The stages free of mental
fabrication
are free of grasp- ing at the mind as having any of the four extreme modes of existence-true existence.
Wang-ch-ug-Dor-je-Mahamudra-Eliminating-the-Darkness-of-Ignorance
4CI'ICE 131
Voidness, all other knowledge and wisdom will follow. This does not mean, however, that you should not study anything until you gain the full realisation of Voidness, but yo11
? should keep your priorities straight.
For this you should exert effort in (ascertaining) the correct view and meditate upon it. By cultivating this without any expectations or worries, you will eliminate (this hindrance). Therefore you should
practise like this.
In addition, whenever sickness, harm from spirits and such interferences to single-minded concentration as mental dullness, agitation and foggy-mindedness arise-whichever it may be, examine its individual nature (to see) if it has a. colour, shape or an arising, enduring and going. Without blocking them or establishing (their cessation) conclude that they cannot be established as having true, inherent existence.
Also practise giving away (your luppiness) and taking on (the suffering of others). Without any expectations or worries, fearing that you will aciually become sick or hoping you will benefit (the
other person), practise by taking sickness and harm from spirits as (a path for realising) the: four Buddha bodies.
The Voidness of the sickness is the Svabhivakaya, the clarity and awareness of its pain the Sambhogakiya, its. form the NirmlQ. akiya aod the inseparability of the three the Dharmakiya.
As for mental dullness and agitation. if you become dull with respect to objects and so forth in your daily activities, use mental agitation as a
method (to perk you up) and for agitatio:t u:;e dullness as a method (to calm you down).
? 132 MAH. lMUDR. l
These are temporary remedies and are like Sintideva's advice in the ''BodhicaryivatAra. . to use jealousy as an opponent for pride and so forth. If you feel pride, place yourself in someone else's shoes and feel jealousy for your- self. In this way you will curb your pride. Likewise if you have mental dullness, incite some agitation to bring yourself to a balanced state.
Furthermore, if you look at the nature of mental dullness and agitation and place yourself single-mindedly on it, they will be eliminated.
Although there are many such eliminations of interferences, I have not written them all for fear that this would become too wordy. These should be learned from the mouth of your Guru. Also,
for those of sharpest wits there is no need to eliminate interferences for they have the insight that everything is primordially free of all mental fabrications (of extreme modes of existence).
These danger. points (of thoughts, delusions and so forth arising as enemies) occur at the time when you are on the stage called "of a single taste. "
This stage is after you have become an . Arya with bare non-conceptual perception of Voidness and while you are on the fint seven Bodhisattva stages on the path of medita- tion. In other words, they occur when you have already seen Voidness, but because of your instincts of delusion and ignorance, disturbing thoughts and grasping continue to arise, particularly during your post-meditational period.
In terms of Mahamud. nt it is said that these (delusions and so forth continuing to arise are due to) instincts of delusions and thoughts strung on your mind-stream and when they give rise (to delusions and so forth), they should be taken as signs (of the Nirm-a:J}aka:ya) to be wiped clean by
V oidness.
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 133-
A rosary is made of beads, yet none of the beads arc the roaary, neither are all the beads piled together. A rosary is a mental label or an imputation on a collection of beads strung together. Likewise what is a habit or instincts giving repeated rise to a familiar pattern of behaviour ? A habit is but a mental label, an imputation on a series of similar events which, if you grasp at as being truly existent, gives chronic rise to its perpetuation.
Therefore see the Voidness of your habits and instincts of delusion. When a delusion arises, understand that its form is the NirmilQakiya, its awareness aspect Sarilbhoga- kiya, its Voidness Svabbivakiya and the inseparability of the three Dharmakiya. In this way they can be "wiped clean" by Voidness.
In terms of the general teachings of the paths and their results and so forth, common to (all traditions of Buddhism in Tibet), it is said that at the time when (you are practising) the completing stage (of anuttarayoga tantra) with signs, (all good qualities) will arise from the force of the delusions and thoughts (being blended with) those things in their category and that these will come about as a depen- dent arising from the combining of them with the
(practices o f the) energy-channels, energy-winds, creative energies and the mind.
This refers to another level of methods used to over- come disturbing thoughts and delusions. On the completing stage of anuttarayoga tantra with signs, you deal with and harness the energy-system of the subtle body. This system includes energy-channels (nA4i; tza) equivalent to the body, energy-winds (prar:ta; lung) equivalent to speech, and crea- tive energies (bindu: t'ig-le) equivalent to the mind.
Consciousness rides through this system on the energy- winds and when they run rampant so do your deluded thoughts. When these winds arc channelled into the central energy-channel at the heart centre, these thoughts will automatically subside.
? J 34 J1. . 411AMUDJLI
Furthermore, each of the delusions is homologous with a corresponding good quality. Thus there arc certain practices such as the "Six Yogas of Niropa'" in which a delusion and the good quality in its category become blended and thus the energy of the delusion is effectively transformed into something useful. This occurs through
dependent arising, in other words as a result of the particu- lar practice used. Thus desire becomes blended with bliss through the psychic heat (tum-mo) practices, anger with the realisation of the lack of true independent existence through the illusory body techniques, closed-miodedness with Clear Light by means of dream yoga and so forth. Such practices utilise the energy-sy~tem outlined above.
Although there are many things such as this- the places where you can lose Voidness, the danger- points (where things can arise as your enemy),
sickness, harm from spirits, interferences to single- minded concentration and so forth-perhaps just this much will do as a summary. You should know in these ways the methods for eliminating such faults (from your meditation).
These, then, are the stages for eliminating the three places where you can deviate, the four places where you can lose Voidness, the five danger-points and the three interferences (to single-mindedness). Having realised the faults of these and the benefits
(of eliminating them) as explained above, you should make an effort and not be confused about what should be adopted and abandoned. This is the fifth point (for enhancing your practice).
? The Benefits
of tlae Practices aJUl the Stages and Patlas
According to lJitJiramutlrtJ
As for the way in which benefits (or good quali- ties) arise, the benefits of the preliminary practices is that it brings about the fulfilment of your temporary and ultimate aims. That is because it is suitable for them to be the basis for your attaining both a better future rebirth as well as the paths of Enlightenment.
