If one shows the path to others, one needs to know it oneself;
otherwise
there is nothing to show.
Khenchen-Thrangu-Rinpoche-Asanga-Uttara-Tantra
ffi krit means "great y3na" or "great action of carrying.
" >j:rcat for seven different reasons, some of which are as the aim of the path is great (or very wide), the used on the path is great, the jruina or knowledge
toe path is very great,
FwJtewjflgi "tegpa cheapo" if "gyu lama. " The Sanskrit
word for "gyu lama'* is "uttara tantra" and this is usually the short name given to this work. Uttara Tantra can be explained from the viewpoint of the literal words or from the viewpoint of the terminology of its meaning.
From the terminology viewpoint, the first word gyu means "continuity" and means there is a continuity in the words and the continuity of these words creates a clear understandable meaning which makes up the work. To this word "gyu" it added the qualifier lama which means "ultimate," "superior,H"higher" or "excellent. " This is added to "continuity" because the continuity of this text
contains the deepest meaning.
From the viewpoint of meaning of the work, the word
"gyu" means "continuity" but in this context it means the continuity of the essence of the Buddhahood which never changes whether it is in terms of the ground when it is present in all beings, or in terms of the path when beings are practicing the attainment of enlightenment, or in terms
? of fruition when one becomes a Buddha. Throughout all these phases the nature of Buddhahood remains the same so there is an unbroken continuity all along its development The word "lama" here means "ultimate" or "highest" because the type of practice which will come from this text is not ordinary Buddhist practice, but superior to the practice of hlnaySna. It is a very high type
of practice because it points to the ultimate nature of all phenomena. It also comes from a very high bodhisattva which is another reason for giving it the qualifier of "ultimate. " Finally, the word "ultimate" is in the title because the Uttara Tantra involves explaining absolute truth so it is like a bridge between the sutras and the tantras.
The last word "tan cho" or "&stra" in Sanskrit literally means "a teaching which brings remedy" or a remedial teaching. This is because these teachings which are elucidations of the Buddha's teachings constitute a remedy for all the defilements and help beings abandon the sufferings of the three dimensions of existence.
The names of Buddhist works are generally given because of an analogy or an example. Here the name gyu is given in reference to the subject matter of the work which is the essence of Buddhahood. This continuity refers to the subject matter and also the function of the work. The function of this work is to help beings enter the Mahayana
path.
The Salutation
The salutation of the translators to the Buddhas is "homage to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. " The Tibetan word for
? Buddha is sang gay and each syllable illustrates that the Buddha has two qualities: the quality of purity because he has eliminated all negative impurities and the quality of realization because once the impurities are gone, there is the full understanding of everything. The first syllable sang means "totally purified" or "awakened. " meaning awakened from the sleep of ignorance. A Buddha has completely eliminated all impurities, all the things that had to be removed have been removed. The second part of the word gay means "fully blossomed" referring to the fact that once every obscuration has been fully removed, the pure intelligence of a Buddha understanding all pheno- mena with full clarity. This word gay is also used to describe what happens to a lotus flower when it opens up completely. So the word sang gay in this context means awakened and fully blossomed.
The next word in the salutation is "bodhisattvas" or chang chub sem pa. This word was translated from the Sanskrit into four syllables in Tibetan. Literally, it means "those who have enough courage to strive for enlightenment. " So the first word chang chub or "enlightenment," can be broken into chang which means "completely purified" which has essentially the same meaning as sang in Tibetan and means purified of all ignorance. Chub means internalized or assimilated. This means that once all the obscurations have been removed, all knowledge has been realized. The Tibetan word changrhub is the word for "enlightenment" in general, but in this particular context of bodhisattvas it means "almost
completely purified" or "has almost completely assimilated the meaning of everything. " The second word sempa means "those who have the courage to embark on the path
? of enlightenment. " So in the salutation the translators prostrate to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in order to receive the blessings so their work will be done properly and without difficulties.
Divisions o f the Commentary
Following the salutation the text by Maitreya begins. Buddhist commentaries usually follow the style of presenting the work in three main divisions. Usually, each chapter begins with one verse which is a condensed summary of the whole chapter, followed by a set of verses giving detailed explanations of each of the points mentioned in the first part, and a third set recapitulating the meaning of the verses. This first introductory chapter has three parts. Part A of the first division shows the work is
composed of seven points called "indestructible" or vajra points because they are very profound like a vajra. Part B shows this work is connected with the sutras and is based on Buddha's teachings. Part C is an explanation of the order of the seven points.
As already mentioned, all beings want to find some kind of happiness and eliminate their difficulties. In this respect everyone is the same. The difference between individuals lies in the way they go about attaining this happiness. Some people seek material happiness and some try to find happiness through the dharma. Those who try to find worldly happiness might believe happiness will come to them by achieving fame or success or wealth. If they try
this, they will not reach real happiness. The only way to find true happiness is to achieve Buddhahood. When one is a Buddha, all negative things which could bring
? unhappiness have been relinquished and everything that is to be realized has been realized. Only then can eternal happiness be achieved. All other attempts will bring temporary happiness. So the first points examined in the Uttara Tantra relate to this goal.
Outline ofthe Work
[l]3 The first three points of the Uttara Tantra relate to the Buddha, the dharma, and the sarigha because these lead to the goal of enlightenment. The first vajra point is the Buddha who shows the way to enlightenment. The second vajra point is the dharma which arc the teachings given by the Buddha and show us how to attain our goal. The third vajra point is the sarigha or our companions on the path who help us from straying from the path. These three vajra points are external causes. Besides this we need something within ourself. If we don't have anything within that makes it possible to reach enlightenment, then we cannot actually reach it. The fourth vajra point is the essence of Buddhahood called buddha nature which is present in all beings. Once we know buddha nature is present in the mind of all beings, we know that whoever strives for enlightenment can attain it. We cannot say this person can reach Buddhahood, but that person can't because all
persons have the seed of enlightenment. But it is not enough to have the seed of enlightenment; we must culdvate it so it develops fully into Buddhahood. We must exert ourself to remove all impurities for the goal to be
3 The numbers in brackets are the verse numbers of the original text Theymay be found in The Changeless Nature text
? achieved and this effort is the fifth vajra point. Then the good qualities achieved after obtaining enlightenment make up the sixth vajra point.
Why is it important to reach enlightenment? It is important because it is a state of possessing all the qualities which are the ultimate fulfillment for oneself. All that is left are all perfect qualities wh' 'h are not just of value for oneself, but automatically have great value for all other beings trapped in conditioned existence. The seventh and last vajra point, then, is the activity of a Buddha. This activity flows naturally from Buddhahood to benefit all other beings.
The Connection to the Sutras
[2] These seven vajra points were not arbitrarily made up by Maitreya, but were taught by the Buddha in the sutras. The Buddha taught this subject in seven vajra points because there is an inner connection between these points and their intrinsic characteristics. The Buddha taught this relationship at the request of King ISvara in the DharanifvarSraja sutra. In the introductory chapter of that sutra there is a teaching on the three jewels (the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha). The Buddha is shown to be
the one who has reached full realization of the true nature of all phenomena. From this realization springs the dharma. Once there is this teaching of the Buddha, there are persons who accompany the Buddha and learn his teachings and train their minds and become the sangha.
