Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind

by Longchenpa

  137. See also TPQ, Book 2, pp. 282ff.

  138. The lower maṇḍala refers to the maṇḍala of peaceful deities dwelling in the heart; the upper maṇḍala is the maṇḍala of wrathful deities dwelling in the crown of the head. See also TPQ, Book 2, p. 464n546.

  139. For a further explanation, see ibid., p. 286.

  140. For the explanation of the nine wrathful demeanors, see ibid., p. 149.

  141. “Moreover, the maṇḍalas that are present within the body, as taught in the Anuttara Tantras of, for example, Guhyasamajā, Hevajra, and Cakrasaṃvara, are maṇḍalas of the exclusive self-experience of the saṃbhogakāya. They do not appear to others. From some of them, wrathful maṇḍalas are emanated in order to subdue spirits that mislead and create obstacles. These belong to the nirmāṇakāya; they are not the maṇḍalas of the Akaniṣṭha buddhafield.” [AC 1062: 5–1063: 2] See also TPQ, Book 2, p. 287.

  142. tr “When the winds enter the central channel, yogis perceive so-called empty forms (reflections of emptiness), which are imperceptible to others.” [AC 1065: 2]

  143. See TPQ, Book 2, p. 293.

  144. “From within the expanse of the saṃbhogakāya’s exclusive self-experience, and in order to guide beings, pure and impure, the cognitive potency (thugs rje) of the Buddhas effortlessly displays three kinds of Teacher or Guide. These are first, the nirmāṇakāya of luminous character (rang bzhin sprul sku), which is in harmony with the saṃbhogakāya; second, the nirmāṇakāya that is the guide of beings (’gro ’dul sprul sku), which manifests as the Teachers [or Munis] of the six classes of beings; and third, the diversified nirmāṇakāya (sna tshogs sprul sku), which manifests as both animate beings or inanimate things.” [TPQ, Book 2, p. 293] For a detailed exposition, see TPQ, Book 2, pp. 294–315.

  145. “These are the Teachers, reflection of the saṃbhogakāya, that appear to bodhisattvas on the grounds of realization. They resemble the self-experienced saṃbhogakāya, but they are not the actual saṃbhogakāya itself. The latter is related to the former in the manner of an appearing object and its reflection in a mirror.” [AC 1067: 4–5]

  146. For a more detailed explanation, see TPQ, Book 2, pp. 297–98.

  147. Although they are referred to here as the “half-appearing nirmāṇakāya,” the fact is that they appear only to the bodhisattvas on the ten grounds of realization. They do not figure in the experience of the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and so on. Similarly, even though the five Teachers appear as the saṃbhogakāya, they, their retinues, their buddhafields, and so on, are not the exclusive self-experience of their primordial wisdom and are not inaccessible to beings other than themselves. For they are indeed perceived by the pure minds of bodhisattvas residing on the grounds of realization. This is why they are referred to as “semi-apparent saṃbhogakāya buddhafields” or “nirmāṇakāya buddhafields of luminous character.” See TPQ, Book 2, pp. 299–300.

  148. For a more detailed explanation, see ibid., pp. 300–305.

  149. See Shantideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva, 5:1, 5:18, 5:6–8, 5:5, pp. 100–104.

  150. An emanation of Vajradhara, the first of the twelve teachers of the Great Perfection.

  151. The Tibetan term snang ba has a double ambivalence. Used verbally, it can mean, and be translated into English, as (intransitively) “to appear” or (transitively) “to perceive” or “to experience.” The term can also be understood nominally in the sense of, on the one hand, “appearance” or “phenomenon” or, on the other hand, “perception” or “experience.” These ambivalences are often present in Tibetan expressions and indeed may be exploited in order to express the subtlety of a given context.

  152. Awareness is described here as primordially unconditioned (ye nas ’dus ma byas pa) because, unlike, for example, the sense consciousnesses or other ordinary states or mind, it is not the product of causes and conditions.

