No More Learning

Talking is like the husk of the cane;
But thought and meaning, these are the taste.
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 117 So renounce this delight in talking,
And be ever attentive and think on meaning. " 5 This same Sutra also has this passage:
"The Great Bodhisattva Maitreya questioned the Blessed One in these words:
'The bodhisattva who has rejected the highest Doctrine and is occupied with evil deeds will have very little Insight and his Insight will be impaired, will it not? '
And the Blessed One answered the Great Bodhisattva Maitreya:
'Maitreya, that is exactly how it is. The words you have spoken are true. Bodhisattvas who reject the highest Teaching and are occupied with evil deeds have very
little Insight. Maitreya, let me show you, and bear this in mind: bodhisattvas who lack zeal and meditation and renunciation, who do not do their recitation nor seek greater learning, such bodhisattvas have not entered the
religious life under the Teaching of the Tathagata. [316a] Maitreya, this teaching of the Tathagata unfolds only through meditation and renunciation. It is composed of wisdom and held together by wisdom, and only by great diligence can it be truly unfolded. But there can be no
such unfolding in the householder's way of life with its preoccupations and concern for worldly matters. A householder's diligence is misplaced; managing business and struggling for worldly success are the things that delight him in this cycle of rebirths. Bodhisattvas should have no desires for such things. " 6
Need of the Superknowledges
My Guru has spoken on this in his Chapter on Concentra- tion Equipment:
"The bodhisattva who has only studied the Doctrine should refrain from preaching it [yet). The Scriptures do not tell us that we can be helpful to others just from having studied the Teaching, and without first acquiring the superknowledges. . . . Therefore, there should be no preaching of the Doctrine just because we are very
? 118 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
learned. When we have the superknowledges, then at the very earliest we are ready to seek the good of others. . . . A man who is incapable of maturing disciples because he lacks the_superkpowledges is sinking toward death himself. As Acarya Santideva said:
'People all have their_preferences,
And if even the Victor did not please them, Then how much less a bad. one like me?
So give up the idea of [pleasing] the world. ' " 7
So also the great Acarya Nagarjuna commented on this subject:
"When you have acquired the five Superknowledges- Powers that will follow you in all rebirths -
Then strive constantly for the complete
Benefit and happiness of all creatures. " 8
Need of a Guru?
But to attempt Contemplation without instruction from a Guru and relying exclusively on one's own study of texts is prohibited [by the authorities I give] here in the following:
even though you strive diligently in such yoga, the Super- knowledges still will not come about, for the same reason that you have not yet reached the great and perfect Enlightenment. In the commentaries that treat this subject, the Brahmin Saraha the Great says this in his Kinds o f Ultimate Truth:
"What we call 'instruction of the Guru' is the essence of ambrosia. Anyone who does not drink to satisfaction, as it were, "will certainly die of thirst- like a man in the middle of a desert full of treatises. " 9
And Arya Nagarjuna again:
" A man may study a great many Tantras, and even purify himse~fcorrectly according to Scripture, but having little regard for a Guru he will not master that Scripture. He only defeats himself, and is mouthing treatises without
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 119
authority. For him the texts are only reasons for argument. " 10
Relation to Calmness
The two stanzas that begin with the words "THE MERITS WHICH A MAN WITH THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES GAINS IN A SINGLE DA Y" [Stanzas 36 and 37] continue the same theme as the preceding ones. Hence, this great and perfect Enlightenment depends upon the Two Equipments [of
merit and knowledge]; and the two kinds of Equipment depend upon [effecting] the good of others; and that depends upon the Superknowledges. But the Super-
knowledges depend upon Calm'ness;11 and Calmness depends on Conduct; and that is why I taught about Conduct first of all. And so, since Calmness arises from
Conduct, and the Superknowledges arise from Calmness, I wrote:
AS LONG AS CALMNESS IS NOT ATrAINED,
THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES WILL NOT OCCUR; THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE CALMNESS,
ONE MUST KEEP STRMNG OVER AND OVER. (Stanza 38]
Calmness
The Superknowledges which arise from Calmness, and for which you must [first] gain Calmness, are these: [1] Super- knowledge of godlike sight, [2] Superknowledge of godlike hearing, [3] Superknowledge of others' thoughts, [4] [317a] Superknowledge of previous liwes, [5] Superknowledge of miraculous powers, [6] Superknowledge that all impurities
have been destroyed. 12
The Nine Limbs
ONE WHO NEGLECTS THE LIMBS OF CALMNESS, EVEN THOUGH HE STRIVE TO MEDITATE
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, NEVER
WILL ACHIEVE CONCENTRATION. [Stanza 39]
? 120 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
The "Limbs of Calmness" are ninefold, beginning with Renunciation, as presented by my own Guru. The stanza is otherwise easily understood. By "NEGLECTS THE LIMBS" I meant that the nine Limbs given by the venerable Bodhibhadra in his Chapter on Concentration Equipment are appropriate for the person who has not as yet achieved
Calmness. Here is what he said:
"[1] Renunciation, [2] Preparation, [3] Avoidance, [4] Suppression of anxiety, [5] Dissatisfaction (with the world), [6] Mindfulness of benefits, [7] Diligence, [8] Integrating, and [9] Means of Staying. Besides just learning such Limbs, one must remain in them correctly. " 13
You should study the Chapter itself for the meaning [of each Limb].