Not only that, but by meditating on the difficulty of obtaining a fully endowed human body and on death and impermanence, you will turn your mind from thoughts of this life. By thinking about karma and the law of cause and effect, you will gain ~onviction in them and the power to protect (your sworn vows of moral discipline) even at the cost or your life. By thinking about the disadvantages of samsira, you will develop disgust with sams-ara and
its Three Realms. Having developed renunciation, you will wish to attain only the enlightened state of a Buddha. By meditating on love, compassion and the Enlightened Motive of Bodhicitta, you will become free of your (selfish) desires for your own
? 136 MAHAMUDRA
happiness and will have thoughts only for the welfare of sentient beings.
By making effort in the yoga of the hundred- syllable mantra (of Vajrasattva), you will receive the actual signs and those in dreams of having become purified of (having to experience) the unripened unfortunate consequences of your previously commit- ted non-virtuous actions. By means of this, you will (easily) develop experiences and insights. By
offering the mar. u;lala, your body will be blissful, your mind clear, your desires few and you will gain incalculable merit. From meditating on Guru-yoga, your fervent regard and loving respect (for your Guru) will flare up more and more. You will receive his blessings and inspiration as well as single-minded concentration. Y ou will effortlessly develop experiences and insights. Whether or not you develop the actual practices depends on (your Guru-devotion).
As for the actual practices. the benefits of mental quiescence are that you develop faultlessly the boons of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality. Your craving will diminish for food and clothing. Your (body) will become lustrous and shining, your mind flexible and you will attain such things as extra-
sensory powers and the five eyes. Your delusions and thoughts will be outshined.
They will be outshined by the brilliance of your mental quiescence, like the atars by the sun so that they do not appear.
The five extra-sensory eyes are of (l) fleshly sight to see far distant objects, (2) celestial sight for past and future rebirths, (3) that of discriminating awareness to have bare perception of Voidness, (4) that of the Dharma to sec the
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE l3T
mental capacities of others so that you know how and what to teach them, and (5) the sight of a Buddha to understand ? everything omnisciently. According to the "Abhisamayil- lamkira" of Maitreya each of these is attained progressively
on the five paths to Enlightenment.
As for the advantages of penetrative insight, those who are of sharpest wits will traverse the stages and paths (to Enlightenment) aU at once. Those of middling capacity will sometimes travel them all at once and sometimes in stages, progress- ing in the manner of those who skip ahead. Those
of least capacity progress gradually in stages, travelling in order from the stage of the beginner up to the tenth Bodhisattva stage. The way they travel is in accordance with the way they develop? the four times three, or twelve yogas.
The five paths and ten Bodhisattva stages to Enligbt-? enment, as outlined previously, can be divided in many ways and traversed through a variety of techniques. There are the general methods of each of the classical Indian Buddhist schools and the different classes of tantras. According to the system outlined by Gam-po-pa in the "Jewel Ornament of Liberation", these stages can be divided into thirteen : the stages of wishing, fervent regard, the ten Bodhisattva ones and that of Buddhahood. In the Dzog- ch'en or Great Completion sy! >tem there is yet another way of dividing them. Here in Mahamudrii the five paths and
ten stages are divided into the twelve yogas. But regardless of bow the pie is cut, the basic material covered, insights gained and goal achieved is the same.
(In general when you attain mental quiescence) you can place yourself as much as you wish in a state of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality. Although you can place yourself in such a rnedita- tional state, if sometimes (these boons) do not come
even when you are meditating and at other times
? 138 MlfH. lMUDR. l
they do come when you are not meditating, this is (because) you have not yet gained great control over single-minded concentration. This is the early or small stage of single-pointedness. If you have a settling of the mind that is just right such that you are not disturbed by any distractions and whenever you meditate (the boons) come. then you have gained control over single-minded concentration. This is the intermediate stage of single-pointedness. If (your concentration) has no ? discontinuity and you are not distracted even in violent circumstances, if all your thoughts have been pacified into this state, if you are fully mixed into this state even when sleeping and if you are never ? separated from it in an your activities, this is the advanced or great stage of single-pointedness.
At this point because the boons will be present at all times you might gain an insight that this is the great stage of no more meditation (in other words
. Enlightenment). But other than being an insight ? . that you have the boons, it is not an actual insight ? (into V oidness). These (stages o f single-pointed- ness) are at the time of the paths of accumulation . and preparation. Because you do not quite realise the nature of the mind, the boon with which you grasp at bareness (or blankness) is the principal feature of your mental quiescence. By cultivating for a long time not being obsessed with or attracted to this very boon, these experiences will become purified. All enduring aspects of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality will disintegrate splitting apart, (so that this state simultaneously arises and
subsides in each moment) and you then sec the {ultimate) truth of the void nature of things. In
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACJ'ICl 139
other words, when (your obsession with and grasp- ing at the true existence of the boons) has been -quieted into a non-objectifying state of the triple Voidness of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptu-
. ality, the true nature of awareness (or the mind) will dawn on you purely like having peeled away the . skin (from a fruit) or having found a treasure.
Here the skin is your obsession with the boons or flash experiences and your grasping at their true existence. When these disintegrate and are peeled away. you arrive at the fruit within, namely the void nature of your mind charac- terised by a bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality that, being void, arises and subsides simultaneously in each
moment.
This is the attainment of the Mah~y~na path of -seeing and is also called the state free from :mental fabrications (of oxtreme modes of existence). A t this point, i f you are still not completely separated from the vicinity of grasping at (the true -existence of) blankness and being obsessed with it and if you havo only just seen the true nature of the . mind a little bit, this is the early stage of being free :from mental fabrications. When you have purified this from its root, if your normal state of conscious- ? ness has become non-objectifyingly resplendent in . accordance with your insight, this is the inter- ? mediate stage of being free from mental fabrications. When this bas become stable and you have been -purified o f this (state) coming easily in terms o f
thoughts but not coming easily in terms of appear- ances, then you have gained the insight that every- thing is void and that there is not even one thing that is not void. When you have cut all over and
? under-estimations of the Voidness of all external and
? 140 MlfHAMUDR. -1
internal phenomena, this is the advanced stage of being free from mental fabrications.
Du1 ing the post-meditation periods o f these (stages), appearances seem like a mirage. You gain the insight of the true nature of Bodhicitta and abandon the eighty-two (rough delusions) that are abandoned on the path of seeing. You do not take rebirth in (the Three Realms of) cyclic existence in any (of the four ways of) being born or turn away
(from such births by dying) except by the power of your prayers (to continue doing so in order to help others). This is known as the attainment of the path of seeing or of the first Bodhisattva stage called "Extremely Joyful". By cultivating this for a long time, you will progress to the stage of a single taste.
