The Garland of Mahamudra Practices A Translation of Kunga Rinchen’s Clarifying the Jewel Rosary of the Profound Fivefold Path
Translated and introduced by Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche Co-translated and edited by Katherine Rogers
Clarifying the Jewel Rosary of the Profound Fivefold Path by Kunga Rinchen
Introduction Namo guru. Homage to the guru. I bow down respectfully to you, the lord who is the Fourth Body, the entity of the great Vajradhara, the pervading lord, composite in one of the Three Bodies. The Truth Body is that which is – from the beginning – profound, clear emptiness, unproduced and without inherent existence. The Victorious Complete Enjoyment Body, possessing the nine graceful st ates, is the union of emptiness and compassion, utterly pure, untouched by the faults of dualistic thought. The manifold Emanation Body brings about the fruition and liberation of sentient beings in all realms, using all the Buddha lineages, taking whatever forms will be helpful to sentient beings.
The four genuine validities are: the teachings of the Conqueror, the commentaries, the realizations of yogis, and dependent-arising. The essence of the Buddha’s teaching can be shown by the delineation of these four validities. First, the fivefold path will be explained and made flawlessly clear, like the Buddha’s teaching. As the Lord Jigten Sumgon lists them, “The five aspects of this path are bodhichitta, the yidam deity, the teacher, mahamudra, and dedication.” This teaching is given many names: the diamond verses of the fivefold path; the song of realization of the fivefold path; the secret speech of the fivefold path; the grey wings of the fivefold path; and setting an example of the fivefold path. In The Essence of the Teachings of the Mahayana Vehicle, the great spiritual friend, the scholar Drukyamo, called this path “the ultimate pure Sugata teaching.” Drukyamo also wrote: One must think in solitude on the teachings obtained through the kindness of the lama; one must cultivate the four practices- the very life of the path, which prevents the teachings from degenerating; and one must cultivate the five meditations, the fruit. Together, these encompass the complete meaning of the teachings of the Buddha. This injunction arises from the valid teachings of the Conqueror. It is said that the three streams of lineage are combined together; this means that within the three wheels of teachings of the Buddha, the wholly perfect teacher, is the wheel of definitive meaning and that from this wheel is extracted the essence- ten sutras. In the Uttaratantra of the Great Vehicle, the seven vajra topics are explained: From the Buddha comes the doctrine; From the doctrine comes the assembly of Superiors; From the assembly, the essential wisdom element is attained.
Clarifying the J ewe[ Rosary Attainment of that wisdom is the attainment of the ultimate enlightened state. This is the meaning of the fivefold path: One must receive the quintessential instructions from the teacher. One must think in solitude about those instructions. Then one must proceed to the four contemplations, the four practices, and the five meditations. Again, Drukyamo says in his Auto-Commentary: As the rays of the sun penetrate the mist, cut through the external superimpositions by means of the four knowledges. By means of the four contemplations, clear away the faults of the vessel (the mind) until it is as pure as ambrosia. By means of the four practices, which are like alchemy in their power to transform, fulfill the purpose of the teaching. By means of the five meditations, which are for the purpose of attaining the fruit, gather up the meaning of the teaching.
THE FOUR KNOWLEDGES These four are to be known: the root of the path, attending to the lama; how to pay attention to the lama; how to please the lama; hearing the words of the lama, thinking about them, and meditating on them. THE FOUR CONTEMPLATIONS These are to be contemplated : the antidote to attachment to this life- contemplation of impermanence; the antidote to ill-directed activity and to laziness – contemplation of the rarity of attaining leisure and fortune; the antidote to attachment to the pleasures of existence – contemplation of the faults of cyclic existence; and, as a way of attaining a meaningful life – contemplation of the benefits of liberation.
THE FOUR PRACTICES These four are to be practiced: the practice of refuge, through taking refuge; the practice of individual liberation; the practice of bodhichitta; and the practice of Secret Mantra. THE FIVE MEDITATIONS These are the five meditations: cultivation of the main causes of Buddhahood -love, compassion, and bodhichitta; meditation on the yidam deity, the essence of Secret Mantra; meditation on the teacher, the essence of good qualities; meditation on mahamudra, the essence of the meaning; and performing the dedication, the essence of the fruit. Holding to the quintessential instructions regarding the above knowledges, contemplations, practices, and meditations, one engages in the preparatory practices, then the actual practices, and then the concluding practices.
PREPARATORY PRACTICES Common Preparatory Practices Special Preparatory Practices
Common Preparatory Practices These fall into four parts: teachings on refuge in the Three Jewels, which save one from mistaken paths; teachings regarding meditation on Vajrasattva and repetition of the -syllable mantra, which clear away obstacles on the path; teachings concerning the mandala, which completes the collections of the path; and teachings on the actual practice of guru yoga, which brings the bestowal of blessings. I. REFUGE First, sitting comfortably in the sevenfold posture of concentration, you are to meditate on the impermanence of all created things. Meditate in accordance with these words of Buddha:
Who knows whether one will die tomorrow? From now on, make effort at practice. The lord of death – great fears not your friend.
Contemplating the Rarity ofAttaining Leisure and Fortune The Master Shantideva said:
A precious human body, as well as leisure and fortune, are all very hard to find. These fruitions of temporary and definite goodness can be attained. If one does not make use of the leisure and fortune of this life, then how can good opportunities arise in the future?
One must meditate on this.
Contemplating the Faults of Cyclic Existence One must meditate on cyclic existence as without essence, in accordance with these words of the Buddha: Hell beings are tortured by fire, Hungry ghosts by hunger and thirst; Animals are tortured by eating one another, Human beings by dissatisfaction; Gods are tortured by nonawareness, Demigods by fighting and quarreling. In cyclic existence there is no absolute happiness Not a drop, not so much as the point of a needle.
Contemplating the Benefits of Liberation The Lord Nagarjuna said: Three aspects of body, Four aspects of speech, Three aspects of mind; These are the path: Not drinking alcohol, earning a living rightly, Harming no-one, giving gifts respectfully, Honoring the deserving, and treating all with loving kindness. Practicing these will free you from unhappy states and bring happy ones. If you have practiced well the systems of people, Then it is no great distance to the realm of gods. If you climb the stairs of gods and humanity, you draw near to liberation.
Common Preparatory Practices One meditates on the virtues. One generates a wish to attain to the benefits of liberation. One generates a fear of the faults of cyclic existence. To attain liberation from the suffering of cyclic existence and to attain the benefits of liberation, one must generate a mind going for refuge to the Three Jewels. The Dharma Lord Jigten Sumgon said, “One must go for refuge by means of three special features – those of refuge, of mind, and of time.” The special feature of refuge includes the teacher, the yidam deity, the Three Jewels, and the Dakas, Dakinis, and Dharma Protectors. The special feature of mind is to generate a mind beneficial to all sentient beings. The special feature of time is that one is going for refuge from now until the attainment of enlightenment. Visualize in the space in front of you the objects of refuge on an excellent throne. Make the seven branches of offering. The verbal expression of this is: May the lama lead all sentient beings throughout space, oneself and others- all the kind mothersto liberation. May the yidam deity bestow blessings on our minds. May the Buddhas give teachings. May the dharma become the path. May the members of the sangha become our friends. May the Dakas and Dakinis achieve attainments. May the Dharma Protectors subdue obstacles. Repeat these words and think about them. Then go for refuge, thinking: From this time until I attain the essence of enlightenment, I go for refuge to the glorious root and lineage lamas, embodiments of wisdom, compassion, and power. I go for refuge to the assembly of yidam deities. I go for refuge to the exalted Buddhas in the ten directions.
I go for refuge to the excellent teaching in the ten directions. I go for refuge to the superior sangha in the ten directions. I go for refuge to the Dakas, Dakinis, and Dharma Protectors, who have eyes of wisdom and feet of miraculous power.
Go for refuge, thinking of the good qualities of the objects of refuge. Pray for the attainment of your aims, thinking: May the meaning of impermanence be generated in my mind. May negative conditions become positive. May I be liberated through realization. May compassion ripen others’ minds. Please bestow blessings on me that my devotion to the teacher may be stable and that I may keep my promise. Please bestow blessings on me that I may become skilled in the method of dependent-arising. Please bestow blessings on me that whatever relationships I may enter into may have meaning. Please bestow blessings on me that I may generate in my mind the meditative stabilization of the stages of generation and completion. Please cause the generation of supreme realization in my mind. Then, cause the objects of refuge to dissolve into yourself. Set your mind in the tranquility of the mahamudra state. Then, generate a mind thinking: May all sentient beings attain Buddhahood. In order to establish them all in Buddhahood, I will practice the recitation and meditation of Vajrasattva. II. VAJRASATTVAMEDITATION Visualize at the crown of your head a lotus flower, on which there is a full-moon disc; in the center of the disc is a blue vajra, in which there is a syllable hUm . The syllable hum
Common Preparatory Practices is then completely transformed into Vajrasattva, whose body is the white color of the reflection of sunlight shining on the peak of a snow mountain. Vajrasattva is in the half-lotus posture, with the toe of his right foot on the crown of your head. His right hand, at his heart, holds a vajra; his left hand, at his waist, holds a bell. He is adorned with various precious ornaments. The hurrt syllable is in the center of the moon at the heart ofVajrasattva, and around it is the -syllable mantra. From the hUrrt, light radiates and pervades all of space. This light removes the obstructions of all sentient beings and then spreads to the Buddha fields in the form of offerings. Then draw into your own hean, from the hean of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, a stream of ambrosia, which is wisdom and compassion. The stream descends from them to Vajrasattva and through his body; it then flows from his right toe into your body through the crown of your head. You are then cleansed of the collections of faults, wrongdoings, and obstructions, accumulated beginninglessly. The stream of ambrosia fills your whole body from your feet upward. Then meditate that your body becomes transformed into the body of Vajrasattva. Observe the -syllable mantra that surrounds the hum at the heart of Vajrasattva, still seated at the crown of your head. Then repeat the syllable mantra:
Om vazra satvasamaya
Vajrasattva, please bestow blessings on me. May you be pleased with me; may you be steadily pleased. May you bestow on me all of the actual accomplishments. May my mind be established
firmly in all activities. Him;t ha ha ha ha hoi]. all the blessed Tathagatas, may I be liberated fully in the vajra. Please grant me the actual vajra mind, great pledge being,
Then think: Through ignorance, I fall away from and contradict my pledges. Please protect me, Lord of Teachers. You are the chief holder of the vajra. You are the embodiment of compassion. Leader of sentient beings, please protect me. Think that the Blessed One then says: “You are freed of obstructions.” You should think that Vajrasattva, having accepted your prayers, then dissolves into you. You should then set your mind on the meaning of Vajrasattva, the union of appearance and emptiness.
III. THE MANDALA, FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE COLLECTIONS This section has two parts, mandala establishment and mandala offering.
