No More Learning

By uniting with the great seal,
One enters into that reality,
And it is called the "Yogini Tantra. "
Here, it clearly states the designative criterion [for its being a Mother Tantra] in general terms. This means that, due to the connection of those two, because the Tantra teaches the way of entering the voidness of ulti- mate suchness through union with the great seal, the [Vajra] Pavilion and so forth are called Yogini Tantras. This is the reason [the Vajra Pavilion] is established as a "Mother Tantra," and that is the meaning of the two
[lines] beginning "art of transcendent wisdom. "
To explain this in detail: [a Tantra] is called a "Mother Tantra"
when it does not mainly teach how to achieve the superficial magic body from the wind-energy of five-colored light rays that carries the great bliss intuition, and does mainly teach the process of exponential increase of realization that penetrates the ultimate voidness of suchness through the yoga of the indivisible bliss-void of the orgasmic great seal. [This is] the art of generating the four joys both in falling order, where the lily-white spirit of enlightenment falls from the crown to the penis, and in rising order, where it reverses back up into the crown. For this art of achieving the truth body of the innate transcendent wisdom is also the yoga of the
indivisible union of bliss and void, and since its main component for
54 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
achieving the truth body is the wisdom of the void side, it is called "mother. "11
From the perspecive of the second, as for setting up the Yogll'antras, the Angel Ocean clearly states:
In the royal Tantras for the yogi/nis,
The various ( 12bl methods are distinctly known. 12 I explain to the world the magic [body]
For [attaining] clear light magic body [union].
As for the meaning of this, "explain" means "cite. " "Where? " In the kings of the Yoga Tantras. "What? " The magic body. "To whom? " "To the world," to such disciples. "By whom? " "By myself' says the Teacher. "How? " Through the clear light with its three preceding voids, there is the art of achieving the magic body by the process of the four voids. "How is it achieved? " The analyses of the various methods stated in that Tantra can be especially well known.
To expand on that meaning: [a Tantra] is called a "Yogi" [Father] Tantra when it mainly teaches the way of achieving the superficial magic body from the five-colored light-ray wind-energy of clear light and the way of generating the intuition of voidness through the four voids in the emergent order through the process of the wind-energy ' s gradual collect- ing in the heart-the place where the clear light arises-and the four voids in the reverse order through the process of [that wind-energy] resurrecting back out from there. This is also the yoga of the indivisible actual union of the void intuition and the wind-energy-constituted body, and its main component is the art of the vision side for achieving the
material body; thus it is called "father. "13
As for the meaning of the quote from the Eluciclation of the IEso-
teric} Reality, it is similar to the above two (quotes], since it indicates that the two types ofTantra mainly teach (respectively) the process where
? 1 1 This plll'agruph stands as Tsong Khupu's most complete definition of the "Mother" type of Unexcelled Yoga Tantru.
12 My translalion follows lhe quole in Tson? Khapu's texl. as preferable lo the varian! in the Derge edilion; sec foolnole to lhe Tibc:lan edilon (forthcoming).
1 3 This paragruph slands us Tsong Khapu' s prime definition of "Father" Tantru.
the magic body arises from the four voids and the process where the entry into thatness achieved as perfect from the beginning increases exponen- tially. As for the meaning of "mainly teach or not [13aJ teach," it concerns whether or not a particular Tantra teaches by putting the main emphasis on the one [or the other] method, and not merely whether or not it teaches
As it seems that authoritative authors have a way of explaining those two distinctions as the principal ones of the Father and Mother Tantras respectively, other art and wisdom Tantras being members included in those categories. And, since even those not immediately obvious in regard to [whichever] process must be explained by interpretation in the light of those two poles, it is not the case that this system of interpretation does not apply to all Tantras of both types.
[I. C. - Explaining in patticular the art Tantras l
The third has two parts: [1. ] Threefold divisions of the art Tantras;
and [2. ] Explanations of the Esoteric Community in particular. LI. C. l. - Threefold divisions of the art Tantras]
The Vajra Essence Ornament Tantra mentions three art Tantras: "lust," "hate," and "delusion" art Tantras. Concerning the first, that text state s :
Then, furthermore, to explain:
The person who properly understands The Tantra of the great art of lust
Is granted accomplishment in this life.
The Esoteric Community 1,000;
The Vajra Rosary 300,000;
The Revelation ofthe Hidden Intention 4,000; The Four Goddess Dialogue 1 70;
The Urad Tantra 208;14
The Extra Explanation Tantra for that [ Urad Tantra] ;
Chapter /-Introduction ? 55
? ? ? ? 14 "A
ad" .
.
[whichever art at all] .
u r IS a m1sspe11m? g of" Uttura'!
56 ?
Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp The Great Commitment 55;
The Five Vajra Community 1,000;
The Compendium 1,000;
The Equality Triumph 210;
The Moon Esoteric Drop 1 , 700; The Vajra Underground 1 20;
The Headdress Vajra 705;
The Fierce Moon Drop 500, 000; The Vajra Triumph [13bJ 90,000;15 The Equality Esoteric 5,000;
The Vajra Secret Ornament 5,000;
The Vajra Secret Treasury 7,000;
The Wishing Jewel Secret Drop 100,000; The Vairochana Magic 1,100;
The Vajra Secret Ornament 1 , 000;
The VajraSkull208;
The Reality 70,000,000,000;
The ClearOrnamentofVows100,000,000;
The Maftjushrl Hero 1 00, 000 ;
The Great Secret Compendium 150; The Jewel Tree 907;
The Time Drop 180; and
The Goddess Treatise 507.
Through the specific intentions of these,
I truly teach.
Thus, by the union of both 1male and female] The categories of the Tantra are taught.
And also:
All the Tantras of hate and delusion
Should be likewise understood.
IS Tib. brgyt? dgu brgya, literally nine hundred one hundreds.
? Chapter /-Introduction ? 57
Here. twenty-seven16 ofthe lust art Tantras are mentioned by name, it being said that there are a total of 507. Hate art Tantras are Tantras such as the Yamc'lntaka, and delusion art Tantras are such as the Vajra Arali, according to the sages of Tibet. The general type of each of these two Tantras is explained in the Vow Arisal. and should be understood from previous mention.
[? - Explanations of the Esoteric Community in particular]
The second has two parts: (a. ] Showing the meaning of "Root Tantra" and "Further Tantra," and showing the number of [their] Explana- tory Tantras; and [b. ] Showing the way in which the Explanatory Tantras explain.
[I. C. 2. a. - Showing the meaning of "Root Tantra" and "Further Tantra,'' and showing the number of (their) Explanatory Tantras]
? The Vajra Rosary Commentary [by Alari:J. kakalasha] explains that the Esoteric Community has an extensive [14a] 25,000 verse version, and a condensed 1 ,800 verse, eighteen-chapter, version; [so in the quote above,] the "thousand" refers to number of verses, and thus, the Esoteric
Community 1,000 mentioned above intends a rough count of the con- densed version.
What are the "root," "further," and "explanatory" Tantras here? Among Root Tantras, there are the Extensive (rgyas pa), and the Light (nyung ngu) or Condensed (bsdus pa) Tantras. This shows that first
[Buddha] proclaimed the extremely extensive Tantra and that later, since the disciples were relatively inferior in terms of lifespan and wisdom, he taught in a more condensed fashion, as they were not able to understand too easily. These two Tantras, except for the mere difference of their words being more or less, are both Root Tantras, the former not being a
Root Tantra for the latter.
As for the meaning of "root" in "Root Tantra," there appear to be
three contexts: [1] one relative to the branches of the Tantra, as the root of a tree is designated relative to the branches; [2] one in terms of time, as the first owner of something is called the root-owner, relative to the
? 16 Actually 29 in the above list.
58 ? Brilliant Illumination oftht? Lamp
Further Tantra: and (-? ] one in terms of the Explanatory Tantra, as in the usages "root" and "explanatory. "
As for the first of these contexts. Chandrakirti indicates it in the Illumination ofthe Lamp statement that the Community is the root of all l l"h l the other Tantras: just how it becomes their root being explained below. Since it is both a "root" and a "Tantra," the meaning of "Root Tantra'' is complete in it; it is not self-evident that the name "Root Tantra" should be a literally exact name.
As for the second [context], it is illustrated in the case of the pre- viously stated seventeen-chapter Community relative to the later-stated Eighteenth Chapter, which is the Further Tantra. Naropa states that the Reality Compendium is a Root Tantra, the Community Root Tantra is its Further Tantra, and the Eighteenth Chapter is again the latter's Further Tantra. "Further" (Sanskrit uttara), literally "unexcelled" or "highest,"
can be translated either "superior" (mchog) or "further" (phyi ma); some do translate it as "superior," but the great translators seem correct in translating it as "further," as that is how commentaries also explain it.
It also seems that the intention of the Integrated Practices is that the Reality Compendium is a Root Tantra relative to the Esoteric Community. What is the reason for assigning the Reality Compendium as a Root Tantra for the Community, since it is not merely due to temporal priority? Granted that the Community is not a Yoga Tantra from among the four Tantra classes, still in general many statements are made there in the context of the Yoga Tantra, and thus it has been said that it [the Commu- nity] and the Reality Compendium constitute the entire Yoga Tantra class. Further, the Reality Compendium, tending toward the "father" side, taking art and wisdom as father and mother, is also a Father Tantra accord- ing to the One Hundred Fifty Ways Commentary. [ I 5aJ Also, in the six- teenth chapter of the Illumination ofthe Lamp, it is said concerning some topics of the consecrations that they should be understood from the Reality Compendium. Such are explained or designated intending the fact that the primary basis is contained there.
