THE THREE CHARACTERS

OF MIND ONLY SCHOOL

AN EXPLANATION BYKHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO

BY TONY DUFF

PADMA KARPO TRANSLATION COMMITTEE

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THE THREE CHARACTERS

OF MIND ONLY SCHOOL

AN EXPLANATION BYKHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO

BY TONY DUFF

PADMA KARPO TRANSLATION COMMITTEE

This book is intended for free public distribution, however,the content is copyrighted. For enquiries regardingpermission to reproduce this book or any portion of it, orto obtain further books, please write to the given addressor contact the author via internet and e-mail.

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First edition 4th July 2008

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

THE THREE CHARACTERS OF MIND ONLY SCHOOL: AN

EXPLANATION BY KHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO . . . . 1

TIBETAN TEXT OF THE EXPLANATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

iii

INTRODUCTION

The Three Characters are what are called the “Imagined”,“Dependent”, and “Fully Existing” characters. These threecharacters are an essential part of the definitions used inthe Mind Only school of Buddhist philosophy. These threecharacters are a way of summing up all the phenomenathat exist and characterizing them according to the levelof delusion or wisdom involved. This helps samsaric beingsto understand their present situation, gives them a guideto the workings of mind on the path, and shows them howthe fruition will be, too. All in all, the Three Charactersgive a practitioner a way to categorize the experiences oftheir world into these three characters: totally imagined;not imagined but fictional nonetheless; and fully existingas ultimate reality.

The definitions of Mind Only school are, in general, verypractical and because of that, the definitions are often usedin other Buddhist systems. For example, the Other Emptyschool, whose presentation of the view is preferred in twoof the four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism—Kagyu andNyingma—incorporates elements of both Mind Only andMiddle Way schools, including the Three Characters ofthe Mind Only school. Also, the tantras coming from India

v

vi INTRODUCTION

into Tibet used much of the Mind Only School definitionin their explanations of reality, including the ThreeCharacters. For these reasons, a knowledge of the ThreeCharacters and the subjects related to them is indispensablefor anyone trying to understand any of these views orschools.

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso, who at the time of writing wasone of the two greatest living khenpos of the Karma Kagyutradition of Tibetan Buddhism, has been teaching subjectslike this to Westerners for many years. The khenpo beganto visit Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s centres in the UnitedStates in the mid-1980's. As part of that, he visited theNaropa Institute in September, 1986, and gave a simplebut clear explanation of the Three Characters. I obtaineda transcription of the Tibetan, edited it for clarity, translatedthat, and added an explanation to help to understand theterminology involved. This, the result, includes the editedTibetan text. The Tibetan text is not difficult; the khenpospoke clearly and simply on what could be a difficult subjectand the Tibetan is very easy to follow because of it.

A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE MIND ONLY SYSTEM

Each philosophical school and for that matter each practicetradition of Buddhism shares a general Buddhist vocabularywith all other Buddhist schools and traditions but each alsohas its own, unique terminology as well as its own, uniqueway of using more generally shared terms. To becomeproficient in any of these schools or traditions, includingMind Only school, requires learning the general vocabularyof Buddhism and unique vocabularies and ways of eachschool. To help the reader, I will give a brief introduction

INTRODUCTION vii

to Mind Only school philosophy and review terms usedin it that are seen in the khenpo’s explanation.

Most of the conventional or exoteric schools of Buddhismassert that there are external phenomena which are madeof matter other than mind stuff. Mind Only on the otherhand claims that there are no external phenomena madeof something other than mind, that there is only mind. Hence, it gets its name Mind Only.

Mind Only school states that mind gets confused andprojects external phenomena where there are none. Whenthat mind is unconfused it stops projecting outwardly andlooks inward at itself. Thus Mind Only divides all knowablephenomena into two types: one type which belongs thesituation created when mind is looking outwardly andviewing things accordingly. All the things involved in thissituation are summed up as “the outwardly viewing aspect”. The other is the situation where mind is looking inwardlyand viewing thing accordingly. All the things involvedin this situation are summed up as “the inwardly viewingaspect”.

In the outwardly viewing aspect, the one mind hasseemingly split into two aspects. One aspect is the perceiverside or factor and the other is the side or factor that is theappearances referenced by it. Note the use of the term“referenced”. The term “to reference” is a general termof Buddhism that always indicates a situation where mindis perceiving dualistically. It means that mind is not simplyknowing its objects but is referencing them via conceptualtags. Thus, whenever you see the term “to reference” ina Buddhist text, you should understand immediately thatthe dualistic situation of perception is being discussed.

viii INTRODUCTION

Thus, in the outwardly viewing case, mind has developedtwo faces that appear simultaneously. Special names aregiven to these two faces: mind appearing in the form ofthe external object being referenced is called “that whichis grasped”. Mind appearing in the form of the conscious-ness that is referencing it is called “the grasper” or“grasping” of it. Thus, there is the pair of terms “grasped-grasper” or “grasped-grasping”. When these two termsare used, it alerts you immediately to the fact that a MindOnly style of presentation is being discussed and it shouldbring the whole flavour of Mind Only along with it. Thispair of terms pervades Mind Only, Madhyamaka, andtantric writings and is exceptionally important in all of them.

