STENZEL the Mahamudra of Sakya Pandita-libre

8/9/2019 STENZEL the Mahamudra of Sakya Pandita-libre

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The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies 15, 2014200

Paitas Mahmudr. His presentation will be supplemented byexplanations drawn from A Clear Differentiations of the ThreeCodes, 3 and Taking the Result as the Path (Stearns 2006). Sincecontroversies and debates have the advantage of clarifyingdivergent viewpoints by highlighting crucial differences, I willinclude a discussion of the Kagy Mahmudr approaches thatSapan criticizes wherever it seems helpful in illuminating SakyaPaitas standpoint. For this part of the research, I will rely on theWestern scholarship mentioned previously. My analysis does notaim at justifying either side of the controversy. Both Sakya andKagy Schools have continuously taught their respective

meditation systems for nearly a millennium, which I like to see as aproof that a significant number of individuals have found meaningin their divergent approaches. As Western scholars and

practitioners explore Tibetan Buddhism, it is important tounderstand controversial positions as thoroughly as the secretcontent of the debated material allows, so as not to perpetuate athousand year-old debate on the basis of partial information. It ismy hope that this paper contributes to clarifying the position ofSakya Paita in the Mahmudr controversy.

BackgroundBuddhist ideas spread to Tibet in two major waves. The

first, a top-down movement controlled by kings between theseventh and ninth centuries,4was followed by political collapse andreligious crisis. The second, new translation period,5between thetenth and fourteenth centuries, was a fragmented movement thatsprang from the grassroots, fueled by teachers and adepts from

both India and Tibet. It prompted controversies and powerstruggles among translators, lineages, clans, and schools. SakyaPaita Kunga Gyaltsen of the prominent Khn (Khon) clan in

paper I produced my own translation, in consultation with Acarya JampaTenzin.

3 Sakya Pandita 2002. In my paper it will be cited as Three Codes, thetranslation of the short title used by Tibetans, Sdom gsum.

4 This period is called earlier dissemination of the teachings (snga dar) byTibetan historians, or the early translation period (sngagyur).

5 The new translation period (gsargyur) is also called the laterdissemination of the teachings (phyi dar).


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The Mahmudr of Sakya Paita 201

south central Tibet, one of the five founding patriarchs of the SakyaSchool (rje btsun gong ma lnga), stands out among the figures ofthis later period for his vast erudition in not only Tibetanepistemology and logic but also Indian Sanskrit scriptures andlanguage, which he acquired during a decade of study under thetutelage of the Kashmiri abbot kyarbhadra (1140-1225) andlesser paitas (pachung) in the latters entourage. Based on hisknowledge of the Indian roots of Buddhist thought, Sakya Paita,or Sapan, as he is often called, became concerned with what hedeemed inauthentic, false, or distorted Buddhist ideas and practicesin Tibet. One of his criticisms is directed against the Great Seal, or

Mahmudr, teachings of Gampopa, Lama Zhang Tsalpa, and theirfollowers. Gampopa started the monastic Dagpo Kagy School(Dwags po bka brgyud) with the foundation of the monastery ofDagla Gampo (Dwags lha sgam po) in 1121, about half a century

before Sapans birth. Gampopas followers further contributed toestablishing the Kagy as a prominent school in Tibet.6Gampopadeveloped an innovative style of teaching Mahmudr, combiningelements of the Perfection Vehicle and of the Tantras. These newapproaches to meditation by Gampopa and his followers werecriticized by Sapan for their supposed lack of Indian antecedentsand their proximity to the meditation system of the Chinese master

Hwashang Mahyana (Hwa shang ma h ya na) that had beenbanned from Tibet in the eighth century. In approximately 1232,Sapan wrote A Clear Differentiation of the Three Codes (Sdom

gsum rab dbye), in which he discusses a great number of theoriesand practices he deems erroneous among the practitioners of histime. His critique ofthe Kagy Mahmudr is embedded in thechapter Vows of the Vajra Vehicle. Whereas in this text, hisstatements on Mahmudr are dispersed throughout the chapter, theshortAnswers to the Question of Togden Gyan (Rtogs ldan rgyan

poi dris lan) focuses on the topic of Mahmudr alone and

6 The controversy between Sapan and certain Kagypa masters may well havepolitical motives, besides purely philosophical ones, as Ulrich Kragh pointsout in his thesis, Culture and Subculture: A Study of the Mahamudra ofsGam po pa (1998). The Khn clan and Kagy communities were incompetition for support from the Mongols, the ruling dynasty in China.Whether Sapan harboured an ambition to discredit other Buddhist schools toenhance his own political position is a speculation in which I do not wish toengage in this paper.


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provides therefore an ideal framework for capturing a succinctpicture of Sakya Paitas concept of Mahmudr.

TheAnswers to the Question of Togden Gyanis a short text of sixpages in Volume 12 of the Derge (sde dge) edition of the CollectedWorks of the first great Sakya masters (Sa skya bkabum). As isthe case with many works of the dialogue genre (zhus lan, dris lan)in Tibetan literature, the text was not composed by either of thedialogue partners, but was written down by another student of theinstructing master. In the present text, the author identifies himselfin the colophon as Biji (bi ji). He mentions that he has studiedSapans instructions repeatedly before putting this dialogue to

paper, perhaps with the intention of justifying his capability towrite the present text. Biji might have been the physician, orsimply a student of Sakya Paita.7The dialogue between Sapanand Togden Gyan is said to have taken place at the five-peakedmountain, which refers to the sacred mountain associated withMajur, Wutai Shan in China.8Since Sapan travelled to the courtof the Mongols, following a summons by the Mongol princeGodan Khan (1206-1251) only in 1244, this dialogue presumablytook place between a mature Sapan in his sixties and a meditatorliving in retreat in the mountains. The interlocutor Togden Gyan,who is identified in the introduction as a resident meditator at

Mount Wutai Shan, asks five questions about Mahmudr practiceand requests pith instructions (gdams ngag). According to Biji,these pith instructions were recorded as a separate teaching calledThe Eyedropper of Mahmudr, which I was unable to locate inthe available data-bases.9Sapans five succinct answers, however,

provide a synopsis of his Mahmudr teaching, and will thereforeprovide the outline of my analysis.

7

The website of the present Sakya Trizin mentions a physician Biji who waspresent at Sakya Paitas passing:http://www.hhthesakyatrizin.org/tradition_founder4.html, accessed Dec 4,2013. David Jackson mentions a student BijiRinchen Drak in his articleSakya Pandita's Letter to the Tibetans: A Late and Dubious Addition to HisCollected Works (2013: 243).

8 Karl Debreczeny (2011: n. 40) expresses doubt that Sapan resided at WutaiShan.

9 TBRC and AIBS.


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The Five Questions of TogdenGyan

The five principal topics that Sapan addresses in hisanswers to Tokden Gyan are the origin, nature, etymology,

practice, and stages of progress of Mahmudr.