In the DhEtraniSvaMraja sutra the other four vajra points are covered beginning with how bodhisattvas can learn to purify the obstacles blocking the way to
? realization. They have to purify emotional afflictions and their dualistic thinking which is blocking true wisdom. This sutra explains the ways one can eliminate these obscurations. If the essence of Buddhahood is purified, then it manifests. This sutra shows 60 different ways that the essence of Buddhahood can be made pure and manifest. The fifth vajra point, enlightenment, is introduced by explaining the 16 aspects of compassion of a bodhisattva. With enlightenment all the qualities inherent in enlightenment are present (such as the ten powers of the Buddha and the four fearlessnesses. ) The sixth vajra point is the qualities of enlightenment. The seventh vajra point
describes the activity of the Buddha or the natural outflow of activities of Buddhahood. These points are in this particular order to show the intimate connection between them. The seven vajra points are also taught in several other sutras, but they are not taught in sequence and the connection between the points is not discussed in the other sutras.
The Order o f the Vajra Points
[3] When the Buddha enters the world, he is the root of all the good qualities, of all the forms of true happiness. Logically, the first vajra point has to be the Buddha from whom all the good qualities and happiness spring. Once a Buddha has entered the world to help other beings, he turns the wheel of dharma. From the Buddha springs the dharma. Once the dharma exists, it spreads. When beings are ready to understand the dharma, they practice the dharma each according to their ability and the aspect of the path that suits them. Through the practice of the path, they develop
? signs of realization and become known as "realized sangha" which is the third vajra point.
When the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha are present, there is the possibility of realizing the existence of buddha nature. Although persons possess buddha nature from the beginning of time, the presence of the three
jewels makes it possible for individuals to learn about Buddhahood so that they can begin making buddha nature manifest. They learn how to purify the obscurations that cover it. Little by little this essence of Buddhahood becomes clearer and clearer until the wisdom (jnana) manifests completely. But for this to happen there must be the external conditions of the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha and the inner condition of buddha nature within
one's mind. With the combination of the external and internal conditions, it is possible to remove all the impurities obscuring the essence of Buddhahood. Once all these impurities have been removed, one achieves Buddhahood which is the connection between the fourth and the fifth vajra point.
Once Buddhahood is achieved, one asks. the question of what qualities are connected with this condition and this question is answered in the sixth vajra point. When one achieves Buddhahood, it is not only great fulfillment for
oneself, but also of great value to others. The value for oneself means the qualities of enlightenment pertain not only to the body aspect, but to the mind aspect. The qualities of the body will be explained in terms of the two kayas of the Buddha (nirmanakaya and sambhogakaya). The qualities of the mind are all the qualities of. tfce
dharmakaya.
? Once the qualities of Buddhahood are present, great benefit for all other beings springs from them automatically which brings about the seventh vajra point, the activities of Buddhahood. So from these qualities comes the activities of the Buddha which help all beings. This activity is totally effortless, continuing until samsara has been completely eliminated.
The above three parts were an explanation of the central structure of the text which in Tibetan is referred to as the "body" of the text. What follows are the different parts or what Tibetan scholars call the "limbs" of the text. The detailed explanation of the seven vajra points is actually divided into two sections: the goal one is aiming for which covers the first three vajra points plus a summary, and the tools for reaching enlightenment which comprise the remaining four vajra points.
? CHAPTER 2
The Buddha
The explanation of the Buddha is divided into three sections: a description of what a Buddha is by means of the salutation, a section describing the qualities of the Buddhas, and a section with a more detailed explanation of these qualities.
The Salutation
[4] The Buddha is described in the salutation. A Buddha is someone who has reached total fulfillment Buddhahood is the ultimate fulfillment for oneself because it is free from all suffering and all possibility of suffering. If one is a Buddha, there is no longer any fear, any worry, or any doubt that suffering will never return. When Buddhahood has been achieved, one does not selfishly enjoy it just for
oneself but from this Buddhahood springs activity which spontaneously helps all other beings. In the text the salutation is made in the form, "I bow down. . . " and lists six qualities of Buddhahood. The first three qualities of the Buddha are connected to the value to oneself and the last three qualities are connected to the value for others.
The first quality of Buddhahood is the quality of beipg uncreated and not composed of anything. The text says the Buddha is eternal, centerless, and endless. Eternal means
? there is no birth or starting point of the Buddha. Centerless means there is no place where the Buddha abides. Endless means there is no death, no interruption of the Buddha. A birth, a place of abiding, and an ending, implies a condition of change. If there were change, even with happiness in the beginning, this happiness could change to suffering. Change automatically means impermanence and impermanence implies suffering. Being uncreated, the Buddha doesn't belong to conditioned phenomena which changes.
The second quality of Buddhahood is peace or equanimity which implies the spontaneous presence of everything beneficial. This peace means that all of the conceptual agitation has totally ended. One is constantly agitated by millions of thoughts so the mind is never peaceful. We must exert effort all the time with everything being difficult and a trouble. Whatever one wants is not available because there is always something in the way. This creates mental pain and physical difficulties because one is always struggling to do things not once, but again and again. In contrast, the Buddha with this peace of mind doesn't need to make any effort and everything happens spontaneously and effortlessly.
The third quality of Buddhahood is that it relies on no external conditions. The essence of Buddhahood is inherent, so one cannot give Buddhahood to another. Also one can't look outside oneself to become enlightened. Buddhahood realizes itself and has nothing to do with an external process.
The above three qualities are related to value for oneself. From the presence of these qualities springs the next three qualities of value for others. When Buddhahood
? is achieved, one has gone beyond suffering and all the causes of suffering. In other words, one is awakened from ignorance and this is the achievement of ultimate happiness. There is this full understanding of the nature of all phenomena which is the full blossoming of jnana. When this happens, a Buddha has the power to help others and shows other beings the fearless path. To do this he or she has a quality of knowledge which comes from complete realization of the nature of everything and the quality of compassionate love which creates a desire to share this knowledge with others.
Compassion and knowledge are compared to a sword and a vajra. The sword cuts through all suffering. The vajra destroys the wall of doubts which is surrounded by the thicket of wrong views. So the Buddha uses compassion and knowledge to rid beings of their suffering, wrong views, and misunderstandings. The three qualities of a Buddha connected to the value for others are wisdom,
compassion, and the power to help others.
The short answer to the qualities of the Buddha is
perfect fulfillment for oneself and for others. A longer answer is to list the above six qualities. The most complete answer is to say the Buddha has eight qualities which are the six qualities plus the value for self and value for others. It is beneficial for the Buddhist practitioner to learn these eight qualities and to keep them in mind, not just read them in the text.
Qualities o f the Buddha
The first quality of the Buddha is "uncreated" (Tib. du ma che) which also means "unconditioned" in Tibetan. One
? part of the Tibetan word means "gathered" or "gathered together. " It is gathered together by many different causal conditions that make up things. For example when growing a flower, we first need the seed which is the basic cause for the existence of the flower. We also need a whole set of secondary conditions such as water, fertilizer, and heat that makes growth of the flower possible. The developed flower therefore is not "unconditioned" because it is a result of the seed and all the factors needed for its growth. We may ask what is wrong with something being created from a composite of many different things. The problem is that if one of the factors is lacking, then the object won't develop or come about. For instance, if water is lacking, the flower will wither and die or if heat is lacking, the flower will not bloom. In contrast, the the essence of Buddhahood is not created by different causes or con- ditions. The essence of Buddhahood is present in the mind of all beings from the beginning. Because it was not created, the nature of Buddhahood is changeless.
The second quality of the Buddha is the spontaneous presence of all the good qualities of the Buddha. This spontaneity means the absence of effort. All the qualities of the Buddha, the qualities of the purity of the dharmakaya and form kayas are inherently present and do not have to be modified or developed in any way. They have always been there without any effort.
The third quality is realization without relying on some external condition. If one had to rely on something external, one would be controlled by external circum- stances to realize it. The Buddha has no need to rely on an external object or condition. One may ask, "What is doing this realizing to become a Buddha? " It is the jnana, the
? aspect of the pure intelligence of the mind. This jnana recognizes itself without the introduction of any outside factor so enlightenment becomes a process of jnana seeing its own nature.
