Click Here to View the Index of Notes
**************************
42. This work is part of a trilogy. The other titles are similar to this one except for substituting bsam gtan, dhyana/
meditation and sgyu ma/ illusion for sems nyid, mind. This points out a central point of ati, that this very world of
samsara is the world of nirva.na, when we can relax and let it be so.
43 the Buddha.
44 In the purity of enlightenment phenomena are called ornaments of the essence, emptiness.
45 The Buddha jewel from the three jewels.
46 Mostly concerned with emptiness.
47 The three jewels are the Buddha, Dharma, and Sa.ngha, Each is the subject of a paragraph above. The one on the
Sa.ngha is the one that mentions the (Sa.nghas of Shravakas and so forth.
48 In addition to their existence as none other than the primordial nature of buddhahood.
49 arya sangha.
50 Whoever does even a little of the Buddha’s work of enlightening beings will gain the good karma of going to the celestial
realms. There they will receive excellent teachings and complete the path to enlightenment.
51 Rang bzhin bdag med de bzhin nyid yin kyang. Rang bzhin: nature, naturally, intrinsically; bdag med: selfless, egoless;
de bzhin nyid: suchness, nature, the (ultimate/true) reality or nature of things which is identified with the great emptiness
beyond concept. Everything including beings is really suchness that is intrinsically selfless. Though that is the case…
52 Ourselves.
53. Central = where the Buddha's teaching is taught.
54. Done extremely perverted evil deeds such as the five inexpiables.
55 Phun sum tshogs could also be rendered “perfect” or “complete.”
56. Having the perfections pertaining to oneself, and having the perfections pertaining to others altogether perhaps.
57. This passage consists of mnemonic cues, comprehensible only if one already knows the list.
58 The three realms: Desire, pure form and the formless.
59. dpyod pa.
60. sems 'byung.
61. rtog.
62. spyi la dmigs par mthong ba'i rtog pa.
63. blos shes bzhin.
64 Rang rig ye shes. Those wishing to stay closer to second turning terminology with the approach of direct apprehension
of emptiness say something like “personal awareness wisdom.” Those emphasizing the non-dual approach of the third
turning say something like “self-awarness wisdom. Both approaches affirm emptiness as absolute truth.
65 “Gzung a’dzin” is most often translated grasper and grasped, in a sense meaning subject and object. Later Longchenpa
will say that it should not be so understood.
66 The Buddha.
67. Great: beyond mind and not mind, all-inclusive.
68 Bdag nyid, “self,” might also be rendered “nature.”
69. rig pa: TRungpa Rinpoche liked to translate this insight (= wisdom) because the same word is used for conceptual
understanding. Also awareness or apprehension. Sometimes “kaya and wisdom” is used to express the enlightened object and
perceiver.
70 Actually it says “having” the clouds, but it is difficult to make that work in English.
71 It is a heavier burden than the hgher vehicles.
72 Womb of Space.
73 It says, since we a’byor what mind really is it is alled a’byor wa. A’byor ba can be translated unite, attain, favor, or
wealth in different contexts.
74 Proper: Chos bzhin, which could also mean dharmic. Dharma: chos.
75. I.e. monks and lay-people.
76. The seven aryan riches, 'phags pa nor bdun, faith, discipline, generosity, learning, decency, modesty, and prajña
(knowledge).
77. Below, upon, and above the earth.
78. sa gsum: over on and under the earth.
79 Dbang po might also be Indra.
80 They have become brilliantly accomplished through ascetic practice.
81. gser gyi ri bdun the 7 golden mountains from the Abhidharmakosha: surrounding Mt Meru
mu khyud a'dzin, rim rnam a'dud bent, rta rna, horse's ear lta na sdug, Pleasing-to-the-eye seng
ldeng can, Acacia Forest gshol mda'a a'dzin, Plow (handle) gnya'a shing a'dzin Yoke Holder ES
Beyond Mt Meru and completely surrounding it like curtains are seven mountain ranges, each forming a square.
Cf: Myriad Worlds, p. 110.
