The Aspiration Of Samantabhadra
Root
Text with notes by Ajanatha
From the Tantra of the Great Perfection
Which Shows the Penetrating Wisdom of
Samantabhadra, this is the ninth chapter, which presents the powerful
aspiration which makes it impossible for all beings not to attain buddhahood.
1) Introduction to Ground path and Fruit
2) Ground, Path and Fruit of Dzogchen
2.1) The Ground
- Introduction to the ground
- The State of Samantabhadra – The Basis Liberated State
- primordial purity
- spontaneous
presence
- how the benefit of others is accomplished
- how ordinary beings become deluded
- how delusion develops
3) The Path
3.1) Liberating desire
3.2) liberation of aversion
3.3) liberation of pride
3.4) liberation of jealousy
3.5) liberation of ignorance
4) Result
5) Benefits of this prayer
[ ROOT TEXT WITH OUTLINE AND NOTES]
1) Introduction to Ground path and Fruit
Ho
All that appears and exists, all of samsara
and nirvana,
Has one ground, two paths and two results.
It is the display of awareness and
ignorance.
Through the aspiration of Samantabhadra
May all be fully awakened
In the citadel of the dharmadhatu.
[notes:
Samantabhadra five aspects:
1) Samantabhadra as teacher - The Dharmakaya Samantabhadra
2) Samantabhadra as Ornament - The Pure Dharma - free from concepts, dualism, pure, clear and a remedy
3) Samantabhadra as Path - The Pure path, as in not a cause, but primordially abiding state.
4) Samantabhadra as Rigpa - The primordial wisdom or intrinsic pure awareness of the
ground that knows the ultimate nature
5) Samantabhadra as realization - The primordial wisdom of the ground that realizes its own nature as Samantabhadra
Two Paths:
- The path that is the path of Samsara (cyclic conditioned existence)
- The Path that is the path of awakening (nirvana beyond all extremes and free from all obscurations)
The path of Samsara can be explained in two ways:
a) Three ignorances and four conditions (Dzogchen explanation)
b) The 12 links of interdependent arising (read this article) (common Buddhist explanation)
Path of Samsara - Explanation according to Dzogchen
Three Ignorances
1) Self-Causal ignorance - ignorance of not recognizing the self-essence of primordial awareness
2) innate ignorance - once the liveliness of the ground manifests as appearances, not recognizing them as self-appearances
3) dualist cognition ignorance - from innate ignorance, the natural awareness of the ground is mistaken for a 'self' (subject) and the liveliness of display is mistaken as 'other' (object) which are reified as the two selves.
Four Conditions
1) causal condition - innate ignorance or unawareness
2) objective condition - outward appearance of the five lights
3) subjective condition - the liveliness aspect of the energy of the ground appearing as 'subject'
4) immediately preceding condition - once the first three conditions are complete, samsara and dualism manifests
end note]
2) Ground, Path and Fruit of Dzogchen
2.1) The Ground
[ Introduction to the ground]
The ground of all is uncomposed,
An inexpressible, self-arisen expanse
Without the names “samsara” and “nirvana.”
If it is known, buddhahood is attained.
Not knowing it, beings wander in samsara.
May all beings of the three realms
Know the inexpressible ground.
[NOTES
In the fundamental emptiness of the ultimate
expanse, the 'basis as dharmakaya' and the 'universal ground' are not
two. It is not from the aspect of fundamental emptiness that they can
be distinguished. So it is important to understand that when speaking
of the 'ultimate expanse' as the 'fundamental basis', which refers to
the primordial-luminous-pure-awareness, Buddha-Nature; and when
speaking of the 'universal ground', which is the basis of 'mind' and
'consciousness', at the ultimate level of emptiness of the great
expanse, they are not 'two separate' things. The distinction is made
purely on a level of how experience manifests as either Buddhahood or
a sentient being, wisdom, or ignorance.