The next three qualities are connected with value for others. The fourth quality is perfect knowledge.
If one shows the path to others, one needs to know it oneself; otherwise there is nothing to show. This means the under- standing of the Buddha cannot be partial and the Buddha must continuously perceive the true nature of all phenomena, not just glimpse it. The perfect knowledge of the Buddha has two aspects: the knowledge of seeing phenomena as they are and the knowledge of seeing the multitude and variety of phenomena.
If the Buddha perceived the nature of phenomena without compassion, he would keep this knowledge to himself. So the fifth quality is compassionate love. The Buddha is endowed with perfect compassion quite similar, but stronger than, the love a mother has for her only son. That love implies one wants to free the other person from suffering and have him or her be happy. The Buddha has the most perfect form of compassion and this makes him able to help beings.
The Buddha has perfect knowledge and compassion, but these two qualities can't help all beings if a sixth quality is lacking. To remove all suffering and the cause of suffering, one must have the power to do it. The Buddha has this ability to help others free themselves from suffering and the causes of their suffering with compassion and knowledge. With these he can cut through the seeds of suffering and destroy the wall of doubts.
? Summary o f the Qualities
[6] The first quality is uncreated. If something has a beginning, and an intermediate state where it is abiding, and an end when it disintegrates, then it has the three marks of existence of birth, life, and death which are the characteristics of composite things. Buddhahood is not created because it is inherent in the mind of all beings from the beginning. Because it is always present, there is no cessation of Buddhahood. It is there continually helping beings as long as samsSra goes on. In the middle there is no actual presence of Buddhahood in the sense it is solid because its essence is voidness and its nature is clarity. It is
therefore a union of voidness and clarity.
The Buddha has spontaneous presence because of his
peace and possession of the dharmakaya. By nature the Buddha is peaceful because he has no impulse to harm anything. There are also no emotions that are a result of desire that would push a Buddha into acting to create all this effort and all this striving because in Buddhahood all these aspects of striving and concocting thoughts have disappeared and been purified. So the Buddha is peaceful and has the nature of the dharmakaya which is free from all mental efforts and creations. This is why the Buddha is said to be spontaneous and have the spontaneous presence of all the good qualities.
[7] The third quality of Buddhahood is that it is not realized through external conditions. To realize Buddhahood we don't need to depend on anything external. This does not mean that at the beginning of the path, we do not need help to learn how to practice. At the beginning of the path we cannot see this pure essence of
? Buddhahood in all beings so we must rely on external sources. At the moment of realization of Buddhahood, however, we cannot rely on anyone or anything else; we must rely on jnana which is inherendy present in the mind. When the impurities masking jnana have been removed, the strong clarity of this jnana is present and recognizes itself.
All beings have the essence of Buddhahood, but they don't know it and therefore need help to reach Buddhahood. The perfect knowledge of the Buddha knows how to help them. Besides this knowledge of how to help there is the compassion which sees the agony beings have to go through again and again. This compassion sees the need to help beings reach Buddhahood which is the only way to truly liberate them.
The Buddha has the power to help remove the suffering and all the defilements of beings that are causing the suffering. So the Buddha sees the need to help others, knows how to help them, and has the ability to do so.
? CHAPTER 3
The Dharma
The first vajra point is the Buddha who has eight qualities. When Buddhahood is achieved, the Buddha begins spontaneously helping beings reach enlightenment. How does he do this? Does he give them his blessing and they are immediately transported into Buddhahood? This is not the way the Buddha helps beings. He points out the path of enlightenment to them and helps them by teaching the dharma which is the path of enlightenment. This is why the dharma is the second vajra point.
The word "dharma" has two different meanings: The dharma of statements which are all the teachings of the Buddha passed on to his disciples. These also include the explanatory texts (sastras) which were written by others to explain the Buddha's words. The words 6f the Buddha are divided into three "baskets" called the Tripitaka. The first is the Vinaya teachings which were intended to free one from attachment. The second basket is the sutras which are intended to free one from aggression. The third is the Abhidharma which are intended to free one from ignorance. All these teachings add up to 84,000 different facets of the teachings.
The dharma of realization is the result of dharma practice so the bodhisattvas can realize within themselves all the qualities that are described in the teachings such as the six pSramitas. The word "dharma" is most frequently
? used to mean "teaching. " In the Uttara Tantra, however, the meaning of "dharma" refers to the dharma of realization and is used in the sense of something which has the ability to eliminate all defilements and bring about the full fruition of jnana (the highest and purest form of knowledge and intelligence). The dharma of statements is
only an indirect tool to acquire the qualities, whereas all the qualities of purity and realization can be directly attained with the dharma of realization. In the Uttara Tantra the word "dharma" will be used mostly in its ultimate sense of
the realization of these qualities.
The dharma of realization has two aspects: the truth of
cessation and the truth of the path. The truth of cessation is "total freedom from bondage. " The Tibetan word for bondage is ching wa, literally meaning "attachment" or "attached. " Sometimes this word "bondage" refers to the defilements related just to attachment. But in this text the word "bondage" is used for all obscurations--the defilements of emotions and the obscurations due to dualistic thinking. The truth of cessation is freedom from both these obscurations and one achieves it when one is free from all these defilements. This truth is achieved by
the practice of the path to develop jnSna. When this knowledge is born in one, one can reach the truth of cessation.
The Qualities o f the Dharma
[9] The truth of cessation has three qualities, the truth of the path has three qualities and with these two truths, the dharma of realization has eight qualities.
? The text first describes dharma in ihe salutation. It says, "I bow down to the sun of the dharma. " The dharma is compared to the sun because when the sun rises, the light of the sun dispels all darkness by shining everywhere spon- taneously. Likewise, when one has a direct realization of the dharma, all the defilements and obscurations are dispelled completely.
The first three qualities relate to the truth of cessation and the true nature of phenomena. The first quality is inconceivability because phenomena are devoid of solid reality. When one hears this one should not fall into the extreme of nihilism by thinking "if it is void, then nothing at all has any significance" and begin believing that karma does not apply so there is no difference between a good and a bad action. To counteract this nihilism, the text states that emptiness (Skt. fhunyata) is not non-existence. On the relative level, whatever appears to us, even though it is an illusion, is there and our actions do have an effect. However, on the absolute level there are the buddha kSyas or the jnana of the Buddhas. This presence of the Buddha kayas and the validity of karma on the relative level are understood by the self-cognizant jnana. On the relative level, everything manifests; but all these phenomena have never had any actual reality because they are by nature void. With an understanding of the emptiness, one can avoid the other danger of believing in solid existence--the belief in realism.
The true nature of everything (1) is not "nonexistence" and (2) it is not "existence. " It is not (3) a combination of existence and nonexistence because this is logically im-
possible. If one had existed in the first place, then one might be able to combine it with nonexistence. But since
? there is no existence to begin with, then one cannot combine the two because they are not there in the first place. It is not (4) beyond existence and nonexistence. Again this is impossible because existence and nonexistence cannot combine. It is not possible to be something other than existence or non-existence. This argument shows the true nature of everything is free from the reasoning of these four extremes and the true nature is free from the complication of our rational thinking.
