THB HAHA1'11JBBA

ELIHINATIN6 THB
llABKNESS OF 16NOBANCE
("Phyag-chen ma-rig mun-sel")

by the Ninth Kar-ma-pa Wang-ch'ug dor;je

with commentary given orally by
Beru Khyentzc Rinpoche
lntrodu~tion

I make sincere obeisance to the prccious Ka-gyu

line. Although you attained perfect Enlightenment
countless cons ago, you stili manifest in whatever
bodies are suited for taming those needing control.
Hearing ~ven your name eJiminates the fears of
sams~ra.

Having :ptostrated to my Guru and his lineage,

I sha11say a łittlc about Mah11mudnt, the Great Seal
0

of Voidness, the innermost essence of the Diamond-

hard Vehicle, Vajray11na, in order to encourage
discipłes desiring Liberation. It is the single path all
Buddhas have trod and has the undeclined warmth
of blessingsfrom the whispered orał teachings passed
down successively from the Ś!:kyamuni Buddha to
my root Guru. The essence of the minds of all the
Buddhas of the three timcs, it ,is a method for
achieving in a single lifetimc the cx'traordinary
enlightened, unified state of Vajradh-:tra.
In order to listcn to or study the Dharma tcachings
properly, it il essential to havc the correct motivation.
Rememberiog how all sentient beings hnve been your
motbers in previous lifetimes and shown you .grcat kindness,
you shoułd devclop compassion and the wish to repay them.
The only way to be able truły to do this and remove thcir
suffcring is to become enlightened yourself. To have as your
primary tbought the wish to becomc a Buddha or, as in the
2 MAHAMUDRA

tantras, Vajradhlra, in order to help others is known as the

Enlightcned Motivc of Bodhicitta. Thercforc with this
higbcst motivation you should rcad, study and practisc thesc
tcachings.
In a<!dition, therc arc threc faults along the analogy of
a vcssel that you should eliminatc. First, do not be like an
upside-down vessel, that is closed-minded, so that the
teachings do not penetratc. Nor should you be likc one
with a hole in the bottom, rctaining nothing of what you
learn. Furthermore, unlikc a dirty vessel, you should be
free of prejudices, prcconceptions and strong delusions
which might contaminatc your mind-stream causing you to
be pre-occupied and misconstrue all you bear.
There arc also six stains to be removed. The first is
pride or closed-minded arrogance ; you must listen humbly
if you arc to learn anything. lf you have no faith or arc
hypercritical, you will be unreceptive. lfyou arc disinterested,
you łack motivation and tbus need to reconfirm it. Do not
be distracted by sense objects such as noise or crowds, but
remain focused on the teachings. However, do not lct
yourself sink into such a deep concentration that you
no longer pay attention and arc inakrt. Such concentration
has its płace in meditation, but can be a hindrancc when
listening or studying. Finally, do not indułgc yoursclf in
depression or becomc discouraged if you do not understand
at first reading. lt will takc time and the power or
acquaintance.
Further, therc arc five typcs of incorrect graspiog. Do ·
not grasp only the words of the teachings and ignorc their
meaning, nor only the meaning but not the worda.
Nor should you consider botb the words and their meaning
equalły unimportant. Also do not grasp at either an
incorrect order C'f the teacbings or at a wrong understanding.
If you regard yourself as a sick man, sufferiog from
delusions, the Guru as your doctor and the teachings aa
medicine, you arc sure to bcnefit.
 P1irt One:
PHELl.JllNAHIES
Befuge,
Prostration and Botlhieitta

The explanation of how to practise this

Mah-a:mudni of the u~declined lineage of the precious
Ka-gyu is divided into three sections : the prelimina-
ries, the actual body of the practice and the
concluding materiał.
For the first of these, tbere is to start with going
for refQge and developin~ an Enlightened Motive of
Bodhicitt~
Therc aro both common and cxtraordinary prcliminary
practiccs. The common arc: to medil!ltC on the prccious
human robirth, death and impcrmanence, karma or the law
of causc and effect, and the disadvantages of samsAra or
cyclic oxistence. As a common-ground, they form the
contcxt for all Buddhist practice and h~lp set your motiva-
tion. The extraordinaty preliminaries (ngon-dro) arc
prastration white taking refuge, Vajrasa.ttva · purification,
ma1;ujala offering and Gu ru-yogą.
There arc many stylcs in whicb the latter set may be
practised, but the most usual is to pcrform 100,000 repeti·
tions of cach in turn in one continuous effort. Another
method is to do a certain portion of cach every day as part
of your daily practice. The number Qf repetitions may vary
and s..ometim~s yo~ arc told t9 keep count, while at others
not, but tQ contin1,1e until YO\l recc;ive signs of success. The
set may be rc~eatcd sevcral times on different occasions or
continued at a slower pace throughout your life. Further-
6 MA.HJMUDR.l

more, the actual practices you do as preliminaries may vary

as well. Your Guru will decide what is bcst for you. What
follows is a generał description of the standard preliminaries
as practised in the Kar-ma Ka-gyil lincage. The specific,
detailcd instructions should be rcccivcd from your Guru.
The purpose of preliminaries is to eliminate or purify
yollrsclf of the obstacles that might binder your practice
and to accumulate the merit that will bring you success.
Prostration and Vajrasattva mcditation accomplish the
former, whde ma9{1ala offcring and Guru-yoga the latter.
Thinking about the law of causc and effect and about all
the non-virtuous actions you have committed in the past and
how you will have to expcrience sulfcring as thcir result, you
sbould feel grcat regrct and turo to the Three Jewels for
refuge. Thcsc arc the Buddbas or Fully Awakened Bcings,
the Dharma or thcir tcacbings and the Sańgha or spirit11al
community of those who realisc them. Entrusting yourself
to these thrce, you should olfcr prostration in order to
cleanse yoursclf of unripencd sulfering.
Furthcrmore, you should realisc how all scnti.ent bci11g1
want only happincss and ncvcr to snfTer, but 1.1c unawiaro
of how to bring tbis about. They do not know that virtuous,
kind actions bring bappiness, while cruc\, non-virtuou1 ones
only pai n. Therefore develop comp:usion for them and
wish by your practice to purify them as well. And. fina Iły
you should set your motivation as Bodhicitta, tho
Enlightencd Motive, wishing that by taking refUge and
prostrating you will climinatc all obstaclos so lhat you ran
attain the enlightcned state of a Buddhn in order truły to
be able to bencfit all othcrs.

In the space before you visualise a wish-granting trec

with one trunk and dividing into five branches. On
the central one is your Guru (in the form of
Vajradh-ara), in front are the meditational deities,
to his right the Buddhas, behind him Dharma
scriptures and to his left the Sangha. Bach is
surrounded by a cluster of figurcs of his own dass.
You should go for refugc (prostrating white) saying
 PRELIMINARIES 7

the appropriate verse and visualising yoursełf

surrounded by a mułtitude of all motherly sentient
beings with yourself in front as their leader and all
of them joining you in a chorus taking refuge.
This visuałisation is of the field of merit or tree of
assembled Gurus. Imagine around you is a beautiful park,
with soft grassy meadows and gentle animałs. In the centre
of an exquisite Jake is a wish-granting tree as described
above. Vajradhiira or, in Tibetan Dor-je ch'ang, is the
form Buddha takes in the tantras. The meditational
deities ,(yidams) incłude VajrayoginI, Heruka and so forth;
the Buddhas arc those of the past, present and future ; the
Dharma is represented by the scripturał tetts of "The
Three Baskets (Tripitaka)" and the Sangha by such Bodhi-
sattvas as Avałokiteśvara and Tara, as welł as Pratyeka~
buddhas and Śravakas such as Śariputra and so on. Around
the tower portion of the tree are the Dharmapałas and
protectors such as Mahllkll.la. If you do not know what all
these figures look like or cannot visuałise them clcarly, do
not worry. At least have faith that they arc there before
you. Through famiłiarity and pictures you will learn to sec
them.
Visualise yourself in your ordinary form, with all your
male rełatives to your right and female to your left. Imagine
you arc in an enormous crowd of people and animałs,
yourself as their leader, and all prostrating and taking
refuge. Prostrate by touching cłasped hands-pałms
together, fingers outstretched and thumbs ·tucked in....:..
to the top of your head, mid-brow, throat and heart, then
go down to the ground and stretch out fully with hands
extended before you. Arise quickly. Da this while repeating
such verses as "I and all motherły sentient beings as vast as
space ... go for refuge in the boty venerabłe Gurus. We go
for refuge in the Yidams and host of their maa}Qała deities.
We go for refuge in the Blessed Buddhas. We go for
refuge in the Holy Dharma. We go for refuge in the Noble
Sangha. We go for refuge in the host of Qakas, Qakinis,
Dharmapalas and Protectors who have the eye of pristine
8 MAHAMUDRA

awareness." Throughout maintain a strong state of con'-"Cn

tration, faith and sincerity. Thesc three-bowing, reciting
and concentrating-are known as physical, verbal and
mental prostration. You should repeat the verse and
physical prostration 100,000 times, as well as begin any
meditation session with at least seven.
When prostrating you will expericncc much suffering.
View this likc the pain of an injection you are happy to
endure in order to be cured of an illness. Your discomfort
is proportionate to the amount of unripened suffering and
negative karma you arc bcing cleansed of. Whcn you
achc, feel that you arc not only eliminating, by experiencing
now, the suffering you might have had in a morc severc
form in an unfortunate rebirth, but also that you arc
taking away this suffering from others. Jf you are hot or
cold, pray that this eliminates that which the heli creaturcs.
feel. Take hunger and thirst from hungry ghosts ar1d, if
your mind bccomes duli and blank with fatigue, imagine
that animals arc freed from their stupidity. With strong
faith and constantly reconfirmed motivation, you will ha•!C
no doubts about what you arc doing. Should thoughts arisc
to leave it and do something else, regard them as n jecring,
crowd and pay them no heed.
You shoułd ałso recite, "{I go for refuge until l
am enlightened) to the Buddhas, the Dharma anci
the Highest Assembły .. .''and so forth whi le thinking,
"Realising that all beings have been my mother and
father, I shall go for refuge and develop an Enłight­
ened Motive of Bodhicitta." In addition you sh·outd
meditate on the four immeasurables, "May all
sentient beings he endowed with happiness and the
causes for joy ... " and so forth.
The stanza, "I go for rcfuge until I am enlighh:ned to
the Buddhas, the Dharma and the Highest Assembly. From
the virtuous merit thai I collect by practising giving and
other perfections, may I attain the state of a Buddha to be
able to benefit all sentient bcings", is the most commonly
rl"cited one for enhancing your development of Bodhicitta.
 PRELIMINARIES 9

The four immcasurablcs arc (I) love, wishing all beings to be

cndowcd with happincss and the causes for joy, (2) compas-
sion, wishing them to be partcd from suffering and the causcs
for gricf, (3) joy > wishing them ncvcr to be parted from the
happincss they have and (4) equanimity, wishing that thcy
be freed from all attachmcnt and repulsion and from all
notions of some being close and others distant.
At the conclusion you should meditate that the
objects of refuge melt into light and dissolve into
you and that your mind-stream has thus been purified.
Whcn you have finished your prostration session, dissolvc
all the figures into the central one of your Guru as the
Buddha Vajradhara and finally bim into yourselr. Remain
in a non-objectifying state of inseparable Voidness and
clarity, not directed at any extreme mode of existence. Ja
other words, do not make an}'thing into a concretc, truły
existent object. Rather, remain in the herc and now, and
feel you arc complctcly purified.
That is the first (preliminary practice), the medita-
tions for going for refuge and developing an Enlight-
encd Moti ve.
Y11jrasattva 1'1editation

Vajrasattva, or in Tibetan Dor-je sem-pa, is a form of

the Buddhas dcdicated to purifying and eliminating from
others suffering, sickness and the unripened, unfortunate
consequences of their previously committed non-virtue. He
appears in many forms, peaceful or as Heruka Vajrasattva,
either alone or with consort. His practice can be either
more or less elaborate. What follows is a purificatioD
method with the solitary Vajrasattva.
On the crown of your head ( visualise) your
Guru as Vajrasattva, white in colour, with right hand
holding a vajra sceptre at his heart and left holding.
a bell at his hip, and arrayed with the major and
minor marks of a Buddha.
On the top of your head in your ordinary form visualisct
a syllable PAM. This transforms into a white lotus and on
it, from a syllable Al;ł, appears a fiat, full-moon disc. On
top of it, a syllable HOM transforms into a five-pointed
vajr" or diamond sceptre marked in the centre with a HOM.
Light rays arc emitted and re-absorbed twice, the first time
making offerings to the various Duddhas and Bodhisattvas.
and the second eliminating the suffering of all beings. The
vajra then transforms into the solitary Vajrasattva, as describ-
ed above. His left leg is on top of his right thigh and his.
right leg is extended downwards. In his heart is a moon-
disc with a.n upright, white syllable HO?Vf in its centre.
Varjasattva bas both a hundred- and a six-syllable
mantra and they may be arranged in several ways, either
clockwise C\r counter-clockwise, revolving or atationary. In
 PRELIMINARIES 1ł

this particular meditation, bis hundred-syllable mantra, whicb.

you will be repeating 100,000 times, is arranged counter-
clockwise along the outside rim of the moon-disc in his heart.
The letters arew bite, upright, facing inwards and do not
revolve.
After meditating like this, you should recite, "0
Guru-Vajrasattva, please cleanse me of all obstacles
and unripened, unfortunate consequences of my
previously committed non-virtuous aclions" In
addition, you should apply the (four) various
(opponent powers) of decłaring your previous non-
virtue.
For this mtditation to be most effective it must be
complete with the four opponent powers used in confession
or declaring your previously committed non-virtuous actions.
First you must .recall all your mistakes and feel sincere
regret. The second is promising to try your hardest not
to repeat them. Next you must rely on the basis or object
against which your non-virtue has been committcd, namely
your commitment to the refuges and Bodhicitta. Thus by
again taking refuge and enhancing your Enlightened Motive,.
you reinforce the foundation for your morality. Lastly you
apply such purifying practices as those of Vajrasattva to
rcmove all stains. If these four arc incompłete, whatcver
purification you do will be onły a temporary whitewashing.
But with these four opponents and sincere conviction in
their abiłity to cłeansc you, there is no doubt they will
work.
Then visualise white nectar falling from the large toe
of Vajrasattva's (right) foot, entering through the
crown of your head and filling your entire body All
your obstacłes and unripened consequences leave you
and in their place you are entirely filled with nectar.
As you recite the hundred-syłłabłe mantra, white lighta.
and purifying nectars arc emitted from the moon-disc, sced-
syllable HUM and mantra at his heart, compłetely filling his.
12 MAHAMUDRA

body, overftowing and entering you as above. lmagino tbat

from the pores and orifices or your body obstacłes and
unripened, unfortunate consequences łeave in the form or
soot and black tar, siclness and disease as pus, błood,
mucous and snot, and the harmful influence or małevołent
spirits as snakes, scorpions, spiders and insects. Ałł these
dissolve into the ground and in their place you arc fiłlcd
with white nectar and lights. Visualise this same proccss
occurring for all sentient beings around you, with eitber cach
having his own Vajrasattva on the crown of his head or
everyone sbaring one large figure.
Pleased, your Guru (Vajrasattva I mełts into light
(and dissolves into you). You should meditate that
your body, speech and rnind and those of Vajrasattva
have insepJrably rnixed and that you havc been
cleansed of all obstacles and unripened, unfortunatc
-consequences That is the second (preliminary
practice): Vajrasattva meditation and mantra recita-
tion.
Mandala Ollering
••
Oft'erings in generał are not made in order to please or
bribc the objcct to whom they arc presented. They are a
aymbol of your total dedication to Enlightenment as re-
presented by the Gurus and Three Jewels of Refuge, and are-
ofl'ered in order to gaio the merit that will bring you to their
state. When you plant crops in a field, it is not the ground
that bcnefits, but you yoursetr. Likewise, making offerings to-
the asscmbled Gurus as the field of merit brings you to·
Enlightenment so that you can bcnefit all.
!fhere arc many types of mai;u;lalas. One classification
is the celestial mansions in which the mcditational deities.
-Owell. These are three·dimensional structures, the ground-
plans of which arc depicted in mai;u;lala paiotings. Another
type is the one used in offerings, consisting of a plate-like
base, rings. a crown and rice, grain or jewels and is symbolic
of the universe.
You should meditate that (before you) is a
mai:u;lata mansion with five clusters or figures within.
In the centre is your Guru (as Vajradh-::cni). before ·
bim the meditational deities, to his right the Buddhas.
behind bim the Dharma scriptures and to his left
the Sangha. This is the mai:ic;lata reali sed before
you.
In generał, ma1;11;łala mansions are squarc with a ground
ftoor and steeple-like structurc. In the centre of ca1;h wali
is a door, cntrance-corridor, porch and archway, the )alter of
which is ftanked on top by two decr and a Dharma wheeL
14 MAHAMUDRA

The exact architectural structure and proportions differ

slightly for cach meditationał deity and can be very
complex.
In the centre or sucb a transparent building, made of
light and visualised bcfore you, is your Guru in the form of
Vajradhira. He is on a throne supported by lions with a
lotus and moon-cushion seat. Above him arc all the lineagc
Gurus, from Vajradbara himselr through Tifopa, Naropa
and so forth down to his own root Guru. Around him arc
four groups or figures as above, similar to the refuge and
prostration visualisation. This is your field of merit to whom
you make offe1ings.
Then construct another mai:ic;lala with its mounds
and offer it with the stanza '' ... a mai:ic;lala built on a
base resplendent with flowers, satfron water and
incense ... " and SO forth, afong with the rest Of the
mai:ic;łała procedures. Thus you should present both
actual materiał otferings and mentalły created ones.
With a standard maę9ala offering set, first hold the base~
plate and wipe it clean while reciting once Vajrasaltva's
huodred-syłlable mantra to purify defilemeots. Next put a
drop of water oo it to signify your Bodhicitta motivation
and the moisture of yoar compassion. Then placing the
first ring on the base, add mounds of rice, grain and so fortb
in the appropriate directions for cach of the places, treasures
and goddesses mentioned untił all the rings are filled and it is
crowned with the jewełled top. Tbis is the actual materiał
offering done white rcciting the appropriate stanzas.
The mcntally crcatcd one is your visualisation as dcscrib-
ed by these stanzas. What you arc offcring is the entirc
universe and all its wealth as portraycd by Buddha in the
Abhidharma teachings. Budtlha describcd the univc.rse differ-
ently on separate occasions to varying people, since depending
on your state ofpurityyou see things differently. According to
this particular description, there is the golden earth or base
with an iron ring or fence around its perimctcr and a salt-
watcr ocean on the outside. On the inside of the fcnce, one
in cach cardinal direction, arc the four contincnts cach with
 pRELIMINARIF.S lS

two 1ub-contincnts between it and the fcnce 1 all separatcd

by oceans. On the othcr side of the continents. progressivcly
. closer to the centre arc alternating rings of scven goldcn
mouotains and seven fresh-water lakes. In the centre it-
self is Mount Meru, square1 stupa-sbaped, witb four steps
or lcvcls going up from the bottom. lts eastern face is of
white crystal, southern of blue lapis lazuli, western of red
ruby and northern of green cmerald. The ocean and sky
in cach direction arc of the corresponding colour. The
eastern continent and sub-contincnts arc half-moon shaped
with the fiat cdge towards Mount Meru; the southern arc
curvcd trapczoids, with concave sidcs, concave longer top
away from Mount Meru and convcx shorter bottom near it ;
the western arc circular and the northern square.
Human life, as we know it, is found on the southern
contincnt, wherc the oceans and sky arc blue. The other
contincnts should not be thought of as placcs in outer space
which can be reached by rocket ship. You can only go
there if you havc accumulated the karma for such a
rcbirth.
The verse you repcat 100,000 timcs for this prelimioary
is, "By directing to the Fields of Buddhas this offering of a
maocjala built on a base rcsplcndent with ftowers, saff ron
water and inccnsc, adorned with Mount Meru and the four
contincnts, as well as with the sun and the moon, may all
senticnt beings be lcd to thcse Ficlds."'
By the force of such o.fferings, you complete yo ur
two collections (of merit and insight) and receive the
blessings to develop sublime experiences and insights.
Having made requests for such (blessings), you
should think that the host of deities in the ma1:u;lala
realised before you melt into light and dissolve into
you. In this way you complete the two cołlections.
By prcsenting to the pure objccts in the mai:ic;łala reali-
sed bcfore you both the materiał offering of the mai;icjala set
and the visualiscd universe, you accumulate merit. By doing
so while meditating on the non-objectifying state of Void-
16 MAHAMUDR..l

ness with respect to the offerings, you accumulate insight.

By the force of these two collections you overcome the two
sets of obstacles, tbose preventing Liberatioos and
Omniscience. The collection of merit results in your
attainment of the Form Bodies of a Buddha, and that of
insight in the Wisdom Bodics. The Form Bodies are the
Emanatioo (Nirmar.takiya) and Utility Bodies (Sambhoga-
kaya). The former appear to ordinary beings with the
karma to sec them, wbile the latter only to Arya Bodhisattvas,
that is those with an Enłightened Motive who have bare
perception of Voidness. The Wisdom Bodies are the Nature
(Svabhavaklya) and Wisdom-Truth Bodies (DharmakAya).
According to this text, the former is the Omniscient mind of
a Buddha and the Voidoess of that mind, white the łatter is
the inseparabiłity of the former three. The definitions,
bowever, of these last two bodies arc more oftcn rcvcracd and
somctimcs Dharmakiya is uscd alone as a generał term for
both. Moreover, thcrc arc many othcr lcvels on which
the various Buddba bodies can be understood and dcfincd.

That is the third (preliminary practice) : applying

effort in the instructions for the maQf;iala offering
6uru-yoga

The last of the extraordinary preliminaries, also for

accumulating merit and blessings, is Guru-yoga. For thia,
you should visualise yourself in the form of a meditational
deity. _Any will do, but usually Vajrayoginl is chosen. She
is red, has one face, two arms, two legs and staods on ooo
leg, witb her left foot on top of a lotus, corpsc and sun-disc,
and her right foot beot upwards towards ber left thigh. Shc
holds in her right hand a butcher's cleaver above her head
and in ber left a skull-cup at ber beart. A kbatvanga-staft'
rests on ber left sboulder. With yoursclf in this form, pro-
cccd with the practices.
You should meditate that on the crown on your
head is your root Guru, cither in his own bodily
form or in the aspect of a meditational deity, which-
cver you prcfer. You should meditate either that
all the (lineage) Gurus going back to Vajradhua arc
stacked one atop the other above his head or that
they are all clustered around bim. Y ou should make
requests to them very strongly and for a long time
with immeasurable fervent regard, loving respect and
cxtraordinary sincerity. When your attitude has
changed (for the better), make it stable. Then all the
Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, I;l~kas,I)akin1~. D:tirm i pa: las
and protectors together with their entourage dissolvc
into your root Guru and you should meditate on your
root Guru as incorporating and embodying them all.
 18 MAH.-IMUDRA

As indicated above, thcrc arc many varieties of Guru-

yoga-visualising your root Guru either in his owo form, or
as Vajradhiira, Mar-pa, Mi-la rll-pa, Gam-po-pa, Kar-ma-pa
and so forth. Your Guru may tell you to choosc Vajradhara,
in which case he woułd be on a łion-supported throne, lotus
and sun-disc, surrounded by four cłusters of figures and the
łineage Gurus as in the refugc and ma1,1c;łała visuałisations.
However, a solitary figure of your enthroned.Guru surround-
ed by lineage Gurus will do, sioce your root Guru cmbodies
all three refuges.
Make the outer, inner and secret offerings and offer
the seven limbs of prayer.
Outer offerings arc of the desirable objccts of the senscs,
either materiałly arranged or mentally created. lnner ones
arc of the purified meats and liquids symbołic of the trans·
formation of your dełusions, aggregatcs and so forth. Secret
offerings arc of the circumstanccs for gcnerating the blissful
consciousness for the most powerful rcalisation of Voidoess.
The seven limbs of prayer or seven-łimbed poja incłudo
(I) prostrating, (2) making offerings, (3) confessing or declar-
ing your previous non-virtue, (4) rejoicing in the merit of
others, (5) requesting the Gurus to teach, (6) beseeching
. them not to pass away and (7) dedicating your merit. An
eighth limb of taking refuge is sometimes added between the
second and third.
Strongly take refuge, enhance your Enlightened
Motive and make requests with such verses as: "All
motherly sentient beings equal in number to (the
vastness of) space make requests to the Guru as the
precious Buddha- ... as the all-pervasive Dharmak1ya,
... as the Sambhogakaya of Great Bliss, . . . as the
compassionate Nirmai;iaka:ya ... " and so forth.
lmplied by the request to the Guru as the precious
Buddhas is that he iocorporatea all Thrce Jewels of Refuge.
His body staods for the Sangha, his speech the Dharma and
his mind the Buddhas. Thus this verse is to the Guru as
 PRELIMINARIES 19

the body, speech and mind of the Buddhas, that is the Three
Precious Gems, as welł as to bim as the three Buddha bodies.
This may be repeated 100,000 timcs or, more usualły, the
following six-line verse of the First Kar-ma-pa is said that
many times in addition to a million repetitions of the
Kar-ma-pa mantra.
"I make requests to the prccious Guru. Bless me to
elear my mind of grasping for truc identitics. Bless me to
develop on my mind-stream the insight to sec all worldly
thoughts as unnecessary. Bless me that my non-Dharmie
thoughts shall cease. Bless me to realisc my mind has no
birth. Bless me that my deccptivc notions shall dissolve in
their place. Bless me to realisc all appearances of existencc
as Dharmakaya."
Then your Guru dissolves into you and you should
think that your Guru's body, speech and mind have
become inseparably mixed with your own mind.
Having done this, remain fixed in a state free from
men tal fabrications (of extreme modes of existence).
At the conclusion of your recitation session, you should
visualise your Guru granting you the four tantric empower-
ments as follows. First white light is emitted from his fore-
head to yours, eliminating the obstacles due to the non~
virtuous actions of your body. lt grants you the vase em~
powerment, permitting you to engage in the development
stage practices, and plants the seed for your attaining the
Nirmlloakiiya or Emanation Body of a Buddha.
Red light is emitted from his throat to yours, e~iminating
the obstacles due to your non-virtuous speech. lt grants the
secret empowerment, permitting you to meditate on the com·
pleting stage practice involving the body's subtle energy
system and plants the seed for the Sambhogakaya.
Blue light from his heart to yours eliminates the obstacles
due to mental non-virtue, grants the wisdom empowerment
permitting you to engage in the practices of union, and
plants the seed for the Dharmakaya.
Finally white, red and blue lights arc emitted from all
three places simultancously to yours, eliminating physical,
20 MAHAMUDRA

verbal and mental obstacles all together, granting the word

empowerment pennittiog you to practise Mab4mudra or the
completing stage without signs and planting the seed for the
Svabhavakaya.
After all this, visualise that the lineage Gurus dissolve one
into cach other into your root Guru and that he dissolves
into you. Remain in a non-objectifying state of Voidness and
then dedicate the merit for the Enlightenment of all.
If you exert effort by relying on this method for
gaining insights into Mahamudr-a:, the Great Scal of
Voidness, you will receive (the Gurus') blessings and
inspiration. That is the fourth (preliminary practice):
meditation on Guru-yoga.
Beat/i and lmpermaneuce

If you do not meditate on impermanence, you

will not turn your mind away from concern for this
life. lf you do not turn your mind, you will not
become liberated from sams-a:ra, or cyclic existence.
Concerning this ( N-a:garjuna has said in his
"Suhrllekha"), ''There are many things that can
harm our life, for it is impermanent like a bub ble
on water that can be burst by the wind. It is a groat
miracle that after exhaling we take our next breath
and after falling asleep we wake up again.''
In generał, all conditioned phenomena arc imper-
manent and, specific~lly, the life force of sentient
beings is impermanent Jike a bubble. You can never
know when you will die. There is no certainty that
you will not die right now. Moreover, at the time
of death nothing except the Dharma is of any help.
If you work for meaningless worldly things or ·
activities for this lifetime, you will be unable to
pass beyond the causes for suffering. Therefore vow
that whenever your mind wanders for even a moment
towards thoughts of food, clothing and so f orth for
this lifetime, you will think about <;ieath.
All conditioncd phcnomcna, that is thosc that dcpcnd on
causcs and circumstances, arc impcrmancnt. This includcs
both animate and inanimate objects, sentient beings and
22 MAHAMUDRA

their environment. A solid structure today can crumblo

into dust tomorrow. In particular, your own life is
extremely fragile and can be lost very easily. No one can
guarantee he will be alive tomorrow and when your time is
up, no friends, doctors, medicine, money or farne can
prevent your death. The only thing that can help is the
practice of Dharma. If :vou have accumulated many virtuous
deeds during your lire, you can die in peace assured that as
a result of your white karma you will gain a fortunatc
rebirth.
Therefore do not be fooled into thinking that sensory
pleasures can bring you lasting happiness. lf you arc attractcd
to beautiful sights, think how the moth is lured to his death
by his enchantment with a flame. For sounds, consider how a
duck is seduced by a hunter's duck-call. Bees are attracted to
the smell of a Venus fty-trap and flies to tbat of feces, only
to drown in a toilet. Fish arc lured on to a book by thcir
desire for the taste of a worm. Elephants, obsessed with
the physical sensation of scratching themselves, arc led by
their tame brethren between two thorny trecs and thus
are captured by trainers and taken into bondage. Dy
thinking of tbese examples, turo your mind Crom concern
for worldly pleasures, seeing that they arc only causes for
more suffering. Realising you may die at any moment, do
not waste your time on trivial matters. Regard food and
clothing as a condemned man would his finnl meal and
costume.
Y ou should count how many of your f riends and
relatives have passed away in their own time and
think about the manner in which they died and how
their corpse was taken to the cemetery and nothing
remains of their body. (By thinking how) you too
do not transcend such a nature, you should work
yourself into a state of trembling fear like someone
who has been placed into the hands of a hangman.
Do not Jet your mind escape into mental wandering.
When you have completely lost any interest in this
 PRELIMINARIES 23

life, meditate on this state becoming completely

involved in it. This is the fifth (preliminary practice):
meditation on death and impermanence.
These meditations arc not designed to make you de·
pr.cssed. If their result were just the pessimistic anguish that
„I am going to die and there is nothing I can do", then
meditation would be only a cause for anxiety and suffering.
The whole point of death meditation is to urge you into the
practice of Dharma, into the consideration of karma and
the law of cause and effect and how you can do some-
thing to affect your future rebirths. Thus meditation
ahould apur you on like a fighter bcing pushed into au
arena. As Je-tziln Mi-la rl·pa said, "I went to the
mountains becausc I fearcd death. But now that I sec
the true Dharmaklya nature of my mind, even if death
comes I have no fears."
Karma and the
Law of Cause and Ellect