Note that you could substitute the word “apprehended”for “grasped” and “apprehender” for “grasper” or“grasping” and that would reflect one connotation of theoriginal Indian terminology. You might find that approachhelpful when reading the khenpo’s explanation.

The solidified duality of grasped and grasper is nothingbut an invention of dualistic thought. It has that kind ofcharacter or characteristic. Therefore, the Mind Only schoolsets this down as the most confused way that realityappears. In this case, it is appearing to a mind that doesnot see reality, a confused mind as it is called. It is “nothingbut labelling”1 by thought. This term “nothing butlabelling” has been translated in various ways. Althoughit is not literal, I have used the common translation“imagined” to give the right feel for it; it is totally invented

1 This is the most literal translation of the Tibetan “kun btags”. TheSanskrit is “parikalpita”.

INTRODUCTION ix

by confused mind and therefore is “imagined”. Anythingthat has this character is the first of the three characters.

Even without the extra overlay of this imagined duality,appearances of the world still appear to beings becauseof karma. The appearances and the consciousnesses thatknow them are all mind in this case but they have sometruth to them in that they are the straightforward produc-tions of karma. These appearances and consciousness comeabout in dependence on karmic latencies and therefore theyare dependent on those latencies. This level of reality thenis characterised as “dependent”. This level is still aninvention—it is an invention of the karmic process, however,it is not an outright fabrication of totally confused thought,total imagination, so it has a little more reality to it. Thisis the second of the three characters.

One of the qualities of the Mind Only school is that it isvery closely connected with practice rather than philosophy. It is also known as the school of those who engage inpractice—Yogachara—for that reason. Because of that,the terminology of the school comes from practicalexperience rather than philosophy. Philosophers sometimesmistakenly translate the terms of the school for that reason. For example, this second character has been called “otherpowered” by philosophers. However, it is simpler thanthat; it is a “dependent” situation no more and no less, andthat is exactly what the words used to name it mean2.

2 Skt. paratantra, Tib. gzhan dbang. The term is widely used simplyto mean “dependent” and is one of a pair of terms, the other beingSkt. svatantra, Tib. rang dbang, “independent”. These words arein wide use in normal culture, even today in India. For example,

(continued...)

x INTRODUCTION

The very essence of the mind that is presenting itself asthe appearances and consciousnesses that are dependentin character is a pure mind that knows its own nature. Thisis the wisdom of a buddha. It exists fully and completelyin the sense that it is not manufactured in any way at all. It is not a product of confusion in any way at all. Unlikethe phenomena of the first two characters, which areproducts to a greater and lesser degree respectively of thefundamental confusion of ignorance, it is just what it is,existing as it does, is not a product of manufacture oralteration in the slightest, and never changes from beingso. It is present as something that is “fully existing”3 andis named accordingly. This is the third of the threecharacters.

The third character has been translated as “thoroughlyestablished” by philosophers but this makes it sound asthough it is referring to something that you really can prove,logically. That is not what the name is about. The nameis a practitioner’s name used to refer to that which is reallyexists as it is, with no part of it being less than real. Thename is given in relation to the other two characters, eachof which is “less than real” so this one is the real thing, soto speak, compared to the other two characters.

In this way, the Mind Only school starts with mind andshows how three levels of reality and unreality belong toit. These can be connected with the two truths common

2(...continued)an independent nation is called “svatantra” and is described as notbeing “paratantra” meaning independent, not dependent, not subjectto someone else’s control.

3 Skt. pariniṣhpanna, Tib. yongs grub.

INTRODUCTION xi

to all of Buddha’s teaching, the fictional and superfactualtruths4. The Fully Existing character is the superfactual

4 “Fictional” and “superfactual” are much better translations of thekey pair of Buddhist terms that have usually been translated mostlyas “relative” and “absolute” respectively.

The Sanskrit term behind “fictional”, saṃvṛiti, is a commonword that was used in ordinary language. It means “a fiction”, “adeliberate coverup”. Thus the word was used in a variety of Indianreligions, including Buddhism, to refer to the reality of ordinarybeings, ones who are not spiritually advanced. The reality that thesebeings experience is a trumped up one, a big fiction, made up bytheir delusion.

The term fictional pairs with another term that is widely usedamongst Indian religions for talking about the reality of beings whoare spiritually advanced enough to see things as they really are. The term, “paramārtha”, means “the spiritually superior (parama)fact known by mind (artha)”. This is the fact of how things are. In other words, it refers to the superior level of reality to the fictionalone made up by sentient beings, a level which is known by spirituallyadvanced beings, and which is simply a fact—reality without anyfictions. There is no equivalent for this in English so I have coinedthe new term “superfactual”, which is not only a very accuratetranslation of both the Sanskrit and Tibetan terms but also conveysthe meaning correctly, as shown in this paragraph.

