No More Learning

A certain recent Tibetan scholar argued that Abhayakara's explana- tion of retraction and contemplation as creation stage [in his Moonlight commentary on Nagarjuna's Five Stages] is incorrect, since the Further Tantra explains that the four vajras of service connected with the creation stage are the means of achieving common accomplishments, stating that:
practicing by means other than the six branches, the supreme accomplishment will not be attained,
and so [Abhaya's interpretation] contradicts that the six branches must be the uncommon service, the means of achieving the supreme, and the creation stage is not the means of achieving the supreme. Also the [above scholar] Lan's statement that retraction corresponds to the conduct and contemplation to body isolation is very incorrect, since sequence is contradicted when the beginning of achieving the supreme involves the conduct, and since body isolation will not have the slightest benefits of knowledge and knowable. Therefore, since the Stainless Light states:
The pure self-consecration is the sign
Of beholding the three realms in the void . . .
and the VajrapaQi Praise Commentary states:
Here 'self-consecration' means that retraction beholds
the superficial reality such as smoke, and so on, . . .
retraction and contemplation are included in magic body, life-energy control in vajra recitation, endurance in clear light, and mindfulness, like the previous vision in the occasion of retraction and contemplation, in the
Chapter Ill-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 163
magic body in its aspect of beholding purified reflections and at the same time in mind isolation in its aspect of the path of the experience of the bliss of melting. (74hl For, mind isolation becomes the path of luminance. radiance, and imminence, and they are analogues of the three joys. And finally, he claims that samadhi is communion. Thereby. he explains the method of reconciling the Time Machine six branches with the five stages.
[VI. B. 3. b. ii. c '3 'a 'ii 'o " -
The second has two parts: [ I "l Analyzing the accuracy of the [Indian] commentators; and [2"] Analyzing the accuracy of the Tibetan explanations.
In regard to the Moonlight refutation of including retraction and contemplation in the creation stage, it is not contradicted by the statement that the creation stage is the means of achieving common accomplish- ments and the six branches are the means of achieving the supreme accomplishment. If it were, it would contradict the achievement of both accomplishments by a single path, in which case the perfection stage path could not lead to achievement of common accomplishments. The state-
ment that
indicates that the supreme accomplishment will not be achieved by other practices than those of the six branches, and definitely does not indicate that paths other than the six branches are never a means of achieving the supreme accomplishment. Though the supreme accomplishment is not achieved by the creation stage alone, how can that preclude the creation stage from being a cause of the supreme accomplishment? Otherwise, it would be the same for the perfection stage, and also, as each of the perfection stage's six branches do not [alone] lead to the achievement they would not become the path of achieving the supreme. If the creation stage were definitely unfit as means of achieving the supreme, how
would this not contradict his own explanation about the meaning of "common" in the context of mentioning common and supreme types of service, that a common cause is cause of both accomplishments? 175? ? 1
? ? practicing by other than the six branches practice, the supreme [accomplishment] will not be achieved
Analyzing their correctness and incorrectness I
IYI. B. 3. b. ii. c'3'a'ii'B"1" -
Analyzing accuracy of findian I commentalnrs 1
1 64 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
The import of teaching the visualization practices of the Divine Lord Ak? hobhya and the [Buddha] Supreme Bliss Wheel and so on would become uncertain, and all statements that they are arts for attaining buddhahood in the context of the benefits of their meditations would become contradicted.
Here you may wonder that, if both paths are arts for both accom- plishments, why were they mentioned separately as means of achieving common and supreme [accomplishments, respectively]? Since without regard to the perfection stage it leads to achievement of common accom- plishments, the creation stage is a means of achieving common accom- plishments, at the same time it is the means of developing the root of
virtue needed to realize the perfection stage. The perfection stage is the chief path for achieving the supreme, and so is mentioned as the means for achieving the supreme. Thus, as means of achievement, the two are not mutually exclusive.
While retraction and contemplation are explained in terms of the perfection stage by other authoritative scholars, because that is the inten- tion of the Personal Instruction, it seems necessary to explain them also in terms of the creation stage; thus in general we should not interpret retraction and contemplation as wholly in either creation or perfection stages, but should accept both parts [of each of them] . In particular, we should interpret them according to the explanation in the context of whichever stage of the text is at hand. Thus, as according to the Noble tradition they are explained in their perfection stage context, I think it is
good [so to interpret them in that context].
It does not seem proper that endurance should refer to the magic
body, as I will explain below.
As for the correctness or incorrectness of the Extreme Illumination
ofthe Lamp's way of reconciling [the branches and stages], it will be easy to understand if I explain it in the context of explaining below the identification of the six branches. [7Shl
As for Master Ekadashanirgho? ha's explanation of retraction as the foundation of the body isolation, he is thinking of the import of the Illu- mination of the Lamp's explanation of retraction as that to be purified and of contemplation as the means of purification.
The claims that the two [lines] "independent" and so on indicate endurance to be the mind isolation, that "separately illuminated" refers to the magic body, that the three lines indicating the last branch refer to the
Chapter III-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 165
two contemplations, that communion is explained apart from the samadhi branch, and that the last three lines refer to a path of spontaneity different from communion-all these are not good. They will be easy to under- stand when I explain them below in the context of explaining the text on the six branches.
tions]
When we refute the claim of a certain Tibetan, [the scholar] Lan, that "retraction" refers to the conduct, the argument "the normal order is contradicted if the conduct comes at the beginning of achieving the supreme" can be applied equally well to our own position. Thus, it is incorrect for "retraction" and "contemplation" to refer to the magic body, because it is contradictory for the magic body to come at the beginning of achieving the supreme. By explaining "at the beginning," we are saying "it must not come at the beginning," and this is the same when used about the conduct. If we indicate the fault of contradicting the normal order, it applies the same way to either the six branches or the five stages, and it is very contradictory for a retraction and contemplation
[branch] magic body to develop before the life-energy-control vajra reci- tation, for there to be a mindfulness [branch] mind isolation after the endurance [branch] clear light, and for the [premature] arisal of the third stage magic body. Furthermore, since it is certain that there is a life- energy-control path in the five stages and that mind isolation and magic body arise developed in sequence, [76aJ in the Time Machine system also both the life-energy-control vajra recitation and the mindfulness mind isolation would have to come before the retraction and contemplation magic body, and one part of mindfulness would have to develop before
endurance; because they are accepted as synonymous.
