The
Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje
Venerable
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
The Buddha Nature
Instructions on
A Treatise entitled: “A Teaching on the Essence
of the Tathagatas (The Tathagatagarbha)”
by the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje,
according to
An Illumination of the Thoughts of Rangjung (Dorje):
A Commentary to “The Treatise that Teaches the
Buddha Nature”
by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye the Great
Translated
from Tibetan by Peter Roberts
Presented at the Namo Buddha Seminar in Oxford,
1990
Dedicated to the long life, good
health,
His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa,
Urgyen Trinley Dorje,
His Eminence Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche,
Lodro Chokyi Nyima,
Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche,
who never tire of teaching and helping
whenever called,
Peter Roberts for translating so reliably,
who simply care, each in his and her
own way.
The Root Text
The Treatise entitled: “A Teaching on the Essence of
the Tathagatas
(The Tathagatagarbha)”
by the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje
Translated by Peter Roberts
at
Sonada Monastery near Darjeeling in June 1990,
from
a five-folio xylograph printed at Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim
Verse
divisions and translation are based on
Jamgon
Kongrtrul Lodro Thaye’s commentary to this text,
a forty-one-folio
xylograph made at Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim, entitled
“An
Illumination to ‘The Treatise that Teaches the Buddha Nature’ –
De-bzhin-gshegs-pa’i-snying-po-tsan-pa’o-bstan-bcos-kyi-rnam-‘grel-
rang-byung-dgong-gsal-ces-bya-ba-bzhugs-so”
I pay homage
to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
“Though beginningless, it has an end.
It is pure by nature and has the quality of permanence.
It is unseen because it is obscured by a beginningless covering.
Like, for example, a golden statue that has been obscured.”
That was taught (by the Buddha).
“The element of the beginningless time
Is the location of all phenomena.
Due to its existence, there are all beings
And also the attainment of nirvana.”
(That was taught by the Buddha.)
“All beings are Buddhas,
But obscured by incidental stains.
When those have been removed, there is Buddhahood.”
That is a quotation from a Tantra.
The “element” has no creator,
But is given this name because it retains
its own characteristics.
“Beginningless” means that
There is nothing previous to it.
The “time” is that very instant.
It hasn’t come from somewhere else.
“Phenomena” are explained to be
Samsara and nirvana appearing as a
duality.
This is named “the ground of the latencies
of ignorance.”
The movement of mental events, correct
thoughts
And incorrect thoughts are the cause
of that arising (of samsara and nirvana).
The condition for their causes is taught
to be the alaya (the universal ground).
The “location” is the Buddha nature.
Incorrect conceptualisation is completely
located within the mind’s purity.
This purity that exists in that way
Exists, but is not seen due to ignorant
conceptualisation.
Therefore, there is samsara.
If they are dispelled, there is nirvana,
Which is termed “the end.”
“Beginning” and “end” are dependent
upon conceptualisation.
Mental events are like winds
That cause karma and kleshas to arise.
The (karma and kleshas) manifest the
skandhas, dhatus,
Ayatanas, and all the phenomena of
dualistic appearances.
Someone who strives for and discards
these (appearances) is deluded.
What can be negated through rejecting
your own projections?
What can be gained by acquiring your
own projections?
Isn’t this belief in duality a fraud?
Though this understanding is taught
as a remedy,
The understanding of non-duality is
not truth.
It is not conception of non-conceptuality.
The understanding of emptiness gained
through breaking down forms and so on,
Isn’t it itself a delusion?
But it is taught so that attachment
to things as real will cease.
There isn’t anything that is either
real or false.
The wise have said that everything
is like the moon’s reflection on water.
The “ordinary mind” is called
The “dharmadhatu” and “the Buddha nature.”
The enlightened cannot improve it.
Unenlightened beings cannot corrupt
it.
It is described by many names,
But its meaning cannot be known through
verbal expression.
It is unceasing manifestation.
