For the study and practice of tantra, Guru-devotion is even more essential and
receives
more emphasis than in the sQtra path.
Wang-ch-ug-Dor-je-Mahamudra-Eliminating-the-Darkness-of-Ignorance
Concluding Definitions
Therefore, ultimately and primordially from the beginning everyone has their own share of what is known as the very nature of the mind itself, the very nature of things or the Mah-a:mudni: Great Seal of Voidness and (there is no difference) except
for whether or not you realise its two purities.
The very nature of the mind itself is also known as the Buddha-nature. Its two purities are the natural one of this abiding nature-it is primordially pure from time immemorial-and the purity achieved when the fleeting taints obscuring it have been removed. This is like polished gold having the two-fold purity of its natural condition as
well as that achieved when all tarnish has been removed. That which each being possesses as his share is the basis (Mahamudrn). On (the basis of) this you place yourself into the meditations on the paths, and the very nature of the mind itself during the period up to the tenth Bodhisattva stage is the path (Mah-a:mudr-a:). Then when you have awakened from the sleep of unawareness or ignorance, the realised ultimate pure nature of reality is known as
the fruit Mah-a:mudm.
The basis, path and fruit MahAmudrlls are intere dependent and cannot exist alone, just as is the case with a child, adult and old man. You cannot be an old man iC you have never been a child or an adult. Likewise tho
? 1JO MAHAMUDR. . I
fruit 1\? fahamudra comes about through the basis und path ones.
T o see the actual pure abiding nature o f reality and be free of all (notions of) objects to be grasped and consciousness to grasp them is the (Mah~mudra:) view. To meditate on the meaning ofthis (view) without any mental wandering is (Mahamudni} meditation.
You need u unity of correct view and meditation. To have the latter without the former is like being a blind man on an open plain. You can go nowhere. To have just the correct view but not to meditate is like being a miser ; your knowledge is of no benefit to yourselr or others. But with both y0u have two wings to fly to Enlightenment.
To cultivate whichever of the four activities is appropriate and to do so completely free ofall (notions of) something to be done and someone to do it is (Mah~mudr~) activity.
These four are the activity that is all? good, the hidden one, that of being in crowds and that which brings victory in all directions, as explained above.
And to be free of aU (notions of) something to be meditated upon and someone to medibte and to have no expectations or worries such as fearing you will fall down into sarhs~ra or wishing Y''U would rise up to the at! ainment of Buddhahood is the (Mahamudra) result. When you have realised in this way the meaning of the (Mahamudra) view, meditation, activity and result, you should enhance your enthusiastic effort.
Have fervent regard and loving respect for your Gurus, with complete faith, totally putting yourself into it. Turn away from obsessions by freeing yourself from compulsive attraction to sarhs~ra
? and this life. Rely at all times on being min
not to have any mental wanderings. Have short term plans and execute them straight up and down like a bellows. Whenever such attitudes arise such as wishing to save face or thoughts about this life or the eight worldly feelings, which are all? unneces- sary, smooth them out. Forcefully cut the rope of your selfish concern for this life. And whatever you develop in meditation, do not be blasf about, but exert effort to cultivate it at all times.
Thus you need always to be mindful and alert. If you learn to read and write, what use are they if you do not practise ? If you acquire a precious object and do not take care of it it, will become ruined or lost.
Although there are many diflerences between a ftash experience and an insight, (in general) if the meditator feels there is his own mind (on the one hand and on the other) the object of his meditation, namely blissful, clear, bare non-conceptual Voidness, which he is meditating upon or experiencing, this is a flash experience.
It should be noted that the same technical term is used for flash experiences and the boons. They are steeped with belief in duality and, though beautiful and alluring, are as impermanent as the flowers in a mountain meadow. Insights, on the other hand, are more solid and stable.
I f you realise with bare perception and not just presumption that there is no dualism of a meditator and something meditated upon, this is an insight. Therefore, having differentiated between a flash experience or boon and an insight, place yourself in a state in which you are not obsessed with these (boons) and do not hold them as being supreme. Then cultivate them with effort at all times. This is important.
? IS2 MAHAMUDRA
Although the boons are not supreme. they are the basis for penetrative insight. Therefore by intensifying and cultivating them with no attachment. insights will definitely follow. ?
Of the four seals, the seal ofactivities is the path for those of duller wits. Through it you achieve
the powerful attainments of the Desire Realm.
There are many levels of meaning to the four seals. Here the seal of activities, karmamudra. refers to practising (I) the peaceful actions to pacify sickness and interferences. (2) those to increase your life span. good qualities and merit. (3) those to gain power over the clements and (4) the wrathful ones to eliminate harm, obstacles and hindrances. As a result ofthese you can gain good health. long iife, wealth, power and so forth. which are the powerful attainments of the Desire Realm.
The seal of commitments and that of the Dharma are the paths for those of middling wits. Through them }'OU zchieve the ultimate powerful attainments of the highest realm of sarhsya. Akani~tha Heaven or Wog-min, that which is not beneath
anything else.
The seal of commitments. samayamudri, is the keeping of the vows and commitments of the various Buddha- families. The seal of Dharma, dharmamudrA, is visualising yourself as a meditational deity. To apply these without the realisation of Voidness can only bring you to the peak of samsara, but not to Enlightenment. You can achieve the common powerful attainments of extra-sensory and physical powers and so forth, but not the &upreme one.
But the Great Seal ofVoidness (Mah~mudr~) is the path for those of sharpest wits. It is the methcd for achieving the supreme powerful attain-
ment (of Enlightenment).
Therefore by applying all four seals progressively to
your practice, you will reach the fully enlightened ~tate of a Buddha.
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 153
(Mah'lmudri is) the inseparability of appearance and Voidness, bliss and Voidness, awareness and Voidness, clarity and Voidness, free from all extremes of mentally fabricated modes of existence (that it is truly existent, totally non-existent, both or neither). It is not something that can be shown by a Guru, intellectually understood by a disciple, or made intelligible through words. It is free from all notions that it is this and not that. It is a Great Bliss that is experienced although it cannot be identified (as this or that). There is nothing that it does not pervade, either appearances, existence,
samsvaorNifV'I~. Itisthegreatstatebeyondthe intellect (or the conventional mind). The simul- taneity of mind, thought and the Dharmaka:ya has been the case from beginningless time. But because it is not understood, the Gurus explain with their oral teachings that (these three) must be blended into one as an inseparable unity. This is known as the Mah'lmudr'l of the simultaneously arisen and merged.
