The
quotation
in Stanza 56 is unidentified.
Richard-Sherburne-A-Lamp-for-the-Path-and-Commentary-of-Atisha
Mahayana Sutras I explained earlier.
These steps [towards Enlightenment] are given in the eight chapters of the Ornament for the Realisations,59 the text Maitreyanatha preached, and which Asailga spread widely in India.
Vimuktisena60 and the glorious Haribhadra61 explained and commented on it, and it is their explanation you should learn.
Unless you study them, the Path and its Results may become confused.
Hence, the yogin who has been in the Equipment Path and set in [its] Emptiness then advances to the Practice Path and develops the basic virtues [called] the Aids to Liberation. The words "BY STAGES HAS ATTAINED 'WARMTH'
AND THE REST" refer to those [four] aids to one's con- viction: that is, persevering through (1] the three degrees of Warmth, [21 the three degrees of Summits, (3] the three degrees of Patience, and [4] the three degrees of the
Highest [Mundane] Phenomena. 62 [330b]
"THEN HE WILL GAIN THE 'JOYOUS' (LEVEL] AND ON UP"
refers to the advance to the Path of Vision and its four Concentrations and so on. 63 "BUDDHA-ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT FAR OFF" means that while perfecting the Ten Levels, the Supreme and Perfect Enlightenment is coming about from Moment to Moment [of the Vision Path],64 and in no time at all, and swiftly, you will gain the Three Bodies and
Five Wisdoms and so on.
I have not written here the details
Of the Practice Path and its start at "Warmth", Nor of the Ten Levels that begin in Vision Path, Nor of the Three Bodies and the rest, because I Fear too long a text. Study them in Siitra and Commentary; there they are well woven.
Another reason I said "BUDDHA-ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT FAR OFF" w::s to give [some] encouragement to slothful bodhisattvas. The "three countless aeons"65 that scripture speaks of [for attaining Enlightenment] is not very long for Bodhisattvas who stay [in samsara] for the sake of all living beings. As Ambaraja's words have it:
INSIGHT AND MEANS 153
? 154 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
" A s for me, I have no preference or wish
To be a Buddha in [some] distant Enlightenment; But I shall carry on to the very end of time,
For the sake of one single creature. " 66
And the Glorious Original [Aeon]:
"The wisest man remains in samsara
As long as he can; for then, by choosing Not to pass into Nirvaq. a, he can seek The unequalled good ofcreatures. "67
And from the Resolves of Nagarjuna:
"As long as there are any creatures here at all,
And one of them is still not saved,
I will carry on my investigations for them,
Even though I have reached the Highest Enlightenment. " 68
If you ask why [the saving of others takes so long], I answer from the Siitras:
"If all the realms of the world were changed into [331a] a single tank of water, and if for a thousand years one man worked at dipping the water from it with the tip of a single hair - that tank of water might lower somewhat. But with the realm of creatures there is no such lessening. "
And from the Good Practice:
"The extent of all creatures is as vast as the limits of
space. " 69
For instance, a bodhisattva is called slothful when he thinks, "After I have demolished [by analysis for Emptiness] all the atoms of Mount Meru, king of mountains, I will reach Enlightenment. "And that is why Ambaraja says:
? "Until the very last rebirth
In this beginningless samsara,
I will perform endless deeds
For the benefit and good of creatures. " 70
Hence, even I must not desire to be swiftly Enlightened, except to lessen those suffering in the realm of creatures, whether it is diminishing or increasing or not.
It necessarily follows that a bodhisattva of keen ability, endowed with a hero's great zeal and a mind controlled by compassion for all creatures, will- although he had not desired i t - swiftly be directly and perfectly Enlightened.
In his Lamp ofthe Three Methods, AcaryaTripi~akamala says:
2 3
4
5 6
7 8
"In the depth and in the breadth
Of its aspiration and execution,
The Great Vehicle is far superior,
For it achieves the changeless result . .
The Vehicle of the Perfections is far more exalted than the Vehicle of the Hearers- iinpress that on your mind. "71
THIS COMPLETES [THE TEACHING ON) THE VEHICLE OF THE PERFECTIONS
Notes to Chapter 6
See Glossary for technical Buddhist terms here. Calmness pertains merely to yogic method? for concentrating one's mind; the actual removal of the hindrances to liberation is a matter of overcoming ignorance through the investigations of Higher Vision.
Ot. 84:3, Vol. 38:85. 3.
Instruction in the Steps ofContemplation ofthe Perfection Vehicle, Ot. 5456, Vol. 103:264. 2.
dbyer med-pa/asan;rbhinna: undifferentiated. All phenomena lose any basis for real dist~nction in their ultimate and true reality of Emptiness.
Ot. 761 (31).
This siitra title is not fou! Jd in the catalogues, but the title and the quotation here are excerpted from Santideva's SS: pp. 96-99.
Ot. 126, Vol. 5:241. 1.
mi-gnas-pa'i mya-ngan-las-'das/aprat~thita-nirvii~a: The "Deferred Nir- vli~a" is a third addition of Mahayana to the two earlier types of Nirval}a
understood by the Hinayana schools; viz. ,
INSIGHT AND MEANS 155
? 156 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
1) Nirvana-with-remainder (phung-bo /hag-rna dang bcas-pa'i0 / sa-upadhise~a-0 ) ; and
2) Nirvana-without-remainder (phung-bo /hag-rna med-pa'i0 / nirupddhise$a-0 ) .
For the Hinayanist, the first type means the cessation of all obscuration caused by any afflicting activity (e. g. , any imperfection), b~t with the body and mind continuing to function - as with the Buddha Sakyamuni after his Enlightenment, continuing his non-afflicting activity of preaching the Doctrine and founding the Community. The second type means the total cessation not only of the obscuration caused by afflicting activity, but of all mental and physical activity as well, as exemplified by the Buddha's final departure into Nirvarya. the "Parinirvarya", at the age of eighty.
The Mahayanists add the third type, the Deferred Nirvarya, to describe the Bodhisattva who has earned Nirvarya by his having overcome not only the obscuration caused by afflicting activity but also that caused by ignorance of the true nature of Non-self; i. e. the all-embracing Emptiness of all apparent reality. This Bodhisattva then, by choice and out of compassion, remains in samsara to devote himself to the salvation of all beings. It is this type which Ji\anakirti proceeds to describe in this passage.
The Mahayanist view of a third type of Nirvana necessarily gives a slightly different interpretation to the Nirvaryas of the Buddha Sakyamuni, who for the Mahayanist is simply one of many Tathagatas or Bodhisattvas who have appeared in Form or Apparition Bodies to serve living beings. Consequently the first and second types of Nirvarya become but different kinds of final release won by those of the Hinayana paths: the Hearer with his goal of Arhatship (Nirvarya-with-remainder), meaning his afflicting activity has ceased, but a "remainder" of obscuration persists because of his partial ignorance of the true extent of Non-self; i. e. that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence. And the Solitary Buddha wins the goal of Buddhahood
(Nirvarya-without-remainder), completely released from all obscuration, whether caused by afflicting activity or by ignorance of the true extent of non-substantiality, yet less perfect in his Nirvarya because of his declining to return to the world of rebirth- as the Bodhisattva- for the sake of others.
See T. R. V. Murti, Central Philosophy of Buddhism, pp. 271ff. See Glossary.
9
10 The reference is to the long analytical lists of component phenomena
11 12
13
found in the Abhidharma texts of the Hinayana. By comprehending the component elements of any given thing, it was believed that the false view of that thing's real Self (or substantiality) could be eliminated; e. g. compre- hending that the apparent Self is composed of the five aggregates, and each of the five aggregates in tum composed of further phenomena. For the Mahayanist this type of analysis would not be adequate for liberating the mind from ignorance, since the very emptiness of substantiality of the component phenomena themselves is what must be seen and experienced. Bodhibhadra, op. cit. ? pp. 253. 4ff.
The three aspects (rnam-pa gsum) of a thing are the Subject-Action-Object involved.
kun-rdzob/sarrzvrtti: relative, as opposed to the ultimate absolute sense or aspect. These are the two aspects or levels of truth familiar in Buddhist terminology. The ordinary or conventional truths (relative) are valid at the mundane level in the conduct of everyday affairs; the ultimate truths are realities as they truly are in themselves, empty of any inherent existence. In terms of the Enlightenment Thought, Compassion is considered to be the
? 14 15
16
17
Thought on the relative level because it deals with creatures in ordinary everyday activity by means of the Perfections. The absolute Thought of Enlightenment is Emptiness itself.
