Notes 789 724 D3791, fol a l-2 ; D3793, fols 129b.6-130a.2 725 D3796, fol 88a.6-88b.2 726 Ibid., fol 88b.2-5 727 This is another n a m e o f Avalokitešvara 728 The Vrtti (D3787, fol 189a.3 -5 ) says that deities here refer to the stream-enterers that are reborn am ong the six classes o f gods in the desire realm and to the nonreturners who are reborn in the form and formless realms, while the statement in other sutras that the recollection o f deities m eans to recollect the gods in Tusita and in the pure abodes o f the form realm bears the intention o f referring to unique persons who are reborn there N on e o f Haribhadra’s co m mentaries com m en t in any way whatsoever on the recollection o f deities 729 PGSD (pp -7 ) says that, according to Aryavimuktisena, the maháyána path o f accu mulation also constitutes the serial training because it is the training in familiarizing with the aspects o f the three knowledges according to their order According to Haribhadra, the serial training does not exist on the path o f accumulation and the first m om ent o f the level o f heat because it must arise from the culm inating training as its specific cause Also, since the order o f the four trainings represents an order in terms o f causes and results, the serial training does not exist at the end o f the tin u u m because there is no gradual familiarization with the aspects o f the three k now ledges at that point, but one familiarizes with them within a single instant Therefore, the instances o f the serial training consist o f the kn ow led ges from the second m om en t o f the level o f heat up through the last m om en t before the end o f the continuum The definition o f the serial training in generosity is “the serial training that is the yoga o f bodhisattvas o f gradually familiarizing with the qualities o f generosity by way o f their not being recollectable ultim ately and recollecting them on the level o f the seem ing.” The sam e applies for the other five páramitás The definition of the serial training in recollecting the Buddha is “the serial training that is the yoga o f bodhisattvas o f gradually familiarizing with the qualities o f the Buddha by way o f their not being recollectable ultimately and recollecting them on the level o f the seem ing.” The sam e applies for the other five recollections The definition o f the serial train ing in realizing the nature o f the lack o f entity is “the serial training that is the yoga o f bodhisattvas o f gradually familiarizing w ith all p h en om en a through realizing that th ey lack any real entity.” These thirteen serial trainings can be summarized into three—the consum m ate application (the six páramitás), the consum m ate motivation (the six recollections), and what makes both o f these pure (the realization o f the nature o f the lack o f entity) Or they can be sum m arized into five—the entities o f the path (the six páramitás), the supports o f the path (recollecting the three jewels), the branches o f the path (recollecting ethics and giving), the w it nesses for practicing the path (recollecting the deities), and what m akes the path pure (the realization o f the nature o f the lack o f entity) MCG (fols b l-1 a l) says that, though the com plete training in all aspects also familiarizes with all aspects o f the three knowledges in a com plete manner, it is unlike the serial training in that the latťer, by way o f being embraced by all o f its thirteen elements, entails the certainty o f all the aspects o f the three knowledges being complete, in their due order, in a single swoop The six páramitás are the nature o f the path (the consum m ate application), the six recollections are the supports that m ake the path special (the su m m ate m otivation), and the nature o f the lack o f en tity is w hat m akes the path pure As for the páramitás o f generosity and ethics and the recollections o f ethics and givin g not being repetitious, in the context o f the former one mentally engages in them in their actual form, while, in the context o f the latter, one does so from the perspective o f their fruitions The recol lections o f the three jewels and deities are not repetitious either because the former are the supports o f the path, while the latter are its witnesses Though the 173 aspects o f the three knowledges ultimately include all aspects o f ground, path, and fruition without exception, it is not that the manner o f familiarization o f the serial training is unique merely by the fact that all 790 Groundless Paths o f these aspects together appear in the mind in one sw oop (this represents only the distant train ing), just as the familiarization with entities, paths, and aspects being without arising implicitly includes all phenomena Rather, the nature o f the serial training it is as follows From the per spective o f those who cling to duality, at the time when they familiarize with one p h en om en on they not know how to engage in any others In order to dispel such ignorance, since each páramitá includes the others, one is made to understand the manner in which uncontam inated phenom ena are included in the special practice o f means and prajñá being inseparable and the manner in w hich all páramitás include all others, and this is done according to what was explained just above in the section on eliminating the wrong practices in the context o f the cul minating training o f the uninterrupted path Then, during subsequent attainm ent, by way o f taking all aspects o f the three knowledges in their due order or dealing w ith them separately, one practices without clinging in the m anner o f all páramitás being included in even a fraction o f som ething like generosity During meditative equipoise, through the power o f being familiar with the true reality o f all phenom ena being o f one taste, all the practices that are illustrated by