D. efects and Remedies in Meditation
But here I will-write a little on what the last Limb means, giving what my Guru said in his Chapter:
"When a man has acquired the [first] eight Limbs, and has provided himself with suitable location and food, and has the appropriate life-style and clothing, and conducive companions, then he should compose his mind. . . . 14 [317b] I f he cannot compose it, let him strive again for his Equipment of Merit in things like reading the Perfection ofInsight, making offerings, and circumambulations. . . . When he does set himself to composing his mind, he
must cultivate eight [good] habits which avoid the evils that are opposed to them. [Now the Classification o f the Middle and Extremes says that]: 15
'The defects in concentrating are held to be fivefold: [1] laziness, [2] forgetfulness of instruction, [3] apathy and anxiety, [4] failure to achieve a level, [5] a false achievement. The remedies against these defects are the eight habits which avoid them; namely: [1] [desiring] this state, [2] [the effort to] remain in it,
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 121
[3] [faith, which is] the cause, [4] [and its] result [in self-confidence], [5] mindfulness, [6] awareness of one's apathy or anxiety, [7] habitually avoiding [these defects], and [8] when calm, [actually] entering into the state [of composure]. ' " 16
The OrnamentofSutras says:
"The first thing is to make the effort;
The second is to bolster it;
The third is to focus [the attention];
The fourth is the actual remedy [of calmness]. " 17
Some prefer another explanation [of the five evils]: [1] craving, [2] ill-will, [3] sloth and drowsiness, [4] anxiety and guilt, and [5] doubt. The retinue of sloth and drowsiness includes things like weariness, lack of zest, restlessness, not taking the proper amount of food, and slackness of mind. These things make the mind depressed. Their remedy is
clear thinking. The retinue of anxiety and guilt includes interest in relatives, memories of past distractions, thrills, and frivolities. These do not calm the mind; and their remedy is Calmness.
Topics for Calmness
ONE CAN THEN SET THE MIND IN VIRTUE
FIXED ON ANY TOPIC HE CHOOSES. (Stanza 40]
Here the word "TOPIC" refers to the object of the mind, as in this quote from the Blaze ofReasoning [on the "Essence] of the Middle Way":
"The mind is a rampaging elephant: Tie it fast with the rope of mindfulness To the steady post of Topic; [318a] Then settle the mind in Calm. " 18
My words "ON ANY TOPIC HE CHOOSES" refer to Calmness- with-Signs as well as Calmness-without-Signs. 1 9 A s my Guru says in the Chapter on Concentration Equipment:
? 122 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
"Calmness is twofold: [1] with-Signs, and [2] without- Signs. Calmness-with-Signs is twofold: [a] signs that are internal, and [b] signs that are external. [a] The kind that are internal are twofold: topics on the body, and topics on what supports the body. The three topics on body are: the aspect of the god being the body itself;20 the
disgusting aspects of it,21 such as skeletons, etc. ; or a distinctive sign such as a trident. 22
"There are five topics on the supports of the body:23 the Breath, the Subtle Signs, the Drop, the Limbs of Light Rays, and Joy and Bliss. [b] Signs that are external are of two kinds: the special, and the ordinary. 2 4 The special topics are either [a Buddha's] body or [a Buddha's] words. . . .
"[2] Calmness-without-Signs is the same as Investiga- tive Insight/5 whence arises signless Higher Vision, the knowledge which is without discursive reasoning. . . . It is recommended that, rather than resting in Calmness- with-Signs, one proceed toward developing Higher Vision by? [first] focusing on Calmness-without-Signs. [318b] For it is only by being firmly established in Higher Vision joined with Calmness that the afflictions are cleansed away and thoroughly subdued - it is the only
basis for such a result. . . .
"I do not describe here how to contemplate, for fear of
enlarging my text, but also because guidance in con- templation is the kind that requires personal instruction from an experienced Guru. And that is because the details of the teaching on Calmness and Higher Vision must be explained, and because of the difficulty of learning contemplation just from reading books. " 26
Practice ofthe Yogin
The Gurus all say that such a yogin who has achieved Calmness will without doubt gain the five Superknowledges I mentioned before. And, as means of getting them, you should also take to heart the training precepts of the Sevenfold Way Sutra: Questions of Avalokitesvara, and recite the sutra itself now and then. Arya Asaitga says:
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 123
"A bodhisattva who wants to acquire the Superknow- ledges quickly should diligently, three times a day and three times a night: pay Homage, perform Worship, make Confession of sin, feel Rejoicing, and make the Petition, Entreaty, and Bestowal. " 27
And he should also have, for all the equipment of Calmness, such things as few desires, frugality, content- ment, and true solitude. That a yogin abiding in Calmness correctly does have few desires and is frugal [is clear from] the holy One Hundred Thousand Stanza Perfection of Insight:
"Monks who catch even a little taste for meditation, [319a] think little about clothes and little about food-
and [yet] their complexions are healthy. " 28
The Yoga of these bodhisattvas is to strive for the Seven Noble Riches when they have renounced attraction to worldly riches. They take the Six Mindfulnesses to heart, and of the six even practise the short Mindfulness of Buddha, Doctrine, and Community. 29
And since bodhisattvas are divided into those of keen ability and those of slower ability, the Mindfulness for those of keen faculty should be studied in texts such as the Perfection o f Insight siitras, the Mindfulness o f the Buddha Sutra, the Heavenly Treasure Sutra, and the Sutra Set Forth by Ak~ayamati. Mindfulness for those of slower ability should be studied in the Producing the Power of Faith
Sutra, the Rehearsal of the Buddha, Doctrine, and the Community Sutra, and the above Mindfulness of the Buddha Sutra as well as its smaller form, and others in the Mahayana Siitra collection.