At this former stage it was still a little difficult to be in the automatically subsiding here and now in which whatever thoughts arise are a bliss that is the non-true existence or lack of true existence of all things. But when this is purified, then whether or not you are free of the mental fabrication that things are neither truly void nor non-void, it is enough (just to recognise the nature of) this very state of here and now.
Although you must be free of all extremes such as grasping at Voidness, that is nihilism, or at non-Voidness, namely true existence, such mental fabrications are purified
anyway merely by seeing the nature of the here and now in which such distorted thoughts as these simultaneously arise and subside like drawings on water.
When you have gained the insight of (the true nature of all) things, then (you see that everything is of) one taste in nature and you can understand
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 141
completely, either in terms of appearance or in terms of Voidness, whatever teachings of the paths there may be.
The abiding foundation of the here and now is tho single taste of both appearances and Voidness in the pristine awareness of the inseparability of these two. Thus whether you arc aware of an appearance or its Voidness, you sec the single taste of both, namely this abiding foundation of
the pristine awareness of all the teachings of the paths. This is the early stage of single taste.
At this stage, the experience (of this single taste of appearance and Voidness) is still mixed with a portion of conviction.
This conviction is that this is the experience of the here and now, thus implying your grasping to it as a "thing,.
When this is purified, then everything is mixed into the single (taste) of the pure nature of all things- including (the seeming dichotomy of) consciousness and pristine awareness as well as that of appearance and mind, without there being matter left on the outside and awareness left on the inside (as if they were of different tastes). When the equality of cyclic existence and peaceful liberation, the insepa- rability of sams:tra and NirvaJ. la, appears straight-
forwardly, this is the intermediate stage of a single taste.
When after all things have appeared as a single taste, the single taste then reappears as many through appearances spreading out by a process of interdependent origination which is a skilful means, this is the advanced stage of a single taste.
In the dissolution process of the bodily elements as outlined previously, consciousness progressively relies on less elements. Thus earth dissolves into water, meaning
? 142 MAHAMUDR. l
that consciousness can no longer rely on the solid element. Then water dissolves into fire, fire into air or energy-wind. and that into space. Three stages follow this : the white. . red and black experiences as the white and red creative energies or Bodhicittas fall from the crown centre, rise from
the navel and meet at the heart. After this comes the Clear Light Dharmakaya experience which can be had at death, falling asleep, fainting or in advanced tantric meditations. Through this process you come to realise the single taste or
everything in the Dharmakiya.
After this there-evolution process of the clements occura. in which consciousness undergoes the black, red and white experiences and then progressively relies on the elements aa. cnerg)-wind, fire, water and earth re-emerge during the process of entering the b'ar-d'o, rebirth, waking up and certain advanced tantric practices. This occurs through interdependent origination, here referring to cause and effect, and is propelled by skilful means in order to assure ~ form that will be beneficial to others.
To realise the single taste of appearance and Voidness. through both the dissolution and rc evolution processes is. the advanced stage of a single taste.
Now you have attained patience for everything since: (you fully realise) there is no true arising. This. covers the interval between the second and seventh. Bodhisattva stages, although some authors explain that this includes the eighth as well.
There arc numerous ways of defining the twelve yogas. of the Mahamudri classification system of the paths and stages. According to the general explanations found in t h t works of the Third K'am-trill Rinpochc, another less. complex set of definitions is as follows.
The stages of single-pointedness have the achievement. o f mental quiescence. A t its early stage the boons appear alternately, sometimes happening and sometimes not. At the? intermediate stage they come automatically and at the: advanced they arc mixed inseparably with Clear Light even. in dreams.
? ENH. 4NCING YOUR PR. 4CTICE 143?
The stages free of mental fabrication are free of grasp- ing at the mind as having any of the four extreme modes of existence-true existence. total non-existence, both and. neither. The extreme of both refers to grasping at pheno4 mena to have true existence on the relative level and total non-existence ultimately. Although all phenomena have neither true nor total non-existence. the extreme of neither is to grasp conceptpally at this fact as if this mode of existence were a "thing'". At the early stage free of mental fabrica4 tion you rtalisc the mind is void of inherent arising, enduring and ceasing. At the intermediate you have no grasping at either appearance or Voidness. At the advanced stage you cut off completely all over and under-estimation of mentally fabricated modes of existence.
On the stages of a single taste. appearances and the mind become completely mixed. At the early stages all things of a dual nature mix into an equal taste of Voidness. At the intermediate, appearances and the mind arc like water mixed with water. At the advanced you see the arisal of the five types of pristine awareness out of the same taste.
All such definitions are not contradictory and are based. on a meditational master's personal experience.
Funhcrmore, although there arc many distinguishing characteristics between each of the ten Bodhisattva stages, one of them is that at each of the stages you fully perfect one of the ten perftctions (plramitls). Thus on the first it is generosity and then progressively moral discipline,
patience, enthusiastic perseverance. meditative concentration, discriminating wisdom, skilful means, power, prayer ? and pristine awareness. Discriminating wisdom (prajfll; she-rab) is o f V oidness, discriminating between correct and incorrect modes of existence. Pristine awareness (jflina; ye-she) is of the inseparability of the two levels of truth, of appearance and Voidness. Either may sometimes be loosely referrred
to as . . wisdom'".
Now the meditation and post4 meditational states become mixed. (Previously) there were still some
? 144 MAHAMUDRA
taints of grasping at blankness during the post? meditation period. But when this is purified. every- thing becomes purified in the void sphere of all things in which there is nothing to be attained and no one to attain it and in which there is not even the slightest difference of wandering or not wander- ing (from this realisation) in the meditation and post-meditation states. When you are free from all signs of (a dualism of) what is to be meditated upon and who is meditating, this is the early stage of no more meditation. This is the eighth Bodhi-
sattva stage.
At this point it is still possible for there some- times to arise while you are sleeping slight taints of this grasping (at signs of something to meditate upon and someone to meditate). ? When this is purified, and everything becomes the same as the great meditative state of pristine awareness, this is the intermediate stage of no more meditation. This is the ninth and tenth Bodhisattva stages.
Then when the sword of discriminating and pristine awareness cuts from their roots the latent obstacles preventing Omniscience (namely the instincts of all ignorance), then the mother Clear Light, which is the totally pure void sphere of all things, and the child Clear Light, which is mirror- like pristine awareness, become . mixed into one. This is the full transformation into the complete Enlightenment of a Buddha, the state of Unity with nothing more to be learned. It is the advanced stage of no more meditation or Buddhahood.