This true nature is beyond any verbal definition. If one has an object one can define it with words. The very subtle true nature of everything cannot be defined with words. It is said in many texts that the true nature of things is ineffable (impossible to comprehend), it is beyond words, beyond thoughts, beyond definition. How can one then understand it? First one must gain indirect knowledge of it with logical thinking. Once one has this indirect knowledge of it, then one meditates to obtain a direct understanding of it. This direct understanding comes from the self-cognizant aspect of one's intelligence. All
phenomena are devoid of any substantial reality and this emptiness is not just an empty space. If it were an empty space, then it would be a blankness. The emptiness of the mind, in contrast, is the dharmadhatu which is the space of the true nature of things and has a very vivid clarity. Within this clarity is the possibility for everything to manifest. This possibility of manifestation can have the quality of
purity or impurity. When there is impurity, the manifestation will take illusory forms. When the purity is undisturbed, the manifestation will appear in pure forms and pure lands of the Buddha. So the true naturb of phenomena is the essence of emptiness and the nature is
? clarity. This nature is known by self-cognizant jnSna. When the jnana knows itself, it knows that nature. Therefore the text says this essence of Buddhahood "is neither existence nor nonexistence. "
Now follows a word, "peace," which means total paci- fication of all karma and all defilements. Even though in the text there is only one word, "peace," this word "peace" points to the two other qualities of the truth of cessation. The second quality is nonduality and the third is freedom from concept. Everything that comes before the word "peace" refers to the quality of inconceivability.
The second quality is stainlessness or purity. There are two kinds of obscurations to be purified on the practice of the path: the emotional aspect of the defilements and the obscurations of dualistic knowledge. Once all the obscurations are removed, the sun of jnana which is in- herently present in the mind can now shine through in all its brilliance. The word "brilliant" refers to the light of
jnSna and points out the second quality of clarity. Once the obscurations have been removed, there is total clarity of knowledge because the sun of jnana has been freed of the clouds.
The third quality is bringing a remedy to all the ailments of the defilements which were obscured by attachment, aggression, and ignorance. When the sun of
jiiSna has been liberated from its clouds, it dispels all the negativity and remedies it. This is why the tr? th of the path is compared to the sun in the phrase, "I bow down to the sun of dharma. " The sun free from clouds is pure and its brilliance sheds its light everywhere and its qualities remedy darkness. Now in more detail:
? [10] The truth of cessation is represented by the achievement of realizing the truth of phenomena. This true nature has the quality of being inconceivable. "Inconceivable" means that the nature of things being beyond the four conceptual extremes is neither existent or nonexistent nor a combination of these two nor beyond these two. It is "inconceivable" in terms of using words.
The second quality is nonduality which means freedom from the impurities of karma and defilements. Karma literally means "action" and refers to all good and bad actions a person does. These actions are always tainted by defilements and dualistic thought. Even when we perform good actions, these actions are still tainted in some subtle sense (such as wanting something in return for the good action) and therefore are still a cause for rebirth. If we
perform good actions, they will produce good results and lead to a higher rebirth in samsSra. But still they will result in rebirth in sams&ra. The defilements are the root of ego and the belief in the existence of the self. If there is still the presence of karma and defilements, then there is still samsSra. The dharma is free from both karma and
defilements and therefore it is called nondual.
The third quality of the truth of cessation is non- conceptual or being totally free from concepts and thoughts. Whenever there are thoughts, there is the danger of incorrect thoughts which are thoughts contradicting the actual nature of things. These incorrect thoughts generate
negative actions and defilements and with these one ends up living in samsSra. These concepts then are the r6ot of samsSra. The truth of cessation doesn't have any of these
? thoughts which will give rise to samsara.
The quality of stainlessness means free from the stains
of defilements and dualistic knowledge. The dharma of the truth of the path is free from these impurities. Even though they may appear, these impurities are only fleeting and not really part of the dharma. The dharma by nature has never been soiled or polluted by these impurities. It is similar to pure gold which might sometimes be tarnished, but that tarnish is not an inherent part of the gold. The tarnish is only a temporary condition that can be eliminated. Similarly, there may be clouds in the sky, but clouds are not an inherent part of the nature of the sky; they are just accidents passing through the sky. In the same way, the impurities of karma, defilements and dualistic knowledge, are just fleeting phenomena happening in the mind and not an integral part of dharma.
When the truth of the path has been completely realized, there is a brilliance which lights up all the appearances of relative reality very' clearly. One can also see the true nature of phenomena at the same time with this clarity. One sees phenomena in the relative aspect and the ultimate aspect. When the truth of the path has been achieved, it is like a light that lights up both the relative and absolute aspect of phenomena.
The realization of the qualities of purity and clarity eliminate the defilements of the three poisons: attachment, aggression, and ignorance. Dharma has the intrinsic characteristics of freedom from the causes of bondage. Freedom from bondage relates to the truth of cessation.
? Bondage is all the emotional negativities, the obscurations of dualistic knowledge, and the subconscious traces that remain after the coarser impurities have been removed. These obscurations bind one to samsara and these defilements do not disappear by themselves, so one must apply a remedy to the obscurations.
If one practices the path, beginning with the path of ac- cumulation, the path of junction, etc. , eventually one attains Buddhahood. The truth of the path frees one from bondage and when bondage has disappeared, one has reached the truth of cessation. So the dharma can be said to be that which has the qualities of the truth of cessation and the truth of the path.
Dharma has two aspects--the dharma of teaching and the dharma of realization. When one takes refuge, one must realize there are two aspects of refuge--refuge as a causal condition leading one to enlightenment and refuge as the result after one has achieved enlightenment. The refuge of cause is taken at the very beginning of the path as ordinary beings by taking refuge in the Buddha, the
dharma, and the sangha. At this point one does not know the path that leads to Buddhahood and therefore one needs to rely on the Buddha who shows the path as guide. One takes refuge in the dharma as the teachings of the Buddha and one takes refuge in the sangha as companions on the path. As an ordinary being one takes refuge in the Buddha who is outside oneself, the dharma that's not one's
personal realization, and the sangha composed of beings with their own realization. So in the beginning one takes
? refuge in things realized by other beings and one studies the TripitaJca as the dharma.
In the Uttara Tantra, on the other hand, refuge is in the context of the fruition refuge. One first takes refuge in the three jewels as the cause for one's future enlightenment. When one takes refuge in the sangha, one becomes part of the sangha. Next on the path if one practices and eliminates the obscurations and impurities. The true qualities of dharma become evident. Then the dharma aspect becomes realized and when one takes refuge in the dharma, it is not external but is internalized. Eventually one becomes a Buddha and does not rely on anything external any more and one becomes one's own refuge. At the fruition level one takes refuge in the dharma of realization rather than in the dharma as a teaching and becomes the realized sangha. The Uttara Tantra refers to the truth of the path which leads to the truth of cessation and dharma as realization.
How the Qualities are Connected to the Truths
[11] The truth of cessation is freedom from bondage when there is nothing more to relinquish and the truth of the path frees one from bondage. The truth of cessation has qualities of inconceivability, nonduality, and noncon- ceptuality. The truth of path has the qualities of purity, clarity, and remedy. So the six qualities are contained in the two truths.
? How the Qualities are Connected to the Salutation
[12] Asanga in the Uttara Tantra goes through the qualities three times to make sure they are understood. First, he gives it in the salutation, then he gives it in detail in the second point and then ! ie connects the various qualities with the praise in the third part. In the fourth point, the truth of cessation is presented as inconceivable because it is beyond the grasp of intellect: when one thinks about it, one cannot say it is like this or that or give it a color or definition. Secondly, it is beyond the grasp of speech: it cannot be expressed, it cannot be described in words; one cannot say it is like this or like that. Thirdly, it is inconceivable because it cannot be grasped by the understanding of an ordinary person. In the salutation to
the dharma it states that the truth of cessation is self- cognizant and known only to the deeply realized. When one is working on the path, one learns about this truth, then one reflects on it, then one meditates on it. When all impurities have been removed through meditation, one will reach the state of realized ones, the level of the bodhisattvas, when one sees the true nature of phenomena directly without any distortion. Then one will know the truth of cessation directly because the truth of cessation
cannot be known by an ordinary mind.
