The Fullness of Human Experience by Dane Rudyhar 1895- 1985

“In the immeasurable cycle of the Movement of Wholeness, a moment of supreme experience comes when, at the ever-present "meeting of the ways," the greatest Lord of Darkness challenges the most radiant Presence of Light. From the deepest regions of obscurity, the python of negative emptiness rises to the light, uncoiling its devastating power. And the combat rages.

There can be no end to the crucial embrace, no limits to the battlefield. For, while in his supreme effort the Lord of Darkness finds his vision confused by his hateful desire to annihilate light, in the sublime love of the radiant Presence, even the deepest darkness is always included.

There is no annihilating victory. Light and Darkness are one in an encounter that has neither beginning nor end. For Darkness can never see, and Light never ceases to love. Meaning forever rises out of the ubiquitous battlefield of Space in the eonic experience that is reality — always.”

DANE RUDHYAR 1895 - 1985
The Epilogue: The Fullness of Human Experience 1986 Quest Books




Saturday, December 28, 2013

A Prayer to "Tara the Seven Protectors"


White Tara by Geghen Zanabazar (1635-1723)
“The Mongolian Michelangelo”


A Prayer to "Tara the Seven Protectors"
by Lord Jigten Sumgon Gonpo

In the Realm of the Unborn Dharmadhatu
Abides the Blessed Mother Tara
She who bestows happiness on all sentient beings
I pray to you, protect us from all kinds of fears!

Not realizing oneself as Dharmakaya
The minds of sentient beings are possessed by negative emotions
These mother sentient beings wandering in Samsara
Oh Blessed Mother, please protect us!

Not having the deep understanding of the Dharma from within
And having followed the labelling of words on a conventional level
Beings who are deceived by wrong philosophical views and dogmas
Oh Perfect Mother, please protect us!

Difficult to realize is one's own mind
Some realize it but do not practice perfectly afterwards
Those who are lost in unwholesome worldly activities
Oh Blessed Mother, Embodiment of Perfect Mindfulness, please protect us!

The Absolute Reality of the Mind is the Inborn Non-Dual Buddha-wisdom
Yet because of habitual grasping at dualistic conceptions
One is bound by it no matter what one does
Oh Perfect Mother of Non-Dual Wisdom, please protect us!

Grasping at the conception of Emptiness some think they understand Absolute Reality
But they do not understand the interdependence of Cause and Effect of Phenomenal Reality
These beings are deluded with regards to the Reality of Phenomena
Oh Omniscient Mother, please protect us!

Like the nature of space which is beyond all conceptions
The Reality of all conditioned phenomena is no different from that
But it has not been realized, therefore
Oh Perfectly Enlightened Mother, please protect us beginners on the Path!

Once, when Lord Jigten Gonpo was staying at Echung Cave in Drikung, after having attained Enlightenment, he had a vision of the Seven Taras. At that time, he made the above supplication prayer through the seven verses. This prayer has manifold blessings and it is a widely used supplication prayer for the seven protections


Drikungpa Kyobpa Jigten Gönpo 



Introduction to the Mahāmudrā "Inborn Union"


Removing the Darkness of Ignorance

Through the Ornament of Luminous Primordial Wisdom




By the matchless Drikungpa Kyobpa Jigten Gönpo (1147-1217)



I bow before the gurus,

who remove the darkness of the ignorance of beings

by expanding a thousand lights of unimpeded compassion throughout the unborn, pure sphere of truth [that is like] space.


With the wish of benefiting others and in accordance with the teachings of the guru

I will write an introduction that draws from sūtra and tantra, which clarifies the mode of existence as it is
through the absolute nature, the inborn primordial wisdom.



The introduction to the true nature of the mind as Dharmakāya  through  the pith instructions1

of Mahāmudrā "inborn union" has three parts:



1. The preliminaries, consisting of four practices,

2. the actual practice of the two introductions,

3. and the conclusion with the way of maintaining the experience.

