The tarnish is only a
temporary
condition that can be eliminated.
Khenchen-Thrangu-Rinpoche-Asanga-Uttara-Tantra
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. This peace is there because all forms of suffering have been removed because karma and defilements have
? been relinquished. So first "peace" means suffering has been pacified. Secondly, it is peace because it is completely free from anything rough and coarse or harsh. Thirdly, it is peace because it is nondual or nonconceptual being free from the coarseness of thoughts.
With the three qualities of the truth of the path, purity is a natural feature of the realization because the twofold obscurations have been removed. There is not only purity, but there is also clarity. Once there is purity and clarity, there is the power to remedy the three poisons. In the salutation this is explained in the example of the sun. The sun is by nature very pure, and because of this purity, it dispels all forms of darkness. In the same way, realization of the truth of the path eliminates obscurations, defilements, and dualistic knowledge and brings about the recognition of the natural purity of the nature of phenomena.
? CHAPTER 4
The Sangha
In the Uttara Tantra the sangha is the realized sangha, the mahSyana sangha. The Tibetan word for "sangha" is gendun. The first syllable ge means "virtue" and the second dun means "aspiration" so gendun are those aspiring to virtue. There are two types of sangha--that of ordinary beings and that of realized beings. Ordinary beings haven't reached a state of realization and don't have a direct understanding of the truth because they are still subject to the defilements. However, they have strong aspirations to do what is good. The sangha of ordinary beings is made up of lay people and ordained people. It is
possible to follow the Buddhist path without being ordained but by taking refuge and taking any of the levels of the precepts. At the refuge ceremony one takes refuge in the three jewels which represents ordinary refuge but is also taken by the realized sangha. In this refuge ceremony there is no distinction among those who take refuge and the sangha is made up of friends and companions who help us on the path and make sure we don't go astray. But the Uttara Tantra describes fruition refuge which is the refuge we are trying to achieve ultimately. In this fruition refuge
we are trying to go beyond the state of ordinary beings which on the mahayana path means achieving Buddhahood and the sangha is called the realized sangha.
? Definition o f the Sangha in the Salutation
[13] The outline of this chapter will be similar to the chapter on the Buddha because it also has three divisions: a definition of the nature of the sangha in the salutation, the identification of the qualities in the sangha, and a description of the six qualities mentioned in the salutation. The salutation begins, "I bow down. . . " to the realized sangha who possess these qualities by one who is trying to follow their example to reach enlightenment. These qualities are two-fold--the qualities of knowledge and the qualities of purity. The qualities of knowledge make it possible for the realized sangha to see the nature of all phenomena just as it is. The qualities of purity allow one to be free of all impurities and obscurations. There are three aspects of this knowledge: the knowledge of how-it-is, the knowledge of variety, and the inner knowledge of jnana which perceives the presence of buddha potential in all beings. From these three kinds of knowledge come three aspects of freedom: freedom from emotional defilements; freedom from the hindrances of dualistic thinking which blocks the vision of the true nature of phenomena, and the freedom from lower motivation that leads to striving for
happiness for just oneself.
[14] The first aspect of knowledge is the jii5na of how- it-is. From the beginning of time the nature of mind has been empty and clear. Emptiness has been emphasized in the Madhyamaka teachings. But in the teachings on meditation, particularly the mahamudra, emptiness is
considered just one aspect of the nature of the mind with the other aspect being clarity. The real nature of the mind then is a combination of emptiness and clarity. The
? defilements of attachment, aggression, and ignorance might or might not be present, but they are not an inherent part of the mind. The defilements are more like mistakes or delusions. The jnana of how-it-is perceives the true nature of the mind, the one with emptiness and clarity which is described in the next verse.
The second aspect of knowledge, the jnana of variety, appears once one has the knowledge of the ultimate nature of phenomena and there is such great clarity that one can see the actual nature of beings--each and every being just as he or she is. Through the jfiana of variety of phenomena one sees the true nature of beings as being the ultimate "no-self. " One discovers that the self does not exist in reality and this is the actual nature of all beings.
