No More Learning

Divisions ofAtiyoga 329 The Texts of the Spatial Class (NGB Vols. 3-4)
[197b. 4-198a. 4] There are eleven thousand chapters and six million four hundred thousand verses subsumed under the titles of the three thousand tantras, which extensively reveal these modes [of the Spatial Class]. . too, are gathered into the Eighty Thousand Aspects of Determznatzon (la-bzla-ba khri-phrag-brgyad); these are then gathered into Twenty. Thousand Aspects ofDistinction (shan-'byed khri-phrag gnyis); and these, m turn, are then gathered into Nine Hundred Conclusions ('gags with Two Thousand Essentials (gnad nyis-stong)
and the Nazis (gzer-bu lnga-bcu), all of these, if subsumed, are gathere? categories, namely, Liberation from Activity (byas- grol), LIberatIOn m the Establishment [of the Abiding Nature] (bzhag- grol) and Direct Liberation (cer-grol).
It is said in the Doha Composed by Lord Maitripa (Mahamudra- kanakamala, T 2454):
Non-conceptual, without ideas,
Transcending objects of ideas and scrutiny, Unthinking, without mind, utterly unthinkable, Without support or lack of support,
Or going, coming and abiding,
Awakening to the happiness and sorrows
Of saqlsara and nirval). a
In the space of supreme bliss,
Uncontrived, unwavering and naturally relaxed, Is the inner radiance, free from coming or going, In which mental events have been interrupted. Its appearance is ineffable and it is without any
master.
It is recognised to be reality,
The intrinsically radiant awareness, and the body of reality.
Passages such as this, too, have arrived at the spiritual and philosophical goal of the [Spatial Class].
THE ESOTERIC INSTRUCTIONAL CLASS
. . 3) Thirdly, there is the Esoteric Instructional Class: This M s dlstmctIOn over the two lower [Mental and Spatial Classes]. The thental Class, by referring positively to the mind has mostly achieved the area of profundity rather than radiance, and' yet by not realising
e power of radiance to be reality, it almo;t clings to mental scrutIny Th S . I C .
r d' . e patla lass, though equally achIeving profundity and a lance, rather than the mental scrutiny which apprehends reality,
330 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra .
almost lapses into a deviation point within the of emptmess. T. he
Esoteric Instructional Class, on the other hand, IS act_ually supenor . h ·thI·n the expanse of reality that is free from concep-
Divisions ofAtiyoga 331
because It gat ers WI
tual elaboration, all apparitions of realIty whIch appear t . roug t e
self-manifesting, spontaneously present and expressIve As such [these apparitions] are the tone of the pnJ? ordIally
·bl e the supreme transcendence of mtellect. It IS Said In pressl e essenc , .
the Great Array of the Hzghest:
o holder of indestructible reality,
If this is not established, .
There are those who cling to mental And those who resort, in particular, to nothmg
at all.
Therefore this definitive, secret nucleus,
As a butter lamp amid the darkness, Or as an elephant among oxen,
A lion among wild animals,
Or a horseman among pedestrians, Is superior to them all.
The essence of this Esoteric Instructional Class is con. trary to those
bases and doctrines which refer to the dichotomy
·lderment or of realisation and non-reahsatIOn, by divIdmg non-beW I, r· hmeral the originally liberated and primordially pure Ity mto e k
objects that are to be inspected and the conSCIOusness whIch rna es inspection. From the position of the essence,
tual elaboration, both the subjective perceptIOn ObjectIve in of perception are equal in their lack of authentICIty, other . t h a _ mere conventional usage, the thoughts and prehend that dichotomy are genuinely transcended. ThIs class . t
resembles a geomantic centre which directly essentIa
e transcending intellect, thoughts of the mind, thmkmg process
mental scrutiny. It is said by MafijusrI:
Inwardly radiant by nature, Primordially pure as the sky,
The primordial realities have abandoned
characteristics.
They are neither things nor reality:
Similar to space which is without substantIaht! ', They are liberated from all words and phonetIc
expressions.
. .
which are unceasing and [continually] arising, so that the root ofworldly existence cannot be removed. As the same text says:
The emptiness of the conquerors
Is said definitively to remove all views.
If this [Esoteric Instructional Class] is classified, it comprises three categories, namely, the Random (kha-'thor), the Oral Tradition (kha- gtam) and the Teaching which Accords with its own Textual Tradition of Tantras (rgyud rang-gzhung-du bstan-pa, NGB Vols. 9-10). The es- sence of the first, [the Random category of esoteric instructions], is that the pristine cognition, which transcends the intellect, instantane- ously arises without regard for extraneous classifications and clarifica- tions. Its subdivisions are twofold: With reference to establishment [of reality], there are the Esoteric Instructions which Conclude the Path (bzhag-pa lam-gyi mtha'-gcod-pa'i man-ngag), and with reference to lib- eration, there are the Esoteric Instructions ofPure Power which Disclose the Path (grol-ba stabs dag-pa lam mngon-gyur gyi man-ngag).
The second [category of Esoteric Instructions], those given in the
15
manner ofan Oral Tradition, are essentialll
unbewildered. They naturally shatter the source of conceptualisation and, characteristically, they are free from deliberate recognition. Its subdivisions are twofold: the Oral Tradition which Permeates All Dis- course (gleng-bayongs-la bor-ba'i kha-gtam) and the Oral Tradition which is Divulged in Speech at No Fixed Time (khar-phog dus-med-pa'i kha- gtam).
The third [category of esoteric instructions], the Teaching which Accords with its own Textual Tradition of Tantras, is essentially the point of origin of all transmitted precepts. It is naturally effortless with respect to renunciation and acceptance because it is devoid of sarp. sara and nirvaI). a; and, characteristically, it is untouched by disputation concerning emptiness because it does not abide in sounds or words. Its subdivisions are fourfold: those transmitted precepts given in the manner of the Full Summation of the View (lta-ba sgang dril-ba), those given in the manner of Blood-letting which Removes Obstacles (gtar-ga gegs-sel), those given in a manner which Reveals the Hidden (gab-pa nzngon-du phyung), and those given in the manner of Exegeses which are Naturally Clear (bshad-pa rang-gsal). These, too, are classified into many profound and vast subdivisions with respect to view, meditation and conduct such as: their Hidden Point (gnadgab-pa) and its Revelation (nzngon-du phyung-pa); the Extent of their Warmth (drod-tshad); the Essence which having Penetrated the Essentials of Object and Con-
Throws Open the Naked Awareness (yul-shes gnad-la bor-nas rzg-pa ther-la 'byin-pa'i gnad); the Opposition to Bewilderment at its Ground C'khrul-pa gzhi-la bzlog-pa); and the Essential Penetration of the Seminal Point·(thig-le gnad-la dbab-pa).