The second quality of peace is inherent in the true
nature of phenomena which are endowed with twofold purity.
toe path is very great,
FwJtewjflgi "tegpa cheapo" if "gyu lama. " The Sanskrit
word for "gyu lama'* is "uttara tantra" and this is usually the short name given to this work. Uttara Tantra can be explained from the viewpoint of the literal words or from the viewpoint of the terminology of its meaning.
From the terminology viewpoint, the first word gyu means "continuity" and means there is a continuity in the words and the continuity of these words creates a clear understandable meaning which makes up the work. To this word "gyu" it added the qualifier lama which means "ultimate," "superior,H"higher" or "excellent. " This is added to "continuity" because the continuity of this text
contains the deepest meaning.
From the viewpoint of meaning of the work, the word
"gyu" means "continuity" but in this context it means the continuity of the essence of the Buddhahood which never changes whether it is in terms of the ground when it is present in all beings, or in terms of the path when beings are practicing the attainment of enlightenment, or in terms
? of fruition when one becomes a Buddha. Throughout all these phases the nature of Buddhahood remains the same so there is an unbroken continuity all along its development The word "lama" here means "ultimate" or "highest" because the type of practice which will come from this text is not ordinary Buddhist practice, but superior to the practice of hlnaySna. It is a very high type
of practice because it points to the ultimate nature of all phenomena. It also comes from a very high bodhisattva which is another reason for giving it the qualifier of "ultimate. " Finally, the word "ultimate" is in the title because the Uttara Tantra involves explaining absolute truth so it is like a bridge between the sutras and the tantras.
The last word "tan cho" or "&stra" in Sanskrit literally means "a teaching which brings remedy" or a remedial teaching. This is because these teachings which are elucidations of the Buddha's teachings constitute a remedy for all the defilements and help beings abandon the sufferings of the three dimensions of existence.
The names of Buddhist works are generally given because of an analogy or an example. Here the name gyu is given in reference to the subject matter of the work which is the essence of Buddhahood. This continuity refers to the subject matter and also the function of the work. The function of this work is to help beings enter the Mahayana
path.
The Salutation
The salutation of the translators to the Buddhas is "homage to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. " The Tibetan word for
? Buddha is sang gay and each syllable illustrates that the Buddha has two qualities: the quality of purity because he has eliminated all negative impurities and the quality of realization because once the impurities are gone, there is the full understanding of everything. The first syllable sang means "totally purified" or "awakened. " meaning awakened from the sleep of ignorance. A Buddha has completely eliminated all impurities, all the things that had to be removed have been removed. The second part of the word gay means "fully blossomed" referring to the fact that once every obscuration has been fully removed, the pure intelligence of a Buddha understanding all pheno- mena with full clarity. This word gay is also used to describe what happens to a lotus flower when it opens up completely. So the word sang gay in this context means awakened and fully blossomed.
The next word in the salutation is "bodhisattvas" or chang chub sem pa. This word was translated from the Sanskrit into four syllables in Tibetan. Literally, it means "those who have enough courage to strive for enlightenment. " So the first word chang chub or "enlightenment," can be broken into chang which means "completely purified" which has essentially the same meaning as sang in Tibetan and means purified of all ignorance. Chub means internalized or assimilated. This means that once all the obscurations have been removed, all knowledge has been realized. The Tibetan word changrhub is the word for "enlightenment" in general, but in this particular context of bodhisattvas it means "almost
completely purified" or "has almost completely assimilated the meaning of everything. " The second word sempa means "those who have the courage to embark on the path
? of enlightenment. " So in the salutation the translators prostrate to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in order to receive the blessings so their work will be done properly and without difficulties.
Divisions o f the Commentary
Following the salutation the text by Maitreya begins. Buddhist commentaries usually follow the style of presenting the work in three main divisions. Usually, each chapter begins with one verse which is a condensed summary of the whole chapter, followed by a set of verses giving detailed explanations of each of the points mentioned in the first part, and a third set recapitulating the meaning of the verses. This first introductory chapter has three parts. Part A of the first division shows the work is
composed of seven points called "indestructible" or vajra points because they are very profound like a vajra. Part B shows this work is connected with the sutras and is based on Buddha's teachings. Part C is an explanation of the order of the seven points.
As already mentioned, all beings want to find some kind of happiness and eliminate their difficulties. In this respect everyone is the same. The difference between individuals lies in the way they go about attaining this happiness. Some people seek material happiness and some try to find happiness through the dharma. Those who try to find worldly happiness might believe happiness will come to them by achieving fame or success or wealth. If they try
this, they will not reach real happiness. The only way to find true happiness is to achieve Buddhahood. When one is a Buddha, all negative things which could bring
? unhappiness have been relinquished and everything that is to be realized has been realized. Only then can eternal happiness be achieved. All other attempts will bring temporary happiness. So the first points examined in the Uttara Tantra relate to this goal.
Outline ofthe Work
[l]3 The first three points of the Uttara Tantra relate to the Buddha, the dharma, and the sarigha because these lead to the goal of enlightenment. The first vajra point is the Buddha who shows the way to enlightenment. The second vajra point is the dharma which arc the teachings given by the Buddha and show us how to attain our goal. The third vajra point is the sarigha or our companions on the path who help us from straying from the path. These three vajra points are external causes. Besides this we need something within ourself. If we don't have anything within that makes it possible to reach enlightenment, then we cannot actually reach it. The fourth vajra point is the essence of Buddhahood called buddha nature which is present in all beings. Once we know buddha nature is present in the mind of all beings, we know that whoever strives for enlightenment can attain it. We cannot say this person can reach Buddhahood, but that person can't because all
persons have the seed of enlightenment. But it is not enough to have the seed of enlightenment; we must culdvate it so it develops fully into Buddhahood. We must exert ourself to remove all impurities for the goal to be
3 The numbers in brackets are the verse numbers of the original text Theymay be found in The Changeless Nature text
? achieved and this effort is the fifth vajra point. Then the good qualities achieved after obtaining enlightenment make up the sixth vajra point.
Why is it important to reach enlightenment? It is important because it is a state of possessing all the qualities which are the ultimate fulfillment for oneself. All that is left are all perfect qualities wh' 'h are not just of value for oneself, but automatically have great value for all other beings trapped in conditioned existence. The seventh and last vajra point, then, is the activity of a Buddha. This activity flows naturally from Buddhahood to benefit all other beings.
The Connection to the Sutras
[2] These seven vajra points were not arbitrarily made up by Maitreya, but were taught by the Buddha in the sutras. The Buddha taught this subject in seven vajra points because there is an inner connection between these points and their intrinsic characteristics. The Buddha taught this relationship at the request of King ISvara in the DharanifvarSraja sutra. In the introductory chapter of that sutra there is a teaching on the three jewels (the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha). The Buddha is shown to be
the one who has reached full realization of the true nature of all phenomena. From this realization springs the dharma. Once there is this teaching of the Buddha, there are persons who accompany the Buddha and learn his teachings and train their minds and become the sangha.
In the DhEtraniSvaMraja sutra the other four vajra points are covered beginning with how bodhisattvas can learn to purify the obstacles blocking the way to
? realization. They have to purify emotional afflictions and their dualistic thinking which is blocking true wisdom. This sutra explains the ways one can eliminate these obscurations. If the essence of Buddhahood is purified, then it manifests. This sutra shows 60 different ways that the essence of Buddhahood can be made pure and manifest. The fifth vajra point, enlightenment, is introduced by explaining the 16 aspects of compassion of a bodhisattva. With enlightenment all the qualities inherent in enlightenment are present (such as the ten powers of the Buddha and the four fearlessnesses. ) The sixth vajra point is the qualities of enlightenment. The seventh vajra point
describes the activity of the Buddha or the natural outflow of activities of Buddhahood. These points are in this particular order to show the intimate connection between them. The seven vajra points are also taught in several other sutras, but they are not taught in sequence and the connection between the points is not discussed in the other sutras.