The third aspect of the realized sangha is the pure vision gained through the inner jfiana and thus "they know the all-pervasive presence of perfect Buddhahood in each and every one of them. " Through this aspect of knowledge individuals see the essence of Buddhahood in themselves and all the other beings. This essence is like the germ of the jnana of the Buddha and that seed is in the mind of all beings. At the stage of ordinary beings, this essence of Buddhahood does not manifest. At the stage of bodhisattvas, this essence manifests to some extent. Only when one has achieved enlightenment can this essence fully manifest into Buddhahood. The difference between these three types of beings is not one of nature because the
essence of the Buddha is the same in all beings. So this is what is "seen though inner jnana. "
In the salutation it says that the realized sangha are unobscured in intelligence and this word "unobscured" refers to the three qualities of freedom. The first freedom is
? from emotional obscurations--attachment, aggression, or ignorance. The second freedom is from the obscuration of dualistic thinking. Dualistic thinking is to think in terms of subject and object and to believe everything is substantial. The third freedom is from a combination of the previous two obscurations which creates the mistake of wanting to find happiness just for oneself such as the fravakas or
pratyekabuddhas do. In summary, through jnana the realized sangha possesses three types of knowledge so they can see the ultimate purity of the nature of all beings. These six qualities are summarized in Table 1.
In the third chapter on the Buddha, the ultimate dharmakaya was discussed without discussing the sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. In the chapter on the dharma the scriptural dharma and dharma of realization were discussed and the realization dharma was emphasized. In the discussion of the sangha, the ordinary and the realized sangha were discussed with the emphasis on the realized sangha. So in these three chapters the approach has emphasized the ultimate, highest form of the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha.
Six Qualities ofthe Sangha
[15] The knowledge of how-it-is in its fullest degree is only achieved with Buddhahood. When one is on the path of the bodhisattva, this knowledge is present to a varying degree. With knowledge of how-it-is one does not perceive the relative aspect, the illusory appearance of phenomena, but sees it just as it is without any distortion. For example, if one sees a rope in the dark, one might mistake it for a snake. The knowledge of how-it-is wouldn't see the rope
? as a snake because the nature of how-it-is does not see the illusory appearances of samsSra. This knowledge experiences the actual nature of phenomena which is the nature of the dharmadhatu, the original nature. This is the nature and function of this knowledge of how-it-is.
[16] The jnana of variety of phenomena is to see what there is in many aspects, not just 10 things or 100 things, but to see everything in its great diversity. The knowledge of how-it-is pertains to absolute truth, the knowledge of variety pertains to the relative truth. So with the knowledge of variety one sees everything: one sees the number of beings, one sees the motivations of the beings, and one sees all the various appearances of existence. One also sees the characteristics of objects such as their colors, form, etc. , but there's no confusion in seeing them, they are each seen very distinctly. Realized beings perceive the relative reality of all appearances and their perception is not divorced from the knowledge of how-it-is. When one sees
relative phenomena, one does not get caught up in confusion and illusion. So even though realized beings can see the relative, at the same time they know the ultimate level, which means they cannot go back to seeing illusions. [17] The third quality of the perception of inner jnana is very intimately connected to the knowledge of how-it-is and the knowledge of variety. It is connected with the knowledge of how-it-is because jnSna perceives the true, absolute nature of phenomena; the "thatness of suchness. " It doesn't see phenomena as totally empty but being
indivisible from all the qualities of Buddhahood. This perception is also connected with the knowledge of variety by perceiving all beings as possessing the essence of Buddhahood. The word "inner" in "inner jnana" (Tib.
? nang gi yeshe)\ refers to the fact that it belongs to the true nature of the mind. "Jnana" (Tib. yeshe) refers to the fact that of the two aspects of phenomena, emptiness and clarity, with jnana being the clarity aspect. This jnana has the capacity to develop fully into all the qualities of freedom and maturity of a Buddha and knows that the inner jnana present in all beings.
[18] Perception with the three aspects of knowledge is absolutely pure and this relates to the three qualities of purity. The realized ones are free from the three types of obscurations of attachment, aggression, or ignorance. If they had these they would act in a negative way causing them to be trapped in samsara and the three aspects of pure knowledge would not arise. In the case of sravakas, for example, who are free of the first obscuration of emotions the realized sangha is most important.
