The Flight of the Garuda: Teachings of the Dzokchen Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism

The

LIGH of the

GARUDA COMPILE}) AND 'FRAN. LATED BY

Keith Dowman

Teachings of the Dzokchen Tradition

of Tibetan Buddhism

The

FLIGHT of the

GARUDA OMP/LED

D TRAN. LA 'ED

Keith Dowm n

Fir t published 1994 Wisdom Publications 361 ewbury treet Boston, MA 02115 Phone: (617) 536-3358

For jdSon and his generation Mayall manner ofthings be well

© Keith Dowman 1994 All rightS reserved.

Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The Flight of the Gacuda / [compiled and translated by] Keith Dowman. p. cm. Translated from Tibetan. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0 86171 085 1 1. Rdzop-chen (Rfiin-ma-pa) I. Dowman, Keith. BQ7662.4.F55 1993 294.3'85--dc20 90-26418 CIP 99 98 97 96 95

7 6 5 4 3 2 Com- painting by Terris Temple ~ by Lorenc Warwick, counesy of Steve Johnson, widt rbanb to Vcncrablc Carol Corradi

Guanaond and Diacritical Garamond at Wisdom Publications by Andrea Thompson eJ Orpheus Korshak DaillMld'"

Thompson eJ Lisa J. Sawljt

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CONTENTS Silvius Dornier and the The pu bLIS' her WIS. he.'S to thank Mr. . . . lJ hey roun C dationfor thezr generous contr'lbutzons toward Barry]. ners . the production ofthzs book. ~~~

Vtl

T ECHNICAL NOTE

LX

PREFACE INTRODUCTION

r.

The Theory and Practice of D zokchen II. The Language of Dzokchen

3 40

EMPTYING THE D EPTHS OF H ELL

Introduction From "The Sovereign Rite of Confession ... "

53 59

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

Introduction The Flight ofthe Garuda

65 82

THE WISH-GRANTING PRAYER OF K UNTU Z ANGPO

Introduction The Wish-Granting Prayer ofKuntu Zangpo SECRET INSTRUCTION IN A GARLAND OF

VI

Introduction Secret Instruction in a Garland of Vision NOTES

139

148

ION

15 18 1 19

GLOSSARIES

I. Selected Tibetan D zokchen Terms II. Sanskrit Terms III. Numeral Terms SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

21 21

_1 221

223 v

T

IN my attempt to keep the language of thi bo k acce ible

the layman, the convention I have adopted are t How. I have capitalized the initial letter of orne common ngli h words that d note a tfansc ndental meaning in Dzokchen terminology (e.g. Awaren Knowledge); but there are few of the e. I hav u ed Tibetan or anskrit words in the text only when I have b n un able t find an Engli h equivalent. Tibetan words, in their phonetic fo rm are italicized the first time they are u ed and thereafter app ar in roman. Tibetan proper names appear in a phonetic form in th text with their transliterated form in the index. In the note (and occa i nally in the text), technical Tibetan term are transliterated (according to the Wylie system) and italicized. Many techni al an krit word have now been assimilated into Engli h (yoga amadhi, nirvana mandala, etc.); those that have not appear in italic. Whenever the Sanskrit equivalent of a Tibetan word may be of u e primarily in the footnotes, I have included it after the transliterated Tibetan word.

..

Vlt

t

PREFACE the English translation of four Dzokchen texts belonging to the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism . Dzokchen, the Great Perfection, is the quintessence of the tantric paths to Buddhahood. Among these texts, Secret Instruction in a Garland of Vision is one of three texts said to have been written by Padma Sambhava, Tibet's great Guru, who visited Tibet in the eighth century. It belongs to the lam rim genre, a stage-by-stage description of the path to Buddhahood. The Flight ofthe Garuda, written by Shabkar Lama in the nineteenth century, comprises a series of twenty-three songs designed to inspire and instruct the yogin practising Dzokchen trekcho meditation. The two shorter versified works are extracts from liturgical "revealed texts." Emptying the Depths of Hell revealed by Guru Chowong in the thirteenth century, provides a Dzokchen confessional liturgy, and The Wish-Granting Prayer ofKuntu Zangpo, revealed by Rikdzin Godemchan in the fourteenth century as part of an extensive Dzokchen tantra, is a prayer for attainment of the Dzokchen goal. In the introduction to the book I have attempted to place Dzokchen in a nondogmatic, less abstract and more human context, by providing a subjective explication of it. Necessarily, western notions and personal proclivities, needs and biases have slipped into this interpretation. Insofar as my understanding is imperfect the result is partial and unorthodox. However, the reader may benefit from this personal commentary if, through inspiration derived from the translations, he fills the gaps, bridges the contradictions, and jumps beyond the verbal inadequacies to a Dzokchen view. But no text or commentary is a substitute for THIS BOOK CONTAINS

IX

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INTRODUCTION

I NTRODUCTION I. T HE THEORY AND PRA T ICE OF D ZOKCHEN

The Starting Point:] A Personal Perspective "Simplicity" was a word that my Lama2 often extracted from his small store of abstract nouns to express the nature of Dzokchen in English. It is the simplicity of Dzokchen that m~es ~t so ~ifficult .to speak about, so elusive and also, when the mind 1S veIled by Its usual ignorance, somewhat nebulous. But what is implied by simplicity3 is the key to the Lama's mysteries, his power and knowledge, the key to the state of being that would make a World Emperor envious. It is the "simplicity" of Dzokchen to which the highest yogin aspires, and it is the reward that the Lama proffers his disciples during the frequent discourses upon karmic cause and effect and the precious human body and during the arduous practice of prostrations at the beginning of the path. T he build-up is systematic, prolonged and intense, but from the very beginning Dwkchen is the goal. This Dzokchen of which I am speaking is the highest, most secret and most direct of the paths to Buddhahood in the tradition of Tibetan tantric Buddhism. It is the most sacred of paths, the essence of the mystic wisdom of the East, the most treasured jewel in the sacred treasury of Buddhist Tantra, and it is called the Great Perfection. 4 Before and after shades of the prison-house closed around me, I ~elt, yet sought reassurance, that a human being is perfectible. Many 10 the generation that matured during the 1960s found confirmation of this intuition in Buddhism's teaching that there is no limit to

3

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

the potential of a human being. Later, such individuals, becoming the harbingers of a significant social moveme.nt, fou~d th~t the Buddhist Tantra presented this and other essentIal .practIcal eXIstential theses in a vital and immediate form that exercIsed the intuition more than the intellect. The Bodhisattva path of the exoteric mahayana, which teaches without any equivocation m an's perfectibility, demands many su~cessive lif~,tim es of self-~acrificial devotion before the goal is achIeved. The here and now ethos of the sixties was not conducive to a long hard slog towards a goal to be achieved after innumerable rebirths. Besides, to the childhood conviction that man was perfectible had been added the post-adolescent belief that the rational, speculative intellect was at best a tool for manipulating reality and was ~ore l.ik~ly to. be. a guileful deceiv~r creating mental miasmas, sometimes In IntoxICatIng for:n s, but ultImately to be damned by its onanistic nature. Such notIons btought into question even the supportive, liberating concepts of both eastern and western philosophical and metaphysical systems. Logical, systematic analysis and deductive and dialectical thought was of use in science, but Truth was enigmatic, paradoxical and supra-mental. Gnosis,5 compassion, tranquility, a radiant multi-dimensional Gestalt and existential fearlessness were the functions and attributes that I required of my reality. This reality was best expressed in paradox. The reality of the Indian mahasiddhas 6 of the eighth to the twelfth centuries as demonstrated in their songs and legends evinced these characteristics, and the Tibetan Lamas were the holders of the lineages the mahasiddhas founded. The Indian sadhus of the Nath community, for instance, also held lineages originating from the mah:isiddhas, and their life-styles were also attractive and their existential fearlessness self-evident. But to identify a living eastern tradition that teaches the techniques of awareness and mastery that I desired Vias one thing; to gain access to the tradition, find a teacher, and obtain initiation was another. What is it that determines which path is followed when we reach a crossroads lacking A

. po st?. What determine whi ch peo ple we meet a slgn . and with .h whom we fall in love? What allow which turtles to W111 races Wit hares.~ On. the Great Indian Spiritual Quest, or the Q duest blfor the Holy Grail in Albion, action taken in the face of im~on era es at a crossroads determines whether we are to find the T Ibetan Lama or the Nath Guru or whether we return the way we came. T he quest can .rarely begin if the seeker has a round-trip ticket and a home and family awaiting him, or if he runs hither and thither on. a preconceived mission with the pretension that he can con trol hIS fate. "Non-action" and "aimlessness"? are required to de elop the receptivity and tranquili ty necessary to take correct action at the point of indecision, to find the teacher- and the tradition. In the search for a master, the truth of the adage "When the disciple is ready the m aster will appear" eems fundamen tal and incontrovertible. There is nothing to do but await in mental silence for recognition of the G ur u, the Guru within and the Gur uBuddha outside, when he appears. The holistic law of synchronicity may consummate the enco unter with the Guru immediately, or perhaps the seeker must wait u ntil the moment before the final goal is attained- there is no telling. But the twelve-year sadhana the Indian siddha Naropa practised before his Guru Tilopa decided the time was ripe for his initiation, for instance, was as significant a part of his training as the post-initiation period. Thus the teacher chooses the disciple, and the trad ition entered upon is determined by the shape of the receptive framework of the mind that allows this Guru, rather than another, to embrace it. So when, for example, I say that I came to India to study T ibetan Buddhi m, find a teacher and practise Tantra, the Gur u knows that actually ~hile roaming aimlessly in sarnsara I was sufficiently one-pointed 111 my dissatisfaction, and in my drive to reach existen tial root , that emotional attachment along with preconceptio n and trona belief was su~ciently neutralized for me to recognize the shape of the Guru resldent from the first in the simplicity of our original

THE FLIGHT Of THE GARUDA

, 'al con d'mon, , Th e shape of my karmic led , " ,predisposition , eXIstentl Into a tantric , me to theTl'b etan Buddhist Tantra" and InItlatlOn , " bl ft r reaching the requIsIte degree of honesty '" IIneage was InevIta e a e {" d est proclivities without eqUIvOCatIon and necessary to race my eep without veiling reinterpretation, So TI'betan Buddh'Ism, the tradition of the Lamas, was my own , ' h h he beginning I had not heard the name of predIlectlon, t oug at t d' h' , , uarantees Buddhahoo m t IS ltfetIme, I h ,, {", Dzokchen, the yoga t at g unded any traditIOn that rormaltzed my had not yet heard expo ,, ' ' te intultlo ns about RealIty, or the process of ' f' untutored an d dIspara " 'h' h ed to me to be the maIn purpose 0 lIfe, reallzmg It, W IC seem was never any doubt about my fate, that It may be th at th ere , ' I uld do would alter my destiny, But In the Dzokchen ' h ",", not h mg co , d ' an d {"ree-will are no dIChotomy: w atever, IS anses VIew esnny Il , ical illusion in the ground of beIng, neither spontaneousIy as mag , , ' Xl' tence nor ceasmg to be, In the ceaseless dance of commg mto e s , an d yogl'nl's l'n the Buddhafield of Pure" Pleasure there is neiyogms ther freedom nor bondage, no awareness or Ignorance, no commg or going, no renunciation or self-development, n,o self-determination or predestination; and if such transcendence IS not the present actuality, then it is better to keep quiet rather than utter this or that partial, biased opinion. This may appear to be an elitist viewpoint. It excludes those not yet on the path from knowledge of it. But the truth of Dzokchen is applicable only to those on the path of Knowledge (rigpa). For others there is validity and purpose in the truth of karmic inevitability, moral cause and effect, and the progress of self-determined self-development on a relative level to a place where the Dwkchen vision is glimpsed and nondual precepts have meaning. There was never any doubt in my mind about the credibility of the tradition or its teachers. The lineage was at least a thousand years old, and before the Communist invasion of Tibet in 1949 the entire culture of the Land of Snows was directed towards the

INTRODU TION

, f the Dzokchen goal or a similar formulation of attalll ment 0 T'b Buddhaho od,8 While I was wearing me maroon robe of the I etan Buddhist orders, mere mentio n of the word Dzokchen to the informed layman would evoke respec~ fo~ the west,ern, student ~~o ' d to l't ' Acknowledgement of thIS hIghest asplratlon , to a VISltaspIre , Lama invariably provoked amazement that a foreIgner had lllg , {" I' l'k gained access to D~o,kchen ,instruction, leaVIng one ree mg ~ e .a worm aspiring to dIvme rebum. Perhaps such a Lama would mdlcate in his inevitable circumlocutory style that Dzokchen was so secret that even he had no knowledge of it, and certainly never was his conceit so great that he had ever aspired to attain its goal! If he was prevailed upon to impart precepts, he would announce perhaps an elementary topic and speak about the rainbow body, or maybe he would label a talk on karmic retribution an essential lesson in Dzokchen: the theoretical axiom that D zokchen cannot be spoken of directly is constantly demonstrated by the Lamas in practice. The most potent source of teaching is the mudra, mantra and tantra of the Dzokchenpa Lama's walking, sitting, talking, eating, drinking, laughing and meditation, while the most potent exterminator of doubt is the real Lama's blessing. 9 There were few texts pertaining to Dzokchen available in English translation at that time. The exceptions were the Evans-Wentz books, particularly The Tibetan Book of the Dead and the short text in The Book of the Great Liberation called "The Yoga of Knowing the Mind" which made one feel already at the end of the path , and-before knowing them- that the Lamas would welcome one as a Buddha from the Western Paradise! The early work of D r H.V ~uenther, The fer:el Ornament of Liberation, being a literary translation of Gampopas renowned Thar-gyen in the Kagyupa Mahamudra tO tradition, was reading highly recommended by the D zokchen ~amas despite the work's attribution to a similar though di tinct lmeage. Dr .Guenther's Buddhist Philosophy in Theory and Practice was also available at that time. This work provided a valuable I on

THE FUGHT Of THE GARUDA

. f al . tho king that was to be transcended once lfi the manner 0 an ytIC m . d fi . . f h .. fi·.lfill d and after Its e 11lltlOn 0 t e path, ItS functions had been w Ie , d 'b . h G mpopa used to eSCfl e It, ad been h and the vocabulary t at a , I' h c'11 d ' 'I ble texts m Eng IS was 11 e m part absorbed. The lack 0 f avat a . h c,.. . f liturgIcal texts t at gave lUSt mdlcaby many literal trans IatIons 0 . ' D k hen's foundatIon practices. For myself tions of the nature 0 f zo c . . 'a1 ncouragement to Iearn th e T'b 1 etan lane h I' . al they also gave the mltl L 'I' practice of t e ltUrglc me eli tation fl d h ,. uage not only to laci Hate g d translation that re ecte t e ongmal as . b also to pro uce fltes, l i t . "red scriptural poetry, with multi-layered divine revelatIon, or mspl ~ d d H . 1 with nuance, pun an para ox. owever symbolic meanmg rep ete . ,,' . _painting, musIC, poetry, engIneenng_ ,,_. unless an art or sCience ' ted into the yogtn s sadhana In the manner of can be full y m tegra _ d - 'ddhas like Tantipa the Weaver or Dharmapa the the mahamu ra SI , dvised that these talents should be abandoned Scholar, th e Lamas a I . t'l the purihcation phase was comp ete. ThIS was " for medltatlon un 1 • ..,. fellow artists seeking InitlatIOn learnt with l a a lesson th at sever some misgiving. . .. . Then what of the Lamas themselves? The muror-lIke inscrutabIlity that provides the perfect tabula rasa. f~~ devotees' mental projection; the unique Tibetan Buddhist sensIbIh~ and refin~ment whereby Buddhafields are simulated in every detail of the daily round, even to the extent of transforming faeces by mantra into liberating nectar for insects; the humility allowed by the complete self-assurance and integrity of a consummate spiritual aristo~racy. who ~ave served as the high-priests of Central Asia for centunes with an mco~parable magic; and the profound depth of huma~ unders~andmg an~ responsiveness, which I will call the Buddhas compasslOn, exempltfied by the exceptional Lama: these four elements can create a certainty within the seeker that many of these divine beings actually hoJd the secrets that others claim for them, and that their tulkus (incarnations who have undergone unique conditioning) are indeed the tenth or fifteenth reincarnations of Buddha-Lamas. In the

INTR DU -~-------

euphoria and with the hi?h expectations of th~t time there was no difficul ty at all in acceptlng the elder genera non of Lamas, those who had ompleted their training and e tablished themselves as .t acher of their peers in Tibet as accomplished Bodhi atrvas at the very least. Even the younger generation of Lamas, who almost without exception were tulkus whose training had been broken by political turmoil, had a certain conviction and awareness about them, together wi th the same aura of compas ion. This added to the sense that Dzokchen training was like a miracle panacea, invariably bringing automatic results, In the older Lamas' formula for success that brought them disciples from all over the world it may be that the unique element was the extraordinary catalyst to their spiritual evolution provided by barbaric foreign invasion, war, rape and pillage of their country, their exile, and that vast welter of suffering. As the legends of the eighty-four Indian mahasiddhas demonstrate, suffering provides the essential motivation for renunciation and meditation practice. In the Lamas' pure-land "exile' means «renunciation of homeland and ~am,ily," a vit~ precept found in all the texts. I I Poverty, a practice ms~ltuted ~y Saky~uni Buddha himself, is a wellspring of experientlal.learn~ng, partIcularly if those with whom the beggar interacts perceIv,e hIm as a mendicant with some ethical integrity. The monastic cloth has the effect on its wearer of intensifying the hells and heightening the heavens. The wholes~le destruction of Tibet's ancient religious culture and the .genocidal extermination of "reactionary" monks and lay~en. dunng the Cultural Revolution of the sixties can in no way be Justified. But a Lama whose vision is always a Buddh fi Id

;;arked thar the lesson of impermanence taught by the C~i~:se Ar d Guards, the truth o~ suffering taught by the People's Liberation ed ~y, not to ~orget the Instruction on karmic retribution inculcat. y defeat, IS worth three lifetimes of meditation in a h

The th

h ermltage. eocracy t at was so abused by Maoism was by no nleans

--

perfect, and the inflexibility and attachment to th d e status quo th at h ad ossified parts of Tibetan conSClOusness cne out for surger The radical solution provided by the to the almost genetically conditioned co~s~rvat1sm was a hellish fantasy made manifest by demonic appantlons. T he Red G uard leaders were driven by a "rational" ideal divorced from existential understanding. They pursued a machiavellian goal justified by a means that mutilated human sensitivity and affection, while their follow_ ers were possessed by hungry ghosts, by denizens of hell, and b animal spirits revelling in jungle law. But this grist to the D zokche: yogin's mill of meditation that history has recently provided, like the stroke of the za-zen master's cane on the acolyte's back, can have a highly beneficial effect on the mind's state of awareness. In many ways, experientially, this generation of Lama-exiles has been blessed by the silver lining in the disastrous political misfortunes of o

0

~hinese

Tibetan~:

Tibet. 12 An existential glow radiated from the pain-lines superimposed upon the wind and sun-worn faces of yogins and monks recently descended from the Tibetan plateau in the winter. This created a strong positive impression upon this cultural exile from the West in quest of the means to deal with his own small burden. Later, the Tibetans' success in establishing themselves in the harsh alien environment of the Indian plains, sustaining communal feeling, maintaining their spiritual practice, building monasteries and temples to reproduce in detail the monastic ambience they had left behind: all this was nothing short of magic, or at least the demonstration of mastery of the skilful means that when applied with flexibility overcome whatever obstacles arise in the adept's path. So it was not only the attraction of the metaphysics, the aesthetics and the theory of meditation that brought many of us to the Lamas, but also their good humour and a demonstrable power and high awareness all fired in the crucible of vast suffering. In a broader analysis, social and poli tical circumstances were 10

I NTRO U TI

conspiring in Europe, the United States and Central Asia to create in India and Nepal the conjunction that would fulfil both Lamas' and students' destinieso While the T ibetans were arriving in their Indian exile, numbers of Europe's son and daugh ters were for the first time in history setting out for India to absorb and practise the practical philosophies and psycho-spiritual arts and sciences of th e East-their forebears had come to India to trade and rule. In the middle of the twentieth century, after pursuing rational cientific dualism beyond their ability to retain connection with their subconscious roots, western societies were losing touch with the irrational subjective, nondual foundation of consciousness. T he thousands of western seekers in the East demonstrated the need, and the inn umerable Asian-originated sects in the West now show the result, The Lam as' physical need for food , shel ter and clothing the imperative. to fulfil the prophecy that "when the iron bird flie~ the d~arma wIll go to the west, " coincided in synchronistic harmo ny WIth the needs ,of western societies represented b y post-SiXtleS . 0 seekers. needs were fulfilled through thelor m agnetlc 0 recepo 0 The Lamas 0 0 tiVIty. At thIS pomt they were mainly unaware of the social pressu~es and both personal and social neuroses that had formed the mIn~s 00f the g~thering numbers of potential disciples and yo ins Jnmucnon, but they were none the less eager to fulfil C d estiny.bIndIVIduals who had travelled East ror a mont h or a year rawn y adventure into Indias vast psychic space and ersonal frequently fOund . themselves involuntarily pulled a

~eeking

t~eir

~~m,

~ithin

mon~s r:a~dala and appomted to any of many various functions'

f

'R.i~ gm , hscholar, secretary, translator, patron. The legend uru mpoc e, . Padma ' B ddh' or 0 Sam bh ava, th e eIghth-century founde 0 f 1st lantra III TIbet h r 0 u Ob' d ' w 0 convened the Bonpo ham d T1 et s go s and d ' an an s return for cenain ;:e: , e~onIllg vows of service to the dharma in G

status in the nascent spi:i~ ~:::~ss associated \~th ~ guaranteed upon the relationship between the ~' casts an~oglcal illumination as and thelf western acolytes. 11

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA ----------------~~~~~~~~--------------------

Certainly I for one had not gone to India with any intention of devoting my life to the translation of Dzok~hen texts, and if anyone had then suggested that I leave England In search of a vocation that promised a life of poverty, I would have responded with incredulity. The Starting Point: Ignorance

To avoid the unnecessary obstacles that the ego will erect when it is asked to accept its own ignorance as the starting point, ignorance must be clearly defined. In Buddhism ignorance is dualistic perception, the absence of gnostic awareness.l 3 It is easier to accept our failure to achieve Buddhahood than to come to terms with living in ignorance. Still, in so far as "thinking of the key confirms the prison," any consideration of the means to attain enlightenment asserts our ignorance. At the same time, thinking of the key confirms the possibility of freedom, even if we are ignorant of it. My belief is that everyone at some time has glimpsed a state of beatitude that is liberation from the state of ignorance,14 or nirvana, although it may not have been recognized as such at the time. Further, I think that the Buddha's liberation is known to us all, familiar like an old friend with whom we have lost contact but whose mind we know intimately. If it were not so, how could the imagery of the mahayana sutras describing the Buddhas' Pure-lands strike such vibrant chords of recognition and appreciation? How is it that so many of us identify immediately with the events of Sakyamuni's life? Why do we immediately intuit the veracity of the abhidharmas psychological analysis of the process of enlightenment? Chjldhood with its "trailing douds of glory" can be the most fertile period of gnostic experience, the least "ignorant" period of life, because the preconceptions and preoccupations that form the veil of mental concepts have not yet evolved into rigid mindsets. Chemical psychedelics can, if only temporarily, have the effect of

-

I NTRODUCTION

d the result is "regression" to a child-like dh ' . those concepts, an freelDg f eptual blocks. In the mahasid as songs f freedom rom conc tl state o. . h al of childhood is employed freque n y to f reallZatlOn t e an ogy . tho ligh. "" o the siddha's state of enlightenment. Seen l~ IS t tgIlo1S evok~, . nl phemeral twin veil obscunng what the sages nce IS not 0 y an e " . . ra" e us is the natural state of gnosuc awareness, It 15 nd scnptures assur " . a f hing a fundamental level of reallty, omrupresent the means 0 reac . . d and indestructible- vajra-like- that w~ can know expenentially an abide in constandy and umnterruptedly. can 1earn to . f th This is not ro underestimate the dogged pe.rslstenCe 0 e pro" .. s that o-ive rise to emotional clouds and lllcompLete thoughtcIIVltle 0. • f r s that obscure reality. One of the most slgruficant features 0 ro~ Dzokchen, an aspect that characterizes it as a "h s o~tcut a~p.r~ach" to Buddhahood, is a glad acceptance of the virtual ImpossibilIty of eradicating the ptopensities conditioned genetically, karmically or in childhood "education" that produce our habitual reaction patterns. This understanding is reflected in the basic meditation precept "Leave alone whatever arises in the mind. Do not seek to change or alter anything. It is all perfect as it stands," and so on. Relaxing the mind, the propensity to evaluate, judge and react positively or negatively to whatever arises, falls away. Thus detachment evolves. Detachment is the key to penetrating the two 'eil. In other words, the twin veil is not to be torn down, but, rather penetrated by the eye of perfect insight that perceives the emptines within through detachment from the form without. Thus we have a more precise notion of ignorance: it is a function of attachment. The unifying factor of gnostic awareness i the emptiness of both the sensory stimulus and penetrating insight. Dualistic perception, ignorant perception, is the tendency to objectify the form of the sensory stimulus due to attachment to it. In a more blunt formulation, for the D zokchenpa hatred, Iu t and the th r passions are not ignorance; they are friendly helper on th path that create energy and light. and they turn the Wheel of lif t cr at the

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IN R OU TI _

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

six mental environments that give our lives shape. Thus, altho u h still we may be faced with heaven and hell, the animal's jungle real g ~ the realm of hungry ghosts, and so on, W hen we are free of attach_ ment we are exemplars demonstrating the techniques of liberation in the guise of the "Hungry-ghost Buddha," "Dharmaraja-Buddha " "Lord-of-Beasts Buddha,» etc. This is one of the meanings of d~e axiom "The starting point is the goal."

The Starting Point: Initiation This introduction is structured according to the traditional triadic format of starting point (or ground), path and goal. In Dzokchen "The starting point is the path, the path is the goal and the goal is the starting point." If the mind is dull or meditation unusually bleak, a predictable response to that statement may be "Since there is nowhere to go and nothing to do, what is the purpose of Dzokchen, and why practise any form of yoga?" "The starting point is the goal" refers to the unchanged form of awareness: the forms that arise are the same as ever. The difference lies in the all-important detachment from these forms and the cessation of grasping and clinging. The purpose of Dzokchen is to bring the aspirant to recognition of what is as obvious as daylight; and the blinders to recognition are attachment to the twin veil of emotion and intellect. With a modicum of detachment it becomes evident what happens to emotion and thought. They may not disappear but there is a radical transformation of quality, and motivation becomes that of the Bodhisattva Vow. Thus although there may be no striving towards a Bodhisattva's mind-state, there is a spontaneous evolution towards it. However, in a state of ignorance, how do we meditate with detachment? If nothing is to be done, if nothing can be done because all effort is derived from counter-productive attachment, . llltl. .. how . can we break the continuum of ignorance~. Th e answer IS atJOn, initiation by direct introduction to the nature of mind. Such

. d that breaks the icious circle of the state 0 f mm . al" . al d ffect replacing honzont ration 'nitiation tIl uces 1.. al cause a n ' -::1-: - ' • d . h. ' rtl' cal' creative, muselq.wIll-msptre moral and ment ,s W It a ve , (C I rhought-processe Meditation upon that state Iorm e s f ' al awareness. , . al ' effusion 0 pnm d" cOllsciou nes lea ing the ongln eXlS, ) deco n mons meditation ' . taneously moment by moment. , dition to anse spon , d d reno al con f h ods If initiation IS un erstoO as '11 ot out 0 t e wo ' We are stl n , how can thi spontaneous event be , h ment expenence, . bl an en I19 ten, ' 1 matter of formal initiation? Thl pro em a1' ., ' dt Is It sImp y a in duce ' d What error to mistake form lIllnanon be glosse over. shou Id n~t" . ' ce upon which m editation can be based! al nltlatory expenen . for a re I, ' d" f the real Buddha-Lama (in distinctIon " 'on Imphes Iscovery 0 . Inman tor) and seeking precludes finding. The basls of to a human precep , . .. , . ',. t is not attained without llllo aoon; lIlltlatlOn · Dzokchen ach levemen . . , fun' f the Lama; and the "Lama' is a state of acausal pnIS the ctlon 0 . ( d ' bl " the In omita e, he Indian mahaslddha N aropa, mal awareness. T h' with his unflagging quest for .the ~n~nda?le rep.resented by . 1S Guru, Tilopa, is the exemplar 10 thlS SituatiOn. ~lthout expenenrial initiation we must practise preliminary technIques and the trekcho meditations described in The Flight of the Garuda. These are the meditative techniques of Dzokchen, so finely-honed by generations of yogic experiment in the laboratory o f the m ind t hat inevitably they bring quick results. They prepare the mind for initiation, and initiatory experience can arise during practice of them. The mainstream Dzokchen schools, the nyingthik lineages for example, do not teach the uncompromising dogma of "sudden liberation," the doctrine that implies the fu t ility of attempting to condition the relative mind to an absolute reality. Goin g beyond specious argument there is commitmen t to a middle p ath of "absolute relativity" in which the aspirant is induced to ac ept intuitively "Buddhahood here and now." In practice, con ideratio n of the dichotomy of sudden and gradual enlightenment should not enter the mind, while at the same time the aspirant practi es on . d

THE FLIGHT OF T HE GARUDA

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the graduated path that may lead to the pith meditations of The Flight of ~he Garuda. But ~ervice to sentient bein~s, gen~rosity, regular offenngs of flowers In the temple, prostrations, VIsualization and mantra, are all skilful means to the attainment of D zokchen, and any of them can provide the psychic environment in which initiation, or sudden liberation into one's true condition, is achieved. Furthermore, such practices generate vital merit- credit in the karmic bank. On this path the mind m ay be reconditioned by replacing useless, confused thought-processes with meri t-gener_ ating processes that induce the requisite susceptibility to the Lama's blessing-premonition of initiation-and the ground of initiation is cultivated thereby. The nature of the ground of initiation can best be understood by introducing the basic concep ts and meditations that the Buddha Sakyamuni taught. It may appear at times that Tantra in general, and Dzokchen in particular, are far divorced from the teaching of early Buddhism. On the contrary, it is assumed that the fundamental truisms contained in the Four Noble Truths form the bedrock of the aspirant's mentality: suffering as the nature of existence, desire as the principal human drive, nirvana as the only human goal worthy of aspiration, detachment as the path to happiness. Any progress towards eradication, neutralization, transformation, or full awareness of the twin veil of emotion and mental concepts can prepare the ground for initiation. Discursive contemplation derived from the Four Noble Truths, discussed in the following paragraphs, can be highly efficacious in establishing a receptive attitude to the Lama. When such analysis is understood experientially the roots of desire and suffering are severed. If our attachment to thoughtforms can be decreased, gaps in our slavish obedience to the mind's "rational" dictates leaves space for the Lama to make himself known. Since much neurotic or uncontrollable thought is provoked by fearour insecurities sometimes arise in the most outrageous thoughtforms--fear can be reduced by quietening anxiety about the nature of

existence and the purpose of life. Experiential understanding tames our mundane hopes and fears about food, helter and clothing, and the eight worldJy obsessionsl 6-all the rubbish of the mind. The following questions and answers were the Buddha Sakyamuni's own. T he Four Noble Truths arose out of these questions on the nature of existence and reality. The primary question is "What is the principal attribute of existence?" An wer: uffering, the First Noble Truth. T he second question is "What is the cause of suffering?" Answer: desire, the Second Noble Truth. The answer to the first question is reached by equati ng existence with suffering. Existence consists of birth, sickness, old age and death. Exi tence is sustained on every level by desire: desire (including its antithesis), and concomitant attachment and clinging, is the dynamic of exi _ tence. Any taste of true happiness that we achieve in existence is the result of the cessation of attachment. H appiness is not nonexistence since the same situations (birth, sickness, etc.) still arise; and it is not existence because the quality of happiness is unending, "empty," blissful awareness. If happiness does not possess these attributes it i not the Buddha's happiness, but rather, a lesser degree of suffering in which attachment is still operative. Thus, in the Buddha's term , the happiness of the gods is not true happiness because attachment, as .fear ~f eventual loss of divinity through death, works in the gods' mmds like a canker conceived in their spring of seeming contentment to mature in a winter of bile and gall. Suffering is failure to get what we want; suffering is getting what we do not want; suffering is fear of loss; suffering is losing what we have. Afte~ obtaining our desires we suffer the pride of possession; we suffer Jealousy if someone else has what we want or omethinobetter than we have. In all these situations desire and gra ping ar: the. cause of our suffering. To take sexual desire, one univer al deSIre, ' - the . as an exam p 1e.. we su f1:Ier pangs 0 f deSIre; we uffer angUIsh of Ion ' . cr . . gtng, we SUITer unsatIsfied lust; we uffer selfish ati f:action· we s ft 1 . I ' , u er oss tn ust s aftermath; we uft r 10 of the object

THE FLIGHT OF T HE GARUDA

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of desire· we ~uffer the perv~rsions of desire; we suffer unformed ~dolescent de~l!e, the frustrat1o~s of mature desire, and the rage of lmpotent deslre; we suffer lovesIckness, falling out of love, and all the neuroses of love and desire; and we suffer sexually transmitted disease. There is some form of pain involved in every stage of sexual desire. Indeed, love and desire are all suffering unless and until there is detachment from this desire. Whatever of the Buddha's happiness there is in desire, and in its corollary love, is the result of transcendence of desire, a state obtained through eradication, neutralization or intensification of passion. 1? The Third and Fourth Noble Truths are the truth of cessation of desire (nirvana) and the truth of the path to cessation, which is practical experience of Buddhadharma, particularly Dzokchen precepts. The yogin is separated from those who have no knowledge of the Four Noble Truths by his conviction that happiness has nothing to do with satiation of desire. By karmic propensity, by the grace of a teacher, by fortuitous revelation or insight, he has seen that nothing so ephemeral as desire fulfilled is worth the striving. Life is short; death is always at hand; the potential of the human being is far too great to waste on simple psychological, sensual or physical gratification. He must have had a vision of the greater existential potential, a vision partaken of by yogins, saints, seers and sages in every part of the world since time began. His definition of happiness begins at freedom from desire. And what remains after desire no longer directs his body, speech and mind? Simple but pure sensory perception! 18 Such was the Buddha Sakyamuni's insight. Virtually the entire Buddhist canon, both sutra and tantra, is concerned in some way with the mechanics of desire and of sensory perception, the part played by ethics and behavioural discipline, and particularly in the mahayana by selfless giving, which arises simultaneously with the attainment of the primal awareness inherent in unobstructed s~n~ ual perception. To comprehend the sophistication and complextty of the vario solutions to a problem that in its bold, unadorned

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I NTRODUCTION

interrogative form see~s to be a. simple .psychological ~rob!em) ~ut which upon investigatlon turns mto an msoluble labynnthlne emga we need only look at the mandalas, mantras and metaphysical :~ations that constitute a "root tantra.". Such is the compl~ty of . d and it is all in answer to the question of how to sustam pure rolO , sensory perception unclouded by thought and emotion. Sensory perception begins at the moment of birth and continues every moment until death. In sleep our senses are interiorized in dream. What is the constant in this sensory process? It can only be the absolute element of being. Some Hindus call it satcittanandatruth, consciousness and bliss. In Buddhism, since this constant cannot be located or specified in any way, it is called funyata-emptiness.l9 This emptiness, which can also be conceived as a "fullness,' is synonymous with "thatness," (the nature of mind,' (the womb of Buddhahood," and "reality": there is no trace of world-denial in the Buddhist tantric view of life. Emptiness does not exist -if it can be said to exist at all-as an independent entity;20 it is best described as "all-pervasive," "all-peneuating"; and there is nothing that it excludes. Further, since it is identified with the nature of mind, once detachment is achieved it is with emptiness that the yogin identifies, and identifying with emptiness he identifies with the nature of all things. In this way the Buddha's omniscience and omnipotence are a function of simple sensory perception, and simple- pure-sensory perception is the starting point and the goal. The ground of initiation is laid by absorption of this vision and by any of the innumerable techniques of meditation that facilitate it. The primal awareness, the pure gnostic awareness of en ory perception that is the starting point and the goal, is also the initiation. I ha~e already defined initiation as the enlightenment experien e that IS the condition sine qua non of finding the Buddha-Lama. The Buddha-Lama is the agent of the initiation. After initiation th practice of maintaining constant union with him is the e. nt ial Dzokchen discipline. Upon initiation, both r lad and absolut

- - - -_ _ _ _THE

Fu

HT OF T HE G ARU A

pledges (the samayas) are Sworn' the r I ' I . aUve p ed es f Speech and Mind suppOrt the yogin in h ' . g 0 Body . . . . IS actIon, Spe ch ' samadhI, whIle hIs central practice is to c d " . and . " on ltIOn hIs b . m amtamll1g the constant primal awareness inhe ' e1ng in . . . . . . rent ln each mo o f perceptIon untIL gnostIc VISIOn IS the irrevocable norm. tnent

The Starting Point: Karm ic Acceleration The Dzokchenpa consciously entered a dangerous sh . ' .I '. Ortcut eXlsten_ tIa path when he commItted hImself to his samayas at h . .InItIatIOn. '" I t IS ' pro b a bl e that the wisdom that guided hit e time of '" f . m was the preCIpItatIOn 0 a senous trauma, or was it the product f ' . 0 a senes of extraordInary events th at caused rapid karmic acc 1 . . . . e eratIon? Meditation IS the most prudent, controlled and highly tested karmic accelerator. ~ar, rape, a n ear fatal accident or disease, or any profound emotIonal trauma, can also give the victim an understanding of his own mortality and bring consequent appreciation of the rare and precious opportunity that human birth affords. Such experiences impress the victim with the significance of the truth of impermanence and with the urgency of making up for time lost, and it involves an awakening to the laws of moral or behavioural cause and effect (karma). Such understanding is vital in accelerating karma to the point where renunciation of the hedonistic world is a necessary prerequisite to continued existence on the planet, and where it becomes evident that one's own best interests are intrinsically bound up with the good of all sentient beings. The "four mind-benders,"21 discursive contemplation comprising preliminary exercises to tantric meditation, are undoubtedly effective and induce such realization without risking life and limb or sanity, and th y may provide other benefits besides. But experiential I n engraved in consciousness never to be forgotten, informing every impuls , provide the more valuable foundation to Dzokchen

ti .

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N

The Path: Entering the Stream ," winner" is already a yogin. He gains this status by a '19norance. "1gnOlance, ' " d e fi n d 1 hec stream dr cognition of h. iS own un . Proro sence of gnostlC awar" ness, IS expenenced .10 everyd ay b . . . above as an a .c fust'o n neurosi stupidity sloth, beWilderment, and ine as con " . c d enl otiviry and thought. There ar vulgansm that best unrettere . . describe this state. Recognition o~ the emotL~nal con.fu 1. n of our lives and the psychologically negatJve. role of ~nter~retlve, Ju~g~en­ tal thought is the first positive step 1fl ~he directlon of attaInlI~g a higher state of awareness, ~d our emo~lOn.s a~'e the mo. t acceSSIble field of experience where WIth penetratmg ll1s1ght emptiness can be perceived. As The Flight of the Garuda ha.s it, «How ridiculous to expect to find primal awareness and empnnes after you have suppressed passion!"22 Thus the Dzokchen precept "Do not uppress thought and emotion" is as valid for the egoist, whose uperego refuses to allow him to acknowledge his "base self," as it is for the self-righteous, pious, "disciplined" altruist who rationalizes away his fears and inhibitions by invoking the moral code of his order. To deny desire is to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. In this way recognition of our confusion, which is only thought and emotion, is the beginning of the path. Complete and perfect recognition 23 is initiation itself. But it i a very lucky person indeed who h as a moment of sudden recognition of the nature of his entire being and sustains it. Most of us go through a process of self-knowledge gradually unfolding succe sive levels of the subconscious mental waste that h ave accumulated ince childhood and through many lives. T he revelation of this ubconscious material can be a very painful experience, exacerbated by the pain inherent in understanding how far we fall short of the view we have of ourselves . Some New Age cults are d edicated to the ~dmirable task of revealing this aspect of the psyche, ach cult with its own aim and different degrees of compassion for the initiate. In

_ _ _ _ _ _ __ T ..:....::..; H= E-=F-=L::.. IG::.:H :..:..T =--= O.:::.. F-=T...::..:= H E~G =_AR =UD ::.:::.:A~_ __

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D~~chen~ recognition of the nature of mi~d alo,ne is the aim, Onc thiS IS achIeved, the power of pure perceptJon WIth its inhere e .. d nt self ongmate Knowledge leads on to perception of the next ins tan · prod ' a stream 0 f ' seIf-reve1anon, ucmg conSClOusness that can b t of ecorne a continuum of pure pleasure and delight. Confession is the ritual formulation of this necessary ps ch' cleaning. The Dzokchen prayer of confession, Emptyinu the; hlc , • 0 ept J of Hell shows how the Dzokchen VlSlOn must be applied to wh ~er mental rubbis,h or conflicti~g emotio~s are r~vealed during t~t~ tIme of self-appraIsal. A false view of thIS rubbIsh, identification with it or total rejection of it, is identification with a demon Or escape from the reality of our own being: it is evident that the dangers of departing from a neurral, middJe view into extreme, potentially unhealthy reactions and emotional upheavals can produce insanity. Indeed, even if this process of purification is practised in [he light of Dzok~hen vision the dangers a:e m~ifold. The Flight of the Garuda mentIons only the greatest evIl, whIch is identification with the vast psychic power released at the end of the process, creating a malicious demonic force. 24 Another more potent technique in the canon of preliminary Dzokchen instruction teaches the initiate how to evoke the psychic environments produced by the various six basic emotions and how to utilize emotion to fuel this fire.25 This is instrucrion in the method of recognition of emotion and thought when they arise in daily practice. To apply the axiom "the starting point is the goal" to this particular aspect of the path, recognition is the first act of the initiate and the last, and it is the path itself. The ground of the path consists of emotion and thought. The more intense the emotion, and the more fearfuJ and fragmented the thought, the greater the potential for the light and awareness that penetrates to the emptines of the form: th p th con i t of a razor's edge that the yogin walks in constant peril f fa1Jjng into the vajra-heH. However, in the mainstream of I..n()JCl:hen pr tice [hi razor' edge is internalized. Pas ion is nor [0

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I TROD UCTIO

, any publ'lC rorum. C The uncontrolled ,nvo ked an d exaggerated m 1- a1 . be 1 . fr . IS not f ree 0 f moral cause and effect, and gross ner , practlce yoglll will result in a fall as surely as smoke arises om f these precepts ., . ' uffi o anl if the yogin's karma is such that his recogn~non ~ illS n fi.re. Yneutralize gross active manifestation of pasSlO will he fall Clent to , " . " 'h f taking his medltatlon mto passlOnate Situations lllto t e error 0 , " . th . dul 'd hl'S retreat hut, The overriding precept IS nel er ill ge outsl e 'd d . " 'n respect of the situations that karma provl es, an nor reject I " (h ' al . ' in this pracTIce modifies karma, as orl7.ont constant trammg « " • f or linear causation, becomes subservient to the erucal effuslOn 0 , compasSiOnate ener gy.26

The Path: The Dharma as a Raft The dharma is likened to a raft: carrying sentient being across me ocean of life. On the bank of the other shore is the death beyond which is eternal life. In the case of the Dzokchen adept th ere awaits a rainbow body. The mind of the adept become one "vim the vast field of space that is the ground of being. Out of this ground are emanated all of sam sara and nirvana in variegated lightforms, and tulkus are manifest in bodies of light to work for me salvation of all beings. The raft of dharma is abandoned on the other shore, for here the names of samsara and nir vana are unknown, the path called no-more-Iearning begins. and imultaneous with the landing is the realization that the dharma i a temp ral and ephemeral as the rest of creation and that it truth i e_'pedient to accomplishment of its own end. It purpo e i u urped by n purpose, for the keyword on the other shore i pontan it.-. Certainly, a purpose can be discerned by the ignorant - n ptu izing mind, and clearly the intent of all movement and qui ~ - n is the enlightenment of all sentient being. But th a -au -at n noriginated emanations, which compri e the Dan of th • ikini arise adventitiously and pontaneou 1. • forming a '. n -hr ni tic

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

pattern lacking evident linear relationship. However, from the point of view of the devotee at the boarding stage on the near shore, the raft seems to be an absolute. There must be no doubt as to the efficacy of the method upon which the sa.dhaka's entire life-fortune and future lives depend. So the Lama and the scriptures make much of the safety of each particular boat, stressing the superior design and construction that allows quick and easy access to the other shore. In Dzokchen the proclivity for doubt is especially potent, and invariably at some point the questions "Why meditate? " and "What use i~ the dhar~a?" will arise. Before realization of the nature of realtty as empt1Oess, of form as phantom and illusion, of speech as empty echo, and of the dharma as an expendable prop, becomes a spontaneous and reflexive response, there is danger of the yogin cutting off the hand that feeds him while his appetite is yet unsated. The Flight ofthe Garuda recommends recommitment and re-initiation at the Lama's feet in times of doubt and prideP

The Path: Vision «Vision" is an unchanging perspective on the nature of reality. The path, the Four Noble Truths, the nature of ignorance and Dzokchen is all "vision." The concept of vision will be discussed in detail in the introduction to the Garland of Vision (see p.160). In the fourfold framework of analysis of the path provided by vision, meditation, action and the goal, 28 vision or view is the first head, and everything that can be written, spoken or thought is seen from the standpoint of Dzokchen vision. Thus this entire work is a commentary on Dzokchen vision and the discursive mind is the filter through which the vision is expressed. Another analysis identifies "vision" as the starting point, (meditation" as the path and "action" as the goal. N o doubt such a view teaches a valuable truth about the fun damen taJ but limited use of the intellect, but "vision" has another

24

INTRODUCTION

- - - - - · h ' best translated as "seeing.~' This is th. e practl.~ . W h IC IS . al . meantng, . " . , "as opposed to the theoretIc exerCIse f the precept VISIon " aspect 0 I ' n of the Dzokchenpas perspective. Perhaps · verbal exp anatio fl' in thIS . ' . b tween these twO aspects is the level 0 canty tnC ly dlst (lon e . h' the on . . I d When the Lama writes this introductlon 1S e mtnd tnVO ve . .' of th hts are the d'lrec t expression of hIS enlIghtened . detachment ' . . at h ' . When he rises from hi seat of msplranon, thoug oment 0 fWrIting. t e ~., .ned He still "sees" all appearances as the Buddhas h's VISIOn 15 sustat . th B ddh ' 1 all d as the Buddha's word and all thought as e u as body, so~n reness When the Lama thinks «all emptiness is ure gnostIC awa . . L: P C m is emptiness" (if such an absurdity ever crosses IllS form and all ror . d)"It IS so. When we think such a thought we may be affected for mtn good or bad by the d.eg~ee of our attachment to t.he words. There is a dialectic 10 Dzokchen thought, difficult to catch and all concepts an al pe, t hat is effective in detaching the mind from . whatsoever and persuading the intellect that the mlddle path of perfect detachment is the path to that holistic balan ce wherein the human potential for power and awareness is maximized. Evidently, this process is not neti neti ("not this, not that"), the process of systematic denial and refutation of whatever concept arises, which has been employed by Hindu schools to great effect. Rather it is an application of Arya Nagarjuna's formula of fourfold refutation. 29 The nature of the Dzokchenpa's reality is frequently described a "indeterminable"30 or "that which cannot be described by any of the eight extremes": coming into being, ceasing to be; eternal, momentary; existent, nonexistent; as appearance or emptiness. Thi indeterminable nature of the Dzokchenpa's reality can be restated in the anuyoga metaphor: the energies of the right and the left psychic channels emptied into the central channel, the avadhiiti. When a perfect holistic balance is obtained the "excluded middle" i realized. Guru Chowang's confessional Emptying the Depths of Hell i a fine expression of this balancing act. Since no concept is ultimately valid, every con ept i

alid

t

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

some degree. The validity of an idea is ~etermined by its efficacy, Ideas such as those embodied in the BodhIsattva Vow and the Heart Sutra are universally efficacious, although even these tra~sc~n~ental notions may be poison in the minds of some unbalanced m~IVIduals, Every idea has its time and place. From t,he ~zokchen vle,,:,point argument as to the ultimate validity of an Idea IS the occupation of fools.

The Path: Meditation If "vision" is the function of pure perception, "meditation" is an unbroken stream of seeing. (''Action'' is the dynamic form of the yogin's being.) Dzokchen meditation is a ~ormless meditation, which means that there is no object upon whIch to concentrate, no visualization ro construct and contemplate, no distinction made between subjective cognizer and sensory object. Meditation in the Dwkchen context is the active expression of gnostic awareness. It is outside the realm of cause and effect, so there can be no question of directing the mind towards any form of samadhi. Whatever arises appears spontaneously without coming into existence or ceasing to be, and the awareness from which it is inseparable is likewise an aspect of the continuum of space, colour and name that is beyond the function of the mind to express. Attachment and detachment are perceptual errors in the dualistic realm of sensory object and mental subject: in Dzokchen meditation there is no duality and no problem generated by ignorance. The Dzokchen meditations described in the translations herein are "preliminary" exercises. The adjective "Dzokchen" indicates the goal of a lineage of practitioners, but may not pertain to the definition of "meditation" as given above. The analysis of consummate Dzokchen meditation is a description of the enlightened mind from the standpoint of perfect awareness, Knowledge (rigpa), and remains unutterable.