After this it is necessary not to be confused about

what is to be adopted and abandoned with referenco
to karma and the law of cause and effect. The fruits
of whatever actions are done by any living being
ripen on that individual being himself. Moreover,
if you commit the ten non-virtuous actions you aro
reborn in one of the unfortunate states of rebirth.
Depending on which of the three poisons they are
committed with, their frequency, who their object is
and whether they are serious, middling or minor in
nature, you are reborn either as a heli creature,
hungry ghost or animal. Once you are boro as sucb,
you have to experience infathomable suffering.
Depending on whether you commit great, middling
or slightly virtuous actions, you are reborn either in
the Formless or Form Realms or as a god in tho
De sire Rea Im. Therefore at all times examinc (the
actions you do through) the threc gatcways of your
(body, speech and mind).
The basie facts of the law of cause and effcct arc that
happiness results from virtuous actions or "white" karma
and suffering from non-virtuous or "black" karma. Further-
more, whatever you do ripens on you alone ; if you kill
someone, the effect will not ripen on your parents or
 PRELIMINARIES 25
children, only on you. Therefore you must abandon cruel
actions and adopt kind ones if you wish to bcnefit yoursclr
and then others.
The ten non-virtuous actions arc divided into three or
the body, four of speech and three of mind. Those of tho
body arc killing, taking what is not given or steal!ng, and
indulging in improper scxual conduct such as adultery or
rape. The four of speech arc lying, using divisive language,
speaking abusive and harsh words, and idly goS!iping. Tho
tbrec of mind arc having covetous thougbts to possess what
belongs to others, harbouring iii-will, and holding distorted
„iews such as disbclief in cause and etrect.
The ten merely virtuous actions arc to refrain from
the ten non-virtuous ones. The ten especially virtuous
ones, however, arc saving others' lives, practising generosity,
keeping strict morality and encouraging others to do like-.
wise, speaking the truth without causing confusion, interme-
diating quarrels and reconciling enemies, talking sweelly
and calmly, spcaking meaningfully such as by teaching
and praying, having few desires and knowing satisfaction,
having good-will towards others and holding correct views
with faith and conviction in the teacbings.
lf you save others' lives and refuse to kill, your owo
life will be longer, whcreas if you persist in killing your
life will be short and filled with disease. If you are generous
and never stcal, you will come into wealth. But if you rob
you will be poor and always subject to theft. From strict
morality and abandoning sexual misconduct you will have
a pleasing appearance and good marital relations and
f riendships. But if you cause harm by· yo ur sexual
behaviour, you will be ugly, have poor marriages and an
unfaithful spouse.
By spcaking the truth and never lying, others will believe
what you say. But no one will heed or believe your words
if you always lic. If you refrain from divisive language and
try to bring people togetber, your relations with friends
will always be close. However, if you cause divisions,
you will accumulate enemies, be the focus of jealousies
26 MAHAMVDRA

and have poor relations with others. From speakin1

pleasantly and never harsbly, others will speak nicely to you.
But you will only reccive abuse and have to hear unplea-
santness if you persist in cursing others. lf you speak mean-
ingfully and never gossip, you yourself will hear meaningful
things; whereas if you continue to chatter idly, meaningless
.drival is all you will hear.
lf you arc content and never covetous. you \\iii nevcr
be in want of anything. But if you always covet your
neighbour"s possessions you will become a beggar always in
want. By having good-will and no malicc for otbers,
pcople will treat you niccly and regard you wełl, whercas
iii-will only brings you suspicion and harm from otbers.
Lastly, if you hold correct, undistorted views, your intelli-
gence and wisdom will increase and your mind will be ever
sharp. However, from clinging to distorted ones you will bo
narrow-minded, dull-witted and filled with doubts.
The results of karma can be divided in many ways, such
as that found in the text. Another way is in terms of the
dclusions motivating your actions. lf you act under the
strong influence of pride and arrogance, you will be reboro
as a god; from jealousy an anti-god; desire a human; closed
mindedness an animal ; miserliness a hungry ghost ; and
from anger as a heli creature. Therefore try to eliminate
the delusions and practise virtuous act.ions in order to
bccome Jiberated from all six realms of cyclic existencc or
samsara &nd ultimately to attain Enlightenment.
Whatever virtuous actions you do, try to increasc
.and expand them. Whatever non-virtuous or un-
'Specified actions you commit, try to eliminate and
'bring them to a halt. In other words, without being
confused about what should be abandoned or
adopted, engaged in or turned away from, break the
streams of continuity of your non-virtuous actions
and have the wheel of the virtuous actions of your
three gateways be without any gaps. This is the
meaning of Buddha's teachings and the aim of the
 PREL/M/NlfRIES 27

practices, and you should act accordingJy. Thereforc-

once you have learned in great detail about what
should be adopted and abandoned with respect to·
karma and the law of cause and effect, train your-
self in this. That is the sixth (preliminary practice):
the teachiogs of karma and the law of cause and
e.ffect..
Tlie
Bisadvantages al Sa,msara

After this, if you do not meditate on the disad·

vantages of sarhs~ra or cyclic existence, you will not
turn away from compulsive attraction to it, nor will
you develop thoughts of renunciation. From such
a situation, experiences and insight will not dawn in
your mind-stream. Because you will be depriving
yourself of your share of such dawnings, you must
meditate on the suffering of sarhs~ra in order to
abando11 it.
In connection with this, if sentient beings aro
reborn as heli creatures, they have such sufferings as
those of the eight hot helis, the eight cold helis, tho
neighbouring helis and occasional hells. Hungry
ghosts have hunger and thirst. Animals have being
killed and slaughtered. Humans have birth, old age,
sickness and death. Gods have falling from their
state and their consciousness being transferred. Anti-
gods have quarrelling and fighting. Such arc tho
sufferings peculiar to the six states of rebirth.
Moreover, the obvious suffering you experience is
the suffering of misery. That which appears to be
pleasure is the suffering of change. That which has
a neutral feeling-tone is the all-pervasive suffering.
 PRELIMINARIES 29'

Because you are uninterruptedły harmed by this last

one, it does not matter which state of samsara you
are in. Even if you have attained the position of a
universal cakra-emperor, Brahma or Indra and so-
forth, you have not•transcended suffering. Therefore,
with the conviction that sarhs'ira is like a prison, a
deep pit or a mass of ftames, you should from now
on continualły, as much as possible, seek a method
for becoming liberated from it.
SarhsAra means "to circle", in otber words to revolve-
continually through the cycle of birth, sickncss, old age,
death, then rebirth, sickness and so forth. lt is propelled
and perpetuated by ignorance and its mcchanism dcscribed'
by the twcłve links of interdepcndcnt origination. Thcre-
are four methods Qf being boro, nameły from a womb, an
egg, beat and moisture and by miracułous transformation.
These bring you into one of the six rcbirth statcs as a heli·
creaturc, hungry ghost, human, anti-god or god. The first
five arc in the Dcsire Realm and the gods span all Thrce
Reałms : the Desire, Form and Formless. But no matter
where and how you arc reborn, thcre is onły suffering.
Each of the rebirth states has its own peculiar disadvan-
tage as mentioncd in the text. The threc generał sufferings.
of misery, change and tbat which is ałl-pervasivc arc found
throughout. The iirst is the obvious pain of sickness, old
age and so forth. The suffering of change comes from
seemingly pleasant things such as delicious fo„d or a walk in
the country which can tum into an upset stomach or blisters.
Ałl-pervasivc suffering appcars neutrał or unobvious to
ordinary bcings, łike the sensation of a piece of hair on
your palm, but is as sharp as a hair in your eye to Aryas
with bare perccption of Voidness. It is the suffering inhercnt
in the fact of being born with contaminatcd aggrcgatcs.
which by thcir very nature arc Jike a magnet attracting
sickness, ołd age and death.
Mcditating on all these disadvantages of sarilsAra, you
sbould develop renunciation or the ·state of mind that.
30 MAHAMUDRA

wishes to be completely free of all suffering. This is the

Hinayina motivation and with it an understanding of
Voidness brings you Liberation. But to overcome not only
the obstacles preventing Liberation, but those blocking
Omniscience as well, you must go further. In addition
to renunciation, you must develop an Enlightened
Motive of Bodhicitta. Seeing that all beings experience the
sufferings of samsara and wish as you do for release from its
bondage and to attain ultimate happiness, you should strive
to attain Buddhahood in order to liberate both yourself and
others. This motive gives the realisation of Voidness the
added force that will bring you Enlightenment.
Even if you achieve the Liberation of a Hmayana
practitioner, which is a state beyond this (sams'lira),
you have still not attained the state of ultimate
happiness. Therefore you should try to achieve this
peerless Enłightenment by all means. For this purpose
then, with the certainty that all sentient beings with-
out exception have been nothing but your mothers
and fathers, beginninglessly kind, you should develop
an unhypocritical Enlightened Motive of Bodhicitta,
thinking, "I shall definitely work to place them all in
the peerless bliss of complete and perfect Enlighten-
ment." That is the seventh ( preliminary practice) :
making efforts in this (direction).
Tlie Precio1is Hu1nanBebirtl1

The working basis for practising like this hstie

precious human body. Because it is very difficult to
obtain. you should not Jet yourself come under the
sway of indifference or laziness. but should totally
involve yourself in the practices. lf when your fully
cndowed human body is snatched away by the de-
mons of death and impermanen~e, you have to go
empty-handed, then what will you do ? Because this
precious human form is difficult to obtain and easily
lost, you should try to make your attainment of a
fully endowed one purposeful at all times and in all
situations. To make efforts in this is the eighth
(preliminary praclice ).
A human form fully endowed with all the Jibertics and
opportunitics to study and practise the Dharma is extrcmcly
rare and precious. It is the vchiclc through which you will
attain Enlightcnmcnt or, if you arc not careful, a tower
rebirth. lts causes arc your colłcctions of merit and insight,
particularly morality, as well as praycrs for sucha rebirth
state. Śantideva has said that its attainment is as rarc as
the odds for a blind turtlc living on the bottorn of an ocean
and rising to the surfacc only oncc every hundred ycars to
surfacc at just the spot wherc it would put its neck through
a golden yoke that is ftoating about blown by the winds. In
this analogy, the turtle is sentient bcings, bcing blind is their
ignorance, bcing on the bottom of the ocean is the tower
rcbirth statcs, coming to the surface is being reborn, the
32 MAHAMUDRA

golden yokc is a precious human rebirth and its bclng blown

by the winds is the vicissitudes of karma.
From the point of view of numbers as well, a human
birth is rare. Il is said that the number of heli creatures.
equals the grains of sand in the desert, hungry ghosts the
dust particles in the air, animals the stars at night and
humans the number of stars scen during the day. If you
consider how it is possiblc to takc a ccnsus of the number or
people in a state, but impossible to count the animals, in-
sects and microbes there, you will gain an appreciation of
this. Furthermore, out of the world populatioo, those with
a kind heart arc even rarer and, of thosc, the ones who have
the liberty, opportunity and inclination to folłow the Dharma
arc practically unhcard of.
Therefore, having attained a precious human rebirth,
do not waste it, for death will rome all too soon. Do not
be łike a sea expedition going out for treasurc and returning
empty-handed. Without regard for temporary plcasures.
practisc the Dharma and gaio ultimatc and lastina happine11.
Tlie Ca11s11l Condition for
S11ceess

Of the four conditions for successful practice,

the causal one is rnaking an effort to train your
rnind-strearn with (thoughts of) impermanence and
to develop renunciation. Furtherrnore. it is to turn
away frorn compulsive attraction by seeing the
(unsatisfactory) quality of all things of samsara with
respect to yourself and to things in generał. That
is the ninth (preliminary practice).
Just as the causal conditions for a visual cognition are
the elements of earth, water, fire, energy-wind and space of
the object and of the cognitive base of the eye, likewise these
common preliminaries arc the building blocks of medita-
tional practiee.
T/1e 1'1ain Condition

You should devote yourself to a perfect spiritual

master such as the Guru who is a personality of the
lineage, the Guru which is the words of the Buddha,
the Guru which is ultimate reality, the Guru
which is an imputation on an appearance and so
forth. Then you must practise in whichever way he
orally instructs you. Because being cared for by a
perfect master is the main condition (for success),
you should devote yourself in this way. That is the
tenth (preliminary practice).
The main condition for a visual cognition is the cogni-
tive power of the eye. Likewise through the power of your
devotion you will be able to realisc all insights.
The Objeetive Contlition

Y ou must cut off completely all sectarian, biased

f eeJings since (all the schools of tenets and lineages)
are established by imputation and mental labelling
and are conventionalities (for Ieading disciples to
Enlightenment). You must develop the certainty
that they are all non-contradictory and from each
you can come to the natura), especially distinguished,
primordial nature of reality, the abiding state of all
things. As this is the objective condition for being
undeceived about what is to be meditated upon,
you must become certain like this. That is the
eleventh (preliminary practice).
All the different schools of theories cxpounded in India
and Tibet derive from Śakyamuni Buddba and arc expres-
sions of his skilful means to lead disciples of varying disposi-
tions to the realisation of ultimate reality. They are different
ways of expłaining the same tbing and, being mereły words,
arc estabłished as schoołs by people's mcntałły.łabelling them
as such. N one are in conftict. Just as a visual form is the
objective condition for a visual cognition, so is your non-
sectarian understanding of the true nature of the mind for
successful practicc.
 T/1e l111meduite Condition .

i'llot only must you make sincere effort from your

heart with a state of mind in which you are free from
compulsive attachment to meditation, you must also
not have any sign whatsoever of expectations or
worries such as thinking, "lf I meditate now or in
the future or have done so in the past this is worth
while, but if not I am worthless. „ Because being
free from expectations and worries is the immediate
condition (for success), you must practise in a state
of rnind that is uncontrived. That is the twelfth
(preliminary practice).
The immediately prcceding moment of conaciouanesa ia
. the immediate condition for a visual cognition, providing the
continuity of its awarcness. The above state of mind has
a similar function in Mahamudrl meditation.
This concludes the preliminaries.
 Part T1"0:
1'1ENTAL QIJIESCENCE
1'1EBITATION
 Tlre Esse11tial Postures of
Body and Alind
The actual body of the practice is divided in to
two : mental quiescence meditation (śamatha, zhi-n~)
and penetrative insight meditation (vipaśyana,
lhag-t'ong) The first is as follows.
In generał there are many methods for develop-
ing single-minded concentration (samadhi, ting-nge-
dzin), but if you know one essential method, then
hindrances and interferences will not come about and
you will develop effortlessly the experiences and
insights into primordial, pristine awareness, free from
any faults with respect to mental quiescence and
penetrative insight.
The teachings of the meditative posture of
Vairocana arc a method for developing &ingle-minded
concentration for the development and completing
stages of anuttarayoga tantra, and an effordess non-
conceptual experience of bliss and clarity. There·
fore beginners should rely on this essential point
about the bodily posture.
For this, in order to control the downward-
going energy, your legs should be either in the vajra-
position or in the cross-legged posture of ordinary
beings. In order to place the energy-winds of the
40 MAH•.fMUDRA

solid element of the body into the central energy-

channel, straighten your spine like the end of a spear.
In order to induce the energy-winds of the liquid
element into the central channel, place your har.ds
in the equipoise meditation posture and hold them
benea th your na vel, and also raise both yo ur
shoulders back and even. To induce the energy-
winds of the heat element into the central channel.
keep your neck slightly bcnt Jike a hook. To ir.duce
the energy-wind of the gaseous element into tł:e
centr~) channel, have your eyes neither wide-open
nor shut tight, but gazing at a point straight ahe:id
from the tip of your nose. Your tongue ar.d lips
should be in their normal, relaxed cor.dition or you
may have your tongue touch your upper palate.
Mental quiescence or calm abiding is a blissful stage of
single-minded concentration free of thought and devoid of
the fi.vc obstacles of mental dullness, agitation, foggy-minded-
ness. sleepiness and staleness. lt can be achicved by many
methods : focusing on an oł-ject, or none, or even <'n a con-
ccptual thought such as a visualisation of the Four Noble
· Truths, in which case free of thought means free of extrane·
ous thought. 1t is not at all blank-rninded and is essential
for all practices, especially those of the higheit classification
of tantra, anuttarayoga.
According to the tantra teachings, lhe mind and the
energy-winds upon which it rides arc inseparablc. If the
energy-winds (prai:ia, łung) arc properły channeled, the rnind
will be focused ; but when they run wild lhrn thoughts do
łikcwise. These \\ inds run through encrgy-channels (naqi,
tza), the main ones being the central, right and left oncs
parallel to and slightly in front of the spine. Normally the
winds pass l\nly through the right and left oncs, and in this
way act as the vehicle for deluded thoughts. Such delusions
are stopped, however, whcn the energy-winds carrying them
are no longer available, having been channelised and central-
 MENTAL QUIESCENCEMEDITATION 41

··i sed into the central energy-channel. Therefore if your rough

bc.>dy is straight and in the correct posture, your energy~
channels will also be in a proper position. Then the energy-
winds can flow freely through them and, when properly
channeled, your mind will be fully focmcd. For this rcason
the bodily posture of Vairocana is esaential.
Thcre arc various classifications of cnergy-winds. Accor-
ding to the "Six Yogas of NAropa", thcre arc five major
oncs : (I) downward-going, controlling the discharge and
retention of wastes in the lower orificcs, (2) upward-going,
controlling swallowing, spealcing and other activities of the
throat, (3) life-sustaining, maintaining the spark of life,
(4) equalising, for digestion and separation of wastes and
(5) alł·pervading, handling all motor activities. Another
classification is of the energy-winds associated with cach of the
bodily elements of earth, water, fire, energy-wind and space.
In this text, both systems are mixed and the various parts of
Vairocana's posture deal with channelising assorted ones
of them.
The vajra-position is with both legs crossed, the fcet
resting on the opposite calves or thighs. The equipoise
meditation posture of the hands is with them in your Jap,
palms facing upwards, left hand beneath the right with
thumbs upright and touching. lt is helpful to bave a cushioo
beneath your backside.
With your body in this essential posture, the
many advantages of a non-conceptual state and so
forth will come about once you have naturally
cleansed yourself of your tendency to follaw trains of
thought. But even if you merely hold your body in
this essential posture, your body and mind will
become blissful and tranquil. Therefore holding
yourself neither too tightly nor too tensely, first
expel a little air and then maintain your breathing in
an unforced manner.
When expelling air, fecl that you arc exhaling faults
and distractions. Practise first some breath awareness and
42 MAHAMUDRA

when you arc caJm, therc is no necd to focus on your

breath any longcr.
Refresh your memory a little about the prelimi-
naries and thendo not give any heed to (thoughts of)
your past activities or tbink about what you will do
in the future or what you are doing herc. Place your
mind, without (consciously) adopting or abandon-
ing, in a fluid, natura! state of being herc and
now, in which you are not manufacturing your
ordinary, usual types of cognitions about the present
moment. By doing this, your mind becomes pliabJe
and you can develop single-minded concentration.
Because these essentiaJ postures of the body and
mind are the foundaticn stone for meditation, you
should exert an effort in them. That is the first
point (for mental quiescence meditation).
 Foeusi11g on a Visual Objeet~
lf you arc una ble to settle your mind in this ·
state, you should focus by looking at an external.
object such as either a stick, a pebble, a Buddha
statue, a flame of a butter lamp, the sky and so·
forth, whatever suits you. Do not think about such
things as the colour or shape of the object which is.
the basis of your meditation. Rather place your ·
attention single-mindedly without any wandering on
merely the object itself and abandon having your
mind being either too tight or too sloppy. Cut off ·
completely any extraneous train of thought.
lf your mind is too tense, you will experience anxiety
and frustration, if too loose mental dullness, foggy-minded-
ness and sleepiness. Like the strings of a lute, your mind
should be tuned just right without any distortion.
The proccss of settling the mind on a visual object is.
like trying to sec a stone on the bottom of a głass of muddy.
turbulent water. Without worrying about the colour or·
shapc of the stone, you will sec il clearly when the mud
subsides. Likewise when your thoughts subside you will be·
lcft with a elear view of your object. Thercfore look at
objccts as a small child would without any mcntal chatter or·
commeotary.
If you can focus włthout any conceptual thoughts or·
idcas, this is good. But should they arise, do not follow
them out. Just let them pass and they will disappear. U·
you allow a thought to grow into a train of thought, il will.
-44 MAHAMUDRA

be an obstacle to your meditation. You must realise that

thoughts are the play of the mind, like ripples on water and
light on leaves. They naturally dissolve.
You can also focus in front of you on either a
written or visualised white syllable OM, red A~
and blue HUM. which are the nature of the body,
speech ard mind of all the Buddhas, or on white,
red and hlue dots, whichever suits you. In short,
you should aim ar.d fix your mind single-pointedly
to whatever type of visual form suits it and
gives it pleasure to hold. lf you try to settle
your mird on something that it finds uncomfortahle
to fix on or which your intellect cannot grasp,
then when you try to make it go (to this object), it
will ignore it. Having no interest (in this object),
it will fix on something extraneous.
You should cut off completely all signs of
thoughts such '1S thinking ''I ó.m meditating" or "I
am not n"leditating" or expectztions to settle your
mind or worries that you will be unable to settle
it. Meditate having your mindfulness keep a check
not to Jet your mind fix for even an instant on
something extraneous which it should not be
meditating on at all. Do this well and Jet your
meditation sessions be short and frequent. This is
important for lraining your mind to settle single-
pointedly with continuing clarity, lucidity and eager-
ness. so that it will not repeatedly lose the continuity
of this state because of becoming tired.
Al first il is imporlant to have short, but Crequenl
mcditation scssions. lf you find the mcditation blissful and
so~thing, you may pursue it for a longer period of time.
Howe\-cr, if you begin to hecome depressed or bored whilc
n'.cditating, perhaps your sessions are too long. lf you arc
 MENTAL QUIESCENCE MEDITATION 45·

tired, meditation becomes an unpłeasant ordeał and you will

not wisb to continue. Therefore gauge yourself accordingly
and take a break while you arc stili fresh and wish to con-
tinue. That way you will be happy to resume meditation.
Suppose you have to walk twenty miles. lf you go slowly
and take frequent rests, you will not exhaust yourself and
will reach your goal. The same is true for meditation.
If it is comfortabJe for your mind to take any
one of these visual objects as its basis or focus for
meditation, you should choose that one. If you
wish to take each of these objects in tum, progres-
sively, this is permitted. But, if you have taken
one and find that sufficient, do not feel you have to
go on to take them all as if going through an
alphabet primer. In short, having your mind hold
whichever visual form suits it is the second point
(for mental quiescence meditation).
 6tl1er Sensory Objeets

Once you have held such a (visual) object, then

in progressive order you should take (as your
object for concentration) a sound which is the
object of your ear's consciousness, a smell which
is the object of your nose's, a taste which is the
object of your tongue's, a tactile sensat ion which
is the object of your body's and so forth. For this,
as far as sounds, smells and s~ forth go, you should
·direct your mind at merely an outstanding sound or
a strong odour and hold it with the book of your
mindfulness not letting (your mind) wander astray.
Except for letting your mind settle to its own level,
you should not make any judgments whatsoever
about the quality, quantity and so forth (of your
object).
Thus whatever situation you happen to bo in, use it to
help develop mental quiescence. lf where you arc meditating
is noisy or someone is playing the radio, focus on the pure
audial sensation of it without judgmcnts, rcactions or
identifying the sound. For touch, you can focus on the feel
of your clothing next to your skin. lt is not necessary to
eat something during meditation to focus on tastes. You
can do this white taking your meals. Simply rcmain
d~tached and follow the instructions as bcforc.

When your mind has been holding whatever it

has, you should break your session while you still
 Ml!NTAL QUIESCENCB MEDITATION 41

have full clarity and then take a rest. This way you
will not become bored. In-between sessions do not
Jet the rope of yo ur mindfulness break. As for how
to look, you should be directed on what is in front
of your nose. As for your body and speech, whether
you are walking or sitting, talking or speaking, do
these neither too strongly nor too much. As for
your mind, try to cut the stream of your conceptual
thoughts and mental chatter. By stages like this,
you will build up the habit of single-mindedness.
That is the third point (for mental quiescence
meditation).
Tberefore, if you lessen your activities, your mind will
naturally quiets down. If you arc constantly busy, it is
more difficult to focus the mind since you will be worrying
about many things at once and becomc easily scattered or
mentally exhausted.
 Eli111i1111ti1ig Ale11t11l
B1ill1iess 1i11d .Agitation

Furthermore, to eliminate such faults as rnental

dulłness and agitation, you shoułd visualise at the
middle ot your brow a dot the size of a pea, white,
shining, lustrous, spherical and extremely elear, and
direct your mind towards it. Sometimes you
should direct your mind towards a black, lustrous,
spherical dot the size of a pea at the point in front
oł you where your folded legs touch your seat. For
rnental dulłness you should direct your attention to
the white one and your way of looking should be
as if into space. Your body should be in a breezy
place and you should splash your face with running
water. Wear thin clothes and folłow a light diet.
Do not sit near fire nor in the sun. lf you have
rnentał agitation and your mind proceeds in many
(directions), the visualisation and way of looking
should be directed to the black dot. As for your
activities, keep warm, do exercise and eat heavy,
nutritious food.
Mental dullness and agitation arc the grcatest obstacles
to mental quiesccnce. With dullness, your mind either has
no cłarity or, if it does, you arc in a daze. To perk yourself
up, visuałise a white dot at your brow and thus bend your
mind upwards. The effectivencss of the colour white for
 MENTAL QUIESCENCE MEDITATION 49

cllminating dullncss can be illustratcd by putting a white

cloth in front of your eyes. The while colour being the
image on your mind awakens you a little and your mind
naturally becomes brighter. Furthermore, if you stay in the
aun or in a warm, stuffy place you will inevitably becomct
drowsy and duli. Therefore stay where it is cool and breezy
and you will be fresher. Also diet is extremely important.
Light food makes the mind similarly light.
With agitation, on the other hand, you arc ovor-exclted
and your mind cannot stay where you wish to place it. Even
'fit maintalns a hold on an object, part of it starts to wander
astray. Visualising a black dot by your seat bends the mind
downwards and the sombre oolour naturally makes your
mind more subdued. lf you arc very fidgety, physical
exercise will tire you and cause your mind to wander less.
Much agitation is due to the energy-winds being too light
and active. Therefore a heavy, fatty diet will weight down
these winds and ·make you less ftighty.
Thus for a properly balancel\ meditation it is important
to look after your body. Your mind rides on the energy-
winds through the energy-channels of your subtle body. For
these to flow properly depends on the conditioo of your
rough physical body. Therefore a souod body and mind ara
interdependent.
If you have neither mental dullness nor agitation>
direct your eyes and mind to either a small blue dot
or an actual (small blue) object (on the ground) at
the distance in front of you of the end of your
shadow (or about an arrow's length a way). With
respect to these, first you should think, "The dot
and so forth I am supposed to meditate on is like
this," and then you should simply project your
mind out to it. Jf after this (the visualised object)
is elear, this is best. But even if it is not elear, you
should merely think that there is an object like this
and the n make that the focus of yo ur attention.
Then without making any analysis or minute enquiry
SO MAHAMUDRJ

about it, let your mind reach its level and naturally
settle on it without any wandcring.
The blue of a elear, dustless autumn sky is a neutral
colour that neither uplifts nor subdues the mind. It is
benefi.cial to have both mental placement and clarity with
respect to tbis dot, but if you have only placement tbis is
cnough. Witb sufficient concentration, clarity will come
automatically.
While you stili have full clarity, break your
session and then continue meditating later. In other
words, have short and frequent sessions. Holding
your mind (like this) is the fourth point (for mental
quiescence rneditation).
Poeusing 011 No Objeet

As for directing your mind on no basis or

object, you should stare blankly into space straight
in front of you with opened eyes and not direct
your mind at any object whatsoever.
Space, like the naturc of the mind, is a permanent,
unconditioned phenomenon not dependent on causes or
circumstances. Therefore staring into space beforc you is a
method of approach for meditation on the mind itself.
This meditation is atso similar to thosc done in
anuttarayoga tantra practices concerning the death process.
Normally consciousness rclies on atl the bodily etements as
its basis. During the death process, however, the elements
as bases progressively fai! and consciousncss rclies on less
and less of them. This is fi.guratively described as the
elements dissolving one into cach other. First the earth or
solid element fails and consciousncss can no longer rely on
· it. Theo the same happens with the water or liquid, fi.re or
beat and energy-wind or gaseous elements. Finally, the finest
level of consciousness, relying onty on space, is teft alone,
inseparable from the fi.nest level of life-sustaining energy.
This is what experiences the Clear Light of death and
passes into the in-between or "bardo„ ·state and on into
your next rebirth. Thus meditation on the mind with no
object is similar to the tantric ones of taking the Dharma·
kaya as a pathway for death, in which you simulate in
meditation the dissolution process of death and focus finally
on the space-like mind itsclf in the Dharmakaya Clear Light
cxpcrience.
 S2 MAHAMUDRA

Meditation on no object should not be confused witb

blank-mindedness in which you arc completely duli as if in a
stupor or a faint. lt is extremely alert, mindful and elear.
but as in the Clear Light death meditations, without any
object or thoughts.
Without letting your mind think about anything,
do not allow even the slightest mental wandering.
Do not direct yo ur mind to ( thoughts of) what
qualities this state has or does not have, or the past
or the future. Post your mindfulness as a spy to
check with great diligence that you do not wander
astray, and then relax. In other words place yourself
in a tranquil, uncontrived state of being here and
now.
Do not wander for even an instant. Be as
(attentive as) when threading a needle. Do not Jet
you mind be turbulent, rather have it be Iike an
ocean without any waves. Do not self-consciously
try to accomplish anything, rather fix your mind like
an eagle soaring. Be completely free from all
expectations and worries.
When you have no mental wandering, thoughts
will no( come. But when mental wandering occurs,
then because your thoughts will come one after the
other, try to recognise them for what they are as
soon as they arise. In other words, stare right
at them and then fix your mind as before. No
matter what thoughts arise in this way, just
recognise them for what they are. Place your
attention right on them without thinking anything
like "I must błock them" or "I have succeeded (in
blocking them)", or feeling happy or unhappy. Just
look at them with the eye of discriminating aware-
ness. Take the thought itself as the basis or
 MENT.4.L QUIESCENCE MEDIT.4.TION 53

object for your mind to hold and then fix upon it.
Train your mind not to fall into either too tense or
too loose a state. That is the fifth point (for mental
quiescence meditation)
When you begin to meditate, it may seem that your
thougbts are · increasing. This is not so, for you arc
merely becoming more aware of the amount of 111ental
trąffic that passes througb your mind.
The mind and its thoughts arc neitber the same nor
diffcrent. lf tbcy wcre one, thcrc would be no way to quiet
or climinatc thoughts. lf thcy werc dift'crent and separable,
you could havc thoughts without a mind. Thoughts arc the
tcmporary play of the mind. The mind is elear and pure
without any spcciftc qualitics, like a mirror. Thougbts are likc
tb• hnages on tbat mirror; they cąnnot be separatcd from it,
nor ąre Uiey the same as it.
Thoughts arc the result of confusion about t}le true
naturc of reality, an~ therc are many different kinds. Coarsc
or rough thoughts are easy to identify. For instance, if
you arc meditating on a cup, and tho thought arises that
you want a drink of tea and then you call someonc to fetch
it f1>r you, this is a ~arsc ~µgbt. I\ fine or subtlł" thQught
'WC)\lld be tldnking, "Thia is a cęp„ or "lt ią made of white
pori:elai11", or idcntifyiPJ the sound of a radio while tcying
to focus on the cup. But whatever type of tbought arises,
identify it for what it is. Rccognisc tbat it is merely a
thought, the play of the mind likc an image. on a mirror,
and without grasping at it let it pass. ff ave your thoughts
~ntiPually dissolve like a parade of characters marching
a~ross łl stłlgc without any ever standing stili.
lf you think that a littlc tbought does not matter, tbis
is a poor attitude. Forest fi.res gro w from a small Ila me.
Likewise from the small thougbt "This is a tea cup". if you
dwell on it you will soon be in the kitchen brewing tea
baviqg completely disC4lrd~ your meditation. Just look at
the tbougbt, without following it out, and it will nąturaUy
di&G<>lve. Tberc is nothiPg el~ it can do.
Foe11si11g on tlie Breath and
tlie Tliree Stages of Settling
tlie lłlintl