  153. For an explanation of the terms “universal ground of joining” and “universal ground of habitual tendencies,” see p. 238. See also TPQ, Book 2, p. 451n499.

  154. See Mi pham zhal lung (The Words of the Invincible One), Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary on the Uttaratantraśāstra, 1:55–57. It is difficult to give the precise location of citations from the Uttaratantra since only a part of this text is divided into chapters and the stanzas are not numbered. For referencing purposes, therefore, we have used the system devised in Mipham’s commentary.

  155. See endnote 56 for an explanation of dge ba (virtue) in this context.

  156. 1: 157.

  157. For an explanation of coemergent ignorance, see p. 236 and TPQ, Book 2, p. 244.

  158. See Chandrakirti, Introduction to the Middle Way, 11:17, p. 106.

  159. See ibid., 6:196, pp. 95 and 318.

  160. The careful reader will note here that the English words “conceptual” and “cognition” are both translations of the Tibetan word (rtog pa), which has different nuances of meaning according to context.

  161. 1: 30.

  162. This text is usually interpreted as referring to the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma. In the teachings of the first turning of the wheel, the mind, like other phenomena, is mentioned as if it were a real existent. And in this context, “mind” means the ordinary intellect, the mind as experienced by ordinary, unenlightened beings. In the second turning, which expounds the ultimate nature of phenomena as emptiness, the mind is defined as being without true existence. In the third turning, which has to do with the buddha nature or tathāgatagarbha, the nature of the mind is explained as luminosity.

  163. 1: 27.

  164. 1: 63.

  165. 1: 152–55.

  166. See A Feast of the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle: An Explanation of the Ornament of the Mahāyāna Sūtras, 4.4.

  167. 1: 99–100.

  168. 1: 102–3.

  169. 1: 105–6.

  170. 1: 108–9.

  171. 1: 111–13.

  172. 1: 115–16.

  173. 1: 118–19.

  174. 1: 121–22.

  175. 1: 124–25.

  176. 1: 127–28.

  177. 1: 133–34.

  178. 1: 136.

  179. The “transitory collection,” or rather the view of the transitory collection, is a technical term referring to the innate tendency to take the multiple and transitory aggregates of a person to be a single, permanent, self.

  180. 1: 137–46.

  181. 1: 35.

  182. We have not been able to locate this quotation in the Sūtrālaṃkāra.

  183. 1: 47.

  184. 1: 149.

  185. 1: 159.

  186. 1: 160.

  187. 1: 169–70.

  188. 1: 95 and 1: 157–58.

  189. See Chandrakirti, Introduction to the Middle Way, 11:18, p. 106.

  190. 2: 62.

  191. 1: 5.

  192. Log sred can. There are several definitions of this group. According to the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, they are those who repudiate the law of causality and, careless of ethical principles, do not follow the teachings of the Buddha. In the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra, they are defined as those who hate and reject the Mahāyāna scriptures.

  193. This is one of the categories of implied teachings (dgongs pa can). See TPQ, Book 1, p. 338.

  194. See Chandrakirti, Introduction to the Middle Way, 6:4–5, p. 68.

  195. See Ornament of the Mahāyāna Sūtras, 4:5 and 4:8.

  196. 1: 40–41.

  197. See Ornament of the Mahāyāna Sūtras, 4:7.

  198. 3: 11.

  199. slu ba. In other words, they are not final refuges.

  200. 1: 20.

  201. 1: 21.

  202. That is, the enlightenment of the śrāvakas, the pratyekabuddhas, and the bodhisattvas.

  203. 1: 5.

  204. That is, karma and defilement.

  205. 1: 10–11.

  206. 1: 14.

  207. 1: 22.

  208. 1: 19.

  209. 1: 21.