Such faults are not properly explained as the same in meaning, so
we should not insist on explaining them as the same. Likewise, we our- selves assert that the magic body is the eleventh stage, and clear light the twelfth, or the thirteenth [stage]. if we count from the stage of faith. and the twelfth stage is the stage of becoming noble. Such being the case, it seems contradictory [to claim] such views as that the noble stage eleventh stage magic body will be attained through retraction in the beginning of the achievement of the supreme, that the Time Machine samadhi branch
? [ VI. B. 3. b. ii. c '3 'a 'ii 'B "2 " -
Analyzing the accuracy of Tibetan explana-
1 66 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
will be attained from the alienated individual's stage, that it could be understood as communion and so forth.
As for the reason why it is incorrect for contemplation to refer to body isolation, to state that "it is because no benefit of the lessening of subject and object [dichotomy] will develop in body isolation," will not apply to that fault, since the opponent did not claim that, and it seems
that the opponent does claim that the one pointedness of mind of lessen- ing of subject and object is [a benefit of] mind isolation. Therefore, both "self-consecration" and "superficial reality," as explained by the Noble father and sons and by the Time Machine literature, are nominally the same but different in meaning. For example, there are many [differing interpretations of the two] such as when GhaiJtapada's [Supreme Bliss] Five Stages explains the self-consecration as the meditation on the drop in the heart center.
As for how other Tibetans seem to take the position that the Time Machine way of reconciling the six yoga branches with the six stages has the same meaning, their p(,bl incorrectness can be understood from what has already been explained.
Therefore, Naropa explained the texts on the six yogas of the Further Tantra according to the explanation of the Illumination of the Lamp, but in his Commentary on the Summary ofInitiations, he explained according to the Time Machine. Thus even though such things are not properly explained as the same in meaning, it is good to investigate what is the equivalent, since if you do that, you will determine the practical instructions of each individual Tantra.
To explain a little more, the Time Machine system's retraction and contemplation [branches] are the means of purifying the central channel preliminary to the life-energy-control branch's injection of the two [side channel] winds into that central channel. So even if you do not meditate according to how it is explained there, if [what you do meditate] seems to serve as a means of purification of the central channel to prepare for inserting the two winds there, it is the equivalent. Likewise, the Time Machine's life-energy-control [branch] is the means of inserting the winds into the central channel, and [its] endurance is the holding those inserted winds immobile in the hubs of the channel wheels; so even if you do not meditate life-energy control and endurance exactly as it is explained in that source, if [what you do meditate] seems a means to achieve that purpose, it is the equivalent of those two. Likewise, [the Time Machine's]
Chapter III-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 167
mindfulness is, by the art of meditating depending on the prior means, burning the furor-fire, melting the spirit of enlightenment, and experi- encing the joy of its falling to the tip of the secret place, and [its] samadhi is the changeless bliss of holding that enlightenment spirit with- out emission; so, even if you do not meditate exactly as explained from that source, if what you do serves as a path able to achieve that purpose, then it serves as the equivalent of those two. Therefore, from the perspec- tive of the ability to achieve a particular purpose, the five stages and so on can be matched with other paths and one can mutually reconcile the paths; (77uJ though you do not explain them as having the same meaning, the point of the context is accomplished, and you will attain fearlessness about where the keys of the paths of different Tantras fit. And such reasoning can also be understood to apply to other paths as well. So you should hold on to this exceptional way of analyzing of those of great genius .
As for Lan's interpretation of retraction as the conduct, though there is a mere similarity of definition, it does not work out since the Further Tantra mentions the conduct entirely apart from the six branches. There- fore, avoiding that, if you connect the six branches to the six stages of the perfection stage, it is better to follow Ekadashanirgho? ha and con- nect retraction and contemplation to body isolation. According to the Illumination of the Lamp explanation, there are three life-energy controls meditated on the three nose tips, so, though there is a life-energy control
[practice] that is neither the actual speech isolation nor vajra recitation, those two are given the name as they are the chief kind of life-energy control; so [life-energy control] is included with those two, [speech isola- tion and vajra recitation. Mind isolation, except that it can be understood to be the one pointedness of contemplation and has similar characteristics with the three voids prior to entry into clear light, is not mentioned explicitly. Endurance is explained by the Illumination ofthe Lamp as the same in meaning as clear light, so it does not work out for it to indicate mind isolation and magic body. Mindfulness refers to the way of arisal of the luminances coming during the re-emergence from clear light. Samadhi is very clearly explained in the Illumination of the Lamp as communion, so there is no point in explaining it otherwise, as I will explain in detail below. The third stage magic body, except that it can be understood from its having similar characteristics to the communion magic body, 177hl is not mentioned verbally among the subjects explained by the commentaries
? 1 68 ? Brilliant Illumination ofthe Lamp
of the texts on the six branches. And as for the fact that "actuality of all buddhas" does not refer to the magic body, I will explain it below. If I explain their meanings in detail, the magic body and the mind isolation will also be brought out, so there is no fault of not reconciling the im- portant things about the achievement of the supreme of the perfection
stage with the path of the six branches.