The two terms “fictional” and “superfactual” are used in anydiscussion of the two levels of reality that exist for beings as a whole:the fictional level of reality that sentient beings create for themselvesby means of their delusion and the superior, factual level of realitythat undeluded beings know as a fact. The terms “relative” and“absolute” sound nice but do not convey either the meanings ofthe original words nor the meanings that the Buddha gave to themwhen explaining these two levels of reality. The terms fictionaland superfactual not only translate the original terms accuratelybut also convey the sense of the terms as used by the Buddha. Note

(continued...)

xii INTRODUCTION

truth and the other two characters are in fictional truth. There are various ways of explaining this but that givesthe reader a simple idea of it.

Most Buddhist schools look at human consciousness anddivide it up into six types, coming up with a group of sixconsciousnesses each operating in a different way. Thisis called “the six-fold group”. The Mind Only School thoughasserts that there are eight consciousnesses. In the end,the two extra consciousnesses of Mind Only school—theseventh and eighth ones—come down to being aspects ofthe sixth consciousness—mind consciousness—of the six-fold group. The eighth consciousness, called the ālayaconsciousness, is defined in many ways, some very differentfrom others, so one has to be on one’s toes when readingliterature that mentions it. In standard Mind Onlypresentations, it is the place where karmic seeds areimprinted on the mind and where they are stored until theyripen. It is used with that meaning in the khenpo’sexplanation.

There are many words for karmic seeds, each onehighlighting a different aspect of the same thing. Onecommonly used term is “latency”. The Sanskrit term“vāsanā” and the Tibetan “bag chags” mean somethingthat has been planted on the mind no more and no less. The original Sanskrit is derived from the idea of one thingbeing clothed by another or the idea of an investment made. “Latency” is the meaning, not “habitual tendencies” or theother variations on that which have become popular but

4(...continued)the difference in feeling that you get when you use “fictional” and“superfactual” as opposed to relative and absolute.

INTRODUCTION xiii

mistaken translations of it. The latencies are mentionedin this explanation as the things that have been imprintedon the eighth consciousness.

In Mind Only school, when these karmic seeds come tolife in the process of interdependent relationship, theyproduce consciousness and the content of the consciousness. That consciousness and its content are true in the sensethat they have been produced in a karmic process. Theconsciousness and its content did not come about bythemselves—they are not independent—but come aboutas part of the process of interdependent relationship thatis why they are the “dependent” character. When that isfurther overlaid with the projection of a dualistic graspedappearance and grasping consciousness you have somethingthat is just purely imagined. Thus you have the differencebetween the Dependent and Imagined characters. The veryessence of the dependent and imagined minds is thechangeless mind that is the wisdom of buddha. Thus youhave the difference between the Dependent and Imagined,and the Fully Existing characters.

Mind Only literature centres around the premise that thereis only mind. As you might then expect, they haveparticular ways of talking about consciousness and so onthat are then a little different from the other schools. Inparticular, they are concerned with “awareness”5 and itssimple quality of registering something. The general defini-tion of mind in Buddhist schools is “illuminating and know-ing”. The definition for mind cannot merely be knowingbecause some things are said to “know”—for example thesedays a computer— but these things are obviously without

5 Tib. shes pa

xiv INTRODUCTION

a mind. Therefore, the illuminative property of mind isinvoked and this exclusively identifies a mind. This wouldtake a lot of discussion, so I will not go on here, but thisexplains why you see the terms “illuminating-knowing”and “illuminating-knowing awareness” throughout thekhenpo’s explanation. To fully understand this, you haveto read enough Mind Only literature that you gain a feelfor the words used in that literature and the specific waysthat Mind Only school expresses itself.

This e-book has a binding offset built in so that it can easilybe printed and bound as a book for your library.

The text in Tibetan script is included for those wanting tostudy it.

With my best wishes,Tony Duff,Swayambunath,Nepal,4th July 2008

THE THREE CHARACTERS OF

MIND ONLY SCHOOL:

AN EXPLANATION BY

KHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO

The Three Characters are named the “Imagined”,“Dependent”, and “Fully Existing” characters. Differentways of defining them have appeared but, to explain themhere in a way that makes them easy to understand: the onecalled “Imagined” is given its name because it somethingthat is an exaggeration made up or superimposition doneby discursive thought; the basis for that superimpositionis the Dependent character; and the emptiness or actualityof both the Imagined and Dependent characters is the FullyExisting character.

If we apply this first to something like an eye consciousnessapprehending visual form and a mind consciousness withit, it will be easy to understand. When an eye consciousnesssees visual form, the factor of grasped visual form isImagined character. The consciousness that is graspingthe visual form’s own factor of illumination-and-knowing

1

2 THREE CHARACTERS OF THE MIND ONLY SCHOOL

is Dependent character. The actuality of both the Imaginedand Dependent characters is the Fully Existing character.

Similarly, if we apply this to something like desire andanger, the factor of outwardly viewed appearance at thetime of birth of the desire and anger is Imagined character.

When we speak of something which is an outwardly viewedaspect, we are speaking of something that has an aspectof having both grasped and grasper. This talk is hard tounderstand because it is experience-based.