82 Trapezoidal.
83 The name is in fact duplicated here and in a number of other texts.
84 Following the Abhidharmakosha and the translation in Myriad Worlds, the continents and islands In Sanskrit and Tibetan
are: East: (Puurva)videha : lus a’Phags po Majestic Body, deha :lus Body, videha : lus a’Phags; South: jambudviipa,
a’Dzam bu gLing, caamara : rNga yab Tail Fan, Avara- or Upa- caamara : rNga yab gZhan Other Tail Fan; West:
Godaaniiya, ba lang sPyod, shaathaa, g.Yo ldan Crafty, uttara mantri.na : lam mchog a’gro Treading the Perfect Path;
North: (uttara)kuru : sgra mi snyan, kuru(va): sgra mi snyan Unpleasant Sound, kaurava sgra mi snyan gi zla Moon of
Unpleastant Sound.
85 Sudarshana, lta na sdug.
86 Sgra gcan. This is also the name of one of the planets, but here it is a king of the jealous gods and his realm.
87 Mgul ’pheng can.
88 thags bzangs ris tentatively identified as bi.mlatsihra. The term often applies to teeth, in which case the Sanskrit is
arivala. The same Tibetan is also used to identify Vemacitra, Splendid Robe, the Buddha sage of the realm of the jealous
gods, however the tshig mdzod chen mo lists thag bzang ris as a king of the jealous gods.
89 Sometimes Increasing Merit, bsod nams a’phel.
90. It contains a thousand squared or a million worlds.
91. It contains a thousand cubed, or a billion, worlds. However, Mipham argues in his commentary on Kaalachakra that the proper meaning is a
realm of three thousand worlds like ours, and cites texts that have this approach.
92. The first buddha of the present eon.
93 The order of channels and energies was reversed for metrical reasons.
94 De bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po: the womb or essence of the One who has Gone to Bliss, i.e. the Buddha.
95 Life.
96. As a name = Kuvera.
97. Below, upon, and above the earth.
98. Forces of sudden affliction by madness and calamity, for Tibetans personified as demons
99 The same as the six kinds of beings, combining the gods and jealous gods.
100 Alchemical elixirs of life.
101 Human birth.
102. lto 'phye, a sort of python demi-god, not the same as naagas, the serpent spirits above, usually water-dwelling. Typically they are depicted with
the top half of a human being and the bottom half of a snake. They are so huge they can put the world under their arms. Rig a’dzin, read rigs
a’dzin, “those holding the family of…” not translated.
103 Because having gained enlightenment ourselves, we can help others.
104 Sa skyong.
105 I.e. get enlightened.
106. 'phags pa'i nor bdun.
107 Except for this part the verses naturally fall into four line stanzas.
108. A passage in very long verses. Sukhaavatii: The western buddha field or pure land of “great Bliss.”
109 They: The blossoms who metaphorically are beings blossoming into buddhahood.
110 I.e. rising.
111 Rgyu skar. These have a relation to the moon’s course like that the constellations of the zodiac have to the sun’s.
112 Because of doubting it nevertheless.
113 Rgya shug can mean juniper of a small grain plant. Here it is a ci bi ka fruit tree.
114 Only spirits are mentioned in the commentary, so byol song probably does not refer to animals.
115 grum bum, kimbandha, a kind of human bodied animal headed yaksha spirit or demon that usually lives in the ocean and
may send attacks of sickness.
116 Again, lto a’phye here seems not to refer to snakes, but spirits with partial serpent bodies, such as nagas and the earth
lords also called lto a’phye.
117. The precious wheel, gem, queen, elephant, horse, treasure-vase, and minister.
118. lus srul po ES.
119 The gods.
120 dpang read dbad.
121 Merits of body, speech and mind.
122 The three types of suffering.
123. These are the three poisons or root kleshas.
124. shes pa.
125. yul so so.
126. sems, the sense identified with grasping.
127 skye mched
128. yul can gyi blo.
129 Toward which we have positive, negative or neutral feelings.
130. rang ngo. Our own nature.
131 gzhan dbang: Literally “other powerdness.”
132 mtshan nyid chad pa'i kun brtags.