The Origin of Mahmudr

The first topic, the examination of the origins, is of crucialimportance for the discussion of Mahmudr as a whole because

proof of correct origins assures the authenticity of a Buddhistteachingin the present case, of Mahmudr. This conservative

attitude is not unique to Sapan. From the time of Buddhas passing,followers worried about the preservation of his authentic teachingand eventually committed the canon to writing as a means toguarantee a truthful transmission. For Sapan, the authenticity ofBuddhist theory, practice, or terminology depends on theiroccurrence in Indian canonical texts. A Mahyna teaching such asMahmudr can only have two possible authentic origins: theStras of the Perfection Vehicle or the Tantras of the VajraVehicle. Apart from these two,Sapan states in the Three Codes,no Great Vehicle was ever taught by Buddhas. 10 Since theterminology of Mahmudr does not appear in the scriptures of the

Perfection Vehicle, he categorically excludes the Stras as itsscriptural source. Also, he states in the Answers to the Question ofTogden Gyan that the three lower Tantras, i.e., Action,Performance and Yoga Tantras,11do not use the term Mahmudr.12Therefore, according to Sapan, the only authentic source ofMahmudr, is the Niruttarayogatantra. 13 He argues for his

position not only on scriptural but also on theoretical grounds. Hestates in the Answers: Even though in these traditions they teach

profound emptiness as that which is to be realized, they do notteach a profound path of methods for realizing it (Rtogs ldan,154, 2).

10 Sakya Pandita, Three Codes, 113 (Verse 132).11 Action Tantra:bya rgyud, Skt. kriytantra. Performance Tantra:spyod

rgyud, Skt. carytantra. Yoga Tantra: rnalbyorrgyud, Skt. yogatantra.12 Contrary to Sakya Paita's statement, the term Mahmudra can be found

in both Yoga and Mahyoga Tantra literature. See R. Jackson 2011: 288.13 Unsurpassable Yoga Tantra: bla na med pai rgyud, Skt.

niruttarayogatantra, anuttarayogatantra.


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The profound path of methods refers to the four initiations14andtwo stages 15 of the Vajrayna; whereas the Perfection Vehicleteaches another set of trainings, such as the two accumulations, ofmerit and wisdom 16 ; the cultivation of compassion 17 ; thecontemplation of the four seals that signify the teachings of theBuddhas word18 ; and so forth. These methods are not labeledprofound, and their training is said to require three incalculablekalpas before perfect Buddhahood is attained.19Therefore, Sapanconcludes, it is not acceptable to see these traditions as trulyauthentic and fulfilling the definition of Mahmudr (phyag rgyachen po mtshan nyid pa) (Rtogs ldan154, 3).

At this point, it seems useful to include some details of thecontroversy between Sakya Paita and the target of this critique,Gampopa. 20 The Kagy master is reputedly the first who taughtMahmudr publicly and to students who had not received Tantricinitiations. He did so, combining the Mahmudr teachings of hismaster Milarepa (Mi la ras pa, 1052-1135) with Kadampa (Bkagdams pa) Stric teachings (Trungram 2004: 164169). Instead of alengthy training in Tantric rituals, certain students can, based onthe gurus pointing-out instructions that introduce the nature ofmind (ngo sprod), meditate directly on the mind and realize itsultimate nature. Gampopa adheres, nevertheless, to the tradition of

authenticating his teachings by explaining their Indian antecedents.According to later Kagy sources, he declared the

14 Skt. caturabhieka, Tib: dbang bskur bzhi (bum dbang,gsang dbang,shesrab ye shes kyi dbang,tshig dbang). Also see Sakya Pandita, Three Codes,1834.

15 rim gnyis, Skt. dvikrama, consists of the creation stage (skyes rim, Skt.utpattikrama)and the completion stage (rdzogs rim, Skt.sapannakrama).

16 tshogs gnyis: bsod nams kyi tshogs, Skt. pyasambhra, and ye shes kyitshogs, Skt.jnasambhra.

17 snying rje, Skt. karu.18

bkartags kyi phyag rgya bzhi: 1) All composite things are impermanent(dusbyas thams cad mi rtag pa); 2) All defiled things are suffering (zagbcas thams cad sdug bsngal ba); 3) All phenomena are empty and devoid ofa self-entity (chos thams cad stong zhing bdag med pa); 4) Nirva is peace(myanganlasdas pa zhiba). Source: Rangjung Yeshe Dictionary.

19 Sakya Pandita, Three Codes, 111112.20 I take Gampopa here as the most prominent master who taught Mahmudr

practice outside a tantric context. Gampopa is not the only target of Sapanscritique, and is seldom, if ever, mentioned by name.
http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/bum_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/bum_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/gsang_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/shes_rab_ye_shes_kyi_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/shes_rab_ye_shes_kyi_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/shes_rab_ye_shes_kyi_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/shes_rab_ye_shes_kyi_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/gsang_dbanghttp://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/bum_dbang


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Mahynottaratantrastra to be the foundation of his particularMahmudr teachings21; other Kagy masters point out a smallnumber of Indian canonical Buddhist texts, in which masters suchas Maitrpa, Sahajavajra, and Jnakrti use the term Mahmudroutside the Tantric context and even explicitly equate MotherPrajpramit with Mahmudr (Brunnhlzl 2007: 134136). To myknowledge, there is no textual evidence that Sakya Paitadiscussed the validity of these particular texts as possible sourcesfor non-Tantric Mahmudr. His critique targets the origins ofGampopas Mahmudr teachings, which, he says, deviate fromthe Mahmudr of the Kagy forefather, the Indian tantric master

Nropa (1016-1100).

The Nature ofMahmudr

Following his argument about the pure Indian origins ofMahmudr, Sapan next considers the nature (rang bzhin) ofMahmudr, presenting it in an exclusively Tantric context. Thesection on this second topic of Sapans Answers starts with aquotation from a commentary on theKlacakratantra:22

Mahmudr is unchangeable bliss.

Grasped and grasper, shapes, thoughts, andexpressions are completely eliminated.It is like agandharvacity.It has the nature of a magic-mirror reflection.It is the yoga of method and wisdom.I bow to the letters e va.It is beyond the most subtle phenomena.

21 Dbu ma la jug pa'irnam bshad dpal ldan dus gsum mkhyen paizhal lungdwags brgyud grub paishing rtaby the eighth Karmapa Miky Dorje (mibskyod rdo rje, 15071554). See Trungram 2004: 165 n388.