Mandala Establishment If possible, make the mandala of precious jewels. If that is not possible, then make it out of clay, wood, or stone. If precious jewels are used, the mandala should be at least four inches high. If other materials are used, it cannot be less than one foot. Whatever the mandala is made of, its substance and shape must be perfect. Why? In order that one may be born in a pure realm. Hold the mandala in your left hand. Holding an ornament in your right hand, clean the mandala with your right arm. Think that just as the mandala is free from dust, so is your mind free of karma, afflictive obstructions, and obstructions to omniscience. In the center of the mandala place a pile of rice. Then
Common Preparatory Practices visualize that on a cushion of perfect shape is the form of the lama, which is the embodiment of all the Buddhas in the shape of the teacher, Vajradhara, surrounded by the assembled lineage lords. In front of Vajradhara on a perfect cushion are the assembled yidam deities. On a seat to the right ofVajradhara is the Buddha. To the left ofVajradhara are the sangha and the great Bodhisattvas. Behind him are the precious teachings. In between are the Dakas, Dakinis, and Dharma Protectors. In the Samiidhiriija Sutra, it is written: The one who, whether going or staying, Remembers the king of supreme sagesThat one the Buddhas will stay with forever. Such a one will attain Buddhahood. You must meditate as though all these assembled beings were actually present.
Mandala Offering If there is a second mandala, place it on the altar. If there is not, then begin by observing the beings assembled before you. Then, clean the mandala well. In the center, place Mount Meru; in the east, Videha; in the south, Jambudvipa (our world); in the west, Godaniya; in the north, Kuru. To the left of Mount Meru place the sun; and to the right, the moon. In the center of Mount Meru, all the wealth of gods and human beings is piled up. Then say: The ground is scented with incense and strewn with flowers. It is adorned with Mount Meru, the four continents, the sun and moon. Thinking of this as a Buddha field, I offer it. May all sentient beings enjoy the pure realms. Guru idarrr ratna matJ alakarrr niryiitayiimi. To you, the Guru Yidam, I offer, with this mandala, my body, resources, and roots of virtue. Accepting these through your compassion, please enable me to generate the supreme realization.
To you, the Three Jewels, I offer, with this mandala, my body, resources, and roots of virtue; accepting these, please enable me to generate the supreme realization. To you, the Dakas and Dakinis, I offer, with this mandala, my body, resources and roots of virtue; accepting these, please enable me to generate the supreme realization.
Make this prayer petition many times. This mandala is very important for completing the accumulations of compassion and wisdom. The Buddha said: Until you complete the roots of virtue, You will not attain the ultimate (meaning of) emptiness. Then, having caused the assembly to dissolve into yourself, set your mind on the meaning of profound nonduality. IV. GURU YOGA There is one way of cultivating guru yoga, called “in the manner of the lord of lineage,” in which the lama is at the crown of one’s head. But, here, in this practice of guru yoga, the lama is visualized in front of oneself. When receiving the four empowerments, visualize the following: In the space in front of you, there is a precious throne held up by eight lions; the throne is broad and vast. On it is the syllable pan;t, from which arises a lotus. On the lotus is the letter a~, which becomes a moon. On the moon is the syllable ran;t, which turns into the sun. On the sun-seat is your own root lama, having the nature of kindness, in the form of Vajradhara, with a blue body, one face, and two hands. In his right hand is a five-spoke vajra; in his left is a bell, with a five-spoke vajra handle. The vajra and bell are crossed at his heart. His hair is bound up in a knot at the top of his head, and he is wearing a crown of bone and precious jewels, earrings, and three necklaces- one short,
Common Preparatory Practices
one to his chest, one to his navel. He is also wearing a belt, a bracelet, ankle ornaments, and precious garments of silk. He is endowed with the major marks and the minor marks of a Buddha. Vajradhara is sitting in the vajra posture; over his head are the lineage lamas, one above the other in a line of succession reaching eventually to the actual Vajradhara. Direct your thoughts to the visualized Vajradhara, thinking: To the Glorious Lama, the embodiment of the Four Buddha Bodies, I offer all possible things; I offer my body, speech, and mind, as well as the three offerings, outer, inner, and secret. The object offered, the offerer, and the act of offering- these three are of one nature. I offer these, free from elaboration, as one great equal taste. Please grant me the actual accomplishment effortlessly. I offer, without expectation, the outer, inner, and secret offerings, as well as my own body, resources, and collections of virtue. Say the following prayer-mantra as many times as possible: I pray to the Glorious Lama, master of the four Buddhas’ bodies, crown-jewel of the entire Dakpo Kagyu lineage, leader of sentient beings, teacher of the ultimate path, lord of compassion, regent of the Buddha, of peerless kindness, incomparable teacher. Vajradhara, heed my prayer, Great Drikungpa! I pray to you. Look upon me with compassion! Empower me with the blessings! The two attainments-bestow them now! Spontaneously establish the two benefits Here bestow the fruit! While reciting in this way, visualize that the actual Vajradhara dissolves into the lama below him; each lineage lord dissolves into the one below, until all have dissolved
into your root lama. Then receive the four empowerments, while continuing to repeat the prayer mantra.
The Four Empowerments . The First Empowerment Visualize the Glorious Lama, Vajradhara, the embodiment of all good qualities, entering the opening in the center of the crown of your head and pray, “Please purify the tendencies of my waking state through the water of the vase empowerment. May my waking states be purified.” Through this supplication, white light radiates from the forehead of the lama and dissolves into your forehead, purifying you of the obstructions of the waking state; You obtain the vase empowerment, as well as the Emanation Body of the form-vajra manifestation. . The Second Empowerment The Complete Enjoyment Body possesses vajra speech and thus can speak in the language of all sentient beings. Visualize the Complete Enjoyment Body entering the center of speech at your throat and think: “May the fuel of dreams be burned by the fire of the secret empowerment of supreme joy.” By the power of this prayer, red light radiates from the throat of the precious lama and dissolves into your throat, purifying you of the obstructions of the dream state. You obtain the secret empowerment as well as the Complete Enjoyment Body, which is vajra speech. The Third Empowerment Visualize the guru, nonconceptual Dharmakiiya (the Truth Body), entering the center of your mind at your heart and think: “May the deep darkness of sleep be awakened by exalted wisdom.” By the power of this prayer, blue light radiates from the heart of the precious lama and dissolves into your heart, purifying you of the obstructions of the deep sleep state. You obtain the empowerment of exalted
Common Preparatory Practices wisdom and the Truth Body, which is vajra mind. . The Fourth Empowerment Visualize the lord of sentient beings, the Innate Body (Sahajakaya), entering the center of the wisdom consciousness at your navel and think: “May I attain the unchanging joy through the bestowal of this great wisdom empowerment.” By the power of this prayer, yellow light radiates from the navel of the precious lama and dissolves into your navel, purifying you of the obstructions of the state of changing. You obtain the fourth empowerment and the Innate Body, which is the wisdom vajra. Then think: May the body, speech, mind, and wisdom of myself and all sentient beings throughout space become equal to your fourfold vajra state. Please enable me to attain the supreme joy. By the power of this prayer, the precious lama melts into a ray of light and dissolves into you. Think that the guru’s body, speech, and mind and your own body, speech, and mind can no longer be differentiated. Then, set your mind in nonduality. The esteemed Gampopa said: We are of the blessing lineage; If the lama’s blessing is not received, There is no way to realize the meaning of mahamudra. But for those who have the lama’s blessing, That realization is not difficult. In order to practice guru yoga, your mind must be very strong and steady. If, when you are practicing it, there is a limitation to your devotion, it will not work. To practice true guru yoga, you must think – from the very depths of your heart – of the kindness of the root and lineage gurus and of their good qualities of body, speech, and mind. So intense is this devotion that the hairs on your body will rise,
tears will well into your eyes, and your voice will break. You have only the lama in your mind; your mind is attracted to the lama; you then wish to pray day and night to the lama. Until such blazing experiences of true guru yoga arise, you must make effort.
Special Preparatory Practices These practices are for the cultivation of love, of compassion, and of bodhichitta. In The Song of Realization of the Fivefold Path, the Precious Lord Jigten Sumgon said:
If we race the steed of love and compassion For the benefit of ourselves and not for others, We will not receive the acclaim of gods and human beings. Attend, therefore, to the preliminary steps. I. LOVE The cultivation of love (loving kindness) can be considered from several points of view: how it is generated; its true entity or nature; the increase of love; the activities of love; the error of neglecting to cultivate love; and the benefits of cultivating love – the fruits to be attained.
Generating Love The ways of generating love are to understand the kindness of others and to repay their kindness. One should consider the kindness of the parents who have made possible this life, with this body and mind; one should consider the
abbot and teacher who establish the pure rules of ethics and the teacher who indicates clearly what is to be adopted and what discarded. One should consider especially the great kindness of one’s mother. Why? Because mothers give food without limit, in amounts as great as Mount Meru; they clothe their children well, as if in a cloud; the milk they give is as boundless as the ocean. Such thinking is the way to cultivate love.
The Entif:)l or True Nature of love It is said, “When one sees a greatly beloved child, love is generated; when one comes in front of a leper, compassion is generated; when one meets with a friend, joy is generated. During sleep, equanimity is generated.” Love itself arises, and by its own force gives one a desire to never be separated from the object of one’s love. The Increase of love The increase of love involves two practices: meditation on one’s own mother and meditation extended to all sentient beings. When meditating on your own mother, remember her kindness and think, “May she have happiness.” This is not so much meditation as habituation or familiarization. Practice constantly in this way. Through the power of such familiarization, the entity of love will dawn. Then, to increase that love, think that all sentient beings have been your mother and father and have been very kind. In a sutra it is said: “Nowhere in all of space is there a sentient being who has not been my parent.” Meditate on all sentient beings just as you meditated on your own mother. Meditating on all sentient beings in this way, you will generate love. If love is not generated, meditate again on yo.ur own mother; again generate love for your mother and then, in order to increase it, direct it toward all sentient beings, in all directions- east, south, west, and north.
Special Preparatory Practices The Activities of Love Love and compassion clear away all conditions contrary to virtue. The evil Mara said to Buddha, “You are victorious, not by swords, wheels, or spears, but by the weapons of love and compassion.” The activities of love give rise to good fortune and happiness, as illustrated by the life of King Champetop. The Error of Neglecting to Cultivate Love Milarepa said: If one does not cultivate love and compassion, one falls to the lower vehicle. Make effort at the practice of bodhichitta based on love and compassion.
The Benefits of Cultivating Love Nagarjuna says of those who practice love: Even though not liberated from cyclic existence, They attain the eight qualities of love; They receive the love of gods and human beings; They are protected; their minds are happy; They are not harmed by poison or weapons; They achieve their purposes effortlessly, And they are reborn in the realm of Brahma. II. COMPASSION The Object of Observation of Compassion For the generation of compassion, as for the generation of love, the object of observation is the mother. The wish to free all mothers from suffering is the very essence of compassion. Atisha says in his Treatise on Great Beings: Those who, because of the wisdom they have realized, wish to relieve the suffering of others completely- those are great beings. The power of compassion stirs in our hearts the wish to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings, just as we wish to free ourselves from suffering.
The Increase of Compassion It is difficult to feel compassion toward someone who has done us harm. If we wish to harm such a person in return, we cannot feel compassion. To increase compassion, we should alternate our meditation, generating compassion first toward a friend and then toward an enemy, until the mind is purified and compassion is perfected.
The Activities of Compassion The Pundarika Karuna Sutra says: There is one quality of Bodhisattvas that brings to the one who possesses it all the qualities of Bodhisattvas. What is that one quality? It is great compassiOn.