By travelling through the eighth, ninth and tenth Bodhisattva stages to this eleventh stage (of a
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE l4S
Buddha), the natural purity of the primordial state which is simultaneous (sphere of Voidness and mirror-like pristine awareness) is the Dharmakaya that you have made manifest.
The ? Buddha bodies can be divided into two : the Dharmakiya and Rupakaya, or the Wisdom and Form Bodies. The former is the result of a Buddha's perfect abandonment of all obstacles and fulfils his own purposes. The latter are from his perfect accomplishment of all good qualities and arise from his Bodhicitta in order to ful6. 1 the purposes of others.
Dharmakilya is free of arising, ceasing and enduring. It is the permanent, unconditioned, naturally pure, abiding
nature of the mind and all reality. The pristine awareness of the void sphere of all things sees Voidness. That ~icb is mirror-like reflects all knowable pbenom:na without any obstruction. Thus the Dharmakaya's being the simultaneity of these two pristine awarenesses, the mother and child Clear Lights, is often referred to in other contexts as its being the omniscient mind of a Buddha and the Voidness or that mind.
The natural purity of thought, which is the mini (or sentient aspect) of sentient beings, is the Sambhogalrnya that you have made manifest.
The most common siitra definition or Sambhogakiya. the Utility Body, is that Form Body having five certainties. It bas certainty or (l) form, it always utilises a body having all hundred and twelve maojr and minor signs or a Buddha,. (2) teachings, it always utilises the MahAyAna teachings.
(3) disciples, it always teaches to a circle or Arya Bodhi- sattvas, (4) place, always in pure-land Buddha-fields and (S) time, until the end of sadlslra. Here it is defined as the
natural purity of thought. These two definitions arc not incompatible ?
. Arya Bodhisattvas arc those with a Bodbicitta motiva- tion who have bare, nono(;()nccptual perception of Voidness. By the virtue of such insight, their surrot~:ndi~gs b;,com' a.
? 146 MAHAMUDRA
pure-land Buddha-field. The natural purity of thought is something that only such beings can perceive. Therefore Sambhogakaya is that purity of thought or awareness as \'isible only to Arya Bodhisattvas. If, however, you aro confused about this natural purity, then thoughts deceive you into believing they have true existence and thus you
cannot see Sambhogakilya.
And the natural purity of appearances as objects
under the influence ofcircumstances is the Nirmal)a- k~ya that you have made manifest.
Just as if a floor of lapis lazuli is not polished, the reflection of the God Indra will not appear in it, likewise, if the minds of sentient beings are not pure, they will not see a
Buddha even if one were standing before them. Thus Niwnal)akaya or Emanation Bodies of a Buddha are the natural purity of appearances to the minds of ordinary beings. They appear as phenomena arising from causes and circum-
stances and can be classified into three categories.
Supreme Nirmloaklyas, such as Buddha glkyamuni, have all the major and minor signs and enact the twelve deeds of a Buddha-descent from Tu,ita, birth in a royal family, worldly sport, renunciation, austerities, Enlightenment under the bodhi tree, turning the wheel of Dharma and so forth. If you did not have the merit and purity to seo Sakyamuni as the Buddha, he would appear to you only as
a tall man with big ears. If you have the purity of mind, your Guru will appear to you as a Buddha.
Ordinarily appearing Nirmloakiiyas are emanations as monkeys, birds and so forth for specific purposes to teach specific sentient beings. Certain Nirmloakiyas appear as master artists, physicians, musicians and so forth to teach through their particular media. Thus the pure appearance of a Nirmll)akiiya depends on the purity of the mind of the beholder. ?
The effortless virtuous conduct for the sake of othres done without any thought by either these three Buddha bodies or a variety of bodies is beyond all im'! gination. As it effortlessly fulfils the purposes
? ENHANCING YOUR. PR. t4CTICE
of all sentient beings as extensive as the infinitude of space and does so until all of samsara has been emptied, this is the ultimate good quality.
There are many ways of enumerating and defining the Buddha bodies. In general tantra teachings, the enlightened body, speech and mind are explained as NirmaQakaya, Sam- bhogakaya and Dharmakiya, respectively. In some systems in addition to the four usual bodies there are the Vajrakaya or Adamantine Body of the immutability of Enlightenment,
the Jnanakaya or Body of Pristine Awareness and so forth. But regardless of bow many bodies are described, their virtuous conduct (samudacara; tr'in-IA) in helping sentient
beings is the same.
A Buddha is free of all thought, of all conceptual pro-
cesses. He knows everything through bare perception. Thus when he helps others, he does so spontaneously without any thought. His virtuous conduct, therefore, is effortless. This is because while a Buddha was still on the paths to Enlightenment he made innumerable prayers to be able to benefit all sentient beings. His ability to do so once enlightened is the result of these prayers and requires no further conscious effort or thoughts. Just as a cloud has no thoughts to benefit crops and yet when it rains this automatically happens, likewise a Buddha benefits all beings.
There are several aspects of a Buddha's virtuous conduct, known as liberation through seeing, through hearing, recalling and being touched. Thus by merely seeing a Buddha, bearing his words, recalling them or being touched by his hand, you can become liberated from suffering. This docs not mean that this comes about magically and you need not do anything on your own part. Such an isntantaneous liberation may occur in extremely rare cases due to the person's enormous previous accumla- tion of merit. But more usually such a seeing and so forth plants a seed of karmic association with Enlightenment and inspires you to strive towards this state.
All such things happen, however, with no conscious effort on the part of the Buddha. For instance, the n:er:
? 148 MAHAMUDR
sight of His Holiness the Dalai Lama can fill you with inspiration to practise the Dharma, with His Holiness not needing to do anything on his part. The shipa or monument in Bodh Gaya where Sakyamuni Buddha manifested Enlightenment has no thoughts and makes no efforts, yet most people who see it are moved to circumambulate it and inspired to religious thoughts.
The classic example for how liberation through seeing and hearing operate are in terms of the god lndra. lndra sits in his heavenly crystal palace and without doing anything his appearance is reflected on aU the facets of its walls. People on earth see his beautiful reflection and are inspired to work to achieve his state. Likewise, lndra bas a heavenly drum, the sound of which is so moving that people develop profound insights from merely bearing it.
Thus just as the sun and moon have no intentions to benefit people, a Buddha fulfils the aims of others effortlessly through his virtuous conduct and without any thought.
These, then, are the benefits derived from the preliminary practices all the way up to the stage of no more meditation. If you exert effort in develop- ing these (attainments) one after the other, not letting the ones you have developed decline but ever increasing them, these benefits will come about. Increasing your enthusiasm like this and practising is the sixth point (for enhancing your practice).
