These are the accu-
mulation
of object-related merit and the accumulation of nonreferential wisdom.
Jamgon-Kongtrul-Cloudless-Sky
From this mind, difficult to express,
Various magical displays of samsara and nirvana arise. Recognizing these as self-liberated is the supreme view. When this is realized, everything is suchness.
When there are no obstructions or attainments, this is the
innate nature.
When conceptual mind is transcended, this is the ultimate.
. 5.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG? ? ?
As for path mahamudra:
Mind and the phenomenal world are mahamudra. Coemergent mind is dharmakaya.
Coemergent appearance is the light of dharmakaya. When the blessings of the glorious guru
And one's karma come together,
One realizes one's nature like meeting an old friend.
There is no point in much talk,
But the beginner needs various things.
One should abandon either welcoming or sending off
thoughts of past and future.
The instantaneous mind of nowness
Is the unfabricated innate nature.
In meditation, there should be no trace of deliberateness. One should not stray for an instant in confusion. Nonwandering, nonmeditation, nonfabrication are the
point.
With freshness, looseness, and clarity,
In the space of the three gates of liberation,
One is mindful, establishing proper watchfulness. Always keeping the mind balanced between tight and
relaxed,
One pacifies the accumulation of subtle, tangible, and
gross thoughts.
Rest in the state of natural, unfabricated mind.
The four levels of experiences arise in succession, And the sun of luminosity continually dawns.
The root of mahamudra meditation is established. Without it, one's talk of higher realization
Is like building a house without a foundation.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG? ? ?
However, excessive desire for this is the work of Mara. Those who persevere but have little learning
Are deceived by superficial virtues
And lead themselves and others along the way to the lower
realms.
Even the good experiences of bliss, luminosity, and
nonthought
Are the cause of samsara if one fixates on them.
When you intensify devotion in your heart, Rock meets bone in insight,
And the ultimate lineage blessing is received. Not straying into the four strayings,
Not falling into the three misunderstandings, Transcending the four joys, free from the three conditions, Realizing through the three stages of birth,
Untouched by the mind of the three great ones,
This is the self-existing nature, undefiled by experience.
Like the center of a cloudless sky,
The self-luminous mind is impossible to express.
rt is wisdom of nonthought beyond analogy,
Naked ordinary mind.
Not keeping to dogmatism or arrogance,
rt is clearly seen as dharmakaya.
The appearance of the six sense objects, like the moon in
water,
Shines in the state ofwisdom.
Whatever arises is the unfabricated innate state. Whatever appears is the nature of mahamudra. The phenomenal world is dharmakaya great bliss.
1\()th shamatha meditation of natural resting And vipashyana, which sees the unseeable,
. 7.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG . . .
Should not be separated but unified
In stillness, occurrence, and awareness.
Beyond abandoning discursive confusion,
Beyond applying antidotes,
There will be a time when you spontaneously reach this.
When you have achieved realization,
There is nothing other than the meditative state.
At the threshold of freedom from loss and gain,
Even meditation does not exist.
But for those beginners who are unable to dissolve the
hairline of conceptualization,
Meditation is important.
When one practices meditation, there is experience. This experience arises as the adornment of insight.
This path is divided into the four yogas: One-pointedness means recognizing the nature of mind; Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages: One sees the alternation of bliss and luminosity,
One masters resting in samadhi,
And experience continuously appears as luminosity.
Simplicity means realizing the mind is without root; Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages: One realizes that the arising, ceasing, and dwelling are
empty,
One is free from the ground and root of fixating on
appearance or emptiness,
And one resolves the complexity of all dharmas.
One taste means dissolving appearance and mind into each other;
Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages: . 8.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SoNG? ? ?
All dharmas of samsara and nirvana are dissolved into equal taste,
Appearance and mind become like water poured into water,
And from one taste, the various wisdoms arise.
Nonmeditation means the utter exhaustion of conceptual mind;
Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages:
One is free from meditation and meditator,
The habitual patterns of primitive beliefs about reality are
gradually cleared away,
And the mother and son luminosity dissolve together. The wisdom of dharmadhatu extends throughout space.
In short, in meditation:
One-pointedness means that mind is still as long as one
wishes,
Seeing the very nature of ordinary mind.
Simplicity means the realization of groundlessness. One taste means liberating
All possible dualistic fixations through insight. Nonmeditation means transcending all sophistries of
meditation and nonmeditation, The exhaustion of habitual patterns.
In this way, from the great lords of yogins,
Naropa and Maitripa,
Down to the lord guru Padma Wangchen,
The golden garland of the Kagyiis
Reached the dharmakaya kingdom of nonmeditation, Spontaneously cleared away the darkness of the two
obscurations,
Expanded the great power of the two knowledges,
. 9.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG ? ? ?
Opened the treasury ofbenefit for the sake ofothers pervading space,
And remained in the refuge of mind free from doubt. The Kagyii lineage is known to be passed from one to
another.
It is known not by words alone, but by their meaning. Please guide even such a lowborn savage as myself, Who possesses the merest mark of your noble lineage, Quickly to the kingdom of nonmeditation.
Kind one, please utterly exhaust my conceptual mind.
The fruition mahamudra is spoken of like this:
The ground is receiving the transmission of the innate
trikaya;
The path is applying the key points of the view and
meditation;
The fruition is the actualization of the stainless trikaya. Therefore, its essence is emptiness, simplicity, dharmakaya. Its manifestation is the luminous nature of sambhogakaya. Its strength, manifold and unceasing, is nirmanakaya.