Ot. 115, Vol. 5:73. 3ff and 76. 4ff.
The same list of five bodhisattvas at various stages of the Path is found in Chapter 2, p. 45.
The import here is that the Means are basically an exercise of Compassion whereby Enlightened Ones choose to continue their work of liberating all beings. Hence, the Means are the cause of the Apparition Body (which is necessary for working for others in the Desire and Form realms) and of the Enjoyment Body (which is necessary for preaching in the paradises of the Formless realms).
gtan-tshigs/upapatti: proof, demonstration. The Four Great Proofs, given with their popular names here, are summarised in the opening stanza of Nagarjuna's Basic Stanzas on the Middle Way [Ot. 5224, Vol. 95:1. 1 ]:
(A) /'gag pa med pa skye ba med pal [B) Ichad med pa rtag med pal
[C] /'ong med pa 'gro med pal
(D] /tha dad don min dol'! gcig min/.
The Tibetan translation reverses the sequence of the last two lines of the Sanskrit:
[A] anirodham-anutpadam- [B) anucchedam-llSiiSvatam/ (C) anekartham-ananartham- [D] anagamam-anirgamam/.
Actually all four proofs will employ Nagarjuna's famed tetralemma (mu- bzhi/catus-kotika: four-homed, of four extremes) dialectic in reducing to absurdity that entities exist, or do not exist, or both exist and not exist, or neither exist nor not exist. Hence, aside from the Diamond Particle (rdo-rje gzegs-ma/vajra-ka~Ja) Proof, Atisa's popular names for the proofs coincide with the above stanza:
[A) Non-cessation and Non-arising;
[B] Non-destruction and Non-permanence (called Diamond Particle
because this proof is the most basic enunciation of the tetralemma in
terms of existence, and represents the very heart of the gem);
[C) Non-identity and Non-multiplicity;
[DJ Non-goingandNon-coming(anotherwayofexpressingtheBuddhist
Dependent Origination causality).
nam-mkha'i me-tog/kha-pWjpam: sky-flower; a common example in Indian logic for a contradiction in terms; as also a hare's hom, son of a barren woman, etc.
BCA: IX:146-50.
The list covers the ultimate principles of all India's major philosophical traditions: ?
a) Atman (bdag): the Supreme Self of the Vedanta schools;
b) Fate (phya): both the scepticism of the Carvaka school and fatalism of
the Aji:vakas;
c) isvara (dbang-phyug): the Lord, or God, of later Nyaya-Vaise~ika;
d) Puru~a (skyes-bu): the free and independent self, Person, co-principle
18
19 20
with Prakrti in the Saf! lkhya system;
INSIGHT AND MEANS 157
? 158 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
21
22 23
24
e) Karma (/as): retributive action; held by all schools, including Buddhist; but as an ultimate principle stressed by the Mimarpsa and Jaina traditions;
f) Prakrti (rang-bzhin): ultimate unconscious Nature, co-principle with Puru~a in Sarpkhya;
g) Gu~as (yon-tan): the three Attributes of Prakrti in the Sarpkhya system (clarity, activity, darkness), whose disturbance starts the process of evolution of the world.
h) Brahman (tshangs-pa): the Supreme Spirit of the Vedanta schools; first of the triad with
i) Vi~I}U (khyab-'jug), and Siva (whom Atisa does not mention).
The reference is to the Hinayana schools which held the real production of phenomena (dharma) as ultimate constituents, while denying composite substances and a Self as real. Vasubandhu treats the six kinds of causes and
the four kinds of conditions in A K(LVP): II: pp. 245ff.
Ot. 5224, Vol. 95:3. 1.
{i-ka/{ikii: sub-commentary. 'grel-pa/vrtti: primary commentary, often by the author himself.
The quotation is from the great patron of Buddhism in Tibet, co-founder of Bsam-yas, and upadhyaya of the first ordained Tibetan monks. The passage here is not identified any further than the author's name, but is probably from his Ornament o fthe Middle Way and its auto-commentary JOt. 5284. 5]. It is curious that this quotation and the following one from Sri-gupta are given here for explanation of the Lack of Identity and Plurality Proof, yet
neither the names of the authors nor names of their works are mentioned in
the final bibliography in this chapter. 25 Unidentified.
26 Nagarjuna's investigation of the Twelvefold Chain of Dependent Origination is Chapter 26 of his Basic Stanzas [Ot. 5224]:
27
28
29 30 31 32 33
34 35
36
In the ~veda the goose is said to be able to separate Soma from water when the two are mixed. In later literature, as here, the ability is to strain milk from water. The final stanza here is also used in Atisa's Introduction to the Two Truths [Ot. 5380, Vol. 103:187. 3. ].
don dam-pa/paramiirtha: ultimate truth. See note 13 of this chapter. Training in the meditational practices on Emptiness requires the guidance of a Guru.
de-kho-na-myid/tattva: thatness=Emptiness (stong-pa-nyid/sunyatii).
Ot. 846, Vol. 34:110. 5.
Ot. 5470, Vol. 103:273. 3.
O t . 5251, V ol. 95:144. 3.
ibid. With these three stanzas excerpted from Nagarjuna, the Three Turnings of the Wheel are exemplified: 1) the Four Truths [Hinayana]; 2) Mind-Only [Yogacarii/Cittamatra]; and 3) Total Emptiness [Miidhyamika]. ibid.
Atisa's long "Hymn to the Middle Way" begins here, and is his own composition, thirty-two stanzas in length, and of equal quality with the root stanzas of the Lamp itself. As he states in the introduction to it, he is imitating Bodhibhadra - specifically his Composition [Ot. 5252] on Aryadeva's Heart of Wisdom Compendium [Ot. 5251]. Bodhibhadra's treatise is of much greater length; so there is no slavish imitation here, but a quite clear and original work which surprisingly is not found in the Tanjur elsewhere as a separate treatise.
bag-chags/viisanii: disposition, propensity. The four dispositions alluded to
? 37
38 39
here are not identified, but are related to the afflictions [see Glossary] and are of an obscuring nature.
~je-sudpag_/anumiina: infere_nce, one of the two main sources of knowledge m the Indi~n systems of epistemology; direct perception (mngon-sum-du/ pratyak! ja) IS the second. The Nyaya-Vaisesika schools of Brahmanism, as well as Buddhist schools, developed logic to? a high degree. Atisa decries the science both in this and the following stanzas; although he himself assisted in
the Tibetan translation of an immense treatise on logic of Acarya Jaya (or Jina) [Ot. 5720].
yod min med min yod med min/
gyni ga min pa'ang ma yin pal.
a-yi sgo-can: "the door of A". The letter and sound "A" is the seed syllable for mantric meditation c:in the Perfection of Insight, the "Great Mother of all bodhisattvas". It is also the smallest of all the variations on the great Perfection ofWisdom siitras, from the 100,000 line version down to the short Single-Syllable Perfection o f Insight Sutra:
"At that time, the Blessed One spoke these words to the Venerable Ananda, '0 Ananda, take hold of this Perfection of Insight called the One-Syllable, because it is of benefit and happiness for all beings. It is like this: A. ' Thus the Blessed One spoke, arid Venerable Ananda and all those monks and great Bodhisattvas realised that Perfection and rejoiced, and praised what had been been said by the Blessed One. " [Ot. 741, Vol. 21:741. 4].
mnyam-par bzhag-pa/samiihita: equipoise, or the composure of concentra- tion (ting-nge-' dzin/samiidhi), the culmination of Calmness when distraction has been eliminated.
'byung-ba dang 'jug-pa: starts and advances. The reference is to a yogin who has transcended distraction and discursive thinking, and in his direct intuitional experience does not wish to be going in and out of his state of concentration.