(It is taught) to have sixty-four qualities.
Though this is (just) a simplified
description,
It is said that each of the sixty-four
has millions (of qualities).
There are ten strengths:
(1) the knowledge of appropriate
and inappropriate actions;
(2) the knowledge of the
ripening of karma,
(3) of natures,
(4) aptitudes, and
(5) aspirations;
(6) the knowledge of the
destinations of all paths,
(7) (the possession) of
dhyana;
(8) divine sight,
(9) the memory of previous
lives, and
(10) peace.
Due to those (ten strengths), there are the four fearlessnesses:
(1) teaching that one abides
in enlightenment, within all phenomena,
(2) teaching the path,
(3) teaching cessation,
and
(4) being beyond dispute.
Due to those causes there are these eighteen (distinct qualities):
(1) no error,
(2) no empty chatter,
(3) no forgetfulness,
(4) continuous meditation,
(5) the absence of a variety
of identifications,
(6) the absence of an undiscriminating
neutrality,
(7) the possession of an
undeteriorating aspiration,
(8) diligence,
(9) mindfulness,
(10) samadhi,
(11) prajna,
(12) the wisdom that sees
complete liberation,
(13)-(15) every action being
preceded by wisdom, and
(16)-(18) time being unable
to obscure.
If those thirty-two
(qualities) are possessed, there is the dharmakaya.
In our present (state), we deny the
(presence of the Buddha nature) and these qualities.
There is no understanding of it
as it is.
The non-existent “fabrications” are
conceived of as existent.
The “completely true” is not known.
Thus we create our own torment.
Oh! Understanding these qualities of
the dharmakaya
To be true is the knowledge of truth,
But in their present state, beings
with meagre ability
Reject the knowledge of truth and fabricate
untruth,
Which is adopted by the agitation
that follows it.
Through knowing (the Buddha nature)
as it is
One obtains its powers.
There is nothing whatever to be removed;
There isn’t the slightest thing that
needs to be added.
The truth is truly seen.
If the truth is seen, there is complete
liberation.
The “element” is devoid of the incidental
impurities,
Which have the characteristic of being
separate.
It is not devoid of the unsurpassable
qualities,
Which have the characteristic of inseparability.
In (the Buddha nature) are the qualities
of the two form kayas:
The thirty-two major and (eighty) secondary
signs.
Those qualities that are attained are
one’s own body.
The body is not created by self, Phwya,
Shiva, Brahma, external real particles,
Or by elements beyond experience.
When the impure development of the
five senses,
When the (duality) of perceiver and
perceived
Is purified, the name “attainment”
is given.
Therefore, the purified nadis, vayus,
and bindus are the pure form kayas.
The unpurified are the impure
form kayas.
For example, the qualities of an encrusted
Beryl are not evident.
When it is cleaned with yak-hair cloth
and salty-water,
And cleaned with vinegar and woollen
cloth,
Purified, it becomes the jewel that
fulfils all needs and desires.
In the same way, for the purpose of
clearing away
The three encrustations of the kleshas,
knowledge, and meditation
From the aquamarine of the mind,
There is their total cessation through
the paths of accumulation and juncture,
The seven impure bhumis and their pure
bhumis.
When incorrect conceptualisation
Encounters correct conceptualisation,
Just as both (kindling-) sticks are burned by the fire, there is freedom
Just as both (kindling-) sticks are burned by the fire, there is freedom
There is freedom from the concepts
of elimination,
Remedies, suchness, and the idea of
a result.
At that time, the flowers of the physical
signs blossom
In the one who has the body of space.
The three phases of impurity, both
purity and impurity,
And of complete purity are respectively:
(The phases) of beings, Bodhisattvas,
and the Tathagatas.
Though this is what is said, Buddhahood
is not newly created.
As it was before, it is the same after.
It is the changeless Buddha nature.
The “change” is becoming free of the
stains.