This is the sovereign of all reality.
The nature of mahamudra is unity,
The realm of dharmas free from accepting or rejecting. Possessing the beauty of unconditioned bliss,
It is the great and vast wealth ofwisdom.
It is the natural form of kindness transcending thought. Through prajfia, it does not dwell in samsara.
Through karuna, it does not dwell in nirvana.
Through effortlessness, buddha activity is spontaneously
accomplished.
The luminosity of ground and path, mother and son,
dissolve together.
. 10.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG? ? ?
The ground and fruition embrace one another. Buddha is discovered in one's mind.
The wish-fulfilling treasure overflows within. E rna! How wonderful and marvelous!
Since in the view of mahamudra
Analysis does not apply,
Cast mind-made knowledge far away. Since in the meditation of mahamudra There is no way of fixating on a thought, Abandon deliberate meditation.
Since in the action of mahamudra
There is no reference point for any action, Be free from the intention to act or not. Since in the fruition of mahamudra
There is no attainment to newly acquire, Cast hopes, fears, and desires far away.
This is the depth of the mind of all Kagyiis.
It is the only path on which the victorious ones and their
sons journey.
Theirs is the upaya that reverses the vicious circle of
existence
And the dharma that brings enlightenment in one life. Here is the essence of all the teachings, sutras, and tantras. May I and all sentient beings pervading space
Together attain the simultaneity of realization and
liberation,
And attain supreme mahamudra.
In order not to transgress the command seal of emptiness endowed with all the supreme aspects, the one whose knowledge is transcendent and who manifested in the form
. 11.
? . . . VAJRA SONG? ? ?
of the vajraholder, I, the subject of Padma, the Yonten Gyatso Lodro Thaye, composed this at Kiinzang Dechen Osal Ling on the left slope of the third Devikoti, Tsari-like Jewel Rock. SHUBHAM
? 12.
? Commentary by the
Third ]amgon Kongtriil Rinpoche
INTRODUCTION
The mahasiddhas ofIndia often expressed their insights in the form of songs, known as dohas, or vajra songs. This tra- dition was continued in Tibet by the masters of the Kagyii transmission. One very well-known collection of such songs is the Kagyii Gurtso, or "Ocean of Kagyii Songs. "
Buddha Shakyamuni gave countless teachings in which he described different paths. The goal of these teachings is to achieve insight into ultimate truth, which is the nature of our minds. Of all the approaches taught by the Buddha, mahamudra is considered the most excellent. This was the approach followed by the early teachers of the Kagyii tra- dition, who achieved complete realization within a single lifetime, relying exclusively on the path of mahamudra and its skillful means.
Fortunately, the early teachers did not keep their insights to themselves but expressed them in the form of songs. These songs are in fact not ordinary songs of the kind that can be written or composed. They arise neither from a par- ticular cause nor for a particular purpose. The extraordi- naryaspectofthesesongsisthattheyspontaneouslyexpress
. 13.
? ? ? ? CLOUDLESS SKY ? ? ?
inner experiences and transmit the complete meaning of mahamudra and all its aspects-view, action, and medita- tion. They deal with the ultimate teachings ! _)resented by the perfect Buddha, the teachings about ultimate truth. This is why these dohas are described as vajra dohas, because their meaning is indestructible and unchanging.
The vajra songs of the Kagyii Gurtso date back to the earlier Kagyii masters. When reciting them today, we should adjust our body, speech, and mind so as to take full advan- tage of the recitation. With regard to the body, one should wear appropriate clothing, for instance the three dharma robes ifone has taken the vows. With regard to speech, one should sing the melody with great accuracy and pronounce each word properly. Mentally, one should concentrate on every word and internalize its meaning. In this way, one should not simply recite the text but should take great care to involve one's body, speech, and mind in reading the vajra song.
Vajra songs are meant to help the practitioner overcome three types of obstacles: outer, inner (disturbances related to prana, nadi, and hindu), and secret (those that interfere with spiritual progress and meditation). The practice of ma- hamudra, the way of the Kagyiis, is based mainly on trust and surrender. By reading the vajra songs, one not only de- velops the three types oftrust-the trust ofconviction, the trust oflonging, and pure trust-but also learns to surren- der. By keeping the examples of one's teachers in mind, one achieves the inner certainty that it is possible to follow the path and, through one's practice, attain realization.
In addition, as mentioned above, each vajra song contains the entire meaning of the teachings of Buddha: emptiness, codependent origination, precious bodhichitta, and insight into the unity of emptiness and compassion; one taste, the
. 14.
? ? ? ? Commentary ? . ?
unity of samsara and nirvana; impermanence, the constant transformation of all things; and many other teachings. This means that ifone actually manages to understand and trans- plant within oneself the meaning of the song, then one is not only directing one's body, speech, and mind toward the dharma, but is also treading the path itself and giving rise to limitless benefits.
The essence of the countless teachings of Buddha is the explanation ofbuddha-nature, the luminosity that abides in the mind of every single being. As long as one does not rec- ognize one's buddha-nature, one experiences the confusion of samsara. However, realizing the potential ofbuddhahood that lies within is in itself buddhahood. Buddha's instruc- tions were basically methods to help one overcome confu- sion and recognize the true nature of mind. The teachings o f m a h a m u d r a , k n o w n as t h e " p a t h o f l i b e r a t i o n , " r e p r e s e n t the pinnacle of the Buddha's teachings.