The chapter on Mindfulness of the Three Jewels in the Compendium o f Training should also be studied because it explains the thought behind these siitras.
Higher Vision also comes to a yogin [who practises Calmness], and that is the subject I will explain next. The practice of the yoga of Calmness and Higher Vision is what i s c a l l e d " R e m a i n i n g o n t h e P a t h " ; a n d h e n c e 1o n e g r a d u a l l y grows in:30
? 124 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9
the Four Applications of Mindfulness,
the Four Right Efforts,
the Four Bases of Miraculous Power, [319b] the [Five] Dominants and [Five] Powers, the [Seven] Limbs of Enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path.
THIS COMPLETES THE TEACHING ON THE TRAINING FOR HIGHER MEDITATION
Notes to Chapter 5
In SS: p. 120.
SS: p. 120.
Three kinds of Insight are generally given to describe the degree of depth of the knowledge gained; Atisa mentions two of them here:
'! ) Insight from Study (thos-pa'i shes-rab/irutamayi-praiiii); 2) Insight from Reflection (bsam-pa las shes-rab/cintiimayi-prajiiii; 3) Insight from Con- templation (bsgom-pa'i shes-rab/bhiivaniimayi-prajiiii). For Kamalasila's explanation of this, see G. Tucci, Minor Buddhist Texts, Pt. II, p. 160.
In SS: p. 109.
In SS: p. 109.
In SS: p. 112.
O t . 5444, V ol. 103:251. 4f.
Ot. 5658, Precious Garland ofAdvicefor the King, stanza 48i.
The text is not found in the catalogues by this title as one of Saraha's compositions. Atisa takes the title and quote from Bodhibhadra's Chapter on Concentration Equipment [Ot. 5444, Vol. 103:252. 1], but supplies Saraha's name as author, which Bodhibhadra's text does not do.
10 Unidentified.
II
12
13
zhi-gnas/samatha: Calmness. The terms Calmness and Higher Vision (lhag- mthong/viiJasyanii) are found in most of the Mahayana siitras, always paired together. Calmness designates the meditative techniques of yogic concen- tration, which Atisa unfolds in this chapter; Higher Vision is the investigative analysis for Emptiness in the Perfection of Insight, which is the subject of the next chapter.
mngon-par shes-pa/abhijiiii: superknowledge. The five (or sometimes six) superknowledges have a long historical development in the siitras. See H. Dayal, Bodhisattva Doctrine in Sanskrit Literature, pp. 106-34.
op. cit. , p. 250. 5f. The nine limbs are Bodhibhadra's opening outline for his entire treatise, eas:h limb being explained in tum. Briefly summarised, the meaning of each of the Limbs is this:
1) Renunciation (of the worldly life);
2) Preparation (through study with a Guru);
3) Avoidance (of premature effort to seek others' good before having
attained realisation oneself);
4) Suppression (of worldly cares and anxieties); 5) Dissatisfaction with the world;
6) Mindfulness ofthe benefits (of Concentration); 7) Diligence (in the efforts of Concentration);
? 14
15
8) Integrating (Calmness with Higher Vision);
9) Means of Staying (in all the above virtues).
It is. remarkable that Atisa does not mention here the Nine States of Mind (sems-gnas/citta-sthiti) in Calmness proposed by Asailga in his Hearer's Level [Ot. 5537, Vol. 110:100. 3ff. ) which have become so well known to Tibetan monks through Tsong-kha-pa's Lam-rim chen-mo. where they are described at length. Perhaps Atisa felt that teaching was too advanced for his audience.
sems mnyam-par bzhag-pa/citta-samiihita: lit. , the balanced mind. or the mind in concentration. Here it is used as the equivalent of Concentration (ting-nge- 'dzin/samiidhi).
Ot. 5522. Vol. 108:20-5. Atisa omits Bodhibhadra's acknowledgement of the source. I have supplied the meaning of the partially cryptic statement of
the eight habits which remedy the five defects, following Sthiramati's Commentary on the "Classification o f the Middle and Extremes" [Ot. 5534, Vol. 109:176. 1ff. ].
THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 125
16 Bodhibhadra, Chapter on Concentration Equipment [Ot. 5459, Vol. 103:266. 4].
17 18 19
20 21
22
23
24
25 26 27 28 29
30
Ot. 5521, Vol. 108:15. 5.
Ot. 5256, Vol. 96:26. 4.
mtshan-ma dang-bcas-pa/sa-nimitta (with-Signs) and mtshan-ma med-pa/a- nimitta (without-Signs) is a common distinction in yogic meditational practice, meaning simply the concentration of the mind on images, or concentrating the mind without the need for that kind of assistance- as the
Commentary goes on to explain.
The contemplation of oneself as a god is ? a common form of Tantric meditation. See A. Wayman, Fundamentals of Buddhist Tantra, p. 167. mi-sdug-pa/a-subha: disgusting. The traditional Buddhist meditation on the impermanence and foulness of the body, viewing it as a corpse under nine
aspects: blue; full of pus, insect-ridden, etc. Atisa is the author of a short meditation on the subject, Asubha-bhiivanii-krama [Ot. 5454). kha-tvam/khatvii: a staff with triple prongs and a skull at the top, carried by ascetics and yogins.
It can be a symbol of Siva for Brahmanists, and also of Padmasambhava and other yogins for Tibetan Buddhists. For a long list and
illustration ofsuch insignia, see L. A. Waddell, The Buddhism ofTibet, pp. 340-1.
The five topics presented here by Bodhibhadra are of a Tantric nature and as such would be incomprehensible to the uninitiated. They are based on fundamental yogic concepts of breath (dbugs! priif}a), subtle signs (mtshan- ma phra-mo/sulq-ma-nimitta), and the drop (thig-le/bindu), but with additional liturgical and mystical significances.
Ordinary external Signs would be any external concentration object what- soever. Bodhibhadra does not bother with examples.
so-sor-rtog-pa'i shes-rab/pratyavelqanii-jniina.
Bodhibhadra, op. cit. , pp. 255. 2ff.
See Chapter 4, note 49.
In SS: pp. 196-7.
The Six Mindfulnesses are 1) the Buddha, 2) the Doctrine, 3) the Community, 4) Conduct, 5) Renunciation, and 6) the gods. The "short" Mindfulness practice drops the final three.
The virtues listed here comprise what is known as the "Thirty-seven Enlightenment Wings" (byang-chub kyi phyogs/bodhipalqa). They can be found individually in the Glossary.
? PART THREE
Higher Insight
? I II
III
PERFECTION OF INSIGHT
UNION OF INSIGHT AND MEANS
A Necessity of the Union
B Difference between the Two
FOUR GREAT PROOFS OF EMPTINESS
A Four Extremes
B Diamond-Particle
c Identity and Plurality
Stanza Page
41 130
42 130
43 131 44-46 133
47 135
48 136 49 137 50 137
v CONTEMPLATION A Emptiness
52 141
. 53 141 54 142 55 143
VI VII
VIII IX X
VERSES ON THE MIDDLE WAY 143
CHAPTER 6
Insight and Means
D Dependent Origination
IV SCHOOLS 139
A Middle Way 139
B Bibliography of Sastra 139
B W i s d o m
c Non-discursive Reasoning
56 147
57 147 B Bibliography of Siitras 149
BIOGRAPHY OF THE MASTERS 150
PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE
A Quotations
CULTIVATION OF HIGHER VISION
STAGES OF THE PATH
58 151 59 152
51 138
? 6
Insight and Means
Perfection of Insight
By means of the Insight that knows how to join Means with Insight, both the equipment of merit and the equipment of knowledge are integrated and perfected. As I was reflecting on this, I wrote [the stanzas] beginning:
BUT OBSCURATION IS NOT DESTROYED
WITHOUT THE PERFECTION OF INSIGHT. (Stanza 41b]
Calmness [by itself] cannot remove Karma and [its a~ompanying] A f f l i c t i o n a n d M a t u r a t i o n , o r t h e Obscuration [resulting from ignorance] of phenomena. 1 It is only when they are [discovered and] removed by Higher Vision that they are destroyed. Hence you must base yourself in Higher Vision; and that is the meaning of the next stanza:
HENCE, TO REMOVE ALL OBSCURATION
OF HIS AFFLICTION AND HIS KNOWLEDGE,
THE YOGIN MUST CONTINUALLY CULTIVATE THE
PERFECTION OF INSIGHT TOGETHER WITH MEANS. (Stanza 42]
Union of Insight and Means
Let me explain Means and Insight more fully. When I say [inStanza43)"SCRIPTURESAYSTHATBONDAGEIS . . ? ",Irefer to what both the Mount Gayii Sutra and the Sutra Set Forth by Vimalakzrti declare:
"Insight divorced from Means is bondage. Means divorced from Insight is also bondage. " 2
? And tO SUpport my saying "THEREFORE, NEGLECT NOT THIS UNION" [in Stanza 43], I quote from glorious Jfianak1rti:3
"One [then] truly progresses in the essence of Perfection of Insight, and in the Means which are Giving and the rest [of the Perfections]. " The Mount Gayii Sutra sum- marises the Bodhisattva Path, citing this very union: "It is Means and Insight. " And then it classifies the Means as the Perfections of Giving and the rest, the [Four] Infinitudes, the [Four] Means of Attraction, and so on. The [Satra Set Forth by] Ak~ayamati and the Cloud of
Jewels and other sutras say the same thing. [320a] But Insight is the factor that effectively and accurately delineates these Means. When it analyses them correctly, then they are effective; and therefore, when one adopts them for one's own and others' good, absolutely no
affliction results - it is as though one had a [protecting] mantra against poison. Furthermore, that same Sutra says: "Means is known as the collecting; Insight is known as accurately defining. " And the Producing the Power of Faith Satra:
"What is skill in Means? It is known as the gathering up of all virtue. And what is Insight? It is skill in knowing that all phenomena are undifferentiated. ''4
Necessity ofthe Union