. ther than thIS, As long as one refers to objects deSIgnate? m VIews °b b ndoned,
. . .
. . h bjective mmd cannot e a a ]
the posture of chngmg to t e su
and one who has not abandoned that comes to possess
[corruptions
. .
hhh
free from the intellect and
332 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Divisions ofAtiyoga 333
Ifthese are subsumed, they comprise four [cycles], namely, the Outer Cycle which Resembles the Body (Ius-dang 'dra-ba phyi-skor), the Inner Cycle which Resembles the Eyes (mig-dang 'dra-ba nang-skor) , the Secret Cycle which Resembles the Heart (snying-dang 'dra-ba gsang-skor) and the Unsurpassedly Secret Cycle which Resembles the Perfection of All (thams-cad rdzogs-pa-dang 'dra-ba yang-gsang bla-na med-pa'i skor).
According to the first, or the Outer Cycle: Essentially, the five poisons are carried on the path because there are no conflicting emotions. Naturally, whatever appears arises as reality because there is no labori- ous accomplishment; and characteristically, emptiness is not divided into anything at all because there are no spatial parts.
As for the second, the Inner Cycle: Essentially, it is the signless reality because it has transcended formation. Naturally, it is the pristine cognition which permanently and continuously abides because it neither goes nor comes. And characteristically, too, it resembles roots in that it penetrates both sarpsara and nirva1). a; it resembles a tree trunk in that the intrinsic face [of awareness] turns in different [directions]; it resembles branches in that the appearance of expressive power is exten- sive on all sides; it resembles flowers in that the range of radiance is unimpeded; and it resembles fruit in that its diversity is ripened into one.
As for the third, the Secret Cycle: Essentially, it disregards the three
kinds of discriminative awareness because introduction to reality (ngo-
sprod) and realisation occur simultaneously. Naturally, it disregards the
316
power of experience because the cessation ofbreathing
are simultaneous; and characteristically, it disregards the two causally based provisions because buddhahood and the emergence of spirituality are simultaneous.
Then, concerning the fourth, or the Unsurpassedly Secret Cycle: Essentially, it disregards the act of perception because there is nothing to be perceived. Naturally, this reality does not abide in mental because it is directly perceived; and characteristically, vital energy itself IS united in the expanse of the original ground through the four visionary appearances (snang-ba bzhi), without constructing the hope for a result in a future lifetime.
The Texts of the Esoteric Instructional Class (NGB Vols. 5-10)
[200b. 3-202b. l] It is said [by the buddhas] in their transmitted precepts that the meanings and expressions contained in such [categories] of the Esoteric Instructional Class are equal to the limits of the sky. include Twenty Thousand Tantras of Expressive Words (rjod-byed tshig-g1 rgyud khri-phrag gnyis), Thirty-five Thousand Chapters (le'u stong-phrag sum-cu rtsa lnga), Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Verses (sva-lo-ka 'bum-phrag drug-cu rtsa-bzhi) , Five (gnad lnga), Eight Great Vaults [or Appendzces, phyong-chen-po brgya
One Hundred and Eighty Nails (gzer-bu brgya-dang brgyad-cu), Nine Hundred Thousand Conclusions ('gags stong-phrag dgu-brgya), Seventy Thousand Distinctions (shan-'byed khri-phrag-bdun), and One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Determinations (la-bzla-ba 'bum-phrag phyed-dang
gnyis).
The four [cycles] of the Esoteric Instructional Class are also gathered in Three Spaces, namely, the Space of Unceasing Display (rol-pa 'gags- pa med-pa'z klong), the Space in which there is Nothing Unliberated in the Intellect (blo-la ma-grol-ba med-pa'i klong) and the Space in which the Essence is Neither Good Nor Evil (ngo-bo-la bzang-ngan med-pa'i
klong). And the nucleus of the Esoteric Instructions is also fourfold: namely, . that which Unties the Essential (gnad-bkrol-ba), that which Brings FInal Closure [of Obstacles] ('gag-bsdam-pa), that which Intro- duces [Intrinsic Awareness] (ngo-sprad-pa) and that which Visibly Es- tablishes the Intrinsic Essential (mngon-sum rang-gnad-la dbad-pa).
The View and Path ofthe Esoteric Instructional Class
According to this tradition of the Esoteric Instructional Class of the Great Perfection, which is the nucleus of all teachings, the indi- awareness is an object to be experientially cultivated as pnstIne cogmtIOn. It transcends the mind which possesses the nature of the eight aggregates of consciousness, the corrupt grasping
component. On this, indeed, it is said in the Lion's Perfect Expressive Power:
Propensities of the mind and pristine cognition are insubstantial
Though pristine cognition has been freed from all propensities,
The diverse propensities are collected by the mind. Ifmind and pristine cognition are not differentiated as two, The root of objective appearances is not cut off. Although the unconditioned reality is pure,
It is difficult to realise.
And also, in Naropa's Means for Attaining the Real:
When this intuitive awareness of the enlightened mind
Is under the sway of the bewilderment of propensities
although non-existent, is materialised ImagInatIOn.
Though the propensities of the mind outwardly appear,
The awareness is unchanging inner radiance. And:
Free from t. he movement of the conceptualising mind,
and liberation
334
Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
The inner radiance of intrinsic awareness is not grasped.
In brief, all sensory appearances and objects of thought are t? e of samsara which appear through the mind and have the graspmg mmd as particular characteristic. The Sublime Perfection of Discriminative Awareness in Eight Thousand Lznes the very
same point when it says, concerning mind-as-such WhICh transcends the mundane mind and its mental events, that:
In mind there exists no mind. The nature of mind is inner
radiance.
Furthermore, the Sublime Pagoda of Precious Jewels says:
Free from mind, intellect and consciousness, the of contemplation, indeed, is not abandoned. ThIS IS the inconceivable mystery of the Tathagata's mind.
And the sublime Nagarjuna has also said:
Inasmuch as there is no mind, there is nothing at all, There is neither body nor psychophysical base; Hence, according to the non-dual path,
This is well explained as just what is.
Extensive quotations such as these also have an intention directed to- wards the awareness which transcends the mind.