? 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.
Voidness, all other knowledge and wisdom will follow. This does not mean, however, that you should not study anything until you gain the full realisation of Voidness, but yo11
? should keep your priorities straight.
For this you should exert effort in (ascertaining) the correct view and meditate upon it. By cultivating this without any expectations or worries, you will eliminate (this hindrance). Therefore you should
practise like this.
In addition, whenever sickness, harm from spirits and such interferences to single-minded concentration as mental dullness, agitation and foggy-mindedness arise-whichever it may be, examine its individual nature (to see) if it has a. colour, shape or an arising, enduring and going. Without blocking them or establishing (their cessation) conclude that they cannot be established as having true, inherent existence.
Also practise giving away (your luppiness) and taking on (the suffering of others). Without any expectations or worries, fearing that you will aciually become sick or hoping you will benefit (the
other person), practise by taking sickness and harm from spirits as (a path for realising) the: four Buddha bodies.
The Voidness of the sickness is the Svabhivakaya, the clarity and awareness of its pain the Sambhogakiya, its. form the NirmlQ. akiya aod the inseparability of the three the Dharmakiya.
As for mental dullness and agitation. if you become dull with respect to objects and so forth in your daily activities, use mental agitation as a
method (to perk you up) and for agitatio:t u:;e dullness as a method (to calm you down).
? 132 MAH. lMUDR. l
These are temporary remedies and are like Sintideva's advice in the ''BodhicaryivatAra. . to use jealousy as an opponent for pride and so forth. If you feel pride, place yourself in someone else's shoes and feel jealousy for your- self. In this way you will curb your pride. Likewise if you have mental dullness, incite some agitation to bring yourself to a balanced state.
Furthermore, if you look at the nature of mental dullness and agitation and place yourself single-mindedly on it, they will be eliminated.
Although there are many such eliminations of interferences, I have not written them all for fear that this would become too wordy. These should be learned from the mouth of your Guru. Also,
for those of sharpest wits there is no need to eliminate interferences for they have the insight that everything is primordially free of all mental fabrications (of extreme modes of existence).
These danger. points (of thoughts, delusions and so forth arising as enemies) occur at the time when you are on the stage called "of a single taste. "
This stage is after you have become an . Arya with bare non-conceptual perception of Voidness and while you are on the fint seven Bodhisattva stages on the path of medita- tion. In other words, they occur when you have already seen Voidness, but because of your instincts of delusion and ignorance, disturbing thoughts and grasping continue to arise, particularly during your post-meditational period.
In terms of Mahamud. nt it is said that these (delusions and so forth continuing to arise are due to) instincts of delusions and thoughts strung on your mind-stream and when they give rise (to delusions and so forth), they should be taken as signs (of the Nirm-a:J}aka:ya) to be wiped clean by
V oidness.
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 133-
A rosary is made of beads, yet none of the beads arc the roaary, neither are all the beads piled together. A rosary is a mental label or an imputation on a collection of beads strung together. Likewise what is a habit or instincts giving repeated rise to a familiar pattern of behaviour ? A habit is but a mental label, an imputation on a series of similar events which, if you grasp at as being truly existent, gives chronic rise to its perpetuation.
Therefore see the Voidness of your habits and instincts of delusion. When a delusion arises, understand that its form is the NirmilQakiya, its awareness aspect Sarilbhoga- kiya, its Voidness Svabbivakiya and the inseparability of the three Dharmakiya. In this way they can be "wiped clean" by Voidness.
In terms of the general teachings of the paths and their results and so forth, common to (all traditions of Buddhism in Tibet), it is said that at the time when (you are practising) the completing stage (of anuttarayoga tantra) with signs, (all good qualities) will arise from the force of the delusions and thoughts (being blended with) those things in their category and that these will come about as a depen- dent arising from the combining of them with the
(practices o f the) energy-channels, energy-winds, creative energies and the mind.
This refers to another level of methods used to over- come disturbing thoughts and delusions. On the completing stage of anuttarayoga tantra with signs, you deal with and harness the energy-system of the subtle body. This system includes energy-channels (nA4i; tza) equivalent to the body, energy-winds (prar:ta; lung) equivalent to speech, and crea- tive energies (bindu: t'ig-le) equivalent to the mind.
Consciousness rides through this system on the energy- winds and when they run rampant so do your deluded thoughts. When these winds arc channelled into the central energy-channel at the heart centre, these thoughts will automatically subside.
? J 34 J1. . 411AMUDJLI
Furthermore, each of the delusions is homologous with a corresponding good quality. Thus there arc certain practices such as the "Six Yogas of Niropa'" in which a delusion and the good quality in its category become blended and thus the energy of the delusion is effectively transformed into something useful. This occurs through
dependent arising, in other words as a result of the particu- lar practice used. Thus desire becomes blended with bliss through the psychic heat (tum-mo) practices, anger with the realisation of the lack of true independent existence through the illusory body techniques, closed-miodedness with Clear Light by means of dream yoga and so forth. Such practices utilise the energy-sy~tem outlined above.
Although there are many things such as this- the places where you can lose Voidness, the danger- points (where things can arise as your enemy),
sickness, harm from spirits, interferences to single- minded concentration and so forth-perhaps just this much will do as a summary. You should know in these ways the methods for eliminating such faults (from your meditation).
These, then, are the stages for eliminating the three places where you can deviate, the four places where you can lose Voidness, the five danger-points and the three interferences (to single-mindedness). Having realised the faults of these and the benefits
(of eliminating them) as explained above, you should make an effort and not be confused about what should be adopted and abandoned. This is the fifth point (for enhancing your practice).
? The Benefits
of tlae Practices aJUl the Stages and Patlas
According to lJitJiramutlrtJ
As for the way in which benefits (or good quali- ties) arise, the benefits of the preliminary practices is that it brings about the fulfilment of your temporary and ultimate aims. That is because it is suitable for them to be the basis for your attaining both a better future rebirth as well as the paths of Enlightenment.
Not only that, but by meditating on the difficulty of obtaining a fully endowed human body and on death and impermanence, you will turn your mind from thoughts of this life. By thinking about karma and the law of cause and effect, you will gain ~onviction in them and the power to protect (your sworn vows of moral discipline) even at the cost or your life. By thinking about the disadvantages of samsira, you will develop disgust with sams-ara and
its Three Realms. Having developed renunciation, you will wish to attain only the enlightened state of a Buddha. By meditating on love, compassion and the Enlightened Motive of Bodhicitta, you will become free of your (selfish) desires for your own
? 136 MAHAMUDRA
happiness and will have thoughts only for the welfare of sentient beings.