When you blend the mind, thought and Dharmakiya. it is not like mixing flour and cement, but rather like pouring water into water. The nature of thought is the same as the nature of the mind : they arc both Dharmakaya. Thoughts, though deceptive. are not to be abandoned nor should you strive to establish their cessation. By recognising their nature. they become purified and you realise the Dharmakaya and are a Buddha. When you do not understand them. you arc deceived about thoughts and ar~ a sentient being.
Thoughts, mind and Dharmakiiya have been simultaneous from beginningless time. If you ask which came first, deception or Enlightenment, this is the same as the proverbial question. ? 'Which came first, the chicken or
? 154 MAH. . IMUDR,I
the egg ? " It is not that first you bad Enligbtenment and then you became unaware of it, nor is it that first you were unaware and then became enlightened. They arc simultaneous and beginningless. Yet, a Buddha bas no thought and no deception. What does this mean 1
Thought is pervasive with Dharmakaya, therefore you cannot say that a Buddha bas abandoned thought, since this would imply he has abandoned Dharmakaya. But since a Buddha recognises thought as the Dharmakaya, thoughts do not arise on his mind-stream and all his activity and manifestations are non-conceptual, spontaneous virtuous conduct without any thought.
From the lineage that has passed from Vajradhara to Tilopa, Na:ropa, Marpa, Mi? la ra-pa and then to Gam-po-pa, the lineage of meditational methods deriving from (direct disciples) of Gam-po-pa are the Mahamudras of the Zhang, Ba-rom and
Dr'i-k'ung Ka-gyu, this latter being the lineage from P'ag-mo dr'u-pa. (Those deriving from direct disciples of P'ag-mo dr'u-pa are) the Mahamudra of the Tag-lung, Cha:n-nga, Mar-ye, Shub-se-wa, Tr'o-p'u, Ya-zang and Drug-pa Ka-gyu, this latter being the lineage from Ling-ra:-pa and Gya-ra-pa. But in particuiar there is the Mahamudra of the especially distinguished Kar-ma kam-tsang Ka-gyu which has the undeclined moisture of the breath of the I;>akims and the undeclined warmth of the blessings of the unbroken lineage from Gam-po-pa through (the First Kar-ma-pa) D'u-sum ky'en-pa down to my Guru(the Fifth Zha-mar Rinpoche) Kon- ch'og yan-lag. Jt has a lineage that Cl'mbines into one the special features of all the many, diffuse M:1hamudra teachings. Known as the Maha:mudf1[ of the simultaneou"ily arisen and merged, the source of all good qualities, it is as famous in the world
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE }. ,. ,.
as the sun and the moon. If you practise it conscientiously, it is certain that you will automati- cally develop experiences and insights. Practising in
this way is the seventh point (for enhancing your practice).
? Author's Colophon
Without compiling scriptural quotations and so forth, I have explained this by taking as the main thing recognising the nature of the mind, while pointing a finger directly at the practice. Although I have no experience myself, I, Mi-p'am ch'U-wang
-or Vajre? vara (the Ninth Kar-ma-pa Wang-ch'ug dor-je, 15~6-1603), having borrowed in accordance ? with the words of the previous Gurus, have written this text in Zho-ka-wor House during my medi- tation sessions at the insistent request of the Sam-de Lama Rab-jam ma-wa Sam-tp kun-ga. It has
twenty, twenty-two or twenty-five meditation topics.
By the virtue of this may I and all other motherly sentient beings tum sincerely away from -obsessive attraction to the desirable objects of the senses and sec the nature of the mind. Shubham
. astu sarvajagatam, may all the world be pure.
This text has been rxplaioed with oral commentary bf the Third Jam-yang Ky'en-tze wang-po Rinpocbe, Kar-ma drub-gyii tan-pa yar-p'el gyur-mc g'o-cb'a tr'in-11 kon- ky'ab ptil-zang-po, in accoJdance with the tracbings ofhia Guru, His Holiness the Sixteenth Kar-ma-pa, Rang-j'ung rig-pai dor-je. It bas been translated into English and coUtpiled by Alexander Berzin, and was taught in Tibetan
a t Bodh Gaya, India, between December 1976 and January 1977.
? TWO:
FIFTY STANZAS OF GlJBll-BBYOTION
("GurupaiiC'I? iq", "Bia-ma lnga-bcu-pa")
by Arya4nra
with commentary given orally by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey
? Preface
"fifty Stanzas of Guru-devotion" ("Gurupai\cf? ikl") was written in about the first century B. C. by A5vagho$a. This Indian poet was known by many names, such as Arya? Qra, MAtrceta, Patrceta, Maticitra and Bhavideva, and was a con- temporary of King Kani,ka of the Ku,an Dynasty. Having previously been a strong non-Buddhist. believer, he became an extremely devout follower of the Buddhas' path writing many works on its various aspects.
SAkyamuni Buddha lived about four centuries before A~vagho$a. He taught sQtras dealing with meditative practices for attaining Liberation and Enlightenment and, in the form of Buddha Vajradhara, Mahamudrl and the tantras covering spee:lier, yet more dangerous methods for achieving this latter goal. Success in following either the Stltr~Ana or Tintrayana path depends solely on your Guru-devotion, for Buddha indicated in the "Saddhar~apur:ujarJka Siitra" (II, 124) and in the "Kye
dor Sbi-gyU dor-jei g'ur," an explanatory work to the "Hevajra Tantra", that in future times of degeneration be would take the form of Gurus. At such times Gurus should be respected the same as the Buddhas, for they will be their living representatives.
Guru-devotion involves both your thoughts and your actions. The most important thing is to develop the total conviction that your Guru is a Buddha. Such a conviction is a prerequisite for receiving any insight. If you are aiming to benefit yourself and overcome all suffering with the attainment of Liberation, or reach the perfected state of aFully Enlightened Buddha so that you can help liberate others, your Guru can only show you the way if he himself has already achieved these accomplishments. If you doubt your Guru's competence and abitity to guide you,
? 160 MAHAMUDRA
your practices will be extremely unstable and you will be unable to make any concrete progress. You must have full confidence that it is possible to become Enlightened, that your Guru is living proof of this, and that by following Buddha's teachings as
be instructs, you can achieve the same. ? only then will it be possible to gain any benefits from the practices.