As for the statement in the Five Stages about the two stages being like the steps of a ladder, the five stages of the perfection stage are similar; for it states that by abiding in vajra recitation, the mind objective will be attained, [then] the magic body will be purified by the reality limit clear light, and arising from that, nondual communion will be attained. And one can also understand thereby that by abiding in the mind objective the magic body will be attained. That is the order indi- cated, in that each later stage arises depending on each previous stage.
This is not detailed in the Five Stages but is detailed in the Integrated Practices; where it states the order of the progress of the two spiritual conceptions, [including] the aspiration to the buddha-vehicle, the single- minded awareness of the coarse deity yoga, the subtle conceptual yoga, the training in each previous stage from body isolation to communion leading to the learning of each subsequent stage; and it also states the order of the reverse, how from body isolation on, if the former is lacking, the latter will not arise. So, from this one must accept the certainty about the progressive order. Except for just that explanation, the Root and Explanatory Tantras and the treatises of the Noble father and sons do not provide clearly the reason for the certainty of such an order.
The Kashmiri Lak? hmi 178al explains [the process as] first the neces- sary purifying of the ordinary body, which is accomplished by the creation stage from the first beginning up until the body isolation of the hundred clans. Then the speech isolation purifies the speech, and the mind isola- tion purifies the ordinary mind. Then in order to bring to fruition one's former vows, to abandon the nihilistic tendency gotten from the teaching
of the god Mahe? hvara, to accomplish beings' aims until the end of the aeon and to abandon the cessation truth accepted as enlightenment by the
? [VI. B. 3. b. ii. c '3 'b ' - Certification of their order]
Chapter Ill-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 169
disciples, one attains the magic body. 64 Again. if one is attached even to that, one will become objectivity oriented. and one uses clear light to purify that. And finally, communion is taught in order to abandon any nihilistic extremism related to clear light.
Previous Tibetan scholars have said that. just as a flute will not give a pleasant sound until its insides are cleansed, the speech isolation will not arise until the ordinary body is isolated by the body vajra samadhi, and it will arise in the opposite case. Just as, until the horse-like wind mounted by the mind is tamed, the rider-like mind will not be under control, so mind isolation will arise when speech isolation has brought the winds under control. In mind isolation, if even at the coarsest [level] one does not understand all things as merely self-aware mind, if at the subtlest one does not understand superficial reality as mere magical illu- sion, or if one has not [attained] the self-aware bliss samadhi in mind isolation, then the magic body will not arise; for the magic body is achieved from just those. For example, if the cognition cannot pick out a vase it cannot determine its property of impermanence. Likewise, without going to the limit of the subject of magical illusion, 178bJ one will not realize the clear light of [its] dissolution by the two [holistic and dissolv- ing] contemplations. If the invisible clear light is not first attained, one will not realize the communion of vision-void indivisible, just as before one's cognition can determine a mirror image as vision-void indivisible, one must have determined that a mirror reflection lacks the substance of the reflected object.
A certain Marpa tradition scholar holds the same position as Lak? hmi on the first two, posits mind isolation as it is taught to include body and speech, posits magical illusion in order to abandon truth-
insistence, posits clear light in order to abandon insistence on mere magical llusion, and posits the teaching of communion in order to aban- don nihilistic extremism.
64 This is a very interesting way of defining the role of the creative art of the magic body, as the special means for fulfilling the bodhisattva vow, and avoiding the temptation of escaping into the bliss of the clear light which is seen either as a tendency of the great Shiva or as a trap into which the Individual Vehicle adept might fall through attachment to a dualistic notion of the third noble truth.
? ? 1 70 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
In regard to that, the first interpretation seems to say that the three isolations are the means of purifying the three doors [of body, speech, and mind], since from the coarse level there must be abandonment, con- sidering the certainty of the order of those three doors; that since there is
nihilistic extremism in mind isolation, one achieves the magic body in order to abandon it; that clear light purifies any orientation of absolutist extremism toward that [magic body]; and that communion is taught to abandon any lingering nihilism in that [clear light]. [This system] does not contain the necessary indication of the exceptional way in which the former develops the latter among the three isolations. Its procedure of de- veloping an absolutist path to abandon nihilism, and then a nihilistic path to abandon absolutism is, like an elephant washing himself [with mud], not truly appropriate. As in the Integrated Practices:
If you lack understanding of the superficial reality, you cannot directly realize the ultimate reality !
[A ryadeva] teaches that you must understand and attain the magic body before you can experience the clear light, l79al so he must show a reason for the position that magic body must be developed before clear light can be realized-and how can "one must enter clear light to abandon insis- tence on magical illusion" count as a reason? Reasons must be shown in that manner for the order of mind isolation, magic body, clear light, and communion; showing them in other ways seems to miss the essential point.
Furthermore, as for the statement that mind isolation is taught in order to understand the inclusion of body and speech into the mind, it shows the fault of not investigating carefully how the orientations of mind isolation are produced. [A ryadeva] states in the Integrated Practices that having understood properly the true import of the mind, one can engage in the achievement of the magic body, which does not mean that one could fail to eliminate doubts about the truth habit concerning the mind while in the mind isolation and subsequently eliminate them by means of the magic body; for it is stated that one must thoroughly ascertain the import of voidness [long before], even in the time of meditating the creation stage.
The second interpretation is quite excellent in stating its reasons, in that speech isolation develops mind isolation by the power of its control- ling the winds, that mind isolation serves as foundation of achieving the
Chapter Ill-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 171
magic body, that the magic body must realize clear light, being immersed in it by the two contemplations, and that clear light must precede the achievement of the [magic-body-clear-light] complementary communion. But as for its statement of example and import of the Jute as the reason for the order of the first two isolations, it is insufficient, since it seems that the analogy between example and import remains to be established.