This same awareness is also a primordial liberation (ye-grol) because its intrinsic face is uncovered from the beginning by the things. of samsara, so that the basis of the grasping components of worldly eXIst- has ceased. It is a natural liberation (rang-grol) because, uncon-
trived by any antidote, all that arises [is liberated] without reference to other liberating activities, in the manner of a snake which has naturally uncoiled its knots. It is a direct liberation (cer-grol) because all the consciousnesses of the eight aggregates are naturally liberated ,:ith suddenness in an instant, without a duality of subject and object. A? d
. d it is a liberation from extremes (mthaJ-grol) because It
"
tional aspect or corporeal objects into inner radiance in a spontaneously present manner, and so causes the cessation of apparitional reality.
Cutting Through Resistance
[202b. 1-204a. 5] Concerning the first of these, Cutting Through Resist- ance, which establishes the primordially pure abiding nature: The in- tention of this supreme vehicle is directed towards awareness, the fun- damental reality without bondage or liberation, the essence itself which is primordially pure, uncontrived and utterly impartial. It has not fallen into any direction whatsoever because it cannot be said that "the essence is intrinsically this". This naked, core-penetrating (zang-thal) aware- ness, transcending thought and expression, is itself emptiness in that it is free from the conceptualising intellect; it is signless in that it is not symbolised by verbal or written word during the path; and it is aspirationless in that from the standpoint of the result there is neither hope nor doubt concerning something that is to be obtained. Owing to that awareness, the attributes of enlightenment are perfected, and it is that awareness in which the [aforementioned] three natural ap- proaches to liberation are present as inner radiance. In it, the things subsumed by consciousness which refers to the view, meditation, con- duct and result either with or without thought,317 do not exist. By looking for [awareness] it is not seen; by meditating on it, it is not realised; by conduct no benefit is incurred; and the result is not to be Because it is not [to be obtained], there is nothing to be done WIth to purification on the levels, progression on the paths, or refernng to the results and their respective sequences. The glorious Saraha [in his Song of Esoteric Instruction: An Inexhaustible Treasure Store, DohiikosopadesagUiJT 2264] says:
Listen! do not regard cause and result as two.
There are no causes and results which arise as substances. If this yogin's mind is maddened
By the mind which hopes and doubts,
The co-emergent pristine cognition will be bound therein. Listen! since that is without independent existence,
Do not say it is an object ofmeditation.
If, having realised both the object of meditation
And act of meditating,
One were to think of it as enlightenment
With a dualising intellect,
One would have committed a sin against oneself.
are some who, not having comprehended such an abiding as this, depreciate the profundities of the perfection stage, :ldmg that the resultant buddha-body of form is not achieved without t e accumulation of the two provisions, including the causal creation
oes no After this intrinsic awareness, the naturally present pnstIlle ,cog ,
within the three times or within any perceptual object.
muon
which abides in the dispostion of these four great modes of
" . d ' fh' thIIIorer has been ascertained to be the dIstmCtlve octnne 0 t IS p a , ,
, I' d h 'tt7
that it might be appropnately rea Ise ,t ere eXIS \\0 . _
Through Resistance (khregs-chod), which is oriented towards the
tiness aspect or primordially pure awareness without conceptual e a .
oration and so causes the cessation of [inherently] empty fl
and All-Surpassing Realisation (thod-rgal), which clarifies the appa -
t abi e . '
paths'CutUng
Divisions ofAt0'oga 335
336 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
stage and so forth. But their action is one which abandons the doctrine. According to this path [of Cutting Through Resistance] the body of reality itself is obtained because it is the culmination of the buddhas. Elsewhere it is accordingly said [in the Diamond Cutter, Vajracchedika, T 16, para. 26, vv. 1-2b]:
Those who see me as form,
Those who perceive me as sound,
Those persons, who remain on the false path, Do not perceive me.
It is the body of reality
ThatistheBuddha's.
In this way, the nucleus of indestructible reality, the primordially pure awareness, enters into the qualitative experience of the original body of reality's modes (yin-lugs). In the manner of the naturally radiant sun, it is liberated from the obscuring action of conceptual elaboration, and it is held to be seen in the present moment, just like the sun, once the overwhelming ideas of the mind, which activate the eight sequences [of the vehicle] and cause obscuration through their dependence on the symbolic creation stage, have been purified of their obscuration. Since it possesses such distinctions, the naturally present pristine cognition, uncontrived by a conceptual view, meditation, conduct, and result, is determined in its natural establishment. This awareness is just present in its natural disposition, open, uncontrived, unconstructed, unmeditat- ing, unwavering, unbewildered, without entering into ideas and scrutiny, aloof, naked, and relaxed; and it is only nominally called a view and a meditation. It says in the Tantra ofthe Great Natural Arising of Awareness:
In the awareness that is without conceptual elaboration How could there be bewilderment and ignorance?
In the pristine cognition that is without mind
How could there be ignorance and propensities?
So it is that, through meditative equipoise, the fundamental, uncon- trived abiding nature of great primordially pure awareness is directly introduced, and there can be no bondage through the subject-object dichotomy. The means ofnot contaminating it with objects ofmeditation or the act of meditating is excellently revealed by teachings such as the Twelve Great Laughs of Indestructible Reality (rdo-rje gad-mo chen-po bcu-gnyis ) .
If firm experience in this very path has come about, finally one dissolves into a great, primordially pure point of liberation. The coarse atoms of the four elements are transformed into the power of the fire of pristine cognition, and, having been so purified, they vanish accom- panied by great miraculous events. If, on the other hand, activity on
Divisions ofAtiyoga 337
behalf of is to, the dissolving atoms emanate as, and then leave behmd, relIcs of four kinds, while the awareness centred in the expanse of body of reality then acts on behalf of living beings through unceasmg emanational bodies.
All-Surpassing Realisation
[204a. 5-211b. 4] Concerning the second [path] th
. . .
e esotenc mstructIOns
. " ,
of - urpassmg RealIsatIon which establish the t 1
All S ' '
,spon
aneous y present
VISIOnary appearances: Accordmg to Cutting Through R ' h b 'ld ' eSIstance, t e
eWI enng appearance of apprehended obJ'ects wI'thout d
'h ' d" ,groun an wIt out root, IS lfectly lIberated in fundame t i l ' H '
1S ' '" na reaIty. owever,thIS [AI -, urpassmg RealIsatIOn] IS superior to that lower path b
herem all those apparitional aspects of the th 1 ' , ecause , h " ree rea ms are lIberated
III e radIance of a great seminal point of five-coloured Ii ht
WhICh IS the natural tone of awareness, It is said in the P Sound:
This ,[view] is that, upon the display of [subtle] objects
the disposition [of awareness],
WIthout, entering into the conditions of samsara,
them to the very core, ' the [coarse] apparitional aspect
Of objects and consciousness,
They are directly liberated from their respective grounds. 318
And the glorious Naropa also says: All substances by nature
Are the point of the expanse of reality. Concernmg the means for attaining this,
Ihe nucleus, awareness itself, arises,
so darkness of extremes is purified by its dISPOSItIOn.