22 This quote can be found in the Vimalaprabhcommentary on Klacakra TheOrnament of Stainless Light, Bsdus pai rgyud kyi rgyal po dus khorloigrelbshad rtsa bairgyud kyi rjes sujug pa stongphrag bcu gnyis padri ma med pai od/, folio 108a, accessed Dec 6, 2013.http://www.asianclassics.org/reader.php?collection=tengyur&index=1347.01#108A. Possibly it is also found in theHevajra Tantra, since Hevajra is themain deity associated with the Sakya School. However, I could not locate itin the Concealed Essence of the HevajraTantra (Tantra with commentaryYogaratnamlby Kha), nor the Kyei rdo rje bsdus pai don gyi rgyachergrel pa.


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It has the form of a magic-mirror reflection,possessing the excellence of all aspects.I bow to that Mahmudr.23[154, 4-5]24

In this quote, Mahmudr is described as non-dual reality,associated with bliss and emptiness. In traditional Tantriceducation, it is the role of the guru to elucidate for the disciple theimplied meaning of the terms and metaphors used in the text. Forthe present research, I am relying, in addition to Sapans ownwords, on translated commentaries of theHevajratantraHevajra

being the principal Tantric deity of the Sakya Schooland on a

commentary on the Vajra Lines by Virpa, the Sakya Schoolseminent Indian mahsiddha of presumably the seventh or eighthcentury (Stearns 2006: 13). The latter commentary, entitled

Explication of the Treatise for Nyak, was composed by an ancestorof Sakya Paita, the first Sakya master, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo(Sa chen kun dga snyingpo, 10921158) (Sachen 2006: 23126).

In the first line of the above quote, Mahmudr is definedas bliss. This situates Mahmudr in the context of the third andfourth initiations,25which empower the Tantric disciple to cultivate

bliss and emptiness in union. For Sapan, the only legitimate way topractice Mahmudr is to enter the Tantric path by receiving

initiations. In the Three Codes, Sapan states, Our own Great Sealconsists of Gnosis risen from initiation.26Also, If, however, one[] wishes to cultivate the Mantra system, one must unerringlyobtain the four initiations. One should cultivate in meditation the

23 phyag rgya chenpo mi gyurbde// gzung dang dzin pa dbyibs dag dang//rtog dang brjod pa rnam par spang// dri zaigrong khyer lta bu dang// pra

phab pa yi rang bzhin can// rnalbyorthabs dang shes rab bdag// e wam yige de la dud// phrarab rdul gyi chos nyiddas// praphab pa yi rnam pacan// rnam pa kun gyi mchog ldan pa// phyag rgya chenpo de la dud//.

24 Folio numbers of this and all following quotes of Answers to the Questions

of Togden Gyanrefer to the Rtogsldan rgyanpoidris lanin the Sa skyabkabum, in a reprint of the Derge Parkhang Chenmo prints (sde dge parkhang chos mdzod chen mo). See Bibliography.

25 Third initiation: knowledge-wisdom initiation (shes rab ye shes dbang, Sktprajjnbhieka); fourth initiation (bzhi pai dbang, Sktcaturthbhieka), or precious word initiation (tshig dbang rin po che, Sktabdbhieka).

26 Sakya Pandita, Three Codes, 117 (verse 164). Rhoton translates phyag rgyachen posometimes as Great Seal, sometimes as mahmudr.


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two processes without mistake and become well versed in theGreat Seal, the Gnosis that rises from these.27In his commentaryon Virpas Vajra Lines Sachen Kunga Nyingpo explains the fourinitiations as being the vase initiation, secret initiation, theinitiation of primordial awareness dependent on an embodiment ofwisdom, and the fourth initiation. Each of these is subdivided intodifferent types. The third initiation is subdivided into dependenton a support and dependent on experience; the fourth into theword meaning, path, result, and with the support of a consort.28Thus, both the third and the fourth initiation can be conferred bymeans of union with a consort. Two kinds of experience of bliss are

associated with these two initiations, respectively. The aspect of theculmination of attainment as blissful emptiness of lesser extent isthe desired result of the third, while the culmination of attainmentas blissful emptiness of greater extent is the outcome of the fourthinitiation (Sachen 2006: 3542).

The issue of conferring initiations with the support of aconsort invites the question of the compatibility of sexual practicewith the prtimoka, the monastic code for individual liberation,which defines engaging in sexual activities as an infractionentailing defeat. Sapan adhered to the view that upon receivingtantric initiation on the level of the highest tantras (bla na med pairnal byor) a person takes on all three systems of vows. 29According to this statement, monastic and Tantric vows coexistwith equal value; thus, a monk is excluded from receiving theinitiation of primordial awareness dependent on an embodiment ofwisdom in the form of a real woman, and can only rely onsymbolic representations. Since a discussion regarding this point isabsent from the Three Codes, I cannot assert Sapans position withcertainty.

The quote in the Answers includes a second, concealedreference to bliss, in the form of the letters e va.30These letters

27 Sakya Pandita, Three Codes, 112 (verses 1278).28 Sachen 2006:28. See also the annotations by Sachens son Jetsn Drakpa

Gyaltsen (Rje btsun Grags pa rgyal mtshan, 11471216), 633n21.29 Sakya Pandita, Three Codes, 23.30 The transliteration of the Tibetan gives e wa, to be precise. Since the

letters are explained to be Tibetan phonetic rendering of the Sanskrit eva, Iuse the Sanskrit spelling.


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deserve special attention, since e va is paralleled withMahmudr through the repetition of the homage I bow to theletters evaI bow to that Mahmudr. According to theConcealed Essence of the Hevajra Tantra and its commentary, theYogaratnaml, the two letters e-va are derived from the Sanskriteva, which is the first word of the opening line of all Stras, evamay rutam,translated as thus have I heard. In Tantric exegesis,the first word, the indeclinable particle eva(thus), is divided intoits two components eand va. The new meaning of e results fromits shape in Gupta Sanskrit script, in which the letter resembles theshape of a downward pointing triangle. The Concealed Essence

states, Eis Bhaga (the female sexual organ), vam, is Kulia (themale sexual organ), (Farrow and Menon 1992: 5). Another passageexplains the two letters as symbolizing the female and male deitiesof a Tantric maala, and also the pairs of wisdom and skillfulmeans, and emptiness and compassion. According to theConcealed Essence, the union of the two elements of a pair is saidto create bliss and gnosis of the innate, uncreated, natural state:31

The divine letter e, adorned with the syllable vaplaced within it, is the abode of all bliss and thereceptacle of the jewels of the Buddhas. (3.4)

It is there in evathat the Joys arise, distinguished bythe different Moments. From the experience of theseMoments the knowledge of the bliss located in evaisknown. (3.5)

These and other passages from the Hevajratantra and itscommentary indicate that the letters e va symbolize the blissresulting from sexual union with a consort and also a certain typeof realization or knowledge associated with that bliss. It is whenTogden Gyan requests to know the nature of Mahmudr thatSapan chooses to cite the verse, Mahmudr is unchangeable

blissetc. However, he himself does not comment on the explicitand implicit references to bliss, presumably because such adiscussion is governed by the Tantric vow of secrecy. Instead, hefocuses on the second part of the quotation, which describesultimate reality in terms of emptiness:

It is beyond the most subtle phenomena.