Here one might object that, if a Further Tantra is said to be a later explanation of an original subject, then there are fallacies such as: the concise teaching of the meaning of the Tantra in the first chapter of the Community itself stands in relation to the next sixteen chapters, which elucidate it as a Root Tantra to a Further Tantra, and even that each suc- ceeding chapter is a Further Tantra to the last one; if you do not say that
such is the criterion of a Further Tantra, then you must say what is [the criterion] !
[As for the third context, concerning the meaning of "Root Tantra. " in terms of the Explanatory Tantra, as in the usages "root" and "explana- tory"]: there are many methods of setting up a Further Tantra in general: here let us explain the criterion for setting up the Community Further Tantra. The Eighteenth Chapter is both part of the Community Tantra and also was spoken later than the Community Root Tantra, and it eluci- dates the general meaning of the whole seventeen-chapter Root Tantra as well as the hidden difficulties of each chapter. Hence it is called the Community Further Tantra. Therefore, there is no fallacy of each suc- ceeding chapter becoming the "Further Tantra" of its preceding chapter.
Regarding the Explanatory Tantras of the Community, the Noble father and sons have explicitly mentioned five: the Five Stages states that the Four Goddess Dialogue, the Revelation ofthe Hidden Intention, and the Vajra Rosary are Explanatory Tantras: the Lamp ofIntegrated Prac- tices states that the Wisdom Vajra Compendium is an Explanatory Tantra: and the Illumination of the Lamp explicitly mentions the King of the Gods Dialogue as the source of the explanation of the first two syllables of the prologue [E-VAM. . . ]. But, since there appears in just that latter [text, the Illumination ofthe Lamp] the statement that "the explanation [t5bl of the
remaining syllables [can be learned] from the Explanatory Tantras . . . ," it is not the case that the King of the Gods Dialogue is explicitly identified as an Explanatory Tantra. Further, it does not seem that the father and sons explicitly mentioned the [Community] Eighteenth Chapter as an Explanatory Tantra, although they did mention it as a Further Tantra. How- ever, it must be accepted as an Explanatory Tantra, as Thagana [Siddha]
and Jinadatta [Pa? ;H,lita] so accepted it.
There are some who believe the Vajra Essence Ornament Tantra
and the Magic Net to be Explanatory Tantras, but they are not, though they do correspond with the Community. The Four Goddess Dialogue Commentary mentions a Further Tantra within the Supreme ofAll Secrets 1,000. The Vajra Rosary Commentary explains that there are two Vajra Rosary Tantras, a 12,000 and a smaller one, and that the Wisdom Vajra Compendium also has a greater and a smaller, explaining that the previ-
ously quoted Vajra Rosary has 300,000 verses. As for the Revelation of the Hidden Intention, it was not translated as more than an Explanatory Tantra of the first twelve chapters of the Root Tantra.
Chapter /-Introduction ? 59
60 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
? ? [I. C. 2. h. i. - How the Further Tantra and the Revelation ofthe Hidden Intention Explain]
? This commentary, inquiring into the [very practice of] elucidating the Tantra, is the most perfect elucidation, arranging ingeniously all the meanings of the Tantra. It was admired by Naropa, since it is so splendid. In response to the inquiry, it is explained that, of the four groups of four chapters from the second to the seventeenth, each teaches one of the branches of service and practice. Naropa explained also that the first chapter gives the Tantra's import in brief and the other sixteen chapters explain the four branches of service and practice, and the eighteenth teaches the esoteric instruction for all of them. These chapters do not distinguish the two stages, but teach the four branches of service and practice in common for the two stages. However, [the Further Tantra] teaches the four branches of service and practice distinguishing between the two stages in the context of [explaining] the category of "art Tantra. " Each Explanatory Tantra has its own way of explaining the Root Tantra due to its [author's] particular orientation toward a special emphasis. But this Further Tantra explains the Root Tantra according to the four branches of service and practice set forth in the twelfth chapter. It is said in the Dialogue on the Glorious Meaning ofthe Commentary that the six- teen chapters explain the four branches, and the inquiries into the indi- vidual chapters are included in that. r t6bJ
The inquiry into the classification as art Tantra is the very same as the inquiry into the meaning of the name. Thus, as the general import is included in the inquiry into the meaning of the name, it can be implied
[I. C. 2. b. - Showing the way in which the Explanatory Tantras explainI
The other Community Explanatory Tantras explain it but are not
for how it explains the Root Tantra, its explanation of the [16aJ common meanings of the Tantra lies in its dialogues about: the meaning of the name of the Tantra, "Glorious Esoteric Community Yoga Tantra," its clas- sification as an art Tantra, and the general scheme of the Tantra. Its other
sections explain particular points from each of the seventeen chapters.
The second has two parts: [i] How the Further Tantra and the Reve- lation ofthe Hidden Intention explain; and [ii] How the [other] three, such as the Vajra Rosary, explain.
themselves the Community Tantra, whereas the Further Tantra is both. As
Chapter /- Introduction ? 6 1
that the Root Tantra text can be explained mainly as explaining the name of the Tantra; which is a cause of extreme wonderment! Here, since it is difficult to discern how the four-chapter sections explain the four branches of practice and service, one must know how to explain the Root Tantra through a good understanding of how to elucidate this, how to discern the boundaries of the four branches in each of the two stages, and especially how to explain the six branches of service of the perfection stage. And it appears that understanding how the noble system explains the Further Tantra depends on the same commentary of Naropa.
