The treasury of knowledge, books 9 and 10 journey and goa (120)

NOTES - 6u 648 In this final stage ofvisionary experience, all one's perceptions are completely purified within the unique m:LQQala of the supreme sphere of being, so that all phenomena labeled by the conceptual mind resolve within the expanse of their actual, narure Even any sense of i:eifying that actual nature is absent, and so one reaches the consummate stage of resolution, beholding the "vision of dharmakaya." 64!1· The source text reads "the paths and levels." 5o The source text reads "attain." 65 I Thesource text reads "all countless." 65 The source t~ reads "abide without wavering." 65 3· The source text reads "those enlightened qualities." 654- Interestingly, the source text reads "do master." 65 The source text simply reads "they dwell on the fourteenth level." 656 lfaturailyArisingAwareness, chap 77, NGB, vol 11, p 63o,l through p 632., 1.6 657 Ibid,p.632.,!.6 throughp.6n,I I 65 Ibid., chap 52., p 5I 6, lines 5-7: "the yoga of words on the level of characterizing things, the yoga of focusing on mere indications, the yoga of subsequent experience, the yoga of the ascertainment of the true nature of things, the yoga of apparent phenomena as mind, the yoga of involvement in activity, the yoga of potential actions as causes, the yoga ofcommitted actions as conditions, the yoga of the consummate fruition state, the yoga of authentic meaning, the yoga of consummate freedom, and the yoga of the perfection of all that is to be done." 65!1· In the tantta the Conjunction ofSun and Moon, chap 2., NGB, vol I2., p 52.7,1 through p 52.8,l 6, some twenty-three kinds of conduct are enumerated: Ah! Ah! Listen, great sage! Listen well to what I present to you Whoever applies themselves to the meaning of immersing themselves in genuine being should familiarize themselves with the following kinds of conduct: ' Through the conduct like that of a bee, they should savor the taste ofall spiritual teachings Through the conduct like that of a wild deer, they reject sense objects that serve as conditions perpetuating confusion Through the conduct like that of a mute, they should abandon speech that derives from confusion Through the conduct like that of a dove, they cut through doubts about the sectet mantra approach Through the conduct like that of a madman, they avoid staying in a single place Through the conduct like that of a lion, they roam through charnel grounds, rejecting any attitude of fear Through the conduct like that of a dog or pig, they reject any attitude ofwhat is dean or unclean Through the conduct like thai: of a bear cub, they engage in conduct immediately upon recalling it Through the conduct like that of a small child, 612 - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE they rejeC[ rigid attitudes due to confused fixations Through the conduct like that of a female swan, they guide with words that are in harmony with the world Through the conduct like that of an elephant, they rout the forces of sal)1siira Through the conduct like that of a magpie, they reject concepts about who is child or enemy Through the conduct like that of a fish, they set themselves limits, knowing contentment in their desires Through the conduct like that of a female mule, they not nurture the seeds of sal)1sara Through the conduct like that of a brahmin, they avoid using the wealth and food of others Through the conduct like that of a hero, they delineate the gap between Sa!J1sara and nirvaQa Through the conduct like that of a source of water, they let the foundation of memory setde in its own true state Through the conduct of"waving a spear in space; they engage unobstructedly with all things Through the conduct like that of the wind in the sky, they eliminate thoughts based on dualistic fixation Through the conduct like that of a garuc;la, they cross over abysses in one fell swoop Through the conduct like that of a mountain, they engage in a state of unchanging and natural purity Through the conduct like that of a great chariot, they relate unmistakenly to apparent phenomena 66o That is, the constituents of the inanimate physical world, traditionally considered to be the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air 661 Literally, "Dense Array." 662 That is, the approaches of the sravaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva 663 That is, perfect buddhahood-the supreme state of nirviil)a that is not confined to the extremes of continued confusion in a state of conditioned existence on the one hand, or mere personal salvation from suffering at the expense of others' welfare on the other 664 Nagiirjuna, Source Verses on Sublime intelligence, chap I 8, v 7, (Toh 382.4), Dg T., dBu rna, vol Tsa, p l.I, l 66s Asailga, Compendium ofAbhidharma, (Toh 4048), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Ri, p I I, l 3· 666 Ibid., lines 3-4 667 Ibid., lines 4-s 668 Ibid., l S· 669 The residual traces referred to are those of the five ordinacy mind-body aggregates, the experience of which is based on some degree of ignorance still functioning in the