The Fruit To Be Attained The Lord Phagmo Drupa said: When the stream of love flows steadily, The root of compassion is moistened. When the tree of bodhicitta is fully grown, The fruit of realization ripens And the flower of the tenth ground blossoms. May the two purposes be achieved. The cultivation of love and compassion enables one to attain the two conditions of high status (of gods and human beings) but not the condition of definite goodness (liberation). III. BODHICHITTA Lord Gampopa said, “High status in cyclic existence is temporary happiness; definite goodness is liberation.” Even one who has attained the state of god or human being is not yet free from cyclic existence. Such a one must still cultivate
Special Preparatory Practices bodhichitta. The great teacher Shantideva said: Bodhichitta is to be understood as two aspects: The aspirational mind of enlightenment And the actual mind of enlightenment. Just as everyone knows the difference Between wishing to go somewhere and actually going, So the skillful know the differences between those two. The two aspects are the mind striving toward enlightenment and the mind that has attained it.
Aspirational Bodhichitta To cultivate the aspirational mind of enlightenment, make a promise to attain the fruit. Do this by thinking: I will set free those who are engulfed by the great ocean of suffering of the three lower realms; I will set free all sentient beings, the mothers whose number is as limitless as the sky; and especially I will set free the enemies who have harmed me and all of us, who have created obstacles that harm us, obstacles to liberation and omniscience; and I will set free Mara and the assembly of Mara. I will set free those who are imprisoned in samsara. I will establish in the mahamudra those who are not established in the mahamudra. Those who have not attained nirvana I will establish in nirvana. In Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds, Shantideva wrote:
If those who are stricken – bound by the prison of cyclic existence- generate bodhichitta, then, from that instant, they are called Bodhisattvas, and they become the object of true respect in the worlds of gods and human beings.
Furthermore, the Buddha said: There is one quality which, if possessed by the Bodhisattvas, enables them to abandon the lower realms and not to consort with evil friends; it enables them to attain completely perfect Buddhahood quickly. What is that quality? It is the mind of enlightenment, the perfection of the unusual attitude.
Actual Bodhichitta If one does not have the second, the actual mind of enlightenment, one will not bring to completion the first, the aspirational mind of enlightenment. Atisha said: If you generate the aspirational mind But do not cultivate the three ethics, You will not attain enlightenment. To cultivate these ethics well that is the vow of the Bodhisattva. Therefore, exert yourself To fulfill the Bodhisattva vow.
Atisha also said: If you have not fulfilled the vow of the actual mind of enlightenment, the aspirational mind will not be increased. Thus, if you wish to increase the aspirational mind of enlightenment and bring it to completion, you must diligently practice this actual mind of enlightenment.
The Object of Observation of actual Bodhichitta Make a firm promise, thinking: So that all sentient beings may attain Buddhahood, from this time until tomorrow, until the end of my life, and until I attain enlightenment, I will perform virtuous deeds of body, speech, and mind. From now until then I will practice the stages of the
Special Preparatory Practices profound fivefold path. Making this promise firmly is the conventional mind of enlightenment. Setting one’s mind on emptiness is the ultimate mind of enlightenment. These two bring forth virtues without ceasing. There are several comments on this in Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds: All other virtues produce fruit just once And then are exhausted, Like a banana tree; But the tree of bodhichitta Bears fruit endlessly, Increasing without end. The aspirational mind of enlightenment Brings forth great fruit in cyclic existence; But it does not bring forth virtue ceaselessly, As does the actual mind of enlightenment. To set completely free The myriad sentient beings in all the realms, You must permanently attain a mind of enlightenment. If you have such a nonreversible mind, Then- from the time of its first arising, And whether you are awake or asleep the force of its merit wells up continuously, Completely filling all of space. Those who generate bodhichitta achieve their purpose ceaselessly and benefit others in whatever way they wish. From our initial aspiration (for the good qualities to be achieved through practice) until we attain the Truth Body, we should pay homage to Vajradhara, thinking, in the words of Nagarjuna: I bow qown to the glorious Vajradhara, The Nature Body of the mind of enlightenment. This is how the ultimate is attained.
actual practices
Meditation on Yidam, the essence of Secret Mantra Meditation on the Teacher, the essence of knowledge Meditation on Mahamudra, the essence of the meaning
Meditation on Yidam- Deity Yoga
The meditation on the yidam deity has two stages: generation and completion. The Guhyasamaja Tantra says: For the one who wants to maintain the stage of generation and attain the stage of completion, the supreme Buddha taught this method, like the steps of a ladder. This profound fivefold path of mahamudra is the stage of completion of a mother tantra. Thus, when practicing the stage of generation in the yidam meditation, one must also cultivate a mother tantra, in this case the innate Chakrasamvara Tantra involving one male deity. And when practicing the stage of completion, one must cultivate the yoga of subtle drops, the four bodies, the eight signs, the channels and winds, and so forth. For practicing the stage of generation, Lord Jigten Sumgon said: If you have not established firmly your body as that ofthe yidam diety, then the retinue of mother Dakinis will not assemble. Thus, firmly establish your body as yidam.
SO
Venerable Tilopa said: The explanation of the mode of abiding of reality has two parts: the way to practice the path and the stages of generation of the fruit. From another point of view, the explanation of the mode of abiding of reality has two parts, explaining the mode of abiding of the body and of the mind. The mode of abiding of the body is based on the five perfections. Associated with the five perfections are the five wisdoms. These are, the Hevajra Tantra says: From the moon, the mirror-like exalted wisdom; from the sun, the exalted wisdom of sameness; from the seed syllable of the deity and the hand symbol, the exalted wisdom f individual realization; with the completed stage of generation, the exalted wisdom of achieving activities; and with the stage of completion – the exalted wisdom of the element of qualities. Scholars tell us that we are to generate the five perfections: the perfection from the basis – emptiness; the perfection from the seats of sun and moon discs; the perfection from the symbols of the wisdom mind; the perfection from the syllables, which are the symbols of speech; and the perfection from the complete body. THE STAGE OF GENERATION This stage involves the cultivation of the five perfections. First, generate a conventional mind of enlightenment, thinking: I will lead all sentient beings- the mothers, limitless as space – to the attainment of the rank of Vajradhara. Then, generate an ultimate mind of enlightenment,
thinking:
?’ svabhawa shuddha sarva dharma svabhawa shuddho hang. All phenomena become emptiness, which is pure by nature. That is the perfection from the basis – emptiness. The other four perfections are generated in this way: from within emptiness there arise, one above the other, the syllable ya tl, which becomes a wind mandala; the syllable ra tl, which becomes a fire mandala; ba tl, which becomes a water mandala; la tl, which becomes an earth mandala; SU tl, which becomes Mount Meru; pa tl, which becomes a hundred-thousand-petalled variegated lotus; a~ and ra tl, which become the seats of sun and moon. On the sun and moon there is a blue five-spoke vajra, in the center of which is a syllable hU t . The hand symbol the blue vajra – symbolizes the wisdom mind; the hu tl symbolizes speech. From the syllable hU t , light radiates; it fulfills the two purposes – of yourself and others – and then returns to the hU t in the vajra. Through the complete transformation of the vajra and syllable hu tl, you become Chakrasamvara, in clear male and female aspects. This is the fifth perfection, through the completed body.
Visualization One must visualize in sequence the face, color, and so on, of Chakrasamvara. Then, having held oneself as these, one dissolves them back into oneself. This is the meaning of the Hevajra Tantra, when it says: “Generation of face, hand, color; from their mere production, they abide.” Meditate in the following way: visualize yourself to be the blue male Heruka, blue like the color of the stainless sky, with one face and two hands, holding vajra and bell. At the top of the hair knot at the crown of his head is a wishfulfilling wisdom jewel. On top of this is a five-spoke vajra; to the left of the vajra is a crescent moon. Heruka’s head is
adorned with five dry skulls. From his neck hangs a necklace of human intestine, on which are hung fresh human heads, dripping blood. He is adorned with six symbols and six bone ornaments; his lower garment is of tiger skin. His outstretched right leg is planted between the breasts of Dutsen and his left .foot is pressed against the head of Jikche. He makes the nine gestures: the three of bodygraceful, heroic, and ugly; the three of speech -laughing, fierce, and frightening; the three of mind- compassionate, frightful, and peaceful. Meditate on yourself as Heruka having these nine gestures. On his lap is the female Vajrayogini of red color, with two faces. Her hair is swept up onto the crown of her head. Upon it is a half vajra; a tassel falls behind her from her head to her feet. Her main face is a fierce one, with three eyes and clenched bared teeth; she sips the honey of Heruka’s lips. Behind her right ear is the face of a pig; by its rumbling noises, she overwhelms the three realms and outshines the three existences. Vajrayogini holds in her right hand a curved knife which extends to Heruka’s left shoulder. Her left arm is around his neck; her left hand holds a skull-cup full of blood, which she offers to Heruka. She wears a head ornament of five dry skulls, a fresh garland of human heads, as well as five symbols and bone ornaments. Beside Heruka’s right foot, her left foot also is planted between the breasts of Dutsen. Her right leg is around Heruka’s waist. On the forehead of each, there is the syllable om; at their throats, ah; at his heart, hum; at her heart. From each syllable, light radiates, inviting actual wisdom-beings like the ones you have visualized; they appear and become one with the pledge-being. Again, light radiates from the syllables, inviting the Buddhas of the five lineages or families. They appear and bestow empowerments, filling your body (visualized as one with Heruka) with wisdom nectar, cleansing all stains. Overflowing, the wisdom nectar turns into the Buddha Akshobhya above
your head and turns into Vairochana above the head of Vajrayogini. The Buddhas of the five lineages then dissolve into you. The Guhyasamiija Tantra says: You are to establish yourself completely; that is, as all Buddhas and Conquerors, as Dakas and Dakinis, and as all Bodhisattvas. In this way, the three seats are completed. The blessings we need are of the body and of speech. As to the blessing of one’s body, it is said that the nature of the form aggregate is Vairochana; the nature of the feeling aggregate is Dorje Nyima; that of the discrimination aggregate is Perna Gargi Wangchuk; that of the aggregate of compositional factors is Dorje Gyalpo; and that of the aggregate of consciousness is Vajrasattva. The nature of oneself as yidam is the five Buddha lineages. A visualization accompanies the blessing of Qne’s body: At the navel of Vajrayogini is a red Dorjepakmo; at her heart is a blue Shinjema; at her throat is a white Monchyema; at her forehead, a yellow Gyonchema; at the crown of her head, a green Trakchema; and at all of her limbs, smoky colored Tsantikas. Heruka and Vajrayogini each have protection deities. To receive the blessing of speech, one should recite the mantras which are the essence and inner essence of Heruka and Vajrayogini in father and mother aspect. The mantra that is the essence of Heruka is: “Otll shri vazra he he ru ru kam hung hung pha{; iikini zwala sa’llwaratll sviihii. His inner essence is: “Otll hri ha ha hung hung phat.” The essence-mantra of Vajrayogini is: “Otll Otll Otll sarva Buddha qiikiniye; vazra warnaniye; vazra verotsaniye; hung hUng hung phat phat phat sviihii.” Her inner essence is, “Otll vazraverotsani hUng pha{. ” If you become tired of reciting, then set your mind on the meaning of the meditation.