What is meant by mahamudra? Mahamudra consists ba- sically of three aspects: ground, path, and view mahamudra. Ground mahamudra is the unity of relative truth and ulti- mate truth. It is freedom from both the two extremes of cternalism, or belief in lasting and true existence, and nihil- ism, or belief in the nonexistence of phenomena.
Path mahamudra is the union of skillful means and wis- dom. But not falling into the extremes of either nihilism or the belief in the permanence of appearances, and by not neglecting either wisdom or skillful means, one accom- plishes the two types of accumulations.
These are the accu- mulation of object-related merit and the accumulation of nonreferential wisdom. In essence, the path consists in unit- rng these two accumulations.
Fruition mahamudra is freedom from the extremes of samsara and nirvana. It is based on ground mahamudra, the
. 15.
? ? ? ? ? CLOUDLESS SKY? ? ?
unity of relative and ultimate truths, and on path mahamu- dra, the unity of the two accumulations. In this state, there is no difference between the three realms of samsara and liberation or nirvana. Fruition mahamudra is the realization of the unity of dharmakaya and the form kayas.
Since mahamudra encompasses the three aspects of ground, path, and fruition, it should be evident that there is nothing that it does not accommodate. It includes every- thing, from the state of confusion concerning the nature of the path up to the realization of perfect buddahood. In other words, mahamudra is recognizing the nature of one's own mind.
The Tibetan word for mahamudra is chak gya chenpo. Chak refers to emptiness which is perfect in every respect; gya chenpo, the great expanse, refers to the all-encompass- ing wisdom inherent in emptiness. The meaning of this gloss is that in its depth and breadth, mahamudra encompasses everything. Mahamudra is the "path of liberation," the highest of all paths, the quickest and most profound way to buddhahood. He who was foretold by the Victorious One in the Samadhirajasutra and elsewhere, the glorious, holy guru Lodro Thaye, also called Karma Ngakwang Yonten Gyatso,1 composed this vajra doha having accomplished the realization of mahamudra. It is entitled "The Self-Arising Innate Song upon Acquiring a Mere Glimpse of Certainty in the View and Meditation of the Incomparable Takpo Kagyii. "
The illustrious one, Vajradhara,
Who is said to possess the eight good qualities, 2 Is seen in human form by ordinary men like us.
1. Lodro Thaye and Karma Ngakwang Yonten Gyatso: two names for the first Jamgon Kongtriil Rinpoche. See also Appendix 1.
2. Eightgoodqualities:See"QuestionsandAnswers,"page84.
. 16.
? ? ? ? ? Commentary ? ? ?
You are the refuge called Padma/ endowed with blessings. From the eight-petaled lotus dome4 ofmy heart.
I supplicated you not to be separate even /or an instant. Though I did not have the goodfortune ofrealization and
liberation at once,'
I was blessed with just recognizing my own nature.
Therefore, concern /or the eight worldly dharmar diminished,
And I clearly saw the famous luminous dharmakaya7
By mixing my mind with the guru's.
Idiscovered nonthought in the midst ofdiscursive thought, And within nonconcept, wz'sdom dawned.
Now, with thejoyous appreciation ofa lineage son ofthe Takpo buddha,
I am inspired to speak out.
In the west, in Uddiyana, the secret treasure ground ofthe dakinis,
The great si'ddha Ti'/o8
Opened the treasure ofthe three gems. 9
In the north, in the hermitage ofRavishing Beautiful
Flowers,
The learned Mahapandita Naro10 Showedthemarkofasiddha,indivisibleprana11 andmind.
\. Padma (Tib. , pema, "lotus") refers to Jamgon Kongtriil Lodro Thaye's ll"acher, Situ Perna Nyinje Wangpo.
? I. Eight-petaled lotus dome: In the vajrayana, the relationship to the ll"acher is very important. One way of constantly upholding it is to visualize ? llle's teacher seated on an eight-petaled lotus in one's heart.
~. Realization and liberation at once: momentary experience of the highest mahamudra realization.
h. See Glossary: eight worldly dharmas.
I For dharmakaya, see Glossary: kaya.
X. Tilo: Tilopa. See Glossary. ''? Threegems:SeeGlossary.
Ill. Naro: Naropa. See Glossary.
II. Prana:windofenergyinthebody. SeeGlossary:prana,nadi,hindu.
. 17.
? ? ? ? ? CLOUDLESS SKY ? ? ?
In the south, in the land ofherbs, the valley ofTrowo, The translator,12 emanatedfrom Hevajra,
Established the source ofthe river ofall siddhas.
In the west, in the Lachi snow range,
The supreme being, Shepa Dorje, Attained the state ofunity in one lifetime.
In the east, in heavenly Taklha Gampo, 13
The honorable physician, the second victorious one, Realized the samadhi ofthe tenth bhumi.
In the chakras ofbody, speech, and mind,
The host ofthe siddhas ofthefour great and eight lesser
lineages14
Obtained the lifejorce ofmahamudra
And could not help but attain enlightenment.
Skilled in magnetizing through bodhichitta,
They could not help but benefit beings.
Having obtained the profound wealth, the perfection ofthe
two accumulations, n
They could not help but become prosperous [but realize
sambhogakaya}I6
Fully understanding that knowing one liberates all, They could not help but fulfill the great prophecy. 17
Lineage sons ofthese wealthy fathers
Possess the great self-existing riches ofthis previous karma. They are the children ofsnow lionesses and great garudas.
