Light of Wisdom, The Conclusion

The Light of Wisdom

The Conclusion

RANGJUNG YESHE BOOKS ♦ WWW.RANGJUNG.COM

PADMASAMBHAVA ♦ Treasures from Juniper Ridge ♦ Advice from the Lotus-Born ♦ Dakini Teachings

PADMASAMBHAVA AND JAMGÖN KONGTRÜL ♦ The Light of Wisdom, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, & Vol. 5

YESHE TSOGYAL ♦ The Lotus-Born

DAKPO TASHI NAMGYAL ♦ Clarifying the Natural State

TSELE NATSOK RANGDRÖL ♦ Mirror of Mindfulness ♦ Empowerment ♦ Heart Lamp

CHOKGYUR LINGPA ♦ Ocean of Amrita ♦ The Great Gate ♦ Skillful Grace

TRAKTUNG DUDJOM LINGPA ♦ A Clear Mirror

JAMGÖN MIPHAM RINPOCHE ♦ Gateway to Knowledge, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, & Vol. 4

TULKU URGYEN RINPOCHE ♦ Blazing Splendor ♦ Rainbow Painting ♦ As It Is, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 ♦ Vajra Speech ♦ Repeating the Words of the Buddha

ADEU RINPOCHE ♦ Freedom in Bondage

KHENCHEN THRANGU RINPOCHE ♦ King of Samadhi

CHÖKYI NYIMA RINPOCHE ♦ Present Fresh Wakefulness

TULKU THONDUP ♦ Enlightened Living

ORGYEN TOBGYAL RINPOCHE ♦ Life & Teachings of Chokgyur Lingpa

DZIGAR KONGTRÜL RINPOCHE ♦ Uncommon Happiness

TSOKNYI RINPOCHE ♦ Fearless Simplicity ♦ Carefree Dignity

DZOGCHEN TRILOGY COMPILED BY MARCIA BINDER SCHMIDT ♦ Dzogchen Primer ♦ Dzogchen Essentials ♦ Quintessential Dzogchen

ERIK PEMA KUNSANG ♦ Wellsprings of the Great Perfection ♦ A Tibetan Buddhist Companion ♦ The Rangjung Yeshe Tibetan-English Dictionary of Buddhist Culture & Perfect Clarity

MARCIA DECHEN WANGMO ♦ Confessions of a Gypsy Yogini

THE LIGHT OF WISDOM

THE CONCLUSION

THE ROOT TEXT

Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo

by Padmasambhava

as recorded by Yeshe Tsogyal, and revealed

and decoded by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

and Chokgyur Lingpa

THE COMMENTARY

The Light of Wisdom

by Jamgön Kongtrül the Great

THE NOTES

Entering The Path of Wisdom

by Jamyang Drakpa

as recorded by Jokyab Rinpoche

Supplemented with clarifying remarks by

Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Translated from the Tibetan by

Erik Pema Kunsang

with Gyurme Avertin, Cortland Dahl, and James Gentry

Edited by Marcia Binder Schmidt

RANGJUNG YESHE PUBLICATIONS • BOUDHANATH, HONG KONG & ESBY

Rangjung Yeshe Publications

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Hong Kong

Address letters to:

Rangjung Yeshe Publications

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Kathmandu, Nepal

Copyright © 1986–2013 Erik Hein Schmidt & Rangjung Yeshe Publications

First published edition 2013

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.

Publication Data:

The root text, Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, by Padmasambhava, as recorded by Yeshe Tsogyal, and revealed and decoded by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Chokgyur Lingpa. The commentary, The Light of Wisdom, by Jamgön Kongtrül the Great. The notes, Entering The Path of Wisdom, by Jamyang Drakpa, as recorded by Jokyab Rinpoche. Supplemented with clarifying remarks by Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Translated from the Tibetan by Erik Pema Kunsang (Erik Hein Schmidt), Gyurme Avertin, Cortland Dahl, and James Gentry. Edited by Marcia Binder Schmidt.