The Garland of Mahamudra Practices Commentary on the Stage ofGeneration There are three different assertions with regard to this stage. Some say it is imaginary, some that it is other powered, and still others that it is thoroughly established. From the point of view of our own system, the stage of generation is not imaginary. This is because if the stage did not actually exist in some way, then the visualization would have no power; and it does have power. Furthermore, from our point of view, the stage of generation is not just otherpowered, because it does not always depend on other conditions. We hold that the stage of generation is thoroughly established. The Guhyasamaja Tantra says: In brief, it is to be known that the five aggregates are the five Buddhas; it is to be known that the vajra sources are the supreme mandala of Bodhisattvas, the earth element is Buddha Lochana, the water element is Mamaki, the fire element is white Pandara Vasini, and the wind element is Samaya Tara. It is to be ascertained that all forms, sounds, tastes, and so forth are tantric deities. To meditate on the meaning of this, one can follow three mental practices: ) meditation on the clear form; ) mindfulness of the purity of the form; and ) holding firmly to the diamond-perfection of oneself as deity.
. Meditation on the Clear Form The clear (or luminous) form is not the composite form of flesh and blood. The clear form (or body) is to be understood as the three of examples of illusion. Nagirjuna says: In your body is no empty space, No flesh or blood or bone, No sense of thirst or hunger, No pure or impure parts; See it as like a rainbow in the sky.
In the dakini Vajrapafljara Tantra, the Buddha says: Whoever meditates on my body as being like an illusory form or as being like a dream has the pure practice; becoming thoroughly familiar with this, such a practitioner will see me directly. And Glorious Phagmo Drupa says: We meditate on the body of the deity as being like a rainbow in order to abandon the conception of ordinariness. Therefore, meditate on the clear appearance of the deity as being without true existence, like a rainbow. . Mindfulness of the purity of the form The practice of mindfulness of the purity of the form has two variants, the purity of the natural signs (the Form Body) and the purity of emptiness (the Truth Body). These are the meaning of merit and wisdom, the causes. a) Mindfulness of the purity of the natural signs. The Hevajra Tantra says: At the crown of the head of the visualized deity is Akshobhya; at the throat is Ratnasambhava; at the hand is Vairochana; at the waist is Amoghasiddhi; at the arms and legs are Vajrasattva. Thus one meditates on the meaning of the deity (Heruka) as adorned by the six ornaments. Think that the substance of each of the deity’s ornaments is pure. In this way you will attain each fruit of Buddhahood – separation and ripening. If your meditation is not steady, then gaps and faults will arise, and the fruit will not arise. b) Mindfulness of the purity that is emptiness. Naropa said: Appearance and emptinessEmptiness and appearance; Discern these as nondual, Like the moon in water.
This reminds us that we must know the stage of generation to be without true existence. If we forget this, we will become attached to the special appearance – having abandoned ordinary appearance. . Holding firmly to the diamond-perfection of oneself as deity This is an unswerving attention to the perfection of the deity, likened to a diamond in purity and adamantine firmness, and unswerving attention to oneself as that deity. In following this practice, one must hold all appearances to be the body of the deity, hold all sound to be the speech of the deity, and hold all minds to be the mind of the deity. The Hevajra Tantra says: If one is following this method of mental practice the yoga of selflessness, the effort of Heruka- then even one moment of another practice will prevent attainment of the fruit. THE STAGE OF COMPLETION If the meditator enters the clear light by the process of gradual dissolving after meditating on nontrue existence, then at the end of the session, he or she collects everything into emptiness. The Guhyasamaja Tantra says: Everything from the crown of the head to the feet dissolves into the heart; you engage in the perfect yoga (meditation on emptiness). This is the stage called complete holding. All sentient beings and all other phenomena dissolve into clear light and then dissolve into you; then you yourself, as the deity, dissolve into your heart. This is the stage called post-dissolution. Just as mist on a mirror fades toward the center and disappears, so does everything
– the net of illusory manifestation – dissolve into the clear light of emptiness. Just as fish are easily seen in clear water, so does everything – the net of illusory manifestation – emerge from the clear light of emptiness. By the light of the mind, shining in your heart, all phenomena and sentient beings come together and dissolve into you. Your base (the lion, throne, sun, moon, and so forth) and you yourself dissolve into the syllable hU’!’ at your heart. Then the huJ’!’ also dissolves: the vowel mark u dissolves into the root letter ha, which dissolves into the top line of the letter, which in turn dissolves into the curved line above it; that then dissolves into the circle, which dissolves into the curl at the top. The curl splits into a hundred thousand fragments, each of which dissolves until the whole syllable has dissolved into emptiness. Observe that emptiness. Be aware of it. Experience the equal taste of all phenomena in emptiness.
Meditation on the Teacher Yoga
Guru
There is only one way to generate in one’s mind the completion stage; this way is guru yoga, the profound path. The Hevajra Tantra says: Inexpressible innate wisdom is found only in the base- highest devotion to the guru- and in one’s own merit. Tilopa says: The ignorant may know that sesame oil- the essence- exists in the sesame seed, but because they do not know how, they cannot extract the oil. So also does innate fundamental wisdom abide in the heart of all migrators; but unless it is pointed out by the guru, it cannot be realized. By pounding the seeds and clearing away the husks, one can extract the essence- the sesame oil. Similarly, when it is shown by the lama, the meaning of suchness is so illuminated that one can enter into it. The Atikopa Tantra says: If you meditate on your kind lama
At the crown of your head, Or in the palm of your hand, Or at the center of your heart you will possess the good qualities Of the thousand Buddhas. Furthermore, the Damtsikopa Tantra says: Even if you practice the stage of completion for an aeon, this cannot equal in power the appearance of the guru in your heart for even the tiniest fraction of a moment. Practice guru yoga without distraction, and the lama will appear in the center of your heart. The guru’s appearing there – even for just an instant – is so powerful that if it is divided two million times, the strength of a single part of it still cannot be matched by the stage of completion. And the Guhyasamaja Tantra says: By meditating on the guru at the heart, One attains the mind of enlightenment. By this marvelous accomplishment The body, speech, and mind of a Buddha are established. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: If, on the snow mountain of the guru’s four bodies, The sun of your devotion does not shine, The stream of blessings will not arise; Attend, therefore, to this mind of devotion.
This means that: I. The outwardly established Emanation Body is established as an activity (activity engaged in for the sake of others); II. The inwardly established Complete Enjoyment Body is established as good qualities (good qualities that one possesses oneself); m. The secretly established Truth Body is established as nonduality; and IV. Suchness is established as the Nature Body.
I. THE EMANATION BODY Glorious Phagmo Drupa tells us how to establish the first, the outwardly established Emanation Body, as activity: Invite to the space before you the root lama – the Supramundane Victor – and the assembly of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the three times. The root lama sits in the aspect of the Buddha on the throne of the lion, lotus, and sun and moon disc seat. Offer the sevenfold prayer, as well as your body and your possessions. Visualize yourself as inseparable from the root lama. Say the prayers, going for refuge respectfully with the special qualities. Repeat the prayer-mantra (to the Emanation Body). Set your mind in the state free from the three conceptions. Meditate: in the space before you, having the divine pride of yourself as the yidam deity, is a precious throne held up by eight blue lions. On it is a lotus, on top of which are discs of sun and moon; above these is the guru, the Lord of Teaching, the Supramundane Victor, the Conqueror Shakyamuni. The brilliant gold of his body is touched with red. He has one face and two hands; his right hand presses the earth, and his left is in the meditative posture, holding a begging bowl filled with precious jewels. He wears the three dharma robes of saffron color. A crown-protrusion rises from his head but is not visible. He is adorned with the precious major and minor marks of a Buddha. He sits in the cross-legged vajra posture, radiating light. This is the outwardly established Emanation Body, to whom you will next give homage, the three offerings, and the sevenfold offering. The Three Branches of Homage These are: ) the offering of the visualized body of the deity; ) the offering of praise; and ) prostration.
) Viewing the body of the deity before you, as described, look at it and generate faith and respect. Then think, “How happy I am to meet with the deities.” ) Offer praise, thinking: I offer praise to you, the Supreme Protector. Yours is the complete form, pure and beautiful. Your fame shines, illuminating the universe. Or think: Praise to the embodiment of all the Buddhas, The entity of the holder of the vajra, Root of the Three Jewels, the Supreme Lama. Offer this same praise to all Four Buddha Bodies. Within this homage are included a) the ethics of accumulating virtue, b) the ethics for the sake of sentient beings, and c) the ethics of vows. It is the special teaching of Lord Jigten Sumgon that in any one virtue – or any portion or moment of the branches of homage-these three ethics can be discerned: a) Ethics of accumulating virtue: prostration through emanations of one’s body, as many as the particles of dust. b) Ethics for the sake of sentient beings: prostrations for the benefit of sentient beings. c) Ethics of vows: establishing the harmonious conditions of prostration and abandoning contrary conditions. ) Offer the homage of prostration, saying: Namo guru Buddha dhanna sangha Bodhisattvabhye. The Threefold Offering Viewing the deity, visualized as described, make the three offerings: outer, inner, and secret.
) The outer offerings are those established from the substance of the gods. Actually lay out the eight offerings of
Samantabhadra and then offer them mentally. Perform these offerings while maintaining the three ethics. ) Next make the inner offering. Think that from the seed syllable at your heart there emanate five types of offering goddesses – goddesses of vajra-sound, sight, odor, taste, and tangibility. They emanate just as one flame becomes two, and three, and more. These goddesses make offerings of bliss and emptiness to the assembled Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. ) Next make the secret offering, the ultimate offering. This is emptiness, which is the nonobservation of action, object, and agent. This emptiness is never-ending. The Sevenfold Offering Still viewing the body of the deity as before, perform the seven-branched offering:
Prostrating oneself, Offering, Confessing of wrongdoing, Rejoicing in the virtue of others, Asking the teacher to turn the wheel of dharma, Praying that one will not go into the state of nirvana, Aspiring to enlightenment and dedicating virtue. This is the branch of asking the teacher to turn the wheel of dharma: manifest your body in as many manifestations as there are particles of dust; then have each of those emanations offer a golden wheel; each wheel has a thousand spokes. Offer these to the visualized deity and make a verbal offering, saying: May the sound of the dharma drum Free all sentient beings from suffering. Please stay for limitless aeons, Teaching the precious doctrine. Direct these seven pure offerings, as well as the three branches of homage and the threefold offering, to all Four Buddha Bodies.