As a method to hold the mind, you can direct it

on the breath as its basis or object. Hold your
breath with vase-breathing practice and fix your
mind single-pointedly on it without any mental
wandering. If you cannot hold your breath in the
vase-breath manner, you should take as your object
such things as the counting of your breath. Count
your inhaling, exłialing and holding of your breath.
Count at first up to twenty-one rounds and then
gradually extend it to a hundred. Direct your mind
to your nostrils and hold your attention on count-
ing your breaths without letting your mind wander
elsewhere.
But if you can hold your breath white (your
body is) fiłled (with air) and then release it (with
the vase-breathing technique), you should first
ex pel all the air (from your lungs) three times and
then breath in as much air as you can. Force it
down beneath the navel and when you can no longer
hold it, release it and exhale. Do this again and
again ard do not let your mind wander to anything
other than this.
 MENTAL QUIESCENCEMEDITATION SS

Focusing on the breath is another effcctive way to

acttle the mind. As meotioned above. the mind rides on
the energy-winds or breath. Therefore if there is much
turbulent breathiog 1 therc arc many disturbing thoughts.
If your brcathing is rclaxcd1 quict or hcld, so will be your
mind.
Therc arc scveral types of brcathing. Even or noemat
brcathing is the typc you have when ncither sick nor
excited. Intermediate is when you inhale and slightly hold
your breath. Vase-like breathing is whcn you inbale. cootract
your sphinctcrs and hold your upper and tower breaths
brought together.
This last typc has scveral divisions depending on whcre
the breaths arc held. The large vase-breatb is held betweca
the tbroat and navel ccntres 1 the intermediate betweeo the
heart and navel1 and the small at the navel. Interna! vase-
breathing is hcld inside, while cxternal on the exhale. In
generał, vasc-Jike brcathing has four defining characteristics :
(1) hcld breath, (2) extended abdomen, (3) the ability for the
breath to leak either out of your pores or into the central
encrgy-channel and (4) the ability for the breath to be shot
out of the top of the head through the central energy-channel
oncc it has becn held for a very long time.
·Vasc-breathing is a very advanccd and potentially
dangcrous practice. Your Guru will normally teach it to
you ooly after you havc completed the extraordinary preli-
minaries of 100,000 prostrations and so forth. lf you
tamper incorrectly with your breathing, you can throw your
energy systems into imbalance1 causing much nervousness.
frustration of energy and wild thought-pat terna•.
lf men tal dulłness or agitation occur. exert effort
in the methods to eliminate them in stages. If you
cannot settle your mind on any of these types
of objects enumerated, then take any other
kind of object for meditation that suits you.
Personality types are not all the same. Some people
hear the teachings just two or three times and
then arc able to develop a settling of their mind.
56 M'4HJMUDRA

Some are unable to develop tłtls even though

they meditate a great deal. But if you nourish it
and do not give up out of slothfulness, łt is
impossible for you not to develop it. But it is
necessary to have an experienced Guru to dispel
your problems, induce your success and so forth.
Nourishing (your meditation) in this way, (you
pass through) three stages of settłing your mind.
The first is like a steep mountain waterfall. Your
thoughts are coarse and many. On the second,
your coarse thoughts set (like the sun). Although
occasionally some thoughts wiJI suddenly occur, you
recognise them for what they are and as soon as
you do so, they subside by themselves. The
steam of your meditation flows on gently and
steadily Uke a mighty river. Finally aJI your
thoughts, both coarse and subtle, set (like the sun)
and you settle in equipoise intQ a non-i;onceptual
state.
This third stage is also rofcmd to as tho river baving
mcrgcd into the ocean or tbo child rcunitjng with his mothcr
after a long separation. Your tboughtJ aro the rivcr or cbild
and the mind the ocean or mothcr. All turbulcnco and
uneasincss havc bccn sottlcd, all murkiness stilled and you
arc in a perfect, pristine state. A more elaboratc de~ription
of nine stages of settling the miod is found in the works of
Asanga and Kamalaśila. Therc the di5Cussion i1 found of
the cight composing mental faculties to eliminate the fivc
deterrents to concentration, as well as cxplanations ()(
the four types of attcntion and six mcntal powcrs uscd to
progres& through the nine stagcs. A1though such an outłino
can be applicd herc. this prescnt work does not include s~h
detail.
Because it is possible to have such a settling of
the mind into a non-conceptual state of bliss and
clarity in which your mind js in equipoise, alert,
 MENTAL QUJESCENCE MEDITATION S1

vivid, pristine and pure, you should enhance your

~nthusiastic perseverance until you attain such a
settling. Even after you have reached such a state,
you must practise so that its continuity will not be
broken. That is the sixth point (for mental quiescence
meditation).
Elin1in11ting .Jlental
Tiglitness and Looseness

If you have not reached this third stage or

settling the mind, you must further enhance your
enthusiastic perseverance. This you should do-
through the three techniques of tightening (your
men tal grip), relaxing it and meditating while-
being turned away (from both these necessities).
For tightening (your mental grip if it is too-
loose), you should sit in the essential bodily position,
look in the proper way and take control of your
cognitions. In other words, tighten .up your
meditation with discipline. Do not Jet your mind
wander for even an instant. Be as if walking
across a single-planked bridge. Draw your mind.
tight and perk it up so that it is vibrant (like a
bell) but without thinking, "This is the object I
should be meditating on." Do not let your mind
wand er for even a moment and make yo ur meditation
sessions short and frequent. .
For relaxing (your mental grip if it is too tight),
do exercises and then (sit) looking in the propcr·
way.
If you arc tense, ncrvous and over-agitatcd, prostration•
and circumambulation of rcligious sitcs arc rccommcnded.
This is a bencficial way to hamcss and usc your excess.
 MENTAL QUJESCENCE MED1T.4TJON 59"

energy. Afterwards whcn you arc physically tired and sit

back down in mcditatio9, your mind as wcll as your body
will rcłax and you will bave less mental disturbance.
Do not direct your mind at any object, rathcr let
your mind relax itself and loosen down to its natura}·
state, uncontrived, unself-conscious, not anxiously
caring. Just place it on whatevcr · comes up. Let
it. becQroę f,J'anquil and relaxed. lt ·will reach its
own le;v~tin equipoise. Do not try to accomplish
a~;Y.*ing or ~xert yourself. Relax like a baby with
a fulł .Jtomach or a pile of straw when the rope-
~ying lt . has been cut. Then fix your mind and
have your mindfulness be in the ever-present
inorą.ent so that you do not wander at all from this.
state.
Except for this, there is nothing to meditate-
upon. Just place your mind in its natura! state and
if your meditation sessions are short, lengthen them
slightly. Settle in a resplendent state of mind, and
if it dissolves take a rest. But even inbetween
meditation sessions, have your mindfulness keep a
careful che ck.
When meditating while turned away (from the
necessity either to tighten or relax your mental grip),
there will be times when you have no mental
wandering and then thoughts will not cpme. But
when your mind wanders or many thoughts arise
due to some fleeting circumstances, if you try to get
rid of them, you will not be able. Just look right
at them kindly and think, "Wherever you are going,
just go !"and thus you will intrude (and sever) the
train of their going. Then one mor~ will adse,
a second will arise-recognise them for what they
arc. Do not even try to get rid of or abandon
 them. and do not follow them out. Do not be
happy if yo ur mind is scttled or unhappy if it is
running. Do not worry about your meditatłon not
happening or havc expectations and hopes that it
will be good. Without any cxpectations or worrios,
have your mind take hold of the thought itsclf as ita
basis (for attention).
Y ou will never be able to reach a non-oonceptual
-state by blocking conceptual thoughts. Tako these
very thoughts themselves as your object and focus
right on them. Conceptual thoughts dissolvc by
themselves. When they elear away, a non-conceptual
state will dawn. Therefore practise llkc that.
!hat is the seventh point (for mcntal quiescencc
meditation).
The ActlUll State of 1'1ental
tłuiescence and tlie Tliree
Boons
Next is the way to develop the (actual) state of'
mental quiescence and being made to recognise (its
nature). According to its definition, mental
quiescence is a state in which your mind is quieted
of all mental wandering, be it thoughts or grasping
at defining characteristics. lt is a placement of the·
mind in singłe-pointed concentration on the non-
conceptual nature of things and is free of mentaL
dullncss, agitation and foggy-mindedness. Previously
this had been attained with effort, but now it does
not rely on any effort. It comes about easily and is
blissful, expansively roomy and flexibly fluid. Even
when you arise from meditation, your mind does
not alter at all. No matter where it goes, it comes.
back and rests in this very state.
Just as a pigeon released from a boat in mid-ocean can·
do notbiog but return to its ship, your mind. no matter how
much activity it has, can only return to its settled state once
you have achieved mental quiescence.
When you are walking, sitting, or whatever, your
cognitions are at a leisurely pace, your mind is
stable, relaxed, at case, alert, clearly reflecting what-
ever appears, not garrishly sparkling, but more toned
-62 MAil..IMUDRA

down. Because your cognitions are not sticky with

respect to their objects, they do not grasp at all
their details and thus your mind does not indulgc
itself in mental wandering.
At all times your mind should be stable likc Mount
Meru and elear likc a mirror ablc to reflect anything. You
should not be excited or inquisitively looking cvcrywhcrc.
lf you focus too minutely on details, your mind will spin and
become overwhelmed with thoughts. Be subdued and just
Jet all thoughts and appearances pass through your mind
without grasping onto them. If you arc walking down a
busy street and even should a dancing girl happen to bo
performing on the sidc of the road, just Jet her image pass
through your awareness without letting your attention
become glued to her. To be able always to maintain your
mental composure is a sign of mental quiescen_ce.
There arc three equal boons you receive (in this
·state)-bliss, clarity and (bare) non-conceptuality.
Depending on which is in a gre.ater proportion, many
things can occur such as the boon of heightencd
vision, the boon of heightened hearing, extra-
sensory perception and even extra-physical powers.
There are the ten signs (of single-minded concentra-
tion) and so forth. Any of these may happen when
your mental quiescence is faultless, and such things
will develop on your mind-stream · like this. These
are the foundation that will give rise to all benefits
such as those deriving from penetrative insight.
So at this point, wbether you have physical
sickness, mental sułfering, good or bad dreams,
extra-sensory or extra-physical experiences, boons
such as bliss, clarity or bare non-conceptuality-
no matter what happens, good or bad-do not be
attached or compulsively attracted. For sure they
have no essence at all, sodo not indulge yourself with
 MENT.AL QUIESCENCE MEDIT.ATION 63

any thoughts of happiness or depression about them.

If you are obsessed with these boons, they will only
serve as a root for samsura, making you circ1e into
one of the Three Rea1ms. They cannot liberate you
from cyclic existence. Even non-Buddhists have such
accomplishments (as these boons), but they are of
no benefit to them.
Extra-sensory and cxtra-physical cxpcric&ccs arc a
sidc product of singlc-mindcd concentration and mental
quicscence. Evcn non-Buddhists attain them through various
mcditational tcchniqucs. In tbcmselvcs, thcy arc of no
consequencc unłcss used as a means for benefiting others.
The boon experienccs of bliss, cłarity and harc non·
conceptuality are the field from whicb the crop of penetrativc
insight into their Voidness arises. To be obsessed with any
of them, not realising tbeir Voidness, leads to a rebirth in
samsara as a god. Being bom as a god in the Desire Reałm
comes from attachment to the boon of bliss, in the Form
Rea Im from cłarity and in the Formless from compulsivc
de sire for bareness.
In short, if you arc obsessed with and attached
to whatever experiences and insights you have, you
will destroy them. Be detached from them and
remain steadily in a non-compulsive state of being
unattractcd. With enthusiastic perseverance, pull
yourself out of restrictive laziness. If you meditate
while increasing your tolerance for har-dships, you
will reap benefits beyond all imagination.
Be łike Je-tziin Mi-la rl-pa who meditated in high
mountain cavcs for twelve years cating ooly nettles. Do not
give up if your food runs out or your bcd is too hard. Like
lifting yoursełf out of a box, uplift yourself from making
excuses for not practising. With persevcrancc you will reach
. · Enłightenment.
Tberefore you must study about this (with a teacher).
As both the Guru and disciple must not make any
64 MAHAMUDRA

mistakes about the actual boons, comprehension (of

the instructions), meditational insights and the way to
develop (mental quiescence), make sure to recognise
and know them with certainty.
The main thing is not to havc any compulsive-
attraction to sensory objects and to have uncon-
trived admiration and loving respect for your Guru.
Cultivate an Enlightened Motive of Bodhicitta with.
respect to the six types of beings. Have your mind-
fulness keep a close check so that you bave no-
mental wnndcring. Make short-term plans as if you
had no time and execute them straight up and down
like bellows. Accomplish what you begin. Do not
Jet yourself come under the sway of polite affecta-
tions or the eight worldly feclings.
The root of all attainments is your Guru-devotion and
unwavering faith in his instructions. This, oombined witb.
the highest motivation of Bodhicitta, will propel you on to-
become a Buddha.
As death can come at any moment, do not make long-
term fanciful plans such as 11 Next year I shall bnild a home:
and then take a wife. Thia room will be the nursery. 111.
have three children and the furniture will be wal.but ••• " and.
so forth. Live in the prcsent moment with the goal of Ea-
lightenment. Whatever you set out to do, such as a 1even-day-
retreat, carry it through to completion. If you glve up ln.
the middle, this sets up a very self-defeating pattem.
Do not let yourself come under the influence of polite-
affectations such as ftattcring others for favours or trying to-
save face. Be likc Je-tziln Mi-la ra-pa who bad no servants-
or masters to worry about. Cast off your boodage to the:
eight worldly feelings of being pleased when receivlng gifts,
love, attention and so forth, displeased when not, elated.
when everything is going well, depressed when it is not,.
delighted when hearing pleasant things, annoyed when not„
being happy when praised and upset when abused.
 MENTAL QUJESCENCE MEDITATION 6S

All this is very important. If you practise faultlessly

like this, you will develop experiences and insight
without any effort. Therefore exert yourself to act
in this way. That is the eighth point (for mentał
quiescence meditation).
 Laoking At tlre Settled Hind

The second main topie is penetrative insight

meditation (vipa§yani). You should sit in the essential
bodily posture as before. At this point the way of
looking is extremely important. Your eyes should
not be blinking, wavering to and fro or changing
focus, but should be staring intensely with sharp focus
directly ahead (slightly upwards) at the empty space
before you.
In mcntal quicsccnce your mind has bccomc Jikc a elear
mirror. With penctrative insight you cxaminc the naturo of
this mirror and the images in it. The way of looking is
slightly differcnt for thcse two. In mcntal quicsccncc your
cycs should be looking straightforward, rclaxcd and in focus.
For pcnctrativc iosight look more intcnscly and slightly
upwards. This uplifts and sharpcns the mind. The difl'cr„
cncc is like betwcen your arm when it is at case and whcn
flcxcd.
Place your mind in a faultlessly settled state of
equipoise in which it is natural, at its own level,
uncontrived, unself-conscious, not anxiously caring
and then make it slightly morc intense so that it is
elear and vivid, and have your mindfulness keep
an ever-present check so that you have no mental
wandering.
70 MAHAMUDRA

Now look scrupulously at the naturc ofyour mind

when it is in full, perfect mental qui.escence. By
nature does it have a colour, a form, a shape 'l Does
it have an arising, a ceasing, an enduring, or not ?
Is it outside, inside, or where is it settled ? Asidc
from this settled state, is there another consciou'!-
ness separate from it 'l Is it nothing whatsoever, a
blank emptiness that cannot be identified (as this or
that) ? Or, in this settled state, is there conscious-
ness which although it cannot be identificd (as
this or that) is stili a vividness, a pristine purity, a
resplendence but which just cannot be put into
words (like a mute person's tasting of sugar) ? The
nature of this settled mind, is it a total bla ckness,
or is it a elear, vivid brightness 'l
All the crucial (attainments) are in terms of
what it means by the true abiding nature of the
reality of this (mind).
If you reałise the truc nature of your mind, your Buddha-
nature, you havc Enlightenment. lf confused about it and
shrouded in the darkness of ignorant:e, you havc sams~a
and bring yourself suffering.

Therefore (when your Guru ques tions you about

your meditation) if you spout forth intellectual ideas
about it, or parrot descriptions you have heard, or
use high-falutin Dharma jargon (you do not under-
stand), or, because your mind is gripped by the
eight worldly feelings (and you want to impress
bim), you say you have had fantastic flashes and
insights when you have not-if you respond like
this, it is like pulling the wool over your own eyes.
You are only deceiving yourself. And if you are
ordained, then you have broken your vow not to
 PENETIUTIYE INSIGHT MEDITATION 7t

lic to your Guru with polite affectations. Therefore

practisc conscientiously. Do not patch up (somc
expericnce) out of your imagination, but be com-
pletely honest and (speak from) the experiences and
insights that dcvelop within yourself from the force
of your own meditation.
Do not worry if what you cxperiencc aounds a bit silly.
lf after loolcing you find tbat your mind is white, report this
to your Guru. He will say, for instancc, to cbeck jf it is
cver yellow. lf you come back and say, "lt is yellow," he
will then say, „No, actually il is neitber." Tbrough such
honest exchange and interplay, your Guru will be ab1e to
lead you to recognise the naturc of your mind. Wben you
look at or examine your mind with iocessant questioos as
above, you may not recognisc its naturc cven if you sec it.
Therefore you must rely on your Guru and be totally
honest witb bim, othcrwisc he c:annot help you. Wbat is at
atakc is your libcration Crom auffering, Enligbtcnment and
ability to help others.
As this is imperative, tigbten your awarencss and
look (at your mind). Then take a rest and after-
wards have another look. As it is necessary to look
at the nature of the mind when it is settled, the
way you should set it throughout all of this is to
place it in a elear, lucid, shining state like the sun
free of all clouds.
Tightening your awareness at this point and
making an effort to look at its nature is the first
way for you to be made to recognise (the naturc
of your mind). As this is so, the Guru must
question and train his disciples in accordance with
their mental temperaments and capacities. In order
to tame some, it may be necessary to push and
question them repeatedly in order to see if they
have an intellectual understanding, a flash experience,
72 M.'8.lMUDRA

an insight or a solid experience, and to make

them recognise these without mixing in affected
Dharma jargon. The disciple likewise must exert
himseJf in this. That is the first point (for penetra-
tive insight meditation) : looking at the nature of the
( settled) mind.
Looking tit tlie lłloving or
Thinking 1'li11tl

N ext, to cut from its root the f oundation (or

ignorance) you must examine thoroughly the
moving mind or train of thought, and be made to
-recognise it for what it is. Adopt the bodily posture,
way of looking and acting as before. Place yourself
in a state in which you have bliss, clarity and bare
non-conceptuality-all three, and then relax in this
pristine purity and Jet a fleeting thought arise all or
a sudden from this (state), or purposely emanate a
thought of whatever seems suitabJe.
Look at the nature of the cognition that has
been emanated. Look at it at the time it is
-emanated Having looked at the enduring of what
bas been emanated, does it have a colour, or a shape 1
Is therc a place it arost from, a place it endured in,
a place it ceased into 1 What about it ? Is (this
thought) located outside, or inside the body 1 lf it
is inside, iś it in the centre cf the heart, for instance,
(in the brain) and so forth 1 Inside, outside, wher-
-ever it is, just how does it endure and how is it
emanated 1 Investigatc this.
This mind, is (its nature) a conditioned pheno-
menon (arisingfrom causes), or is it unconditioned 1
74 MAH.lMUDlł.l

Does it have an arisal. a cessation, a colour, or

a shape? lf it does, then what kind does it have„
or is it the case that you think it does not (have any
arisal and so forth) ? lf you say that it cannot be
thought of as being like this, well then, is there still
some conscious aspect of it which nevertheless has.
no arisal or cessation and so forth ? When you look
at a thought, is it that all thoughts arc a voidness,:
free from all mental fabrications (of extreme modes.
of existence), with no arisal or cessation ? After you
bave looked at a thought. is it that it disappears
completely, leaving no trace ? All thoughts that
occur, is it that they pop up but cannot be identified
(as being like this or like that) 'l Take a look. Ir
you say that they pop up but cannot be identified (as
being like this or like that), then at that very moment
(w hen a thought pops up), is there or is there not
(a not her) thought to the etfect that there is no-
identifiable component bere '!
There is no end to the amount of questions to which
you can subject a thought such as "I saw my friend yester-
day." Where is this thought ? Wherc did it come from ?·
W hat is it made of? Is this thought the same shapc as.
your friend and is the image of your friend the same as
your friend himself? When this thought passes, does it leave·
no trace like a cloud disappearing from the sky, or docs it
Jeavc a footprint like a child walking on the bcach ? If you".
say this thought has no qualities and cannot be found, then
what abuut the thought that thinks that ? If a mute person
cannot put his thoughts into words, does this mean he has
no thoughts ?
By interrogating thought like this you can ••question
it to death". If you arc plagued by thieves and you catch
one and publicly flog him, and then do the same for several'
more, the thieves will get the idea not to come any morc
and you will be free of them. The same thing will happen·
 PENETRATIYE INSIGHT MEDITATION 1S;

with your thoughts. Persisteot questioning takes the łife­

out of them and they will not bother to come so often •.
And when they do, they will be weaker in force and not so
bold. In this way you will come to sec the nature of your
miod and tboughts.
After a thought has arisen or you have made
one come, take a look at it without blocking or
grasping on to it. Whether it has a happy (feeling)
to it or an unhappy one, look at the individual
natures of happy and unhappy (feeling tones). No
matter how many thoughts you have, look at them.
When a delusion has arisen strongly, sucłi as one or
the five poisons (of desire, anger, closed-mindedness,
pride or jealousy), or you make one arise, take a look
at it too. Making sure to cut out any exaggerated
idcas_you might superimposc from within, look at the
(dcluded) thought itself (such as anger), the object
of that thought (an image of an enemy) and the
.immediately preceding thought and check to see, for
instance, if there is any difference as far as the mind
(or consciousness aspect of them) is concerned.
When you see that the nature of thought is a
bright, elear awareness, then look to see whether
there is any ditference between the bright, elear
awareness you saw previously with respect to the
settled mind and the bright, elear awareness you see
now with respect to a thought. If you cannot
decide, then dra w the thought back and place
yourself into a state of elear awareness.
This is a figure of speech. Thoughts are not like a jack-
io-the-box which you can stuff back into your mind. What
is meant is to cease interrogating the thought and lct it
dissolve.
When (another) thought all of a sudden comes up
when you are not looking, then look at its very'
76 MAHA/tJUDRA

nature to see how 1t m no way adulterates that of

_your original, normal consciousness.
When a wave rises and falls, has the ocean basically
changed? Does a cloud affect the sky ?
As this is what you rnust see, look very well.
In short, when the Guru and disciple working
together have reached this conclusion based on how ·
thoughts arise (in the disciple) and how he under-
stands them, then the root has been cut of the
foundation (of his ignorance) and the true meaning
has been reached. That is the second point (for
penetrative insight rneditation) : rnaking an effort
in the methods to look at (the nature of the rnoving
rnind) so as to see and be made to recognise it for
-what it is.
 Looking at tlie Hlind
BeRecting Appearances
and at tlie Hlind
in Belatio11 to tlie Body

Next, in order to be made to recognise the-

inseparability of the mind and appearances, you
should look (at the mind) when it is reftecting an
appearance (in a moment of bare perception). With.
your way of looking and bodily posture as before,
focus your eyes and attention single-pointedly on a
specific ohject, such as a vase, your image in a
mirror, Mount Meru or any suitable visual form in
the space (before you). Look at it scrupulously.
Relax your awareness of it slightly, and then look
at it again.
Likewise, look at the nature of a sound that
is the object of your ears' (consciousness) and see
if there is any difference (in nature) between a
pleasant and an unpleasant, or a loud and a soft
one. Look at the sound of your own voice and
that of someone else, and so forth. Likewise look
at a fragrant smell that appears as an object to your
nose's (consciousness) and at a foul one, at both a
delicious and an unpalatable taste on your tongue„.
 ·7g MAHAMUDRJ

at both a pleasant and an unpleasant, a hot and a

-cold and at an intensely painful physical sensation on
your body- look at whatever comes up. At such a
time, is the appearance something that passes away
by ceasing to exist ? When reflecting an appearance,
ar~ the mind and the appearance two separate
things ? Does the appearance come into the mind
·(from outside) or is it that when the mind reftects
·something it goes out and catches hold of an
.appearance thinking "I am going to reftect it" ?
Actually, the mind and appearances (on it) are
inseparable (like a "magie mirror'' and the images on
it). There is just the resplendence of an appearancc
.and Voidness, with no (truly existent) object.
Take a look at the consciousness that is doing
the looking and at its five types of sense objects,
-each in turn (first sights, then sounds, smells, tastes
and tactile sensations). Look to s.ee if there is any
.difference between these two (namely, consciousness
and the appearance of its sense objects), and then
look for what is the ditference between an appearance
that is the object (of a consciousness) and the
consciousness that has it as its object. When you
have looked at an object, is it the case that the
--0bject is something out there, solid and real ?
When you close your eyes, does it disappear ? When
you put your hand in front of your eyes, where is the
clarity of the appearance ?
If you say it is not, then it seems as though there
is no difference at all 6etween an object (on the one
side) and the mind (on the other) that can look
starkly at ( this object) without any obstruction but
which (on its own part) is at ease, does not hold
 PENETRATIYEINSIGHT MEDITATION 19

(anything as its object) and in which nothing

(appcars) clearly. If you say it is impossible to
think that there is no difference between these (two),
but rathcr it is the case that the object is something
-0ut there, solid and real, then what about the very
thought that thinks that ? (Is its object something
-0ut there ?) Take a look at this:
Likewise, look to see whether the body and the
mind are the same or different. lf they are the
same (or one thing), then the body which is
something that arises and ceases and the mind
which is sornething permanent (by nature) with no
.arisal or cessation would have to be the same.
Although your cognitions, like your body, change from
moment to moment and are thus impermanent, the nature of
the mind as a elear, void, blissful awareness is something that
does not change and i& permane nt in the sense that it does
not depend on causes or circumstances. The nature of your
mind does not arise out of nothing when you are born or
wake up, nor does it cease when you die or fali asleep.
The awareness is by nature the same regardless of what
it is aware of.
And if they are different, then you should be able to
identify two separate things, the body and the mind
(totally apart from each other}. But the mind is
not something that you can pinpoint here (or there).
It is not ( only) at the top of your body or at the
bottom, it completely pervades it. The fact that you
can expr.rience feelings (all over), what is that
due to?
The body and mind are like something that
supports and the thing that is supported ( like a cup
and the tea in it). But, if you say that the body is
outside and the mind inside, (as two separate things)
 80 MAHAMUDRA

like a man and his clothing, then when it comes to-

experiencing feeling, if you think that it is the body
alone that has feelings, then a corpse would also have
to have feelings. lf you say that the mind (alone)
has the feelings, then the two (body and mind)
would have to be different (and unrelated).
Now the mind is something that cannot be
killed or in any way affected. lf when your body
is pricked by a thorn your mind feels it, then how
is this dilferent from the example when you burn
the clothes worn by someone you burn the person
who is wearing them too '!
When you prick the body, do you prick the
mind also '! After looking at this thoroughly, you
must reach a firm decision.
Nameły, you must decide tbat the body and mind are
ncither the same, nor differcnt. Convcntionałły tbey arc
łik.c somcthing that supports and the thing supportcd, but
ultimately they arc not two inhcrentły cxisting objccts.
sharing such a rclation.
In connection with this you must also realise that
whatever feelings arise are like waves and (your
mind is like) wa ter. Because when you place your
mind on this realisation you cut through from this
state to the true meaning of the actual nature of
reality, you must look (at your mind) like this.
That is the third point (for penetrative insight
meditation).
Looking at tlie Settletl an1l
8lovi11g Alintls Togetlier
Once more settle your mind into a state of pure
clarity and Voidness and look at its nature. Then
make a thought arise and look at its nature. Look
to see if the natures of these two-the settled mind
and the moving mind-are the same or different.
After looking, if you see that they are different,
then how are they different ? Do the settled and
moving minds alternately come up like when you
have strung th!ead around two poles and twirl it
together {to make a string) '! Is the settled mind like
a field and the moving mind that arises like the crops
growing in it ? Or are the two of them the same
like a snake or rope and its coiłs (in that you
cannot have a coil separate from the rope) '! lf so,
then when the mind is settled without any thought
arising, is it also moving, and when it is l}loving, is·
it also settled '! There is a big difference between
the moving mind which can think up anything and
fantasise in endless variety and the settled mind
which stays without moving. But if you think that
the two are different in nature, then is the difference
in terms of colour, shape and so forth? Is it in
terms of arisal, endurance and cessation, or of past,
present and future, or of permanence and imper-
manence '! Look to see how they are different.
 82 AIAHAMUDR..l

When you know· through meditation what

thoughts truły are, then ( you realise that) the nature
of both the settled and moving minds is nothing but
the same. The way they arise is by alternating, and
when it is settled there is nothing that is moving and
when it is moving there is nothing that is settled.
Like water and waves, it is the mind alone that
functions and acts. That is all there is to it. When
you understand that both the settled and moving
minds are nothing more than a brilliant, elear
Voidness, then you have a little understanding.
lt is like a mirror, which has the same void clarity
whethcr or not it is reftecting an object.
Now, when you draw a thought in (for interroga-
tion) and then place yourself in meditation, is it
that (the thought) has gone into a elear Voidness, or
has it disappeared and afterwards in its place is a
elear Void.ness ?
In othcr words, is it łike the darkness of night dissołving
into the cłarity of dayłigbt ? Or is it like the darkness dis-
appearing and being repłaced by dayłight ?
Or is it that the vivid thought itself is a elear
Voidness ? If you think that it is like either of the
forrner two, you stili must make very stong requests
to your Guru (for his inspiration) and then look
once more with effort and try to sec with certainty
how things really are.
The ways of looking at the nature (of the mind)
can be approached in three styles.
These ways of łooking have been at the settled mind,
the moving or thinking mind, the mind. rcftecting an
appearancc, the mind in rełation to the body and both the
settled .and moving minds together.
Those who skip ahead develop penetrative insight
first and then mental quiescence, or sometimes they
 PENETIUTlYE INSIGHT MEDITATION 83

develop both together at the same time when

previously they had neither. Those for whom it
happens at once develop both mental quiescence and
penetrative insight at the same time by merely being
taught their descriptions. This is due to the power
of their previous training.
This rcfers to iostincts from formcr lifetimcs as is the
case with locamate Lamas (Tulkus).
Those who progress gradually develop these in stages.
Here (the explanation has been given) in accordance
with this latter type of person's approach and it
must be taught after assessing the way in which the
disciple has his experiences.
When looking, you must place yourself in a state
of clarity without any grasping, like a small child
looking (at the paintings of deities) in a tempie.
Exert yourself with great enthusiasm to look in this
way and abandon laziness. Turn away from your
compulsive obsessions and have no requirements
(which you feel must be met before youcan practise).
Have a renounced mind and faith, admiration and
loving respect for your Guru. Make your mind-
.fulness firm so that your mind does not wander and
practise in an uncontrived state without being
fettered by expectations or worries. Be interested
only in your future lives without letting ·yourself go
after ever-changing worldly concerns. lf you make
an effort to look at the mind (with an Enlightened
. Motive of Bodhicitta), then it is impossible for you
not to develop quickly and withcertainty the pristine
awareness of penetrative insight. Thereforc decide
about the settled and moving minds. That is the
fourth point (for penetrative insight meditation).
Beco11nising tlie Nature of
tl1e Settled Alind
If you have cultivated Jooking at the nature (of
the mind) like this in accordance with the orał
teachings concerning the mind, there is practically
no need for (your Guru) to make you recognise (its
nature). It will reveal itself to you from within.
Some people, however, do not recognise it even if
this has happened. Others will have only a dry intel-
lectual understanding of it from reading or hearing
teachings and, aJthough they have developed no expe-
rience or insight despite their desire to do so, will say
they have and describe them in unerring Dharma
1argon. The Guru must be abJe to differentiate
these (types of people) and the disciple on his part
must practise taking all this to heart.
Aftcr you havc cxamincd or łookcd at the nature of the
mind and reachro a dccision about it, you must cxpcriencc ·it
in meditation and rccognise the expcrieocc in terms ofwhat
you have prcviousły asccrtaincd. Thercforc the Guru is
cssentiał, for through his intcrpłay and qucstioning he lead&
you to the correct dccision about the nature of your mind
and confirms for you when you have bad a truc mcdita-
tional experiencc or insight into it. This is what it means
for a Guru to make you rccognise your mind or, litcrałły, to
introducc you to it.
The first way to make beginners recognise the
n:iture (of the mind) when they are looking at it (is
 PENETRATIVE INSIGHT MEDITATION 8S

as follows). Look at the nature of the settled

mind in the way as was done before. The nature of
the settled mind is a elear, vivid brilliance, not a -
total nothingness. In this settled state there is
elear, open, resplendent, gently ftowing eonseiousness
whieh eannot be identified (as this or that). You
cannot say that it is like this, that it has a eolour,
a shape and so forth. It eannot be put in to
words or expressed as being like this or that.
Athough it cannot be identified (as this or that),
nevertheless pristine, pure, brilliant, resplendent,
vivid (moments of) consciousness whieh make
things elear with no obstruction happen to you (all
the time). This conseiousness is not something that
previously you did not see, but now you do; or
previously you did not experience, but now you do ;
or previously you did not know about, but now
you do.
It has always bcen the case, for the nature of the mind
is pcrmanent.
But you must know from the depths of your heart
that it cannot be pinpointed or said to be like this
or that.
If you have only a (dry, smug) intellectual.
understanding that it is a elear, resplendent,
unidentifiable state of clarity and Voidness, you
will be unable to make any progress. Therefore
this will not do. But if this (realisation) has dawr1ed
from within (from your own meditational practice),
then you have really had penetrative insight into
the ( nature of) the settled mind. Therefore except
for conseientiously (meditating) starkly on the
nature (of the mind), there is no way to see it.
86 MAH.łMUDRA

If (the Guru) introduces you to it prematurely,

you will be left with only a dry intellectual under-
standing and will become jaded. Then no matter
what other things he may try to explain to you.
they will only cause harm. Therefore (the Guru)
must not try to make you recognise (the nature of
your mind before you are ready to see it).
If the Guru tries to make you recognise the nature of
your mind before you have had any meditative experience,
you will bave only an intellectual undcrstanding. Because
of your smugness and self-satisfaction, you will bccome
jaded, Iacking all appreciation for the profundity of the
teacbings. Closcd-mindedly you will feel you understand
everytbing already and thercfore will disparage all your
Guru's further cfforts to teach you. Like a stonc in watcr,
you will not absorb anything he says and thus you will make
no progress. Thercforc it is bctter for the Guru to be
reserved about teaching the naturc of the mind, Jest he
do so prematurely and jadc the disciple.
lf you have not cut the stream of your thoughts,
you will not see the nature (of your settled mind).
If you do not see this nature, you cannot be made
to recognise it for what it is. And if you have not
recognised it, then your meditation will not become
an actual path (to Enlightenment).
When you have excellent experiences and boons
(in meditation), look at them. Even when things
are going poorly, try repeatedly to intensify the
clarity.
In other words, when you arc in pain, do not indulge
yourself but rather look at the nature of the mind experienc-
ing this pain and try to intensify and focus on its clarity.
This is similar to the technique used to eliminate mental
wandering in tantric visualisation meditations, namcly inten-
sify the clarity of the visualisation and extraneous mental
activity disappears.
To teach the methods for cultivating such type of
 PENETRATIYE INSIGHT MEDIT AT/ON 87

practice is called a (meaningful) orał explanation.