133. mtshan nyid, rnam grangs. mtshan nyid is the same word logicians use for the defining characteristics discovered by valid
reasoning. The word is one of the categories refuted by madhyamaka (what isn't?) but even there it is allowed validity
conventionally. Here, provocatively, it is simply equated with being wrong, and distinguished from the accountable, which
here is the sphere of conventional truth and falsity.
134. kun btags.
135. rin po che sna bdun.
136. It could also be said that if everything is mind, the term makes no distinction and is meaningless.
137 Illusory hairs, “floaters” in the eyes.
138. don spyi.
139. This appears to be addressed to an exponent of madhyamaka who holds that external objects truly exist from a
conventional viewpoint, though not from the viewpoint of analysis for the absolute.
140. Ordinary language distinguishes my sensations (personal appearances) of this flower from the flower itself, although there
is no double vision of both at once. For example, if I close my eyes, the sensations vanish, but the flower does not.
141. gnyis med can mean either both are not (existent) or not two = non-dual.
142. Red and white can have the sense subjective and objective.
143 Literally gzhan dbang, “other power” or -dependent.
144 Or “categorized.”
145. khams.
146 false conceptions, relativeity and complete perfection.
147. srab mthug.
148 Usually it is said that on blazng iron ground the minions of the Lord of Death draw black lines on the bodies of the
beings in this hell. Then they are cut to pieces along those lines. They are rejoined and the same thing happens over and
over. some accounts call it the Black Thread hell, saying that after they are cut apart they are sewn together again with
black thread.
149 Free from strife: Aviha : a’thab bral. Twin gods: yaama: mtshe ma’i lha. See explanation below.
150 Here, it does not say “years of such days,” as above.
151 They are tortured in iron houses that are each within another iron house.
152 The Tibetan nyi tshe ba, literally “of one-day life,” can mean short-lived, restricted, limited to one or a few individuals,
etc.
153 According to the Mahaavyupatti the Sanskrit is variously renedered (-shrona ko.tii kar.nah:,(sona kuti kanna in
Mahaavagga V.13); it means Born under the star sravana with ten million ears.
154 Dra ba can. The meaning is probably “having latticed (windows).”
155. Wooden clacker.
156 Also known as the River of Ashes.
157 This is filled in from other descriptions. Literally it says “seeing nice shady pits.”
158. Or fermenting grain.
159. Iron trees of Hell with sharp leaves and thorns.
160 Following tshig mdzod chen mo, brang breng read breng breng.
161 The Lord of Death.
162. 1 having blisters chu bur can; #2 having bursting blisters, chu bur rdol ba can 3 swo tham tham pa: teeth chattering 4 achu
5 ALAS!, kye hu 6 ut pa la ltar, like an utpala lotus7 pad ma, lotus 8 pad ma che, great lotus.
163 Their sufferings.
164. Guenther reads this as "the country of Magadha."
165. khal: #25-30 lb.
166 Including the hottest part of the year in India.
167 klu. These include both snakes and serpent like spirits.
168 Another naga king
169. ngal snabs read nar snabs.
170. nyer len gyi phung po. Khenpo Palden Sherab Rinpoche explains this by saying it means the skandhas are closely
associated with suffering. etc. Another common interpretation is that the skandhas perpetuate their own samsaric existence
171 spron read sbron.
172. Erik Schmidt. Four Currents: 'dod pa, desire; srid pa, existence; ma rig pa, ignorance; log par lta ba, wrong views.
173 Mere mental consciousness that does not have the attachments of the kleshas.
174. Air.
175. The first dhatus appears to = physical element, while the second also seems to have the sense of the 18 dhatus.
176. gzung ba’i rtog pa.
177. ‘dzin pa’i rtog pa. Sometimes dpyod pa instead of rtog pa.
178 Appearance is used here in such a way that “false appearance” would be redundant.
179. dbyen spyos.
180 The realm of pure form.
181. Cf. a second account below. In general it is said that dhyana 2 eliminates concept and analysis, dhyana 3
concentrated joy, and 4 bliss, leaving several other factors such as those named.
182. in the god realms.