[19] There are three reasons for the presentation of the division of three refuges. The first is that there are the three vehicles (Skt. yanas) of the hlnayana, mahayana, and vajrayana. The second reason for the division of three refuges is that there are three types of deeds. There are deeds of making prostrations, offerings, and prayers to the Buddha. Individuals doing these feel the Buddha is really the best of all beings and a model to respect. Others feel that the dharma is really the most important thing because it is the path of liberation and they feel great faith and
respect for the teachings. The third category of persons feels the most important point for them is the sangha so they will direct most of their deeds towards building the sangha.
The third reason for the division of the three refuges is just personal preference: some are more attracted to the
? Buddha, some to the dhaima, and some to the sangha as a refuge.
Dharma and Sangha are not the Ultimate Refuge
[20] The only ultimate source of refuge is the Buddha. The dharma and sangha are a refuge on the way to Buddhahood, but once one becomes a Buddha there is no longer any need for the props of dharma and sangha. Scriptural dharma cannot be an ultimate refuge because upon achieving Buddhahood, one leaves the teachings behind and no longer has any need to practice them. The dharma of realization is not the ultimate refuge either. On the path one goes through different stages of realization and as soon as one reaches one level, then the previous one becomes obsolete. Because the path changes all the rime, how could it be an ultimate source of refuge? The truth of
cessation cannot be the ultimate source of refuge because once one develops realization, one doesn't have anything to show for it--something tangible; rather one becomes free from what is unwanted. The truth of cessation is eliminating what is unwanted and not acquiring something positive, so it cannot be the ultimate source of refuge.
[21] The sangha is not the ultimate source of refuge because it still has fear. The sangha has not totally travelled the path and still needs to take refuge in the Buddha and therefore is not beyond all fears.
In the ultimate sense only the Buddha is the true refuge. All suffering and difficulties disappear only when changeless happiness is reached and this occurs only wben one becomes a Buddha. Therefore the Buddha is the only real refuge. Does this mean that refuge in the dharma and
? sangha is not very good? No, because dharma and sangha are qualities that include the Buddha. The Buddha is the dharmakaya which literally means the "embodiment of dharma. " The sangha are beings who are working on the path to Buddhahood and go from one level to another until they finally reach complete realization. The qualities of the Buddha are also the ultimate attainment of the sangha, so it can be said that in the Buddha all the qualities of the dharma and the sangha are present. This is why the Buddha is the ultimate refuge.
Why They are Called the Three Jewels
[22] The original Sanskrit word for "jewel" in the three jewels was ratna and a literal translation into Tibetan should have been rinpoche which means "very precious" or having great value. But the Tibetan translators did not chose a literal translation but preferred another word because when one says something has great value, one is emphasizing its outer quality. The three jewels are so much greater so it was translated it as kern cho. Kern means "rare" and cho means "supreme" or "most excellent. " They chose the word kern because the three jewels are most rare
and cho because they are unsurpassable.
There are six reasons why the Buddha, dharma, and
sangha are referred to as rare and supreme in Tibetan. First, a jewel is very rare and there aren't many persons who encounter one. Likewise the Buddha, dharma, and sangha are quite rare and many persons do not encounter them. Second, jewels are stainless. When one finds a jewel, it is
very bright and shiny and not dirty or repulsive. Similarly, the three jewels are very pure because they are totally free
? from all emotional stains. Third, possessing jewels is to have power. When one possesses a jewel, one has something of great value and by selling it one can obtain financial power which allows one to accomplish many things. Similarly, the three jewels are powerful because they can extinguish all the suffering of beings. Fourth, a jewel is an ornament which makes things more beautiful by its presence. In the same way, the three jewels are ornaments of the world because they bring much goodness to the world because their basic motivation is to benefit other beings with their mere presence. Also the three jewels have such a great sense of self-respect and won't behave incorrectly because they are very careful in their behavior. They have enough respect of others so they will
not behave incorrectly towards them. So these beings have a very high and pure quality because of the way they behave. People who practice the path of dharma on the whole will achieve the final realization of the path. So as time goes by there will be more and more beings who reach the highest state and there will be more and more ornaments of the world. The fifth reason is that the three
jewels have the quality of excellence. In our world there are many different persons who are supposed to be wonderful because they have achieved fame or success or wealth.