When you know how to meditate. it is called a
finished orał explanation. Then if you cultivate
this state without any mental wandering, there will
be no trouble in developing experiences and insights.
Therefore, in order to reach certainty about the
nature (of the mind) afler you have seen it and to
have all your doubts cut, it is necessary (for a Guru)
to introduce you to it (in other words, cause you to
recognise it).
In generał, there are two things (needed) in
meditation, mental quiescence and penetrative
insight. Of these, (mental quiescence} is when your
mind has been placed in its relaxed, natural state
and you have a settling of the mind into its natural,
elear, resplendent state after all thoughts have been
quieted in their place (having looked at them the
moment they arose). Your conventional mind does
not indulge in any mental wandering concerning
this Jife or worldly things. It is bJissful and tranquil,
with all delusions quieted into a fine sleep. Settled
single-pointedly on the nature of virtue, your mind
stays wherever you place it for as long as you
want. Jt is under your control. Y ou do not feel
even the passing of your breath in and out. lf your
(meditation) is like this, then it is a distinguished
state of mental quiescence.
The flash experiences and boons of bliss, clarity
and bare non-conceptuality (you receive in this
state) are very important. They do not fulfil the
requirement to count as insights, (for that you need
penetrative insight), but you cannot do without
them. lf you cultivate them without any compul-
sive attachment, and remain in this state (of mental
 88 MAHAMUDRA

quiescence) without Jetting yourself Japse into any

mental dullness, agitation, or unspecified state of
inditference, you will come to know and experience
what kind of object your mind is-although you
cannot say that the nature of the mind is like this
or that, or has this colour or that shape, for it is
beyond all words, thoughts and description. It
cannot be put into words, like the sexual bliss of a
young adult. A unity of clarity and Voidness,
it is free from all extremes of mentally fabricated
(modes of existence) and cannot be identified
(as this or that). lt is unadulteratcd by any
conceptuaJ thoughts of the Dharma. lt is unsullied
by any conceptuaJ worldly thoughts. It cannot be
pinned down (with the conceptual thought that) this
is a non-conceptual state or one of mental
qmescence.
Such a consciousness which is in its own state,
at its own level. in its own place is called the root
of all good qualities, the normal mind or simply the
mind. If you are unconscious of it, then you have
ignorance or unawareness and the cyclic existence
of sams-ara. But if you are conscious of it, this is
called awareness, pristine awareness, Nirvai:ia, the
pristine awareness of simultaneity, the primordial
state, the Clear Light, or penetrative insight.
Therefore now you should divide clearly this head-
water of either sams-ara or Nirv-ai:ia·
lf you recognise the mind, it is Nirvar;ia; but if you do
not, thcn it brings you samsara. Thus the nature of salhs!ira
and NirvilQa is the same. Their differencc is in terms of
your awareness of their nature.
When your Guru introduces you to the nature
(of your mind), you will recognise it like meeting (an
 PENETRATWE INSIGHT MEDIT AT/ON 89·

old friend) you knew long ago. Such a recognition

is ealled recognising the mind. (The nature of the
mind) is not something produced by the great
discriminating intelligence of a disciple or the skil-
f ul orał teaching of a Guru.
lt has been thcre all the time and is sometbing you
come to recognisc only through mcditational practice.
From time immemorial (your mind) has been Iike
this, but because it has been obscured by delusions
and thoughts you did not recognise it. But now
that the stream of your thoughts has been
cut and you have been introduced to it, you know it.
The mind is a pristine elarity that eannot be
identified (as this or that). Although it has no
inherently existent nature as such, yet it allows for
elear appearanees. The defining characteristic of
the mind is that by nature it is elear, void awareness.
It is pristine and alert with no diseontinuity. That
is the nature (of the mind). When you have a
stark recognition of this, eultivate it at all limes
without any wavering. The benefits from this are
beyond an imagination.
Therefore to develop penetrative insight into (the
nature of) the settled mind and to recognise it,
there is this first actual introduetion (by your Guru
to your mind). Take it to heart, put it into practice
and eultivate it eontinually. This is extremely
important. That is the fifth point (for penetrative
insight meditation) : recognising in this way (the
nature of the settled mind) and cultivating it.
 Beeognising the Nature of
.the .lloving or Tliinking !łlind

The second way of looking (namely at the nature

of the moving or thinking mind) cuts the root of
the foundation (of ignorance). There are two
points (in connection with this) : (1) being
introduced to the non-conceptual mind and (2)
being introduced to the moving mind or thoughts,
(this latter one) referring to being introduced to the
moving mind when a thought has already arisen
or you make one arise. ·
The first is as follows. You have looked at the
pristine, elear, resplendent, non-conceptual settled'
mind which is an awareness free of mental dullness
and agitation. You know that (its nature) has no
arisal or cessation, yet you do not {conceptually)
think, "lt has no arisal or cessation, no colour, shape
and so forth." To do that is penetrative insight into
the non-conceptual mind.
To conceptuałise about the Jack of qualities of the non·
conceptual state of mind is to go to an extreme ofmaking
non-existence into a "thing".
As for the second, if you say that all thoughts
(by nature) are a total Voidness with no arisal or
cessation, you are taking Voidness too literally (and
going to the extreme nf nihilism). What they are
 PENEI' IUTIVE INSIGHT MEDIT ATION lH

is a vividness that leaves no trace and (the nature

of) which has no arisal, cessation or enduring and
cannot be identi:fi.ed as having this colour, that
shape and so forth. Jf (you realise) this much,
you have developed a little (understanding). Further-
rnore, you must recognise that they cannot be
identified as this or that and do so without concep-
tually thinking, "They cannot be identified as this
or that." And, without any grasping or contradiction
(in your mind between thoughts being both vivid
and void, you must recognise) that thoughts both
arise and subside at exaetly the same time (like a
drawing on water). In addition you rnust gain the
insight that there is not the slightest differenee (in
nature) between thoughts and the object of thought,
between the mind when it is settled and when it is
moving, between past (and present) mind, between
past (and present) thoughts and so forth. (They
.are all by nature) elear, brilliant awareness.
When you draw a thought in (for interrogation)
or when a thought disappears, it is not that it has
gone into a elear Voidness (or one has been
left in its place). Rather, the thought that arises
all of a sudden is itself a elear Voidness. When you
realise or gain this insight, then you have recognised
{the nature of thought).
There is not even the slightest differenee between
the non-eonceptual state and that of true insight
into the fact that rnoving thoughts, the settled mind
and the nature of thoughts thernselves are all three
-elear, void and brilJiant. To hold the two (as being
different) is an interpolation of the mind that does
not recognise them.
92 M..4HAMUDR..l

Previously when you did not recognise (the

nature of) thoughts, you were una ble to take them
into your meditation. This was ignorance (or
unawareness). But now that you recognise them,
you can rneditate on thoughts themselves and
thus they become awareness or pristine awareness.
Now you can make thoughts the root of meditation.
Previously the thoughts thernselves were obscuring.
themselves, and so you could not see them.
They were so thick, they obscured their own nature.
But now tbey arc transparent ; you can see right througb
them.
This present meditation on conceptual thoughts
is known to be more especiaJly distinguished than
the rneditation on the non-conceptual state. There·
fore whatever thoughts arise, you should take them
as what to recognise. When thoughts do not arise,
they stay in this state of them not arising. There
is no need to emanate (or produce) them. When
they do arise, then stay in this state of them arising.
There is no need to collect them back. Therefore,
without giving any heed to expectations or worries,
bring your thoughts themselves into the nature of
your rneditation.
Thoughts are nothing rnore than the rnind. This
rnind, which naturally subsides, is the Dharrnak-=cya,
by nature a elear, void brilłiance, devoid of anything
to be subsided or anything to do the subsiding.
When you gain this insight, then you have bad
penetrative insight (into the nature of) thought. You
have recognised the Dharmak~ya, which is a unity
of clarity and Voidness.
Thus you must reałise that thoughts, being a elear
Voidness, arise and subside at exactly the same time, like
 PENETRATIVE INSIGHT MEDITATION 93

a handprint on watcr. They have no cndurance and therc

is no interval betwecn their arising and subsiding. Nor is
tbere space between them as if they wcrc „things" that
could be separated by space. This is what the term "naturally
subsides" mcans, which when translated literally is "sclf-
liberation".
In short, you should recognise whatever
(thoughts) arise, place your mind single-pointedly
and uncontrivedly right on their very nature,
without any mcntal wandering, and cultivate this
state. This is the second actual introduction (by
your Goru to the nature of your mind). Having
recognised it, however, is not enough. You must
cultivate the continuity (of this awareness). That is
the sixth point (for penetrative insight meditation).
Becognising tlie Natare
of tlie 1'1ind Bellecting
Ap11e11rances and of tl1e
1'1ind in Belation to the
Body

The third introduction is being made to

recognisc (the nature) of the mind reftecting an
appearance and this is in terms of the inseparability
of the mind and appearances. When you look at
any of the five typcs of external sense objects
(sights, sounds, smells, tastes or tactile sensations),
the object which is obvious with no obstruction but
about wbich you cannot think that it is some
object out there, solid and rea], and the vivid mind
that is looking at it without actually clutching somc-
thing-these two are neither the same, nor different.
However you should not (conceptually) think that
they are neither (the same, nor different).
To do so would imply that beiog neither was somo
sort of inherent naturc truły existeot in them.
likewise, the body and the mind arc neither the
same nor different. They arc inseparable, a unity
of clarity and Voidness, of appearance and Voidness,
Jike the (reflection of the) moon in water.
 PENEI'RAT/l "E ~NSIGHT MEDITATION 95-

lf the reflection or appearancc of the moon in a puddle

and the water were the same, then when you put your hand
over it, the appearance should still be there. lf they werc
different, you should be able to lift the appearance off the
puddle likc a piece of paper.
Furthermore, whatever feelings you have, such as
hot or cold, are also appearances. Because you do
not recognise them as (a unity of) appearance and
Voidness, your mind mentally labels them (as
truły existent) and thus you have the infinite variety
of grasping. But aside from tbis, on the uitimate
level, whatevcr physical or mental feelings you have
are devoid of being an (inherently existing) basis for
labelling. You must gaio this insight.
In a dream, you have a body and you sec many
appearanccs, and they all seem real and truły existent. But
when you awakc, you see that they were all of your mind
and appearing to your mind, and that they bad no truc
basis for their existence or for you to have labelled them
0 my body" and so forth. The same is true of death with
reference to your life's experiences and when you awakc
from ignorance and sec what you deceptively considered
concretc and real is actually void of cxisting as such.
Appearanccs all come from the miod. lf you think
tbere ·arc ghosts or demons, you will see them. If you
do not believe in them, you will not. Once Je-tziin Mi-la
rll-pa was mcditating in a cave and, noticing a hole in the
wali, he wondered if it might contain a ghost. As soon as
this thought arose, a horrible ogrcss riding on a musk deer
appreared and asked bim, "Why did you call be? Your
grasping ego sent for me. Quiet your mind and then I can
leavc." Likewise, it is because you have been fooled into
thinking that appearances exist as real, solid objects "out
there" that you believe them to exist that way. This is
nothing more than superstition.
·All appcarances arc reftections of the mind, void of
true, inherent existence as somethiog solid 0 out there''"
-96 MllHAMUORA

uisting from its owo side. For instance, great Lamas will
come to Bodh Gaya and sec it as a paradisc and all the
people there as deities. To a beggar, it ·Will appcar as a
heli. And for cach of them, this is reality. Consider a glass
of liquid. A hell-creature sees it as molten copper, a hungry
ghost as pus and blood, a fish as a home, a human as
watcr and a god as ncctar. Each of these is mercly an
appearance to and of the mind. Howcver tbings appear
to you, that is your mind. But appearanccs arc all deceptive,
because lhey appear to be real and "out there„, when in
fact they arc not.
Consider the same person wearing the same set of
thick clothcs in summer and in winter. At one time he
labels them heavy, at another thin and light. What is the
basis for his labelling them as such ? There cannot be an
inherently existing basis for this in the clothing : it is all
appearance. The same is truc with fcclings.
Sn uff and chili pcpper arc ci ther delicious or terrible
dcpending on what you are accustomed to, in othcr words
how they appcar to you.
Whatever. appearance comes up (before you,
such as your finger), look at it (in an iotensely
staring) manner and focus your mind (on it single·
pointedly for several minutes). Then relax your
stare a little. At first aJl the details are sharply there.
But then after a while, the (image) goes away in its
very place because either you became nauseated and
did not want to look at it any .more, or your eyes
went numb or started to tear. But then when you
look at it a little (once more), a vivid appearance
that cannot be grasped comes (again). lt has come
back in its very place.
At this point (you should realise) that your
own (mind) and the appearances to and of it are
inseparable. They are (a unity of) appearance and
Voidness, resplendent without any object (inherently
 PENETRATJVE INSJGHT MEDITATION 91

existing on its own side). Because there is this

reflexive appearance of the actual abiding nature
of reality, also known as the defining characteristic
of the mind, there are no two separate, different
things-external appearances and the internat mind.
The mind's own lustre arises with no obstruction;
that is all.
Appearances as objects to be grasped and
consciousnesses to grasp them are both the arisal of
deception. At sucha time, these (appearances) can-
not be singled out to the side; they appear because
they are the self-deception of the mind. Therefore
the mind is the appearances. Aside from this, there
is no such thing as an appearance that can be
established even to the slightest degree as existing
inherently as a separate object.
A scarecrow seen at a distance appears to be a man.
What is this appearance, except for your miod?
Previously, because this was obscured by igno-
rance or the mind's grasping (for true existence) you
could not see it. But now that the stream of your
grasping conceptual mind has been cut, you can
recognise the (reflecting mind's) own nature and that
there are no (truły existent) objects. Without grasp-
ing at appearances (to be truły existent) you see that
appearances are resplendent and void and are not
(inherently existing) objects. They are known as
the light-rays of the Dharmak~ya, appearances aris-
ing simultaneously (with Voidness, like a sprout
and its shadow).
Thus whcn your friend appears before you, just sec
his appearance and remain in the herc and now. Do not
think, "0, what a good friend he is," or "What a horriblc
friend, he didn't write. '' Do not eling to an idea of this
98 M.4H-lMUDR..ł

person as an unchanging concept, inherently CAi>tent, solid

and real. Remain open. fresh and spontancous. without
expectations, worries or preconceptions and realise the
inscparability of appearance and Voidness. Remain with
the void appearance of the person and not your fixed ideas.
Now cultivate (tłtis awareness) without any
fabrication. Give free rein to your six conglomerates
and cultivate practising in terms of whatever appears
to the mind.
The six conglomerates arc the consciousness, cogoitivc
power and objects of your faculties of seeing, hearing.
smelling, tasting, touching and thinking. Realising that a
consciousness, cognitivc power and object arc all threc
interdependeot1 void of existing inherently alone and alł
oecessary for a cognitioo 1 just relax and be aware of
whatever comes up.
With your mind comfortable and at ease in this
state, place it uncontrivedly on the actual nature of
reality. Do not try to achieve bliss, clarity, Voidness
or excellence. Do not dwell on the past. Do not think
of the future. Have no thoughts of the present. Do
not meditate by intellectualising. Letting your mind
be at its own level, fiuidly fiowing in the here and
now, without any e.ffort or anxious cares, place your-
self in the natura! state of the mind itself. Place
yourself in a state of the inseparability of appearance
and Voidness, the inseparability of the sounding (of
sounds) and Voidness, the inseparability of bliss and
Voidness, the inseparability of awareness and Void-
ness, the inseparability ofclarity and Voidness. When
you understand with bare perception the inseparabi-
lity of appearance and Voidness like this, namely
how appearances are not blocked but likewise cannot
be grasped, then you have had penetrative insight
into (the mind reftecting) appearances. You have
 PENEl'RATJVE INSIGHT MEDIT.4TION 9!>

recognised the Dharmaka:ya which is a unity of

Voidn~ss and appearance. lf you cultivate the con-
tinuity of this state,· you will develop stable, sublime
~periences and insights. Being made to recognise
the nature of the mind reflecting appearances is the
third introduction. ·That is the seventh point (for
penetrative insight meditation) : cultivating your
practice in this way.
BecOf/llising the Nature ol
tl1e Settle1l and 1'lovi1ig
Jlin1ls Togetl1er
Ncxt is the introduetion made after having look-
ed to see if the settled and moving minds are the
same or different. When you analysed whether the
settled and moving minds were the same or different,
you understood from (the nature of) the two how to
make thoughts into your meditation, for the settled
and moving minds are nothing but the same. The
way they arise is that they alternate~ When the
mind is settled it is not moving, and when it is mov-
ing it is not settled. But the agent for both is
the mind alone and the nature of both is a elear, void
brillianee. lt is nothing more than that.
Furthermore, it is not that after you draw a
thought in (for interrogation) then you see a elear,
void briłlianee. Nor is it that when a memory or
thought disappears, it goes into a elear Voidness or
one is left in its place. Rather, the thoughts that
arise in the moment all of a sudden are themselves a
elear, void brillianee. When you have gained this
insight or understanding, you know the abiding
nature of the mind.
The settled and moving states can be referreq to
as fingers dividing from the same hand.,
 PENETRATIVE INSIGHT MEDfT..ffJON 101

They arc both or the same nature as the hand, but if

it is one finger it is not the other.
When the mind is settled it is a elear resplendence
i'-'a non-conceptual state. When it is moving with
thoughts, the nature of these thoughts themselves
is a elear, void brilliance. It is nothing more than
that.
When you have the insight that all appearances
of objects are simply affectations of the mind like
waves on water and cannot be ultimately established
as having any true, independent existence, this is
(known as) the recognition of appearances as the
mind. When you analyse the nature of this mind to·
see if it has a going, a staying or a coming and have
the insight that it cannot be established as having
any of these, for the mind, like a dream-elephant or
horse, ultimately has no true existence,, this is the
recognition of the mind as Voidness.
(Furthermore) when you have the insight that
various (appearances) spontaneously arise from this.
state of pure clarity and Voidness, without any
obstruction like (the reflections of) the moon in water,
this is the recognition of Voidness as spontaneous.
(arisal). And concerning this spontaneously arisen
elear, void awareness which is free of all mental
fabrications (of extreme modes of existence), whicłt
is not something that comes about by change, which
does not waver from (or in any way błock) the Great
Bliss and which has just spontaneously arisen -when
you are convinced that it arises and subsides at exactly
the same moment like the knotting and uncoiling of
a snake, this is the recognition of spontaneous
(arisal) as automatically subsiding of itself.
The mind you are to be made to recognise is nor-
102 MAHAMUDR.l

mal consciousness which can think up anything and

everything, is all-aware and all-ftexible. It itself is
known as the unityofclarity and Voidness, the Great
Bliss, the Voidness possessing that which is perpet-
ually supreme, or MahlUJludr1[, the Great Seal of
Voidness. When you recognise it, this is known as
the insight of Mahltmudr1[. Therefore place your
mind in its own state of vivid awareness without
anything to meditate on and without letting it wander
for even an instant. Relax and be at case without
any expectations or worries, hopes that your medita-
tion will be good or fears that it will be bad. By
cultivating the natural state of your normal conscious-
ness, you will behold in the very instant of herc and
now the Mahrunudfll Great Seat of Voidness, the
unity of bliss and Voidness and (you will see it) like
the elear expanse of cloudless space.
Now that mental quiescence has been joined with
penetrative insight, sublime experiences and insights
will happen. This fulfils the requirement of actually
having entered the path of Liberation. Voidness is
the way the mind is, clarity is its defining characteris-
tic and the unity of these is the mind's nature. (There
are many names for) this elear, vivid brilliance with
a nature of bliss, clarity and bare (non-conceptuality),
which is freeof all ex trem es of rnentally fabricated
(modes of existence) such as good or bad, arising,
-ceasing or enduring, existing or not existing, perma~
nent or impermanent and which is beyond all words
and thoughts, which cannot be identified (as this or
that) and yet can be experienced. lt is known as the
very essence of great pristine awareness, the reality
of the great natural occurrence, the abiding ne.ture
of the way in which all knowables exist, pure
 PENETRATIJ'E INSllJn~ , ....._ •.

awareness, the very nature of things, the equal

factor (of samsara and Nirvai:ia), the Great Bliss,
the Buddha-nature, the perfection of wisdom,
~mniscience, the Voidness possessing that which is
perpetually supreme.
Because everything can be understood by the
mind, it is (called) mind-only. Because it is free of
all extremes or middle, it is Madhyamaka, the Great
Central position. Because it is difficult for everyone
to comprehend, it is the hidden, or secret tantra.
Because it destroys all deceptions, it is the Vajrayana
Diamond-hard Vehicle. Because it beholds the essence
of Buddhahood, it is dalled the Dharmaka:ya. .
In short, what you must recognise is that which
is free from all mental fabrications that would grasp
at a duali ty (of truły existent consciousness and
objects), in other words the pristine awareness of
non-duality, the equal factor (of sams-ara and
Nirvai:ia), the Great Bliss free from mental fabrica-
tions, the Mah-amudr-a Great Seal of Voidness. Fur-
thermore, you should float above (the ocean of
sams-a:ra) on your fervent regard and loving respect
(for your Guru) which you take as what is most
vital. Then circle continually in making requests (to
him for inspiration) without ever feeling you have
done enough. And then alight upon an obvious
placing of his inspiration and blessings on you.
When you recognise that there is this stark
brilliance as part of yourself, unobstructed, unhidden,
free from being unobvious, you have arrived at the
Mah-a:mudra that is the basis. To look at the nature
(of the- mind) is the Mah-a:mudrlt that is the path.
To realise (this nature) with full conviction is tho
 104 MAH.lMUDRA

Maha:mudni that is the result. Therefore joyfully

cultivate yourself in this way.
Now the attainment of a (fully endowed) human
body has become meaningful. Y ou have actually
entered the path of Liberation and made sams-a:ra
have an end. Therefore meditate well and withjoy,
and cultivate this for a long time. That is extremely
important. Having Iooked at the settled and mov-
ing minds and been introduced (to their actual
natures), you have recognised that appearances are
the mind, the mind is Voidness, Voidness is sponta-
neous (arisaJ) and spontaneous (arisal) automatically
subsides of itself. This is Maha:mudra, pointing a
finger at the Dharmaka:ya. Cultivate its practice
continually. Follow it through to the end. Without
leaving it as only a (dry) intellectual understanding,
be certain to place it on your mind-stream. That is
the eighth point (for penetrative insight meditation).
 Summary
This has been the actual body of the text, the
introduction to mental quiescence and penetrative
insight. First you should focus on looking (at the
nature of the mind) and then gradually you will be
made to recognise it in accordance with how (your
experiences) develop and your understanding of
them. lt will all be correlated. In other (texts),
there may be introductions in accordance with each
way in which (experiences) may arise and be under-
stood, and that is all right. But here I have corre-
lated (the introduction) in accordance with the (four)
ways of looking and not relied on just amassing
many words. These introductions, which accord
with true insights and reach to the true meaning,
must be correla ted and applied by each person
individually to his own account and progressive
insights. What I have written is in accordance with
the generał way in which (experiences) develop and
achievements are made.
lf from the beginning you were to be introduced
to the nature (of the mind before you were ready),
the introduction might have jaded you. If someone
familiar with the Dharma becomes jaded, it is.
questionable whether (experiences and insights) will
develop on his mind-stream. Therefore I have
organised the way the introduction should be made
like this in order to eliminate that (danger). This.
concludes the actual body of the practice.
 Combining 1'1ahamudra witli
·Otlier Practices and tlie Fo11r
Activities

The third section is the concluding materiał, deal-

ing with enhancing (your practice}. In your medita-
·tion session (of single-minded concentration} have
your mindfulness keep a check so that you have no
mental wandering. If (your thoughts become
completely} spread out, place (your meditation} aside
{and take a rest). In your post-meditation period,
if you lapse into mental wandering, alternate it more
with meditation sessions in which you cultivate hav-
ing your mind not wander.
Thus you must gauge yoursclf and know whcn to take
a rest if you arc pushing yoursclf too hard in mcditation
and when to mcditatc if your mind bccomes too scattcrcd
during daily activity. Through such skilful alternation you
will enhance your devclopmcot of the MahAmudra realisa-
tion at all times.
When thinking about death and impermanence,
you should have a state of mind that thinks, "As
for death, my own combined body, speech and mind
are going to die". Then {on top of this) you should
recognise the nature of death and of the mind that
thinks of death and thus become liberated from
,grasping for (truJy existing) permanence and imper-
 110 MAH.łMUDR..l

manence, which are nothing but mentally labelled

(categor:es made) by the mind. Likewise when
thinking about all the disadvantages of samsara or
cyclic existence, you should come to realise that
samsara and Nirvar;ia are like far and near moun-
tains in a dream.
With such practices you enhancc your rcalisation of the
simultaneity of the two Jevełs of truth. On the rełative or
conventionał łeveł you have death, impermanencc, the
auffering of samsara and so forth, all of which arc deceptivc
appearances nevertheless experienced as auch. On the
ułlimate level the mode of existencc of these appearances
is Voidness; they Jack true inherent existence. The two
levełs of trnth, rełative and ułtimate, appearance and Void-
ness, arc inseparable. You need the simułtaneous reałisa­
tion of both like two wings in order to fty. Do not go to
cither extreme that appearances are totałły non-existent
or that thcy truły exist. The former is nihilism or grasping
at Voidness, the latter is the extreme of affirmation, grasp-
ing at true existence. No amount of realisation of Void-
ness shall make you less mindful of the common prelimi-
naries such as death meditation.
Furthermore, when you meditate on love and
compassion based on the realisation that all
sentient beings have been your motbers and fathers,
and likewise when you meditate on the wishing and
venturing states of the Enlightened Motive of
Bodhicitta up until your attainment of the Enlight-
ened Mind, you should recognise the nature of all
these. Placing yourself in an uncontrived state,
settle in to a state of realisation having an outstand-
ing (relative) Bodhicitta as its aspect and (an under-
standing of) the nature (of this aspect, ultimate
Bodhicitta) which is unmanufactured and free of all
men tal fabrications (of extreme modes of existence).
Doing this is the inseparability of Voidness and
compassion.
 ENHANC/ł{G YOUR PRA.CTICE 1J