The Revelation ofthe Hidden Intention [Tantra] orders its chapters in the same way as in the Root Tantra, and mentions almost everything mentioned in the Root Tantra's chapters, so that it serves as a commen- tary elucidating the difficult points of each chapter. It concisely states that, "such and such is the import taught by each of the seventeen chapters of this Root Tantra. " It indicates how it is improper to explain the Commu- nity always literally, and elucidates the hidden definitive meanings of the interpretable meaning statements. It explains thoroughly the intentional interpretations given to one import by other [apparently] contradictory
statements. It clearly teaches most often the vajra recitation practice hidden in the Root Tantra in almost every chapter. Therefore, emphasizing this [17aJ recitation practice it explains the Root Tantra according to those pro- cedures. In the Illumination ofthe Lamp most quotes "from the Explana- tory Tantra" are from this source, quoted as emphasizing the definitive
meaning explanations.
[I. C. 2. b. ii. -Howthe(other)threesuchas theVajraRosaryexplain]
The Vajra Rosary Short Tantra [translations] have three different ways of dividing its Chapters 1 9 and 20. The Commentary explains that, at the beginning of Chapter 1 9 [of the Vajra Rosary] , from [the lines] :
Then still more should be explained,
The self-instantaneous in variety, and so on. . .
up to [the lines]:
. . . Various aspects are eagerly accepted
except for nine quarter-verses, the text of the end of the nineteenth chapter did not extend further, and "was left here. " After that, from [the line] :
? 62 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
Then yet another should be explained . . .
up to [the line]:
. . . This should be understood from the succession of
mentors . . .
is taken as the twentieth chapter. In general the Commentary takes it to have sixty-eight chapters. I ?
The translation of the Lha Lama Zhiwa Od is the same as above, up to "various aspects are eagerly desired," but after that it takes out the verses from "Gazing, attracting, and also signaling, know the experience of kissing and its delight" up to "experiencing the orgasmic joy, an instant free from identity" and makes them the nineteenth chapter, the
analysis of instantaneity. Then it takes the verses from "Then yet another should be explained, the character of the four joys . . . " up to "naturally born in the circle of emanations, let one experience joy" [17bl as the twentieth chapter, the analysis of the character of joy. In general, it has sixty-eight chapters.
As for the Zhiwa Od translation revised by Darma Tsondru, it is the same up to "various aspects are accepted," and afterwards it repeats the verses from "Then yet another should be explained, the character of the four joys" up to "naturally born in the circle of emanations, let one experience joy. " After that it repeats from "Gaze, attract, and also signal" up to "the experience of natural joy, an instant free of identity. " And after that, from "The great space of all the channels" up to "the experience of natural joy, an instant free of identity," and from "The great space of all the channels" up to "it should be known from the mentor succession"-it takes all these as the nineteenth chapter, the nature of the universal joy, and generally takes it to have sixty-seven chapters.
Thus, though there appear to be many such variations, the chapter divisions of the translation by Sujana ShrTjiUlna and Zhiwa Od and the Indian book of Pa?
;u,tita Mantrakalasha seem to be correct; because there is evident in the text both one passage explaining the four instants in forward and reverse order and another passage explaining the four joys
1 7 Though the commentary as we have it in the Tengyur today only includes explanations of 44 chapters, Wld the commentary quote often diverge from the verses in the translaton of the mot text. See D. Kittay. Vc1jramala, forthcoming.
? Chapter /-Introduction ? 63
in forward and reverse order; because the "Gaze, prod, [l8al and also signal," and so forth, is obviously an addition to "various forms are eagerly accepted"; and because the words "Yet another now should be explained" are said to be the chapter's opening words in many other chapters .
In this Tantra, Vajrapa1. 1i wishes-while referring to the Vajra Rosary-to inquire into the two stages, which are unclearly stated only by symbols in the Esoteric Community, and precedes his speech by the expression, "Please teach mainly from the point of view of the perfection stage. " He then asks his questions concerning topics from the meaning of the name of the Vajra Rosary up to the nature and the way of destruction of the wind-energies. The answers to those questions explain most of the meanings of the Community and also many meanings of the Yogini Tantras, such as the [Unexcelled] Clear Articulation 100,000, although those explanations are given mostly as a factor of decisively determining the import of the Community. The number of the questions and answers
is said by the Commentary to be eighty-two.
What does this Tantra explain of the Community text in plain
terms?
Those texts [18b1 teach mainly body isolation, speech isolation, mind isolation, and the magic body, also teaching repeatedly in other contexts the clear light and communion; thus teaching the complete per- fection stage. The scheme of that path is taken as the five stages because
that same text [the Vajra Rosary] declares:
Through application to the vajra recitation, Knowing the nature of the energies,
Cut off the energies of mental constructions, You will attain the mind objective.
