Chapter 5: The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum 272 -:� ��������������������������������� ;:,�; the � relative bodhicitta (kun rdzob byang chub kyi sems, *sat(lVftibodhicitta) The practice of ultimate bodhicitta (don dam byang chub kyi sems, *pa ramiirthabodhicitta) requires thaC: the practitioner has already purified the obscurations to some extent in his previous lives ; (tshe snga ma 'i sbyangs pa) and that he in the present life applies new personal effort (rang , � sing of a bla ma (bla ma 'i byin brlabs zhugs pa, *gurviidhi�.thii�iiipanna) The need for rely- � gi rtsol ha, *svaprayatna) Yet, this also needs to be combined with entering into the bles'"' · ing with complete trust on a genuine teacher is here underscored with reference to the story ,� of how Naropa relied on his teacher Tilopa throughout twelve years (bla ma tai lo par n 'a; i ro pas lo bcu gnyis bsten) 676 Segment DK.A Ia : The segment begins (DK.A.Ja.4 3b1) : //rnam pa kun l a snyan du gsol ba 'i chos kyi dbang du bgyis na/ chos bsha ' ma cig byed na tshe la long med du shes nas/ It ends (DK.A.Ja.4.4b ) : byams pa dang snying rje byang chub kyi sems skye lug s gsum yin pas! Ide bzhin du nyams su blang chos de las ma mchis so/ 677 This segment offers an explanation on the three stages of engendering (skye lugs gsum) kindness (byams pa *maitrl), compassion (snying rje , *ka ru�ii) , and bodhicitta (byang chub kyi sems), namely with reference to sentient beings (sems can la dmigs pa, *sattviilambana), with reference to phenomena (chos la dmigs pa , *dhanniilambana), and without any point of reference (dmigs pa med pa, *aniilambana ) To be noted in this passage, sentient beings (sems can, *sattva) are here referred to by an additional appositional noun jo ho meaning ' masters', 'venerable ones', or 'teachers', thus giving the somewhat unusual phrase " sentient beings, [my] teachers " (jo ho sems can) At the end of the segment, reference is given to a saying by Ela ma Atifa (bla ma a ti sha ) Segment DK.A Ta : The segment begins (DK.A.Ja.5 4b ) : /rnam pa kun l a chos gcig 'chad pa 'i dbang du bgyis na/ 'o skol rang da lta 'i skabs su tshe 'di 'i gdos thag bead nas/ It ends (Dk.A.Ja a5 ) : tsh e 'di dang ma 'dres par nyams su Zen pa gal chef /chos de las ma mchis so// 67 To illustrate a dedicated Dharma practice anchored solely in faith (dad pa, *sraddhii,), the author first cites and explains the often-quoted Vinaya verse (also found in the Dharmapiida) : " Not to commit any negative action, " (sdig pa ci yang mi bya stel /sge phun sum tshogs par sbyang etc ) However, he lists its source as being the final part of a water-offering text (chu gto r gyi zhabs) , thereby revealing that it was primarily from a ritual context that the verse was known to the author 67 The non-standard transliteration n 'a indicates the Tibetan letter na with a subscribed 'a, representing a S anskrit long vowel na 77 Correlated passage s : DK.B Ja.4 3br4b2, DK.D.Ja.4.4a5 -5a2 , DK.P.Ja.4 69a3- l 69b6, DK.Q.Ja.4 48 a5 - 48b , DK.R.Ja.4 5bi-6a6 , DK.S Ja.4.6ai-7b3, DK.T.Ja.4 pp 23 -32 A facsimile copy of DK.D.Ja.4 is found in Phyag chen mdzad vol Kha (TBRC W23447- 895) pp 54-3 7a The text i s not found in ms DK.a 78 Correlated p assages : DK.B Ja 4b2-5a , DK.D.Ja.5 a2-5b , DK.P.Ja.5 69b6- l 70b4 , 5 DK.Q.Ja 49ai- 49b3, DK.R.Ja 6a6 -7a6, DK.S Ja 7b3-9a2, DK.T.Ja.5 pp 32 -41 A facsimile copy of DK.D.Ja.5 is found in Phyag chen mdzod vol Kha (TBRC W23447- 895) pp 72-3 85 The text is not found in ms DK.a Chapter : The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum 273 Thereupon, the segment gives another scriptural quotation, this time from the *Atajiiiinasfitra ( 'Da ' ka ye shes) , followed by a short exegesis of the passage The passage's first focus is the contemplation of impermanence (mi rtag pa, *anitya) combined with understanding how the transient nature of all outer phenomena means that