this naturally present attainment,
That IS not to be attained
Th '
e three realms are proven to be inner radiance
the buddha-mind, '
,g enetratzon OJ
Thisexpla t' b'fl ' ,
ary ap na IOn ne y mdicates the path through which the vision-
pearance of the expa . d h '
(rdo-rje lu-gu r ud) 319 ,nse an t e mdestructible chains [of light]
Finally th gy , ,:hIch are the nucleus or awareness are matured
inner e and mner elements of the three realm; dissolve
their t rouidgh the appearance of the cessation of y c os-ny zad-pa 1 snang-ba).
d
338 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Divisions ofAtiyoga 339
Now this [path of All-Surpassing Realisation] is also subsumed in the Three Supportive Essentials of the Body (bca'-ba lus-kyi gnad-gsum), the Three Essentials which Guide [the Eyes] towards the Expanse C'khrid-pa dbyings-kyi gnad-gsum) and the Three Essentials of Objective Appearance (snang-bayul-gyi gnad-gsum) , which are to be experientially cultivated. And when. [the essential of light] within the last of these groupings is classified according to the four lamps (sgron-ma bzhi), it consists of the watery lamp of the far-sighted [eyes] (rgyangs-zhag chu'i sgron-ma), the lamp of the expanse of awareness (rig-pa dbyings-kyi sgron-ma), the lamp of emptiness which is the seminal point (thig-le stong-pa'i sgron-ma), and the lamp of naturally present discriminative awareness (shes-rab rang-byung-gi sgron-ma).
The first of these lamps, [the watery lamp of the far-sighted eyes], senses the appearances which arise because it externally perceives the tone of awareness. The second, [the lamp of the expanse of awareness], is the ground from which the inner expanse arises as a tone of external radiance. The third, [the lamp of emptiness which is the seminal point], is the support which activates the arising forms. And the fourth, [the lamp of naturally present discriminative awareness], is the unerring abiding nature of higher insight, or the face of awareness, when it arises as a pure essence and not as a [gross] object.
Concerning these divisions, the Tantra of the Great Natural Arising of Awareness says:
In the ma1). gala which is empty as the sky
Four kinds of uncontrived lamp
Radiate owing to the unimpeded reality. Concerning the lamp of the expanse of awareness: In the centre of space which is empty as the sky, The body of light, the natural expression of the
expanse,
Radiates in unimpeded, unceasing forms.
The body of buddha-mind, endowed with five
pristine cognitions,
Arises as an indestructible chain [of light]. Its coming and going
And its movement, too, are indeterminate. Penetration of this lamp of the expanse of
awareness,
If awareness is not disturbed,
Is well explained to be unchanging realisation.
If the lamp of naturally present discriminative awareness
Has cut off all exaggerations,
If the lamp of emptiness which is the seminal point,
Has effortlessly arisen,
And if, by means of the watery lamp of the
far-sighted eyes,
It is regarded without wavering;
That is said to be the limit of conclusive meditation.
In this way, the awareness ofhigher insight regards the indestructible chains [of light], and becomes skilled in the four visionary appearances (snang-ba bzhi) through the succession of their experiences. The en- trance to the buddha-fields is opened through the visionary appearance of the direct perception of reality (chos-nyid mngon-sum-gi snang-ba). Subsequently, the emanational body is seen through the visionary ap- pearance of ever increasing contemplative experience (nyams gong-'phel- ba'i snang-ba) in which the seminal point is almost matured in the body. The body of perfect rapture is seen through the visionary appearance of reaching the limit of awareness (rig-pa tshad-phebs-kyi snang-ba) in which [the seminal point] is matured in the body. Then, all appearances are purified in the ma1). gala of a single, great seminal point. All the things that are designated by the intellect cease and the body of reality is seen through the visionary appearance in which [those things] cease to be even apprehended in reality (chos-nyid-du 'dzin-pa tsam-yang zad- pa'i snang-ba). Accordingly, it is said in the Penetration of Sound:
Through the vision that is direct perception of reality The extremes which persist in mental scrutiny are
transcended.
Through ever increasing contemplative experience Bewildering appearances vanish,
And the pristine cognition of the intermediate state
is actualised.
Through the visionary appearance of reaching the
limit of awareness
Appearances on the path which realises the three
bodies are transcended.
Through the visionary appearance of their cessation
in reality
The continuity of smpsara with its three realms
is broken.
An almost similar aspect of this maturation of the seminal point in
the body is also referred to in the Kdlacakra Tantra:
The mind which apprehends space in all directions, And the unclosing eye which properly enters the path
of indestructible reality,
Out of come to perceive
340 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Apparitions of smoke, mirage, radiance, immaculate sky and butter lamps, .
Blazing flames, the moon, the sun, vajras, Supreme features and seminal points.
And in their midst is the form of the buddhas, The manifold bodies of perfect rapture, Without objective appearance.
Therefore, in this unsurpassedly secret [vehicle] it is most essential for one who is learned in directly making into the path the naturally present awareness, which transcends the sarp. sara-based mind from the begin- ning, to reach the result swiftly and directly. If it . were not S? , t? e samsara-based mind and mental events during the penod ofexpenential
cuitivation would not be transcended. Their result would be sarp. sara
itself. However, since cause and result are infallibly identical, there is
no occasion for lapsing into deviation.
In particular, the instantaneous awareness itself, which regards this
manifest inner radiance, reverses the mind and mental events of the three world realms along with the ground-of-all. It is the reversal of the realm of desire because it regards [inner radiance] with direct per- ception and is without the ebb and flow of internal is the reversal of the realm of form because there is no antIdote whIch allocates radiance to the radiant disposition. It is the reversal of the formless realm because there is no intellect which clings in the disposi-
tion of reality to one-pointed non-conceptualisation. It is the reversal of the ground-of-all because there is an awareness of the pure essences. It is the reversal of the consciousness of the ground-of-all because the naturally present, pristine cognition is determined.