Even [a bodhisattva already] established in the Levels must be grounded in both [Means and Insight]; therefore, it is not simply a matter of what inust be known. That is why sutras like the Ten Levels say: "It is wrong not to practise the rest of the Perfections as well. . . . On all ten of the Bodhisattva Levels all of the Perfections must still be practised. "5 And when there was a Bodhisattva who had a particular delight in [practising] the Perfection of Insight, the . /::,xtensive Satra: Compendium of All Phenomena said this on the subject:
" 0 Maitreya, the six Perfections of Enlightenment are to be understood correctly by the bodhisattvas. Some
INSIGHT AND MEANS 131
? 132 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
foolish men say that a bodhisattva need train only in the Perfection of Insight, and thereby have no need of the other Perfections. By so thinking, they are holding the restofthePerfectionsincontempt. . . "6 [320b]
And the holy Perfect EnlightenmentofVairocana:
"The wisdom of an Omniscient Being, rooted in the Great Compassion, andwith the Enlightenment Thought as its cause, has attained the perfection of the Means. "'
Since this is the case, one must rely on both [Means and Insight] at all times. And that was the way the Blessed One achieved. his Deferred Nirvat:ta. 8 Through [perfecting] the Means, Giving and the rest, He laid hold of that excellent result. thegreatestenjoyment:theForm-Body9 anditsfield of activity and its retinue - and hence does not remain in Nirvat:ta. Through his Perfection of Insight, rejecting what is false, he d<:>es not [truly] abide in Samsara- because it is of the very nature of falseness.
When [the above Siit:t:a] says, "If everyone who knows lists of phenomena10 by the dozen, as it were, is supposed to reject those phenomena; then how much more what are not phenomena! " - what it is saying is that one should reject any attachment to what is false in them; and not that one should not continue to exist for the sake of [others'] needs and fulfilment. One should embrace the Truth; that is what
-it means by saying "Do not grasp at what is false! " And so:
" A t all times be based in the Means Together with the Perfection of Insight; For because of it and from it,
One passes to the Deferred NirvaQa. "
That is what he [Jiianakirti] and his sources say. And my Guru [Bodhibhadra] also adds:
"If that is true, then one should have both Means and Insight at all times, and should accumulate and integrate the equipments ofmerit and ofknowledge. "11 [321a]
? Difference between the Two
Having shown the importance of combining Means with Insight, and that both must be had together, I now explain exactly what they are:
TO REMOVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT
WHAT INSIGHT IS, AND WHAT ARE MEANS,
I WILL MAKE CLEAR THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE MEANS AND INSIGHT. (Stanza 44]
I said "TO REMOVE ANY DOUBTS" because great Acaryas of old have spoken variously about the two; for instance some texts are quoted as saying:
"The Means is the Bodhisattva's
Great Compassion for creatures;
And its components differ according to The three aspects [that are involved]. " 12
Other sources say "the Means is the Thought of Enlighten- ment in its relative aspect. " 13
But in the root text I presentedwhat my Guru, glorious Bodhibhadra, said about this:
THE VICTORS HAVE EXPLAINED THAT THE MEANS
ARE ALL THE EQUIPMENTS OF VIRTUE,
STARTING WITH THE PERFECTION OF GIVING,
UP TO, BUT EXCLUDING, THAT OF INSIGHT. (Stanza 45)
Taking the words "STARTING WITH THE PERFECTION OF GIVING", Giving can here be distinguished according to the [above-mentioned] three aspects: [a] the Donor, [b] the Substance given, and [c] the Object (of one's giving). One can be a Donor for the sake of gain, honour, fame, and glory; or because one is besought by others; or out of compassion, or to show respect, and so on. The Substance given can be things like the Teaching or material goods or fearlessness or love. The Object of one's giving can be the Three Jewels, or a Guru's sustenance, or any creature of the five destinies. [321b]
INSIGHT AND MEANS 133
The Four Diamond Seats Tantra speaks at length [on
? 134 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
Giving] with phrases like "Sixty thousand Sudras took care of one pure Brahmin"; and the Siitras too, and the Hundred Explanations ofthe Doctrine, when talking about "not relying on another [non-Buddhist] teacher as the spiritual friend", and so on. In the Yoga Tantra called Conquest ofthe Triple World, the Blessed One says:
"There is a Giving of initiation, a Giving of the Teaching, a Giving of wealth, and a Giving of food, a Giving of fearlessness and a Giving of love. And these [gifts are given) respectively to: a disciple, a mind not [yet] alerted, a religious mendicant, and to Brahmins, the poor, animals, the faint-hearted, and to every creature. " 14
My words "sTARTING WITH [GrviNG]" indicate that [the Victors] have also explained the rest of the Perfections. In the Perfection of Conduct, for instance, [they teach that) there is the Conduct of a bodhisattva when he gets the first Thought of Enlightenment, and of one who has entered the Practice [Path], of one who will not turn back, of one who has attained Patience in non-arising phenomena,-'of one who is held back by but one rebirth, and of a bodhisattva in his final life. 15
"THAT THE MEANS ARE ALL THE EQUIPMENTS OF VIRTUE" points out that the Siitra passages [always] explain the rest of the Perfections in turn. You must consult the Siitras themselves for the full significance of these Perfections, and the other texts composed to clarify the Sfltras: the Compendium of Siitra, the Bodhisattva Levels, the
f! . rogress, in Practice, the Compendium of Training, and Acarya Sura's Conversations on the Perfections.