As it is said in the Supreme
Source:
“Phenomenal existence, the
universe and all its contents,
Buddhas and beings: all are made
by mind,
Are one
within the mind’s expanse”
The basis, more precisely the 'fundamental base', is called
the base because it is
1) the great expanse of reality as it is beyond elaborations,
the abode of the Dharmakaya;
2) the base as in, it is the basis of the possibility of
awakening and realization, and is also the basis for delusion and samsara
3) the base as in the state of Great-Perfection itself,
because if were not that, then Buddhahood would be the result of a cause. In
this sense the Base in Atiyoga can be said to be equivalent to
Buddha-Nature-as-ground from the Mahayana perspective
As Longchenpa explains: “As to the primordial ground [as
basis] of being - naturally occurring timeless awareness itself, not subject to
restrictions or extremes-its essence is empty, like space; its nature is lucid,
like the sun and moon; its responsiveness is pervasive, like their light. These
three aspects are essentially inseparable, abiding constantly as the nature of
the three kayas and timeless awareness within basic space, which is without
transition or change.”
ideas/views about the Basis:
1) the Basis is Spontaneous Presence (lhundrup)
2) the basis is indeterminate
3) it is determinate
4) is capabable of transforming into anything
5) can be asserted to be anything
6) it is diversity
7) It is primordial purity
-- this one is said to be the right position, but this requires
explanation
The pure Basis, the Basis of awakening is to be distinguished from the Universal Ground which is the ground of mind and samsara.
The 'universal ground' is the ground of 'mind'; the 'ultimate
expanse as basis' is the abode of 'intrinsic-awareness', Dharmakaya.
As for the meaning of the 'universal ground', Longchenpa explains it in
four aspects, which again are not 'separate', but refer to different
perspectives of understanding how manifestation occurs:
1.
as the primordial universal
ground
2.
as the universal ground of
habitual tendencies
3.
as the universal ground of
karmic-making-form(body)
4.
as the universal ground of
joining
The actual nature of the Basis is the union of the three : primordial purity, spontaneous presence and dynamic responsiveness (energy). These being inseparable.
END NOTES]
2.2) The State of Samantabhadra – The Basis Liberated State
[primordial purity]
I, Samantabhadra
Know naturally that ground
Without cause and condition.
I am without the defects of superimposition
and denial of outer and inner.
I am unobscured by the darkness of
mindlessness.
Therefore, self-appearance is unobscured.
If self-awareness remains in place
There is no fear even if the three-fold
world is destroyed.
There is no attachment to the five
desirables.
In self-arisen, non-conceptual awareness
There is no solid form or five poisons.
[NOTES
The basic ground of primordial purity refers to the union of three aspects: essence, nature and dynamic energy
Vimalamitra states:
“As for the natural ground of primordial
purity, its essence is that its not established as anything whatsoever, its
nature is what appears as anything whatsoever, its dynamic responsive energy is
to be free in dawning as anything whatsoever”
Freedom is attained when the at the sphere
if innate-awareness opens and rises from the pure basis and is seen as the
basis’s manifestations.
Tsultrim Gampo wrote that “What is freedom?
Through the power of being without stains [obscurations] freedom does not arise
from anything other, but merely consists of revealing primordially free wisdom
as complete freedom”
Essence - without cause and condition, without superimposition, without obscurations, it is not established as something concrete (empty of true essence)
Nature - it appears as infinite diversity spontaneously
Dynamic energy - it manifests unceasingly as this dynamic nature
ESSENCE:
- Primordial purity as
emptiness
- Primordial purity as
freedom from imputations and labeling
- without cause and condition (unarisen and unceasing)
- Emptiness of the
two-selves - emptiness of the individual self, and emptiness of the self of 'things'
Chandrakirti sevenfold
reasoning:
1. There is no chariot which is other than its parts
2. There is no chariot which is the same as its parts
3. There is no chariot which possesses its parts
4. There is no chariot which depends on its parts
5. There is no chariot upon which the parts depend
6. There is no chariot which is the collection of its parts
7. There is no chariot which is the shape of its parts
As for the self, if we think of the five aggregates
of the person (form, feeling, perception, consciousness, mental formations) for example:
1. There is no self outside of the five aggregates
2. there is no self which is the same as the five aggregates
3. there is no self which possesses the five aggregates
4. there is no self that depends upon the five aggregates
5. there is no self upon which the five aggregates depend upon
6. there is no self which is the collection of the aggregates
7. there is no self which is the shape of its aggregates
In short, if the "self" truly exists as an independent truly existing entity, then, if its outside of the five aggregates, it is disconnected from the aggregates, or connected? if its disconnected then this 'self' would be unable to experience feeling for example, or be affected in any way by what happens to the aggregates. If its connected, how is it connected? is it inside the aggregates, or is it like the owner of the aggregates? If its inside is like a 'pea in a jar'. The Self is like the 'pea' and
the body-mind is like the jar that contains the pea. However, this cannot exist - because if this 'pea' exists somewhere 'inside' the aggregates as an independent thing, we fall into the same problem, this self would not be affected by what happens to the aggregates or even know about it. As for the other option, like something that is the owner - we need to find this owner somewhere in charge of the aggregates and separate from them, but if its separate how can it be in control? So in the same way the notion of a personal entity 'self' is a mere imputation, a mental concept, it does not truly exist as its own essence or thing. Identity, Self, Selfhood all these are empty of true existence.They appear as the manifestation of interdependent arising, which is the luminous aspect of the nature.