&
nbsp; 210. Starting with Vijaya through Mahābala, the Tibetan names for these deities are: dByug sngon can, gShin rje’i gshed, Mi g·yo ba, rTa mchog dpal, gZhan gyis mi thub pa, bDud rtsi ’Khyil ba, Khams gsum rnam rgyal and sTobs po che, respectively.

  211. See also TPQ, Book 2, p. 147.

  212. See also “The Three Natures,” pp. 179–90.

  213. See chapter 10, stanzas 21–23, pp. 120–21.

  214. This is a translation of Longchenpa’s personal name, Dri med ’od zer.

  TEXTS CITED IN THE GREAT CHARIOT

  Abhidharmakośa: Chos mngon pa mdzod (The Treasury of Abhidharma). By Vasubandhu.

  Abridged Prajñapāramitā-sūtra: Prajñāpāramitāsaṃcāyagāthā, Sher phyin sdud pa tshigs su bcad pa (sDud pa).

  Accomplishment of Primordial Wisdom Tantra: Ye shes grub pa’i rgyud.

  The All-Creating King Tantra: Kun byed rgyal po’i rgyud.

  All-Illuminating Sphere Tantra: Thig le kun gsal gyi rgyud.

  Aṅgulimālīya-sūtra: Sor ’phreng can gyi mdo (Sūtra of Aṅgulimāla).

  Bodhisattvabhūmi Byang chub sems dpa’i sa (Bodhisattva Grounds). By Asaṅga.

  “Chapter on Concentration” in the Ratnakūṭa: dKon mchog brtsegs pa’i ting nge ’dzin dam pa’i leu.

  Classification of Wandering Beings Sūtra: ’Gro ba rnam ’byed kyi mdo.

  Commentary to the Sūtrālaṃkāra: Sūtralaṃkāravṛttibhāṣya, mDo sde rgyan gyi ’grel bshad. By Sthiramati.

  Commentary to the Uttaratantra-śāstra: Uttaratantraśāstravyākhya, rGyud bla ma’i rnam bshad. By Asaṅga.

  Compendium Tantra of Precious Secret Wisdom: gSang ba ye shes rin po che’i rgyud kun ’dus.

  Complete Revelation of the Essence Sūtra: sNying po rab tu bstan pa’i mdo.

  Essence of Enlightenment Sūtra: Buddhahṛdayadhāraṇī.

  Excellent Accomplishment Tantra: Susiddhi-tantra, Legs par grub pa’i rgyud.

  Exhaustion of the Four Elements Tantra: ’Byung bzhi zad pa’i rgyud.

  Expanded Primordial Wisdom Tantra: Ye shes rgyas pa’i rgyud.

  Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra: sDong po bkod pa’i mdo (The Tree-Garland Sūtra).

  Ghanavyūha-sūtra: rGyan stug po bkod pa’i mdo (Densely Adorned Sūtra).

  Great Exposition of the Generation and Perfection Stages: bsKyed rdzogs chen mo.

  Guhyagarbha Tantra: gSang ba snying po’i rgyud (The Secret Essence Tantra).

  Heart Sūtra: Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya-sūtra, Shes rab snying po’i mdo.

  Heruka Galpo Tantra: He ru ka gal po’i rgyud.

  Hevajra Tantra in Two Sections: Kye rdo rje’i rgyud brtag pa gnyis pa (brTag gnyis).

  Immaculate Wisdom of Mañjuśrī Sūtra: ’Jam dpal ye shes dri ma med pa’i mdo.

  Kāśyapa Chapter: Kāśyapaparivarta, ’Od srung gi le’u.

  King of Marvels Tantra: rMad byung rgyal po’i rgyud.

  Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra: Lang kar gshegs pa’i mdo (The Visit to Lanka Sūtra).

  Light of Primal Wisdom Tantra: Ye shes snang ba’i rgyud.

  Madhyamakāvatāra: dBu ma la ’jug pa (Introduction to the Middle Way). By Candrakīrti.