The theme of this stanza is exactly what it says:
ONE WHO COMBINES MASTERY OF THE MEANS
WITH A TRUE CULTIVATION OF INSIGHT,
WILL SWIFTLY ATTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT, BUT
NOT BY CULTIVATING MERELY NON-SELF. [Stanza 46)
What is Insight? [322a] It is either innate, or comes from
? study, or from reflection, or from contemplation - or as scripture says:
"He who penetrates to what is changeless In the words and states of all activity,
Let his be proclaimed as
'Insight of the Diamond Mind'. "
Thatiswhatitis. AndsoIgoontosayintheroottext:
"INSIGHT" IS FULLY EXPLAINED AS KNOWING
THE EMPTINESS OF INTRINSIC NATURE
IN COMPREHENDING THAT AGGREGATES AND SENSE-BASES AND ELEMENTS DO NOT ARISE. (Stanza 47)
All external and internal phenomena are included in the Aggregates, Elements, and Sense-bases; as the Blessed One has said, "0 Brahmin, the Aggregates, Elements, arid Sense-bases are everything meant by the word 'Every- thing'. " I will explain the words "Do NOT ARISE" later; but
the "FULLY EXPLAINED" means that the Buddhas and Gurus have said so. And I add here:
The Perfections and Means of Conversion,
The Four Infinitudes and Seven Limbs,
The Ten Religious Practices and other acts of virtue, The Seven Noble Riches and the Six Mindfulnesses; The mary. qala and offerings and circumambulation-
Are the Means which are the reason for the Enjoyment and Apparition Bodies.
But it is the Perfection of Insight alone That has the Insight which is the cause of
the Body ofTruth. 16
Four Great Proofs of Emptiness
0 Noble Y outh, what sort of method will lead to a direct experience of such "Insight" as this? I say that it is learned by [using] the Four Great Proofs. 17 And what are those Four? They are:
INSIGHT AND MEANS 135
? 136 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
[A] [B] [C] [D]
The Proof that refutes Arising in the Four Extremes; The Diamond-Particle Proof;
The Lack of identity or Plurality Proof; and
The Dependent Origination Proof. [322b]
I answer your question about what these Proofs are in the next four stanzas [48-51].
Four Extremes
AN EXISTENT'S ARISING IS IMPOSSIBLE;
A NON-EXISTENT'S IS LIKE FLOWERS IN THE SKY; 18
FOR A THING TO BE BOTH IS ABSURD FALLACY;
SO NEITHER DO THEY ORIGINA TE TOGETHER. (Stanza 48]
This is the Proof that refutes Arising in the Four Extremes, in which I show that whatever phenomena already exist will not arise, because they have already arisen. And phenomena that do not exist will also not arise, because it could not be accomplisned by themselves [being non- existent], nor is there any cause for their arising. The third supposition, "FOR A THING TO BE BOTH [EXISTENT AND NON-
~XISTENT] " , has no reality to it whatsoever! Acarya Santideva also speaks on this subject:
"Why make up causes for An entity that [already] exists? Or again, if it does not exist, What need to find causes for it?
Not a hundred million causes Could change itfrom non-entity;
For how could that situation be real? And what is there other than what is?
If there is not entity when no existence, Then when does an entity originate? Non-entity cannot be separated
By means of a non-arising entity!
If there is no separation from non-entity,
Then there is no chance of an entity existing;
For that would be the absurdity of a double Intrinsic nature: there cannot be a non-entity entity!
Destruction likewise does not exist;
? Nor is there a basi's for permanence either.
Hence all these living creatures
Are without an arising and without a cessation. " 19
And he continues at some length on this theme.