Love is the wish for everyone to be happy and

compassion for them to be free of suffering. As you have
undergone bcginningless rebirth, at some point everyone
·bas been your mother or father. Remembering their kind-
ness and wishing to repay it, you should devel\lp the
wishing state of Bodhicitta. the thought to attain Buddha-
hood in order to be most effectively able to help them.
The venturing state of Bodhicitta is to cngage in the
practiccs that will bring you Enlightenment, such as the
perfections of geoerosity. morał discipline. patience,
eotbusiastic perseveraoce. meditative cooccntration, discri-
minating awareness and so forth. All tbis is relative·
Bodhicitta. Ułtimate Bodhicitta is the realisation of Void-
ness.
What is required is to have a simultaneous realiaation
of relative and ultimate Bodbicitta in the same manner as
the two levels of truth. Just as wheo meditating on Guru-
yoga you visualise your Guru in the form or aspect or
Buddha Vajradh4ra while having the nature of your root
Guru, you do the same herc. Have the aspect or form of
your meditation be compassion, while realising its nature
as Voidness. This is the way to develop the realisation of
the ioseparability of compassioo and Voidoess.
Also, when of the four tantric initiations you
receive the vase empowerment, ycu are then permit-
ted to do the practices of the development stage and
visualise yourself as a deity. Now when you think
of yourself as any of the four major meditational
deities and you achieve clarity in your meditation of
the environment and all beings in it as d~ities and
all sounds as mantra, take a look at the nature of
this. To practise in a state of unity of the develop-
ment and completing stages, free from all thoughts
(of true existence) is the Mah1imUdl1i of the develop-
ment stage.
There arc many tantric meditational deities or yidams
such as Heruka or Cakrasarbvara, Hevajra. Guhyasamilja
112 MAHAMUDRA

and Kalacakra. On the development stage you visualise

yourself as such dcities, your environment as their ma94ala
celestial abodes, your speech as their mantra, your thoughta
as pristine awareness, your actions as the enlightened
activity of their virtuous conduct and so forth. This is to
eliminate your compulsive grasping at ordinary appearances
and your holding them to be truły and inherently existent.
The completing stagc, according to the MahAmudri
classification scheme, is divided into the stage having signs
and that without sigos. The former refers to the medita-
tioos oo the eoergy-systems of the subtle body within the
context of the developmeot stage visualisations and arc
done to channelise all the energy-winds into the central
channel for the blissful realisation of Voidness. The latter
refers to the Mahimudri meditations done in this state.
In meditation, to have the elear appearance or aspect
of a deity or mantra, while realising its Void naturc is
known as combining the development and complcting stagcs
or the mixture of Mahamudri Viith the devclopmcnt stage.
Whatever you visualise is the inseparable union of appcar-
ance and Voidness.
Then you should meditate by applying the Clear
Light. To recognise the self-nature (of reality) at
all times, whether walking, lying, sitting or talking,
is the mixture (of everything) with Mah~mudra.
You should apply the Clear Light realisation of every-
thing as a dream to whatever you do. If in a dream you
realise you arc dreaming, you can thcn take full control of
your dream. You can fty or do whatever you wish. Likc-
wise your waking state is but a deceptive dream. Whcn
you realise that nothing has true inhcrent cxistencc, therc
is no limit to what you can do. With absolute conviction
in inseparable Voidness and appearance, free from the
slightest doubt, you will no longer be rcstricted by ignoraoce
and can take control of the elements and so forth.
Further, to practise single-pointedly in a state of
inseparable de\'elopment and completing stages or
 ENHANCING YOUR' PRACTICE 11).

mental quiescence and penetrative insight is (called

the activity that is) all-good. When this has become
stable, you may then conceal yourself in fearsome
solitary places and with awareness follow the view,
meditations and activities. To practise like this is
called the secret activity.
Secret activity is to go to such places as cemetaries,
deserts or lonely mountains, and sleep with your head on a
corpsc or out in the wild. This is to check yourself to sec
if superstitions and deluded states of mind still arise and to
be able to examine them if and when tbey do. To attempt
such activity without having achieved inseparable mental
quiescence and penetrative insight is insane and there is the
danger that you might go crazy. Therefore extreme caution
is required.
When you have become very stable in this, with
no mental wandering, you may then roam about and
mix in large crowds. To take this as a path and
practice is called the activity of being in crowds.
This is a similar type of practice to the previou:1 one
in the sense that il is intcnded as an opportunity to check
your progress and examine the delusions, attachment and
aversions that arise in noisy, crowded, chaotic situations.
According to differences (of which of these
situations your mind) is stable in and which it is
not, there are three ( types of people) : gre1 t.
middling and little.
Some people can handle being alone but arc unabłe to
cope with crowd1 and busyness. Others thrive in activity
witb others, but cannot bear loneliness or being alone. It
is essential to be able to be in any situation with combined
mental quiescence and penetrative insight.
There is no specific sign (differentiating} those who
are great. But when they reach the great path of
preparation and practise with the emanation of
114 MAH.lMUDRA

appearances, they adopt the costume of Heruka

and mix in fearsome circumstances with no
thoughts whatsoever of what is to be eaten or not,
what is clean or dirty or what is faulty or correct.
Practising in this way, they progress gradually
through the path of preparation, and when they
reach the path of seeing they gain victory on their
own part over demonie impulses of Mara, delusions
and Hmayana (motivations). Thus (it is called the
activity bringing) victory over all directions.
According to the generał Mah!yiina description, there
arc five progressive patbs on the way to Eolightcnment.
With the development of Bodbicitta you enter tbo first or
thcse, the path of accumulation on whicb you develop
mental quicsccnce. On the second path of preparation you
perfect penetrative insight so that on the patb of sceing you
gaio in your meditation session a bare non-conceptual
undcrstandlog of Voidncss. At tbis point you enter the
first of the ten Bodhisattva stages (bhumis). During the
fourth path of meditation you furthcr mcditatc in order to
climinatc the obstacles preventing you from sceing Voidness
at all times. At the patb of no more learning you attain
the enlightcned state of a Buddha .
.1-teruka is a generał term for any małe mcditational
dcity, or can refcr specifically to Cakrasarbvara. Those or
grcatcst capacity, sucb as Tilopa and Nliropa, adopt the
bone jewcllery and tigcr-alcin costumc of a Heruka when on
the path of preparation. They act like crazy men, cating
anything that comes thcir way, not unlike the pig. Thcrc
arc many storics of Mablisiddhas, greatly realiscd mastcrs,
who would cat refuse or fish cntrails. Practising in this
way, thcy gained victory over 2111 supcrstitions, prcconcep-
tions and grasping at inherent cxistcnce, known collcctivcly
as "the Mara dcmons". This is an cxtrcmely advanccd
practice to be ablc to gaio barc pcrception of Voidncss.
As for the side of others, they work extremely
extensively for the sake of sentient beings while
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACI'ICE 115

engaged in the activity of being in crwods.

Therefore this activity is also known as progressing
with Maha:mudni itself.
For those who are exceptionally sharp-witted,
there is no need to enhance (their practice), for
they are in (the Enlightened state of the Dharma-
k~ya) in which there is no longer anything to medi-
tate upon or anyone to meditate. For those who are
not like this, there are many methods to enhance
(their practice) which they should learn from the
mouths of their Guru. (General) methods to enhance
your practice, however, are alternating your
meditation and post-meditation periods, practising
the path of the common vehicle {meditating on
impermanence and so forth in terms of Mahamudra),
pursuing tantric methods {in terms of Mahamudra),
and engaging in the four types of activities (that
which is all-good and so forth). To exert etfort
and practise in this way is the first point for
enhancing (yo ur practice ).
 Tl1e Pive Bistorted Viems~
Tl1ree Skills a11d
Fo111• B1iddl1a Bodies

Furthermore, to eliminate interferences you

should separate yourself from compulsive attraction
to such things as virtuous and non-virtuous objects.
Convcntionally, it is true that certain actions arc
virtuous and othcrs not. But ultimately thcse things have
no true, inhercnt cxistence as such. If you rcgard ccrtain
actions as inherentły "good" and arc compulsively attracted
to them, or others as "sinful" and arc repulsed, such grasp-
ing will impede your progress.
Also, as the three times (past, present and future)
cannot be established (as having true, inherent
existence), you must abandon even the thought,
"I shall work from tłtis very moment until my
attainment of Enlightenment." Become certain
that there is (instantaneous) Enlightenment in each
instant.
Conventionally, there is past, prescnt and future. But
if thcse categories had true, inherent existence as such, then
the past would always bave been in the past and could
never have happened. The future would always be yet to
come and could ncver occur. And the present would be
ever so and never cease. Therefore, although it is impera-
tive to have a Bodhicitta motivation, you should not
conceive of worldng f rom now until Enligbtenment when
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 117

this is based on an idea or your being in a truły existent

moment now and Enlightenment as being somewhere „out
there" in the truły existent remotc future.
By the very fact that thoughts arise and dissolve in
exactly the same moment, Enlightcnment is in each instant.
lf you arc aware of this, that is referred to as "instantaneous
Enlightcnment". In othcr Buddhist vehicles, you attain
Enlightenment by a long, drawn-out process of cołlecting
merit over three countless eons. To be sure, the realisation of
Voidness and Enlightenment arc the result of accumulated
merit, but as the mind controls the body and speech,
MahilmudrA. meditation on the mind is a peerless vehiclc
for accumulating enormous merit quickly. Instantaneous
or instant Enligbtenment does not mcan that ignorance is
eliminated magically from no causc and that you do not
need to practise virtuc, meditate or do anything in order to
become Enlightened. It means that in each instant you
can be Entightened if you arc aware of the true abiding
nature of reality in tbat moment. And if you are not, you
remain in samsara.
Do not hold your mind as being vulgar and ordi-
nary. Recognise that from time immemorial it has
been of the nature of the five pristine awarenesses.
Pristine awareness is of the inseparability of appearance
and Voidness, of the two Ievcls of truth, of the abiding
nature of reality. lt is the natura} condition of your mind
and has five aspects or functions, known as the five types of
pristiue awareness. When you arc unaware of them and
overlay them with grasping at true cxistencc, tbey arc the ·
major dclusions.
Pristine awareness of the void nature of reality corrcctly
discriminates between what is false and truc. Overlaid with
grasping for true existcnce, you wish to be rid of objects to
which you ascribe sucb existence and thus you have angcr.
Unaware of the pristine awareness that is like a mirror you
closcc.1-mindedly shroud yoursclf and ignore ccrtain objects
rather than clearly reftecting their appearance, and thus you
have closed-minded ignorance. Unawarc of the pristinc
118 MAH.IMUDRA

awareness that sees the individual nature of things as void,

you single out certain objects as more desirable by nature
than others. This is Jonging desire. Unaware of the
pristine awareness that secs the cquality of things in insepar-
able Voidncss and appcarance and so forth, you considcr
yourself better than others and thus have pride. Unaware
of the pristinc awareness that effortlessly accomplishes
cverything, you arc obsessed with othcrs· acbicvements and
do nothing for yourself. This is jcalousy. Or you keep
possessions to yoursclf and do not share or Jet tbings flow.
This is miserliness. When you sec, however, that the nature
of the various delusions is the same as that of the five
pristine awarcnesses-and as all five arc complete in cach
one, therc can be many such lists of correlations-you
transform the former into the latter.
Do not hold your own aggregates, cognitive spheres
and bases as unclean. Become certain that from
time immemorial they have been the małe and
female meditational deitie3 and the małe and female
Bodhisattvas.
The aggregatc physicał and men tal faculties are that of
form, fcelings, recognition, compositional factors and
consciousncss. The cognitive bases are the objecls and
cognitive powers of the faculties of seeing, hearing, smelling,
tasting, touching and thinking. The cognitive spheres arc the
above bascs plus the consciousncss of cach of these facultics.
In various tantras there arc numerous S)stems of corre~
pondence, equating cach of the above with a małe or female
meditationa! figure. One such system of a hundred deities
is found in the ·•Tibctan Bcok of the Dcad (B'ar-d'o
t'o-dr'ol)". At the time of death, the5e deitics arc revealed
and they appear clearly. If you recognise them for what
they arc, you can gain łiberation, but if you are frightcned
you will rush into one of the unfortunate rcbirth states.
Abandon the wish to become liberated merely from
Iiearing and thinking (about the teachings). Resolve
to become liberated from (the additional) force of
meditation and the blessings of the Guru.
 ENHA.NCING YOUR PRA.(;Ja„„ •• ,

In order to train your mind and overcome suffering, yo.

must rcly on the powers of hcaring, thinking and meditating.
You must first hear a correct explanation of the teachings,
on the nature of the mind for instance, and tben tbink about
them in order to ascertain their meaning. The Jatter is like
looking at the mind and subjecting it to endless questions
and logical analysis. Finally, when you have reached a
decision about the nature of the mind, you must meditate
and actually cxperience it to be so. Through the help of
your Guru you come to recognise it from your meditation.
Thus all three arc needed to becomc enlightened.
In other words, abandon the five distorted ideas
about objects, time, the nature (of your delusions),
the way ( your aggregates) are and the discriminating
awarenesses (that come from hearing, thinking and
meditating).
To have your body in the essential posture
and your mind initially placed in single-minded
concentration, having looked at the nature of the
settled mind when it is settled and of the moving
mind when it is moving, is called skill at the
beginning or meditation. To rid yourself of fatigue
(by taking a rest) when the unity of your single-
pointed concentration and essential bodily posture
has become so spread apart they have separated
is called skill intermediately in cutting off becoming
diffuse. Not to be obsessed or attracted no matter
what excellent boons arise (such as bliss, clarity or
bare non-conceptuality) is called skill at the end in
cultivating the boons. You should train yourself in·
these three skills.
The four Buddha bodies can be understood in terms of
the mind.
The various appearances to and of the mind are
the Nirm~u:iak~ya or Emanation Body. lts aware-
120 MAHAMUDRA

ness is the Sambhogakuya or Utility Body. Its

Voidness is the Svabhuvakuya or Nature Body and
the inseparability (of the three) is the Dharmakaya
<>r Body of Truth.
Very often, the definitions of the Dharmakaya and
Svabhavakaya arc reveraed. A famous analogy for under-
standing these bodies is that the Dharmakaya is like space,
the Sambhogakaya like the moon and the NirmaJiakaya like
the reflection of that moon in water. All three arc tot;illy
interdependent and inseparable. You cannot have the
moon without the space it occupies and there can be no
reflection independent of the moon. Likewise inseparable
and interdependent arc the Voidness, awareness and
appearance of the mind.
When you have definitely decided that this is the
way that all things are-appearance, existence,
sams-ara, Nirvar:ia-and have ascertained that all
things are isolated from all extremes of mentally
fabricated modes of existence and are free of
(inherent) arising, ceasing and enduring, then place
your rnind single-pointedly in a state free of all
expectations and worries and of all abandoning and
adopting. That is the second point (for enhancing
yo ur practice).
 Tlie Tliree Places Wliere
You Can Beviate a11d tlie
Pour Wliere Yo11 Can Lose
Voidness
Furthermore, because you will deviate into
Three Realms if you are obsessed with the three
( boons) of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality,
do not hold these boons as supreme, no matter
what arises, good or bad.
If you arc obscssed with the boon of bliss and grasp at
it to have true cxistcnce, you will be rebom as a god in
the Desire Rcalm; if with clarity, in the Form Rcalm; and ir
obscssed with bare non-conccptuality, in the Formlcss Rcalm.
Once you have ascertained (Voidness) through
the insight that things are inherently neither one
nor many (for instance that the mind and the body
arc neither totałly the same nor completely different),
you rnight think that everytbing by nature is a total
nothingness or that the intełlectually defived rnere
negation which refutes true existence is the Voidness
of everything (and that nothing exists even
conventionally). If you make this your meditation,
you have lost Voidness with respect to its actual
nature. Because you might becorne wild (having
no belief) in cause and effect, you must abandon
122 M.4HAMUDRA

meditations that grasp at everything as being totally

non-existent and those that are on such an intellec-
tually formulated Voidness. Look at the nature of
this grasping at total non-existence and then be
uncontrived ( without intellectually formulating
anything).
If you look at the nature of the thought that grasps.
at non-cxistence, it will automatically subside and dissolvc-
in its own place in the same manner as any other thought~
The nature of all thoughts, even subtle ones such as grasp-
ing, is a elear, vivid awarcness.
When you do not have the insight that all things.
are void-both the (delusions) to be abandoned as
well as their opponents (namely Voidness)-then
when many delusions or bad thoughts arise on
your mind-stream, you might take them as your
enemy thinking, "These are killing my (chance for)
Liberation". Then thinking, "These should be des-
troyed by Voidness", you hold these two as a (truły
existcnt) thing to be abandoned (on the one hand,
and on the other a truły existent) thing to help. To·
meditate on Voidness like this is to lose Voidness
with respect to its being an opponent. Recognise
the nature of the very thought that grasps at the
delusions or what is to be abandoned and the
helper (Voidness) as being separate in nature, and
place yourself in a state in which there is nothing
truły existent to refute or establish.
When you do not have the insight that the basis
(namely the abiding nature of reality), the path
(or meditation on that nature) and the result (the
realisation of the Dharmakaya) are all three Void
(by nature), you might think that Voidness is the·
supreme path for attaining Buddhahood (and does
 ENHANC/NG YOUR PRACI'ICE l ....r

not apply as well to the basis and the result) . You

might also think that if you understand (Voidness)
it is the supreme path and that except for this, all
the other Buddhist paths (such as the Hmayana
meditations on the Four Noble Truths) are inferior.
Not to think of these other paths as belonging
to the methods (taught by Buddha), is to lose
Voidness with respect to its being a path. Recognise·
the nature of the very thought that is obsessed with
Voidness and that grasps at it as being the supreme·
path. By looking you will realise that everything
is void (the basis, path, as well as the result) and'
that in Voidness there is no supreme or inferior,.
nothing to be abandoned or to help.
The ncxt place where you can lose Voidness is when·
doing the tantric dcvelopment stage practices of dissolving
cverything into Voidness with a mantra before visualising a
mcditational deity.
If you have no solid experience (of Voidness)
you might imagine an intellectually formulated
(men tal image of) Voidness or its mantra spreading
out over everything (as if it were a thing). Then
because you exclusively thought that everything is
this Voidness or that nothing could be established
(conventionally) since everything is void, you
might discard karma and the law of cause and
effect, thinking, "What can come of virtuous actions
which are {only) conditioned phenomena.;, This
is losing Voidness with respect to spreading it out
(as if it were a thing). Look at the very thought
that thinks "This is Voidness" and once you have
recognised its nature, place yourself single-pointedly
on the actual void nature of Voidness itself and
have no thoughts (of a vacuum, for instance,
thinking "This is Voidness 0 . )
"124 MAH-lMUDRA

These intellectutually formulated ideas of

Voidness, however, are not totally improper under
all circumstances. If beginners do not meditate with
intellectual formulations (and logical reasonings),
they will be unable to gain the insight of Voidness
even if they are taught it from the beginning. But,
by familiarisi ng themselves with Voidness (concep-
tually), they will ultimately gai n an effortless
(non-conceptual) insight into Voidness. Therefore
even meditating on an intellectually formulated
Voidness can be permitted. However, ultimately
(such a conceptual understanding) must be
abondoned since it can be a place for losing
Mah11mudnc.
A bcginner refers to anyone who has not yet achieved
the path of seeing and its bare non-cooceptual perception
of Voidness, in other words anyone who is not an Arya.
lf someone has collected an cnormous amount of merit in
his previous lifetimes, he may "skip ahead" and gaio sucb
bare perception immediately upon meditation This is rarc.
The more usual process is as follows.
First you develop n presumptive understaoding of
Voidness based on hearing a correct explanation. Presump-
tion is reaching a correct cooclusion either for a wrong
reason or even a right one but which you do not under-
stand. Your Guru teaches you about Voidness and although
you do not really understand what he has said, you repeat
his words and have an idea of Voidness based on hearsay.
Next, by repeateJly thinking about and logically
analysing what he has said, you gain a valid inferential
understanding of Voidness based on the intellectual, con-
ceptual process of logical reasoning. By repeating this logical
process and focusing on Voidness by mixing your actual
understanding of it with an auxiliary conceptual one, such
as the mental image of space or a vacuum, so that you hav.:
a more readily accessible object for concentration on Void-
 ENHANCING YOUR PRAC71CE 125

ness, you will eventually achieve its bare, non-conceptual

perception. This comes about not by a mystic leap of
faitb, but tbrough the law of cause and effect as the result
of your accumulation of merit. Therefore a mental image
of Voidness such as one of a vacuum and a conceptual
understanding based on logic arc necessary aids for the
full realisation of Voidness. But they must ultimately be
abandoned, for they tend to make a ''thing" out of Void~
ness, whicb it is not, and can be a place for losing it such
as when sprea ding out an intellectually formulated image
of a Voidness as if it were a thing.
These, then, are the four places where you can
lose (Voidness). Because they are interferences
(to proper Mah-a:mudr-a: meditation), you must not
confuse what is to. be abandoned and adopted in
accordance with ( these teachings). Then in this
state, without any presumptive understanding (of
Voidness), place your attention uncontrivedly on
whatever arises. Do not stray from the here and
now. Be fluid and flowing without holding your
body in a severe posture or holding your breath
and so forth.
Such metbods, as found in the "Six Yogas of Naropa".
arc useful for acbieving the Mahamudra insight, but once
achieved are no longer ncedcd.
Whatever thoughts arise-virtuous, non-virtuous or
unspecified- do not błock them or establish · (their
cessation), do not abandon (them) or adopt
( opponents). Whatever arises, do not follow out,
but rather płace your attention on it without any
grasping. That is the third point (for enhancing
yo ur practice).
Tl1e Bn11ger Points Where
Tl1i11gs 1'l11y .Arise .As an
E11e111y n11d Otlier lnter-
f ere11ces

Furthermore, suppose you are feeling self-

satisfied and happy that thoughts and delusions
( are not interrupting) your meditation. Then all
of a sudden many rough thoughts upset you
violently and you cannot bring them under control
in meditation. You might regard these thoughts
as enemies that have arisen. Try to recognise these
very thoughts and the nature of these very
thoughts. Do not regard them as faults, but think
of them with kindness.
For instance, if a thought of anger a1ises, rcgard it as
an opportunity to cultivatc patiencc or, if of desire, to
meditate on the impermancnce of what you wan·. Ultima-
tely, howcver, if you mercly focus on them, thcy will
naturally subside.
Taking them into the sphere of your meditation,
see that their nature is free of all mentally fabricated
(extreme modes of existence) and that they arise
(as the play} of the Dharmakaya. Cultivate (the
insight) that they are like this.
Suppose that previously whatever delusions
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 127

arose, you were able to wipe them off by (an

intellectually formu1ated analysis of) Voidness.
This refcrs to bcing able to eliminate a delusion througb
a logical, intellectually formulatcd analysis of its Voidness.
For instance, if you desire a person or an object and after
analysing whether it is the same or diffcrent from its parts,
you conclude that it is neither and therefore lacks true
exii;tence, yo ur des ire will fall a part as you see the re is no
solid, concrete object for it.
But then all of a sudden without any control
(another) delusion arises such as longing desire. You
might regard such a delusion as an enemy that has
arisen. For this, whatever delusions arise, recognise
their nature. By placing yourself in (a state of)
neither blocking (them) nor establishing (their
cessation), they become purified (and subside) in
their own place without your needing to abandon
them. In other words, go into their own purity as
is explained in the (methods for) taking thoughts
as a path, namely (focus on) the void nature of the
outstanding aspect (or appearance of the thought)
which is blissful, elear and non-conceptually bare.
Cultivate yourself in this way.
When you search for the mind by ana lysis and
see that it cannot be found and that all things
cannot be established as truły existent, you might
then discard (the conventional cxistence of)· every-
thing, what is to be abandoned and what is to help,
what is virtuous and what is not. Taking the
experienced baon of bareness as the main thing,
you might feel that yourself and all others have
disappeared in to a vacuum and therefore you should
do nothing. Such grasping at Voidness is known
as Voidness having arisen as an enemy or as
spreading blackness aJI around.
12 8 MAH..lMUDRA

Both the extremes of existence and non-existence must

be refutcd. But if you had to choose, it is bctter to fali to
the former rather than to nihiłism. Nagarjuna has said
that Voidness refutes all true existence, but if you do not
understand it, it is better to uoderstaod phenomena.
Considcr the example of a soake. If you say it is void and
nothing, and do not respect its rełati..-e nature, it may bite
you and you will die. Likewise you can fali to a tower
rehirth in a heli from disregardiog the fact that non-
virtuous actions bring unfortunate resułts.
For this as well, you should recognise the nature of
the grasping at Voidness itself. Placing yourse)f in
a state of neither bJock.ing nor establishing (its
cessation), you will eliminate (such grasping).
Therefore place your single-minded concentration
like that.
In othcr words, in the same manner as before, focus
on the nature of the thought that grasps at Voidness or
nihiłism, and it will naturałly subside.
Even though you have an (intellectual) under-
standing that appearances are dependent arisings,
you might stili be obsessively attracted to these
void ( appearances) grasping at them to be truły
existent things. lf this is the case, you will
become up-tight and will either be frightened
or enticed by the various appearances you
see. For someone unhappy and on edge like
this, this (paranoid state of mind) is known as
appearances having arisen as an enemy. For this
you should recognise the nature of the appearances
and of the grasping at them to be truły existent
things. PJacing yourself in a state of neither
blocking them nor trying to establish (their
cessation}, you will eliminate them.
You might have a presumptive, intelłectual undcntaod-
ing that, for instancc, a father and son arc intcrdcpendent:
 ENHANCJNG YOUR PRACI'ICE 129

you cannot have a son without a father, and so fortłi. Yet

you may r.till grasp at them to cxist inherently as dependent
arisings. From such grasping, objects may begin to appear
as enemies. To bell creatures suffering from extremc
paranoia, everyone is scen as their enemy and every object
is a weapon.
A classic example is of the tailor who lost his ncedle
and, feeling that he bad swallowed it, developed an acutc
stornach ache. His friend saw that he bad mcrely dropped
the needle on the ground, but could not convince him that
this was his lost needle. He therefore suggested tbat the
tailor move his bowels. He did and the friend discreetly
placed the necdle in the stool. As soon as the tailor saw
the needle, his stornach acbe miraculously disappeared.
Likewise when you sec the truc nature of your grasping at
appearances, they and your suffering will disappear.
When you have been meditating like this, even
if you develop (emotional) faith, compassion and
so forth more than others, these wiU dissolve in
their own place (being unstable), if they have not
been purified with the Mah~mudrn (understanding
of the inseparability of compassion and Voidness).
Suppose you develop (emotional) compassion
towards someone else who does not have any such
good Dharma qualities and in your present
(emotional) state you think it would be very
beneficial to help him. Although this would not
bring about (any ultimate benefit), if you were to
drop your own good Dharma qualities ~nd were
actually to try to help him, then compassion has
arisen as an enemy.
An example is suppose you sec a hunter who is having
difficulty killing a dcer and, feeling compassion for tbis
crucl person, you decide to help bim. If you werc to give
up your own compassion for animaIs and you r vow not to
kilł, and help him sboot the bcast, thcn cmotional com-
passion has ariscn as an enemy.
130 MAHAMUDRA

For this also, you should recognise the (nature of

this) attitude of emotional compassion. Placing
yourself in a state of neither blocking nor establish-
ing its cessation, become elear about the nature of
this strong compassion in terms of Maha:mudra.
Then by ołfering extensive prayers (for the sake of
all others) while in this state, you will eliminate the
(compassion's) arising as an enemy and bring about
the other person's benefit in accordance with
interdependent origination.
Being able cffortlessly to help others comes about duc
to cause and cffect as the result of your prayera to be ablc
to do so, as well as from your joint realisation of com-
passion and Voidncss. While you arc working towards
Enlightenment, it is essential to have compassion and help
others, but you must use wisdom.
There is a great difference betwecn a Bodhisattva using
unconventional behaviour to help someone because he scca
what will be ultimately bcneficial and a bcginncr with no
realisation who, being very emotional, hclps others in a
bungling fashion which docs not really bcncfit the othcr
person and only harms his own practice. Do not presume
to be a Bodhisattva whcn you arc not and use compassion
as an cxcuse to act impetuously on your emotions. But of
course if someone is about to fali, you should help bim.
You must use common-sense.
Furthermore, suppose you had not ascertained
the correct view {of Voidness), but felt that by
learning (first) grammar, logic and so forth in great
detail you would thereby gain insight into the
correct primordial view. lf you were then to give
up medi tating, this is known as cause and effect
arising as an enemy.
lt is incorrect to feel that the rcsult of learning worldly
sciences will be your undcrstanding of Voidncss. lt is the
other way round. When you havc gaincd insigbt into
 ENHANCING YOUR PJUCTICE 131

Voidncss, all other knowledge and wisdom will follow. This

does not mean, however, that you snould not study anytbing
until you gaio the full realisation of Voidness, but you
·should keep your priorities straight.
For this you should exert effort in (ascertaining)
the correct view and meditate upon it. By cultivating
this without any expectations or worries, you will
eliminate (this hindrance). Therefore you should
practise like this.
In addition, whenever sickness, harm from
spirits and such interferences to single-minded
concentration as mental dullness, agitation and
foggy-mindedness arise-whichever it may be,
examine its individual nature (to see) if it has a.
colour, shape or an arising, enduring and going.
Without bloc.king them or establishing ( their
cessation) conclude that they cannot be established
as having true, inherent existence.
Also practise giving away (your Juppiness) and
ta.king on (the suffering of others). Without any
expectations or worries, fearing that you will
aciually become sick or hoping you will benefit (the
other person), practise by ta.king sickness and
harm from spirits as (a path for realising) the:
four Buddha bodies.
The Voidness of the sickness is the Svabhivakiya, the
clarity and awareness of its pain the Sambhogakaya, its.
form the Nirm!Qakaya and the inscparability of the threc
the Dharmakiya.
As for mental dullness and agitation, if you
become duli with respect to objects and so forth in
your daily activities, use mental agitation as a
method (to perk you up) and for agitatio:1 u:;e
dullness as a method (to calm you down).
132 MAH..lMUDR.l

These arc temporary remedies and arc like Sintideva•s

advice in the "Bodhicaryivatara0 to use jealousy as an
opponent for pride and so fortb. If you feel pride. place
yourself in someone clse•s sboes and fcel jealousy for your-
self. In tbis way you will curb your pride. Likewise if you
bave mental dullness, incite some agitation to bring yourself
to a balanced state.
Furtherrnore, if you look at the nature of
men tal dullness and agitation and place yourself
single-rnindedly on it, they will be eliminated.
Although there are many such elirninations of
interferences, I have not written them all for fear
that this would become too wordy. These should
be learned from the mouth of your Guru. Also,
for those of sharpest wits there is no need to
eliminate interferences for they have the insight that
everything is primordially free of all mental
fabrications (of extreme rnodes of existence).
These danger. points (of thoughts, delusions and
so forth arising as enemies) occur at the time when
you are on the stage called "of a single taste."
Tbis stage is after you bave become an Arya with barc
non-conceptual perception of Voidness and while you arc
on the fint seven Bodbisattva stages on the path of medita-
tion. In otber words, tbey occur when you have already
scen Voidness, but bccause of your instincts of delusion and
ignorance, disturbing thoughts and graspiog continue to
arise, particularly during your post-meditational period.
In terms of Mahamudra it is said that these
(delusions and so forth continuing to arise are due
to) instincts of delusions and thoughts strong on
your rnind-strearn and when they give rise (to
delusions and so forth), they should be taken as
signs (of the Nirm~Qaka:ya) to be wiped clean by
Voidness.
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACl'ICE lll

A rosary is made of beads, yet none of the beads arc

the roaary, neither arc all the beads piled together. A rosary
is a mental label or an imputation on a collection of beads
strong together. Likewise what is a habit or instincts
giving repcated rise to a familiar pattem of behaviour 'l A
habit is but a mental label, an imputation on a series of
similar events which, if you grasp at as being truły existent,
gives cbronic rise to its pcrpetuation.
Thcrefore sec the Voidness of your habits and instincts
of delusion. When a delusion arises, understand tbat its
form is the Nirmaąakiya, its awareness aspect Sarilbhoga-
kaya, its Voidness Svabbivakiya and the inseparability of
the three Dharmakliya. In this way they can be "wiped
clean" by Voidness.
In terms of the generał teachings of the paths and
their results and so forth, common to {all traditions
of Buddhism in Tibet), it is said that at the time
when (you are practising) the completing stage (of
anuttarayoga tantra) with signs, (all good qualities)
will arise from the force of the delusions and
thoughts {being blended with) those things in their
category and that these will come about as a depen-
dent arising from the combining of them with the
(practices of the) energy-channels, energy-winds,
creative energies and the mi nd.
This refers to another level of metbods used to over-
come disturhing thoughts and delusions. On the completing
stage of anuttarayoga tantra with signs, you deal with and
harness the energy-system of the subtle body. This system
includes energy-channels (nft4i; tza) equivalent to the body,
energy-winds (priiQa; tung) equivalent to speech, and crea-
tive energics (bindu: t'ig-le) cquivalcnt to the mind.
Consciousness ridcs through tbis system on the energy-
winds and when they run rampant so do your deluded
thoughts. When these winds arc channelled into the central
energy·channel at the heart centre, these thoughts will
automatically subsidc.
134 Jl,4HAMUDJLl

Furthermorc, cach of the delusions is homologous witb

a corresponding good quality. Thus there arc certain
practices such as the "Six Yogas of Niropa" in which a
dełusion and the good quality in its category bccome
błended and thus the energy of the dełusion is effectively
transformed into something useful. This occurs through
dependent arising, in otber words as a resułt of the particu-
lar practice used. Tbus desire becomes błended with bliss
through the psychic beat (tum-mo) practices, anger with the
reałisation of the Jack of true independent existence through
the ilłusory body techniques, closed-mindedness with Clear
Light by meaos of dream yoga and so forth. Such practices
utiłise the energy-sy~tem outlined above.