If someone has the negative view
That the Buddha qualities have no cause,
Or conceive them not to be within oneself,
But created by external causes and
conditions,
What difference is there between that
and the eternalist and
The apparent momentary birth and cessation
of the “mental events” (of Buddhas)
Correspond to the impure mental events
(of beings).
If (the mental events of the Buddhas)
were not like that,
The activity of the form kayas would
cease.
However, they are not given the name
“mental events,”
But (the name) “discriminating wisdom.”
The nature of material elements
Is (either) accompanied by clinging
(or) their powerful essence is manifested.
There is no difference whatsoever in
appearances
To the deluded and the undeluded.
The (only) difference is the presence
or absence of clinging to dualism.
If that was not so,
How could the Buddhas apply their activity?
The examples of the wish-fulfilling
jewel and so on
Are explained to represent the manifestation
of non-conceptual power.
However, this does not exist solely
within the beings of others.
If that were so, it would be the wisdom
of other beings.
And if that were so, then wisdom would
be delusion.
If one states that (wisdom) has attachment
for its own appearances,
Then a mirror that has appearances
within it
Would (also) have thoughts of attachment.
All the delusions that beings have
Appear to (a Buddha’s) wisdom.
The wisdom is however unstained by
the delusions.
For example,
though the material elements
Appear to
originate and cease within space,
Space is
unstained, is without any origin or cessation.
In that same
way, though the wisdom of the Buddhas
Enters beings,
it is not stained.
It is not
given the name “delusion.”
It is called
“(the wisdom of) accomplishment of action.”
The mind
that has the absence of the three obscurations
Is “(the
wisdom of) equality” and it is “peace.”
Due to having
love and great compassion (for beings)
The sambhoga(kaya),
etc., appears to them.
This is stated
in order to refute those who say
That the
attainment of Buddhahood is the same as the Hinayana (attainment).
Wisdom is
the three permanences:
Permanence
of nature is the dharmakaya;
Permanence
of continuity is the sambhogakaya;
Uninterruptedness
is the nirmanakaya.
There are
three impermanences:
Mentally
fabricated emptiness is impermanent;
The mind
of moving thoughts is impermanent;
The composite
six consciousnesses are impermanent.
However,
the three permanences are present.
The three
impermanences are stains.
The three
permanences are wisdom.
This is not
the same as the Tirthika “self,”
Because that
is a mental fabrication and (Buddha nature) is not.
This is not
the same as the nirvana of the Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas
Because (in
that) all the qualities of the form kayas are not manifested.
This is not
the same as the body of an (ordinary) being
Because it
is not created due to the defilements.
It will not
change back to the previous state
Because it
has manifested exactly as it is.
There will never (again) be the appearance of the stains
Because there is freedom from differentiating conceptualisation.
Therefore,
the mind, this Buddha,
Is present
now, but is not known.
(From the
“Sutralankara”):
“When there is realization,
at that time,
Just as when the heat of
metal ceases,
And conjunctivitis in the
eyes cease,
Because Buddhahood (has
occurred), one cannot say that
Mind and wisdom either
exist or do not exist.”
(From the
“Mahayanavimshika”):
“Because in the pristine
meaning there is no birth,
There is also no liberation
there.
Buddhahood is like space.
It has the same qualities
as beings.
As ‘this side’ and ‘the
opposite side’ are birthless,
The composites are truly
empty.
This is the experience
of omniscient wisdom.”
(From the
“Uttaratantra”)
“It is subtle, so it is
not the object of learning.
It is ultimate, so it is
not the object of contemplation.
The dharmata is profound,
so it is not the object of
Mundane meditation, and
so on.”
This experience
of wisdom that knows itself,
This ultimate
arises through trust in self-origination.
Oh! Because
they do not understand this,
The children
wander in the ocean of samsara!