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INTRODU TJON

The Path: Action 'first a shape-shifter. No outer or inner form h Dzokch enpa IS . T e h' ret nature, which is emptlne s, more than any resses IS sec . d exp h no one specl'filC IICorm of practice is correct practlce' an nof or er; C f conduct can be adopted as a universal method 0 e outer Iorm 0 h' ' on , ' t beings over any other. Insofar as eac SituatiOn serVIce to sentlen , h D k h ' a: ent form of response and expreSSIon, t e zo c en deman ds a dUler " h meleon. Just as the chameleon naturally and spontaYogm IS a c a es colour as the chemistry of response works'm h 1' neous1Y ch ang d he yogin changes his mudra (gesture, posture) an mantra bo dy, so t , fl d h ' b' (spoken word) as the bodhicitta of compaSSlOn 00 s 1 emg at The ' ' n of each new human situation in hi sense-fields. the mceptlo , , ga mut of emotivity, intellectual stance , and SOCIal role comentlre . , h' wardrobe' he is as much at home In the temple as In a pnse IS , . brothel; and his friends may as well be found among thIeves ~s courtiers. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, the Dzokchenpa can manIfest in any form in any milieu. However, until he has reached the end of the path, there are certain inner modes that the Dzokchenpa may find more expedient than others. After all, the Bodhisattva Vow is an unsleeping master, and some social roles virtually preclude loving one's neighbour on an overt level. So before the drawing of breath also becomes fulfilment of the Vow, it may be expedient to seek situations where altruistic aspiration has free play. Later, when the bodhicitta arise spontaneously in a constant stream, when transcendent compassion is an integral part of every moment of pure sense perception the Dzokchenpa can manifest only bodhisattvic emanation . Thu the compassionate nature of the Dzokchenpa's vision and his con equent activity is not systematically cultivated. Rather, compassion is the goal itself under a different name, and having achieved the goal, nothing that can be done is free from compassionate motivation. As Shabkar Lama says in The Flight of the Garuda, "Coincident with

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

appy glowing, thought-free samadhi is the '.. . th e deve1opment 0 f a h birth of authentic compassion, whICh Is.hke the love a.mother holds c IY son .... This compassion IS a very speCIal feature of lor h er on Dzokchen vision."31 Whatever his outer form, the Dzokchenpa is always a yogin and the yoga he practises is atiyoga (sustaining Knowl~dge). ~y other 32 to mampulatlon of the £ sl'mple calisthenic. yoga · tec hlllque lrom . . . vital breath with mantra and visualIZatiOn, IS employed as requued. The Dzokchen-yogin's cave is the cave of emptiness, where Kuntu Zangpo, the Primordial Buddha, sits .in etern.al medit~tion .. In the realm of radiance and vibration he IS the Yidam deity, hIS bone ornaments the five passions33 recognized as the five aspects of primal awareness. In the realm of compassionate reflexive action he is Guru Rimpoche; his vajra-sceptre, unfailing compassion; and his bell, penetrating insight into the nature of all situations as emptiness; and so forth . . However, in Himalayan Asia many renunciate yogins skilled in yogas besides atiyoga are Dzokchenpas. My first and most loving Dzokchen teacher was a Khampa yogin named Jortrala, who lived near Darjeeling as his patron's house-priest, wore the hair knot, and demonstrated a traditional disregard for personal appearance. Tibetan yogins rarely went naked or wore the single piece of cotton cloth unless they were practising tu rn 0, heat-yoga, on the snowline. So, the Dzokchenpa may also be a priest, and insofar as many great Lamas of Tibetan refugee society are priests as well as Dzokchen pas , the impression is rife that Dzokchen is essentially a monopoly of the hierarchical priesthood of tulkus. Such an impression is false. Many of the great Lamas of Tibetan refugee society, including the Dalai Lama and, of course, many of the Nyingma School Lamas, are Dzokchenpas, but they all would vie to disavow any superiority in Dzokchen over its humblest mendican t practitioner. The role of priest may actually work against progress in Dzokchen, since the tendency to identify the absolute

28

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INTRODUCTION

d as against the profane, is sometimes present in the

with the sacre ,

. k h . h f Priest'S work. 1 expedient in the pracnce of Dzo c en IS t at 0 Moth er ro e . . ,. d healing is essen nally a relmpOSltlOn of balance an · healer. Slllce . . . h th who stands Idennfied WIt e empty he Dzokchenpa detach ment, t . ealth) . compassion that transcend all SICkness (and h IS awareness an d . . . .' to transfer the energy and love reqUlred to reImpose ill a pOSItIOn . , . Skill ·l·b . within the patient s unbalanced psycho-organism. eqUll flum al h .ill t he SCle . nce of energy-flows in mental, neural and hem sp eres, , . in pharmacology and posology, etc., assists the healer s essennally psyc hoso matic art . A healer may not always be a Dzokchenpa but a Dzokchenpa always has the capacity to heal. . . To those ignorant of psychosomatics- and semanncs- healmg can appear to be magic, and indeed the Dzokchenpa is always a magician in many senses of the word. T he magic of shape-shifci~g and healing has already been mentioned. T he magic of the mahaslddhas, such as materialization, walking through rock, speed-walking, alchemical preparation of the elixir of deathlessness, raising the dead and so forth, (ambiguous statements that must be interpreted on two levels) is attained at the end of the path. T he most important magic, the enchantment that is indicative of the supreme siddhi s accomplishment, is gnostic awareness of the m.oment-to-moment spontaneous manifestation of the grand sensory illusion that is mahamudra. Then besides those powers, called siddhi, the Dzokchenpa has minor powers like extrasensory perception and ability to manipulate "external" phenomena- psychokinesis- that are termed rddhi. There is no inducement to explain the nature of the e power to the sceptically inclined. The sceptic must make the commitment himself and discover experientially the nature of' magic." The Dzokchenpa, however, is not at all a puritan. N Vo\ r inhibits him from sensual indulgence or intellectual reativity. 0 action of body, speech or mind is forbidden him and hi ainthood is attained by means other than conformity to moral la '

TH E FLIG ~H ~T ~ O~ F~=-~~~_____________ ___

----

ery situation and compassion fo r every senDetac h ment f rom ev . ' . . b' . h t exception are the signs of hIS achievement nent elOg Wit ou . . . . d hment is not to be understood as distant dIffidence or AgalO, etac 1 d fi . . . . . d'fi'Cerence The scriptura e lllltlOn moulds the dispaSSiOnate III i Ij .... . » " . h t i'dennficanon with or separation from. T he wor d as wit ou . . . nd the acted upon are a clear and delightful uniactor, the action, a . . . n about which the perceiver has an unequivocal atti. ' tary perceptlo tude of detachment. This prevents Illvoluntary lnvo~vement and . the spontaneous motivating permits . thrust of compasslOn to determine the feeling-tone communIcated. The unbroken stream of compassionate detachmen t is the ~ttitud~ that o~ts iders see as sainthood, if the result of the action IS perceived as VIrtUOUS. To the Dzokchenpa both socially acceptable and non-conventional acts are equally valid means of transmitting joy and awareness. If his karma is so pure that his activity is restricted to conventional virtue, then he will not only be a saint in the mahayana sense but to Christian perception as well. From the Dzokchen standpoint his continuous, compassionate awareness is his great achievement. The Dzokchenpa in any culture is a traveller, a voyager in psychic spaces. In western civilization, where adventure to alien shores, with or without weapons, has always absorbed the inclination to delve into the unknown, the age of terrestrial exploration is over. There is nothing left to explore but inner and outer space. This century has seen a radical intensification of interest in the human mind, and particularly to maps of the psyche drawn by Asians, whose introversive aspirations have been given maximal social support for milJennia. The Dzokchen explorer faces the most dangerous path and the most rewarding goal. So the predicament of a lone space-voyager faced by hostile, disembodied foes on a distant planet may be applied as an analogue germane to the n eophyte Dzokchenpa's career. The Dzokchenpa's milieu is like space because there is nothjng substantial in his universe; there are no concrete pointS of reference to guide him, no infallible dogma to give his intellect

--

INTRODUCTION

ort and no systematic metaphysical charts to ucture or supp , . °d d su. . As' space there is no upSide or downsl e an no cende him m , al . g UI . ' L nce to his mandala, and there is no spiritu graVity or Clrcumrere 'f; f :: ull him down to earth should ~e fall. Th~ sp.a~-voyager s ear 0 p . ity that is his enVironment IS SImIlar to the Dzok. . the vast Immens , ehensive consciousness floaung m the endless expanse ch~npa s appr A voyager or explorer he certainly is, because he left . ' . of lOner space. all known mental and spiritual ternt,o ry b.ehInd him wh~n he co~. d h' elf to his samayas allOWing hlmself to be guIded by hIS mitte lms ' us response to the needs of all sen tient beings and the spontaneo . . . b constant imperative to maintain full awareness, ~e IS alone ecause no matter how close he is to family or dharma-fnends, and regardless of the density of other beings around him, he must always take complete responsibility for his own actions ~d accept the karma of others as if it were his own. At the same time he refuse every offer of complicity and the companionship that share karmic effect. The illusion of hostility is a common ambience in wh ich the lone-travelling novice on the path finds himself until he learns how to become invisible and how to transform negative elements into friendly aids on the way. Since public morality must remain subservient to the imperatives that keep h is samaya intact, if a ny vicious, socially unacceptable propensities remain, inevitably he will find himself an outsider in the tim e-honoured tradition of the sadhu and mystic. This may entail living an alternative, or perhap deviant, life-style on the fringes of society, forever the scapegoat for the guilty moralist and the self-m oti vated critic demanding an homogenous and conformist society. Listen to the western-educated Indian unload his guilt upon the poor H indu sadhu! Even if h i socially negative karmas have b een exhausted in past live regardle of the success of the shape-shifting stratagems that giv him the ~ppearance of conformity, the divergences in the form of th ) gin's mner space set him apart. This leaves h im open to th paean ia

_ T!iE FL!..

~T OF T_H E _' GARUDA

_________

that beset lone individualists. His realization, which maintenance of sa maya inevitably brings, elevates hi~ above the level where ho til forces are embodied and seen as hostile men and women. He lives in a world of spiritual powers or psyc~ol~gical . for~es wher it i imperative that a mirror-like clarity of mmd IS mamtamed, the better to identify and transfix the enemy. . . .. The Dzokchenpa is also a warrior. ThIs IS not a traditIOnal concept in any Buddhist sect of any country (except perhaps Japan), but if the use of such a concept as the spiritual warrior serves to elucidate the dharma and attract the warrior's mind to the path, then its use is justified. Certainly, on any level of Buddhism other than the Inner Tantra the concept would be inimical to the basic precept of ahirhsti (nonviolence); but in the Inner Tantra it has some validity. In the past it was not thought anomalous in Hindu Tantra that sadhus should be formed into a fighting force, and indeed specific sadhu orders became the martial protectors of sanatanam dharam in the face of Muslim aggression. There is little scope for such crass literality of interpretation in Buddhist Tantra, and certainly for the Dzokchenpa conflict, war, killing and slaughter occur only on a metaphysical plain. The Dzokchen warrior is armed with two highly efficacious weapons and he maintains some important allies. His principal weapons are the phurbu and katvanga.3 4 The phurbu is a dorje (vajra-sceptre) with the blade of a dagger at one end. The ngakpa, the Tibetan Dzokchenpa warrior, arrayed in the garb demanded by such a super-ritualized society, carries a symbolic phurbu in his belt, the blades never sharpened, the point as dull as a dog's hind leg. The function of the phurbu is to transfix demons and spirits, liberating them into the space that is their essence. The dorje represents emptiness and awareness, and it is the Dzokchenpa's p enetrating insight into the nature of all things as emptiness that is represented by the point of the dagger. The master's enemies are delusive emotional poisons and thoughtforms, neuroses and complexes, generated by a dark corner remaining in his own mind Of

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INTR DU_ _ _ _ _- - - - - - - -

nother being' ignorant mind. They are p ychological cr ate.d bYha appear to have lIves . f h 1f . own to t h e extent rh at 0 t functions t at .. . 1 d ' -L .. human being propluate them both n rual y an mUle up rS (l tlOUS .., kb wIth other. SteuC y . r daily life and commuOl anon cour e 0 f th el . . , hey dissolve into nothmgness, whIle the mmds that posa p h urb u t . . th l'b expenenced a taste of the ernptme s at 1 erh aving h sessed tern, · . . .' ated the spi rit, are freed 1ll catharsl . h . , A synonym of the e spir~rual forces that:; t,~ yo?m neml~s IS he evocatively onomatopOeIc Tibetan word gek, whlch rn an lttert . " I n b o~h ntu . al 0 b .erally "obstacle," «hindrance" ~r « 0 bsrru tlO~. vance and meditation the yogm devote con Iderable nIne to exerCIses invoking and destroying geks,J5 so that during the period between meditation he can spontaneously effect the destruction of whatever obstacles of this nature arise in his path. Geks ari e, complete their pernicious tasks, and vanish, with the speed of a changing thoughtform, and there is no time for con idered thought nd action. Certainly, geks are m ainly of diminutive size and mere sight of the phurbu or dorje is sufficient to dissolve them. But phenomena of the same psychological category can po sess an individual to the extent that an observer is convinced that the being possessed and the spirit are one, and this perception, by ociety at large or by even the afflicted being's close friends, can doom the sufferer to the asylum. It is the Dzokchenpa Bodhisattva's role to exorcise such spirits: his kind alone in society possesses the skilful means. When the nature of the demon or complex is relatively benign but resides continuously in a fragm en t of the psyche of a man who refuse to acknowledge its presence, it m ay be the duty of the Dzokchenpa gently to bring the possessed individual to the recognition that is the prelude to liberation of the spiri t. When the spirit is hostile and the proximity of the insight that can destroy it excites it and it host to aggressive behaviour towards the bearer of the awarene s, the Dzokchenpa- the warrior- is fo rced to engage the enemy with its host as its protector and agent. In such a ituation the dang r to th

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

Dzokchenpa lies in the tendency to forget that the host is the sufferer and a victim and so become negatively attached to his OWn aggression- "to take it personally' as we say-thus becoming impotent to exorcise the spirit. The liberation of spirits is a function of the Dzokchenpa as exorcist as much as warrior. It must be stressed that although the warrior distinguishes between friend and foe, his attitude towards them both is determined by the same compassion. The compassion towards a friend implies application of a different form of skilful means, but the motivation is identical. Another way of saying it is that the wrathful face that the Dwkchenpa turns towards hostile beings or spirits is as compassionate as the peaceful mien he shows his friends. The detachment that is neither identification nor separation is the key to this conundrum. So "exorcist" is no mean label; it implies the full detached skill and compassion of the Dwkchen yogin. The life-stories of the Great Guru, Guru Rimpoche, are replete with stories of his successful liberation of petty spirits and his subjugation of gods and demons that would serve the dharma as guardians and allies. The monk and abbot Santarak§ita, invited by King Trisong Detsen to ordain the first Tibetan monks and build a monastery, was unable to suppress the naga-serpents and yakfa-elementals that possessed the ground and building materials. Guru Rimpoche, the warrior-sadhu, subjugated the myriad Tibetan gods and demons as well as their Bonpo shaman devotees whom he encountered as he approached Samye from Nepal, before dearing the area around Samye of all aggressive forces. Afterwards he visited all the major mountains in Tibet to suppress the powerful mountain gods, and he also made pilgrimage to the lakes wherein dwelt the life-spirits of the country.36 The victorious Indian sadhu travelling alone in the vast empty spaces and treacherous mountains of the Tibetan plateau, among nomadic Mongol shamans of an aggressive disposition (these same people were then the conquerors of the whole of Central Asia), presents the archetypal image of the

Dzokchen warrior and exorcist. The ngakpa have main rained the tradition of mendicant Buddhist shamans in Tibet. ince the time of Guru Rimpo he the Tibetans have r Ii d upon the mantric power of rhe exorcist to protect th em from external danger. Such reliance may not always effect the deb at of an in ading army, but it can leave the defenders morally victorious and spiritually unbowed. The phurbu is the Dzokchenpa' weapon against his enemies while the katvanga is his weapon against hi own ego. The Tibetan Buddhist katvariga consists of a trident (trifiila), the three-pronged "fork" carried by saivite sadhus in I ndia and by the Greek god Poseidon, rhat pierces the centre of a double dorje on a horizontal plane, a "vase of eternal youth ' filled with the elixir of immortality, and three human heads below the three prong . The double dorje, or crossed vajras,37 is the emblem of the karma-family (at the northern direction of the mandala) , signifying perfect action ac omplished spontaneously for all sentient beings. T he trident itself by its form indicates the unity of the trinity. T he trinity is the three existential modes of the Buddha-dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmarzakaya-and the unity is the Buddha himself, somet imes expressed as a fourth "body" or mode, the svabhavikakaya, or the unity of form and emptiness. The three correspond to secret inner and outer planes of being, and also to ignorance, aversion and desire (although the last two may be transposed circumstantially). Thus the three transfixed heads- the first a blue skull the second a white "dry" head and the third a red head dripping with bloodrepre~ent the Dzokchenpa's recognition of ignorance and sloth , averSIOn and hatred, and desire and lust, as the three mode of being.3 8 It is the katvanga of emptiness that pierces the nature of the thfee pnnclp ' . al 0 bstades to clarity and awareness and transform them into the primal awareness, radiant clarity and all-embracinocompassion of the Buddha's being. Further, it is intere ting to not: :hen Guru Rimpoche was attending Trisong Detsen's coun while IS consort, the Princess Yeshe Tsogyel was bani hed the katvanga

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA ----------------~~~~~~-------------------------

was the form into which the Guru transformed her so that he should always have her with him. Thus the katvanga of emptiness and primal awareness is the Dzokchenpa's consort, as well as his most potent weapon. In the warrior's perpetual battle to penetrate every obstacle to his enlightenment with emptiness, he ,has this consort as his constant support. Transformation, as alteration from an inferior to a superior status, ftom ignorance to knowledge, and so forth, is not a concept consonant with Dzokchen atiyoga. The reason is that all things from the very beginning are pure and complete in the universal ground of being. "Recognition" is the term germane to description of the awakening process of the Dzokchenpa. Thus the five poisons are not to be transformed. They are to be recognized for what they are and what they have always been: the five aspects of primal awareness. Furthermore, recognition is achieved by withdrawing consciousness from the stressful mental functions of dualization, relaxing into the original nature of the mind, and getting behind the mindscape so full of objects of potential attachment. If he does not fall into an effective pattern of meditation drawn by the instinct that constantly directs him towards maturing experience, there are various techniques that the Dzokchen neophyte may be taught by his Lama to assist recognition of his emotions as aspects of awareness. The recognition can be affected in meditation in the crucible of the mind by provoking emotion and then penetrating its Emptiness with the insight that has been developed in "insight meditation. "3') A more direct and forcible method is through the practice called chod;4 11 here the yogin repairs to a desolate and fearsome powerplace, such as a charnel ground or the habitation of ferocious demonr) such as flesh-eaters, spirits of disease, malicious 4akin!S, and so forth. Then preparing his mind with mantra and mUSIC, id ntifYing with (he yidam, he invites the spirits to attack him .. ~he four d mon-!lpiri(s4J arc (hose ~pecifically invoked in the tradltlon

I NTRO DUCTION

of Machik Labdron, an eleventh- to ~elfth-.cent~ry Tibe~ yogini who established the principal chod lmeage In T Ibet. Machik practised sexual yoga, and these four demons, particularly, of course, the devil of emotional passion, are the bane of highly sexed yo gins. But through exercise in this yoga, the yogin or yogini is rendered safe when he or she must spontaneously respond to the demons evoked in a passionate relationship conducted in the course of sadhana. Practitioners of this technique are frequently psychologically and physically mauled, but the greatest warriors of chod become adept in the transformation (recognition or release) of every emotional and spiritual force. Particularly, since the transformation of spirits of disease implies a self-cure, chodpas become immune to illness and learn the art of healing in the process. The Lama will emphasize the folly of evoking passion in the mainstream of life, no matter what altruistic motive inspires the Bodhisattva neophyte, until one of the practices of cutting attachment described above, or a similar yoga, has been successfully accomplished. In the initial phase of practice, probably the period immediately following discovery of a Lama, it is most advantageous to spend time in retreat, or better still, as a monk or nun in retreat. In such a space a solid foundation can be laid, beneficial habits can be developed, and the mind can be established in the purity affected by the initiation received from the Lama. Most of us must practice no-meditation and no-action in the form of simple purificatory techniques. Further down the path, in freedom from expectation of results, we can assimilate the whole of life's potential into our practice. Intense intimacy, emotional harmony and tru t, and pirit~al attunement, can be developed to an optimal degre in a pasSIOnate, sensually interactive relationship, which thu proyid s on of the most effective situations in which to practi and learn. 0 better occasion may arise to develop the Bodhi attva' re p n ~i\' _ ~ess. The cynic may laugh because th primar univer al m ti ~a­ Hon, sexual pleasure, which he consider all in ..til to .til. in ~ludi n

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

--

the Dzokchen-Bodhisattva, is not given primacy here. Of c .' .' OUrse sexual desIre IS the startmg pomt. The sexual centre is the se at of our vital energy42 and of KUI)4alini herself, and the more intense sustained and object-less is sexual desire the better. But what 1ll be simultaneous with the arousal of desire is the penetrati~St insight into desire as emptiness; and the motivation that sprin g from empty awareness of desire is the Bodhisattva's aspiration ~~ selfless service. The pure pleasure, dewachenpo, mahasukha, that i to be found within sexual interaction-which is indeed found i~ the adept's yoga has been effective and if negative karma is not to be gleaned from the encounter-is the inevitable fruit of all OUI labour; but pleasure must never be the conscious motivation. If this .moment is to be ~ros~ituted to the next, if a relationship is motIvated from the begmnmg by a selfish desire, if lust is not recognized as emptiness and attachment not destroyed, then the seeds of disaster are sown. Although some physical pleasure is obtained, t~e r~su1t of the relationship may be a break in samaya and an etermty m the Dorje Nyelwa. 43 Retribution can take the most violent ~d sadistic ~orms; and .the ~egati~e propensity to repeat the expene~ce, de~plte the retnbutlon, wtll become increasingly hard to reSIst, untIl a downward spiral destroys all hope of even a h b' h I uman re lIt , et alone a rainbow body. The craving for mahasukha, de~achenpo , pure pleasure, kills all chance of attaining it. The yo~m. enters a sexual encounter without any hopes or fear, simply enJoymg .the play of rnaglC . al 1'11' . the ramIficatIons .' uSlOn, all OWIng of spontaneIty.to.manifest for the sake of all sentient . b' elngs. IS the key t0 eXIstent! . 'al mvo . Ivement in all passionate . N on-actIon . sltuatlons-a . . . . sexual enco unter, an angry . mteractlon, a proud stance m competItIon . al ry. Th e apparent . ' . 0 f th e . ' or a J'eal OUS flV illogICalIty progressJOn . the karmIC . stream 15. . of passionat e menta I events In reflected , . m the superfic'all 1 Y structure1ess nature of the course 0 fth e ' " . . the seat adept S lIfe. . When the st artmg pomt IS a turning around m of conscIO usness and commitment . to t h e ultim a te D zokchen I

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I NTRODUCTION

samaya, and the goal is a rainbow body, there is no systematic path. At the starting point, when no doubt the asp irant will first experience the spontaneously arisi ng dictates of responsiveness, karmic cause and effect will still be operative. Even initiation will not necessarily destroy the habits of a lifetime or be chan ged by an immutable conviction that there is a higher vision. So, at the beginning of the path, motivation will be mixed with non-motivation. This will lead to some confusion as periods of unsatisfactory horizontal, karmically determined action will seem to domin ate the moments of eternal, resuscitating vertical effusion that seemingly are few and far between.

The Goal Insofar as Buddhahood is inexpressible and inconceivable it would be best to omit any verbal comment upon it. However, the follow ing epigrams, stated or implied in the foregoing commentary have been useful to me as koans, verbal paradoxes, that point directly at the goal. Only a Buddha can recognize a Buddha. The Lama is every moment of perception: all vision is his body, all sound is his speech and all pure awarene s is his mind. Nothing exists that is not a function of mind. Nothing i.s e~il or undesirable but evil thought makes it (Hom solt qui mal y pense).

0

The starting point is the path is the goal. Anything that promotes certainty in the middle way i th only path. #

Form is emptiness and em ptiness is form.

THE FUGHT OF THE GAROn

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II.

THE LANGUAGE OF DZOKCHEN

If at the beginning there is a viable basis of ~nderstanding between Lama and disciple on a nonverbal level, stIll there may be many problems of communication in ~e conceptual r~~m. ~he n,?tion of secrecy can be one such stumblmg block. The secret or mystic" dimension is the third in a triadic hierarchy of categories completed by the "outer" and "inner" dimensions. The.se categories define the relationship between hinayana, prajiUparamltayana and tantrayana, for example. In metaphysical analysis they classifY, for instance, the Buddha's Body, Speech and Mind and the three modes or bodies of Buddha's being: nirmfu).akaya, sambhogakaya and dharmakaya. In Tantra, what pertains to the secret or mystic dimension remains forever secret in the same way that subatomic particles remain hidden from sensory perception. It is impossible to divulge the Buddha's Mind, or the dharmakaya, outside its own frame of reference. However, in Tantra there are injunctions against the initiate revealing the Guru's precepts transmitted at the time of initiation. It may be destructive to the faith and comprehension of the initiate on a different level of practice if he is regaled with precepts irrelevant to his mind-state. For the non-initiate who may be sympathetic to the teaching, it is futile and perhaps destructive to inform his mind with a structure that is significant only after initiation has provided a framework. Lastly, although no harm can be done to the ultimate truth of Tantra, there is the danger of an outsider, either through honest miscomprehension, or through devious twisting of meaning and rearrangement of context, representing what is sublime and intelligent as something vulgar and stupid. At worst this can provoke persecution of initiates, or it can create prejudice and partiality in social consciousness. However, the most j~portant r~~o~ for ~eepin~ the Guru's precepts secret is to maintam the yogm S llltegnty dunng the process of realization: exposure

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INTRa Due

ION

utside heart-secrecy will inevitably introduce obstacles of samayas O to their fulfilment. . ., The "initiate" in the above context refers to an IndIVIdual who has experiential knowled~~ of the goal ofTantra. The "outsider" is a person WI·th blinkered VISiOn unable or unready to enter the path, whose spiritual development is limited by mindsets and beliefs labelled as "hedonistic," "realistic," "nihilistic" or "eternalistic."44 Thus an individual who has had mere formal initiation into the tradition may in fact have a non-initiate's vision and may be negatively influenced by secret revelations. On the contrary, the individual who receives initiation spontaneously and informally outside a practice lineage may gain enormous benefit from fortuitously obtained "secrets." In general, regarding the propagation of Dzokchen instruction outside the framework of a G uru-disciple relationship, in the light of the inscrutable level of forever secret mystic realities, and insofar as the current social climate is sympathetic to gnostic traditions, most contemporary D zokchen Lamas teach and actively support the public dissemination of their lineages' truths. This discussion of secrecy has introduced the "secret' or "mystic dimension," and in the context of the h ighest Inner Tantra, 5 Dzokchen, or atiyoga, is the secret level, anuyoga the inner level and mahayoga the outer level. D zokchen's "secrecy" is a corollary of its ineffable nature, and, therefore, the adjectives that describe the state of being that is D zokchen are strained to capture its ambience. In fact, there is little compromise with the statement that the goal is beyond the intellect to comprehend- it is inexpressible. Adjectives employed to evoke this inexpressible existential condition, are indi~ators of the direction in which the yogin must go to attain it. Naked, stripped, stark"; "direct, immediate, here and now"· and " ' natural, simple, pure, uncontrived, unelaborated": are three strin~ of such didactic terms. These words indicate the lack of any co~­ cept~al screen between the yogin and his experience, the ab ~nce of any Judgment about the elements of th e situation that c nfront

THE FUG IT Of THE G

him and the absence of preconceprio

about the nature of Tealj in geneal. An discursive mental am' obscures p e percept; a1ui Howevu all these sarements are examples of e glib, expression rha the precep enjoining the ogi 0 abho mempa a mionalizario aims at p 'eduding. There ' co these St2temeo c . tdlecrual s ppo ' be avoided if the force of reality is to be ape .e ced in a thoughrfr; . made ~. order to ess ilia language . lDtlentlOll

,[0

is .....-...Jcd. The ....~...-

'1I1I.IIIl'br.c-.eahrlilrDl:our

ce

a.o.scendence 0

-

I

1 Of)

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

----

object, the sense organ and the consciousness that is aware of sensa_ tion. Since the consciousness of the psycho-organism is capable of only serial, ljnear perception (although a subconscious Strata Constantly synthesizes the streams of data produced by all five senses) when there is full concentration at the door of one specific sense th~ mental commentary of "the observer" is silenced for a moment. So in such direct sensory perception, there is intimation of nondu~ experience. In the next moment this experience becomes less than perfect if the perceiver's clarity of awareness is clouded by either emotivity provoked by the sense object or by mental interference. The mental veil may here be defined as the (muted) chatter of mental apparatus engaged in the preparation of a "linguistic definition" of the perception. Even at the moment of direct perception when gnostic awareness of emptiness as form and form as emptiness is experienced, the mind is preparing to dualize the situation. Only when there is no emotional attachment to the object of perception and when the mind is still, emptied of all discursive thought, can a legitimate paradigm of nondual, direct perception obtain. The centre of the mandala represents the emptiness of the perceptual situation-there is no substantial essence in subject, object or their interaction. The field of the mandala represents the form- visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory or, indeed, mental. Emptiness and form comprise a unity in the same way that the centre and circumference of the circle are inseparable. The indivisible relationship between such polarities are ,called nondual, and ramifications of this unity t.hat may not be evident are both the beauty of Dzokchen expressl~n an.d our linguistic hurdle when approaching these texts. i Ho,":, IS thl~ ~ondual direct sen.sory experience verbally articul~t­ ~d. EVJde~dy It IS not to be done 10 the manner of ignorant, dualIst I C expressIOn. But it has to be done with the same vocabulary and grammar. T he sacred languages of Tibetan and Sanskrit provide vocabularies sanctified by scripture and the poetry of the adepts of

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INTRODUCTION

s The profane language of commerce and science is illsecret cult ' . . .. . . d to adaptation to thIS purpose, although SClence IS Increasmgly suite . ' able to provide terminology that compensates for ItS lack of poenc beauty by a precision of abs tract concept. Some commentators retain Tibetan or Sanskrit terms, and some use the typographical device of putting the initial letters of prosaic words in the upper case to imply a higher order of meaning. Certainly, insofar as grammar and patterns of meanings reflect mind's intrinsic psychological structure, its habits of perception and its levels of awareness, the Dzokchen vision would ideally require a new form of language. As an increasing number of English-speaking Dzokchen adepts intuitively adapt the material at hand, this language will evolve. The sacred language of the tantras is mantra: this means that the syllables that comprise a word resonate to a pitch that evokes the prototypical nature of the form that is being articulated. When the master is questioned on this point he is evasive regarding the specific relationship between sound and form. But there is no ignoring his conviction that sound is intimately related to the realm of form and has the power to affect it. The Indian story of one of the great Uffad sitarists of an earlier generation, whose instrument burst into flame during a perfect rendition of a fire raga, is explained in terms of the uHad's ability to reproduce the sound of the seed-syllable of the element fire precisely, so creating fire itself. However, it is a general principle in many sacred traditions that it is not so much the form of the consonants as the power and thoughtform inserted into the vowel sound by a master, a siddha, that is efficaciou . That the resonance that vibrates in an inanimate object, such as a fine wine glass) a conch shell, or a singing-bowl, is of the nature of rowel ~at~er than consonants supports this notion. Meditativ e 'peri n ~ndlcates that the sacred language of Dzokchen is effectiye in inducIng the states of mind that are evoked . It is imperati that v take great care in selecting the equivalent of th s t rn1 in Engli h. T

THE FUGHT OF THE GARUDA

-

Frequently the need to render the form of a meaning exactly takes precedence over aesthetic demands. A definition of one radical Dzokchen term-nonduality_has already been offered. The paradox of expressing the nondual in dualistic terms is parallel to experience of the relative world in a nondual mode. The next term to be discussed is the synonym of nonduality that indicates that nonduality encompasses duality and that we know nonduality only through a specific mode of awareness that unites polarities and gives the relative world a unity. This term is literally translated as "two-in-oneness," "co-incidence," or "arising as a pair."48 Since absolute nondual reality itself-emptiness- per_ vades the relative world and does not exist independent of it, the "co-incident pair" of space and Knowledge is given as the primary level of reality. "Space"49 is best conceived as the universal, all-pervasive field. Like emptiness itself, it is nothing separate from form, and yet nothing else but it exists. All form is space: thus it is possible for siddhas who have dissolved the constituents of their body-mind in space, identifying with it, to walk through walls and eat rock. "Space" is no cold, vacuous void. It is the richness of the Goddess Mahamaya, and all the playfulness and energy of the Qakini. "Knowledge"50 is an epistemological synonym of emptiness and the cognitive aspect of space. Again, since the epistemological absolute cannot exist independent of its objective constituent, it is not separate from the sensory fields that constitute ordinary knowledge. For this reason it is translated as Knowledge. Knowledge (rigpa) is probably the single most significant term in Dwkchen, and it is peculiar to Dwkchen. It is found in the Dohas of the mahamudra siddhas, but generally the term 'pure awareness"'1 is preferred there, where it is used as a synonym of Knowledge. In Dwkchen the compound phrase Knowledge-Awareness-2 (or the Awareness of Knowledge," where Awareness is the less comprehensive constituent) indicates both the "objective" and "subjective" aspects of Emptiness as [he universe (or dharml1dhiitu) in terms of

Since sensory consciousness is constantly active, the Awarenes S. t of Knowledge-Awareness is referred to figuratively as a rnovemen nd since Knowledge-Awareness is represented figuratively · . dwa, a d wthropomorprucally as the Qaklni, the constant movement of ~owledge is called "the Dance of the Qakini." But it wo uld be incorrect to characterize Knowledge-Awareness as inherently active, as it is essentially a field co-extensive with pace. Perhaps the best image by which to describe it is that of a whirling firebrand: the body that twirls it remains still, while the whirling flame on the end of the stick creates the impression of a static wheel of fire. Fire is symbolic of dynamic cognition. If space (dbyings, dhtitu) and awarene s (ye shes, jiitina) are the coincident pair that form the essence of reality, the nature of reality is light. 53 Again, this light is co-extensive with Emptines) pace and Knowledge, and insofar as it is inseparable from its forms in the same way that the light of the sun is inseparable from its ource, it is best conceived as a field of lightform in potential. It is for chi reason that selwa can be uanslated as luminosity ) and clarity. "Luminosity" is intended to indicate the abstract quality of light ~efore its emanation, and udarity indicates the inherent quality of ltghtform. Although the image of the sun and its beams adequat 1)' ~onveys the relationship between light and its manifest qualitie , the Image fail~ insofar as the sun i a substantial entity, where the source of hghrform is empty pace.

T~e final attribute of emptine s to be mentioned is a quality Pfieculiar to the Buddhist analysis: re ponsivene . It is the third and mal .denomin a t or In . t h e I'1st 0 f categorIe . or aspect by ,\,hi h emptiness can be defined: e sence, nature respon iven ,- It ~p~ears anomalous, an attribute rather than a category, The third OglCal . 'functIon, . 'b catego ry IS or manife t function, and th attn Ute £ d' . . . . oun m ItS stead IS respon Ivene and it qualifi r i ~'allpervasIve. "s· V· ' . ~ lewed as a functional attrtbute of pac . Knowl dg

_ _ _ __ _ _ _T ~ H=. E~F...:L~ IG~H~ T OF THE GARUDA

and light, the implication is that the dynamic, the intentionali . the purpose of being, is compassion, which is a synonym of respo~ siveness and demonstrable as the responsive aspect of love, and it is this compassion that is co-extensive with space, the hean of the Buddha pervading all beings. Viewed as the potential form or manifestation of emptiness, the implication appears to be that eVer vibration of body, speech and mind is a form of compassionat~ energy, nothing excluded. Consider the distinction between responsiveness and compassion. In Dzokchen, compassion is much more than the virtue of loving kindness. 56 Nor does the word compassion in the Dwkchen context denote its English etymological meaning "suffering together" or "empathy," although both these meaning~ may be inferred. Essentially, compassion indicates an open and receptive mind responding spontaneously to the exigencies of an ever-changing field of vibration to sustain the optimal awareness that serves self-and-others' ultimate desire for liberation and wellbeing. The conventional meaning of compassion denotes the latter, active part of this definition, and, due to the accretions of Christian ~onnotat~on, re,~ponse is limit.e~ to specifically virtuous activity. ResponSIveness defines the ongm and cause of selfless activity that can encompass all manner of response. On this nondual Dzokchen path virtue is the effect, not the cause; the ultimate compassionate ~esponse is whatever action maximizes Knowledge-loving kindness IS the automatic function of Awareness. The terms defined above are all synonyms of emptiness and aspects of emptiness like facets of a jewel. If reality is all creation then just as the universe, the cosmos, all things under the sun and the totality, give inclusive definitions, so do emptiness, space, light, Knowledge and responsiveness- they are simply different names for ~he same ineffable reality. Each indicates a different aspect useful lD developing a vision of the path and expressing experience along it. To the yogin they are sacred and secret words that should never be bandied about in idle metaphysical gossip lest the power

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IN TRUU U'-- ~

tv . ,

·r reality is lost. The reality they evoke is to be consid(0 recious and more worthy of respect than any particular ered more p h ower these words represent .IS more potent than nucIear go~; [ ~ more subtly efficacious than all the miracles of the sidfiSSlOnThey describe the uIo.rnate m~ de 0 f b.elng, . th ' b 0 dy dhas. e uI umate evO ke t hel

f Buddha, the dharmakaya. There IS nothIng but the dharmakaya ~o the Dzokchen master, and the paradox, which in it elf is a powerful Dzokchen koan, is that the Dzokchen master appears as an ordinary human being and his immediate environment, his mandala, has the same form as o ur own.

EMPTYING THE DEPTHS OF HELL

EMPTYIN G THE D EPT H S OF H ELL by Guru Chowong I NTRODUCT IO

Guru Rimpoche Choki Wongchuk, or Guru Chowong, is one of the greatest names among the treasure-finders or tertons (gter ston). He lived in the thirteenth century (1212- 1280) and heralded a major revival in the N yingma School. His epithet 'The Second Guru Rimpoche," whence his title is derived, is given to only a small elite of Nyingma School yogins. He was the second of the Sovereign Treasure-finders and the second of the Three Supreme Emanations of Guru Rimpoche.5 He is also said to be an incarnation of the Buddha's Speech. This array of superior qualifications entitled him to a Qakini of similar first rank attainment, and he found her in the first of the two Tibetan yoginis possessing all the marks and signs of the Qakini58- Jomo Menmo Padma Tsokyi (1248- 1283), an emanation of Yes he Tsogyel. Guru Chowong was born in western Lhodrak, midway between the Bhutan border and Yamdrok Lake, where his family had lived for generations. The residence, in Layak Village, in which he pent most of his life is called Guru Lhakhang. H e was a scion of the Pang family. The founder of the Pang lineage, Pangje Tsentran1, was honoured by King Trisong Detsen for destroying the Bon Magician ~yaring, who had attempted to kill the King by hurling meteors at him from the Bon stronghold on top of Hepori, above am," Chokhor, during the great king's persecution of the Bon hamans. P ., . angJe s son settled In western Lhodrak in Layak, and hi d produced a famous line of Bodhisattva tantrika . Guru Chowong's education was eclectic. H is father taught him '-

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA --------------~~~~~~~~~-------------------

Dzokchen, Chakchen (mahamudra), Zije and Chod, the highest meditations of all schools, and he became highly accomplished in the yogas of Dorje Phurba (VajrakIlaya) and Shinjeshe (Maiijushri Yamantaka). But apart from his vast formal book-learning, he obtained direct experiential knowledge and empowerment from meditative experience and dream-vision. The discovery of his principal treasure-trove was attended by ~azi~g vis~ons. He had obtained two lists of hiding places, one ongmatmg with Drapa N gonshe,59 which had caused disaster to many incompetents who had attempted to retrieve the treasure, and a list of twice-hidden books that he had found himself. The nine-headed serpent-demon arId awareness4akinI protectors took the form of a humarI womarI to give Guru Chowong the keys to the treasure-house. As he opened the door a gigantic vulture (Garuda) emerged, and recognizing it as the essence of the treasure he mounted it arId flew to the thirteenth stage of enlightenment, where he found a tent of rainbow light arId Dorje Sempa (Vajrasattva), who initiated him into the «creativity of Knowledge"GO and presented him with a flask full of the nectar of immortality. Then from the treasure-house cave he withdrew two Jarge chests containing 108 volumes of secret instruction arId an enormous hollow statue of the protecting serpent-demon containing four sets of general instruction. This treasure of NamkecharI,61 the Drakmar Cave of Chimphu above Samye Chokhor, was the first of his nineteen discoveries made at power-places throughout Central and Southern Tibet: at Lhodrak Kharchu, Samye Chokhor, Samye Drakm ar Drinzang, Mon Bumthang, Tsang Tsi Nesar, Samye Hepori, Rong Drak and Kyabo) arId at many minor sites as well. Guru Chowong's vision of his spiritual father, demonstrating his dear vi ionary capacity is also germarIe to our text. Two young girls guided him on a winged white horse to the sphere of Guru Rimpoche's presen t residence-Ngayab Zangdok Peri the Copper Coloured Mounrain Paradise of Ngayab in the Southwest. Here ()rgy n Rimpoche transmitted to him the empowerment of the

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EMPTYING THE D EPTHS OF HELL

M andates called th e Consummate Secret. He also Eight LogoS'J::lC dvice instructing him to follow the Bodhisattva , d speclI a ", . receIve h sentient beings. (At thIS time, as mtermittently th and to teac " pa T'b tan history the temp tation for Nymgma School hout Ie ' rhroug 11 h 'r magical power for personal gain was a particularly o ins to se t el yg C h negative karma.) Guru Chowong was then returned orent rorce or . d f dazzl' l' h P ' d' state of consciousness on a shiel 0 lng 19 t. o hIS or mary , r that the bulk of Guru Chowong s ueasure-texts have It appears . , , on Kongtrul Rirnpoche, whose lIfework m the nmebeen Iost. Jamg " . . h century included gathenng, edItlng and ordenng the once teent L : them In . h'IS of tertons of centuries past an d pu bl'IS1llng orks potent w , 'ous compendium called the Rtnchen Terdzo, found only a voum 1 m few volumes of Guru Chowong's ueasures. Among them were The Consummate Secret of the Eight Logos Mandates and Emptying the Depths ofSamsara, which includes The Wrathful and PeacefuL Deities

ofthe Spontaneously Originated Eight Fierce Logos Deities: The Rite of Confession and Restoration of the Samaya while Emptying the Depths of Hell.62 The Sovereign Rite of Confession Atoning for Brea hes and Breaks of the Samaya and Expiating All Errors and Faults known b its short title Emptying the Depths of Hell (Narak Dongdruk),6' is a litany written by Jamgon Kongtrul , in the nineteenth century based upon the two treasure-texts of Guru C howong mentioned above. Thus seven hundred years after Guru C howong's death hi highly potent "secret mantra"64 texts are again in full u e by the lineal initiates of the eclectic Red Hat lamas. It is a well knO\ 'n and highly respected Nyingrna School litany. The first section of the rite begins with the ogin visualizin:--. in front of him the Lama who embodies the hundred \Xrathful an Peaceful Deities. The yogin then invokes the Wrathful and P a - ful Deities, calling them by name and offering beisance 'ith r Terence. The Great Treasure-finder assures the p ractition r that m r l~' by sounding the names of the deiti s with homag and r ~p -t th full effect of the rite is achieved . Verbal a k n wledg ment f : p -it! ,

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T HE F UGHT OF THE G ARUD

fault and breaks in the 'ow has the arne effe t. Then r Iaxin in meditation the }ogin recite the Hundred lIable Mantra (the yi a) . Vajrasattya mantra of confes ion wi th the enainry tha[ eight hundred repetition in a ingle itring confer rebirth as a Bodhi arrva. There foHows acknowledgement of the yogin failure to maintain the Roor and Branch Vow the tantric sa.rna 'a 6' thereb: resroring these commltmencs. T he nexr pan of the rite is the Dzokchen confession which is included herein. Thi concludes the litany. As addenda. verse are included to be recited with offering of the butter lamp, the kullcup of grai n the rakta and the tOT7JU1-cakes during the eucharistic sacrament when the confession i included as part of the rire of ga!lt1cakra. Again the purpo e i restoration of the samaya. The entire rite is composed of a eries of techniques thar guarantee aronemenr and refulfilment of the sarna a. How can admission of error and "sin be part of D zokchen practice? Confession is a process of mental and spiritual purification indispensable to mental and spiritual 'well-being. On a mundane level the pressures of guilt are released, liberating festering cankers in the subconscious mind. On a transcendental level confession is an acknowledgement of undesirable, repressed rnindforms with coincident recognition of their nature as emptiness and liberation. If guilrs errors and faults are thoughtforms to which the subconscious is negatively attached, then they may be visualized as spirits or ghosts of past experience lurking in dark and murky corners of the mind. Then confession is self-induced exorcism effecting liberation 66 of these spir~ its. When the mind is completely empty of these spirits- black gre 1 or white-and when every experience whatsoever arises full y into awareness leaving no trace, "like the llight-path of a bird in the sky, '6then the mind is fully liberated. As our text states, the "sin" and the "sinner" are one: when the undesirable thoughtform is released the mind of the penitent is also liberated. "Sin" in this conte t is d efined as an action that is not immediately released and dissolved upon its inceprion. If the mind is innocent and insight into all

THE D EPTH

F H ELL

tine penetrat ea h moment of the ontmuum 'en e a em P . ' . e/pen. . ari es then there 1 no m and no mner but a on-

f aht\' a J( > re , a and Buddhahood. It i our moral and mental premate sarna um . and bias that ob trUct pontaneous in ight into events n cpoon , illusion echo or bubble on th illfa e 0 f the ocean and as empn"d ' All'Ignorant entlent . be'mgs what Buddhi ts call sm. that pro uce . yo .ns whose mindflow f pure awareness 1 broken e en for and all gI eed th rite 0 f OIlles - C IOn . r th · . to atone ror elI IDS. aITlomenr , n . . . To atone ('at one' in the BuddhIst onte t mean to Idennfy iill the Guru D eity and Dakini and thu re tore the oneseIf \ ' . . . amaya. The rites of confes i~n and sarna a r~toranon . illvanably come together in tantric pracn e for they ar different Id of the ame coin. Confes ion is to remember and hence to r live, e; perien e that was not fully understood and , ho e nature was not pen trat d to its true reality. Sarnaya restoration i to r tore the onnnuity of release of e err experience through penetrating in io-ht into mpciness and thus to restore the ama a union, ith the Guru and Qakini who represent uninterrupted gno ti awaren . On th relative level, where sarna a means YOW or oath after onfe i n f failure to maintain a vow the vow is taken again and thu re tored. The Root Vows of Bod r Speech and Mind are a foll \V : the Vow of Divine Bod r is to serve and enerate the Guru and tOY his instruction. to respect the Guru's Con ort and the yogin' Jra brothers and sister, and to maintain a correct vi i n f the uru' the Vow of Divine Speech is to practi e vi ualizaci n and re it ti n in meditation upon the deity regularl and frequen t! ~. th \ w of Divine Mind is to keep the Tantra ecret. The T\venty-fi 'e Bran h Vows are injunctions guiding i ion, meditation and < ti n. thu~ keeping the samava of union with the Guru. Dein' and akini intact. . Emptying the Depths ofHell is a mahayoga te~. Yirt~ally all pm-£lees associated with the Eight Logo 1andate fall int th mahayoga category. But since Dzokch n visi n i th uitimat perspective on everything that ari ,n matter \ -holt the t rm. J

Dzokchen practice embraces all the techniques of the hinayana mahayana and vajrayana approaches to Buddhahood. The essenti~ practice of Dzokchen is to penetrate each moment of consciousness with the purifying flame of awareness as it arises, so the successful Dzokchenpa has no need of the confessional rites of the gradual approaches. What is provided for him is c.onfession of lingering traces of dualistic thought-patterns and dIChotomous concepts, confession of failure in vision: this is precisely the nature of the verses extracted from Emptying the Depths ofHell included here. However, in this liturgy there is no trace of the terminology of penitent devotee seeking expiation from an external source that would admit a duality of penitent and confessor. The confession is couched in strong affirmative terms strengthening the convictions of Dzokchen vision, and the confessor is a point instant of gnostic awareness of infinite empty space as various aspects of the absolute. 68 This point instant of atonement is a moment in the uninterrupted continuum of naked existential awareness that is neither within nor without. There is no ''1'' to be the yogin's own confessor, nor any "external," higher plane of being in which the yogin bathes. Each dichotomy is resolved in an immediate, unutterable, non-objectifiable, moment of primal awareness. A sense of contrition is assumed, since contrition is recognition of the absence of continuous Buddhahood, and knowledge of the necessity to atone for one's ignorance. It is also recognition of humility in the face of the divine pride of the moment of atonement and primal awareness. However, instead of contrition toned with selfabnegation and abasement, we have a lament for incorrigible human nature driven by self-destructive desire, ever refusing to see the insubstantial universe as an enchanting magical web of empty illusion, in which Dakas and Qakinis dance in a constant compassionate display of delight and pure pleasure. Alas! What misery! Thus the self-abasement characteristic of the path of renunciation is replaced with an eVOcation of the Bodhisattva Vow. The "secret mantra" magic of the verses should demonstrate their own efficacy.