1. The preliminaries

1.1. [Turning the mind towards the Dharma]

Train yourself with regard to deeds (Skr. karma), cause, result, death, and impermanence and develop a strong aversion [to cyclic existence].  Practice  by  directing  your  thoughts  to  that, which  [is  necessary]  for  the  short  term:  Those  born  in  the  past,  too,  have  died,  those  taking birth at present, too, will  die and those existing  at present  will also die; whatever  I do, I, too, will die today or tomorrow; leaving nothing behind, I will be gone.” Then:


How pitiful!  Not  recognizing  their  mind  as  Dharmakāya,  their  own  nature,  all the  [other]  suffering  sentient  beings,  too,  grasp  things  they  hold  to  be their own; they grasp a Self where there is no Self.
1.2. Guru yoga
The second sub-section is "causing the blessings to come fast," i.e. the guru yoga. The source of all experience and realization arises from the blessing of the guru and one’s devotion.

That which is not expressed by others, the inborn, which cannot be found anywhere,
is to be known through continuously viewing the guru as Dharmakāya and through one’s own merit.2
And similarly:


To be recollect the guru even only for a single moment is a hundred-thousand times more [effective]
than practicing for one-hundred thousand eons

a deity that possesses the major and minor marks. Praying once to the guru pleases [him more]
than one million ritual service recitations.


Since  this  has  been  taught,  think:  “I  will  obtain  complete  Buddhahood  for  the  sake  of  all sentient  beings.  For  that  purpose  I will  pray  to the guru,  who  is  the  embodiment  of the  four kāyas.”3   Practice  so  that  on  the  crown  of  your  body,  visualized  as  the  tantric  deity,  on  a precious throne with lotus, sun and moon seat, remains your principal guru, whose body in the form  of  Buddha  Vajradhara  blazes  with  the  major  and  minor  marks,  who  smiles  and,  being absorbed  in many  samādhis,  is pleased  with  you.  Then  practice  so  that  the  gurus  with  their lineages  dissolve  into  the  heart  of  the  guru  as  snow  falls  on  a  lake  and  that  he  is  the embodiment  of  all  gurus.  Also  after  all  Buddhas,  bodhisattvas,  and  tantric  deities  of  the  ten directions  dissolved  into [his heart], practice so that he is the embodiment  of all Buddhas  and make  offerings;   offer  your  body  and  wealth  without  reservations   and  pray  with  fervent devotion from the depths of your heart:


I take refuge in the guru, the precious Buddha.  Please bless me that I may abandon the grasping of a self! Please bless me that contentment4 may arise in my  mind!  Please  bless  me  that  I may  instantaneously  realize  that  the mind  is unborn!   Please   bless   me   that   confusion   may   be   purified   in itself! Please bless me that everything that exists arises as Dharmakāya!

Thus upon praying  and visualizing  [that], a stream of nectar of primordial  wisdom from the body, forehead,  throat,  and  heart,  etc.,  of  the  guru,  who  is  the  embodiment  of  all  Buddhas,  descends from  your  aperture  of  Brahma.5   Thereby  all  your  bad  karma,  evil  deeds,  obscurations,  damages and  loss of pledges  of beginningless  transmigrations  are  purified  and  your body is filled  with  the nectar  of  life  and  undefiled   primordial   wisdom.  Think that thereby your  body  and  mind  are perfectly blissful and pray [to the guru] in four sessions.

The four modes of conduct in between sessions:


(1)  [Think:]  “Whatever  I  will  do,  I  will  die  today  or  tomorrow  just  the  same;”  (2)  just  by  the heartfelt  awareness  of thinking  “Please  heed me, guru,”  let tears stream down  your face; (3) think that  by  dissolving  the  guru  into  you  from  time  to  time  the  body,  speech,  and  mind  of  the  guru become   inseparably   mixed  with  your  body,  speech,  and  mind,  and  remain  in  that  state;  (4) dedicate your wholesome  imprints.