Through the
power of great Shakyamuni,
Of Manjushri,
Maitreya, and Avalokiteshvara,
This was
written by Rangjung Dorje.
May all beings
have unmistaken knowledge
And full
attainment of the Buddha nature!
This completes
the definitive presentation of the Buddha nature,
which is
the essence of the vajrayana.
SHUBHAM!
(Auspiciousness!)
Introduction
In
a prophecy, Naropa told Marpa that in his Lineage the pupils would be greater
than their teachers. The First Karmapa was Dusum Khyenpa and the Second Karmapa
was Karma Pakshi, who had greater power and more miraculous abilities than
the First. Basically, both the First and Second Karmapas were in essence the
same, but it appeared as though Karma Pakshi was more magnificent. In the
same way, the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, had even greater qualities of
learning and miraculous abilities. There are seventeen Karmapas and among
them Rangjung Dorje was the greatest scholar. In fact, two Karmapas showed
immense learning, experience, and realization; they were Rangjung Dorje, the
Third Karmapa, and Mikyo Dorje, the Eighth Karmapa. Mikyo Dorje demonstrated
great knowledge and realization of the sutras, and Rangjung Dorje demonstrated
great knowledge and realization of the tantras.
Rangjung
Dorje was a master of the Kalachakra teachings. He had the experience, realization,
and clear knowledge of the movements within the body, of the nadis (“the channels”),
the vayus (“the subtle winds”), and the bindus (“the subtle essences”). He
understood them quite clearly as they are taught in the tantras and composed
the text, The Deep Inner Meaning - Zabmo-Nangdon. Here he described
all the highest tantras, the Anutaratantras, which are comprised of the father,
the mother, and the non-dual tantras. Since Rangjung Dorje had mastered the
Kalachakratantra, he understood astrology and therefore the movements of the
sun, moon, and stars on the basis of his knowledge of the nadis, vayus, and
bindus within the body. He therefore composed astrological texts based upon
the Kalachakratantra, which clearly explained the movements of celestial constellations.
These texts are exceptional because they illuminate the movements of the planets,
solar system, lunar eclipses, etc.
Rangjung Dorje wrote two treatises, which are
branches of the Zabmo-Nangdon. These two shastras are Transcending
Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom and The Teaching on the
Tathagatagarbha, the text presented here. In the first shastra, the Glorious
Third Karmapa showed the difference between the various types of consciousness
and wisdoms; in the latter he showed how the Buddha nature is present within
all living beings.
1. An Explanation of the Title
All living beings born in the world
see it as their birthright and duty to experience happiness. But they experience
the suffering of ageing, sickness, and death. Alternating between surprise
and disappointment, the only liberation from anxieties arising from dual experiences
that burn continuously is recognizing and removing own imperfections and evolving
instead of remaining self-involved. His Holiness the Third Karmapa, Rangjung
Dorje, therefore wrote
The Treatise entitled: “A Teaching on
the Essence
of the Tathagatas (The Tathagatagarbha)”
Let us look at the Sanskrit word tathagatagarbha,
which is de-dzhin-gshegs-pa’i snying-po in Tibetan, to understand well
what letting go in order to release the true nature means, which is the goal.
The Sanskrit means “the womb,” garbha from the root word garbh,
“to conceive” (which in pure Sanskrit can also mean “the interior, embryo,
foetus”) of the Tathagatas, i.e., “the place from which they are born.” Tathagata
is comprised first of the syllable tatha, which means “in that manner,
in that way, so, thus.” The second half of the word has been interpreted to
be both gata, “gone,” and agata, “come,” as the same result
comes from the combination of tatha with either word. However, gata
as the conclusion of the compound word normally has the meaning of “to be”
something or somewhere, so that the term would mean “one is thus” or “like
that.” Therefore, although the Sanskrit
can mean, “to be in such (a state or condition),” it has been glossed and
translated literally as “one who has come and/or gone like (the previous Buddhas),”
i.e., a Buddha. The Chinese translation of the term tatha followed
the interpretation “one come in that way,” while the Tibetan de-bzhin-gshegs-pa
followed “one gone in that way.” The word garbha was translated into
Tibetan as snyging-po, which means “essence,” so that the Tibetan term
literally means “the essence of the Tathagatas” instead of “the womb or embryo
of the Tathagatas.” The Standard English translation of either the Sanskrit
or Tibetan is “Buddha nature.”