The Order o f the Vajra Points
[3] When the Buddha enters the world, he is the root of all the good qualities, of all the forms of true happiness. Logically, the first vajra point has to be the Buddha from whom all the good qualities and happiness spring. Once a Buddha has entered the world to help other beings, he turns the wheel of dharma. From the Buddha springs the dharma. Once the dharma exists, it spreads. When beings are ready to understand the dharma, they practice the dharma each according to their ability and the aspect of the path that suits them. Through the practice of the path, they develop
? signs of realization and become known as "realized sangha" which is the third vajra point.
When the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha are present, there is the possibility of realizing the existence of buddha nature. Although persons possess buddha nature from the beginning of time, the presence of the three
jewels makes it possible for individuals to learn about Buddhahood so that they can begin making buddha nature manifest. They learn how to purify the obscurations that cover it. Little by little this essence of Buddhahood becomes clearer and clearer until the wisdom (jnana) manifests completely. But for this to happen there must be the external conditions of the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha and the inner condition of buddha nature within
one's mind. With the combination of the external and internal conditions, it is possible to remove all the impurities obscuring the essence of Buddhahood. Once all these impurities have been removed, one achieves Buddhahood which is the connection between the fourth and the fifth vajra point.
Once Buddhahood is achieved, one asks. the question of what qualities are connected with this condition and this question is answered in the sixth vajra point. When one achieves Buddhahood, it is not only great fulfillment for
oneself, but also of great value to others. The value for oneself means the qualities of enlightenment pertain not only to the body aspect, but to the mind aspect. The qualities of the body will be explained in terms of the two kayas of the Buddha (nirmanakaya and sambhogakaya). The qualities of the mind are all the qualities of. tfce
dharmakaya.
? Once the qualities of Buddhahood are present, great benefit for all other beings springs from them automatically which brings about the seventh vajra point, the activities of Buddhahood. So from these qualities comes the activities of the Buddha which help all beings. This activity is totally effortless, continuing until samsara has been completely eliminated.
The above three parts were an explanation of the central structure of the text which in Tibetan is referred to as the "body" of the text. What follows are the different parts or what Tibetan scholars call the "limbs" of the text. The detailed explanation of the seven vajra points is actually divided into two sections: the goal one is aiming for which covers the first three vajra points plus a summary, and the tools for reaching enlightenment which comprise the remaining four vajra points.
? CHAPTER 2
The Buddha
The explanation of the Buddha is divided into three sections: a description of what a Buddha is by means of the salutation, a section describing the qualities of the Buddhas, and a section with a more detailed explanation of these qualities.
The Salutation
[4] The Buddha is described in the salutation. A Buddha is someone who has reached total fulfillment Buddhahood is the ultimate fulfillment for oneself because it is free from all suffering and all possibility of suffering. If one is a Buddha, there is no longer any fear, any worry, or any doubt that suffering will never return. When Buddhahood has been achieved, one does not selfishly enjoy it just for
oneself but from this Buddhahood springs activity which spontaneously helps all other beings. In the text the salutation is made in the form, "I bow down. . . " and lists six qualities of Buddhahood. The first three qualities of the Buddha are connected to the value to oneself and the last three qualities are connected to the value for others.
The first quality of Buddhahood is the quality of beipg uncreated and not composed of anything. The text says the Buddha is eternal, centerless, and endless. Eternal means
? there is no birth or starting point of the Buddha. Centerless means there is no place where the Buddha abides. Endless means there is no death, no interruption of the Buddha. A birth, a place of abiding, and an ending, implies a condition of change. If there were change, even with happiness in the beginning, this happiness could change to suffering. Change automatically means impermanence and impermanence implies suffering. Being uncreated, the Buddha doesn't belong to conditioned phenomena which changes.
The second quality of Buddhahood is peace or equanimity which implies the spontaneous presence of everything beneficial. This peace means that all of the conceptual agitation has totally ended. One is constantly agitated by millions of thoughts so the mind is never peaceful. We must exert effort all the time with everything being difficult and a trouble. Whatever one wants is not available because there is always something in the way. This creates mental pain and physical difficulties because one is always struggling to do things not once, but again and again. In contrast, the Buddha with this peace of mind doesn't need to make any effort and everything happens spontaneously and effortlessly.
The third quality of Buddhahood is that it relies on no external conditions. The essence of Buddhahood is inherent, so one cannot give Buddhahood to another. Also one can't look outside oneself to become enlightened. Buddhahood realizes itself and has nothing to do with an external process.
The above three qualities are related to value for oneself. From the presence of these qualities springs the next three qualities of value for others. When Buddhahood
? is achieved, one has gone beyond suffering and all the causes of suffering. In other words, one is awakened from ignorance and this is the achievement of ultimate happiness. There is this full understanding of the nature of all phenomena which is the full blossoming of jnana. When this happens, a Buddha has the power to help others and shows other beings the fearless path. To do this he or she has a quality of knowledge which comes from complete realization of the nature of everything and the quality of compassionate love which creates a desire to share this knowledge with others.
Compassion and knowledge are compared to a sword and a vajra. The sword cuts through all suffering. The vajra destroys the wall of doubts which is surrounded by the thicket of wrong views. So the Buddha uses compassion and knowledge to rid beings of their suffering, wrong views, and misunderstandings. The three qualities of a Buddha connected to the value for others are wisdom,
compassion, and the power to help others.
The short answer to the qualities of the Buddha is
perfect fulfillment for oneself and for others. A longer answer is to list the above six qualities. The most complete answer is to say the Buddha has eight qualities which are the six qualities plus the value for self and value for others. It is beneficial for the Buddhist practitioner to learn these eight qualities and to keep them in mind, not just read them in the text.
Qualities o f the Buddha
The first quality of the Buddha is "uncreated" (Tib. du ma che) which also means "unconditioned" in Tibetan. One
? part of the Tibetan word means "gathered" or "gathered together. " It is gathered together by many different causal conditions that make up things. For example when growing a flower, we first need the seed which is the basic cause for the existence of the flower. We also need a whole set of secondary conditions such as water, fertilizer, and heat that makes growth of the flower possible. The developed flower therefore is not "unconditioned" because it is a result of the seed and all the factors needed for its growth. We may ask what is wrong with something being created from a composite of many different things. The problem is that if one of the factors is lacking, then the object won't develop or come about. For instance, if water is lacking, the flower will wither and die or if heat is lacking, the flower will not bloom. In contrast, the the essence of Buddhahood is not created by different causes or con- ditions. The essence of Buddhahood is present in the mind of all beings from the beginning. Because it was not created, the nature of Buddhahood is changeless.
The second quality of the Buddha is the spontaneous presence of all the good qualities of the Buddha. This spontaneity means the absence of effort. All the qualities of the Buddha, the qualities of the purity of the dharmakaya and form kayas are inherently present and do not have to be modified or developed in any way. They have always been there without any effort.
The third quality is realization without relying on some external condition. If one had to rely on something external, one would be controlled by external circum- stances to realize it. The Buddha has no need to rely on an external object or condition. One may ask, "What is doing this realizing to become a Buddha? " It is the jnana, the
? aspect of the pure intelligence of the mind. This jnana recognizes itself without the introduction of any outside factor so enlightenment becomes a process of jnana seeing its own nature.
The next three qualities are connected with value for others. The fourth quality is perfect knowledge.