It is the reversal of the consciousnesses of the five senses because it does not appe. ar to
pursue ordinary [sensations] other than the objects of mner radiance; and, at that time, it is the reversal of the conSCIOusness of the intellect and the consciousness of conflicting emotions because there is no idea which scrutinises and there is an absence of all thoughts of desire and hatred. In brief, the pristine cognition of the buddhas,
liberated from the mind and mental events of the three world is conclusive in that which is nothing other than quiescence . nirvaJ)a]. Therefore, it is said in the Enumeration of Doctrines whzch zs the Great Pagoda of Precious Jewels:
Santamati, this mystery of the Tathagata's mind is mind intellect and consciousness; nor is the of abandoned either. This is the inconceIvable mystery of the Tathagata's mind.
t a which Those spiritual and philosophical systems of the secret r d· nt
hold the co-emergent pristine cognition to refer to the blIssful, ra la
and non-conceptual pristine cognitions, which are effected in the lower
tantras by the entry of the vital energy from the right and left channels
(ro-rkyang) into the central channel (dbu-ma),320 do not reverse the
consciousnesses of the eight aggregates. This is because [in those sys-
tems] the bliss of sensation is subsequently created by the intellect and
by the intellect that is conscious of conflicting emotions. The range of
non-conceptualising mind does not proceed elsewhere beyond the
ground-of-all. In addition, they hold that the vital energy and the [white
321
enter from the right and left pathways into the central channel and liberate each respective knot in the central channel; and that by this power the renunciations and realisations of the ten levels arise. This is an essential point of deviation, because [according to those systems] the vital energy and the mind remain in the centres (rtsa-'dab) which correspond to the six classes of living beings, giving rise to
322
impure, bewildering appearance.
In this [All-Surpassing Realisation], on the other hand, the vital
energies are absorbed in a natural quiescence, and apart from that, do not enter into the central channel and so forth. When the vital energy of the respective centres has become naturally pure, the vital energy of pristine cognition (ye-shes-kyi rlung) naturally radiates right where it is within a channel of light. Thus, there is no occasion for impure, bewildering appearances to arise from the natural expression of the buddha-bodies, fields and light, which are appearances of pure pristine cognition. The channels of light within the central channel mUltiply and become enlightened attributes in which the knotted forms of the channels (rtsa-mdud) gradually vanish into light; and therefrom the emergent realisations of the levels arise manifest in and of themselves. 323
Now, by the vanishing of the first pair of knotted channels into light, a hundred buddha-fields arise within the light which externally appears. Therein, rays of light are diffused, motion occurs through their re- absorption in a self-manifest manner, and the hundred buddha-fields vibrate through the shaking of the body. Internally also, a hundred non-conceptual contemplations of reality are entered and risen from, and other such experiences occur. 324 Therefore, it should be known that the higher paths exemplified by these occurrences are superior to the lower vehicles.
At the time when these four visionary experiences are concluded, the body is dissolved into atoms by Cutting Through Resistance and the buddha-body of indestructible reality is not thereby achieved. SInce it is not achieved, there is on that basis no means of attaining the great benefit for the sake of others which continues until samsara has been emptied. .
Therefore, [in All-Surpassing Realisation] the buddha body of form remains apparitional in the manner of the moon's reflection in water, While the awareI1ess abides in a formless state. As such, immeasurable
and red] seeds
Divisions ofAtiyoga 341
342 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
acts are performed on behalf of sentient beings. This is known as the buddha-body of great. transformation ('? ho-ba chen-po'i sku, maha- sahkrantikaya), exemphfied by [the attamment] of the great masterI Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra. If there is, for the while, no onel requiring to be trained on this basis, the body of form itself, which is a coalescence of outer radiance, manifest in and of itself, is absorbed into the inner expanse, the disposition of the body of reality free from conceptual elaboration, and then the subtle pristine cognition of indi- vidual intuitive awareness is centred in the inwardly radiant youthful vase body (gzhon-nu bum-pa'i sku). In the of this [youthful vase body] and without wavering from the highest meditative absorp- tion, reality is present as the basis for the emanation of pristine cognition, the great unimpeded spirituality which displays instruction for those requiring training. It is the culmination of the buddha-body of reality, in which the expanse and pristine cognition are without duality.
Therefore, it is asserted that enlightenment is the point of liberation in which primordial purity and spontaneous presence are without duality, the great primordial purity or abiding nature of the original ground. And it is equally asserted that [the view of] the Madhyamika who propound non-substantiality, though indeed a freedom from all extremes of conceptual elaboration, is but one extreme of emptiness because they deny even the buddha-bodies and pristine cognitions which manifest in and of themselves on the grounds that all activities ()ug-pa) at this moment abide in the firm cessation of quiescence.
Though distinctive opinions are variously found concerning the non- conceptuality, in terms of subject and object, of the all-knowing pristine cognition, the intention of the Primordial Lord [Samantabhadra] is particularly established as such through the proper path of the Great Perfection. Within the expanse of emptiness free from all conceptual elaborations that derives from its primordial purity, the essence abides through its spontaneous presence in the manner of the light which is radiant within a crystal but not externally manifest. This [spontaneous presence] comprises: three subtle pristine cognitions, forming the ground in which the buddha-fields and the bodies of perfect rapture arise manifest in and of themselves; five pristine cognitions which are given character through the expressive power of these [fields and bodies]; and the aspect of the ground in which the pristine cognition that knows cognitive objects arises. Since it is endowed with this pristine cognition itself, the essence is the source of all buddha-bodies and pristine cognitions. From it there emerges the power by which, without wavering from the body of reality, the two bodies of form appear, with their enlightened activities, to those who require training. If It were not so, the benefit of those requiring training and the immeasurable enlightened attributes of omniscience would not emerge through possession of pristine cognition. This has been stated ad infinitum 1U
Divisions ofAtzYoga 343 such texts as the Verse Summation of the Transcendental Perfection of
Discriminative Awareness (Ch. 5, v. 8cd):
If there were no pristine cognition,
The enlightened attributes would not increase, Nor would there be enlightenment
Or the oceanic attributes of the buddhas.
And in the Illuminating of the Lamp (sgron-ma snang-byed):325
So if there were no range of pristine cognition
There would be no distinction [between this]
And the outer space which is empty.
Therefore, from the ground, pristine cognition is pervasive. If there were no pristine cognition
There would be no distinction [between this] and nihilism.
This spontaneous presence of enlightened attributes is referred to in eloquent explanations, such as the following from the Great Commentary on the Buddhasamayoga (Buddhasamayoga(fka, T 1659):
This body of supreme bliss, characterised as skilful means and discriminative awareness without duality, embodies the essence of yoga. The hosts of Mara and the like which sym- bolise dualistic ideas are destroyed by this disposition, and, inasmuch as it possesses all the arrays ofexcellent enlightened attributes, there are apart from it no other details of en-
lightened attributes. It is present through their natural spon- taneous presence and disclosed through realisation.