the 173 aspects o f the three knowledges can be induced and can appear gradually even within a single practice It is the further and further increase o f the experience of, and the certainty about, this special essential point that is called “the serial training.” Thus, it consists o f the special m an ner o f familiarization that is embraced by the special prajñá o f knowing h ow to, even from within a single dharma, cut through superimpositions with regard to the entire variety o f what is to be realized in terms o f ground, path, and fruition Thus, through each nature o f the path (the páramitás) being associated with the six páramitás, all aspects o f the path are included in said one swoop; through the three jewels as the supports o f familiarization and the three m eri torious activities (recollecting ethics, giving, and deities), the aspects o f the path are caused to increase further and further without decline; and, through realizing that, by virtue o f the nature o f their lack o f entity, all phenomena are not different, the clinging to duality is relinquished Therefore, even a single practice includes everything from cutting through superim positions with regard to the ground up through the correct path and the fruition (such as the major and m inor marks) By virtue o f the focal objects and aspects o f such practice becom ing increasingly clear, they increase infinitely Ultimately, this is the manner in which prajñápáramitá, through the power o f equality, is able to make the emptiness that is en d ow ed with the supreme o f all aspects a living experience If prajñápáramitá is able to familiarize, to the clearest degree possi ble, with all aspects o f the three knowledges w ithin a single state o f mind, this represents the gauge o f accomplishment, w hich consists o f the instantaneous training If prajñápáramitá is able to bring up said aspects in this way in a gradual manner, this represents the phase o f the serial training Therefore, as exemplified by the practice o f a single páramitá being able to bring up the others, the serial training refers to the ability to gradually bring up, within the practice o f a single sw oop, all focal objects and aspects o f cutting through superim positions with regard to the ground, practicing the path, and the fruitions to be attained Thus, one should not think that it merely refers to having to identify the correct number o f aspects and then being able to have said number o f aspects appear For one starts with the aspects o f the six páramitás and then, due to becom ing familiar with them, there is an increase up through the 173 aspects o f the three knowledges, which then increase further up through the infinite focal objects and aspects o f all the limitless kinds o f dharma gates without exception Finally, during the instantaneous train ing, one perceives the entirety o f all uncontam inated phenomena The suchness o f one p h en om en on is the suchness o f all phenom ena, and all p h en om en a are included in suchness, great equality Therefore, in accordance with the progression in which the stains o f the subject that focuses on this suchness becom e pure, through perceiving a single p h en om en on one is able to perceive all phenomena To understand that this is the case through the power o f the nature o f p henom ena—the emptiness that is endowed with the supreme o f all aspects— is a very important essential point PVSD (fol 26a 1-2) says that one does not familiarize with each one o f the thirteen elements o f the serial training separately, but when one sequentially familiarizes Notes 791 with all aspects o f the three knowledges, one must familiarize with these aspects in the manner o f all thirteen elem ents o f the serial training being com plete in each one o f them MPZL (pp 177-79) divides the thirteen elem ents o f the serial training into (1) the vast serial training during subsequent attainment that is endow ed with the six páramitás and (2) the profoun d serial train ing o f the nature o f the lack o f entity during meditative equipoise (1) The actual serial training during subsequent attainment is that one, through the samádhis o f subsequent attainment that entail appearánces and by way o f being embraced by the six páramitás (the vast means), gradu ally familiarizes, in the manner o f the trainings in nonabiding and nontraining, with the nature o f the means (the seem in g)—each one o f the 173 aspects o f the three k now ledges— in such a way that their number and order are definite Thus, the serial training that is endow ed with the six páramitás is to complete, through training one’s dexterity in samádhi, the accumulation o f merit during subsequent attainment, which entails appearances As for the six recollections that make the path special, they occur during subsequent attainment, but represent the aids o f both the subsequent attainment and the meditative equipoise o f the serial training Through the power o f cultivating the serial training over m any lifetimes in the manner o f alternating m edita tive equipoise and subsequent attainment, the path becom es special and thus one com pletes the two accumulations in three incalculable eons and so on In order to so, the six recollections are the pith instructions at the time o f death o f the profound practices o f the path o f the sutras, which represent the supreme essential point that is indispensable at the time when one recon nects with other births Throughout all on e’s lifetimes, one recollects the three jewels (the Buddha as the cause for having excellent teachers o f the path; the dharma as the cause for the excellent nature o f the path; and the samgha as the cause for having excellent com panions on the path) and the three meritorious actions (recollecting ethics as the cause for having excellent physical supports o f the path; giving as the cause for having