12. ReferstoMarpatheTranslator. SeeGlossary. 13. Gampo: Gampopa. See Glossary.
14. SeeGlossary: Kagyii.
15. SeeGlossary:twoaccumulations.
16. Forsambhogakaya,seeGlossary:kaya.
17. Realizationofbuddhahood,aswasprophesiedbytheteacher.
. 18.
? ? ? ? ? Commentary ? ? ?
By the power o f their family bloodline, they are completely mature at once.
Asfollowers ofthe lineage ofKagyii siddhas,
Their meditation is naturally born through the power of
these blessings.
Bragging oftheir pain in many years ofpractice, Proud ofdwelling in indolence,
Boasting ofhaving endured such pain, Undermining others and haughty,
Keeping score with discursive thoughts ofselfand others
In counting up the realizations ofthe bhumis and the paths. 18 These are the qualities ofthe ignorant meditators in this
dark age.
We do not possess these, and though I do not have the title o f
a siddha,
Nevertheless, through the excellent oralinstructions ofthe
example lineage, 19
I have seen the wisdom ofultimate mahamudra.
Ground mahamudra is the view, understanding things as they are.
Path mahamudra is the experience ofmeditation. Fruition mahamudra is the realization ofone's mind as
buddha.
lam unworthy, but my guru is good.
Though born in the dark age, I am very fortunate.
Though I have little perseverance, the oral instructions are
profound.
The doha that is the subject of this book was sung by Jamgon Kongtriil Lodro Thaye, the first Jamgon Kongtriil
Rinpoche, upon realizing mahamudra.
18. SeeGlossary:fivepaths.
19. ThemahamudrateachingsoftheKagyiitransmission.
. 19.
? . . . CLOUDLESS SKY ? ? ?
The first part, consisting of praise to Vajradhara and the lineage holders Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa, is not elucidated here in greater detail, since these teachings deal specifically with the central issue of the doha, which is mahamudra, and contain explanations about ground, path, and fruition mahamudra.
GROUND MAHAMUDRA
As for ground mahamudra:
There are both things as they are and the way ofconfusion.
What is the meaning of ground mahamudra? "Things as they are" refers to the ground, that is, the nature of all phe- nomena; "the way of confusion" refers to the state in which one finds oneself as long as one has not acknowledged the nature of phenomena (the Tibetan word for "confusion" actually means something that is not in accordance with na- ture). Thus there are these two states.
In connection with this, Gampopa's Jewel Ornament of Liberation states that the basic nature of all beings is in itself pure and free from confusion, but since one does not rec- ognize one's basic nature one lives in a state of confusion. Still, confusion is not inherent in the nature of mind itself, which is pure and free from any confusion or stain. Confu- sion means simply that one has not yet understood one's true nature, whereas buddhahood is understanding one's true nature. Buddhahood does not involve acquiring some- thing new, but rather recognizing something that was always there.
In brief, ground mahamudra is contained both in things as they are as well as in confusion; it is contained both in self-nature, which is free from confusion, and in the non-
. 20.
? ? ? ? Commentary ? ? ?
recognition of this true nature. Confusion manifests in var- ious illusory views, such as the belief that things are really existent or totally nonexistent.
It does not incline toward either samsara or nirvana, . . .
Although in terms of their ultimate nature samsara and nirvana are not separate, nevertheless one perceives them as opposites. Experiencing the confusion of samsara, one is also led to experience the fruition of samsara in the form of suffering. In one's experience, samsara appears as some- thing painful and evil that one should free oneself from so as to overcome suffering, whereas nirvana, or freedom from confusion and pain, appears as a state that is higher than and opposed to samsara, a state ofliberation that one should strive for.
In one's confusion, samsara and nirvana appear as sepa- rate entities, samsara as something bad and nirvana as some- thing desirable and positive. Ultimately, however, this sepa- ration between samsara as confusion and nirvana as a state of liberation from confusion does not exist in the nature of self. By its own nature, samsara is emptiness; however, since one does not recognize its emptiness, it appears in the form of samsara or suffering. Nirvana is freedom from any type of confusion or suffering. This is its only difference with respect to samsara, since the nature of nirvana is also emp- tiness, as is the nature of samsara. Therefore, samsara and nirvana are ultimately inseparable, since the nature of both is emptiness. This is why the text says: "It does not incline toward either samsara or nirvana"-toward a samsara that would have to be abandoned or a nirvana that would have to be achieved.
? 21?
? ? ? ? CLOUDLESS SKY? ? ?
Andisfree/rom the extremes ofexaggeration and denigration.
The basic nature of all phenomena is free from extremes such as existence and nonexistence, because the ultimate nature of reality is the inseparability of emptiness and lu- minosity. Misunderstanding this, the luminous aspect of mind appears as the world of relative manifestations.
Not comprehending the true nature of appearances, one develops definite preconceptions with regard to their es- sence. One either considers appearances to be permanent, which leads to the extreme of eternalism or believing in the lasting existence of things, or else one negates appearances altogether, which leads to the extreme of nihilism or believ- ing in their nonexistence. As long as one does not under- stand the essential unity of emptiness and luminosity, one clings to these views and finds it impossible to get rid of the illusion that things really do or do not exist, or that I exist and the other exists, and so on.
Within the relative world phenomena arise only in inter- dependence. Since appearances come into being through dependent origination, they are neither existent nor non- existent. Thus neither of the two extremes of eternalism and nihilism are accurate. However, because one does not un- derstand the meaning of dependent origination one clings to these extreme views.