Seeing only good qualities in your Guru, therefore, is the way to develop these qualities yourself. Normally most people arc blind to their own shortcomings, while the faults of others shine out clearly. But if you did not possess these same faults yourself, you would be unable to recognise them in others. If there are two pieces of fruit, one ripe and one rotten, and the
person next to you takes the ripe one, it is only due to your own greed that you accuse him of being greedy and selfish. If you were unattached to the fruit, it would not matter to you which one he took-you would simply sec him as having taken
a piece of fruit.
Likewise, if you can train yourself to see only good qualities llDd never any faults in your Guru, this positive outlook will come io pervade, amplify and reflect your own state of mind. As everyone has the basis Mahamudri or Buddha-nature within him-the clear, uncontaminated state of pure mind established without any true independent existence-then if you can see your Guru in terms of a Buddha, you have the possibility of activa- ting and realising your own Buddha-nature, that is achieving the resultant Mahamudri. If you see only faults, you merely rein- force your own shortcomings and negative attitude, whereu
if you see only perfection, you will be able to attain the perfec? tion of Buddhahood yourself. Therefore one of the main practices of Guru-yoga, particulary in Mahimudri and the tantra, is to realise the inseparability of your own mind with your Guru, the Buddhas and your meditational deity, who is a pure form manifestation of the Enlightened mind. Thus Guru-
devotion is the root of all attainments.
If your Guru acts in a seemingly unenlightendcd manner and you feel it would be hypocritical to think him a Buddha, you should remember that your own opinions are unreliable and the
apparent faults you see may only be a reflection of your own deluded state of mind. Also you should think that if your Guru
? acted in a completely perfect manner, be would be inaccessible and you would be unable to relate to him. It is therefore out of your Guru's great compassion that be may show apparent flaws. This is part of his use of skilful means in order for him to be able to teach you. He is mirroring your own faults; therefore check within and learn from him how to remove your short- comings. If you are only intent on criticising your Guru, you will never be able to benefit from him.
It was Buddha VajradhAra himself who said that your Guru is to be seen as a Buddha. Therefore if you have faith and take refuge in the Buddhist teachings, you will try to understand what Buddha meant by this statement. Buddhas exert a great positive influence on the world in the same way as does the sun. But just as a magnifying glass is needed to focus the rays of the sun in order for tinder to catch fire, so too a Guru is required to focus the Buddhas' virtuous conduct into a disciple's mind-stream and inspire him to follow a spiritnal path. Thus as living eJtamples representing the Buddhas, Gurus carry on the work of all the Enlightened Beings, acting as an accessible focal
point for your practices to gain Buddhahood yourself.
Through devotion to your Guru, showing him respect, sowing him and making offerings, you build up the merit that will allow you to become liberated from ? au your suffering. Such service is done not to benefit your Guru, but for your own sake. When
you plant seeds in a field, it is not to benefit the earth. It is -you yourself who will harvest the crops. Therefore with the proper devotional attitude towards your Guru-seeing him as a Buddha-the more positive energy you exert in his direction, the closer you come towards Buddhahood yourself. Likewise, if you hate your Guru and generate negative energy towards him, you are deliberately casting yourself away from his state of Enlightenment and its freedom from pain. As a
result you bring intense suffering upon yourself. Therefore if you see faults in your Guru and tend to belittle him, remember your opinions are unreliable and only unhappiness can result from despising the state of happiness be represents.
Remembering your Guru's kindne~s to teach you during tbis degenerate age after Sakyamuni Buddha bas passed away, you must develop loving respect for him. You Guru teaches
GURU-DEVOTION 161
? 162 MAHAMUDRA
you despite your delusions and does not force you to undergo such hardships as Je-tziln Mi-la rli-pa and others have had to endure in the past. He. gives you initiations, oral teachings and tr~nsmits the unbroken lineages coming from Buddha. He inspires you to attain his state and helps you materially when you need it. If you lack loving respect for, your Guru, it is impossible to become Enlightened. If you do not have respect for the state of Buddhabood he
represen~s. how can you attain it ?
These various aspects of devoting yourself to your Guru by
means of your thoughts are taught extensively in such texts as the "GaQI;lavyuha Siltra". These points and their scriptural references are found in detail in the "Lam-rim ch'en-mo" by Je Tzong-k'a-pa. The "Gurupaiicll? ikA" by A~vagh0$8 is the most comprehensive summary of bow to devote yourself to your Guru by means of your actions. lts scriptural sources are a wide range of tantric texts, including the "Guhyasamllja", "Kalacakra", "Cakruarlwara", "V ajra4ikinl" and "Vajra~ hrdayilamkara Tantras". The specific tantric sources for each verse are given in the "La-ma nga-cbu-pl nam-~hi", a ccm- mentary on this text also by Je Tzong-k'a-pa.
For the study and practice of tantra, Guru-devotion is even more essential and receives more emphasis than in the sQtra path. This is because the tantric practices are extremely difficult and complicated. I f done correctly they can bring you Buddha- hood within your lifetime, but if done improperly they may be
very dangerous and bring you extremely dire consequences. Therefore the direct personal gtsidance of a Guru is indispens~ able. As the "Gurupaikli? ika" outlines specifically how a disciple should act with his Guru, it is the custom to teach this text be- fore giving any tantric enpowerment or initiation. Once a Guru? disciple relationship is established, the disciple is taught Guru- devotion and the common path of renunciation of the suffering of satilsara, the Enlightened Motive of Bodhicitta and the correct view of Voidness (SilnyatA). Then after receiving the proper enpowerments, he can be led gradually through the stages o( tantra on the firm foundation of his Guru-devotion and the above "Three Principal Paths",
? Text
Homage_tothe. J;lhagflV. JO Va. Jrasattva.
