#

Cap.

PP.

1

Introduction

3 to 18

2

Outlines of the Contents

19 to 64

3

Principal Practices Text

65 to 100

4

Explanation of the View

101 to 124

5

Explanation of the Meditation

125 to 148

6

Explanation of the Conduct

149 to 176

7

Explanation of the Fruit

177 to 194

1

Introduction

3 to 18

#

transmission

its source

1

Z^an-z^un sN~an-rgyud ("Oral Transmission from Zhang-zhung")

[(p. 4) from siddha Tapi-hris.a in the north]

2

A-khrid ("Guiding Explanation for the Primordial")

Gab-pa dGu sKor ("Nine Cycles of Secrets")

3

rDzogs-chen Yan-rtse kLon-chen ("Great Perfection from the Highest Peak of the Great Expanse")

bsGrags-pa sKor gSum ("Three Proclamations")

4

Ye-khri mTha>-sel ("Removing Liminations from the Primordial")

and its commentary Nam-mKha> >Phrul mDzod ("Magical Treasury of the Sky")

"there arose from within the interior of his mind the bliss of pristine awareness ... .

And because of that, there arose for him without interruption the Clear Light, which is the spontaneously perfected Base ... .

The distinctive characteristics of the three : the sounds, the lights, and the rays, were liberated into their own original condition on the Path.

And as the fruit, at the ultimate stage ... the Trikaya became visibly manifest to him.

Thereby the Great Bliss remained in its own original condition of the Dharmakaya and he came to behold the face of his own meditation deity, the Yidam ... (gtso-mchog), whereupon the Generation Process and the Perfection Process, all emanating and reabsorbing, were liberated into their own original condition."

p.

#

variety

12

1

Lag-len Pod Chun ("outer, inner, and secret rituals")

2

gZuns >Dus (dharan.i mantra-s)

3

rDzogs-chen sN~an-rgyud Kyi Lag-len dMar-khrid ("essential explanations regarding the practice manual for the" rDzogs-chen sN~an-rgyud)

4

dBal-gsas Khrid-ma Lag Khrid (practice manual for the deity dBal-gsas)

5

rTsa rLun Gi gDams-pa (instructions on rTsa rLun practice)

6

dRan-don sNod bCud Kyi Yig-sna ("assorted texts on the universe and its inhabitants according to the Relative Truth")

13

7

Don sPrugs zLas Lun ("mantra recitations for stirring up the depths of" Samsara)

8

Z^al gDams mGur >Bum ("songs of spiritual instruction")

9

gSol->debs ("various invocations and prayers")

10

A-khrid Kyi gZ^un rGyab sKor ("cycle of the principal and ancillary texts of the A-khrid system")

p.

#

text

15

0

Z^an-z^un sN~an-rgyud Kyi Lo-rgus rNam-thar Dan bCas-pa ("History of the Oral Transmission from Zhang-zhung, together with the Hagiographies")

1

sNon->gro Rim-pa rNams ("Stages of the Preliminary Practices")

2

Zab-mo gNad Kyi gDams-pa dNos-gz^i ("Instructions concerning the Profound Essential Points for the Principal Practices")

16

3

gZ^i Ran No-sprad-pa gCer-mthon lTa-ba>i Khrid ("Explanation of the View, being a Direct Introduction to one's own Base through Seeing Nakedly")

4

Lam N~ams Su Len-pa>i >Od-gsal sGom-pa>i Khrid ("Explanation of the Meditation regarding the Clear Light Practice on the Path")

5

rKyen Lam Du sLon-ba rTsal sByon sPyod-pa>i Khrid ("Explanation of the Conduct concerning the Forceful Purifications employed on the Path in accordance with Secondary Conditions")

6

>Bras-bu Ran Sa bZun-ba sKu gSum dMar Thag-bcad-pa>i Khrid ("Explanation that is Clear and Definitive Decision regarding the Trikaya apprehended as one's own Original Condition which constitutes the Fruit")

7

>Od-gsal Gyi dMigs-pa Dan Gags Sel ("Visualization for the Clear Light Practice and the Removing of Obstacles")

17

8

[gCig-rgyud] >Od-gsal bDun sKor ("Seven-fold Cycle of the Clear Light")