This was described by the third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, in his Mahamudra Supplication:
All phenomena are projections of mind.
Mind itself does not exist
And is empty in its being.
Although empty, it manifests everything without
obstruction.
. 22.
? ? ?
Various magical displays of samsara and nirvana arise. Recognizing these as self-liberated is the supreme view. When this is realized, everything is suchness.
When there are no obstructions or attainments, this is the
innate nature.
When conceptual mind is transcended, this is the ultimate.
. 5.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG? ? ?
As for path mahamudra:
Mind and the phenomenal world are mahamudra. Coemergent mind is dharmakaya.
Coemergent appearance is the light of dharmakaya. When the blessings of the glorious guru
And one's karma come together,
One realizes one's nature like meeting an old friend.
There is no point in much talk,
But the beginner needs various things.
One should abandon either welcoming or sending off
thoughts of past and future.
The instantaneous mind of nowness
Is the unfabricated innate nature.
In meditation, there should be no trace of deliberateness. One should not stray for an instant in confusion. Nonwandering, nonmeditation, nonfabrication are the
point.
With freshness, looseness, and clarity,
In the space of the three gates of liberation,
One is mindful, establishing proper watchfulness. Always keeping the mind balanced between tight and
relaxed,
One pacifies the accumulation of subtle, tangible, and
gross thoughts.
Rest in the state of natural, unfabricated mind.
The four levels of experiences arise in succession, And the sun of luminosity continually dawns.
The root of mahamudra meditation is established. Without it, one's talk of higher realization
Is like building a house without a foundation.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG? ? ?
However, excessive desire for this is the work of Mara. Those who persevere but have little learning
Are deceived by superficial virtues
And lead themselves and others along the way to the lower
realms.
Even the good experiences of bliss, luminosity, and
nonthought
Are the cause of samsara if one fixates on them.
When you intensify devotion in your heart, Rock meets bone in insight,
And the ultimate lineage blessing is received. Not straying into the four strayings,
Not falling into the three misunderstandings, Transcending the four joys, free from the three conditions, Realizing through the three stages of birth,
Untouched by the mind of the three great ones,
This is the self-existing nature, undefiled by experience.
Like the center of a cloudless sky,
The self-luminous mind is impossible to express.
rt is wisdom of nonthought beyond analogy,
Naked ordinary mind.
Not keeping to dogmatism or arrogance,
rt is clearly seen as dharmakaya.
The appearance of the six sense objects, like the moon in
water,
Shines in the state ofwisdom.
Whatever arises is the unfabricated innate state. Whatever appears is the nature of mahamudra. The phenomenal world is dharmakaya great bliss.
1\()th shamatha meditation of natural resting And vipashyana, which sees the unseeable,
. 7.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG . . .
Should not be separated but unified
In stillness, occurrence, and awareness.
Beyond abandoning discursive confusion,
Beyond applying antidotes,
There will be a time when you spontaneously reach this.
When you have achieved realization,
There is nothing other than the meditative state.
At the threshold of freedom from loss and gain,
Even meditation does not exist.
But for those beginners who are unable to dissolve the
hairline of conceptualization,
Meditation is important.
When one practices meditation, there is experience. This experience arises as the adornment of insight.
This path is divided into the four yogas: One-pointedness means recognizing the nature of mind; Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages: One sees the alternation of bliss and luminosity,
One masters resting in samadhi,
And experience continuously appears as luminosity.
Simplicity means realizing the mind is without root; Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages: One realizes that the arising, ceasing, and dwelling are
empty,
One is free from the ground and root of fixating on
appearance or emptiness,
And one resolves the complexity of all dharmas.
One taste means dissolving appearance and mind into each other;
Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages: . 8.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SoNG? ? ?
All dharmas of samsara and nirvana are dissolved into equal taste,
Appearance and mind become like water poured into water,
And from one taste, the various wisdoms arise.
Nonmeditation means the utter exhaustion of conceptual mind;
Divided into the lesser, medium, and greater stages:
One is free from meditation and meditator,
The habitual patterns of primitive beliefs about reality are
gradually cleared away,
And the mother and son luminosity dissolve together. The wisdom of dharmadhatu extends throughout space.
In short, in meditation:
One-pointedness means that mind is still as long as one
wishes,
Seeing the very nature of ordinary mind.
Simplicity means the realization of groundlessness. One taste means liberating
All possible dualistic fixations through insight. Nonmeditation means transcending all sophistries of
meditation and nonmeditation, The exhaustion of habitual patterns.
In this way, from the great lords of yogins,
Naropa and Maitripa,
Down to the lord guru Padma Wangchen,
The golden garland of the Kagyiis
Reached the dharmakaya kingdom of nonmeditation, Spontaneously cleared away the darkness of the two
obscurations,
Expanded the great power of the two knowledges,
. 9.
? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG ? ? ?
Opened the treasury ofbenefit for the sake ofothers pervading space,
And remained in the refuge of mind free from doubt. The Kagyii lineage is known to be passed from one to
another.
It is known not by words alone, but by their meaning. Please guide even such a lowborn savage as myself, Who possesses the merest mark of your noble lineage, Quickly to the kingdom of nonmeditation.
Kind one, please utterly exhaust my conceptual mind.
The fruition mahamudra is spoken of like this:
The ground is receiving the transmission of the innate
trikaya;
The path is applying the key points of the view and
meditation;
The fruition is the actualization of the stainless trikaya. Therefore, its essence is emptiness, simplicity, dharmakaya. Its manifestation is the luminous nature of sambhogakaya. Its strength, manifold and unceasing, is nirmanakaya.