The Root Text: Bla ma’i thugs sgrub rdo rje drag rtsal las Zhal gdams lam rim ye shes snying po pad ma sam bha’i nying thig go. The Commentary: Bla ma’i thugs sgrub rdo rje drag rtsal las Zhal gdams lam rim ye shes snying po’i ’grel pa ye shes snang ba rab tu rgyas pa.

The Notes: Bla med nang rgyud sde gsum gyi rgyab chos pad-ma’i zhal gdams lam rim ye snying ’grel pa ye shes snang ba’i zur rgyan brgyud ldan bla ma’i zhal rgyun rnams brjed byang gcig bsdus ye shes lam ’jug.

ISBN 978962-7341-85-7

1. The Light of Wisdom: The Conclusion 2. Eastern philosophy — Buddhism. 3. Vajrayana — Tibet. I Title

COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF Phakchok Rinpoche

CONTENTS

List of Teachers

Editor’s Preface

VOLUME III

THE ROOT TEXT

THE COMMENTARY

CHAPTER 24

The All-Encompassing Activities

CHAPTER 25

The Path of Accomplishing

CHAPTER 26

The Result

THE NOTES

RESTRICTED TOPICS AND CHAPTERS

VOLUME V

THE ROOT TEXT

Epilogue

THE COMMENTARY

CHAPTER 34

Clearing Hindrances

CHAPTER 35

Enhancement

CHAPTER 36

The Final Fruition

CHAPTER 37

The Purpose of Oral Instructions

CHAPTER 38

Advice and Entrustment

CHAPTER 39

Conclusion

CHAPTER 40

Colophon for the Commentary

Appendix I: The Forty-six Faults

Appendix II: General and Particular Maras

Appendix III: Major and Minor Marks

THE NOTES

Teachers Consulted for Transmission and Clarifications:

Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche

Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

Tulku Pema Wangyal Rinpoche

Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche

Mingyur Rinpoche

Lama Putse Pema Tashi

Khenpo Tashi Palden

Tulku Jampal Dorje

Khenpo Yeshe Gyatso

Prepared by Rangjung Yeshe Translations

Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery

Kathmandu, Nepal

Translator: Erik Pema Kunsang

Associate translator and editor: Marcia Binder Schmidt

EDITOR’S PREFACE

The Light of Wisdom: The Conclusion is a compilation of three texts: (1) Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo (The Gradual Path of the Wisdom Essence), a terma root text recorded by Yeshe Tsogyal and revealed in unison by Chokgyur Lingpa and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo; (2) The Light of Wisdom, a commentary on the Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo by Jamgön Kongtrül the Great; (3) Entering the Path of Wisdom, notes on these teachings collected by Jokyab Rinpoche. It is the final book in a series that includes four other books, of which two are restricted to readers who have completed the necessary prerequisites and two are available as general publications. It is an amazing set of teachings spoken of by Padmasambhava himself in the following verses extracted from the root treasure text:

In short, there does not exist an ultimate instruction other than this,

Expressed in few words yet including all that should be expressed.

Easy to comprehend and convenient to practice,

Without depending on anything else, it perfects the paths for those of lower, medium, and higher faculties.

This self-resounding tantra of dharmata, the indestructible essence,

From the space of luminosity in the five-colored sphere within the heart of me, Padmasambhava,

Is the path traversed by all the buddhas of the three times.

Needless to say, I am honored to be able to offer this book to you. However, I must apologize in advance that such a task has fallen upon one so unqualified for it. Please accept this humble request to not be too judgmental regarding shortfalls in the presentation, because even with any oversights or faults on my part, this is an amazing, incomparable work. Sincere gratitude goes to all who worked on this, primarily the translators, Erik Pema Kunsang, Cortland Dahl, Gyurme Avertin, and James Gentry. Without their dedication, such a detailed, precise translation could not have come into existence—as will certainly be clear when you encounter some of the lists in the notes!