1.3. Practice and recitation of the hundred syllables of Vajrasattva


On the top of your crown in your ordinary form arises on top of a lotus and a moon from a hū      a white Vajrasattva  with one face and two arms, holding  a vajra with his right hand at the heart and resting the bell of the left hand on his thigh. With his right leg stretched out and his left bent he is adorned  with  precious  jewels.  The hundred  syllables  circulate  clockwise  around  the  syllable  hū on top of the moon in his heart and emanate  rays of light. Thereby a stream of nectar of primordial wisdom  descends  from  the  hearts  of  all  Buddhas  and  bodhisattvas   in  the  ten  directions  and dissolves  into  the  crown  of  Vajrasattva.  Then  a  stream  of  nectar  arises  from  the  whole  body  of Vajrasattva  and particularly  from the hū     of his heart, which  falls down from the toe of his right foot,   entering   your  aperture   of  Brahma.   Think   that   thereby   all  evil  deeds,   obscurations, damages  and loss of pledges  of your body,  speech,  and mind  are expelled  as black-colored  forms and  that  undefiled  nectar  takes  their  place.  Recite  the  hundred  syllables  as  much  as  possible, perform  offerings  when  you interrupt  [the  mantra  recitation],  dissolve  Vajrasattva  into  you, think that thereby  the body,  speech,  and mind of Vajrasattva  have become  inseparably  mixed with your body, speech, and mind, remain in that state and finally dedicate [the wholesome  imprints].

1.4. Mandala


The  Mandala  [practice  has]  two  parts:  The  Mandala  to  be  established  and  the  mandala  to  be offered. The first. Clean the Mandala  well and visualize  a square celestial palace made of precious material  with four gates.  In its center  and in the four directions  are precious  thrones  supported  by eight  lions  endowed  with sun,  moon  and  lotus  seats.  Practice  so that your  principal  guru remains on  the  central  throne,  in  the  East  the  tantric  deity,  in  the  South  the  Buddha  jewel,  in  the West the Dharma,  and in the North the Sangha  jewel.  They emanate  rays of light. Thereby the principal guru  and  all  the  gurus  of  the  lineage  dissolve  into  the  guru,  the  assemblies  of  the  tantric  deities dissolve  with  the  tantric  deity,  the  Buddhas  of  the  ten  directions   dissolve  into  the  Buddha, immeasurable  Dharmas  dissolve  into  the  excellent  Dharma,  and  immeasurable  noble  Sanghas  of śrāvakas, solitary Buddhas, bodhisattvas,  etc., dissolve into the Sangha.


The second  part is the Mandala  to be offered.  Place a single  heap in the center  of the vast golden ground  made  of precious  material  and  [visualize  it as]  the  supreme  Mount  Meru  of the  center  of the  world,  place  one  in the  East [and  visualize  it as the  continent]  Pūrvavideha,  one  in the  South [and  visualize  it as] Jambudvīpa,  one in the West [and visualize  it as] Aparagodānīya,  and one in the  North  [and  visualize  it  as]  Uttarakuru.  Place  one  [heap]  between  the  center  and  the Eastern [heap  and visualize  it as] the sun and place  one [heap]  between  the center and the Western [heap and  visualize  it as]  the  moon.  Fill  up  the  spaces  in  between  with  various  precious  [materials of] the three-thousand  [world  systems]  in the form of piles so that it is perfect  [with]  possessions and wealth    of   gods   and   men,   offer   your   body,   possessions,    and   the   wholesome    imprints accumulated  in the three times without reservations  and [pray]:


Excellent Guru!  I offer  my  body,  all  my possessions  and  roots  of my  wholesome imprints.  Please accept it completely.  Please cause the supreme  realization  to dawn in me! Bless me that an uninterrupted experience may arise!