The disposition of this body of reality gives rise to consecration or
blessing which arises as the self-manifesting buddha-body of perfect
rapture. Therefrom enlightened activities continuously emerge, such
as those of the Five Enlightened Families of the Tathagatas in the pure
buddha-fields, and such as those of the supreme emanational body in the impure fields.
to [these four visionary appearances of All-Surpassing RealIsatIOn] there are also the Esoteric Instructions of the Four Consoli- dations (mtha'-rten bzhi) which meaningfully draw [the practice] to its conclusion: The ground is determined in three unmoving states (mi-'gul- ba gsum), the limit [of awareness] is grasped by the three presences
(sdod-pa gsum-gyis tshad bzung-ba), the nail is riveted by the three attain- lllents (thob-pa gsum-gyis gzer gdab-pa) and the limit of liberation is revealed by the four assurances (gding-bzhis grol-tshad bstan-pa).
I
Inbrief h b·d" " "
" , t e a I mg nature of the Great PerfectIOn IS absolute in its
VIewp d I"
res ' ure an equa WIth to and result, indivisible with
pect to truth, naturally dIssolved WIth respect to the subject-object
344 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
dichotomy, and core-penetrating with respect to creation and cessation. It has not fallen into the extremes of either elaboration or non-elabora- tion, and it is uncontrived by the intellect. It neither radiates externally, nor is it apprehended internally, and nor does it lie in between. . For it thechaff-likewordsandconventionsoftheentirerangeofexpreSSIOn, t h e e n t i r e r a n g e o f t h o u g h t a n d s c r u t i n y h a v e b e c o m e o n l y d i s c u r s i v e designations. Thus, one determines that it does not abide in the of self-affirmation. It is said in the Mirror of the Heart of VaJrasattva (rdo-rje sems-dpa' snying-gi me-long, NGB Vol. 10):
It should be known that all the doctrines of awareness are free from the intellect involved in egocentric ideas.
Now at all times, ancient and recent, there have been those who,
boasting of attaining the profound reality through their intellectual
is [secure] conviction that [the deities] manifest in and of themselves in the manner of a child [securely] nestling into its mother's lap. And during the intermediate state of rebirth (srid-pa bar-do) the residual effect of one's [wholesome] deeds is prolonged in the manner of a conducting pipe being thrust into a canal which is blocked. Relying
on these oral instructions, fortunate beings are conveyed to the point
of original liberation. By the mere affirmation of a view which approx-
imates things as they really are, one never sees, or has the occasion to
obtain, the essential nucleus which is the pristine cognition realised in the abiding nature. So it is said:
Concerning the co-emergent pristine cognition of ultimate reality:
Apart from the impression made by accumulating provisions and purifying obscurations
And the exclusive blessing of the guru endowed with realisation,
Reliance on other methods should be known as delusion.
And in the Hevajra Tantra (Pt. l, Ch. 8, v. 36):
It should be known that
The co-emergent is unexpressed by another, And it cannot be found anywhere,
Save by relying on the guru's timely means And the provisions of one's own merit.
And as the glorious Saraha has said:
One who takes to heart whatever the guru has said Resembles one who sees a treasure
Lying in the palm of the hand.
! f the auspicious coincidences of the guru, the student, the world and Its contents accumulate, the great empowerment which pours out all means (rgyal-thabs spyi-blugs-kyi dbang-chen), pristine
ognItIOn Itself, IS conferred by the power of [the guru's] blessing being transferred, and it manifestly and directly descends. Then the meaning of that descent [of pristine cognition] is experienced in continuous Yoga which is the flow of the effortless state's presence. Relying
on the recognition of the details of the signs and experiences occurring
on the path, the removal of the obstacles of clinging to pleasant
creations have been terrified by the profound discourses concerning
,.
reality which is free from the intellect. Also, on the basis ofthe rejection of the lower sequences of the path by [passages such as] thIS, there have been those in both ancient and recent time who have been enthusiastic to undertake perpetual labours due to envy, and in connec- tion with their counterfeit, sophistical intelligence, which is extremely hostile to the [doctrine's] range of profundity and the vast abiding nature. However, as the sublime MafijusrI has said:
Concerning activities, the yogin
Apprehends them on the great paths,
Just as a deer pursues a mirage.
Though they always appear, they are not grasped.
But more than that, all of these [vehicles]
Are endowed with inauthentic intelligence.
The intelligence of the lowest yogas
Is surpassed by the highest.
The intelligence of the lower
Is rejected by the discriminative awareness of the higher.
One should therefore know this and be skilled in pacifying motivations connected with disputation in the inconceivable disposition of reality.
In addition, it is according to the esoteric instructions, which turn
the instructions of the Great Perfection to practical application, that all
things of samsara and nirvana are established as the display of the four
" b' h
intermediate states (bar-do). During the intermediate state of the place (skye-gnas-kyi bar-do) exaggerated notions connected wIth study and reflection on the oral instructions are cut off in the man? er of a sandpiper [decisively] entering its nest. During the intermedIate state of the moment of death ('chi-kha'i bar'-do) the oral are clarified in the manner of a dancing girl [delightedly] looking 1ll a mirror. During the intermediate state of reality (chos-nyid bar-do) there
and coar . d . se expenences, an
the advantages granted by the enlightened
;ttnbutes that are realised through experiential cultivation the J. Ound··, . ,
h' . atl? n IS acqUIred, through whIch the result is actualised in
[t IS lIfetIme and in this very body, without aspiring towards it in the Uture.
Divisions ofAtiyoga 345
11 A Recapitulation of the Resultant Vehicles
Concerning the second distinction which refers to their of a. cquiring accomplishment: The outer [vehicle] is that m whIch accomplishment is requested by aspiring to- and attending upon a deity of pristine cognition, and the mner [vehicle] is that in which accomplishment is seen to be intrinsically present because, through realisation of the supreme identity, mind-as-such manifests in and of it- self as a ma1). Qala of buddha-body and pristine cognition. It says in the Questions and Answers ofVajrasattva (rdo-rje sems- dpa'i zhus-lan, P 5082):
In reply to the question, "What is the distinction between the yogins of the outer and inner mantras in their acquisition ofaccomplishment? " he said:
As, for example, a king commands a minister, The outer way is the granting of accomplishment
from above.
And, as a king who holds sway having been
offered the kingdom by the people,
The unsurpassed way is that of the naturally
present Great Perfection.
And as it is said in the Secret Nucleus (Ch. 2, v. 6):
This wondrous, miraculous, and marvellous reality. . .