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. This peace is there because all forms of suffering have been removed because karma and defilements have
? been relinquished. So first "peace" means suffering has been pacified. Secondly, it is peace because it is completely free from anything rough and coarse or harsh. Thirdly, it is peace because it is nondual or nonconceptual being free from the coarseness of thoughts.
With the three qualities of the truth of the path, purity is a natural feature of the realization because the twofold obscurations have been removed. There is not only purity, but there is also clarity. Once there is purity and clarity, there is the power to remedy the three poisons. In the salutation this is explained in the example of the sun. The sun is by nature very pure, and because of this purity, it dispels all forms of darkness. In the same way, realization of the truth of the path eliminates obscurations, defilements, and dualistic knowledge and brings about the recognition of the natural purity of the nature of phenomena.
? CHAPTER 4
The Sangha
In the Uttara Tantra the sangha is the realized sangha, the mahSyana sangha. The Tibetan word for "sangha" is gendun. The first syllable ge means "virtue" and the second dun means "aspiration" so gendun are those aspiring to virtue. There are two types of sangha--that of ordinary beings and that of realized beings. Ordinary beings haven't reached a state of realization and don't have a direct understanding of the truth because they are still subject to the defilements. However, they have strong aspirations to do what is good. The sangha of ordinary beings is made up of lay people and ordained people. It is
possible to follow the Buddhist path without being ordained but by taking refuge and taking any of the levels of the precepts. At the refuge ceremony one takes refuge in the three jewels which represents ordinary refuge but is also taken by the realized sangha. In this refuge ceremony there is no distinction among those who take refuge and the sangha is made up of friends and companions who help us on the path and make sure we don't go astray. But the Uttara Tantra describes fruition refuge which is the refuge we are trying to achieve ultimately. In this fruition refuge
we are trying to go beyond the state of ordinary beings which on the mahayana path means achieving Buddhahood and the sangha is called the realized sangha.
? Definition o f the Sangha in the Salutation
[13] The outline of this chapter will be similar to the chapter on the Buddha because it also has three divisions: a definition of the nature of the sangha in the salutation, the identification of the qualities in the sangha, and a description of the six qualities mentioned in the salutation. The salutation begins, "I bow down. . . " to the realized sangha who possess these qualities by one who is trying to follow their example to reach enlightenment. These qualities are two-fold--the qualities of knowledge and the qualities of purity. The qualities of knowledge make it possible for the realized sangha to see the nature of all phenomena just as it is. The qualities of purity allow one to be free of all impurities and obscurations. There are three aspects of this knowledge: the knowledge of how-it-is, the knowledge of variety, and the inner knowledge of jnana which perceives the presence of buddha potential in all beings. From these three kinds of knowledge come three aspects of freedom: freedom from emotional defilements; freedom from the hindrances of dualistic thinking which blocks the vision of the true nature of phenomena, and the freedom from lower motivation that leads to striving for
happiness for just oneself.
[14] The first aspect of knowledge is the jii5na of how- it-is. From the beginning of time the nature of mind has been empty and clear. Emptiness has been emphasized in the Madhyamaka teachings. But in the teachings on meditation, particularly the mahamudra, emptiness is
considered just one aspect of the nature of the mind with the other aspect being clarity. The real nature of the mind then is a combination of emptiness and clarity. The
? defilements of attachment, aggression, and ignorance might or might not be present, but they are not an inherent part of the mind. The defilements are more like mistakes or delusions. The jnana of how-it-is perceives the true nature of the mind, the one with emptiness and clarity which is described in the next verse.
The second aspect of knowledge, the jnana of variety, appears once one has the knowledge of the ultimate nature of phenomena and there is such great clarity that one can see the actual nature of beings--each and every being just as he or she is. Through the jfiana of variety of phenomena one sees the true nature of beings as being the ultimate "no-self. " One discovers that the self does not exist in reality and this is the actual nature of all beings.