((THE SO VEREIGN RITE OF CONFESSION A TONING FOR fROM ND BREAKS OF THE SAMAYA AND E XPIATING ALL ncAGHES A r: " Bj{U' ERRORS AND r AULTS 69

EMPTYING T HE D EPTHS OF HELL HONG! How futile to project notions of being and nonbeing U on an unformed and inconceivable reality-continuum! ~at misery to cling to delusions of a substantial reality! Atone in the spaciousness of formless, concept-free pleasure. How pointless to project notions of purity and impurity Upon Kuntu Zangpo,70 who transcends all moral qualities! How guilt-ridden are those who cling to moral dualities! Atone in the spaciousness of Kunzang's pure pleasure. How exhausting to cling to notions of self and others In the sameness where superiority and inferiority cannot be! What anxiety to cling to the duality of success and failure! Atone in the spaciousness of the pure pleasure of sameness. How futile to cling to concepts of this life and the next When the Bodhisattva's mind is free of birth and dying! What anxiety lies in obsession with birth and death! Atone in the spaciousness of the deathless swastika.?l How foolish to project concepts of concrete form and substance Upon the cosmic seed that has no corners or edge~! What boredom lies in the limitations of quare and rectangles!

T HE F LIGHT

F THE GAR

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Atone in the spaciousne of the all-embra ing ph rical nucleus. How stupid it is to project notions of beginning and nd In the timeless, unchangeable dimen ion of past pre em and future! What misery lies in the duality of transformation and grad ual change! Atone in the spaciousness of unchanging past, present and future. How pointless to project causal relationships Upon Awareness, naturally arising without strain or accomplishment! What grief lies in distinguishing effort from attainment! Atone in the spaciousness of effortless spontaneity. How exhausting to ding to concepts of subject and object In Knowledge-Awareness neither eternal nor temporal! What misery to separate time from eternity! Atone in the spaciousness of Knowledge-Awareness. How futile it is to hold mental and physical pain distinct In the formless, pristine reality beyond conception! What anxiety to separate centre from circumference! Atone in the spaciousness of the immaculately real. How pointless the concepts of inside and out In the Buddha's boundless palace that has no measure! What folly to differentiate length from breadth! Atone in the spaciousness without measure or dimension.

F

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th! ' ni. n Atone in the paci un How exhausting t pr j ct noti n ut In the dharmakaya that r 01 What mi ery to distingui h 1 and ont nt ! Atone in the p cio u ne f immut ble dh rm k- ~a. How pitiful are entient bing, d Iud d and ign rant r aI'I . Conceiving fluid, forml n Man's bewildered mind-how adl In an unborn reali ty projecting noti ns f (I" and "min Failing to see the illu or enchantnl nt of ph n m nal eXIstence, He lust after po se ion and wealth; Failing to realize the in ub tanciality of am ara He clings forever to equally deluded friend nd r lati n : Mans imperceptive intellect-how adly rrand Fors~ng the value of truth , striving in unh althy a tivi , Ignonng t~e Exenlplar , injunction, beguiled by ifr 1 ant attractIons,

For~etting the imperative of self-Knowledg ,ob db Idle pleasures b elng ' How pitiful . . are sentient who have 1 t their wa T! Atone In the spaciousnes of nondi crimination.

THE FUGHT OF THE GAR

THE FLIGHT O F THE G ARUDA by Shabkar Lama Jatang Tsokdruk Rangdrol I NTROD UCTION

The rag-clad, lock-matted, mystic-minstrel hermit of the Tibetan lateau is a potent archetypal figure in the orien tal mythic imagina~on. This figure is embodied in Shabkar Lama, Tsokdruk Rangdrol, author of The Flight of the Garuda. Shabkar was not a product of a noble family producing tulkus in each generation-he was of humble origin. Lacking the advantages of a princely education, he was a scholar of the type who wrote from experience, directly from his heart. Living much of his youth in the solitude of cave and hermitage, he practised what he wrote and taught. H is biography73 is replete with stories depicting the magnanimity of a beggar, the humility of a saint without a shred of pretension or affectation, and the good humour and compassion of a man familiar with the hardship of life on the survival line. Although he was initiated into a Nyingma School lineage and order, he had little time for sectarian distinctions and took initiation and instruction from Lamas of every sect. He was a ptoduct of the great eclectic revival in eastern Tibet in the nineteenth century. Shabkar Lama was born in Rekong in Amdo in 184 1. The great Khyentse Wongpo, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro T haye and Patrul Rimpoche were his contemporaries among the great figures of the mature blooming of the Eastern Tibetan renaissance. He spent his childhood and youth in the Rekong Gompa .7 Rekong wa a monastery renowned for its yogin-tantrikas, a school of ngakpas, whose feared and respected graduates, with their unshorn hairknots roamed throughout Tibet, practising ritual magi for villag r

T H FLl

THE FLIGHT OF TH GARUDA

and teaching Tantra and Dwkchen to tho e r ady and willi ng learn. At the age of twenty Shabkar took ordination at the el to gompa of Labrang Tashi Kyil75 against hi family' will and c ukpa ntrary to the custom of Rekong students. But throughout his life he III ° tained Rekong's ethos, his appearance resembling that of a n akl nmore than that of a gelong, parncularI yd unng period of UStga. pa a1ned retreat. His preceptor at Labrang, Jamyang Gyatso, directed him the Lama who was to be his Root-Lama, a district governor and to . ' great Lama named Chokl Gyelpo Ngakl Wongpo, who lived n Kokonor Lake. Choki Gyelpo transmitted to him his principa11~ar of initiation into the mandala of Tamdrin (HayagrIva) and D l~e o. or)e Phakmo (Vajra VarahI) ,76 Tamdnn and DorJe Phakmo in yabYUlll became Shabkar's yidam, his personal deities. After initiation Shabkar spent several years in retreat, practising the preliminary techniques, the creative and fulfilment stages and Dwkchen-Cutting Through and Immediate Crossing-accordin to the Tamphak Yeshe Norbu,77 his Lama's chief practice and now hi~ own. After many more years with his Lama, during which time he received all the initiations of his lineage, he entered a further period of rigorous practice. In the middle of the Kokonor Lake, the vast Turquoise Blue Lake sacred to Avalokitesvara, is an island called Great God Heart of the Lake, Tsonying Mahadeva. Since no boat was permitted to sully the lake, the island could only be reached on foot, crossing the ice that covers the lake for a brief period each year. Yogins would provide themselves with a year's provision and isolate themselves in the perfect solitude on the island at the centre of the lake-mandala. Shabkar remained there three years practising the maha-, anu- and ati- yogas of the Tamdrin-Phakmo cycle. During his sojourn on this island Shabkar wrote The Flight ofthe Caruda. It was an early work of his genius. °

°

Shabkar was known as an incarnation of Milarepa, Tibet's Great ~ogin, and his Lama, Choki GyeJpo Ngaki Wongpo, as an incarnation of Marpa the Translator, the family yogin. Milarepa's talent in

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GARUDA _~

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· . g mystical songs extempore was shared by an d stngln . , .C h compostng h' propensity for the anchonte sine. Bur t e d so was 15 Shabkar, an h fOes of (he Tibetan ethnic world was also a wan. fi m t e nng d d yogJO ro . . °lgrimage throughout the TIbetan heartlan an amtng on pl . ' d h derer, rO . his pilgrimage WIth retreats m caves an erd punctuating . . h beyon . . ° d Arone Machen, Arodo's sacred mountatn; e s he VISl te . ' mirage , h T . Rongkhor (circumambulation of the Tsan ft med t e san per Of. . h sent a year at Gang Rimpoche, Mt. Kailash. On untatn), e p . 'd f mo. . il nmage to Labchi , to the west of Mt. Everest, it .was Sal . 0 hls P g h r he travelled he left the people establIshed tn the him thar w ereve « 1 k " d wherever he stepped he converted b ac , or tarDharma, an « . " • • Th h ° d rldlings into white, or refined, practltloner . us . e Dlshe , wo o · hi il . ° d h'IS so briquer "Shabkar"(Whlte Foot). Dunng s p . gnmalne gage, between retreats , he would continue his instruction at the feet . of Lamas of every school, particularly the Drukpa Kagyu, wIth which his own heterogenous brand of yogin-monk mix had a suong affinity. However he was also interested in the Kadampas (the school founded by Atisa and assimilated by the Gelukpas) and Tsongkhapa himself, whose great work, The Stages of the Path received sustained attention from Shabkar. Shabkar's study and practice bore fruit in his own writing. He had the gift of speed-writing. It was said that he could write a hundred pages daily. If so, he could have spent only a month or so to produce his thirteen volumes of writing, the chief of which concerned his principal practice, the Tamdrin-Phakmo cycle. Other volumes treated the Kadampa School, Bodhisattvahood, the yingma tantras. and Mafijusri, demonstrating the wide purview of hi cholae hip. Shabkar's rounded personality is evinced also by his meritorious works: the gift of a solid gold butter lamp to the great monastery of Samye; the gilding of the superstructure of the Boudhanath tupa in Kathmandu; the construction of nun1erou mona terie and t mpl in his own Amdo homelands. No antisocial, can tank rou h rmit, he had the Bodhisattva's ability to transform him elf int a re pta I °

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TH E F L~~FTH£UA~_U._ A____-----------

-------. that he used for the good of.all sentient beings. of offenngs . Shabkar lived on well into the twentieth centu~y, passmg away in rvOn the completion .of a long dis 1922 at t he age 0 f eigh ~/ one.. . ' .h' disciples, his SpIClt left hls body whtle he stIll Sat course to IS " r . ." f . h . I tus posture So passed the carefree splnt 0 the "little ' . d d . upng. t In 0 . " who , l'n many ways, In example an wor s, dId more to anc honte feed the faith and support the spiritual needs of the common peoIe than a multitude of tulkus on brocaded thrones. His spirit never ~etUmed to inhabit another body, or if it did it was in the obscurity in which the original Shabkar spent much of his «public" life. His lineage, however, proliferated. Tulshik Ri.~poche o~ T~ubten Choling in Solu, Nepal, is a contemporary praCtltlOner of hlS lmeage. This, then, is the Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol who wrote and sang The Flight ofthe Caruda. In his own judgment he was a simple, perspicacious mendicant without a care in the world. The clarity and power of the succinct, simple, expr<;ssion for which he is justly renowned is evident on every page of his work. The Flight of the Garuda also demonstrates the writer's eclectic erudition and the fertile memory that allowed him in his extempore compositions to quote or paraphrase verses of Saraha's Dohakofa, for instance, and passages from Longchenpa's Dzodun, among the works that he lists in his colophon. The Garuda of the title refers to a mythological bird, the Khading, or Khyung, of ancient Bon legend. It may have been that Khading and Khyung originally represented the powers of light and darkness in the eternal conflict of Manichean Bon myth. The Manichean influence on Bon was derived from countries to the . northwest of Tibet. Later, Khyung and Khading were confounded, and the bird came to represent the Bon spirit of fire. It is to be found,. for example, in the upper left-hand corner of prayer-flags (snowllon earth· ti .. d ' , ger, au, ragon, water; and horse, space, complete the symbolism of the five elements in the prayer-flag). When the Sanskritic tradition 0 f Buddh'Ism became dominant III . T'b 1 et,

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-

. d Kh ng were assimilated to the Garuda. In the ~ Aryan India'' it was Garuda who stole both Khadmg1 an of anClent . Vedic myrho .o~ortality from Indra, the ki ng of the gods, In m~ch the nectar of 1m . bird Zu stole the Tablets of Destiny as the cosmlC {he same way. h B b ionian m yth . In the later Indian context, ods ill t e a Y . d from the g h h' ie of Visnu, the Lord of PreservatIon an b came t e ve lC •• . Gar uda e d particularly Lord Krsna's vehicle. Also, In in the cosmos, an ., . h Order d' as a fire-spirit , Garuda features as t e uranas an eplcS, . ddhi {he p f the Nag-a water-spirits. In TIbetan Bu st , lacable enemy o ld Imp G d presents the energy of fire that h eals naga-re ate Tantra, aru a re diseases, particularly cancer. . . aruda is seen to represent the Dzokchen yogtn. In Dw kchen, G . The nature of the bird is illuminated by the anCIent B~n m yth that relates how, at the beginning of time, the Khyung manlfes~ed spohn raneouS Iy out of the cosmic egg as a full y mature belng. T e Garuda can transfer itself instantaneously from one place to another. From the mahayana 8 tradition is derived the image of the Garuda wings beating in unison to demonstrate the unitary nature of duality, particularly the simultaneous arising of skilful means and perfect insight. Then from nature, observing the flight of the Tibetan eagle-vulture, the Dzokchenpa can perceive an analogue of his own effortless path. The bird in flight is a wonder to behold. Gliding for miles using the wind's currents to upport its weight, its in tincrual mastery of aeronautics is incomparable. The same kind of natural intuitive faculty that coordinates the bird s flight governs th Dzokchenpa's activity. The two wings that beat in unison in the Garuda poetic flight are form and meaning. Unfortunately the abstract, t chnical ontent of The Flight of the Caruda doe not 1 nd it elf to... r ifi ation and poetic expression in English, so that the balance in habkat songs is not reflected in this translation in which p ti f r~ and rhythm has been sacrificed to clarity of meaning. ft n. v ral words are required to render a singl technical t rm int ngH h,

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THE F LIGHT OF THE GARUDA

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

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. .. ·ble to maintain a regular metre. Rather th and It IS lmpoSSl an • C tory versification, I have translated these so attempt unsatlsrac . c. ngs . h· h is a more suitable medIUm ror theIr metaphysi aJ mto prose, w lC , f1" h C and technical vocabulary. Still, the Garudas 19 t should appear effortless, its wings beating in unison.

The Flight ofthe Caruda is a collectio.n of Dzokchen songs compiled to teach trekcho meditation. Thus m general the structure of the text shows the evolution of the path. This development is not formulated as an academic treatise on trekcho, since the songs are composed in different styles with different thrus.ts of meaning. The songs can be categorized as Songs of Intr.oductlOn (Songs Four to Seven, Ten to Twelve, and Fourteen to SIxteen); Songs of Precept (Songs Three, Eight and Nine, Thirteen and Fourteen, Sixteen to Eighteen and Twenty-one); and Aphoristic Songs (Songs One and Two, Sixteen, Seventeen, Nineteen and Twenty-two). Some songs combine introduction and precept in an aphoristic form (e.g., Song Sixteen), while others may be an introduction to an aspect of Knowledge with clear instruction on meditation technique (Songs Fourteen to Nineteen, and Twenty-two and Twenty-three). Perhaps the most potent songs are the Songs of Introduction or Initiation. Shabkar Lama indicates the purpose of these songs in the final line of each: "Such is my introduction initiating recognition oL.the original nature of mind," or " ... our true existential condition," and so on. The Dwkchen vision that these songs are aimed at iniciating and strengthening is not merely an intellectual function but an opening up of a channel for Knowledge to flow in; or, if it is an intel1ectual function, then it is the intellect participating in the destruction of its own dualizing propensities and other obstacles to t~e s~ontaneous awakening of Knowledge. Thus these "introductions are not philosophicaJ statements but tools inducing the rec~g~!tj~n o~ various aspects of the enlightened mind that is alcin to mJtlatJOn mto Knowledge. The inspired nature of the Tibetan

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f arne of mind during which the songs are medItatlve r . 1 oetrY' the d. and succinct style of expresslOn, and not east P h iear' hlrect taphysical exposition and formuIae, all consung, tee of t e me bkar ' the potenCY D k hen vision spontaneously. In Sha Lamas . duce zo c . spire to tn plicidy that the songs should be sung dunng han he states ex .. colop rocess of Dzokchen VISlOn. elopment P .. f th .. [he dev ". ductory" song, initiating recogmno n 0 e ongtThe first mtrO . . di . . d . d or our original eXIstennal con non,79 IS prece ature 0 f mm , . ·al nal n fi " ceptual" song giving instruction on expenentI d b the lrst pre . . e.:Ve of the nature of mind. It is only ~n the bas.Is .o.f f~lur~ to diSC ry .ty which is mind that thIS verbal InItiatiOn In to discover any enn . . .. di . d .m . al f ce of mind IS effective. Our in gramed, con tIo ne a . . . h the ong . d . . h t the brain as a substantial entity IS t e mIn , or its assumptlon t a . . . d troyed by the failure to find anythIn g substantial that seat, IS es . . can be called mind. "Mind" immediately becomes something erugmatic, mystical, transcendental and magical, and an intellectual void. This void is filled by the songs of introduction, which establish the Dzokchen vision. The cynic's view, that this is an example of religious conditioning with less reality than the p reconceptions it replaces, is countered by the assertion that the D zokchen vision has no intellectual structure and that the labelling of attributes performed by these introductions is not so much a labelling process of substantial objective qualities by the subjective mind as the attachment of verbal symbols to actual experiences of gnostic awareness. Searching for the nature of mind h as pointed awareness in the right direction. Practising the instructions described in the ucce sive songs of precept matures this awaren ess, and as the state f Knowledge grows its attributes become focused. What is essentiall . a~ inconceivable unutterable gnostic condition is seen to be usceptlble t.o analysis by a metaphysical imaginatio n that serves to d irect or gmd h· . . e t IS unttary, gnostic awareness . Thus Shabkar mak a POInt of stressing that the three modes o f being- the thr B dies of Buddha- are in truth a single u ndifferentiated reality. Th

THE FUGHT OF THE GAR _ U_D_A_ _~

'ng relate to the essence, nature and respo . three mod es 0 fb el f . nSlVen . y state The unitary state 0 being, like the U . ess o f th e umtar . . . '. OlVers · fi oint of ongm, contractmg mto that p' e expan d mg rom a p . OInt, and . ad in/;nitum, is represented by the mandal · expan dmg agaln, ':J~ . a, and ' centre diameter and clfcumference relate dal a s , ternan to the h that are the three m d nd responsiveness essence, nature a . . ' .. . . 0 es of · Th essential mSight is recognItion of the ongmal natu e . , te of bemg. being in its ontological as~ect as ~nt~o~uced m Song Six. Shabkar names this the main practI~e. ~~iS mSight prec~des the intrOduc_ tion to the "structure" of this ongmal natur~, which is BUddha and his five modes representing five aspects of pnmal awareness. A second series of songs of precept give instruction in meditation upon the form of emptiness, teaching that all phenomena are mindcreated. The introductions that follow confirm the insights thar arise by applying those precepts. Song Ten i?~roduces the initiat.o~, recognition of all forms, the product of dual12mg thought processes as mind. Song Eleven gives a complete series of introductions initiating recognition of the empty nature of mind, the emptiness of phenomena, the indivisibility of appearances and emptiness, and finally the inevitable result of these previous insights- recognition of natural, spontaneous gnostic liberation. It also defines the Cutting Through phase of Dzokchen practice as a twenty-fourhour-a-day meditation. Song Twelve is not a song of introduction, but it has the arne force. It defines the three modes of being from two different angles: as the dharmakaya and as the rupakaya, as emptiness and as form, as Knowledge and as the forms of Knowledge that are not separare from it. As Shabkar affirms, this differentiation has the power to initiate recognition of the pure-lands of the three modes of being, The projections of Knowledge, the flow of spontaneously originated appearances pure from the beginning, are the Buddha's Pure~land since they are identical to the indivisible light and space (har i the dharmakaya. In t em of th crystal metaphor that habkar emplo)

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THE FUGHT OF THE GAR 0

- -. accord'1flg to the static definicion the riipalciya consists . in thiS song, l' ral glow (sambhogakaya) and the medlUm of erysta s natu . _ _ . of t he - that dancing glass (nlrma.t:alciya). Accoreling to er appears 1fl . . . . ligh whare v . definition, the rupakaya conSIsts of mner raeliant t the dynarrugak~ ) and unobstructed manifest eliversity (nirm . ary.akaya). . (saITl. bho. f aya . t in this subtle distinction appears to be that In the The ehie pow , .' .C aspect, the nirma.Q.akaya 1S the eliverslty of form laner, dynaml h h . , f he contents of the vessel of conSClOU ness rat er t an 1ts Jtsel ', [ the empty space of the vesse1. Th us thi s eli suncuon ' . IS . conmedtUm, . c' th , the absolute emptiness of form while rocusing upon e firmmg form itself- Buddhafields! . _. Song Fourteen introduces the yogin to recogru uon ~f spo~taneous release of the six sense-fields by means of precepts instruCnng him in meditation on the one-taste. Song Fifteen introduces recognition of the identity of quiescence and movement in the state of Knowledge.so This paradox is best explained b y mean s of the metaphor Shabkar employs: the quiescence of the ocean bottom is likened to an inactive, thoughtless mind while the roller and breakers of the ocean's surface are the acti e mind. The active and inactive are part and parcel of the same awarenes - Knowledge. For this reason it is impossible to recognize a Dzokchenpa by his external display: no action of body, speech and mind can ever b e divorced from the ocean of Knowledge. Later Shabkar discu e the folly of identifying a quiescent nlind as a realized state. The attainment of quiescence in meditation is an accompli hment of the g d of the formles realm of conditioned existence. This may be u eful in controlling the mind while seeking to help entient being on the ~el.ative plane, and it may be the source of som divine pI asure, but It IS .not a direct means to the Buddha' enlight nnl nt, whi h i liberation from all the polarities of exi tenc . . The first pan of Song ixteen is the last, ong of introducti n and m one sense the climax of these v rbal initiati ns: it i an introdu ti n to recognition of Dzokch n it elf. A ers d ribing th r luti n

H THF

Fu

~HT IF TH '

IT HT

ARUt

ri u' ~'e mino dualiti s in th Dzok -h n d main r m man b ta I, f d ubt. Th 11 ShabkJr :1 sur u that th r i a r f1 ' r pon i n h r , impl in th r dundan f a manipul ti iddhi-ridden mind a b d " p h and mind fun ci n p ntan ou h to fulfIl tht: Bodhi arrva ~ v . In fa t th mp i n t pect ~f rh re-uized mind i asp 'a1 quality f z k h n pra ti . ng ixteen nds with a , arning in th onl t u hin n dang r'"in an,' f the songs. This danger i th ban of D z k h n. It explain -hy D zok h n prec pts are 0 ~iffi ult to brain. F r thi reason. a Lama who reache D zokchen WIthout fir t a rtaining the moral proclivities of hi student ri k pr du ing a lineag of demon-yogin . Shaman magicians rna se k D zokchen in truction with the aim f harnessing demon- nergy for their wn dark purpo _ . \X'ith love or mone}; a rudent rna purchase Dzokchen initiation from an inferior Dzokchenpa with the sole intention of turning hi knowledge to elfish purposes of power and domination. E en though the Dzokchen yogin maintains his Bodhisattva Vow unbroken and his motivation is unblemished, it appear that n gative effects may still result. In the biographies of e en great Lamas it i recorded that Dzokchen precepts were withheld from them until the end of their preceptor's life, not out of fear that the discipl may turn black, but that selfless, benevolent bodhisattvic motivation could be blunted. Even Yeshe Tsogyel, Guru Rimpoche's Consort was no exception and precepts were withheld from her until the end of her life. When Shabkar himself was intent upon obtaining a rainbow body he was warned in a dream by Senge Dongma, rh Lion-headed QOOni, that he could certainly obtain it but that his ability to assist others would be vitiated thereby. The longer the student Dzokchenpa spends in developing and refining the ski lful mean of implementing the Bodhisattva Vow before Dzokchen initiacion, the more effective will be the compassionate forms he manifest ponran ou Iy afcer Dwkchen realization. How i it thar at the rhre hold of the Buddha's realization (he

can b P d by th "anti-Buddha '? H w i it th t pf.lccirioner , d mon f int n and infinit vit' can p es the :It chis stag :1 h z k h np int bla k magi ian? h ere , d and turn t rUin ral fa t r t w rk. h re oiu ion f the duality of ear (0 b s ' ki ng fjr m lrtu . .1PP ' a n u a h nn an d th m bfa 'mg , nd VICe c~ . . vlrt~e :1 . Shabkar indi~'lt . inc all a t ar mpty dIu 1 n th re fie, a al s n ro pr fl r ne r the om r and sin e guilt, in

mor rea ic retriburi n are emp ty illu ion th y ar no au e ~ r and karm ther it seem that the dvlant ' . . d n. ed ogin pow r 1 F alarm, ur , d . h _ . false identification of th Bud h a with t mo t ubde froOl a . d th h . th B ddh «(th 'd e of his ego. He is onVIn e at 1 e u e oneresl u the dharmakaya.' 1 If the yogin i w 11 fo u n d d in the taste of . . . dh 'd h d karma of virtue with this warmng m mm av I t e trucrion of the supports of a virtuous life ev n though b th irtu and vice are equally the illusory play of the mind. The importance of a firm foundation in th lower appro h becomes evident at this point. A strong foundation in th Four oble Truths will obviate the danger, and if the les on f "ah.l 'amuni three excursions out of the pleasure-pala e into the city of sickne ld ge and death were the cause of an original turning around in the t f consciousness then bodhicitta need not be dimini h d r v rwhelmed by demonic perversions. It i not only an artid f faith b ut ari a fact of peak experience that compassionate re pon i en coincident with a samadhi of genuine mptin s . Bu t n th approach to Dzokchen initiation this statem nt mu t be pr eli ted by prolonged and profound purifi ation practice b f r z k h n precepts are requested, so that there is no hitch when th goal i in sight. This crucial warning ends th part of ong ixte n tha~ initiat .. recognition of Dzokchen and it nds the ng f intr du ci n . .

IS

0

n

The Songs of Precept are straightforward n1 ditation in 'uu ~ti n. Shabkar Lama's poetic genius show its If h r , for th nt n t d not ~aturally lend its If to po tic treatn1 nt. The first n~ f pr cept IS Song Four, whi h in truets in th r is f dL' ' ring th

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

T F TH G~UD TH ' F LI_ H -

f transcendental awaren

nature of mind. "Discovery of the nature of mind" epito ' purpose of Dzokchen. In Dzokchen meditation th re i no~l~ the this imperative to find the mind. But in this discursive fo ngbut meditation belongs to the internal preliminary stage of Dz fktnhthe . • 0 C en Shabkar Lama provIdes the answers In the same song as the ' tions, assuming that we are intellectually familiar with the anqu . and that experiential revelation of them is all that is neces WeI'S '11" afy, However, a western neop hyte WI gam Important insight into th differences between basic oriental and occidental assumptions abo : u the nature of mind if he forgets the Dzokchen answers until all his own preconceptions have emerged. Song Eight describes another exercise experientially confirming basic Dzokchen hypotheses about mind. "Mind is like the s1.),"j "the radiance of mind is like sunlight"; "mindforrns are ephemer~ and capricious"; "all appearances are like reflections in a mirror", "there is no distinction between appearances and emptines "j "everything whatsoever is an illusory magical display of mind," All these statements are self-evident, says Shabkar, and the principal difference between the Dzokchenpa and the anxious, bewildered worldling is that the former has experiential knowledge of these facts, while the latter is unable to recognize them due to the partiality and bias inherent in a mind split by subject/object dichotomy, The instruction in Song Nine guides the yogin through a partly discursive analysis of appearances in order to convince him of the insubstantiality of all sensual stimuli. This is not an objective scientific analysis of phenomena. It is an examination of our actual experience, which, according to Buddhist thought, is all we can know about the universe. 82 To all intents and purposes, from the point of view of human consciousness phenomena are mind-created, and these precepts convince the yogin of this verity. Song Thirteen describes a wonderful meditation that cuts attachment to emotion and uses passion as the source of Awareness in its five aspects. The mechanics of the technique are clearly described in

s inherent in

, nature 0 , oog, The p~ re , better described like thIS: rhi 5 mooon 1S , " th variOUS e " b d in the reflex lfltUltlOn at [he f al' zattO ns 1 as "d ' [T his) set 0 re f1 expen, ence 'IS perfect in its ultlmate. 1 entl" every rno~ nt 0, criminating and non-judgmentall~ V1 IOn ry.B3 Sloth IS ~n~cial in action; indi crimi~ate l~ t 1 unfod non-preJudi . h the infmite unlverse as a an 'th ' sio n [love wit cused compas ,ch burns up discursi e though t, 1 ,e pnlover) ; anger, W hl, . ' knowledge' 8 coincident WIth th e lC f ' mal awareness '1n mtnns b ' fall i a' iddha vi ' lon 0 unl'de that n ng no c ' vanity an d pn d e ' alousy there i no room ror ltS 'an as lor Je ) al' versal sameness, d paranoic thought in the re lty , ate attachments an PasSiOn , of its ultimate samene . continuum , d in , ' be erformed during formal eSSlOn an This meditation 1S to Pil ' As Sh ab kar affirm , on e the , tate at a umes, f th the meditanve s h b 't o nce the recognition 0 e h nt has become a a 1 , . d fl , accompIIS me d" ed respon e of mm re ex " 'has become a con luon , punty 111 pasSiOn Th ' 0 question of transformanon of pas" takes over ere IS n f h intultlO n . th' process is "recognition 0 w at rh term germane to IS , sion here: e " C 1" T hen at the end of thiS song d . altlng lor reve anon. f alrea y eXIsts w th 1 ' alty emerges from p ractice 0 there occurs the statement at OglC . th inten' rutatl' On' The 0Teater the paSSIOn and th e greater e, t hIS me . 0 dh ak- ya » I thl way ity of discursive thought, the greater the arm aal . n.,. ng i 0 an Imnatory ' amsara itself is the Buddha's t h rone. T h IS 0 , introduction into spontaneous release of th e flve pOl ons. . . , . d t'l on to the po ntaneou Song Fourteen, an Imnatory lntro uc . ' release of the six sense-fields, contains explicit instru ction on a , ngs . T his song cotehe techmque to reve al t h e one-taste 0 f all thO 1

any residual impression an outsider may h ave that th

o~e-ta

te f

emptiness, the fruit of D zokchen, is a single feeling of Inn CllOU' pseudo-equanimity, that the go al .IS a con tant s t rea m f nsor sameness. On the contrary, the vast variety of en e impr ion are r

77 76

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THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

---------heightened, despite, or indeed because of, in ight into the ne

i:

taste of emptiness. Since empty awareness and the form that . sense-impression are inseparable, where the yogin i enjoined the "observe the mind" in this song he can but b come aware of ht,o detachment and the pure pleasu~e that a~companies every perce ~ tion, whether it be pleasure or pam, happllless or sadness No P . ' Word in English is adequate to translate the feelIng-tone of the one-tast However, the "pure pleasure" of pain is not a sado-masochiSt~' ecstacy; perhaps the feeling-tone of detached enjoyment best Con. veys the nature of this pleasure. Songs Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen treat the essence of Dzokchen meditation. Sixteen begins with an initiatory introduc. cion to Dzokchen itself, and each verse is a complete revelation '''Buddha' is the one taste of the dharm akayi' ; "the compassionar; responsiveness that arises coincident with thought-free samadhi is the special characteristic of Dzokchen vision"; and then "amorality is a demonic perversion." The latter part of this most significant Song Sixteen includes vital advice on the treatment of doubt and equivocation on the path. Shabkar mentions the most virulent and destructive doubt, namely the thought that meditation is redundant because no relative cause can effect the ultimate, acausal, sponta· neous Dzokchen goal. His answer to doubt is the True Lama's grace. It is beyond the power of ordinary words to explain or describe to a faithless outsider the nature of the Lama's blessing, and it is totally unnecessary to convince a yogin of the power of his Lama's mind. Pray, relax and remain aware is Shabkar's formula, and he suggests that profound affirmation and renewed co~v~crjo~ will inevitably result. He implies, further, that peak or inltJato~ experience implanting the Dwkchen vision can be attained thr~ugd the Lama's blessing. The dynamic of this phenomenon is descn~r in the Garland of Vision (pp.188-9), and the point to remem of here is that it is the aU-pervasive Buddha-Lama who is the sour~or e supefl ' ble ings, not a human entity perceived as a separat ,

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THE FL2-G H!,.O£

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T!:.l~ G~ f!~

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1" and his focus ' The yogin's attitude 0 f supp lcatlOn e (ernal Betng. b d' d' the Lama assi t this procesS. h al as em 0 le III . . h h upon t e go . other treasury of precepts. It begIns WIt t e S Se enteen lS an d ' . el:~!ble injunction to leave home, family, friend~ an ~anve In At the beginning so much can be accomplished In the counrry, b' f th . d's mind by a physical movement away from the 0 Jects ~ e ffil~ chment. The remainder of this long song prOVIdes detaIled area . tl'On upon Dzokchen vision, me d"ItatlOn an d ac t'lon, IT~ lOstrUC "d describes the meditation of non-meditation and nothmg can be Sal here to clarify Shabkar's aphorisms on this topic, although volumes have been written on the topic of each verse. Song Eighteen provides instruction on the methods of removing obstacles on the path. Since at no time are thoughts to be suppressed or neutralized but rather viewed as allies in meditation, if they arise as obstacles a fault in vision has been revealed. Correct vision is accompanied by the relaxed recognition of the nature of obstructing thought, which Shabkar here defines as 'the naturallyaccomplished Great Perfection." This leads into instruction on "non-action." "Non-action" cannot easily be defined, but one can say that it is accompanied by a sense of perfect balance and . 'f " pOIse, even I the non-action IS an extreme of action. Perhaps this is the ~lace to quote,Shabkar on intellectual analysis: "It is certain that the lntellectual with an analytical view of reality has n . 'rh th D 0 connection WI e zokchen Nyingthik." Song Twenty-one is another son f r' " cepts. It beg' .h . g 0 exp IClt medItation preInS Wit more Instruction in 0 k h ~ and continues with . zo c en meditation . varIOUS techniq c C . deSlgned for pr " ues ro r utting Through aCtltioners of Ie . capacity" are those h h sser capacity. Yogin with 'Ie r from the La w 0 ave not attained the e entia! . . . rna or w h 0 have n ' Inltl tl n ot Sustained the initiatory tat 'I'th Spontaneous efr I ,rort ess ease . . refl exivel". Th ch' ' practising the for go' /' e te ntque d 'be In pr pt vast Store of Dzokch S es.cfI d her ar but E; fr m th prescrtption Th

'

r m th

th

t

THE _ _ _ _ _ _ _--.::. TH _E_ F_L_ I _H..I

F THE GARU_DA __ _ _ _ _ _ _

not requ.i~e aeons of practice but whic~. immediately cut through the dualItIes of mind and the propenSltieS that block recogniti n of intrinsic knowledge. They are all simpl but. highly efficacioou techniques , with the exception of the last .one, which requ'Ires preparation, detailed visualization and specIal conditions for its performance. It is a simple ver~io~ of t~e te.chnique called "Severance" (chod). The final e erClse, ll1volvll1g"sImulated lunacy, is one of the standard, internal , extraorill nary pre1Immary Dzokche practices. Such a technique has appeared in various forms in th~ synthetic new-age "spiritual development" cults that have a 'tantric" flavour, as well as in popular humanistic psychology. The value of such an exercise is self-evident, but it must be performed within a supportive context, such as that of the Lama's precepts, or mental damage can ensue. Songs of the third type are Aphoristic Songs, those consisting of aphorisms. The Sanskrit sloka, a two-lined metrical verse, is an ideal vehicle of expression for scripture, epic poetry and so forth, In Tibetan scripture a four-line verse serves the same aphoristic purpose-a literary device to assist the memory. Yogins going into retreat learn by heart such texts of precept as The Flight of the Garuda so that the verse required at any moment is ready on the tip of the tongue. Thus some of the songs of precept are couched in aphoristic verse, and some songs consist entirely of this formSongs One and Two, for example. Each verse is complete in itself and there need be no relationship in content between one verse and the next. The mahasiddha's treasuries of dohas are very similar . to Songs One and Two, a similarity strengthened by sameness in meaning and even in vocabulary and syntax. No doubt Shabkar Lama was familiar with either the mahasiddhas' songs themselves or some potted Tibetan plagiarism. In the con [ext of the path of the supreme Inner Tantra, the part of The flight of the Garuda discussed and translated here belongs to

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F~IG_

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HT Of THE GARUDA_ - - - - - -

. Th h which is the penultimate phase of ng roug , f C . called u[[1 . d' 'ded into the twO levels 0 utnng JeveJ kchen IS IVl . rh,e :1 when Dzo d I mediate Crossing (toga~. There 1S a seca(lyog crh (trekcho) an ,:h Garuda that treats Im m ediate Crossing

The Flight OJ t e .' . dpart (0 I mediate Cross1ng IS a more dangerous vemon , a sinH'1 ar manner. h m h and its precepts are never divu1ge d except 10 'n T roug . . e chan Cuttl g k f a Lama-disciple relatIonshlP w h en they are lc. frarn ewor 0 . . .' . fhroLlv

wirhm the . d However, It IS permIssIble to generalize about be practlS e . f aboLlt to h' le insofar as it sheds light on the natu re 0 , st secret ve IC . b th thiS rno h These twO phases of Dzokchen practIce are 0 . . h' Th « • al . » th Cutring Throug and serial in relatIons Ip. e pnm punty at rnplementary " .. . "th co. C . Through and the spon taneous ong1natIOn at uahfies uttIng . ' q 'fi I mediate Crossing are dIfferent s1des of the same qual! les m 'n and at the same time primal purity is the foundaDzokchen COl . fspontan eous origination of events out of, and as the nature {Jon 0 of, primal purity. Thus Cutting Through is the technique of d issolving all appearances, all emotion and thought into their original nature of primal purity. Vision, meditation and action work together to produce spontaneously originated Knowledge of all things as perfect and complete, as space and light. Experience becomes a continuum of reality where reality is space and transparent rainbo\\rcoloured light.

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

TilE SONG OF THE

Vi.

ION OF CUTTING THR.OUGH TO T}fE

CU-:.'AR Lf .,,"IT F 7'HE GREAT P ERFECTION Wi TH THE CAPA CITt TO TRAVERSE

TH

QUi

'J(LY THE PATH. AND STAGES

F LI · HT OF THE GARUDA86

NAMO URU] :

Piled high on the pistils ofintelligence Lies nectar that liberates by taste, , . The ambrosial nectar ofthese songs ofvzszon: This J offer to my Lucky disciple~, the s~arm ofbees, To drink in devotion to thezr hearts content.

SONG ONE: THE MIRACULOUS NATURE OF BEING88

Homage and reverence to Lama Choki GyeLp087 Whose seven-horsed mandala ofall-illuminating wisdom and love Radiates all-embracing beams ofboundless compassion instantaneously enlightening beings ofthe three realms.

EHMAHO! This carefree and free-speaking vagrant with the. ~eep . lj 'gence now sings The Flight of the Garuda, a song of V1SlOn, wre 1 • • 1 facilitating fast ascent of all the stages and paths. 89 LlSten attennve y, my beloved sons and daughters!

Homage and reverence to Ngakchang Dorje: From clouds ofloving kindness and compassion piled high In the vast expanse ofhis radiant, empty dharmakaya, A downpour ofdharma descends upon the earth, Upon his fortunate disciple vessels.

Like the roar of the dragon, the great name of Buddha resounds throughout the universe, in samsara and nirvana. Constantly vibrating in the minds of the six types of sentient beings, how wonderful that this resonance is not silent a moment!

The winds ofdiligence blowing into the unfurled sails of high aspiration, The ship ofvision carries all beings drowning in the ocean ofexistence 10 the Island ofJewels, the Buddha's trikiiya: I/omage to the captain ofthat ship, Jamyang Gyatso!

'l 'he sun ofwisd()m and love ofthese my three Lamas, Radiating warming rays ofpotent grace, Struck the white lotus ofthis lucky vagrant, And the bud ofKnowledge fully opening d A thousand petals ofmystical experience and insight were expose,

They may be ignorant of the Buddha's existence within, but how amazing that fools search for him outside! Clearly visible like sunshine, bright and radiant, how surprising that so few can see him! The Mind, the Buddha himself, having neither mother nor father how wonderful it is that he knows neither birth nor dying! Suffering ~11 our multifarious feelings, how marvelous that he is unaffected or better or worse! The original face of th . d b wond rfli' e mm , un orn and primallv pure--h edge i: ~ ItS authenticity and natural perfection! In~rin i - kn 1se ,our naturally lib d h no matter wh . . erate nature- ow marY lou it i th t at Occurs It IS released by 1 tting it b !

--ONG TWO: THE FUNDAMENTAL MEDITATION

EH~O! Noble, beloved sons and daughters, listen without ", n

:actlO . All t~e Victorious Buddhas of the past, present and furure ave taught eIghty-four thousand books of scripture, reaching31 boundless as space itself, but all to one end: how to realize thl nature of mind. The Buddhas taught nothing more than this. If the principal root of a tall tree is severed, its ten thousand branch. es and leaves will wither and die all together; Jjkewise, when the sin. gle root of the mind is cut, the leaves of samsara, such as dualiscic clinging, perish. The empty house that has stood in darkness for millennia is illuminated instantly by a single lamp; likewise, an instant's realizarion of the mind's clear light eradicates negative propensities and ment~ obscurations inculcated over countless aeons.

THE Fu HT

!

~E _GARUDA

~-

--. x erience of the nature of reality, through practice Through gnostlC e p . . fj dom' regardless of the acubemgs can gam ree , h d attains liberation if his existential of the e precep~ , a icy of his faculnes even a ~ow. er experience is nondual reaitzatlon.

n

When you realize the clear light of mind's n~ture, th~ pund~ t 's words of wisdom are redundant. How relevant IS another s deSCrIption of the taste of treacle when your mouth is full of it? Even the pundit i d Iud d if he has no existential realization. He

may be skilled in compreh n ive exposition of the nine approaches to Buddhahood, but he i as far distant from Buddhahood as the earth j from the sky ifhe knows of it only from econdhand accounts. You may keep your strict moral di cipline for an aeon and patiently practise meditation bran terniry, but if you have yet to realize the clear li ght of the mind' immaculate nature you will not extricate your elf from the three r alms of am ara. Dilig ntly examine th nature of your mind!

The brilliance and clarity of sunlight cannot be dimmed by aeon of darkness; likewise. the radiance of the mind' essential nature cannot be obscured by aeons of delusion.

SONG THREE: IN TRU nON IN THE

EHMAHOI N

J d eterminate is the co Iour an d shape 0 f t he sky. an d I.t natUre h 1e n fi'C t d by black or white douds: likewise, the colour and s Ja~k una lec e d b ' d by b ac f . d ' nature is indeterminate. an it cannot e camre

o mJO S . ' onduct, by virtue or VICC. ' or w h He c

ti l the . of butter, but the butter wilJ not separate un dh b h d f Bud a' M J' lk I' S th e a~IS d . I'kewise. human nature is t c groun 0 r r ilk j<; churn.eh' It e.xistentiaJ realization semient beings C;1nn o ho() J , but WIt ou awaken .

84

r

ENTIAL M DITAT I N

daughter . No ow I ten further, aU my b t beloved nand matter what systc f . d ' . '. unless you rc r h m 0 mm -trawmg you pra ti . a lle t c nature of yo . d ' . 1l'1Iss the point ofD k h ur mm , s venng lt r Ot y u zo C en. •

Th

errant aspirant blind '. p~accs. hi targ t to th fro to thiS Imperative j like th arch r wh direction. H i l'k nt only to shoot off h ' . I arrow 10 n th r thief h' ' . I the ho us h Id W 0 I till an the h ' 0 er who earche ' 0 t . d t at the W Sf d or wh n OUs ; like the xorcist who . ~l 1 . . r a lnan who beg bl' d the d tnon I' ct hiS pint-t ra p , an to h' h IVe to th ' . I'k I arth a t, 1 th . J - ton of gold. r c.:

TH Fu~H~r_ O~HE

THE FLIGHT OF TH E GARUDA

------------~~~~~~-------

~

Therefore, my beloved children, you who wish to resolve life's fr trations and anxieties by the direct method of discoverin Us, o doh t; 11 . g the nature of mind, examine your mm s m teo OWIng way: What we call "mind" is an insistent chatterer, hopping, skipping ol h and jumping about. Try to catch it and olt S ~ps away, c :mgmg shape Or vanishing; attempt to focus it and It will n~t be snll, proliferatin g o try to pIOn it with a label and It resolves into un Utter_ an d scattenng; able emptiness o But it is this same mmd that expen ences the gam of human feeling, and this is the mind that must be scrutinized. Ut O

0

0

0

First, what is the origin of this mind? Is it a function of external phenomena- mountains, rocks, wat~r, trees and celestial breezes_ or is it independent of them? Askmg yourself where the mind comes from, investigate this possibility thoroughly. Alternatively, consider whether or not the mind originates from the reproductive fluids of our parents. If so, enquire into the process by which it emerges. Continue this enquiry until it is exhausted and you admit the mind has no origin. Then secondly, answer the question "Where is the mind now?" Is it in the upper or lower part of your body, in your sense organs, in your lungs or your heart?90 If it lodges in your heart, in what part of the heart? What is its colour and shape? Thoroughly investigate the present location of the mind and its characteristics until you are certain that they are not to be found.

Finally, examine the movement of the mind. When it moves, does it pass through the organs of the senses? In its momentary embrace of external objects, is there physical contact? Is it only a mental function, or are both body and mind involved together? Investigate the process of perception.

86

GARUD_

--

- - - - . dant emotion, firstly, o with itS atten 1 a thought aflses location its co our VIhen dl fi d . tS p r e s e n t ) Further, . source. Seco n y, m I k I d hard for the °gate ItS °b Loo ong an vestl ifl nd any other attn utes. h h has subsided into aDd shape ~ese question . Lastly, when t ou.g t our mind closely all wers ro h d where has it gone? Exam me Y Jf and vant S e , I(Se e allSwers. fo r [h . . d l How does It leave f d h h t occurs to th e mm . . At (he time 0 edat , a 't l Consider these questions and all thelr ? Where oes 1text . the body· oc.cations In detaIl. 0

o

v:

0

•

rafllJI!

in our careful enquiry, examining the mind until you r~ach y 1 that it is empty, pure and utterly inexpressIble, (lve cone uSlOn . d ' a po:! n-entity and free of birth and death, comIn g an gomg. that It 15 a no

Perse~~re

0

0

The arid assertions and metaphors of oth ers -statem ents su ch as "Mind is emptiness!"- are worse than useless. Until you kn~w ~e self such statements tend to bring doubt and h eSItation answer you r . . ' l' d It is like a dogmatic assertion that ugers do ill fact lve to th e mm . . ' in a country where it is generally supposed that ngers are exnnct. It leaves doubt and uncertainty on the subject. After attentively examining your mind and having established its nature, it is as if you have explored the valleys and hills where the tigers are said to exist and, having seen for yourself whether tigers live there, are fully informed. Thereafter, if the question of tigers' existence in that place arises, you will have no doubt as to the truth of the matter. 0

SONG FOUR: INITIATION INTO THE NATURE OF MIND EHMAHO! Again, my beloved sons and daughters, gather round and listen! During the analysis and examination of your mind in the manner described above, when you failed to find a 'mind" that you could point to and say "This is it!" and wh nyu fail d t

87

111 1::

U L, Il1

find so much a an at m that failure wa upt ill u

('

u

ll ~

'

ru

uid

l Jf\.

II

' ] 1111 '1 { :H

, th n °llt

Firstly, "mind' h n n glO i in it i e sence is in ub tantiaL ndl , it ha n n t m ut m no hape. FinaJl . it d with ur a rra . it a ti ity i mp a tJ It appearan

~

FIVF:

ll·rhw ~; JlM J I !

.i O i '-1 Ku n ell Z-<.\ll 1 h:)rfTl.t k. ' • • H1 dJt~ltl n ano ho in r.l l1C f"· d . \ ith ut h 109 r till .1nl ar..

