliss. As it is said in the glonous Naropa's
Means for Attaining the Real:
The naturally present mind,
That is definitively free from elaboration,
Is not known through the path of desire.
This nucleus of naturally present, inner radiance, Through its non-symbolic natural expression,
Is free from desire for discriminative awareness and skilful means.
It is without the arduous emanation and absorption . h . I . 301
of desire connected with t e semma pomts. Evenly absorbed in discriminative awareness and
skilful means,
It is the supreme blissful concentration.
Without attachment to the savour of apparition,
It is the perfect path of unattached pristine cognition.
Without realising the natural and utterly pure discrimi? ative aware- ness, which is the abiding nature of the Great Perfection, by such attainments, the aspects of the truth of the path do not the compounded fundamental virtues attained by the and scrutmy of discrete recollections and thoughts.