arhat's mind 670 Maitreya, Ornament ofManifest Realization, chap I, v 3, (Toh 3786), Dg T., Ses phyin, vol Ka, p 6,lines 3-4 NOTES - 613 671 The Sanskrit term "buddha" is derived from the root budh; among its many connotations are "to awaken" and "to '+nfold, expand, blossom." The Tibetan equivalent (sangs rgyas) is a compound term that incorporates both meanings-the first component (sangs) has the sense of"co awaken," while the second component (rgyas) means "co unfold, expand." The derivation of the term given by Kongcrul conforms most direccly to the Tibetan term, of course 672 That is, knowledge of the true nature of things just as it is and knowledge of all phenomena in their multiplicity 673 Source not identified 674 These are the rwofold manifestations of enlightened being in form, that is, sambhogakiiya and nirmiil).akiiya The consummate reinforcement of merit in spiritual practice culminates in these manifesting, respectively, in the perceptions of beings to be guided who are (in spiritual terms) purified or not yet purified 67S· Niigiirjuna,Precious Garland, chap 3> v I 3> (Toh 41 s8), Dg T., sPriil yig, vol Gc, p 229, lines 1-2 676 Literally, "under nothing." 677 That is, the three realms of sa~psiira-che realm of desire, the realm ofform, and the formless realm 67 The term "immaculate abodes" here refers co both theimmaculace abode ("Akanigha of the realm of form") that is not included in sa~psiira and the five uppermost levels of the realm of form in sa~psara, which are collectively referred co as "immaculate abodes." 679 This verse is not found in the version of the siitra found in the Derge edition In The Precious Treasury ofPhilosophical Systems, o, however, Longchenpa cites the same lines, as well as the following: The Buddha did not actually awaken co buddhahood in the realm of desire or in the realm of formlessness; you, who were free of desire and attachment, became a buddha in Akanishtha in the realm of form These lines are found in journey to Sri Lanka, (To h 107), Dg K., mDo sde, vol Ca, P· 374, I r 68o Maitreya, Ornament of the Sutras, chap ro, v 6scd, (Toh 4020), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p 2.2, I 3' 681 That is, dharmakaya is the support for the rwo riipakayas, and of the riipakayas, sambhogakiiya is the support for nirmiil).akiiya 68 Ibid., chap 20, v 56, (Toh 4020 ), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p 68, I 7· Kongtrul interprets chis verse from the point of view of the "ontological" status of the kiiyas themselves See Vasubandhu's commentary on this verse, which is more from the point of view of how someone with realization experiences the kiiyas, in his Explanation ofthe "Ornament ofthe Sutras,"Toh 4026, Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p 492, lines 4-s: The fact that· what does not exist in actuality-the ordinary indications of things-does not maqifesc [that is, in the perception of someone with realization], while what does "exist" in actualicy-suchness-does manifest, should be understood to be a case of differing contexts They are, respec· tively, manifest and nonmanifest, and that is what should be understood to 614 - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE be liberation Why is this so, you ask? Because there is enjoyment of all one could desire, for at that point one has gained independent control, not in any way experiencing the ordinary indications of things, and so has gained control over one's own mind 683 Da5abalasrimitra, Ascertaining the Conditioned and Unconditioned, (Toh 3897), Dg T., dBu rna, vol Ha, p 579, lines 4-5 684 The-ta suffix (Tib nyid) makes abstract nouns (as in funyalstongpa, "empty"+ td/ nyid, "ness"); the term dharmata (phenomena-ness) refers to the true or ultimate nature of phenomena 685 "Twofold purity" refers to the fact that the very essence of being itself is, by its nature, primordially pure, while at the same time this purity is newly discovered by the individual awakening to it 686 Maitreya, Ornament ofManifest Realization, chap 8, v 1, (Toh 3786), Dg T., Ses phyin, vol Ka, p 2.1, I through p 2.2., I r 687 Asailga, Summary ofthe Mahayana Approach, (To h 4048), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Ri, p n,I 4· 688 These are afflictive, cognitive, and karmic obscurations Alternatively, the three levels may be those of afflictive obscurations, cognitive obscurations, and obscurations to meditative equipoise 689 Literally, "Dense Array." 69o Maitreya, Ornament ofManifest Realization, chap 8, v 12.cd, (To h 3786), Dg T., Ses phyin, vol Ka p 2.2., I 7· 691 Ibid., v u, (To h 3786), Dg T., Ses phyin, vol Ka p 2.2., 7· 692 That is, the buddhas of the five families-Vairocana, Ak~obhya, Ramasambhava, Amirabha, and Amoghasiddhi 69 3· That is to say, there is no thing that exists in and ofitself, with some nature independent of everything else, that can ultimately be identified as "this" or "that." 694 That is, the certainty of abiding solely in a pure realm as its environment, the certainty of manifesting with all major and minor marks of perfect form, the certainty of being surrounded by a retinue made up entirely ofbodhisatrvas, the certainty of teaching solely the Mahayana teachings, and the certainty of remaining until s3.111siira: comes to an end These are also referred to as the "five aspects of excellence." 