If the outwardly directed aspect is the Imagined character,what about the desire and anger; what are they? They havean entity of illumination-and-knowing and that factor whichis the entity of illumination and knowing is the Dependentcharacter. The wisdom free of elaboration that pervadesboth the desire entity of illumination-and-knowing andthe anger entity of illumination-and-knowing is the FullyExisting character. That being so, there is no differencein entity for the wisdom free of elaboration that pervadesthe desire entity mind of illumination-and-knowing andthat pervades the anger entity mind of illumination-and-knowing. They are equal.

Then we could apply this to dreaming, for example tosomething like dreaming of a snake. At that time, in theoutwardly viewed aspect, both the factor referencing thesnake and the object snake being referenced by it are theImagined character. Why? Because the awarenessreferencing snake is the factor doing the imagining or, youcould say the imputing or superimposing, and the snakeis a concept being imagined by it. The meaning is that thesnake is imagined character; the factor referencing it is the

EXPLANATION BY KHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO 3

imaginer of it—the agent doing the imagining; and bothof them are included in the Imagined character. Theawareness at the time of dreaming of the snake, the factorof illumination-and-knowing, is the Dependent character. That entity of the illumination-and-knowing awarenessis wisdom free of elaboration. That wisdom free fromelaboration is the Fully Existing character.

Similarly, if a thought like faith or non-faith arises in us,the outwardly viewed aspect of the mind of faith ornon-faith is the Imaginary character. The factor ofillumination-and-knowing which is the entity of theawareness involved in that outwardly viewed aspect thatis faith or non-faith is the Dependent character. The wisdomfree of elaboration that pervades the illumination-and-knowing of the minds of faith and non-faith is the FullyExistent character.

Moreover, one way to explain it is that everything knownwhen mind, turned outwards, looks over there, is animposition done by discursive thought. Any “thing”6 thatis not an imposition of a name or thought is called“dependent”. Then, the emptiness or actuality of both theImagined and Dependent, wisdom free of elaborations,is the Fully Existing character. Now, from this perspective,what is perceived at this point is an imputation orimposition done by name and convention and discursivethought, that is, it is imagined in character. Then, whatis not imputed, that is, not imposed, by name and

6 This is a specific use of the word thing that corresponds to theTibetan word “dngos po”. It means a composite thing that has beenproduced by the process of cause and effect. Further use of it willbe marked by putting it in apostrophes: “thing”.

4 THREE CHARACTERS OF THE MIND ONLY SCHOOL

convention and discursive thought is the “thing” itself andthat is dependent in character. Here, when we say “thing”it is referring to something beyond a convention.

A table is imaginary in character; the basis to which thelabel “table” is applied is the dependent character; and thenthe emptiness of both of those is the Fully Existent character. In short, when you see a table and think “table”, it isdiscursive thought saying, ”it is table” and the table youimagine in that case is the object superimposed by discursivethought. The “thing” that is the basis upon which thatimputation is created is not existing by way of its own entity,either. However, there is a mind that apprehends the tableand that apprehends the basis of designation of the table;that is the actuality of mind, wisdom freed of elaborations,and it does have to be included in mind.

One way of defining the three characters is in relation tothought. In this, all discursive thought is dependentcharacter, the objects of the discursive thought are imaginedcharacter, and what the thoughts really are at root is theFully Existing character. Again, the object of the discursivethought is imaginary in character; the thought itself isdependent in character; and the thought’s own actualsituation is Fully Existent in character.

That was a summary of how the three characters aredefined. This presentation defines the Fully Existingcharacter in terms of wisdom free of elaborations so it iscloser—but in that particular respect only—to an OtherEmpty presentation than a purely Mind Only presentation.

ƒ ƒ ƒ

EXPLANATION BY KHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO 5

In the Mind Only system, the term “knowables” are of twotypes: externally viewed and internally viewed aspects. The term externally viewed aspects refers to the processof referencing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and toucheswhereas internally viewed aspect refers to experiencingthe entity of that, which is the factor of illumination-and-knowing. These two things of externally viewed aspectand internally viewed aspect are part of the generaldefinition of the Mind Only system.

Furthermore, in the Mind Only system, grasped and grasperas two differing things is something that is imputed bydiscursive thought. Actually, there is no differing graspedand grasper; the apparent difference is something thathappens only because discursive thought exaggerates oryou can say superimposes and makes something on thisside here and on the far side over there. That is why it hasthe name “imagined”. The differing grasped and grasperis just an imputation made by discursive thought.

Now, to explain “Dependent”. When a table is said to bedependent, that table is one that is beyond conventions. Whether you give the item table a name or not, it stays there,and it stays there as something that holds other things up,such as a cup. This term “Dependent” means “those thingswhich, being under the control of other, namely causes andconditions, are not independent but are dependent onother”.