This is the sovereign of all reality.
The nature of mahamudra is unity,
The realm of dharmas free from accepting or rejecting. Possessing the beauty of unconditioned bliss,
It is the great and vast wealth ofwisdom.
It is the natural form of kindness transcending thought. Through prajfia, it does not dwell in samsara.
Through karuna, it does not dwell in nirvana.
Through effortlessness, buddha activity is spontaneously
accomplished.
The luminosity of ground and path, mother and son,
dissolve together.
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? ? ? ? VAJRA SONG? ? ?
The ground and fruition embrace one another. Buddha is discovered in one's mind.
The wish-fulfilling treasure overflows within. E rna! How wonderful and marvelous!
Since in the view of mahamudra
Analysis does not apply,
Cast mind-made knowledge far away. Since in the meditation of mahamudra There is no way of fixating on a thought, Abandon deliberate meditation.
Since in the action of mahamudra
There is no reference point for any action, Be free from the intention to act or not. Since in the fruition of mahamudra
There is no attainment to newly acquire, Cast hopes, fears, and desires far away.
This is the depth of the mind of all Kagyiis.
It is the only path on which the victorious ones and their
sons journey.
Theirs is the upaya that reverses the vicious circle of
existence
And the dharma that brings enlightenment in one life. Here is the essence of all the teachings, sutras, and tantras. May I and all sentient beings pervading space
Together attain the simultaneity of realization and
liberation,
And attain supreme mahamudra.
In order not to transgress the command seal of emptiness endowed with all the supreme aspects, the one whose knowledge is transcendent and who manifested in the form
. 11.
? . . . VAJRA SONG? ? ?
of the vajraholder, I, the subject of Padma, the Yonten Gyatso Lodro Thaye, composed this at Kiinzang Dechen Osal Ling on the left slope of the third Devikoti, Tsari-like Jewel Rock. SHUBHAM
? 12.
? Commentary by the
Third ]amgon Kongtriil Rinpoche
INTRODUCTION
The mahasiddhas ofIndia often expressed their insights in the form of songs, known as dohas, or vajra songs. This tra- dition was continued in Tibet by the masters of the Kagyii transmission. One very well-known collection of such songs is the Kagyii Gurtso, or "Ocean of Kagyii Songs. "
Buddha Shakyamuni gave countless teachings in which he described different paths. The goal of these teachings is to achieve insight into ultimate truth, which is the nature of our minds. Of all the approaches taught by the Buddha, mahamudra is considered the most excellent. This was the approach followed by the early teachers of the Kagyii tra- dition, who achieved complete realization within a single lifetime, relying exclusively on the path of mahamudra and its skillful means.
Fortunately, the early teachers did not keep their insights to themselves but expressed them in the form of songs. These songs are in fact not ordinary songs of the kind that can be written or composed. They arise neither from a par- ticular cause nor for a particular purpose. The extraordi- naryaspectofthesesongsisthattheyspontaneouslyexpress
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inner experiences and transmit the complete meaning of mahamudra and all its aspects-view, action, and medita- tion. They deal with the ultimate teachings ! _)resented by the perfect Buddha, the teachings about ultimate truth. This is why these dohas are described as vajra dohas, because their meaning is indestructible and unchanging.
The vajra songs of the Kagyii Gurtso date back to the earlier Kagyii masters. When reciting them today, we should adjust our body, speech, and mind so as to take full advan- tage of the recitation. With regard to the body, one should wear appropriate clothing, for instance the three dharma robes ifone has taken the vows. With regard to speech, one should sing the melody with great accuracy and pronounce each word properly. Mentally, one should concentrate on every word and internalize its meaning. In this way, one should not simply recite the text but should take great care to involve one's body, speech, and mind in reading the vajra song.
Vajra songs are meant to help the practitioner overcome three types of obstacles: outer, inner (disturbances related to prana, nadi, and hindu), and secret (those that interfere with spiritual progress and meditation). The practice of ma- hamudra, the way of the Kagyiis, is based mainly on trust and surrender. By reading the vajra songs, one not only de- velops the three types oftrust-the trust ofconviction, the trust oflonging, and pure trust-but also learns to surren- der. By keeping the examples of one's teachers in mind, one achieves the inner certainty that it is possible to follow the path and, through one's practice, attain realization.
In addition, as mentioned above, each vajra song contains the entire meaning of the teachings of Buddha: emptiness, codependent origination, precious bodhichitta, and insight into the unity of emptiness and compassion; one taste, the
. 14.
? ? ? ? Commentary ? . ?
unity of samsara and nirvana; impermanence, the constant transformation of all things; and many other teachings. This means that ifone actually manages to understand and trans- plant within oneself the meaning of the song, then one is not only directing one's body, speech, and mind toward the dharma, but is also treading the path itself and giving rise to limitless benefits.
The essence of the countless teachings of Buddha is the explanation ofbuddha-nature, the luminosity that abides in the mind of every single being. As long as one does not rec- ognize one's buddha-nature, one experiences the confusion of samsara. However, realizing the potential ofbuddhahood that lies within is in itself buddhahood. Buddha's instruc- tions were basically methods to help one overcome confu- sion and recognize the true nature of mind. The teachings o f m a h a m u d r a , k n o w n as t h e " p a t h o f l i b e r a t i o n , " r e p r e s e n t the pinnacle of the Buddha's teachings.