  Madhyāntavibhāga: dBus mtha’ rnam ’byed (Discerning the Middle and the Extremes). By Maitreya-Asaṅga.

  Magical Display Sūtra: rNam par ’phrul pa’i mdo.

  Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra: Yongs su mya ngan las ’das pa chen po’i mdo.

  Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra: Theg pa chen po’i mDo sde rgyan (Ornament of the Mahāyāna Sūtras). By Maitreya-Asaṅga.

  Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti: ’Jam dpal mtshan brjod (Litany of the Names of Mañjuśrī).

  Māyājāla Tantra: sGyu ’phrul drva ba’i rgyud (Net of Illusory Manifestations Tantra).

  Middle-Length Prajñāpāramitā: Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa stong phrag nyi shu lnga pa (Yum bar ma).

  Net of Precious Peaceful Deities: Zhi ba rin po che’i drva ba.

  Ocean of Jewels Tantra: Rin chen rgya mtsho’i rgyud.

  Ornament for the Wisdom of Mañjuśrī Sūtra: ’Jam dpal ye shes rgyan gyi mdo.

  Pañcakrama: Rim lnga (The Five Stages). By Nāgārjuna.

  Parinirvāṇa-sūtra: Mya ngan las ’das pa’i mdo.

  Praises of the Mind Vajra: Sems kyi rdo rje’i bstod pa.

  Prajñāpāramitā in Eight Thousand Lines: Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā, Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa.

  Prajñāpāramitā in Twenty Thousand Lines: Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa stong phrag nyi shu pa (Nyi khri).

  Precious Net Tantra: Rin chen dra ba’i rgyud.

  Question of Brahmaviśeṣacinti Sūtra: Brahmaviśeṣacintiparipṛcchā-sūtra, Tshangs pa khyad par sems kyis zhus pa’i mdo.

  Question of Sagara Sūtra: Sagaraparipṛcchā-sūtra, rGya mtshos zhus pa’i mdo.

  Question of Susthitamatidevaputra Sūtra, Susthimatidevaputraparipṛcchā-sūtra, Lha’i bu blo gros rab gnas kyis zhus pa.

  Question of Ugra the Householder Sūtra: Khyim bdag drag shul can gyis zhus pa’i mdo.

  Ratnakūṭa-sūtra: dKon mchog brtsegs pa (The Jewel Mound Sūtra).

  Ratnamegha-sūtra: dKon mchog sprin gyi mdo (The Cloud of Jewels Sūtra).

  Ratnāvalī: Rin chen phreng ba (The Jewel Garland). By Nāgārjuna.

  Root Stanzas on the Middle Way: Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā, dBu ma rtsa ba’i shes rab. By Nāgārjuna.

  Sacred Golden Light Sūtra: Suvarṇaprabhāsottama-sūtra, gSer ’od dam pa’i mdo.

  Sacred Primordial Wisdom Sūtra: Ye shes dam pa’i mdo.

  Samādhirāja-sūtra: Ting ’dzin rgyal po’i mdo (The King of Concentrations Sūtra).

  Satyadvayavibhaṅga: bDen gnyis rnam ’byed (Distinguishing the Two Truths). By Jñānagarbha.

  Showing Gratitude Sūtra: Drin la bsab pa’i mdo.

  Song of Action: Caryāgiti, Spyod pa’i glu.

  Song of Realization: rTog rtse ba’i do ha. By Kuddalīpāda.

  Songs of Realization: Dohakośa, Do ha mdzod. By Saraha.

  Stages of Luminosity: ’Od rim.

  Stages of the Path: (Māhājāla)pathakrama, Lam rim. By Buddhaguhya.

  Suhṛllekha: bShes spring (Letter to a Friend). By Nāgārjuna.

  Summarized Wisdom Sūtra: Samājasarvavidyā-sūtra, dGongs pa ’dus pa’i mdo.

  Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra: De bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i mdo.

