The Mahayana Uttaratantra
Shastra
as taught by Arya Maitreya,
transcribed by Arya Asanga
a brief outline
according to commentaries given by Jamgon Kongtrul,
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche amd Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
Homage to the Lama
Based on the Dharani-raja sutra as spoken by the Buddha to King Isvara, this was one of five teachings given by Maitreya to Asanga in Tushita heaven. Considered too profound to be passed on during Asanga's lifetime, the Gyü Lamaí was concealed in a stupa and rediscovered by Maitripa, Marpa's guru. Maitreya appeared to Maitripa to clarify difficult points and Maitripa spread these teachings widely. Essentially, this teaching consists of:
THE SEVEN VAJRA TOPICS
1. Buddha
2. Dharma
3. Sangha
4. Buddha-nature
5. Buddhahood
6. Buddha
Qualities
7. Buddha
Activities
Just
as in autumn the form of the moon is seen
in
a cloudless sky and in the deep blue water of a lake,
the
form of the All-Embracing is seen by the Victor's heirs
in
the perfect buddha-mandala [and in the world].
-Uttaratantra Shastra, BN p. 230
Truly liberated from all
the
obscurations,
You possess the knowledge
that pervades all objects.
Mighty one, the tamer of
everyone in the world,
I prostrate to you who are
completely liberated. -Asanga
enlightened or perfect in knowledge, sangye in Tibetan
sang : purified, cleared away gye :
unfolded,
fully developed
The 2 types of refuge
the first three qualities bring perfect benefit
to oneself and relate to the dharmakaya
1. uncreated (du ma che) unborn (mi skyed pa)
2. peace and the spontaneous presence
(lhun grub) of everything beneficial
3. not realized through external causes
the last three have supreme value for others
4. perfect knowledge
a. knowing how it is
b. knowing variety
5. compassionate love
6. power to remedy ~ The Great
Physician
1. The Dharma of statements
1. the tripitaka teachings given by the Buddha2. The Dharma of realizationa. vinaya focusing on morality
b. sutra focusing on meditation
c. abhidharma focusing on wisdom2. commentaries, shastras [further classified into Tibetan & Indian masters]
a. assemble scattered parts
b. clarify hidden meanings
c. reveal profound aspects not easily understood
1. the truth of cessation ~is brought about by prajnaa. inconceivable- no thing, w/o substance, beyond the four conceptual extremes
b. non-dual- freedom from karma and defilement, empty and luminous
c. non-conceptual- pristine cognition, free from the limits of representational thinking2. the truth of the path ~has supreme value for others
a. purity, stainless~ free of emotional and mental obstacles as the sky and sun are unaffected by clouds
b. clarity, brilliance~ the light of jnana illuminating both relative qualities and the true nature
c. remedial power eliminating the three poisons~
1. the sangha of causal refuge- fellow
buddhists
2. the sangha of fruition- the realized sangha
the following six qualify sangha members
the first three benefit oneself and are aspects of knowledge;
1. jnana of how it is ~ dharmakaya, the
absolute
truth
2. jnana of variety ~ the relative truth of
phenomena
3. inner jnana (nang gi yeshe)~ the
actual
basis of 1 & 2 optimized
the last three have value for others and are aspects of liberation
4. free of emotional defilements
5. free of conceptual dualism
6. free of inferior views
"The intention behind the following ten points is to determine the meaning of the dharmadhatu" -Jamgon Kongtrul
1. the principle the Buddha-nature is inherently pure like
space~changeless -suchness not changing into something else: dharmakaya
"He is known as the one like the sky, because he has obtained omnicient understanding and knowledge of the sphere of action of the Dharmadatu - without center and without limits - boundless sphere of wisdom." -Lalitavistara Sutragem~wielding powers, wish-fulfilling: sambhogakaya"Because what is previous has no ending, it is indivisible. Rid of all error of conditions, causes, and conceptualization, it is difficult to reflect upon. Being the ultimate absolute, it can not be confused. Like space, it is everywhere." -Lalitavistara Sutra
"He is called the one who dwells in complete deliverance and unhindered knowledge, because he has abandoned obscure teachings. He is called the one with the body which has completely entered the Dharmadhatu, because he has passed from sight and is the same as space." -Lalitavistara Sutra