This is the same siitra quoted in the root stanza 57. The pertinent section referred to here is:
"Ifthat bodhisattva abandons those [earlier analyses ofphenomena], then the analysis for gaining the other Levels - as when the signs of discursive thinking are clearly perceived- happens and becomes direct experience. It is like. this: From the signs of discursive thinking in the analysis for gaining the First Level up to the signs of discursive thinking in the analysis for gaining the Tenth Level, and for gaining Patience in the Non-arising Phenomena . . . even these signs of discursive thinking in his analysis for gaining [the Levels], he completely abandons by not directing his mind to them. " [Ot. 810, Vol. 32:231. 3).
The prophecy occurs in the Manjrdri Basic Tantra [Ot. 162]. See Bu-ston's mention of it in his short life of Nagarjuna in his Chos-'byung (Obermiller): 11:111 and 122.
The quotation in Stanza 56 is unidentified. The quote in Stanza 57 from the Non-Con:eptual Progress Fonnula is Ot. 810, Vol. 32:232. 5.
Ot. 760(8), Vol. 22:192. 2. Ot. 760{12), Vol. 23:78. 2. Ot. 768, Vol. 28.
Ot. 795, Vol. 31. Unidentified.
Ot. 775, Vol. 29:73. 4.
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
INSIGHT AND MEANS 159
? 160 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
51 52 53
Ot. 736, Vol. 21:195. 5.
Ot. 5029, Vol. 87.
Titis passage listing the names of the great Madhyamika scholars appears to be by a different hand, or at least a later addition made by Atisl! without cons~lting his previous spelling of the names. Here the names of Aryadeva and Santideva are transliterated from Sanskrit, rather than translated into Tibetan as elsewhere in the Commentary. Further, the passage itself seems
to be out of place, as these wr;iters have all been mentioned earlier in p. 140ofthischapter,alongwiththeprincipalwritingsofeach-althoughthe author states here that he does not set down their texts lest it expand his treatise too much. Also to be noted is the fact that Buddhapalita's name is absent from the present list, but Bhavya/Bhavaviveka is included; that is, the founder of the Madhyamika-Svatantrika school is included, but Bhavya, the
founder of the Madhyamika-Prasangika, is not.
byin-gyis brlabs/adhi~! hana: blessing, consecration. The word connotes the special' empowerment through personal contact and initiation by one's Guru. The same word is used for the "consecration" of the bowl and robes in the Ordination ceremony of monks. In the Bka'-gdams-pa tradition, the "Blessed Lineage" is a separate category from the teaching lineages of the Madhyamika theory, and the Compassion practice.
Ot. 5444, Vol. 103:255. 4.
Essay on the Enlightenment Thought (Ot. 5470, Vol. 103:273. 4]. BCA: IX: 34-5.
Unidentified.
Ot. SUM. The eight chapters are titled: (Vol. 88:1. 1]
1) Knowledge of All Modes (rnam-pa thams-cad mkhyen-pa);
2) Knowledge of All Paths (lam thams-cad mkhyen-pa);
3) All-Knowledge/Omniscience (kun mkhyen-pa);
4) Comprehension of All Modes (rnam-pa thams-cad rtog-pa);
5) Practice at the Summit (rtse-mor phyin-pa'i sbyor-ba);
6) The Gradual Process (mthar-gyis bya-ba);
7) The Instantaneous Realisation of the Sage (thub-pa'i skad-gcig gcig-pa-
yis rtogs-pa);
8) The Nature of the Sage (thub-pa'i ngo-bo-nyid).
There are two men by this name in the Bka'-gdams-pa lineage of the Broad Practice, distinguished only by their titles: Arya Vimuktisena is the teacher of Bhadanta Vimuktisena, and the author of a treatise which places the topics of the Ornamentfor the Realisations in correspondence with the topics of the 25,000 Line Perfection ofInsight Satra, called Atoka [Ot. 5185].
54
55
56 57 58 59
60
61 AuthoroftheLightontheOrnamentofRealisations'Expositionofthe8,000 Line Perfection ofInsight (Ot. 5189], whose work became the most popular in the Tibetan monasteries for study of the Perfection of Insight literature. The text was revised by Atisa together with Rin-chen bzang-po.
62 See Glossary.
63 The four Concentrations mentioned here are usually referred to as four
"clear realisations" (mngon-nogs/abhisamaya); i. e. one for each of the Four
Noble Truths as they are seen in the Vision Path.
64 skad-gcig-ma/~ana: moment. Each of the "clear realisations" of the Four
Truths in the Vision Path (see above note) is divided into four "Moments" or degrees of growth in the awareness of the Truth involved (Suffering, Origination, Cessation, Path), from a stage of eliminating one's ignorance about the Truth on up to full liberating knowledge of it. ?
? 65 66
67 68 69 70
71
Explanation of "Treasure of Phenomenology" [Ot. 5591, Vol. 115:189. lff. ].
The quotation is the same as that used in root Stanza 29; however, a different Tibetan translation of the siitra is used here.
O t . 120, V ol. 5:133. 4.
Ot. 5428, Vol. 103:244. 3.
See Chapter 2, note 1, for the same quotation.
This stanza immediately precedes those used for stanzas 26-31 in the root poem: Ornament of Maiijuirf's Buddhafield, [Ot. 760(15), Vol. 23:129. 2]. Ot. 4530, Vol. 81:113. 4.
INSIGHT AND MEANS 161
? Vehicle of Mysticism CHAPTER 7
T antra
? I
II
Tantra
VEHICLE OF MANTRA
A Rites B Powers
TANTRA SCRIPTURE
A Seven Classes of Tantra
B Bibliography ofTantras
Stanza Page
166
III INITIATIONS
IV
v
A Permission
B Winning a Guru
MISUNDERST ANDING OF
A Exaggeration B Defamation
PROHIBITED INITIA TIONS
TANTRA
VI
A Laymen and Religious B Religious Celibate
1 Permitted Initiations
2 Wisdom of Thatness
CONCLUDING VERSES
VII COLOPHONS
181
CHAPTER 7
60
167
61 167
167 168
62 169
169 63 172
64 172
173 174
65 176
176 66 177 67 177 177
179
166
? 7
Tantra
Vehicle of Mantra
Now I must speak about the Vehicle of Mantra. It too is a great vehicle and belongs to the highest Mahiiy~na. [33lb] When I say that the Mantra Vehicle is eminently superior to theVehicleofthePerfectionoflnsight,thetextualauthority I use is again from the great Acarya, venerable Tripitakamiila:
"The teachings on Mantra are eminently superior When mastered by one of keen abilities,
Because of the many Means [they offer] without
austerity-
Provided the one and only Goal is kept, unobscured. " 1
Hence, the bodhisattva who engages in the practice of Mantra must first produce that unmistakable reality, the Thought of Enlightenment in its ultimate sense. 2 However,
I am not going to talk here about the texts that explain the meaning of this. Here and in my root text I [simply] set down some of the means for accumulating the Two Equip- ments [of merit and knowledge], for a bodhisattva who is in the Generation Stage,3 and confine myself to that.