[Pray] similarly:

Assembly of tantric deities! I offer my body, possessions and all roots of my wholesome imprints. Please accept it completely. Please cause the supreme realization to dawn in me! Bless me that an uninterrupted experience may arise!  Lord [Buddha], supreme jewels! I offer my body, possessions and all roots of my wholesome imprints. Please accept it completely. Please cause the supreme realization to dawn in me! Bless me that an uninterrupted experience may arise!

Thus pray with these and other [recitations]. [Then], having performed the preliminaries for a long time, perform the actual practice.6


2. The actual practice - The second part has two sections:

2.1. The introduction of the true, absolute nature of the mind

2.2. The introduction on the basis of appearances

2.1. The introduction of the true, absolute nature of the mind

The first part has two sections:

2.1.1. Calm abiding

2.1.2. Superior insight

2.1.1. Calm abiding

2.1.1.1. With support

2.1.1.2. Without support


2.1.1.1. Calm abiding with support

Sit correctly  with the body posture  [in accordance  with] the crucial  instructions  regarding  the body,  think:  “I will  obtain  Buddhahood  for  the  sake  of  all  sentient  beings,”7   and  practice  so that your guru remains on the crown of your body that is visible as the tantric deity. Produce a heartfelt  devotion,  fix  your  gaze  on something  [endowed  with]  characteristics  such  as a twig or a pebble  in front  of you,8   without  allowing  at  all  any  mental  activities  regarding  the  past, future, or present and concentrate your mind. Practice remaining [in that state] without allowing your    mind     to    be    distracted     by    something     else    and    disengage     [while     your concentration is still]  stable.  Discontinue  [the  concentration  on]  the  object,  such  as  a  stone, rest for a while, and practice  again as before. Make efforts like that for brief periods but very frequently and practice in four sessions.9


Try  to  establish  also  during  the  whole  period  between  sessions  a  vivid  awareness  free  from mental activity, without  allowing one’s thoughts to wander towards dualistic  confusion.10  The eyes  gaze down  a straight  line  along the tip of the nose. Behave in a slow manner  during  all kinds of conduct such as walking and sitting, too.

Through much gazing and holding the mind

adjust yourself until you remain in a state of awareness. (Tilopa)11


2.1.1.2. Calm abiding without support

“Without support” has two sections:

2.1.1.2.1. Tightening

2.1.1.2.2. Loosening


2.1.1.2.1. Tightening

Apart from the body posture and the gazing, which is like before, you tighten your awareness a   bit,   gaze   into   space   along   the   tip   of   the   nose   and remain   in   an   instant   without distraction [and] with one-pointed concentration.  Do not perform even the slightest practice of something that has an object or characteristics and eliminate distractions immediately!12


In the Mahamudra free from mental activity,

there is not the slightest bit to be practiced; thus do not practice!

That  which  is not  separated  from  the  meaning  “non-practice”  is  the
supreme practice.


Since this has been taught, practice  the mind making  very small sessions.  Perform, as before, all conduct between sessions, vividly aware. While doing so, at the beginning it will be so that mental processes proliferate extensively. That is a sign for a slight settling of the mind. Before [you experienced]  that slight settling [of the mind], mental processes arose carelessly without their  measure  of  arising  being  recognized.13   Whenever  mental  processes  proliferate  in  any form,  recognize  that  stirring,  recognize  without  distraction  one  stirring,  two  stirrings  [etc.], and  having  recognized  every  stirring  [of  the  mind]  without  losing  the  focus,  rest  a  bit. Practicing  like  that,  the  stirring  of  the  mind  itself  does  not  become  the  support  of  mental fixation and you remain with complete clarity, free from mental stirring.


2.1.1.2.2. Loosening

Body posture  and  gazing  are  as  before.  Having  relaxed  body  and  mind  through  loosening, remain  relaxed  and  at  ease  in  a  state  of  absolute  non-mentation  in  natural  awareness.  By practicing  that  moment  of  undistracted  awareness  in  that  state,  there  arises  an  experience  of crystal clear awareness.
Get accustomed as much as possible to the nature of the mind that is without discursive elaboration, like the state of space,14

Since this has been taught, observe your experience and practice until you gain stability.