Although there are many things such as this-

the places where you can Jose Voidness, the danger-
points (where things can arise as your enemy),
sickness, harm from spirits, interferences to single-
minded concentration and so forth-perhaps just
this much will do as a summary. You should know
in these ways the methods for eJiminating such
faults (from your meditation).
These, then, are the stages for eJiminating the
three places where you can deviate, the four places
where you can lose Voidness, the five danger-points
and the thrce interferences (to single-mindedness).
Having realised the faults of these and the benefits
(of eliminating them) as explained above, you
should make an effort and not be confused about
what should be adopted and abandoned. This is
the fifth point (for enhancing your practice).
The Benelits
of tlie Practices and
the Stages and Patlis
According to 1'lal1a1nu1lra

As for the way in which bene.fils (or good quali-

ties) arise, the benefits of the preliminary practices
is that it brings about the fulfilment of your
temporary and ultimate aims. That is because it is
suitable for them to be the basis for your attaining
both a better future rebirth as well as the paths of
Enlightenment.
Not only that, but by meditating on the difficulty
of obtaining a fully endowed human body and on
death and impermanence, you will turo your mind
f rom thoughts of this life. By thinking about
karma and the law of cause and effect, you will gain
conviction in them and the power to protect (your
sworn vows of morał discipline) even at the cost or
your life. By thinking about the disadvantages of
samsara, you will develop disgust with saros-ara and
its Three Realms. Having developed renunciation,
you will wish to attain only the enlightened state of
a Buddha. By meditating on love, compassion and
the Enlightened Motive of Bodhicitta, you will
become free of yo ur (selfish) desires for yo ur own
136 MAHAMUDRA

happiness and will have thoughts only for the

weJfare of sentient beings.
By making effort in the yoga of the hundred·
syllable mantra (of Vajrasattva), you will receive the
actual signs and those in dreams of having become
purified of (having to experience) the unripened
unfortunate consequences of your previously commit-
ted non-virtuous actions. By means of this, you
will ( easily) develop experiences and insights. By
offering the maQ<;łala, your body will be blissful,
your mind elear, your desires few and you will gain
incalcułable merit. From meditating on Guru.yoga,
your fervent regard and loving respect (for your
Guru) will ftare up more and more. Y ou will
receive his blessings and inspiration as well as
singłe-minded concentration. You will etfortlessly
develop experiences and insights. Whether or not
you develop the actual practices depends on (your
Guru-devotion).
As for the actual practices, the benefi.ts of men tal
quiescence are that you develop faultlessly the boons
of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality. Your
craving will diminish for food and clothing. Your
(body) will become lustrous and shining, your mind
flexible and you will attain such things as extra-
sensory powers and the five eyes. Your delusions
and thoughts will be outshined.
They will be outshined by the brilliance of your mental
quicsccnce, like the atars by the sun so that thcy do not
appcar.
The five extra-sensory eyes arc of (I) fleshły sigbt to
sec far distant objects, (2) celestiał sight for past and future
rebirtlts, (3) tbat of discriminating awareness to have harc
pcrception of Voidncss, (4) tbat of the Dharma to sec the
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE l3T

mcntal capacities of others so that you know how and what

to teach them, and (5) the sight of a Buddha to understand
·everything omniscienlly. According to the "Abhisamayil-
lamkira" of Maitreya cach of these is attained progressively
on the five paths to Enlightenment.
As for the advantages of penetrative insight,
those who are of sharpest wits will traverse the
stages and paths (to Enlightenment) aJl at once.
Those of middling capacity will sometimes travel
them all at once and sometimes in stages, progress-
ing in the manner of those who skip ahead. Those
of least capacity progress gradually in stages,
travelling in order from the stage of the beginner
up to the tenth Bodhisattva stage. The way they
travel is in accordance with the way they develop·
the four times three, or twelve yogas.
The five paths and ten Bodhisattva stages to Enlight-·
enment, as outlined previously, can be divided in many
ways and traversed through a variety of techniques. Thcrc
arc the generał methods of cach of the classical Indian
Buddhist schools and the different classes of tantras.
According to the system outlined by Gam-po-pa in the
"Jewel Ornament of Liberation", these stages can be divided
into thirteen : the stages of wishiog, fervent regard, the ten
Bodhisattva ones and tbat of Buddhabood. In the Dzog-
ch'en or Great Complction syi.tem tbere is yet another way
of dividing them. Herc in Mahamudrii the five paths and
ten stages arc divided into the twelve yogas. But regardlcss
of how the pie is cut, the basie materiał covered, insights
gained and goał achicved is the same.
(In generał when you attain mental quiescence)
you can place yourself as much as you wish in a
state of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptuality.
Although you can place yourself in such a rnedita-
tional state, if sometimes (these boons) do not come
even when you are meditating and at other times
138 MllHAMUDRA

they do come when you are not meditating, this is

(because) you bave not yet gained great control
over single-minded concentration. This is the early
or small stage of single-pointedness. If you have a
settling of the mind that is just right such
that you are not disturbed by any distractions
and whenever you meditate (the boons) come,
then you have gained control over single-minded
concentration. This is the intermediate stage of
single-pointedness. lf (your concentration) has no
discontinuity and you are not distracted even in
violent circumstances, if all your thoughts have been
pacified into this state, if you are fully mixed into
this state even when sleeping and if you are never
separated from it in all your activities, this is the
advanced or great stage of single-pointedness.
At this point because the boons will be present
at all times you might gain an insight that this is the
great stage of no more meditation (in other words
.Enlightenment). But other than being an insight
·.that you have the boons, it is not an actual insight
·(into Voidness). These (stages of single-pointed-
ness) arc at the time of the paths of accumulation
.and preparation. Because you do not quite realisc
the nature of the mind, the boon with which you
grasp at bareness (or blankness} is the principal
feature of your mental quiescence. By cultivating
for a long time not being obsessed with or attracted
to this very boon, these experiences will become
purified. All enduring aspects of bliss, clarity and
bare non-conceptuality will disintegrate splitting
apart, (so that this state simultaneously arises and
subsides in each moment) and you then see the
{ultimate) truth of the void nature of things. In
 ENHANCING YOUR PR.CCTIC! ,39

other words, when (your obsession with and grasp-

ing at the true existence of the boons) has been
.quieted into a non-objectifying state of the triple
Voidness of bliss, clarity and bare non-conceptu-
.ality, the true nature of awareness (or the mind)
will dawn on you purely like having pceled away the
.skin (from a fruit) or having found a treasure.
Herc the skin is your obscssion with the boons or flash
cxpericnccs and your graspiog at thcir truc existence. When
thcsc disintcgratc and arc pcclcd away, you arrivc at the
fruit within, namcly the void naturc of yo ur mind charac-
tcriscd by a bliss, clarity and barc non-conceptuality that,
bciog void, arisea and subsides simultaneously in cach
moment.

This is the attainment of the Mahltyuna path of

-seeing and is also called the state free from
:mental fabrications (of oxtreme modes of existence).
At this point, if you are still not completely
separated from the vici nity of gras ping at (the true
-existence of) blankness and being obsessed with it
and if you havo only just seen the true nature of the
.mind a little bit, this is the early stage of being free
:from mental fabrications. When you have purified
this from its root, if your normal state of conscious-
.ness has become non-objectifyingly resplendent in
.accordance with your insight, this is the inter-
·mediate stagc of being free from mental fabrications.
When this has become stable and yóu have been
-purified of this (state) coming easily in terms of
thoughts but not coming easily in terms of appear-
ances, then you have gained the insight that every-
thing is void and that there is not even one thing
that is not void. When you have cut all over and
·under-estimations of the Voidness of all external and
140 MAHAMUDR../

internat phenomena, this is the advanced stage of

being free from mental fabrications.
DUl ing the post-meditation periods of these
(stages), appearances seem like a mirage. You gain
the insight of the true nature of Bodhicitta and
abandon the eighty-two (rough delusions) that are
abandoned on the path of seeing. You do not takc
rebirth in (the Three Realms of) cyclic existence in
any (of the four ways of) being bom or turn away
(from such births by dying) except by the power of
your prayers (to continue doing so in order to help
others). This is known as the attainment of the
path of seeing or of the first Bodhisattva stage
called "Extremely Joyful". By cultivating this for a
long time, you will progress to the stage of a single
taste.
At this former stage it was stili a little difficult
to be in the automatically subsiding herc and now
in which whatever thoughts arise arc a bliss that is
the non-true existence or lack of true existence of
all things. But when this is purified, then whether
or not you are free of the mentał fabrication that
things are neither truły void nor non-void, it is
enough (just to recognise the nature of) this very
state of here and now.
Although you must be free of all cxtremes such as
grasping at Voidness, that is nihilism, or at non-Voidncss,
nameły true existence, such mental fabrications arc purified
anyway merely by seeing the nature of the herc and now in
which such distorted thoughts as these simultaneously arisc
and subside like drawings on water.
When you have gained the insight of (the true
nature of all) things, then (you see that everything
is of) one taste in nature and you can understand
 ENH.-4NC1NG YOUR PRACTICE 141

completely, either in terms of appearance or in

terms of Voidness, whatever teachings of the paths
there may be.
The abiding foundation of the herc and now is the
single tastc of both appcarancea and Voidness in the pristine
awareness of the inseparability of thesc two. Thus whethcr
you arc aware of an appcarancc or its Voidncss, you sec
the single taste of both, namely this abiding foundation of
the pristine awarcness of all the tcachings of the paths.
This is the early stage of single taste.
At this stage, the experience (of this single taste
of appearance and Voidness) is still mixed with a
portion of conviction.
Tbia conviction is that this is the cxpcrience of the herc
and now, tbus impłying your graaping to it as a "thiog".
When this is purified, then everything is mixed into
the single {taste) of the pure nature of all things-
including (the seeming dichotomy of) consciousness
and pristine awareness as well as that of appearance
and mind, without there being matter left on the
outside and awareness left on the inside (as if they
were of different tastes). When the equality of
cyclic existence and peaceful liberation, the insepa-
rability of sams:lra and NirvaQ.a, appears straight-
forwardly, this is the intermediate stage of a single
tas te.
When after all things have appeared as a single
taste, the single taste then reappears as many
through appearances spreading out by a process of
interdependent origination which is a skilful means,
this is the advanced stage of a single taste.
In the dissolution process or the bodiły ełcmcnts as
outlincd prcviousły, consciousness progressivcly rclies on
less elcmcnts. Thus earth diasolves into watcr, meaning
 142 M.t4HAMUDRA

that consciousness can no longer rely on the solid element-

Tbeo water dissolves into fire, fire into air or energy-wind.
and that into space. Three stages follow this : the white„
red and black experiences as the white and red creative
energies or Bodhicittas fali from the crown centre, rise from
the navel and meet at the heart. After this comes the Clear
Light Dharmakaya experience which can be bad at death,
falling asleep, fainting or in advanced tantric meditations.
Through this process you come to realise the single taste or
everything in the Dharmakaya.
After this the re-evolution process of the elements occurs.
in which consciousness undergoes the black, red and white
experiences and then progressively relies on the elements aa.
energ}-wind, fire, water and earth re-cmerge during the
process of entering the b'ar-d'o, rebirth, waking up and
ccrtain advanced tantric practices. This occurs through
interdependent origination, here rcferring to cause and
effect, and is propelled by skilful means in order to assure a:
form that will be beneficial to others.
To realise the single taste of appcarance and Voidness-
through both the dissolution and re evolution processes is.
the advanced stagc of a single taste.
Now you have attained patience for everything since
(you fully reali se) there is no true arising. This.
covers the interval between the second and seventh.
Bodhisattva stages, although some authors explain.
tbat this includes the eighth as well.
There arc numerous ways of defining the twelve yogar.
of the Mahiimudri classification system of the paths and
stages. According to the generał cxplanations found in tht
works of the Third K'am-trilł Rinpoche, another less.
complex set of definitions is as foliowa.
The stages of single-pointcdness have the achievement.
of mental quiescence. At its carly stage the boons appear
alternately, sometimes happening and sometimes not. At the
intermediate stage tbey come automatically and at the:
advanced they arc mixed inseparably with Clear Light even.
in dreams.
 ENHtfNCtNG YOUR PR'4CTICE 143·

The stages free of mental fabrication arc free of grasp-

ing at the mind as having any of the four extreme modes of ·
existeoce-true exislence, total non-existcncc, bo1h and.
neither. The extreme of both refers to grasping at pheoo-
mcna to have true existcnce on the relative Jevel and total
non-existence ultimately. Although all phenomena have
neither true nor total non-existeocc, the extreme of neither is
to grasp conceptµally at this fact as if this mode of existence
were a "thing". At the early stage free of mental fabrica-
tion you rcaliae the mind is void of inhereot arising,
enduring and ceasing. At the intermediate you have no
grasping at either appearance or Voidness. At the advanced
stage you cut off completely all over and under-estimation
of mentally fabricated modes of existence.
On the stages of a single taste, appearaoccs and the
miod bccome completely mixed. At the early stages all
things of a dual nature mix into an equal taste of Voidness.
At the intermediate, appearances and the mind are like
water mixed with watcr. At the advanced you sec the
arisal of the fivc typcs of pristine awareness out of the same
tastc.
All such dcfinitions arc not contradictory and arc bascd.
on a meditational master's personal expcriencc.
Furthermore, although there arc many distinguishing
charactcristics bctwccn each of the ten Bodhisattva stages,
one of them is that at cach of the stages you fully perfect
one of the ten perfcctions (piramitls). Tbus on the first it
is generosity and then progressively morał discipline,
patience, cnthusiastic perseverance, meditativc concentration,
discriminating wisdom, skilful means, power, prayer ·and
pristinc awareness. Discriminatiog wisdom (prajnll; sbe-rab)
is of Voidness, discrimioating betwecn correct and incorrect
modes of cxistcnce. Pristine awareness (jiUna; ye-sbc) is of
the inscparability of the two levels of truth, of appearance
and Voidoess. Either may somctimes be loosely refcrrred
to as "wisdom".
Now the meditation and post-meditational states
become mixcd. ( Previously) there were still some
144 MAHAMUDRA

taints of grasping at blankness during the post-

meditation period. But when this is purified. every-
thing becomes purified in the void sphere of all
things in which there is nothing to be attained and
no one to attain it and in wbich there is not even
the slightest difference of wandering or not wander-
ing ( from this realisation) in the meditation and
post-meditation states. When you are free from all
signs of (a dualism of) what is to be rneditated
upon and who is meditating, this is the early stage
of no more meditation. This is the cighth Bodhi-
sattva stage.
At this point it is stili possiblc for there somc-
timcs to arise while you arc sleeping slight taints of
this grasping (at signs of something to rneditate
upon and sorneone to meditate). · When this is
purified, and everything becomes the same as the
great rneditative state of pristine awareoess, this is
the intermediate stagc of no more rneditation. This
is the ninth and tenth Bodhisattva stages.
Then when the sword of discriminating and
pristine awareness cuts from their roots the latent
obstacles preventing Omniscience (namely the
instincts of all ignorance), then the mother Clear
Light, which is the totally pure void sphere of all
things, and the child Cłear Light, which is mirror-
like pristine awareness, become .mixed into one.
This is the full transformation into the cornplete
Enlightenment of a Buddha 1 the state of Unity with
nothing more to be learned. It is the advanced
stage of no more meditation or Buddhahood.
By travelling through the eighth, ninth and tenth
Bodhisattva stages to this eleventh stage (of a
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE 145

Buddha), the natural purity of the primordial state

which is simultaneous (sphere of Voidness and
mirror-like pristine awareness) is the Dharmakaya
that you have made manifest.
The ·Buddha bodies can be dividcd into two : th~
Dbarmakaya and Rupakaya, or the Wisdom and Form
Bodies. The former is the rcsult of a Buddha's perfect
abandonment of all obstacles and fulfils bis owo purposes.
The łatter are from his perfect accomplishment of all good
qualities and arise from his Bodbicitta in order to fullil the
purpo:ies of otbers.
Dbarmakaya is free of arising, ceasing and endu ring. lt
is the permanent, unconditioned, naturally pure, abiding
nature of the mind and all reality. The pristine awareness of
the void sphere of all things sees Voidness. That vll\ich is
mirror·like rellects all knowable phenom:na without any
obstruction. Thus the Dharmakaya's being the simultaneity
of these two pristine awarenesses, the mother and child Clear
Lights, is often referred to in other contexts as its being
the omniscient mind of a Buddha and the Voidness of tbat
mind.
The natural purity of thought, which is the mini
(or sentient aspect) of sentient beings, is the
Sambhogałatya that you have made manifest.
The most common sutra definition of Sambhogakllya.
the Utility Body, is that Form B()dy having five certainties.
It has certainty of (1) form, it always utilises a body having.
all huodred and twelve maojr and minor signs of a Buddha„
(2) teachings, it always utilises the Mabllylloa teacbings„
(3) disciples, it always teaches to a circłe of Arya Bodhi-
sattvas, (4) place, always in pure-land Buddba-fields and
(S) time, until the end of sadlslra. Herc it is defined as the
natural purity of thougbt. Thesc two defioitions arc not
incompatible.
A.rya Bodhisattvas arc thosc with a Bodhicitta motiva-
tion who have bare, non-<:<>nceptual pcrccption of Voidness.
By the virtue of such iosight, tbcir 1urro11:odi~gs b;,com' a.
 146 MAHAMUDRA

pure-land Buddha·field. The natural purity of thought is

something lhat only such beings can perccive. Therefore
Sambhogakaya is that purity of thought or awareness as
\'isible only to Arya Bodhisattvas. lf, however, you aro
confused about this natura! purity, then thougbts deceive
you into believing they have true existence and thus you
cannot see Sambhogakilya.
And the natura) purity of appearances as objects
under the influence ofcircumstances is the Nirmai:ia-
k~ya that you have made manifest.
Just as if a ftoor of lapis lazuli is not polisbed, the
reflcction of the God Indra will not appear in it, likewise, if
the minda of sentient beings are not pure, tbey will not sec a
Buddha even if one werc standing before them. Tbus
Niwnal)akaya or Emanation Bodies of a Buddha arc the
natural purity of appearances to the minds of ordinary beings.
Thcy appcar as phenomena arising from causes and circum-
stances and can be classified into tbree categories.
Supreme Nirmłoaklyas, such as Buddha glkyamuni,
have all the major and minor signs and enact the twelve
deeds of a Buddba-desccnt from Tufita, birth in a royal
family, worldly sport, renunciation, austerities, Enlightenment
undcr the bodhi tree, turning the wheel of Dharma and so
forth. I f you did not have the merit and purity to seo
Śakyamuni as the Buddha, he would appear to you only aa
a tall man with big ears. lf you have the purity or mind,
your Guru will appear to you as a Buddha.
Ordinarily appearing Nirmłoakiiyas are emanations as
monkeys, birds and so forth for specific purposcs to teach
specific sentient beings. Certain Nirmłoakiyas appcar as
master artists, physicians, musicians and so forth to teach
through thcir particular media. Thus the pure appearancc
of a Nirmłl)akiiya depcnds on the purity of the mind of the
bcholder. ·
The effortless virtuous conduct for the sake of othres
done without any thought by either these three
Buddha bodies or a variety of bodies is beyond all
im'!gination. As it etfortlessly fulfils the purposes
 ENHANCING YOUR PR.4CTICE

of all sentient beings as extensive as the infinitude

of space and does so until all of samsara has been
emptied, this is the ultimate good quality.
There are many ways of enumerating and defining the
Buddha bodies. In generał tantra teacbiogs, the enlightened
body, speech and mind are cxplaiocd as NirmaQakaya, Sam-
bbogakaya and Dharmakiya, respectively. In some systems
in addition to the four usual bodies tbere arc the Vajrakaya
or Adamantine Body of the immutability of Enlightcnment,
the Jftanakaya or Body of Pristine Awarcness and so forth.
But regardless of how many bodics are described, their
virtuous conduct (samudacara ; tr'in-lll) in hclping sentient
bcings is the same.
A Buddha is free of all thought, of all conceptual pro-
cesses. He knows everythiog through harc perception. Thus
wben he helps othcrs, he docs so spontaneously without any
thought. His virtuous cooduct, therefore, is effortlcss. This
is because while a Buddha was stili on the paths to
Enlightenmcnt he made innumcrable prayers to be able to
benefit all scnticnt beings. His ability to do so once
cnlightened is the result of these prayers and requircs
no furthcr cooscious cffort or thoughts. Just as a cloud
has no thoughts to bcnefit crops and yet whcn it rains
this automatically happens, likewise a Buddha benefits all
beings.
Therc arc several aspects of a Buddba's virtuous
conduct, known as liberation through seeing, through
hcaring, recalling and being touched. Thus by merely
seeing a Buddha, hearing bis words, recalling them or bcing
touched by his hand, you can become liberated from
suffering. This does not mean that this comes about
magically and you need not do anything on your· own part.
Such an isntantaneous liberation may occur in extremely
rare cases due to the person's enormous previous accumla-
tion of merit. But more usually such a seeing and so forth
plants a sced of karmie association with Eolightenment
and inspires you to strive towards this state.
All such things happen, however, witb no conscious
cffort on the part of the Buddha. For instance, the er.er:
148 MAHJMUDR

sight of His Holiness the Dalai Lama can fili you witb
inspiration to practisc the Dharma, witb His Holiness
not needing to do anythiog on his part. The stupa or
monument in Bodb Gaya where Sakyamuni Buddha
manifested Enligbtenment bas no tbougbts and makes no
efforts, yet most people who see it arc moved to
circumambulate it and inspircd to religious tboughts.
The classic example for how liberation tbrough seeing
and bearing operate arc in terms of the god Indra. Indra
sits in his heavenły crystal pałace and without doing anytbing
his appearance is reftected on all the facets of its walls.
People on earth sec his beautiful reftection and are inspired to
work to achievc his state. Likewise, Indra has a heavcnly
drum, the sound of which is so moving that pcoplc devclop
profound insigbts from merely hearing it.
Thus just as the sun and moon havc no intentions to
benefit people, a Buddha fulfils the aims of otbcrs cffortlessly
through his virtuous conduct and without any thougbt.
These, then, are the benefits derived from the
preliminary practices all the way up to the stage of
no more meditation. If you exert effort in develop-
ing these (attainments) one after the other, not
letting the ones you have developed decline but ever
increasing them, these benefits will come about.
lncreasing your enthusiasm like this and practising
is the sixth point (for enhancing your practice).
Concluding BeRnitions

Therefore, ultimately and primordially from the

beginning everyone has their own share of what is
known as the very nature of the mind itself, the
very nature of things or the Mah-a:mudnt Great
Seal of Voidness and (there is no dlfference) except
for whether or not you realise its two purities.
The very nature of the mind itsclf is also known as the
Buddha-naturc. lts two purities arc the natural one of
this abiding nature-it is primordially pure from time
immemorial-and the purity acbievcd when the Qccting
taints obscuring it have been removed. This is like polished
gołd having the two-fold purity of its natural condition as
well as that achieved whcn all tarnish has been rcmovcd.
That which cach being possesses as his share is the
basis (Mahamudrn). On (the basis of) this you
place yourseJf into the meditations on the paths,
and the very nature of the mind itself duriog the
period up to the tenth Bodhisattva stage is the
path (Mah-a:mudru). Then when you have awakened
from the sleep of unawareness or ignorance, the
realised ultimate pure nature of reality is known as
the fruit Mah-a:mudI11.
The basis, path and fruit Mahamudrlls arc inter„
dependent and cannot cxist alone, just as is the case with
a child, adult and old man. You cannot be an old man i(
you have nevcr been a child or an adult. Likewisc the
1:>0 MAHAMUDRJ

fruit Mahamudra comes about through the basis und patb

ones.
To see the actual pure abiding nature of reality
and be free of all (notions of) objects to be grasped
and consciousness to grasp them is the (Mahamudnc)
view. To meditate on the meaning of this (view)
without any mental wandering is (Mahamudni}
meditation.
You need a unity of correct view and meditation. To
have the latter without the former is like being a blind man
on an open płain. You can go nowhere. To have just the
correct view but not to mcditate is łike being a miser ; your
knowlcdge is of no benefit to yourself or othcrs. But with
hoth y.>u have two wings to fiy to Enłightenment.
To cultivate whichever of the four activities is
appropriate and to do so completely free of all
(notions of) something to be done and someone to
do it is (Mahamudra) activity.
These four are the activity that is ałł·good, the hidden
one, that of being in crowds and that which brings victory
in all directions, as expłained above.
And to be free of aH (notions of) something to be
meditated upon and someone to medit;ste and to
have no expectations or worries such as fearing you
will fall down into samsara or wishing you would
rise up to the at!ainment of Buddhahood is the
(Mahamudra) result. When you have realised in
this way the meaning of the ( Mahamudra} view,
meditation, activity and result, you should enhance
your enthusiastic efTort.
Have fervent regard and loving respect for your
Gurus, with complete faith, totally putting yourself
into it. Turn away from obsessions by freeing
yoursełf from cornpulsive attraction to sarhsl:lra
and this life. Rety at alt times on being min
not to have any mental wanderings. Have short
term plans and execute them straight up and down
like a bellows. Whenever such attitudes arise such
as wishing to save face or thoughts about this life
or the eight worldly feelings, which are all unneces-
sary, smooth them out. Forcefully cut the rope of
yo ur selfish concern for this life. And wha tever you
develop in meditation, do not be blasf about, but
exert effort to cultivate it at all times.
Thus you nccd always to be miodful and alert. lf you
learn to read and write, what usc arc they if you do not
practise ? If you acquire a precious object and do not
takc care of it it, will become ruined or lost.
Although there are many diflerences between a
ftash experience and an insight, (in generał) if the
meditator feels there is his own mind (on the one
hand and on the other) the object of his meditation,
namely blissful, cłear, bare non-conceptual Voidness~
which he is meditating upon or experiencing, this
is a flash experience.
lt should be noted that the same tecbnical term is used
for ftash experiences and the boons. They are steeped with
belief in duality and, though beautiful and alluring, are as
impcrmanent as the ftowers in a mountain meadow. lnsights,
on the other hand, arc more solid and stable.
If you reatise with bare perception and not just
presumption that there is no dualism of a meditator
and something meditated upon, this is an insight.
Therefore, having differentiated between a fiash ·
experience or boon and an insight, place yourself
in a state in which you are not obsessed with these
(boons) and do not hold them as being supreme.
Then cultivate them with etfort at all times. This is
important.
IS2 MAHAMUDRJ

Although the boons arc not supreme. they arc the ba1ia
for penetrative insight. Tbcrcfore by intcnsifying and
cultivating them with no attachment. insigbts will defi.nitely
follow. ·
Of the four seals, the seat of activities is the path
for those of duller wits. Through it you achieve
the powerful attainments of the Desire Realm.
Therc arc many lcvels of mcaning to the four seals. Here
the seal of activities, karmamudra. refers to practising
(I) the peaceful actions to pacify sickness and interfercnces.
(2) thosc to increase your life span. good qualities and
merit. (3) those to gaio power over the clements and
(4) the wrathful oncs to eliminatc harm, obstacles and
hindrances. As a result of thcse you can gaio good health.
long iife, wealth, power and so forth. which are the powcrful
attainments of the Desire Realm.
The seal of commitments and that of the Dharma
are the paths for those of middling wits. Through
them }'OU 2chieve the ultimate powerful attainments
of the highest realm of sarhsya. Akani~tha
Heaven or Wog-min, that which is not beneath
anything else.
The scal of commitments. samayamudri, is the kceping
of the vows and commitments of the various Buddha-
families. The scal of Dharma, dharmamudrA, is visualising
yourself as a meditational dcity. To apply these without
the realisation of Voidness can only bring you to the peak
of samsara, but not to Enlightenmcnt. You can achievc
the common powerful attainmcnts of extra-sensory and
physical powers and so forth, but not the 11upreme one.
But the Great Seal of Voidness (Mah~mudr~) is
the path for those of sharpest wits. It is the
methcd for achieving the supreme powerful attain-
ment (of Efllightenment).
Therefore by applying all four seals progressively to
your practice, you will reach the fully enlightened i.tale of
a Buddha.
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE l S3

(Mah'lmudra is) the inseparability of appearance

and Voidness, bliss and Voidness. awareness
and Voidness, clarity and Voidness, free f com all
extremes of mentally fabricated modes of existence
(that it is truły existent, totally non-existent, both
or neither). It is not something that can be shown
by a Guru, intellectuaJly understood by a disciple,
or made intelligible through words. lt is free from
all notions that it is this and not that. It is a
Great Bliss that is experienced although it cannot
be identified (as this or that). There is nothing that
it does not pervade, either appearances, existence,
samsya or Nirw:r;ia. It is the great state beyond the
intellect (or the conventional mind). The simul-
taneity of mind, thought and the Dharmaka:ya has
been the case from beginningless time. But because
it is not understood, the Gurus explain with their
orał teachings that (these three) must be blended
into one as an inseparable unity. This is known as
the Mah'lmudn: of the simultaneously arisen and
merged.
When you blend the mind, thought and Dharmakaya,
it is not like mixing ftour and cement, but rather like pouring
water into water. The nature of thougbt is the same as
the nature of the mind : they arc both Dharmakaya.
Thoughts, though deceptive, arc not to be abandoned nor
sbould you strive to establish their cessation. By recognising
their nature, they become purified and you realise the
Dharmakaya and arc a Buddha. When you do not
understand them, you arc deceived about thoughts and ar~
a sentient being.
Thoughts, mind and Dharmakliya have been
simullaneous from beginningless time. lf you ask which
carne first, deception or Enlightenment, this is the same as
the proverbial questioo, "Whicb came first, the chicken or
154 MAHAMUDR,I

the egg ?" 1t is not that first you bad E nligbtenment and
then you became unawarc of it, nor is it that first you wcrc
unaware and then becamc enlightened. They arc
simultaneous and beginningless. Yet, a Buddba bas no
thought and no deception. Wbat does this mean 1
Tbought is pervasivc with Dharmakaya, therefore you
cannot say that a Buddha bas abandoned thougbt, since
this would imply he has abandoncd Dharmakaya. But sincc
a Buddha recognises tbought as the Dharmakaya, tbougbts
Jo not arisc on his mind-stream and all his activity and
manirestations arc non-conccptual, spontancous virtuous
conduct without any thought.
From the Iineage that has passed from Vajradhara
to Tilopa, Na:ropa, Marpa, Mi·ła ra-pa and then to
Gam-po-pa, the lineage of meditational methods
deriving from (direct disciples) of Gam-po-pa are
the Mahamudras of the Zhang, Ba-rom and
Dr·i-k'ung Ka-gyu, this latter being the lineage
from P'ag-mo dr'u-pa. (Those deriving from direct
disciples of P'ag-mo dr'u-pa are) the Mahamudra of
the Tag-lung, Cha:n-nga, Mar-ye, Shub-se-wa,
Tr'o-p'u, Ya-zang and Drug-pa Ka-gyu, this latter
being the lineage from Ling-ra:-pa and Gya-rn-pa.
But in particuiar there is the Mahamudra of the
especially distinguished Kar-ma kam-tsang Ka-gyu
which has the undeclined moisture of the breath of
the I;>akims and the undeclined warmth of the
blessings of the unbroken lineage from Gam-po-pa
through (the First Kar-ma-pa) D'u-sum ky'en-pa
down to my Guru( the Fifth Zha-mar Rinpoche) Kon-
ch'og yan-lag. Jt has a lineage that Cl mbines into
1

one the special features of all the many, diłfuse

M:ihamudra teachings. Known as the Maha:mudni
of the simultaneou"ily arisen and merged, the source
of all good qualities, it is as famous in the world
 ENHANCING YOUR PRACTICE }„„.
as the sun and the moon. If you practise it
conscientiously, it is certain that you will automati-
cally develop experiences and insights. Practising in
this way is the seventh point (for enhancing your
practice).
.Authar's Calaphan