Rites
The Two Equipments can be swiftly and perfectly achieved in an extraordinary [way] by the system of Mantra. And with this in mind I wrote the stanza:
THROUGH THE RITES OF "APPEASEMENT" AND "PROSPERITY" AND THE REST, EFFECTED BY THE FORCE OF MANTRA,
AND ALSO BY THE STRENGTH OF THE EIGHT GREAT POWERS, STARTING WITH THAT OF "GOOD FLASK", AND OTHERS, [60]
? When I say "EFFECTED BY THE FORCE OF MANTRA", I mean all dhiira1Ji4 rituals in general, but also include the Powers effected on the strength of muttering5 Mantras taken from any of the Tantras - such as the dhiiralJfs of the Action Tantra. What are these rites? The rituals for "Domination" and "Destruction", for" APPEASEMENT AND PROSPERITY" and the rest of the eight kinds of ritual. 6
Powers
"THE EIGHT GREAT POWERS; STARTING WITH THAT OF 'GOOD FLASK', AND OTHERS" refers to [1] the Good Flask Power, [2] Fleetness of Foot, [3] the (Invincible] Sword, [4] the Commander, (5] the Underworld [Power], (6] Invisibility, [7] the Wishing-Tree, and [8] Supremacy. 7 By "AND OTHERS" I mean all the many Powers that are associated with the rites that put an end to anything, and follow upon the [principal] Eight Powers; for example, eye-medicine,
pills, flying in the sky, showers of grain, producing various shapes out of a conjured mustard-seed, superknowledge by augury, and the [Four] Miraculous Powers. 8 When, through Muttering and Concentration, one has accom-
plished these Eight Great Mundane Powers and the [rites of] Appeasement-Prosperity-Dominion-Destruction, one thereby perfects the Two Equipments of Merit and Knowledge, swiftly and effortlessly. [332a)
Tantra Scripture
Seven Classes ofTantra
What is this "Vehicle of Mantra" from which such Powers come so swiftly and effortlessly? I say:
IT IS MAINTAINED THAT THE EQUIPMENT FOR ENLIGHTENMENT IS PERFECTED WITH EASE;
AND IF. ONE WANTS TO PRACTISE MANTRA AS PRESCRIBED
IN THE TANTRAS: ACTION, PRACTICE, AND ON ? ? ? [Stanza61]
And these are: [1] Action Tantra, [2] Practice Tantra, [3] Skill Tantra, (4) Combined Tantra, [5] Union Tantra, [6] Great Union Tantra, and [7] Supreme Union Tantra. 9 The extent of each of these Tantras is immeasurable, as the
TANTRA 167
? 168 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY Blessed One says about their number in the Glorious
Compendium o f Diamond Knowledge: A Great Tantra:
"There are four thousand Action Tantras. There are eight thousand Practice Tantras. Their are four thousand Skill Tantras. There are six thousand Combined Tantras. There are twelve thousand Great Union Tantras. But if these are taken in their complete entirety, they are
[1]
Bibliography ofTantras
The four thousand Action Tantras include such texts as:
the All Dhiira~Jfs [Ot. 141],
the Highest Wisdom [Ot. 402],
the Excellent Dancer [Ot. 424],
the True Power Maker [Ot. 431],
the [Questions of] Subiihu [Ot. 428],
the Great: Basic Tantra ofManjuiri [Ot. 162], the Secret Tantras ofMaiijuirf[Toh. 544-52], the Diamond Crowners [Toh. 590-603],
the Tantra ofAmoghapiiSa [Ot. 365],
and the Great Victory Tantras [Toh. 604-13]. [332b] The Practice Tantra with its eight thousand texts has: the Perfect Enlightenment of Vairocana Tantra [Ot.
126],
and the Initiation ofVajrapii~Ji Tantra [Ot. 130].
The four thousand texts in the Skill Tantra collection contain the Tantra of Tiirii's Arising [Ot. 390], the Royal Tantra Setting Forth the Triple Pledge [Ot. 134], and the Compen,dium ofSkills.
Among the Combined Tantra in its six thousand text
collection are the Illusion-like [Ot. 102] and the Lord ofLotus Dancers.
The Union Tantra contains innumerable texts such as: the Compendium ofThatness [Ot. 112],
the Glorious Original [Aeon] [Ot. 119], the Conquest ofthe Triple World [Ot. 115], the Higher Union Conquest,
and the Diamond Summit [Ot. 113].
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
numberless. " 10
? [6] The Great Union Tantra in its twelve thousand collection contains such texts as the Glorious Union o f the Secret [Ot. 81] and its Explanatory Tantras [Toh. 443-53], and
[7]
the Beauty Mark o f the Secret Moon [Ot. 111], the Black DestroyerofYama [Ot. 103],
the Gloriolis Original [Aeon] [Ot. 119],
the Assembly ofAll Gods,
the Secret ofAll [Ot. 114],
the Unfailing Discipline,
the Compendium o f Diamond Knowledge [Ot. 84], the Marvels ofVairocana [Ot. 126],
the short Space-like [Buddha] [Ot. 31],
the Tantra o f Unique [Buddha's] Conquest [Ot. 87],
and the Diamond-Crowners Tantras.
In their entirety these texts are numberless.
The Supreme Union Tantra has fourteen thousand
texts in its collection and includes the Glorious Cakrasainvara: the Hundred Thousand Verses ofthe Space-like Buddha [Ot. 30; 59], and the Diamond Imp [Ot. 18],
the Four Diamond Seats [Ot. 68],
the Great Illusion [Ot. 64],
the Buddha-like Practice [Ot. 8],
the Buddha Death's Head [Ot. 63],
and the Five Hundred Thousand Verses on Hevajra
[Ot. 10].
Taken in their entirety the texts would be endless. It is the vastness of each of these Tantra collections that makes the Vehicle of Mantra so extremely broad and unlimited. [333a] The Gurus say that all dharalJis without exception, such as the DharalJis Blazing From the Mouths o f Ghosts and the Great Peacock-like DharalJis, are Tantras of the
Action class.
Initiations
Permission
In the line "IF ONE WANTS TO PRACTISE MANTRA AS
TANTRA 169
? 170 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
PRESCRIBED", [Stanza 61], you may ask what is meant by the words "AS PRESCRIBED", and SO I say:
THEN, TO GAIN THE PRECEPTOR-INITIA TION,
ONE MUST FIRST WIN A HOLY GURU
BY GIVING HIM ATTENDANCE AND PRECIOUS THINGS AND BY OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD. (Stanza 62]
That is, if you desire to practise the Mantra Vehicle in the Action Tantras and the rest, I indicate by my mention of "PRECEPTOR-INITIA TION" that you ! I1USt look not merely to your resolution and actually making progress [toward Enlightenment], but you must also receive the Flask Initiation [that is essential to the Preceptor-Initiation ritual],11 becauseotherwiseyouwouldbetakingMantraby yourself. That is why the Tantras say:
"Without [first] winning a Preceptor and Without [first] acquiring the Initiations, Even to begin the study [ofTantra] Would be ineffectiveness itself. "
And again:
"Without even the Permission'2 for Initiation Is to take Mantra by oneself. "
Taking Mantra by oneself means to perform the dhiiralJf rituals while still relying on methods of the Perfection Path in the Mahayana siitra sense- without even [so much as] the Permission of a Guru for entering the Mal)qala13 and for Initiation. It is taking Mantra by oneself when one listens to and cultivates visualisations14 such as venerable Tara's, or
practises Muttering [of mantras] or Fire-offering or Food- offering's or the Mal)qala and the like- [without a Guru's Permission]. [333b] The Permission to enter the Mal)qala and to receive Initiation is granted [explicitly] by the Preceptor's saying, "Your god is this one. This is the muttering you must do. " 16 Hence the Tantras say:
? "This taking Mantra by oneself
Leads only to destiny in Hell;
Even the Mantra is not effective,
And the body is only wasted in afflictions. "
These are the things I meant by my words" AS PRESCRIBED", and all the Tantras, all the Acaryas of old, and every single Guru today say that the prescription is explicit. If someone says that certain persons, because of the dreams and omens of mundane and supramundane deities they have, are persons who practised Mantra in previous lives [and
therefore need no Permission], then let a method [for determining] their achievement be applied - [presuming) they had pleased a Guru and were given his blessing and re- ceived his Permission to "practise in this certain manner". The method to be used can be that of the Setting Forth the
TriplePledgeand PalaceoftheGreatJewe! andGloryofthe Blessed One, Vaiqurya, Teacher ofHealing: if by these methods they have cleansed themselves of sin and built up their equipment [of merit and knowledge], and then auspicious signs occur, these persons [indeed] had permission to enter Mantrayana; but they are not thereby [necessarily] persons who [actually] practised it in previous lives. Moreover, their Permission to teach Mantra, or to hear, study and practise it, was not given merely because they had taken the Three Refuges and had the resolution for Enlightenment and made progress toward it. The Paths
on which one progresses are each different, and the [methods of] liberation of the particular Vehicles should not be mixed up. [334a] The Blessed One preached the various paths of the Vehicles because He knew the capability of persons, their potential and disposition. And that is why I wrote the way I did in the root text:
IF ONE WANTS TO PRACTISE MANTRA . . . THEN TO GAIN THE PRECEPTOR-INITIATION . .
That is, if you wish to enter and practise in the Vehicle of the Perfections, then you must school yourself in the Three Kinds of Trai,ning I explained earlier. 17 But if you wish to
TANTRA 171
? 172 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
practise Mantra and perform visualisations like venerable Tara's, then you must request the Flask Initiation [that is essential to) the "PRECEPTOR-INITIATION". That is the meaning of my stanza.