Mind ' nature91 is n t rear d by a cau in th fir, pI nd it ~ not d stroyed b an agent r nditi n t th nd. It i a 11 . tant quantity: nothing can b add d t or tal< n fr m It, it i in apabl of increase or decrease and it annot b fill d r emptied. Since minds nature is all-pervasive, th ground of both sam 3ra and nirvana, it is without bias or partiality. No form demon trat its actuality more clearly than another, and it manife ts all and erything equally without obstruction.

n

I

n h in

. w .. der i

,Ii ,.hr '~l

11

ltV ~

r

and ni rrj in 1 r< lind {b in ,. hi is th ground ~ t th l tim : in the amc ay ry t ..J hin . 1 n. un 'un ·t n~ f Kn italiz J by It eel br k nand p nta, like th light f th . nnl"al awar n . .In ' 3m l ea

v:

rising un,

hen Dharmaka a Kuntu Zangp und r t

Mind cannot be established or defined as anything at all specific. since it goes beyond the limitations of existence and non-e i tene . Without coming and going it is without birth and death, without clarity and obscuration. The nature of mind in its purity is like a stainless crystal ball: it essence is emptiness, it nature is clarity, and its respon iveness j a contmuum. In no way whatever is the nature of mind affected by sam ara' negativity. From the first it is Buddha. Trust in this! Such is my introduction initiating recognition of the origin~ na:~re of mind, the ground of our bing, our true existential condition . .

d thi to b hi p ntanrOUS manif rarion, and instantane u ly th uter ligh t f pur being and primal a\\ ar n di 01 cd int the inn r cl ar li h t. In th original gr und f b in ,pur fr m th b ginning, h attain d Buddhahood.

W un nlight n d natur of pontan ural radianc, nd th r uk Thi i per' ption."

bing, how v r, did not under rand that th u I originat d app aran was our own natunmindful perception and bewild rm nt w r call d 'th ignorance that accompani very

AI 0 at that tim the cl ar light and the appearan ri n out f th ground of clear light wer perceived as two. Thi is call d "con ptual

--------

- - -_ _ _ _ _~T~H~E~F ~LIG HT OF THE GARUDA

.

---

19norance." It was at this juncture that we fell into th rant dualism. e trap of il>cOo. Thereafter, as the potentialities of our experience proll'C . . . rerated . gradual widenmg of the scope of our activity the en . With the . . ' tire ga samsanc actlon emerged. Then the three emotional POI' lllUt of sons ap together with the five poisons that evolved from them th ~eared four thousand forms of passion developing from the five' . e eighty. th il tho POISons and ' so on. Smce en, unt IS very moment, we have endured th ' sure and pain of the wheel's constant revolutions. We spin e e plea. in this samsaric existence as if tied to a waterwhee1. ndlessly If you need elaboration of this topic, consult Kunkhyen Lon h ,gc enpas Treasury of the Sup reme Approach and the Dense Cloud of"p ,{; 'J rojolmd 94 Significance, among others. Now, although your Lama's profound personal instruction has made you aware of the self-deception and delusion harboured in the dark cave of your mind, you have also recognized your mind as Buddha. Y~u have encountered the original face of the Original Lord, the Adibuddha, and you know that you possess the same potential as Kuntu Zangpo. My spiritual children, contemplate this joy from the bottom of your hearts!

T Il

FLI HT

F_ H

RUO

I has innumerable ynonym . ddhah oo d . t u [o13 , 's "I", some H'tn d u c 11. 'It t h "5 e1f" ; t h e ular It 1 , rh verna: f 1 s individual"; the follow rs of Mind-only call it 1!liscip1es say , . h t" . some call 'It "Bu ddh a. ".sel - e e call it "perfect mSlg D somit the "Magniflcent Stance" (Mah-amu d ra; -) some siJ1lply "111lOd , all " ome c Way"; some cal l'It t he"C . See d" ; orne Cal -'1 nature; " 'dd! o ffilC . 1 groun d" ; call .j( [ he Nil e , uum"; some ca11 'it t h e « umversa ntin . ir [he "reality-cO , " d' ry consciousn ess. " 95 Since t h e synonym 0 f 11 It Of lll a . r h ' some ca bI apply to it, are countless, know It ror w at it . d " he la e s we "mLn , t . xperientially as the here and now. Compose . KnoW It e really 15 .. h t ral state of your mind's nature. elf In t e na u yours ind is ordinary perception, naked and unadorned;

When at rest them' recdy at it there , . b l' h IS nothIng to see ut Ig t; di

as

h n yOU gaze weI d 96 it is brilliance and the relaxed vigilance of the awakKnow e ge, . . , full .' . . othing speclfic whatsoever, it IS a secret ness, it IS ened state, as n . . y of nondual radiance and empnness. the u1nmac

It is not eternal, for nothing whatsoever abo ut it has been proved t~ exist. It is not a void, for there is brilliance and wakefulness. It IS not unity, for multiplicity is self-evident in perception. It is not multiplicity, for we know the one taste of unity. It is not an external function, for Knowledge is intrinsic to immed iate reality.

Such is my introduction initiating certain recognition of delusion.

SONG SIX: INITIATION INTO OUR TRUE EXISTENTIAL CONDITION

EHMAHO! Again, beloved children of my heart, listen! "Mind,' this universal concept, this most significant of words, being no single entity, manifests as the gamut of pleasure and pain in sam sara and nirvana. There are as many beliefs about it as there are approaches

In the immediate here and now we see the face of the Original Lord abiding in the heart centre. Identify yourself with him, my spiritual sons. Whoever denies him, wanting more from somewhere el e is like the man who has found his elephant but continues to follow it tracks. He may comb the three d imensio n s of the microco mic world systems for an eternity, but he will not find so much a - th name of Buddha other than the one in h is h eart.

- - - - - HE --

UGHT _O F TH _ E GARtJ DA

--

THE

Such is my introduction initiating recog , , 'al .. ., nttlon of tl condition, whiCh IS the principal real" lZatton i OUr true ex' to the Great Perfection.97 nUtting 1'LIsten,

I lro~

SONG SEVEN: ASSERTION OF INTRINSIC BUD

BABOO

EHMAHO! Once more listen attentive! D daughters. The three modes of Buddha's ~' .my noble Qns eIng-ess a~~ . an d responsIveness-and the five modes of beIng, ' ence, nat\) as well It aspects of primal awareness are aU completed and as thefite naturally luminous intrinsic knowledge of the h perfected in ~t ere and now, The essence of Knowledge, indefinable by any t erm such shape or other attribute, is the dharmakaya' th . h as coloul, , e In erent d' of emptiness is the light of the sambhogakaya; and h ora lance medium in which all things manifest is the n irm-af.1i:lKaya, _I_t:: e unlmpede~ The three modes are explained figuratively like thOIS.. t h e dharmaka ' . IS a crystal . mIrror; the sambhogakaya is its nature- bn'II'lant clarity,ya and the ' W h'lCh tne L' . mrma.f.1akaya is the unobstructed m ed ium ill refl ectlOn appears. •

Fr~m the first, people's minds have existed as these three modes of

bemg. If they are able to recognize this spontaneo usly, it is unneces· sary for them to practise even so much as a moment of formal med" itation- the awakening to Buddhahood is instantaneous. In this introduction to the three modes they are defined separately, In truth, my heart-children, do not fall into the error of believin~ them to be separate, belonging to differen t contin uums. from the beginning, the three modes of being are empty and utter' ly pure. Un d erstanding them as a single essen ce that is the union of

·,.. ..,ce an d

emprine

$,

Fu ,rl' OF TH E GARUDA

conduct y ur elf in a tate of detachment,

d

f a J .....

" d of c sence, nature and re p n iven $ , again correspond The rna akaya, sam. bh gak-aya an d nt' rma~a - kay . Under tanding m r rO dha e as the my tl"C un ion 0 f em ptln ' and radian conduct ~~ t~ h yOU

rse

If"n a state of detachment.

,

1

since the prim al awarenes 0 elf-cxi d ng Knowledge Furt her" . , ifests everythlOg what oever, thl awarenc 1 the pure-b ing')8 :ra~he Creator, Vairo~ana; inc it i un~hanging nd unch ngeable, it is the pure-bemg of Immutable D Iamond, A~obhy -vaj r ; since it is without centre or circu mferene , it i the pure-being of Boundless Light-form, Amitabha; inee it i also the gem that is the source of suprem e realization and relative powers, it i the pure-being of the ~ou~tai~ o.f Jewel , Rat~ a ambhava; in e it accomplishes all aspuanon It 1 the pure-bemg f the Fulfiller f All Ambition, Amoghasiddhi. T he e deitie are nothing but the creative power of Knowledge.99 The primal awareness of Knowledge i mirror-like awarene s becau e of the manifest clarity of its unob tructed es ence. It i awarene of sameness because it is all-pervasive. It i di criminating awarene because the entire gamut of diver e appearances i manifi t from it creativity. It is the awareness that accompli he all action beeau e it fulfils all our ambition. It is awarene of the reality-continuum, the dharmadhatu, because th e single essence of all the e a peer of awareness is primal purity. Not so much as an atom exi t apart from these, which are the creativity of intrinsic knowledge. When a pointed finger introduce you directly and immediately to the three modes-essence, nature and responsivene - and the Five Buddhas and the five aspects of awareness, all together, then what is experienced is b rilliant, awakened Knowledg unaffe ted

b

.

1 HE}i -----LIGHT OF THE G ARUDA

Y CIrCumstance and . f1 . f unln uen d b ' tlon 0 the here and ce y clInging th h' now, unstructured and oug t; it is Co ' unaffected gOl. All the Buddhas of th th ' 1d e ree aspects f ' e ge. Constantly identify 1 0 t1~e arise from thi 1'". d h yourse ves w h ' S!~ow aug ters, because this is th " , It It, beloved Son . e SPIrItUalIty f all sand h tree aspects of time . too 0 the BUddhas 0 f the Knowledge is the unstructured natural d' , r a lance of so h ow can you say that you h your own mind . cannot see t e Buddh ~ Th ' ' Ing at all to meditate upon in I't h a. ere IS noth· . . ,so ow can you co I' h ltatton does not arise? It is man' fc Kn 1 d mp am t at med· h 1 est ow e ge, your own mind can you say that you cannot find it? It is a stream of unce ',so ra Iant wakeful~ess, the face of your mind, so how can you say~~:~ you cannot ~ee It? There is not so much as a moment of work to be done to attaIn .it, so how can you say that your effort is unavailing? Centred and dIspersed states are two sides of the same coin, so how can you say that your mind is never centred? Intrinsic knowledge is the. spont~neously originated three modes of being, which is achIeved WIthout striving, so how can you say that your practice fails to accomplish it? It is enough to leave the mind in a state of nonaction, so how can you say that you are incapable of attaining it? Your thoughts are released at the moment of their inception, so how can you say that the antidotes were ineffective? It is cognition of the here and now, so how can you say you do not perceive it?

:v:

SONG EIGHT: THE METHOD OF ATTAINING CONVICTION

!.. HMAHO! Once again, beloved sons and daughters, listen with devo tion ! "Mind in its insubstantiality is like the sky." Is this true or faJ ~e, my children? Confirm it by relaxing completely and loo~ng d irectly at the mind, gazing with your entire mind, free of all tenSIOn,

------

T HE FL~ 2F.!!:IE ~A~UDA -

-- -

.- - -

-

-

f hind is not just a blank nothingness, for .ne ss 0 t e m . kn 1 dg "The eJ11ptl . . h primal awareness of intrins1c ow e e, bt 1t 1S te d' . 1'k 'tho ut dau Co S If-existent, natural ra lance 1S 1 e sunWI c. m the Ilrst. e , 1 ki diane rfO . d ( 'T'o confirm 1t, relax completely, 00 ng ra h' 1ndee true. 11 " Is t 1S light. h ature of your mind. directly at ten doubt that it is impossible to objectify or grasp "There 1S n t of memory. This capricious, changeable ht or the movemen 'T' fi ' thoug "k h mic wind!" Is this indeed so? 10 con rm 1t, ement 1S it e t e cos f' d moV 1 1 I king directly at the nature 0 your mm . relax camp ete y, 00 .

0

. d b all appearances whatsoever are our own manifesta"Without Oll t . .' fl' . , All h ena whatsoever manIfests, 1S like re ectlon 1n a tlon P enom , 1 1 ki , ' "I th's 'l ndeed so~ To confirm it, relax complete y, 00 ng mlffor. s 1 . directly at the nature of your mind. No experience is possible anywhere but in the mind, so there is nothing to see other than that seen at the moment of ~ision. ~o experience is possible anywhere but in the mind, so ~here 1S, nothmg to meditate upon other than mind. No experience IS poss1ble an~­ where but in the mind, so there is nothing to do other than what 1 done in the mind. No experience is possible anywhere but in the mind, so there is no samaya to be sustained outside the mind. No experience is possible anywhere but in the mind, so there is no goal to be reached that is not in the mind. Look, look, and look again. Look at Y9ur own mind! Project your attention into external fields of pace, and att nti\' ly watc~ing the nature of your mind, see if it mov ,Wh n , ou are convlllced by 0 bservatlon . that the mind does not move, r tra t your attention and concentrate upon the mind within, and 1 k ~ r full · y

fc

------

'Di~E!:IGl-ITOF THE G ~- ~DDA

Or th~ projector of diffused h - __________ there IS n ' t ought \\7h o ent1ty responsible fc . en you have d ' the colour and shape of the ,ordthought patterns look e Ided that th h mIn . Wh 'earen.lil at . as no colour or shape 1 k en you arrive at the e ~ for CertaJn that middl d ' . 00 for a centre 0 ' tnPtlness e an marglll ar h r ClrcUlllfer and an outside. Finding no d" ~ t e same, search for an ,en:e, . IStInctlOn b . Inside you arnve at Knowledge h' h ' etween Inside and ' ,w lC IS as vast as the sky. OUtside,

"By virtue of its all-penetrating freedom th'

centre or circumference, no inside 0 ,IS ~~wledge that has no tiality and knows no blocks or b .r OUtTslhd.e, IS Innocent of all par. kn arners. IS all-p ", SIC owl edge is a vast expanse f All e~etratmg mtnnd' '. 0 space. expenence of an n. Irvana anses In it like rainbows in the sky. I all' sdi~sara . It " IS but a play of mind.» . n Its verse m anI'fcestatlon

~u

need only look out from the motionless space of intrinsic . owledge at all experience, illusory like the reflection. of the moon In water ' 'b'l' f dIvldmg ' .. . ' to know th e Impossl 1 Ity 0 appearances from emptIness. "In a state of Knowledge there is no separation of samsara and nirvana." Look out from the motionless space of intrinsic knowledge at all experience, illusory like the reflection in a mirror, and no marter what manifests it can never be tasted, its existence can never be proved. In this dimension samsara and nirvana do not exist and everything is the dharmakaya.

All beings wandering in the three realms of samsara remain trapped in dualism until they realize that within their own 'perception re id th e primal awareness that is the ultimate identity of all experience of samsara and nirvana. Due to the power of the delusive subject/object djchotomy, they hold samsara and nirvana to be different states of

THE FUGHT OF THE _ ARUDA

. d because, where in truth there is nondualmalO boun ,Od They re nll ' see a duality. it}', [hey . b etween samsara and nirvana can exist in · ' non d when the worldly fool reject some In reality no , lsnnc d Howeve r, d ul ' . body's mtn· . h s avoiding the "bad" an c tlvanng Y all d ' dulges m ot er , 'al' things an 10 . ' hile loving anomer, then due to part! 1" desplstng one w . l' the "gOO d, . ' 1 ly he wanders through suc esSlve Ives. , dice and blas, alm ess ty, preJu

. h ontaneously accomplished three modes of Rather than attaldn t ~thsp t suiving, thick-headed aspirants explore h d f « If . ' knowle ge Wi ou intrinSIC f time-consuming met 0 s 0 seh 'ques and stages 0 many ddh the tec 01 " 1 . them no time to reach the seat of the Bu a. improvement, eavmg

, . 11 all phenomenal appearances wha.t oever are one "Emp hatlca y, f . 1 . 'n ic " "\01 Look out from the state 0 motion e s lntn own VlSlon. . . l'k fl kid d all light-form and animate eXIstenCe IS 1 e re ecnowe ge an d . pty and indeed one' own tion. Appearances are empty, soun 1 em nature is originally empty.

, '1 . , d t the mind that is the viewer, Simi arly, turn your attention Inwar 0 b 'd' pty like the and your thought processes, natur ally su SI mg, are em . sky, unstructured, free of conceptual elaboration, utterly l~deter­ minable, beyond description, concept and expression of any kind. All events whatsoever are an illusory magical di play of mind and all the magical display of mind is baseless and empty. When you have realized that all events are your own mind, all visual app arance become the empty dharmakaya.

~pearances are not binding. It is

through attachment to th m th t betngs are fettered. Sever all delusive attachm nts, children of m heart! T

--- ---SONG NINE: MIST, DREAM AND OPTICAL ILLU I N

EHMAHO. ! Best beloved, fearless sons and daughte ' rs, WItI applying the spur, the horse will not gallop; without th lOUt churning, the butter will not separate; without detailed ex 1orOl~gh you will not be convinced of my meaning. So while I sin p anatlo n but lyrical songs, listen in comfort, relaxed, without droop~ my long lUg ears! Until you perceive all appearances as mind you will never rear . 0 f emptIness. . 'T' c '1 ' h' lze the meanIng 10 faci Itate t IS understand ' lUg, you favoured children must apply yourselves fully to a diligen al' · t an YS1S h FIrstly, where do appearances co an d t h orough searc. c me HOm) Secondly, where are they now? Lastly, where do they go? ' During your ~xamination you will see that just as mist arises out of t~e sky and dIsso~ves ba.c~ in~o the sky, appearances are the magical display of your mmd, ans111g 111 the mind and vanishing back into it.

THE FLlGJ:1T OF T H E GARUDA

.

, parable app In se

,

earance an d em ptmcss.

we may dream of our native country our parental . . . our s1eC P Now,1O d relatives or fnend , as tf they were actually pre ent, aD our . . ho[1le, fl' ate strong feelIng may anse. Although our family approp an d a~ d not actually present and we hav not stirred an inch fJ leD s are and r b ds we may experience a face-to-face encounter with . our e , . ' . fro[1l f h arne vivid intensIty as 111 the waking state, (he[1l 0 ( e s sensual experience of our live is an experi nce imia l ight's dream. Just as we attach label to dream entitie , lar to ast n . .. . 'fyin and clinging to them as substantial enntle , so app arobJectl godified and appre hen dedby ffim ' d'lD the waki ng state. m ances are way that dreams have no substance, 0 the figment of In t he same . d, all appearances whatsoever, are also empty. [ emm

E ch an d every

h

SONG TEN: THE MIND- REATED UN[VERSE

EHMAHO! Only children of my heart, most well-beloved! All :rake.as an example the shimmering effect seen by a man with an Impaired sense of vision . . . when he gazes ahead . Altho ugh t h e sh'Immenn~ ap?ears to eXIst 111 front of his eyes, nothing is there- it is an Optical Illusion. In the same way: when al C • .. ' ment fUnctIOns are impaired by negative propensIties that cause d' . mgmg to apparently external objects as eli crete and substantial en . . h . . titles, t en VISUal and auditory phenomena af~ear to eX1I.st where not so much as an atom can be proved to have u tlmate rea Ity. Everything is a figment of the mind.

All these figments of . d

b l' h mm are aseless and empty. They are non. eXIstent Ig t-forms a .. f1 . f h ,ppantlon and magical illusion, like the re ectIOn 0 t e moon in C . f water. ompose yourself in the realI ty 0

appearances are indeterminate an d equivocal, so much

0

that what

some can see, others cannot. Further, regarding the sentient beings of this world, some conceive of the world as earth, some conceive of the world as fire; orne conceive of the world as wealth and some conceive of the world as suffering. Some sentient beings conceive of water as water, orne conceive of water as fire, some conceive of water as nectar; orne conceive of water as their home, while others conceive of water as arth. Some sentient beings conceive of fire as fi re, some conc ive of fue as wealth; some conceive of fi re as their home, while oth r conceive of fire as food.

'Otl' 1t1lnS I ' 'O

, P:l

. n " I V 0 f' ~pa " :ts spa " 80m a" t1:1 II' . I101 J '1 11 ,W li e orh 'rs (on c.:i 'of ,' ' l ( :,

rl hll ) insofu :1 ' ' < , s nppt'ttran S 'I r' ]IIi 0 nt rh " PP ' t lH 11 h (h r I . " . r ;l~ th I c t.; pow ro t 1 karll1i fl' 'Ii irilS of rhe 1) " to n ur cl t r I 'r '11 n1. nts d . cht: r Uf J I1l " ll tS:11' hUt n p . 't' c

,

r

'pti

11

'.

ther b'in rsl walth, Or ,

Lik wise th fir - ' cis f fir' of j( ,s f od.

with b()cii<;,

nl'ci c f it .

Thus all things ar > r :l cd b mm

jk wi .. r' . rdi n w. tef, d nizt: l1s f h 11 on ci gry gil . rs s c it ' l ' pus and bI od cl phan th d kn , it t b ~ n' t. r. sh:lpc-. hiftin jew Is and a show r of fl wers and na

FinaHI, rcga rdin spa , all th g ds on sin -. (h 'y a1' mad f, pa ,

Furth rm r , all ph nom nal ap aran manner they hay thus b n p r ptual l d

f p

a

nh

m nj~ st in In d,

When D vapurt k d ~ aky muni, ' Wh m d Mt. M ru tl1 ' un and th moon?,' th Buddha hi ms If said with hi ,n lip: 'In an w r to that, sur ly no r tor i. tS th r than th pOl ntialities and habitual part I'D , nd nditi nin thoughr pro css s. '1 hes d fi ne and Jab ] pp aran >, r i in ~1I1d obj crifying lh ffi, h rming til m '1 • rd ingly. AU Lhin , r r at d 4

by our own

III inds."

, ked th Buddh. , " ur hat itual thou hl p~H • '0 0 v.1p .' ' tll'ly Inft I'm tl . n'uUl" app '. ran ,hut A~al • tittto t11 1\ • , r and ~ol1 " lh . solidity and d 'nslt Ml. M 'r u . lh · sun, ,crll 'OInt: s • , J1l wh nee: in And the Buddh. r 'pli 'd: trl ) nd sO (In. ,hc moon a 'C Ii l'd an Id on . n wh ,ar s there on , , "\n Ben ,r I'm ' 1 h r hun1 ~ n b ly tnt . ug r, . ' nd tra nslO , .1 tlgcr a ) Ie of B 'nar ., ha 1I1g; ,t , t1Pl I"t \'} r, f1 d • and th· :Itld the pet ~ .d If in.1 'ry l rt tim . n old wom, n . n fft· t , was desert ' t" " · d . pwo, 1. l: \ (Ity f' .3tion b Vlsua t7.il(l n, I. II 11 t m > tr,utS ornl, . ' . , sll' h a _.' h,:\Vt: b) ' 11 n ;:ll >d U'l th m ' w , wh. n rh mllld . pearanccs . , ,., ' ,h;\! ap d' 'on,d by karmt pr p n Itt I tl 'un d fr m gl\l~ be n con ttl IlaS • ,I') niogle s time;· . 11 (f;l .tS

Furth r. Hindu . adhu arc "! n t ~ pI,\e 1'n order to prcvent d lstra tl bu tic and diversions r llnci a nt h n , nd " (,mgible solitud t Ii c in' 11 th r p pi

pr

Cl (

One Hindu yogin i ·l1lcgcd t ha i 'ualiz d '1 fO k in "her it b am ~ as sron i( imp d d th hum n b d ,10'\

tn

it.

kYl and

Th fefoc. in e all app aranc s ar filodi 1 d b n ptu i'L ti B, rh yar the mind's' If-ln anife di pt.y, and H ' U h n ani~ ati n i. in reality empty. Furth C, d niz ns of the . h rt-li d h II doors pillar , ov n and rop ,and 0 ~n what v r way app aran san:: n In th t form th y manift st.

f th if b di th mind, in

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

All the pleasure and" pain of all sentient beings 0 f the S· create d only by theIr own mmds. On accou f ' 1)( reall11 ' . .. nt 0 thIS h' IS remam absorbed m equammity, strive for conv" ' wile \'0 , ,. . Icnon that al : U are your own mmd s Illusory magIcal displav ' b I thIngS . I ' msu stantial ances WIth an empty essence. appear_ Further, it is said in the scriptures that the three d' , . . ld f ImenSl0n mIcrocosmIC wor systems 0 suffering beings eXIst " In a ' S of speck of pollen on a pistil of the lotus that Saint Mou , Single Muni Himavat-sara, holds in his hand. ntaJn Lake, The scriptures also assert that when the yogin adept on the · C rossmglO . 4 h ' as full y potentiated his vision of repath al'lty ofas Immedlate Knowledge,. he sees boundless Buddhafields ' and also boun dl ess .. fields of resIde~ce of sentient bemgs of the six types, in each and every pore of hIS body. Into each of the six realms he projects emanations to transform the different beings, and the ultimate purpose of all those beings is served as in a dream. In such ways all experience of samsara and nirvana is the natural and spontaneous manifestation of one's mind, and the ground of this spontaneous display is emptiness. You must cultivate and sustain COnVICtIOn in the dimension of emptiness and radiance, remaining free of all attachment to it. Furthermore, it is said that in a single speck of dust there are as many Buddhafields of infinite dimension, and also innumerable realms of sentient beings of the six types, as there are motes of dust on the earth. The Victorious Buddhas have said that none of these Buddhafields and realms of sentient beings intermingle, affect each other, or produce any ill omen.

And again, people say that in the stomach of every insect there is an

--

--

TH!:', F~JG H!.. O!',. ~H3-_GA1!-U~A___

---

_ __

hives of microscopic insects, People also believe mber 0f ' ', , to ire nli h f space there are an .mnc: mte num b er 0 f cltles 101111 eac es 0 in [he r 'd down and, likewise, innu merable other cities (hat ' ' w h0 rnade these structed lipSl 'd e right side up. I f you questlon con h ir 51 e or . , . built 00 t ~ the answer given by the Vlctonou Buddhas is y 'ties in (h1s wala , ceived in the minds of the entient beings who CI were t con (hat they perceived (hem. d that the nature of m ind, fro m the beginning, d t un erstan '1 'k You ro us d that all experience is also, neces an y h e space, space, .anal and auditory expen,ence 1S ' on1y th e natural an d is I1'ke. , d' . if All reiatlve VISU ifestation of mm m ltse . spontaneous man

. d d there are changes in the mindstream at death, it though lU ee , Al . 'd' . ctions that change- there is no external change. is the rolU S proJe . 11 ience is the manifestatio n of m ind, all manifest Smce a exper " f h aseless and empty. Sustam the expenence 0 t e appearances are b radiance and 1 dge where there is no duality between state 0 f Kn owe . . here there is luminous appearance Wlthout substance, emptmess, w , like the reflection of the moon In w ater. All visual appearances, everything that you see, are the spontaneous manifestation of mind. The chalice, the inert phenomena of the world that form a receptacle, is mind; the elixir, the animate, existence of the six types of sentient beings that inhabit the world, IS also mind; the blissful phenomena of gods and m en of the upper realms are mind; the painful phenomena of the three lower realms are mind; the loss of awareness and the passion that manifests as the five poisons are mind; the noumena of Knowledge and primal awarenes , self-existent and spontaneously arisen, are mind' the manife tations of negative thought p ro cesses created by cyclical mental habit patterns that potentiate transmigratory tendencie are mind; the

THE FLIGHT O F THE

G

ARUDA

TH E FLIGHT OF T HE G ARU DA

manifestation of positive thou ht the phenomena of obsta 1 g patterns, Buddh~i'
t

h'\ '

r

There is no noumenaI or p h en omen aI ' that is not mind. The mind' l'k ,manIfestation what , d IS 1 e an artIst Th b d soeVer mm , as are all the many wo rlds " " e 0 y is created b " eXIstmg m the thr d ' Y mIcrocosmIc world systems' all f th ee Itnensions f All b ' , . 0 em are also dra b 0 emgs possessmg this puerile mind d wn y the mind, h' d are se uced d ' t e pIctures rawn by their tho ugh t processes, an lllveigled by

~ h ugh we ~ay use the sky as a metaphor indicating the alto

" ' d's emptlOess. ' I1oweve,r ' d it is on1Y pOlfitlng at mm Mind is of mtn ' ' C ' h' nature " 'tS emptiness mannestlng everyt 109: the sky is nonrllt1ve, 1 also cog empty, blank not hi ngness, The sky, therefore, does 'dve, an f 'd cogOI he nature 0 mm ' 'llustrate t

no(1

, tfoduction initiating recognition of the nature of Such is my tn miod as empty, eo efflorescence of the empty radiance of mind's us n ta The sponanifestS the infimte " , of all and everything, ' divers1ty Whatever m natUre f1 " ' b h ' , s like the re ectlon 1n a m1rror, ut t ere is no d u al'lty 0 f arises ' , seemd vision-they are one 'm the space of empnness, VIewer an Such is my introduction initiating recognition of emptiness as appearances,

From the very beginning appearances and emptiness are indivisiThus it is of crucial importance to cult' all things are the illusory m 'al d' livate ab~olute conviction that , agic ISP ay of mmd, Such is my intr o d uctlOn ' " '. IllltIatmg re ' , f tions, the concepts of d ai' ' h cognItIOn 0 mental projecu IStlc t ought p rocesses,105 as mind,

SONG ELEVEN: THE NATURAL STATE OF GNOSTIC FREEDOM

EHMAHO'L' , Isten £.rurth bi b I my heart! The Buddha er, no e, e oved sons and daughters of ances ment' d b ta~ght that the creato r of all these appear" ltse1£, h as no knowable essence and lone a ove neither col ' mm d In beuinning Ou r nor shap e n o r any ot h er ch aracteristic, From the 0" em p ty and intangl'bl e I'k ' d'Is unquestionabl 1 e the sky, the nature of mtn y empty and baseless. ~~

______________

ble: because the mind is empty, appearances are unimpeded, and ungraspable pheno mena arise in the d imension of emptiness as variegated radiance. Appeara nces, on t h e o ther hand, do not obstruct or fill emptiness: although they are manifest, their nature is originally empty. For the yogin who realizes t he indivisibility of phenomena and emptiness like a rainbow in the sky or the reflection of the moon in water, every experience of samsara and nirvana is a play of magical illusion, Watching the play of indivisible appearances and emptine , the yogin whose intellect and mental processes are till is content. Are y,our mm ' ds sull ' , m y beloved children? Look to e if th di\ id d, e Amptmess and appearan ces of your mind can actuall, b ppearan d m~p~t~i: ~_ =ce=s~an::~e~ n ~es~s~a~re indivisible.

____________L__

TI IE FUGHT - --

I-lTOFTHEGARUDA - - - TilE Fll, I

F "r He __'" _ ARU DA

,~

Such is my introduction initiating recogn l't' IOn of d' ances and emptiness, tl1lvi ible a Ppear.

It follows, then, that naturally indivisibl 'h d' f app aran e n ess, the In erent ra lan ce 0 elf-exist nt K and ef11 . , nowl d ptl. alert, constitutes the three modes of bing th g, lear spontaneously originated dynamic, lOG at ar th Bl!ddahn~

as

T h erefore, children of my h eart, wi thout regard ~ . ,IntervaIS 0 f form r I " or es 10 a practl ce, 111 onstant m d't ' nand 1 anon Su . recognition day and nigh t. taln this Such is my in troductio n initiatin g recognition of ., , natural s ' pOnta, n eous gnostIc hberatlOn.

SONG TWELVE: THE CRY TAL METAPHOR AN D THE DYNAMIC OF BEING EHMAHO! Listen again to this vagrant's song! There are tw . . . 0 ways of defim ng the three modes of bell1g: 111 terms of Knowledge as the universal gro~nd of being, and in terms of th process of appear, ances emanatmg from th e Knowledge that i the universal ground.

Clearly understandin g these two d efi nitions you will intuitively recognize samsara and nirvana as pure-lands of the three exi tenri~ modes.

is the d efinition of the three m odes of bing that srru tllre original Knowled ge. I h ave used this m etaphor previou ly)lo7but T h is

here it is again: Original intrinsic knowledge is like a crystal ball: its emptiness is.dle dharmakaya's nature; its d ear and natural glow is the sambhogakaya; 106

---

dium of whatever appears, it is the 'rllpeded rue e un] as [h d 3(1' klya, (lir fllaQa d o f being are defi ned as o riginal three rnO es . . . hoW the h th y are not identical to It, neIther are 1'hal IS d althoug e dge an 1 Kn owe 'e frorll it. rat (heY sepa f the spectrum arise out of a crystal, so the e colours 0 .. a1 Know1ed ge. as the fiIV d of being arise out 0 f ongm Jost . f the gro un . ,nifestatlons 0 . C tatl' on the pristine emanatlons of the '11 ....' of mao nes . . In the process d d the bewilderin g emanatIons of phenomena ' pure~lan san . d hi Buddhas I tho s whatsoever, are empty 10 essence, an t s . " .' · s, al mg and of bel~g dh makaya; their nature IS radiant light, whICh 1 . S IS [he ar . C d' ' . h e01punes ~,d their unobstructed manlIest Iverslty IS t e 'bhogakaya, an ne I sarn nirmit)akaya, . h h three modes of bein g are defined as the p rocess of That IS ow t e , . ' .f . of appearances in the umversal ground of bemg. n mannestatlo The distinction between these twO defin itions is rarely made, but it is vital that it be clearly understo od . It was made dear to me through Longchenpa's generous explanations.

If you understand this, then you kn ow that the entire universe of phenomena and noumena and th e energy that an imates it is and has been from the beginning, th e ' spontaneously originated mandala lO8 of the three modes of being, and that it i futile to look for the pure-lands of the three modes anywhere else.

If pe~ple were capable of spontaneous reflexive recognition of ju t the SIX type,s 0 f Sentient . I'lIe C as the three modes of being, then with ut the h necesSity to per torm even t he sl'19h test practi e o f meditati n t ey would all attain the Buddha's aw akening. '

107

FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA - - - - - -THE -- - - --- -----

--------

Further, since the three modes of the ground. of bing ar ultirn.at the dharmakaya, do not regard the three as dIfferent. Sin e th ely • . h e thre .1: modes of the process 0 f manlIestat1o~ m t e ~round of b in are the riipakaya, do not re~ard them as dIffe~en t elth. r. Ultimat 1; the are also not different: In the dim . e dharmakaya and riipakaya " . en Ian of the dharmakaya, empnness IS the one taste. Finally, reaching the end of the path, after appearances manifesting in the ground have spontaneously dissolved back into the ground when the dynamic of the universal dharmakaya is revealed, the ulti~ mate goal is attained. Thereafter, without stiffing from the space of the dharmakaya, the tw~ aspects ~f the r~pakaya (sambhogakaya and nirmaIpkaya) are displayed lIke a rainbow, and there is an uninterrupted stream of activity for the sake of all beings. 109

SONG THIRTEEN: INSTRUCTION IN CREATIVE EMOTIVITY

EHMAHO! Now listen once again to this vagrant singing! At one time or another all of you have been injured by others. Conscientiously recollect in detail how others have wrongfully accused you and victimized you, humiliating you and grinding you into the ground, and how you were shamed and deeply mortified. Brood on these things, letting hatred arise, and as it arises look dir~ctly at it essence, at hatred itself Then, discover firstly where the hatred comes from, secondly, where it is now, and finally, where it goes to. Look carefully for its colour and shape, and any other characteristics. Surely the vision of your anger is ultimately empty and ungraspahle. Do not reject anger! It is mirror-like awareness itself. •

You avaricious traders, think about the form of wealth h C £ Iike . _horses, jewelry, or cas . arerully considering these . and w hen It . anses . I00k d'trecdy at its yo u deslre allow desire to anse, maners, t the greedy and lustful self. Then discover firstly where it cssence~ a secondly where it is now, and finally where it goes to. rn es lroID, CO fully for its colour and shape, and any other characteristics. Look care to wear.

. . 'on of your desire is ult imately empty and ungraspable. Do

Thls VlS! . . . . t it' It is discnmmanng awareness. not reJec .

When you are tired, d~pressed and dull,. a~cept y~ur sloth, and as it . gaze directly at itS essence. Who IS It that IS slothful? Fir dy, arIses . . where does it come from? then, where IS It now? and finally, where ,

~

does It go to.

This vision of your sloth is ultimately empty and ungraspable. Do not reject your stupidity! It is awareness of the vast plenum of space, the reality-continuum. Then think about your class and status, your race and influence and your wealth . Consider how handsome or beautiful you are, and how pleasant and effective your voice. Recall to what extent you are virtuous and successful in study, contemplation and meditation, in reading and writing, in learning in the sciences and arts, and also in the ritual arts, and in converting and controlling others, and so forth. ,After considering your talents and virtues, thinking that you a~e a httle superior to others, allow pride to arise. As it appears look dIrectly at its essence, at pride itself. Discover firstly where it comes from then h " IS now, and finally where it goes to. Look carefull ' . were It y at Its colour and shape and for any other characteristi .

Uf

Then, all you lovers, think of the beautiful man or woman 1D yo . t cake, or heart. You gluttons, consider the food you crave-mea , I thes yOtl fruit. You strutting peacocks, recall and dwell on t he c O

This vision of 'd . . your pn e IS ultimately em pty and ungraspabl . Do not reject YOur 'd' I . pn e. t IS aw areness of san1eness.

I HE LIGHT OF THE GARUDA

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

Then consider how much more influential d an wealth than yourself. Recall their talent and success th ' I Y others ar . . ' elr arge n b e followers, theIr wIsdom and ability in the arts a d ' urn ers of . . . d f] n SCIence h supenor smgmg, oratory an e fective speech th . . s, t eir . . . ' elr supenor kn edge of life and how to lIve It, and their worldly . d Owl_ WIS om a d d' n persuasiveness. After you have considered all the talent L h s an VIrtUe ot hers, a11 ow t he rear t at they are superior to YourseIf to s. of . arising gaz d' ans e, . h envy an d Je . al ousy. Upon Its toget her Wit e lrectly i the essence of jealousy, at jealousy itself. From where d ' nto . . oes it C0Ine) where IS It now? and finally where does it go? Look car full .. . . e y at Its co1our an d shape an d at any other charactenstlc. This vision of your envy is ultimately empty and ungraspable. D not reject your jealousy! It is all-accomplishing awareness. 0 If you intuit the nature of your passions in this way, emotional defilement becomes primal awareness. How ridiculous to expect to find primal awareness and emptiness after you have suppressed passion! How tragic to spend your life searching for something in a place where it is inconceivable that you should find it!

. at expression, and such also is my instruction in purificaefllOtIon h creative emotional efflorescence. I to . n throug [10 e practised purification through creative emotional effloIf yoU ha~ the method described above in the past, henceforth Y five pOlsons. d efiI' . . bY vlftue ' rescence the 1 mg passlOns-anse, of whenever , , f th ' h'dd bitual reflexive recogmtlon 0 elr I en core, emptiness Our ha ' 1 1 . Th ., Y . 1awareness WI anse as one. en, re1ease an d th e ansmg dpnma an ances are simultaneous- release and the arising of appearof appear e simultaneous! ances ar the biographies and teaching of the Lamas of the past, the axiom ~~he greater the passion and the greater intensity of discursive thought the greater the dharmakaya" occurs frequen tly. Know that · , it means exactly what It says. For beginners, when powerful and intense emotion arises it is best to examine the passion and then to rest in equanimity. This is the Lama's personal advice, so keep it in your heart.

After you have realized the five poisons as emptiness by this method, it is unnecessary to examine every passion that arises as described in this introduction; there is no need to search for the seat of the passion, its present location, its eventual destination, its colour and shape, and so on.

Such is my introduction initiating recognition o f spontaneou release of the five poisons.

O~ce you have understood the five poisons as emptiness, avoid pur-

EHMAHO! Once more listen to me, beloved son and daught r who I treasure like my heart! W rap soft, silken cloth arQund vour body and observe the mind th at thinks «How oft!' W rap , ar e

sUIng the passion from the moment it arises. Relax into your own nature, into the nature of mind and without doubt the emotion will naturally subside and vanish.'

SONG FOURTEEN: INSTRUCTION IN THE ONE TA TE OF SENSE-IMPRESSIONS

Yh~ wks°ol or sheepskin around your body and obser .e th t

Such is my introd Uctlon . .... . . InItiatIng recognitIOn

f nsfo rmed 0 tra

In

"H

ow coarse!" When observing the mind one taste in both perceptions.

n1ind that nlptme i th

THE FLIGHT OF TH E GARUDA

-~

Look at the form of a beautiful statue 0 r a great pru ' the mind that thinks "How beautiful l " L k h nting and ob . 00 a t t e fo elVe frog and observe the mind that thinks "H ' rm of a hid , " ow repulsIve'" Wn 0Us mg at the mmd, emptIness is the one taste l'n both perce 'vv . nen 10 k ' 0 , Pttons. Put something sweet like molasses or hone in observe the mind that thinks "How sweet!" YThe your mOuth, and ' like gmger an d 100k at th e mind that thinks "H n taste somet.h'lng . .. ow pungent'" ' Vn observmg the mInd, In both perceptions emptin ' h . vv nen ess IS t e one t aSte, Smell something aromatic like sandalwood incense and 1 . d th at th'm ks "How p I ' " Then smell somethin ook at the mm easmg! like asafoetida or wild garlic and look at the mind that t~i~e~u(?nant

Cul'" ' th e mIn . d , emptmess ' ro . Wh , en 0 bserVIng is the one taste in How bo perceptIOns. th Listen to the sound of a bell, a lute or flute, and observe the mind that thinks ','How lyrical!" Listen to the sound of stones grating or hands clappmg and look at the mi nd that thinks "What cacophony!" When observing the mind, emptiness is the one taste in both perceptIons. Imagine that you are reborn as a world emperor ruling the lands of the four continents, that you are surrounded by an entourage of queens and ministers, in a palace constructed out of the five type of precious substance (gold, silver, turquoise, coral and pear!), where you are eating a feast of a hundred tas tes. When such a vision arises in your mind watch the mind that thinks "How delightful!" Then imagine yourself a beggar without even a single companion, with nowhere to lay your head but a cow shed, where rain drips in from above and moisture seeps up from below, your body afflicted by many diseases, your hands and feet rotting off from leprosy, rofmented by so many troubles that truly you know the meaning of

,

When such a vision ari es in your mind, watch the mind suffert~gks "Oh, rhe pain!" Observing the mind, in both happine s th
SUC

SONG FIFTEEN: T HE NONDUALITY OF QUIE CENCE AND MOVEMENT

EHMAHO! Again listen attentively, my noble ons and daughters! Relax, let yourself be at rest in the free space of mind's original nature, and observe the quiescent state of the mind. Gazing into the mind at rest, you abide in the infinite space of Knowledge. Know, therefore, beloved children of my heart that a quiescent mind i an empty mind in a state of Knowledge. Such is my introduction initiating recognition of qu iescence as an adornment of mind. II I Then, as thought moves in the m ind, observe how it i manife t: it moves not the slightest degree out of the space of empty and radiant Knowledge. Know, therefo re, that an active mind i tin an empty . d' nun m a state of Knowledge, b eloved sons and daught f,.

-

-----_..:.T-.:H~E~F~L~I~G.!:!H~TJO~F~T~H~E~g~~ ARUDA

Such is my introduction initiating .. . d . recognmon f h mm as Its play. 0 t e 11l0ve

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

ment of

No matter how large or violent the II' ro lng wave . the ocean for a moment. In the sam . ' It cannOt es e way, mind . cape cannot escape Knowledge and emptiness t h 1.' passIve Or activ " . . . 0 t e s Ightest d e, IS qUIescent, It IS m a state of Knowledg egree. If' . " . e, so you can rel . It active, whatever anses IS the radIant glow f Kn ax. If It is o owled' again, relax. ge Itself, So The assertion that mind in quiescence is in med' . . " . Itatlon and that d ' an actIve mmd IS out of medItation, signifies failure t . h . . 0 un erstand the In erent emptmess of both qUIescence and activihT d " . . ~ J' an It indIcates t h at qUIescence, movement and Knowledge these th 112 . ' ree, are not yet fused mto one. Therefore, best beloved sons and daughters of my heart, because quiescence and movement are both states of Knowledge, and because in the past you have fully comprehended both these states separately, now in your existential praxis you should condition yourself in the experience of quiescence, movement and Knowledge as one. Such is my introduction initiating recognition of nondual quiescence and movement.

SONG SIXTEEN: INTRODUCTION TO DZOKCHENWITH CAUTIONS

EHMAHO! Listen, onJy beloved children of my heart, listen with your ears attentive and calm! Set the sweet melodies of this vagrant m,instrel, Tsokdruk Rangdrol, upon the white peaks of your heart With the Sweet-voiced Maiden!11 3

~ tablished that all experience is the one taste of have es . .

\XTheIl we have no attachment or averSiOn to samsara or nuss erIlptiIle , we of apprehending external entities either as aliens or vana. The error ies or friends, is precluded. No "self and other" . . 1· as enero as alles, . in any situation: all thmgs are known as the one . h corny arises die 0 . f empuness. taste 0

. is a complete exposition distilled into aphorisms . In . The followmg I f approaches to Buddhahood,114 the Great Perfection, . mnac eO t he p 0 okchen the whole of samsara and nirvana has been known as Z ' . ed unfounded and acausal. reahz as

he beginning, "Buddha' is the one taste of the dharmakaya. In From t . no d'" the Dzokchen dimension there IS IstmCtlOn between go ds an d the Land of Dzokchen there are no Buddhas and no sendemons. In . b' nent emgs . In the ground of Dzokchen there are no moral dualities. There is no near or far on the Dzokchen path. There is no attainment or non-attainment of the Dzokchen goal . There is no correct or incorrect behaviour in D zokchen. There is no meditation or nonmeditation in the reality of Dzokchen. Such is Dzokchen vision. When we realize this D zokchen vision, all constructs pertaining to the gross and subtle planes of the three doors subside, and, thereafter, like tangled wool made manageable by moistening, our three doors- body, speech and mind- reach a state of quiet, self-directed responsiveness. Coincident with the development of a happy, glowing, thought-free samadhi is the birth of authentic compassion, which i like the 1 ye a mother holds for her only son, except that here the love i dire ted t~~ards all beings roaming in samsara who lack the D z k h n v~s~on. This compassion is a very special feature f z k h n ViSion, and this you must know.

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

--------

After you have resolved , that all things are emptv if then 1n . ~l' conduct you abandon vIrtue and no longer shrink from . YOur V1Ce have fallen under the spell of a demon of infinite and intens ' .you , cruci'al to avol'd t h'IS d emonlc " pIt£:"11 e evtl . It IS at , Such are my introductions initiating recognition of Dzokch , ~~ Great Perfection,

The following introductory advice about Dzokchen is crucial While you have yet to realize that all visual and auditory experi~ ences of the relative, external world are totally empty, when you contemplate Dzokchen vision you will tend to ask "Why meditate?" In order to counteract this tendency, remember to perform these exercises: While making supplication to the Lama, observe your mind, From time to tim e, when you are in a relaxed state of concentration, observe your mind intently, At these times you will feel totally contented, and appearances will arise as emptiness so vividly that you will think, ''Although I can touch those things out there with my hand, there is really nothing there!" Profound affirmations and confi dent thoughts will certainly follow, like, "This is definitely the D zokchen vision!" At such times you will gain confidence in your vision, But do not spoil it by clinging to it, Just relax in spacious detachment, Even if you do not practise what is transmitted in this introduction, jf you have understood that everything m anifests from your own heart centre as reflexive forms of emptiness, at the time of death, n~ , ' the Buddhas matter wh at I:rears an' se III the bardo, you WI'II attaIll awakening in the universal ground , pure from the beginning,

11 6

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THE FLIGHT OF T H E G ARUDA

ises the substance of this introduction without having ho pract ," , He ~ h transmiSSIOn IS ltke someone who starts In error on the , error untI'I t h e ·fift h recelved t ed remains III 1 eent , To say "I have realfirst day ~ ss'" when you have not yet understood that there is no . d ernpnne ' " IZC . in any experience of the relative world, IS a great falsehood, real ICY

d r to avoid such pitfalls at the outset, as described above, sit In oru; Lama's feet, and having established the nature of your origiat yo , h h d' , , " nal existential con d'mon ~ roug I r~ct transmIssIOn, y~u will aVOid deviation, double blllds and pItfalls that may anse later on, any k thoIS ad' , your hearts, Therefore, my dearest chOld 1 ren, eep VIce In SONG SEVENTEEN: APHORISTIC INSTRUCTION ON THE DZOKCHEN PATH EHMAHO! Once more, most beloved sons and daughters, listen! After you have fully intuited and established the original existential condition of the Dzokchen vision, yo u m ust utterly sever the ties of attachment and aversion to your family and homeland, Go alone to the forest or to a mountain hermitage, Abandon all physical work and dwell at ease; cease all verbal expression and remain in silence; transcend all objects of thought and let your mind merg~ with space. In this state, relax, without attempting to change anythmg, and without diffusion or fixation of your consciousness.