excellent favorable conditions on the path; and one’s supreme deity as the cause for excellent backups on the path) (2) During the serial training o f the nature o f the lack o f entity during meditative equipoise, through the samádhi o f meditative equipoise that is without appearances and by way o f being endow ed with the three doors to liberation (profound prajňá), one familiarizes, in the m anner o f the trainings in nonabiding and nontraining, with the nature o f the outcom e o f the m eans (the ultim ate)— the entities that are the reference points w hich consist o f the p h en om en a o f entities, paths, and aspect as being all contained within the nature o f the aspect o f their nonarising Thus, the serial training o f the nature o f the lack o f entity is to complete, through purifying the path, the accu m ulation o f w isdom during meditative equipoise, w hich is w ithout appearances T h ou gh it lacks any reference points in terms o f a serial order, it is still referred to as “serial training” because it is the practice during meditative equipoise in the context o f the serial training In brief, the Buddha said in the sutras that the serial training represents the progression o f mentally engag ing in both the actuality o f clear realization and the actuality o f the essence (emptiness), which happens, from the level o f engagem ent through aspiration up through right before the instanta neous training, in the manner o f alternating m editative equipoise and subsequent attainment and by way o f familiarizing, through nonabiding and nontraining, with each one o f all the aspects o f the three knowledges (the vast means) during subsequent attainment and with their being included in the aspect o f nonarising (profound prajňá) during meditative equipoise However, there appear m any ways in which others explain the serial training, such as saying that it consists o f merely familiarizing with its thirteen elements in a gradual manner As for its boundary lines, according to Aryavimuktisena it exists from the path o f accumulation up through the last m om en t before the end o f the continuum , which bears the intention that it is cultivated in the m anner o f object generalities induced by studying and reflecting A ccording to Haribhadra it exists from the level o f heat o f the path o f preparation up through the last m om ent before the end o f the continuum, which bears the intention o f having attained a level o f famil iarization that is a clear illumination 792 Groundless Paths 730 CZ, p 556 731 Ibid., p 563 732 Except for the words “real” and “ultimately,” these two sentences are literally found in the V7vrfi (D3793, fol 131a.3) 733 C Z ,p 565 734 This passage is an elaborated form o f w hat the Vivrti (D3793, fol 131a.5-6) says here 735 CZ ,p 571 736 PGSD (pp 275-76) says that “instant” here refers to the smallest m o m e n t in tim e (not to a m om ent in the sense o f the tim e it takes to com plete an action) (1) The instantaneous training in terms o f nonmaturation is defined as “the yoga o f bodhisattvas o f being able to, upon manifesting a single nonm atured uncontam inated type o f realization, manifest all the uncontaminated qualities that concord in type with it.” As for the manner in which the u n co n taminated qualities are com bined in one instant, what com bines them is the type o f realization that, at the end o f the continuum , realizes the nonmatured uncontam inated qualities What is combined are the uncontaminated qualities from generosity up through the eighty minor marks At the end o f the continuum , when a single type o f realization that realizes a non m a tured uncontaminated quality is manifested, all the uncontam inated qualities that concord in type with it are manifested The example for this is a waterwheel crafted by a skilled carpenter that m oves in a single m om en t in its entirety when driven by a single proper step (2) The defini tion o f the instantaneous training in term s o f maturation is “the final yoga o f bodhisattvas o f being able to, u p o n manifesting a single matured uncontam inated p h en om en on , manifest all the uncontaminated phenom ena that concord in type with it.” All qualities from the eighth bhumi onward are instances o f matured qualities because they are qualities in which any characteristics o f effort have subsided Uttaratantra I.141cd says: Similar to an embryo being delivered from this enclosure, N onconceptual wisdom possesses maturation Therefore, all qualities up through those o f the seventh bhumi are nonmatured qualities (3) T h e definition o f th e instantaneous training in terms o f t h e lack o f characteristics is “th e final yoga o f bodhisattvas o f being able to, upon realizing that a single p h en om en on lacks real char acteristics, realize that all phenom ena that concord in type with it lack real characteristics.” (4) The definition o f the instantaneous training in terms o f nonduality is “the final yoga o f b o d hisattvas o f being able to, upon realizing that a single p h en om en on lacks a real apprehender and apprehended, realize that all phenom ena that concord in type with it lack the duality o f a real apprehender and apprehended.” The four instants o f the instantaneous training can be summarized into tw o —the first two yogas o f manifesting the qualities and the last two yogas o f prajna k n ow in g what is to be known MCG (fols 153a.5-157b.4) says that the instantaneous training represents the single m om ent o f wisdom (in the sense o f the time it takes to com plete an action) w ithin which all knowable objects appear and are equally complete Some explain that “nonmatured” refers to the buddha qualities (such as the ten powers) that have not matured before in o n e s own m ind stream, while “matured” refers to the approximately concordant quali ties from generosity up through the eighty