31 Farrow and Menon 1992: 5: 181 (verses 3.45), and xxii.


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It has the form of a magic-mirror reflection,possessing the excellence of all aspects.I bow to that Mahmudr.32

Sapan explains that the phrase possessing the excellenceof all aspects is a description of emptiness. In a text by later Sakyamaster, Rongtn Sheja Kunrig (Rong ston shes bya kun rig, 1367-1449) the excellence of all aspects33is explained as referring tothe powers and qualities that arise with training in the perfectionsof giving, discipline, patience, diligent effort, and meditation(Bernert 2009:106). Mahmudr is described here as the realization of

emptiness accompanied by compassionate qualities. In hiscommentary, Sapan equates this realization with dharmat, orreality-as-it-is:

According to these words, what we have to realize iswhat is called the natural reality (chos nyid gnyugma),34which is emptiness possessing the excellence ofall aspects.

The way of realizing it is by way of an experience thatcannot be expressed, thought of, or explained, whichhas the appearance of a magic-mirror reflection. [154,

6]The magic-mirror reflection, which both Sapan and the

quotation mention, refers to the reflections in divination mirrorsthat were used in India and Tibet for predicting the future. Unlikeordinary reflections (gzugs brnyan), which reflect a manifestobject, images in divination mirrors (pa phrab pa) were said toappear on their own.35The metaphor thus describes the manifest

32 phra rab rdul gyi chos nyid das// praphab pa yi rnam pa can// rnam pakun gyi mchog ldan pa// phyag rgya chen po de la dud// In Rtogs ldan,154.56.

33 This phrasein Sanskrit presumably sarvkropetaalso is a crucial termin Rangtong-Shentong debates about the nature of nyat.

34 Alternative translation: genuine dharmat. I used natural instead of genuineto distinguishgnyug ma(natural, as it is) from mtshan nyid pa(genuine).

35 Alexander Berzin gives the Sanskritpratimrtiforpa phrab pa and explainsit as an analogy for "devoid-form," a subcategory of bimba(image). It refersto figures that appear on their own, such as images that appear in divinationmirrors used in Indian and Tibetan cultures for prognostication. AlexanderBerzin, Explanation of the Main Points of The Kalachakra Presentation of


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world as an appearance that lacks a true cause. A similar idea isexpressed in the first part of the quotation, with the metaphor of the

gandharva city, which is an illusory sky-castle of the gandharvas,a type of spirit or, literally, smell-eaters (dri za). This metaphoralso refers to the illusory nature of phenomena, the emptiness ofappearances.

In Mahmudr, the realization of emptiness cannot exist inisolation, since an isolated focus on emptiness does not lead tocomplete awakening. In the Answers, Sapan explains howemptiness is correctly practiced and realized as an inextricable partof a pair. Such integrated realization is called the unity of lucidity

and emptiness, the unity of awareness and emptiness, the unity ofbliss and emptiness (Rtogs ldan, 154, 5).In terms of gnosis, he states,it has innumerable synonyms, such as the gnosis of unity yoga,innate gnosis, self-arisen gnosis, self-aware gnosis, discriminatinggnosis, non-conceptual gnosis (Rtogs ldan, 154, 5). By describingMahmudr in terms of the highest realization of the Tantric path,Sapan distances himself from all those who use Mahmudr todescribe the initial realization of emptiness on the Path of Seeing,36and from those who claim that the realization of emptiness alonesuffices to attain Buddhahood. In the Three Codes,Sapan writes,emptiness alone has no efficacy whatsoever. But one will

gradually achieve the desired result if technique and understandingare rightly united. The Vajrapajara[tantra] states very clearly:Buddhahood will not result if the means is emptiness.37Sapanattacks here the adherents of mono causal soteriologies, such asLama Zhang Tsalpa, whose teaching of the White Self-SufficientRemedy (dkar po chig thub) supposedly claims that the result ofthe three Buddha-bodies arises from a single cause. 38 As hasalready been pointed out by David Jackson, however, a

juxtaposition of Sapans rendering and Lama Zhangs own writings

the Four Creative-Energy Drops and the Winds of Karma, accessed

December 4, 2013.http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/advanced/kalachakra/theory_of_kalachakra_practice/kalachakra_presentation_4_creative-energy_drops/part_2.html.

36 For a discussion of the paths, see below.37 Sakya Pandita, Three Codes, 172, (verses 3534).38 Ibid., 141, (verse 347). For a discussion of Sapans critique of Lama Zhang,

see Jackson 1994: 48 ff.


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shows that the latter taught a wide range of methods as apreparation for the final moment of realization of ultimateemptiness. 39 Sapans criticism may therefore apply only todistorted interpretations of Lama Zhangs teaching, or perhaps beunderstood as a critique of the potentially misleading term Self-Sufficient Remedy.

The Etymology of Mahmudr

Togden Gyans third question concerns the etymology ofthe Tibetan rendering of the Sanskrit word Mahmudr. Sapan

corrects the erroneous notions of those who are not expert inSanskrit and take phyag to mean peace [nirva], the gnosis ofemptiness, and rgya to mean release from the trap of sasra.They claim that both new and old schools,40the Mahmudr Drop(Phyag rgya chenpoithig le), and other texts say this. People whomake these claims are mistaken. [155, 4-5]

In the Three Codes,Sapan devotes more than twenty versesto correcting a long list of mistaken etymological explanations

proclaimed by his fellow Tibetans. Among these figuresMahmudr. He justifies his concern with these seemingly minorissues, saying, While these explanations may seem fine to

ignorant people, the learned will laugh if they see them. Why so?Because they are unacceptable as explanations of Sanskrit termsand because they have been explicated as if they were Tibetanterms, in ignorance of the fact that these terms are Sanskrit. 41Sapans frustration with his contemporaries lack of interest in theSanskrit language and a certain pride in his own erudition areapparent in this statement, I believe. In his concern for exactitude,he goes so far as to state that the Tibetan word for Mahmudr,

phyag rgya chen po, contains the word phyag (literally hand)which is not in the original Sanskrit. His remarks are not linguistic

ponderings alone, as can be seen in the Answers, where his

etymological analysis leads to yet another elucidation ofMahmudr: the Great Seal is a realization thatsealsthe perceptionof the world, since the realization of bliss and emptiness in unionmeans that the adept sees the equality of the deluded phenomena of

39 Also see Jackson 1994: 7778.40 gsar rnying41 Sakya Pandita, Three Codes, 172 (verses 5801; 56979).


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sasra and the pure phenomena of nirva, or the equality ofrelative and absolute truth.