Diamond-Particle
In this stanza I show the Diamond-Particle Proof:
SINCE AN ENTITY DOES NOT ARISE FROM ITSELF, AND IS NOT FROM ANOTHER, OR EVEN FROM BOTH, NOR IS IT YET WITHOUT CAUSE; THEREFORE IT HAS
NO INTRINSIC NA TURE BY WAY OF OWN-EXISTENCE. (Stanza 49}
And so, those who hold an external or internal Creator, such as an Atman or Fate or lsvara, [323a] or the Puru~aor Karma or Prak:rti or the GuQ. as or Brahman or Vi~Q. u20 - or even those of our own sects who admit that entities arise through the Six Causes and Four Conditions21 - are in error in their understanding. To refute them, Nagarjuna says in
his Basic Stanzas on the Middle Way: "Insight":
"There are never any entities
In which arising exists,
From themselves, from another, From both, nor without cause;"22
But you must study that text itself for the full meaning of this, as well as its six great commentaries and two sub- commentaries,Z3 along with the Middle Way Treatise: "Finely Woven", the Clear Words, the Blaze ofReasoning, and Supplement to the "Middle Way".
Identity and Plurality
I show the Lack of Identity or Plurality Proof in this stanza:
FURTHERMORE, IF? ONE ANALYSES ALL THINGS
AS IDENTITIES OR. MUL TIPLICITIES,
OWN-EXISTENCE IS NOT PERCEIVED; HENCE ONE IS
CERTAIN THAT INTRINSIC NATURES DO NOT EXIST. (Stanza 50]
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? 138 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
By "FURTHERMORE" I mean that I am still teaching you about the Proofs. The significance of"ANALYSES ALL THINGS ~S IDEN:_riTIES OR MULTIPLICITIES" can be explained by Acarya Santaraksita:
"The entities spoken of as 'self' and 'other',
In thecorrect sense are without intrinsic nature;
And because they lack identity and plurality,
Being without intrinsic nature, they are like reflections. " 2 4
Acarya Srlgupta says it too:
"This entire internal and external state,
In the correct sense is without intrinsic nature; And since it lacks identity or multiplicity,
It is therefore like a reflection. "25
But again you must study the texts themselves for the full meaning.
Dependent Origination
The Dependent Origination Proof is shown in the words:26
THE REASONING OF THE SEVENTY ST ANZAS ON EMPTINESS, ANDOFTEXTS LIKETHEBASICSTANZASONTHEMIDDLEWAY, EXPLAINS THE PROOF THAT ALL ENTITIES [323b]
ARE EMPTY OF INTRINSIC NATURE. [Stanza 51]
To understand the meaning of this Proof, you must study those texts themselves. The words "EXPLAINS THE PROOF" signifies that all the great Acaryas of old taught the proof that all entities are non-arising. And so, with Four Great Proofs such as these, the scholars have well established that absolutely every entity is non-arising, is not permanently fixed, passes beyond the suffering [caused] by intrinsic nature, is pure from its origin, is without root and without foundation, and that every phenomenon whatsoever is without substantiation.
? Schools
Middle Way
There is this to note about those scholars of India: Arya Asanga's orderly presentation of the Teaching enunciates the Mind-Only understanding of the Perfection of Insight, and the present day Gur_us Suvafl}. advipa and Santipa follow that interpretation. Acarya Nagarjuna explained the essence of the Teaching with his personal realisation of the great Middle Way which transcends the existence and non- existence of meaning in the Perfection of Insight. This he enunciated to a long line of other scholars, and the Guru
Bodhibhadra and venerable Kusulupa follow his inter- pretation today.
The nectar of Arya Nagarjuna's words Filled Aryadeva, Candrakirti, Bhavya And Santideva down to Bodhibhadra too; Even on me a little has been sprinkled.
And thus with their Four Great Proofs,
I establish the non-arising of all phenomena;
And following the steps of those Acaryas of old, (324a] I will hold to the tenets of the great Middle Way.
Or again, let me describe it this way:
There is nowadays a worsening,
Of people, of the times, of vice and views,
And even of life itself. Listening to texts profits not; So cultivate yoga on their essential meaning.
Were there time to listen to great long texts, They might be our (rescue] ships in these our days; But [for now] avoid all disturbance of mind,
And cultivate only the counsel of the holy.
There's so much to be learned in so little while, And we know not the length of this life's span;
So be like the goose straining milk from water,27 Taking only the pure desires from those you have.
Bibliography o f Siistra
Returning to the words "BASIC STANZAS ON THE MIDDLE
INSIGHT AND MEANS 139
? 140 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
W A Y " in my root text [Stanza 51], my reference is to [Nagarjuna's] Insight: Basic Stanzas on the Middle Way. And when I said "TEXTS LIKE", I had in mind such works as his No Fear from Anywhere, the Refutation of Objections, the Sixty Stanzas of Reasoning, the Seventy Stanzas on Emptiness, the Precious Garland, the Twenty Stanzas on Mahiiyiina, the Hundred Syllables, and [KamalasTia's] Rice Seedling Sutra Commentary.
By "TEXTS LIKE . . . " I also refer to the treatises composed by men such as venerable Aryadeva, the holy Acarya's gersonal disciple, and Candrakirti, Bhavaviveka, and Santideva.