And by the stage of blessing the self,
The eight accomplishments will be achieved. Know the divisions of luminance and so on,
While it explains much of the Root Tantra's third chapter and sixth chapter statements about the meditation of the mustard-seed-size jewels at the nosetips, chiefly this Tantra explains the meaning of each syllable ofthe prologue "E VAMMA YA," and so on, the forty syllables which the
of the Lamp says contain all the meanings of the Tantra,
Illumination
each by a verse such as "E is the holy wisdom. . . . "
Brilliant Illumination ofthe Lamp
And you will attain clear realization. Abiding on the stage of communion.
The yogi/ni should have no doubt S/he will achieve in this very life The gathering of all attainments.
The savior Nagarjuna, in condensing the perfection stage into the five stages. follows this Tantra, and also follows this Tantra in the three samadhis. the four yogas, the thirty-two deities and so forth on the crea- tion stage. Therefore, when His Holiness [Nagarjuna] in the Condensed [Sadhana] becomes an [alchemical] churner, he "churns the ocean of hidden waters of the Esoteric Community with the churning stick of the Vajra Rosary. "18 Thus his statement about finding the art of the practice of the Community was not just referring to the creation stage. It explains
the many stages of creation and dissolution of the body in terms of the channel-structure, wind-energy-movement, and enlightenment-spirit- substance as a factor in the decisive ascertainment 1 t9aJ of the internal and external life-energy controls for bringing forth the four voids and the magic body, depending on the life-energy controls of the outer seal of the hidden discipline of desire and of the vajra recitation, and so on. Beyond those two techniques, it further explains the limitless ways for the dawn- ing of realization, and so forth. It also declares many things such as the scheme of consecrations for attaining receptivity for the path condensed into twenty rites, the schemes for condensing the creation stage, and the determinations of the sequence of the two stages. Especially, the sixth chapter explains the keys for the life-energy-control vajra recitation to open up the knot of the heart channels, and the twenty-second chapter section which collects the definitive meaning mantras of the three syllables explains how the unravelling of the heart-channel-knot is the supreme unravelling of a channel-knot of all the wheels [of channels]. It seems
that such excellent elucidation is rarely seen.
This Tantra's dominant emphasis in elucidating the Community lies
in its clear extraction of the hidden meaning of the Community by explain- ing the meaning of each of the syllables of the prologue. Now, the way in
IS This is a paraphrase from Nagarjuna's Condensed Sadhana (TOh. 1796; Derge rGyud 'Grel, NGI: 10b. 7).
64 ?
? which the other texts of the Explanatory Tantras become factors in decid- ing that very same thing must be known from the perspective of the inter- pretation of the schemes of the two stages. Therefore. I must somewhat explain that below. The statement from the translator's colophon of this text that "among Explanatory Tantras a better one than this has not previ- ously appeared," still seems to be just how it is.
The Four Goddess Dialogue chiefly explains in detail the keys of the life-energy-control yogas. The Wisdom Vajra Compendium (19hJ teaches the seven ornaments, the ultimate in private i? struction explain- ing the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras, taking the Community as chief. And here, clearer than in any other Explanatory Tantra, is explained the attain- ment of the three voids and the magic body from there. The details of how these two Tantras explain the Community will not be mentioned here, as I have already explained them in the extensive commentaries of those two texts. 19
Thus, inquiring thoroughly into the texts containing the private instructions of the holy father and son, with the key for easily extracting the pith of the meaning, discerning accurately with the help of the Explanatory Tantras the meanings sealed behind the door of the Root Tantra by the six parameters and four procedures, one should be able to
open the door of the Root Tantra. One then becomes one who has the personal precept granting confidence in personal Tantric instruction. And knowing how to apply the reasoning to other Tantras in that way, as well, one becomes an expert in all Tantras.
[II. -
The Root Tantra, when mentioning the name, declares that this Tantra unites all the secrets of body, speech, and mind of all the transcen- dent buddhas; [it] shows that all the essentials of the secrets of the Vajra
Vehicle are united here. The Further Tantra also declares: Emaho! Extremely hard to find,
This is the art of attaining enlightenment.
19 These commentaries as we have them do not seem that "extensive. " One wonders whether the full transcription of the lectures Tsong Khapa gave on them is no longer extant.
Chapter /- Introduction ? 65
? ? Expression of the greatness of the Community]
66 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
It is the furthest of the Further Tantras;
It is called the Esoteric Community.
It declares that, because of its rarity and importance, when performing the [intensive] four-session yoga, in studying, investigating, and worship- ping, one should regard Bodhicittavajra as just like Vajradhara [20aJ and salute him. Moreover, one who is the prince of practitioners of that Tantra, who sees, hears, remembers, touches and has faith in it, up to one who holds even the merest portion of the Tantra, should be regarded as like Vajradhara and saluted. Thus the Further Tantra states:
Those who practice the vajras of four sessions - Attaining the superior and inferior varieties [of powers]
such as invisibility,
Realizing this unerring path by the grace of the buddha-
mentor -
Seeing them as like Bodhivajra, we worship them always!
