No More Learning

On Vemacitra, see the Divyavadana, 182. 13; the Siltra of Extensive Play (Lalitavistara), 241. 3; and the Mahavastu, 3. 138. 2.
The tale of the woodpecker is related by Sura in the Jatakamala, Ch. 34. For an English translation, see Aryasura, The Marvelous Com- panion, pp. 349-53; Khoroche, Once the Buddha, pp. . For the tale of Drdhasamadana, see Siltra of the WIse and Foolzsh
T341), Ch. 49.
Tib. mu-ge'i tshe nya-bo-che.
The noble creature (srog-chags des-pa) is the rohita fish. This is re- counted by Peltrul Rinpoche in The WOrds of My Perfect Teacher, pp.
230-31.
For the horse Ajaneyabalaha, see the Pali Valahassa Jataka, no. 196;
and also R. A. Stein, Recherches sur l'epopee et Ie barde au tibet, pp. 426, 510-11, where cang-shes balaha is identified with Hayagrlva on the basis of the bka'-gdams pha-chos bu-chos, and as the mount of
Ling Kesar.
The golden bee was an emanation of Avalokitesvara. Refer to
Kara1Jq,avyilhasiltra, pp. 47ff. , as cited in H. Dayal's Bodhisattva Doc- trine in Sanskrit Buddhist Literature, p. 49.
The primary source for this section is Longcenpa, Treasury of the
Supreme Vehicle, pp. 20-6. .
I. e. the Indestructible Seat at Bodh Gaya. See p. 115 above and HIstOry,
p. 409. . . Tib. sangs-rgyas stong-rtsa gcig is interpreted by the Author m thIS
context to mean the Thousand Buddhas. Longcenpa in the Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle, p. 24, reads sangs-rgyas stong-dang rtsa. gnyis. In his Dispelling Darkness in the Ten Directions, p. 131, he explams added two to be VajrapaI). i and MafijusrI. Pawo Tsuklak Trhengwa m the Scholar's Feast of Doctrinal History (dpa'-bo chos-'byung), p. 200,
maintains that in the Penetration ofSound (sgra thal-'gyur) the additional two are asserted to be lha'i bu nyi-ma rab-tu snang-ba and dga'-byed
dbang-phyug. .
14 Notes
Fundamentals: Part Three 15 181 Tib. gzhung-lam, Skt. granthamarga, refers to the texts and path of the
teaching on the Transcendental Perfection of Discriminative Aware-
ness (Prajfiaparamita), which is central to the bodhisattva vehicle. 182 Through their methodical order and planning such activities are said to be indicative of the transmitted precepts taught by Sakyamuni
Buddha.
183 This nature is respectively the buddha-body of form (gzugs-sku, Skt.
rilpakaya) and the buddha-body ofreality (chos-sku, Skt. dharmakaya). 184 The paths of learning (slob-pa'i lam, Skt. are the first four gradual paths traversed by bodhisattvas, i. e. those of provisions, connection, insight and meditation. The fifth path is that of no-more-
learning, or the final path See also n. 382. 185 There is an account of this incident during a past life of Sakyamuni
in Peltrtil Rinpoche, kun-bzang bla-ma'i zhal-lung, pp. 192bff.
186 This Tathagata Sakyamuni was the first teacher ofSakyamuni Buddha. 187 Refer to the section on nihilism, pp. 66-7.
188 The Archer is Saraha.
189 For Terdak Lingpa's biography, see History, pp. 825-9; and for his
brother, Locen DharmasrI, pp. 728-32.
190 On Mipham Rinpoche, who is known as Mipham Namgyel Gyamtso
or Mipham lampel Gyepa, see History, pp. 869-80.
191 On Atisa, the founder of the Kadampa tradition, see Blue Annals, pp. 242ff. ; A. Chattopadhyaya, Atisa and Tibet; and H. Eimer's works on
Atisa which are detailed in the final section of the Bibliography.