In the Mind Only system, there can be mere appearanceof grasped-grasper. That is a mere appearance of themin which discursive thought is not thinking of them asdifferent from each other. In that, the grasper is mind and

6 THREE CHARACTERS OF THE MIND ONLY SCHOOL

the grasper is the appearing factor, or it is also called thesuperfice, of mind. And in that case the two aspects of mindare “things”. They do indeed shine forth but not independ-ently and that is the Dependent character.

Then, the emptiness of dual grasped and grasping is theFully Existing character. In fact, there is no dual graspedand grasping. The factual situation is empty of dual graspedgrasping.

Now in Kagyu and Nyingma literature, Mind Only ispresented for the most part like this: dual grasped-graspingis imagined (what the Gelugpa define as Dependent isdefined by them as Imagined); the illuminating-knowingawareness that is empty of grasped-grasper is theDependent; and the emptiness in that illuminating-knowingawareness of dual grasped-grasper is the Fully Existingcharacter. Again, dual grasped-grasper is Imagined incharacter. The factor of illuminating-knowing awarenessis Dependent in character. The core, which is the emptinessof dual grasped-grasper in that factor of illuminating-knowing awareness, is Fully Existing in character.

In Mind Only, that Fully Existing character is theilluminating-knowing awareness empty of dual grasped-grasper and the Dependent empty of Imaginary. Theexample used in Mind Only for the Fully Existing is thatwhen confusion sees a snake where there is a multicolouredrope, the snake is Imagined, the rope is Dependent, andthe rope being empty of a snake is Fully existent. In MindOnly system, the Dependent being empty of the Imagined

EXPLANATION BY KHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO 7

is a Fully Existing situation which never changes so it iscalled “changeless Fully Existing”7.

In the first section, when I was given the basic definitionof the three characters, I defined this Fully Existing in termsof wisdom free of elaborations. As I said later, that is closeto the Other Emptiness system. Here, in this second section,the explanations follow Mind Only system exactly. In theMind Only case, the changeless Fully Existing is a non-affirming negative emptiness of dual grasped-grasper. This non-erroneous Fully Existing is said in Mind Onlyto be defined in relation to the factor of illuminating-knowing awareness, the factor of illuminating-knowingthat is not covered over with impurities. Generally, justnine divisions of Fully Existing are explained though thereare explanations of sixteen, and other numbers of divisions,too. When sixteen are explained, it is the sixteenemptinesses. And then, as mentioned earlier, when OtherEmptiness system is being explained, the Fully ExistingCharacter is defined in terms of wisdom free fromelaboration.

What do the words “Fully Existing” refer to, generallyspeaking? The phrase is similar in meaning to uncontrived8. It has the meaning of not being involved at all with themanufacture and-or alteration that is done by discursivethought. If we do it that way, then Fully Existing is theactuality of mind, wisdom freed from elaboration, notspoiled by conventions, not covered over with impurities,and with no manufacture and or alteration at all done by

7 Some translate as “immutable fully existing”.

8 Or, you could say, unaltered.

8 THREE CHARACTERS OF THE MIND ONLY SCHOOL

discursive thought. It cannot be covered over by theimpurities of conventions. It cannot be manufacturedwhatsoever by discursive thought.

When that wisdom free from elaborations, that FullyExisting, has conventions and discursive thoughts appearon its surface, that factor turns to being the Imagined. Thatbeing so, wisdom free from elaborations has to be realizedthrough meditation; it is not possible to realize it as it iswith conventions as the basis. Why? Because whenconventions and names arrive, discursive thoughts willbe shining forth and when that happens, that is Imaginedin character.

Thus, “Fully Existing” has the meaning “uncontrived”. Now, what about “Dependent”? Dependent means“dependent on other” and the meaning of “other” isexplained in The Treasury of Knowledge9 where it says that“other” refers to the various latencies that have beendeposited on the ālaya consciousness. When they ripen,appearance in general—the whole variety of appearancesof “things”10, and consciousness—the conciousnesses ofgrasped-grasper, arise. The Treasury of Knowledge says thatis it is called “dependent on other” because of that. Forexample, we have various consciousnesses of visual forms,sounds, smells, tastes, and touches arise. Theconsciousnesses are Dependent on other in this way: variouslatencies have been deposited on the ālaya; those latenciesare “other”; and it is due to those latencies, that these

9 By Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye

10 Dngos po again.

EXPLANATION BY KHENPO TSULTRIM GYATSO 9

consciousnesses arise, just as they are arising for us now. Therefore, these consciousness are Dependent on other.