Bhagavan is one of the man. Y epithet~ used for an Enlight? ened Being, a Buddha. The Tibetan term for it, "Chom-din-da (tiCom? 'lnan~? aas)". -ts etymologised- . ai fbua1t. _ . -'(:hom'" means'- :tb dvetcdJtlb. ,_Buddbas! l h~'lei ? DvJ:fCOJDO: hQth the ob! ltileleS' p. ioventin$: Li. betat. iP. ~: ~o4? . ,tJ\q(IA J:d~ttventing Omnbcienc;c;. Th~formor,. . jpcbs~e. tbc ddu~tU>ns-. o. r-. mQraland me. D~Al de~ffl~llt~ 0\IC. ~ill? as well 's the. ! r_ . ? nst. )pctp? . and the ignoranceofgraspingfortrue? indepen~eilfex1sten. ce. 'llielatter refers _to the instincts of thi$'fgnorance; 'Dllb 'm-ean- to possess. Blid'dlia'S) ~SC! iS' a1l good. qualitie! lr. llll"'inf oompleted 'their aetU'nttihttlon~? of1? botl1? meritnantl1ih~iglit? M:! sotfltlg ialllitf~FtWD\1 and' wi~dottt BBdi~s respectiVelY=. - . ,Bfi? ? -blt:tns:t~}1ai~b8)'bnifP.
. BmfaliaS'1iave'phs~~WeyO'dd ~liifisarl{l,uthtrcJ! ole:bflUftCO"nltbti&a? rcbnl~ w i t h l~ffertn~ d U t J ' t l j l k ' i l r n i ! i l a r i d , U d l u f i o b l .
''I'<Jte! hrttden nteal'ltng? of! Jil. llilsattYii~? ! ndtcji. Jtteitf. ! (iltl(tD~ sems-dpa') in Tibetan, C"dlf'A~6~? llisbbv~r@clft6~it-s. ayDYology? . "'Dor-je" means indestructible <\iP. -JUond-lightning. Here it refers to. th" di~Jro. qn<l-hard. wis. dom of the non~<tualitv of Voidness and Btiss:--that. Js. the-,nob-duality? . or---orltte. ~und? :tHat"'has bare perception~r. Voioness,expenencC. d \Vitha_fe~htfgof-~re"atBliss ana? (Zft'bt1. Voi'dtlt5Slt_ttat'l'Stlic--''6bj~t? ciftlds-mi'nd: ~''sem-pa'"
meiu1Silth6 one with' &lierdlc ntW. tJ. : ltJsignificJ:] som~e who J-4t}ttl11'n:t&ulf) a~anl! loru=dnaJI 4lj:lltJ~ions? . ? lsn<>r&~nce ? . a. u. d. their instincts and has the heroic min~ . tha~:i4 I;Cffqy,_1Q,J! Cj\p,. gJhcrs in a. ll. p~j_\>)~:fNR-YII,.
1JJ. ui. Bh. agllviin ? ~tjrasattY. a. rcf~r$. . t~. tll~s. \JJ~. oJ;Vairidbir"- tb~fqr. Wt:B-"441l. fl;~~cr1U1J;! ~qt~t~8. s! A~1tho way, to. attaiil thl? ~PJigll~nea,? ,tat~,~~,,tbr:oQ&b Oururdevot;oQ? . '. 4\Sv. agho,a. be. sliis b. l$1)VP. f~JlWAJll>tJ:Iis~:JU~~g! =; .
? 164 MAH. . lMUDRA
(1)
Bowing in the proper way to the lotus feet of
my Guru who is the cause for me to attain the state o f a glorious V ajrasattva, I shall con- dense and explain in brief what has been said in many stainless tantric texts about Guru-
devotion. (Therefore) listen with respect.
(2)
All the Buddhas of the past, present and future, residing in every land in the ten directions, have paid homage to the Tantric Masters from whom they have received the highest enpowerments. (Is there need to men? tion that you should too? )
In general there are three types of enpowerments or initia- tions. causal, pathway and resultant. The first is to ripen your mind-stream, the second is an actual path of practice through which to gain E~lightenment and the thir~ is into the actual
liberated state of Buddhahood. Everyo. te who ever has or will attain Enlightenment does so through receiving these highest cnpowerments from their Tantric Masters.
{3)
Three times each day with supr:: me faith you must show the respect you have for your Guru who teaches you (the tantric path), by pressing your palms together, offering a ? maQ<;lala as well as flowers and prostrating (touching) your head to his feet.
As a disciple you must regard your Guru as an Enlightened Being. Even if from his own point of view he is not Enlightened and you, his disciple, have gained Buddhahood before him, you must still show him respect tlnd pay homage. For instance, Maitreya, the fifth and next Buddha of the thousand of this world age, who now presides over Tu$ita Buddha-field, became Enlightened before Jiis Guru, Sikyampni Buddha. To demon?
? strate respect for his Guru, Maitreya has a stQpa or reliqJJary monument on his forehead. Likewise Avalokitdvara. '4he incarnation of the compassion of all tho Buddhas, is crowned in his eleven-headed aspect with the head of his Guru, Amitibha Buddha, the one who presides over Sukhlvati Buddha-field.
Thus learning from a Guru should not be like killing a d~ to extract its musk and then discarding its corpse. Even after attaining Enlightenment you must still continue to honour your C'tru who made all your achievements possible.
(4)
Those who hold ordination vows, if (your
Gu. ru) is a layman or your junior, prostrate (iri public) while facing s u c h ? things as his scriptur~l texts in order to avoid worldly scorn. But in your mind (prostrate to your Guru).
(5)
As for serving (your Guru) and showing him
respect, such as obeying what he says, stand? ing up (when he comes) and showing him to his seat-these should be done even by those with ordination vows (whose Gurus are lay- men or their juniors). But (in public) avoid prostrating and unorthodox actions (such a$ washing his feet).
One of the ? ordination rules is that monks and nuns should not prostrate to laymen. This is taken to mtan that in public you should not show this type of respect for yo. ur lay Guru as it might cause misunderstanding and scorn among those who casually observe. It is better to prostrate facing scriptural te-~ts or Buddha images near him, while directin& your rever?
en. . e in your mind to your Guru.
For example, the great Masters Caildragoml and Candra~
klrti often debated with one another. The former was a layman, the latter a monk. One day Candrakirti invited Candragoml to his monastery. He wanted all the monks to form a procession, but the lay Master objected that the local townspeople would
? 166 MAHAMUDRA?
find it strange. Candrakirti told him. not to worry. . He place( a? -statue of,Maiijusd on a. ? higll throne and in the procession hac a monk: carry it.
