Chapter : The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum 487 short segment outlines the stages of practice as consisting in the contemplation of death and impermanence ( 'chi ba mi rtag pa bsgom pa) , the contemplation of the shortcomings of Sal?lSiira and the cause and effect of actions ( 'khor ba 'i nye dmigs dang las rgyu 'bras bsgom pa), the cultivation of kindness, compassion, and the resolve for Awakening (hymns snying rje byang chub kyi sems bsgom pa) , and meditation on all phenomena as being empty (chos thams cad stong nyi du bsgom pa) Each step is explained in a few words Segment DK.A.Sa.8: The segment begins (DK.A S a 6a2 ) : //yang rin po che 'i zhal nas/ dad pas khams gso nus pal It ends (DK.A S a 6a3 ) : gnyen pas rkyen thub pa cig dgos gsung/l 095 A short saying outlining how faith (dad pa, *fraddhii) can restore discipline (tshul khrims, *flla) and how discipline ought to be completely without hypocrisy Segment DK.A.Sa.9: The segment begins (DK.A S a a3 ) : //yang rin po che 'i zhal nas/ nga 'i mi rtag pa 'di ston pa rnams kyis ma go/ It ends (DK A S a 6a5 ) : nga la sbur ba rgad po cig gi tshe las med gsung ngo/l 096 The segment forcefully declares that imperma nence generally is not widely understood, for if it were truly understood the practitioner would be devoted only to practicing the Dhanna, pure and simple Segment DK.A.Sa.I O : The segment begins (DK.A.Sa I 6a5 ) : I/yang rin p o che ' i zhal nas/ 'o skol sgom ch en pa rnams la/ It ends (DK.A.Sa I a6 ) : mtha ' chod pa gnyis dgos gsung ngo// 097 A short saying on the need for great meditators (sgom chen pa) to give up attachment to the eight worldly concems 098 Segment DK.A.Sa 1 : The segment begins (DK.A.Sa l l 6a6 ) : /bla m a dam p a rnams la phyag 'tshal lo/ /bla ma 'i zhal nas/ blo nges su 'dad na chos gang sbyang kyang zab/ It ends (DK.A.Sa l 8b ) : nga la bcas bcos ma mang rang gar zhog/ ces gsung ngo// 1099 The eleventh segment is a longer collection of teachings on the Mahiiyiina and S ecret Mantra paths The first half of the segment is a close parallel to segment DK.A.Cha.4 In the pre sent segment, the saying is attributed to an unspecified bla ma, whereas in segment 09 Correlated passages : DK.a.Kha.64a , DK.B Sa 6an DK D S a 5b _ , DK Q S a 40 lbr 45 402ai , DK.R Sa a5-8b , DK S S a 9aH DK.T Sa 5b, Phyag chen mdzod vol Ka (TBRC W23447- 894) pp 367 1.3 09 DK.D S a 5b -6a , DK.B S a 6a3_5 , Correlated passages: DK.a.Kha 64a5 _6, DK.Q S a 402a1 , DK.R S a 8b 4, DK S S a 9a4-9b , DK.T S a 5b-6n, Phyag chen mdzad vol Ka (TBRC W23447- 894) pp 3673 097 Correlated DK.D S a l 0.6a1-2 , passages: DK.a.Kha.64a6-64b , DK.B Sa l 0.6a5 6, DK Q.Sa 0.402a3_4 , DK.R Sa l 8b4.5 , DK S Sa 9b 1.3, DK.T Sa 0.6n , Phyag chen mdzad vol Ka (TBRC W23447- 94) pp 67s-368 09 For a list of the eight worldly concerns ( [ jig rten] chos brgyad, *a�_tau [loka]dharma!i), see fn 08 099 Correlated passages : DK.a.Kha.64b -68a2, DK.B S a l l 6�-8b , DK.D Sa l l 6ar8b3, DK Q.Sa l 402�-405h DK.R Sa l l 8b - l a1 , DK S S a l l 9b3- 4a5 , DK.T.Sa l 6n-8b, Phyag chen mdzod vol Ka (TBRC W23447- 894) pp -376 In manuscript DK.a, on the one hand, the segment ends without any marker of the end but continues directly (mid-sentence) into the following segment DK A S a In DK.A.Sa, on the other hand, the end of segment DK.A.Sa 1 and the beginning of the following segment DK.A.Sa are both clearly indicated 488 Chapter 5: The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum DK.A.Cha.4 it was ascribed to " the precious master of Dags po" (rje dags po rin po che) The saying begins by stating that a practitioner who seeks certainty is profound regardless of which sort of practice he undertakes The practitioner's path is then laid out with refe rence to the approach of the Bka ' gdams pa tradition and the Tantric practice system of Mi la ras pa Concerning the Bka ' gdams pa tradition, the segment first gives a short outline of the approach of Dge bshes 'Brom Ston pa Rgyal ba'i 'byung gnas ( 004/ 005 - 064) It should be noted that the passage does not cite this famous Bka ' gdams pa master with his full name, but only refers to him with the epithet Dge bshes S ton pa It says that Dge bshes Ston pa was very knowledgeable of the S ecret Mantra teachings , that he divided practitioners into three types called " the three person s " (skyes bu gsum) , and that he constantly cultivated kindness and compassion The segment also states that when the teachings of the bka ' gdams tradition (bka ' gdams kyi bstan pa) are spreading 'nowadays', this promulgation is done in accordance with the framework of 'Brom ston pa' s system of the three persons Attention is then drawn to the Tibetan translator and master Lotsa ba Rin chen bzang po (958- 055), who was a contemporary of AtiSa The story is told that he formerly met with sixty (Indian) scholars (pm:ufi ta) , probably refe rring to his extensive studies and translation work in Kashmir and in his hometown Mtho ' !ding in the Mnga ' ris - Gu ge region of Western Tibet Yet, it is said that he never received any instruction on cultivating kindness and compassion (byams snying 1je , *maitrlkaru�ie) , but it was first when he met Atifa in Western Tibet that he obtained such instructions and thereafter attained accomplishment Hence, starting with the three yogis (rnal 'byor pa gsum) right down to Dge bshes Jo bo, 1 00 the Bka ' gdams pa doctrine has been systematized through the framework of the three persons (skyes bu gsum) with its central teaching on kindness and compassion The segment then gives an outline of the stages of the path ( lam rim) according to the Bka ' gdams tradition It is taught that, at the outset, it i s indispensable to engender the 1 00 The transmission line indicated in this phrase remains somewhat obscure The expression " starting with three yogis" (rnal 'byor gsum man chad nas) mi ght refer to Atifa's three main students, namely Rnal 'byor pa, Dgon p a ba, and 'Brom ston pa, or perhaps to some other threefold group of Ati fa's students who commonly are referred to with the title yogi (rnal 'byor pa) ; such students include Rnal 'by or pa Shes rab rdo rje , Rnal 'by or pa Byang chub rin chen ( 1 5- 077), Rnal 'by or A mes, and Dgon pa ba Dbang phyug rgyal mtshan (see SHERPA, 2004: 209 fn 52 ) The other expression "right down to Dge bshes Jo b o " (dge bshes jo bo yan chad) is equally uncertain The epithet Jo bo, "venerable , " is often used with respect to Ati§a, but it then usually appears in the form "the venerable master" (jo bo rje), which is not the case here Moreover, if the epithet is taken as referring to Ati fa, then the three yogis would have to refer to teachers who preceded Ati §a, but the doctrine of the three persons is stated in the preceding passage and elsewhere in the corpus to have been a systematization introduced by Atifa's students; see, e g , segment DK.A.Nga I , where the doctrine is ascribed to the 'Brom ston pa's three students known as "the three brethren" (sku mched gsum), viz Po to ba Rin chen gsal, Spyan snga ba Tshul khrims 'bar, and Phu chung ba Gzhon nu rgyal mtshan Consequently, it would seem that Dge bshes Jo bo here is employed to designate one of B sod nams rin chen's Bka ' gdams pa teachers Chapter : The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum 489 relative resolve for Awakening (kun rdzob byang chub kyi sems), to contemplate imperma nence (mi rtag pa, *anitya) and actions and their results (las dang 'bras bu, *karmaphala) It is emphasized how and why these practices remain of great importance on every succes sive stage of the path Without progressing through all the stages of the path, even if a glimpse of the original nature (gnyug ma, *n ijasarr1vid) should occur, it would be of little benefit if attachment (chags pa, *sariga) to things and people persists in the practitioner In light of this, it is significant to have trained the mind (blo sbyangs) thoroughly in kindness, compassion, and the resolve for Awakening, because even without any direct realization of the original nature, the practitioner who has cultivated such good qualities will invariably make progress without setbacks Thereupon, the segment gives a short presentation of the original nature (gnyug ma, *nijasmf1vid) in terms of its appearance (ngo bo, *rupa) as something that is beyond the characteristics of things, its result ( 'bras bu, >l'p hala) in terms of its relationship to dha rma kiiya and how the form- kiiya s (gzugs sku , *rupakiiya) emerge from the meditative experi ences