Additional thanks goes to Meghan Howard who I cajoled into editing even in the midst of graduate school, Joan Olson who takes the various files and makes them beautiful on the printed page, and Maryann Lipaj who designs covers that magnetize and intrigue us into opening the book. Likewise, appreciation goes to the proofreaders, Lynn Schroeder and Michael Yockey who are so diligent in combing through our books. Deep-felt gratitude is extended to all the sponsors, small and large who supported this work financially, Erik Pema Kunsang and Rangjung Yeshe Translations, Chagdud Khadro, Larry Garcia, Martha Boyden, Tim Dufta, Arne Schelling and an anonymous benefactor. Special appreciation goes to Phakchok Rinpoche for giving permission to use his small painting for the cover and, similarly, to all the teachers who advised on difficult points and inspired us to open this treasure.

To fully receive the value from this treasure, it is important to receive clarification on it from a qualified lineage master. Fortunately, many great masters have given teachings on this, some of whom include Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse, Kyabje Tulku Urgyen, Trulshik Adeu, Kalu Rinpoche, and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso. Their students are the current-day masters who should be requested to make the commitment to pass these teachings on to all their fortunate students. It is prophesied that 1.8 million beings will gain connection with this text, so pray to be one of them! Once you have forged the connection with the Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, do as Padmasambhava advises:

Do not let it dissipate; retain it in the core of your hearts!

Rely on it, engage in it, expound and practice it!

By means of it, may all the infinite number of disciples

Accomplish the wisdom essence within this same lifetime!

Through the secret path of the vajra essence,

The ultimate luminosity of the Great Perfection,

The innate nature will manifest, such that in wisdom

One will be equal in fortune with me, Padma.

This Gradual Path of the Wisdom Essence—

Whoever writes it down with precious gold;

Sprinkles it with the five nectars;

And, together, with the samaya substances of means and knowledge,

Attaches it around his neck

Or binds it at the top of his head,

Will liberate those who see, hear of, recollect, or touch it,

And the wisdom of realization will effortlessly dawn.

Likewise, whoever reads and memorizes it,

Recites, explains, or studies it

Will be blessed by me, Padma.

So there’s no need to mention someone who practices it correctly.

With devotion and love,

Marcia Binder Schmidt

THE LIGHT OF WISDOM

VOLUME III

THE ROOT TEXT

PART 3

Moreover, the yogi who has attained the heat of the path,

To bring benefit and well-being to the entire universe,

Should consecrate the assembly of wisdom beings,

Fully and indivisibly, within the samaya image:

For completed representations with accurate features,

With the perfect place, time, articles, teacher, and retinue,

Remove obstructors and defilements and uphold supreme bodhichitta.

Visualize, summon, dissolve, confer empowerment, and seal.

In accordance with the aspirations, direct the focus, enthrone,

Entrust to the worshippers, and utter verses of auspiciousness.

For the activities of offering, giving, and burning that satisfy the deities,

Arrange the articles with the correct shape and color.

With the posture, accoutrements and clothing, and with one-pointed attitude,

Kindle a fire appropriate to the activity and visualize the fire devas of existence and peace.

Please them and present the offerings, along with the concentrations for emanating and absorbing.

Like forcefully tempering a blade,

This mends duplications and omissions of mantra, bestows siddhis,

And brings the effortless accomplishment of the four activities.

The method for sustaining extensively the supreme vajra support

Is how to accomplish the rejuvenation of lifespan and body:

The degenerated and dissipated essences and what they support—

In order to develop, nurture, and make them unchanging through the elixirs of samsara and nirvana,

Visualize the concentrations, send out and summon back,

Seal within the indestructible sphere and stabilize.

For the beings in the intermediate state, the objects of compassion,

To be liberated from the lower realms through wondrous methods of kindness,

Elevate them from their abodes and reassure them of perfecting the five paths,

And perform the activities of object, method, and completion.

Visualize the support, summon, dissolve, and expel the hordes of obstacles and obstructors.

Without remainders, burn, scatter, and wash away all the misdeeds and obscurations

That are based on the samsaric tendencies of the six realms.

Confer the vajra empowerment to the rank of a vidyadhara,

And increase the ocean of sense pleasures into a cloud of great bliss.

Expound the profound Dharma and elevate them to the pure realms,

And to fully perfect the five paths,

Procreate as children of the great Samantadhara.

