Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This sādhana, titled "The Attainment of Gnosis" (Jñānasiddhināmasādhanopikā), provides a comprehensive manual for the practitioner to realize the non-dual nature of mind. The text argues that the essence of self-awareness is the supreme jewel, asserting that the realization of the vajra nature of mind is the source of all excellence. It commits the reader to a rigorous path of discipline involving the observance of samayas, the consumption of ritual substances, and the cultivation of an unwavering relationship with the guru, who is viewed as the embodiment of all Buddhas. The work integrates philosophical reflections on the nature of consciousness—including a brief engagement with the Prāsaṅgika position—with practical instructions on deity yoga, mantra recitation, and the transformation of afflictions. By synthesizing Mahāyoga practices with ethical imperatives such as non-contempt for others and the generation of bodhicitta, the text aims to lead the yogi from conditioned existence to the unconditioned state of a buddha.
Provenance
About this text
A sādhana focused on the means for achievement, the Jñānasiddhināmasādhanopāyikā belongs to the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. The work is attributed to the Indian author Indrabhūti. It was translated into the Tibetan language by Śraddhākaravarman and the monk Rin chen bzang po of Zhu chen, and is preserved in the Tengyur (vol. ཝི), where it extends over 49 pages. The text opens with homage to Vajrasattva and instructs the yogi to maintain a state of non-contempt toward all beings, regardless of their social standing, health, or moral conduct. It enacts a path of realizing reality to transcend conceptualizations of "I" and "mine," emphasizing a pervasive vajra nature that enters all of space and the minds of sentient beings. Scholars and serious readers consult this classical Tibetan translation to examine the integration of ethical imperatives, such as the cultivation of bodhicitta and reverence for the Three Jewels, with the practical application of illusions and other means to achieve liberation from the cycle of coming and going.
Sanskrit title
Jñānasiddhināmasādhanopāyikā
Indian author
Indrabhūti
Tibetan translators
zhu chen gyi lo tsa ba dge slong rin chen bzang po, Śraddhākaravarman
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Sādhana called “The Attainment of Gnosis”” (Toh 2219), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2219
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its integration of high-level tantric ritual (such as the use of five nectars) with a philosophical framework that emphasizes the innate clarity of the mind. It reflects the Indo-Tibetan tradition's emphasis on the guru as the indispensable link to enlightenment and the necessity of combining compassion with esoteric technique.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-5
Preliminary Ethics and Devotion
Homages, instructions on avoiding contempt for others, and the importance of pleasing the master.
6-16
Nature of Wisdom and Reality
Discussion of mirror-like wisdom, the equality of nature, the limitations of conditioned forms, and a brief mention of the Prāsaṅgika position.
21-31
Path of Accumulation and Practice
Guidelines on generating the mind of enlightenment, the role of meditation, and the nature of non-virtuous actions when driven by compassion.
37-47
Ritual Conduct and Samayas
Metaphors for the path to liberation, restrictions on certain mantra-being activities, and the nature of the mind as clarity.
51-61
Advanced Yoga and Empowerment
Instructions on supreme yoga, the necessity of guru-bestowed empowerment, the status of the master in Guhyasamāja, and the practice of deity generation.
Themes
Guru Devotion (4, 37, 53, 56, 57)
Non-dual Nature of Mind (3, 6, 10, 47)
Samaya and Ritual Discipline (4, 9, 26, 42, 61)
Compassion and Bodhicitta (2, 21, 31, 37, 57)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Sādhana called “The Attainment of Gnosis”·
In the language of India: Jñānasiddhināmasādhanopikā. In the language of Tibet: Ye shes grub pa zhes bya ba’i sgrub pa’i thabs (The Means for Achievement Entitled "The Accomplishment of Wisdom"). Homage to the Blessed One, Vajrasattva.
The Buddhas and their accomplishments,
Pervasive like the expanse of space,
The supreme King together with his offerings—
To the supreme Vajra of the Omniscient One,
Who bestows everything upon all sentient beings,
The Protector of the World, I prostrate.
With devotion toward all things,
I shall explain this sequence of achievement.
The unsurpassed Vajra Wisdom,
As taught in all the Yoga Tantras without exception—
Those who, through delusion, do not know it,
Wander in the ocean of saṃsāra.
Whoever abandons all conceptualization
And abides perfectly in suchness,
That practitioner, in this very life,
Will abide in sublime enlightenment.
Through exertion in mantra, mudrā, maṇḍala,
Recitation, and meditation,
Even in countless tens of millions of eons,
The supreme accomplishment will not be attained.
One should not harbor pride in the mind
Regarding the perfection of form and youth,
Wealth, power, and strength,
Or one’s noble lineage and ancestry.
One should not think: "I am wise and intelligent,
Skilled in all crafts and arts,
I am a king," and thus generate such thoughts.
Possessing ethical discipline, learning, and stability,
Perfectly endowed with generosity and the like,
Whether through what has been explained or what remains unexplained,
One should not perceive a self.
The mind of all sentient beings is distinguished;
Vajrasattva himself has entered therein.
Having reflected in this way, the yogi should not show contempt for anyone. Whether they are childish, foolish, or poor; whether they are immoral or afflicted by disease—toward such individuals and countless others, one should not show contempt, even if they are possessed of faults.
Those who have faith and reverence for the Three Jewels, who are adorned with the mind of awakening (bodhicitta), who are compassionate toward all sentient beings, and who abide by the samaya and the vows—these should be honored.
Having thoroughly mixed the great fragrance (vairocana), the red (padma), the flesh (ratna), the bodhicitta (vajra), and the great water (amṛta), the knower of reality should always consume them.