The third aspect of the realized sangha is the pure vision gained through the inner jfiana and thus "they know the all-pervasive presence of perfect Buddhahood in each and every one of them. " Through this aspect of knowledge individuals see the essence of Buddhahood in themselves and all the other beings. This essence is like the germ of the jnana of the Buddha and that seed is in the mind of all beings. At the stage of ordinary beings, this essence of Buddhahood does not manifest. At the stage of bodhisattvas, this essence manifests to some extent. Only when one has achieved enlightenment can this essence fully manifest into Buddhahood. The difference between these three types of beings is not one of nature because the
essence of the Buddha is the same in all beings. So this is what is "seen though inner jnana. "
In the salutation it says that the realized sangha are unobscured in intelligence and this word "unobscured" refers to the three qualities of freedom. The first freedom is
? from emotional obscurations--attachment, aggression, or ignorance. The second freedom is from the obscuration of dualistic thinking. Dualistic thinking is to think in terms of subject and object and to believe everything is substantial. The third freedom is from a combination of the previous two obscurations which creates the mistake of wanting to find happiness just for oneself such as the fravakas or
pratyekabuddhas do. In summary, through jnana the realized sangha possesses three types of knowledge so they can see the ultimate purity of the nature of all beings. These six qualities are summarized in Table 1.
In the third chapter on the Buddha, the ultimate dharmakaya was discussed without discussing the sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. In the chapter on the dharma the scriptural dharma and dharma of realization were discussed and the realization dharma was emphasized. In the discussion of the sangha, the ordinary and the realized sangha were discussed with the emphasis on the realized sangha. So in these three chapters the approach has emphasized the ultimate, highest form of the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha.
Six Qualities ofthe Sangha
[15] The knowledge of how-it-is in its fullest degree is only achieved with Buddhahood. When one is on the path of the bodhisattva, this knowledge is present to a varying degree. With knowledge of how-it-is one does not perceive the relative aspect, the illusory appearance of phenomena, but sees it just as it is without any distortion. For example, if one sees a rope in the dark, one might mistake it for a snake. The knowledge of how-it-is wouldn't see the rope
? as a snake because the nature of how-it-is does not see the illusory appearances of samsSra. This knowledge experiences the actual nature of phenomena which is the nature of the dharmadhatu, the original nature. This is the nature and function of this knowledge of how-it-is.
[16] The jnana of variety of phenomena is to see what there is in many aspects, not just 10 things or 100 things, but to see everything in its great diversity. The knowledge of how-it-is pertains to absolute truth, the knowledge of variety pertains to the relative truth. So with the knowledge of variety one sees everything: one sees the number of beings, one sees the motivations of the beings, and one sees all the various appearances of existence. One also sees the characteristics of objects such as their colors, form, etc. , but there's no confusion in seeing them, they are each seen very distinctly. Realized beings perceive the relative reality of all appearances and their perception is not divorced from the knowledge of how-it-is. When one sees
relative phenomena, one does not get caught up in confusion and illusion. So even though realized beings can see the relative, at the same time they know the ultimate level, which means they cannot go back to seeing illusions. [17] The third quality of the perception of inner jnana is very intimately connected to the knowledge of how-it-is and the knowledge of variety. It is connected with the knowledge of how-it-is because jnSna perceives the true, absolute nature of phenomena; the "thatness of suchness. " It doesn't see phenomena as totally empty but being
indivisible from all the qualities of Buddhahood. This perception is also connected with the knowledge of variety by perceiving all beings as possessing the essence of Buddhahood. The word "inner" in "inner jnana" (Tib.
? nang gi yeshe)\ refers to the fact that it belongs to the true nature of the mind. "Jnana" (Tib. yeshe) refers to the fact that of the two aspects of phenomena, emptiness and clarity, with jnana being the clarity aspect. This jnana has the capacity to develop fully into all the qualities of freedom and maturity of a Buddha and knows that the inner jnana present in all beings.
[18] Perception with the three aspects of knowledge is absolutely pure and this relates to the three qualities of purity. The realized ones are free from the three types of obscurations of attachment, aggression, or ignorance. If they had these they would act in a negative way causing them to be trapped in samsara and the three aspects of pure knowledge would not arise. In the case of sravakas, for example, who are free of the first obscuration of emotions the realized sangha is most important.