Therefore, ultimately and primordially from the beginning everyone has their own share of what is known as the very nature of the mind itself, the very nature of things or the Mah-a:mudni: Great Seal of Voidness and (there is no difference) except
for whether or not you realise its two purities.
The very nature of the mind itself is also known as the Buddha-nature. Its two purities are the natural one of this abiding nature-it is primordially pure from time immemorial-and the purity achieved when the fleeting taints obscuring it have been removed. This is like polished gold having the two-fold purity of its natural condition as
well as that achieved when all tarnish has been removed. That which each being possesses as his share is the basis (Mahamudrn). On (the basis of) this you place yourself into the meditations on the paths, and the very nature of the mind itself during the period up to the tenth Bodhisattva stage is the path (Mah-a:mudr-a:). Then when you have awakened from the sleep of unawareness or ignorance, the realised ultimate pure nature of reality is known as
the fruit Mah-a:mudm.
The basis, path and fruit MahAmudrlls are intere dependent and cannot exist alone, just as is the case with a child, adult and old man. You cannot be an old man iC you have never been a child or an adult. Likewise tho
? 1JO MAHAMUDR. . I
fruit 1\? fahamudra comes about through the basis und path ones.
T o see the actual pure abiding nature o f reality and be free of all (notions of) objects to be grasped and consciousness to grasp them is the (Mah~mudra:) view. To meditate on the meaning ofthis (view) without any mental wandering is (Mahamudni} meditation.
You need u unity of correct view and meditation. To have the latter without the former is like being a blind man on an open plain. You can go nowhere. To have just the correct view but not to meditate is like being a miser ; your knowledge is of no benefit to yourselr or others. But with both y0u have two wings to fly to Enlightenment.
To cultivate whichever of the four activities is appropriate and to do so completely free ofall (notions of) something to be done and someone to do it is (Mah~mudr~) activity.
These four are the activity that is all? good, the hidden one, that of being in crowds and that which brings victory in all directions, as explained above.
And to be free of aU (notions of) something to be meditated upon and someone to medibte and to have no expectations or worries such as fearing you will fall down into sarhs~ra or wishing Y''U would rise up to the at! ainment of Buddhahood is the (Mahamudra) result. When you have realised in this way the meaning of the (Mahamudra) view, meditation, activity and result, you should enhance your enthusiastic effort.
Have fervent regard and loving respect for your Gurus, with complete faith, totally putting yourself into it. Turn away from obsessions by freeing yourself from compulsive attraction to sarhs~ra
? and this life. Rely at all times on being min
not to have any mental wanderings. Have short term plans and execute them straight up and down like a bellows. Whenever such attitudes arise such as wishing to save face or thoughts about this life or the eight worldly feelings, which are all? unneces- sary, smooth them out. Forcefully cut the rope of your selfish concern for this life. And whatever you develop in meditation, do not be blasf about, but exert effort to cultivate it at all times.
Thus you need always to be mindful and alert. If you learn to read and write, what use are they if you do not practise ? If you acquire a precious object and do not take care of it it, will become ruined or lost.
Although there are many diflerences between a ftash experience and an insight, (in general) if the meditator feels there is his own mind (on the one hand and on the other) the object of his meditation, namely blissful, clear, bare non-conceptual Voidness, which he is meditating upon or experiencing, this is a flash experience.
It should be noted that the same technical term is used for flash experiences and the boons. They are steeped with belief in duality and, though beautiful and alluring, are as impermanent as the flowers in a mountain meadow. Insights, on the other hand, are more solid and stable.
I f you realise with bare perception and not just presumption that there is no dualism of a meditator and something meditated upon, this is an insight. Therefore, having differentiated between a flash experience or boon and an insight, place yourself in a state in which you are not obsessed with these (boons) and do not hold them as being supreme. Then cultivate them with effort at all times. This is important.
? IS2 MAHAMUDRA
Although the boons are not supreme. they are the basis for penetrative insight. Therefore by intensifying and cultivating them with no attachment. insights will definitely follow. ?
Of the four seals, the seal ofactivities is the path for those of duller wits. Through it you achieve
the powerful attainments of the Desire Realm.
There are many levels of meaning to the four seals. Here the seal of activities, karmamudra. refers to practising (I) the peaceful actions to pacify sickness and interferences. (2) those to increase your life span. good qualities and merit. (3) those to gain power over the clements and (4) the wrathful ones to eliminate harm, obstacles and hindrances. As a result ofthese you can gain good health. long iife, wealth, power and so forth. which are the powerful attainments of the Desire Realm.
The seal of commitments and that of the Dharma are the paths for those of middling wits. Through them }'OU zchieve the ultimate powerful attainments of the highest realm of sarhsya. Akani~tha Heaven or Wog-min, that which is not beneath
anything else.
The seal of commitments. samayamudri, is the keeping of the vows and commitments of the various Buddha- families. The seal of Dharma, dharmamudrA, is visualising yourself as a meditational deity. To apply these without the realisation of Voidness can only bring you to the peak of samsara, but not to Enlightenment. You can achieve the common powerful attainments of extra-sensory and physical powers and so forth, but not the &upreme one.
But the Great Seal ofVoidness (Mah~mudr~) is the path for those of sharpest wits. It is the methcd for achieving the supreme powerful attain-
ment (of Enlightenment).
Therefore by applying all four seals progressively to
your practice, you will reach the fully enlightened ~tate of a Buddha.
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 153
(Mah'lmudri is) the inseparability of appearance and Voidness, bliss and Voidness, awareness and Voidness, clarity and Voidness, free from all extremes of mentally fabricated modes of existence (that it is truly existent, totally non-existent, both or neither). It is not something that can be shown by a Guru, intellectually understood by a disciple, or made intelligible through words. It is free from all notions that it is this and not that. It is a Great Bliss that is experienced although it cannot be identified (as this or that). There is nothing that it does not pervade, either appearances, existence,
samsvaorNifV'I~. Itisthegreatstatebeyondthe intellect (or the conventional mind). The simul- taneity of mind, thought and the Dharmaka:ya has been the case from beginningless time. But because it is not understood, the Gurus explain with their oral teachings that (these three) must be blended into one as an inseparable unity. This is known as the Mah'lmudr'l of the simultaneously arisen and merged.
