The treasury of knowledge, books 9 and 10 journey and goa (122)

NOTES - 62.1 Treasury ofAbhidharma, chap 8, v 36, (Toh 4089) Dg T., mNgon pa, vol Ku, P·49.1 786 The sense fields that eclipse ordinary perceptions are achieved on the basis of meditative absorption, so that however one conceives of such characteristics as shape, color, and so forth, all other perceptions are eclipsed The eight sense fields are four concerning shape and four concerning color, making eight in t()tal See Vasubandhu, Treasury ofAbhidharma, chap 8, v 3S· (Toh 4089), Dg T., mNgon pa, vol Ku, p 49,lines I -2 These eight sense fields are connected with the eight modes of complete liberation; the latter liberate one from attachment to objects that would otherwise provoke attachment and other emotional reactions, while the sense fields bring such mastery that these reactions can no longer take place 787 This intelligence, which allows for omniscience, comes about as the fulfillment of previous aspirations to gain such knowledge 788 A purely rhetorical expression; the state of total freedom is atemporal 789 See note 2.63 790 Complete purity of body means gaining the mastery to transform one's body into any specific form desired With complete puriry of attention, one gains the mastery to transform the object of one's attention to anything desired Complete purity of mind entails mastery over limitless states of meditative absorption Complete purity of timeless awareness refers to knowing all phenomena, without attachment or limitation 791 See Book Patt 792 Source not identified; it is possible that Kongtrul himself composed these verses as a mnemonic device 793· The three factors that need not be closely guarded·are a buddha's enlightened form, speech, and mind; since these not involve the slightest flaw, they also not involve anything that needs to be kept from others or closely guarded in any way 794· The term "spiritually advanced being" (Skt arya; Tib 'phags pa) denotes not just buddhas, but (as llere) all who have attained at least the path of seeing in either the Hinayana or Mahayana approaches 79 S· "Omniscience" refers to the timeless awareness that is unique to buddhahood, the consummate knowledge that consists of direct realization, in any given instant, of both the real nature of things, just as it is, and things in all their multiplicity The Prajfiaparamita literature (such as the Ornament ofManifest Realization) further analyzes omniscience into three aspects-complete knowledge of the existing situation of ordinary beings, complete knowledge of the spiritual path to buddhahood, and omniscience itself as the fruition state ofbuddhahood 796 This discussion follows the enumeration found in Maitreya, Highest Continuum, chap 3, vv I 6-2.4, (Toh 402.4), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p I I,! through p I 32.,! 4· A slightly different enumeration is given in Maitreya, Ornament ofManifest Realization, chap 8, vv I2.-I7, (Toh 3786), Dg T., Ses phyin, vol Ka, p 2.2.,! through p 2.3,! 4· 797· A fabulous animal resembling a deer, with eight legs, possessed of enormous physical strength 798 This is depicted in art by three parallel curved lines at a buddha's throat 799· Skt ~ni[a; Tib gtsug tor "[The u~ni~a] is said to extend beyond even the gods' realms As this is impossible to p,ortray, attists usually depict it as a large bump on 62.2 - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE the Buddha's head, but this is not how it appears to those who see the Buddha." Thrangu Rinpoche, The Uttaratantra, 449, n 6s 8oo The banyan tree grows in such a way that its height equals the width of the reach of its branches; similarly, a buddha's body is as tall as the distance: between the outstretched fingertips So Another name for the Brahmanical god Vigm 8o2 The woodblock of the Treasury ofKnowledge erroneously has sen mo rnams (nails) for sor mo rnams (fingers) 803 It is important to emphasize that the: swastika has an ancient and venerable history as a symbol ofgood fortune in many spirirual traditions (including Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism), despite the stigma attached to it in the West since its adoption in the early twentieth cenrury as the symbol of the Nazi party 804 Maitreya, Ornament ofManifest Realization, chap 8, vv 2.1-3 3a, (Toh 3786), Dg T., Ses phyin, vol Ka; p 23,! through p 2.4,l 8os That is, the Vaibhii~ikas and Sautriimikas 8o6 In general, a synonym for the Cittamiitra, or Mind Only school, which holds that all of phenomenal realiry consists only of ideas in rhe mind 807 That is, rhe major and minor marks have no existence in and of themselves but are merely ideas in rhe minds of rhose who perceive a buddha to have such marks 8o8 These constitute a subdivision of rhe Sviitantrika Madhyamaka school, which accepts that a single consciousness can exist on rhe relative level, alrhough it does not accept that objects exist external to the perceiver 809 Maitreya, Highest Continuum, chap 4, v 2.5, (Toh 402.4), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, p 13 s.lines 6-7 810 See Secrets ofthe Tathiigatas (Toh 47), Dg K., dKon brtsegs, vol Ka, p 26s,l through p 2.66, I 6; and Abhayakaragupta, Adornment ofthe Sage's Intent (To h 3903), Dg T., dBu rna, vol A, p s63,l 811 A fabulous animal with the lower half of a bird's body and wings, and rhe upper half of a human being's body 812 Of enlightened form, speech, and mind 813 Maitreya, Highest Continuum, chap 4, v 3, (Toh 402.4), Dg T., Sems tsam, vol Phi, P· I 34.1 I 814 Ibid., v 12., (Toh 4024), Dg T., Serns tsam, vol Phi, p 134,lines 6-7 81 S· That is, rhe stage of development 816 The stage of completion 817 SubsequentTantra, (Toh.443), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Ca,p 307,! 818 Candrakirti , Illuminating Lamp, (Toh 178 s), Dg T., rGyud, vol Ha, p 4,! 819 The source tantra reads simply "rhere are two aspects." 82.0 In rhe source tantra, rhis last line reads "and rhe nectar of timeless awareness (in rhe most sublime case)." Subsequent Tantra, (Toh 443), Dg T., rGyud 'bum, vol Ca, p 307,l 4· The four vajras are a format for practice in rhe stage of development, whereas rhe six branches are a format for practice in the stage of completion 82.1 The structure of the Kalacakra empowerment involves a particular division of the four levels of empowerment: the first level has seven stages, followed by rhe rhree "higher" empowerments (that is, the second, third, and fourth levels) 82.2 "Spiritual heroes" is a term for !j.akas, "yoginis" for lj.akinis 82 Manoharl is a wealth deity; the legend concerning her origin mentions rhe gem as rhe symbol of her spiritual accomplishments NOTES - 62.3 82.4 That is, the eight qualities of powerful mastery, discussed below 82.5 Jinaputra composed two commentaries on Asailga's Compendium ofAbhidharma: An Explanation ofthe "Compendium ofAbhidharma" and A Detailed Explanation ofthe "Compendium ofAbhidharma." 82.6 That is, subtle energy 8:z.7 The superior approach (that of mahamudra, compared to a gem) is to control subtle energy by first controlling the mind; the lesser approach (that of cat;~