Then, pray to the outwardly established Emanation Body, saying: I pray to the form of the Precious Lama, who is the entity of the bodies of all the Buddhas of the three times. I pray to the voice of the Precious Lama, who is the entity of the speech of all the Buddhas of the three times. I pray to the mind – the exalted wisdom – of the Precious Lama, who is the entity of the minds of all the Buddhas of the three times. Then the assembly of deities in front of you dissolves into you. Keep your mind in the natural state without having any thought at all. When arising from this meditative session, dedicate the merit to the welfare of all sentient beings. II. THE COMPLETE ENJOYMENT BODY These are the instructions of Phagmo Drupa for establishing the inwardly established Complete Enjoyment Body as good qualities: Then, the assembly of deities manifesting in the space before you dissolves into you and you become the body of the yidam. The lotus at the heart center blossoms, and on the seat of the sun and moon discs is the wish-fulfilling gem, the body of the Ultimate Lama appearing as Vairochana, the Complete Enjoyment Body. He radiates light. At the three special places of Vairochana (forehead, throat, and heart) are the seats of moon, lotus, and sun. Place the three syllables om, ah,, and hum at these places- the centers of body, speech, and mind. The three fruits (Buddha Body, Buddha Speech, and Buddha Mind) arise, and the pure light from those three centers of Vairochana radiates to
the three realms; the beings of the three realms thereby attain pure bodies, inseparable from those of the Buddha. Then all that you have visualized dissolves into Vairochana as a mandala of light. Repeat the prayer-mantra (of the Kagyu lamas) without wavering from the meditative state. Think that everything dissolves into a state of nonduality forever free of the three conceptions. This means that, having dissolved the Emanation Body into yourself, you are then to meditate, visualizing the following: The substance at the center of your heart is a precious throne, held up by eight blue lions. Visualize that the eight channels of your heart are an eight-petalled lotus on the throne. Visualize the white substance in your heart as a moon disc and the red as a sun disc; above them sits the excellent Lama Vairochana, in whose body all realms are reflected and whose body pervades all realms. From his body, light radiates. He is endowed with a Complete Enjoyment Body. Think that on the moon at his forehead there is a white om. On the lotus at his throat there is a red ah On the sun at his heart there is a blue hum. Around the hum are the secret names of the Kagyu lamas. Offer the verbal prayer-mantra of the Kagyu lamas: Om ah nama guru vazra dhrika mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah nama guru prajnabhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah nama guru jnana siddhi mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah nama guru dharma mati mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah nama guru vazra dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah nama guru zambudvipa kirti mahamudra siddhi phala hung
Om ah namo guru vazra raza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru trilokya natha ratna shri mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru upadeya shila vazra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru punye kirti mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru kirti kara mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru vazra kirti mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna singha mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru kirti punya mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru vazra ratna mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru vazra raza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru zambudvipa dharma raza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru artha siddhi raza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna shri sya dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru dharma raza ratna shri bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna dharma sya dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna dharma raza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru sarvajna ananta ratna dharma sya dwaza shri bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru zayandra ratna sampanna mahamudra siddhi phala hung
Om ah namo guru punya shri sya sagara mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru dharma raza lakshim mangala shri bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru mangala sampanna kirti dwaza shri bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru vazra akshobhya mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru dharma kirti karma vizaya sena mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna karma vizaya mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna karma bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna karma artha siddhi dharma raza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna shasanadhara gadharshi mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna dharma dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru dharma surya mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru padma sya dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru dharma sya dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru vidyadhara mati dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru dharmema mani shri bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna karunya sya surya mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna shasana dwaza mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru shasana dhara dharma mati karma vizaya shri bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung Om ah namo guru ratna muni shasana shanta mati karma vizaya shri bhadra mahamudra siddhi phala hung
Then pray to the Lama Vairochana at your heart: Crowned wish-fulfilling Lord, mind of the Conqueror, beyond words, thoughts, and expression, having the five exalted wisdoms; compassionate Lord of Kindness, precious Protector of Migrators, I pray to you from the depths of my heart. Please bestow blessings from within emptiness. Please bestow blessings on me, that I may realize the Truth Body, beyond conceptual thought – this pure innate mind, unproduced and existing from the beginning. Make this prayer very strongly, with a one-pointed mind. By the power of this prayer, light radiates from the garland of mantras surrounding the seed syllables of the body, speech, and mind of Vairochana. The light touches all sentient beings in the three realms, causing all their faults and obstructions to vanish; then it returns and dissolves into the lama. Then the lama also melts into light and dissolves into the syllable hii’fZ at his heart. The syllable hii’fZ also dissolves, as before: the vowel mark u dissolves into the root letter ha, which dissolves into the top line of the letter, which in turn dissolves into the curved line above it; that then dissolves into the circle, which dissolves into the curl at the top. The curl splits into a hundred thousand fragments, each of which dissolves until the whole syllable has dissolved into emptiness. Set your mind in the nonduality of the mahamudra state. Arising from this meditation, dedicate the merit to all sentient beings.
ill. THE TRUTH BODY With regard to the establishment of the Truth Body as nonduality, Lord Jigten Sumgon says:
In a supreme Pure Land at the crown of your head, there appears, according to the needs of sentient beings, a Complete Enjoyment Body- union of
great bliss and emptiness, simultaneously free from expression and conditions. Offer the sevenfold offering, as well as your form and possessions, to the great Vajradhara with the three bodies and seven qualities; light then radiates from his centers and spreads to the Buddha fields. Invite the innumerable emanations of Vajradhara; after appearing, they all dissolve back into the heart-center ofVajradhara. Maintaining a state of meditative stability, repeat the prayer-mantra invoking the body, speech, and mind of Vajradhara. Then all the visualized deities dissolve into you. Think that you are completely free of the three conceptions. This means that you are to visualize at the crown of your head a precious throne held up by eight lions; on it are a lotus and the discs of sun and moon; on top of these sits the lama, Vajradhara, whose body is as blue as a lapis lazuli jewel touched by the light of the sun. He has one face and two hands, holding vajra and bell at his heart. He has two legs and is seated in the vajra posture. Fully adorned with the major and minor marks of a Buddha, he radiates light. At the forehead of this visualized Vajradhara, endowed with the Complete Enjoyment Body, is the syllable om at his throat is the letter ah; at his heart, the syllable hum. Light radiates from these. Invite the lama, the yidam deities, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dakas, Dakinis, and Dharma Protectors to the space in front of you. Having appeared, they all then dissolve into the lama, Vajradhara. Meditate then on the lama as the embodiment of all the objects of refuge. Make the seven pure offerings along with the mandala offering. This is the prayer-mantra you are to repeat: Homage to the Lama. Please bestow blessings on me that there may arise in me the special realization of my own body, speech, and mind as inseparable from those of the lama, whose body, speech, and
mind-spontaneous and unceasing-pervade cyclic existence and nirvana in the past, present, and future. The first empowerment. Recite: “Glorious Lama, embodiment of all good qualities, please enter the opening in the center of the crown of my head. Please purify the tendencies of the waking state with the water of the vase empowerment of delight.” By the power of this prayer, white light radiates from the Om at the Lama’s forehead and dissolves into your forehead, purifying the obscurations of the waking state. You obtain the vase empowerment and the Emanation Body, which is Vajra Form. The second empowerment. Recite: “Language of all sentient beings, the Complete Enjoyment Body, please enter the center of speech at my throat. May the duality of dreams be burnt by the fire of the secret empowerment of supreme joy.” By the power of this prayer, red light radiates from the letter ah at the throat of the precious Lama and dissolves into your throat, purifying the obscurations of the dream state. You obtain the secret empowerment and the Complete Enjoyment Body, which is Vajra Speech. The third empowerment. Recite: “Body of the saintly, precious Lama, the nonconceptual Dharmakaya, please enter into the center of my mind at the heart, and awaken the dark thickness of sleep with the primordial wisdom awareness.” By the power of this prayer, blue light radiates from the hum at the heart of the precious Lama and dissolves into your heart, purifying the obscurations of deep sleep. You obtain the wisdom empowerment and the Truth Body, which is Vajra Mind. The fourth empowerment. Recite: “Lord of sentient beings, the co-emergent awareness body, please enter the center of primordial awareness at my navel. May I obtain unchanging joy by the empowerment of great wisdom awareness.” By the power of this prayer, yellow light radiates from the navel of the precious Lama and dissolves into your navel, purifying the obscurations of movement. You obtain the fourth empowerment and the Nature Body, which is Vajra Wisdom.
Recite: “May the body, speech, mind and primordial wisdom of myself and sentient beings equal to space unite equally with your four Vajras, and attain the Supreme Joy.” By the power of this prayer, the precious Lama melts into a ray of light and dissolves into you. Your body, speech, and mind become inseparable from the Lama’s body, speech, and mind. Set your mind in the meditative absorption of the state of nonduality. In the Ocean of Wisdom Sutra, Buddha said: From the centers of the lama’s body, receive completely the four empowerments. This is the essential meaning of the tantras. One who receives these empowerments will accomplish all of the stages of the ten grounds and five paths, without exception. Then set your mind in the natural, nonartificial state. When you arise from the meditative session, dedicate the merit to the welfare of all sentient beings. IV. THE NATURE BODY With regard to the establishment of suchness as the Nature Body, Phagmo Drupa said: The ultimate nature of the mind beyond thought is the Truth Body, spontaneous natural luminosity and suchness, which from the beginning is pure, unproduced, and unconditioned. Now-undefiled by the stains of conceptuality and in the peaceful state of great bliss, nonconceptual and uncontaminated-abandon the effort of meditation. Abandon the conception of object of meditation and meditator. Place your mind at rest in the natural, nonartificial state, without effort. The great, inexpressible, inconceivable mahamudra is the Precious Lama, inseparable from the Four Buddha Bodies. The lama is victorious over Mara and the afflictions, and is the embodiment of the infinite ocean of good qualities. The Buddha called this the highest accomplishment.
Meditate on the meaning of that. Meditating in such a way, you will come to understand that your own mind is, in its very nature, the precious Lama. Make the seven pure offerings along with the mandala offering. Then pray, thinking: Precious Lama, the Truth Body, spontaneous and unconditioned, please bestow on me the empowerments of your body, speech, mind, and good qualities and activities. Pay no attention to external objects; do not perform mental actions, either. Be unstained by even the slightest thought conceiving the act of meditation. Relax your body, speech, and mind into their own nature. This practice merges the two into one: the great mahamudra, the pure basic mind that abides from the beginning, can no longer be distinguished from the ever-arising thought, and the thought perceives nothing but that basic mind as the lama. The two are inseparable, like water mixed with water, butter with butter. Now nothing whatever remains of your own body, speech, and mind. The four bodies of the lama-the Truth Body without production, the Complete Enjoyment Body without cessation, the Emanation Body without abiding, the Nature Body inseparable from the other three-are completed in your own mind. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: Emptiness, the nature of the basic mind, is the Truth Body. That which is clear and unceasing is the Complete Enjoyment Body. Manifestation, various and without duality, is the Emanation Body. Thus, phenomena are one, undifferentiable. That indivisible oneness of phenomena is the essential nature of reality (the Nature Body). When you arise from meditation, do the dedication, free from the three spheres of conceptuality.
Meditation on Mahamudra With regard to the practice of mahamudra, the essence of the meaning, Lord Jigten Sumgon says:
If, in the vast sky of the basic mind, The clouds of conceptuality are not cleared away, The planets and stars of the two wisdoms will not shine. Attend, therefore, to this mind free of dualistic perception. The sky symbolizes the basic mind; the planets (sun and moon) and stars symbolize the two wisdoms as well as the fruit – the Buddha qualities of separation and ripening. Cloud and fog symbolize afflictions and conceptions. Just as the clouds and fog prevent the sun, moon, and stars from shining, so the three obstructions prevent the exalted wisdom from manifesting. To clear away the three obstructions, one must thoroughly purify one’s view, one’s meditation, and one’s activities. There are two possible approaches: finding the view first and then practicing meditation; or meditating first and then finding the view. According to Lord Jigten Sumgon, one first establishes the foundation – the view. Naropa
says:
If your understanding does not accord exactly with the correct view, as it has been shown by the lama, then your view and your actions will be mistaken. You will be as if blind and without a guide; thus you will not attain the fruit. It is necessary to settle the view, to carefully delineate the view. SETTLING THE VIEW There are many ways of asserting the view; all holders of tenets assert the view in their own way. There are some, however, who have the view but do not have realization. They are depending on their own power alone, and will find it difficult to go any farther in their understanding. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: Those people do indeed have many ways of asserting the view, but they do not have the realization that arises from meditation. Therefore, theirs is a view lacking realization. The view must be accompanied by realization. There must be realization of the meaning (mahamudra); that is, there must be direct experience – beyond thought – of the meanmg. Through the view, the meaning is established; through meditation, the meaning is experienced; through activities, the experience of the meaning is enhanced. The fruit is already there; its attaining must simply be a discovering. Naropa said: “Extract and delineate the meaning.” SETTLING THE TRUE NATURE OF THE MIND To understand the mode of abiding of the mind, one must analyze both the mode of abiding of appearances (all objects) and the mode of abiding of minds (all subjects).