By making effort in the yoga of the hundred- syllable mantra (of Vajrasattva), you will receive the actual signs and those in dreams of having become purified of (having to experience) the unripened unfortunate consequences of your previously commit- ted non-virtuous actions. By means of this, you will (easily) develop experiences and insights. By
offering the mar. u;lala, your body will be blissful, your mind clear, your desires few and you will gain incalculable merit. From meditating on Guru-yoga, your fervent regard and loving respect (for your Guru) will flare up more and more. You will receive his blessings and inspiration as well as single-minded concentration. Y ou will effortlessly develop experiences and insights. Whether or not you develop the actual practices depends on (your Guru-devotion).
As for the actual practices. the benefits of mental quiescence are that you develop faultlessly the boons of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality. Your craving will diminish for food and clothing. Your (body) will become lustrous and shining, your mind flexible and you will attain such things as extra-
sensory powers and the five eyes. Your delusions and thoughts will be outshined.
They will be outshined by the brilliance of your mental quiescence, like the atars by the sun so that they do not appear.
The five extra-sensory eyes are of (l) fleshly sight to see far distant objects, (2) celestial sight for past and future rebirths, (3) that of discriminating awareness to have bare perception of Voidness, (4) that of the Dharma to sec the
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE l3T
mental capacities of others so that you know how and what to teach them, and (5) the sight of a Buddha to understand ? everything omnisciently. According to the "Abhisamayil- lamkira" of Maitreya each of these is attained progressively
on the five paths to Enlightenment.
As for the advantages of penetrative insight, those who are of sharpest wits will traverse the stages and paths (to Enlightenment) aU at once. Those of middling capacity will sometimes travel them all at once and sometimes in stages, progress- ing in the manner of those who skip ahead. Those
of least capacity progress gradually in stages, travelling in order from the stage of the beginner up to the tenth Bodhisattva stage. The way they travel is in accordance with the way they develop? the four times three, or twelve yogas.
The five paths and ten Bodhisattva stages to Enligbt-? enment, as outlined previously, can be divided in many ways and traversed through a variety of techniques. There are the general methods of each of the classical Indian Buddhist schools and the different classes of tantras. According to the system outlined by Gam-po-pa in the "Jewel Ornament of Liberation", these stages can be divided into thirteen : the stages of wishing, fervent regard, the ten Bodhisattva ones and that of Buddhahood. In the Dzog- ch'en or Great Completion sy! >tem there is yet another way of dividing them. Here in Mahamudrii the five paths and
ten stages are divided into the twelve yogas. But regardless of bow the pie is cut, the basic material covered, insights gained and goal achieved is the same.
(In general when you attain mental quiescence) you can place yourself as much as you wish in a state of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality. Although you can place yourself in such a rnedita- tional state, if sometimes (these boons) do not come
even when you are meditating and at other times
? 138 MlfH. lMUDR. l
they do come when you are not meditating, this is (because) you have not yet gained great control over single-minded concentration. This is the early or small stage of single-pointedness. If you have a settling of the mind that is just right such that you are not disturbed by any distractions and whenever you meditate (the boons) come. then you have gained control over single-minded concentration. This is the intermediate stage of single-pointedness. If (your concentration) has no ? discontinuity and you are not distracted even in violent circumstances, if all your thoughts have been pacified into this state, if you are fully mixed into this state even when sleeping and if you are never ? separated from it in an your activities, this is the advanced or great stage of single-pointedness.
At this point because the boons will be present at all times you might gain an insight that this is the great stage of no more meditation (in other words
. Enlightenment). But other than being an insight ? . that you have the boons, it is not an actual insight ? (into V oidness). These (stages o f single-pointed- ness) are at the time of the paths of accumulation . and preparation. Because you do not quite realise the nature of the mind, the boon with which you grasp at bareness (or blankness) is the principal feature of your mental quiescence. By cultivating for a long time not being obsessed with or attracted to this very boon, these experiences will become purified. All enduring aspects of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality will disintegrate splitting apart, (so that this state simultaneously arises and
subsides in each moment) and you then sec the {ultimate) truth of the void nature of things. In
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACJ'ICl 139
other words, when (your obsession with and grasp- ing at the true existence of the boons) has been -quieted into a non-objectifying state of the triple Voidness of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptu-
. ality, the true nature of awareness (or the mind) will dawn on you purely like having peeled away the . skin (from a fruit) or having found a treasure.
Here the skin is your obsession with the boons or flash experiences and your grasping at their true existence. When these disintegrate and are peeled away. you arrive at the fruit within, namely the void nature of your mind charac- terised by a bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality that, being void, arises and subsides simultaneously in each
moment.
This is the attainment of the Mah~y~na path of -seeing and is also called the state free from :mental fabrications (of oxtreme modes of existence). A t this point, i f you are still not completely separated from the vicinity of grasping at (the true -existence of) blankness and being obsessed with it and if you havo only just seen the true nature of the . mind a little bit, this is the early stage of being free :from mental fabrications. When you have purified this from its root, if your normal state of conscious- ? ness has become non-objectifyingly resplendent in . accordance with your insight, this is the inter- ? mediate stage of being free from mental fabrications. When this bas become stable and you have been -purified o f this (state) coming easily in terms o f
thoughts but not coming easily in terms of appear- ances, then you have gained the insight that every- thing is void and that there is not even one thing that is not void. When you have cut all over and
? under-estimations of the Voidness of all external and
? 140 MlfHAMUDR. -1
internal phenomena, this is the advanced stage of being free from mental fabrications.
Du1 ing the post-meditation periods o f these (stages), appearances seem like a mirage. You gain the insight of the true nature of Bodhicitta and abandon the eighty-two (rough delusions) that are abandoned on the path of seeing. You do not take rebirth in (the Three Realms of) cyclic existence in any (of the four ways of) being born or turn away
(from such births by dying) except by the power of your prayers (to continue doing so in order to help others). This is known as the attainment of the path of seeing or of the first Bodhisattva stage called "Extremely Joyful". By cultivating this for a long time, you will progress to the stage of a single taste.
At this former stage it was still a little difficult to be in the automatically subsiding here and now in which whatever thoughts arise are a bliss that is the non-true existence or lack of true existence of all things. But when this is purified, then whether or not you are free of the mental fabrication that things are neither truly void nor non-void, it is enough (just to recognise the nature of) this very state of here and now.