192 On Tilopa, refer to Taranatha, History ofBuddhism in India, p. 299n. ; and to H. V. Guenther (trans. ), The Life and Teaching ofNaropa. For the lives ofTilopa and the other great accomplished masters mentioned in the following pages, see l. Robinson, Buddha's Lions; and K. Dow-
man, Masters ofMahamudra.
193 See Guenther, The Life and Teaching of Naropa.
194 On Advayavajra or Maitripa, see Blue Annals, p. 731; and Advayavaj-
rasan:zgraha.
195 On Saraha, refer to H. V. Guenther (trans. ), The Royal Song ofSaraha;
and to M. Shahidullah, Les Chants Mystiques de Kanha et de Saraha.
196 Saraha appeared in a dream to Marpa Lotsawa 'and this song is a recollection ofthe teaching he received. See Nalanda Translation Com-
mittee, The Life of Marpa, p. 46.
197 On Milarepa, refer to L. Lhalungpa (trans. ), The Life ofMilarepa; G.
163
164
165
166 167
168
169
The Vijfifmavada are still trapped within the dichotomy because they hold intrinsic awareness to eXIst m an absolute They do not understand the coalescence of awareness and emptmess which is basic to the higher vehicles from Great Madhyamaka to the Great Perfection of Atiyoga (Ttilku Perna Wangyel).
170 171 172
173
174
175
176 177
178 179 180
280-1 of the Derge canonical edn. of the text: dbu-ma, yol: Tsha. This verse also occurs in the Ornament of Emergent Realzsatwn, Ch. 5,
For the five axioms (gtan-tshig lnga), refer to Longcenpa, Treasury of Spiritual and Philosophical Systems, pp'. 118ff. ; and HIL 7. 1, p. 112. Tib. yongs-gcod is equivalent to Skt. panccheda. The text wrongly reads
yongs-dpyod.
Tib. rnam-bcad, Skt. vyavaccheda. The text reads rnam-dpyad.
These impure levels of realisation are the first seven attained by bodhisattvas. Refer to the Glossary of Enum. erations leve. ls. This text is by Aryadeva, yet may be attnbuted to Nagaf)una. m the sense that it was he who imparted the Madhyamaka teachmgs to
Aryadeva (Khenpo Palden Sherap). . - - The Great Madhyamaka (dbu-ma chen-po) IS also kn? wn as Y
Madhyamaka. As such it is not to confused the Svatantrika school. It integrates the VIew that all thmgs of intrinsically empty (rang-stong) of their own inherent substanualIty with the view that all enlightened attributes are empty of those ous phenomena (gzhan-stong). See below, 183-6. The given here does not occur in extant TIbetan text of Bhavya s Madhyamakaratnapradrpa, rather It paraphrases passages found on fols.
v. 21. 3A. Refer to D. T. Suzuki, The Laizkavatara Satra, p. 1 6. vanant
reading would be "the subject, object and . . See above, p. 55. These are exemplified by the Five Doctnnes of M. aztreya (byams-chos sde-lnga), and the Trilogy ofCommentaries by \byang-chub
sems-'grel-gyi skor-gsum). Refer to the first of Tib. sbyang-bzhi, Skt. *caturdha vyavadana, IS unIdenufied. Perhaps the purification of the four perverted views (see Glossary of Enumera-
tions) is intended.
The Guru of Suvarnadvlpa (gser-gling-pa) or Sumatra was also known
as Dharmaklrti Dharmapaia. He was Atisa's teacher. See Taranatha, History of Buddhism in India, p. 213n. . .
The third level of bodhisattva realisation is known as the Illummatmg
('od-byed, Skt. Prabhakarf). . . ___
The Vaibhasika, Sautranuka and VIJnanavada systems. . .
This refers the tendency to miss the experience realIty 198 or emptiness, and to reduce the apparitional (c. hos-can) mt. o
C. C. Chang (trans. ), The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa; and Blue Annals, pp. 427-37.
On Gampopa or Takpo Lharje, see sGam-po-pa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation; also Blue Annals, pp. 451-62.
categories which are then with eXIstence. ThIS occurs in the Sautranuka and VIJnanavada systems. These three kinds of tantra or continuum are explamed below,
199 Ngamdzong Tonpa was one of Marpa's four main students who trans- mitted the Kagyti tradition. See Blue Annals, pp. 435-7,449.