183. cf. ‘bras bu lnga - rgyu mthun gyi ‘bras bu dang, bdag po’i ‘bras bu dang, skyes bu byed pa’i ‘bras bu dang, rnam
smin gyi ‘bras bu dang, bral ba’i ‘bras bu ste lnga’o,//.
the five fruitions are the fruition according with the cause, dominant fruition, being-producing fruition, fruition of ripening,
and fruition of separation. The last applies only to good actions.
184. Dharmakaya
185. Sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya.
186. 1 Passion, 2 aggression, and 3 ignorance; 4 all acting or as 5 imprint;
That to be abandoned by 6 seeing and 7 meditation;
The higher bhumis relatively 8 impure and 9 pure. This summarizes the relationship of the nine examples to the
defilement removed and the level of the path on which the removal occurs.
187 Those who fixate conceptually established emptiness of composite dharmas become nihilists who deny the validity of
the kayas, wisdoms, buddha qualities and so forth.
188. kha myag. It affects the mother too.
189 Because the elements are unreal.
190 brkams: either “have extreme craving” or “dried up.”
191 dar yug chen po literally means “great silk scarf/ banner.”
192. The six perfections and compassion.
193. The glossary to the Rain of Wisdom q.v. says they are like the seven aspects of supreme union: evidently natureless,
filled with the wisdom of bliss-emptiness, possessing changeless mahasukha, they have all enjoyments without
suffering, their changeless wisdom bliss is uninterrupted, they are filled with the great compassion. Taming
others in all the times and directions they have continuity.
194. Erik Schmid’ts Dictionary lists The Arya-subhapariprcha-nama-tantra Good Army Tantra, but not a sutra.
195 That is, to become enlightened one need only realize the space-like emptiness of the kleshas, skandhas and so on.
196 Cultivating virtue.
197. The five powers and faculties of a buddha.
198 As discussed above, also known as the four thoughts that turn the mind: How the freedoms and favors are so difficult to
obtain, how all is impermanent and death is certain, karmic cause and effect, and the faults of samsara.
199. karma.
200 A sign of accomplishment.
201. That accomplishes wishes.
202. A river of ashes and boiling water in the fourth neighboring Hell.
203 Noble, exalted or venerable lord.
204 Fill the taste of sense... Omitted for metrical reasons.
205 “Death when life ceases” Omitted for metrical reasons.
206. mhkhan po, upadhyaya. Learned one, teacher, preceptor. This is the way the teacher is thought of in hinayana, as
opposed to the guru of vajrayana
207. Hee there are slight variants: Bodhicaryavatara: ci nas ting ‘dzin brtson pa ni As for trying to keep samadhi in every
way. This commentary: ci nas rtse cig sems kyis ni
============================
bdag gi yod ‘di gar /spyod/dpyod ces.//think “where is mind
208. This commentary: srog la bab kyang srung shig ces. Bodhicaryavatara: thams cad ‘bad pas...with every effort.
209. This commentary: spyan lnga. Bodhicaryavatara: spyan sna before their eyes.
210. This commentary rnams. Bodhicaryavatara: rnam. Pronunciation and meaning the same.
211. This commentary: chags pa. Bodhicaryavatara: chags par.
212. Bodhicaryavatara” sa rko rtsa. This commentary: sa brko rtswa. No difference in pronunciation and meaning.
213. Bodhicaryavatara: dor. This commentary: btang. Can be synonymous, but might not.
214. Bodhicaryavatara: brtan pas com par. No difference in meaning.
215. Bodhicaryavatara: ‘am, or. This commentary: dang, and.
216. This commentary: slu sems, Bodhicaryavatara: bslu sems. No difference in pronunciation or meaning.
217. This commentary: ‘gyod, Bodhicaryavatara: ‘gyed: No difference in meaning.
218. This commentary: yid ni brtan por. Bodhicaryavatara: de ni brtan par, referring back to another “yid.” Same
meaning.
219. Bodhicaryavatara: brtan stable, trustworthy. this commentary: brten: supporting, trustworthy.
220. Bodhicaryavatara: bcas dang. This comentary: dang bcas. No difference in meaning.
221. Bodhicaryavatara: yid ‘di this mind. this commentary: yid ni, as for mind. No real difference in meaning.
222. This commentary: sprul zhing nga rgyal med pa ni: Without emanation and pride: Presumably an error.
Bodhicaryavatara: sprul pa bzhin du nga med par.