of bliss, presence, and non-thought, and its cause (rgyu, *hetu) which lies in the experience of bliss-presence (bde gsal) that arises from the practice of Inner Heat (gtum mo ) 1 At this point, Mi la ras pa is cited as saying that the practice of Inner Heat is of utmost importance, since it is difficult to hold the right view when it is not a view that has been derived from meditation The path of the three persons is then laid out in the framework of the Prajnapiiramita system (pha rol tu phyin pa 'i bzhed pa) , i e , in accordance with the Common Mahayiina teachings The highest person (skyes bu mchog) trains his mind in kindnes s , compassion, and the resolve for Awakening, and thereupon realizes the highest view, being that of the Madhyamaka school The middling person (skyes bu 'bring) practices the approach of the middling person and then strives to understand impermanence The small person (skyes b u chung ngu) focuses o n preventing rebirth i n the lower existences by heeding the teachings on actions and their results (las 'bras, *karmaphala) By understanding that the whole of saqisiiric existence is enmeshed in suffering, the small person may progress to the approach of the middling person and thus strive for individual liberation rather than just aiming for a good sarrisiiric rebirth However, eventually it is necessary for every type of practitioner to strive for the highest and complete Awakening, and to this end the Paramitii path (pha rol tu phyin pa 'i lam) of the Common Mahiiyiina i s insufficient Instead, the practitioner needs to rely on the S ecret Mantra methods consisting of the Generation and Completion stages The Generation stage effects the realization of union (zung 'jug, *yuganaddha) of subject and obj ect, while the Completion stage brings about realization of buddhahood It is briefly outlined how the small, middling, and highest practitioner variously achieves such a vision with varying degrees of success A brief reference is here made to the meaning of visuali zing the five buddha families (rigs lnga, zpancakula), their five goddesses ( !ha mo lnga, *pancadevi), and the surrounding sixteen male and female bodh isattvas (byang chub sems dpa ' bcu drug) 1 S ee the similar explanation given in segment DK.A.Tha 490 Chapter 5: The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum The question is then raised what difference there really is between the Paramita and the S ecret Mantra approaches It is explained that the Paramita approach, on the one hand, utilizes a general idea (don spyi 'i rnam pa, *arthasamanyakara) of the emptiness of per ceived obj ects by relying on logical arguments When it is understood that perceived objects are empty, it is conversely concluded that the perceiving mind likewise is empty The Secret Mantra approach, on the other hand, does not involve such investigation of objects and mind, but instead entails a method of looking directly at a moment of mind as it arises, searching for its source, its place of abiding, and its destination when it dissolves The Secret Mantra practitioner thereby reaches the conclusion that the mind i s unborn and without any identifiable steps of arising, remaining, or dissolving The nature of the mind is here the object for highest knowledge (ye shes kyi spyod yul, *jiianagocara) and not an object for the conceptual mind ( rnam rtog gi b lo 'i yul) Unlike the Paramita path where the meditator rests the mind on a general idea of emptiness, the Secret Mantra practitioner relies on a direct experience as the path, which is brought about by utilizing the special yogic methods of causing the winds to enter the central channel, seeing the inseparability of the winds and the mind, and thereby making the mind emerge as a non-conceptual presence (shes pa gsal la mi rtog pa) At this point, a c apable bla ma should instruct the student to realize that the experience of non-conceptual present awarenes s is actually direct knowledge of the mind itself, and through such instruction the meditator becomes able to reach certainty (nges shes) With sustained practice, this certainty turns into the so-called Vajra-Like Meditative Absorption (rdo rje lta bu 'i ting nge 'dzin, *vajropama[1 samadh i[1), which according to Mahayana doctrine is the