  Ten Wheels of Kṣitigarbha Sūtra: Daśacakrakṣitigarbha-sūtra, Sa’i snying po ’khor lo bcu pa’i mdo.

  Treasure Inexhaustible, a Song of Instruction: Mi zad pa’i gter mdzod man ngag gi glu.

  Triṃśikā-kārikā: Sum bcu pa (The Thirty Verses). By Vasubandhu.

  Uttaratantra-śāstra: rGyud bla ma’i bstan bcos (Sublime Continuum Treatise). By Maitreya-Asaṅga.

  Way of the Bodhisattva: Bodhicaryāvatāra, sPyod pa la’ jug pa. By Śāntideva.

  Wisdom at the Moment of Death Sūtra: Atyayajñāna-sūtra, ’Da’ ka ye shes kyi mdo.

  Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra: rNal ’byor spyod pa’i sa’i bstan bcos (Grounds of Yogācāra Treatise). By Asaṅga.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  ABBREVIATIONS

  AC Autocommentary: Longchen Rabjam. Shing rta chen po (The Great Chariot). Autocommentary to Sems nyid ngal gso.

  TPQ, Book 1 Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book 1.

  TPQ, Book 2 Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book 2.

  TPQ-YG I Commentary on Treasury of Precious Qualities by Khenpo Yontan Gyatso, Yon tan rin po che’i mdzod kyi ’grel a bden gnyis gsal byed zla ba’i sgron me, vol 1.

  TPQ-YG II Commentary on Treasury of Precious Qualities by Khenpo Yontan Gyatso. Yon tan rin po che’i mdzod kyi ’grel a bden gnyis gsal byed zla ba’i sgron me, vol 2.

  SOURCES IN TIBETAN

  Khenpo Yontan Gyatso (mKhan po Yon tan rgya mtsho). 1984. Yon tan rin po che’i mdzod kyi ’grel pa bden gnyis gsal byed zla ba’i sgron me. Commentary on Treasury of Precious Qualities. 2 vols. Delhi.

  Longchen Rabjam (kLong
chen rab ’byams). [1975?] Sems nyid ngal gso and Shing rta chen po. Root text and autocommentary. Gangtok: Dodrupchen.

  ———. [1975?] Ngal gso skor gsum gyi spyi don legs bshad rgya mtsho. Gangtok: Dodrupchen.

  Mipham Gyatso, Jamgön Ju (Mi pham rgya mtsho, ’Jam mgon ’Ju), Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos kyi mchan ’grel mi pham zhal lung.

  SECONDARY SOURCES

  Chandrakirti. 2002. Introduction to the Midle Way: Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara with Commentary by Jamgön Mipham. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

  Davidson, Ronald M. 2005. Tibetan Renaissance: Tantric Buddhism in the Rebirth of Tibetan Culture. New York: Columbia University Press.

  Dudjom Rinpoche. 1991. The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History, Volume One. Translated and edited by Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein. Boston: Wisdom Publications.

  Germano, David Francis. 1992. “Poetic Thought, the Intelligent Universe, and the Mystery of Self: The Tantric Synthesis of Rdzogs Chen in Fourteenth Century Tibet.” PhD diss., University of Wisconsin–Madison.

  Jamgön Mipham. 2018. A Feast of the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle: An Explanation of the “Ornament of the Mahāyāna Sūtras.” Translated by Padmakara Translation Group. Boulder: Shambhala Publications.

  Jigme Lingpa and Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche. 2010–13. Treasury of Precious Qualities. Translated by Padmakara Translation Group. 2 vols. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

  Nyoshul Khenpo. 2005. A Marvelous Garland of Rare Gems: Biographies of Masters of Awareness in the Dzogchen Lineage. Translated by Richard Barron. Junction City, CA: Padma Publishing.

  Patrul Rinpoche. 1998. The Words of My Perfect Teacher. Translated by Padmakara Translation Group. Boston: Shambhala Publications.