:vnen the mind is free of all ambition and all belief-supports, that

IS Dzokche .. Ab· d . n VISIon. I e In a st ate of non-meditation. Realize Dzokchen' al f ' t. s go 0 non-attaInmen

Further, when you are c d · , . 1' · h ,. do nOt b ompose m eq uammIty, IVIng t e VI lOn, . any we b of Judgmental · ing t ecorne em ang1ed m thought bv savo YOurself <eN ' , ''. ' , ow I ve arnved at a state of Knowl . dge!" or '117

T HE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

"Now I'm caugh' . depresslOn. . I " N 0, stay ---------t III manIC wak £ . . . ' h . f COntIllUum of realIty Wit out any notion 0 present or futel ul In t he . ,In uno bStructe d freedom. Ure att'lIQ_ . ment, flexible and responsIve You cannot perceive non-concept ual truth with yo ur StrUCtu intellect, and you cannot reach the place of non-action h red . thenon-conceptualtro ugh temporal activity. If you want to attain 0 non-action, rest in naked Knowledge free of dualistic grasPin:. al of

~

/"- - - - - -fi e an d easy response to the six sense-fields. . The . with a re 1 f all expectation and apprehensiOn. :lOoP al is col apse 0 rda:<. f the go

h .. . limitations, we see t e sovereIgn vlslOn . . d has no . . ..l: he miD oiDt . 0 f re ference, we practlse sovereIgn mewta.,,!hell t . WI' 't has no P f all inhibition and Indulgence, we perform ~ell 1 e free 0 "'theP we •ar ,vTl.. l1 . {1 W wu en mind is free of hope and fear, we have (10 • • P actiVI cy. sov~rel~ the sovereign goal. rll' °

(!lac

attalile

The supreme vision is free of all conceptual duality. Supreme . . . f . meditation is freedom from th e c u1 tlvatlOn 0 some attrIbutes and . . . b d all " reJection of others. Supre~e actlOn IS eyon . str.lvmg and effort. The supreme goal is ever Immanent, beyond aSpIratIon. Looking for it, the vision cannot be seen: cease your search. It cannot be discovered through meditation, so abandon your trance states and mental images. It cannot be accomplished by anything you do, so give up the attempt to treat the world as magical illusion. It cannot be found by seeking, so abandon all hope of results. Do not be biased or partial, thus spoiling your free and easy uncontrived consciousness of the here and now by clinging attachments. This radiant insubstantiality, Knowledge of the here and now, this is the summum bonum of all vision. This all-pervasive, all-embracing object of mind transcending the intellect, this is the summum bonum of all meditations. This unforced, detached, free and easy spontaneity, this is the summum bonum of all behaviour. This unsought, spontaneous accomplishment, present from the beginning, this is the summit of all attainments. The matrix of vision is observation of emptiness and radiance without clinging to it. The matrix of m editation is m aintenance of refl exive release without clinging to it. The m atrix of ac tion is J 18

.

,

. abandon all flXed Ideas, all preconceIved thing to see, ., . Ac there IS no t rs of vision . As there IS nothm g upon whIch IV d all param e e .. . nouOflS an. b hatever arises advenuuously. As there IS no par. d d '. . di te let e W

.

me (a,to beh ave, give up evaluation, JU gment, an CIltlClsm. cicUlar way . thomg to attal' n , forsake all expectation of results. As there IS no (0

be is Knowledge, so do not cling to anyone thing. 'V7\. atsoever can d .. , N ' II al WII. •. do not judge an cnUClze. 0 Inte ectu concepts Nothmg IS zt, so 'd SO do not presume. are Val i ,

. all intrinsic knowledge, naturally radiant, transcends the Pnm Ypure . .. . .lOreIIect and ob)' ects of mInd, so there IS n o thmg to see, As it essence has no root or ground, there is nothing to medit ate upon. fu . irs reflexive release is beyond all limitations and extreme there is norhing to do based on conscio us and rational d esign . A It 1 beyond striving, accomplishment and ambition, there is no fruition. Irs essence is emptiness, so abandon self-den ial and self-improvement. Its nature is empty radiance, so let your diiiO'ent fI; rt dr p away, Everything is unobstructed, so forget yo ur preferen e , Ju"t a: phenomena arise, let them be, and do n ot ling to th m,

~?ogin's perception is like the flight-path f a bird in tl "~' ., Th buds flight-path vanishes without trac: a h pr"\ i u:- f r' 119

tl

n

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _l_ l"i _ C _r __ L __ H ..:i ::..:.·H..:...l::.... · -= O.:.. F~ T..:. H~E:...:G ~ AR~U ~D ~A ~

TH E FLIGHT O F TH E

..------

vanishes without repercussion-do not attempt ' b " d I' , to prolong non y pursumg It an c mgmg to it. T he bird's future fl' a. percep. as yet nonexistent: do not anticipate the next perce ' Ight-path is . m . th e sky'IS co IourIess and shapeless: Ptlon ' d -pnnt sent bIr th ' Th e pre. ception has an ordinary, unremarkable form-leave e, present per. ' tirom contammatIng ' " It or mo d ifying it byappl i It alone re tiram , and y ng antidOtes, Just as phenomena arise let them be and do not din ' Th' , ' dunng ' te h d at'1y round. If youg.d IS IS the rad 1'ca1 , essenn'al practIce ' o not clin to whatever, or however, phenomena appear, emotional d ['1 g eu ements naturally freed, are sublime, p rimal awareness.

AR_ UD _A __

----

, k bi inscrutable, ordinary nature of reality there is thm a e, In the un b tween freedom and bondage. No matter what aria'erence e , al h" , , no d1[1· eive your origIn n ature t e JOY arIses automatlwhen yoU per,c ses, d what JOY! cally_an the thought of desiring tho ugh tlessness , conflicting Trapped by l' ly and in mounting frenzy you run aimlessly hither hts roU tIp , tboug, Relax and m erge into the primal space of Knowledge, , C ut Ioose an d Just . Iet It . b e. Then, d thither. an 'fi f coming and gomg. hich IS ree 0 1 I'd k W f yrhing, you remain firm and stab e, as so I as roc. ready rOr an

l

The vision is unorig!n~ted, non-concept~al, capable of any depar. ture whatsoever, for m mtense concentratIon the vision has no S e. cHic content. Meditation is a natural, in nate process of being f~e, for in intense meditation there is non-meditation. Conduct is a performance of magical illusion, innocent of any distinction between giving and taking, abstinence and indulgence, for intense activity is purposeless. The nature of the goal is absence of both hope of attainment and fear of failure, for with intense p ractice the goal vanishes,

his aradox,11 6 my sons and daughters! T here is not so much Grasp t P dust upon which to d' me Itate, b ut "lt 1S crUCl'al to susas a mote 0 f . ' , vering attention w ith presence of mmd. tam unwa

SONG EIGHTEEN: OBSTACLES TO D ZOKCHEN PRACTICE EHMAHO! Once more gather round and listen, my children! It is absurd to try to purify extern al objects , which are insubstantial appearances, the natural forms of emptiness. T hey are empty from the beginning, like the reflection of the moon in water.

In past, present and future the mind is acausal and baseless, Its spontaneous manifestation of vivid appearances is a constant wonder. From the first to the last the nature of all experience is pure! mi raculously arisen! eternally free! completely free! effortlessly accomplished! This ordinary consciousness, unforced and authentic, is the Buddha's dynamic, a vast space without limitation,

It is absurd to apply forceful antidotes to thoughts and concepts, and internal objects. They vanish by themselves w ithout trace. It is absurd to try to improve mind's manifestations with you r renunciation, your practice of self-improvement , or your hopes and fear. ,

What is more, with effort, examining and contemplating the mind !OU do not see its intrinsic original nature, In the unthinkable, mscrutab~e o,rdinary nature of reality there is neither meditation nor non-medItatIon, neither distraction nor non-distraction. Many are Jiberated through natural no-meditation. I I 5

Do not dress up Knowledge, which is naked clarity itself. in the clothes of elaborate intellectual analysis. Rather, rest in relaxation in that magnificent sameness that is w ithout partiality. tay free and easy, witho . 'd Ut a care In the world, in the place where there i no resl ue to perception.

They are free from the beginning an d primal awareness by nature.

___________________________1_ 20________~___________ ~____________________ 12 1

...,......_ _ _ _ _ _T :..:H :..::E~ FL1GHT OF THE G ARUDA

T HE. FLIGH T

matter what thoughts arise in that s 1m " pace, ow th natural radlance of tmpartial and spontane 1 ' e111 to be h ous y eXIStent 11'" t e Th en we are able to let go of the m en t 1 'd .l\llOwled . ' . a reSI lie of ge, .Abandomng the manIfest atiOns of mind to all perception . , vast -embra ' as the play of elusIve, effervescent, shimmerin eaj' Ctng paCe g r l ty W ' atelv reach the plenum ofKuntu Zangpo's dy , .' e lllUnedi_ ' naIlllc mmd, !

0

The foregoing is called the universal, self-Iiberatin ' , g yoga of the 'hd urally accomp IIS e and ongmal1y liberated Great P rfc' flate eCtIon,

Alth

Although we do not move, we arrive at the Buddha's

Seat. ough we do not practise, the goal is spontan eously accomplished Although we do not abandon emotional defilements th .' ' ey are PUIlfiled as they stand. Thus our Mind is the same as the dynam.d

of the great Lamas, and following in their footsteps exhausted.

Ie mIn s

OUf

karma is

You should understand the enormous signifi cance of this, my sons and daughters . By the generosity of th e wise old man Choki Gydpo, I, Tsokdruk Ral1gdrol, attained the spontaneously originated. dynamic mind of Vagrant Non-action,1l7

OF THE GARUDA

---- it . I's an idle boast. They meditate, but their d' - but de rstan 109, . f mental structures. They examine the mind. Ull . conSISts 0 . . all' meditation ai' T hey are successful, but it IS In samsara~ ·ng to du lry. but cII . ntellectual with an analytical view of reality 'n that the I . It is certalnneCO.on W .Ith the Heart-essence of the Great PerfectIon, has no co N ingthik. 118 No specific activity is necessary) for Dzokchen Y f k . " I ' the, does not 1ea d to the exhaustio n, 0 . a!IDLC aCtiVIty. t is n acuo k ' .g in terms of action and mactlOfi. beyond rec onlO ation beyond meditation, meditation is detrimenIn the non-medit . " " n where there IS nothin, g to see, upon what can al Beyond VISlO , . , ( • C I Bond seeking, where there 1S no seeking, there 15 no ey , , f rh h d )'0U lOCUS. e ere an now. ' Kn 0 wIedge is direct recogmtIon 0 fin dmg, How ridiculous that someone should have this explained and not listen. Such a person has no con nection with Dzokchen.

When you observe something that is arising in a dynamic ~d of immense space, utterly pure from the beginning then there 15 no duality of samsara and nirvana.

This non-action may be crucial, but it is not understood by some. ~verYt~ing is already done, bu t they say, "I m ust work hard! Everythmg has been liberated from the beginning, but they sa , '1 wan~ to be free! " Everything is at rest from the beginning bur they ar, I want peace of mind.!" T he mind is in meditation from the beginning, but they say, "I must medi tate!" The vision exists from the b . . . d fi eginnmg, but they say, "I must see it!' T he goal is attame rom the first, but they say, «I must reach it!"

To have taken this Mind as the subject of m song ,vill indu itabl· please the Victorious Buddhas of the past present and future.

People who trust i al" knoW I h n an an yttcaJ VIew are learn d, but [he on y t e taste of dead wo rds and d ivisive n eprs, The laim

~h~ answer to your question i

"However," you may ask) (although at fir tIm . re t free .md ea .' \Vh~n perceiving external, delusive object of nlind. later rill I not agoun regress into bewilderment?')

that ordinarv indi 'idual' ana" d

elf ego will certainly go astra , But a tor

th ,

~in ~ h

t

unaelrsr:;mclS

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

-----------

all appearances as causeless and baseless and who ' ' to ch ange h Imse ' If or p h enomena, rejectin refrain S from. c attemptmg ' , n g o t h ers, b ecause h e is naturally cg SOme th' an d cu I tIvatI . lUgs detached equanim ity he will not err, omposed in ''Are there no potential traps or dilemmas in thI's dI'm ' enslon ~" may further enquire, ' you There is no pitfall or trap possible on this path, Dilemmas and are caused by clinging and attachment. If there is no attachm traps , . , ent to anythmg that may arIse, what can pOSSIbly be the cause of downfall? H owever, when Knowledge arises co-emergent with an object, looking at the essence of the thought of what has arisen should not be considered the meditation. The crucial practice is to constantly sustain the aspect of Knowledge that is naked radiance, Furthermore, when Knowledge is q uiescent, neither diffused nor concentrated, the lack of concepts and thoughts associated with the quiescent aspect is not the central point of the meditation. In that state you should sustain clarity and strength of mind, crystal clear and acutely awake. If you fail to understand this vital point and think, "Observing either diffusion or quiescence of m ind is the essence of meditation," you will go astray, my sons. Mere quiescence is a trance state of the gods and mere diffusion is ordinary concep tualization. You may meditate on these but you will not attain Buddhahood. In short, until you realize your goal, at all times whatsoever you sho~ld sustain the aspect of Knowledge that is naked, unobstructed dan~, maintaining a vivid awareness of it as a crystal ball. After your goa1 IS attained, continue to Sustain constant identification with that state. 124

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

- - - - - - - - al al'ty of the vision of Cutting Through ll9 he centr re 1 d' all' . said that t h Knowledge should be sustaine In ItS Ie IS d and t at . ' f ' , r.r"ow1e •ge, by stnpplllg " the mind naked. This pomt IS 0 umque IS l'-l' ds t clarIty dian h ism reduced from a hundred wor ) so ra It is an ap or iJllPortanc~. 1l beloved sons and daughters. ber It we , reJlle01 EEN' T H E FOUR INFALLIBLE GUIDING STARS SONG NIN:D THE FOUR UNSHAKEABLE BOLTS of my heart, listen with O nee aga!'n , sons and daughters , "'d EHIVUU ~ d t' Here is instruction on the four mfallible gw d 'on an res pee . ,din . evon The infallible guiding star of vision is called a gul g star lfig stars. f' f: 'ling radiance: it is vivid perception of the here and because 0 Its un aI , " d .din The infallible guiding star of meditation IS ~e a gut g star noW. of the here and because 0 f'Its um;cailing radiance: it is vivid perceptIon , , f' 'ding star of action is called a gUiding star because 0 noW. The gUl , hIts unfailing radiance: it is vivid perceptIon of t?~ here and now. T. e infallible guiding star of the goal is called a gUiding star because of ItS unfailing radiance: it is vivid perception of the here and now. ~lAUO!

Here is instruction on the four unshakeable bolts. The unshakeable bolt of unchangeable vision is vivid perception of the here and now, and it is called an unshakeable bolt because of its permanence throughout past, present and future . T he unshakeable bolt of unchangeable meditation is vivid perception of the here and now, and it is called an un shakeable bolt because of its permanence throughout past, present and future. The u n shakeable bolt of ~~changeable conduct is vivid perception o f th e h ere and now, and It IS called an unshakeable bolt because of its permanence thr ughOUt past, present and future. The unshakeable bolt of the un -hangeable goal is vivid perception of the here and n ow, and it i called an unshakeable bolt because of its permanence thr ughout pa t present and future. ...

________ T H _ E_ FL_fG _I_n _ ~~ T~E Gl-RU ~

-----

There are a vast number of dif£ rent visions, bu in th If-' intrinsic knowledge of the here and now, which i p i t nt ' d al ' f' . d' ur aWe r n th ere IS no u Ity 0 vIsiOn an Vlew r, D not 1 ok t 1 , , 1 but look for the viewer. Looking for th e cr ator of th visit 1 n C '1 fi d h' th '" h on, If y U ral to III 1m, en your VISiOn IS at t point of r oluti '

:11

vision in which there is nothing at all to s e but whi h in, hi blank nothingness of ultimate void, is vivid and un alloy d n t a tion of the here and now: this is Dzokch n vision, P r pThere are innume,rable d!ssi~ilar l~ethod of meditation, but in the unobstructed clanty, whIch IS ordinary perception of the h rand now, there is ~o ~uality of meditation and meditator, Do not p rform the medItatIon, but look for the meditator. Searching for th meditator, if you fail to find him, then your meditation is at the point of resolution. This ~editation in, which there is no meditating whatsoever, free of depreSSiOn and elatton, free of cloudy vision and sluggishness, is the natural radiance and unalloyed perception of the here and now-it is meditation fixed in uncontrived samenes , There is an infinite variety of different modes of behaviour but in the cosmic seed of intrinsic knowledge and pure awareness th re i no duality of action and actor. Do not perform the action, but look for the actor, Searching for the actor, if you fail to find him then your conduct is at the point of resolution, This conduct, in whi h there is no activity whatsoever but which is not gov rned by delu· sive habit patterns, is the unforced, natural radiance of p rc pti n of the here and now- this is immediate, immaculate action, wher nothing whatsoever is contrived or forced and nothing i inhibited or indulged. T h ere are innumerable goals, but in the spon tan eously originated effortl essly accomplished intrinsic knowledge of t he three xi (en· rial modes, there is no duality of accomplishm ent and h who 126

,VI'

hout striving fo r rh ) goal, e k th

adh aka,

al wIt . I' h' h 'c (ht: go, h looking for hi m wh 15 a comp 1 m g ( hIves , th pat . f h'

l

.J

,

c: d h'm th n yo u are a t th p tnt 0 ac 1 veogin on thc Y 'I' n to Jill 1, . , . at and fat I g, h' 1 there i n tnvmg ~ r ac omph hm en t , gO . oal In w IC'1 . ",eO t . ThiS g f unciation and u lrivation, hop nd car , 1 l &~ o ren . (Ompk tc y 1 rural rad ian o f K n wI d g that 1 p r p us f h d now' thi i m p ty, n atur al ra d 'tan 0 t e [he sponta neo Y na " . he here a n ' {ioll of ~ 'a1 odes of the Buddha m anlh t. Ir 1 th ultimate three eXistent! m f Buddhahood. I I'

goat 0

SONG TWENTY: SI N

FN N UALI

EHMAHO! And again , beloved on and da ught r , Ii t n well!

If you sustain this practice unwav ringly fro m th b ginni~g, until you abandon yourself totally in compl te fr dom th re wlll be n corning and going from the supreme truth and no departure from the here and now. When there is no distinction b tw n appearan e and emptines , then perfect vision is realized. When there i no distinction between dream and the waking tate, then pe rfect nleditation i realized. When there is no distinction b etween plea Ul' and pain, then perfect conduct is realiz d. When there is n o di tinction between this life and the next, then your original existential c ndition is realized. When there is no distinctio n between your mind and the sky, then the dharmakaya is realized. When ther i no distinction between your own mind and the Bud d ha, then the goal is realized.

SONG TWENTY-ONE: SUPPORTIVE EXERCISE AND ADVICE

~oHMAHO! Once agai n, b eloved children, listen to me! Regard thi

Y 1 e t he reflection o f the moon in w ater. Perceiv all

rporeal bod l'k

127

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

THE FLIGHT O F TR

-------

vocal expression as echo. Dissolve the multitude of . t h e punty . 0 f t h elr . own nature. Your concepts III

In

ental

KKt:rcrn:

~d striving, without clinging or any partiality, f effort an . . b gh is free

0

ent every single expenence IS

rou

t to a

ope t by mom . I. eP J1l0rnen. I tion without attachment, m the u nmate th

Live all visual and auditory experience without attach . . d h fl . ment, as h~1 I uCInatIOn, ream, t e re ectIOn of the moon in cUd' . f ' h water, a fa' . h k p al ace III t e s y, a IstortIon 0 Sig t, an apparition b b lry

. '" :m echo. ~e~f~rm all your datl~ aCtiVIty

, a u bl e

III

~his. state. Without rnand

mg any dIvIsIOn between seSSIOns of meditatIon and h' ak. t e lllterv I as between t hem, practise constantly, day and night. Do not seek to alter your thoughts in any way. Leave th . . . . ~lll~ natural state, wIthout fo rCIng them or adulterating them . Letthem alone as empty radiance, without clinging to them, and thus allow self-expression to release itself by itself. Let them be, without relrlca.~ tion, without meditation, without any effort ' and leaving no trace whatsoever.

d rtalO resO u , an ce ontinuum of m ind- like droplets of water J1. of the empty c purt~ . the great ocean. rnerglOg 10 . heartened when during meditation many thoughts d IS d not be . not m ed nation. ' · " Th e mIn . d So 0 d ou think, "This IS disturb yo~ anI gYenerating thought, but because mind is empty, be actIve y . . d may . al empty. Since whatever anses IS a state of Knowle ge, thought IS so t any alteration based on JU . d gment an d eval uanon, . do not attemp . . h . al ne in its natural authentic, uncontnved state. In t at butleave It 0 ' . . . ht will certainly be released lnto ltS own natural punty. way, thoug cpa!

If you are a practitioner of lesser capacity, unable to stay in the Treat all past thought as the trackless path of a bird in the sky, all present perception as clear dustless space, and all future thought as the water in a mill with its sluice gate closed. Without cultivating or modifying any thought, with a free and easy attitude leave thoughts alone in their natural state of open space. Treat all gross and subtle concepts, the three poisons, the five poisons, and so on, like thieves entering an empty house. Treat external appearances of the six sense-fields, which leave no residue in the

mind, like a city of magical illusion. In short, regarding creation, existence and cessation; the gr~~nd, .. d·· d ct and frUIUO n; the p ath and t he goa; con u . . 1 VISIon , me ItatlOn, · .. d the disposer, time place an d verbal exp ression; the d ISpOSltlOn an d' e , L h h h innate ra lane liberation and th e liberator; and so rort : w en t e . nd · d Judgment, a of all these events is unaffected by eva1uatlon an

natural state, you should practise a combination of examination followed by rest in equanimity, as described in the introductions. 12o Alternatively, you can force thought to its own demise: provoke relevant or irrelevant thoughts and then pursue them, one after the other, in various ways, prolonging each thought until the m ind is exhausted. Finally, when you have no more grasping, rest in ease. Another method is to meditate upon the real Lama in the centre of your heart. Keep your m ind fixed on him for as long as possible and then, finally, letting go, rest in the state of Knowledge.

o agalll, . meditate upon a tiny point of bright light

in the centre ~flour heart. Imagine it descending until it reaches the eat of r ; (the navel centre). This method will certainly destroy diffu ed atnpant thought. When agitation is stilled, rest in the tate f r

;d

121

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

Knowledge. When torpor is present, sharpen your g . . aze, and ft strIppmg Knowledge naked, sustain the radiance. a er O r, as a further option, imagine your mind as a light-s . SrI'11 ,s h out "Pl..J "'T " 122 Instantaneousl eed, · w h en t h e Image IS .nn! h and ' c. . Y t e mind sh oots Hom the fontanelle lIke an arrow, and you should i ' , . . . h th l ' f h ky Th . maglne mIxmg WIt e c arlty 0 t e s . en Identify your int e11ect wIth ' It the nature of the sky. It is impossible that your torpor will ·· d by t h'IS metho. d Wh en your torpor has vanished nOt be e1Immate ' , rest In a state of detachment. Since this advice is the result of personal experience, remember it weII, Without being trapped by thought of desire for thoughtlessness, increasing the dimensions of Knowledge, abandon yourself to it smoothly, and be happy and free in that vast, open space.

T HE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

~ ena into elixir. Then offer the elixir to all and noum , henornena

d Bodhisattvas of the ten directions. After they have . h a d'ISpOSltlOn ' , 0 fl ' dissolve into light WIt oVIng been satisfied, ~ee:hole of samsara and nirvana is completely filled kindnesS, ~~ t f I ar light. Then, with your elixir that liberates by . h he elIxIr 0 c e d .. Wit t . fy all beings under the sky. The Oath-boun SpIrIts . . an d tents, al b ecome your taste YOU sans t ctors who are qualItIeS d Dharma-pro e , . ' . an d hen the supreme field of compasslOn consIstmg of the . . cred'Itors, h osguestS, . anb' t of the SIX realms, as we II as all k armlC s . . d senuent emg . . b trUCtlve forces and elementals- all are satiate . ts tile splfl , 0 s

P the SUddhas an h

Then with the conviction that samsara and nirvana are of one taste, in the unalloyed nature of mind that is the dharmakaya, walk and sit, run and jump, talk and laugh, cry and sin g. Alternately subdued and agitated, act like a lunatic. Finally, abide in a state of peace and happiness.123

Initially (in your practice of meditation), thought is like a rushing river at the bottom of a gorge. In the middle, it flows calmly and majestically like the River Ganga. Finally, just as all rivers become of one flavour in the ocean, so thought is resolved in the state where

At night-time, sleep peacefully and naturally, free of all discursive-

the mother-light merges with the son-light.

When you practise in the above manner, disease and hostile spirits are automatically assuaged and pacified. Your view and meditation are then brought to resolution, your realization is like the sky, your meditation is naturally radiant and you act like a child. Without any frame or points of reference you act spontaneously, like a madm~n. Making no distinction between self and others, you are a Satnt. Detached from whatever you say, your speech is like melodious .echo. W'IthOut d' eSlre for anything at all you are like a Garuda SoarIng aloft. . the b . . ' you are lIke a fearless, intrepid lion. All is free from b' h S egtnntng . ' l'k 1 e ng t clouds in the sky. Such a yoain is a real . b ugata, a Vldyadh Heis c ara. He IS worthy of enormous respect and homag . even rar su . penor to the wish-fulfilling gem.

In particular, whatever disease, hostile spirits, or apparitio,ns a~ict you, do not make any attempt to ward them off by magical ntes, Rather practise the following m editation that attacks the problem , . ' h all other directly and reduces the afflIctIOn to t e same taste as exp erIence.

b burning ground, Go to a spo t that tends to breed fear-to a orest, a empty . 1 d d rock-cave, or an or an islan d-or t o an ISO ate gar en, a . I' the folloWc · e and Vlsua lze all house, Of go sit u nder a tree, rOr Instanc , d ' contentS, h vessel an ItS ing. Transmute yo ur own b0 d y, t e

ness, free of diffused or concentrated th o ught. Sleep in the space inherent within, maintaining perfect attention to pure potential.

--------

TH.E F LIGHT OF THE GARUDA

THE FLIGHT OF THE G ARUDA

----

SONG TWENTY-TWO: INTERlORIZATION OF THE 'V.lrtr~ H HT DAlA

EHMAHO! And yet again, my beloved sons and daughter I' •

, 'T. .

•

.

s, ISten

the song of thIS vagrant. vaHocana IS not oUtslde' he ex' , . ' _ ' ISts With. in . He is the realtty-contmuum (dharmadhatu), the nature af mmd ' free of movement, the true nature of sloth, pure as it stands . That 'IS . the real Bhagavan Valrocana. to

Vajrasattva is not outside; h e e:ists within. He is the mirror, the unobstructed medium of creatIve Kn owledge, the true nature of anger, pure as it stands. T hat is the real Bhagavan Vajrasattva. Ratnasambhava is not outside; he exists within. He is the sameness that rejects nothing and indulges nothing, judges nothing and evaluates nothing, the true nature of pride, pure as it stands. That is the real Bhagavan Ratnasambhava. Amitabha is not outside; he exists within. He is sensory discrimination, where pleasu re and emptin ess vanish into the continuum of space, the true nature of desire, p ure as it stands. T hat is the real Bhagavan Amitabha. Amoghasiddhi is not outsid e; he exists within. He is (Otal accomplishment, Knowledge arising unim peded and naturally liberated, · 1 . d T hat is the real the true n ature 0 f Jea o usy, pure as ItS stan s. Bhagavan Amoghasiddhi. 124

SONG TWENTY-THREE: EXTERIORIZATION OF THE MANDALA listen WI'rb nsons h EHMA HO! Once again my best beloved earr-s , . B ddhas · that the FIve U iog joy to my vajra-song! When you re aJ lze

. he mind's nature and in emotional defilement, then are inherentftnht omenal creation and the life therein is a book of .J... Ie 0 P en (he WI'O d' l'tself the ultimate mandala. On the parchment of 'on an IS . , ins[fU cn d d white phenomena 125 the bamboo qUIll of self-exlsdiverse. real :areness and Knowledge inscribes baseless, unattached (en t pn m' t d from the beginning, creating images to be read in , hers lI bera e CIP f _emergent appearances and empnness. [he space 0 co , taneously accomplish ed mandala, which is the entire ThiS spon . . 'mensions of microcosmIc world systems, IS consecrated by three dI . ' the natural sprinkling o~ ramwater; ItS. streets and alleyways form (he natural lines of its deslgn; our footpnnts are the dots of coloured owder; our own bodies of apparent emptiness are the existential ~ode of the Yidam deity; our speech of auditory emptiness is vajrarecitation (of mantra); our thought, detached and naturally liberated, is the deity's spirit; and all the movements of our limbs are the deity's mudra. Food and drink are offerings of the nature of reality, and all phenomenal form is the deity's body; the expression of all articulated sound is music. There is nothing to protect and nothing to be impaired in this natural samaya. Whatsoever the yogin who practises in this manner does, he need ~Ot rely. upon a path of cause and effect and diligent striving, ~cause In the space of clear light reality his instruction and the creative stage of d' . . . me nation, and the samayas, are naturally fulfilled. To attain qUickly t h e ' . . ing . th . great mIracle of th e ultImate power, WIthout srriv, IS especial h " sons and d h c aractensuc of the Great Perfection, mv heart aug ters. '

When We practlse . ' . . the sky th 1 like t h IS consIstently, Just a cloud vanish int , e We ter of tho

h d ug ts an concepts of sam: ara and nirvan

THE FLIGHT OF THE G ARUDA THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

dissolve into the primal ground of being,

COLOPHON

°

After the dharmakaya is revealed as the clear light f'lnrn. . knowledge like the radiant, unobscured solar mandala, We are n bl SlC to raise the dead and comprehend the mysteries, and demo a. e . '1 d' b' nstrattng vanous mlrac es we can irect emgs, After perfecting all the qualities of the ten stages and the five , hout excepnon, " ' capacity are liberpaths Wit m d'IV!'d ua1s 0 f supenor .mto t he pure groun d 0 f b' C ' ated emg ,m t h'IS I'lIenme, individuals of ml 'd_ dling capacity at the moment of death, and those of lesser c . , a~~ m the bardo (the after-death state), Thereafter, remaining 11 Co rever inseparable from the pure awareness of the three modes of bein in the continuum of reality, emanating apparitional bodies to rr:nsform all beings in whatever way is required, we work unremittingl Y to give ultimate meaning to all sentient beings, Keep the significance of these words in your mind, and surely the inner sun of happiness will shine upon us,

.. f Cutting Through to the clear light of the Great . f the ViSIOn ° . ' h h ThISsong 0 . h h potential of leadmg us qUlckly throug t e . whteh as t e Perfection, . II d The Flight of the Garuda. It is based on many d paths, 15 ca e . .. J srages an f D kchen: Introduction to Dtrect VistOn ofKnowleage . ral treasures °h WLongchenpa's Seven Treasures and Three Chanots, . scnptu . o gyen Rimpoc e, by r lft d n the Great Perfection: The Three Cycles of Space, The d An A erwor, 0 an d .rp .lOund Truth Heartdrop of the Dzokchen I)iikini, and Vtlst Clou OJ r o p ' , '/. . h lm ol'the Hand, all by Longchenpa. 126 The secret mstrucBudd"a tn t e 1'0- 'J . ' . f Lamas and my own meditation expen ence decorate 1(S maruon 0 my gins. It is written by Jatang Tsokdruk Rangdrol fo r the sake ,o.f many devoted disciples. May it cause boundless advantage to the trarutlon and 1)

ro sentient beings.

Since these vajra-songs were composed for all those concerned with liberation, they should be sung by yogins when they are focusing upon Dwkchen vision. As the Knowledge Bearer Sri Sif!lha 127 said regarding the purpose of such songs:

He who has expressed such aspiration in song is the vagrant Tsokdruk Rangdrol. Through its virtue may all those many aspirants who have such good fortune swiftly dissolve all the defilements inherent in loss of awareness, and in emotion and thought, in the primal continuum of purity, May they attain the goal of Buddhahood in this lifetime.

The Buddha's Mind is all-pervasive; sentient beings' Knowledge is fragmented: to create openness like the sky is ofgreat advantage. So, just as Sri Sirpha advises, identify Knowledge with the vast space of the. sky, infinitely increasing its height and depth, and out of this space, which . b emgs, ' . these songs to benefit your medi' . embraces all Sentlent smg tation on vision.

.

Samaya! Sarva mangalam!

MalOtain the commitment! Mayall beings be happy!

THE WISH-GRANTING PRAYER OF

KUNTU Z ANGPO

THE WISH- GRANTING PRAYER OF

KUNTU ZANGPO A Revealed Text of Rikdzin Godemchan INTRODUCTION

Among the thousands of incarnations of Guru Rimpoche emanated to reveal initiatory visions the Knowledge-bearer Godemchan has a unique reputation . He discovered a corpus of texts called the Northern Treasure,128 which had a widely felt and potent effect on the yogin community of his day. Unlike the treasure-texts of many other tertons, the Northern Treasure has retained its attraction until our own time. It is difficult to characterize Godemchan's revelations in contradistinction to other terma, except to say that it is couched in extremely clear and succinct term.s and has an overall unity of content and style. It has an affi nity to the Dzokchen tradition known as the Vimala Nyingthik of the Indian pandita VimalamitTa, a contemporary of Padma Sambhava in Tibet. The most important texts of the Northern Treasure treat mahayoga and anuyoga. Godemchan was born in Upper Tsang, in the high, wide, inclement valleys of the Tibetan plateau to the north of the highest peaks of the Himalayas. Tsang was the centre of Tibetan culture ~uring the fourteenth century when Goden1chan (1337- 1409) hved, and since he was born into a noble family that traced its lineage to Mongolian royalty, his family seems to have had standing in the co . H' r h . . S mmumty. . IS rat er was a pnest and mystic of the Nyingma ~hool, an adept III the yoga of Dorje Phurba. The young Ngodrub yeitsen, as he was named, grew up under th e tutelage of his Iearned father and d h . as a stu ent s owed prom ise at a very early age.

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

The apocalyptic events that earned him h' b' -------M Vi 1 IS So nque "G aster u ture Feather, occurred in hi h t odernchan " L S yout When h ' years 0 Id tree reathers of the eagle v u l t ' e Was eleven h f h' h ure appeared 0 h o is ead, and when h e was twenty-th h n t e crown , d ree t e thr b Increase to five , The vulture 129 is a sac d b' d ee eath ers f: ' , re Ir, sacred i r 'b rom tIme "immemorial; a single vulture £4eath er ornamented n GI et Hat, As to his spiritual l'meage, Code huru Ri mpoc h e s VIctory , was an emanation of Nanam Dorje Dud)' om ' the d'ISClP '1e ofmeG an ' uru Ri mpoche depIcted wielding a phurbu, His, epithet Rikdzin Chenpo, the "Magnificent Kn owe 1 dge-bear, » , " er, signIfies the success of hIS medItation as a Nyin rna S h , 1" 'h d g c ool yogIn IVIng In t e mun ane world, maintaining Dzokchen VISIOn, ', The Three Supreme Emanations l30 of Guru Rimpoche, of whom Godemchan was one, were all yogins of this type, His activity as a treasure-finder began when he was given a list of hiding places bya friend who had discovered it at Gyang Yonpolung,13I near Lhatse Dzong, and dose to one of King Trisong Detsen's Yangdul temples, It was this list of hiding places that probably directed him to a power-spot called Dzengdrak Karpo, beneath the peak of Riwo Trazang, where he found a precise list of treasure-texts, At the age of twenty-nine, in the cave of Zangzang Lhadrak, he discovered a blue chest with many partitions that contained the great ~eal~h of Northern Treasure written on yellow parchment, which llldlCates the Dakinis' hand in the affair, Groups of texts were designa~ed by . d' al d' ' ns and thelf centheir position in a mandala of the car In ' 11 Irecno . 132 From (he tre and the five groups he called the FIve reasUfles. , ortant , al ' h d ne of the most lmp dark-brown centr caVIty e extracte 0 h I "Immediate of his revelations, the Kunzan g Gongpa Zang~, ~ also discoVTransference to the Dynamic of Kuntu Zangpo, e ' l ts and relics there, ,natJ'ng ered various sacre d imp emen ' l}'f~ dissel111 Godemchan spent the remainder ~f hIS l~n:n~ ~t reached ever)' the teaching of his revelation, Accordlfig to g beneficial in every . rI"l' betan world, and its effects were corner 0 f t hc

" ' wars were prevented, all diseases " f human actiVIty, artlnent 0 , I 1 hose caused by spirits of dIsease, cattle d artiCU ar y t , d dep eradjca~e -P fields were fertile, men lived In harmony, an peace n'lulcipbed, the 'I d I eemed that the Northern Treasure held I" d 'U prevat e ' t s and goO WI Buddhafield, In fact, t h e only further revelation (he key to a d was that of the keys to the hidden valleys that IIlchan rna e , ' 'T'b H he had discovered during hIS SOjourn In 1 et. e Gode. Guru RimpOC th h d . l'fi cher to the King of G ung ang, w 0 governe a ded hiS teas tea , , ' en.. ai' th of Kirong, His death is descnbed In terms of hIS nnclp lty nor " . ' ~wn Buddha-dynamic dissolvmg mto the reallty-contmuum. The third incarnation of Godemchan was fo rced to move to Central Tibet because of some political intrigue, and the hub of the wheel of Northern Treasure dharma became the gompa of T ubten Dorje Drak,133 which was destined to become o ne of the two monastic centres of the Nyingma School in Central T ibet, Now The Wish-Granting Prayer ofKuntu Zangpo is an epitome of the chapter of the Dzokchen Kunzang Gongpa Zangthedu Tenpai Gyud,134 The Tantra of Immediate Transference to the Dynamic of Kuntu Zangpo and Dzokchen, which treats the "involuntary" attainment ,of B~ddhahood, This tantra is the principal text in the cycle contamed m the volume of treasures called Immediate Transference to the,DlInam ' OJ,I'l\.untu v: Zangpo, T he tantra 'Itself detaIls ' the metaJ Ie physlcs of con SClOllsness-tranSleren ' C , ce to the Adtbuddha Kuntu Zangp'os mm 'd ,What is remarkable and specific to this tantra is the concept of ' , real d' "transterence, )) 135 w h lch IS n o-transference because the mor "'" Imensio n t hat IS ' Kuntu Z angpo's mInd " IS ever-Immanent ' insofar , Ignoran , enee" bas It IS mhe rent" In ce, There can be no "transfereeause there mind K was never any separation from Kuntu Zangpo's , untu Zan 'd '" needs reeo " gpos ynanuc IS In constant operation and simply to be fiu11y fiunctIonal. ' Thus thglllUon 11, So near yet so far! ~ynamic analtra ofthe Immediate Naked Clarity ofKuntu Zantrnn's an tern " orIS another e ' atIve tran slation of the title. ''All-pervasi e onnotatIon o f t h eT' l b etan word zangthal inee it i

i:

OFTH£~~ _U_D _A ________

THE WrsH-GRA, ITT. G PRAYER OF KUl 1TlJ Z~ 'GPO

--~---

've wl'th emptiness and Knowledge. It denotes an ev;~

co-extensl~ten_

rial qualiry of naked, stark ~war~n~ . T~e word ~gthal does nOt appear in the prayer. But mce It 1 a WI h-grantmg prayer, if the transmission (Lung) from the Lama has been received in full aWare_ ne ,then "transference" to the mind ofKuntu Zangpo is the amazing result. The prayer is also kno~n ~ he Pray~r of Great EftiCacy,136 "Prayer" in the context of thl~ ntle .1S certamly a su~phcation_ the main verbs have a vocative mflection-but, more hteral rendi. f h T'lbetan word monLam,137 , would gIve us the "Path of [lons 0 t e ,

r.

Good Wishes" or "Path of Positive ~SplratlOnS of ~Untu Zangpo" as , bi e trans1a t 'lOns here'" IS that the words Via · The unique difference _ e mouth of the Adibuddha-1t IS as If God the emerge f rom th , ering the prayer, Thus, not only IS the prayer Abso 1ute were u tt " , d but there is no error m It. It IS the perfect boun d to be answere , " ' 'f 1 £ this reason 1t wlll be fulftlled, It IS mantra, 'c" Prayer, an d I. onh y or th of the Guru manuests 1ts true meamng. and mantra 1ll t e mou , b' ill h . . f D kchen there is no subJectlo Jeet c oroI the dlmenslOn 0 zo , h th n h" the prayer is addressed to ItS aut or: e d true to t IS venty . my, an d ., one In the very act of expressIOn · di oser an VlSlOn are . sUPPIlcan t, SP , d t • " f Kuntu Zangpo's dynamic. In a ", dlate nake clarlty 0 . . . lies t he 1m me .' thi'S prayer the rubnc enJoins 1 t ny contamlng , , . yingma c h 00 1 a . f K Zangpo before recltatlon. . ai' hlmsel as untu . .d . G that unites his min the Yogi n to VISU lze t d the uruyoga . He sh ul~ e:en hav~ pe~ o~~~ the prayer is recited d~ring times 0: wi h the AdJbuddha min . h during an ecilpse, an earth great danger r radical chahnge'dsuocf t:e year, its efficacy is exponene'r r at teen .' borne mo · . h . d' propenSIties ec I' q uake, the so1Stice, .' d A uch umes t e mm . nsation are oos ually Ulcrcase . ne's fixed mentat dispe f' i(iation O fluid, and attac~ment stO 01 recognize a lineage 0 l:an be as ~I 'h ylngma Ch ' f hese verses . of en d. e ,. h the recitatlon 0 t the prac[lce DR ood hrough prayer. uS ining uddhah as rnain(aining f k'l III means atta h Lama, or ,n S I . • e rvice to t e

r

f Ie I yog;~, prol~ g WI't h tl c [• aklnl .

, all ~ who is Kunru Zangpo? He is the Adibuddha, the Prim , , Orio1oal Buddha. He represents Knowledge-Awareness and Flrsr, b, "All G d" char is rhe universe. HIS name means - 00 , where his good, transcendent and supra-moral. He also represents Dzo chen ness IS irself in irs resultant phase. Kuntu Zangpo's "dynamic" i the po er of his mind, or active Knowledge. The word "mind" is rejected because of the danger of conceiving it as a ubstantial entiry. It consists of no more than its mouve power or intentionality, and its modes can be defined as p rimal awareness, communicative ribration, responsiveness, transforming activity, and magical quality,13 These modes are induced by the prayer, The prayer of the Adibuddha Kunru Zangpo can be analn d inco twO parts. The first part explains the nature of ignorance' and [he vision of Kuntu Zangpo's reality that ignorance veils. The eond part describes the meditation upon the five form of pas ion [hat are intrinsically the five aspects of awarenes . Each section of this "philosophical" prayer concludes with a vocati e tatement invoking the Buddha's awaren ess. ~o

In the first part, the first section 140 introduce the basic reality of the ground of beingl4 1 that transcends all dualitie ,including ~_ sara and nirvana, ignorance and knowledge. Thi i the realm of Kuntu Zangpo. The second sec tion defines Buddhahood a Knowl~dge of the ground of being. The third section de cribes the ema~~tlon of ~warene~s Within Knowledge of the ground and the ~uald~t1es ~f thIS maglllficen t vision as it unfolds. Awarene i th ra lance of Kno 1 d 142 d out of the undiffer ntiated uni n th at IS. Kn owled w e. ge,h an £'. Five Dh _. ge anse t e nve aspects of awarene that are th and fJ yanhl Buddhas. From them the Forty-two Peaceful Dei . rom t em the Sixty Wi hf 1 D . . " process of e m ' rat u eltles, an e In turn. cirCum" anatlon from th e centre of pa iv Kno led rerence of a . . scope of Ctlve awareness IS a function f th pure aWaren S· h eSSence of h fj ess . lnce t ese Deiti ar th t e orm of th e dance of a ar n hich i

14

=--~~~~-

"KUUJ\. _ _ _ _ _ _

. t delusion is precluded, . h ' nVlfonmen, lC e , th dynamics of the preViOUS part from assionate psyc p . views e ' . The fourthGsectIon 'fl ow of emanation, 1S motiVated by Buddhas . com'thout" uruW I . the all ' compass 'lon-ubiquitous "compass1on, No passl. on and actu . y ot 1S Kuntu Zangpo's compaSSlOnate malllfe taC Zangpo's rorm whatsoever IS , n descn'b es the way in which Kuntu h h' . The fifth sectIon . nderstoo d and perverted t roug SIX p. y_ tlon. . n has been mlSU andd wh1ch emanatIo hich are pro duced by karma, , th 1 . I neuroses,. wh begmn1ng " ho oglca w as our failure to en ure e c d crro m what hm tWhen e . lacks focus , and concentraevolve attentIOn ") , O ' f clear lig t . , d f life ("the unknown 1S our radlru:ce b t an existentIal drea 0 the sense of alienation that ' IS a sen , , 'pro d uces " tlon. and fearful msecunty The wheel is dnven by pOiSO. reaction,. f he wheel of samsara. I reinforcing me propen. . the baSIS 0 t karmas constant y IS . S that create emotIon h t nous . the wheel. Id ignorance t at preven sities that dnve ' n re-states the two °th ' ate ignorance that 15 The sixth secno Zangpo's reality: e mn t of perception, f Kuntu h momen recognition 0 I dge arising wit eve.ry the prison of thought. absence of Kno:, e nce that locks us mto referred to above in tua1lgnora the process d pasand concep ce re-initiates d d alienation an C ms Innate ignoran lor· f rcepn'on'. existential1 re,a; nIOrced karma, Taking ,

~

. 1e· of constant y reiin 1ab e11ing, strUctunng every moment 0. 'pe s Clrc d a . sustain a ViClOU 'thoughtforms, . is accepte , slO n, in the alienated ego s b' ectl 0 b j ect d uah ty d as discrete sub.. refuge . the view of su J. ts are conceive Gar/antl oj and selectmg,. and external obJec lated herein, the "Mundane . venry, h xt tranS under d god-given ., The fourt te f h' s ignorance cific roO e stantial entities. st crass forms 0 t I rovides the sfe ealit)' with. Vision lists the mo . nder of the prayefri'un ZangpoSd\Y tlle five tu .' " The remal ition 0 erate VISIOn. f cilitate recogn . nmentS gen J O f vision that a hologica1 enVlro , ) dle se on . psyc . he vanous d conce pt .11 tech ]'qU al sions. I uage an eO m t n fundament ~as . liciry of ang belief that a sp OUS The deceptive not induce the f he prayer n part 0 t

s:X

'nd-mampu , lation is involved. T his eminently. practicable mediJS essentl o ml , ·ally contemplation upon the empttne s of the events through the. various types of f dally j'e Ire. As the Buddha guides b usd'ffc o nral events, each dominated y a I , erent pasSIon, at each stage

f

•

raClo~

me s the yogin ro relax and rell ve th stress,! 3 Thus the he exhhort h . d' h· . "0 h 0 not Droke en precept repeatedly emp 'aSlze . In t IS yoga IS . _ . ] dul e and culrivate norhIng! Reject and abandon noth ! tng lIn be ;ware and ler ir be!' To ay "Identiljr the emptines inherSImp . 0 f every ." 1 ent In . ' . Wo uld be to cu' ySImp ' Ie sensory perceptIon Ituatlon tlvate , , In the first ' the seeking and striving that precludes attainment. three Sltua . and pnde, when. the ' tl'ons , dominated by deSIre, hatred yogm s a , ' t nds back as it were, from the vIOlent or at least h,ghly mtense , cl'rcumStances, detaching h im elf from the emotionally charged structures that "conceptual ignorance' has woven around h1m, · Kuntu Zangpo expresses the res ult of this in terms of pontaneously arising Knowledge. In the fourth situation, where jealousy is the dominant passion, the word "Knowledge' is replaced by "ordinary sensory consciousness, "1 44 im plying the identity of the two meanings. Pure sensory awareness, free of emotional tain t and with the full intensity of mindfulness generated by the high-voltage situation, gives access to emptiness, suchness, the here-and-now-ness, of the event, and Knowledge is the cognitive aspect of emptiness. Thus the Buddha is urging us to "do" one thing: to relax and allow Knowledge to assume its rightful primacy. Another way to say it is, "Retrieve the part of mind that has been stolen away by the fascinating or offensive object, severing all attachment to the object, and bringing it back, stuff it into the heart centre-then, No-Mind!"

l~g,

~conSCious

In each case the villain of the piece is dualizing mind, l4' the al[er the I process f K of differentiating subject and object that arises

a 0b' nowledge. , h deSlCe . for OSS In the realm of the hungry ghosts, inCOIJ} I onness0 Ject IS t e result of the feeling of insecurity and in the Pler that characterizes the split mind. No desire can ari

penUtnofKn

Id

b

ow e ge
Kn

l'

.

ow edge IS all-encompas 109.