As for our own system ' s reasons for making the order certain , I will explain them in the context of proving the certainty of the enumeration.
The third [79bl has two parts: [i'] The actual meaning; and [ii'] How to reconcile other paths with this path.
[VI. B. 3. b. ii. c '3 'c 'i ' - The actual meaning]
The Integrated Practices explains as above the way of learning the path in stages. It states that after having attained communion there is no new learning of any stage of the path. The Five Stages also states:
Dwelling in the communion samadhi, There is nothing at all further to learn.
-that there are no stages of the path not included in these and that one must learn them [all in order]. Thus, since no other paths not included there are needed, a larger number is eliminated, and since without them one cannot [achieve the goal], a smaller number is eliminated. Therefore, we must accept the certainty of their enumeration. Even so, a clear reason for the certainty of the number [of the stages] is not explicitly stated in the two kinds of Tantras or by the father and sons.
In this regard, Lak? hmi says that the three isolations isolate [from ordinariness] and so purify body, speech, and mind; the clear light iso- lates and so purifies superficial and ultimate realities; communion causes the attainment of vajradharahood where the two realities are one in taste;
and there are no more things to learn after that-so six stages are not needed. And since by just this explained above our desired goal is achieved, and since there are not only four stages, the number of five stages is definite.
Bhavyakirti is the same in regard to the first three. The self-conse- cration is in order to accomplish the aims of beings with the purified
? ? (VI. B. 3. b. ii. c'3'c' - Certainty of their enumeration!
1 72 ? Brilliant Illumination ofthe Lamp
three doors. Insistent adherence to that is abandoned by clear light, and any [temptation otl nihilism in that is abandoned by communion. There is nothing beyond that to learn, so there is no sixth stage, nor are there any less stages. since without those two the aims of fllllal self and other
would not be accomplished.
Another former Tibetan scholar determines a count of six stages in
terms of suppressing the manifestations of obscurations and eradicating the seeds of them. He locates the three isolations in the suppression of the manifestations of addictions and conceptual notions: body isolation, as the support of the tranquility of bliss-void, and speech isolation, as controlling the winds and thus not allowing conceptual notions to arise, are the conditions and mind isolation is the actuality, since that bliss-void is developed in the mind process by depending on the consort. He further states that magical illusion is there to abandon, through its realization of objective voidness, the seeds of objectivity notions insisting on objects in
the private process, that clear light is there to abandon, through its reali- zation of the voidness of the mind, subjectivity notions insisting on the subjective mind, and that communion is there to abandon the seed of in- sistence on the difference of the two realities; and that there are no more things to be abandoned than these.
The first two [of these interpretations] , except for some differences of expression, seem the same in meaning; and I have already examined whether they are correct or not. They do not appear to claim that [the dif- ferent stages] are like the transcendent wisdom explanations of tranquility and insight as different in meditative mode while similar in orientation toward voidness, so I do not think their interpretations are satisfactory; since one can't make the paths of quiescence and insight different, and one cannot determine the latter three paths [of the perfection stage] as individual remedies for different notions. [80bJ
Well then, one wonders, relying on what can one achieve the deter- mination of the number [of stages] ?
Relying on the ultimate thing to be achieved, [one can determine the number] by the procedure of "because to achieve that, these are neces- sary, and it is not necessary not to include them here. " Just to do that, we will explain further below the already explained fruit of communion, which unites the wisdom truth body and its support the extraordinary matter body. In order to attain such a communion, you must create on the learning path the learner's communion that combines the ultimate clear
Chapter Ill-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 173
light, which is the direct application of the great bliss wisdom to the import of thatness, and the utterly pure superficial magic body. which is developed from the cause of the five light rays of the winds that carry that wisdom. Prior to that communion of the two realities. you must achieve each side of the pair individually; because, as [A ryadeva] says in the Integrated Practices that:
without realizing ultimate reality, you cannot realize the stage of communion . . .
and it is stated that you cannot realize clear light without having previ- ously attained the superficial magic body. Therefore, first you must create the magic body as the support for the direct realization of clear light, the reason for which will be explained.
The third stage, magic body, and the fourth stage, clear light, no longer exist at the time of communion, and so are not the two parts of the time of communion. Yet in general, superficial magic body and ultimate clear light become the parts of communion; and so the two former things are explained thinking of their becoming those two [parts of communion] .
As for the wind-energy and the mind which serve as the basis from which such a magic body is achieved, LMia] they are the mind created as the three wisdoms of the mind isolation and the wind-energies serving as their mount, arising from the dissolving process of the wind-energies collecting in the heart center by the process of earth dissolving into water, and so forth, and of the wind-energies that move the eighty natural in- stincts themselves dissolving and so forth; therefore you must attain mind isolation before the magic body.
By such arts, to achieve the distinctive process of compression in the heart center, you must have the two meditations of the outer life-energy control uniting with the evolutionary and wisdom consorts and the inner life-energy control meditating on the wind-energies and drops and so on; therefore, before mind isolation you must achieve the process of speech
isolation vajra recitation. "Speech isolation" and "vajra recitation" are designated by the name of one side of life-energy control, but the general name of this stage is mentioned in the Further Tantra as the "life-energy control" that is third of the six branches. It has three life-energy controls which meditate the substance drop at the lower nose tip, the indestruc- tible mantra drop at the heart center nose tip, and the light drop at the facial nose tip. While it teaches the union with the two consorts by
1 74 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
meditating the substantial drop outside the two lower nose tips of the art and wisdom, there are two occasions of life-energy control of union with the two consorts, one performed before the consummation of vajra reci- tation and one after such consummation.