things should be seen as being unreal (mi bden par bzung) The second focus is to realize that the nature of the mind (sems rtogs) is knowledge (ye shes, >tjfiiina) and that this understanding is highest Awakening (sangs rgyas, *buddha) , which cannot be obtained or sought from othe rs Segment DK.Ao.Ta.6: The segment begins (DK.A.Ja as): //rnam pa kun la chos gcig bsnyan du gsol ba 'i dbang du bgyis na//'o skol chos zhe thag pa nas byed pa 'i gang zag gis mno bsam dum re btang dgos tel It ends (DK.A.Ja 6a ) : /shes he badzra las gsungs sol !chos de las ma mchis so// 679 Here the briefness of the human lifespan (tshe 'di yun thung) is underscored and it is concluded that there is no time to lose by diverting attention to studying too many teachings Rather, the practitioner ought to learn only select but significant teachings, like the proverbial Indian goose (ngang pa, *haryisa) that has the ability to extract milk from water Having obtained mastery of the mind (rang sems la dbang thob), the meditator must make the mind (sems, *citta) pliable (las su rung ba, *karmm;,ya) Those who feel trust in the Generation and Completion stages of the Man trayiina (bskyed rdzogs la mos pa rnams) should use these methods to render the mind skillful ( las su rung, *kanna!iya) The practitioner may then employ the methods of the channels , winds, and drops (rtsa rlung thig le) , Mahamudrii (phyag rgya chen po), or Rdzogs pa chen po 80 These practices enable realization of the nature of the mind (sems chos nyid du rtogs pa khong du chud pa) and thereby give rise to natural feelings (shugs las 'byung ba) of compassion and equanimity (mnyam pa nyid, *samatii) The passage ends with a quotation from the Hevajra Tantra Segment DK.A.Ja.7: The segment begins (DK.A.Ja 6a ) : //rnam pa kun la chos gcig snyan du gsol ba 'i dbang du byas na/ rten gyi gang zag6 tshe 'di la blo log pa gcig dgos/ It ends (DK.A.Ja.7 6b ) : de !tar nyams su Zen pa de rje bram ze chen po 'i bzhed pa yin 67 Correlated passage s : DK.B Ja.6.5as-6a1 , DK.D.Ja 5b -6b2, DK.P.Ja l 70b4- l b , DK Q.Ja.6 49b3- l 50as , DK.R.Ja 7�-8a6, DK S Ja.6.9a2- 0a5 , DK.T.Ja.6 pp 412 A fa csimile copy of DK.D.Ja.6 is found in Phyag chen mdzad vol Kha (TBRC W23447- 895) pp -3202 The text is not found in ms DK.a David P JACKSON ( 994 : fn 70) has referred to this passage in order to show how Sgam po pa identified Mahiimudrii and Rdzags chen in their essentials It must, however, be remarked that the pre sent passage uses coordinating conj unctives (zer kyang rung/ zer kyang rungl zer kyang rung) and therefore does not actually equate the individual elements, viz the practice of channels, winds, and drops (rtsa rlung thig le nyams su !en pa), meditation on the absolute and the relative (don dam kun rdzab), Mahiimudrii (phyag rgya chen po) , and Great Perfection (rdzags pa chen po) JACKSON left out the first half of the list in his quotation The apographs of DK.A.Ia clearly read gang zag, but the word is somewhat smudged in the extant print of DK.A.Ia itself, where the word appears to be written gal yug Chapter 5: The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum 274 gsung/ chos de las ma mchis so// 82 The seventh segment begins by declaring the im portance of cultivating kindness, compassion, and bodhicitta It then says that one sho uld practice Maluimudrii while avoiding three errors (skyon bral gsum) , viz an error pertaining to perceptions (snang ba 'i skyon dang bral ba), an error pertaining to emptiness (stong pa 'i skyon dang bral ba) , and an error pertaining to the unborn (skye ba med pa 'i skyon dang bra! ba) The first, avoiding the error pertaining to perceptions (snang ba, *avabhiisa), means not to take perceptions as being real (bden par mi 'dzin pa) but rather as being mere hallucinations (sgyu ma tsam, *miiyiimiitra) Using the slogan known from the four Dharmas of S gam po pa (Dags po 'i chos bzhi), this stage is here