Those who learn this very Esoteric Community Tantra- Who recite it, read it, contemplate it,
Worship it, write it, and have it written-
Seeing them like Bodhivajra, we worship them always!
And it also declares:
Those who are master practitioners - seeing, contacting, Remembering well, learning, indeed, even the name, Generating faith, and living in even a part-
Seeing them like Bodhivajra, we worship them always!
The Persona/ Instruction ofManjushrr praises the Tantra as:
The Tantra that unites all buddhas,
The great secret, the secret of great secrets, Unexcelled great teaching . . .
and states that the measure of the duration of the essence of the [buddha] teaching is whether or not this very Tantra exists:
This import, when it goes into the ear, And for however long it endures there,
The jewel teaching of the B uddha
Is proclaimed to be enduring.
When the sequence of this succession is broken, All will know it is the decline
Of the [20bJ Buddha' s teaching.
Not only has such emerged in those treatises concerned with this Tantra, it has also been praised in other Tantras as well. Both the Red [Yamari] and the Black [Yamari] Tantra declared:
The ultimate in Tantras is the Community- Nothing like it in the past, nor in the future.
The Esoteric Accomplishment also states:
There is nothing superior to the Glorious Community, Which is the jewel of the three worlds.
The supreme essence of the essence,
The unexcelled of the unexcelled of all the Tantras.
Abiding in the teaching and the explanation
Is the very stage of the yoga of perfection. Who do not know this Community,
How can such as they attain accomplishment?
Cutting off all doubts ,
Dispelling all fogs of unknowing,
This is the treasure-case for the jewel of the Buddha. Abandoning utterly this Glorious Community,
Fantasizing with many mental constructs, Deluded, yet desiring accomplishments, Is like punching one's fist at the sky
Or like drinking the water of a mirage !
The Illumination ofthe Lamp also declares:
Up to Ya Ra La Ha,
Those [Tantras] ending Ka Kha Gha, those ending ? a Ja.
Chapter /-Introduction ? 67
68 ?
Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp Those ending Tra Dhra and Ma,
Their root is the three syllables. 20
This Glorious Community is the jewel-case Of all 84,000 of the heaps
Of the teachings of the great sage. Therefore, it is the summit of the Tantras.
Thus, Chandrakirti declares that this Tantra is the summit of all the Tan- tras, being the root of all the other Tantras and the treasure-case of all the Sutras.
The Wisdom Vajra Compendium explains that Tantras ending with each letter such as Ka are numbered each 121ul 1,000, stating that in terms of all four of the Tantra divisions. This statement of being the root of the Tantras whose names end in the consonant letters is a mere example, and
the Masters Bhavyakirti and Kumara explain that it means that it is also the root of all Tantras whose names end in vowels as well. The "three syllables" mentioned in "their root is the three syllables" are explained by Naropa to be the three [buddha] seeds [OM AJJ HOM]; the former scholars of Tibet considered them to be SA MA JA. The former of these is explained in the Further Tantra as the three secrets of body, speech, and mind, which are united in the Esoteric Community; thus, the Community Tantra is identified from the perspective of what it is uniting. Not taking
this [instrument of uniting] as referring to the Community Tantra, but explaining it as coming down to the three vajras, the three syllables that are the import of all Tantras, would be to ignore the context, since that statement teaches that the Community Tantra is the root of all the Tantras.
As for the meaning of "root," just as a tree has many leaves and branches but comes down to the place of the root, so the Tantras have many various meanings, but the ultimate essentials of all of them tinally come down to the path of the Community-this is the meaning. And the meaning of "jewel-case of all the SDtras" is just the same. This teaches
2? The Sanskrit version includes more final letters: yu, ru, Ia, hu, ku, kha, ghu, oa. jhu, da, dhu, mu. The "three syllables" seem to be the names of the Tantra, sa ma ja (Community), though Tsong Khapa mentions below that Nlropa interpreted them here as being the thn:e buddha seeds, OM Al:l HOM.
? Chapter /- Introduction ? 69
that if one knows how to explain this path completely, there is nothing better than that.
Kr? huacharya praised the intensive path of the Community with regard to both stages, from the perspective of its being the chief of all the Tantras, as has been previously quoted. [2lhl There are no degrees of superior and inferior among the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras, as among the three lower Tantra divisions, from the point of view of the stages [of practice]. Yet it is not that there are no degrees of superiority with regard to certain other distinctions. For example, a certain Tantra can be superior or inferior [in clarity, specificity, and so on] within a grouping of texts that explain the two stages, and yet have no degree of superiority or inferiority with regard to the stages [of practice] of that Tantra.