The Third Karmapa wrote the treatise
that explains the Buddha nature so that disciples and pupils let go of the
sense of being separated from the external world and give rise to and manifest
kindness and goodness instead. Rangjung Dorje taught about the essence of
the Tathagatas, one could also say Sugatas and called the treatise
The Sugatagarbhashastra.
Sugata
means “gone to bliss.” In order to win the peace of bliss, it is necessary
to follow in the footsteps of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In this regard,
a spiritual teacher who has attained wisdom and bliss can - through setting
examples, presenting instructions, and offering guidance - show the way. Can
ordinary beings reach the same goal the Buddhas have attained? Just as the
Buddhas and Sugatas tread the path and have gone to bliss, every living being
can because the Buddha nature is innately ours.
The term Sugata refers to bliss,
which, in turn, points to suffering and pain. The term Tathagata, in
contrast, means “one gone like that” or “one gone thus.” This means that when
a Bodhisattva has realized Buddhahood, he or she has not only gone to bliss
but has naturally manifested his or her true nature - bountiful virtues and
values of lasting worth.
All living beings possess the Buddha
nature, the pure essence. Everyone can attain a state of bliss that opens
and yields ineffable qualities. How? By meditating. There are the Dzogchen
and Mahamudra meditation instructions in the Buddhist Tradition. One needs
to receive these instructions from an authentic spiritual master and guide,
someone who can reliably show the way. If one receives meditation instructions,
understands them perfectly, and knows how to practice, then no difficulties
will arise. If one does not understand the instructions clearly, then practice
will be very difficult. This is the reason why the instructions on the Buddha
nature were given.
In the commentary to this text, Jamgon
Kongtrul Lodro Thaye the Great stressed the importance of knowing why one
engages in meditation practice. The reasons are presented in the teachings
on the view, which is won by studying the texts. He stressed the significance
of practicing meditation with the correct view, otherwise one would resemble
someone who tries to climb a steep mountain cliff without any hands. Similarly,
he compared someone who has won certainty of the view but does not meditate
with a rich person who hoards his wealth out of miserliness. Jamgon Kongtrul
Lodro Thaye wrote that if one practices both disciplines, namely gains certainty
of the view by studying the instructions and meditates properly, then a disciple
resembles a bird flying through the sky with two wings fully in tact. He tells
us that the right wing of the bird is meditation, the left wing is knowledge,
and when both wings are healthy the bird can fly freely. This is the reason
why the Third Karmapa wrote the treatise on the Buddha nature, so that living
beings are inspired to attain unity with their own brilliant treasure, ever
present and true.
2. Why Shastras Were Written &
Nine Categories of Shastras
In general, the discourses presented by Lord Buddha
are collected in the Kangyur, “The Translation of the Buddha’s Word,”
or sutras (Sanskrit for the Pali word sutta, “scripture”). The
three traditions of Buddhist scriptures are the Theravada, the Chinese, and
the Tibetan. In particular, the Chinese masters emphasized the sutras and
criticized the shastras (bstan-bcos in Tibetan), the “written
commentaries” by Buddhist masters that are collected in the Tangyur,
“The Translations of Teachings”; they said that they are not valid. The Vajrayana
masters of Tibet always recognized and honoured the importance of the shastras
because the scholars who composed them did not write something different than
Lord Buddha’s words. The Tibetan version of the Tangyur consists of
more than 100 volumes.