The chief reason for the necessity of the energy mind arisen from the wind-energies gathering and dissolving in the heart center dhati chan- nel as the basis for the achievement of the magic body, has already been explained.
I will explain below the detailed reasons for that and the pro- cedure by which the two consorts become the means for compressing the wind-energies in the heart center. Thus, before achieving the path of life- energy control which is a distinctive procedure of collecting the wind-
energies in the heart center, [! llhl you must meditate aiming your visuali- zation at other key points of the body. And so you must meditate the body isolation which meditates the development of orgasmic bliss arising from the general injection and dissolution of the two wind-energies in the dhati channel, which views all that arises as the play of that [bliss], and meditates all of that in the form of divinity. As there is no certainty of specific channels and wheels in terms of the other key points of such a body, here you focus your meditation on the drop in the lower door.
As for the development of the roots of virtue underlying the gen- eration in your mental process of such a complete perfection stage, you must first meditate the single-mindedness of the coarse yoga of the first stage that cleanses the mind process through conversion of birth, death, and between into the three bodies and the four session yoga that constructs the subtle mandala. And as for achieving fitness as a vessel of meditating the two stages, you must attain complete and pure initiations, and must maintain carefully the undertaken vows and commitments. And in order to become fully qualified as a vessel of maintaining the initiations and
commitments, you must, as I have previously explained, cultivate the common path stages to cleanse your two spirits of enlightenment and their accessories. And as for the conducts that heighten the impact [of the practices], as they are taught by the example of the outer life-energy con- trol, such is the ascertainment of the number of all paths, of the two stages, and of the stages of the two stages.
Thereby, you can know the ascertainment of their order as well. A single person needs all of those to become enlightened, and so Lak! ;ihmT. Bhavyakirti and so on are right to say that one person must meditate all five stages, 182ul and each stage is not taught in terms of each different
Chapter III-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 175
personal process. The Moonlight Commentary is not correct when it ex- plains that the best person needs the last two stages, the medium person needs the third and fourth stages, the inferior person needs the creation stage and vajra recitation, and the most inferior needs those two and verbal recitation, asserting that others' system is that "best, medium, and inferior" are posited in the context of one mental process gradually progressing from higher to higher and that its own system is that this intends different personal processes; since this [interpretation] contra- dicts the Noble father and son treatises' indications of order and also the Rosary of Complete Yoga.
This ascertainment of the number [of the stages] , if you apply it to other Tantras, the last three stages should be interpreted as above. Since the heart center compression processes exist openly in such texts as the Supreme Bliss Five Stages [by GhaQ. tapada] and Kukuripa's [Heruka Sadhana] instruction [based] on the Mahamaya [Tantra], it is easy to understand the way of focus on it. Without that [heart center compres- sion], you should understand the procedure of finally focusing on com- pression in the heart center even on the paths of penetrating the vital points in the navel and so on. And, you should understand what is explained here as the reason how elsewhere even when the name "body isolation" is absent, if its referent is present, it is the same, and if its referent is absent it need not be contradictory, as a part of understanding the easy
compression in the heart center. And you should supply the same principle also to the creation stage. As for the common path, it is similar in all [these principles of progression] .
[VI. B. 3. b. ii. c'3'c'ii' - How to reconcile other paths with this path] This is the supreme branch of practice,
The condensed import of all Tantras . . .
that in these five stages including the first stage all imports of all Tantras are included. 182bJ You should not understand this as meaning merely all Community Tantras, but must understand it as referring to all Tantras; because the same text states that the Community is the root of all Tantra
categories and the vessel of all Su tras. Therefore, the statement from the same text:
? [Chandrakirti] states in the Illumination ofthe Lamp:
1 76 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
The divisions of this stage -
Who understands how all the many Elaborated stages truly fit into them - That one does know Tantra
should not be understood as referring only to Community Tantras, but to all Tantras.
Here you wonder, "well, what is the meaning of the statement that who knows the path stages of other Tantras, as stages elaborated from here and also as included here, knows [all about] Tantra? "
This, as explained above, does not mean they are included because they are exactly the same in meaning, but that they are included because they have corresponding functions. Further, you must understand how, while it is according to the interpretation of purposes from mind isolation up to communion, the chief art of developing mind isolation is the process of compression in the heart center, and how, even if the heart center com- pression process is not explicitly clear, compressions in other places such as the navel end up focusing on the heart center. But I have not written
more than this little bit [on this], fearing prolixity.
Even though [another Tantra's creation stage] might be somewhat
dissimilar from this [Community' s] creation stage, if you understand how it must serve as the means of developing the roots of virtue to complete the perfection stage, its meaning must be similar. Therefore, if you under- stand well the way of reconciling such a path, you will attain fearlessness in regard to all imports of Tantra.
Here someone [claims] that, just after the above quoted "you should meditate in a single sitting," the Concise Five Stages Elucidation goes on to say:
In order to truly realize thatness,
The supreme lll. lnJ path with the five stages,
The Transcendence and the various other Vehicles Are explained connecting them upon a single mat, In an existent life, in a single day.
As for the meaning of the beginning, [that someone claims that] in the Transcendent Wisdom Sarra, the Teacher sitting with body erect indicates the creation stage, his body's radiating millions of light rays, the vajra recitation, the eighteen voidnesses, the mind objective, the illusoriness of
Chapter Ill-Perfection Stage ofthis Tantra ? 177
matter, the magic body, the identitylessness of matter and so on, the clear light, and nonduality, nondualism, and so on, indicate communion. Furthermore, as for the meaning of "connected to various vehicles," [Serdingpa's] Five Point explains that:
The disciple vehicle is included in the creation stage, be- cause the appearance of coarse atomic conglomerations asserted by the disciples and the constructive yoga of the creation stage qualitatively correspond; the vajra recita- tion includes the hermit buddha vehicle, because the vajra recitation of the twelve energy transits qualitatively corresponds with the twelve relativity [links] of the hermits; the mind only vehicle is included in the mind objective stage, because both of them emphasize the mind; the illusory centrists are included in the magic body, because both assert that all things are illusory; the non-abiding centrists are included in clear light, because both assert all things as void; and all secret Mantra vehicles are included in communion, since all Tantric views are the equal taste communion of the two realities.
