VAJRA POINT III: THE
SANGHA
"Shugchang" <bialick@usit.net> Date: Fri Jul 13, 2001
3:41 pm Subject: Vajra point
III: The Sangha
This mind being by
nature clear light,
they have seen the poisons to
be essenceless.
-Uttaratantra Shastra, BN p. 108
Je Gampopa
(1079-1153) in his Tsokchö
Chenmo, writes: If at this moment one wishes to achieve liberation from
the cycle of existence, one must recognize ordinary mind for it is the
root of all things. That which is designated as "ordinary mind" is
one's own awareness. Left in its natural state, this awareness remains
unstained by any [nonordinary] perceptive forms, unmuddled by any
levels of existential consciousness, and unclouded by dullness,
depression or thought. If one has discovered the identity of that mind
one has discovered the self-cognizing awareness. If one fails to gain
such an understanding, this ordinary mind remains with the coemergence
of ignorance. However, the understanding of that mind is called
awareness, the essence, the coemergent self-knowing, ordinary mind,
unmodulated simplicity, nondiscrimination, and luminous clarity.
Commentary by Takpo Tashi Namgyal
(1512-1587): The aforesaid term "unstained by any [nonordinary]
perceptive forms" means that [ordinary mind in its intrinsic nature] is
uncorrupted by the intellect's grasp of conceptual formulation or by a
supernormal sensation of bliss, lucidity, nonconception, and the like.
The term "unmuddled by any levels of existential consciousness" means
that the mind's abiding nature or its existential mode has not been
veiled by the confusing force of dullness or depression, remaining
undistracted by discursive thought or sensual incitement. The term "in
its natural state" means that the essential nature of mind, the inmost
disposition, or the existential mode that is undistorted by any concern
for acceptance or rejection.
-excerpted from Mahamudra, the
Quintessence of Mind and Meditation, p.
245, Namgyal, Shambhala, 1986
Shugchang" <bialick@usit.net> Date: Sat Jul 14, 2001
3:22 pm Subject: Re: Vajra point III: The Sangha
Thus seeing that beings are utterly
pure and that [this purity pervades] their limitless number, they are
endowed with the vision of primordial wisdom. I bow down to this
[Sangha].
-Uttaratantra Shastra, BN p. 108
In the gSang-sNgags Lam-Rim
(Graduated
Path Teachings on Secret Mantra) which exist in both the bKa'-ma and
gTer-ma lineages, Guru
Padmasambhava states-
The natural condition abides as the
very pure ground (bZhi). This
has
five aspects.
1. Being naturally empty from the very
beginning it has been pure regarding all substantial phenomena and thus
it is the very pure sphere (dByings).
2. The energy of emptiness is
unceasing as experience and so from the beginning there has been purity
regarding mind appearing to be real.
This is the very pure
pristine
cognition.
3. In the essence having the
non-duality of appearance and emptiness, all separate phenomena have
been pure from the very beginning
and so it is the very pure
non-duality.
4. The state has not been created suddenly but has
been present from
the very beginning and so it is the natural purity.
5. There are no other phenomena which are not pure
from the very
beginning and so it is the great purity.
In brief, the open actuality, the
subject, all the possible phenomena of samsara and nirvana, is without
anything to be rejected and so is naturally pure. Therefore it is the
unlimited purity.
Perfect purity is introduced in this
way so that by removing the wrong idea one will be freed from
attachment to the belief that confusion is natural to one's mind. The
purpose is the realization of perfect purity. The essence actually is
naturally completely pure.
-Padmasambhava excerpted from
Simply
Being, p. 91-2
pemakunzang@hotmail.com Date: Sat Jul 14, 2001 9:40 pm
Subject: Re: Vajra Point III: the Sangha
from Asanga's commentary:
"What is shown by this sloka?"
Because of its
purity of perception by
introspective knowledge,
So far as its manner and extent are concerned,
The Community of irreversible Bodhisattvas
[Is endowed] with the
supreme qualities.
By this it is explained, in brief,
that the Jewel of the Community of irreversible Bodhisattvas is endowed
with supreme qualities, because of its purity of perception by
supermundane knowledge, with respect to two aspects, [manner and
extent] i.e., 'being as it is' (yathavad-bhavikata
and 'being as far
as'(yavad-bhavikata). ***
Here, 'being as it is' should be understood
thus: because, they have understood the extremity of non-substantiality
(nairatmyakoti) of the whole
world called Individualities and Separate
Elements (pudgala-dharma-akhya)
as it is (yathavat). And this
understanding, relating to the non-annihilation of Individualities and
Separate Elements because of their nature of absolute quiescence from
the outset, is produced, in short, by two causes. Namely, because of
the perception of the innate brightness (prakrtiprabhasvarata) of the
mind, and because of their perception of 'being destroyed from the
outset' (adikshaya), i.e. the
extinction of defilements on the mind.
Here, these two, are quite difficult to be understood in relation to
the fact that, in the immaculate sphere, there is no succession of
second mind because both minds, good and bad, act together as one and
the same. ***
Here, 'being as far as' should be understood thus:
because they perceive the existence of the Matrix of the Tathagata in
all living beings, up to those who are in the animal kingdom, by means
of the supermundane intellect (lokottara-prajna)
which reaches as far
as the limit of all knowable things. And this perception of
Bodhisattvas takes place in the first Stage of the Bodhisattva, because
[verily in that Stage], the Absolute Essence is realized in the sense
of all- pervading' (sarvatraga).
FOURTH VAJRA POINT: BUDDHA NATURE
OUTLINE
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