695 That is, the foregoing eight characteristics of retinue, realm, embodiments, attributes, teachings, deeds, spontaneous presence, lack of independent nature; those of fivefold certainty are an alternative description of these eight 696 That is, the aforementioned "Akanigha of the realm of form." 697 The "abiding mode" (Tib.gnas tshul) refers to the way any given phenomenon "is" in itself-that is, the ultimate nature of any aspect of reality, the nature that is not defined by, altered by, or in any way dependent on such circumstances as time or space The "manifest mode" (Tib snang tshul) refers to way in which any given phenomenon presents itself and is experienced on the relative level 698 That is, their activity as buddhas are the result of aspirations they formulated as bodhisatrvas on the path of training 699 Maitreya, OmamentoftheSutras, chap 10, v 2.6, (Toh 402.0), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p 18, ! The verse as cited by Kongtrul reverses the order of the second NOTES - 615 and third lines in the source And in the source, the fourth line reads: "so there is neither a unity nor a multiplicity." 700 That is, to the nirm3.J)aldiya, or manifestation of enlightened embodiment in physical form The same principle of ultimately "neither one nor many" applies to nirm3.J)akaya buddhas 70 I Indrabhuti, Presence ofTimeless Awareness, (Toh 2.1.1 9), Dg T., rGyud, vol Wi, p 83,lines 3-4 702 Da5abala5rimitra, Ascertaining the Conditioned and Unconditioned, (Toh 3897 ), Dg T., dBu rna, vol Ha, p s8o,l 3· 703 The three kinds of enlightenment are those of a ~ravaka arhat, a praryekabuddha arhat, and a bodhisattva (that is, buddhahood) 704 The attainment of supreme enlightenment and the passing into nirv3.J)a are the two most important of the twelve deeds of a sublime nirm3.J)akaya, the third kind enumerated here 705 Maitreya, Ornament ofthe Sutras, chap Io, v 64, (Toh 402.0), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p 2.2.,lines 2.-3 706 Gandhatvas are the musicians of the gods' realms; the example refers to an incident described in the surra tradition, in which the Buddha emanated as a skilled musician whose expertise with the lute so fascinated the gandharvas that they became receptive to the spiritual teachings of that emanation 707 This is a reference to two of the most popular accounts found in the Jataka tales of the Buddha's former lifetimes See Khoroche, Once the Buddha Was a Monkey, 32.-38 and I78-8s; Meiland, Garland ofthe Buddha's Past Lives, vol I, pp I093 I; and Speyer, The Gatakalrmila, or Garland ofBirth Stories, 37-45 and 2.2.7-3 3· 708 While the same term in Tibetan (bdag, the equivalent of theSanskritterm "arman") is used.to mean an individual "self" in the ordinary sense and what is here translated as "sacred presence," it is the context that determines the significance of the term Some commentators state that the use of such terms as bdagor rtagpa (literally, "permanence," here rendered in this context as "constancy") were intentional devices to make the teachings concerning the buddha narure more accessible to those used to thinking in terms of such attributes 709 That is to say, forever, since space is not a conditioned phenomenon but a mere absence of obstruction I o Holy Golden Light, (Toh s s 6), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Pa, ff I s I b-2 3a I I Maitreya, Ornament ofthe Sutras, chap I o, v 66ab (Toh 402.0), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p I8,1 through p I9,l I I Ibid., v 66cd, (Toh 402.0 ), Dg T., Sems tsam, vo! Phi, p I 9,! I 7I 3· Anonymous, Two-Volume Glossary, (Toh 4347), Dg T., sNa tshogs, vol: Co, p 2.68,! through p 2.69,! I 7I4 Philosophically, "exaggeration" means to affirm anything that is not the case as being so, while "denial" means to deny anything that is the case as being so: In the most fundamental sense, this means to affirm that phenomena actually exist just as they seem, or deny that they exist at all, both of which are extremes from the Buddhist point of view IS· Maitreya, Highest Continuum, chap v 38, (Toh 402.4), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p I 2.6,! through p I 2.7,! I I In the model of ordinary mind that involves eight avenues of consciousness (used ... that of a brahmin, they avoid using the wealth and food of others Through the conduct like that of a hero, they delineate the gap between Sa!J1sara and nirvaQa Through the conduct like that of. .. Khoroche, Once the Buddha Was a Monkey, 32.-38 and I78-8s; Meiland, Garland ofthe Buddha's Past Lives, vol I, pp I 093 I; and Speyer, The Gatakalrmila, or Garland ofBirth Stories, 37-45 and 2.2.7-3... interprets chis verse from the point of view of the "ontological" status of the kiiyas themselves See Vasubandhu's commentary on this verse, which is more from the point of view of how someone with