. KUI

TJfr:

FUGHT OF THE

A~U 1\

There is no distinction between self d and empathy is so strong that we "kn:w"other, in ide and 0 ' mately and fulJy the moment I't enter cOUr ' object of deslr,Utsldc, ' , are on 1y perfectly con d o nsclO us ness h ·C IntI. u mmate th ro h 'us d ' Knowledge. T he Buddh a of We J h D ug the de iteles CSltC5 I B ddh at, zambhal' sness f ess u a named to attract as . , a, IS the on d ,0 . . d , pIrants WIth t e eSI(C In ~m . The end of such a "worldly" 0 in' emp~ral ambition sril; of hIS brother ascetic married to Y ,g s path IS the same as ha t t . austenty B h h' through emptiness and ' , " Ot ac leVe thei d eSlre ItS cogmtive c ' r every ' w h lch embraces all things and kn all h' apaclty of Know1edg I ' ows t mgs e, n Ignorance, alienated and lonely' we are cut . off fl an d oth er creatures by our belief th at we are all se rom the ' world no connection between us (sect' ) . parate entlties with Ion seven lnse d 11 of doubt and hesitancy th ' ',cure an perplexed, fu. ' ' e mner cravmg for talnty becomes transferred to external 0 ' se~unty and cet· object~ The m d ' b)ects, partIcularly sexual Our o~ly fulfil;:en~~r t~~1re gro~s the more tormen~ed we become, R b' h h y IS route IS momentary physlcal. satisfaction , e lr~ as a ungry ghost may be the eventual result of this condi: tJOn, fhe ' we catch ourselves , Buddha prays th at at w hatever pomt and attam self-recognition in the midst of our desire we should relax a~d enjoy the pure sensory consciousness of the mo~ent. Knowledge WIJl then assume its natural primacy, Since sensory discrimination ~ the startjng point and indeed the very condition of our desire, it ~ the discrim inating aspect of awareness that remains as the fruit of recognizing the emptines of the desire- ituation, Hatred or aversion is a direct function of the plit mind (section " eight), Again, due to the fear inherent in "i land_consciousness, when any event occurs that i not exuding comfort and security, like a dog rolling on its back and wagging its tail, the propensity!OI hatred can be potentiated, Whenever that initial tremulous vlbratlO~ d d violence IS of avcf<;ion is felt, the pri mary cau c fanger, hatre a~, ' has active. Jf conditioning, particuJarly childh ood condHlonmg, e a C

C

heen \uch that a shrinking away firom a rcarrU

J

0

b'ecr has becoIT1 J

1Sit'

RAYER Of GP -n&r-rrIN~ G

~

lV' __

-

'ro ZPC -

GPO - - -

-

'\1

ct with aversion WI to rea ur ,./ 'N then the tende~CY . l,ce one has been encO peOSl .,, olOt 1n lIt h I¢dened pro Further, if at anY,P n external object, then t e tronger, h' verSion to a beeVeos in anger t IS a fi ntatio n are present, aged to ~p~ess ossible violent con ro h himself and relax at
'~ ~~P~RA~YE~R~O~F~K~UN~TU ~Z~A~N~G~P~O~-----­

,'"lS I-l_GRANTING

tHE w

. attachment to And there 1S n~ thought-free perception f iginanng . In seI -or .al ~ m and no five pOlsons. There is no maten or

T H E W ISH -G RANTING PRAYER OF

diant aspect of Knowledge

obstructed ra As the un . the five aspects of awareness;

KUNTU ZANGP01 47 HO!

(2)

(3)

One substance contalns . fi fold awareness evolves ~h~~:v~v~odes of the O riginal Buddha emerge; lly-awakened awareness There after, fu Manifests as the Forty-twO Buddhas, And the arising creativity of fivefold awareness Produces the Sixty Blood-drinking B~d&:as: Thus Knowledge of the groun d of bemg IS never

Phenomena and noumena , samsara and ntrvana . T he entire universe has one ground, , But alternative paths yield different resultsD isplays of either Knowledge or ignorance. T hrough ~is wish~granti ng prayer of Kuntu Zangpo May all bemgs attam consummate perfection and Buddhahood In the Palace of the Reality-Continuum. T he universal ground is unconditioned, An unutterable, self-originating, vast expanse, Where neither "samsara" nor "nirvana" are known. Knowledge of this reality is Buddhahood, While beings ignorant of it wander in sarnsara. M ay all sentien t beings of the three realms Attain Knowledge of the ineffable ground of being.

1, Kuntu Zangpo, also affirm this: The ground of being is uncaused and unconditioned And Knowledge arises spontaneously within it Free of defiling notions of inside and outside, . aClOn Free of boosting affirmation and diminishing neg , While no trace of unmindfulness veils it: Thus our self-manifest display is faultless. ., . . . k i d e abiding in stillne In pnstme mtnnSlC now e g , . C ar d there 1 no Ie , d Though the th ree realms are estroye 148

. .

th e five sensory qualiues.

deluded. Through the utterance of this, mY,wish-granting prayer, After all sentient beings of samsaras three realms Have recognized self-originating Knowledge, May the scope of awareness reach its optimal degree.

(4)

(5)

My apparitional emanation an unceasing stream . I project incalculable myriads of forms Displaying manifold illusion to convert all bemgs, Whosoever and whatsoever they may be. Through this, my compassionate wish-granting prayer, Mayall creatures of samsara's three realms Escape the destinies of the six types of being. In the fi rst place, deluded sentient beings Lacked attentiveness and were bewildered Because Knowledge did not arise in the ground: . This is the primary cause of ignorance and delUSiOn. There followed a sudden fainting away 149

-riNG

___________

T...!i~

F U G-.!::I

-.f THE GARUDA - ---- - - .

'ftlrY'~s}-I:GRAN- - -

. d clothing home and fnends , c f od we alth an ' . ns Desire lor 0 , al 1 asure and loving compa11lo , Pe . For fi'Ie60 Id senSU darning of sexual attractlon. .And the torm ente ~e of temporal, worldly ddusion, h the obseSSiOns All t ese, f an ego craving objects, are never The karma 0 exhausted. .' ",11.. the fruit of cravmg npens, wuen d . Tormented by frustrated esne There is rebirth as a hungry gho~t. , Ah, the misery of hunger and thlrst.

----

Causing feeling of dread and neuroti '11 ' "I" al' va I atIOn' was tenated from a hostile "oth r" ( h ' And h ' . ' t e enem " t e mind progressIvely conditioned by thi y, tendency, Samsara was establi hed as a way of life. The five poisons increasing, defil ment r sulted And karma, five times poisoned, b came an interminable stream. Since the cause of sentient beings' delu ion Is unmindfulness and absence of Knowledge, Thro u~h t~ is, my wish-granting prayer, the Buddha's asptratIon, May everyone recognize Knowledge spontaneously.

(6)

«Innate ignorance' (Accompanying each moment of perception) Implie unmindful, distracted cognition, And "conceptual ignorance" (Selecting, srr ucturing and labelling) Implies dualistic cognition. This twofold igno rance, innate and conceptual, Forms the basis of all beings' delusion. T hrough this, the Buddha's wish-granting prayer, In all of samsara' sentient beingsThe gloom of their fogged, distract d minds di olving, Dualistic perception unified in pellucid clarityLet there be spontaneous recognition of Knowledge.

(7)

T he dualizing intellect is doubtful, fearful and ins ure; It brced.s subtle cravings . That grad ually crystallize into overt, compulsive deSll"es:

PRA~~ .!.2 ~-~-

Through this, the Buddha's wish-granting prayer, . Neither repressing or rejecting the .pangs of frustratlon Nor accepting or indulging obsesslve lust, . Mayall beings possessed by compulsive desnes . Be released from the stresses of duali tic percepnon. May Knowledge resume its natural prima~y And All-discriminating Awareness be artamed. (8)

Confronted by appearances of external objects There is tremulous vibration of fear in cognition. When the tendency to aversion crystallizes as hatred, Enmity breeds violent aggression leading to killing. When the fruit of hatred ripens, Ah, the agony of burning and boiling in hell! Through thi , the Buddha's wish-granting prayer, When aggressive hatred eruptS Neither inhibiting nor indulging it But relaxing and releasing the stre , May Knowledge resume its natural primacy. Mayall the six types of beings Attain the Awareness of Radiant Clarity. 151

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

(9)

--

When the mind is inflated with conl'.ld Th' II IJ ence, e Inte ect scornfully contending with oth Breed~ a ~ind full of arrogant pride, ers Creating vIOlent confrontation or war And all of its consequent suffering. When the fruit of such karma ripens A god is born, heir to decay and eventual downfall.

Through this, the Buddha's wish-granting prayer, Mayall beings prone to inflated confidence, At its onset, relax, releasing the stress in perception, Allowing Knowledge to resume its natural primacy Attaining the Awareness of Sameness.

(10)

(11)

The crystallized tendencies of an alienated mind . Elevating self and diminishing others, Breed the karma of contention and violent aggresSIOn. This leads to rebirth as a murderous titan In the anti-gods' realm of constant conflict Where downfall into hell is the final outcome. Throu h this, the Buddha's wish-granti~g pr~yer, g . 1 fj ntatlOn aflSes When contention or VlO ent con ~o. f other as ak the habit of concelvlllg 0 M ay you b re enemIes . r eption, . the streSS III p 1 And relax, re easlllg . usn ss irs prima consClO . Allowing pure sensorY f U hindered A (Jon. . h Awareness 0 n Thus attainlllg t e andering mind, . athyan d a w Unnundfulness, ap d L getful nes , por an lor . Dullness, ror d srupidJry, I bea t. Languor, lazi~ess ::a wandering, horne es Re ult in rebIrth

(12)

SECRET I NSTRUCTION IN A GARLAND OF VISION

SECRET I NSTRUCTION IN A

GARLAN D OF VISION by Padma Sambhava INTRODUCTION

the tantric yogin from Orgyen who wandered Sam bhava Pa dr n a' . . ibet in the second half of the eIghth century teachIng and t hrough T .' exorcism was no great scholar. However, a vast canon of practlsmg ' . . . hIm through the devIce of the treasureater attributed to texts w as l text doctrine, through revelation of scriptures hidden in the elements or in the samadhis that his meditation instruction induced, or by the kindness of the I)akinis of the Orgyen Pure-land. Such texts are called terma. The validity of revealed, or treasure, texts is not to be argued, but Treasure-finders (tertons) do not claim that Padma Sambh
It is difficult to confirm attribution of texts to the historical yogin &om Orgyen. It is said that he wrote only four works: a commentaryon the Yangdak.-tantra on the secret level a commentary on the Namo-mafijufri-sangiti, instruction on invocation of the Mamo mother goddesses, and the Garland of Vision. 148 Th last two 157

__ THE FUGH

titles

are scnpts of d' '

TOFTHE G

~~=-----~-r------------:--::~=-::::--v;;~;::t----~___________ SEcRET INSTRUCTION IN A GARLAND OF VISION

ARUDA

Guhyagarbha-tantr. lS.courses. A fifth work

---.........

.b ;;z, IS a text of al' ' a comment scn e, Katok D or Instruction d 1v . ary upon th, ater. The work is 'd ampa Deshek, lived el ered by lU eage d . Sat to have be three hundr m, unng those years 149 en transmitted verb ' ed yea, he Garland of Vi : at'm by the lin· T King T nsong . ZSzon ' Detsen hi and the M arno Instruction w ' Dzokchen level h ' h mself after th e Kin h d ere g,ven to Given the so ,whlc . was at the end of the G g , a the mew at ure 1 urus penod ' T'b text, it is easy to see It ,g 1 er. as uh arbstructure of th e G.arland In ,f Vi' , note for al h t e ones of a d' OJ mon . m, tough this is not the Iscourse taken down in Pandlta reports 150 th a taft. . To er smgm horthodox view of it ' Rongzom lwenty-five Disc' 1 g tree songs to the Kin d h h'l Ip es at Drakmar Ts g an " ~ I e the disciples rejoiced the Gur oroo Gur kyi Neuthang,ll' instructed the King' th' . u composed the two texts and In elf practlc P h comprises the notes th h G e. er aps the Garland Of Vision at t e uru used t ' atever its precise " , ' 0 Instruct the King, ongm, In a hlghl ' Wh the levels of h . . y conCISe, mnemonic form, uman VISIOn are def] d h ' ' mundane vision-whl' h h dl d Ine t ereIn, Begmning with c ar y eserves the t (( " '" h case of h d . . ' erm VISIon [fi t , e onlstIc perceptIon, for instance-the Guru dwells briefly . riC 1eve1s b eloree treanng on t h' e Buddhist non-tant' ' Dzokchen VISlOJ1 '' S the Garland of VmOrll In detail. Thus , des pi't e ItS ' unusu a1 !Orm, c " ' a

Ibut

its

~ttained

text describing "the stages of the path" (lam rim), a genre of literature more rarely indulged in by the Nyingma than later chool , Furthermore, although the Garland of Vision has this academic lam rim structure, written from a Dzokchen standpoint its accent is srill upon experiential vision rather than philosophical view. ' 52 However, the Garland of Vision is far more than a sketch of rh' stages of spiritual maturation according to the Nyingma SchoOI' ninefold enumeration. This description applies only to rhe firsr hJf of the work, which may be considered as an inrroduction to the se ' more significant half, which consists of an analysis of ,h' on d an d ' 1ed "The Mode of the Gre
, " (... 185) is an analysis of vision. The second section --Perfecnon lua, p . ' ' . . ' hil th fi al , h' h d (iiib p.187) treats meditative VlSiOn, w e o e In With, tnISentitled ea ' . g t he "Ascetic Practices" (Ill, p.l 93) , aft . er n tin ective forms of activity of the lower modes treatS the Dzo k-

~w,

~;npa's activity or conduct . Thus the bulk of the Garland of Vision presents secret instructio n in Dzokchen vision, meditation and "cion. However, the terse comment demonstrating the Dzokchen on the "lower" eight approaches and the mundane and nonBuddhist philosophies is also a treasury of precept regarding D-rokchen vision: no perspective created by the human mind is outside the scope of the Dzokchenpa's ken or beyond his use as a skilful

an~e

means in service of the Bodhisattva Vow. The Garland of Vision is well known among Dzokchen initiates. Inhis short histoty of the text'" Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye chums that over the centuries many ordinary yogins gained access to the authentic rendering of the text and many of the wi e among them effortlessly attained their goal. It is surprising, then, that only commentaries upon it are found in the Kama Canon. One of ese IS from early times and one is quite recent. The flf t was writa great eleventh-century scholar and ten by Rongzom I) and1ta, ' Rongzom is known as one trans1ator' an 'mcarnanon . of Valfotsana. ' he two "0 mmSClent oi f t h " " Nyingma scholars (Kunkhyen Longchenpa dt 'e other) an d h'lS present relative obscurity demonstrates the ommance ot f h e terma current in later centuries in the Nyingma S ch00d' ' was renowned also in India, where he stud' b H'1S sch olarsh1p l 1')4 returmng le efore ' to Tibet to work on translation. His dear flu to em cl c?fimme,ntaryl"is on the Garland of Vision i dedicated in part' miidh' t h rough reference to an lCatlOn of 1oglea ' 1 0 b scurltles " thro yam h lka _metaph' YS1CS an db' aslC abh'dh 1 arma. "" HiS ' approach is ug mahayoga. n Rimp h L Commentary was written by Jamgo Kongtrul The second Terdzooc ed odro h Th . ~ye (18 13- 1899), the compiler of the Rinchm an t e pnnC1P al d'1SC1P . 1e and scribe of Khyent e Wongpo

:0

159

. ~~~G~A~~~D~O~F~V~I~SI~O~-~·--------­ - - THE FLIGHT OF THE G

nC'T

ARUDA

from wh om h e received the oral , . word-by-word" transmIssion of h· 15 wherein the word co mm entary (tsikdon) compt Is w?rk. 7 It iS a SOt f h e r o s ed In h them, are woven into the ~o~ ~ext, signified by a symb It e style a becomes a detailed elaborat nc of the commentary :h,beneat\ model of clarity and' I IOn of the original. This k leh thw Und b dl sImp e, succinct prose or IS also a . ou te y a translation of L Od ., tary In English elaborating e h ro Thayes work, or a commenground, is required for a fi llac paragraph with detailed backVi.. , u comprehe· f IStOns content. Such . nSIOn 0 the Garland if mnemoruc texts h G. fa 0 assume knowledge of th· b. as tear: nd oflttsiondo elf su Ject matt b . al er, ut Insofar as the G.arfa nd o/Vision is am etaph· YSIC poem .th . h structure, transmitti £ WI allm erent mandalic ng ar more than a b d f . II edge, its principal fu . h O Y 0 mte ectua! knowl- . nctIon ere should b h· Ie · .. realization As th e as a ve IC e ror Jntultlve . . e text says , s "Ab t f h o rb·mg transmission of the root efixts 0 t ~ vehIcle of skilful means is to disclose the manda/a ... and a ter entenng therein ,ore t al·lze Its . re al·Ity is to attain the supreme " power. such· . onIy possible if the disciples) . . However,attaInment IS n mmd IS. prepared,as Kig 1]nsong . Detsen's mmd . was prepared, by absorb . . " .mg Guru .Rim poch' e s d·lrect transmISSIOn. In the paragraph on DIrect and Immediate Realization" the condition for the spontaneous origination of this realization is a falling away of dependence upon the letter of instruction, and rejection of analytical conceptS as a source of inspiration. Although we should not hope for the re ules that can arise from the logical outcome of this parallel, still the principle can be applied. It is beneficial to exercise the intuition on the Carland o/Vision rather than bring the intellect to bear.

~

/)zokchen Vision The Garland of Vt'sion first defines scarring points on d theDZOki e VIeWS 0 d ch n path, beginning with the most benighte mun a,~. the . h " cendenral VIeWS, r ality (section J) and procee d mg to t e rrans

INSTRUCflON IN A

.._--~

B ddhahood (section II). ,. pproaches to u . d " in rna School s nIRe a. . . land of attitudes, \fleWS an l'Y gth "garland" of the utle IS a gar d " . ' "as used in Thus e fb . The wor VISwn,

~e univers~:~loof ;::~.

o~

visions of vastly d iffering perspectives the rransiauon, embra" . d ". the first, m und ane, category 0 life, although the four atutu. eds lOd . ' as the word is usually h dly be cons t ere VISiOns the text, can ar h erspectives lacking any understood. On the contrary, t ey al~ehP I ks where ignorance . nt and 100 IS out 00 vision at all . They are Igno ra " k f nostic knowledge is "lack of knowledge and awareness -lac 0 g . bigotry to p reten d that b uld StlC and awareness (avidya). It wo e sectanan .. . in practice Christianiry and Hinduism are totally lacking U1 gnob .. . h' . th ory where n othlng ut VISion, but m the Dzokc enpas terms, eptab , l e ce rtaln . 1y t h e . . m ' an uncompromising non d u al VISiOn IS acce ' . . . " . " f h" al· · " h I · mperfect partIal VISiOns. Vlews 0 t e etern IStlC sc 00 e s are h 1 .' f ' advaita vedanta could be ma d e lor t e VISiOn 0 Per.haps a case . th· . f h- schools but when the ' . bemg supenor to e VISion 0 some mayana concept of "self" (.timan) is introduced into any Hindu View: rhat . ... h'· & m the pOin t of View IS Immediately suspect. T e text IS wntten 0 view of the Dzokchenpa's rigorous nondualism, and the Dzokchen "VIsion . . is defined in every statement. The panditas of ancient ·lndia applied the word "view" (dtzrilln4) to their perspectives of reality, so "view" and "philosophy" became synonymous. Although these "philosophies" evolved into formulations of doctrine, or even bodies of dogma, in the first place view was derived from a vision shared synchronisticall by . yogins and sages meditating in jungle solitude or mountain taSaus. and insofar as religions and schools of yoga have their foundtirtOD experiential mysticism, at this original point of departure -vtisktll:the correct word to use. However, even at the mo ofy,"i.sicdlt. -"~~ aU but a Dzokchenpa's mind, a proce begi t _ _ _Lalli vision to a mere view, and eventually to d described in the text as the cultivati n fan the scope between a bloa d affirm . ))

. . INs'n u ) . nON IN A

$E 'Rhl

'

"

AJUAND OF

' J'ghr as all things manifest out of a

• F V I Ion 1 I , , , r h I h n:~ (Uft: ' h T h more profound the VISion, the more Ig t plenum of cl af /Ig c', e d rh Ie oncrete the realm of natural . I p"r 't:pnon, an 1 nll1:HC r ) " f l' h ' h ( I • t l'l fi nally rhe univer-e i an ocean 0 19 t W1t ob'e cs b ' on1 ) un , }r d shap e of things del ineated merely by theJf colour, ,.

'kh

the Jornl an

Thi light is [11 ',rad ian ~ft n po~en. o~ JD the Dzo c en , d P ICainmg t the ambhogakaya It 1 apprehended as rexes an inner /ighc. " Irs ba i j rh 'el ax light, the light of the ground of b in ,th univ rsal Fe undati n, which is as invi ible as its concomirant mpriness: it i th light f th dharmakaya, But since dharmakaY:1 and nirmalfakaya ax tw id of the am coin, it is nothing bur rh d 3r light ch'at w p r i in th pur awareness of sen ory per eprion,l SIl Thu ch Dzokch npa 1 Ion i pure en ory percepcion with an innar awar of tll el ar light of th dharmakaya. If Dzok hen vi ion is th ul timat vi ion of Buddhahood the perspe riv 011 th highe t '\I a f b ina- and on man perfect d, then rhe vision o~ t~ 1 r a~pr ach to Buddhahood, the partial vi ion of hn (tans and HIndu and y: n the ignorant outlook f Marx

I

nne-

lind rstood.

Irts '''.

e

arma ola, . be h

rd and

Ultimat I Dz k h .. n \'1 1 n j in tre d to oft n in h ann t words a an,..L · a t r ad r b m h ineflable ,.utlng but a mean to an e. _ ri ,~att.l d h th reality. Whatev r i' 'aid b P ntlal und 't'lndin f out zok h .. tIl Vl,'1 11 in thi n '

<

1 3

~

THE FLIGHT

OF THE GARUDA

other text . d . Th . s IS eSlgned to clear the yogin's way to attainrn . us It should not be classified with the mundan ' ent of it. h ld b e Views f e Y the hedonist and the nihilist. Their vision is £ 0 reality th . fb . lragrnent d e POInt 0 ehef in separate entities, where the "e " , . ,e to « ". h go IS a diS perso n WIt a consciousness that goes out and appr h d crete « OUt t h ere, " alien objects totally independent of the pe en, Sob'Jects . a "VIew, , " a fiIxed ,partI'al objectification ercelver, Such ig norance IS of ' h · . sOrnethl n t at I S essentially fluid , mutable, subjective and holisti N g th e D zo k ch en view be categorized among the transcendental c, or can ' h e Id by "stream -WInners . " w h 0 Stl·11 b elieve th at reality has s VIews ome Concrete characteristics and a structure that can be expressed in word The. Buddhist "atomists," fo r example, although aware of some ~f the m eans by which perfect vision can be attained, still see phenom_ ena as independen t of the mind that perceives them. Initiates of the Bodhisattva vehicle with all their knowledge of the means of gathering merit through virtuous conduct and meditative techniques, and with maintenance of th e crucial Bodhisattva samaya, are obstructed even by this very knowledge insofar as it implies a conception of a path with specific attributes: thus their vehicle is called "the vehicle of specific attributes. " Dzokchen vision is a vision with no fIxed address, a vision of emptiness. Everything perceived is Dzokchen vision, providing the function of perfect insight penetrates to the essential emptiness. There is no word in English to cover all the forms and levels of . d · · bed 1· n the Garland 01' Vision. I have used the word perspectlve escn 'J d' f~ t " . . n" throughout and its various contexts adduce the 1 eren VISIO, . ' the word meanings defined above. There is an advantage l:c~:~:~o describe that most frequently describes the Dlzokkch,e~ pers:e Buddhas in the . . h h e who ac VISIOn a f ignorant vIews In t at t os , . f the creative potency 0 making demonstrating the dIversIty 0 h 'neiples of karmic , h ' e they learn t e pn , e mptiness. In t e meantlm . . b T of karmic retributIon, cause and effect, proving th~ Ine~ta I1t~ody and the veracity of learning the value of the precIOUS uman

164

r"'"-

'~~N ~IN~ A~G~AruAN~ ~~D~O ~F~ V~IS~I~ O_ N__________

INSTR~cno SEC~G--

--'cularly the First. In the Dzokchen Truths, partl d . b' l b e difference between Buddhas an sentIent emgs, [he Four No. no vision there IS al nstructs whatever. . menr co between any , tend a comprehensIve commentary upon h I do not In Althoug ectS of the Garland of Vision that require elabt there are asp ' d f th·IS lntro · d UCtIon . the tex 'd to rO r omotes. The remam er 0 , , nsuIte oratIon , ludesuthat com m ent , incorporat ing extracts from Rongzom wc , , commen tary under relevant h eads. Panditas .

The Lower Tantras (pp.183-4) A1rhou h the accent in kriyayoga-tantra is on externals, the essence of prac;ice is the deity's m.andala and recitation of his mantra. With that m mmd we can dISCUSS the peculiarity of kriya-tantra, the preoccupation with ritual. "Also of vital importance are the yogin's ritual purity, and his knowledge of propitious and ill-omened tim es and the m ovement of the planets and stars. A beneficent environment is established thereby, and through the power of synchronistic conjunctions of objects and mental conditions the kriya-yogin attains his goal." (p.184) This stateme~t from t~e Gar~nd of Vision introduces many of t~e elements of fl.tUal maglc. 159 Ritual m agic is a complex subject to discuss, but here It may be defined as application of the interaction between special environmental conditions and controlled al t Th d" ." . . ment 5 ates. e wor . magIC IS used here to ch aracterize these effects as ~ces un~ecogll1zed by western science. They are, however, the

visualizati~n o~

t

~of f1t~al efficacy and they are open

to the study and under~ ~ ?g 0 anyone who Imitative mag' h practices .kriya-tantra. Sympathetic and magic is used ~c a~e tIe mo~t common of such functions . This In ntua practIce for m I POWer provideS any purp oses. ts evocative in such P d a. method of short-circuit ing th e catch-22 impli it ara OXlcal pre « mind." The « cepts as concen t rate on emptying our resonanc" f h ' hI e 0 a Ig y charged sacred ob; ct mb Ii

165

----------

of a tho ught-free mind received on a pre-verbal level f '-.... ncs: may automatically induce a t hought-free trance, ~ ,,~onscio\ls_ 'nvl ronment" i crucial h ere, Timing mUSt be prop't' eneftcent h' , 1 IOU ' th c Ie envIronment m ust be free fro m the effects of mal l' e psy_ , evo ent" I ets and stars » -the transpersonal web of karmic causali , ~ an' . 'd I d ' c ty, and tlt\ punty IS requue to prec u e mterrerence from Obstru ' , , l/ , ~I·h examples of methods of understandmg, which may at ese are f 1 "h b . . fl ence the clements of the field 0 re atlVlty t at must e urnes tn u , , " f forces feedy ordered to create "synchronistic conjunctIons 0 ' per C h ' type of ritual he creates a When the Dzokchen pa penorms t IS . d fi Id f i" . fi d and mterdepen ent Ie 0 model demonstrating a h IStlC, ~m le h 'ns primal awareness, ). h h t is a functLon 0 f t e yOgi f emptiness an d Ig t t a . . d ' d' the art and science 0 , kr' In IS also e ucate m , The tantnc iya-yog . ' k loured powders, pall1r, . , d mandalas In 10 , , aI' co , d He creating yantras an 'ns in the mlll ' nd as VISU lzano , three-dimensional structures, a d ' torma (the tantrl C . 1~ lae for pro ucmg ,~ learns the alchem lca orm~, ' ) and the geo metrlCf h t} and chomcn (p ills glvlng long:~lty, en t nothing is out 0 OS h . 1 enVHonm hW1truClure of tor~a. In t .~ ntua rfection, and the yogin sees lace, everything IS balance to pe

• INSTRU(~:rJ_ -

SEcRE.L- ~---

-----

- - - .- - or Orgyen. .. ' t h e P ure- lan d of Akanistha , g the Buddhas 10 h Ch' nese Marxists as devil-worship self servw red to t e l , al ' , ' of th e environment for ntu .') In Wh a t in Tibet appea I preparatlon d . his metiCu ous c ed t hemsel ves into go s In was t k ogins tranSlorm , , hich (he mon -y to t he un compromlsmg DzokVI What may appear ' " Buddhafie1ds, t' se only formless medltatlon, as idle « , " who may prac 1 ,,_, chenpa punst'f ' n 0 "th e rea1m of aesthetic form, IS the knya-yogIn permanipul ano , . fu ' , h's medIcation, formwg 1 th dhi that is the deity s mood IS a nction kr' - oga e sarna In IY:-Y th d' , form and speech through visualization and f ' ulatlng e elty s , , bh o Slm h' h' here the yogin's effo rt IS duected, In u ayancra, w IC IS W , , h d ma a1 tion is given to cultlvatlon of body, speec an tantra equ atten - ' , d All ' h'i' '(7a-tantra the enVIronment IS all but 19nore, mll1d, w 1 e m YO,y . , dh' d ' ' IS' ap plied to the cultivation of, the ,deIty, s sarna 1 un er attentJon and the conv1'crI'on that mind is the "leader: If mmd ,IS pure, body , speech will automatically be punfied. , T h e yogms samadhl ' can cut . through every hindrance that may arIse on the level of ultimate ~I1lversal sameness, But still, in the outer yoga-tantra the area of attentIon is the rttpakaya, the field of form represented as the body of a god. The rainbow body emanated by the full union of Kuntu Zangpo and Kuntu Zangmo in the dharmakaya is accepted as the natural fruit of samaya, which is to sustain the basic, innate awareness of ultimate perfection as totally in determinate, neither exi ting nor not existing.

0,

166

The Dzokchen Mandala The text summarily treats creative (kyerirn) and fulfilment (dzokrim) yogas, which are usually subsUlned u n d er the head ings of th mahayoga and anuyoga vehicles respectively. Creative nl editation is the yoga of constructing a mandala fro m the deity', seed-syllabi mantra by means of vi ualization . Fulfi lment meditation i oncerned with detachment from the dance of illusio n by reatm an

167

THE FLIGHT OF THE G ARUDA

----

illusory body-the nature of which is emptiness-by using , " o ther ad vanced medItations. In anuyoga the yogin also learns vanous ' . Control o f the VItal breath and energIes of the body. This facilitates Control the mind and its energies. Ultimately it stops the flow of en ,o f . . ergles from the psychIc centres outwards to the gross body, reversing the so that they flow inwards to the psychic centres, into the lalana a~ rasanii ch an nels, and finally into the central channel (avadhutz) , Both mahayoga and anuyoga can be considered as preliminary Or supportive practices for Dzokchen. After the creative and fulfilment yo gas , atiyoga is treated under the h eading "The M ode of the Great Perfection" [section iiia], However, as Rongzom's commentary.states explicitly, the Garland of Vision approaches Dzokchen from a mahayoga standpoint. Thus this first analysis of the Dzokchen Mode applies the pure Dzokchen . . h e m andala of Peaceful and Wrathful. Deities as visualized ~g~rot . m ah-ayoga. ' Th e elements. of samsara and. mrvana that, are to be In , . d as t h e Bu ddhas of the Five FamllIes and consorts, recognIze 'theu h ' Wrathful Deities and e nd the Bo dh Isattvas, . thelf consorts-t aha ful and Wrathful D eities- who compnse,the m ayoga manPeace I ts of expenence that are, to, be . dala, represe nt those same. e emen d ' 11 pure in trekcho meditation, recognized as already pnmor la Yd h d' "The Mode of the . h h Under the secon ea mg , d Cutting T roug. . ... . he analysis treats the dynamte an, t Great Perfectio n" [sectlon lllb]h f spontaneity, which IS . of t e yoga 0 h the shades 0 f meanin g . C . 160 However, t e terms I I med Iate rosslng. embraced by toga, m . he Garland of Vision, , f expent appear In t d kcho and toga1 0 no . f the elements 0 , tre M dala then conslsts 0 , d as pnThe Dzokchen an ' __ ' bh'dharma, recognIZe lated in mahayana a 1.. owledge~Awaren,ess ence, as formu . f this recognItIOn, Kn , us divwe By VIrtue 0 f the va no all mordi y pure. l'ties and attributes 0 , herenf in (he , informed by the qua I and pure awareness ~ he psychobeings that represent the. ener~ntrinsic knowledg~ 0 tresented by elements of expenence. . and so forth, is rep .,;.iJ_te the passIOns, constituen ts,

- - - gpT .' fcorms of a mandala, T he of each moment of rhe dJvme . elements , mandala called the . n are visualized as thIS Dzokchen pure perceprlO . Mandala of Buddha's Body, Speech and MInd. The symbolism of this mandala encompasses the entire gamut of Buddhist psychology, of epistemology and ontology, and employs a vast range of symbolic representation of deities, their forms, gestures and rokens, as developed in Tantra. Although, as the text emphasizes, the individual deities of the mandala should not be cultivated sequentially in this context, the ass umption is apparent that the Dzokchen yogin has practised each of them in a context ~herein each deity represents the totality of a single instant of experience. Thus, ,according to creative yoga instruction, he can visualize the entire entourage in dear, detailed focus. On the other hand h deities are inseparable from Know ledge and the epistemolo~i:~ attributes of existential awareness that they represent. Th . al . . k·lC. I f fc e VISU izanon 15 a s 1 ru means 0 ocusing and clarifyi h . ng t e creatIve effiorescence of Knowledge.

The nature of Knowledge , in it s simpli ' . h . . CIty, IS t e mInd of Kuntu Zangpo. The creatIve efflorescen ce of Knowled . energy of Kuntu Zangmo. Kuntu Z angpo d K ge IS the . an untu Zan . by ya um 15 the dharmakaya origin of this sambho _ gmo In The five modes of Knowledg A gakaya mandala. ewareness ar Buddhas of the Five Families 161 . e d e fiIne d b y the , representlng th . h nature of the five psycho- h . 1 . e In erently pure h b' . P YSlca constuuents 162 h . t e SU JectIve aspect of ' t at penatn to un Itary gno . . B uddhas are Aksobh ( h StlC experIence. The p ' . . ya t e name d fc lYe ror-like awareness), Ratnasambh an h orm constituent and mirawaren f ava (t e fe l' . · . ess 0 sameness) Amita- bh (h e Ing COnstItuent and dIscrun'· ' a t e per . illl I Inatlng awareness) A h ' ceptlon constituent and PUse c ' , mog aSlddh' ( h Vair onstttuent and all I t e conditioned ' °taQa (the c ' -accomplishin Ity-C0nti onsCIOusness const' g awarenes ), and nu\un of aJJ-encompa . Ituent and awareness of the realL__ SSlng Space)· h b I"vavajra and B ' t ey dong to . uddh a F '1· aJ amI les, re pecti I. Th

HEPLlCIiT OFTHE~

Consorts of the Five Buddhas represent the inherently PUte of the five great e1ements, w hlC eu nature as light-seednature · h'10 t h' pose the objective aspect, the pakinis' web of transfOrllling (maya) . The Five Consorts ofthe FIve are Locan. (eatth), Mamaki (water) , PaI;1<;iaravas101 (fire), Tara (au) and Dh'tisv,,; (space), respectively. .

Bu~
ill:i~

Insofar as the inherently pure constltuents of the process of Sensory perception belong to the manifest dimension of Seemingly d ua}Istre lac ' and. their . . L tors , they are represented as Bodhisattvas Go dd e55 consor ts . T h e "inner" four of the EIght . . Bodhlsattvas (Kslt1gar a, aJfa . ' . Avalokitesvara) represent .. bh V:' pani Akasagarbha and h . .nherentIy pure nature of visual, auditory, gustatory . and olfactote l .10usness, and t h e ir Consorrs, the Four conSC . hBeautIful 1 ry - - - Mila and Nrtya), represent the m erent y pure nature (Lasya, Glta, . 'ousnesses (sight, sound, smell b· f those consCl . and of the 0 Jects L 0 f t h e EI'ght Bodhisattvas (Mameya, " 0 " rour taste). The _ Viskambhina and Mafijuiri} reprebh d outer Sarvanlvarana . . ( Samanta a ra, . f h organs of perception eye, ear, 1 ure nature 0 t e h " )) sent the inherent y p . el ) . The Consorts of t ese nose and tongue, respect;. y Goddesses (Dhiipa, PU!p', Aloka dh ' sttvas Bo l a , four of the . h0 enng tl pure nature of thoughts and COil, dh - ) are the In eren and Gan a, f ' y (past present, future and eterlllty, f Pts a' the 14Lour aspects 0 1tIme nature , 0 f tactile consciousness, . ce . I) The inh erent y pure b'ect of tactile consciOUSrespectIve y . '1 sensory organ, the 0 J 1 £rom contact of b d the tacn e . hat resu ts the a yd as f tactile percepnon t . al an of tactile perwareness 0 . h hYSIC org ness, an a d object m t e p _ aka Moh,-bal" tactile consciousness :::ful guardian deities f;ur wrathful tion are four wra dal-) The consorts 0 he inherentcep , d Amrtakul]. . 1. _) represent t Hayagriva an _;_ S itkhala and GhaJ).ra xtreme

Goddess~ o~rer_

(Yan;~:

(Aitku~a~~:~nt~ conc~p~. t~:::::ism

.~ ontolo~

vi~e~::

deities of (rhe Iy pure nature alism, nthIlIsm, . . ( he view that ' which are etern d matenallsm t VIews, If atm an) an ds a sc or Propoun 'a1 reality) ,

an exrernal substantt

S ECRET I NsrRUCfION IN A G ARlAND OF VISIO

Th Dzok chen Mode (pp.187 -193) e

.

d rhe rext does nor explain explicicly the fOnnal

'

As already mdlcate th' e first exposition of Dzokchen, which describes . . between . rusrw C£1Odala 0 • and rhe second m terms of Buddhas and .BodhJSanvas, . the. man C rfold intuitive realizanon,163 the components h treats the IOU f l' h T of whlc . accomp l IS' hment and the degrees "0 accomp IS ment.. he l ' ar ulomate commen t in the Tibetan text, mterpolated Im mediately he secon d tl' de , is the only clue- the commentaries are also inter me aft il er tHere It . .,IS Confirmed that we are now in the .ultimate Dzokchen

s eor. . m that the de of a[[amme, ' dharma " now operauve IS the spomane, _ .mo of Know1edge . 164 This IS truly the resultant approach, 16) the IfY h rhar is so close to final consummation that an assumption approalacachievement can be made, allOwing the power of conviction offin k irs own magic and actu ali ze th e se1£-eVl'd ent potenu. -al Thi s to wor di C . ( a l) ' . th exposltlon . . 1's akin to Imme ate rossIng , tog : spontaneity IS e . r characteristic of "the final even t. 166 domman . . It may appear that the first th ree of the four realIzations (the Umtary, . . Cause Sacred Letters, Sustaini ng Grace and Immediate Realization) are arbitrarily or fortuItously chosen gates to Knowledge out of eighty-four poremial skilful methods. Rongzom correct this error. In rhe "secret mantra" (guhyamantra) approach sacred letter are rhe principal means of practice and realizat ion, and in the following extract of his commentary treating the Fourfold Intuitive Realization, the relationships of all the elements of the Dwkchen mode of SPOntaneity are set OUt in terms of ground method and result. These three categories should be seen as a pe t of th momentaty process of spontaneous m anifestation of event,' a spontaneous manifestation of Body Spee h n the D20kchen mode, rather than descripti e of a pr e 'line.. rather than muddying the Water furth r h

B~t

~tnmsc,ent ess DzokchenRongzom lllode. Pandita exp licating the 167

p ntan

the final Mind in thr u r i

th

u,

If. rt-

. IN A GARLAND OF Vl I ~N _ _ _ __ . INSTRUCl.!.
The rdationship of the elements of the Dz k h

d Lerrers:

o c en Illode: Thethfour realizations are the ground· h compo h C d ) the tree are e means; t e rour egrees are fruition; and the III : InIto thedmandala of spontaneity is the ecret ina te of h tIon In mme late Crossing. The One Cause and ru . d , a red let· ' di ters are ait "e groun ; sustarnlng is the m h C " I n thgrace , ffUlUon, rect re Izauon IS e same way thet ad; .and , , the ground; the applIcatIon '. ) e Cognitive component IS compon ' ' , , ent IS the means; and the frwuon component IS fruiti,on, Approach I's the ground; close approach and accomplIshment are th is fruition, Likewisee means; and sublime accomplishment f concerning the three th stagesd 0 access to the mandala: uncli." e mandala by con· vided hearing is e groun ; entty 'lUto dt h stant conditioning is the means; an consumlllation of Con· f th ditioning, actualization andhattainment ° e great power is d h fruition. Thus having reac e t e bottOIll 0 f the matter.! will now explicate the meaning of sacred letters a little.

n~

e,nt~

al . f h hading "The Mode of the Great Perfection": An an YSlS 0 t e e <ISSar, . hih . h' " 'd after completing the two forms of accumulation s (virtue c Ih t e. per· ' "and awareness) there is completion, of the Great PerLection, Then, Slllce t ,ere, IS no ectIon th th and" no preparation or applicatlon by Ii progress e Pha . . the lower vehicles, in the final f along P way 0 sup ort as t ered ISM'In d are primordially and sponra. B d event 0 y, Speech , an andInthis feature gIves , , ,greamess,, to neously accompltshed, the means of acces>L' In the same way G the Great PerrectIon. " h "The Mode of the rea! the door- IS . "the mode : t us

~

Perfection."

U

Com ment on the

' ry C ause·

mtah Realization of t e

~ne

no cause or conclUSIOn

. . . . of uni{j'. There . cause is reahzatton f a binh.... . the accomplishment 0

OIen r on Sacre G h manrra is inruitive realization of c om J0 rhe final devent hU yasacred letters being the door to the tree Btlddhahoo. . In rhe final event the sponraneity of complere is complere liberation. "A" is the Body. Speech. . . . "0" is the door of manifest miracf non-ongmano , door of nonduality, door 0 U , «OM" J'Snthe lous i uSJO n ) u . ediate Reai'lzatlOn: eot on Imm , , , Com m d' ealization is the direct, ImmedIate power " ' imme late168r There is no other ImmedIacy, DIrect, , 'h Further, ffect mSIg t, " 0 per that gold is tested by meltIng, Cutung an d the ' h ed. By 10 . same heway value of realization should be estabIts . .t discovers weer rubbmg, h th or not a met aI .IS go ld ; by meltIng It one . . . e ascertains whether or n ot a metal Contarns cuttmg . d' dIt bonrubbing it on a black stone one tests the quahty of gold.YAccordingly, if ones . arma IS golthe, an ' dh " m h armony.wI. th . al transmission, there IS. In general, no error In It: scnpruf this test of dharma is similar to the proof of gold by melting . In scriptural transmission there is no explanation of the It· , and because it is difficult to extract the meaning of words the words of a realized mind from th e root texts and to h' " n1 h h ' h understand t eir meanmg, It IS 0 Y w en t ere IS no confliet with the Lama's secret instruction t at defects revealed thereby are removed: this test of dharma is similar to the test of gold by cutting it. In the same way, although there may be no conflict with transmission or with the Lama's instruction till the words may be mere sound, an d 1'f no proIOun L d s expe-

liber:;~ind

rience is transmitted, reliance upon the words of scrI'ptural

~mission and instruction should be abandoned altogeth-

~

In favour of profound confidence and immediate realizanon, and dwhich £ can th be depended upon to remove obs uratI' n, e eces:

as,l: -~~---~~----'----o

is test of dharma is similar to the t

_ __

~

__

L~-'1-.

t

f" I

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

TH E FLIGHT OF T H E G ARV DA

---

-

-

-

---------

by rubbing it on a black Stone. T his imm diacy lti t c . cIden~ with dIscnmInatIng perfect insight, and wh n ?I~actualIzed through the power of yoga, it is th goal ' It I It elf. Rongzom Pandita has defin ed the fOu r realizatio ground and the three components (cognition, applican . as the , , , fr uitIOn) as the means, But agaIn we cannot strive to pract'tlon Iand . The Flight of the ISe t lese three elements: as Shabkar Lama says In Garuda it is the paradox of "concentrating on something quite specific': th at is indetermi n ate, T h ese elemen ts originate spontaneo usl thro ugh transmission or initiatory experience or they do nOt aris~ at all. Even the application component must arise Spontaneously in a constant stream, The three principles (contingent effect, the imperative and categorical imperative) demonstrate the necessity of th e three components, Then the four degrees, two of approach and two of accomplishment, in Rongzom's analysis are the fruition of the three components as skilful means with the intuitive realization and confidence of Knowledge as the ground. T he terms "approach" and "accomplishment"1 69 belong to m~ay~ga, where t~ey.are used d 'b he entire process of visuallZatlOn and recltanon, and to escn e t ' h " h" lfl t e yoga: approac then m o re speC!'fiICally to define success " " ' can 1 'ty in invocation of the deity, and accomrefers to p rogressIve " , . h " t o t h e process of l' dentIficatlOn with the deny. In P IS men t' exp 1anatio ' n 170 assumption of mahayoga practice. is R ongzom '1 " bs " s t ill c ear t h at 'In atiyoga there is no progressIve . implIcIt, ut It IS ' H' alysis of Sublime Accompllshth h practlce, IS an h development t roug, h f h root text. These are e tiC than t at 0 t e l ment is more systema f 0 k hen that are spontan ous y ects, 0 zo c .. al h th ree groups, or tree as P C' ' ht and bodhlcma; m e 'lful pen ect Inslg . d accomplished: skI means, e r and sister emanations; an d female con sorts and broth l'b ation, desirelessness and an d f complete I er emptiness- the oor 0

r

ignlessn ess. , of demon-spirits. e then treats t he> su ppresslO n

_ ' INSTRUC rIO N IN A G~~P..9 F VI ..!.O N_ _ ~_ Sf:.CRE~

£che Four D emon-spirits in "Sublime Accomplishment": vestrUction 0 h of the various bodies of root texts describes a In general, . t pecl~fiac IC method of vanquishing the demons, Here the vanan s , Ives the four degrees of approach and accomhod lllVO " h" h f met Accordingly, in approac t e component 0 pljsh~,ent. nition [or Bodhisattva-cognition] destroys the b dhlCJtta-cog 'h dh' f ", o L rd of Death WIth t e sarna 1 0 non-ongmauon; demon of divine self-identifica_ ,, . "dose 0app roach" the component" 10 WIth maya-vlslOn ' n destroys the demon . of embodIment » (10 dhi' in "accomplIshment the compo nen t of Femalesama 'eneration destroys the demon of passion with the Consort g d ' " bl ' I' h ' th e arom-Iiree samadhi; an III su Ime accomp IS ment onent of means and insight in tandem destroys the comp ' di " WIth the Sarnadh'1 that " prl' nce's obstructlve stractlOns , dIvme IS. co-extensive with non-referential space, the mode of the Great ' all ~ the ultimate accompl ishment, Fm , ' n, is described in terms of Its mandala (p,192), This is a PerfeetlO , , mandala quite different from yantras, the sym metncal de Igns of coloured powder or the three dimensional palaces of the lower vehicles, and no initiation followed by siddhi-gen erating practice i involved, Shabkar Lama's description in Song Twenty-one is an excdlent metaphor for a mandala whose fo rm is the universe, the six enes giving it six dimensions, The "stages o f initiation' into thi Dzokchen mandala are coincident, but Rongzom Pandita enlarge upon the method as if hearing, contemplation and meditation are serial events, This should not detract from the essential fact that ntn-

~d ...mation are one hundred percent dependent upon the piritu~ IiIend who transmits the rOOUext and the vital ini tia tory e.'p ri n e. CorullUcting the Ultimate Dzokchen Mandala:

£ony [into the Dzokchen Mandala] i a hi ' d b • man' f

THE FLIGHT

OF THE GARUDA

the Three Secrets [OM AH HUNG] F h . . . un er, fro a1 fr d ' tu len who IS an unernng exemplar of th _1ll. a spiri_ 1· - first Isten to th e reading of the root texts with he lhahaYana, . h . h t e perfe . In erent In earing, and the mandala' ct Insight S '. . IS revealed econdly, l~t~1tmg the meaning [of what is heard to You. the perfect mSlght of contemplation vou se th ) through • J e e lhandal recogmze the absolutely specific nature Df th d" a and Th ' dl e IVltle b . If y, having realized the nature of the m dal etng. I . an a thro con temp arIon, accustom yourself to const . ugh . . an t reahza . th rough the perfect mSIght of meditation, and en . tlO n . mltlatlon . '" man da! a you attatn and empowerment Utenng the · you attatn . the Great Siddhi. . pon entry an d actual · lZatlon o

CCThe G reat Assembly of Sacred Letter Wheels" (P.192) This name , given in Dzo kchen to the thirteenth stage of the Bodhisattva's path, is fraught with all the mystique of Tantra. In the mahayana, the highest level, which is that of the Buddha and counted as the tenth level, is called "Universal Light," and both names refer to the same reality. In short, the "great assembly of sacred letter wheels" consists of the infin ite n um ber of absolutely specific events that constitute the ~zokche~( man~ala'"each event being, and at the same time symbolIzed by, a letter or compound letter." Rongzom again:] ?! The level of the great assembly of sacred letter wheels: this ~s spontaneous accomplishment as a great assembly of expenent!'a1 man dalas that are the consummation of the'fitwo types f fc immaculate form and that of some speC! 1C appearo ormthat define the attributes of the spontaance I . , ted mandala of Awareness and AttrIbute. h n eous y ongina

effortle~s,

h

ature of sacred letters, or even t e

But t his does not tell us t e n . f "letters" is one of the deepest nature of th e alphabet . The m eaning 0 J76

INSTRU SECRST__ -

_---.-::c--

~~ D~O~F~V ~IS~]~ ON ~_________ CTI"~~~A~G 9 N IN ~~~ .

b' th at only intuition can elucIdate, d a su Ject h' . tra ren.es a fTan ., an pable 0 f an alyzing objectively w at dIS at H Jts mYS . te11ect is mca f; h eyes to look into the hea . ere for the lD I is impossible or t e own root. t ceptUal'd al s.. e con f . h are sam alogue of the facets 0 empuness, t e Sacred letters are ~ anal patterns of primal awareness. In the . .es d functIon . qualm ayanthat Ie t t give form to the content of expreSSiOn, ers. . same W rent 0 f a 11 experience gIves form to emp ti ness. the con.IS never separate from form, and meaning is n ever Emptiness . from syllables. separate th e Letters are the most rudimentary form of expression, _ first leve1 0 f m anifestation out of the . dharmakaya. As 1such, L al oint of creative energy IS represented by a etter. each 10C P f ' h' :I: · 1etter represents the face t 0 emptmess t at IS manu estThIS d in a specific centre. e Insofar as these letters represent the most basic level of manifestation they are themselves nodal points o f power and awareness. It is a m istake to conceive of them as m ere symbols, or, indeed, even as intensely potent symbols. We are conditioned to treat letters as a convenient graphic mode of expression. In the tantric view the alphabet is n o t m erely a mechanical aid to speech and memory. T he soun d and the form arise simultaneously, and because t h e letter is more definite it is more miraculous. The neologism "gnoseme" has been coined to express the specific wonder and m ystery of mystic letters or seed-sylla-

bles. The word "g~oseme" coul~ mean "a graphic particle of gnostIc awareness, w here gnostic awaren ess is the cooniu' ~

fu'

f

b

\e

nctlon 0 emptiness. Thus gnosemes are graphic parti Ie. or hologlyphs, of emptiness.