The Mode of Abiding of Appearances First, it is established that conventional appearances are the mind itself. Naropa said: The fact that these appearing and occurring phenomena (all objects) appear and are illuminated means that they do not exist apart from the mind of self-awareness. Just as self-awareness is an experience of the mind knowing itself, so whatever appears is an experience of the self-awareness (or consciousness) that perceives it. If the mind and these phenomena are not the same, then the phenomena must be totally different from the mind and can have no relationship with the mind. Without a relationship between th~m, phenomena would not appear to mind. This is the way we delineate the conventional existence of phenomena. Thus, all phenomena are understood as being one’s own mind.
The Mode of Abiding of theM ind The mind must be understood to be without basis, without foundation. Naropa said: The Buddha said, ‘all phenomena abide in the mind.’ The actual basis of phenomena is the mind itself. If one analyses the nature of the mind – by the four reasonings, and so forth – it is found to have the two stains of conceptuality. The teaching of the reasoning of one and many has a meaning that is very profound and thus is to be analyzed by the wise. THE FOUR REASONINGS To determine that the mind of self-awareness is without true existence, we use four great reasons – the four reasonings. The way of identifying the four reasonings here differs
slightly from the way they are identified in the Madhyamika literature. These are the four reasonings: analysis of the cause, the reasoning of the diamond slivers; analysis of the entity, the reasoning of one and many; analysis of the effect, the reasoning refuting the four possibilities of production; and analysis of all phenomena, the reasoning of dependent arising.
. The Reasoning of the DiamondS livers The way in which effects arise from actions (causes) is similar to the way. sprouts arise from seeds. Nagarjuna said in his Treatise on the Middle Way: There is never production Anywhere, of any thing From itself, from others, From both, or without cause. In that same way, appearances and minds are shown to be without basis, without foundation. Thus one understands the ultimate nature of the mind.
. The Reasoning of One and Many If one mentally divides a thing into tiny parts, it can be shown that the parts do not exist independently. This is determined through understanding. When one understands that all appearance (form) is mind, one abandons the conception of things. When one understands that the mind is a self-awareness, one abandons the conception of distinctions such as white, red, and so forth. When one’s own self awareness dawns as bliss, one abandons the conception of suffering and equanimity. When one realizes that bliss is without elaborations, one abandons attachment to that bliss. Thus, one understands the ultimate nature of the mind. . The Reasoning Refuting the Four Possibilities of Production In one’s meditation, one must avoid (a) four possible mis-
takes with regard to emptiness and (b) three other possible kinds of mistake. (a) The four ways of misunderstanding emptiness These are through mistaking the nature of emptiness (the object to be known), through misapplication, through mistaking the path, and through mistaking the antidote. The meditations in which these mistakes occur are practiced by persons who have not realized emptiness. Mistaking the nature of emptiness. For example, during meditation on the meaning of the svabhava shuddha mantra, having conceptually arrived at an approximate idea of emptiness as being an utter negation, a person may then meditate on all existents as nonexistent. That person is mistaken through misunderstanding the nature of the object to be known – emptiness. Misapplication. Someone may apply the term ’empty’ to all things, thinking, ‘This is empty; that also is empty.’ This person is thereby establishing – as the object of his or her thought – a conception of general emptiness. One does not thereby actually get at the real meaning of emptiness, however; emptiness is thus misunderstood through misapplication. Mistaking the path. If a person does not understand that one attains the fruition through realizing that the fruit and the basis (the basic mode of abiding – emptiness) are inseparable, then he or she may expect to attain a good fruition by following a path. Such a person is mistaken with regard to the path. Mistaking the antidote. A person may not realize that there is no difference between the object to be abandoned and its antidote and may therefore view friend and enemy as different. Such a view generates desire and aversion, as well as the conceptions of subject and object; and these are the very things that must be abandoned.
(b) The three places of possible error There are many who say that a meditation in which one experiences any of these three – bliss, clarity, and nonconceptuality – is a supreme meditation. However, these also can be sources of error in meditation, because: through attachment to bliss, one is reborn in the desire realm; through attachment to clarity, in the form realm; and through attachment to nonconceptuality, in the formless realm. Even if you meditate without attachment to bliss, clarity, and nonconceptuality, if you do not realize emptiness, the highest fruit you can attain is the condition of high rebirth in the realms of gods and humans. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: “States of flawless meditative equipoise are the causes of rebirth in the three realms.” However, if you meditate without falling into these errors, you will understand the very foundation of the mind.
. The Reasoning of Dependent-Arising This is the reasoning analyzing all phenomena, the fourth of the four ways of realizing that the mind of self-awareness is without true existence. In this regard, it is said that the antidotes to ignorance are the branches of dependent arising. Naropa says: Being an awareness, The mind of self-awareness Has the nature of luminosity. Being nonconceptual, It does not conceive of itself. The very nature of such a mind is nonconceptuality. Let us take, as an example, a person who has a mind of selfawareness which is an exalted wisdom. When that person realizes that the mind is exalted wisdom, it is said that he or she ceases to look elsewhere for Buddha. However, the mind of self-awareness can be obstructed by temporary
stains. The mind afflicted by conceptuality is like water, gold, and space, in this way: in their relative states, all these are subject to distinctions of pure and impure, but their true nature is luminosity. In their true nature, even the slightest stain is utterly nonexistent. Just as outer phenomena do not exist, so inner phenomena do not exist; just as inner phenomena do not exist, so outer phenomena do not exist. It is said that sentient beings are not sentient beings; however, it is not the case that they do not exist. One must come to realize the ultimate nature free from the conventional nature. Furthermore, all phenomena, from forms through omniscient consciousnesses, are dependent-arisings; dependent-arisings are momentary phenomena; momentary phenomena are produced from conditions; that which is produced from conditions is not produced inherently. As the Buddha said: That which is produced from conditions is not produced, Because it is without inherent production. That which depends on conditions is emptiness. One who knows emptiness is aware. This is how one is to understand the true foundation of the mind. One who has such understanding is said to possess the realization that is not touched by the three great views. There is no assertion. As Lord Jigten Sumgon says: Finally, realize directly the Truth Body: such realization transcends the three great views; it is utterly free of viewing, object of view, and agent of view. This is a special feature of our system, not possessed by any other. Those three great views are of course needed. But if you are not free from attachment to high status, then you will not realize the view; you will not get at the real view.
The real view is free of assertion. As Lord Jigten Sumgon says: Since I have no assertion, I do not incur those faults. The Conqueror said nothing to his disciples; Then he explained extensively That which had been unsaid. Thus, the view must be accompanied by realization. Having realized the view, meditate on it. MEDITATION ON THE VIEW In order to meditate on the view, you must practice the technique of body posture, the technique of time of practice, and the technique of stabilizing the mind. All are to be practiced together.
The Technique of Body Posture The proper arrangement of your body, in the sevenfold Vairochana posture, will permit realization to appear to your mind. Buddha said in The Diamond Rosary Sutra: Sit on a comfortable cushion. Direct your eyes toward the tip of your nose. Your nose should be aligned with your navel; your shoulders, level; your tongue against the roof of your mouth; your lips and teeth positioned comfortably. Then, having relaxed your breathing, breathe with only very slight effort, according to your teacher’s instructions; remain in the proper cross-legged posture. Practice well this technique of body posture.
The Technique of Time of Practice The technique of time of practice is to practice at all times. It is said that there are no practice sessions as such. Whenever there is mindfulness, the conqueror of time, there is meditation. All times are appropriate for practice.
There is no need to calculate the month and date; there is no need to take into account the positions of sun, moon, and stars; the time of practice is not limited in any way. You should practice continuously, without formal sessions.
The Technique of Stabilizing the Mind The technique of stabilizing the mind has two parts, . meditation on the mode of abiding of phenomena and identification of that mode of abiding. The first of these -the meditation- in turn has two stages. The stage of completion with signs involves holding one’s mind at the drops in the five places in one’s body. The stage of completion without signs involves the seven methods of mind stabilization. . Meditation on the mode of abiding of phenomena (a) Practicing the stage of completion with signs When cultivating this part of the technique for stabilizing the mind, first generate a mind of enlightenment and then visualize your body as that of the yidam deity. Be mindful of the teacher as Vajradhara and then meditate by placing your mind without distraction at the luminous blue drop, the size of a mustard seed, at your heart. If a good meditative stabilization then arises, rest briefly in a relaxed natural state without anything appearing to your mind. Then, again set your mind one-pointedly on the drop at the heart. Keep your mind on that drop; if any thought should arise, pay no attention to it. Practice this way in four sessions daily. Finally, stop observing even the drop; then set your mind in the natural nonartificial state. If this practice causes excitement to arise in your mind, then meditate on the yellow drop at the navel and the green drop at the secret place of yourself as the yidam deity. If lethargy arises in your mind, meditate on the red drop at the throat and on the white drop at the forehead of the deity. If you meditate in this way, your mind will not scatter
outward; it will remain in a nonconceptual state. Clairvoyance and other good qualities will then arise. As is said in the Chakrasamvara Tantra: By keeping the mind inside, One achieves whatever one wills. (b) Practicing the stage of completion without signs In this part of the technique of stabilizing the mind, there are seven methods: Sustaining the practice without taking anything to
mind. Sustaining the practice while abandoning any conception of distinctions. Sustaining the practice without losing mindfulness. Sustaining the practice with great effort. Sustaining the practice in regard to the meaning of nonmeditation. Sustaining the practice without the extremes of tightness and looseness of mind. Sustaining the practice with one’s mind in the natural state. Sustaining the practice without taking anything to
mind. Niigiirjuna says: All phenomena are equally selfless. One’s mind is, from the beginning, nonproduced and is of the nature of emptiness; that which is the very nature or essence of emptiness – the mind is that. The yogi meditating on the meaning of emptiness is neither breathing nor not breathing; his eyes are neither opened nor closed; his body is neither straight nor bent. He neither talks nor does not talk. He does not think about external objects; he does not think about his mind. There are eleven things that are not taken to mind: form, sound, smell, taste, and tangibility are not taken to mind; the nature of form,
sound, smell, taste, and tangibility are not taken to mind; and phenomena are not taken to mind.