TIBETAN TEXT OF THE EXPLANATION

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11

12 TIBETAN TEXTS

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INTRODUCTION 13

2±:-eè+-,Ê +è-89-P-,-F0-Dë#-bÜ<-/)#<-ý-+è-2ì-*0<-%+-#$-#- ¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-bÜ<-/)#<-ý7Ü-8ß:-7+Ü-2ì-#$-#- ¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê +è-,<-0Ü$-+$-F0-Dë#-bÜ<-/)#<-ý-0-8Ü,-ý7Ü-+$ë<-ýë-%Ü#-:-#5,-+/$-6è9-bÜ-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê +è-,<- ¥,-/)#<-+$-#5,-+/$-#(Ü<- Ü<-Yë$-ý70-+è-#(Ü<- Ü-#,<-:ß#<-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-+è-8ë$<-iá/-9è+Ê ¥,-/)#<-+$-#5,-+/$-#(Ü-#<-Yë$-ý7Ü-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-8ë$<-iá/-9è+Ê +-7+Ü7Ü-+/$-¸¥-eè+-,-2é-+è-0Ü$-+$-*-Xè+-+$-F0-Dë#-bÜ<-/)#<-ý-9è+Ê ´¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê +è-,<-0Ü$-+$-*-Xè+-+$-F0-Dë#-#Ü<-/)#<-ý-0-8Ü,-ý-"ë-9$-#Ü-+$ë<-ýë-%Ü#-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê +è-#5,-+/$-9è+Ê +$ë<-ýë-6è9-/-+è-8$-*-Xè+-:<-7+<-7ië-#Ü-7 ¥# %ë#-2é- ¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê %ë#-2é-5è<-ý7Ü-0Ü$-7'ß#-ý7Ü-#5Ü-+è-#5,-+/$-9è+Ê +è-#(Ü-#<-Yë$-ý-+è-8$-8ë$<-iá/-9è+Ê 0+ë9-,-%ë#-2é-0*ë$- ¥<-%ë#-2é7ë-/<0- ¥<Ê +è-F0-Dë#-#Ü<-%ë#-2é-9è+-6è9-/-F0-Dë#-#Ü<-…ë-/)#<-ý7Ü-8ß:-9è+Ê+è7Ü-/)#<-#5Ü-8$-9$-#Ü-$ë-/ë<-0-iá/-ý-9è+Ê 8Ü,-,7$-%ë#-2é-+$-/)#<-#5Ü-73Ý,-ý7Ü-<è0<-)èÊ <è0<-`Ü-#,<-:ß#<-+è-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-9è+Ê <è0<-:-2±9-7¸¥<-8ë$-+#ë<-`Ü-7¸¥# Ê+è-,<-+-7'ë#-2±:-#%Ü#-:-F0-ý9-Dë#-ý-*0<-%+-#5,-+/$-9è+ÊF0-Dë#-#Ü-8ß:-+è- ¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-#Ü-&ë<-(Ü+-+è-8ë$<-iá/-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-*0<-%+-#5,-+/$-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-#Ü<-/)#<-ý7Ü-8ß:-%Ü#-8ë+-ý-9è+-+è- ¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-9$-#Ü-&ë<-(Ü+-+0-F0-Dë#-#Ü-#,<-:ß#<-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-+è-8ë$<-iá/-9è+ÊF0-Dë#-9$-:-‚9-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê 8$-F0-Dë#-#Ü-8ß:-+è-´¥,-/)#<-

14 TIBETAN TEXTS

9è+Ê F0-Dë#-9$-#5,-+/$-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-9$-#Ü-#,<-:ß#<-+è-8ë$<-iá/-9è+Ê +è-02,-(Ü+-#<ß0-bÜ-7'ë#-2±:-0+ë9-/Z¨<-ý-8Ü,Ê /;+-2±:-7+Ü-<è0<-10-+$-#5,-Yë$-,$-,<-)ë#-10-#5,-Yë$-:-*#-(è-/ë-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê #-9è-9è+-6è9-,-8ë$<-iá/-+è-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-:-/5#-#Ü-7 ¥# Ì <è0<-10-ý7Ü-:ß#<-:-;è<-e-6è9-,-"-dÜ-/P<-+$-,$-/P<-#(Ü<-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê "-dÜ-/P<- ¥-#6ß#<-…-lè-9ë-9è#-e-:-+0Ü#<-ýÊ ,$-/P<-¸¥-9$-#Ü-$ë-/ë-#<:-9Ü#-#Ü-&-fë$-/Ê ÿÜ9-/)$-#Ü<-<è0<-10-ý7Ü-:ß#<-:-"-dÜ-/P<-+$-,$-/P<-#(Ü<-/5#-ý-9è+Ê Ì <è0<-10-ý7Ü-:ß#<-:-/6ß$-73Ý,-*-++-ý-F0-Dë#-bÜ<-/)#<-ý-9è+Ê /6ß$-73Ý,-*-++-ý-8ë+-ý-0-9è+-+è-F0-Dë#-bÜ<-.9-…ë-/)#<-,<-*-++-8ë$-#Ü-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê+è-dÜ9-,- ¥,-/)#<-9è+-6è9-bÜ-7 ¥# /6ß$-73Ý,-*-++-8Ü,-ý-+è-F0-Dë#-#Ü<-/)#<-ý-9è+Ê Ì +-#5,-+/$-/;+-{æ-8ë+Ê %ë#-1é-#5,-+/$-9è+-6è9-¸¥<Ê +è-"ë-9$-*-Xè+-:<-7+<-ýÊ "ë-:-0Ü$-/)#<-,7$-0-/)#<-,-"ë7Ü-&-/Z+-`Ü-9è+Ê 7+Ü9-/5#-+è-89-z#-7+Ü-8ë+Ê .ë9-ý-7+Ü-89-z#-*ß/-`Ü-9è+Ê #5,-+/$-6è9-{æ-+è-{æ-zè,-bÜ-#5,-+/$-¸¥-b²9-ý-9$-+/$-0è+-ý-:-6è9-bÜ-9è+ÊÌ <è0<-10-ý7Ü-:ß#<-:-/6ß$-73Ý,-[$-10-+è-/6ß$-73Ý,-*-++-0-8Ü,-ý-[$-10-+è-73Ý,-ý-+è-<è0<-9è+Ê /6ß$-/-+è-<è0<-`Ü-[$-&-70-<è0<- Ü-F0-ý-9è+Ê <è0<-bÜ-F0-ý-#(Ü<-ýë-+è-+$ë<-ýë-9è+Ê9$-+/$-0è+-ý-;9-bÜ-0ë+-ý-9è+-+è-#5,-+/$-9è+Ê +è-,<-/6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<- Ü<-Yë$-ý-+è-8ë$-iá/-9è+Ê +ë,- ¥-/6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<-8ë+-ý-0-9è+Ê /6ß$-73,-#(Ü<-`Ü<-Yë$-ýÊ Ê+è-,<-/!7-{æ+-CÜ$-