Aryadeva is the author of the following: the Great "Finely Woven": a Middle Way Treatise, the Length of a Forearm, the Finger-Length Instruction, and the Heart of Wisdom Compendium.
The works of Acarya Candraklrti are: the Supplement to [Niigiirjuna's] "Treatise on the Middle Way", the Com- mentary on "The Sixty Stanzas of Reasoning", the Five Chapters on the Middle Way, and the Clear Words, and so on. _[324b]
Acarya Bhavaviveka's treatises are the Blaze of Reasoning: [Commentary] On "Essence of the Middle Way", the Lamp for "The Insight" [of Niigiirjuna], and others.
There are altogether eight commentaries on [Nagarjuna's] Basic Stanzas on the Middle Way: "Insight"- the No Fear from Anywhere by the Acarya himself, the Clear Words by Candraklrti, the Lamp for "Insight" of Bhavaviveka, Buddhapalita's commentary, and those composed by the Elder Sthiramati, and the Acaryas
Gul)amati, Gul)asx:l, and Gul)adatta.
In addition, [Bhavaviveka's] Lamp for "The Insight" has
two great sub-commentaries: one composed by Acarya Avalokitavrata, and Devasarma's White-Shining: On the Middle Way.
Besides these there are in India today men who have given serious reflection to this near ocean of presentations that the great interpreters ofNagarjuna's mind have made. And the reasoning in the texts they [in tum] wrote, also
? INSIGHT AND MEANS 141 EXPLAINS THE PROOF THAT ALL ENTITIES
ARE EMPTY OF INTRINSIC NA TURE. ~Stanza 51]
In each and every one [of all these texts] the Emptiness of all phenomena is conclusively proven. If I were to try [here] to clear up the wrong understanding others have, by using my Four Great Proofs, my own text would become altogether too big. Hence, I have said only a little bit about the subject, and have not elaborated. Here we are simply saying that the tenets of the great Middle Way are thus and so, but have not written about them extensively.
Contemplation
But for yogins who do desire to take these tenets to heart I give a brief synthesis, saying: [325a]
BUT WILL EXPLAIN ONLY PROVEN TENETS
IN ORDER TO FURTHER CONTEMPLATION. (Stanza 52]
I have not written here about cultivation of the Enlighten- ment Thought of Ultimate Truth28 as a means of assimilating the tenets. One must petition a Guru for that [instruction], after he has been won over.
Emptiness
THUS, NOT TO PERCEIVE INTRINSIC NATURE
IN ANY PHENOMENON WHATEVER
IS TO CONTEMPLATE ITS NON-SELF- WHICH
IS THE SAME AS CONTEMPLATING WITH INSIGHT. (Stanza 53]
I wrote this stanza in accordance with the gist of those tenets.
AND THIS INSIGHT WHICH DOES NOT SEE
INTRINSfC NATURE IN ANY PHENOMENA
IS THAT SAME INSIGHT EXPLAINED AS WISDOM.
CULTIVATE IT WITHOUT CONCEPTUAL THOUGHT. (Stanza 54]
My WOrds "DOES NOT SEE INTRINSIC NATURE IN ANY ? ? " mean that in whatever phenomenon you see, you see the
? 142 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
highest Thatness29 of its very non-existence. That is the expression used in many sutras. And for the meaning of it you should study Acarya [Arya-]deva's Destruction of Errors about the Middle Way, the Blaze of Reasoning, Supplementto"TheMiddleWay", and Avalokitavrataalso.
Wisdom
If this view of all other phenomena itself does not exist absolutely, you may ask, then does one's own mind [which sees) exist itself? To this I answer, "[IT] IS THAT SAME INSIGHT EXPLAINED AS WISDOM". That very investigative Insight by which the view exists, does not exist. And how is it non- existent, yoti ask? I say "[IT IS] EXPLAINED AS WISDOM". Insight itself is also explained by the Four Great Proofs, and if examined carefully it cannot be established. The Blessed One clearly teaches this meaning in the Sutra
Setting Forth the Two Truths:
("
"In the ultimate sense, when one analyses the Insight of all phenomena, even the examination does not truly exist and is without basis. Even that Insight, in the ultimate sense, does not truly exist and is without basis. Therefore, it is called 'Insight' [only] conventionally; but in the ultimate sense, that Insight has not truly arisen and is non-existent. "30
Arya Nagarjuna reflects on this [in his Essay on Enlighten- ment Thought]:
"The mind, which all the Buddhas
Have not seen is not a thing to be seen. [325b] For how could they see an entity
Which has no intrinsic;: nature? "31
And Acarya Aryadeva in his Heart of Wisdom Compendium:
"The scholars do not hold a consciousness either That [exists] in the ultimate sense;
It would be a very sky-lotus, because of
Its lack of identity or multiplicity. " 32
? INSIGHT AND MEANS 143 And Nagarjuna again [in his Essay]:
"To refute the grasping at a Self,
The Buddha taught the Aggregates, Elements, and so on.