200 On Zhang Rinpoche, see Blue Annals, pp. 711ff. ; also History,
pp. 655 and 92l.
201 On Karmapa III, Rangjung Dorje, refer to History, pp. 572-4 and
666; also refer to Karma Thinley, The History ofthe Sixteen Karmapas
of Tibet, pp. 55-8.
202 On Karmapa VII, Chodrak Gyamtso, see Thinley, The History ofthe
pp. 263-7. ute These are held to be the four attributes of ab. sol
to the Supreme Continuum of the Greater
This quotation is from the Satra of Queen Srimala Cf. A. and H. Wayman (trans. ), The Lion's Roar of Queen Snma a,
p. 106.
l' ding rea Ity, accor
'_ _ - - - )
Sixteen Karmapas of Tibet, pp. 83-7.
16 Notes
203 204 205 206
207 208
209
210 211 212 213
214
215 216 217
218 219 220
221
222 223
For Situ VIII, Dharmakara, refer to E. G. Smith's introduction to The Autobiography and Diaries of Situ Pa'fJ-chen. . . .
This is the dri-ma med-pa zhes-bya-ba'i-cher 'grel-pa whIch IS contamed in the sa-skya bka'-'bum, Vol. 5, no. 65.
This work is no. 98 in the sa-skya bka'-'bum, Vol. 5. Our text wrongly reads snye-mo sgom-chen-gyis dris-Ian.
On the life of Tsongkapa, see Blue Annals, pp. 1073-9; R. Das Leben des lamaistischen Heiligen Blo-bzan grags-pa; and R. A. F. Thurman (ed. ), The Life and Teachmgs ofTsong Khapa.
On Tblpopa Sangye or Sherap Gyeltsen, see n. 1309; Blue Annals, pp. 775-7; and C. Stearns, Buddha/rom Dolpo.
Tib. gsang-mdzad. This reading is recommended Lama Sonam Topgyel in preference to that given in the text, whIch would read "secret repositories" or "treasuries"
These three synonyms for ultimate realIty m the outer tantras are respectively derived from Kriyatantra, Ubhayatantra and Yogatantra.
Seepp. 269-73. __. ". Iid See D. S. Ruegg, "Le Dharmadhatustava de Nagafjuna m tu es
tibetaines dediees ala memoire de Marcelle Lalou, p. 466. . . . . Cf. Nagarjuna, Root Stanzas on the Madhyamaka entitled Dzscnmmatzve A'wareness (Mulamadhyamakakarika), Ch. 18, v. 6. . .
Tib. bde-chen-zhing. As cited above on p. 127, thIS . IS the preferred reading. Here, however, our text gives bde-gshegs-zhmg. . _ . . This incident occurs at the end of the first chapter of the Vzmalakzrtzmr- desasutra, in which Brahma Sikhin considered the to be pure and Sariputra held them to be impure. After theIr debate, the Buddha intervened to say that the buddha-fields are always pure seen with pure vision, whereas Sariputra could not. actually . see thIS purity. This is also recounted elsewhere, e. g. by Mlpham Rmpoche
Fundamentals: Part Four 17
in his spyi-don 'od-gsal snying-po, p. 78.
.
6. an overall account of the bodhisattva path, refer to Dayal, The Doctrine in Sanskrit Buddhist Literature, Ch. 4.
nmth level of bodhisattva realisation is known as Excellent Intel- lIgence (legs-pa'i blo-gros, Skt. Siidhumatf).
Tib. ri-dvags me'i gtsang-sbra-can is a legendary speCIes of
which holds fire to be not hot but purificatory. It is referred to m the
texts of Madhyamaka (Khenpo Tsewang Dongyel).
This verse is also given in Ch. 10, v. 638.
Tib. gang-zag. The text reads gang-dag. . . .