What is meant by mahamudra? Mahamudra consists ba- sically of three aspects: ground, path, and view mahamudra. Ground mahamudra is the unity of relative truth and ulti- mate truth. It is freedom from both the two extremes of cternalism, or belief in lasting and true existence, and nihil- ism, or belief in the nonexistence of phenomena.
Path mahamudra is the union of skillful means and wis- dom. But not falling into the extremes of either nihilism or the belief in the permanence of appearances, and by not neglecting either wisdom or skillful means, one accom- plishes the two types of accumulations.
These are the accu- mulation of object-related merit and the accumulation of nonreferential wisdom. In essence, the path consists in unit- rng these two accumulations.
Fruition mahamudra is freedom from the extremes of samsara and nirvana. It is based on ground mahamudra, the
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? ? ? ? ? CLOUDLESS SKY? ? ?
unity of relative and ultimate truths, and on path mahamu- dra, the unity of the two accumulations. In this state, there is no difference between the three realms of samsara and liberation or nirvana. Fruition mahamudra is the realization of the unity of dharmakaya and the form kayas.
Since mahamudra encompasses the three aspects of ground, path, and fruition, it should be evident that there is nothing that it does not accommodate. It includes every- thing, from the state of confusion concerning the nature of the path up to the realization of perfect buddahood. In other words, mahamudra is recognizing the nature of one's own mind.
The Tibetan word for mahamudra is chak gya chenpo. Chak refers to emptiness which is perfect in every respect; gya chenpo, the great expanse, refers to the all-encompass- ing wisdom inherent in emptiness. The meaning of this gloss is that in its depth and breadth, mahamudra encompasses everything. Mahamudra is the "path of liberation," the highest of all paths, the quickest and most profound way to buddhahood. He who was foretold by the Victorious One in the Samadhirajasutra and elsewhere, the glorious, holy guru Lodro Thaye, also called Karma Ngakwang Yonten Gyatso,1 composed this vajra doha having accomplished the realization of mahamudra. It is entitled "The Self-Arising Innate Song upon Acquiring a Mere Glimpse of Certainty in the View and Meditation of the Incomparable Takpo Kagyii. "
The illustrious one, Vajradhara,
Who is said to possess the eight good qualities, 2 Is seen in human form by ordinary men like us.
1. Lodro Thaye and Karma Ngakwang Yonten Gyatso: two names for the first Jamgon Kongtriil Rinpoche. See also Appendix 1.
2. Eightgoodqualities:See"QuestionsandAnswers,"page84.
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? ? ? ? ? Commentary ? ? ?
You are the refuge called Padma/ endowed with blessings. From the eight-petaled lotus dome4 ofmy heart.
I supplicated you not to be separate even /or an instant. Though I did not have the goodfortune ofrealization and
liberation at once,'
I was blessed with just recognizing my own nature.
Therefore, concern /or the eight worldly dharmar diminished,
And I clearly saw the famous luminous dharmakaya7
By mixing my mind with the guru's.
Idiscovered nonthought in the midst ofdiscursive thought, And within nonconcept, wz'sdom dawned.
Now, with thejoyous appreciation ofa lineage son ofthe Takpo buddha,
I am inspired to speak out.
In the west, in Uddiyana, the secret treasure ground ofthe dakinis,
The great si'ddha Ti'/o8
Opened the treasure ofthe three gems. 9
In the north, in the hermitage ofRavishing Beautiful
Flowers,
The learned Mahapandita Naro10 Showedthemarkofasiddha,indivisibleprana11 andmind.
\. Padma (Tib. , pema, "lotus") refers to Jamgon Kongtriil Lodro Thaye's ll"acher, Situ Perna Nyinje Wangpo.
? I. Eight-petaled lotus dome: In the vajrayana, the relationship to the ll"acher is very important. One way of constantly upholding it is to visualize ? llle's teacher seated on an eight-petaled lotus in one's heart.
~. Realization and liberation at once: momentary experience of the highest mahamudra realization.
h. See Glossary: eight worldly dharmas.
I For dharmakaya, see Glossary: kaya.
X. Tilo: Tilopa. See Glossary. ''? Threegems:SeeGlossary.
Ill. Naro: Naropa. See Glossary.
II. Prana:windofenergyinthebody. SeeGlossary:prana,nadi,hindu.
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? ? ? ? ? CLOUDLESS SKY ? ? ?
In the south, in the land ofherbs, the valley ofTrowo, The translator,12 emanatedfrom Hevajra,
Established the source ofthe river ofall siddhas.
In the west, in the Lachi snow range,
The supreme being, Shepa Dorje, Attained the state ofunity in one lifetime.
In the east, in heavenly Taklha Gampo, 13
The honorable physician, the second victorious one, Realized the samadhi ofthe tenth bhumi.
In the chakras ofbody, speech, and mind,
The host ofthe siddhas ofthefour great and eight lesser
lineages14
Obtained the lifejorce ofmahamudra
And could not help but attain enlightenment.
Skilled in magnetizing through bodhichitta,
They could not help but benefit beings.
Having obtained the profound wealth, the perfection ofthe
two accumulations, n
They could not help but become prosperous [but realize
sambhogakaya}I6
Fully understanding that knowing one liberates all, They could not help but fulfill the great prophecy. 17
Lineage sons ofthese wealthy fathers
Possess the great self-existing riches ofthis previous karma. They are the children ofsnow lionesses and great garudas.