The vast collections of scriptures are named after
the place where they were printed and published. The complete Kangyur
was first published in Beijing in 1411, the first Tibetan edition was printed
at Narthang in 1742 and consists of 98 volumes. The Narthang Tangyur
contains more than 3.600 texts with stories, commentaries on the tantras and
sutras, discussions on Vinaya and Abhidharma, logic, rhetoric, grammar, literature,
biographies, painting, medicine, chemistry, and astrology. The Derge Kangyur
was edited by Situ Panchen Chokyi Jungney and was completed in 1744 by Tsultrim
Rinchen. The Derge Collection was printed at both the Printing Academy
and Palpung Monastery in Derge, West Sichuan, the latter treasured in most
monasteries, hermitages, and temples in Tibet and Mongolia the most. It was
because of these collections of Buddhist wisdom that the Mahayana tradition
survived through many centuries, from the time that the translations began
in the 8th century until now.
Why were the shastras written? One reason
why the shastras that are collected in the Tangyur were written is
because the Buddha’s teachings are so vast and a beginner would find it very
tedious to gain an understanding of a specific topic from the original texts
collected in the Kangyur, which are not organized in an accessible
way. The Buddha replied to individuals
who asked questions in different places and under other circumstances, therefore
the teachings are answers to specific questions. Pupils living somewhere else
asked other questions and received different answers. The vast amount of teachings
are therefore scattered throughout the sutras and not organized according
to topics in a single volume, so it is not possible for us to learn what we
wish to know from the many sutras. This is the reason why great masters composed
treatises in which they collected and compiled a subject matter from the various
sources into one text. A shastra deals with one subject found in many sutras.
This is one reason why the shastras are important and precious - a topic is
accessible.
Furthermore, shastras clearly explain
profound subjects. Some pupils think that only knowing what the Buddha said
suffices and have deep faith, while other pupils are more inquisitive. For
example, in The Prajnaparamitasutra we read, There are no eyes,
no ears, no tongue (…). Some students have conviction in this statement
and rely upon the Buddha’s words. Others wonder and seek explanations from
qualified teachers. Scholars wrote texts to explain the meaning and logically
prove why such statements are true.
Another reason why shastras were written
was to hinder a decline and distortion of the precious teachings. Some sutras
may be lost or not translated into Tibetan; other sutras only contain certain
answers to specific questions. In order to prevent degeneration of the Buddha’s
words, a great master wrote a treatise in which the entire subject would be
covered. These are three reasons why Rangjung Dorje and other great masters
wrote shastras.
There are many different kinds of shastras.
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye the Great defined nine categories:
(1) Meaningless shastras are texts that,
for example, go into detail to argue whether birds have teeth or not. Such
literature is of no help to anyone and does not encourage spiritual practice.
Studying them is of no help or benefit to anyone.
(2) Incorrect shastras convey wrong
meanings. For instance, there are texts that try to explain that if one dies
in a war, one will attain liberation, but dying in anger and rage that every
war always entails is of no benefit to anyone at all.
(3) Meaningful shastras convey beneficial
thoughts. Studying this type of treatise will definitely be good for oneself.
(4) Deceptive shastras mislead people.
There was once a king in ancient India who had a beautiful daughter he wished
to see married, so he wrote a text in which he said that things happen for
no reason at all and haphazardly. He argued that peas are round and thorns
are sharp without a cause, implying that even though his daughter grew up
in a hothouse atmosphere, there would be no reason to worry about marrying
her.
(5) Heartless shastras are texts that
have no compassionate message. Once I came across a group of Hindu ascetics
at the Marataka Caves who were sitting around a burning log and inhaling the
smoke. I asked them why they were doing this, and they answered that they
were practising asceticism as they had read. Now, a teaching of this kind
only causes suffering for such practitioners and does not help anyone at all.
(6) A shastra that instructs how to
eliminate suffering is a treatise that shows how to become free from the temporary
suffering of conditioned existence and how to achieve lasting freedom from
discomfort and discontent.