That which appears is the luminous display of the cognitive
potential of primordial awareness – the ‘self’ is a mere imputation, it does
not have true existence, even though it appears.
The Basis or Ground, is primordial pure in the way that it is empty of the two-selves, it is without true existence. It is also free from imputation, labeling or concept.
The Buddha says in the Lalitavistara Sutra:
“All conditioned things come about
Based on causes and conditions.
One causing the other, they arise in dependence,
Yet all the childish beings do not recognize this.
This is how all compounded phenomena appear,
Based on causes and conditions.
The practitioner, by observing the true nature of
conditioned things,
Sees that these things are all empty and inert.
The aggregates, sense fields, and elements
Are empty within and empty without;
They all lack a self and do not abide.
Everything is essentially like space.”
end notes]
[spontaneous
presence]
The unceasing lucidity of awareness
Is five wisdoms of one nature.
Through the ripening of the five wisdoms
The five families of the first buddha
arose.
From the further expansion of wisdom
The forty-two buddhas arose.
As the display of five wisdoms
The sixty blood drinkers arose.
Therefore, ground-awareness never became
confused.
As I am the first buddha,
Through my aspiration
May beings of samsara three realms
Recognize self-arisen awareness
And expand great wisdom.
[notes
Five Wisdoms:
- Wisdom of the Dharmadhatu (Buddha Vairocana)
- Mirror-Like Wisdom (Buddha Askhobya)
- Sameness Wisdom (Buddha Ratnasambhava)
- Discriminating Wisdom (Buddha Amitabha)
- All accomplishing Wisdom (Buddha Amogasiddhi)
The 5 wisdoms can be understood in two classes:
- Wisdom of Suchness
- Wisdom of Manyness (or diversity)
The wisdom of suchness is the wisdom of Dharmadhatu and mirror-like wisdom. The wisdom of manyness is the other 3. The wisdom of suchness knows the true nature of phenomena and knows the buddha-nature of all beings as being of same nature. The wisdom of manyness knows the infinitity of manifest appearances and phenomena as the manifestation of wisdom and compassion.
The 100 deities from the Root Tantra the Ghuyagharba - 42 peaceful and 58 wrathful. Here mentions 60 wrathful, because the wrathful forms of Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri, called Mahaparamaheruka, and Krodhishvari, are also added, making 60.
The 42 peaceful deities abide at the heart, and the 60 wrathful abide in the crown.
Longchenpa says that: “At the time of the Ground’s manifestations
dawning in these ways, all that appears and is possible manifests as the lights
and kayas. Therefore this is referred as the realm of innate presence” It also
says “the manifestations of the sambhogakaya dawn from the dynamic energy of the
essence, the manifestations of the natural nirmanakaya realms dawn from the
dynamic energy of its qualities, and the self-appearances of samsara dawn like a
dream from the dynamic energy of its compassionate responsiveness.. since the
gateways of innate presence exist in the ground's manifestations, the essential
point of seeing pure realms or impure appearances of delusion also comes down to
this.”
The 8 gateways of arising:
1) compassion (responsive dynamic energy)
2) light
3) kayas
4) wisdom
5) nonduality
6) free from extremes
7) pure (nirvana)
8) impure (samsara)
The last two, pure and impure, show the two different ways in which the 6 gateways of pure spontaneous appearance can be apprehended. If awareness recognizes the dynamic energy that arises from itself as the 6 modes as itself, then it goes throught the gateway of purity (nirvana), otherwise it is the gateway of samsara.
end notes]
[how the benefit of others is accomplished]
My emanations are unceasing.
I manifest inconceivable billions,
Displayed as whatever tames beings.
Through my compassionate aspiration
May all beings of samsara’s three realms
Escape the six states.
[notes
Summary:
In a Tantra it says:
“The essence is primordial purity, free
from any basis for expression. The nature is spontaneous innate presence,
perfect as however it appears. Compassionate responsiveness is all-pervasive
self-arising. I am spontaneously arising: my nature is uncontrived universal
illumination, therefore my character or mode, is all encompassing
inclusiveness. Primordial purity is the self-pure state free from stains. Spontaneous
presence is the arising of diversity. “
If we go into more details, the ground can be seen in different ways:
- Essence, Nature and Compassionate responsive energy
- Natural state (the basic dharmakaya), luminosity (sambhogakaya), character or mode (nirmanakaya)
- Primordial Purity and spontaneous presence
end notes]
[how ordinary beings become deluded]
At first, for bewildered beings
Awareness did not arise on the ground.