[19] There are three reasons for the presentation of the division of three refuges. The first is that there are the three vehicles (Skt. yanas) of the hlnayana, mahayana, and vajrayana. The second reason for the division of three refuges is that there are three types of deeds. There are deeds of making prostrations, offerings, and prayers to the Buddha. Individuals doing these feel the Buddha is really the best of all beings and a model to respect. Others feel that the dharma is really the most important thing because it is the path of liberation and they feel great faith and
respect for the teachings. The third category of persons feels the most important point for them is the sangha so they will direct most of their deeds towards building the sangha.
The third reason for the division of the three refuges is just personal preference: some are more attracted to the
? Buddha, some to the dhaima, and some to the sangha as a refuge.
Dharma and Sangha are not the Ultimate Refuge
[20] The only ultimate source of refuge is the Buddha. The dharma and sangha are a refuge on the way to Buddhahood, but once one becomes a Buddha there is no longer any need for the props of dharma and sangha. Scriptural dharma cannot be an ultimate refuge because upon achieving Buddhahood, one leaves the teachings behind and no longer has any need to practice them. The dharma of realization is not the ultimate refuge either. On the path one goes through different stages of realization and as soon as one reaches one level, then the previous one becomes obsolete. Because the path changes all the rime, how could it be an ultimate source of refuge? The truth of
cessation cannot be the ultimate source of refuge because once one develops realization, one doesn't have anything to show for it--something tangible; rather one becomes free from what is unwanted. The truth of cessation is eliminating what is unwanted and not acquiring something positive, so it cannot be the ultimate source of refuge.
[21] The sangha is not the ultimate source of refuge because it still has fear. The sangha has not totally travelled the path and still needs to take refuge in the Buddha and therefore is not beyond all fears.
In the ultimate sense only the Buddha is the true refuge. All suffering and difficulties disappear only when changeless happiness is reached and this occurs only wben one becomes a Buddha. Therefore the Buddha is the only real refuge. Does this mean that refuge in the dharma and
? sangha is not very good? No, because dharma and sangha are qualities that include the Buddha. The Buddha is the dharmakaya which literally means the "embodiment of dharma. " The sangha are beings who are working on the path to Buddhahood and go from one level to another until they finally reach complete realization. The qualities of the Buddha are also the ultimate attainment of the sangha, so it can be said that in the Buddha all the qualities of the dharma and the sangha are present. This is why the Buddha is the ultimate refuge.
Why They are Called the Three Jewels
[22] The original Sanskrit word for "jewel" in the three jewels was ratna and a literal translation into Tibetan should have been rinpoche which means "very precious" or having great value. But the Tibetan translators did not chose a literal translation but preferred another word because when one says something has great value, one is emphasizing its outer quality. The three jewels are so much greater so it was translated it as kern cho. Kern means "rare" and cho means "supreme" or "most excellent. " They chose the word kern because the three jewels are most rare
and cho because they are unsurpassable.
There are six reasons why the Buddha, dharma, and
sangha are referred to as rare and supreme in Tibetan. First, a jewel is very rare and there aren't many persons who encounter one. Likewise the Buddha, dharma, and sangha are quite rare and many persons do not encounter them. Second, jewels are stainless. When one finds a jewel, it is
very bright and shiny and not dirty or repulsive. Similarly, the three jewels are very pure because they are totally free
? from all emotional stains. Third, possessing jewels is to have power. When one possesses a jewel, one has something of great value and by selling it one can obtain financial power which allows one to accomplish many things. Similarly, the three jewels are powerful because they can extinguish all the suffering of beings. Fourth, a jewel is an ornament which makes things more beautiful by its presence. In the same way, the three jewels are ornaments of the world because they bring much goodness to the world because their basic motivation is to benefit other beings with their mere presence. Also the three jewels have such a great sense of self-respect and won't behave incorrectly because they are very careful in their behavior. They have enough respect of others so they will
not behave incorrectly towards them. So these beings have a very high and pure quality because of the way they behave. People who practice the path of dharma on the whole will achieve the final realization of the path. So as time goes by there will be more and more beings who reach the highest state and there will be more and more ornaments of the world. The fifth reason is that the three
jewels have the quality of excellence. In our world there are many different persons who are supposed to be wonderful because they have achieved fame or success or wealth.