(7) A shastra devoted to learning is
a treatise that helps gain an understanding of a subject matter.
(8) A shastra dealing with debate is
a treatise that teaches how to discuss various opinions through refutations
and proof.
(9) A shastra devoted to spiritual practice
is a treatise that brings lasting benefit. Shastras seven and eight offer
temporary well-being, while number nine teaches how to practise so that one
gains reliable, beneficial results.
There are six types of shastras that
one does not need: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8. One
needs the treatises that have a meaning, that show how to eradicate suffering,
and that are devoted to helping us practice: numbers 3, 6, and 9.
The tradition of writing shastras originated
in India, where scholars would compile and comment specific subjects presented
in the sutras. In Tibet, another tradition arose and developed. Masters would
commence a commentary by first composing an outline of the entire text they
were presenting. Their treatises begin with a short summary, and then they
wrote a detailed explanation. This approach makes it easier for the teacher
and for students. It is difficult understanding an outline which summarizes
an entire text, often referred to as “root texts,” and that is also why shastras
were written.
3. Homages in Traditional Texts
In the Buddhist tradition it is the custom when
writing a treatise to begin with the name of the treatise, then to pay homage,
and often to pledge to write the treatise. This is done so that the author
doesn’t encounter any obstacles while writing a book and so that the text
presenting the Buddha’s words benefits others in the future without any hindrances.
The supplication is written with the wish that when it is finished and others
study, contemplate, and meditate, they will encounter no obstacles but will
be able to master the training and practices that the author hoped to convey.
First there is homage to the Three Jewels – the
Buddha as the teacher, the Dharma as the body of teachings, and the Sangha
as all noble friends assisting and accompanying one along the way. In Buddhism,
it is recognized that a Buddha is someone who has achieved the state of realization
through having gradually proceeded on the successive stages of the path. While
on the stages of the path he or she is a Bodhisattva. Therefore, there is
the homage to the Buddhas who have completed and to the Bodhisattvas who are
on the path. The homage in the Sutra Tradition that Noble Rangjung wrote to
commence The Tathagatagarbhashastra reads,
I pay homage to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The homage
that Shantideva wrote in The Bodhicharyavatara is,
“To those
who go in bliss, the Dharma they have mastered and to all their heirs,
To all
who merit veneration, I bow down.
According
to tradition, I shall now in brief describe
The entrance
to the bodhisattva discipline.”
(Shantideva, The
Way of the Bodhisattva. A Translation of the Bodhicharyavatara. Translated
from the Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation Group, Shambhala, Boston &
London, 2002, page 33.)
A few verses from Shantideva’s sincere
offerings are,
“To the
buddhas, those thus gone,
And to
the sacred Law, immaculate, supreme, and rare,
And to
the Buddha’s offspring, oceans of good qualities,
That I
might gain this precious attitude, I make a perfect offering.
I offer
every fruit and flower
And every
kind of healing medicine;
And all
the precious things the world affords,
With all
pure waters of refreshment;
Every
mountain, rich and filled with jewels;
All sweet
and lonely forest groves;
The trees
of heaven, garlanded with blossom,
And branches
heavy, laden with their fruit.”
(Ibid., page 29.)
When paying homage, there is the understanding
that the Buddha has two qualities. These two qualities address the two sides
of existence, being and becoming. The first side points to the fact that ordinary
living beings have the three negative kleshas (Sanskrit for “mind poisons”),
which are ignorance, aggression, and desire. The second aspect is that ordinary
living beings possess the pure qualities of knowledge and love for others,
small in comparison to the mind poisons. The positive qualities gradually
manifest when a practitioner relies on the remedies to decrease and eradicate
the kleshas the moment they arise or before they grow. When the negative kleshas
have been eliminated, then there is attainment of Buddhahood, the state of
a perfect Buddha, which is enlightenment.