INTRODUCTION 15

07Ü-8Ü#-&-2ì-:-<è0<-10-ý7Ü-U/<-<ß-.:-&è-/-+è-:-7+Ü-7l7Ü-8ë+Ê/6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<-´¥,-/)#<-)èÊ +#è-:ß#<-ý<-#5,-+/$-¸¥-/5#-ý-+è-´¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê /6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<-`Ü<-Yë$-ý7Ü-;è<-ý-#<:-9Ü#-+è-#5,-+/$ÍÊ ;è<-ý-#<:-9Ü#-:-/6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<-Ü<-Yë$-ý-+è-8ë$<-iá/Ê /6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<- ¥,-/)#<Ê ;è<-ý-#<:-9Ü#-#Ü-&-+è-#5,-+/$ÍÊ ;è<-ý-#<:-9Ü#-#Ü-&-+è-:-/6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<- Ü<-Yë$-ý7Ü-XÜ$-ýë-+è-8ë$<-iá/Ê <è0<-10-ý7Ü-U/<-<ßÊ 8ë$<-iá/-+è-;è<-ý-#<:-9Ü#-:-/6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<- Ü<-Yë$-ýÊ#5,-+/$-:- ¥,-/)#<- Ü<-Yë$-ýÊ +ýè-+è-+ýè9-,-*#-ý-h-/ë-:-ˆå:-+$-7há:-/7Ü-U/<-<ßÊ ˆå:-´¥,-/)#<Ê *#-ý-#5,-+/$ÍÊ *#-ý-ˆå:-bÜ<-Yë$-ý-+è-8ë$<-iá/-bÜ-+ýè-:-/5#-#Ü-7 ¥# Ê#5,-+/$-:- ¥,-/)#<- Ü<-Yë$-ý-+è-:-7b²9-0è+-8ë$<-iá/-ý9-7b²9-/-0è+-ý7Ü-8ë$<-iá/-6è9-9è+Ê +$-ýë7Ü-U/<-/;+-ý-:-8ë$<-iá/-7+Ü-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-:-/5#-ý-9è+Ê #5,-Yë$-#Ü-:ß#<-+$-*#-(è-ýë-9è+Ê +-P7Ü-U/<-#(Ü<-ý7Ü-/;+-ý-7+Ü-<è0<-10-ý7Ü-:ß#<-9è+Ê <è0<-10-ý7Ü-U/<-<ß-7b²9-0è+-8ë$<-iá/-+è-/6ß$-73Ý,-#(Ü<-`Ü<-Yë$-ý7Ü-0è+-+##-9è+Ê dÜ,-%Ü-0-:ë#-ý7Ü-8ë$<-iá/-+è-;è<-ý-#<:-9Ü#-#Ü-&-+è-:-/5#-#Ü-9è+-6è9ÊlÜ-0<-0-#ë<-ý7Ü-#<:-9Ü#-#Ü-&Ê ÿÜ9-Y$<-8ë$<-iá/-:-+eè-/-+μ¥-10-%Ü#-/;+-ý-9è+-7 ¥# Ê+μ¥-+$-/%°-lá#-<ë#<-/;+-ý-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê /%°-lá#-/;+-ý7Ü-U/<-<ß-Yë$-(Ü+-/%°-lá#-7+Ü-9è+Ê +è-,<-+-#5,-Yë$-#Ü-:ß#<-:-+è-8ë$<-iá/-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-9è+Ê ÌÿÜ9-Y$<-8ë$<-iá/-6è9-{æ-+è-#-9è-9è+-6è9-,-8ë$<-<ß-iá/-ý-6è9-{æ-+è-