If one shows the path to others, one needs to know it oneself; otherwise there is nothing to show. This means the under- standing of the Buddha cannot be partial and the Buddha must continuously perceive the true nature of all phenomena, not just glimpse it. The perfect knowledge of the Buddha has two aspects: the knowledge of seeing phenomena as they are and the knowledge of seeing the multitude and variety of phenomena.
If the Buddha perceived the nature of phenomena without compassion, he would keep this knowledge to himself. So the fifth quality is compassionate love. The Buddha is endowed with perfect compassion quite similar, but stronger than, the love a mother has for her only son. That love implies one wants to free the other person from suffering and have him or her be happy. The Buddha has the most perfect form of compassion and this makes him able to help beings.
The Buddha has perfect knowledge and compassion, but these two qualities can't help all beings if a sixth quality is lacking. To remove all suffering and the cause of suffering, one must have the power to do it. The Buddha has this ability to help others free themselves from suffering and the causes of their suffering with compassion and knowledge. With these he can cut through the seeds of suffering and destroy the wall of doubts.
? Summary o f the Qualities
[6] The first quality is uncreated. If something has a beginning, and an intermediate state where it is abiding, and an end when it disintegrates, then it has the three marks of existence of birth, life, and death which are the characteristics of composite things. Buddhahood is not created because it is inherent in the mind of all beings from the beginning. Because it is always present, there is no cessation of Buddhahood. It is there continually helping beings as long as samsSra goes on. In the middle there is no actual presence of Buddhahood in the sense it is solid because its essence is voidness and its nature is clarity. It is
therefore a union of voidness and clarity.
The Buddha has spontaneous presence because of his
peace and possession of the dharmakaya. By nature the Buddha is peaceful because he has no impulse to harm anything. There are also no emotions that are a result of desire that would push a Buddha into acting to create all this effort and all this striving because in Buddhahood all these aspects of striving and concocting thoughts have disappeared and been purified. So the Buddha is peaceful and has the nature of the dharmakaya which is free from all mental efforts and creations. This is why the Buddha is said to be spontaneous and have the spontaneous presence of all the good qualities.
[7] The third quality of Buddhahood is that it is not realized through external conditions. To realize Buddhahood we don't need to depend on anything external. This does not mean that at the beginning of the path, we do not need help to learn how to practice. At the beginning of the path we cannot see this pure essence of
? Buddhahood in all beings so we must rely on external sources. At the moment of realization of Buddhahood, however, we cannot rely on anyone or anything else; we must rely on jnana which is inherendy present in the mind. When the impurities masking jnana have been removed, the strong clarity of this jnana is present and recognizes itself.
All beings have the essence of Buddhahood, but they don't know it and therefore need help to reach Buddhahood. The perfect knowledge of the Buddha knows how to help them. Besides this knowledge of how to help there is the compassion which sees the agony beings have to go through again and again. This compassion sees the need to help beings reach Buddhahood which is the only way to truly liberate them.
The Buddha has the power to help remove the suffering and all the defilements of beings that are causing the suffering. So the Buddha sees the need to help others, knows how to help them, and has the ability to do so.
? CHAPTER 3
The Dharma
The first vajra point is the Buddha who has eight qualities. When Buddhahood is achieved, the Buddha begins spontaneously helping beings reach enlightenment. How does he do this? Does he give them his blessing and they are immediately transported into Buddhahood? This is not the way the Buddha helps beings. He points out the path of enlightenment to them and helps them by teaching the dharma which is the path of enlightenment. This is why the dharma is the second vajra point.
The word "dharma" has two different meanings: The dharma of statements which are all the teachings of the Buddha passed on to his disciples. These also include the explanatory texts (sastras) which were written by others to explain the Buddha's words. The words 6f the Buddha are divided into three "baskets" called the Tripitaka. The first is the Vinaya teachings which were intended to free one from attachment. The second basket is the sutras which are intended to free one from aggression. The third is the Abhidharma which are intended to free one from ignorance. All these teachings add up to 84,000 different facets of the teachings.
The dharma of realization is the result of dharma practice so the bodhisattvas can realize within themselves all the qualities that are described in the teachings such as the six pSramitas. The word "dharma" is most frequently
? used to mean "teaching. " In the Uttara Tantra, however, the meaning of "dharma" refers to the dharma of realization and is used in the sense of something which has the ability to eliminate all defilements and bring about the full fruition of jnana (the highest and purest form of knowledge and intelligence). The dharma of statements is
only an indirect tool to acquire the qualities, whereas all the qualities of purity and realization can be directly attained with the dharma of realization. In the Uttara Tantra the word "dharma" will be used mostly in its ultimate sense of
the realization of these qualities.
The dharma of realization has two aspects: the truth of
cessation and the truth of the path. The truth of cessation is "total freedom from bondage. " The Tibetan word for bondage is ching wa, literally meaning "attachment" or "attached. " Sometimes this word "bondage" refers to the defilements related just to attachment. But in this text the word "bondage" is used for all obscurations--the defilements of emotions and the obscurations due to dualistic thinking. The truth of cessation is freedom from both these obscurations and one achieves it when one is free from all these defilements. This truth is achieved by
the practice of the path to develop jnSna. When this knowledge is born in one, one can reach the truth of cessation.
The Qualities o f the Dharma
[9] The truth of cessation has three qualities, the truth of the path has three qualities and with these two truths, the dharma of realization has eight qualities.
? The text first describes dharma in ihe salutation. It says, "I bow down to the sun of the dharma. " The dharma is compared to the sun because when the sun rises, the light of the sun dispels all darkness by shining everywhere spon- taneously. Likewise, when one has a direct realization of the dharma, all the defilements and obscurations are dispelled completely.
The first three qualities relate to the truth of cessation and the true nature of phenomena. The first quality is inconceivability because phenomena are devoid of solid reality. When one hears this one should not fall into the extreme of nihilism by thinking "if it is void, then nothing at all has any significance" and begin believing that karma does not apply so there is no difference between a good and a bad action. To counteract this nihilism, the text states that emptiness (Skt. fhunyata) is not non-existence. On the relative level, whatever appears to us, even though it is an illusion, is there and our actions do have an effect. However, on the absolute level there are the buddha kSyas or the jnana of the Buddhas. This presence of the Buddha kayas and the validity of karma on the relative level are understood by the self-cognizant jnana. On the relative level, everything manifests; but all these phenomena have never had any actual reality because they are by nature void. With an understanding of the emptiness, one can avoid the other danger of believing in solid existence--the belief in realism.
The true nature of everything (1) is not "nonexistence" and (2) it is not "existence. " It is not (3) a combination of existence and nonexistence because this is logically im-
possible. If one had existed in the first place, then one might be able to combine it with nonexistence. But since
? there is no existence to begin with, then one cannot combine the two because they are not there in the first place. It is not (4) beyond existence and nonexistence. Again this is impossible because existence and nonexistence cannot combine. It is not possible to be something other than existence or non-existence. This argument shows the true nature of everything is free from the reasoning of these four extremes and the true nature is free from the complication of our rational thinking.