[Serdingpa's] Wheel Endowed and the Father Tantra Quintessence [Five Stages Single Session] agree also.
As for the meaning in that treatise of "explaining in connection with the Transcendent Wisdom [Satra] and the various [83hJ vehicles," it is not connected as in the above explanation, connecting the basic time five stages to the process of existence, birth and death, and to a single day. Well then what is it connected to? "Explain them as connected to them" indicates that in general the Su tras of the various Individual and
Universal Vehicles, and specifically the keys of all the profound Tran- scendent Wisdom Satras, are incorporated in the Community Tantra, since their vital points are included in the five stages of the Community's path; because the same text explains:
That which serves as the path with its five stages
Is indicated by various words such as
The accessories of enlightenment, import of Su tras, The three secret things, and the two ultimate [imports of
the Tantras]
1 78 ? Brilliant Illumination ofthe Lamp
-that is, that the verbal meanings of the various So tras that teach the accessories of enlightenment and of the various Tantras that teach the three secrets and the two ultimates indicate by example the five stages.
As for the way they are included, although those paths as explained in other treatises are not explained here, the vital points of the paths of those [vehicles] are the means of achieving the liberation of deliverance from the life cycle and the exaltation of buddhahood. And the meaning of [this Tantra] serving as their root is that they are completely, with their
accessories, present within the path taught here, and also those other paths must focus here in the end. And as for others' systems' reasons for incor- porating other paths into this path, they seem uncertain and unestablished.
CHAPTER IV
Body Isolation
[8. \b. 6-107b. l ]
[VI. 8. 3. b. ii. c'3'd' - The import of the individual divisions (of the per-
? fection stage)I
The fourth has two parts: [i '] How to learn the samadhis of the
three isolations; and [ii '] How to learn the samadhis of the two realities. [VI. B. 3. b. ii. c'3'd'i' - How to learn the samadhis of the three isolations )
The first has three parts: [A"] How to learn the body isolation body vajra samadhi; [B"] How to learn the speech isolation ! 84a] speech vajra
[VI. 8. 3. b. ii. c'3'd'i'A" - How to learn the body isolation body vajra samadhi]
The first has six parts: [1 "] Analysis of which of two stages has body isolation; [2 "] Sequence of creation stage and distinctive body iso- lation; [3") Identification of body isolation; [4"] Typology of body iso- lations; [5"] How it serves as retraction and contemplation branches [of the six branches]; and [6"] How to put the body isolation into practice.
[VI. B. 3. b. ii. c'3'd'i'A"1 " - Analysis of which of two stages has body isolation)
The first has three parts: [a") Setting forth individual interpreta- tions; [b"] Analysis of their correctness and incorrectness; and [c"] Set- ting forth our own interpretation.
lVI. 8. 3. b. ii. c'3'dTA"1"a"- Setting forth individual interpretations!
There are disagreements about where to place body isolation on the two stages. While many such as Abhaya, Munishri, Lak? hmr, and Bhavya- krrti explain body isolation as [belonging to the] creation stage, both men- tors Tsunmojen and Abhijiia claim it to be [part of the] perfection stage,
179
? ? ? ? ? samadhi; and [c"] How to learn the mind isolation mind vajra samadhi.
180? BrilliantIlul mination oftheLamp
and Master Go reports in his [Great} Voidness Session that Knhua Samayavajra believes the body isolations of the hundred clans, the five clans, and the three clans to be creation stage and the body isolation of one clan to be perfection stage. Some of the Marpa tradition scholars say that Naropa considered [body isolation] to be creation stage; but this is not true, since the Concise Five Stages Elucidation explains those two [creation stage and body isolation] separately.
As for how such disagreements arose:
[First of all,] based on the Integrated Practices statements that
one remains in the beginner's samadhi when learning the yogas of conceptuality and single-mindedness and one learns body isolation after having already so remained . . .
and that
beginning from the creation stage up to the culmination
(IWbJ ofbody isolation. . .
wherein the two are treated as separate, [body isolation] is posited as [in- cluded in the] perfection stage. One is considered a "beginner" here in this system from beginning the creation stage meditation until complet- ing it; as Five Stages says:
By the yoga of the beginner, one will attain the eighth stage
and the Integrated Practices says:
In this Vajra Vehicle one trains in the creation stage and
attains the eighth stage.
Then again, on the strength of the Integrated Practices statements:
As for the just explained aggregates, elements, and media, one isolates the body; one sets a deity there, common to all, since it is a coarse yoga. . .
and just after that in the text:
. . . speech isolation is not creation stage, because it is extremely subtle . . .
-[here,] "common to all" indicates [body isolation] to be common to both stages; depending on which it is interpreted as having parts belong- ing to each stage. Those who posit it as creation stage seem to think its way of meditating the aggregates as deities has the same import as the pure meditation on the individual deities of the creation stage.