[HI. - The process of elucidating the inner intention of that {Esoteric Community)]
The treatises composed by Indrabhiiti the Greater,21 Naga(lakini, and the Earth-Lord Visukalpa have not appeared here [in Tibet], but the Glorious Savior Mahasukhanatha [Padmavajra] composed the Esoteric Accomplishment to determine the meaning of the Community. Among the passages of the Community, this treatise mainly determines the meaning of the opening. It teaches the four meditations with their [appropriate]
actions as the following stages of the path: first, the creation stage which sets up the syllables; second, characterizing your own nature as thatness while depending on the action seal; third, meditating depending on the intuition-seal in order to stabilize [that designation of your nature]; and fourth, meditation on the realization of the great seal. This text counts the deities of the mandala contained within this [fourfold process] to be
seventeen. The text itself [of the Esoteric Accomplishment) states:
21 According to Paul Hackett, there are possibly as many as three IndrabhOtis in the canon: 1) Mahendrabhnti (indra bha ti chen po), identified by Bhattacaryya (Two Vajrayana Works, p. xi) as the (step-)father of Padmasambhava and student of Anangavajra (p. vii), who authored at least one text on Vajrayogini (Toh. 1 546), 2) Madhyamendrabhilti (indra bha ti 'bring po), who authored the Shrr-sahajashambara-svtidhi$h(hana (dpal lhan skyes pa bde ba'i mchog bdag byin gyis brlabs pa; Toh. 1459), a Chakrasarhvara-related text, and 3) an otherwise undistinguished "IndrabhOti" who authored several texts on the Vajra- pafijara-tantra, Chakrasamvara, Vajrayoginr, Sarvabuddhasamayoga, Vajrasattva, Guhya-
? ? garbha, and others.
70 ? Brilliant Illumination oftht? umrp
The (mandala) detinitely becomes perfect by the sequence
of seventeen bodhisattvas . . .
-that is. it seems that he merely thought about "completion through seventeen [bodhisattva deities]. " However in the context of the assembly, the lllumination ofthe Lamp states at the opening:
There it is taught by just that many, the circle of deities is complete.
This indicates that the mandala of thirty-two deities ! 22u l is not asserted [by Mahasukhanatha]. Therefore, that refers just to the circle of buddhas, buddhesses, heroes, and heroines which complete the mandala of deities -just that much is taught in the prologue. The previous meaning is that he took everyone directly mentioned in the opening except the five families' [lords], and his point is that those [seventeen] complete the directly mentioned bodhisattva circle. This Esoteric Accomplishment is renowned as the "paradigm of all the other six of the Accomplishment divisions," called the "Essence of Accomplishment. " It also appears to be the paradigm of the Enlightenment Song of the Great Brahmin [Saraha] concerning essence. These are extremely important in understanding the essence of all the Unexcelled Tantras as the orgasmic intuitive wisdom uniting bliss and void. It does not appear that Master Saraha made a
special commentary on the Esoteric Community.
The great soul Nagarjuna composed an elucidation of the meaning
ofthe Community. We will explain his system's way ofelucidation. Master Lalitavajra composed an explanation of the Tantra's pro- logue only, and does not appear to have treated separately the style of the
path of the two stages.
Then the disciple of Lalitavajra, the great master Jiianapada, received
the explanation of the meaning of the Community from the noble Maiiju- shri [in person], and the stages [as given in his work] are renowned as the system of Jiianapada. There are two stages in his path: his creation stage having a mandala of nineteen deities headed by Maiijuvajra, according to the explanations in the Samantabhadra Sadhana, and in ! 22hl the Four Hundred Fifty. His perfection stage is given in the Persona/ Instruction taught by His Holiness [Maiji ushri], and in the Liberation Drop composed by the master himself.
Chapter /- Introduction ? 7 1
From the Personal Instruction, at the beginning of meditating the perfection stage he explains the meditation of the indestructible drop in the heart, the branch of "life-energy control" called the "branch of stop- ping the breath" in the meditation of the secret drop on the gem; by meditating that produces the branch of restraint called the "endurance" branch, then the branch of "mindfulness" meditating the sixteen mindful- nesses, then the vajra recitation called the emanation drop, and finally the repeated meditation of the indestructible drop in the heart center, medi- tated exclusively in terms of the intuitive orgasmic wisdom. It seems that this [master] explains only the last four of the six branches, leaving out the two branches "retraction" and "contemplation" which are in the Further Tantra. The implication of such a method of explanation is that he seems to consider that those two should be included in the creation stage, just as in the Jiianapada system's texts on the six-branched yoga, where retraction and contemplation are taught in the creation stage.
In the context of this [system], the import of the statements in the Further Tantra that the ordinary service is the "four vajras" and the superior service is the "six branches" is not that [master Jiianagarbha] considers the superior service and the creation stage to be mutually exclu-
sive. Here in the context of the perfection stage, he seems to take the Further Tantra as his basis to compose [his commentary] condensing [the import of] the Four Goddess Dialogue and the Vajra Essence Orna- ment [Tantra]. Those 1 23a l in this tradition who wrote commentaries of the Root Tantra do not seem often22 to [use the] explanations of the Further Tantra, but neither do they seem to use the ways of explanation of the other Explanatory Tantras. Especially, the practical instruction
texts based on the Personal Instruction and the Liberation Drop have a way of teaching the perfection stage with many texts of the Root Tantra, and should explain the last four of the six branches of the Further Tantra in agreement with the Personal Instruction and the Liberation Drop; yet they seem not to explain in such a way.