223. bsngo. The same word is used for dedication the merit.
224 A kusulu yogin renounces all activity except for eating, sleeping and elimination.
225 “Two perfect accumulations... two obscurations.” Omitted for metrical reasons.
226. Sa dkar can: place having white earth.
227. byis pa gson: child or fool listening.
228. dgrar bcas: with enemies.
229 It is not good to abandon the quest for enlightenment and seek rebirth in heaven by performing good deeds. However,
being deceived into the bad paths of samsara that lead to the lower realms is far worse.
230 They take refuge in deities of these.
231 Technically three asamkhya kalpas would be 3 x 1050 kalpas.
232 Nirmanakayas.
233. Body, speech, and mind.
234. gsung rab yan lag bcu gnyis - twelve divisions of the teachings. 1) mdo ‘i sde. = discourses or general teachings.
2) dbyangs kyis bsnyad pa’i sde. = hymns and praises. 3) lung du bstan pa’i sde. = prophecies. 4) tshigs su bcad
pa’i sde. = teaching in verse. 5) ched du brjod pa’i sde. = aphorisms. 6) gleng gzhi’i sde. = pragmatic narratives.
7) rtogs pa brjod pa’i sde. = biographical narratives. 8) de lta bu byung ba’i sde. = narratives of former events as
examples. 9) skyes pa’i rabs kyi sde. = jataka narratives of former births. 10) shin tu rgyas pa’i sde. = extensive
teachings. 11) rmad du byung ba’i sde. = narratives of marvels. 12) gtan la dbab pa’i sde. = teachings in
profound doctrines.
mdo sde dbyangs bsnyan lung bstan tshigs su bcad
ched brjod rtogs pa brjod dang de ltar byung
gleng gshi shin tu rgyas dang skyes rabs bcas.
gtan phab rmad du byung ba’i sde rnams so
Sutra and geya vyaakaraaaa and gaathaa,
Udaana and nidaana, avadaana and ityukta,
Jataka vaipulya, adbhutadharma, and upadesha.
235. dge bsnyen - layman, lay devotees, virtue obtained, people with the five precepts not to kill, not to lie, not to steal,
not to take intoxicants, not to engage in sexual misconduct, upasika. The five to be renounced for laymen, layvows.
see also under renunciate and layman, dge tshul - novice, novice monk, shramanera. novitiate. the precepts
are those five with the addition of afternoon food, singing and the wearing of ornaments, the ten to be renounced by
novices. dge slong - fully ordained monk with 250 precepts, --ma nun with 350.
236. Like buddha family.
237. The Tibetan for “jewel” in this case literally means “rare and excellent.”
238. The new transmission schools call the inner tantras anuttara yoga, and say that it has within it father, mother, and
non-dual tantras, e.g. Hevajra, Chakrasamvara, and Kalachakra. The nyingmas usually say that beyond mahayoga
are two more vehicles, anuyoga and ati yoga. This passage has been phrased to work in both cases.
239. gzungs can also mean to the power of retentiveness of what is learned on all levels. Guenther said “spiritual
sustenance.”
240 That is, as being pure.
241. kun tu sbyor ba gsum - the three fetters. 1) ‘jig lta = ‘jig tshogs la lta ba -view of a transitory collection, futile
view, perishable view. – satkaryadrsti, wrong view believing in the real “I” and mine in the many impermanent,
perishable entities included within the five perpetuating skandhas. 2) tshul brtul mchog ‘dzin -holding a discipline
as paramount. 3) the tshom nyon mongs can -possessing the klesha of doubt.
242 Of the ten non-virtues.
243. rgyal srid rin chen sna bdun - the seven precious royal possessions. 1) ‘khor lo -, rtsibs stong -1000 spoked wheel.
2) nor bu -, yid bzhin nor -wish-fulfilling gem. 3) btsun mo -queen 4) glang po elephant -, khyu mchog glang herd-leader
or bull elephant. 5) rta mchog- excellent horse - 6) khyim bdag -steward. 7) dmag dpon -general.