referred to as turning [one's] Dharma to the Dharma (chos chos su 'gro ba) The second, avoiding the error pertaining to emptiness (stong pa, *siinya), means not to desire [realizing] emptiness (stong nyid kyi 'dad chags, *sunyatiiriiga), since that would create an artificial concept (rnam rtog, *vikalpa) of emptines s The third, avoiding the error pertaining to the unborn (skyed med, *anutpanna) , means not to see perceptions and emptiness as being different (snang ba stong pa res 'jog tu ma song ba) , but to understand them both as being unborn (skyed med) and thereby to be completely without any form of dualistic consciousness (gnyis snang gi shes pa) The passage ends with a reference to the textual tradition of Mahamudrii (phyag rgya chen po 'i gzhung lugs) , where the avoidance of these three errors is said to result in the attainment of the three kiiyas (sku gsum), which is briefly explained It is then stated that this is the approach (bzhed pa, *i�ta) of the Great B rahmar.ia [S araha] (bram ze chen po) Segment DK.A.Ja.8 : The segment begins (DK.A.Ja 6b ) : /Imam pa kun la chos gcig snyan du gsol ba 'i dbang du bgyis na/ tshe la long med rgyud la dran pa 'i lcag gis bkul zhing/ It ends (DK.A.Ja 8a ) : ji srid du blo 'i 'dad pa zad zad nyamsu blang/ chos de las ma mchis/ 83 In segment eight, the impermanence of life (tshe la long med) is again highlighted and it is said to be of great importance to rely on a teacher (bla ma la bsten pa, *gurviisevita) as a source of refuge (skyabs gnas, *sara�wk�etra) The segment then turns to discuss Dharma practice (nyams su Zen pa, *udvahana) and here gives a reference to a three-word instruction derived from the tradition of [the Rdzogs chen teacher] A ro Ye shes 'byung gnas (ca l 01h century) (a ro ye shes 'byung gnas kyi lugs) 84 The three-word instruction simply states: " Perceptions are emerging" (snang shar 682 Correlated passages : DK.B Ja 6a1 -6b4, DK.D.Ja 6b3-7a6, DK.P.Ja l b - 72a5, DK.Q.Ja 50a5 - l , DK.R.Ja a6 -9b i , DK S Ja 0b - l l b , DK.T.Ja.7 pp 42 -5 16 A facsimile copy of DK.D.Ja.7 is found in Phyag chen mdzod vol Kha (TBRC W23447- 895) pp 320 -32 The text is not found in ms DK a Correlated passage s : DK.B Ja 6b4- a1 , DK.D.Ja a5-8bs, DK.P.Ja 72a53- l 73b6, DK.Q.Ja l l a1 - l 52�, DK.R.Ja 9b - l l b i , DK S Ja 1 b - 4b , DK.T.Ja pp n- n A facsimile copy of DK.D.Ja is found in Phyag chen mdzod vol Kha (TBRC W23447- 895) pp 6-324s The text is not found in ms DK.a 84 The Blue Annals contain a short life story of A ro Ye shes 'byung gnas (ROERICH, 95 : 999 000; Deb ther sngon po, TBRC W7494-3 8 , pp 8866- 8 7 ), describing him as the source for one of the instruction transmissions later held by the famous Bka ' gdams pa renunciate yogi Kha rag Chapter : The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum 275 yin) This instruction is then explained at length within a threefold framework, namely what experiences or perceptions (snang ba, *avabhasa) are (cir snang) ; how they emerge (cir shar) ; and if they are there, how they are (yin na ci yin) In short, the teaching concerns how all perceptions are only mental experiences (sems kyi snang ba, *cittavabhasa) and how the mind itself is unborn (rang sems skye med) To meditate on this is to meditate on dharmakaya, whereas if perceptions are taken as real external obj ects, they then become nothing but smJisara even though they nonetheless remain dharmakaya in nature Another reference is then given to an unspecified teaching-cycle of the Great Perfection system (Rdzogs chen skor lugs) , according to which the meditator should first determine all phenomena as being his own mind, whereafter he should discover the nature of the mind as being empty and unborn This is again explained in some detail Segment DK.A.Ja.9: The segment begins (DK.A Ja a ) : Imam pa kun la chos gcig snyan du gsol ba 'i dbang du bgyis na/ chos bsha ' ma gcig byed pa la/ It ends (DK.A.Ja