This true nature is beyond any verbal definition. If one has an object one can define it with words. The very subtle true nature of everything cannot be defined with words. It is said in many texts that the true nature of things is ineffable (impossible to comprehend), it is beyond words, beyond thoughts, beyond definition. How can one then understand it? First one must gain indirect knowledge of it with logical thinking. Once one has this indirect knowledge of it, then one meditates to obtain a direct understanding of it. This direct understanding comes from the self-cognizant aspect of one's intelligence. All
phenomena are devoid of any substantial reality and this emptiness is not just an empty space. If it were an empty space, then it would be a blankness. The emptiness of the mind, in contrast, is the dharmadhatu which is the space of the true nature of things and has a very vivid clarity. Within this clarity is the possibility for everything to manifest. This possibility of manifestation can have the quality of
purity or impurity. When there is impurity, the manifestation will take illusory forms. When the purity is undisturbed, the manifestation will appear in pure forms and pure lands of the Buddha. So the true naturb of phenomena is the essence of emptiness and the nature is
? clarity. This nature is known by self-cognizant jnSna. When the jnana knows itself, it knows that nature. Therefore the text says this essence of Buddhahood "is neither existence nor nonexistence. "
Now follows a word, "peace," which means total paci- fication of all karma and all defilements. Even though in the text there is only one word, "peace," this word "peace" points to the two other qualities of the truth of cessation. The second quality is nonduality and the third is freedom from concept. Everything that comes before the word "peace" refers to the quality of inconceivability.
The second quality is stainlessness or purity. There are two kinds of obscurations to be purified on the practice of the path: the emotional aspect of the defilements and the obscurations of dualistic knowledge. Once all the obscurations are removed, the sun of jnana which is in- herently present in the mind can now shine through in all its brilliance. The word "brilliant" refers to the light of
jnSna and points out the second quality of clarity. Once the obscurations have been removed, there is total clarity of knowledge because the sun of jnana has been freed of the clouds.
The third quality is bringing a remedy to all the ailments of the defilements which were obscured by attachment, aggression, and ignorance. When the sun of
jiiSna has been liberated from its clouds, it dispels all the negativity and remedies it. This is why the tr? th of the path is compared to the sun in the phrase, "I bow down to the sun of dharma. " The sun free from clouds is pure and its brilliance sheds its light everywhere and its qualities remedy darkness. Now in more detail:
? [10] The truth of cessation is represented by the achievement of realizing the truth of phenomena. This true nature has the quality of being inconceivable. "Inconceivable" means that the nature of things being beyond the four conceptual extremes is neither existent or nonexistent nor a combination of these two nor beyond these two. It is "inconceivable" in terms of using words.
The second quality is nonduality which means freedom from the impurities of karma and defilements. Karma literally means "action" and refers to all good and bad actions a person does. These actions are always tainted by defilements and dualistic thought. Even when we perform good actions, these actions are still tainted in some subtle sense (such as wanting something in return for the good action) and therefore are still a cause for rebirth. If we
perform good actions, they will produce good results and lead to a higher rebirth in samsSra. But still they will result in rebirth in sams&ra. The defilements are the root of ego and the belief in the existence of the self. If there is still the presence of karma and defilements, then there is still samsSra. The dharma is free from both karma and
defilements and therefore it is called nondual.
The third quality of the truth of cessation is non- conceptual or being totally free from concepts and thoughts. Whenever there are thoughts, there is the danger of incorrect thoughts which are thoughts contradicting the actual nature of things. These incorrect thoughts generate
negative actions and defilements and with these one ends up living in samsSra. These concepts then are the r6ot of samsSra. The truth of cessation doesn't have any of these
? thoughts which will give rise to samsara.
The quality of stainlessness means free from the stains
of defilements and dualistic knowledge. The dharma of the truth of the path is free from these impurities. Even though they may appear, these impurities are only fleeting and not really part of the dharma. The dharma by nature has never been soiled or polluted by these impurities. It is similar to pure gold which might sometimes be tarnished, but that tarnish is not an inherent part of the gold. The tarnish is only a temporary condition that can be eliminated. Similarly, there may be clouds in the sky, but clouds are not an inherent part of the nature of the sky; they are just accidents passing through the sky. In the same way, the impurities of karma, defilements and dualistic knowledge, are just fleeting phenomena happening in the mind and not an integral part of dharma.
When the truth of the path has been completely realized, there is a brilliance which lights up all the appearances of relative reality very' clearly. One can also see the true nature of phenomena at the same time with this clarity. One sees phenomena in the relative aspect and the ultimate aspect. When the truth of the path has been achieved, it is like a light that lights up both the relative and absolute aspect of phenomena.
The realization of the qualities of purity and clarity eliminate the defilements of the three poisons: attachment, aggression, and ignorance. Dharma has the intrinsic characteristics of freedom from the causes of bondage. Freedom from bondage relates to the truth of cessation.
? Bondage is all the emotional negativities, the obscurations of dualistic knowledge, and the subconscious traces that remain after the coarser impurities have been removed. These obscurations bind one to samsara and these defilements do not disappear by themselves, so one must apply a remedy to the obscurations.
If one practices the path, beginning with the path of ac- cumulation, the path of junction, etc. , eventually one attains Buddhahood. The truth of the path frees one from bondage and when bondage has disappeared, one has reached the truth of cessation. So the dharma can be said to be that which has the qualities of the truth of cessation and the truth of the path.
Dharma has two aspects--the dharma of teaching and the dharma of realization. When one takes refuge, one must realize there are two aspects of refuge--refuge as a causal condition leading one to enlightenment and refuge as the result after one has achieved enlightenment. The refuge of cause is taken at the very beginning of the path as ordinary beings by taking refuge in the Buddha, the
dharma, and the sangha. At this point one does not know the path that leads to Buddhahood and therefore one needs to rely on the Buddha who shows the path as guide. One takes refuge in the dharma as the teachings of the Buddha and one takes refuge in the sangha as companions on the path. As an ordinary being one takes refuge in the Buddha who is outside oneself, the dharma that's not one's
personal realization, and the sangha composed of beings with their own realization. So in the beginning one takes
? refuge in things realized by other beings and one studies the TripitaJca as the dharma.
In the Uttara Tantra, on the other hand, refuge is in the context of the fruition refuge. One first takes refuge in the three jewels as the cause for one's future enlightenment. When one takes refuge in the sangha, one becomes part of the sangha. Next on the path if one practices and eliminates the obscurations and impurities. The true qualities of dharma become evident. Then the dharma aspect becomes realized and when one takes refuge in the dharma, it is not external but is internalized. Eventually one becomes a Buddha and does not rely on anything external any more and one becomes one's own refuge. At the fruition level one takes refuge in the dharma of realization rather than in the dharma as a teaching and becomes the realized sangha. The Uttara Tantra refers to the truth of the path which leads to the truth of cessation and dharma as realization.
How the Qualities are Connected to the Truths
[11] The truth of cessation is freedom from bondage when there is nothing more to relinquish and the truth of the path frees one from bondage. The truth of cessation has qualities of inconceivability, nonduality, and noncon- ceptuality. The truth of path has the qualities of purity, clarity, and remedy. So the six qualities are contained in the two truths.
? How the Qualities are Connected to the Salutation
[12] Asanga in the Uttara Tantra goes through the qualities three times to make sure they are understood. First, he gives it in the salutation, then he gives it in detail in the second point and then ! ie connects the various qualities with the praise in the third part. In the fourth point, the truth of cessation is presented as inconceivable because it is beyond the grasp of intellect: when one thinks about it, one cannot say it is like this or that or give it a color or definition. Secondly, it is beyond the grasp of speech: it cannot be expressed, it cannot be described in words; one cannot say it is like this or like that. Thirdly, it is inconceivable because it cannot be grasped by the understanding of an ordinary person. In the salutation to
the dharma it states that the truth of cessation is self- cognizant and known only to the deeply realized. When one is working on the path, one learns about this truth, then one reflects on it, then one meditates on it. When all impurities have been removed through meditation, one will reach the state of realized ones, the level of the bodhisattvas, when one sees the true nature of phenomena directly without any distortion. Then one will know the truth of cessation directly because the truth of cessation
cannot be known by an ordinary mind.
The second quality of peace is inherent in the true
nature of phenomena which are endowed with twofold purity.