Although you must be free of all extremes such as grasping at Voidness, that is nihilism, or at non-Voidness, namely true existence, such mental fabrications are purified
anyway merely by seeing the nature of the here and now in which such distorted thoughts as these simultaneously arise and subside like drawings on water.
When you have gained the insight of (the true nature of all) things, then (you see that everything is of) one taste in nature and you can understand
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 141
completely, either in terms of appearance or in terms of Voidness, whatever teachings of the paths there may be.
The abiding foundation of the here and now is tho single taste of both appearances and Voidness in the pristine awareness of the inseparability of these two. Thus whether you arc aware of an appearance or its Voidness, you sec the single taste of both, namely this abiding foundation of
the pristine awareness of all the teachings of the paths. This is the early stage of single taste.
At this stage, the experience (of this single taste of appearance and Voidness) is still mixed with a portion of conviction.
This conviction is that this is the experience of the here and now, thus implying your grasping to it as a "thing,.
When this is purified, then everything is mixed into the single (taste) of the pure nature of all things- including (the seeming dichotomy of) consciousness and pristine awareness as well as that of appearance and mind, without there being matter left on the outside and awareness left on the inside (as if they were of different tastes). When the equality of cyclic existence and peaceful liberation, the insepa- rability of sams:tra and NirvaJ. la, appears straight-
forwardly, this is the intermediate stage of a single taste.
When after all things have appeared as a single taste, the single taste then reappears as many through appearances spreading out by a process of interdependent origination which is a skilful means, this is the advanced stage of a single taste.
In the dissolution process of the bodily elements as outlined previously, consciousness progressively relies on less elements. Thus earth dissolves into water, meaning
? 142 MAHAMUDR. l
that consciousness can no longer rely on the solid element. Then water dissolves into fire, fire into air or energy-wind. and that into space. Three stages follow this : the white. . red and black experiences as the white and red creative energies or Bodhicittas fall from the crown centre, rise from
the navel and meet at the heart. After this comes the Clear Light Dharmakaya experience which can be had at death, falling asleep, fainting or in advanced tantric meditations. Through this process you come to realise the single taste or
everything in the Dharmakiya.
After this there-evolution process of the clements occura. in which consciousness undergoes the black, red and white experiences and then progressively relies on the elements aa. cnerg)-wind, fire, water and earth re-emerge during the process of entering the b'ar-d'o, rebirth, waking up and certain advanced tantric practices. This occurs through interdependent origination, here referring to cause and effect, and is propelled by skilful means in order to assure ~ form that will be beneficial to others.
To realise the single taste of appearance and Voidness. through both the dissolution and rc evolution processes is. the advanced stage of a single taste.
Now you have attained patience for everything since: (you fully realise) there is no true arising. This. covers the interval between the second and seventh. Bodhisattva stages, although some authors explain that this includes the eighth as well.
There arc numerous ways of defining the twelve yogas. of the Mahamudri classification system of the paths and stages. According to the general explanations found in t h t works of the Third K'am-trill Rinpochc, another less. complex set of definitions is as follows.
The stages of single-pointedness have the achievement. o f mental quiescence. A t its early stage the boons appear alternately, sometimes happening and sometimes not. At the? intermediate stage they come automatically and at the: advanced they arc mixed inseparably with Clear Light even. in dreams.
? ENH. 4NCING YOUR PR. 4CTICE 143?
The stages free of mental fabrication are free of grasp- ing at the mind as having any of the four extreme modes of existence-true existence. total non-existence, both and. neither. The extreme of both refers to grasping at pheno4 mena to have true existence on the relative level and total non-existence ultimately. Although all phenomena have neither true nor total non-existence. the extreme of neither is to grasp conceptpally at this fact as if this mode of existence were a "thing'". At the early stage free of mental fabrica4 tion you rtalisc the mind is void of inherent arising, enduring and ceasing. At the intermediate you have no grasping at either appearance or Voidness. At the advanced stage you cut off completely all over and under-estimation of mentally fabricated modes of existence.
On the stages of a single taste. appearances and the mind become completely mixed. At the early stages all things of a dual nature mix into an equal taste of Voidness. At the intermediate, appearances and the mind arc like water mixed with water. At the advanced you see the arisal of the five types of pristine awareness out of the same taste.
All such definitions are not contradictory and are based. on a meditational master's personal experience.
Funhcrmore, although there arc many distinguishing characteristics between each of the ten Bodhisattva stages, one of them is that at each of the stages you fully perfect one of the ten perftctions (plramitls). Thus on the first it is generosity and then progressively moral discipline,
patience, enthusiastic perseverance. meditative concentration, discriminating wisdom, skilful means, power, prayer ? and pristine awareness. Discriminating wisdom (prajfll; she-rab) is o f V oidness, discriminating between correct and incorrect modes of existence. Pristine awareness (jflina; ye-she) is of the inseparability of the two levels of truth, of appearance and Voidness. Either may sometimes be loosely referrred
to as . . wisdom'".
Now the meditation and post4 meditational states become mixed. (Previously) there were still some
? 144 MAHAMUDRA
taints of grasping at blankness during the post? meditation period. But when this is purified. every- thing becomes purified in the void sphere of all things in which there is nothing to be attained and no one to attain it and in which there is not even the slightest difference of wandering or not wander- ing (from this realisation) in the meditation and post-meditation states. When you are free from all signs of (a dualism of) what is to be meditated upon and who is meditating, this is the early stage of no more meditation. This is the eighth Bodhi-
sattva stage.
At this point it is still possible for there some- times to arise while you are sleeping slight taints of this grasping (at signs of something to meditate upon and someone to meditate). ? When this is purified, and everything becomes the same as the great meditative state of pristine awareness, this is the intermediate stage of no more meditation. This is the ninth and tenth Bodhisattva stages.
Then when the sword of discriminating and pristine awareness cuts from their roots the latent obstacles preventing Omniscience (namely the instincts of all ignorance), then the mother Clear Light, which is the totally pure void sphere of all things, and the child Clear Light, which is mirror- like pristine awareness, become . mixed into one. This is the full transformation into the complete Enlightenment of a Buddha, the state of Unity with nothing more to be learned. It is the advanced stage of no more meditation or Buddhahood.
By travelling through the eighth, ninth and tenth Bodhisattva stages to this eleventh stage (of a
? ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE l4S
Buddha), the natural purity of the primordial state which is simultaneous (sphere of Voidness and mirror-like pristine awareness) is the Dharmakaya that you have made manifest.