"Having perfected renunciation according to the Way, he is called cintamani, the king of precious gems." -Lalitavistara Sutrawater~a nature that has a moistening quality, compassion that pervades all beings: nirmanakaya
"He is known as the one like water, because he is free from all conceptions, spotless in body and mind, and clear of all defilements." -Lalitavistara Sutra2. the cause ~ 4 causes that allow Buddha-nature to manifest
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as true purity |
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asserting self |
as true self |
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as true happiness |
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as true permanence |
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3. the fruition of Buddha-nature beyond samsara and nirvana, has qualities of-
4. the function and influence of Buddha-nature: awakening beingstrue purity- counteracting karmic impurities true self- counteracts suffering in life true happiness- counters impermanent skandhas true permanence- counters a belief in a separate self
a. as one develops a weariness of samsara5. the endowments of the Buddha-nature are
b. one can see the benefits of nirvana
- divine sight, divine hearing, knowing the minds of others,
knowing death and rebirth, remembrance of previous lives
6. the manifestation in approaching the Buddha-nature, suchness takes three formsstainless jnana- heat of the lamp, primordial wisdom indivisibility of clarity and purity; color free of pollutants, abandonment free of defilement
8. all-pervasiveness of Buddha-nature is like spaceimpure in ordinary beings- with faults, the two obscurations, corresponds to the tathagata in terms of the basis mixed in bodhisattvas- with qualities, free of acquired sins, corresponds to the tathagata in terms of the path pure in the tathagatas- with ultimate qualities, free of innate sins, corresponds to the tathagata in terms of the fruit
~in the example of ordinary beings:"Earth rests upon water and water upon wind. Wind rests fully on space. Space does not rest on any of the other elements of wind, water, or earth" -Uttaratantra Shastra
~in the example of bodhisattvas:
~in the example of Buddhas:
V. Enlightenment or Buddhahood
"It is by nature clear light" -The Buddha
1. nature, essence
possessing the two types of purity
two kind of knowledge:lucid clarity like sun in the sky, the sun being essence of realization (yeshe) and sky being the nature, free of all obscurity (ka-dag) purity: having relinquished all emotional and cognitive obscurations, the supreme goodness of uncreated clear light pervades the possession of enlightened qualities is unchanged by incidental defilement: clouds the possession of the causal condition of the absolute and relative jnanas
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1. inconceivable | not an object of study, knowable only by jnana itself | |
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2. permanent | free of birth, unborn and becoming | |
3. eternal | free of aging, unconditionally present, steadfast, uncreated | |
4. at peace | free of sickness, undisturbed by existence | |
5. changeless | free of death, immutable, uncompounded | |
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6. perfectly at peace | free of suffering, full of great bliss, cessation | |
7. all embracing | free of cognitive limitations, pervasive clarity, complete insight | |
8. thought free | not trapped by concepts, without ideation, correct understanding | |
9. uninvolved | veil of mental poisons abandoned, free of clinging and attachment | |
10. unhindered | veil of
obstructions to knowledge
destroyed,
free of cognitive obscurations |
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11. free of coarse sensations | veil of
obstructions to meditative
equipoise removed,
free of sinking and agitation |
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12. invisible | free from features of visibility and ordinary cognition, formless | |
13. imperceptible | free of solid characteristics, ungraspable by ordinary intellect | |
14. pure | being by nature pure, wholesomeness | |
15. immaculate | free of adventitious stains, unimpeded samadhi |
6. manifestation as the three kayas
dharmakaya qualities ~ PROFOUND/ NATURE (rang bzhin gyi rtag pa)