When the Precious Lord Jigten Sumgon stayed with his family at Den in eastern Tibet, a neighboring wife’s husband died, and she was very sad. The Precious Lord’s mother said to her neighbor, “Cease to think about your husband, and your suffering will cease. If you continue to think about him, the pain will continue.” Later, Jigten Sumgon came to central Tibet and met with the teacher Phagmo Drupa. Later still, after Jigten Sumgon had directly. realized mahamudra, he felt that of all the teachings expressed by Phagmo Drupa, none was higher than this of not taking anything to mind. It follows that this teaching of not taking anything to mind is very profound. Saraha says: Not taking to mind this is the body of mahamudra. Yogi, do not allow yourself to hope For any fruit whatsoever. Sustaining the practice while abandoning any conception of such distinctions as high and low and so forth. Do not meditate while conceiving of good, bad, and neutral. Tilopa said: If one does not think of good and bad, The thoughts ofthe Buddhas of The three times will dawn. All the omniscient ones teach this. The three times are the past, present, and future. Tilopa also said: Abide in a natural state, completely without physical action; speak little; meditate on the emptiness of your voice, like an echo. Look at the mode of abiding of phenomena without anything appearing to mind.
Stabilize your mind on the mode of abiding of phenomena; this meditative stabilization, in which all confusions have been eliminated, is meditation without thought. Sustaining the practice without losing mindfulness. The Precious Lord Jigten Sumgon says: One must understand the importance of maintaining mindfulness; without mindfulness, there is no meditation and thus no method. This firm mindfulness is very important. Mindfulness encompasses the branches of enlightenment, which are: the four aspects of mindfulness, the four perfect abandonments, the four foundations of miraculous power, the five powers, the five controlling powers, the seven branches of enlightenment and the noble eightfold path. One who sustains this practice achieves all the levels of Never-Returner, of one who has achieved the union of no-more-learning. These high levels, and all the other levels below them, depend on mindfulness. First one attains the four aspects of mindfulness. Then, through this – developing the entity of these four – one attains the four perfect abandonments. Continuing this development – stabilizing mindfulness more and more one eliminates the objects of abandonment and thereby attains the four foundations of miraculous power; one of these is the stabilization of mindfulness. After these four stabilizations, the five powers are attained; one of them is the power of mindfulness. The five powers are made stronger and stronger, until the five controlling powers are attained; one of them is the controlling power of mindfulness. The controlling powers are developed more and more, until the seven branches of enlightenment are attained; one of them is the perfection of mindfulness. The seven perfections are developed until the eight branches of the eightfold path are attained; one of these is right mindfulness. Completion of the eightfold path is the completion of
practice: the state of a Learner is attained. This state is developed to perfection, and finally, through mindfulness, one is empowered by the peaceful meditative stabilization to attain the exalted wisdom ofthe stage of Never-Returner. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: “Familiarization with realization is meditation”; this is training without losing mindfulness. Sustaining the practice with great effort. Jigten Sumgon said: Great effort means Uninterrupted mindfulness; If you do not understand this, Your practice will suffer. You should sustain your practice with a steadiness like the steady gait of an elephant or the steady tension of a guitar string. Tilopa said: One who cannot sustain this practice Should practice a technique of breath and remain in the naked mind. With the many methods of attaining the view and holding the mind, Practice until your mind is stabilized. This means that you are to stabilize your mindfulness, not allowing it to waver for even a moment. Without moving your eyes or blinking, set your mind in a nonconceptual meditative state. Sustaining the practice in regard to the meaning of nonmeditation. There is no object of observation of meditation and no place of meditation. Jigten Sumgon said: No object of meditation, Not the slightest trace; No flicker of attention, Not even for a moment this is the heart-teaching of mahamudra. He also said:
There is no meditation, but familiarization comes; And as it becomes familiar, you will understand the view. You alone can do this; set your mind steadily in meditative equipoise. In the Guhyasamaja Tantra is written: There is no meditation on a nonexistent thing; The object of meditation is not meditated on. Since neither things nor non-things exist, There is no thing to observe in meditation. Sustaining the practice without the extremes of tightness and looseness. If your mind is tight, mental excitement arises, making impossible the virtuous activity of meditation. Such unfavorable conditions cause the mind to go out to external objects. Thus, do not overtighten your mind. If it is held too loosely, your mind will wander unnoticed below the surface and you will not be aware of its movement. Thus, guard against the extremes of tightness and looseness. The practice of virtue should be like the balancing of a scale. Saraha said: The mind that is bound tightly by thought Will definitely be liberated If it is loosened to just the right tension, As a Brahmin spins his thread. Keep your mind in a fresh, nonartificial, natural state. Sustaining the practice with one’s mind in a natural, nonartificial state. The Buddha says in the Prajfiaparamita
Sutra: Practice free of artifice Causes supreme enlightenment; The power of the artificial Prevents attainment of the noble path. Keep your mind in the fresh, natural state its true nature. If you meditate on something as existent, that is artificial. If you meditate on something as nonexistent, that also is artificial. If you meditate on something as being between the two extremes of existence and nonexistence, that also is artificial. ‘Fresh’ refers to the state beginning after the cessation of a conceptual thought and lasting until the arising of another conceptual thought. ‘Natural’ means you are to set your mind on the various objects appearing to the six consciousnesses, without accepting some and rejecting others. ‘Nonartificial’ means that whatever dawns in your self-luminous mind is to be sustained without your making any changes. This is taught in the text €alled Seven Ways of Settling the Mind. Learn to recognize the nonartificial consciousness, and keep your mind in a nonartificial state. Through understanding that the earlier and later moments of mind are one, your concentration will be ignited like a fire. This powerful state of concentration will generate a fruition of good qualities, limitless as space. These seven methods of stabilizing the mind can all be included in the first of the seven: sustaining practice without taking anything to mind (also called meditation free from mental engagement). Lord Jigten Sumgon says: Not spoiled by the effort of good thought, not following after bad thought, and not going to the neutral – set your mind in meditation, free from mental engagement. ‘Spoiled by the effort of good thought’ means letting your meditation be spoiled by the effort of forming a concept, like ‘suchness is emptiness; suchness is selflessness.’ The Buddha says in the Prajiiaparamita Sutra: A Bodhisattva who thinks ‘this aggregate is empty’ is engaged in conceptual designation and thus has no faith in the state of abiding without production.
‘Following after bad thought’ means that because of unfavorable conditions, one’s thought goes out to external objects. In the Prama’l’}avarttika is written:
If one conceives of ‘self,’ then one must also conceive of ‘other.’ Attachment and aversion arise as a result of these two conceptions – of self and other. As a result of relationships accompanied by feelings of attachment and aversion, all faults are generated. It should be understood that the root of all those faults is this view – that the transitory aggregation called I and mine has an inherent existence. ‘Going to the neutral’ means seeing faults in conceptual thought and seeing good qualities in nonconceptual thought; this too is to be avoided. Do not allow your mind to dwell on the characteristics of objects. Set your mind in meditative stabilization free from mental engagement. The meaning of ‘meditation free from mental engagement’ is shown in Tilopa’s summation of his work on mahamudra: When attachment arises, the clear light of the basic mind is obstructed and not seen. To keep the pledges conceptually is to fall away from their true meaning. One’s own birth and death are like waves on the ocean. One who holds fast to the true meaning of non-observation will keep the pledges. Realization of the true meaning- mahamudra- is the light that illuminates the darkness. One who is free from all grasping is not drawn to the extremes; such a one understands the discourses. One who follows this true meaning will be liberated from the prison of cyclic existence. Stabilize your mind in this meaning; all sins and obstructions will be burned away. This is the Lamp of the Teachings.
‘Meditation free from mental engagement’ means stabilization of the mind on mahamudra. Mahamudra is the true meaning of reality and the ultimate mode of abiding of phenomena. . Identification of the mode of abiding of phenomena The identification of the mode of abiding of phenomena has two parts, identification of meditative equipoise as calm abiding and identification of self-awareness as mahamudra. (a) Identification of meditative equipoise as calm-abiding First, meditate without conceptions of past, present, and future. Having fully subdued all conceptions of things and names, remain in this state: one-pointed, without conception, unsullied by any of the three moods – laxity, excitement, and lethargy. This state is called ‘calm-abiding’ or ‘meditative equipoise.’ The glorious Shawari says of this state: The taste of nondual innate bliss Is like the taste of water mixed with water. Abiding in the true nature as it is this is called fully subduing the mind That clings to objects. Calm-abiding is the basis for the generation of all good qualities. As the Buddha said: If one cannot hold the mind one-pointed and balanced, One does not have pure exalted wisdom, And cannot cast off the contaminations.
The teachings of the Buddha are not realized by other paths. If one attains the great wisdom of calm-abiding, then one definitely will be liberated. Furthermore, Shiintideva says in Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds: Special insight joined with strong calm-abiding will annihilate completely the afflictions. Know this for
yourself. First, become skilled in calm-abiding; this you can do if you are not attached to worldly things and have a happy mind. (b) Identification of self-awareness as mahamudra Mahamudra is also known as ‘pure nonconceptual special insight.’ The Buddha said: Son of the Noble Family, a Bodhisattva who has attained meditative stabilization is not satisfied with this mere calm-abiding and with the mere taste of meditative stabilization. Remaining in that meditative stabilization, he counts the phenomena of the great vehicle, analyzes the objects of comprehension, and investigates individually the teachings of the great vehicle. The conceptual thought that counts, analyzes, and investigates such phenomena, objects, and teachings will fully generate special insight. THE QUINTESSENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS After having generated the clear meditative equipoise of calm-abiding, and while remaining in that state, investigate the true nature of that mind of calm-abiding, using the very mind of calm-abiding itself. Investigate well, thinking, “Does it exist or not? Does it have color or not?” If you think it exists, then investigate well, thinking: “How was it first generated? Where did it come from? Where does it remain? Where will it end?” If you think it does not exist, then investigate, thinking: “Who thinks it is nonexistent? Who superimposes ‘nonexistent’?” If you think it is beyond existence and nonexistence, then investigate the way in which it is beyond them. Through practicing in this way, you can arrive at the foundation of the mind – mahamudra. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: “When one sees that the mind flits from thing to thing, that – not seeing anything – is
seeing.” One’s mind is, from the beginning, free from all extremes of existence and nonexistence, being and nonbeing, good and bad, permanence and annihilation, and so forth. The true nature of one’s mind cannot be described in any way. The realization of that true nature of the mind is called mahamudra or ‘the wisdom of self-awareness. ‘ In the Prajiiaparamita Sutra, Buddha says: Sentient beings will say, for example, ‘I see the sky’; however, if one investigates, it is difficult to explain what it means to see the sky. The Tathagatas explained that this is what the sensing of phenomena is like; such seeing cannot be illustrated by anything else. Tilopa says: For example, it has often been said that the sky is empty, but there is no way to describe how the sky is by saying ‘it is like this’ or ‘it is like that.’ Similarly, although one’s mind is called luminous, there is no basis for describing it – no basis for saying ‘the mind is established in such and such a way.’ The nature of the mind is, from the beginning, like space. There is no phenomenon that is not included in that space-like nature, which is mahamudra. All phenomena, without exception, are included in the mind. Such a realization- that your mind is, from the beginning, without production, abiding, and cessation – is called ‘the ordinary mind,’ ‘the Nature Body,’ and ‘the self-arisen innate exalted wisdom.’ Lord Gampopa says, “I sustain this ordinary mind.” This entity (the ordinary mind) is the meditative stabilization of the Mahayana path of seeing. From this point of view, all of your consciousnesses, which scatter to myriad objects, are not different from your basic mind; rather, your various consciousnesses and your basic mind are identified as one. This is to be known.