That obscurity of unconsciousness
Is the cause of bewildered ignorance.
From that unconsciousness
Emerged terrified, blurry cognition.
Self - other and enmity were born from
that.
Through the gradual intensification of
habit
Sequential entry into samsara began.
The five poisonous kleshas developed.
The actions of the five poisons are
unceasing.
Therefore, since the ground of the
confusion of beings
Is mindless ignorance,
Through the aspiration of myself, the
buddha,
May all recognize awareness.
[how delusion develops]
The connate ignorance
Is a distracted, mindless cognition.
The labeling ignorance
Is holding self and other to be two.
The two ignorances, connate and labeling,
Are the ground of the confusion of all
beings.
Through the aspiration of myself, the
buddha,
May the thick, mindless obscurity
Of all samsaric beings be dispelled.
May dualistic cognition be clarified.
May awareness be recognized.
[notes:
How Delusion develops is covered in this two previous sections.
- Ignorance, or delusion, is NOT part of the primordial ground. There is no ignorance in the primordial ground.
- That which is called ignorance is a state of unknowingness that relates to that same awareness which is intrinsic to the ground.
- Ignorance manifests in three layers:
a) ignorance which has the same nature as awareness
b) co-emergent (connate) ignorance
c) conceptualizing ignorance
The first one is the one that is mentioned in the text as "That obscurity of unconsciousness Is the cause of bewildered ignorance."
It is called the ignorance that has the same nature of awareness because its the natural clarity of the ground being in an oblivious state as to the actual essence of the ground itself.
As movement arises, or the spontaneous natural appearances of the ground manifest, this clarity, or knowing awareness is in a bewildered and 'surprised' state which cannot know how things are in relation to the appearances, so it appears that these appearances are 'separate' from this knowing awareness - this is the co-emergent ignorance.
As this further develops the appearances are objectified by the confused awareness, and that is the conceptualizing ignorance.
Summary of the text so far:
The Ground of all reality, the ground of being, the ground of mind - this is the source, or Basis or Primordial ground - it is the real nature.
This primordial ground can be understood through several aspects, in particular:
a) essence - which is primordial purity
b) nature - which is the natural clarity
c) responsive energy - which is the unceasing dynamic aspect
a) Essence
The empty aspect of the ground. Where do
thoughts come from? Where do they go? Where do they abide? What is their basis?
All things are compounded, merely appearing out of interdependent origination,
as their basis they are empty. Nothing is to be found. This essence is like the purity of a mirror.
No matter what appears in the mirror, the mirror is not affected or changed by it in any
way. The mirror is empty of anything within it being established.
b) nature
The natural, unceasing, lucid clarity that can manifest as anything, or appear as anything. Just like the mirror can reflect clearly anything.
c) responsive energy
The mirror is limpid, that means that the reflections in the mirror appear without obstacle and uninterruptedly. The appearances themselves are inseparable from the basis, they are not inside or outside or in between. The appearances themselves are the responsive energy of the lucid clarity of mind's nature.
These three aspects are not different 'things', they are inseparable in the basis which is at its essence primodial purity.
When the cognitive power of the lucid clarity of the basis is unaware of the nature of its own essence and is unaware that the spontaneously present manifestations are themselves self-appearances of the basis, then that is ignorance, and samsara arises from that. When the natural awareness of the basis recognizes its own nature, that is awakening. That is Samantabhadra.
“What
we call the ground is the union of emptiness and luminosity. It is the
Dharmata: motionless, ultimate reality, the Buddha-Nature. At the slightest
arising of the creative power of awareness, there occurs the appearance of the
ground. The appearance of the ground and
the creative power of awareness are the same thing. This creative power moves,
whereas awareness itself is always motionless. It is as when the sun rises. The
sun’s rays cover the earth, but the sun does not move out from itself. If at
the moment of their arising, the appearances of the ground are recognized as
the self-experience of awareness, one is not deluded and freedom occurs.