2

Outlines of the Contents

19 to 64

#

practice

category

1

"Fixation of the mind (sems >dzin) on the white Tibetan letter A"

s`amatha meditation dMigs-bcas ("with a visible object")

2

"The dark retreat (mun-mtshams)"

s`amatha meditation dMigs-med ("without an object ... because the practitioner is in total darkness")

3

"Clear light (>od gsal)", 1st type

"sky meditation (nam-mkha> ar-gtad)"

4

"Clear light (>od gsal)", 2nd type

"vision practice with sunlight"

#

section

1

"fixating the mind (sems zin-pa)"

2

"Abiding in mindfulness ... (dran-pa gnas-pa)"

3

"making of this inherent awareness clear (rang-rig gsal-bar bya)"

p.

#

section

21

I

"the white Tibetan A painted on a dark background card mounted on a stick and surrounded by a rainbow circle"

II

"opportunity for the inherent energy (rang rtsal) of the mind to manifest as visions in the total darkness. ... The practitioner may also develop clairvoyant sight, seeing through walls, even ... to illuminate the interior of the dark retreat house."

22

IIIA

"opportunity for pure visions (dag snang) to arise spontaneously, first as bindus or thigleys, tiny points of light in space, initially black and white, but later in colors. These then come to form awareness-chains (rig-pa>i lu-gu-rgyud) and ... geometric patterns, lattice works, cross-hitching, and so on."

24

"The inherent radiance of Rigpa, or pure awareness, manifests as Clear Light. This Clear Light of Rigpa abides in the hollow space inside the physical heart ... . From there, it overflows spontaneously through the hollow translucent Kati channel as its pathway, this channel connecting the heart to the eyeballs. The five clear lights, having the color {viz., iridescence} of a peacock's feather, shine out through the eyes and manifest in space in front of oneself. ... Because one radically relaxes the elements ..., certain secret signs are produced.

The relaxing of the __ element

gives rise to the vision of __ .

earth

smoke

water

mirage

fire

fire-flies

air

daybreak

space

radiance of sunrise

These same secret signs also appear to the dying individual ... ."

IIIB

"have a clear open view to ... the sun".

#

gaze of __

is __

1

cakra-vartin

straight ahead

2

"dignified lion"

upward

3

bodhi-sattva

downward

p.

#

posture

24

1

"dignified lion, sitting like a dog on the haunches"

2

"reclining elephant, lying down on one's belly" {prone}

3

"crouching ascetic, crouching like an old man" [(p. 25) "holding the knees against the chest and supporting the chin on the palms of the hands"]

25

4

"waddling goose"

5

"crystal antelope" [(p. 33) "crystal antelope climbing a rock"]

No-sprad-pa ("direct introduction") to the gZ^i ("Base"), or Primordial, which is the Sems-n~id ("Nature of Mind") : "a clear distinction is made between

mind (sems), on the one hand, the ordinary thought process (blo), and

the Nature of Mind, on the other hand, which is beyond the thought process"

#

relation

which is __

1

Ma ("Mother")

Kun-gz^i ("basis of everything")

2

Bu ("Son")

Rig-pa ("intrinsic awareness")

3

rTsal ("Energy")

"pure potentiality"

4

"Their unity"

dByer-med ("inseparability")

p. 36

Ma Kun-gz^i "is distinguished from and should not be confused with the ... (kun-gzhi rnam-shes, Skt. [alaya-vijn~ana]) ... . Consciousness (rnam-shes) represents awareness (rig-pa) when it is ... limited by mind, or mental processes." Bu Rig-pa "is characterized as luminous

p. 37

clarity (gsal-ba), and as being the Nature (rang-bzhin)."

Kun-gz^i "may be compared to the open and unobstructed dimension of the sky and

Rigpa may be compared to the face of the sun appearing in the sky".

"Initially the primal cognitions of awareness (rig-pa>i ye-shes) arise spontaneously and unceasingly because they represent the inherent potential energy (rang rtsal) of the Nature of Mind. These phenomena are self-manifestations (rang-snang) ... . The are, therefore, radiant and translucent (mdangs)".