12. ReferstoMarpatheTranslator. SeeGlossary. 13. Gampo: Gampopa. See Glossary.
14. SeeGlossary: Kagyii.
15. SeeGlossary:twoaccumulations.
16. Forsambhogakaya,seeGlossary:kaya.
17. Realizationofbuddhahood,aswasprophesiedbytheteacher.
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? ? ? ? ? Commentary ? ? ?
By the power o f their family bloodline, they are completely mature at once.
Asfollowers ofthe lineage ofKagyii siddhas,
Their meditation is naturally born through the power of
these blessings.
Bragging oftheir pain in many years ofpractice, Proud ofdwelling in indolence,
Boasting ofhaving endured such pain, Undermining others and haughty,
Keeping score with discursive thoughts ofselfand others
In counting up the realizations ofthe bhumis and the paths. 18 These are the qualities ofthe ignorant meditators in this
dark age.
We do not possess these, and though I do not have the title o f
a siddha,
Nevertheless, through the excellent oralinstructions ofthe
example lineage, 19
I have seen the wisdom ofultimate mahamudra.
Ground mahamudra is the view, understanding things as they are.
Path mahamudra is the experience ofmeditation. Fruition mahamudra is the realization ofone's mind as
buddha.
lam unworthy, but my guru is good.
Though born in the dark age, I am very fortunate.
Though I have little perseverance, the oral instructions are
profound.
The doha that is the subject of this book was sung by Jamgon Kongtriil Lodro Thaye, the first Jamgon Kongtriil
Rinpoche, upon realizing mahamudra.
18. SeeGlossary:fivepaths.
19. ThemahamudrateachingsoftheKagyiitransmission.
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The first part, consisting of praise to Vajradhara and the lineage holders Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa, is not elucidated here in greater detail, since these teachings deal specifically with the central issue of the doha, which is mahamudra, and contain explanations about ground, path, and fruition mahamudra.
GROUND MAHAMUDRA
As for ground mahamudra:
There are both things as they are and the way ofconfusion.
What is the meaning of ground mahamudra? "Things as they are" refers to the ground, that is, the nature of all phe- nomena; "the way of confusion" refers to the state in which one finds oneself as long as one has not acknowledged the nature of phenomena (the Tibetan word for "confusion" actually means something that is not in accordance with na- ture). Thus there are these two states.
In connection with this, Gampopa's Jewel Ornament of Liberation states that the basic nature of all beings is in itself pure and free from confusion, but since one does not rec- ognize one's basic nature one lives in a state of confusion. Still, confusion is not inherent in the nature of mind itself, which is pure and free from any confusion or stain. Confu- sion means simply that one has not yet understood one's true nature, whereas buddhahood is understanding one's true nature. Buddhahood does not involve acquiring some- thing new, but rather recognizing something that was always there.
In brief, ground mahamudra is contained both in things as they are as well as in confusion; it is contained both in self-nature, which is free from confusion, and in the non-
. 20.
? ? ? ? Commentary ? ? ?
recognition of this true nature. Confusion manifests in var- ious illusory views, such as the belief that things are really existent or totally nonexistent.
It does not incline toward either samsara or nirvana, . . .
Although in terms of their ultimate nature samsara and nirvana are not separate, nevertheless one perceives them as opposites. Experiencing the confusion of samsara, one is also led to experience the fruition of samsara in the form of suffering. In one's experience, samsara appears as some- thing painful and evil that one should free oneself from so as to overcome suffering, whereas nirvana, or freedom from confusion and pain, appears as a state that is higher than and opposed to samsara, a state ofliberation that one should strive for.
In one's confusion, samsara and nirvana appear as sepa- rate entities, samsara as something bad and nirvana as some- thing desirable and positive. Ultimately, however, this sepa- ration between samsara as confusion and nirvana as a state of liberation from confusion does not exist in the nature of self. By its own nature, samsara is emptiness; however, since one does not recognize its emptiness, it appears in the form of samsara or suffering. Nirvana is freedom from any type of confusion or suffering. This is its only difference with respect to samsara, since the nature of nirvana is also emp- tiness, as is the nature of samsara. Therefore, samsara and nirvana are ultimately inseparable, since the nature of both is emptiness. This is why the text says: "It does not incline toward either samsara or nirvana"-toward a samsara that would have to be abandoned or a nirvana that would have to be achieved.
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Andisfree/rom the extremes ofexaggeration and denigration.
The basic nature of all phenomena is free from extremes such as existence and nonexistence, because the ultimate nature of reality is the inseparability of emptiness and lu- minosity. Misunderstanding this, the luminous aspect of mind appears as the world of relative manifestations.
Not comprehending the true nature of appearances, one develops definite preconceptions with regard to their es- sence. One either considers appearances to be permanent, which leads to the extreme of eternalism or believing in the lasting existence of things, or else one negates appearances altogether, which leads to the extreme of nihilism or believ- ing in their nonexistence. As long as one does not under- stand the essential unity of emptiness and luminosity, one clings to these views and finds it impossible to get rid of the illusion that things really do or do not exist, or that I exist and the other exists, and so on.
Within the relative world phenomena arise only in inter- dependence. Since appearances come into being through dependent origination, they are neither existent nor non- existent. Thus neither of the two extremes of eternalism and nihilism are accurate. However, because one does not un- derstand the meaning of dependent origination one clings to these extreme views.
This was described by the third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, in his Mahamudra Supplication:
All phenomena are projections of mind.
Mind itself does not exist
And is empty in its being.
Although empty, it manifests everything without
obstruction.
. 22.
? ? ?