the svabhavikakaya of the dharmakaya ~
five intrinsic characteristics
1. uncreated and totally
indivisible
2. free of excess and lack, no basis for nihilism
or eternalism
3. free of emotional, cognitive and subtle karmas
which stain ordinary meditation
4. free of all obscuration, not an object or field
of experience for any thought or conceptualization
5. clarity, field of experience of self-aware
primordial
wisdom
five outward qualities
1. immeasurable, unfathomable, beyond
signs,
images, names
2. infinite, uncountable virtues, beyond
number
3. inconceivable, beyond intellect, reasoning
and dialectics
4. incomparable, peerless, unequalled,
embraced
by Buddhas alone
5. ultimate purity, immaculate, best possible
abandonment, space of the tathagatas
sambhogakaya qualities ~ VAST/ UNINTERRUPTED (rgyun mi ' chad pa'i rtag pa)
the twelve deeds of a tathagataEnlightenment can be described in seven ways1. remaining in Tushita
2. descent and entry into a womb
3. taking birth
4. proficiency in the arts
5. enjoyment of consorts
6. renouncing the world
7. practicing asceticism
8. going to Bodhgaya
9. vanquishing Mara
10. attaining enlightenment
11. turning the wheel
12. passing into nirvana
1. Spontaneously Present (rang
byung)
2. Omniscience (shes bya thams cad
mkhyen pa)
3. Buddhahood: perfect abandonment,
perfect realization; correct and complete insight (sang rgyas nyid)
4. Supreme Nirvana, beyond torment
(mchog tu mnya ngan las 'das)
5. Inconceivable (bsam du med pa)
6. Foe-destroyer, arhat (bgra bcom
pa)
7. Self-cognizant Nature (so so rang
gis rig pa'i bdag nyid)
7. permanence
1. endless conditions ~ due to accumulations of bodhisattvas
2. infinite beings to liberate
3. great compassion ~ the heart of bodhicitta
4. miraculous cause ~ siddhi, the power to help
5. equality of samsara and nirvana ~ great equanimity
6. perfect happiness ~ the bliss of samadhi
7. mastery of all qualities ~ having destroyed all fetters
reasons for the permanence of the dharmakaya
1. deathless ~ transcendent to karma
2. unborn ~ at peace
3. protects and pervades the world ~ ultimate refuge
8. inconceivability ~ eight qualities
The first five show how both Dharmakaya and enlightenment are subtle and beyond the reach of thought
1. inconceivable, ineffable, beyond speechThe sixth shows how the Form kayas are inconceivable
2. inexpressible, ultimate truth
3. absolute, beyond the four extreme propositions
4. incomparable, inscrutable, beyond symbolic indication
5. peerless, unequalled, the highest of all
6. neither existence nor peace, not comprised of anythingTwo characteristics of Buddhahood, the last mode of the Self-sprung Ones [rang-byung]
7. non-abiding in the extremes
8. without conceptions about the faults of samsara or peace as a quality
VI. Enlightened Qualities freedoms of the ultimate kaya, of which there are 32
Ten aspects of the power of knowledge 'Power is like a vajra against the veil of unknowing.' -Uttaratantra Shastra
These ten aspects of power vanquish everything that is to be abandoned, each in correspondence to its respective cause. Having directly revealed themselves, they overcome the Four Maras, or in other words, anything belonging to the part that is non-conducive to oneself and [all] others.six powers vanquish cognitive obscurations-Jamgon Kongtrul, The Unassailable Lion's Roar, BN p. 221
The ten powers are the quintessence of firmness, essentiality, steadfastness, and unchangeability. Since they possess these four qualities or properties, all ten powers of the Great Sages, of all perfect Buddhas, are similar to a vajra.-Jamgon Kongtrul, The Unassailable Lion's Roar, BN -p. 223
1. knowing what is appropriate and worthless
2. knowing how actions will ripen
3. knowing the faculties of sentient beings
4. knowing their dispositions, temperaments
5. knowing the inclinations, aspirations and wishes of
beings
6. knowing where the various paths lead
three powers destroy meditative obscurations
7. knowing meditative stability, the concentrations
8. recollecting former states
9. superknowledge of the divine eye
one power destroys fine subconscious traces
10. knowing peace, the extinction of defilements
Four types of Fearlessness 'Fearlessness acts like a lion amidst [any] assembly.' -Uttaratantra Shastra
the first two relate to self, the latter to others
1. in proclaiming mastery of perfect abandonment