Abhaya accepts the mere visualization of the body of the creation- stage-generated vajradhara as the body isolation, stated in the context of creation stage, thus accepting it as the chief of visualizations. Though others do not explain clearly, when other visualized deities are set in the body, they must be imagined as indivisible from the aggregates and so forth [8Sa], so it seems that they interpret those [practices] as body isola- tion. As they explain them as generated by mere visualization, it seems they do not claim the body mandala created from seed [syllables] as body isolation. Munishri is not clear about the way in which body isolation is indicated, except for the statement that "the 'creation stage' mentioned in the Condensed [Siidhana] indicates the body isolation. "
The latter two pa1,1(1 its accept body isolation as creation stage be- cause they explain that one practices it after already learning the three samadhis of the Condensed [Siidhana], but they do not accept it as the [whole] creation stage explained in the Condensed [Siidhana] itself. Most Tibetan scholars of the Go tradition assert body isolation to belong to the perfection stage. Lan interprets the coarse body isolation which does not discriminate finely the five [buddhas] in the five aggregates and so forth
as observation, and interprets the body isolation which finely discrimi- nates from the hundred clans to the one clan as examination, holding the former to be a body isolation in common with the creation stage, since the creation stage [texts] also explain such meditation in the context of "extreme yoga," and holding the latter to be the perfection stage's dis- tinctive body isolation.
IVI. B. 3. b. ii. c'3'dTA"l "b" -
Chapter JV- Body Isolation ? 1 8 1
? rectness]
Which should we accept of those different interpretations?
If one wonders, "well, those who advocate body isolation as creation stage, in which context of that [stage] do they claim that body isolation is
being taught? "
Analysis of their correctness and incor-
1 82 ? Brilliant Illumination ofthe Lamp
If you accept the whole of body isolation as the creation stage ex- plained in the Condensed [Sadhana], you cannot avoid the contradiction with the Integrated Practices statement that one must train in body isola- tion after already having learned the beginner's samadhi. It is very incor- rect to not include body isolation within the three samadhis mentioned in the Condensed [Sadhana] and to locate it on a different creation stage:
because f85bl the three samadhis of the Condensed [Sadhana] indicate all the creation stages needed as preliminaries of the perfection stage, except for some creation stages [implemented] on the occasions of conducting ritual activities; because you cannot posit that "this is the way of learning the arisal of deity forms of the previously unexperienced body isolation creation stage, after completing both subtle and coarse creation stages of the Condensed [Sadhana]"; and because there do not appear [in those creation stages] any ways of meditating the body isolation other than meditating the forms of deity bodies.
It is incorrect to posit the whole of body isolation as perfection stage: because it is stated that "body isolation is common to all"; because speech isolation is specially picked out and stated "not to be in the province of creation stage [practice]"; and because you can understand [it is so] from the statement that coarse and subtle are the means of achieving the com- mon and the distinctive. Therefore, as "establishing the deities" refers to
the establishing of deities as the aggregates and so forth, which is common to both stages, you cannot explain that the body isolation is never said to be common [to both stages], and you should divide body isolation into two body isolations belonging to the two stages.
Such being the case, you should not interpret this according to the view of Damtsig Dorjey, since the Integrated Practices states that all body isolations, from the hundred-clan body isolation to the three-clan body isolation, are included in the one-clan body isolation, and it is improper for that included to be of the creation stage and that which includes to be of the perfection stage .
As this meditation of aggregates and so on as deities of body isola- tion is a meditation of the arisal of the deity form, and, since it is taught that [86uJ you meditate this after having found extreme stability of the vivid vision of the complete habitat and inhabitant mandalas within a mere mustard seed, you could not gain the experience of this without having already experienced the preceding, it would be incorrect to explain in some other way this stage of the path, [which must be] learned after
stages.
Some scholars say that while the creation stage is the new creation
[of a deity], the body isolation meditation of aggregates and so on as deities is the method of deity meditation of the perfection stage, which sees the deities as if primordially established. This seems to be an account based on failing to differentiate clearly between the two procedures of mantra body and wisdom body, [both used] on both stages. Just as, on the occa- sion of the perfection stage, drops and syllables and so on are indeed visualized in mind without existing as they are visualized, since they can create the nonartificial perfection stage without having to develop into other homogeneous visualizations, they are included in the perfection stage [in spite of involving conceptualization]. So you cannot achieve such [a nonartificial perfection stage] just by thinking "aggregates and so on are deities primordially," and such a method of deity meditation [as the perfection stage body isolation] seems greater than the creation stage with its method of mental imagination and artifice; so you cannot differ- entiate the two stages just by [equating them with] those two [86b l ways of viewing deities.
Similarly, even though the objectification of the mind which realizes voidness can be taken as the arisal of a deity, it cannot thereby be distin- guished from the creation stage; because that occurs even on the occasion of the creation stage; and because, while it is stated that one should purify [reality] in voidness by the [mantras] "shanyata. . . ," and so on, before creating a deity, it is improper to interpret its meaning as merely
the retraction from perception without any proper understanding of the view of voidness.
Setting forth our own interpretation!
Well, then what is the way to differentiate body isolations in terms of the two stages?
Chapter IV-Body Isolation ? 1 83
? having learned that [preceding stage]. Though there is no clear explanation in the context of the first stage concerning this division of each aggregate and so on into five, when you complete the coarse and subtle creation stages, you aim your mind at whatever arises and you can immediately generate stable vivid vision of the arisal of the deity, and you cannot say you cannot generate the division into fields; therefore, Lan does not seem to be correct in his way of differentiating the body isolations of the two
(VI. B. 3. b. ii. c'3'd'i'A"l "c" -
1 84 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
In regard to this body isolation which meditates aggregates and so on as deities, there are two ways of meditating it; one where the objec- tivity aspect [involved] in the realization of voidness arises as a deity, and one where it does not. When it does arise [as a deity], it has two varieties; one where it is a distinctive bliss that is realizing voidness, and one where it is not. And when it is the distinctive bliss that is realizing voidness,
there are again two kinds; one where it is the bliss arisen from the rasantl and /a/ana wind-energies penetrating and dissolving into the dhuti chan- nel, and one where it is not [the bliss] thus arisen.