Lord Gampopa also says: Mind is the innate Truth Body; Form is the light of the innate Truth Body. Thus, form and mind are inseparably united. The Master Toktsepa says: The ordinary mind is awakened in the center of the heart. If the six consciousnesses are pure, then bliss will not cease. All actions of body, speech, and mind are purposeless; Apart from being the cause of suffering, they are without meaning. Remain in the natural state without meditative effort. Lord Jigten Sumgon identifies view, meditation, and activity in this way: The view is the unmistaken realization of the meaning of the mind. Meditation is keeping the mind on that – the correct view, which is accompanied by realization- without distraction. Virtuous activity is action that accords with this meditation. It is true of all phenomena – in cyclic existence and nirvana- that unless the appropriate causes and conditions exist, the phenomena will not arise. Phenomena are merely dependent-arisings. Dependent-arisings abide only momentarily. The moments of their abiding are also dependent-arisings; they are empty. Being empty, they are the Truth Body, the fruition. The six objects of consciousness appear dualistically as cyclic existence and nirvana. Subject and object do not exist separately, as two. Suppose you are looking one-pointedly
at something, a pillar or a pot, in front of you; the mind does not really follow the object. The object appears merely through a combination of dependent-arisings; that is all. Ultimately, there is no establishment as subject and object in regard to any phenomenon whatsoever. From the beginning, appearance and mind (object and subject) abide as a self-liberating unity. As it is said in the King of Meditative Stabilization Sutra: See the moon rising in a clear sky: Its reflection appears in a clear lake, But the moon itself is not in the water. Understand all phenomena in this way. Niiropa said: The nature of appearance is without production; And the nature of cyclic existence is without foundation. The nature of the mind is the unity of appearance and emptiness. You must understand that appearance and mind are simply a unity; and you must understand that conceptual thought is itself the basic mind. Saraha said: Whatever elaborations arise from the mind, These are the nature of the Truth Body. Are the water and the waves different? No, they are equally like the sky. Lord Jigten Sumgon said: The Truth Body, which is the ultimate fruition, Is none other than the afflictions. Wisdom and ignorance are not two, but one. Ignorance is the great wisdom. He also said: Products are without production, like space. Nonproducts are without production, like space.
The Truth Body is without production, like space. Practice is sustained through appearance itself, through neither accepting nor rejecting what appears. Whatever appears, whatever you see, that itself is empty; emptiness is not something apart from the ordinary phenomena that appear to you. These are the quintessential instructions. PRACTICING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE QUINTESSENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS If you practice in accordance with the quintessential instructions, the unity of dependent-arising and emptiness dawns as cause and effect. Then, emptiness dawns as cause and effect. Therefore, you must train in the special behavior of Superiors, the precious ethics. Furthermore, in this system of teachings, the view includes realization, meditation is free from mental engagement, and action is free from accepting and rejecting. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: The precious lama (Lord Phagmo Drupa) understood that all migrators wander in cyclic existence because they hold a view of the aggregates as inherently existent – a view that is false because of mental elaborations. Therefore, the lama taught the view free from elaboration; he taught meditation on that view without distraction; and he taught practice of the ethics of the Buddha. These three pure view, pure meditation, and pure practice are the supreme essence of the Buddha’s teaching. This supreme essence does not flourish today except in the teachings of the precious lama. I have thought deeply about how this teaching is to be spread, and as a result of my deep wish I received all the teachings from Phagmo Drupa. Then I knew it would be possible for the teaching of the excellent lama to continue without interruption.
Engaging in the pure practice of ethics, one does not adopt sin and one does not reject virtue; in this way the eye of cause and effect is found. Practicing the correct acceptance and rejection, one will attain the fruit in this very life. The Precious Lord Jigten Sumgon says: Mahamudra is simply this self-awareness. Sustaining this practice without distraction is cultivation of the fundamental Truth Body. That which brings about enhancement of mahamudra is devotion to the excellent lama. To understand every appearance whatsoever as the Truth Body is to understand mahamudra. To realize conceptuality as the Truth Body is to realize mahamudra. The happiness that arises both in cyclic existence and beyond it is the quality of mahamudra. The benefiting of beings by the Four Bodies is the activity of mahamudra. The four bodies, the eight signs, the eight common feats, and so forth, will be achieved through the practice of mahamudra. One’s attainment of such fruition depends on the coming together of the necessary causes and conditions. This is because, as the Buddha said: “All phenomena follow after causes, depend on conditions, and depend on one’s aspiration.”
CONCLUDING PRACTICES Dedication
Dedication One needs to aspire strongly and to perform dedication. Lord Gampopa says: I am not one who has not accumulated virtue; but my virtue is wasted, simply because I do not understand the method of dedication. And the Buddha said in the Prajfiaparamita Sutra: After arising from that meditative session, perform faultless virtuous practices; then dedicate the merit of your practices to the attainment of highest enlightenment for sentient beings. If you perform this dedication, there is no virtue in the three realms to equal it. One must perform the dedication. Lord Jigten Sumgon says: If the wish-fulfilling jewel of the two accumulations Is not polished by your aspiration, Your goal will not be reached; Attend, therefore, to this final dedication.
THE DAKORMA DEDICATION Visualize in the space in front of you a pure field with the lions, precious throne, and so forth; on top of these are the lama and yidam deities, Buddhas and Boddhisattvas, and Dakas, Dakinis, and Dharma-Protectors. Cultivate well the pure motivation, the generation of the altruistic mind. Call to mind the objects of observation the virtues accumulated in the three times and the innate root of virtue (the Buddha nature, Tathiigatagarbha) of all sentient beings – and then dedicate all of these to the attainment of highest enlightenment for all sentient beings.
The Suitability of Dedicating Innate Virtue There are some who argue that it is not suitable to dedicate the innate virtue. However, the suitability of that dedication can be shown in three ways: by the Buddha’s word, by reasoning, and by the quintessential instructions. . The Buddha’s word on dedication of the innate virtue. The Buddha said: “The dedication without object of observation- that is the unsurpassed dedication.” He also said: Dedication in which there is conceptuality (the conception of the three spheres of agent, action, and object) is not the supramundane dedication. Dedication in which there is no conceptuality is supramundane dedication. Making a dedication with conceptuality is like eating good food mixed with poison. The good food represents virtue, poison the conception of the three spheres. Observing phenomena- even virtuous phenomena- is like eating food mixed with poison. In the Medicine Deity Sutra, the Buddha said, “By the power of the very pure inconceivable sphere of reality, may what I wish for come to pass; may all sentient beings be established in Buddhahood.” He also spoke of “the in-
Concluding Practices nate root of virtue, which is the unsurpassable wisdom.” In all of these statements, the Buddha was referring to the innate virtue. . Reasoning on dedication of the innate virtue. There are some who raise the objection, “If the innate virtue changes (is the cause of an effect), it follows logically that suchness is a caused phenomenon. If the innate virtue does not change, it can not produce an effect; and so the dedication of it is meaningless. If the dedication of innate virtue could produce an effect, why is the act of dedication of the first Buddha not bearing fruit now?” In response, it can be argued, “If dedication of a noncreated object has no effect, then, if one expresses the power of the truth of suchness, that truth will become powerless (will be unable to produce an effect) because it is a non product.” . Quintessential instructions on dedication of the innate virtue. Many precious Lamas have given instructions on how to perform the dedication of the innate virtue.
The Objects to be Dedicated The objects to be dedicated are the many virtues you have accumulated in the three times and the innate virtue, your own Buddha nature. The Recipients of the Dedication These virtues are to be dedicated to all the innumerable sentient beings, throughout all of space. The Buddha said: Just as the sky is without limit, So is the number of sentient beings; Just as their actions and afflictions are without limit, So are my wishes for their welfare.
The Purpose of the Dedication The eight worldly concerns and the four causes of cyclic existence are not the objects to be attained. The fruitional
state of the Hearer and Solitary Realizer states is the Foe Destroyer (Arhat) state, but even this is not the object to be attained. Do not stay on the level of Foe Destroyer. That which is to be attained is the rank of the great Vajradhara, the state of the union of emptiness and bliss. Perform the dedication, therefore, together with the exalted wisdom that is completely free ofthe three spheres. no One who is free of the three spheres knows the emptiness of all phenomena, is without conceptuality, and has no wish for fruit. These freedoms are to be conjoined with the exalted wisdom without object of observation. This is expressed in this way in the dedication chapter of The Diamond Banner: By my dedicating the innate virtue of all sentient beings and the accumulated virtue of the deeds of all sentient beings in the past, present, and future, may all sentient beings attain Buddhahood. In performing the dedication, visualize the objects of refuge, which are to be the witnesses of your dedication. Think that they are in front of you, all united in seeking the fulfilment of your dedication. Then say the Dakorma dedication prayer: I dedicate the innate virtue of myself and all sentient beings, as well as the accumulated virtues those accumulated by us in mundane and supramundane realms, in cyclic existence, and in nirvana. By the power of these, may I and all sentient beings quickly attain the precious rank of Buddhahood. By performing this dedication, you will attain the ornament wheel u of inexhaustible fruition (Buddhahood); and your attainment will be irreversible. The Buddha says of dedication: Then, with the mandala in front of you, sit with your hands together at your heart; observe all sen-
Concluding Practices senient beings and pray with a compassion that is without object of observation. Maitreya said in the Abhisamayala’f!l.kara: That supreme dedication, Without object of observation That, is the supreme deed, That is the unmistaken dedication. Establish the essence of the fruit by this dedication.
Colophon SV ASTI This clarification of the stages of the path – of ripening empowerments and liberating teachings – flows from the sutras and tantras, from the commentaries, and from the quintessential instructions. By traversing these stages, one acquires the nondualistic wisdom of the vajra mind, which completely removes the veils – the two obstructions. May I attain the supreme path in this lifetime. May I attain the rank ofVajradhara, Lord of Conquerors, excellent lama possessing the Four Bodies: The glorious innate Exalted Wisdom Body, the union of emptiness and compassion; The Complete Enjoyment Body and the Emanation Body, which appear to sentient beings spontaneously and effortlessly; And the Fourth Body, fulfilling the two purposes -of oneself and others. Having attained this supreme state, may I bring to fruition all sentient beings without exception. Here, in Clarifying the Jewel Rosary of the Profound Five fold Path, I have set forth the pure meaning, without deviating from the pure view and without embellishment, in accordance with the thought of the glorious Phagmo Drupa, precious lord of all sentient beings; of Jigten Sumgon, precious lord of dharma, omniscient and without equal; and of their spiritual sons. This work clears away nonunderstanding, mistaken understanding, and doubts. It was written for those who are interested in living in accordance with the teachings of those who maintain our Kagyu system, so that they may realize the meaning of the teachings. I, Kunga Ratna Chokyi Gyaltsen Pal Sangpo, have written this to help the spread and increase of the treasure, the teachings of the Conqueror Drikungpa, and because Shampa Lama of Yarlung and others asked me to. This work was written in the Perna Sambhava place of meditation at White Rock on the first day of the fifth month in the year of the female watersheep. It is now completed. MANGALAMBAVANTUSHUBHAM