Tib. bram-ze'i jig-tshogs-kyi lta-ba refers to the VIew of the. eternalIs. tIc
extremists, which is said to have twenty aspects. Mlpham Rm-
poche, grub-mtha'i mdzod bsdus-pa, p. 71; and S. CollIns, Selfless Per-
FUNDAMENTALS: PART FOUR
sons, pp. 118-19.
On Ngok Loden Sherap, refer to Blue Annals, pp. 328ff.
Tib. ma bral-bas. The text wrongly reads bral-bas. .
.
234 235
236 237
238
It is the bodhisattva vehicle, among the causal vehicles of dialectics which is also known as the vehicle of transcendental perfection. ' The unsurpassed vehicle of the tantras in general is here contrasted with the higher view of the tantras belonging to the vehicle of skilful
means. and suffering" (rnam-par byang-ba-dang sdug-bsngal) refer respectIvely to the last two and the first two sublime truths.
The mal). <;lala of seals (phyag-rgya'i dkyil-'khor) refers to the seals of the deity's body, speech and mind.
! he abi. ding nature of inconceivable reality is held to be vast because
contams manifold skilful means, and profound because it is essen- tIally discriminative awareness and emptiness.
Refer, e. g. , to ]amgon Kongtriil, shes-bya kun-khyab mdzod, Vol. 2, pp. 656-82; and to. Mipham Rinpoche, spyi-don 'od-gsal snying-po, pp. 146-8. The vehIcle of indestructible reality employs a series of four empowerments which enable one's awareness of pure enlightened
The text ascribes this treatise to Nagarjuna, although m
ofthe Peking edn. , Vol. 83, p. 90, 5. 5, it clearly states that VImalamltra
entrusted it to Nyak Jfianakumara in Pheny? l. . .
The theory of atomism developed in the school was
sively rejected by the Vijfianavada, and by the
tika. See M. Kapstein "Mereological ConsIderatIons m Vasubandhu s
'Proof of Idealism'" in Reason's Traces. .
Refer to the Glossary of Enumerations under ezght vows of the
. fi" h
These are referred to in the Glossary of EnumeratIons under zve, ezg t,
. .
224 225
226 227
228
229
230
231
232
233
See below, p. 229.
This is a meditative experience occurring on the path of connection
See below, p. 236; also Longcenpa, Treasury ofSpin"tual and Phzlosophical Systems, pp. 142-6.
I. e. they are superior to the pious attendants.
Although the ignorance which gives rise to the three poisons is reversed by the buddhas, the subject is not yet realised to be empty of the three mterrelated aspects of ignorance. Refer to p. 54.
These first four paths are identical to the four paths oflearning outlined above p . . 175, namely, the paths of provision, connection, insight The three paths referred to are the first three ofthese. verse IS probably derived from the theg-chen rnal-'byor-la j"ug-pa, whIch has only recently become available. Refer to nn. 608, 896 below'
to Blue 1nnals, pp. 999-1001, for Aro Yeshe Jungne. '
follows the meaning of the Tibetan. For a detailed
dISCUSSIOn of the Indian origins of the term bodhisattva refer to A L
Basham's contribution to L. Kawamura (ed. ), The Bodh;'sauva in Culture.
In this classification of seven vows, the lay vows for men
(upasaka) and the lay vows for women (upiisikii) are combined so that
the generally known eight vows of the pratimoksa become seven. See
the quotation cited above on p. 226 from' the Treasury of the Abhidhanna.
meditative experiences on the path of connection, known as the feelmg of warmth (drod), its climax (rtse-mo), the feeling of receptive- (bzod) and the supreme phenomenon (chos-mchog) are explained m Longcenpa, Treasury ofSpiritual and Philosophical Systems, pp. 142-
ten and all things to be renounced.
18 Notes
attributes to ripen. The four are known as the vase empowerment (bum-dbang), the secret empowerment (gsang-dbang), the empower- ment of discriminating pristine cognition (shes-rab ye-shes-kyi dbang) and the empowerment of word and meaning (tshig-don-gi dbang); see also below, p. 360. Among them, the third empowerment reveals the secret appearance of the deity and emphasises meditation on the per- fection stage, leading to the eventual realisation of the body of reality through union with the <;HikinI, embodiment of emptiness.