Mudr can mean rgya (seal), rtags (sign), mtshan ma(mark), gugs kyed (stamp), and more, but in the

present case it is translated as rgya(seal). Its meaningwas explained by Avadhti: It is called rgya (seal)

because we stamp or certify (gdab) with a seal (rgya).The single taste of the three worlds is theMahmudr. This statement says that, when you sealall phenomena of sasra and nirva by abiding inthe unity of bliss and emptiness, then the view of themeaning of what you have experienced is calledMahmudr. [156, 1- 2]

The Practice of Mahmudr

The fourth question of Togden Gyan concerns the actualpractice of Mahmudr. How do we engender Mahmudr?Sapan gives first the general conditions for the practice, which arefor a disciple to receive genuine ripening initiations and to practicethe two stages of liberation. 42 Receiving the four initiations is

referred to as the process of maturation (smin lam). It entitlesdisciples to engage in the process of liberation (sgrol lam)consisting of the training in two stages, that of creation(utpattikrama, bskyed rim) and of completion (nipattikrama,rdzogs rim). Sapan does not explain any details of the initiationsorthe two stages. The reason for this omission, as before, is

presumably his obedience to the vow of secrecy. I will completethe lacuna with an explanation by a later Sakya master, which isavailable in translation. Jamyang Khyentse Wangchuk (Jamdbyangs mkhyen brtsei dbang phyugs, 1524-68) 43 explains thecreation stage as taking lucidity as the path, which refers to thevividly lucid meditation on a particular deity and its supportingmaala, including various preliminary purifications and mantra

practice. The completion stage means to take emptiness as thepath, since the visualization, along with the three realms, is

42 This is part of the answer to the second question, which I included here, soas to present the progression as a whole.

43 Jamyang 2006: 395476, particularly 425.


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dissolved into a state where even the nd44is not visualized.The completion stage includes the yogic practices with subtlechannels (rtsa), winds (rlung), and drops (thig le), such as the

practices of mystic heat (gtum mo), illusory body (sgyu lus), dreamyoga (rmi lam), and others. From the meditation on these twostages, the author explains, arises primordial awareness, or gnosis,which takes unity as the path (Jamyang 2006: 425). As Sapanexplained previously, this gnosis of union is one of the synonymsof Mahmudr.

Tantric practice would not be possible without a guru, andSapan states accordingly: Please your guru and then receiveauthentic initiation. Then you will distinguish the meaning ofsuchness.45In the Three Codes, he specifies that an authentic guruis one who is genuine, intelligent and well-trained.46Disciplesshould please such a teacher, and view him as the very Buddhahimself, but only once they have received initiations from him:Unless one is linked to him through vows of initiation, he issimply a Perfection[-Vehicle] teacher, no matter how good he may

be.47This statement contains again a critique of the approach ofGampopa and all those Kagy masters who taught Mahmudroutside a Tantric context. Sapan predicts drastic consequences forthem, citing the Mahmudrtilaka: Whosoever, out of pride,

explains Tantra and precepts to the uninitiated causes both masterand pupil to be reborn in hell immediately upon their deaths, eventhough realizations may have been attained.48This statement ofSapan shows that his insistence on practicing Mahmudraccording to the Indian sources is not just a matter of conservatismtrumping innovation, but is based on his conviction that a trainingsystem can only lead to successful results when it is left intact, andthat especially the Tantric systemwhich operates with subtle

44 The ndis the last point in the process of dissolution and refers to the linerising from the nasal sign on top of the seed syllable hvisualized in the

heart center.45 Citing from The Vajra Garland, the Exposition Tantra of Guhyasamja

(Bshad rgyud rdo rje phreng ba, Gsang dusbshad rgyud, Skt.: Vajraml-tantra).

46 Sakya Paita, Letter to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, in Three Codes,245.

47 Sakya Paita, Three Codes, 116 (v. 157).48 Ibid.


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physiological and psychological processes, with precepts andsecrecyshould not be manipulated even by those who haverealizations.

When the outer conditions for practicing Mahmudr areassembled, i.e. when a disciple receives the four initiations of agenuine guru and engages in the practice of the two stages,Mahmudr is explained to arise in two stages, first as a likenessof Mahmudr (phyag rgya chen po ltar snang), followed bygenuine Mahmudr (phyag rgya chen po mtshan nyid pa). IntheAnswers, Sapan explains:

A few fortunate individuals engender genuine gnosis ofMahmudr at the moment the gnosis of initiation descendsupon them. However, most people have to rely on methodssuch as meditation and so forth. They begin by engenderinga likeness of Mahmudr, and later on will develop genuineMahmudr. [156, 3-4]

Sapan describes the likeness of Mahmudr as a partialor flawed understanding of ultimate reality:

What is called the likeness of Mahmudr co-arises withthe aspects of two mistakes of being poisoned and

isolated.Being poisoned refers to generating a flickeringexperience of the unity (zung jug) while the waves ofconceptual understanding and realization gathered in studyand reflection, and of discursive thoughts gathered inmeditation, have not yet ceased.

Isolated refers to the isolated [practice] of [mental]stability, isolated discriminative inquiry, isolated [practice]on the side of luminosity, isolated [practice] on the side ofemptiness; isolated experiences of body, speech, and mind,such as blissful heat or volatile movements of the body,

unreliable expressions of speech, and various experiencesof unreliable meditative absorptions in the mind; and [also]the isolated [practice] of temporary mental inactivity andblocking of the six collections of sense-consciousness.[156, 4-6]

According to these explanations, Mahmudr is not asudden realization, except in the case of rare individuals who

possess the previously acquired karmic maturity for such a


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breakthrough (Rtogs ldan, 156, 3). Most practitioners may have aglimpse of Mahmudr during the third or fourth initiation, but arenot able to prolong that realization. Instead, dualistic perceptioninterferes, and the practitioner cannot maintain unity (zung jug),

but tends to experience either emptiness alone or luminosity alone.The passage also shows that Sapan acknowledges various kinds of

physical or mental experiences, such as volatile movements of thebody (maybe jumps or levitations), or a blank, inactive mentalstate, but categorizes them as preliminary, as the likeness ofMahmudr. As described in the section on the nature ofMahmudr, the final realization has to integrate all aspects of

experience, and is therefore called the gnosis of unity.