I~ this Dzokchen COntext, gnosemes are introdu

ed a an app r"Ph", mechanism that allows insight into and create,

ntJ.

177

•

CI.f'

I'fI}:

r

A_

In the self . . ~UDA T' -eXIStent D k lbetan or Sanskrit s Zo chen mandala S or Greek 'f h yllabl es in Ou c . houl d w ,1 t ese I r lOCal· e exp jng if We are i anguages have sacred POInts of ener eq to See ultimately

m

im~~~::~alt of these alphabets~:inhg? Do w~'s:: Latin

1 ,mere1 e s ape f nOth ystery, the potency and h y repreSentational 1h 0 the letter " complex, dense and . t e potential that man: r ~ wonder thIS varIegated h !test" e Words, words sentences and s apes and colours as l~ Increasingly the three realms th all .s~ntences strings of ,tters beconle ' ese resld111' th meanIngs d l' Th us gnosemes ar g 111 e fact of bein . enning t b e transcendental . g manIfest o e categorized as riipakh expenences and the . realm of name and t aya p enomena. Words b I yare nOt Th' orm, gnosemes b 1 e ong to the e relatIve shape of gnosemes i d' e ong to pure-being (kii.1Jf/) As· n lCates conce al d' J' , Our text Informs us OM . d' ptu Ifferentiation c th· ' I n lCates the nirm - ak" ates . e sambhogakaya and HUNG the ~ aya, AH IIldi· ferentIation may already ha .1d ~armakaya,' .and this dif· ve mlS e us 111 to C h tree kayas as different ent" Th OnCelVIng of these lt1es. e pure fact of b' f gnosemes is limited by the d" '. eIng 0 these lst111ctlOns 111troduced by the various . h . . . d' s h apes. t e cruCIal nub IS th ". e sameness 111 lcated by generic letter, an~ the dlstInct1~n is the diaphanous gossamer screen giving the radIance of dear lIght some definition and specificity.

The Warning (p.193) Warning of the dangers of Dzokchen practice is usually included in texts of Dzokchen instruction. In the Garland of Vision Padilla Sambhava's warning is to the preceptor rather than the stu~e~r: "The preceptor should not initiate the many students who fa.t! I:: thjs preliminary work (in the lower vehicles) and prove unw~rt~Y' . . I .h h ssary perspIcaCIty, Immature disciples, or dlSClP es WIt out t e nece c. I, . k h though they are llfm} attempting to practice Dzo c en, even bl _makers · 1 n become trou e based in practice of the 1ower veh lC es, ca . ral due co . . f dharma 111 gene ~Jnd arc likely to form a negatIve VIew 0 178

, ucn oN IN A GA "T INS1R

S£CRE~

RLAND

F VISION

-

.• very different .. ar dons. ThiS IS a . brain the intultlve re lza Sh bkar Lama'S injun Ctlon heir failure to 0 k hen's dangers from a S him and turn r roach to Dzo c f he demon that can posses apP in beware 0 t t (he yog . . I . na black magICIan. ,

hirn lOto a

. . m (p.195) Non_AscettctS

h "Unsurpassable the passage on t . e It may not be clea~. r~~ne involved in no-discipline is the most Asceticism" that the ISCIP h . has gained some control d' ng Once t e yoglO h . rigorouS and d eman.l d' h h discipline of any kind, whet er It h b dy and mm over teO . t roug k . - ga will-power is d eve 1ope d . If r be football, gymnastlcs °h rzyda-yo ·'nation will be equally strong . . n is strong t en eterrnl fd . the mot!vatlO h' '11 be capable of superior feats 0 iSCld h human mac me WI h b : ndurance and .. the hero or the super-achIever, the yOgi on hIS 1 1 f ScottS and Shackletons of the mundane world. ~hatever eve 0 Dzokchen discipline is considered-physical, ethlCal or m~ntal­ one central precept governs action of body, speec~ and mlOd:. no indulgence or abstinence, no judgment or evaluatlon, no ~ultlv~­ tion or rejection. This does not mean that the personality Will remain the same under Dzokchen discipline, and neither does it mean that it will change. It is an eccentricity to judge and condemn one's own vices, just as it is to cultivate one's virtues: they are to be left alone. Cultivation of virtue is something that has been perfected in the lower approaches to Buddhahood. The preceptor should not give Dzokchen precepts to a student whose accumulation of virtuous qualities is unfinished. In Dzokchen·, "Let it be" is the watchword. On the mental level the discipline is the same: the s~madhi of universal identity is not attained by mental discrimination of any kind. If a silent mind has been cultivated . h d' . l' 11 10 anot er ISCIP me, a the better, but in Dzokchen it is of ffi . d . no greater e lcah cy t an a mm that 1S constantly chattering Th'l . . e SI ent mind i no f

;~in:,

acc~mplishment Dzok~h:~s o~o~a:~s~~rt th~

179

1

tiE flIGHT OF T liE GAR

cIoser to Dzok h UOA Ob c en aCcom h -----, viousl y nothin P IS ment than the ~ att pltne-physi a1 g can be said in ch rer. d' c ,moral terms of Iscipline. So here w or mental-that is r I Con" ntional d' , h e may h . d' e e"an ISCI w atever may be said' ave ,lscovered an i t to Dzokch . ?n Dzokchen conduct l~ conventional moral te;::on ant indi at~; lstic analysis is is a nondua] no beari'g P to posit an antithetical- 0 Uctlve. Whenever the te lOe, ~nd du~. bl extreme as an 'd mptatton ' pro em, forget it. The middl antI Ote to a moral Or anses any form of dichotomy; thee-::~d~:nnot be approached t~~:t~ extreme whatsoever the ml'ddl -way passes through g . d ' e-way auto . al every Ism an polarities; the middle-wa is mattc Iy resolves all du~. analysis. Look for the source f Y be!o~d dualistic thought and 0 t h e untfYmg P d a1 rea dy e' raIled to find it W: . d OWer an you have . ant It, an you have I k d trap firom which desirele . h oc e yourself in a . ssness IS t e only way B d OUt. ut esire d eSlrelessness and the d 1m , ar ess grows deeper Thinkin b . you are caught' . g a out It In counter-productive dualistic analysis' b t " to think b ' ' u ceasing , a out It, you are at the mercy of passionate reaction. 0 wha~ IS the answer? The True Lama and initiatory experience. FInally, then, we are back to intuitive realization of sustaining grace. As the text stresses, there are many sources of sustaining grace, but through experience the blessing of the Lama is the rno [ accessible, certain and potent. The Garland of Vision does not emphasize the role of the Lama, but in The Flight of the Garudll Shabkar Lama's explicit remarks and his implications are clear: the Lama is the source of transmission and initiation, and when in

r

counte~ rZ~kch~n

doubt take refuge in him.

disc:p~as

A GARLAND OF VISION: 172 . nt;T INSTRUCTION ,IN SECIU'

A SPECIAl.

AID TO V[ TON

NO V EHICLE

CONDENSED M EM RY

Homage to M

afiiusrikumarabhuta and Vajradharma! :J

I. MtJNDANE VISION

,. of sentient beings in the mundane . ble errant VISiOns d ' The IOnumera d d four broadly inclusive heads: he on1Sh e are subsume un er .' . , sp e~. h'" .on nihilistic vision and eternahstlc VlSlon. tic VlSlon, at elSUC VIS I , 1. The Hedonist The hedonist fails to realize that all events have a cause and an

effect. He is totally confused, 2. The Atheist Blind to past and future lives, the atheist strives for power and wealth in this single lifetime. He depends upon intrigue.

3. The Nihilist The nihilist i convinced that there is no causal relationship between events. In his rejectionist view he sees everything that happens to him in this lifetime as adventitiously arisen chance events that vanish into the void. In the end, death is ultimate cessation.

4. The Eternalist The eternalist filters all eve n t s th rough h'1S creative , .lmaglnatiOn, , , . . percelvmg an eternal so u1. 'vanous T' 1y, eternallst ' see th oul as . h avmg a cause but no f~ e ect, an effect but no cause, and a lRO

181

,

"'l' I NSTrW( ~ II()

N IN A

(~Ald.A

V Or VJ<;I(). :

,

~~

c.onru,~cd, c,ausal r '!ationship, 'I'hi' , gnostJ InsJgh ,

' I, '

11

ig or

0

c I c ·f! r

0

r any

IT. TRANSCENDtNTAL VI ION

Th 'rc a~c two w~ys to ravel the rfan ancien t 1path : n the Vthick of peclf1c Attn bu 's (rhc laksana1Jana) and h Ad ' "h' J ( , ,'/, Le man Inc vC IC C he vajrayana), J

A, f'h Vehicle r p<.:cifi A tri ute . ,here ar~ hrce dj~ercnt appr aches taken by he vehi Je specIfic attn b tes; he r i cipk's appr ach in the sravakayana, the R(;cl u~c's a proaeh in the pratyekabuddhayana, and the B dhi'lattvas appr ach in he bodhisattvayana,

r

(i). I ] 1173 T he

isciple's Vi ion The eternalL t's vision f an eternal oul and the nihilist's vision of ultj mate n hingness, nccivcd by Axa iog n the ,-xtremes of exi rence and n n-cxi ten e rcspc iveJy, are .like [,omeone'. mistaken percep ti n f a rope al> a nake. 1n th vision of adb eren thc i ipk" appr a h these extremes arc rejected , rhe D i ciple view he a om of he f~ur clementS that compri e the hVC psy h -phy kal con eltU n the dements of the en ory proccs and he ~tn e fields, ~nd consciou <;ness as well , as ex i ting abs Iut ly. n c~pJatJ ng the Four Nobl e Ylruth , h ~ iscipl . graduaJly reallus the fo ur aspec s f the g al.

.

[ . b c ernali <;t's nOl/on () an 'te rMI In h I!) reJ~ct.1 , n, () ion ultim al'e.: norhin go 's!>, and od er a.nd the OIhJltsr Ii no "Vt . r n gative , d ..' ,d {ro m c:X t rem ' po., ,(l ~u h

.'

co ne ·pts

.

d h

al'zcs the true meanm

:~Xi~'t'V;:~ t~rough contcmpla(i()~

f t~e

rwel~e in(erd~­

pendent dements of tbe field f reiallve exIStence. 7' In thIS way he attains his goal of self-lUummatJOn .

(iii).l3} The Bodhisattva's Vision

,

In the vision of adheren of the Bodhisa [va approach neither passion-defil ed ex perience nor th()ro~gh)y purified, immaculate experience has any ultimate e-X I tenee .. On, the relative k-vel, insofar al l phenomena arc only mag..teal Illusion they are al 0 witho ut an y specific attributes. Practising the ten tram.ccndental perfection) 176 the Bodhisattva gradually traverses the ten level leading to ace mplishment f unsurpa,sable enli gh tenm ent, which is the goal of hi path.

B. The Adamantine Veh icle, the Vajrayana Th ere arc three.: app roach e ' in the adamantine vehicle, the vajrayana: the approach f the ritual-aCtion (antra, kriya-tantra; the approach of mixed ritu al-action and internal mind-yoga, called ubhaya-tantra o r carya-tantra; and the approach of fully intern alized yoga, yo!.a-tantra,

(i j) 121The Rc Jusc' Vi i n . . Ie Adh 'ren ~ or the R d us " approach a~re . with the I~ :Pul

.

. s ccifJc to the f ed use . of events. What IS P b antial interpretatlons . ' f the absence of any ')u S vision is his rcahzat.lOn. 0 f henomcna, the p~ych(Y .' he obJecuve a'ipea 0 P " h h' essence m ,u.~.t f ft l74 further. while stnvmg or IS hysical constltuent 0 orm. 1 h " gh and habitS of . . h mp oys e IOSJ P goal of self-illumlfiatl~n, e e d' ' experience father than . d' reVlOU me l tatl o n mind game In P ,". ' nd as docs the i ciple. Thus relying upon a spmtual fne , g and vaJue of life that

r

(i).t4\ Kriya-tantra Vision This is the vi ion of adhcrcnt~ of the ritual-action apprOKh . On the ultimate, leve1the yogin is. centred in the .sJ)a{:e were h ' phenomena nenher c me lOt<.) bcmg nor cease to be. )n th

JI Ve.:

I B2

IB3

THE FLIGHT OF THE GARUDA

relative plane the kriya-tantra yogin's meditation is trated upon visualization of the pure-being of a gOd:oncen, th . 0 f th e god's b' e representation elng, his archetypal fes form ' d h ' . 0 f mantra an d 1"lturgles. Also ofa.tUre. ' an t e reCitatIOn ., mu . al punty . and his knowl Vital imponance are th e yogms . propitious and ' tll-omened tImes and the movementedof~~ the planets and stars. A beneficent environment is establi hed thereby, and through the power of synchronistic Conjunc. tions of objects and mental conditions he attains his goal,

Vision in the Tantra of Skilful Mea~s This is the vision of initiates into the mner yoga-tantra. of skilful means. This vehicle has three modes: the creative mo de, the fulfIlment mode and the mode of D zokchen the Great Perfection.

(ii).[5] Carya-tantra Vision

(i .) [7] The Creative Mode

S E RE'~ IN .fRU Cfl _ N IN A GARLA __ _D O _F_VI ION _ _ __

, I IZanon ' , of the pure-being of the. god's form Vlsua h' noble al endowed WI'th four seals, 177 and he attams IS go . 2,

In the creative stage with the three degrees of Samadhi178 gradually evolving, the mandala is constructed step by step, and through creative visualization the goal is attained.

This is the vision of adherents of the dual approach, ubhaya_ or carya-tantra. On the ultimate I.eve! the yogin is, centred h were t h ere IS . neI'ther birth nor dYIng. On the relative level, . I"lZing t he pure-being of the god's Visua h d'form, . the , caryal' tantra yogIn In s .throug me ltatIon ,mvo . VIng . a t.t ahis goal four degrees 0 f sarnad hi relYIng upon . , synchronIstic conJunction 0 f 0 b'Jects a nd .mental condItIOns. Thus he com. . bines ritual action and mInd-yoga.

(ii.)[8] The Fulfilment Mode

In the fulfIlment stage, on the ultimate level, the unborn and undying god and goddess, and the essence of the yogin's silent mind, do not stir from the central channel that is a vast plenum of space, the continuum of reality. On the relative plane the yogin visualizes the pure-being 179 of noble form as radiance, accomplishing his goal by meditating upon unalloyed sameness.

~o~-tantra

(iii). Vision f the mind-yoga approach (yogaThe vISIon of adherents 0 a-tantra of mastery ) has two aspects: the outer yog tantra f kilfi I means and the inner yoga-tantra 0 S u . I [6] Vision in the Tantra of ~asteryh outer yoga-tancra . . . f" . Into t e T his is the VISIon 0 InltIate~ [ the environmenr, D . g the prImacy 0identifies h'IS mind-d of mastery. enyin the yogin of t h e outer yoga-tantra l' ately unborn an m W ith the union of the u uffi . of immaculate strea I amadh1 , undying god and godd~ss. ~yau~on the yoga of creatJVe ~~"beJ·lntt he concentrates pnmar

(iiia.)[9] The Mode of the Great Perfection

The Dzokchenpa's meditation begins with intuitive realization of the primal mandala of the Buddha's Body, Speech and Mind, inherent in the indivisible nature of all mundanesatnsaric events and all transcendental nirvanic even ts.

The mandala is described in the tantra like this: ~.~w Tht Ifttjra Psycho-physical constituents_ them as thefive perfected Dhyiini Buddhas. ••

- - - THE FLIGHT OF 11-IE. GARUDA

And the elements ofthe sensoryp I h rocess and the In trut. these form the B dh' sense-fields_ . _ 0 Isattva mandala, Earth IS Locana, water is Mamaki' Fire is Parz¢aravtisini, air is Tara,' And space is Dhatifvari: The three realms are immaculatefiom th b . . e egznnmg.

All experience of the phenomena of sam d ' . u1' sara an nIrvana

nmately unborn, and since his inherently d . fertile and provocative magical illusion l 8o (ma~lIa;\ hynam~c, "J 'J as as Its . . u1tlmate nature the Five Sugatas and thel'r Consons In eternal embrace, ~he yogin's every experience naturally transcends the paIn of samsara. The inherent nature of the five great elements is the Five Buddha Consorts and the inherent nature of the five psycho-physical constituents is the Five Buddhas of the Five Families; the inherent nature of the four fo rms of consciousness is the Four [Inner] Bodhisarrvas and the inherent nature of four objects of consciousness is the Four Beautiful Goddesses; the inherent nature of the four sensory doors is the Four [Outer] Bodhisattvas, and the inherent nature of the four aspects of time is the Four Offering Goddesses; the inherent nature of the body as a sensory organ and the consciousness that attends it, the object of tactile consciousness and the awakened mind that arises from the conjunction of organ, object and consciousness, is the Four Wrathful Deities , an d th e inherent n ature of the fou r extreme .. es ontological notions is the Four Wrathful Female Dem ; . . the awakthe inherent nature of menta1 conSCIOusness IS cncd m ind of the Bodhisattva Dorje Kuntu Zan~o and . sara and nIrvana, the inherent nature 0 f all events III sam h · hIll ' onist of the Pat , I both simple and compo un d ,1S t e uS . h AgalU from t e , the Female Bodhisattva Kuntu Z ang rno . IS

J86

INSTRVCfION

IN A

AND OpVlS10. ' - - - Gf\l'\J-M'" ~ Aol

d .' . f all these elues 15 h . nherent nature 0 . d f beginning tel ak ned and purified mIn 0 very ifestly perfected a~ e these Deities are not SEcREt

the man dh d for th iS reason the Adibud ~, an ntially. f b accomphshed seque . . ns the three aspects 0 to e . f the ten duectlO , . d all interpreted saIDSaIlC Thus nothmg 0 al an so on , . time, the three re d~s, 'lrvaniC experience, has any eXlS. and all uect n '. expenence As it is said in the scnptures. . tenee apart from mllld.

The mind differentiated- so ma~y concepts, has and Bodhtsattvas, These are aII Budd In actuality the three realms And the five elements. All experience ofsamsara and nirvana is ~cated in the mind; Mind abides in space; space is indetermmate. All events are empty by virtue of their err:pty .e~sence; ALL events are immaculately pure in the1.r orzgm; ALL events are all-embracing clear light; ALL events transcend suffiring spontaneously; ALL events are manifestly perfect Buddhahood. Such is the Great Perfection. (iiih.) The Mode of the Great Perfection "Perfection" implies complete and perfect attainment of the karmas of virtue and awareness;181 and the dharma of spontaneity, which is the result of this completion. i th quality of this mode of being. 182 The mode of the Great Perfec tion is a fourt"(. Id intuitiv realization that progressively quickens profound onfiden ~ .

187

--

-

IHE FLIGHT

G

F

-~ _~UDt\

THE FOURFOLD IN

SECRE

The four mode f' " of the U' s 0 mtU1tlve realization ' nltary Cause- i " ar Intuiriv ' V letters; intuitive real' ' ,ntUlti e realization by m r allZario n n and ' "lZatlO through su t ' , an of a red immedIate mtuitive real IzaUon, " ammg gra e- and d' l8 ' Ire t

1. IntUluve " Realization of th U ' o n th ' e nltary Ca e ultImate level all ' ue . events 1ll am d' come mto being and so h sara an nlr ana n ve , ' ave no epar t . r tlve plane they are illusory fi fa e.eXlsrence. On the rela-

gment 0 rrund s 'h no separate existence Th ' . ' 0 agam t ey have . ey are unongmated e ' a p Iethora of magical illusion h' h" vents appearmg in moon in . ' w IC IS like the reflection of the . water, possessmg an inherent acausal dyn ' , thIs'll' b arnIe, mee essentla y msu stantial magical I'II USlOn ' a1so never come . b" . ,Intoh emg, ulumate and relative are idenrl'ca1 an d th'elf 1'd nmy IS t e, One ~ause. Thus intuitive realization [ofKnowledgeJ ari _ es [wIth attainment of the unity of the two truths].l84

2. Intuitive Realization by means of Sacred Letters

All events in samsara and nirvana, unoriginated, are the sa r d letter "A," the actuality of Buddha's Speech. The Unoriginar d, appearing as magical illusion with an inherent acausal d nami , is the sacred letter "0," the actuality of Buddha's Body, In th same way, the Knowledge that is the cognitive factor in inruiti realization and the primal awareness without c nrr or ir umference that infuses magical illusion is the sacred letter ( M ' the actuality of Buddha's Mind. Intuition of the (hr rd letters as Buddha's Body, Speech and Mind is intuiti r alization (of Knowledge] by means of sacred letter. l ., Reall'zation through Sustaining Grace S ' . 3 . IntUltJve dd res white cloth, the power of su ta1l11llg grac

Just as re

-' .

- _________ TtJITIVE REALIZATI

ye satura

00

-r INSvf Rv.cno N ~N ~ - ~ -

.

-

.

. n and praIse.

D

N F Vls!2 - - - -

-

Sustaining grace likewise per-

h

d

acts of adorano d nl'rvana, purifying t em an lDJlP""" . msara an all t h'tngs all eventS 10 sa . . c.. l er that pervades ~des T hiS bhs III pow d wak ning awareness. al' d through unitary cause an a . he power re lZe . .' . ' ve . addition to t . ' It alization of thIS IS mtUltl 10 . susrammg grace. e . . sacred letters, IS l ' d through ustaIfilng grace. realization [of Knowledge attaIne • t:."tP(.

d' e Intuitive Realization

.

4. Direct and Imme , lat d nirvana exi t from the begmara an all events m sams fl' [. ak db ' g there must be no con lct 1D Although . ure and aw ene em, h nmg as P h ' 'on of the root tanuas or t e ., 1 . h either t e tranSmiS 1 V1SIO~ .Wlt . Dependence upon the literal letter of insuuc-

Gurus msuucnon~ h d' 1 d Then profound confi. and transmission must ave 1 so ve . gradually arising in the depths of t~e mind of Knowledge, direct and immediate intuitive reaitzatlon 1 attalned.

::ce

PROGRE lYE QUICKENIN

OF

NFIDEN E

The Knowledge that is the es ential valu and objective of the fourfold intuitive realization is the yogin's path whereon confidence is increased. On thi path th re is no expectant waiting for the time when a goal is reached as a result of acconlpli hing a cau e. Direct, immediate intuitive realization and confidence arise together spontaneou ly. THE THREE

MPONENTS

Thre ab olutely peeific components con titut the ultimate ~cco.n~pli, h~en~. T~e Knowledge operating as the fourfold mtultlv ' . . realIzatlon IS .the cognition component, t h e repetltlon that mculcate · · an habitual view is the app}"lcatton component, an d actu aI lzanon through condit'· b ~ .. the fruition component. lonmg- y orce of habu- l

G~DOF HE FLIGHT OF THE G -_~UDA

CIPL

h

----------

three peClrlC '£"'. components f d 0 accom h i \ t:mon trate three principles: the co P, l~ ment (listed <. emon rrate contingent effect. the I' gn~tlve component em n h ' , a p p lCatlOn trate t e Imperative- and th component dem n trates the categoricall'm' , e component of fruition perative, '1

r

,)

1.jJ he

" C ogllltlVe omponen . conceptualization, whether of passion-taint d t Iffima l ' e or utterly IS essentially the Buddh' B d S . d Cll are'events, " as 0 y, peech and 10 an Jntnnslcally purified and awakened fileld I ., aJ " f h' ' ntultlve re IzatIon 0 t IS field of Buddha-nature and intul't'al' . f h' lve re lzaJon 0 t l~ field as the essential basis of sustaining grace are e ec(s contmgent upon the cognitive function, These effects of he cognitive component are the conditions for accomplishing unsurpassable Buddhahood.

r

. h d I accornphs e spontaneo us Y 'at

I NSTRU Cf10N IN',_A=---_

SECRf

,

beginnl~~

' th e space of untver don, 1S ' h'1bloon> tn 'f the an ~~ of indulgence or In heel of existence IS rorn deVOL this reason t h e W 'rvana the ae[l1ali . identity, For eously accomplished as n l '5 5 Thu the beginning spontan , and awakened aw aren e " an' , froIll the

of unsurpassable

pun~uddha's Body. Speech and MHld m1bis

fruition component, IS h 1 of manifest ornamen tanon. , xhausnb1e w ee fest as an me . is the categorical imperative.

ontingent Effects of the C

2, The Imperative Application, or the Practical Component lJ conceptualization, whether of passion- tainted or of utterly jmmaculate events, conceptualization of the five panaceas or the five nectars, all is one in the ultimate sameness that is pure nd awakened from the beginning, In this universal identity I rc is no partia li ty, n o judgment, no preference for th is m [Jrc than that, and no cultivation of or indulgence in some hit g~ and renunciation or rejection of others, This per,fect )J r. nce is the practical component, which is imperative Slllce it i a nccC sary con di tion for accomplishing unsurpassabJe

B d Jhahood. 'I!Jl ( ,arcgnd(..aHy Imperative Fruition Component All I d, ( O /J cptualizat ion , such as all passion-tainted and Iy jrntn:~ ulat· ~cn ts, the five panaceas, the five nectars,

THE FOUR DEGREES OF PRACTICE

.

-

,, h . must dedicate himselt To attain the ultimate frUltiO n t e yogIn ' f h close in which the essent ial reahty a app roac ,

~;:'J~ga:complishment and

sublime accomplishment become

spontaneously existent. 1. Approach is Bodhisattva-perceptio n.

Wh~n all

e\ e~ts are

gradually accomplished as the actuality of ulnmate punt} and awakened awareness , with the aid of allies and suppo rts. authentic intuitive realization is attained. 2, Close approach is perception of oneself as the deity. . .-\ all events, all phenomena, are from the beginning the actuality f purity and awakened awareness , the yogin himself has th nature of a divine being from the flrst. This is establi hed b\' th yogin with the intuitive realization that the deity ha n . ' U stantial existence. '

3. Accomplishment is production of the Femal e on rt Ht f the field of space that is the Great Mother. t h e G r at . 1 h appears as earth, water, fire and air and C h b . _ .. t r h h' h ' from t Tl lln '. sew 0 1S t e dynamic matrix 'P d ' , t' lilt"! it L C "" .. . ro U uon (t th F 1 onsort IS lntultlve realization of h' nl t 1 Gr at \ th r.

.n~

THE FLIGHT OF THE

G

ARUDA

4. Sublime Accomplishment is the

. . and perfect insight. Th F' ConjUnctIOn of skilflul h' e lve Great M h ' Inea t e emptmess of the feml' . ot ers perfect insl' h ns h F h nme space " g t and t.e at er of the Five Buddhas of h -matnx IS Conjoined with Stltuents: they have formed .t e five psycho-physical c b . an me l uct bl oneglnning. This conjunction d a e union frOIn the Bodhisattva emanations wh pro uCl~s b,rother and sister ak ' ose actua lty , a~ ened from the beginning: an I'll ' d IS ~ll1d pure and , USIOn ancll1g 'h slon In a scenario of m ' I'll ' WIt an illu, aglca 1 USlOn Th bl ' fi ' wherem this illusion of Sup reme Peasurel86 l' e 'ISS ul, SItuation devoid of marks and sig " anses, IS a reality ns, co-extenSIve WIth D space. When this has become ' non-re erential neous accom lishm a contmuum, there is SpOnta, p e n t . Thus the four demon-spirits l 87 are van qUlshed and the ultimate goal attained, -

THE SPONTANEOUS DZOKCHEN MANDALA

S,ince all events are immaculate from the beginning, everyexpenence of samsara and nirvana is an immeasurable wish-fulfilling palace, a wheel of limitless dimension, This is the Buddha's primal, unsurpassable mandala, To disclose the mandala is to absorb transmission of the root texts of the vehicle of skilful means (anuttarayoga-tantra). To see the mandala is intuitive realization of its nature. To enter the mandala is to gain a constant, habitual realization of its nature, To attain the supreme power is to realize its reality after entering therein, By this mode the ultimate reality of the Great Perfection is attained, SPONTANEOUS ARRIVAL AT THE LEVEL OF THE GREAT ASSEMBLY OF SACRED LETTER WHEELS188

H'ghJ intelligent people understanding the meaning of "origiI

Y

na JJ y pure

and awakened from the beginning" as originally pure

J\ND

ocnON IN A G_~ __""-=

OFVl

n

f

nCT INSTR

EClU'

~

, h gular course 0 , Ject t e re , d froIll the beginnlOg re ditioning of the mind In and awakene ctice because effective co~ loW process. Common study and ~:~e Buddhas is a long ~ sre ardles s of hoW they the way, 0 . to the secret teachlOg, g d profound confi, ds hstenlOg each true an . ~tn its substance, cannot ~ d ' th weak comprehenSIOn tOterpret ' al mIn s WI d aft dence. Ordinary devonond found in the teaching, er '1 to perceive the true an pro 'their meditation t h ey henomena In h . f:at experiencing delusory, ~ have experiences similar to t elf racnnoners ' b' gs believe that other P l' reviling supenor eln . others as lars, own. They then curse , d they insist upon a more secret ' d ' tious atntu es Adopnng Isputa. Since there are so many ' the ulnmate secret. h vehicle to 0 btam . . til the intellect as obstacles to spontaneous recognltIOn, un . g of ' pure evolved that can intuitively understand the m eanI n d f·om . , " ure an d aw akene r h t h e stu. 1 and awakened from the b egmn mg as ph the beginning, the preceptor should ex aust1~e y teac d kill ' dent the defects of samsara, the qualities of nIrvana, an s In the techniques of every lower approach to Buddhahood, even though the disciple's eventual goal is to go beyond the lower methods. The preceptor should not initiate the many students who fail in this preliminary work and prove unworthy.

:m

III, ASCETIC PRACTICES

There is a great diversity of speciflC ascetic and purificatory p ractices associated with the various visions. The hedonist and the nih ilist h ave no ascetic practices, but there are four types of asceticism practised b y those who value self-abnegation: the materialists' and the eternalists' mundane . 1e's aSCetlCISm, . . . , asceticism ' the D 'ISClP t h e Bo dh'Isattva,S ascetiClsm and the Unsurpassabie As CetiCIsm .. of the D zokchenpa. 1. The Hedonist The hedonist does not rac' . . P Use aSCetiCIsm becau e h e is confus "d

-

c noN IN A G~__£? - -RET INSTR ~_ - ---~ ___ -

_ _ _T~GHT F THE G _ ARUDA

about cau e and effiect.

2. The Nihilist The nihilist ha

. s no ascetic practice because of hi

.h.l.

s nl liSt view

3. The Materialist

assion noth---d b transcendent comp . . is governe y . '\1 impair hIS voW. the yoglO lrtUO US, Wi When be it virtUOUS or u~v from the base of rran. he does, . brief 1S to act Ing dh' nva's vow, 10 ' The Bo isa . t compassion. seenden The Dzokchenpa

The materialist practises ritual unty . .~nd other such mundane ascetic practices in order to attar n specI IC advantages in this life.

4. The Eternalist The Eternalist p ractlses . f · a selpunficatory tech . the as . . . h· nlques, such a cetIc nte m w lCh five fires l89 are b 1· d . b d d·· e leve to punfy th o y, ~ sImIlar methods, with the intention of purifyi he everlastIng soul. ng t e

5. The Disciple As it is said in the Vinaya:

Commit no sin whatsoever; Exercise every excellent virtue; Thoroughly train your own mind: This is the Buddha's doctrine. The Disciple believes that all virtuous and vicious events exist independently, as either relative or ultimate entities, so he pracrices physical d iscipline and ascetic techniques to cultivate virtue and eradicate vice.

6. The Bodhisattva It is said in the Byang chub sems dpal sdom pa: Do not act pragmatically And do not project threatening illusions; Since it is compassionate and loving There is no fault in a healthy mind. 194

.

. .

. d in the Dam tshig chen po'i

7. ble Ascetlsm: it IS sal The Unsurpassa

mdo:

. h l'zed the sUfJerior method of the When the yogtn as rea 1 T Buddhas, l . h fi passions Even though he indulges constant ') zn t e ve and sense pleasures . He remains uncontaminated, like a lotus growmg, unsullied, in a swamp: Here is the most excellent discipline.

Since all eventS in samsara and nirvana are ultim ately identical, there is no need to cultivate compassion or to reject anger. Similarly, if the mind is merely silent , compa sionate respo~­ siveness will not necessarily arise. D epending upon what anses-mental chatter pure from the beginning or a silent mind pure from the beginning-then either ascet ic discipline or purificatory transformation is practised , and action i either immaculate or impure.

This secret garland of vision Is like the gift ofsight to a blind man. If a superior being with skill in wisdom and means e>..-ists, May you meet him. Thus Secret Instruction in a Garland OJ.1" Vi'mon · ·IS comp Iete d .

195

NOTES

I NTRODUCTIO

1. TilE THEORY AND PRACTICE Of DZOKCHEN

h~ds

The introduction is divided into sectio ns under the principal \. of Scarring point. Path and Goal. a traditional structure of analy IS of any vehicle to Buddhahood. Tbe material u ndet t h ese beads IS designed to provide a kaleidoscopic per pect ive of Dzokchen. 2. "Lama" is used throughout in the traditional sense of preceptor and exemplar of tbe Buddhas path. ratber than in the journalistic sen e of Tibetan Buddhist monk. There is nO single Tibetan wotd from which tbe notion of" implici'1" is derived. rNam ddg, usually translated berein as "immaculate." literally "quite pure," is a way of describing the same reality, The adjective gdod ma'i, «from the beginning," "primordial," rrengthens the sense of puriry chat is the root of simplicity. So ma. "pristine, is another synonym. But what the Lama was indicating here was the nature of the dharmakaya--emptiness and gnostic awareness. 4. rDzogs pa chen po, contracted to rdzogs chen and pronounced "dzokchen," .mahiisandhi in Sanskrit, has the sense of "completion in it perfection, Thus the word "holi tic" is germane to its definition, and DGzok~hen could b~ translated "The Magniftcent Holistic Perfection, d" S. ' h nOS1S, and algnostlc awareness, are emp Ioye d throughout this work In t e gener lctlOnary sense 0 f " mystlca '1 awareness," an awatene that' h' B ddh' 10 t 1S U 1St context lb' awarenes, of transformin '11 on y e ye she (jfziina) , holistic g 1 uSlOn (SO'lIU ma - -) F h h word has happy connotati f OJ ' maya. urt er t n Albigcnsian , who could be° ° 'dwestern Chri tian ects uch as the 6 con J er d Ch ' , . ee Glos ary of San krit Terms e nsnan tantrikas.

3.

c~n

7.

Bya bral dmigs meJ·. non-action . ' 1es ness de crib th . and con 'mOll 0 f the Drokche and aim npa when pontanelty ' and , nchroni ity e d 197

h 8.

NOTES

I HE-FLIGHT OF THE G ARUDA

ty of extraneo

ave replaced cOntrived act' . If the Nyingma Scho l' I.Vlty and ambition. . d 0 s nine ap h ceive as a pyramidal h' proac es to Budd spatiality and Dzokchen is htahhood are CO n_ ") vanis 1 e ap ~gg .' a realm of pure potential (sk nto vast space (or th:~: where en Ideology of equality d d )les meet). Even the cosmic anti-hierarch ical dogma d an emocracY-Marxism_~OSt OUtspo_ In an ' , emonstrates . . In practice that th age of h Ierarch lcal m ould of . d D mm cannot b e arche zokchen at the apex of the spiritual h: rec~t .hy political m;Pal transcendence of the hierarchy h ler~rc Y IS the only me ans. h . ' as t e zero In h b'1 S ans of ~ e pomt lies all along every line: in Dzokch a h: ~very integer and Ity .and democracy' en t IS IS the only equa-I

temporalll·etyrarchY~ hth~n

t::

9 . Bym brlab, adhisthana' see Garland 1Vi . 10. Phyag rgya chen po, ~ahamudra' d:;:~ P.lS: .

een and. Chakchen as goals form an interestin t~C~s en: Dzokchen CUSSlOn, but no distinction has any p ·gal Pilc for Intellectual dish ractiC re evanc h c enpa or Chakch~npa. Their techniques and term~~:l~ e D.zokbut. so do the techniques and language of subsects of each all mtents and purposes Dzokchen and Chakchen can be bracketed . roget h er. See The Flight of the Garuda, Song Seventeen. ' See In Exile from the Land ofSnows by John Avedon for a factual and highly readable account of Tibet's downfall. Ma rigpa, avidya: literally "the absence of rigpa." Thar pa, mokfalmukti: the Hindus employ the same word for liberation as the Buddhists, and although their conception of it differs in some radical points- and these concepts are obstacles to its attainment-experientially n irvana is still nirvana. sGrib gnyis: nyon mongs pa'i sgrib pa and shes bya'i sgrib pa, the veils of

s~o~~ff~~

11. 12.

13. 14 .

] 5.

passion and mental concept. 16. See Glossary of Numeral Terms. -] 7. Desire is eradicated in the hinayana, neutralized in the mahayana and intensified in the vajrayana (see The Flight of the Garuda, Song Thirteen). ] 8. See note 3. . d'Song Six. d b een the Rang sto w'oJM J 9. But see The Flight of the Garuda, . .Itse If and the 20. The definition of emptiness IS Isp ute 1etw ty tn who define the Buddha-nature as utter y emp

198

us defilements.

a who deHne it as ~mp finds emptiness within an han stong P . the latter hne, gZ followtng . .

d

Dzokchen, fr'orn appearances;, . d_benders" provide diSCursive illseparable a bzhi: the fou~ mtn ood fortune of a prebLo !dog rn.am P (1) mi Ius rm po che, the gf niversal transience; 21. mplaClon upon . the lessons 0 u . . f conte an birth; (2) ml rtag pa, . d (4) the inevitabilIty 0 douS hum 'b the laws of karma, an

(3) las rgy~

~as,

da S T hirteen. 22 See The Flight ofthe Garu I' ::;sg essentia! recogni ti~ n: ngo sprod pa . D 1. hen terms Imp Y d ' " d by extenSiOn 23 Two ZOKC d " "to be initiate lllto an . means "to be introduce to , h . d". while rang ngo shes pa means . h ture 0 f t e mlll , "to recogOlze t e na d ones own nature." d "to recognize or un erstan . See The Flight of the Caruda, Song SlXteen. karmiC retribution.

~;'.

Ru bzhi. See Khrid Ye shedS ~lha

rn. a.

tal" applied ro patterns of causa" . al" an onzon f h 26. The terms vertiC . ., 1 To use the metaphor 0 t e don must be apprehen~ed" l~tuhltlve y. a1 manifestation of the cirman dala, "ver t'1cal effuSiOn IS t e acaus t' on of the holistic universe cumference out of the centre, the"em~na 1 al . " . dicates the out of the universal ground; and honzont . causation 10 causal relationship between events in linear time and space. 27. See The Flight of the Caruda, Song Sixteen. 28. iTa ba, sgom pa, spyod pa, 'bras bu.

29. Not "A" nor "not-A" nor "both A and not-A" nor "neither A nor not-A." . . .' 30. sPros bral, free of conceptual limitations and interpretlve proJectlons, free of all restrictions to a single meaning and incapable of elaboration. 31. See The Flight of the Caruda, Song Sixteen. 32. Asana, the third leg of Patanjali's af!ibigayoga. 33. See Glossary of Numeral Terms.

34. Phur bu, kila; katvmiga. 35. 'Gegs is the substantive derived fro m the verb gegs pa, "hindering:' "obstructing." 36. bLa mtsho: the sacred lakes whose waters are the "spirit" of Tibet and its people. bLa, life-spirit, and rna, the feminine definite article, are the two constituent syllables of bla rna (Lama) \ ; bLa .is a pre-Bu ddh'1 -r, Bon, conception.

199

THEFUGHTO-F~T~ H E~G::::~'---------'---- ~r----------------===~N~O~~ ~========::====~====~----~~ ~

3 ., SrD0 rje gya ta m, V1Svavajra 3 ee Glossary ofN . Lh umeral Terms 39. ag mthong, vipaf a - Th .

----

ARUDA

.in The Flight ofthe ~;':da, ~ technique alluded to h . gCod: see The Flioht ,I" h G. ong Fourteen. ere 1 d cribed 40. bD 0' OJ t. e aruda, S 41. ud bzhi, catturmdra ' hun " ong Seventeen. kyi bdud, klefamdra' Ih~( b 1!~~ bdud, skandharniira· bdUd, m.rtyamdra. The four .devaputramiira;

f

~e:on-:~

42.

~ent, ,emOtional passion, divine prid~:r:da~: :

~h:o: :;ng~

~m s 0

' pa matm.

1" lJ 10. BW 'J

Its demzens. But the illusion of eternity feels lik . e etermry

-'1

"From Saraha's Treasury of Songs," trans. David Snellgrove. 47. gNyis-med, advaita. 48. Zung du 'jug pa, yuganaddha.

49. dByings, dhdtu. Rig pa: the Sanskrit eq uivalent vidya is used nowhere in Sanskrit 50. texts with the sense of rig pa. Rig pa is sometimes translated as (pur "

'c·

.

.

"

presence or IntrInSiC awareness. ,,« . ' ,( Ye shes, jfiana: the prefix ye means "ultimate, ongmal, 51. " . , "h « . . al or pure awareness shes pa means cogmtlon, ence ongm ' .... " mate cog nmon .

firs~, (an~ ult1~ ,

52. Rig pa ye shes (rig pa'i ye shes). 53. gSal ba, prabhava. ____________________________200_________________________

OF HELL

mentals and History. . Tshan !dan mkha' gro ma marn gn)'tS dang po.

~~a pa mngon shes 0012-1090) of mChims

~o

ed attaddthl bS: h 'khor was the areat gter ston who discovere e our . yas c o s , I:> G . f M CT urnes of medical tantra, the rGyud bzhi. He was a UfU 0 a Cl

58. 59.

Lab sgron, amongst others. . 60. Rig pa rtsal dbang, the first and last empowerment mtO the essence

THE LANGUAGE OF DZOKCHEN

44. See Garland of Vision, pp.181- 2. 45. bLa med rnal 'byor rgyud, anuttarayoga-tantra. 46.. See The Royal Song ofSaraha, H.Y. Guenther, and Buddhist Scriptures,

D EPTHS

The firs t of the Three Supreme mCbog sprul sku rna m ~u;;'i ma 'od zer (1124 - 1192)' the secEmanations was Nyang r (1~12-1 270); and the third rGod Idem ond was Guru Chos db~~9) . For short biographies of these ten:ons can (1337-1~09) (see p. er N in rna lineage holders see DudJom and informatlon ab~ut oth 5 h Yl ~I" T;'b tan Buddhism: Its FundaRimpoche, The Nytngrna c 00 OJ l e

61.

II.

'

EMPTYING THE

to

43. rDo rye myal ba: vajranaraka. Since no conditioned . the everlasting nature of the va)' ra h 11 ' sta.te .IS eternal, . d f " e eXists as a conViction in the itself.

• Ngo bo, ra ~ ~~: gUT' kbyab. . .

ofe~bof'

powers be id .fI a . the base of the spine, at the Io:~~ :~d with sexual energy alone. At sexual cakra the fifth' h c:. r d of the central channel i h . . ' In t e Ilverold system d 1h t e energy IS Its primary manifestat' " h an at ough sexual . . . IOn It IS t e far l'e In ItS increasingly more subcl d bl' greater lIe-force that . e an su Imated e b " nergy orms Vitalizes th e entire being.

og r: ung. thIS IS not

. n bzhin, thugs rJe.

of Dzokchen. The Padma bKa' thang prophecy states that "the treasure of gNam skas (and) mKhar chu will be revealed' by G ur u Chowong. In the lCags phur (Iron Phurba) C ave of mKhar ch u just over the Tibetan border north of Bum thanaI:> in Bh utan, G u ru Chowong di co ered a major cache.

bKa' brgyad bsang ba yongs rdzogs and the 'Khor ba dong sprugs which includes the bKa' brgyad drag po l"ang byung ba'i zhi khro narag skong bzhags gyi cho gao 63. Nyams chag sdig sgrib tharns cad bshags pa'i rgyal po na rau dorw sprugs is the full title. 64. ~uh!amantra: "secret mantra" language has the power of manife t -

62.

109 l~S actuality when recited under optimal conditions. This text provides a fine example of mantric lanauaae, its m aning realiz d I:> I:> 1 d sp.ontaneo~s y an automatically wh n repeated bv the sadha -,a with devouon and attention. . 65. rTsa ba'i dam tshig dang dam t. h' an La . tg'y g ny' shu tS(lln a. 66. The T ibetan verb a pplied to'5 tht process is sgroi btl. at nc "t 20 1

~------------------------------------

No-rES_ _- - - - - - - - - -

THE

------

!-RUDA

rele- se" nd "t kill." (7.

.

)

<

•

The Flight ofthe Garuda,

in cant" I'S Song Seventeen. . a synonym f « prefer nee to i more va ue 0 va t expanse," klong, used . cate the per onal imm yet more literal equival tn bKa' b , e late, eXlstential natu em to Indirgyad drag po rang byung ba'i zh" kh re of the confession. ch0 go.. l ro narag skonv b h . POlOt

l

9. 70. 71. 72.

l

an~

'h -.

6

74.

zags gyl

e Adzbuddha. SomeUmes . Contracted to K ?Yung dr.ung: the swastika, right- and le~t~~:ng. ImmortalIty and indestructib'l' nded, symbolizes

Bh

1 Hy.

a go., yum gyi mkha': the sky is a eu he .

. Tantra; they share a lack of l'.lxed d' ~ mlsm for the vagma in n ImenSlOn.

THE FUGHT OF TH

73.

he~e

GARUDA

The v?luminous Zhabs dkar rnam thar is a popular masterpiece of autoblOgraphy, a source of inspi ration fo r every Eastern Tibetan Dzokehcnpa. The first volume was written by Shabkar Lama himself, the smaller second volume was partially written by a disciple. A mdo Reb dgongs or Reb kong, also known as gSer smug Ijongs, is loea ttd in mOo mad A mdo province to the north-east of the Machen Pomra range.

75.

bLa brang bkra shis dkyil, a large monastery in north-east Amdo, now Gansu province. It largely survived the Red Guards only to be

7().

gutted by fire in 1985. Chos kyi rgyal po N gag kyi dbang po's Lama was the terron bDe chen rgyal po of sNye mo Ka rag, whose own terma (gter mo.), the r 7a 'grin phag mo ye shes nor bu, was rran mitted ro Shabkar by the

77.

7H. 71).