Without compiling scriptural quotations and so

forth, I ha ve explained this by taking as the main
thing recognising the nature of the mind, while
painting a finger directly at the practice. Although
I have no experience myse]f, I, Mi-p'am ch'l>-wang
-or Vajreśvara (the Ninth Kar-ma-pa Wang-ch'ug
dor-je, 15 ~ 6-1603), having borrowed in accordance
·with the words of the previous Gurus, have written
this text in Zho-ka-wor House during my med.i-
tation sessions at the insistent request of the Sam-de
Lama Rab-jam ma-wa Sam-tan kun-ga. lt bas
twenty, twenty-two or twenty-five meditation topics.
By the virtue of this may I and all other
motherly sentient beings tum sincerely away from
obsessive attraction to the desirable objects of the
senses and sec the nature of the mind. Shubham
astu sarvajagatam, may aJI the world be pure.
This text has been cxplaincd with orał commentary
bf the Third Jam-yang Ky'en-tze wang-po Rinpoche, Kar-ma
drub-gyil tan-pa yar-p'cl gyur-me g'o-ch'a tr'in-lli kQn-
ky'ab pal-za ng·po, in acco 1dance with the tcacbings of his
Guru, His Holincss the Sixtcenth Kar-ma-pa, Rang-j'ung
rig-pai dor-je. It has been translated into English and
co~piled by Alexander Berzin, and was taught in Tibetan
at Bodh Gaya, lndia, between December 1976 and
January 1977.
 TWO:

FIFTY STANZAS OP
61JBIJ-IJEYOTION
("Gurupafic~śiklt„, "Bla-ma lnga-bcu-pa")

by .Aryaśnra
with commentary given orally by
Geshe Ngawang Dbargyey
 Prelace

„Fifty Stanzas of Guru-devotion" ("Gurupaftcłśiltl") was

writlen in about the first century B.C. by Aśvagbofa. Tbis
Indian poet was known by many names, soch as Aryaśilra,
Milrceta, Pitrceta, Maticitra and Bhllvideva, and was a con-
temporary of King Kani,ka of the Ku,an Dynasty. Having
previously been a strong non·Buddhist. believer, he became an
extremely devout follower of the Buddhas' patb wriling many
works on its various aspects. ·
Śikyamuni Buddha lived abOut four centuries beforo
Aśvaghofa. He taught siltras dealing with meditative practice1
for attaining Liberation and Enlightenment and, in the form of
Buddha Vajradhlra, Mahilmudri and the tantru covering
spee;iier, yet more dangerous metbods for acbieving thi1 latter
goal. Success in following eitber the SOtr1U1ina or Tintrayilna
path depends solely on your Guru-devotion, for Buddba indicated
in the "Saddharrąapuo{łarJka Siltra" (li, 124) and in the "Kyo
dor Sbi-gyti dor-jei g'ur," an explanatory work to the "Hevajra
Tantra", that in future times of degeneration be would take the
form of Gurus. At sucb times Gurus should be respected the
same as the Buddhas, for they will be their living representatives.
Guru-devotion involves both your thoughts and your actions.
The most important thing is to develop the total convii:tion tbat
your Guru is a Buddha. Such a conviction is a prerequisite for
receiving any insight. Jf you are aiming to benefit yourself and
overcome all suffering witb the attainment of Liberation, or
a
reach the perfected state of Fully Enlightened Buddha so tbat
you can help liberate others, your Guru can only show you the
way if he himself has already achieved tbese accomplishment1.
lf you doubt your Guru·~ competence and abitity to guide you,
 160 MAHAMUDRA

your practiccs will be cxtrcmcly unstablc and you will be unable

to make any concretc progrcss. You must havc full confidcnce
tbat it is possiblc to bccomc Enlightcncd, tbat your Guru is
living proof of this, and tbat by following Buddha's tcachings as
be instructs, you can achicvc the same. ·only thcn will it be
possiblc to gaio any bcncfits from the practiccs.
SĆeing only good qualitics in your Guru, tbcrefore, is the
way to dcvclop thcse qualities yourself. Normally most pcoplc
arc blind to thcir own shortcomings, wbilc the faults of othcrs
sbine out clearly. But if you did not possess thcse same faults
yoursclf, you would be unable to recognise them in others. If
there arc two pieccs of fruit, one ripe and one rottcn, and the
person ncxt to you takcs the ripe one, it is only due to your
owo grccd that you accuse bim of being greedy and selfish. If
you werc unattached to the fruit, it would not mattcr to you
which one he took-you would simply sec bim as having takcn
a piece of fruit.
Likcwisc, if you can train yourself to sec only good qualities
łlDd ncver any faults in your Guru, tbis positive outlook will
come io pcrvade, amplify and rcftcct your owo state of mind. As
evcryone has the basis Mahamudri or Buddha-naturc within
bim-the elear, uncontaminated state of pure mind establisbcd
without any truc independent cxistcncc-then if you can sec your
Guru in terms of a Buddha, you havc the possibility of activa-
ting and realising your own Buddha-naturc, that is achicving the
resultant Mahamudri. If you sec only faults, you mercly rcin-
forcc your owo shortcomiogs and ncgativc attitude, wbcrcu
if you sec only perfcction, you will be ablc to attain the pcrfec·
tion of Buddhahood yourself. Thcreforc one of the main
practiccs of Guru-yoga, particulary in Mabimudri and the
tantra, is to realise the inseparability of your own mind with
your Guru, the Buddhas and your mcditational dcity, who is a
pure form manifcstation of the Enlightencd mind. Thus Guro-
devotion is the root of all attainmcnts.
If your Guru acts in a seemingly uncnlightcndcd manncr and
you fee! it would be hypocritical to tbink bim a Buddha, you
should rcmember that your own opinions arc unreliablc and the
apparent faults you sec may only be a rcftection of your own
dcluded state of mind. Also you sbould tbink that ifyour Guru
 GURU-DEYOTION 161

acted in a completely perfect manner, be would be inaccessible

and you would be unable to relate to bim. lt is tberefore out of
your Guru's great compassion that he may show appareot ftaws.
This is part of his use of skilful means in order for bim to be
able to teach you. He is mirroring your own faults; therefore
check within and learn from him how to remove your short·
comings. lf you arc only intent on criticising your Guru, you
will never be able to benefit from him.
lt was Buddha Vajradhlra bimsclf who said tbat your Goru
is to be scen as a Buddha. Therefore if you bave faitb and tako
refuge in the Buddhist teachings, you will try to understand
what Buddha meant by this statement. Buddhas exert a grcat
positivo influence on the world in the same way as does the
sun. But just as a magnifying glass is needed to f0cus tbe rays
of the sun in order for tinder to catch fi.re, so too a Guru is
required to focus the Buddhas• virtuous conduct into a disciple's
mind-strcam and inspiro bim to follow a spiritnal patb. Thus
as living eitamples reprcsenting the Buddbas, Gurus carry on the
work of all the Enligbtened B:ings, acting as an· accessiblc focal
point for your practices to gaio Buddhahood yoursclf.
Tbrougb devotion to your Guru, showing bim respect, aowing
bim and making offeriogs, you build up the merit that will allow
you to become liberated from ·au your sufl'ering. Such service is
donc not to benefit your Guru, but for your owo sake. When
you plant seeds in a field, it is not to bcnefit the carth. It is )'OU
yoursclf who will barvest the crops. Tbercfore with the proper
devotional auitude towards your Guru-seeing hini at a
Buddha-the moro positive energy you cxert in his dircction,
the closer you come towards Buddhahood yourself. Likewisc,
if you hale your Guru and geoerate negative energy towards
him, you arc deliberately casting yoursclf away from his
state of Enlightcnment and its freedom from pain. As a
result you bring intcnse sufl'cring upon yoursclf. Thereforc if
you sec faults in your Guru and tend to bclittle bim, remcmbcr
your opinions arc unreliable and only unbappincss can result
from despising the state of happioess he rcpresents.
Rcmcmbcring your Guru's kindness to teach you during tbis
dcgcnerate age aftcr Ślkyamuni Buddha has passcd away, you
most develop loving respcct for bim. You Guru teaches
162 MAHAMUDRA

you dcspitc your dclusions and docs not force you

to undcrgo soch hardships as Jc-tziln Mi-la rl-pa and others
havc bad to cndurc in the past. Hc.gives you initiations, orał
tcachings and tr:lnsmits the unbrokcn lincagcs coming from
Buddha. He inspircs you to attain his state and helps you
matcrially when you need it. If you Jack loving respect
for, your Guru, it is impossiblc to bccomc Enlightcned.
Jf you do not havc rcspcct for the state of Buddhahood he
rcprcsen~s. how can you attain it ?
These various aspects of dcvoting yourself to your Guru by
means of your thoughts arc taught cxtcnsivcly in such tcxts as
the "Gar.u;łavyuha Siltra". Thesc points and their scriptural
rcfcrences arc found in detail in the "lam-rim ch'en-mo" by
Je Tzong·k'a-pa. The "GurupaiklHikA" by Aśvagho~a is the
most comprchcnsivc summary of how to dcvotc yoursclf to your
Guru by means of your actions. lts scriptural sources arc a
widc range of tantric tcxts, including the "GuhyasamAja",
"KAlacakra", "Cakruamvara", "Vajrac;!AkinI" and "Vajra-
hrdayalamkiira Tant ras". The specific tantric sources for cach
verse arc given in the "La-ma nga-cbu-pA nam-~hli", a ccm-
mentary on this text also by Je Tzong-k'a-pa.
For the study and practice of tantra, Guru·devotion is even
more esscntial and rcceives morc cmphasis tban in the sOtra
patb. Tbis is becausc the tantric practices arc extremely difficult
and complicated. If donc correctly thcy can bring you Buddba-
hood within your lifetimc, but if donc impropcrly thcy may be
very dangerous and bring you extrcmely dirc consequeoces.
Tberefore the direct personal gttidancc of a Guru is indispens-
able. As the "Gurupai'lciśika" outlincs specifically how a disciplc
should act with his Guru, it is the eustom to teach this text be-
forc giving any tantric enpowerment or initiation. Oncc a Guru-
disciplc rclalionsbip is established, the disciplc is taugbt Guru-
dcvotion and the common palb of renunciation of the sufferiog
of samsAra, the Enlightcned Motive of Bodbicitta and the correct
view of Voidness (Śilnyatl). Theo aflcr recciving the proper
cnpowcrments, he can be led gradually through the stages o(
tantra on the firm fouodation of bis Guru-dcvotion and the
above "Tbrec Principal Paths",
 Text
}IoJI)łtge to .the.:ęhag;:i:v.~n Vajrasattva.
Bhagavan is one of the maqy epithets used for an Enlight·
ened Being, a Buddha. The Tib"etan term for it, "Chom-dlin-da
(bCom.ilrlan~·aas)", ·łs etymologised- . aa fhll8ttł. . "Chom"
ri1eans·- :t'o civeiic<>inb. ,Buddhasa have; iw.r:rco~o: bdth the
ohstactlef p.ioventin~: ,i.Jbetał.iP.~: ;n4· . ,tAlłM l:dlt~enting
Omniscien~c;. Thę fQrmer„-jnclą~e.tbe dduiiii:>ns-.or- .mQral and
men~ii.I defUemęll~ą We~11}, as w~n ~s the.!r_ .~nstn1ctp•. ąnd the
ignorance of grasping for true· ;ndepćn~eilt ex1sten.ce. 'flic latter
refers .to the instincts ofthi-s·tgnorance; 'Dllb 'm-eans to possess.
Bud'dlia'ś) póSsć!iS' a11 good. qualititll'. llll\lirtg: oomplćted 'tbcir
ac:ttl'nitihitldns ·ofbó\1t·merit 1 \lni:ł1 iMigbts resuIUtig is tthtfł' Forn\I
amr Wisdottt B8di~s respedtiVely:.. ·1E>ii'' -hlt~ns:.t~ ptstt~b\lybiitt!l
. Bilłldliaś' iiiavei piisśdli beyórid ~1iifisar11>,uth~ cil!óld:briuiicóntthli&t·
rtbrrlłi1with1§\:iffeflng duo'łb' kilnrll(land1litJluśJobs.
·T.ff~ hfdd~n rrteantng· of VlaftttśattVll~· !ndtt:jcJI '!em~lti (łDo~
sems-dpa') in Tibetan, c-Jn"ałśó' 6~•llis~llvet&l ftord it-ś~Y.Dfology•.
"Dor-je" means indcstructiblc <\i?.ptond·łightning. Here it refers
to. the diąp;i.qnd-hard .wis.dom of the non~qualitv o.f Voidness and
Bliss>that .1s. tbe., noń-ctuality· .o(."(J). tbe. ~md· :rna-r· bas bare
pcrception or.Voioness, expcnenc~d \Vith 11 fechttg Of"'g,rt}lt Bliss
ana-(Zftbt: ...Voi'dne1;s1u1at 'Is tli~ '6bjel:!t ·of thfs'łllind: l'łSCm.pa"
ri:i.eansllthóone .witb allerólc ntint:I. lt1sigrutłes1 somępee who
1"4tjHhłra61flł) a~an~oru=dnaJI ;.i:ilą~ions.- · ~nor&Jncc .a.o.d. their
instincts and has the hero ie min<\ .thai ;i.ą i:e~QY ,_t.Q,Jl~\p,f:?Jhers in
all. r.i~~j_\)),ę: ~»Y!!,.
!{b..u~.Bh.agavan "}{1ljra$att)ra. rcf~r~.tt:>. th~ s.t»..t~.of Vairijd(ilra_.
tb4;fqr.m:B-"44hll ;~~ę11Jll;~tiq t~triis! A~ 1 tho way, to attaiil thi~
~P1i&h~ne9, •tat~,~ą, ,tbto\J&h Gururdevotio~. ·1\śvJJ&ho$a.be.sliis
bi.$!)VPrk)M.iJli i~his~:łłP~&!=; .
 164 MAHAMUDRA

(I)
Bowing in the proper way to the lotus feet of
my Guru who is the cause for me to attain the
state of a glorious Vajrasattva, I shall con-
dense and explain in brief wliat has been said
in many stainless tantric texts about Guru-
devotion. (Therefore) Jisten with respect.
(2)
All the Buddhas of the past, present and
future, residing in every land in the ten
directions, have paid homage to the Tantric
Masters from whom they have received the
highest enpowerments. (Is there need to men·
tion that you should too?)
In generał there are three typcs of enpowerments or initia-
tions. causal, pathway and rcsultant. The first is to ripen your
mind-stream, the second is an actual path of practice through
which to gaio E~lightenment and the third is into the actual
libcrated state of Buddhahood. Everyo.ie who ever has or will
attain Enlightenment does so through receiving tbese highest
enpowerments from tbeir Tantric Masters.
(3)
Three times each day with supr~ me faith you
must show the respect you have for your Guru
who teaches you (the tantric path), by pressing
your palms together, offering a ·mai:iQ.ala as
well as flowers and prostrating (touching)
yo ur head to his feet.
As a disciple you must regard your Guru as an Enligbtened
Being. Even if from his own point of view be is not Enlightened
and you, bis disciple, have gained Buddhahood before him, you
must stili show bim respect !Ind pay homage. For instance,
Maitreya, the ftrth and next Buddha of the thousand of this
world age, who now presid~s over Tu$ita Buddha-field, became
Enlightened before łiis Guru, Sikyampoi Buddha. To demon·
 GURU-DEYOTION ł'S

strate respect for his Guru, Maitreya has a stQpa or reliqJJary

monument on his forehead. Likewisc Avalokitcśvara.. '4he
incarnation of the compassion of all tho Buddbas, is crowned in
his ełeven-headed aspect with the head of his Guru, Amitlbba
Buddha, the one who presides over Sukhlvatr Buddha-fieid.
Thus learning from a Guru should not be likc killing a deer
to extract its musk and then discardiog its corpse. Even after
attaining Enlightenment you must stilł continuc to honour your
C11ru who made all your achievements possiblc.
(4)
Thosc who hold ordination vows, if (your
Gu.ru) is a layrnan or your junior, prostratc
(in public) white facing such ·things as his
scriptur~l texts in order to avoid worldly scorn.
But in your mind (prostrate to your Guru).
(5)
As for serving (your Guru) and showing him
respect, such as obeying what he says, stand·
ing up (when he comes) and showing bim to
his seat-these should be done even by those
with ordination vows (whose Gurus are Jay-
men or their juniors). But (in public) avoid
prostrating and unorthodox actions (sucb a$
washing his f eet).
One of the · ordination rufes is that monks and nuns should
not prostrate to laymcn. This is taken to mtan that in public
you should not show tbis type of respect for yo.ur lay Guru as
it might cause misunderstanding and scorn among those who
casually observe. lt is better to prostrate facing scriptural
te--ęts or Buddha i.mages near bim, while directin& your rever·
en..e in your mind to your Guru.
For example, the great Masters Caildragoml and Candra·
klrti often debated with one another. The formcr was a layman,
the Jatter a monk. One day Candrakirti invitcd Candragoml to
his monastery. He wanted all the monks to form a proccssion,
but the lay Master objccted that the local townspeople would
166 MAHAMUDRA·

find it strange. Candrakirtitold bin'.1. not to worry•. He place(

a·-statue ot:Maiijuścl on a· high throne and in the procession ha•
a monk: carry it . dir~~ilY,. bc[9rj:; Ca!ldragomT. . .All the pe9pl
thought that this . cercaµo,1_1y .w11s ią bonour. of MaiijuśrI, .tł
manifestation ·of.. the ,Buddbas~ wisc;lom, and thus the mon!.
avoi<łcd any bad feclings.

Although rcstraint a_nd indirect means of showing rcspc

arc oflen called for out of consideration for othcrs, ·in private,
disciple must follow all the proper procedures of Guru-devoti1
no mattcr what the status o( 1his Guru may be. Howevc
generał rcspect, sucb as rising. włien be comes, must be shown 1
ali'times. ·
On l:iis own part,
.·. /I II I
.however, a qtiru should always he'humble
.. ' . . . I· . l
ncver arrog;tnt or pompous thinlcing himself great and worthy o.
bonour. P'a-ra Rirtpoche,' one ·0r the most realised · disdples ol
the Senior' and .Junior Tutors:of. :His Holiness the Fourteenth
Dalai Lama, always kept a scriptural text by his seat. Explaining
why, h~ said tl}.a~. w~en .pc;opl~. would come to visit bim and
prostrated, at least they. would gaio some merit from showiog
respect to the scriptures since he himself bad noqualification'),.
(6)
In order for the words of honour of neither
the Guru nor th ~ dis cipie to degenerate. there
must be a mutual examination beforehand (to
determine if each cart) brave a Guru·disciple
relationship ..
At tu.ntric enpowermenh many scts of vows arc taken never•
to abandon the practices and procedures essential for spiritual
progress. The disciple ·pledges his word of honour never. to·
tramgress tht.>e vows, such as always to visualise his Guru as
inseparablc from the meditational deity into wbose practice he
has just been initiated. Such deities, :is well as the Gurus,
share the same Enlightencd naturo; as, all the Buddhas, differ-
ing onlyiin the physical .aspect tbey, manifest„
The Guru, tbo, has previously· pledged his word of.honou~
nevcr to disclose the tantric secrcts:. to tbose who are una ble to
undersiand aod. keep them..' iust as the milk of:a. lion' sb~uld
 GU.RU-DE.VOTION .167

·J1Qt, be ~ept .i~ a: c''y pot1 .sQ, 'M płąfo~nd and powcrful methods
of the· . tantra should . not. b~. entrusted .. to thosc who arc not
tĆądy.. '1r; havirig taken ~~eh vows~' 'eith~r ,the 'ouni. or disciple
shÓuld., ~How his.' word of hono~·r ·~o degcnerate, it ~iii be im-
possible for eithcr to "attaio i. ariy of
his goat's and very serious
unfortunate consequenccs will ·ro11ow for both. Therefore it is
extremely ' important for thero to" tie a 'mu~u'al examination
betweeo. the. Guru and· disciplo :before :tbey ente.v!a forma!
rc.lationship •
.In ancient ,limes ,jo .or~c;r; to:, rece,ivc:,a11·1~n~.werment a
potentia! disciple would have to ask over a i)erią<.Jpfitbree years•
.A,n .initia~i~n. wu n,9t1 ~t a~I .~~:~rt~in~, f!l~~~t. B~ ,~a~i~ the
d1sc1ple wa1t so bng, a Gunf1mpressed oą h1m the senousness
of catering the. iantrić patii; te'stCd his' coirirliitm:nt an.d ensurCd
"t!1at he ~as. properlf 'prepared.„'.brceW~. Ql\~ ·~~u,ld. .'~~~e a
disciple' wait ·even longer b!fore 'agre~ing to' teach: 'hifri any-
thing. 'He would repeat~d,ly ': tes't. l)is ' character: srid. ·~mly
when he had' unde'rstood . him wcir would he' aecept him aś his
disciple. ·
The disciple also · mµst test his. potentiaf Quru and dc~er­
mine if he is fully qualified .. ł:l~ must. ·~e COAftdciJ.t '.~h'at~e ~iii
be able to devotc himse~f f~!ly,~Q.thi<M..ajie~:~)i~f~f~. ~~i~~fJąz .~
formal Guru-disc~ple. relations~ip, yą~; ~y~.~.mp!~,t~. frefrdom
of choicc. But once. such ~.bond, ,~a:; .~n. :CSl!lhlishe~„ .t~~$e
.teachings on. Guru-dcvotiąn .. must , be : followed . with. t~t~l
commitment„
<n
A disciple with seilse·shóuldriot·accept as:·his
Guru someone
el•"'
who lacks
!i.;!/, '.i.: it'.·l·;.!I
I•·:·
co.np.issloh'or
:j~;J J;J ?~~'r'.
11·/j~Jll~
'who
•l":'"!,!t •

.~~ ~~~~~sow.e, _yĄc.19~J.'?F.i ~~~og~'ł-r~?!;, p~;~~~.~.s~ye,

UQdlSClplin~d Of bo~ts.o.f b1~ knqwle,dge.
,(~~
(A· :Goni') should,; b'!} / s~abłe ~·(rn'·his actioh's),
tultivated· (iti; h~~·sp'eeSl!)„ 'WIW;1·pitienrarid
honest.' '-''He· ·s:fl8uld~riei lfot'c-lnćeal'łl.i" h
. „11 :;.1:•nd~t .~ifl';1111··11•>''·•:J f...,j; !J~!r.; ~"'' ,.„~ ~- O,.„
rt-
~.~111:11~~-~·1.-A<?f I> ;P~~Jt9.~ J19o P9.~~~~'~ 1 ij~,a~1t1~~ q~
Jack~~ 2:8~ ~~0\~1~rn~q ąQ&~P=rt,j.n, the„mean·
I 68 MAHAMUDRA

ings (of the tantra) and in its ritual procedures

(of med icine and turning back obstacles) .
Also he should have Ioving compa-;.Jon and a
complete knowledge of the scriptur~s.
(9)
He should have full expertise in both ten
fields, skill in the drawing of mar:ic;łalas, ftill
knowl~dge of how to explain the tantra,
supreme pure faith and his senses fully u n der
control.
Jo generał a Mahayana Guru should have the following ten
qualities: (1) discipline as a result of his mastery of the training
in the higher discipline of morał self-control, (2) mental
quiescence from his training in higher concentration; (3) pacifica-
tion of all delusions and obstacles from his training in hi1?her
wisdom, (4) more knowledge than his disciple in the subJect to
be taught, (5) cnthusiastic persevcrance and joy in teaching,
(6) a treasure of scriptural knowledge, (7) insight into and an
understanding of Voidness: (8) skill in presenting the teachings.
(9) great compassion and (IO) no reluctance to teach and work
for his disciples regardless of their level of intelligence.
A Tantric Master must have evcn more good qualities, as
listcd in the text. Most important is that he be an cxtremely
stable person, witb his body, i;pcecb and mind totally under
control. He !JioulCl be someone in whose presence everyooc
feels calm, peaceful and relaxcd. Even the merc sight of bim
brings great pleasure to the miod. And bis compassion must
be unsurpassable.
Tbcre arc two sets of ten ficlds in wbich the Guru mu~t be
a complete master. The ten ioocr ooes arc cssential for tcacb-
ing the yoga and anuttarayoga classcs of tactra, wbich stress
the importaocc of purifying maioly interna) mental activities.
Thesc arc expertisc in (I) visualisiog wheels of protcction and
climinating obstaclcs, (2) preparing and coosccrating P,rotcc-
tion knots and amuleta to '.be woro around the neck, (~ 'c~m­
ferring tho vasc and secrct eopowermcnts, planting the seeds for
attaining a Buddha's Form Bodics, (4) confcrring the wisdom
and word cnpowcrmcots. plaotiog the sceds for attair\inl a
 GURU-DEYOTION 169

Buddha's Wisdom Bodies, (5) separating the enemies of

Dharma from their owo protectors, (6) makiog offeńngs, such
as . of sculptured tormas, (7) reciting mantras, both verbally
and mentally, tbat is visualisiag them revolviog arouod bis
heart, (8) performing wrathful ritual procedures for forcefulły
catcbing the attention of the meditational deitie5 and protec-
tors, (9) consecrating images an~ statues and (IO) making
ma1;l<jala offerings, performing the meditational practices
(sildhani) and taking sclf-inHiations.
The ten external qualities arc required for teaching the
kriya and cary! classes of tantra, which stress the importance
of purifying maioly extemal activities in connection with
interna} mer.tal processes. These arc expertise in (I) drawiog,
constructing and visualising the mai;i<,łala abodes of the medi-
tational dcities, (2) maintainiog the different states of single-
minded concentration (samadhi), (3) executing the band gestures
(mudrll), (4) performing the ritual dunces, (S) sitting in the full
meditational position, (6) rccitinl\ ,~bat is appropriate to these
two classes of tantra, (7) making fire offerii.gs, (8) making the
vario11s other offerings, (9) performiog the rituals of (a) pacifica-
tion of disputes, famine and disease, (b) increase of life span,
knowledge and wealth, (c) power to inftnence others and
(d) wrathful elimioation of demonie forces and interferences, and
(10) in'loking meditational deities and dissolving them back into
their appropriate places.
It is not sufficicnt for a1!antric Master merely to know how
to perform the superficial actions of these above rituals. He
must actually be able to do them. For instuioe, when conse-
crating an image of a meditational deity, he· must be ablq-to
invoke the actual deity and place it in the image, not merely
recite the words of the accompanying text. If you take as your
Guru a Master with all these qualifications and p9'\"Crs, and he
accepts you as his dilCip'le, you must devote yourself fully to
bim. Although it is possible that uut of dclusion you might
disagree with your Guru, ncver show him disrespect or despise
bim from the depth of your heart.
(10)
Having become the dis~iple of sucha protect-
ing (Guru), should you thęn despise him
170 MAHAMUDR.-i

from your heart, you will reap continua!