16 TIBETAN TEXTS

0-/%ë<-ý7Ü-+ë,-+#-7l-/ëÊ F0-Dë#-#Ü<-I-/-,<-/6ë-/%ë<-0-eè+-ý7Ü-+ë,-+#-9è+Ê +è-eè+-,-<è0<-`Ü-#,<-:ß#<-‡ë<-ý-+$-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-+è-*-X+-bÜ<-0-/y+-ý-lÜ-0<-0-#ë<-ý-F0-Dë#-#Ü<-I-/-,<-/6ë<-/%ë<-0-eè+-ý-9è+Ê "ë-9$-:-*-X+-bÜ-lÜ-0<-#ë<-*ß/-bÜ-0-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-#Ü<-#$-8$-/6ë-*ß/-bÜ-8ë+-ý-0-9è+Ê Ì ‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-+è-6è9-,-8ë$<-iá/-6è9-,-*-Xè+-+$-F0-Dë#-$ë-:-;9-/7Ü-&- ¥,-/)#<-:-7ië-#Ü-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê 7+Ü-eè+-,-‡ë<-o:-bÜ-8è-;è<-+è-/Vë0-,<-Dë#<-+#ë<- Ü-9è+-0-#)ë#<-*-X+-bÜ-Yè$-,<-'Ü-P-/-/5Ü,-¸¥-Dë#<-*ß/-`Ü-8ë+-ý-0-9è+Ê #-9è-9è+-6è9-,-*-X+-+$-0Ü$-8ë$<-/7Ü-U/<-<ß-F0-Dë#-:-;9-8ë$-#Ü-9è+Ê F0-Dë#-:-;9-/-+è-´¥,-/)#<-9è+Ê +è-,<-8ë$<-<ß-iá/-ý-0-/%ë<-ý7Ü-+ë,-+#-9è+Ê +è-,<-#5,-+/$-6è9-{æ-#5,-+è-;è<-e-03ì+-:-7+Ü-#<ß$<-7¸¥# Ê#5,-+è- ¥,-#5Ü-F0-;è<- Ü-Yè$- ¥-/#-&#<-[-2ì#<-/5#-ý-+è-#5,-6è9Ê +è7Ü-+/$-#Ü<-[$-/-7+Ü-+$ë<-ýë7Ü-[$-/-[-2ì#<-ý-F0-;è<-/6ß$-73Ý,-bÜ-F0-;è<-þè-`Ü-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê 7+Ü7Ü-&-,<-#5,-+/$-#<ß$<-7¸¥# Ê+ýè9-,-$-2ì-#6ß#<-…-lÜ-9ë-9è#-e-73Ý,-ý7Ü-F0-;è<-[-2ì#<-ý-þè- Ü-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê F0-;è<-+è-#5,-+/$-9è+Ê #-9è-9è+-6è9-,-´¥,-#5Ü7Ü-Yè$-:-/#-&#<-[-2ì#<-ý-/5#-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê/#-&#<-+è-#5,Ê /#-&#<-+è7Ü-+/$-#Ü<-F0-;è<-7+Ü-2ì-þè-`Ü-8ë+-ý-9è+Ê +-$-2ì-#6ß#<-…-lÜ-9ë-9è#-e-73Ý,-ý7Ü-F0-;è<-þè-`Ü-7¸¥# 7+Ü-eè+-,-F0-;è<-7+Ü-2ì-#5,-+/$-9è+ÊÊ

Tony Duff has spent a lifetime pursuing the Buddha’steaching and transmitting it to others. In the early1970's, during his post-graduate studies in molecularbiology, he went to Asia and met the Buddhistteachings of various South-east Asian countries. He

met Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal and has followed it since. After histrip he abandoned worldly life and was the first monk ordained in hishome country of Australia. Together with several others, he foundedthe monastery called Chenrezig Institute for Wisdom Culture wherehe studied and practised the Gelugpa teachings for several yearsunder the guidance of Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa, Geshe Lodan, andZasep Tulku. After that, he offered back his ordination and left for theUSA to study the Kagyu teachings with the incomparable ChogyamTrungpa Rinpoche. Tony was very active in the community and wentthrough all possible levels of training that were available during histwelve year stay. He was also a core member of the Nalanda Trans-lation Committee. After Chogyam Trungpa died, Tony went to live inNepal where he worked as the personal translator for TsoknyiRinpoche and also translated for several other well-known teachers.He also founded and directed the largest Tibetan text preservationproject in Asia, the Drukpa Kagyu Heritage Project, which he oversawfor eight years. He also established the Padma Karpo TranslationCommittee which has produced many fine translations and mademany resources for translators such as the highly acclaimedIlluminator Tibetan-English Dictionary. After the year 2000, Tonyfocussed primarily on obtaining Dzogchen teachings from the bestteachers available, especially within Tibet, and translating andteaching them. He has received much approval from many teachersand has been given the titles “lotsawa” and “lama” and been stronglyencouraged by them to teach Westerners. One way he does that is byproducing these fine translations.

PADMA KARPO TRANSLATION COMMITTEEP.O. Box 4957KathmanduNepalhttp://www.pktc.org/pktc