Purify the residuals with wisdom fire, and make kudung

To ensure that the activity of benefiting beings is unceasing.

In common, from the domain of the tathagatas,

The activities to fulfill all intentions

That accomplish the benefit and well-being by actions of the three doors

Are of two types: accepting and subjugating.

For protecting, pacifying, increasing, and magnetizing,

Lay the basis with samadhi, mantra, and mudra,

And accomplish by using stupa, cleansing, fire, and wheel,

Dagger, dance, auspicious coincidence, and substance.

For the sadhana of the amrita that increases wisdom,

The world and its inhabitants are primordially pure as the great nectar.

By realizing that, take hold of immortality by the elixir.

Seek out the supreme and common substances, blend them carefully,

Pulverize them, and consecrate the powder correctly.

With the great delight of the peaceful and wrathful deities in union,

Shower the cloud of bodhichitta through numerous methods of union,

Open the secret gate, and pool it within in the single sphere.

By receiving the siddhis, the gathering of fortunate ones

Are united in the Vajra family of great bliss.

You hereby accomplish one hundred and eight special qualities,

Such as longevity, mending, everything delightful, and elimination of sickness.

The whole world and its inhabitants are the heruka realm

So that the entire group is connected to supreme liberation.

All these supreme and common siddhis

Are thoroughly accomplished on the complete stages of the path.

The stages of the path that contain all the authentic practices

To accomplish the supreme and common siddhis are as follows:

The approach is great emptiness and compassionate magic,

While the stable vivid presence of the subtle and coarse aspects of the single mudra,

Together with the elaborate mudra, is the full approach.

They can also be approach, full approach, and accomplishment.

Through their practice you achieve the heat, signs, and indications.

By means of the group assembly practice and the great accomplishment,

In order to reach to the end of the vidyadhara levels,

At a perfect location, remote and endowed with the splendor of blessings,

At an auspicious time, when the planets and stars are suitably aligned,

Possessing the articles of perfection,

The group of the qualified teacher and disciples

Should have clear concentration and correct rituals.

Request the site, take possession, cleanse, and guard it.

Purify your being and draw the boundary in the outer, inner, and innermost ways.

Deliver, suppress, and imbue Matram with the splendor of being the vajra realm.

Perform the appropriate preparatory consecrations.

Erect the mandala, arrange the articles, and seat the practitioners.

With the ritual of approach, purify the world and clear obscurations.

With the full approach, purify the inhabitants and gather the siddhis.

With the accomplishment, purify the mind and take possession of the siddhis.

During the six periods, make feast offerings to please and mend.

Subjugate the spying nyuley spirits, shower down the great resplendence.

Do not break the continuity of deity, mantra, or the samadhi of emanation and absorption.

As a result of giving up distraction and practicing one-pointedly,

The painted image smiles or the amrita boils with sound,

The butter lamp lights by itself or the practice articles sparkle,

The power of realization blazes forth, and there is mastery of wakefulness.

After certain signs have occurred, for the great accomplishment,

Receive from the deity at dusk, perform liberation at midnight,

Union at dawn, and obtain the siddhis.

Thus, after six, twelve, or eighteen months,

By attaining mastery of your mind over outer and inner development and completion,

Mind and energy are pliable and you realize luminosity.

While in the body of maturation, the mind ripens into the form of the deity.

With the three defilements exhausted, you attain life mastery.

Through the form of mahamudra, holding the lineage of the five families,

You are the Spontaneously Accomplished on the level of the great regent.

In brief, having been gradually ripened and kept stable samayas,

When his being is trained with the view, the samadhi stabilized one-pointedly,

The yogi practicing sadhana should carefully arrange the mandala,

And activate the forces of mantra, mudra, and offering.

Joined with the action, he attains the power of siddhi

And will effortlessly fulfill the supreme and common activities.

Thus, in the manner of ground, path, and fruition,

One should take the tantric principles as the essence of the practice.