Then, concerning the third distinction which refers to their empowerments: The outer [vehicle] is that in which the three higher, supreme empowerments cannot be ob- tained, and the inner vehicle is that in which these three are emphatically grasped.
As to the fourth distinction which refers to their conduct: The inner [vehicle] can accept conduct in which the twenty elements of sarpsara are retained by skilful means, and the outer one cannot. And as to the fifth distinction which refers to their results: The outer [vehicle] can unite one with the result within seven, five or three human lifetimes and so forth, and the inner one can unite one with it in this very
lifetime.
Lharje Kharakpa328 and Lama Rok Sherap-o have said that, with to the tantra texts, there is a distinction between the way in :vhICh the ten categories of tantra are interpreted in the outer and the Inner [vehicles], and that, in particular, there are distinctions as to: Whether, with reference to empowerment, the three profound empower- lhents can or cannot be revealed; whether, with reference to the view,
[211 b. 4] Having ascertained the exegesis of the overall meaning [of the secret mantra] according to their classifications, there now follows the second part [see p. 257 above] in which the meaning subsumed in the particular sections [of the secret mantra] is recapitulated in order to facilitate understanding. This falls into two categories, namely, the
vehicle of the outer tantras of austere awareness (phyi thub-pa rgyud-kyi theg-pa) and the vehicle of the inner tantras of skilful means (nang-pa thabs-kyi rgyud-kyi theg-pa).
DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE OUTER AND INNER TANTRAS
[211b. 5-213a. 5] Though many dissimilar claims have been made by those of the past concerning the distinctions between these two vehicles, in this [Nyingma tradition] there are said to be five [distinctions] derived from the master Dropukpa who subsumed the intention of the four "pillars", who were the spiritual sons [of Zurcungpa]:326
Concerning the first distinction which refers to their views: The inner vehicle is that of the mantras in which mind-as-such is realised to be the supreme identity, and the outer vehicle is that in which there is no such realisation. It is said in Indrabhuti's Array of the Path of the Magical Net (Mayapathavyavasthapana,
P 4737):
Since those who uphold
The three enlightened families
And the five enlightened families
Do not realise the supreme identity,
I have propounded them as equivalent To the common [vehicles]. 327
Recapitulation ofResultant Vehicles 347
()
the naturally present, pristine cognition can or cannot be propounded; whether, with reference to meditation, one can or cannot meditate on the [male and female deities] kissing one another; whether, with refer- ence to conduct, the five sacramental substances can or cannot be enjoyed; whether or not an entrance can be made, having regarded the
deity and oneself as identical; and whether, with reference to ac-
complishment, the acquistion takes a long or a short time, and is hoped
for externally or internally.
Lharje Celpa [Ktinga Dorje] ,329 too, has said that since these distinc-
tions refer merely to specific aspects [of the vehicles], they are correctly classified, on this occasion, into three categories, namely, the distinc- tions concerning the ground which is to be known, the distinctions concerning the path which is the act of knowing, and the distinctions concerning the result which is to be obtained.
Lord DrOlmawa [Samdrup Dorje]330 and Yungtonpa [Dorjepel]331 have both said that:
The inner mantras are those which hold the view, conduct and contemplation to be indivisible, and the outer mantras are those which do not. Is there then, one might ask, no distinction between the causal vehicle and the outer mantras? Not so; there is a distinction between whether relative ap-
pearances can or cannot be made into the path.
OUTER TANTRAS OF AUSTERE AWARENESS
If, among these [vehicles], the vehicle of the outer tantras of austere [awareness] is first classified, then the Tantra ofthe Great Natural Arising of Awareness says:
The outer tantras are of three kinds: Kriya, Ubhaya and Yoga.
It is therefore divided into the vehicles of the Kriyatantra, the Ubhayatantra and the Yogatantra.
Kriyiitantra
[213a. 5-215b. 5] The first, or is under the headings of essence, verbal defimtlOn and classIfication. The first 0 these, [the essence], is that, ultimately, the purity that is free from the four extremes is realised, and, relatively, one resorts to the skilful means which aspire and strive towards accomplishments externally [conferred
Since they are not known to be the same without duality, The level of action requires alternate meditation
On an ultimate truth which is simply the pure reality And a deity of relative appearance endowed with
The enlightened attributes of pristine cognition. 332
Secondly, the verbal definition is that [the Sanskrit] kriya conveys the meaning of activity [or action] because it emphasises external activ- ity. Such is also said in the Commentary on the Final Meditation (Dhyan- ottarapatalatfka, T 2670):
This tantra is called Kriyatantra because it emphasises The activities of body and speech.
Thirdly, the Kriyatantra is classified according to six topics. Of these the first, the entrance, is twofold: There is the initial entrance [or empowerment] which effects maturation and the actual entrance itself. According to the former, the student is made into q worthy recipient [for the teaching] by the conferral ofthe water and crown empowerments along with their aspects (chu-dang cod-pan-gyi dbang 'khor-bcas bskur- ba). 333 It says in the Seminal Point of Pristine Cognition (Jiianatilaka- tantra, T 422):
The water empowerment and the crown Are well known in Kriyatantra.
And as for the latter: The [actual] entrance is effected by means of ablutions, cleanliness, and the three purities (dag-pa gsum). The Tantra of the Great Natural Arising of Awareness says:
As to the entrance, it is entered
By the three purities, ablutions and cleanliness.
And on the subject of the three purities, it also says:
What, one might ask, are the three purities? They are the purity of the deity and the mal). 9ala, The purity of substances and rapture,
And the purity of mantra and contemplation.
Secondly, the view of Kriyatantra refers to the two truths, as it is said in the Sequence of the View (Ita-rim, T 4356):
According to Kriyatantra, living creatures are without bewilderment
When reality is regarded as the ultimate truth,
And when, relatively, mal). 9alas of three enlightened
families of deities appear,
Endowed with enlightened attributes of intrinsic
ro
348 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
Recapitulation ofResultant Vehicles 349
by the deity]. It is said in the Sequence of the Path:
awareness.
350 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
. Recapitulation ofResultant Vehicles 351 The BeIng of Commitment (samayasattva)336
by means of the six real [sequential m d must therefore be created
Kriyarantra, namely, the deit of em 0 . es of] the deIty to the
deity of syllables (yi-ge'i lha) Yth d (stong-pa-nyzd-kyz lha), the ,eeity0sound( "lh) .
of form (gzugs-kyi lha), the deity of seals (ph ,slf,a z a , the deIty
of symbols (mtshan-ma'i lha) Th' , . ,yag-rgya zlha) and the deity
words from the extensive TTar;r ,IdS_IS stated in the following v j 'J avz ara1Ja 1 antra:
Thesixare[thed'f ] f .