The [idea that] the Master Anandagarbha composed a Great Com- mentary on the Community, changing its [standard] way of explanation
22 The text literally says, "rgyud phyi mar rna bshad pa cher mi snang na 'ang. . . " adding a confusing extra negative where a single better fits the sense, apparently duplicating the second syllable of "Further" (phyi ma).
? ? 72 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
in coarse and subtle ways, is said without examining that very commen- tary, and is incorrect. The Commentary translated by the Great Translator [Rinchen Zangpo] was [said to be] written by Anandagarbha, [but] its explanation of the fifth chapter was included in the commentary of Master Vimalagupta, and so that [work of Anandagarbha's] cannot be the source [of the translation]. 23
All this [master's] explanations about the use of the physical con- sort are just made to attract some followers of the Vi$h? u Tantras who cannot give up attachment to the objects of sense. All statements about keeping the pledge to eat feces and urine are just made for the benefit of those involved in fake Tantras and goblin Tantras. Neither are made for the more gifted disciples, as is explained. He does not teach the science
explained in others' explanation ofthe perfection [23bl stage: the yogas of the channels, wind-energies, and drops. Thinking of these facts, the Tibetan master scholars said that Anandagarbha elucidated the Esoteric Community as "yoga. " Here it appears that his style of explanation of Unexcelled Tantra was in disagreement with the explanations of the other great Indians.
Master Shantipa holds that the first chapter of the Root Tantra teaches the Tantra of art-generated fruition, and the other four arts of the Tantra that are the means of attaining that are taught in the other sixteen chapters. The four "triple" chapters teach service; the four "double"
chapters teach practice; the four "perfected" chapters teach "perform- ance"; the four "ecstatic" chapters teach "great realization24"; and the Further Tantra illuminates all of them. This master explains the seventh chapter's meaning by relying on the Further Tantra, giving the nineteen
23 Tsong Khapa here rejects the Great Commentary attributed to Anandagarbha, since its interpretations are very different from Anandagarbha's usual. He discounts the fact that Rinchen Zangpo translated a commentary by Anandagarbha (or also falsely attributed to him), giving evidence that its fifth chapter is quoted in Vimalagupta's Commentary (who lived earlier than Anandagarbha). According to the Dharma Index, the colophons of Butt>n, Narlhang, Peking, and Derge, all agree wth Tsong Khapa that this was not by Ananda- garbha. They attribute it to a Prabhava! Aryagarbha.
24 Seva, anust2dhana, st2dllana, and maht2st2dhana as service, practice, performance, and great realization. Describing the four sets of four chapters euch as gsum /dan, g11yis /dan, rdzogs /dan, dga ba can is of a meaning I do not know. One theory of Gen Jamspal is that the first three refer to cosmic time periods.
? deity [mandala] presided over by Ak? hobhya on the first stage, and the method of six-branch perfection stagepracticed after achieving a stable creation stage in a way quite different from the JiUinapada, Noble [Arya], and Time Machine systems. His other explanations seem to be given fol- lowing Jiianapada, even though they do not seem to do so explicitly in specific cases. However, I do not enlarge on this, as it seems incidental to the purpose of my elucidation.
Thus, one should understand the champions' systems of elucidat- ing the Glorious Community to be the two famous systems of the noble [Aryas] and of Jiianapada.
[IV. - Enumeration of the treatises in the Noble (Arya) l iterature]
The fourth has three parts: [A. ] How the treatises of the Noble father L24al and son were composed; [B. ] How the treatises of the other three sons were composed; and [C. ] How the treatises of their followers were composed.
[IV. A. -
Concerning how treatises were authored by the Noble [Nagarjuna] on the subject of the Community, the Extreme Illumination of the Lamp mentions that he wrote the Condensed [Siidhana], the [Performance] In- corporating the [Community] Satras,25 the Performance ofHamkiira, the Five Stages, the Tantra Commentary, and so forth. Now as for the
currently existing Community Commentary said to be authored by the Noble [Nagarjuna], Tibetan scholars say it was made in Tibet by a certain [Indian] pal). Qit. It cites the Mirror of Poetry, the Reason in Elucidation, the Treasury ofPure Science, and so on. In its conclusion, it is written:
Awakening through meditation on the Bliss Lord state of the supreme Victor,
I stay in the place of my self, the savior Jiianapada, and so on.
25 The Satramelllpaka is actually a Tantric performance text (slldhana) which incorpo- rates quotations ("satras") from the Community Tantra to ground this slldhana in that Tantra. Wedemeyer (CW, p. 50) and others have noted this and given the text a new English name, which I have followed here in modified form.
Chapter /-Introduction ? 73
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