Of those, on the creation stage there are body isolations where void- ness is realized in the second ways of the first two alternatives - voidness being realized without being realized by that bliss of melting, and where the aggregates and so forth are meditated as deities through the second ways of the last two alternatives. The body isolation that meditates the aggregates and so forth as deities through the first ways of the latter two alternatives is posited as being the perfection stage itself. 65 The creation
stage body isolation wherein aggregates and so on are meditated as deities is said to consist of the occasions of the visualization of one's own body mandala and the mandala retraction, and of the viewing of all objective appearances as Vajradhara; and this is indicated by the statement about how the creation stage employs the pure art and wisdom which views the five sense spheres as male and female deities. Therefore, [87aJ learning such a body isolation occurs on the same occasion as learning the creation stage. As for the statement that, "after having already learned the begin- ner's samadhi, one learns the body isolation," it refers to the perfection stage body isolation.
65This rather brilliant analysis deserves a schema:
Body isolation which meditates aggregates as deities
a) Seeing voidness as a deity
i) Seeing the void-deity through bliss
x) Central channel bliss
y) Non-central channel bliss
ii) Seeing the void-deity without involving bliss
b) Not seeing voidness as a deity
Creation stage body isolation (bold) = b, a-ii, a-i-y.
Perfection ? ? tage body isolation (italic) = a, a-i, a-i-x.
This way of differentiating shows distinctiveness while allowing overlap.
? Chapter IV-Body Isolation ? 1 85
Well then, if you wonder, "where is it taught that the body isolation
meditates the aggregates and so on as deities from the perspective of great
bliss? "
It is taught by the Integrated Practices' quote, in the context of
meditating the five clan body isolation, from the Equal to Space Tantra:
All this living world has the nature of five buddhas, Appearing like actors or like lovely paintings; Wherein "great bliss" itself alone,
Alone performs through many moods.
Here just as a single actor performs using different masks and costumes and a single color such as blue arises in many forms of color, so the single great bliss itself is stated to perform in many kinds of aesthetic mood. This is not to be understood as referring to such a performance by Buddha Vajradhara alone, but is used in terms of all great blisses of path and frui- tion times.
Thus in the occasion of body isolation, great bliss alone is medi- tated as arising in the manifold play of the five clans and so forth, and that is not in terms of visualizing the bliss of other beings without having that bliss in one's own continuum, but is so meditated having generated that bliss in one's own spiritual continuum. Therefore, in that context, the Integrated Practices states [quoting the Magic Supreme Bliss Tantra]:
The yoga will not arise
From a cast statue and so forth,
But striving in the spirit of enlightenment, [87bl The yogYniwill become a deity.
Oneself the nature of all buddhas !
Oneself the nature of all heroes !
Thus one joins the divine,
And thereby should realizes one's nature.
Thus one should not just visualize the form of an external deity but should establish oneself in unity with the deity through striving in the spirit of enlightenment; the "spirit of enlightenment" quoted [here] in the Magic Supreme Bliss [Tantra] is the bliss-void-indivisible spirit of enlighten-
ment.
I 86 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp The Hevajra Tantra also states:
Definitely the purity of all things is called "suchness"; Then distinguishing each one, one should call them deities.
And also:
Thus, three purities are stated: a general purity called "suchness purity," when you determine all outer and inner things to be void of intrinsic reality status; a purity of individual deities from meditating the matter aggregate and so on as deities; and a purity of natural awareness, the supreme bliss of each yogiini's natural awareness. The middle of these is said by the same text:
In the realm of the creation stage, This should purify the aggregates.
-that the purity of individual deities, lacking the great bliss deity medi- tation, is in the creation stage. Therefore, great bliss is the purity of the perfection process, and the suchness purity is common to both stages.
Therefore, if you do not know the above explained way of deity meditation of perfection stage body isolation, since in this context you will lack the way of deity meditation that creates the wisdom body [88a), though you posit it as perfection stage, it will show no difference from the way of creating the mantra body deity, and you have not understood the vital point of this.
Well then, one wonders, if this kind of great bliss is not posited on the creation stage, and its art of creation does not appear until the creation stage is perfected and body isolation arrived at, and moreover if even in the context of body isolation the way of producing this does not appear, how does great bliss emerge in this context?
By the reason that this seems to be one of the greatly difficult points, very hard to sort out, I will explain it in the context of the sequence [of the stages].
Oneself self-aware is purity, not freed by another purity, Objective things being pure, self-knowing, bliss supreme.
body isolation I
Generally, as for the complete meditation of the coarse and subtle creation stages, it is the means of developing the root of virtue that pro- duces all the perfection stages, so it also serves as the means of developing the arisal of the perfection stage body isolation. In particular, the medita- tion of the subtle [symbolic] implement or drop within the jewel is the method of collecting the rasanli and lalana wind-energies into the dhuti channel. Depending on that, when you develop the above-explained great bliss, it becomes the meditation of the actual body isolation, and that is how it is connected with the subtle creation stage.
One wonders here, "from what does one know that the meditation of the subtle at the lower door becomes the art of collecting the two wind- energies into the dhuti channel? "
Although life-energy control is taught in both the Action and Per- formance Tantras, it has previously been explained how these cannot col- lect the two wind-energies into the dhuti channel. As for the meditation of life-energy control taught in the Unexcelled [Yoga Tantras], "life- energy" means the rasanti and lalanti wind-energies and "control" means their insertion into the dhuti channel, having blocked their movement in
the rasanti and lalana [channels] [88bJ.