H,

~

Lama 0 rgyan bstan 'dzin. , . The ter on bDe chen rgyal po's terma, rTa grm

~ang phag mo ye

' co""'plete manual of practlce. It was tran shes nor bu, .was Sh abka rs '" ' ry Lama called 0 rgran bstan '.u IZIfi. ' . ~d e rrlJ{tCd to him by an In rerm la ~(' (,)0 \ary of Sanskrit erms. KNas lugs, , . ' I Dzokchen precept, one that can be gNIlS kY u rig gsum: th IS.'s a. vita orr to Dzokchen practi ce. See 'f) 'I') tht' c;o lc med ltatl ve supp l!'V' . . . d note 11 2. Sungli Hftc<;lI. bghtecn n

__________________---------------o_o

. ' f udra, it was this same er,ror libetan legend of the onglO 0 R Rudra is the Tibetan viSion 81. In the birth to the Lord of De~ons'd . ble metaphysics rather that gave -d based 10 u n ema 0 ' du Maha eva, rof the 1'110.. . than in dzod, Lo ngchenpa reduces to absu In the Yid bzhin rtn po c e rr: cor instance, are merely figments 82. . that mountalOS, II ' of diry the nott on .' . hes clearly between our perception of the mind. He ~lStl~gl~klS d eam an hallucination, the reflec. which IS I ear ,d h rnountatn . " out t h ere, the mounta1O, f h n in water, etC. , an t e . d' tion 0 t e moo.. Nowhere d oes Shabkar make thiS 15a?ou~ which h:~:o~l~~~hat it is irrelevant to t he yogin, who at nnWo n. ~he r. be absolutely convinced that all this stage 10 hiS progress must " . h' . 1 henomena such as the shape and colour an sl n g in 1.5 V15~a field. crearions of his mind. It is useful to bear m. : : : : Saraha's mahamudra assertion that no concept IS vahd but efficacy in its own context makes it so. In this context the concept of all things as mind is a sharp-edged sword to d estroy attachment

expenentla1.practl~.

~nse

~re

to phenomena.

. Chos thams cad mnyam po. nyid du rdzogs pas: mnyam po. n)lld 83. (samata), literally, sameness, is synonymous w ith chos nyid (dharmatii) and stong pa nyid, (fiinyata). 84. Rang rig pa'i ye shes. 5 85. Lam rim ye shes snying po of bDe chen chos rgyal gling pa, pp .204- . Compare the song ofYe shes mtsho rgyal in Sky Dancer, pp.4 ~ -4 . 86. 'Od gsal rdzogs po. chen po'i khregs chod ita ba'i glu dbyangs sa lam ma Ius myur du bgrod pa'i rtsalldan mkha' lding gshog rlabs. 87. See p.87 for identiflCation of Shabkar Lama's principal teacher Tides to the Songs have been added by the tran lator to facilitate reference to the content. 89. So. (bcu) dang lam (lnga): the ten levels of the Bodhi attva path and the ~ve stages o~ the path to realization. As a vehicle, Dzokchen I defmed as neither sudd en nor gra du al in its approach t B~ddhahood. Khregs chod is a more gradual approach than thod L 90. Tibetans point to the heart as the seat of the mind- 0 'd point to the brain. ' C 1 ntal 91. Sems nyid, cittatii: in the previou ver e the ob' f was mind (sems) . Now the object is the nat 'f t , amin ti n ur 0 mmd r mind in

88.

.

92.

93.

94.

95.

96.

97.

THE FLIGHT OF THE

G

NOTES R D

Itself (sems n1Jid) b . . d J, ut SInce OUr . mm and its nature ar'd . examInation ha b. 'd' e 1 enncaj th d' . ta II h d snns nyl IS academl'c 1 tmction b that Zh " ~en g. z yi serns nllid mas l k' Urns and d Th J ugs ryt ranu b h' o. is is an introduct' 6 z: m gtan laphabp ,. IOn to Our 0 . . al at ngo S1I d t h e nature of m' d . . . ngIn natur b rro In IS OUf ongInal way of rni d synonyms of "I' th b . . nature. ong' Th . n : . h at e egmnIng of on . . LX. It r of WIt ontological terms g I ' mLX ep ist molog' I K ria' lea Sung ye shes. this pure-land mandal . . mandalas of light (thig le), light-s d a 1 a .field of mfinit imal Kuntu Zangpo. e ,emanating from the h art of The Theg mchog mdzod and the Zab don r a mts ,. . the two texts mention ed here B h Dfi hho l sprm phung are I . ut t e Ir t c apr r of th k wor of Longchenpa Yid b-'' . h e ear . ~mn rm po c e mdzod, treat th " y tion of samsara in detail. See also The W'j' h G . epongma-

v Za IS rantmg rayer of 1'I..untu ngpo, p.148. Nga' btfag (iitma~l~;_ g~ng g bdtg med:, Jems (citta); shes rab phtl roL ttl. phym pa (pra;naparamttii); bde gshegs snying po (sugatagarbha)' phyag r?ya c~en po (mahiimudrii)' dbu mil (madhya)' thig le nyaggcig, chos fryt dbymgs (dharmadhiitu)' kun gzhi (alaya)' tha mal shes pa. Rigpa. dNgos gzhi'i gnas lugs do: discursive examination of mind on timr preparatory practice in khregs chod and dir t realization of our XItentia! condition (gnas lugs) is the main practice. sKu (kiiya). Rigpa'i rtsal See Song Twenty-Two.

u:

98. 99. 100. The three human Buddhas of past present and fumr are Oipan-

kara Buddha, Sakyamuni Budclba and Maitre a Buddha. H re th 108 wrathful and peaceful dei rie are implied: e The Prayer of

Kuntu Zangpo, p.149. Rang snang: this d ifficult

.

.'

c~~cepr ~s ~e tun? r ro d b Id ntl~f\~_ with the all -pervading cognHlve pnnClple (ngpa) an.d ~hen c n or . , body and the en ironm nt as a holt t1 talr mg ones own .' . hologram, projected wlthm 1t. Zh p' hrul dbang byed fha. .' I 102. g. an he cerrn ;"yi rol mu tegJ, whl h :lppll n ro 103. Shabkar La.ma uses t h th Narh are probabl mo t r now~ d o~ Hjndu yogtns. Alrhou~ 11 sr ri exi. r of Buddhi t Iddha uch miraculous practlce , rna y 101.

~

__________________________~2~4 ________~----~------

..

___ -----.Lwawapa's siddhl 10 . k' d In particular see . vementS of thiS to 179 aChIe .I'M hamudra, p. . Mastm OJ a I d pa vicara, are 104. Thod rgak se~ p.~a,' is the process of thought, an t::;;s d~cribe the r 105. rNa". rtog, vlta d lying thought . These tWO ceptS un er d the ~:;veil that conceals Knowl e . g~. the dynamiC of thod rgal the IDen ,. do ngs pa: t hIS IS . 06 £hun gyis grub pa t :g. d the final level of attyoga. 1 . fruit of thregs (hod practlce, an . 7. In Song Seven. h" dala' h as a special signiflcanon. 10 . D okc en man . mfer 108 dKyil 'khor. In 'l dal has no centre or CircU . Si~ce the atiyoga D'lokchen man a . al yantra it indicates the ' Th' . ' fying a symmetnc ence, rather th an slgnl al f th n irmanalciya level. IS . " f th formal Gest t O e . c "pattern109 0 e . 1 . g of nature the penect . . h asymmetnca patterntn ' 1 pattermng IS t e f he strUcture of a comp ex asymmetry of a tree or the asymmetry dO .~Vi· . 185-6 for the molecule, for instance. See also Carlan oJ mon, pp. , mahayoga Dzokchen mandala. f 0 k h 109. In this verse first mention i made of the apog~~ 0 ~o ~ ~n attainment-the Rainbow Body (ja' Ius). Thus the en 0 t e path" (mthar thug) implie w~at ap~ears ~o be dea~ to. ~eluded observer . but what in realit IS a d Issolution of ~e mdlVI~uated dharmakaya which manifes ts a rhe rupaka~a 111 the ulllver. al ground of being, and into the dharmakaya th~t IS syno~y.mou ' ~lth the ground of being. The macroco mic challce and dour malllfest for the ake of all beings out of the ground of being. 110. rTsa! byong. Ill. "Adornment" do s not imply that mental quie cence is merely a . condary, decorative state of mind but rather that it is an immaculate mode of m maliey, and is, therefore, like a rare jewel. 112. gNas gyu rig gsunr. this phra e indicate the important Dzokchen pr cept devis ~ to acc lerare the pro ~ s of integrating one s experine of th a (lve and the contemplauve modes into the continui of con iou n ss with equal value in every ense. Cultivation f dId" 0 t 1 aspe t 0 t non ~a me ltatl~n removes the Buddhi t bia to ards the comemp\atl · m de. whiCh define meditation cal" ·· d h d a Iorm Ittmg med ttaHon, an t e angerou a sertion that . . hI' a qUiescent m' d . 111 erent y supenor to a dynamic tate. See Son Ei ht lt1 1 11 3. gLu dbyangs myall mo: ara vati the B dh~ g n. , 0 1 au a Godd f

hr:

205

-11~.

La .

TIl - ·- FUGf-_11'

F ll-fE

rnIng, M u ic, and P

NOTES _ _ _ _ _-

~u~

~heg pa'i yang rtse: if thoetl-~, and

----

on orr of Man~' ,_ - - - n In .h e Olne app h )U n g WIt the sravak roac e to B d . th en t h e ayana, are conceived ' U dhahood, be ' non-te mpora l In a pyrarn 'dal h' glnDzo~chen. ' n on- p at ial apex of th~ lera:chy, 115. A t thi stage refl e . pyramid is h b' Xlve recogni tion of h a a It. Examination of the m ' d ' t e nature of mind has b neo u a ris ing of Kn 1 d In IS now an ob ta I t h ecorne OWe ge No d' . 0 rep even the no tio ns of m ed ita'tion -m~ lta[Jon indicates a tare ;~tab oth m editatio n and non m· d' an, meditator are ab ent freeerer . - e ltanon wh b '0 con SCIOUS. T his d o u ble negative h h en oth state are elfhd as t e same ' rna amu ra statement of simple . meanmg as aropa's Without thouo-ht deL'b .negatIon, the oft-quoted line: TV/" 6 ' Z eratzon or analysis w zthout meditation and without act. ' ' Wl'It.hout d.oubt or expectation lOn, J

Mental co~sr:ucts and dualitl~s spontaneously dissolve And ~he orzg~nal(ace ofreality shines forth. T h e men d ICant p llg n m is best placed to reco<7nize anon mou ~nlearned (or learned) realized being whose att~jnment ari e; In spontaneous no-med itation . 116. Go ldog gros: the p aradox of d iscovering immutable samadhi in rel axed , carefree, no -action -framed in the previou verse-is restated in this verse as the parad ox of no-meditation as sustained m edi tatio n . 117. Bya bral: t hi is an epithet with significant outer and inner meanings. As a n epith et it m eans "a religiou men dicant without any responsibiliti es," a "vagrant" or "was trel. " The ourer meaning i "duty-free, " "workles "; while the inner m eaning i ' oon-a tion," t he achievement of spontaneous, acausal action. 118. rDzogs chen snying thig: bes ides referring to a ca tegory of line~~ n . h' a tradmo fo re mos t a mong t the m the kLong ch en nymg t Ig, establish ed by the thirteenth century yogin and age kLong ,hen ra b ' bya ms pa (Longchenpa), who fused the gter mtl andd bka .rna . 'd of theory an pra [I e. leachi ng into a un Jtary, y temattze co rpu . 'ng Th te r m indica te a m e taphys ical rea li ry, (h all-en~omPda 1

h:

'

I

~tT.

bindu at t he heart centre, the t.htg te nyag gab'

) J~ . Khregs chod. , J 20. Sc Song~ T hree, Eight, N ine and ThJfceen.

the

0 ml C

ee '

-----

______ - - - - - - - . h following verse . m ----- 'J The same term is use~ m t el yed in the Tshig gsu 'hi It btn U. d a IS emp 0 d' . 121. ~ g ~fJle exorcising se~ ,-rr:;:t~hree Incisive Precepts) me ltanO~' 122. _~" brdegs (Garab DOrJe S e t' es the mind and allows t e g'_ of shock that emp 1 . It creates a stat~ . f m ind's original face to artS,e, r in arv space for r~cog.nlt1on 0 d as an "internal, extraordmary pre 1m , e This prac(lce IS class . one of the ru bzhi. . 123. practice" in Dzokcheni ~t IS Seven for an identification of the Flve See the second part 0 o ng 124. Dhyani Buddhas. f female and male, solar and lunar Red and white are the colou rs 0 . h andala 125. . bi d ' f which give nse to t e m ' energies, the en mg ~ d . D d bdun; Shing rta gsu m; 126. Rig pa geer mthong gz ngo sprko " ~ rZgOsum: Zab don rgya mtshO'i h D chen rgyab chos nam mas 0 l :pr~!~hung; rDz ogs chen mkha' 'gro snying thig; Sangs rgyas ag

bcangs. ' ma h · .£ t Ii nk 127. In the principal D zokchen lineage Sri. ~i. h w~s a s~fll~ca;harma in the chain of G u ru-disciple relation hlp t at roug t t e f to Tibet. H e wa the d isciple of Mafijusrimitra at;~ t~e G~ru ~ Vimalamitra and Jfianasutra. It is probable that Sn SUl1ha re ldence, So-khyam, was in Central Asia. TH E Wl H-G RANTING PRAYER OF KUNT U ZANGPO 128. Byang gter. 129. Khyung, Canula: see p.68. 130. mChog sprul sku rnam gsum. See note 57. 131. rGyang Yon po lung wa a major place of terma concealment (gtt7' gnas) in irs own right. The cave still exi ts today in a mall grassy valley opposite the Yang 'dul temple and do e to the great Bumpa of rGyang near Lhatse Dzong in Tang. 132. mDzod inga: Vajrakila, las rgyu. 'bras, bsnyen sgrub, rten 'gre/.. bGegs thai bar rlog pa'i chos, and Ku.n bzang dgongs pa zang thai we th C'. • re e nve categones. 133. Thub b tan rdo rje brag lies on the north bank of the Tsan Ri between the confluence with the Kyichu and amye Cho~: r 134. rDzogs pa chm po Kun tu bzang po dgongs pa'i hi' rgyud is the principal text of the cycle of t t zang t.. a b t4n pa'; con tam d' h' ume of gtcr rna. m t 1 01-

au

207

1. ').

THEFu

'7 _

orES BT OF THE GARUD

thaI:: th . . r I no knO\ S etymology of which is uncle n an hit equival nt Lallg

;~:blaced as 'cransference," : ne s.

ase at the location to

w

In h ' gh IC

.

c~~ncra teo pho b: ~i;~'"' tit, Irnph a pr -ex'

the trans£

1 i6 _ . sAlon lam stobspo h 1 c e. s fon farn: literall ' h 13 . slV'!on lam brgyud. pat of good wishes.

1 9.

t

1

I often tent e);:i te

rence hift ful

s

Thuo-s, gsung, :,-ku, phrin L Body, Ac~i ity and Quality. as yon tan: otherwi

n·

1aware.

140. The versIfication and ve rse or part n . b mterpolation. urn er are the tran Iators) r 141 . Run gzhi.

142. Rig pal gsal ba. 1 3. ~hi suess refers to the gross tension of c .. lIfe-styles, but it also jndi h ompetltlve and demanding d 1" " ate t e subtle stresses that ac ua IStIc VISIOn, varie ties of which are l'1 te d ver e bycompany E . v ' mptymg the Depths ofHel~ pp.59- 61. er e In 144. Shes pa, or Ita cia she pa: consciousnes of the here and now which me~s n~n-referentjal Awareness (dmigs med ye shes), ' 145. gNyu 'dzm blo or gnyis 'dzin btas pa'i bag chags. 146. See Glos ary of N umeral Term . 1 -:. Kim bzang smon lam.

5 ECRET I

STR CTl

Ii

GARLAND

F VI 10

148. Ytzng riag gsang 'grel· Jam dpa! mtshan mdzod' Ma mo rgyud 't."" Man ngag Ita ba i phreng ba. r lia rgyud [Sang ba mying po'i grel ba nyi mai snying po zhes bya ba 1 9. gil ru padma rgyal pOl gsungs rgyun man ngag mJlen brgyud chos rj( ka thog pa ch~n pOI b:,'had srol bzhugs so. 150. LTa phreng Rong zorn, p.l 6 ffOb . See not 1 . Brag dmar mrsho mo mgur kyi e u thana; Brag dmar probabl ' J ' 1. . I refers to the valley abo e Samye. . 'cal d 1 .call oriented lOam (JIm an ess pracn . "ch 1 J52. For a more, phIlosoph! 'cal ' f he v:lriou Buddhl [ 00 , rim or phIlosoph! per pecD , 0 ( , d b lared iot . h ' G b mthd S us It (fan see M i pham R.m poc e , fU ddA ' Philosoph in Thlor} and Engli h with commentary In Btl. 'JIst

o

. Books 1960 . ulD V Guenther, Peng ' }·l.~1 ba ff.2a. See note 157.. h'm See uTer ston to rgyus 1,3. Ita phren~ b' - a1~d textS did not survive I · l> a7.DmS reve ky' 1)4. Rono-mtha' yas. ff.97b. andita chen po Chos t S ofbLo grO h i 'grel pa Rong zom p . bKa' ma 15,. Man ngag lt~en! phreng Rong zom) , rNymg ma ' bzang pos m 177-279, 50 folios. volume 'A, text , PP: s 156. See Glossary of T:,7:shi don gyi 'grel zin mdor bsdus pa 157. Man ngag Ita ~at ~hre~gnbi 'od phreng [,rel ba), rNying ma bka don pad tsha! 'bye pat 'Y 279- 360,41 fo lios. . ma, volume A, text BA. pp. b th degrees in p rogresswn of a 158. 'Odgsah gsa/ .ba and ~~~ng 1' :~,e('odegsal) is the b asis of all lightlight's emanano n . The c ~d Lg .~ . al to the "groun d of b eing form, of all colour and s a e, 1 ennc . h nl as the (kun gzhz) and unobjectifiable. We know the clear li g toY

. fradJct.

pI

fl1a

~~nsknt

Mind, pe ch

-

u;'a

za~

radiance of the spectrum. . Th' . th TL. is the Tibetan word that implies magical power. IS IS e 159. m lnU "power" of synchronistic conjunction. 160. Primordial purity (ka dag) is the key word of khregs chod as spontaneity (lhun grub) is the keyword of thod rgal. 161. See also The Flight of the Garuda, pp.93 and 132 and The WishGranting Prayer ofKuntu Zangpo pp.149- 53. 162. See Glossary of Numeral Terms. 163. rTogs pa bzhi. 164. Rig pa. 165. 'Bras bu'; theg pa, phalayiina, as opposed to rgyu'i theg pa, hetuytina. 166. 'Bras bu'; (hos is the phrase used in the interlinear note and also in Rongzoms commentary, 167. The following excerpts are from iTa phreng Rong zorn, ff.39b-40b. 168. Shts rab, prajfui: insight into the continuum of illusion as emptiness.

169. 170. 171. 172.

bsNyro pa dang sgrub pa. iTa phrrog Rong zorn, ff.42a. ITa phreng Rang zorn, ff.44a. Man ngag ita ba'i phreng ba (iTa phreng). 173. umber in quare brackets indicate the number in th . des, or approache > to Buddhahood of th e nme ehiSchool enumeration. e CUStomary ymgma

209

TH Fu 174.

HT

F"rl r J nE

Zu • kr· i - I P ':JUIJ PO , riipaskandha:. and al all th ·

AR 0

th ' 1

on

1 t f 1 .,0 a our It In Iud

and h and Inn i Ie je t: b 1 e, hu b h ap th.lt b ' Ut • ud th im mal Ot i ibl h are.u sum d under the head f th ' h pr ,e of mind - ~r I al on tieu nts. Ot r fo ur Infernal p y_ I bu. is, prmitya ·amlltpii J ·· th al ' tl n f d· ' ua. an I of th ' man an h I envif nment ' f e tnr fa f -em fo-ent n. Ina , ti n ' '\ h 'ch lfl t rm the 'n 1 I ' e e e menrs .,

Il1b

that have nam

T

,

I 1 anoth r nan ' f , 1 mplet nd ' f ' b anon 0 rbe a n Vln o-· Ut r t ' ' f' e.'nra ted r m thi maha ,' 0 l' . r Ignul an e i na nt mp anv t hn ' , h th rea1iza ri n that th i fun' f ~ " Iqu ' It e " ", non m anl.fi ra tion 1 under tood as c. , c h rom lty In Tantra. }n-

Ph fa

PI. (l poIlU th ( n m .r ' ' ph-,in.pa bm, . ) dafahiirtl17litii' T ' non repre em dm an a Ira Ie. amrl · Ideal f life that an Chri (ian ould '

in h is imita ri n f h ri t ; but m adj tiye' tran nd m~ra~ of ru ial impOrt n e. \Xl m ur rh deta hment inh rent in the ,~ew of emp rin th ar "rran cendental" impli , th Bodhi rrva merel)' a um ular a wealth f m erir thrau h \·irruou activiry: rh detachmenr implie in iahr into the nature of all rhino- a mptin and rh ult ivate the ulrim at awaren that lead (0 Buddhahood, To the Bodhi ttya perfe t a tion and perfe [ awar n ar th rwo '\ 'in,... f the bird that soar into th Buddhafield, 177. PI. alTs pil i tr.::;ug.- kJ·i sku p/;_ alT rgya ma7l1 b. ::,hi tio.nfT !dan pa: "tb Nip Ii; a with fi ill mudrds- mahii7l1udrti dJ}an71amlldni, J"fltnd)il-

mudrii and 'tJrmamudrti. , ~\J. ' 4 1' ion amadhi, wherein all i n m Qjeal illusi n: , 'IlJ"~ 17 . VlSlOn Of imperrurbable am adh l'' an d th e ama dhi of urn" raJ

samen

.

_ugs is u" a1J ariipakti 'IL , ' of 17 . Phl1U5pl11 0 ' ,. h fundamental charact n 0 d ., bur at rh 1 O. B a bl1 b ed pa i 1lJ1S pal sgytt md: [ e 1

- . .' , . ' } , re p ri e. op 0 an p nn Th' the ferrumne p nn Ip e l f ' h'bir d a ri\'iry. J , D aki -' a d"namo unJD J • • aJ]le orne rh . ' m , 1, 'r and ro\'ok aC[ 1\'lrr i- . d i,J fJ P d 'namic po :\'er that d rn e h c. d th :un rerm apph d t: th H ' d ' and h Ie nn among rhe lfl u pu mean f.tkn, c " aspe [ in Budcihisr ran rIa.: nus [emlDme . T.hOIITS tm is ,i nhogs rd::;o.fTf ,. d io rh ori~ina1 t xr In aD h or! oun I 1. is 0' o'~ hi commentary on r e 01

---

NOTES

---.' inrerlinear note, the ongm

f which is uncertam. See Rongz

, oms

0

commentary. h rasp that the object (don) of intuISl Ir is onl~ b~ inference ~) ~: ~o~ledge (rig pa) until the first line o! irive reaitzano n (rtogs P ' Q ickening of Confidence the aragraph entitled 'Progressive u . . 1 dge is P, r '1 The fourfold intuitive realization of Know e , rares It exp IClt y, "d ,. but the relatIon contin ent upon the four supportS, or oors,. . be{\vee~ the cognitive factor and the sup,po~t vanes: 10 the fi~st ~d ,' f Knowledge is cO\OCldent WIth actualIzation last case, rea1lzatlOn a , of the uppon (indicated by an ad erbial particle: altho~ ~n the first case the genitive was necessary in the translanon), while 10 the econd and third the supportS produce the realization (indicated by the insrrumental ca e) . 184, [To phreng 'grel pa ff.26b, The t\vo truths are absolute and relative truth. 185. "Sustaining grace' i a rendition of the Tibetan byin brlabs, more often translated as 'blessing .' 186, bDe mchog Smiw ara. 18~, bDud bzhi: see pp,36 and 1 5, 1 8. Yi ge 'khor 10 tshogs chm gyi sa. This is the thirteenrh stage of the Bodhi am path, A ordin~ to orne, it is t~e final stage, the stage of the Buddha, the dharmakaya rage. According to another sy t . 'J_ S em, there are thr further tage: tmg nge azin chm po. rdo rj~ 'dzin chm ~'n i sa, -re sh~s bid nuli sa, Thi allud to th ancient Vedic ascetlc rite of sitting' h of a if Ie of four fire . pr ~ rably at noon in umm ~n t e centre ab \'e b '0<7 th f-lfth fi r . enlme, the sun

G LOSSARIES 1. S ELECTED TIBETAN DZOKCHEN TERMS ka Jag: primal or primordial purity, primally pure, pure from the beginning.

kun gzhi: universal ground, (original) ground of being. klong: spaciousness, immensity, vast expanse, point instant. klong yangs: vast expanse. skalldan: beloved. sku, ktiya: pure-being, Buddha's Body. sku gsum: three existential modes, the three modes of being. skyes med: unborn (inchoate); pure potential. khregs chod (trekcho): C utting Through. 'khrul pa: delusion, bewilderment; delusive, deluded.

gyu: movement, active. sgom pa: meditation. sgyu ma: illusory enchantment, magical display, mtiyti. bsgoms, bhtivanti: meditation, di cursive contemplation, fixation upon an external or internal object, non-referential meditation, creative visualization , according to context. ngo bo: essence. ngo sprod pa: to be introduced to, to be initiated into. dngos po mtshan ma: nominal delu ion. chos sku, dharmaktiya: the xistential mod of emptiness and clear light. chos thams cad, sarvadharma: all phenomenal and noumenal experience, all elements of experienc , all experi nc or all event in nirvana, all phenomena and noumena.

chos dbyings, dharmadhtitu: plenum of pure space, continuum of pure space, reality-continuum. Ja' lus: rainbow body. rjen ne ba: naked and pristine. mnyam pa nyid: sameness, id ntity. bsnyen sgrub: "approach and identification. ' 213

_ _ LIGHT OF TI-I

- ---

rtog pa: mental co GARUDA rtog med: t h h nstructs, conceptual' . oug t-free th lZatlon rtogs pa: intuitiv . ' . oughdess. . Ita ba, da' e. r~allzat1on. rsana: VISIon h' I stong pa nryid ,_ _,p I osophical vie w. ' sunyata' em . . ptmess. b rtags pa or rta th' I ~s pa, laksana' k tg te, bindu: seed-e . . ' mar , token sign thi l. ssence. . ~ e nyag gcig: sole seed cos . t:h u:g.J ry'e.. responsIveness ' ,mlC"CosmIC egg , eed thod rgal (togal): Imm compaSSIOn, (spirituality)' bde chen, sukhau t -. e late Crossing, . bd h a t . pure pleasure e gs egs . B ddh . snying po: Buddh a-nature as: qUlescence. , u a-essence. gn gnas lugs: original nature , ongm " al eXlste . 'al rnam rtog, vitarka: discursive th 'h nt! condition. snanu- b . oug t. 6 a. appearances, lightform h snang srid: phenomena and nou ,p enohmenal appearances, light v' . rtnJ d ' mena, p enom al' ' ISlon sr,fo pa: actIOn, conduct. en eXistence. .

illusion.

Letter w ' release, reflexive release. natural freedom. .1: spontaneouS rang gr he pa: reflexive recogOitlOn , spontaneous recogn1t1on; to recogo 5 one's rang ngnize s own nature; If-liberation.

dangs: natural radiance or glow. rang gmanIT'. self-manifest d'lSP1ay, ne s own natura1 mannestan .C • n. rang b ' . .' 1 . . ( If ' ) rang byt4ng: sclf-ortglO:ltlng, spontaneous y an mg; se -ex! tent. rang bzhin: nature. rang mal: spontaneou effloresce!,ce . : If-ex pre sion. rang rig: intrinsic knowledge, self- XI ung knowledge. rang sa giod La zhog: compose yourself in the natu r 1 tate relax. rtltlg gsa!: natural radiance or glow. rig pa: Knowledge, presence; see Intro., p.46. rig pa ye shes ::: ye shes kyi rig pa: Knowledg -Awarene ,Knowledge a

nt!.al mode of consrancly transforming

~~:; ::~: ~;:~::i:~~!:~:~e:~~~inate, ~nelaborated. mconcelvable beyo d

. P h'Yag rgya chen po, Mahamudra' M 'f:' S' n concepuon. 'h d'fj . agnmcent tance pro: I fused; diffusion, movement. . bya bral: non-action. 'bras bu: goal, fruit, result. dbyings, dhatu: space, plenum of space; = chas dbyings q.v. rna bcos: unstructured, uncontrived. rna rig pa, avidya: literally, "absence of Knowledge, " ignorance. rtsaL , ba.. creatiVIty, .. e fjn orescence, skill, . creative power, potency.

ence. " ye ,he" jfiiina: literally, ultimate cognition; Awareness, pure or prim. awareness, non-referential awareness, gnostic awareness a a nondual cognitive mode.

214

gnostic cognition. ro gcig: one taste. lam: path, method. longs spyod sku, sambhogakaya: the exi tential mode of instructlV vtSI n. shes rab, prajfui: perfect or p netrating in ight (into th natu re fall lcments of experience as emptines ). sang rgyas: pure and awakened being. sang nge ba: secret fuline s. sal Ie ba: brilliance; brilliant, i id. sems, dtta: mind. serns nyid, cittata: th nature of mind. gsal ba: radiance, clarity. hrig ge btl: inten vigilance of the awakened tat , wakcfulne s; alert. lhun grub: spontaneou ly originat d/accomplished; spontaneity.

2 . SA

od gsal: clear light. gzhi: ground; also = kun gzhi, ground of being. zang (nge) thaI (Ie): (zangthal) all-pervading freedom of mind, "tran ~ r-

yt ge 'khor 10 t,hogs chen gyi ,a: the Stage of the Great Assembly of S, re

- ----------

'\Vfheels denoting the thirteenth level of the Bodhisatcva path .

d'

sprul sku, nirmarzakaya: the existe

GJ9~~~

d

KRIT TERM

aJhidhanna: the psychologi al the ry of Buddhism. Adibuddha: th riginal Buddha, Kunru Zangpo. anuttarayoga-tantra: the upreme, non-dual, tantric vehicle. anuJoga: the eighth vehicle to Buddhahoo d . bodhicitta: the all-embracjng compa ion of th Bodhi attva. Bodhisattva: aspirant devoted to the enlightenment of all being. 215

_ _---.:T.H 1~~LlGHT OF T

Buddi a : "the

~ GARUDA

one taste of h dh ca"yii-t,lntra: ee bh t e armakaya " l)akini: the d u . aya-tantra. . dh ynamlc female ar h amla: enlightened s . . c etype; the Gur ' dJl1rmadhatt. h .plfltual praxis. Us conSOrt t. t e reality . . dharmaka9a. I • h . -COnt111uum of t e eXIstential m d pure space. galJl1cl1kra: the tantric sacram 0 e of emptiness and de . Garuda: the bird symbol' /nht of samaya reaffirm . ar light. hinayana: the app h lC 0 t e Dzokchen veh ' I atJon. ._ _ . roac to Buddhah IC e. Jkn~n,!: pnmal awareness of the dh ood first taught by S;;lr.. . rzya-yoga' the f4 h' armakaya. .yamUnl. . OUrt ,ntual vehi I the veh' I B c e to Buddhahood lak; sanayana' J • • lC e to uddhah d " . maa,?amika: the philosophical hood uuhz~ng attributes. maham u d ra:- "M agnificent Symbol met" 0 of maInt atntng . . the middl mahasiddha: a great master or ad , .a of Buddhahood e way. t P mahayana: the vehicle of th B deh . 111 mahamudra. . hh e 0 Isattva Dzok h ma ayoga: t e seventh vehicle to BUddhah d c enpa. mandala. . al yantra representin00the. .. . a symmetnc .

syno~ym

m4ntr~: a euphonic representation of a BuJdha_~::ure of mind.

GLO SARl~ ES~_ _ _ _- - - - - -

ui/0iy4: the three modes of being, the three Buddha bodies. od bhttyll-tIlntra: caryii-tIlntra: the fifth vehtcle to Buddhaho . u. " hunderbolt " symbol of immutable power and awareness.

va;ra: t ' . . ''1l1a-na' vehicle of the tantrtka and the Dzokchenpa. VaruJ . c 'd adhara: Bearer of Dzokchen Knowledge. vt ry a graphic aid to understan d"mg or compasSIonate marurestatlon. ' . Jan"":

yoga~tantra: the sixth vehicl~ to. Buddhahood . yogin: a practitioner of meditation.

3. NUMERAL TERM twO truths: absolute and relative truth. twO veils: passion and mental concepts; emotion and intellect. twofold ignorance: innate and conceptual. three aspects of time: past, present and future . three components: cognition, application and fruition. three degrees of samadhi: maya-vision, vajra-vision and the amadhi of

water, a treasure protector the existential mode of constan I .... mrvti1}a: the perfect reality of peace and bl' t y transformmg IllusIOn.

universal sameness. three doors: body, speech and mind. three emotional poisons: desire aversion and ignorance. three lower realms: of animals, hungry ghosts and denizens of hell. three mod es of Buddha's being: the three kayas-dharmakaya,

pa[l.d.tta: a Sanskrit scholar.

three

mudra: a gesture of hand or bod i d" ty. ntiga: an elemental spirit of y. n lCanng a Buddha-attribute. .

_

_

n~rma[lakaya: ,

ISS .

r~kta: ~lood, symbolizing the nature of the Dakin!. rupakaya: the Buddha's "Body" of form. . sadhaka; a practitioner of dharma. stidhana: the form of existential praxis. sakti: the dynamic energy of the Qakini. 5amadhi: a degree of absorption in emptiness. samaya: union with Reality and the commitment or pledge thereto. sambhogakaya: the existential mode of instructive vision.

fam dra: the round of suffering and rebirth. $iddha: a ma~tcr or adept in mahamudra.

JJddhi: rh \iddha's powers of u ltimate and relative attainment. SUf.llta: a Buddha. Julrll: ripturc of the Buddha's teaching.

saffibhogakaya and nirmat:lakaya. ~rincipl.es: contingent effect, the imperative and the categorical

Imperative. three realms: the sensory realm and realms of aesthetic form and of formlessness. three realms of samsara: of gods humans and ubterranean pirit. three sacred letters: OM.AH HONG. four aspect of time: past, present, future and eternity. four continents: the major island continents in the cardinal direction of Mt. Meru in Indian co mology. four degrees: approach, close approach, a complishment and u hI'lme . accompli hment. four demon-spirit: · skandhamiira, f h .klefamiira, f d' .delJaputramiira . mrtvamarao em b0 dlment, 0 t e pasSlOn ,0 lvm pride, and of d;ath. f 217

THE FLIGHT -OF_ T HE _GARUD

fo ur elements: earth, water, fire and air - - --fo ur extreme ontological n ' ' Otlons: eternal' , Ism , nihilism B h materialism, ft ~ m ' our forms of conscio usness: visual d' III rn a.nd four infallible guiding stars: vision ' m auedl,to~, lfa t ry and gUSta ft ' d ' Itatlon ' , n t ry our mm -benders: discursive contempl' ) afctlo and th gat ' h b d ' anon 0 fou r t ' ' ,uman 0 y, Impermanence, the law of k PI: the precio uon arma , kar nlt' r 'bUS F N . rrl ij. our o ble Truths: suffering, origin of uffi' , C b' f rIng, nirvana h rour 0 Jects 0 consciousness: sight, sound mell and t , pat to nirvana, four seals: the four seals of the riipakaya. at , four sensory doors: eye, ear, nose, tongue, , four unshakeable bolts: unchangeable vision m d" ftourro C ld' " al" , ltanon, action th mtUlnve re lzatlOn: Unitary Cause d1 , e goal, , , ' . ' acre etters ' grace, direct mtulttve realization. ' Ustalning five (great) element,s: earth, water, fire, air and space, five aspects of (pnmal) awareness: mi rror-like awarenes ' . , . ' awareness of sameness, dIscnmmaung awareness , all-accompll'sh'Illg awarenes awareness of the reality continuum. Five Buddha Consorts: Locana, Mamaki, Pa1).c;iaravasini, Tara Dhathlsvan.Five Buddhas: Alqobhya, Rarnasambhava, Amitabha, Amogha iddhi, Vairocana; the Five Dhyani Buddhas or Five Sugatas, five colours: blue, white, yeHow, red, green, five families: vajra, ratna, padma, vifvavaj ra, tathagata (or Buddha), five fires: built around the Hindu ascetic in the summer. Five Great Mothers: see Five Buddha C on orcs. Five Modes of the Original Buddha; th e Five Buddhas (of the Fi e Families). five modes of being: nirma1).akaya, samb h ogakaya, dharm akaya, svabhavikakaya, vajralciya. five passions: desire, aversion, sloth, pride and jealousy. five paths: five stages of the Bodhisa ttva's path . five perfected Dhyani Buddhas: see Five Buddhas. I

/

five poisons: see five passions. . d~ fI ling. five psycho-physical constituents, paficaskandha: name an orm percep tion , motivation, consciousne s, fi ve sensory qualities: sight, sound, smell, taste, rouch,

' ry qu li[ic . n, I asur =f IV I ~ Iii cn U3 P five 0 ' iv Buodh . . • coral nO p r1. 've . llgatas: Sl' , , gold ilv r, turqu I nd Cnl'"l '11 n f I f ' IO U S t ,' 1 h t five eypes pre d " <; hum n , . nimal , ungry g , 'of go , tJ{an , si reaI m ,

uf hel\. ' 11 ta tc t u h, mind. C'eld<' of sight, h n ng,h m.' , I ' sl C ' b ings' c t SIX r . f cnncnl ' f ' b 'Ing'i ~ix eype, O . karm f th ' ix ryp . nt . , types of karma, SIX un. del and horse d mandala' .. , rhe' seven ~ nd bl m , .Ign mi y an IJmt:, ~ ei h[ w r1dly bscs 1 n : p~ 1 g . I ure and palO, k b J,J'l. a gam, p . d h . y inllS' fraullka- pmtye a IIUU.J -, Buddhah : t nlO l , ' , nine appro:l! hes t k ' _ _ arytittJ1'Itra-. yogatantra -. antt oga-. dil Bodhisattva-, rlytlldntrtt . ,

n SC ~ rl

.> ,

yog~yiinas. d' I ur int rm di ce, n dir nd '/. nid ' {en directions: four r tn , ,. f h Sodhi<. (tv' pa h. I vel r stag : (h ten ta , t J g n fO siry. (n . i n ' dtdapiiru.mitii: nl< r c n l.l , T ten (ran cendental p r t , . n p rfc t insight . skilful m (:an s. pan, nc , endeav ur. n mratl • aspirati n inner tren th, prim 1 w. r n F rry-twO Buddh : the P a I el tl . . . ixty Bl ad-drinking 1 iti 5: the Wrath ul e ltl .

21 9

$ELEC1'ED B IBLIOGRAPHY ohn F In Exile fro m ,he Land of SnoWS. London: Wisdom Aved00.

J

,.

1985.

CoJ!1". Edward. Buddhis' Scriptures. London: Penguin. 1959. [)argyaY. Eva. The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism in TIbet NeW Delhi: Motilal Baoarsidas , 1977. Do_an. Keith. Mas'ers of Mahamudra. Albany: Stare Uni ersicy ofN w

York, 1985. _--- Sky Dancer. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. 1984. Dudjom Rinpoche. The Nyingma School of TIbetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History. Boston: Wi dom. 199 1. Evans-Wen ... W.E. The Book of ,he Grea' Liberation. Oxford: Oxford University Press 1954.

r The Tibe,an Book of ,he Dead. Oxford: 0 ford Unive it}'

Press, 1957. Guenther. Herbert V. Buddhist Philosophy in Theory and /'nJc';u. London: Penguin, 1960. The Creative Vision . Novato: Lot awa, 1987. The Jewel Ornamen' ofLibera,ion. London: Rider, 1959. a The Royal Song ofSarah l. Berkeler- h, mbhal • 1973.

Karmay. Samten G alrsen. The Grea' perfection. Leid n: Brill. 1988. Manju'timirra Namkhai Nocbu and Kennard Lipman rca n· Primordial Experience. Bo ton: Shambhal~, 1987. Namkhai Norbu. The c rystal and ,he WIly of Light. L ndon: Rourledge & · Blue Dolphin, 1984. Kegan Paul, 1986. C d _ _ _ Dzogchen and Zen. N ev a tty: 221

.( n , !,: l'QGHT

Jh M OF THE G Reynoid ,on ARUO B'll . ,trans Th A. I , 1987. ' e Cycle ofD ay and Ni' SelfL '/; zght, v-

e

- 1 eration '7Y W York S LOrk: StatIon ' H iU 19 1 nrouuh (' , ta tlon 0' veeing E v ' Tucci G ' ) 88, erythzng in ' , luseppe, The " Us Nakedne Paul, 1980 . Religions of Tib 'Ss, ew et Lond Tulku Thond up Th on, Ro utledge & I< Buddh ' e Tantric n d ' egan ayana' 1984 . ra ltion 01-' h 'jteN ' ,),lngrn apa ,

INDEX OF TIBETAN NAMES AN D TERMS ( WITH T RANSLITERATION)

M: '

arion:

dzokrim (rdzogs rim), 16 Amdo (A mdo), 65, 67 Amne Machen (Am nye rma chen), 67

Gang Rimpocbe (Gangs Rin po che) (Mt Kailash) 6

bardo (bar do), 116, 134 Boudhanath Srupa, 67

Garuda, 69 Gelukpa (dGe lugs pa), 66 Godemchan (rGod idem can) 139-141

Chakchen (phyag chen), 54

gompa (dgon pa), 65 et passim G ungthang (Gung mang) , 141 Guru Chowong (Guru Chos dbana-

chod, 36-37, 54, 80 Choki Gyelpo Ngaki W ongpo (Chos kyi rgyal po gag kyi dbang po), 66, 82, 122 chomen (chos sman) , 166 dewachenpo (bde ba chen po), 38 dorje(rdo rje), 32, 35,166 Dorje yelwa (rOo rje myal ba) 38 Dorje Phakmo (rOo rje phag mo), 66 Oorje Phurba (rOo rje phur ba), 54, 139 Dorje Sempa (rOo rje sems dpa), 54 Drakmar Cave of Chimphu (mCh ims phu Brag dmar), 54 Drakmar Tsoroo Gur kyi euth ang (Brag dmar mtshO mo mgur kyi e u thang), 158 Drapa gon he (Grwa pa mngon sh ), 4 Drukpa Kagyu (' Brugs pa bka' brgyud) 67 Dzengdrak Karpo ( 0 1.eng brag dkar po) , 140 Dzodun (mDzod bdun) , 68 01.Okchen (rdzogs chen), 3 et passim D20kchen yingthik (r020g chen snying thig),79 01.Okchenpa (rdzogs chen pa) 3 et passim

53-55 Guru Lhakhang (Guru Lha khang), 53 G uru Rimpoche (Guru Rin po che), 11, 28 34-35 53-54,1 39- 141 , 15 160,

See also Padma ambhava Guru Rimpoche Choki Wongchuk (Guru Rin po che Cho kyi dbang phyug) , See Guru Chowong Gyang Yonpolung (rGyangs Lon po luna, 140

Hepo[i (He po ri), 53, 54 Jamgo n Kongtrul Lodro Thaye ('Jam mgon kong pml bLo gro mma' yas) . 65, 159, 160 Jamyang Gyarso ('Jam dbyang rgya mtsho),

66,82 Jomo Menmo Padma T okyi Go mo sman mo Padma mt ho kyid),53 Kadampa (bKa' dam pa) , 6-'

223

222

THE FLIGHT OF THE

G

~

kama (bka' mal, 157 Khading (mKha' Iding), 69 Khyemse Wongpo (mKhyen brtse dban po), 65, 159 g Khyung (Khyung), 69 Kongtrul Rimpoche (sKong sprul), 55 . See Jamgon Kongtrul Kunkhyen Longchenpa (Kun mkhyen kLong chen pal. See Longchenpa Kuntu Zangpo (Kun ru bzang po) , 59, 89,

90 Kunzang (Kun bzang). See Kuntu Zangpo Kyabo (Kya bo) , 54

kyerim (bskyed rim), 167

N mdog dpaJ rt) , 54 godrub Gyeltsen (dN brtsan) 139 S gos grub rgyal , . eeGod Nyaring (gNya" ) emchan . rtngs , 53 N~Jngma (rnying rna), 28 . nymgthik (snying thi~, 15 et Passlm

dkyil),66

Lhodrak (Lho brag), 53 Lhodrak Kharchu (Lho brag mKhar chu),

54 Lodro Thaye Kongrrul Rimpoche (bLo gros milia' yas Kong sprul Rin po che),

55. See Jamgon Kongtrul Longchenpa (kLong chen pa), 68, 90

fsikdon (tshig don), 160 Tsokdruk Rangdrol (Tshogs drug rang

kh

Parrul Rimpoche (dPaJ spr I Ri 65 u n po che),

grol). See Shabkar Lama Tsongkhapa (Tsong kha pa), 67 . Tsonying Mahadewa (mTsho snymg

phurbu (phur bu), 32-33,35, 140, 166

Mahadeva) , 66 Tubten Dorje Drak (Thub bstan rdo rje

san

ram),

brag), 141 Rekong (Reb dgongs or Reb kong), 65 rigpa (rigpa), 6, 26,46

Vimala Nyingthik (Vimal a snying rhig),

Rikdzin Chenpo (Rig 'dzin chen po), 140. See Godemchan

Vimalamitra, 139

55, 159 Riwo Trazang (Ri bo bkra bzang), 140 Rong Drak (Rong brag),

54

Samye (bSam yas), 67 Samye Chokhor (bSam yas chos 'khor), 53,

54

Milarepa (Mi la re pa), 66 Mon Bumthang (Mon Bum rhang),

54

Namkechan (gNam skas can),

54

Nanam Dorje Dunjom (sNa nam rOo rje bdud 'joms), 140 Ngakchang Dorje (sNgags 'chang rdo rje),

82

Ngakpa (sngags pa), 32, 35, 65-66 Ngayab Z angdok Peri (Nga yab Zangs

Yamdrok (Yar 'brog), 53 Yangdul (Yang 'dull, 140 Yeshe Tsogyel (Ye shes mrsho rgyal), 35, 53, 74 yigya (yig bl'gya), 56

zangthaL (zang tha4,

14 1

Zangzang Lhadrak (Zang zang Iha brag),

Samye Drakmar Drinzang (bSam yas Brag dmar mgrin bzang), 54 Samye Hepori (bSam yas He po ri), 54

monlam (smon lam), 142

139

Rinchen T erdzo (Rin chen gter mdzod),

lung (lung), 142 Machik Labdron (Ma gcig Lab sgron), 37

4

Pang (sPang), 53

Layak (La yag), 53 Lharse Dzong (Lha rtse rdzong), 140

It ho (khregsc oU), , ' (Khri srong Ide brrsan), . g Detsen TrtSO~ 34 35 53 140, 158, 160 KIng, ' ' ' Tan (gTsang), 139 5 g T . Nesar (gTsang rTsis gnas gsar) , Tsang Sl rre C

Tsa;i ROngkho r (rTsa ri rong 'khor) , 67

53

Labrang Tashi Kyil (bLa brang bkra shis

139 157,159 ''''cr rna)~" 53 55, 139, 157 er ston" ' n (gt ttrtO " 81 168, 171 'I1l( thod rga." ' 109. ) 56 166 or rna, , (gt forma h .II 15 70 81, 168

Padma Sambhava 139 157 Rimpoche ' , ,178. See Guru

140 Z ije (zi byed), 54

selwa (bsal ba), 47 Senge Dongma (Senge gDong rna), 74 Shabkar Lama (Zhabs dkar bla rna) , 65-80,

122 Shinjeshe (gShin rje shed), Tamdrin (rTa mgrin) , 66

224

----

_ _- - - - -

t(T1llfJ \Co

Orgyen Rimpoche (0 . rgyan RIIl p h 54 . See Guru Rim poch e OC e),

Pangje Tsentram (sPang rJ'e bT

Labchi (La phyi), 67

-- -----

IND~

------

ARVDA

54

225

CARE OF DHARMA BOOKS

DHARMA BOOKS contain the teachings of the Buddha; they have the power to

protect against lower rebirth and to point the way to liberation. Therefore, they should be treated with respect-kept off the floor and places where people sit or walk-and not stepped over. They should be covered or protected for transporting and kept in a high, clean place separate from more "mundane" materials. Other objects should not be placed on top of Dharma books and materials. Licking the fingers to turn pages is considered bad form (and negative karma). If it is necessary to dispose of Dharma materials, they should be burned rather than thrown in the trash. When burning Dharma, first recite

OM,

Nf,

HONG.

Then,

visualize the letters of the texts (to be burned) absorbing into them, and that absorbing into you. Mter that, you can burn the texts. These considerations may also be kept in mind for Dharma artwork, as well as the written teachings and artwork of other religions.