Progress in Mahmudr

Further explanations of the gradual development ofMahmudr are given in the next section, where Sapan answersquestions about progression on the grounds (bhmis) and paths(mrga). Here, Sapan first parallels the stages of Mahmudr withthe realizations of the five paths taught in the Perfection Vehicle,then with the Bodhisattva grounds. According to his explanations,the training phase beginning with a ripening initiation and

including all those imperfect experiences mentioned previouslycomprises the Path of Accumulation. When the genuine wisdomof the unity of bliss and emptiness is born in the mind stream andthe experience of complete non-thought arises uninterruptedly,

but is not yet pure because of subtle latencies ofconceptualization (Rtogs ldan, 157, 2), it is the Path of Junction. Theunderstanding a practitioner has at this point is called mimetic49gnosis (dpei ye shes), because it is only an imitation of the realunderstanding. Using a metaphor of the rising sun at dawn, Sapanexpresses the fact that it is not yet the real sun, but a definiteindication of it. A qualitative change occurs when the practitioner

has a direct realization of emptiness possessing the excellence ofall aspects, the genuine gnosis of complete non-thought. This is,according to Sapan, the real gnosis [of] Mahmudr and theattainment of the Path of Seeing (Rtogs ldan, 157, 4). What followsafter that is a continuous familiarization with the real Mahmudr

49 Alternative translations are: exemplifying wisdom (Brunnhlzl), samplewisdom (Rhoton).


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gnosis, which is called the Path of Meditation, and finally theattainment of the thirteenth ground (bhmi), the actualization of thefour kyas,50the five wisdoms,51and so forth, which is the Path of

No More Learning and corresponds to the state of Dorje Chang,52or Buddhahood. According to these instructions, Mahmudrdesignates not only the final realization at the level of Buddhahood,

but begins on the Path of Seeing. The determining differencebetween the mimetic gnosis, or the likeness of Mahmudr, andreal gnosis, or real Mahmudr, is thus the presence or absence,respectively, of dualistic conceptualization.

Sapans discussion of the Bodhisattva grounds amounts to

yet another point of critique directed against Lama Zhang, authorof the provocative sentence, Mahmudr is attainable in onestride. It is deluded activity to divide it into grounds and paths.53Alluding to this sentence, Sapan attacks the notion of a singlysufficient (chig chog)54Mahmudr and retorts, To say such athing is mistaken. Two quotes from Indian sources, Reciting the

Names (Nmasagiti), 55 and the Synonyms (Abhidhna), 56 shownothing more than the existence and the names of the Bodhisattvagrounds, but Sapan does not go into details about how thesecorrelate with Mahmudr realization. He does explain that thequote, Buddhahood is perfected in a single instant, from Reciting

50 sku bzhi: the four bodies of a Buddha: 1) the body of reality, chos sku, Skt.dharmakya. 2) the complete enjoyment body, longs spyod rdzogspaisku,Skt.sambhogakya; 3) the emanation body,sprul sku, Skt. nirmakya, 4)the body of their essentiality, ngo bo nyid kyi sku, Skt.svabhvikakya.

51 ye shes lnga: the five wisdoms: 1)me long ltabu, mirror [-like] wisdom, 2)mnyam nyid, equality wisdom, 3) so sor rtog pa, discriminating wisdom, 4)bya grub, accomplishing wisdom, 5) chos dbyings, expanse of realitywisdom.

52 rdo rje chang, Skt.vajradhara, the primordial buddhahood. See Rtogs ldan,157, 5.

53 See Sakya Pandita, Three Codes,193n81.54 Alternative translation: singly efficacious (Rhoton), mentioned in Three

Codes264n14.55 Jam dpal ye she sems dpa'i don dam pai mtshan yang dag par brjod

pa/Majurnmasagti ,Tantra section ka, vol. 79, folio/line 5a.4. See:http://www.asianclassics.org/reader.php?collection=kangyur&index=369#5A.

56 Perhaps theAbhidhnottaratantra. I am still not sure whether the referenceis to the CakrasavaraTantra or a more general text.


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the Names, refers simply to the way of attaining completely perfectawakening at the very end of traversing the grounds and paths(Rtogs ldan, 158, 3). A close reading of Lama Zhangs writingsshows, as stated previously, that he also teaches a gradual path instages, no matter how provocative his assertion of a completeBuddhahood in one instant through the accomplishment ofMahmudr. (Lama Zhang 2011: 125).

Sapan concludes his exposition of Mahmudr for TogdenGyan with an explanation of how the realization of the unity ofemptiness and luminosity is carried into daily life. It expressesitself in the view that all phenomena are of one taste. In the SakyaSchool, this view is called the inseparability of sasra andnirva (khordas dbyer med).

Thus it is said: There is no Buddha, there are no sentientbeings arising outside of the mind. There is no object ofconsciousness or anything existing outside.

And: There is not the slightest difference between thephysical forms [of] utterly pure gnosis and the thoughts[belonging to] sasra. Similarly, this is so because allthat appears in sasra and nirva is of one taste in themind. 57 Tokden, keep these [instructions] in your heart,practice them, and you will reap great benefit.

Conclusion

In sum, Sapan presents Mahmudr as the resultant gnosisof the creation and completion stages, which a disciple can only

practice after having received the four initiations of the NiruttaraTantra class from a qualified guru. The third initiation, which isconferred by means of a consort, enables a disciple to experiencethe union of bliss and emptiness to a lesser extent; the fourthinitiation enables a more profound understanding of that union.

Except for a few rare exceptions, a disciple will not be able toattain and sustain such a realization during the initiation. Instead,through diligent training in the creation and completion stages, heor she develops a partial understanding of the union of bliss andemptiness, which is called mimetic gnosis, or the likeness of

57 Alternative translation: This is the crucia l point that everything that appearsin sasra and nirva is of one taste in the mind.


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Mahmudr. At this level, the realization is polluted by dualistic,conceptual thinking, however subtle it may be. Once the realization

becomes completely non-dual, it is real gnosis, or real Mahmudr,and this corresponds to the attainment of the Path of Seeing, oftenassociated with the first Bodhisattva ground. This Mahmudr isthen cultivated throughout the thirteen grounds until perfectBuddhahood, the perfection of the four kyas, is attained. Sapandescribes this Mahmudr as the realization of natural reality, theunity of awareness and emptiness, and non-conceptual gnosis (Rtogsldan, 154, 6155, 2), among many other terms, but emphasizes at thesame time the unfathomable nature of the realization, calling it an

experience that cannot be expressed, thought of, or explained(Rtogs ldan, 154, 6).

A comparison of his presentation to the Mahmudrteachings of the Kagy masters Gampopa, Lama Zhang and others,yields striking similarities in terminology and concept. Gampopa,for example, describes Mahmudr as the realization of thenatural state as awareness-emptiness, absolutely clear andtransparent, without root, 58 and equally emphasizes thatMahmudr is called beyond the intellect and it is indeed so; itis the pramit of wisdom, beyond thought and expression.59Inview of these parallels, one might be tempted to conclude that,

finally, the result is the same, and that only the paths differ.However, since for Sapan the decisive factor for an authenticMahmudr practice is its Tantric context, such comparisons areuseless from his point of view, since the Kagy teachers do notshare this premise. In Sapans view, a Mahmudr practice thateschews the Tantric context lacks authenticity and blessing. Forthis reason I have kept comparisons between Sapans andGampopas Mahmudr to a minimum in this paper and havefocused on clarifying Sapans own presentation according to the

Answers to the Questions of Togden Gyan.