244. gzhan ‘phrul dbang byed - constantly enjoying pleasures provided, one of the 28 classes of gods in the desire realm,
land of controlling other’s emanations, the Paranirmitavasavartin gods, Heaven of controllers of others’ emanations,
the 6th heaven in the realm of desire gods.
245. Youth, prince.
246. Dharma, meaning, definitions, and brilliant confidence.
247 All this is the first.
248. the eighth bhumi.
249. This and “at the end above: rgyun mthar.
250. The four dhyanas, four formless attainments, and samapatti of cessation.
251. Or forgotten.
252. These are buddha qualities.
253. The three kinds of tulkus: sprul sku gsum, here bzo ba’i sprul sku, skye ba’i sprul sku, mchog gi sprul sku.
Elsewhere sna tshogs sprul sku, various tulkus who are the same as working tulkus, bzo ba’i sprul sku. This phrase
has sometimes been rendered emanation of artistry or created nirmanakaya; ‘gro ‘dul sprul sku and rang bzhin
sprul sku: The working or various tulkus are gifted individuals, artists, craftsmen, scientists etc who so benefit
beings. The born or taming tulkus are the rinpoches usually called tülkus, who have taken human birth in order to
tame beings by the Dharma. The supreme tulku is the Buddha.
254. Here, as in the name of the Gyalwa Karmapa, karma is synonymous with buddha activity.
255. nges par ‘byed pa’i cha dang mthun pa bzhi: drod, rtse mo, bzod pa, ‘jig rten pa’i chos mchog.
256 Siddhis.
257. The three Faiths (dad pa gsum). Sincere faith: dang ba’i dad pa. conviction: yid ches pa’i dad pa. and irreversible
devotion phyir mi ldog pa’i dad pa. the three kinds of faith. inspired, aspiring, and confident faith or confidence.
Another common list is: faith of faith, faith of desire and faith of trust.
258 Renounce.
259. From the passage below gzungs seems to mean mantric practice. However gzungs sprin ye shes can be a cloud of
spiritual wisdom attained through practicing path of seeing.
260 The first kind of selflessness realizes the emptiness of a real self that owns the dharmas it perceives and those same
dharmas insofar as they are regarded as owned by it. It does not realize the selflessness of dharmas altogether.
Abhidharma Buddhist philosophy shares this approach with the Samkhyas etc. The second approach is most typical of
pratyekabuddhas, but is perhaps easiest to understand if we think of the mind-only school. It realizes the emptiness of
grasped objects because of interdependent arising, but tends to cling to the reality of the grasping perceiver and perception.
Having realized the emptiness of the object and perceiver of individuals and the emptiness of the object, but not the
perceiver, of dharmas altogether, these individuals realize “one and a half” of the two egolessnesses.
261. Good, evil, and neutral.
262. An onion is good western equivalent.
263 The immeasurables.
264 Meter
265. The commentary says nine.
266 In discipline, samadhi and prajña.
267 Clouds of Dharma.
268. Among the animals.
269. lto ‘phye. A class of hungry ghosts.
270 Madhyamaka and mind-only
271. Gold, silver, turquoise, coral, pearl, emerald, sapphire.
272 rgyan gyi mdo.
273 hostile and...
274 ... phenomenally existing within the ten directions.
275 A variety of excellent... Omitted for metrical reasons.
276. Kettle -drum style.
277 Some lotuses like the blue utpala are day-blooming, and some like the white kumut are night-blooming.
278 “Adorned with a rabbit’s... Omitted for metrical reasons.
279 rgyu skar, the lunar equivale nt of the solar zodiacal constellations.
280. I.e. the Buddha.
281. Attaining the first bhumi, supremely joyful.
282. ’khor gsum: Subject, action, and object of an action.
283. dmigs med: Can also mean non-conceptuality, non-perception, imagelessness.
284 Goodness in accord with liberation.
285 Here the students say the names that were given them in the ceremony.
286 Nye bar ’tsho might also mean “cure.”
287. This seems to be a summary corresponding in a general way to Chapter 51 of Cleary’s translation pp. 328 ff. There are differences in
detail. Thomas Cleary, Entry into the Realm of Reality, Volume Three of the Jewel Ornament Sutra, (Shambhala: Boston), 1987.