highest meditation that eliminates all remaining obscurations and brings about complete Awakening The segment ends with an explanation of three types of path (lam rnam pa gsum) , namely the path of abandoning the basis (gzhi spong ba 'i lam) , the path of transforming the basis (gzhi sgyur ba 'i lam) , and the path of knowing the basis (gzhi shes pa 'i lam) The first is the Paramita path where the practitioner abandons all afflictive emotions and creates a remedy against these in his in his mind-stream in the form of knowledge (rig pa, *vidya) The second pertains to one aspect of the S ecret Mantra path, where the practitioner transforms all phenomena into the celestial p alace, the deities and goddesses, turns food into nectar, himself into a deity, and the afflictive emotions into the five types of know ledge The third is another aspect of the S ecret Mantra path, at which level there is nothing to abandon, nothing to cultivate, and nothing to transform Here everything is understood as being subsumed within the mind (sems su 'dus), given that simply everything is a mental proj ection (sems kyi rnam 'phrul) , and the unborn nature of the mind itself is understood to be radiance ( 'od gsal ba, *prabhasvara ) A few final sentences are devoted to laying out this understanding in terms of meditative experience The segment has no colophon Segment DK.A.Sa : The segment begins (DK.A.Sa 8b ) : //yang rin po che 'i zhal nas/ sems nyid lhan cig skyes pa chos kyi sku dang/ It ends (DK.A Sa 9b ) : /bla ma 'i Chapter : The Dags po 'i bka ' 'bum 49 gdam ngag yi ger bris pa 'o// 1 02 The twelfth segment first gives an outline of the co emergent mind as such (sems nyid lhan cig skyes pa, *sahajacittatii.) being dharmakii.ya and the co-emergent perceptions (snang ba lhan cig skyes pa, *sahajii.vabhasa) being the light of dhannakii.ya (chos sku 'i 'od) It is here clarified that the term " the co-emergent mind as such" denotes the nature of the mind (sems kyi rang bzhin nam ngo bo, *cittasvabhii.va(i [sva]rupo vii.) , whereas " the co-emergent perceptions " signify the conceptuality that has arisen therefrom (de las byung ba 'i rnam par rtog pa, *tatutpannavikalpa) Thereupon, the segment presents "three dharmas to be realized" (rtogs par bya ba 'i chos gsum) and "three dharmas to be experienced" (nyams su blang ba 'i chos gsum) 103 The three dharmas to be realized are : the co-emergent experiences are not anything at all, yet they arise as a multiplicity of experience s ; although these arise as a multiplicity, they are in fact not anything; and the non-duality thereof cannot be expressed in words The three dharmas to be experienced are : at first, the yogf should relax the body and the mind in the co-emergent mind as such without any effort and without any aim to be accomplished; in the middle, he should leave the mind in a fresh, non-artificial state free from any doubt; in the end, he should understand all sensations to be unborn Finally, the segment briefly discusses the contemplations (bsgoms pa, *bhii.vana or *smJijna) of death ( 'chi ba, *marm:za) , the shortcomings of sa1J1Sii.ra ( 'khor ba 'i nyes dmigs, *saY(lsii.rii.dfnava) , kindness, compassion and the resolve for Awakening (byams snying rje byang chub kyi sems, *ma itrfkarw:iabodhicitta), and profound emptiness (zab mo stong nyid, *gambh frasunyatii.) , along with some additional remarks specifically on the contemplation of death It is stated that the contemplation of death may be successful within a day of practice, within a month, or within a year The segment ends with a brief nondescript colophon (cited in Tibetan above) : " [I] have [here] written down the instructions of the bla ma " Segment DK.A.Sa : The segment begins (DK A S a 9b ) : //yang b l a ma 'i zhal nas/ mi dmigs pa la gsum n il It ends (DK.A Sa 9b ) : 'od gsal gnyis 'dzin gyis shes pa dang brat na mi dmigs pa 'o// zhes gsung ngo// 1 04 This very brief segment explains the notion of 'non-perception' (mi dmigs pa, *anupa labdha) in the context of generosity (sbyin pa, *dii.na), i.e., not to conceive of an act of giving, a giver, and s omething given It i s stated that the mind is unborn radiance (skye med 'od gsal ba, *anutpannaprakii.§a) and when 1 02 Correlated passage s : DK.a.Kha.68az-70