2. in proclaiming mastery of perfect realization
3. in showing the path
4. in revealing hindrances on the path
Eighteen qualities unique to Buddhas 'Like space are the unmixed features of the Tathagata.' -Uttaratantra Shastra
body~
1. perfection of physical behavior
2. perfection of speech
3. presence of mind is unimpaired
4. always abiding in meditative equanimity
5. beyond clinging to ideas
6. freedom from indifference or carelessness
understanding~
7. unwavering intention
8. unflagging exertion
9. unfailing intelligence and memory
10. no decline in understanding
11. no change in liberation
12. perfect jnana
actions~
13. physical actions preceded and followed by jnana
14. speech preceded and followed by jnana
15. mental events preceded and followed by jnana
16. perceives the past exactly as it was
17. perceives the future exactly as it will be
18. perceives the present exactly as it is
Such are the eighteen features; in addition to these there are further ones: His physical body is beyond measure and [the height of] his ushnisha cannot be perceived. At first sight and merely through being seen he pacifies the faults of sentient beings.In the shastra, this enumeration of the qualities of the Dharmakaya-Jamgon Kongtrul, The Unassailable Lion's Roar, BN p. 225
The Buddha's regent Maitreya says in the Abhisamayalankara: Whoever has the authentic truth, has the omniscience of the sages and can teach all their different kinds of teaching.the pathways of Buddha-activity are described in six ways
1. release from samsara: consists of
mastery
on the ten bhumis, symbolized by an ocean
full
of jewels
2. freedom through the practice of the two
accumulations:
symbolized by the sun which is
vital
for spiritual life
3. the fruition of this freedom in Buddhahood:
the vast and profound, symbolized by space
4. that all beings can achieve this fruition
by transcending the dual obstructions: symbolized by a buried
treasure
5. the achievement of this fruition is
enlightenment:
like clouds, obscurations are not
a
permanent feature of the sky
6. that the Buddha provides all things
necessary
to destroy obscurations: just as great wind
drives away all clouds
Nine examples of Buddha activity
1. body: like Indra
who is always present but the perception of his reflection in the lapis
lazuli of the mind determines the quality of his influence
2. speech: like the drum
of the gods, spontaneously sounding words such as
impermanence,
sufferng, no-self, and peace without anyone being there
3. mind: like monsoon
clouds which bring the rain of the teachings allowing beings
to transcend themselves
4. emanation: like Brahma
who never leaves the first rupadevaloka but is perceived in all
other
realms, the Buddha manifests in many ways without leaving the dharmakaya
5. wisdom: like the
sun which shines without thinking, the Buddhas radiate the
light
of Dharma on the minds of beings, some of whom grow while others wither
or hide in the shade... the sun cannot be blamed
6. the mystery of Buddha's mind: like a
wish-fulfilling gem spontaneously fulfilling the needs of
various
beings
7. the mystery of Buddha's speech: like an
echo, empty in itself and dependent on the mind who hears
it,
abiding neither outside nor inside
8. the mystery of Buddha's form: like space,
without substance it accomodates and liberates all beings
9. like the earth,
Buddha
activities are full of wisdom and virtues providing the basis for
all
growth and spiritual freedom
Five reasons why teachings on the enlightened essence were given to sentient beings:
1. to counteract discouragement or faintness
of
heart
2. to counteract the idea that we might already
be great bodhisattvas
3. to counteract more limited views
4. to dispel faults which arise from failing to
understand the entire scope of the Dharma
5. to vanquish self-cherishing
A Treatise on Buddha Nature, A
Commentary
on The Uttaratantra Shastra of Asanga by The Venerable Khenchen Thrangu
Rinpoche, Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi, 1994
Buddha Nature Ten Teachings
on the Uttaratantra Shastra by Thrangu Rinpoche, Rangjung Yeshe
Publications,
Kathmandu, 1993
Buddha Nature The
Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with Commentary Arya Maitreya,
transcribed
by Arya Asanga with commentaries by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and
Khenpo
Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, Snowlion, 2000