suffering as . if you had disparaged all. the
Buddhas.
(Il)
If you are so foolish as to despise yoµr ,.Guru~
you will contract contagious diseases . and
those caused by harmful spirits. You will die
(a horribłe death) caused by demons. · plague~
or poison.
(12)
Y ou will be kiłled by ( wicked) kings. or fire,
by poisonous snakes, water, witches,or ban-
dits, by harmfuł ·spfrits or savages;·and ~hen
be reborn in a heli:' .
li 3)
Never disturb your Guru's mind .. Should you
be foolish and happen to do. this, you will
surely roil in a hell.
(14)
Whatever fearful hells have been faught~. such
as Avici, the Heli of Uninterrupted Pafo, fr is
clearly explained that those who disparage
their Gurus will have to remain there (a very
long time).
(15)
Therefore e~ert yourself whole~h,ear~~~ly .!W~~~
to belittle your Taątric Mast~r :~~o ,ma~~~.~9
disp:ay of his great wisdoin and virtue,$;
As your Gur:i is a Buddha, despising bim• is' the same'. is
hating all who arc Enlightened. The state of Buddhahood·il
one of complete Liberation fro111 all suffering, ignorance, delu-
sions and opstacles. His th1 . attainment of.all good qualities,
complete perfection and total Omniscience. ~espi,sing or be-
littling such a. state by disparaging your Guru, you ca st yourself
 GURU~DEJlOTION 171

iri·tbe opposite · direction from happincss an~ .fr~c4.<?.m:_):łav~~g

contempt for wisdom and Liberation, you gam mstcad boridagc
and pain. Such tormcntcd states arc what have been dcscribed
in all· the scripturcs .as the -varioU:s helis.
'f.l;lus: tbc10, .are. great., dangcrs ·_in·.. entering a Guru-disciple
rclationship. ; Your.Tantric. Master may. be· the. one . who has
ąW5? y~~. c~pow,cr~~n,1_5, ·a: t~n~r;~. qi~'!f:s~, ~!: evcn ;!~s_iruction
~~ ~al}~jll~ :.~.~a„w~~ · ~~ h.~..- ~as ... ~~ , Pf.C~~n~~~~b·~~-; 1s ncvcr
bOastful; be ·'will· 'alwayg h1de his goótl qliil11lles and ncvcr
.
łie~itate t~' a:~.riit_ ~~o.rt,eo~iii~s'.. „~r xo~ ~(;:n~!· „re~~~nisc s_uch
tra1ts as md1cat1ons!l of hu; perfechon; . 'liufu1h!y1 attd sk1lful
means, you may make the serious mistake of belittling or seeing
faułts ;in bim. };łavi~g: -~$t;lblisłicd a_;·_fQrma:ł; bond>'.with this
..<;J~.ru.. :~~; ~h~91-!~b; M''!'1: ,~nt~re<l. a l>l'-~l1'V~!; ~.~I· ~µd~hahood,
·.)'OU~ ~ą".c;: 1then, ca~t. )'~urselr i_~~o ~e,~r;~1p1 1utrer/n~, ff,from the
depth ó_l"~óu( he_art_ 1)'o,u b~e~~-~hi~,lią~.;,;r,he~~f?l'~ you must
have great awarcneśs,· for "although duru-devotiori will elcvatc·
)oU to Full Enlightenment, ·a breach of it will be your
dowrifall.
(16)
(lffrom.ąl~c~ ofawareness·you'J .'liave'
· ' I'., • 0 .
'I••
shown
t • o

disrespect)'- to your 'Guru·,. reverently present

an ołfering to hinr :and seel~ his forgiyeness.
Theh' i,in; 1t~c ! ~l:lture 1~µ~h)1atrii' 'as;pta~es will
n'ot· befajLydu.
.,, ,A,' ~- B_~<l~ha.,,- a, Guf'.1:1, , w~ll . n~~ir~·: bo~~ 1ą _gr~4~~·,, 1Showing
h1m d1srcspect cannot poss1blr:: pfł:~n_d .}~~ ~~rt ~·~'..: 1The only
one you harm is yourself. Thertfore' łf you repcnt and beg his-
forgiveness, he will acccpt what!you offer with great compassion.
'Jlhert; tiy tlie (dfCC:Of~yÓuf' fairh/l.iespećtJióld' łjeVJ)tiOft~·~OU necd
1lat1 ~pcricncei greli.t misforlone
The bcncficial~! cffects, of1Guru-dcvoti~n iari~ t:lio dirc consc-
,qµ~ll~S r~of ~: .· bryllc.h ;9f1 ib 4l.~~o')Ot, 1 i:ą"°'9-'i~ 1jD4f PHPishmcnts
from a godly Guru. ;Ii~~y_, 1~ol~o,1V,,4,irfcH_y)frm~8!'!"'~~ 1fl_nd cffcct.
y~~r .G_ur~. ~~-: ~~e. 1~0~.~11 _ ~ąint .fo~ Y?u,~.,p.r_a~p~c~ ., !~~~!rg to
J!nhghtcnmcnt. · · The morc dcvotcd you arc towards:·.t~~ st!ltc
'or: p~rfc~tlori ·,he; "·'represen is;. 'ti1Ć'. clo~i'yo\i 'coine 'tówar~s-'tbis.
~ 72 MAHAMUDRA

goili Dcspising bim can only takc you further away into ciark-
ncss anc. •gnorance.
(17)
Jt has been taught that for the Guru to whom
you have pledged your word of honour (to
visualise as one with your meditational deity),
you should willingly sacrifice. your wife,
children and even your life, although these are
not (easy) to give away. Is there need to
memion your fteeting wealth?
(18)
(Such pr&~~1ce of offering) can confer even
Buddhahood on a zealous (disciple) in his very
Jifetime, which otherwise might be difficult ·to
attain even in countless mifiions of eons.
(19)
Always keep your word of honour. Always
make offerings to the Enlightened Ones.
Always make offerings also to your Guru, for
he is the same as all the Buddhas.
(20)
Those who wish (to attain) the inexhaustible
(state of a Buddha·.s Wisdom Body) should
give to their Guru whatever they themsclves
find pleasing, f rom the most trifting objects to
those of best quality.
(21)
Giving (to your Guru) is the same as maldng
continual otferings to all the Buddhas. From
such giving much merit is gathercd. From
such collection comes the supreme powerful
attainment (of Buddhahood).
Maling offerings to your Guru as the rcprescntative of all
the Buddhas is cxtrcmcly important. Such gencrosity is symbolic
 GURU-DEVOT/ON 17}

of your total dedication to achieving Buddhahoood. . If becausc

of miserliness or selfishness you hold back from giving what you
find the most pleasing and offer only what you do not want for
yourself, how can yo ur promise to give yoursclf totally for the
work of .benefiting all sentient beings be anything but a Jarce ?
Without any attachment you must be willing to sacri(ke cvery-
thing for your attainment cf Enlightcnment through your
Guru. Tht offcring maQQala !-.ymboliscs this dcdication of your
body, speech and mind, and even the entire uni•erse for this
goal.
lf you arc poor like Je,tziin Mi-la rl-pa, it docs not matter
that you do not bavc richcs to offcr. What is important is your
state of mind and willingncss to sac1ince anything for the. sake
of your Guru, Enlightenment and all sentient beings. The bcst
•offcring, thcn, is of your practicc. But if you havc wcalth, you
must neve.":'. hcsitate
. t'.
to uae
.
it for gaining merit. ·
Tbercforc making . offerings is not so that your Guru can
. become rich. On his part the Guru should regard such offerings
as a tiger would look at grass. The point is to bencfit yoursclf
and ultimately evcryone clse by your total dedication. Great
merit is gathered from such practice, resulting in your attain·
ment of the Form Body of a Buddha. , If you can sec the void
nature, that is the lack of irue .independent existence of your·
self, your Guru and what you offer, then you accumulate at
the same time the insight that will result in your achicvemcnt
of a Buddha's Wisdom Body. Thus the supremc powcrful
attainment of Buddhahood comes from making otrerings to
your Guru.
(22)
Therefore, a disciple with the good qualities
of compassion, generosity, moral seJf-control
and patience should Q.ever regard as ditferent
his Guru and the Buddha Vajradhua.
Your Guru, the mcditational deities and Vajradhira, the
form Buddha assumes in the tantras, arc all the same in nature.
They arc llkc a 1io3łc person in a drama cłlanging maska and
costumes and playing different roles. The same is true if you
174 MAHAMUDRA

ba\rc many Gurus. You mu&t rcgard them all as'Buddha,· diffcr-
ing only in the face be wcars. ' · · ·
. •Thc ~bility to' sec· 0youfłium aa not dlffcrcnt ftom Buddłia
1

Vajradhara dcpcnds on your motivatioo:· If you have dcvcloped

and Enlightened Motivc of Bodhicitta; you.' ·arc striving. fo
b~come . a Buddha yourself in order to be fully ablc to beilefit
othcrs .. \The. stronger this 'motivc,. the morc 'tiie thought of
Enlightenmenf comes to pervade your mind complctcly. Thinlł­
lńg i only : of ,Enlighterimcnt . ~hd ways" t'o aćhicvc '' it, you will
automatically be able to sec your Guru in terms of this state
łkeause llothing cis~ will be: in. yo'ur .mind •
. :the morĆ yoti
wish 1t~. attaln .E'nllghtcnmen't; the Clearcr you
sec the' necessity f6r your'Guru'to be a'Buddhlt'.' 'fhus witłi the~
. l •. . ' '. . . • • •. .' • . . . . . • '! • ' . .•' . . ' • ' .•
sfrong compassión of wi,shirig othcrs ncver to ·suffer, you can
d~dicałe you.rsc1f ~asi1Y ~~a with Thtougll the 'practicc :of Joy.:
the perfections of gcricrÓ~ity; ·the discipline of morał self~coiltrol,
patlericc' and "so fdrtll; all 'ccntred !l'found ·your : Guru~ you will
theii„be' able to ittain ~is' sta~e~
(23)

I.f, :~.?~,, ·słiRUI4 „, A~~e~ ·.tr~~d,; i~~. ; ~y~n,: .·( y~~

.P,~'s), sAA4'?~~!„~es~U,se1 .;t~e1 ,re,~~~FP.e co~~e·
~uence& a.i;~.th~·:sam~ as .d~sfJ;.qying,a ~tupa, .js
there. n.eed ·tO:;mention never stepping on,or
:over: his shoes ·or seat,; (sitting.· in his: place· or
riding) his mount? ·
A stupa is a monument in which rclics of a Buddha arc
kept. Like your Guru, it servcs as a focal point for your vcncra~
. t.io,o 1.and. dcvotion; }o,~~tt,~ining. Bu~dh~hoo~,., 11 ~~~?Ying one
"and steppmg on your · Guru's·shadow, then,' arc both acts of
I extrcme · disrcgard ·'and. ·disrespect ·for' 1thc rstafe··or Enlightcn-
.'ro~nt.: ! 'fhercforc ;the .fcarsomc: consequcnces·: of both arc the
same.
. lf yąu. treat: your. Guru's shoes •. seat :and. the ;horse or
~~iclc .he rides. as, oi;dinary ~bjec;ts, and presumc to usc.them
y9ur5clf or sti;p . o'1 : .them, ··YOIU', arrogant attitude . can. ·only
,b<_co,m~ a, majo.r hindr!lncc t9 your attainmcnt,.of Buddhahood.
 GU/ł.l!~D.Ef.QT_(QK 115

(~4~
(A:· -disciple) baving great senśe shoul~rpbcy,
·łhe-word~ ·of"his~ Guru: joyfully and wJt1b enth~­
siasm:•. If you fack the kriowl'edge·ot·ab.llii\ł'_
(to do what he say~), explain irt (polite) words
why you cannot (comply).
(251
It, is fr'orti _your· Outu : tP.a[pdwe,tf°'Jt~ttai:il­
merit$,· .. nigher .rebfrt~'_·, at;'~ ·.~.a~~~rfo's~·„.·~ome.
Therefore · make ,a· wlfole~he·artd{ effort'never
to trarisgress. ·youf Guru~s. advice.
Óbeying your Guru's ordcrs and fpUQwing his . advicc arc
more important than making countleaś·ofr'c~ingś.' ··Eńirusting
you'fsc)f ł\Jll)':~t~• him'/ be··will· guide ')'OU',alo~g\tbot•patb to
EnlightcnnicritJW• Jfi1\vłth • haughty; 'pride aud i.1itubb0m 1ctostd
min1dcd'ness ·yott think ::you1! kn~wJ \\>hat' isVbtsfl fotl~r.i~WJt
spiritual progress,.;·how 1:willif youn beJ1ableti itol Alcam:ilaziJitłfuiir
from'hiirl?
Tliis' :d~es not· ·rncan' that''you ·$1ioUtd~"'l)tC()mt:f 1s 11 h1tełłtcU
s'ave or tliat iyou1'1Guru1can take undue advlmtage10[ Yo'd'J/ As .
yoii' arc aiming·~for '·the-• coiriplete 1„frec!dom '!>óf nE'tl1igbtehmentl
therci must' atso'be1 freedom in'the nieans>!bfattainingrit.óYeu
should i nc\>er ;, follow !.yout ·1Guru's :wiśhes•1 aimply -.bć!cauat-.-.yob
fccl obligatcd:or forced·Ło' obcy;:· Ratlic1q.try·!to·1undctst;thdchił
intcntions and1·aim. T1Your•GuruiwiJl .only11teU you tt»Jdai\Wia~
is bcnefi<iial 1 foł yóursclf: and;others:; 1:Whati:he.. lasks; 1ma!f„~
difficult and its immediate i purpose .·rn•y. ··nót'J ben>b.vious,;r bdt
you should reccive his advice1j~rfully and with dccp gratitude
for his concem with your welfare.
'Exainine' 1yo'ursclf; boncstly ·to sec' 1lf:you 1 <'cali 1 'róllow his
wishes:'.JJf'tHer~ is •rtó! ,j,.aylin which You'.'caft'ćbntplyV~ not be
rude' orJarrogantł 'Explain ipoJitcfy(aJ:idr !Wjth ci_,llit~eino~umility
wbat the diffictJlty isu. _'Xąur .G~Hłłh!!l-'iłl .not ~ łlnJU60nablc;
as.4 ~-Y,dpha he.i.s.ftllcd with ~.refl,t ~Q:nrnassiorn
1lfohQll~vcr 1i J~U ufĄll. ·_av~ Jf~sg{9s,i9a 1 ,bj~ ,1as\ljcc. this
is bcst.. f,~\lowiąg,dt.h~: .-;pi,-it;Qll,l, »atU. as .he .. dir.Ćcts*,.you can
 176 MAHAMUDRA

attain not only the ordinary powerful attainments (siddhi) of

extra-physical and mental powers common to non-Buddhists,
but depending on 1'our motiv.ition, a higher rebirth, the
happiness of L1bcration or the supreme powerful attaintment of
Buddhahood.
(26)
(Guard) your Guru's belongings as you wcJld
your own life. Treat even your Guru's beloved
(family) with the same (respec~ you show) for
him. (Have affectionate regard for) those
closely arnund rum .as if they were your own
dearest kin. Single-mindediy think (in tli.is
way) at all times.
Before Drom-ton-pa studied with Atiśa, he served another
Guru in K'am. During the day he carried his master's children
on his back. spun wool with his hands and softi:ned lcather
with his feet. At night he tcnded his animals. He did all this
with great joy. and although he was only a layman, Atiśa ap·
pointed bim to rcceive all the tcachings he brought to Tibet.
When Jc-tztin M.-la ra-pa .ias serving Mar-pa, he would
throw himself in the mud and beg his Guru's wifc to sit on bim
while shc milkcd the cows. You must have such respcct and
devotion for cv~ryone closc to your Guru Remember that he
is a Buddha with equal regard and love for all. If you. arc
jtalous of his family, attendants or other disciplcs, if you arc
possessive of his time and attention, this clcarły shows that you
d~ not sincercly believc him to be a Buddha.

(27)
Never sit on the (same) bed or seat (as your
Guru), nor walk ahead of bim. (At teachings
do not) wear your hair in a top-knot, (a hat,
shoes or any weapons. Never) touch a seat
(before he sits down or if he happens to sit un
the ground. Do not place your hands (proudly)
on your hips or wring them (bcfore him).
 fJURIJ.DEYOT/ON 177

(28)
Never sit or recline white your Guru is stand-
ing. (nt1r tie whil.e he is sitting). Atways be
ready to stand up and serve him skilfully in an
excellent manner.
(29)
In the presence of your Guru n<~ver do such
things as spit, (cough or sneeze without cover-
ing your head. Never) stretch out your legs
when at your seat, nor walk back and forth
(without reason before bim. nnd never)
argue.
(30)
Never massag~ or rub your łimbs. Do not
sing, dance or play musical instruments (for
other than religious purposes). And never
chatter idly or speak in excess (or too loudły)
within the range of (your Guru's) hearing.
~li thesc examplea of improper bebaviour arc probibitcd
not bccause your Guru will be offended: Buddhas cannot be
affectcd by rudcncss. u 1s because you wish to attain his stato
of perfection, and bave great rcspect for this achievement, that
you should not act in a coarse, arrogant or inconsiderate
manner.
The eustom; outlined herc arc not mcant to be unnatural
and cruel restrictions. If you arc sitting cross-legged at a dis-
course and this becomes uncomfortable, you aro certainly
pcrmitted to lift your knecs or shift your posiUon. But to sit
casually with your fcet stretcbed out t_owards your Guru rcflect1
a ftippant, dłsrespectful attitude. Receiving a di5coune is not
likc attending a sporting event. Il is not.for your amusement, .
but for your attain!llent of Enlightenment tbat you arc with
your Guru. Th1·refore you must show him great respect and
always bo alert to his needa and comfort:
-178 . MAHJJ.fµIuu,

(31)
(Wbe.n your( Guru enters1 theiiroomj get up
from ..ypUr.;t;eat a.Dd)!bow o/bur·headiSlightJy.
Sit·(jn'-his dpresence);·r~pectfully. :l\'.t~;night or
at rivers or on dangerous;paths. With (your
Guru's) permission you may walk before bim.
(32)
In thą direct sight ot hi& Gut~,- (a~di~c.iple) with
sense should not, (sit)! with,.bis ..rbociy;twisted
ar9und, ną~ leanb1g_(caµsally) :again:st pillars
and sucP-. N~:vei:.,crack.your knuckles, (play
with your fingers or clean your nails)~'.
You must always be consider~te of your Guru. As he is the
ODC who Will show you the W~Y to complete frecdolD;_ from all
'your:sufferirig a'nci łiu~··io be able' to libcrllte·arhers, be' is more
predous than anyihtng,.clse.fI I( bns 1ir dan~~Jyol:i 'hmst pro-
:t5ct_ ~im1. );>9 ne>t.sit cb,ąQk,.idly PQd •Ftoudł1. ą~ jf yo.\11 pwncd the
e~\!r~ .woi:I~.
(3))
\V~~!1 1'!Vas!Y9g (Y:~H,,Q4TJl'fo}if~.ą o(J)i~ J>pdy,
drying, •• ma,ssagin~d or;"( shaving) l}.im;1 precede
such actions .:w.jthu(three)1 prostra:tions and-at
their'donclusfon <łcHhe 1 ;sairłe:' The1n· 'aite'rld'(ro
yótirself) ·'as' riiłtcli'11śyo\i iik.e; ·
If you ,have . t~ę, ~ppofl\J!}ilY, _t9 ;Wjl_Sb'. vcmr guru ~ł}a/"F his
ite'ad· 1or'hi·anY'wa1'aWeri~l'to·ilts coJf'~"'t"'"rn · :..v 1J(1!~ ,.!"[bl
t'~1ń' a;grda1"Cle~l 'Cr ~erl~:'.' i+Ji~_; -~}·~J[h' ą~~~~·~: ~.{ftf~~-rl~i~
'V.>1hdil~ it~atiśt \ re's~p~c,.'. ·N-~~ ·ne1fiSJ.i _.,,('i . li~~:· •J. ;)_iiuu:i
„. ~_,:ft _!'"111«;&.i.·.. ·, d1r, ,ff,'"'·· .. ~ ru:„~ ~i. ~' Yq.y/j,,:H~Jłi
~~~~?;:~: ] 15J0Y!'JJ~.r., J!Pl~'ry': ~~~~~Lili~~ .m.t•i _'YR% 9.:u~1ł1 ·1. a~fł~WlłC,
attammem. of n1s· i;;n 1gbt~ed .state. 0.1.llY. . afterw.ards...should
jólfc~~~ufor 1):'o~rs~iY.
{3.fł)
~-4irqJq-,yQu:.ne.od1t0:,addressr(yolll'· Gunu) ·uby
his name, add :the titJe; ~'-Your .PreseneeP· '3.ft'dt-
 GURU·DEYOTJON 119

it. To generate respect for him in others,

· further honorifics may also be used.
Oncc when Je Tzong-k'a-pa was giving a discoursc to a
few disciplcs in a retreat house above whcre Sc-ra Monastery
later was built. K'a-dr'ub Je carne to meet bim for the first
time. He asked a nun living near by where the Venerable
Tzong-k'a·pa could be found and she ran off without saying a
word. She rinsed ber moutb, lit a stick of inccnsc and then
replied, "My gracious. venerable Abbot, His Presencc Je
Tzong-k'a-pa resides over there. ''
If your Guru's name is Rin-ch'en dor-:,je. you may rcfer to
him when spcaking to others as "my spiritual master. His
Presence•.the holy. venerable Rin-cb'en dor-je." At least some
respectful '· titles must be used. It is extrcmely crude. arrogant
and grating to address. rełer to or write about your Guru
merely using his personal name. Your Guru is not your child-
hood playmate, but a Buddba leading you to Enligbtenment.
(35)
When asking for your Guru's advice, (first
announce why you have come). With palms
pressed together at your heart, listen to what
he tells you without (letting your mind)
wander about. Then (when he has spoken)
you should reply, "I shall do exactly as you
have said."
(36)
After doing (what your Guru has told you),
report (what has happened) in polite, ·gentle
words. Should you yawn or cough, (elear
your throat or laugh in his presence), cover
your mouth with youi hand.
Never waste your Guru's time by coming to bim merely for
idle chatter. After making prostratatioo three times, announce·
the purpose of your visit dircctly. Ask your questions in a
straightforward. manner, with extrenie politeness aild humility.
 180 MAHAMUDRA

If your Guru gives you advicc or asks you to do somcthing,

cxaminc yolll'SCJf to sec if you can comply. lf you cannot, then
cxcusc yoursclf and explain why. Do.not promisc to do somcthing
and then go back on your word. The consequcnccs of such
disobcdicncc and ncgligeocc arc vcry serious. But if you can
comply, tell bim you will do what he says. Keep bim informed
of your progress and always report in the end what you have
donc.
(37)
If you wish to receive a certain teaching,
request three times with your palms pressed
together white kneeling before him on your
(right) knee. (Then at his discourse) sit
hnmbly with respect, wearing appropriate
clothing that is neat (and clean, without
ornaments, jewellery or cosmetics).
(38)
Whatever you do to serve (your Guru) or show
him respect should never be done with an.
arrogant mind. Instead you should never be
Iike a newly-wed bride, timid, bashful and very
subdued.
(39)
In the presence of (the Guru) who teaches you
(the path), stop acting ih a conceited, coquet-
tish manner. As for boasting to othcrs what
you have done (for your Guru), examine (your
con science) and discard all such acts.
It is irrpropcr for a Guru to offcr to teach without being
specificalły requcsted. He teaches to bencfit his disciples, not to
display bis knowledge. Tbereforc it is important to make such
rcquests in the proper, format manner. Howcver, do not try to
prcssurc your Guru ioto teaching you somcthiog too advanced
for your lcvel. He will judgc when you arc ready. Do not
baughtily order bim to do what you thiok is bcst.
 GURU-DEVOTJON 181

When attending his· discourse, remembcr it is not a social

event. The only reason you arc there is to lcłlrn how to attain
Enlightenmcnt for the benefit of othcrs. You have not come to
show off your wealth or bcauty to otbers, so do not adorn
yourself like a pcacock. Also be aware and considerate of the
social customs of those around you. Ncvcr drcss in a manncr
offensivc to others that would causc thcir minds to bccome
disturbed. Be neat, clean and unostcntatious, sitting with great
rcspcct for your Guru.
When serving your Guru, do not be childish. Whatevcr
service you do or offerings you make arc for you to attain
Enlightenment through its merit. Do not do such things SO that
you can boast to others how pious. and devotcd you arc. No
merit is to be gained from arrogance. Do not scrve your Guru
with haughty pride as though you wcrc doing him a grcat
favour. He docs not nccd your help ; he is a Buddha. But you
ncc9 his help very much, for by allowing you to perform small
tasks he is giving you a great opportunity to gatbcr merit.
Thereforc remcmbcr his kindncss in allowing you to scrve him.
Also do not act in a coquettish manncr, ftirting witb your
Guru as though you could win his favour in this way. Your
Guru is a Buddha with cquał loving compassion for all. He will
not be impresscd by your frivolous bchaviour.
(40)
If you are (requested) to perform a consecra-
tion, (an initiation into) a ma1.u;lala or a fire
offering ceremony or to gather disciples and
deliver a discourse, you may not do so if your
Guru resides in that area, unless you receive
his prior permission.
(41)
Whatever offerings you receive from perform-
ing such rites· as (the consecration known as)
Opening the Eyes, you sbould present all
these to your Guru. Once he has taken a
token portion, you may use the rest for
whatever you like.
 182 M.AHAMUDRA

(42)
In the presence of his Guru a disciple should
not act (as a Guru) to his own disciples and
they should not act towards bim as their
Guru. Therefore (before your own Guru)
stop (your disciples) from showing you respect
such as rising (when you come) and making
prostration.
Even when you have become a Guru yourself, you must stili
practise great devotion to your Guru. lf you are requested by
your own disciples to give an enpowcrment, a discourse and so
forth, and your own Guru rcsides in the same arca, you abould
ask bim first if he can give this in your place. If your Guru
cannot, then only with his approval may you perform such
ceremonies yourself.
If your Guru livcs far a way, you should writc to bim for
permission to accept a disciplc or give any tcachings. You
should pot act indepcndcntly with pride as if you were a grcat
and boly Master, but always in defcrencc to his advice. Espcci-
ally in the presence of your Guru you mui;t not allow your
own disciples to show you respcct. You must at all timcs be
humblc. Therefore any offerings you rcccivc should be takcn
to your Guru as a sign of your respcct. He will take a token
and then give them back. He. has nogrecd for your offcrings,
but you must always have bim forcmost in your mind.
Once Ra-ch'ung·pa was living in the same town as his
Guru, Je-tziin Mi-la ra-pa. As he was noted for bcing very
handsome, many devotcca carne to see bim and prcsented bim
with a great deal of offerings. He thought, "lf I havc heco
given so many offerings, 1hen surely my Guru has rcceivcd at
least three times as much."
He W'"nt to his Master and said, "Didn't we reccivc a lot
of offntr c; today. Lct us share them with all the other
disciples. But his Guru showed bim that all he bad becn
given that ti.s\y was a piece of meat, a cheese cake and somc
butter. Ra·. h'ung-pa fett very embarrassed that he bad
received more offerings tban his Guru and told bim be would
łcave town immediately.
 WIUJ·DEYOTION 183

He askcd permission to go to Lhasa to sec the famous

Buddba image. Jc-tziln Mi-la ri-pa rcplicd, "łf you scc„your
Guru as a Buddha, what usć js it to look at a statuc?"
He thcn askcd if he could visit the ancicnt monastery at
Sam-yi. Again his Guru answcrcd, "Whcn looking at tho
spcctaclc of your mind, what usc is it to sec a building?"
A tbird time he rcqucsted to make a pilgrimagc to Lho-dr'ag
where his Guru's Master, the grcat translator Mar-pa bad lived.
His Guru only said, "If you mcditatc on my Mastcr's teachings,
what good is it to sec his house?"
Jc-tziin Mi-la ri-pa told bim not to try to do too many
things, but to go into meditational rctrcat in order to gaio morc
confidencc in his practicc. And this is what Ri-ch'ung-pa did,
for he realised tbat it is not propcr for a disciple to reccivc
mare respcct and offerings than his Guru.
(43)
Whenever you make an offering to your Guru
or whenever your Guru presents you with
something, a disciple with sense will (present
and) receive this using both hands and with
his head slightly bent.
(44)
Be diligent in all your actions, (alert and)
mindful never to forget (yo ur word of honour).
lf f ellow-disciples transgress (what is proper)
in their behaviour, correct each other in a
friendly manner.
All disciples who rcceive tantric enwcrments from the same
Guru become "vajra" brothers and sistcrs. You should havc
grcat affection and regard among you, helping cach other stay
on the path. Never be jealous, proud or compctc with your
fcllow·disciples. By corrccting cach otber you please your
Guru and cvcryonc benefits. If there is unity and harmony
among Dharma friends, this will sprcad into the lives of others
around you.
184 MAHAMUDR..l

(45)
If because of sickness you are physically
(unable) to how to your Guru and must do
what normally would be prohibited, even
without (his explicit) permission, there will
be no unfortunate consequences if you have a
virtuous mind.
Guru-devotion is not a fa natie practice. Ir you arc i1l and
your Guru cnters the room, you nced not stand up and prostratc.
Ir you have something to present, but arc too wcak to extcnd
you_r hand, it is permissiblc evcn for your Guru to bend down
to your bed and rcccivc it. This is not showing disrespcct for
your Guru, because in your hcart you wish to do what is proper
but your physical condition prcvcnts you.
Howcver, thcrc arc ccrtain thinas for which thcrc arc no
exccptions. You must ncvcr disturb your Guru's mind, boast,
be arrogant or disrcspcctful no mattcr what the circumstanccs.
(46)
What need is there to say much m ore. Do
whatever pleases your Guru and avoid doing
anything he would not like. Be diligent in
both of these.
(47)
"Powerful attainments follow from (doing
what) your Guru (likes)." This has been
said by (the Buddha) Vajradh~ra himself.
Knowing this, try to please your Guru fulły
with all the actions (of your body, speech and·
mind).
Evcryone wants only happiness and never to expcricncc any
suffcring. The sourcc or thesc achicvcmcnts is yo ur Guru, for
he shows you the path to Buddhahood and, by his living- example
as an Enligbtcocd Bcing, inspires you to travcl this path yoursctr.
lf you realisc this, you will undcrstand the im po rtancc or single-
 GURU-DEVU'J"IUN 185

minded Guru-devotion and you will do only what pleases bim.

As the source of these teachings is the Buddha Vajradhara. you
sbould put aside all doubts. Follow them with full c.:>nviction
and you can attain Enlightenment.
What pleases your Guru, then, is your practice leading to
Buddhahood. Thus your motivation for pleasing bim should be
Bodhicitta and yo ur wish to help others. Y ou should not be
prompted by worldly desires such as seeking your Guru•s
praise or fatherly approval. Moreover, if your Guru scolds you,
examine your feelings. ff you have nol inlentionally belittled
bim or sought to annoy bim, and if you have not responded to
his scolding with anger or accusations that he is unenlightened,
then you have not committed a breach of Guru-devotion. In
such situations it is totally in appropriate to become depressed,
despondent or to feel self-pity and guilt that your Guru does
not love you anymore. To do so is an indication of your strong
ego-grasping which causes you to take his criticism too
personally.
Mar-pa scolded and even beat Je tziin Mi-la ri·pa many
times. This was not because he personałly disliked bim, but
because out of compassion he saw the need for skilful mcans that
were forceful. Thus if your Guru is wrathful with you, try to sec
this as a method he is using to tame your mind and lead you to
Enlightcnmcnt. As a Buddha, how could he possibly hate
you?
(48)
After a disciple has taken refuge in the Triple
Gem and developed a pure (Enlightened
motive), he should be given this (text) to take
to his heart (how to abandon his own arrogant
self-will and) follow in his Guru's footsteps
(along the Graded Path to Enlightenment).
(49)
(By studying the prerequisite training of Guru-
devotion and the Graded Path, common to
both the sutra and tantra), you will become a
 186 MAH.AMUDR..l

(suitable) vessel (to hold) the pure Dharma.·

You may then be given such teachings as
tantra. After receiving the proper enpower-
ments,) recite out loud the fourteen root vows.
and take them sincerely to your heart.
Jf as a disciple you have pure thoughts to bcncfit others,
arc humble, not arrogant or selfish and have no rough manners,
your Guru will first teach you what it means to take rcfugc.
He will dcmonstratc the stability, direction and meaning your
life can be given by going for protection from all your suffering
and con fusion to the Triple Gem of the Buddhas, their teachings
of Dharma and the Sangha community of those who realise
them. He will then guide you gradually through the Three
Principal Paths of renunciation, an Enlighttned Motive of
Bodhicitta and a correct under~tanding of Voidness. On the
firm foundalion of your refuge and Bodhicitta vows, you can
then be given these detailed teachings on Guru-devotion.
This text was written to be rceited daily so that disciples
will not forget the important points of how to conduct them·
selves with their Guru. · Wheń your Master has prepared you
in this way for the tantric teacbings, and you have become a
suitable vessel, then it is proper for bim to ioitiatc you. He
will thcn cxplain the taotric vows and you must be sure never
to lramgrcss lhem. Buddha Vajradh4ra has promised tbat
cven if you do no mcditation but keep purely for sixteen
lifctimes the root tantric vows, you will thereby accumulato
enough merit and eliminate sufficient obstacles to attain
Enlightenment.
After receiving initiations, you will be empowercd to follow
the completc taotric patb as your Guru dirccts you tnrough
the development and completing stages. Your success will
depcnd on your Guru-devotion and the purity of kecping 1 all
the vows. 1 nus proper devotion to your Guru in accordaoce
with these teachings is esseotial throughout the palb to the
Enligbtcned state of non-duality witb your Guru-Buddha·
mcdit ational dcity.
 GURU-DEYOl'ION 18,

(SO)
As I have not made the mistake when writing
this work (of adding my personal interpre-
tation), may this be of infinite benefit to all
disciples who would follow their Guru. By
limitless merit· I have gathered in this way,
may all sentient beings quickly attain the
state of Buddha.
This concludcs the 'Fifty Stanzas of Guru-devotion' by the
great Master Aśvaghofa. lt has been requcstcd and translatcd
(into Tibctan) by the monk translator Rin-ch'en zang-po of
Zhu-ch'en, togethcr with the Indian Abbot Padmakaravarma.