Winning a Guru
Now then, if you ask whether this can be done when you have no worldly goods or lofty presents for the initiating Guru, the words "BY GIVING ATTENDANCE AND PRECIOUS THINGS" indicate it cannot.
Hence, the yogin who has been in the Equipment Path and set in [its] Emptiness then advances to the Practice Path and develops the basic virtues [called] the Aids to Liberation. The words "BY STAGES HAS ATTAINED 'WARMTH'
AND THE REST" refer to those [four] aids to one's con- viction: that is, persevering through (1] the three degrees of Warmth, [21 the three degrees of Summits, (3] the three degrees of Patience, and [4] the three degrees of the
Highest [Mundane] Phenomena. 62 [330b]
"THEN HE WILL GAIN THE 'JOYOUS' (LEVEL] AND ON UP"
refers to the advance to the Path of Vision and its four Concentrations and so on. 63 "BUDDHA-ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT FAR OFF" means that while perfecting the Ten Levels, the Supreme and Perfect Enlightenment is coming about from Moment to Moment [of the Vision Path],64 and in no time at all, and swiftly, you will gain the Three Bodies and
Five Wisdoms and so on.
I have not written here the details
Of the Practice Path and its start at "Warmth", Nor of the Ten Levels that begin in Vision Path, Nor of the Three Bodies and the rest, because I Fear too long a text. Study them in Siitra and Commentary; there they are well woven.
Another reason I said "BUDDHA-ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT FAR OFF" w::s to give [some] encouragement to slothful bodhisattvas. The "three countless aeons"65 that scripture speaks of [for attaining Enlightenment] is not very long for Bodhisattvas who stay [in samsara] for the sake of all living beings. As Ambaraja's words have it:
INSIGHT AND MEANS 153
? 154 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
" A s for me, I have no preference or wish
To be a Buddha in [some] distant Enlightenment; But I shall carry on to the very end of time,
For the sake of one single creature. " 66
And the Glorious Original [Aeon]:
"The wisest man remains in samsara
As long as he can; for then, by choosing Not to pass into Nirvaq. a, he can seek The unequalled good ofcreatures. "67
And from the Resolves of Nagarjuna:
"As long as there are any creatures here at all,
And one of them is still not saved,
I will carry on my investigations for them,
Even though I have reached the Highest Enlightenment. " 68
If you ask why [the saving of others takes so long], I answer from the Siitras:
"If all the realms of the world were changed into [331a] a single tank of water, and if for a thousand years one man worked at dipping the water from it with the tip of a single hair - that tank of water might lower somewhat. But with the realm of creatures there is no such lessening. "
And from the Good Practice:
"The extent of all creatures is as vast as the limits of
space. " 69
For instance, a bodhisattva is called slothful when he thinks, "After I have demolished [by analysis for Emptiness] all the atoms of Mount Meru, king of mountains, I will reach Enlightenment. "And that is why Ambaraja says:
? "Until the very last rebirth
In this beginningless samsara,
I will perform endless deeds
For the benefit and good of creatures. " 70
Hence, even I must not desire to be swiftly Enlightened, except to lessen those suffering in the realm of creatures, whether it is diminishing or increasing or not.
It necessarily follows that a bodhisattva of keen ability, endowed with a hero's great zeal and a mind controlled by compassion for all creatures, will- although he had not desired i t - swiftly be directly and perfectly Enlightened.
In his Lamp ofthe Three Methods, AcaryaTripi~akamala says:
2 3
4
5 6
7 8
"In the depth and in the breadth
Of its aspiration and execution,
The Great Vehicle is far superior,
For it achieves the changeless result . .
The Vehicle of the Perfections is far more exalted than the Vehicle of the Hearers- iinpress that on your mind. "71
THIS COMPLETES [THE TEACHING ON) THE VEHICLE OF THE PERFECTIONS
Notes to Chapter 6
See Glossary for technical Buddhist terms here. Calmness pertains merely to yogic method? for concentrating one's mind; the actual removal of the hindrances to liberation is a matter of overcoming ignorance through the investigations of Higher Vision.
Ot. 84:3, Vol. 38:85. 3.
Instruction in the Steps ofContemplation ofthe Perfection Vehicle, Ot. 5456, Vol. 103:264. 2.
dbyer med-pa/asan;rbhinna: undifferentiated. All phenomena lose any basis for real dist~nction in their ultimate and true reality of Emptiness.
Ot. 761 (31).
This siitra title is not fou! Jd in the catalogues, but the title and the quotation here are excerpted from Santideva's SS: pp. 96-99.
Ot. 126, Vol. 5:241. 1.
mi-gnas-pa'i mya-ngan-las-'das/aprat~thita-nirvii~a: The "Deferred Nir- vli~a" is a third addition of Mahayana to the two earlier types of Nirval}a
understood by the Hinayana schools; viz. ,
INSIGHT AND MEANS 155
? 156 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
1) Nirvana-with-remainder (phung-bo /hag-rna dang bcas-pa'i0 / sa-upadhise~a-0 ) ; and
2) Nirvana-without-remainder (phung-bo /hag-rna med-pa'i0 / nirupddhise$a-0 ) .
For the Hinayanist, the first type means the cessation of all obscuration caused by any afflicting activity (e. g. , any imperfection), b~t with the body and mind continuing to function - as with the Buddha Sakyamuni after his Enlightenment, continuing his non-afflicting activity of preaching the Doctrine and founding the Community. The second type means the total cessation not only of the obscuration caused by afflicting activity, but of all mental and physical activity as well, as exemplified by the Buddha's final departure into Nirvarya. the "Parinirvarya", at the age of eighty.
The Mahayanists add the third type, the Deferred Nirvarya, to describe the Bodhisattva who has earned Nirvarya by his having overcome not only the obscuration caused by afflicting activity but also that caused by ignorance of the true nature of Non-self; i. e. the all-embracing Emptiness of all apparent reality. This Bodhisattva then, by choice and out of compassion, remains in samsara to devote himself to the salvation of all beings. It is this type which Ji\anakirti proceeds to describe in this passage.
The Mahayanist view of a third type of Nirvana necessarily gives a slightly different interpretation to the Nirvaryas of the Buddha Sakyamuni, who for the Mahayanist is simply one of many Tathagatas or Bodhisattvas who have appeared in Form or Apparition Bodies to serve living beings. Consequently the first and second types of Nirvarya become but different kinds of final release won by those of the Hinayana paths: the Hearer with his goal of Arhatship (Nirvarya-with-remainder), meaning his afflicting activity has ceased, but a "remainder" of obscuration persists because of his partial ignorance of the true extent of Non-self; i. e. that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence. And the Solitary Buddha wins the goal of Buddhahood
(Nirvarya-without-remainder), completely released from all obscuration, whether caused by afflicting activity or by ignorance of the true extent of non-substantiality, yet less perfect in his Nirvarya because of his declining to return to the world of rebirth- as the Bodhisattva- for the sake of others.
See T. R. V. Murti, Central Philosophy of Buddhism, pp. 271ff. See Glossary.
9
10 The reference is to the long analytical lists of component phenomena
11 12
13
found in the Abhidharma texts of the Hinayana. By comprehending the component elements of any given thing, it was believed that the false view of that thing's real Self (or substantiality) could be eliminated; e. g. compre- hending that the apparent Self is composed of the five aggregates, and each of the five aggregates in tum composed of further phenomena. For the Mahayanist this type of analysis would not be adequate for liberating the mind from ignorance, since the very emptiness of substantiality of the component phenomena themselves is what must be seen and experienced. Bodhibhadra, op. cit. ? pp. 253. 4ff.
The three aspects (rnam-pa gsum) of a thing are the Subject-Action-Object involved.
kun-rdzob/sarrzvrtti: relative, as opposed to the ultimate absolute sense or aspect. These are the two aspects or levels of truth familiar in Buddhist terminology. The ordinary or conventional truths (relative) are valid at the mundane level in the conduct of everyday affairs; the ultimate truths are realities as they truly are in themselves, empty of any inherent existence. In terms of the Enlightenment Thought, Compassion is considered to be the
? 14 15
16
17
Thought on the relative level because it deals with creatures in ordinary everyday activity by means of the Perfections. The absolute Thought of Enlightenment is Emptiness itself.