When you blend the mind, thought and Dharmakiya. it is not like mixing flour and cement, but rather like pouring water into water. The nature of thought is the same as the nature of the mind : they arc both Dharmakaya. Thoughts, though deceptive. are not to be abandoned nor should you strive to establish their cessation. By recognising their nature. they become purified and you realise the Dharmakaya and are a Buddha. When you do not understand them. you arc deceived about thoughts and ar~ a sentient being.
Thoughts, mind and Dharmakiiya have been simultaneous from beginningless time. If you ask which came first, deception or Enlightenment, this is the same as the proverbial question. ? 'Which came first, the chicken or
? 154 MAH. . IMUDR,I
the egg ? " It is not that first you bad Enligbtenment and then you became unaware of it, nor is it that first you were unaware and then became enlightened. They arc simultaneous and beginningless. Yet, a Buddha bas no thought and no deception. What does this mean 1
Thought is pervasive with Dharmakaya, therefore you cannot say that a Buddha bas abandoned thought, since this would imply he has abandoned Dharmakaya. But since a Buddha recognises thought as the Dharmakaya, thoughts do not arise on his mind-stream and all his activity and manifestations are non-conceptual, spontaneous virtuous conduct without any thought.
From the lineage that has passed from Vajradhara to Tilopa, Na:ropa, Marpa, Mi? la ra-pa and then to Gam-po-pa, the lineage of meditational methods deriving from (direct disciples) of Gam-po-pa are the Mahamudras of the Zhang, Ba-rom and
Dr'i-k'ung Ka-gyu, this latter being the lineage from P'ag-mo dr'u-pa. (Those deriving from direct disciples of P'ag-mo dr'u-pa are) the Mahamudra of the Tag-lung, Cha:n-nga, Mar-ye, Shub-se-wa, Tr'o-p'u, Ya-zang and Drug-pa Ka-gyu, this latter being the lineage from Ling-ra:-pa and Gya-ra-pa. But in particuiar there is the Mahamudra of the especially distinguished Kar-ma kam-tsang Ka-gyu which has the undeclined moisture of the breath of the I;>akims and the undeclined warmth of the blessings of the unbroken lineage from Gam-po-pa through (the First Kar-ma-pa) D'u-sum ky'en-pa down to my Guru(the Fifth Zha-mar Rinpoche) Kon- ch'og yan-lag. Jt has a lineage that Cl'mbines into one the special features of all the many, diffuse M:1hamudra teachings. Known as the Maha:mudf1[ of the simultaneou"ily arisen and merged, the source of all good qualities, it is as famous in the world
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE }. ,. ,.
as the sun and the moon. If you practise it conscientiously, it is certain that you will automati- cally develop experiences and insights. Practising in
this way is the seventh point (for enhancing your practice).
? Author's Colophon
Without compiling scriptural quotations and so forth, I have explained this by taking as the main thing recognising the nature of the mind, while pointing a finger directly at the practice. Although I have no experience myself, I, Mi-p'am ch'U-wang
-or Vajre? vara (the Ninth Kar-ma-pa Wang-ch'ug dor-je, 15~6-1603), having borrowed in accordance ? with the words of the previous Gurus, have written this text in Zho-ka-wor House during my medi- tation sessions at the insistent request of the Sam-de Lama Rab-jam ma-wa Sam-tp kun-ga. It has
twenty, twenty-two or twenty-five meditation topics.
By the virtue of this may I and all other motherly sentient beings tum sincerely away from -obsessive attraction to the desirable objects of the senses and sec the nature of the mind. Shubham
. astu sarvajagatam, may all the world be pure.
This text has been rxplaioed with oral commentary bf the Third Jam-yang Ky'en-tze wang-po Rinpocbe, Kar-ma drub-gyii tan-pa yar-p'el gyur-mc g'o-cb'a tr'in-11 kon- ky'ab ptil-zang-po, in accoJdance with the tracbings ofhia Guru, His Holiness the Sixteenth Kar-ma-pa, Rang-j'ung rig-pai dor-je. It bas been translated into English and coUtpiled by Alexander Berzin, and was taught in Tibetan
a t Bodh Gaya, India, between December 1976 and January 1977.
? TWO:
FIFTY STANZAS OF GlJBll-BBYOTION
("GurupaiiC'I? iq", "Bia-ma lnga-bcu-pa")
by Arya4nra
with commentary given orally by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey
? Preface
"fifty Stanzas of Guru-devotion" ("Gurupai\cf? ikl") was written in about the first century B. C. by A5vagho$a. This Indian poet was known by many names, such as Arya? Qra, MAtrceta, Patrceta, Maticitra and Bhavideva, and was a con- temporary of King Kani,ka of the Ku,an Dynasty. Having previously been a strong non-Buddhist. believer, he became an extremely devout follower of the Buddhas' path writing many works on its various aspects.
SAkyamuni Buddha lived about four centuries before A~vagho$a. He taught sQtras dealing with meditative practices for attaining Liberation and Enlightenment and, in the form of Buddha Vajradhara, Mahamudrl and the tantras covering spee:lier, yet more dangerous methods for achieving this latter goal. Success in following either the Stltr~Ana or Tintrayana path depends solely on your Guru-devotion, for Buddha indicated in the "Saddhar~apur:ujarJka Siitra" (II, 124) and in the "Kye
dor Sbi-gyU dor-jei g'ur," an explanatory work to the "Hevajra Tantra", that in future times of degeneration be would take the form of Gurus. At such times Gurus should be respected the same as the Buddhas, for they will be their living representatives.
Guru-devotion involves both your thoughts and your actions. The most important thing is to develop the total conviction that your Guru is a Buddha. Such a conviction is a prerequisite for receiving any insight. If you are aiming to benefit yourself and overcome all suffering with the attainment of Liberation, or reach the perfected state of aFully Enlightened Buddha so that you can help liberate others, your Guru can only show you the way if he himself has already achieved these accomplishments. If you doubt your Guru's competence and abitity to guide you,
? 160 MAHAMUDRA
your practices will be extremely unstable and you will be unable to make any concrete progress. You must have full confidence that it is possible to become Enlightened, that your Guru is living proof of this, and that by following Buddha's teachings as
be instructs, you can achieve the same. ? only then will it be possible to gain any benefits from the practices.