The Tibetan word for “cleansed” is sang,
the first half of the name for Buddha. When all faults have been removed,
then the positive qualities manifest; they are wisdom, love, and great compassion
for all living beings. Love and compassion encourage and empower. All qualities
of being and becoming develop and increase through the cleansing process of
practice. The Tibetan word for “developing and increasing” is gyae,
the second half of the word for Buddha in Tibetan, Sang-gyae. That
is why Sanggyae, “Buddha,” embodies the purification of all negative tendencies
and habits as well as the attainment of all beneficial qualities, which are
then “vast,” gyae in Tibetan. Paying homage to Buddha is honouring
and revering the result of the path, the supreme state of perfection, which
is enlightenment.
There is also the homage to the Bodhisattvas who
are on the path, i.e., those progressing from the state of an ordinary being
to that of perfection. Bodhisattvas have three qualities, as the connotation
shows. The Tibetan term for the Sanskrit word bodhi has two syllables,
chang and chub. These two syllables mean, respectively, “cleansed”
and “attained.” Just as the word sang in the Tibetan name for Buddha,
Sanggyae, cleansed means purified of the negative kleshas described above.
A Bodhisattva has not cleansed all kleshas yet since he or she is still on
the path, but gradually eliminates more and more while practicing the skilful
methods of the path. The second Tibetan syllable for the Sanskrit word bodhi
is chub, which means, “to obtain (the positive qualities).” A Bodhisattva
unfolds more and more qualities of being while he practices the stages of
the path. In this way, a Bodhisattva develops qualities of purification as
well as attainment.
The Tibetan word for the Sanskrit term sattva
in Bodhisattva is sem-pa and means “a hero, a courageous and brave
person.” A practitioner of the Buddhadharma indeed needs courage in order
to eliminate his or her own faults that are impediments to pure qualities
of being. In the beginning, a practitioner needs confidence; he or she needs
to know that it is possible to remove negative kleshas and to manifest values
of worth. A student needs confidence that practicing the teachings Lord Buddha
imparted will lead to the beneficial results of purification and attainment,
qualities a Buddha manifests freely and openly. A Changchubsempa, a
Bodhisattva, sincerely and diligently works with and realizes these three
values that beautify him or her: courage, purification, and realization, and
he or she never gives up.
In the past, texts that dealt with topics from
the Abhidharma or higher knowledge began with homage to the Bodhisattva Manjushri,
who embodies wisdom. The sword he carries symbolizes that he cuts the basic
klesha of ignorance.
“I bow to the youthful, gentle and brilliant Manjushri.”
Texts written by Asanga in reliance upon instructions
from Buddha Maitreya pay homage to the coming Buddha with the line,
“To the Guardian Maitreya we bow in supplication.”
The homage that the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje,
wrote in The Mahamudra Monlam Prayer begins with the Sanskrit words
Namo Guru because the teachings of the Buddha and the commentaries
written by scholars and Siddhas were translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan,
so it is to show that these teachings were not invented in Tibet but originated
in India, the home of Lord Buddha and the great Siddhas.
“Namo Guru,
Lamas, Yidams and deities of the mandala.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten
directions and of the three times,
Please look upon me with compassion
and bestow your blessings
So that my aspiration be fulfilled
with your guidance.”
Namo Guru means “homage to the Guru,” “homage to the teacher.”
This is written because when one practices the Dharma, in particular meditation,
one needs to rely upon a teacher for instructions. If one meditates without
a guide, the meditation may be faulty. In the same way as one needs a guide
to show the way to a place one wishes to visit, one can end up where one didn’t
want to go without one. With a guide, it is easier taking the right road and
it is more likely that one will arrive at the destination one set out to reach.
It is the same with the practice of meditation. One needs a teacher because
one has no experience. One needs someone who can instruct, “If you meditate
in this way, then you will have that kind of experience, and when you have
th