Of d Ii el Ies 0 emptIness and syllables
Concerning the ultimate truth, it is held that mind-as-s
pristine cognition [which coalesces] emptiness and radiance, is free from the four extremes of being, non-being, appearance and emptiness; as it is said in the Determination and Distinction (la-zla-ba-dang shan-
'byed-pa lta-ba'i sgron-me, P 4727): Since the mind itself is awareness,
Without the four extremes,
It is none other than pristine cognition.
Now the relative truth [is held] to comprise both correct and incorrect modes, of which the incorrect one refers to all relative appearances which are considered to be both correct and incorrect [by those who
adhere to the philosophical systems] from the Madhyamika downwards, and the correct relative truth is held to refer to the enlightened attributes which are the realisation of reality and which appear as the maJ). qala
of deities belonging to the three enlightened families. As the previous
text continues:
Through the pristine cognition of the appearances
Which creatively arise,
The sublime, gentle and rough phenomena which appear
Are said to be pure when seen 334 In the maJ). qala of the three enlightened families.
Thirdly, on the subject of moral discipline, the Miraculous Key of Further Discernment speaks of eleven commitments:
The Three Precious Jewels and the enlightened mind, The mantras and seals - do not abandon them;
The vajra and bell should not be abandoned,
And similarly the deity and the guru. These are the subsidiary commitments. As for the five basic commitments:
One should not sleep on a [high] bed,
One should neither eat meat nor drink ale, And one should not eat garlic or radishes.
Then, there is also the Secret Tantra ofGeneral Rites (Sii:r/llinyavidhfnii1fl guhyatantra, T 806) which explains that there are three general commit-
ments and thirteen particular commitments; and so forth.
Fourth, meditation is both symbolic and non-symbolic. Concerning
the former, the Heruka Galpo says:
The meditations are on [the deities] of reality,
Sound, syllables,335 form, buddha-mind,
And the attainment of the perfect body of pristine
cognition.
uch
, the pure
soun , orm, seals and symbols. ' Thereafter, the Being of Pristine Co . , '- -
offerings, praises, recitations and 0nanasattva) is invited; is acquired h a ' so ort are perf? rmed; and ac- the deity and oneself] as regarded [the relatIonship between
Tantra ofthe Great Natural Aa ? , a and servant. It says in the rzszng OJ wareness:
The deity and the yogin respectively Are regarded as a master and subject.
And in the Tantra which A ' h
(rigs thams-cad-pa'i dngos_grucbqulzres t"e Accomplishment of All Families
en-pa z rgyud):
By regarding [the deity] in the manner of a lord a master or a king,
And perceiving oneself as a servant The of accomplishment, ' That IS attained through the mantras Is accepted as the unsurpassed boon. '
'
Concerning the second [or non-symb r
nate meditation on the t h 0 IC medItatIOn]: There is alter-
pure disposition [of absorption occurs in the nng to those [aforementione t e our WIthout refer-
symbolic deities, are meditated onas and Dzstinction: 1 e. t says In the Determznatzon
Appeara. nces and emptiness are successively establIshed.
. ,
and with food, attire clea r e WIt. t for entering [the vehicle],
Fifth, conduct [according to th K ' -
namely, the activities connect d e. compnses SIX activities,
tion of mantras. It i; supports and the recita- er S31 In the Heruka Galpo:
Concerning pIa t [ d
And Ii d ,ne s or ays], stars and seasons,
00 ,attIre and cleanliness
The austerity, of discipline is pe;formed.
. ,
352 Fundamentals: Vehicles ofSecret Mantra
And in the Garland of Views: A Collection of Esoteric Instructions:
Conduct concerns the images of [the deity's] body, The implements symbolic of his mind, Recitations and so forth.
Sixth, concerning the result, it is held that within seven human lifetimes the level of a Holder of Indestructible Reality of the Three Enlightened Families, endowed with the essence of the three buddha- bodies and five pristine cognitions, will be obtained. The Heruka Galpo says:
Recapitulation o fResultant Vehicles 353 Those who uphold the Tantra of Both
Though conforming to Kriyatantra in conduct Do conform to Yogatantra in their view. ' Therefore their enlightened families and view
Are superior to those [of Kriyatantra].
And in the Sequence of the View:
Those who uphold the Tantra of Both Conform upwards in their view - And downwards in their conduct.
The also to be somewhat superior [to Kriyatantra] the VIew and medItatIon are directed towards four enlightened
famIlIes of the conquerors.
Sixth, concerning the result: It is held that within five lifetimes the of a o. f Reality belonging to the Four En- FamIlIes IS obtamed. The fourth enlightened family to which refers. subsumes the. Enlightened Family of Activity (las-kyi rigs)
In. th. e EnlIghtened FamIly of Precious Gems (rin-chen rigs). It is also m the Heruka Galpo:
One abides on the level of Vajradhara339 Endowed with four enlightened families.
And in the All-Accomplishing King:
It is a deviation which obscures
Non-duality for five human lifetimes.
Yogatantra
Thirdly, the vehicle of Yogatantra is considered under e of essence, verbal definition and classification. First, [ac- is rdmg t? the The blessing of the non-symbolic reality which . truth IS regarded as a deity belonging to the expanse of
reality, which relatively appears, and it is held that the
re' t. IS attamed in the acceptance of positive and the
S )ectlOn of negatIve Ideas [in relation to that deity]. It is said in the equence ofthe Path:
Since they are not seen to be present and equivalent,
The blessmg of pristine cognition Through which all things are Becomes an emanational [deity]
Of the expanse of indestructible reality
Adh. ,
n t e yogm . acts in terms of acceptance and rejection.
337
The Lords of the Three Families instruct living beings.
Ubhayatantra
[215b. 5-216b. 3] The second, the vehicle of Ubhayatantra, is referred to under the headings of essence, verbal definition and classification. First, [the essence] is that one resorts to the skilful means which attain accomplishment by practising the view and meditation in the manner of Yogatantra, and conduct in the manner of Kriyatantra. It is said in the Garland of Views: A Collection of Esoteric Instructions:
Accomplishment is attained by relying on both.
Secondly, [as to the verbal definition]: Ubhayatantra is so called because the [Sanskrit] word ubhaya ["both"] indicates that both the outer activities of body and speech and the inner yoga are equally performed. The Tantra ofthe Great Natural Arising ofAwareness says:
Ubhayatantra is as follows:
The view is observed as in Yogatantra,
And conduct is performed as in Kriyatantra.