288 By miracle.
289. Cf. p. 339 of Cleary
Look at Sudhana, son of compassion and love, universally kind;
Welcome tranquil eyes, do not flag in practice.
290. Next verse. The differences here seem to come from differences in translation in different versions.
291. The same also means kindness.
292. P. 349 Cleary
293. Cf. Cleary p. 350. This is summary.
294 Cf. Cleary, p 352.
295 This continues until Cleary, 365.
296 “Alternate sending and taking...”, omitted for metrical reasons.
297 As a self.
298 This is from verse VI.119 from the chapter on the perfection of patience. The first half of the verse says, “Therefore, the
Sage has said that sentient beings are a field and victorious ones are also a buddha field.” Field here means a situation in
which progress can be made toward enlightenment.
299. Shantideva says dpung. Longchenpa explains this as dpung tshogs: troops. I.e. it is a metaphor of battling evil.
300. grel chen substitutes ‘dun pa “aspiration.
301 V.42 There “It” refers to “not losing the effort of samadhi for even an instant,” in the previous verse. The verse
continues, “Thus at the time of generosity it is taught that discipline should be sent into equanimity.
302 Cutting the bud so that a lotus can bloom
303 And most importantly a monk.
304 With a turban.
305 rim read rin.
306. The Triskandha Sutra, tr. in ed. Bereford Mahayana Purification Practices, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Dharamsala,
1978.
307. ‘phags pa’i nor bdun - the seven noble riches/ faith, discipline, generosity, learning, decorum, modesty, and knowledge, knowledge/
intelligence.
308 The great compassion is beyond the limitations of ordinary concepts of compassion and noncompassion. Other
analogous phrases, such as “the great emptiness” are similar.
309 Or “true.”
310 Fill in the blanks with the appropriate name and transgression.
311 Self and other, according to the commentary that follows.
312 Of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas.
313 They are chaste.
314 bsdu ba'i dngos po bzhi: the four means of magnetizing/ attraction/ conversion and gathering/ ways of winning devotees/
gathering beings/ positively influencing/ benefiting others samgrahavastu 1) generosity, giving, sbyin pa. 2)
pleasing/affectionate speech, kind words, snyan par smra ba. 3) meaningful conduct, appropriate teachings, don spyod pa.
4) accordant meaning, consistency in behavior between words and actions, don mthun pa. Erik Schmidt.
315 Of the shravakas, pratyekabuddhas or bodhisattvas, as appropriate.
316 Directly the three below. Longchenpa does not say explicitly how his two kinds of compassion are discussed in the
passage, and how his three categories relate to the three in the passage.
317 Which does not exist according to Buddhism.
318 See commentary below.
319 The three higher trainings in discipline, samadhi and prajña. 1) lhag pa tshul khrims kyi bslab pa. 2) lhag pa ting nge
'dzin gyi bslab pa 3) lhag pa shes rab kyi bslab pa.
320 Nagas are said to be very wealthy.
321 Also “associate with...”
322 8.34
323 See Longchenpa’s commentary below.
324 The two aspects of being seen as if with closed and open eyes. Also meditation and post-meditation, though described
as separate in the following quote, are combined with a single nature.
325 Referring to the three lines immediately preceding.
326. mthong ba’i chos la bde bar gnas pa’i bsam gtan. Erik Schmidt. sder gnas read bder gnas
327. dpyod pa. Rtog dpyod: conception and discernment, ideas and scrutiny.
328 Discussed below.
329 Roughly, the distinction is that contemplation is concerned with practices limited by samsaric forms and concepts, while
meditation transcends these in various ways. Thus it is almost the reverse of Catholic usage of these terms.
330 Conceptually described, the logial teachings of emptiness and so forth.
331 yang dag. The truth of the true relative.
332 The literal meaning of the Tibetan kun rdzob is “disguised in a costume” or “spurious.” The translation “relative” was
used because some pure forms of kun rdzob, as presented below are neither disguised nor spurious. That does obscure the
meaning of some passages like this where the literal sense is primary.