58 Gampopa,Rje phag mo gru paizhus lan, Gsung bum sgampo pa, Vol 2:339, 24.

59 Ibid.


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Appendix: A Translation of SapansAnswers to theQuestions of Tokden Gyan60

At the time when the great Dharma Lord Sakya Paita, amanifestation of the venerable Majur, went to the five-peakedmountain61in China and lived there, a man called Tokden Gyanpo,who resided there practicing meditation, came andcircumambulated and prostrated repeatedly to the Dharma Lord.The Dharma Lord exclaimed: Tokdenpa, [your]circumambulations and prostrations, too, are amazing. In order tolive at a place such as this, one needs a meditation practice that is

based on profound oral instructions. Is that not so?Tokdenpa, having pondered this, went home and fetched a

piece of white silk. Offering it to the Dharma Lord, he said:Dharma Lord, [1.] Is this view [of?] Mahmudr accepted as themeditation of all vehicles? [2.] What is the nature (rang bzhin) ofMahmudr? [3.] Why is it called Mahmudr? [4.] How do weengender it? [5.] How do we gradually progress on the grounds(bhmis) and paths (mrga)? I beg you to give me profoundinstruction on Mahmudr. When he asked [these questions], theDharma Lord was delighted. He gave him the initiation ofombipas Hevajra. Then he gave him The Coemergent

Realization of Mahmudr (phyag rgya chen po lhan cig skyesgrub) and the inconceivable instructions of Togtsepa62in full.

[He said:]

My way of teaching the instructions on Mahmudr is this:Before you attain meditation powers (siddhi),63you should practiceone-pointedly. Then you will not be deceived. I will give conciseanswers to your questions; [154] keep them in mind!

60 kun dgasnying po, "rtogs ldan rgyan po'i dris lan/." In Sa skya bka bum.TBRC W22271. 12: 167 173. Dehradun: Sakya Center, 19921993.http://tbrc.org/link?RID=O01CT0026|O01CT002600KG04220$W22271.(dpe chapages 153159).

61 Wutai Shan in China, a sacred mountain associated with Majur.62 The Indian mahsiddhas Tog-rtse-pa, Mattock-man (Koalipa?) was,

according to Bri gung Jig rten mgon po the only master in India whodirectly pointed out the nature of mind. See D. Jackson 1994: 13.

63 Alternative translation: Before you focus on achieving special powers
http://tbrc.org/link?RID=O01CT0026|O01CT002600KG04220$W22271http://tbrc.org/link?RID=O01CT0026|O01CT002600KG04220$W22271


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[1. Question: Is this view [of] Mahmudr accepted as themeditation of all vehicles?]

In the tradition of the Perfection Vehicles the view is sealedwith the four mudrs [or marks of existence] of the Buddhasteaching. In the three lower tantras it is explained as sealing withthe non-duality of the profound and the luminous. However, theydo not use the term Mahmudr. Even though in these traditions ahighest accomplishment (siddhi) is taught, the highest Mahmudr

siddhi is not taught. Therefore they do not accept the view [of]genuine Mahmudr as meditation.

Even though in these traditions they teach profoundemptiness as that which is to be realized, they do not teach aprofound path of methods for realizing it. Therefore it is notacceptable to see [these traditions] as genuine Mahmudr (phyagrgya chen po mtshan nyid pa).

An analogous case is [this:] Even though in the AuditorsVehicle (rvakayna), generosity, morality and so on areexplained, since extraordinary assisting methods and wisdom arenot explained, they are not acceptable [as] the perfections ofgenerosity and [the others]. Just as one would call a stupid personox, one may call the meditation on the view of these [traditions]

Mahmudr. This would be merely a name, and I do not want to[bother] arguing about that.

[2.Question: What is the nature (rang bzhin) of Mahmudr? ]

The nature of Mahmudr is [this]:

Mahmudr is unchangeable bliss.Grasped and grasper, shapes, thoughts, and

expressions are completely eliminated.It is like agandharvacity.It has the nature of a magic-mirror reflection.It is the yoga of method and wisdom.

I bow to the letters e va.It is beyond the most subtle [sub-atomic] phenomena.It has the form of a magic-mirror reflection,

possessing the excellence of all aspects.I bow to that Mahmudr.64

64 See above, note 23-4.


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According to these words, what we have to realize is whatis called the natural reality (chos nyid gnyug ma), 65 which isemptiness possessing the excellence of all aspects. The way ofrealizing it is by way of an experience which cannot be expressed,thought of, or explained, which has the appearance of a magic-mirror reflection. The essence of what has to be realized is thegnosis-of-unity yoga. (rnal byor zung jug gi ye shes). It is alsocalled: The unity of lucidity and emptiness, [155] the unity ofawareness and emptiness, the unity of bliss and emptiness, theunity of great bliss, the innate gnosis, the self-arisen gnosis, self-aware gnosis, discriminating gnosis, non-conceptual gnosis, etc.

The synonyms are innumerable. These methods of realization areexplained in The Vajra Garland, the Exposition Tantra [ofGuhyasamja]:66

Please your guru and then receive authentic initiation.Then you will distinguish the meaning of suchness.

The Two Segments67says:

Later you will distinguish suchness.

According to these statements, by way of receiving genuineripening initiations and meditating appropriately according to the

two stages of liberation, including all their branches, you willobtain [the realization of Mahmudr]. rya Ngrjuna said

The teaching of all Buddhas is based on two stages (rim pagnyis).One is the stage of creation.The other is the stage of completion.

It is taught that all the methods for summoning the gnosisof the unexcelled secret mantra can be condensed into these twostages. This is the key point.

[3. Question: Why is it called Mahmudr?]

65 Alternative translation: genuine or primordial dharmat.66 Bshad rgyud rdo rje phreng ba, gsang dus bshad rgyud, Skt.

Vajramltantra.67 Brtag gnyis, Two Segments, Skt.Hevajramlatantrarja.


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Concerning the etymology of Mahmudr: Those who arenot expert in Sanskrit take phyag to mean peace [nirva], [156]the gnosis of emptiness, and rgya to mean release from the trapof sasra. They claim that both new and old schools, the

Mahmudr Drop (Phyag rgya chen poi thig le), and other textssay this. People who make these claims are mistaken.

Regarding the meaning of the Sanskrit Mahmudr: mahis chenpoin Tibetan. The equivalent for phyag cannot be found inthis term, but the early translators added the syllable phyag inTibetan because of a royal decree. A similar case is the wordbhagawate, in which the [Sanskrit equivalent] for das is notfound, whereas the Tibetans added that syllable das.68

Hence, in this case, the explanation that phyag is derivedfrom the Tantras does not make sense; and the statement thatphyagis the wisdom of emptiness is a fabrication made by Tibetans. InThe Mahmudr Drop and other sources, these words cannot befound.