"Wisdom (shes-rab) distinguishes between true and false, real and unreal, moral and immoral, good and bad, beautiful and ugly ... . {This faculty of discrimination is the "intellect", which along with the "mind" (noos) and the "soul" (psuche), constitute the factors of consciousness (individual or cosmic) in the Neo-Platonic metaphysics.}

However, Yeshe [ye-s`es] is non-dual awareness ... . ... ye-shes translates Sanskrit [jn~ana], which is cognate with Greek [gnosis]."

"There is a difference between ... (dbyer-med), "inseparability," as used in [r]Dzongchen texts and ...

(zung->jug), "unification" in Tantra texts.

Unification implies that two different things are brought together and merged into one, whereas

inseparable means that they have never been separate."

"[r]Tsal, or potential energy, gives rise to apparitional displays (cho->phrul)".

"The delusion system (>khrul-lugs) is the individual's constructed reality ... . ...

The six aggregates of consciousness (tshogs drug) refer to the five[-]sense consciousnesses, plus mental consciousness.

The functional mind (yid, Skt. manas) is like a computer running its many programs ... {automatically, without awareness of so doing}.

In addition to this, there is an awareness present which is aware of this running of many programs. This is called mental consciousness (yid-shes)."

p. 40

"coming face to face with the Clear Light after death, that is to say, with the radiant light of one's own intrinsic awareness" : "Liberation occurs when the Clear Light is recognized".

p. 41

"Encountering the Clear Light, when one understands, that represents the process of liberation (rtogs te grol tshul). ... Rigpa arose like the sun at dawn; he recognized its face and became the sun.

p. 42

... Practicing contemplation during one's lifetime, one may realize the [Bu >Od-gsal] Son Clear Light, but following death, one encounters the [Ma >Od-gsal] Mother Clear Light]."

p.

#

stage

44

1

"The visions increase (snang-ba >phel-ba),

where one sees thigleys and awareness chains,

45

2

The visions multiply (snang-ba mched-pa),

where one sees thigleys in five colors, threads and patterns, and partial images inside thigleys,

3

The visions develop further (snang-ba rgyas-pa),

where one sees visions in all directions and the complete divine forms of [deities],

4

The visions become completed (snang-ba rdzogs-pa),

where one sees complete man[.]d[.]alas and Pure [deity] Realms everywhere, and

5

The final visions (snang-ba mthar-thug-pa),

where ... the visions ... dissolve back into their source, the Clear Light".

#

the __ element

deteriorateth in the __;

one cannot perceive __ .

1

earth

spleen

touch

2

water

kidneys

hearing

3

fire

liver

flavor

4

air

lungs

odor

5

[akas`a]

heart

sight

p.

#

__ element

in __ disintegrateth,

the body __,

and with __ .

51

1

earth

navel

looseth strength

sinking feeling

2

water

"secret place"

looseth color

dry mouth

3

fire

heart

looseth heat

tongue black

4

air

throat

laborious breathing

hands grasping

52

5

[akas`a]

crown of head

breath ceaseth

sight faileth

p. 52

"Although the Rigpa pervades the entire living body, it is said to be concentrated in the hollow space within the physical heart ... . At death, it overflows through the translucent Kati channel connecting the heart with the eyes. It then exits the eyes, the right eye with the male and the left eye with the female."

p. 53

"From the ... hollow space in the heart where the Rigpa normally resides, it over flows through the Kati channel, which is divided in two in the brain, and comes to the lamp of the eyes. With males it is expelled from the right eyeball and with female from the left eyeball... . It temporarily lodges in the spot between the eyebrows on the forehead, the site of the so-called third eye, in the urna (mdzod-spu) ... . ...

After exiting the body, the [rNam-s`es] awakens to find itself in the Bardo, and

creates for itself a mind-made body (yid-lus). ...

{More accurately, while the deities are extracting the atman from the material body, they are shaking it into an astral body (which they have formed); and thereafter the atman may further be likewise extracted out of the astral body (pran.a-maya-kos`a) into a mental body (manas-maya-kos`a) -- all of which may be experienced, while living, by astral projection.}

Due to memories and past karma,

{Actually, this is due to specific actions of deities, rather to "memories and past karma", which cannot produce anything whether one be alive or dead.}

this subtle body perfectly resembles the body one had when one died, including the very clothes one was wearing.