Ot. 115, Vol. 5:73. 3ff and 76. 4ff.
The same list of five bodhisattvas at various stages of the Path is found in Chapter 2, p. 45.
The import here is that the Means are basically an exercise of Compassion whereby Enlightened Ones choose to continue their work of liberating all beings. Hence, the Means are the cause of the Apparition Body (which is necessary for working for others in the Desire and Form realms) and of the Enjoyment Body (which is necessary for preaching in the paradises of the Formless realms).
gtan-tshigs/upapatti: proof, demonstration. The Four Great Proofs, given with their popular names here, are summarised in the opening stanza of Nagarjuna's Basic Stanzas on the Middle Way [Ot. 5224, Vol. 95:1. 1 ]:
(A) /'gag pa med pa skye ba med pal [B) Ichad med pa rtag med pal
[C] /'ong med pa 'gro med pal
(D] /tha dad don min dol'! gcig min/.
The Tibetan translation reverses the sequence of the last two lines of the Sanskrit:
[A] anirodham-anutpadam- [B) anucchedam-llSiiSvatam/ (C) anekartham-ananartham- [D] anagamam-anirgamam/.
Actually all four proofs will employ Nagarjuna's famed tetralemma (mu- bzhi/catus-kotika: four-homed, of four extremes) dialectic in reducing to absurdity that entities exist, or do not exist, or both exist and not exist, or neither exist nor not exist. Hence, aside from the Diamond Particle (rdo-rje gzegs-ma/vajra-ka~Ja) Proof, Atisa's popular names for the proofs coincide with the above stanza:
[A) Non-cessation and Non-arising;
[B] Non-destruction and Non-permanence (called Diamond Particle
because this proof is the most basic enunciation of the tetralemma in
terms of existence, and represents the very heart of the gem);
[C) Non-identity and Non-multiplicity;
[DJ Non-goingandNon-coming(anotherwayofexpressingtheBuddhist
Dependent Origination causality).
nam-mkha'i me-tog/kha-pWjpam: sky-flower; a common example in Indian logic for a contradiction in terms; as also a hare's hom, son of a barren woman, etc.
BCA: IX:146-50.
The list covers the ultimate principles of all India's major philosophical traditions: ?
a) Atman (bdag): the Supreme Self of the Vedanta schools;
b) Fate (phya): both the scepticism of the Carvaka school and fatalism of
the Aji:vakas;
c) isvara (dbang-phyug): the Lord, or God, of later Nyaya-Vaise~ika;
d) Puru~a (skyes-bu): the free and independent self, Person, co-principle
18
19 20
with Prakrti in the Saf! lkhya system;
INSIGHT AND MEANS 157
? 158 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
21
22 23
24
e) Karma (/as): retributive action; held by all schools, including Buddhist; but as an ultimate principle stressed by the Mimarpsa and Jaina traditions;
f) Prakrti (rang-bzhin): ultimate unconscious Nature, co-principle with Puru~a in Sarpkhya;
g) Gu~as (yon-tan): the three Attributes of Prakrti in the Sarpkhya system (clarity, activity, darkness), whose disturbance starts the process of evolution of the world.
h) Brahman (tshangs-pa): the Supreme Spirit of the Vedanta schools; first of the triad with
i) Vi~I}U (khyab-'jug), and Siva (whom Atisa does not mention).
The reference is to the Hinayana schools which held the real production of phenomena (dharma) as ultimate constituents, while denying composite substances and a Self as real. Vasubandhu treats the six kinds of causes and
the four kinds of conditions in A K(LVP): II: pp. 245ff.
Ot. 5224, Vol. 95:3. 1.
{i-ka/{ikii: sub-commentary. 'grel-pa/vrtti: primary commentary, often by the author himself.
The quotation is from the great patron of Buddhism in Tibet, co-founder of Bsam-yas, and upadhyaya of the first ordained Tibetan monks. The passage here is not identified any further than the author's name, but is probably from his Ornament o fthe Middle Way and its auto-commentary JOt. 5284. 5]. It is curious that this quotation and the following one from Sri-gupta are given here for explanation of the Lack of Identity and Plurality Proof, yet
neither the names of the authors nor names of their works are mentioned in
the final bibliography in this chapter. 25 Unidentified.
26 Nagarjuna's investigation of the Twelvefold Chain of Dependent Origination is Chapter 26 of his Basic Stanzas [Ot. 5224]:
27
28
29 30 31 32 33
34 35
36
In the ~veda the goose is said to be able to separate Soma from water when the two are mixed. In later literature, as here, the ability is to strain milk from water. The final stanza here is also used in Atisa's Introduction to the Two Truths [Ot. 5380, Vol. 103:187. 3. ].
don dam-pa/paramiirtha: ultimate truth. See note 13 of this chapter. Training in the meditational practices on Emptiness requires the guidance of a Guru.
de-kho-na-myid/tattva: thatness=Emptiness (stong-pa-nyid/sunyatii).
Ot. 846, Vol. 34:110. 5.
Ot. 5470, Vol. 103:273. 3.
O t . 5251, V ol. 95:144. 3.
ibid. With these three stanzas excerpted from Nagarjuna, the Three Turnings of the Wheel are exemplified: 1) the Four Truths [Hinayana]; 2) Mind-Only [Yogacarii/Cittamatra]; and 3) Total Emptiness [Miidhyamika]. ibid.
Atisa's long "Hymn to the Middle Way" begins here, and is his own composition, thirty-two stanzas in length, and of equal quality with the root stanzas of the Lamp itself. As he states in the introduction to it, he is imitating Bodhibhadra - specifically his Composition [Ot. 5252] on Aryadeva's Heart of Wisdom Compendium [Ot. 5251]. Bodhibhadra's treatise is of much greater length; so there is no slavish imitation here, but a quite clear and original work which surprisingly is not found in the Tanjur elsewhere as a separate treatise.
bag-chags/viisanii: disposition, propensity. The four dispositions alluded to
? 37
38 39
here are not identified, but are related to the afflictions [see Glossary] and are of an obscuring nature.
~je-sudpag_/anumiina: infere_nce, one of the two main sources of knowledge m the Indi~n systems of epistemology; direct perception (mngon-sum-du/ pratyak! ja) IS the second. The Nyaya-Vaisesika schools of Brahmanism, as well as Buddhist schools, developed logic to? a high degree. Atisa decries the science both in this and the following stanzas; although he himself assisted in
the Tibetan translation of an immense treatise on logic of Acarya Jaya (or Jina) [Ot. 5720].
yod min med min yod med min/
gyni ga min pa'ang ma yin pal.
a-yi sgo-can: "the door of A". The letter and sound "A" is the seed syllable for mantric meditation c:in the Perfection of Insight, the "Great Mother of all bodhisattvas". It is also the smallest of all the variations on the great Perfection ofWisdom siitras, from the 100,000 line version down to the short Single-Syllable Perfection o f Insight Sutra:
"At that time, the Blessed One spoke these words to the Venerable Ananda, '0 Ananda, take hold of this Perfection of Insight called the One-Syllable, because it is of benefit and happiness for all beings. It is like this: A. ' Thus the Blessed One spoke, arid Venerable Ananda and all those monks and great Bodhisattvas realised that Perfection and rejoiced, and praised what had been been said by the Blessed One. " [Ot. 741, Vol. 21:741. 4].
mnyam-par bzhag-pa/samiihita: equipoise, or the composure of concentra- tion (ting-nge-' dzin/samiidhi), the culmination of Calmness when distraction has been eliminated.
'byung-ba dang 'jug-pa: starts and advances. The reference is to a yogin who has transcended distraction and discursive thinking, and in his direct intuitional experience does not wish to be going in and out of his state of concentration.
This is the same siitra quoted in the root stanza 57. The pertinent section referred to here is:
"Ifthat bodhisattva abandons those [earlier analyses ofphenomena], then the analysis for gaining the other Levels - as when the signs of discursive thinking are clearly perceived- happens and becomes direct experience. It is like. this: From the signs of discursive thinking in the analysis for gaining the First Level up to the signs of discursive thinking in the analysis for gaining the Tenth Level, and for gaining Patience in the Non-arising Phenomena . . . even these signs of discursive thinking in his analysis for gaining [the Levels], he completely abandons by not directing his mind to them. " [Ot. 810, Vol. 32:231. 3).