Mudr can mean rgya (seal), rtags (sign), mtshan ma(mark), gug skyed (stamp), and more, but in the present case it istranslated as rgya (seal). Its meaning was explained by AvadhtIt is called rgya (seal) because we stamp or certify (gdab) with a

seal (rgya). The single taste of the three worlds is the Mahmudr.This statement says that, when you seal all phenomena of sasraand nirva by abiding in the unity of bliss and emptiness, then theview of the meaning of what you have experienced is calledMahmudr.

[4.Question: How do we engender it?]

How the stages are engendered: A few fortunate individualsengender the genuine gnosis of Mahmudr at the moment thegnosis of initiation descends upon them. However, most peoplehave to rely on methods such as meditation and so forth. They

begin by engendering a likeness of Mahmudr, and later on willdevelop genuine Mahmudr. What is called the likeness ofMahmudr co-arises with the aspects of two mistakes of being

poisoned and isolated.

68 This refers to the word bcom ldan das, i.e. the Tibetan translation of theSanskrit bhagavant, which consists of bhaga (fortune) and vant(possessing).


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Being poisoned refers to generating a flickeringexperience of the unity (zung jug) while the waves of conceptualunderstanding and realization gathered in study and reflection, andof discursive thoughts gathered in meditation, have not yet ceased.

Isolated refers to the isolated [practice] of [mental]stability; isolated discriminative inquiry; isolated [practice] on theside of luminosity; isolated [practice] on the side of emptiness;isolated experiences of body, speech, and mind, such as blissfulheat or volatile movements of the body, unreliable expressions ofspeech, and various experiences of unreliable meditativeabsorptions in the mind; and [also] the isolated [practice] oftemporary mental inactivity and blocking of the six collections ofsense-consciousness. [157]

[5. Question: How do we gradually progress on the grounds andthe paths?]

The way to gradually progress on the grounds and paths: [1][For] a person who strives for awakening, [the training] beginningwith a ripening initiation up through completing all the imperfectexperiences, is called, according to the common vehicle, The Pathof Accumulation. [2] The Two Segments says: Omniscient gnosis

is like that. Similarly, although the genuine wisdom of the unity ofbliss and emptiness is born in the mind stream and the experienceof complete non-thought arises uninterruptedly, there are subtlelatencies of conceptualization. The arising of such a mimetic gnosis(dpei ye shes), which resembles the rising sun at dawn, is calledThe Path of Junction. [3] In theReciting the Names69 it issaid:

The reality of [ordinary] consciousness transcended,the way of non-dual gnosis embraced, non-conceptuality is spontaneously achieved.

The moment when the direct realization of the emptinesspossessing the excellence of all aspects, the genuine gnosis ofcomplete non-thought, the real gnosis [of] Mahmudr (don gyi ye

shes) first arises; [that] is called the attainment of the Path ofSeeing. [4] Through uninterrupted familiarization with that [realgnosis of Mahmudr] and by gradually progressing higher and

69 Skt:Nmasagti


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higher, one advances up to the twelfth [ground]. This is called thePath of Meditation. [5] Thenwhen the thirteen [grounds] areactualized, the four kyas, the five wisdoms, etc., [and] ocean-likequalities are attainedthe Path of No more Learning is realized.Furthermore, after the path of application in the view of thecommon [vehicle], and the genuine mimetic gnosis [of]Mahmudr in the view of the extraordinary vehicle, has arisen inones mind stream, [one] realizes real gnosis. And if one wishes torealize the unity state of Dorje Chang in this lifetime, [one]

practises the activity as explained in the Tantra collectiontheproximate causes, and so forthin an impeccable manner. What

other way of accomplishment in one lifetime do we have but thatexemplified by the Indiansiddhas? [158] If, after genuine mimeticgnosis has arisen in the mind-stream, one has not accomplished theactivity, it is explained that it will be accomplished through the oralinstructions for the moment of death and the intermediate state.

Some people say: The deluded person who reckonsgrounds and paths in the singly sufficient (chig chog)70Mahmudrare mistaken. To say such a thing is mistaken, sinceReciting the

Namessays: Protector/ Buddha (dgon po), Lord of the ten levels,and theAbhidhna71says:

The Joyous, the Stainless,the Radiant, the Brilliant,the Hard to Conquer, the Realized,the Reaching Far, the Unshakable,the Good Intelligence, and the Cloud of Dharma,the Inimitable, the Great Wisdom,and Vajradhara as the thirteenth.

And so forth. [Hence] the Tantra collections and theaccomplished masters made presentations of the grounds and pathswidely available.

InReciting the Namesit is said: Buddhahood is perfectedin a single instant. What is taught here is the way of attainingcompletely perfect awakening at the very end of traversing the

70 An alternative translation for chig chog is singly efficacious. (SakyaPandita, Clear Differentiation, 264n14.)

71 In the text the title is presented in phonetic Sanskrit.Abhidhnais a kind ofSanskrit dictionary of etymology. The TBRC abhidhnasection lists severalworks with titles including mngon brjod (synonyms).


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grounds and paths. In the Gnosis at the Moment of Death[Stra]72it is said: When we understand the mind, we are Buddhas. Do notlook for Buddha elsewhere. Meditate on this concept (du shes).Saraha said: The mind alone is the seed of all things. In it, sasraand nirva are projected. To that mind, which is like the wishfulfilling jewel that bestows the results we desire, I pay homage.Similarly, through the direct realization of the conventional realityof the mind [as] the all-ground consciousness (layavijna) andof the natural mode of ultimate reality, one progresses through thegrounds and paths and [attains] Buddhahood. This is the intent [ofSaraha]. Thus it is said: There is no Buddha, there are no sentient

beings arising outside of the mind. There is no object ofconsciousness or anything existing outside. And: There is nottheslightest difference between the physical forms [of?] utterly puregnosis [159] and the thoughts [belonging to] sasra. Similarly,this is so because all that appears in sasra and nirva is of onetaste in the mind.73Tokden, keep these [instructions] in your heart,

practice them, and you will reap great benefit.

After saying this, he gave specialized [instructions]. Thoseinstructions for Tokden Gyanpo are the so-called Eyedropper of

Mahmudr.74After having put sustained effort into [the study] ofthat teaching of the Dharma Lord, Biji wrote [this text] on the five-

peaked mountain [of Wutai Shan].

72 Phags pa da ka ye shes shes bya ba theg pa chen poi mdo, Skt. ryatajnanmamahynastra.

73 Alternative translation: This is the crucial point that everything that appearsin sasra and nirva is of one taste in the mind.

74 Phyag rgya chenpoimig thur. It seems that after answering Togdens fivequestions, Sakya Pandita continued with the oral instructions that TogdenGyan had requested, which are written in a separate text called TheMahmudr Eyedropper. I could not locate this text.


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