The [rNam-s`es] in this subtle body remains in the vicinity of its dead body

{This is extremely unlikely, being as how both in astral projection and in the experiences of persons who have returned into their "corpses" (according to personal accounts in the Bon, rN~in-ma, and other records -- TN), the astral body at this juncture always rather promptly departeth from the vicinity of the material body.}

for three and a half days ... .

{cf. "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Euangelion according to Matthaios 12:40)}

p. 54

One can even become a ghost (gshin) haunting its old residence and become irritated when the family does not provide a place at the table for it at meal times. ...

These ceremonies are accompanied by the reading aloud of Bar-do thos-grol texts, ... describing to the deceased consciousness what one is experiencing and

p. 55

giving instructions for remedial practices. It is believed that from time to time, the deceased consciousness can hear and see these rituals."

"Here the direct introduction is considered is considered in terms of example (dpe), the actual meaning (don), and what is indicated (rtsags), Sometimes this process is known as ... (rig-pa>i rtsal dbang), "the empowerment which directly introduces the energy of awareness." ... Moreover, one is directly introduced by way of the inherent lights (rang >od) emanating from the Nature of Mind, which has its own inner light of awareness."

"Rigpa, or intrinsic awareness, is principally located in the hollow space in the heart ... as an immeasurable celestial palace that abides in the highest plane of existence, Akanistha."

p. 59

"the five [Dhyani] Buddhas [De-gs`egs lNa], or Lords of the Five Families [rGyal-ba Rigs lNa] ... of the Bardo of the Clear Light of Reality." ["This Bardo is known as the Bardo of the Clear Light of Reality (Bon-nyid >od-gsal gyi bar-do) and within it visions arise" (p. 54).]

p.

#

direct.

male Buddha

deity of

body-color

__ throne

59

1

east

gSal-ba Ran-byun

Body

yellow

elephant

2

north

dGe-ba Gar-phyug

Quality

green

horse

59-60

3

[59] west

[59-60] Bye-brag dNos-med

[60] Speech

red

dragon (>brug)

60

4

south

dGa>-ba Don-drub

Action

blue

garud.a

5

centre

Kun-snan Khyab-pa

Mind

white

lion

p.

#

sceptre

__ Ye-s`es (__ Gnosis)

female Buddha : Yum __ Lha-mo (Mother __ Goddess)

[they] purify the defiling emotion __

59

1

chags-s`in (swastika)

me-lon (mirror)

Sa Yi (Earth of)

"confusion"

2

>khor-lo (wheel)

mn~am-n~id (sameness)

rLun Gi (Air of)

pride

60

3

padma (red waterlily)

sor-rtog (discrimination)

Me Yi (Fire of)

desire

4

rin-chen [pretious stone]

bya-drub (all-accomplishing)

Chu Yi (Water of)

jealousy

5

dpal gyi be>u (auspicious knot)

ston n~id (emptiness)

Nam-mkha>i (Space of)

anger

p.

#

[they] govern __ organ

they abide at __ cakra

Buddha-couple's 2 syllables

petals of waterlily

male Buddha's wrathful aspect

59

1

spleen

navel

OM KHAM

4

g.Yun-drun Khro-gsas

2

lungs

throat

DZA YAM

4

Khro-bo rNam-gsas

60

3

liver

heart

OM RAM

4

[Khro-bo] [dBal-gsas (p. 61)]

4

[60] kidneys

"secret place"

HUM MAM

3

[gTum-gsas (p. 61)]

60-1

5

[60] heart

crown

E A

[p. 61] 4

Khro-rgyal gTso-mchog mKha>->gyin

sage

purifieth __

and liberateth beings from __

gSan-ba Nan-rin

anger

"hot and cold hells"

Mu-cho lDem-drug

desire

Preta realm

Ti-sans Ran-z^i

"confusion"

animal existence

gSan-ba >Dus-pa

jealousy

among the Tirthika-s

Che-rgyal Par-ri

pride

Asura realm

Ye-gs`en gTsug-phud

sloth [indolence]

Deva realms