239 During empowerment, when creatively visualised as the deity, the meditator is known as the Being of Commitment (dam-tshig sems-dpa', Skt. samayasattva). Subsequently, the entry of the actual deity into this Being of Commitment is referred to as the "descent of the Being of Pristine Cognition" (ye-shes sems-dpa'i dbab-pa, Skt. jfianasattva- patana). This is also known as the "irresistible descent of pristine cognition" (ye-shes btsan-thabs-su dbab-pa).
240 These seven aspects of spiritual wealth according to ultimate truth are therefore the ultimate truth ofthe expanse, the ultimate truth ofpristine cognition, and the ultimate truth of original natural cessation which has five aspects corresponding to the buddha-body, speech, mind, enlightened attributes and activities.
241 It is said that the gods perceive water as nectar, humans and animals perceive it as a drink, tormented spirits perceive it as pus and blood, and the denizens of hell see it as molten lava, whereas the buddhas perceive it as the divine consort MamakI.
242 Tib. 'gyur ma-yin. Our text reads 'gyur-ba-yin; refer to the Peking Tangyur: rgyud-'grel, Vol. 81, p. 297. 4. l.
243 It is the causal buddha-body of form (rgyu'i gzugs-sku) which is vis- ualised on the path, in contrast to the resultant buddha-body of form (,bras-bu'i gzugs-sku) described above, pp. 123ff.
244 The desired qualities (,dod-yon, Skt. kdmagu1Ja) are the pleasurable enjoyments of the five senses.
245 Tib. don-dam-du ni mnyam-rdzogs-la. Compare the alternative reading for this line on p. 245 above (i. e. don-dam-du ni dbyer-med-Ia).
246 The three mal)galas here refer to the view, commitment and conduct of secret mantra (Lama Sonam Topgyel).
247 See the quotation from Tantra of the Inconceivable Rali Cakrasamvara on p. 248 above. .
248 Each of the levels is simultaneously the renunciation of an obscuration and the application of an appropriate antidote. See the Glossary of Enumerations for the ten, eleven or sixteen levels.
249 The deity's seal which secures all appearances within the mandala of buddha-body is known as the great seal (phyag-rgya chen-po·, Skt. Mahamudra). See below, p. 258.
250 In order for all appearances to be secured by the great seal of the deity's form, a melting bliss is generated within the energy channels by the fusion and melting of the seed syllables E and v A ¥ , symbolising the coalescence of emptiness (E) and bliss (VA¥). It is said that this coalescence is a prerequisite for all buddhas who become enlightened. The co-emergent bliss (sahajasukha) is the transmuted sexual energy issuing from the pulse of the seminal point of desire within the central channel of the body. Through this transmutation the propensities
Fundamentals: Part Four 19
251 which lead to rebirth in sal11sara are reversed
Among these, medicinal pills extracted f .
essences promote longevity I rom herbal and mineral d h ' eye-save promotes su I . 0
an t e enchanted sword cuts throu h 0 pernorma VISIOn,
ment of "swift feet" refer t HO g obscuratIon. On the accomplish- 252 T b I a b '0 ' 0 lStory, p. 614.
253 ·t: - at I lung. <? ur text wrongly reads rlung for lung.
ese our attnbutes see Jamgoo K
mdzod, edn. , 2, pp. 61 ongtriil, shes-bya kun-khyab
254 Concernmg the meditations on h
258 259
260
261
262 263
264 265
266 267
263
269 270
271
Tohis point is explained in the Glossar
kmds ofdesire. Refer also to H O Y of EnumeratIons under four
Th 0 lStory, p 413 ese SIX modes indicate the d 1· .
emptiness: also below, p. ua appearance of the deity out of
For the dIstmction between the hOh
and the lower gnostic mantras ri er secret mantra (gsang-sngags),
erations under three klond ,F ( g gags), see the Glossary of Enum- s OJ mantra
Syllables conjoined with s llables £; 0
ht e presence of the buddha-body of s 1 u means, see Longcenpa DO IF eo a ayoga path of
reality in the heart centre.