The prophecy occurs in the Manjrdri Basic Tantra [Ot. 162]. See Bu-ston's mention of it in his short life of Nagarjuna in his Chos-'byung (Obermiller): 11:111 and 122.
The quotation in Stanza 56 is unidentified. The quote in Stanza 57 from the Non-Con:eptual Progress Fonnula is Ot. 810, Vol. 32:232. 5.
Ot. 760(8), Vol. 22:192. 2. Ot. 760{12), Vol. 23:78. 2. Ot. 768, Vol. 28.
Ot. 795, Vol. 31. Unidentified.
Ot. 775, Vol. 29:73. 4.
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
INSIGHT AND MEANS 159
? 160 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
51 52 53
Ot. 736, Vol. 21:195. 5.
Ot. 5029, Vol. 87.
Titis passage listing the names of the great Madhyamika scholars appears to be by a different hand, or at least a later addition made by Atisl! without cons~lting his previous spelling of the names. Here the names of Aryadeva and Santideva are transliterated from Sanskrit, rather than translated into Tibetan as elsewhere in the Commentary. Further, the passage itself seems
to be out of place, as these wr;iters have all been mentioned earlier in p. 140ofthischapter,alongwiththeprincipalwritingsofeach-althoughthe author states here that he does not set down their texts lest it expand his treatise too much. Also to be noted is the fact that Buddhapalita's name is absent from the present list, but Bhavya/Bhavaviveka is included; that is, the founder of the Madhyamika-Svatantrika school is included, but Bhavya, the
founder of the Madhyamika-Prasangika, is not.
byin-gyis brlabs/adhi~! hana: blessing, consecration. The word connotes the special' empowerment through personal contact and initiation by one's Guru. The same word is used for the "consecration" of the bowl and robes in the Ordination ceremony of monks. In the Bka'-gdams-pa tradition, the "Blessed Lineage" is a separate category from the teaching lineages of the Madhyamika theory, and the Compassion practice.
Ot. 5444, Vol. 103:255. 4.
Essay on the Enlightenment Thought (Ot. 5470, Vol. 103:273. 4]. BCA: IX: 34-5.
Unidentified.
Ot. SUM. The eight chapters are titled: (Vol. 88:1. 1]
1) Knowledge of All Modes (rnam-pa thams-cad mkhyen-pa);
2) Knowledge of All Paths (lam thams-cad mkhyen-pa);
3) All-Knowledge/Omniscience (kun mkhyen-pa);
4) Comprehension of All Modes (rnam-pa thams-cad rtog-pa);
5) Practice at the Summit (rtse-mor phyin-pa'i sbyor-ba);
6) The Gradual Process (mthar-gyis bya-ba);
7) The Instantaneous Realisation of the Sage (thub-pa'i skad-gcig gcig-pa-
yis rtogs-pa);
8) The Nature of the Sage (thub-pa'i ngo-bo-nyid).
There are two men by this name in the Bka'-gdams-pa lineage of the Broad Practice, distinguished only by their titles: Arya Vimuktisena is the teacher of Bhadanta Vimuktisena, and the author of a treatise which places the topics of the Ornamentfor the Realisations in correspondence with the topics of the 25,000 Line Perfection ofInsight Satra, called Atoka [Ot. 5185].
54
55
56 57 58 59
60
61 AuthoroftheLightontheOrnamentofRealisations'Expositionofthe8,000 Line Perfection ofInsight (Ot. 5189], whose work became the most popular in the Tibetan monasteries for study of the Perfection of Insight literature. The text was revised by Atisa together with Rin-chen bzang-po.
62 See Glossary.
63 The four Concentrations mentioned here are usually referred to as four
"clear realisations" (mngon-nogs/abhisamaya); i. e. one for each of the Four
Noble Truths as they are seen in the Vision Path.
64 skad-gcig-ma/~ana: moment. Each of the "clear realisations" of the Four
Truths in the Vision Path (see above note) is divided into four "Moments" or degrees of growth in the awareness of the Truth involved (Suffering, Origination, Cessation, Path), from a stage of eliminating one's ignorance about the Truth on up to full liberating knowledge of it. ?
? 65 66
67 68 69 70
71
Explanation of "Treasure of Phenomenology" [Ot. 5591, Vol. 115:189. lff. ].
The quotation is the same as that used in root Stanza 29; however, a different Tibetan translation of the siitra is used here.
O t . 120, V ol. 5:133. 4.
Ot. 5428, Vol. 103:244. 3.
See Chapter 2, note 1, for the same quotation.
This stanza immediately precedes those used for stanzas 26-31 in the root poem: Ornament of Maiijuirf's Buddhafield, [Ot. 760(15), Vol. 23:129. 2]. Ot. 4530, Vol. 81:113. 4.
INSIGHT AND MEANS 161
? Vehicle of Mysticism CHAPTER 7
T antra
? I
II
Tantra
VEHICLE OF MANTRA
A Rites B Powers
TANTRA SCRIPTURE
A Seven Classes of Tantra
B Bibliography ofTantras
Stanza Page
166
III INITIATIONS
IV
v
A Permission
B Winning a Guru
MISUNDERST ANDING OF
A Exaggeration B Defamation
PROHIBITED INITIA TIONS
TANTRA
VI
A Laymen and Religious B Religious Celibate
1 Permitted Initiations
2 Wisdom of Thatness
CONCLUDING VERSES
VII COLOPHONS
181
CHAPTER 7
60
167
61 167
167 168
62 169
169 63 172
64 172
173 174
65 176
176 66 177 67 177 177
179
166
? 7
Tantra
Vehicle of Mantra
Now I must speak about the Vehicle of Mantra. It too is a great vehicle and belongs to the highest Mahiiy~na. [33lb] When I say that the Mantra Vehicle is eminently superior to theVehicleofthePerfectionoflnsight,thetextualauthority I use is again from the great Acarya, venerable Tripitakamiila:
"The teachings on Mantra are eminently superior When mastered by one of keen abilities,
Because of the many Means [they offer] without
austerity-
Provided the one and only Goal is kept, unobscured. " 1
Hence, the bodhisattva who engages in the practice of Mantra must first produce that unmistakable reality, the Thought of Enlightenment in its ultimate sense. 2 However,
I am not going to talk here about the texts that explain the meaning of this. Here and in my root text I [simply] set down some of the means for accumulating the Two Equip- ments [of merit and knowledge], for a bodhisattva who is in the Generation Stage,3 and confine myself to that.