Seeing only good qualities in your Guru, therefore, is the way to develop these qualities yourself. Normally most people arc blind to their own shortcomings, while the faults of others shine out clearly. But if you did not possess these same faults yourself, you would be unable to recognise them in others. If there are two pieces of fruit, one ripe and one rotten, and the
person next to you takes the ripe one, it is only due to your own greed that you accuse him of being greedy and selfish. If you were unattached to the fruit, it would not matter to you which one he took-you would simply sec him as having taken
a piece of fruit.
Likewise, if you can train yourself to see only good qualities llDd never any faults in your Guru, this positive outlook will come io pervade, amplify and reflect your own state of mind. As everyone has the basis Mahamudri or Buddha-nature within him-the clear, uncontaminated state of pure mind established without any true independent existence-then if you can see your Guru in terms of a Buddha, you have the possibility of activa- ting and realising your own Buddha-nature, that is achieving the resultant Mahamudri. If you see only faults, you merely rein- force your own shortcomings and negative attitude, whereu
if you see only perfection, you will be able to attain the perfec? tion of Buddhahood yourself. Therefore one of the main practices of Guru-yoga, particulary in Mahimudri and the tantra, is to realise the inseparability of your own mind with your Guru, the Buddhas and your meditational deity, who is a pure form manifestation of the Enlightened mind. Thus Guru-
devotion is the root of all attainments.
If your Guru acts in a seemingly unenlightendcd manner and you feel it would be hypocritical to think him a Buddha, you should remember that your own opinions are unreliable and the
apparent faults you see may only be a reflection of your own deluded state of mind. Also you should think that if your Guru
? acted in a completely perfect manner, be would be inaccessible and you would be unable to relate to him. It is therefore out of your Guru's great compassion that be may show apparent flaws. This is part of his use of skilful means in order for him to be able to teach you. He is mirroring your own faults; therefore check within and learn from him how to remove your short- comings. If you are only intent on criticising your Guru, you will never be able to benefit from him.
It was Buddha VajradhAra himself who said that your Guru is to be seen as a Buddha. Therefore if you have faith and take refuge in the Buddhist teachings, you will try to understand what Buddha meant by this statement. Buddhas exert a great positive influence on the world in the same way as does the sun. But just as a magnifying glass is needed to focus the rays of the sun in order for tinder to catch fire, so too a Guru is required to focus the Buddhas' virtuous conduct into a disciple's mind-stream and inspire him to follow a spiritnal path. Thus as living eJtamples representing the Buddhas, Gurus carry on the work of all the Enlightened Beings, acting as an accessible focal
point for your practices to gain Buddhahood yourself.
Through devotion to your Guru, showing him respect, sowing him and making offerings, you build up the merit that will allow you to become liberated from ? au your suffering. Such service is done not to benefit your Guru, but for your own sake. When
you plant seeds in a field, it is not to benefit the earth. It is -you yourself who will harvest the crops. Therefore with the proper devotional attitude towards your Guru-seeing him as a Buddha-the more positive energy you exert in his direction, the closer you come towards Buddhahood yourself. Likewise, if you hate your Guru and generate negative energy towards him, you are deliberately casting yourself away from his state of Enlightenment and its freedom from pain. As a
result you bring intense suffering upon yourself. Therefore if you see faults in your Guru and tend to belittle him, remember your opinions are unreliable and only unhappiness can result from despising the state of happiness be represents.
Remembering your Guru's kindne~s to teach you during tbis degenerate age after Sakyamuni Buddha bas passed away, you must develop loving respect for him. You Guru teaches
GURU-DEVOTION 161
? 162 MAHAMUDRA
you despite your delusions and does not force you to undergo such hardships as Je-tziln Mi-la rli-pa and others have had to endure in the past. He. gives you initiations, oral teachings and tr~nsmits the unbroken lineages coming from Buddha. He inspires you to attain his state and helps you materially when you need it. If you lack loving respect for, your Guru, it is impossible to become Enlightened. If you do not have respect for the state of Buddhabood he
represen~s. how can you attain it ?
These various aspects of devoting yourself to your Guru by
means of your thoughts are taught extensively in such texts as the "GaQI;lavyuha Siltra". These points and their scriptural references are found in detail in the "Lam-rim ch'en-mo" by Je Tzong-k'a-pa. The "Gurupaiicll? ikA" by A~vagh0$8 is the most comprehensive summary of bow to devote yourself to your Guru by means of your actions. lts scriptural sources are a wide range of tantric texts, including the "Guhyasamllja", "Kalacakra", "Cakruarlwara", "V ajra4ikinl" and "Vajra~ hrdayilamkara Tantras". The specific tantric sources for each verse are given in the "La-ma nga-cbu-pl nam-~hi", a ccm- mentary on this text also by Je Tzong-k'a-pa.
For the study and practice of tantra, Guru-devotion is even more essential and receives more emphasis than in the sQtra path. This is because the tantric practices are extremely difficult and complicated. I f done correctly they can bring you Buddha- hood within your lifetime, but if done improperly they may be
very dangerous and bring you extremely dire consequences. Therefore the direct personal gtsidance of a Guru is indispens~ able. As the "Gurupaikli? ika" outlines specifically how a disciple should act with his Guru, it is the custom to teach this text be- fore giving any tantric enpowerment or initiation. Once a Guru? disciple relationship is established, the disciple is taught Guru- devotion and the common path of renunciation of the suffering of satilsara, the Enlightened Motive of Bodhicitta and the correct view of Voidness (SilnyatA). Then after receiving the proper enpowerments, he can be led gradually through the stages o( tantra on the firm foundation of his Guru-devotion and the above "Three Principal Paths",
? Text
Homage_tothe. J;lhagflV. JO Va. Jrasattva.