The ? Buddha bodies can be divided into two : the Dharmakiya and Rupakaya, or the Wisdom and Form Bodies. The former is the result of a Buddha's perfect abandonment of all obstacles and fulfils his own purposes. The latter are from his perfect accomplishment of all good qualities and arise from his Bodhicitta in order to ful6. 1 the purposes of others.
Dharmakilya is free of arising, ceasing and enduring. It is the permanent, unconditioned, naturally pure, abiding
nature of the mind and all reality. The pristine awareness of the void sphere of all things sees Voidness. That ~icb is mirror-like reflects all knowable pbenom:na without any obstruction. Thus the Dharmakaya's being the simultaneity of these two pristine awarenesses, the mother and child Clear Lights, is often referred to in other contexts as its being the omniscient mind of a Buddha and the Voidness or that mind.
The natural purity of thought, which is the mini (or sentient aspect) of sentient beings, is the Sambhogalrnya that you have made manifest.
The most common siitra definition or Sambhogakiya. the Utility Body, is that Form Body having five certainties. It bas certainty or (l) form, it always utilises a body having all hundred and twelve maojr and minor signs or a Buddha,. (2) teachings, it always utilises the MahAyAna teachings.
(3) disciples, it always teaches to a circle or Arya Bodhi- sattvas, (4) place, always in pure-land Buddha-fields and (S) time, until the end of sadlslra. Here it is defined as the
natural purity of thought. These two definitions arc not incompatible ?
. Arya Bodhisattvas arc those with a Bodbicitta motiva- tion who have bare, nono(;()nccptual perception of Voidness. By the virtue of such insight, their surrot~:ndi~gs b;,com' a.
? 146 MAHAMUDRA
pure-land Buddha-field. The natural purity of thought is something that only such beings can perceive. Therefore Sambhogakaya is that purity of thought or awareness as \'isible only to Arya Bodhisattvas. If, however, you aro confused about this natural purity, then thoughts deceive you into believing they have true existence and thus you
cannot see Sambhogakilya.
And the natural purity of appearances as objects
under the influence ofcircumstances is the Nirmal)a- k~ya that you have made manifest.
Just as if a floor of lapis lazuli is not polished, the reflection of the God Indra will not appear in it, likewise, if the minds of sentient beings are not pure, they will not see a
Buddha even if one were standing before them. Thus Niwnal)akaya or Emanation Bodies of a Buddha are the natural purity of appearances to the minds of ordinary beings. They appear as phenomena arising from causes and circum-
stances and can be classified into three categories.
Supreme Nirmloaklyas, such as Buddha glkyamuni, have all the major and minor signs and enact the twelve deeds of a Buddha-descent from Tu,ita, birth in a royal family, worldly sport, renunciation, austerities, Enlightenment under the bodhi tree, turning the wheel of Dharma and so forth. If you did not have the merit and purity to seo Sakyamuni as the Buddha, he would appear to you only as
a tall man with big ears. If you have the purity of mind, your Guru will appear to you as a Buddha.
Ordinarily appearing Nirmloakiiyas are emanations as monkeys, birds and so forth for specific purposes to teach specific sentient beings. Certain Nirmloakiyas appear as master artists, physicians, musicians and so forth to teach through their particular media. Thus the pure appearance of a Nirmll)akiiya depends on the purity of the mind of the beholder. ?
The effortless virtuous conduct for the sake of othres done without any thought by either these three Buddha bodies or a variety of bodies is beyond all im'! gination. As it effortlessly fulfils the purposes
? ENHANCING YOUR. PR. t4CTICE
of all sentient beings as extensive as the infinitude of space and does so until all of samsara has been emptied, this is the ultimate good quality.
There are many ways of enumerating and defining the Buddha bodies. In general tantra teachings, the enlightened body, speech and mind are explained as NirmaQakaya, Sam- bhogakaya and Dharmakiya, respectively. In some systems in addition to the four usual bodies there are the Vajrakaya or Adamantine Body of the immutability of Enlightenment,
the Jnanakaya or Body of Pristine Awareness and so forth. But regardless of bow many bodies are described, their virtuous conduct (samudacara; tr'in-IA) in helping sentient
beings is the same.
A Buddha is free of all thought, of all conceptual pro-
cesses. He knows everything through bare perception. Thus when he helps others, he does so spontaneously without any thought. His virtuous conduct, therefore, is effortless. This is because while a Buddha was still on the paths to Enlightenment he made innumerable prayers to be able to benefit all sentient beings. His ability to do so once enlightened is the result of these prayers and requires no further conscious effort or thoughts. Just as a cloud has no thoughts to benefit crops and yet when it rains this automatically happens, likewise a Buddha benefits all beings.
There are several aspects of a Buddha's virtuous conduct, known as liberation through seeing, through hearing, recalling and being touched. Thus by merely seeing a Buddha, bearing his words, recalling them or being touched by his hand, you can become liberated from suffering. This docs not mean that this comes about magically and you need not do anything on your own part. Such an isntantaneous liberation may occur in extremely rare cases due to the person's enormous previous accumla- tion of merit. But more usually such a seeing and so forth plants a seed of karmic association with Enlightenment and inspires you to strive towards this state.
All such things happen, however, with no conscious effort on the part of the Buddha. For instance, the n:er:
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sight of His Holiness the Dalai Lama can fill you with inspiration to practise the Dharma, with His Holiness not needing to do anything on his part. The shipa or monument in Bodh Gaya where Sakyamuni Buddha manifested Enlightenment has no thoughts and makes no efforts, yet most people who see it are moved to circumambulate it and inspired to religious thoughts.
The classic example for how liberation through seeing and hearing operate are in terms of the god lndra. lndra sits in his heavenly crystal palace and without doing anything his appearance is reflected on aU the facets of its walls. People on earth see his beautiful reflection and are inspired to work to achieve his state. Likewise, lndra bas a heavenly drum, the sound of which is so moving that people develop profound insights from merely bearing it.
Thus just as the sun and moon have no intentions to benefit people, a Buddha fulfils the aims of others effortlessly through his virtuous conduct and without any thought.
These, then, are the benefits derived from the preliminary practices all the way up to the stage of no more meditation. If you exert effort in develop- ing these (attainments) one after the other, not letting the ones you have developed decline but ever increasing them, these benefits will come about. Increasing your enthusiasm like this and practising is the sixth point (for enhancing your practice).
? 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
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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.
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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.
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(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.