333 The same point is made when madhyamaka says that no entities bear the analysis.
334 If absolute and relative are separate, what appears in a true and absolute way does not appear in a confused and relative
way. However, what in true reality does not appear at all cannot appear in a confused way either.
335 Isolated nihilistic emptiness is false
336 If the absolute is being defined as being beyond complexity, i.e. characteristics, this causes problems in Buddhist logic
which presupposes that for all entities either any given characteristic or its negation will apply
337 The Tibetan has a similar repetition “‘gro bar ‘gro.”
338 As explained below.
339 Those of the shravakas and the pratyekabuddhas, and the Mahayana.
340 Low caste people or shudras. Omitted for metrical reasons.
341 Impurity of life, (tshe'i snyigs ma) impurity of view, (lta ba'i snyigs ma), impurity of conflicting emotions, (nyon mongs
kyi snyigs ma) impurity of sentient beings (sems can gyi snyigs ma) and impurity of time (dus kyi snyigs ma)
342. rngam glog is also the name of a deity.
343. This can also be a name for Mount Meru, which has sides of precious substances.
344 stsogs = sogs = etc. omitted for metrical reasons,
345 Breaths, or corellated with them.
346 dpa’a bo dpa’a mo: this also means daka and dakin.i
347 with backwards kiku.
348. Lord of the mandala, Vairochana and his consort Akashadhatvishvari.
349. ...Three mandalas.
350. rdzogs can also mean perfection. The exhaustion of samsara is the perfection of enlightened reality
351 Or exhaustion.
352. The net of nadis and prana, which when mastered gives mastery of the network of interdependence.
353 By that burning...it goes. Omitted for metrical reasons.
354 The nadis.
355 body, feeling, mind, and dharmas.
356 mi tshangs spyod pa. For persons with views and disciplines of chastity, such as monks and nuns, refraining from sex.
For others, refraining from improper sexual objects, as explained above.
357 External samaya of body... Omitted for ,metrical reasons
358 I.e the path for removing defilement
359 This was the outer.
360 Worse than the former. Omitted for metrical reasons.
361. tana gana = sbyor sgrol, union and liberation. Liberation sometimes = killing. The other action is consuming
intoxicants in feast practice. These five are the negation of the five precepts of getsul vows or which often
accompany refuge vows for lay disciples.
362. The five amritas. some versions have brains instead of human flesh. rakta: menstrual blood, thought to be the
feminine contribution to an embryo. White bodhicitta, semen,
363 Literally “immovable.” Also a secret symbol for urine.
364 bud med is a common word for women. Literally it means “indispensable.” This verse seems to refer to menstrual
blood.
365 Vajra substances, these five amritas.
366 An epithet of the sun.
367 Samadhis and five rites. Omitted for metrical reasons.
368 Human excrement. Omitted for metrical reasons.
369 yang ba.
370 and so on. Omitted for metrical reasons.
371 The one taste of emptiness and great bliss. Wheel means something like sphere or mandala.
372 ...It is said. Omited for metric al reasons,
373. “Wish-fulfilling kayas and amritas.” Omitted for metrical reasons
374 bsam du med also has the sense of inconceivable and beyond thought.
375 rten ‘brel here does not assert a causal connection in the relative sense.
376. Sambhogakaya
377 They are rectangular, but one side adjoins the palace.
378. Beams over the main shrine area that protrude.
379. (lda ldi) - silk tongues tied together at the upper end in garlands, a particular kind of offering hung on house tops,
fringe or tassel, string of beads or flowers, cloth wreath.
380. also name of deity , Deje Tsegpa.
381. The roof structure over the square.
382. tsong tsong.
383. bsil ba dang, zhim pa, yang ba, ‘jam pa, dvangs pa, dri ma med pa, lto la mi gnod pa, mgrin pa la mi gnod pa bcas
yon tan sna brgyad dang ldan pa’i chu bzang.
384. sometimes also azure
385. tshon gang as above.
386. pi wang
387.
Email....dzogchenexplorations@gmail.com
Northern New Mexico.....October 2013
**************************
No comments:
Post a Comment