Bhagavan is one of the man. Y epithet~ used for an Enlight? ened Being, a Buddha. The Tibetan term for it, "Chom-din-da (tiCom? 'lnan~? aas)". -ts etymologised- . ai fbua1t. _ . -'(:hom'" means'- :tb dvetcdJtlb. ,_Buddbas! l h~'lei ? DvJ:fCOJDO: hQth the ob! ltileleS' p. ioventin$: Li. betat. iP. ~: ~o4? . ,tJ\q(IA J:d~ttventing Omnbcienc;c;. Th~formor,. . jpcbs~e. tbc ddu~tU>ns-. o. r-. mQraland me. D~Al de~ffl~llt~ 0\IC. ~ill? as well 's the. ! r_ . ? nst. )pctp? . and the ignoranceofgraspingfortrue? indepen~eilfex1sten. ce. 'llielatter refers _to the instincts of thi$'fgnorance; 'Dllb 'm-ean- to possess. Blid'dlia'S) ~SC! iS' a1l good. qualitie! lr. llll"'inf oompleted 'their aetU'nttihttlon~? of1? botl1? meritnantl1ih~iglit? M:! sotfltlg ialllitf~FtWD\1 and' wi~dottt BBdi~s respectiVelY=. - . ,Bfi? ? -blt:tns:t~}1ai~b8)'bnifP.
. BmfaliaS'1iave'phs~~WeyO'dd ~liifisarl{l,uthtrcJ! ole:bflUftCO"nltbti&a? rcbnl~ w i t h l~ffertn~ d U t J ' t l j l k ' i l r n i ! i l a r i d , U d l u f i o b l .
''I'<Jte! hrttden nteal'ltng? of! Jil. llilsattYii~? ! ndtcji. Jtteitf. ! (iltl(tD~ sems-dpa') in Tibetan, C"dlf'A~6~? llisbbv~r@clft6~it-s. ayDYology? . "'Dor-je" means indestructible <\iP. -JUond-lightning. Here it refers to. th" di~Jro. qn<l-hard. wis. dom of the non~<tualitv of Voidness and Btiss:--that. Js. the-,nob-duality? . or---orltte. ~und? :tHat"'has bare perception~r. Voioness,expenencC. d \Vitha_fe~htfgof-~re"atBliss ana? (Zft'bt1. Voi'dtlt5Slt_ttat'l'Stlic--''6bj~t? ciftlds-mi'nd: ~''sem-pa'"
meiu1Silth6 one with' &lierdlc ntW. tJ. : ltJsignificJ:] som~e who J-4t}ttl11'n:t&ulf) a~anl! loru=dnaJI 4lj:lltJ~ions? . ? lsn<>r&~nce ? . a. u. d. their instincts and has the heroic min~ . tha~:i4 I;Cffqy,_1Q,J! Cj\p,. gJhcrs in a. ll. p~j_\>)~:fNR-YII,.
1JJ. ui. Bh. agllviin ? ~tjrasattY. a. rcf~r$. . t~. tll~s. \JJ~. oJ;Vairidbir"- tb~fqr. Wt:B-"441l. fl;~~cr1U1J;! ~qt~t~8. s! A~1tho way, to. attaiil thl? ~PJigll~nea,? ,tat~,~~,,tbr:oQ&b Oururdevot;oQ? . '. 4\Sv. agho,a. be. sliis b. l$1)VP. f~JlWAJll>tJ:Iis~:JU~~g! =; .
? 164 MAH. . lMUDRA
(1)
Bowing in the proper way to the lotus feet of
my Guru who is the cause for me to attain the state o f a glorious V ajrasattva, I shall con- dense and explain in brief what has been said in many stainless tantric texts about Guru-
devotion. (Therefore) listen with respect.
(2)
All the Buddhas of the past, present and future, residing in every land in the ten directions, have paid homage to the Tantric Masters from whom they have received the highest enpowerments. (Is there need to men? tion that you should too? )
In general there are three types of enpowerments or initia- tions. causal, pathway and resultant. The first is to ripen your mind-stream, the second is an actual path of practice through which to gain E~lightenment and the thir~ is into the actual
liberated state of Buddhahood. Everyo. te who ever has or will attain Enlightenment does so through receiving these highest cnpowerments from their Tantric Masters.
{3)
Three times each day with supr:: me faith you must show the respect you have for your Guru who teaches you (the tantric path), by pressing your palms together, offering a ? maQ<;lala as well as flowers and prostrating (touching) your head to his feet.
As a disciple you must regard your Guru as an Enlightened Being. Even if from his own point of view he is not Enlightened and you, his disciple, have gained Buddhahood before him, you must still show him respect tlnd pay homage. For instance, Maitreya, the fifth and next Buddha of the thousand of this world age, who now presides over Tu$ita Buddha-field, became Enlightened before Jiis Guru, Sikyampni Buddha. To demon?
? strate respect for his Guru, Maitreya has a stQpa or reliqJJary monument on his forehead. Likewise Avalokitdvara. '4he incarnation of the compassion of all tho Buddhas, is crowned in his eleven-headed aspect with the head of his Guru, Amitibha Buddha, the one who presides over Sukhlvati Buddha-field.
Thus learning from a Guru should not be like killing a d~ to extract its musk and then discarding its corpse. Even after attaining Enlightenment you must still continue to honour your C'tru who made all your achievements possible.
(4)
Those who hold ordination vows, if (your
Gu. ru) is a layman or your junior, prostrate (iri public) while facing s u c h ? things as his scriptur~l texts in order to avoid worldly scorn. But in your mind (prostrate to your Guru).
(5)
As for serving (your Guru) and showing him
respect, such as obeying what he says, stand? ing up (when he comes) and showing him to his seat-these should be done even by those with ordination vows (whose Gurus are lay- men or their juniors). But (in public) avoid prostrating and unorthodox actions (such a$ washing his feet).
One of the ? ordination rules is that monks and nuns should not prostrate to laymen. This is taken to mtan that in public you should not show this type of respect for yo. ur lay Guru as it might cause misunderstanding and scorn among those who casually observe. It is better to prostrate facing scriptural te-~ts or Buddha images near him, while directin& your rever?
en. . e in your mind to your Guru.
For example, the great Masters Caildragoml and Candra~
klrti often debated with one another. The former was a layman, the latter a monk. One day Candrakirti invited Candragoml to his monastery. He wanted all the monks to form a procession, but the lay Master objected that the local townspeople would
? 166 MAHAMUDRA?
find it strange. Candrakirti told him. not to worry. . He place( a? -statue of,Maiijusd on a. ? higll throne and in the procession hac a monk: carry it.