2.1.2. Superior insight

Body posture and gazing are as before. Apart from that, with your gaze directed into the space of the  sky,  slightly  invigorated  awareness  and the mind  established  relaxed  and at ease in its natural  state,  stare  at  the  essence  of  the  luminous  mind  that  remains  in  complete clarity, so that the mind stares at itself: How is this essence of the mind? By practicing in that way and gaining perfect certainty, a crystal clear, genuine, naked, and vivid awareness of a luminous yet not definable  mind  unfolds.  Until  you  reach  that  state,  praying  to  the  guru  and  practicing repeatedly,  the  mental  processes  subside  of  their  own  accord  and  that  relaxed  one-  pointed remaining  of  the  mind  in  its  own  nature  is  “calm  abiding.”  In  that  state,  there  exists  no linguistic   or   intellectual   expression   for   the   nature   of   the   mind,   but   despite   that,   the luminous  and  unceasing  crystal  clear,  genuine,  naked,  and  vivid  awareness  [of  the  nature  of mind]  is a thing to be seen that is not  seen, a thing to be experienced  that is not  experienced and  a  thing  one  becomes  confident  or  certain  about.  Nevertheless it  is  linguistically  not expressible. This is “superior insight.”

If you dedicate  yourself  wholeheartedly  to  the  authoritative  [instructions]  of the guru and strive respectfully, there is no doubt that the inborn will arise.

Since it is without color, attributes, words or illustrations, unable to express it, I will try a rough illustration:
Like a young girl’s joy in her heart, Holy Lord, whom could it be told? 21
(Saraha)


Just that nature of the mind, the crystal clear, genuine [awareness] that is free from the extremes of arising, ceasing and abiding, is called “Mahāmudrā” or “Dharmakāya.”

This is Mahāmudrā;

it is free from stains;

for this there is neither anything to negate nor to establish;

it cannot be found through paths and antidotes;

it is the body of all Buddhas;

it is the foundation of all qualities;

it arises spontaneously.


Just  this  aware,  empty,  and naked  nature  of the mind  is the triple  gem  in the  definite  sense, and it is also the mantra, Mandala, etc. in the definite sense.

Those who possess the glory of the triple gem

are perfect with regard to their self-aware primordial wisdom. They constantly reveal this way of being awakened that bestows bliss.
And furthermore:
This [awareness], which is mantra recitations, austerities, burnt offerings, Mandala-[deities], and Mandala rituals, is in short the visible expressions of what is summarized as "mind."

Even  the  three  Kayas  are  complete  in  a  moment  of  immediate  awareness.  [Its] completely unestablished nature is the Dharmakāya, [its] unimpeded expression is the Sambhogakāya,  and both of them inseparable and abiding nowhere is the Nirmanakāya.


[It] reveals the way of the inseparability of that, which is unborn, the Dharmakāya,
that, which is unimpeded, the Sambhogakāya,

and that, which is abiding nowhere, the Nirmanakāya.



This  nature  of  your  mind,  the  ultimate  nature,  the  self-aware,  naturally  luminous  inborn primordial  wisdom,  is  also  inseparable  emptiness  and  compassion,22    inseparable  two  truths, inseparable  method  and  insight,  and  inseparable  [stage  of]  production  and  completion.  The completely   unestablished   original   natural   state   is the insight,   namely   emptiness.   The completely unimpeded expression is  the  method,  namely  compassion.  The inseparable unity of both, namely emptiness and compassion, is taught in the following.


The meaning that is intended by all the Buddhas is inseparable emptiness and compassion, the single nature of the minds [of] the beings.

Having  loosened  the  mind  into  its  own  nature,  there  is  nothing  to  be  practiced  apart  from being undistracted from the state of the "luminous and empty" and the "aware and empty."


Since the inborn is free from discursive elaborations, it is nothing to be practiced.
Do not interrupt the stream that is by nature uninterrupted.