THE COMMENTARY

PART 3

The Light of Wisdom

by JAMGÖN KONGTRÜL

A Commentary on the Wisdom Essence

of Oral Instructions in the Stages of the Path,

according to The Guru’s Heart Practice of Powerful Vajra Wrath

Entitled Fully Spreading the Light of Wisdom

24

THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING ACTIVITIES

THE MEANS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING ACTIVITIES BASED ON THE ROOT MANDALA

This section has two parts: A general explanation of the person who can accomplish the activities, and a detailed explanation specifying the activities to be accomplished.

GENERAL EXPLANATION OF THE PERSON WHO CAN ACCOMPLISH THE ACTIVITIES

The Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo root text says:

Moreover, the yogi who has attained the heat of the path,

Having explained the main sadhana,¹ I shall now explain the most important of the requisites for all-encompassing activities: the deeds of a vajra master, as well as the manner in which they are carried out.

What type of person can accomplish these activities? In general, they should be carried out by a yogi with expertise in the ten fields, who is thus a fully qualified vajra master. In particular, they should be carried out by someone who has practiced the two stages of the path correctly and has attained the entire range of outer, inner, and secret signs of warmth and of progress. As a tantra mentions:

A master who understands the ten principles

And has the right qualifications,

Who knows the mudras, mantras, and rituals,

And is skilled in all the activities.²

DETAILED EXPLANATION SPECIFYING THE ACTIVITIES TO BE ACCOMPLISHED

This has seven topics: Consecration, fire offering, elixir extraction (rasayana), guiding the departed, activities of acceptance and subjugation, bam, and amrita sadhana.

CONSECRATION

The first topic contains two divisions: linking by stating the purpose and the main ritual of consecration.

LINKING BY STATING THE PURPOSE

The Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo root text says:

To bring benefit and well-being to the entire universe,

Should consecrate the assembly of wisdom beings,

Fully and indivisibly, within the samaya image:

The consecration of shrine objects is necessary since objects that are not consecrated, or that are consecrated in a substandard ritual, will neither be auspicious nor form a basis for merit. On the other hand, making offerings to objects that have been consecrated correctly yields a merit equal to that of making [offerings] to the Three Jewels in actuality. They will also be able to bless the mindstreams of others. As the Extensive Secret Essence explains:

Since mudra forms forged from earth and other substances

Are able to bring liberation in a gradual manner,

Why even mention what will happen

When they are purified with true wakefulness.

Consecration has the power to bring forth immense benefit and well-being throughout the worlds, as the Awesome Lightning states:³

Perform the correct ritual of consecration

To bring auspiciousness, splendor, and well-being.

As indicated here, consecration is taught throughout the tantras and scriptures.

In essence, consecration involves making representations—images that are emanations of the enlightened activity of the victorious ones—virtuous and auspicious in nature by dissolving all the qualities and three mysteries into them, to the point where the two are inseparable. The Galpo Tantra states:

When representations of enlightened body, speech, and mind

Are blessed by being infused with wisdom,

The abodes of samsara’s five elements

Are the enlightened body, speech, and mind in actuality.

The etymology of the word consecration is as follows: the [Tibetan] word for consecration derives from the [Sanskrit] term supratishtha [literally, full remaining], referring to a ritual through which a representation itself supremely and fully remains for a long time as the identity of the wisdom being. This constitutes the process of consecration.

THE ACTUAL RITUAL OF CONSECRATION

This has three divisions: the objects to be consecrated, the manner in which consecration takes place, and the performance of the consecration.

The Objects to Be Consecrated

The Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo root text says:

For completed representations with accurate features,

Representations that are consecrated should possess the proportions explained in the tantras and by the learned. The ornaments and expressions of the respective deities should also be exact. The samaya scriptures should be written in accordance with the tantras. Thus, the representations should be correct and accurate in each of their features, and their fabrication should be completed and not only partly finished. Looking chiefly at the representations of enlightened body, speech, and mind, it is said:

An image endowed with the requirements,

With a pacifying or other such expression, and so forth,

Sublime and with measured proportions,

Should be consecrated to remain supremely.

The Articles by Means of Which to Consecrate

Second, the Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo root text says:

With the perfect place, time, articles, teacher, and