Rites
The Two Equipments can be swiftly and perfectly achieved in an extraordinary [way] by the system of Mantra. And with this in mind I wrote the stanza:
THROUGH THE RITES OF "APPEASEMENT" AND "PROSPERITY" AND THE REST, EFFECTED BY THE FORCE OF MANTRA,
AND ALSO BY THE STRENGTH OF THE EIGHT GREAT POWERS, STARTING WITH THAT OF "GOOD FLASK", AND OTHERS, [60]
? When I say "EFFECTED BY THE FORCE OF MANTRA", I mean all dhiira1Ji4 rituals in general, but also include the Powers effected on the strength of muttering5 Mantras taken from any of the Tantras - such as the dhiiralJfs of the Action Tantra. What are these rites? The rituals for "Domination" and "Destruction", for" APPEASEMENT AND PROSPERITY" and the rest of the eight kinds of ritual. 6
Powers
"THE EIGHT GREAT POWERS; STARTING WITH THAT OF 'GOOD FLASK', AND OTHERS" refers to [1] the Good Flask Power, [2] Fleetness of Foot, [3] the (Invincible] Sword, [4] the Commander, (5] the Underworld [Power], (6] Invisibility, [7] the Wishing-Tree, and [8] Supremacy. 7 By "AND OTHERS" I mean all the many Powers that are associated with the rites that put an end to anything, and follow upon the [principal] Eight Powers; for example, eye-medicine,
pills, flying in the sky, showers of grain, producing various shapes out of a conjured mustard-seed, superknowledge by augury, and the [Four] Miraculous Powers. 8 When, through Muttering and Concentration, one has accom-
plished these Eight Great Mundane Powers and the [rites of] Appeasement-Prosperity-Dominion-Destruction, one thereby perfects the Two Equipments of Merit and Knowledge, swiftly and effortlessly. [332a)
Tantra Scripture
Seven Classes ofTantra
What is this "Vehicle of Mantra" from which such Powers come so swiftly and effortlessly? I say:
IT IS MAINTAINED THAT THE EQUIPMENT FOR ENLIGHTENMENT IS PERFECTED WITH EASE;
AND IF. ONE WANTS TO PRACTISE MANTRA AS PRESCRIBED
IN THE TANTRAS: ACTION, PRACTICE, AND ON ? ? ? [Stanza61]
And these are: [1] Action Tantra, [2] Practice Tantra, [3] Skill Tantra, (4) Combined Tantra, [5] Union Tantra, [6] Great Union Tantra, and [7] Supreme Union Tantra. 9 The extent of each of these Tantras is immeasurable, as the
TANTRA 167
? 168 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY Blessed One says about their number in the Glorious
Compendium o f Diamond Knowledge: A Great Tantra:
"There are four thousand Action Tantras. There are eight thousand Practice Tantras. Their are four thousand Skill Tantras. There are six thousand Combined Tantras. There are twelve thousand Great Union Tantras. But if these are taken in their complete entirety, they are
[1]
Bibliography ofTantras
The four thousand Action Tantras include such texts as:
the All Dhiira~Jfs [Ot. 141],
the Highest Wisdom [Ot. 402],
the Excellent Dancer [Ot. 424],
the True Power Maker [Ot. 431],
the [Questions of] Subiihu [Ot. 428],
the Great: Basic Tantra ofManjuiri [Ot. 162], the Secret Tantras ofMaiijuirf[Toh. 544-52], the Diamond Crowners [Toh. 590-603],
the Tantra ofAmoghapiiSa [Ot. 365],
and the Great Victory Tantras [Toh. 604-13]. [332b] The Practice Tantra with its eight thousand texts has: the Perfect Enlightenment of Vairocana Tantra [Ot.
126],
and the Initiation ofVajrapii~Ji Tantra [Ot. 130].
The four thousand texts in the Skill Tantra collection contain the Tantra of Tiirii's Arising [Ot. 390], the Royal Tantra Setting Forth the Triple Pledge [Ot. 134], and the Compen,dium ofSkills.
Among the Combined Tantra in its six thousand text
collection are the Illusion-like [Ot. 102] and the Lord ofLotus Dancers.
The Union Tantra contains innumerable texts such as: the Compendium ofThatness [Ot. 112],
the Glorious Original [Aeon] [Ot. 119], the Conquest ofthe Triple World [Ot. 115], the Higher Union Conquest,
and the Diamond Summit [Ot. 113].
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
numberless. " 10
? [6] The Great Union Tantra in its twelve thousand collection contains such texts as the Glorious Union o f the Secret [Ot. 81] and its Explanatory Tantras [Toh. 443-53], and
[7]
the Beauty Mark o f the Secret Moon [Ot. 111], the Black DestroyerofYama [Ot. 103],
the Gloriolis Original [Aeon] [Ot. 119],
the Assembly ofAll Gods,
the Secret ofAll [Ot. 114],
the Unfailing Discipline,
the Compendium o f Diamond Knowledge [Ot. 84], the Marvels ofVairocana [Ot. 126],
the short Space-like [Buddha] [Ot. 31],
the Tantra o f Unique [Buddha's] Conquest [Ot. 87],
and the Diamond-Crowners Tantras.
In their entirety these texts are numberless.
The Supreme Union Tantra has fourteen thousand
texts in its collection and includes the Glorious Cakrasainvara: the Hundred Thousand Verses ofthe Space-like Buddha [Ot. 30; 59], and the Diamond Imp [Ot. 18],
the Four Diamond Seats [Ot. 68],
the Great Illusion [Ot. 64],
the Buddha-like Practice [Ot. 8],
the Buddha Death's Head [Ot. 63],
and the Five Hundred Thousand Verses on Hevajra
[Ot. 10].
Taken in their entirety the texts would be endless. It is the vastness of each of these Tantra collections that makes the Vehicle of Mantra so extremely broad and unlimited. [333a] The Gurus say that all dharalJis without exception, such as the DharalJis Blazing From the Mouths o f Ghosts and the Great Peacock-like DharalJis, are Tantras of the
Action class.
Initiations
Permission
In the line "IF ONE WANTS TO PRACTISE MANTRA AS
TANTRA 169
? 170 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
PRESCRIBED", [Stanza 61], you may ask what is meant by the words "AS PRESCRIBED", and SO I say:
THEN, TO GAIN THE PRECEPTOR-INITIA TION,
ONE MUST FIRST WIN A HOLY GURU
BY GIVING HIM ATTENDANCE AND PRECIOUS THINGS AND BY OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD. (Stanza 62]
That is, if you desire to practise the Mantra Vehicle in the Action Tantras and the rest, I indicate by my mention of "PRECEPTOR-INITIA TION" that you ! I1USt look not merely to your resolution and actually making progress [toward Enlightenment], but you must also receive the Flask Initiation [that is essential to the Preceptor-Initiation ritual],11 becauseotherwiseyouwouldbetakingMantraby yourself. That is why the Tantras say:
"Without [first] winning a Preceptor and Without [first] acquiring the Initiations, Even to begin the study [ofTantra] Would be ineffectiveness itself. "
And again:
"Without even the Permission'2 for Initiation Is to take Mantra by oneself. "
Taking Mantra by oneself means to perform the dhiiralJf rituals while still relying on methods of the Perfection Path in the Mahayana siitra sense- without even [so much as] the Permission of a Guru for entering the Mal)qala13 and for Initiation. It is taking Mantra by oneself when one listens to and cultivates visualisations14 such as venerable Tara's, or
practises Muttering [of mantras] or Fire-offering or Food- offering's or the Mal)qala and the like- [without a Guru's Permission]. [333b] The Permission to enter the Mal)qala and to receive Initiation is granted [explicitly] by the Preceptor's saying, "Your god is this one. This is the muttering you must do. " 16 Hence the Tantras say:
? "This taking Mantra by oneself
Leads only to destiny in Hell;
Even the Mantra is not effective,
And the body is only wasted in afflictions. "
These are the things I meant by my words" AS PRESCRIBED", and all the Tantras, all the Acaryas of old, and every single Guru today say that the prescription is explicit. If someone says that certain persons, because of the dreams and omens of mundane and supramundane deities they have, are persons who practised Mantra in previous lives [and
therefore need no Permission], then let a method [for determining] their achievement be applied - [presuming) they had pleased a Guru and were given his blessing and re- ceived his Permission to "practise in this certain manner". The method to be used can be that of the Setting Forth the
TriplePledgeand PalaceoftheGreatJewe! andGloryofthe Blessed One, Vaiqurya, Teacher ofHealing: if by these methods they have cleansed themselves of sin and built up their equipment [of merit and knowledge], and then auspicious signs occur, these persons [indeed] had permission to enter Mantrayana; but they are not thereby [necessarily] persons who [actually] practised it in previous lives. Moreover, their Permission to teach Mantra, or to hear, study and practise it, was not given merely because they had taken the Three Refuges and had the resolution for Enlightenment and made progress toward it. The Paths
on which one progresses are each different, and the [methods of] liberation of the particular Vehicles should not be mixed up. [334a] The Blessed One preached the various paths of the Vehicles because He knew the capability of persons, their potential and disposition. And that is why I wrote the way I did in the root text:
IF ONE WANTS TO PRACTISE MANTRA . . . THEN TO GAIN THE PRECEPTOR-INITIATION . .
That is, if you wish to enter and practise in the Vehicle of the Perfections, then you must school yourself in the Three Kinds of Trai,ning I explained earlier. 17 But if you wish to
TANTRA 171
? 172 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
practise Mantra and perform visualisations like venerable Tara's, then you must request the Flask Initiation [that is essential to) the "PRECEPTOR-INITIATION". That is the meaning of my stanza.
Winning a Guru
Now then, if you ask whether this can be done when you have no worldly goods or lofty presents for the initiating Guru, the words "BY GIVING ATTENDANCE AND PRECIOUS THINGS" indicate it cannot.