Otherwise, if one looks outwardly, thinking that the appearances of the ground
are something outside awareness, one is in delusion. (...) The
ground for what appears as samsara and nirvana is the nature of awareness, and
this is primordialy and perfectly endowed with the three kayas. Its pure nature
is Dharmakaya, Its luminous character is Sambhogakaya,
and its cognitive potency endowed with the essence of awareness is
nirmanakaya. (...) There
has never been a wandering in samsara in the past, there is no wandering now,
and there will be no wandering in the future. Yet because of the unceasing
radiance of the ground, or its spontaneous creative power, a variegated display
unfolds, and this may appear either as samsara or nirvana” , Longchen Yeshe Dorje
“when the appearances of the ground arise
from the ground, and the creative power of the cognitive potency arise
naturally as a state of clarity and knowing that is able to examine things,
there occur, through the failure to recognize the nature of this appearance,
three aspects of ignorance. The first is the ignorance that has the same nature
as awareness. It is the cause of the two others. It is the failure of the
arisen cognition to recognize its own nature as the nature of awareness. The
second is coemergent ignorance, and is the simultaneous arising of the
cognition and its failure to recognize
the nature of appearance as the ground. The third is conceptual
ignorance, this is the thought that the self-experience of awareness is
something ‘other’, separate from it.”, Longchenpa
Dzogchen is taught, studied and understood in several aspects:
- Ground
- Path
- View
- Meditation
- Conduct
- Result
So far the text explained mostly the meaning of the Ground, both in the aspects of its true nature and the arising of delusion. So far it only referred indirectly to the meaning of the View.
end notes]
3) The Path
Liberating desire
Dualism is doubt.
From the emergence of subtle clinging
Coarse habit gradually develops.
Food, wealth, clothing, places, companions,
The five desirables and beloved relatives —
Beings are tormented by attachment to the
pleasant.
That is mundane confusion.
There is no end to the actions of dualism.
When the fruit of clinging ripens,
Born as pretas tormented by craving —
How sad is their hunger and thirst.
Through the aspiration of myself, the
buddha,
May desirous beings
Not reject the longing of desire
Nor accept the clinging of attachment.
By relaxing cognition as it is
May their awareness take its seat.
May they attain the wisdom of
discrimination.
liberation of aversion
Through the emergence of a subtle, fearful
cognition
Of externally apparent objects
The habit of aversion grows.
Coarse enmity, beating and killing are
born.
When the fruit of aversion ripens,
How much suffering there is in hell through
boiling and burning.
Through the aspiration of myself, the
buddha,
When strong aversion arises
In all beings of the six states,
May it be relaxed without rejection or acceptance.
Awareness taking its seat,
May beings attain the wisdom of clarity.
liberation of pride
One’s mind becoming inflated,
An attitude of superiority to others,
Fierce pride, is born.
One experiences the suffering of
disputation.
When the fruit of that action ripens
One is born as a god and experiences death
and downfall.
Through the aspiration of myself, the
buddha,
May beings with inflated minds
Relax cognition as it is.
Awareness taking its seat,
May they realize equality.
liberation of
jealousy
Through the habit of developed dualism,
From the agony of praising oneself and
denigrating others,
Quarrelsome competitiveness develops.
Born as an asura, killed and mutilated,
One falls to hell as a result.
Through the aspiration of myself, the
buddha,
May those who quarrel through
competitiveness
Relax their enmity.
Awareness taking its seat,
May they attain the wisdom of unimpeded
activity.
liberation of
ignorance
Through the distraction of mindless apathy,
Through torpor, obscurity, forgetfulness,
Unconsciousness, laziness and bewilderment,
One wanders as an unprotected animal as a
result.
Through the aspiration of myself, the
buddha,
May the light of lucid mindfulness arise
In the obscurity of torpid bewilderment.
May non-conceptual wisdom be attained.
4) Result
All beings of the three realms
Are equal to myself, the buddha, in the
all-ground.
It became the ground of mindless confusion.
Now, they engage in pointless actions.
The six actions are like the bewilderment
of dreams.
I am the first buddha.
I tame the six types of beings through
emanations.
Through the aspiration of Samantabhadra,
May all beings without exception
Be awakened in the dharmadhatu.
5) Benefits of this prayer
A Ho
From now on whenever a powerful yogin
Within lucid awareness without bewilderment
Makes this powerful aspiration,
All beings who hear it
Will be fully awakened within three lives.
When the sun or moon is grasped by Rahu,
When there is clamor or earthquakes,
At the solstices or at the year’s change,
If he generates himself as Samantabhadra
And recites this in the hearing of all,
All beings of the three realms
Will be gradually freed from suffering
And will finally attain buddhahood
Through the aspiration of that yogin.
This
translation of the Root text is by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso and Dzogchen Ponlop
Rinpoche.