Recognize  therefore  any  stirring  of  the  mind  or  mental  process  that  arises  from  a  state  of continuous   uninterrupted    mindfulness    of   the   four   kinds   of   conduct   and     they   will dissipate   like   snow   falling   upon   a   lake.   By  continuing   like   that  for   a  long   time,   the “experience  of  uncontrived  self-abiding”  is  such  that  also  during  the  four  kinds  of  conduct [going,  sitting,  lying  down,  standing23],  luminosity,  emptiness  and  awareness  become  more and more manifest.


The undistracted mind looks at itself.

When the mind itself realizes its true nature, even the distracted mind arises as Mahāmudrā.
[This is] the state of self-liberated characteristics, the great bliss.



2.2. The introduction on the basis of appearances

The introduction [on the basis of appearances] has two parts:



2.2.1. Introducing mental processes as Dharmakāya

2.2.2. Introducing appearances as Dharmakāya


2.2.1. Introducing mental processes as Dharmakāya
Take  the  body  posture  as  before  and  remain  loosening  and  relaxing  your  mind  in  its  own nature.  Thereby,  in  the  state  of  nakedly  staring  at  the  essence  of  the  nature  of  the  mind  that remains luminous and without  stirrings, crystal clear and genuine, look directly at the essence of  any mental  process  that  stirs  and  look  carefully  whether  there  is a  difference  between  the abiding and the stirring mind.  Repeatedly practicing as [described] above and gaining certainty with  regard  to  the  stirrings  of  the  mind,  their  unimpeded  arising  will  reveal  itself  as  the luminous and empty. For example waves move in the water as waves, but just these waves are water. Apart from the water, there are no waves, apart from the waves there is no water.  Similarly,  in  the  state  of  the  luminous,  empty  absolute  nature,  various mental processes arise, yet both are without duality.


This is called Samsara this is Nirvāna. Abandoning Samsara,
Nirvāna is not realized elsewhere.


Therefore,  by  looking  directly  at  the  essence  of  whatever  mental  process  arises,  when  you remain without mental stirrings wherever you abide [with your awareness] without identifying mental  processes,  a  blissful  joy  unfolds  in  the  heart.  Neither  a  distinct  "bad"  stirring  of  the mind is necessary  nor is it necessary  to search specifically  for an antidote,  such as primordial wisdom.


When you recognize just that, what binds you, you become free.24
When this special path is realized,

you proceed to Buddhahood within one lifetime.


Therefore,  if  a  stirring  of  desire  abruptly  arises,  without  following  it,  look  directly  at  its essence  and  remain  [in  this  contemplation]  without  allowing  distraction  to  occur.  Thereby, since  desire  arises  without  basis  and  root,  without  abandoning  it,  desire  is  purified  in  itself. This  is  also  called  “liberation  in  itself,”  “discriminating  primordial  wisdom,”  or  “Buddha Amitābha.”  It is similar  when  the  five  defilements  arise.  Through  looking  at  their  essence without  following  them,  they arise  as self-purified,  self-liberated,  without  basis  and root, and they are then called “five primordial wisdoms” and “five Buddha families.”



The great appearance of whatever is possible, is Vairocana himself.25
Because it does not diverge from the supreme essence,

this is also Akshobhyavajra  himself.26

Because it is empowered with the supreme necessary and desirable [things]

and bears fruits, this is Ratnasambhava.27

[Because] immeasurable experiences [arise] from a single element, this is the shining Amitābha.28
Because the meaningful, the inborn

is realized, this is the accomplishing Amoghasiddhi.29

It is the Lord of all!


Thus, through direct looking at arising mental processes, they become self-liberating, without having an own nature.
It is also called taking the five poisons as the path, like  the  planting  of  the  seed 

of  purity  into  the  poison  with  the  help of a mantra.

This contains the pith instruction of taking the five poisons as the path.
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The four yogas of  Mahamudra