m inor marks that have already matured in one’s mind stream, with both being explained as referring to objects Others say that “nonm atured” refers to the familiarizations with effort up through the seventh bhumi, while “m atured” refers to the wisdom o f not needing any effort Yet others define this distinction as referring to ordi nary beings and noble ones, respectively Here, however, both “matured” and “n on m atu red ” are explained as being divisions by w ay o f isolates o f the cognizing subject that consists o f the single instant o f the uninterrupted path at the end o f the continuum For “nonm atured” Notes 793 m eans that, through understanding th e manner in which all uncontam inated phen om en a are included by their nature in each one o f them (such as generosity) on the paths o f learning before, on these paths on e has made efforts in becom in g familiar with them in a com plete and com bined manner N ow , through the power o f the final familiarity with such efforts, one is free from the mistakenness o f apprehending entities on e by one Thus, the earlier nonmatured qualities arose from the serial training that occurred before the uninterrupted path at the end o f the continuum, and it is in order to understand this that the instantaneous training in terms o f nonmaturation is presented as a case o f labeling the result with the nam e o f its cause Or it is referred to as “the instantaneous training that arises from its nonmatured causes,” just like the fruit o f a seed Just as in the example o f an expertly crafted waterwheel, through the power o f the full com pletion o f one’s earlier familiarization that involves effort, one is n o w able, w ith out any effort, to manifest or perceive all phenom ena once one manifests or perceives a single one However, in its ow n nature, this present instant o f the instantaneous training in term o f nonmaturation represents maturation for the following reasons Since the nature o f a single p h en om en on is the nature o f all phenom ena, the unitary nature o f phen om en a has no differ ences, and this instant’s mind as the cognizing subject o f the nature o f p h en om en a familiarizes with it in precisely this way Also, one is propelled forward through having m ade efforts and having thought, “M ay I manifest this in a single instant” on the bhumis, and one’s accumulations have been completed Through the power o f all this, during this instant o f the vajralike samadhi at the end o f the continuum , in w hich all the favorable conditions for being able to see the profoun d nature o f phenom ena in exactly the w ay it is are complete, while its antagonistic ditions are absent, there is no gradual progression as in the serial training, but all aspects appear together simultaneously For as long as on e is affected by the latent tendencies o f the dualistic appearances o f apprehender and apprehended one is not able to see the actuality o f the great equality o f all phenom ena, just as it is From the perspective o f dualistic appearances, since there appear different phenomena, different times, and different natures o f these phenomena, it is impossible to see the two realities o f all knowable objects together However, when the wisdom at the end o f the continuum , which eradicates the latent tendencies o f dualistic appearances, arises, it sees the ultimate actuality o f equality Through this, all phenom ena without exception that are included in this equality are seen as being o f one taste with it and it is impossible to slray away from this This is called “seeing the t w o realities together.” Since arising and ceasing are not established within the basic true nature o f phenom ena, it cannot be presented through reference points in terms o f characteristics such as earlier, later, and in-betw een— its nature is inconceivable Nevertheless, from the perspective o f those to be guided w ho are affected by dualistic appearances and for w h om the three times appear as arising and ceasing, in terms o f the self-appearances o f k n ow in g, and performing functions w ith regard to, the m ind streams o f those to be guided and phenom ena that arise and cease, the k now ledge o f all aspects cannot be apprehended in any other way than appearing as if it were m omentary It is for that reason that the k now ledge o f all aspects is also presented as being impermanent Thus, if one debates with childish beings and tlrthikas in w h om certainty about the m ode o f being o f suchness has not arisen, on e should explain the k now ledge o f all aspects in this way W h en evaluating this through the actuality o f the unarisen and unceasing kaya o f self-arisen w isd om that, in its own nature, is inseparable from the nature o f phenom ena, the kaya o f the nature o f p henom ena (the dharmatakaya) is unchanging throughout all three times Therefore, the w isdom o f the knowledge o f all aspects is taught in the sutras as being unconditioned and permanent, and also described like that in the tantras It exists in this way for the certainty that arises subsequent to having personally experienced the actuality o f the profound nature o f phenom ena Ultimately, Mulamadhyamakakarikd XXV.13cd says: Nirvana is unconditioned Entities and nonentities are conditioned ... each one o f them (such as generosity) on the paths o f learning before, on these paths on e has made efforts in becom in g familiar with them in a com plete and com bined manner N ow , through the. .. waterwheel, through the power o f the full com pletion o f one’s earlier familiarization that involves effort, one is n o w able, w ith out any effort, to manifest or perceive all phenom ena once one... with one p h en om en on they not know how to engage in any others In order to dispel such ignorance, since each páramitá includes the others, one is made to understand the manner in which uncontam