Whether it be the excrement of humans, dogs, horses, or cattle, or that of the "nose-possessing" (elephant) and the "burden-bearer" (donkey)—having completely abandoned all conceptualization, one should consume them for the sake of attaining reality.
One should kill those born of the three realms of existence, steal the wealth of others, engage in desire with the wives of others, and speak words of falsehood. By whatever actions sentient beings would be boiled in the unbearable hells for hundreds of millions of eons, by those very actions the yogi is liberated.
For the yogi who possesses the great means and accomplishes the welfare of the world, there is no action that should not be performed, even if it is disparaged by all sentient beings.
Regarding one who possesses both insight and means, it is said that even what is known as "sin" does not exist. This was spoken by the Vajra-Holder himself from the emanation of Vajrasattva.
Transcending the categories of edible and inedible, and having abandoned the categories of drinkable and undrinkable, the yogi who is liberated from the categories of the approachable and unapproachable becomes one who abides in meditative equipoise.
One should thoroughly analyze all things as the reality arising from dependent origination.
Completely liberated from coming and going,
Unborn and devoid of self,
Through examples such as illusions and the like,
One who thoroughly understands their application
Will not engage in the conceptualizations of "I" and "mine,"
For by knowing reality, one does not act in that way.
Pervading all with the great vajra,
It has thoroughly entered all of space.
Pervading the minds of all sentient beings,
It is the great source of all merit.
The vajra that pervades one another,
The All-Knowing One, the Guide of the World—
This was taught throughout all the tantras
By the King, the Vajra Holder.
Whoever possesses the kindness of the guru
Will find that supreme reality.
Otherwise, the childish, for a long time,
Will be afflicted by the delusions of ignorance.
The guru is the Buddha, the Dharma,
And likewise the Sangha as well.
Since one comes to know through his kindness,
He is therefore the Three Jewels.
For those blinded by the cataracts of ignorance,
He is the one who shows the supreme path.
He is the supreme of all happiness,
The one who bestows all that is desired.
Having certainty in the profound Dharma,
Possessing a nature of great compassion,
He seeks the Three Jewels.
In the gift of Dharma, he is without material concern;
That guru gathers in disciples.
Accomplishing the lineage of all Buddhas,
He was spoken of by the Protector of Beings;
Others are explained as not being gurus.
Therefore, there is no object of worship
Equal to him, even for those of great intelligence.
Thus, with every effort,
The practitioner of vows should worship the supreme mind.
In this world, there is no one else
Equal to him within the three realms.
The vajra nature of mind, within the world,
Is the source from which all excellence emerges.
Desiring supreme excellence for the disciple,
Desiring inexhaustible merit,
And wishing to utterly repel all obstacles,
One should please [the master] in many ways.
This is the unsurpassed samaya
Of all samayas; it bestows all excellence.
Those who are diligent should always guard it.
By attaining the supreme, excellent wisdom
That is utterly free from all conceptualization,
And through the empowerment of vajra wisdom,
One shall accomplish the supreme siddhi.
If one possesses authentic wisdom,
But seeks empowerment from another
In a maṇḍala drawn upon a surface,
This constitutes a violation of samaya.
The suffering of violating samaya
Is that the body, the mind, and its purposes
Will all decline, and one will swiftly die.
After death, the sufferings of hell
Will be experienced for hundreds of millions of eons.
Even if one eventually departs from that state,
One will be born into a low-caste or outcaste family.
There is no doubt that in birth after birth,
One will be born mute, deaf, or blind.
The wisdom of all the Tathāgatas
Is explained as "vajra wisdom."
When an intelligent person is empowered by that,
It should be understood as a true empowerment.
The yogis, the lords of beings, and the rest,
All of whom are the nature of all Buddhas,
Will join their palms and pay homage.
Even the Bodhisattvas of great power
And the Buddhas, the Great Beings, themselves—
The Great Glorious One acts as a protector,
Abiding eternally with a vajra body.
Upholding the Dharma of truth without agitation,
He causes the lineage of the Buddhas to flourish.
Those endowed with blessings
Praise him with devotion.
The world-protectors and others,
Those of great power who subdue adversaries,
Even when they perceive all locations,
They abide exactly as he has spoken.
Furthermore, for all sentient beings,
Those who dwell as māras and obstructors
Do not act against him;
Terrified, the obstructors scatter.
Gods and the like, and the accomplished ones,
All that moves and does not move in the sky—
Fearing the descent into the lower realms,
They do not act as his protectors.
If, under the power of delusion,
Those who are utterly confused were to act as protectors,
Then diligence, wisdom, consciousness,
And even the accomplishments would decline.
Thus spoke the Omniscient One, the Supreme Giver:
"Free from all shapes and forms,
A self liberated from going and coming,
Even all the winds cannot move it.
The mass of fire cannot burn it,
And the waters cannot wash it away.
Even with the sharpest weapons,
Used with the greatest effort, it cannot be cut.
Just as space, which does not abide,
Is pervasive and free from characteristics,
This is the ultimate reality,
The unsurpassed vajra wisdom.
It is explained as Samantabhadra,
And is also called Mahāmudrā.
This should be known as the Dharmakāya,
And is also called the Mirror-like Wisdom.
Just as a reflection in a mirror..."
Just as one’s own appearance is certain, so too, because wisdom appears as the dharmakāya, it is called the "mirror-like." Because the wisdom of all the Tathāgatas and one’s own, as well as that of wandering beings, are realized as a single essential nature, it is called "the wisdom of equality." Because it is primordially pure, unborn, and naturally luminous, and because it is a wisdom that pervades one another, it is explained as "the wisdom of individual discernment." Because it engages in all the activities of the Buddha everywhere and in every way, and because it performs the deeds of all Buddhas, it is explained as "the all-accomplishing." When one is liberated from all afflictive and cognitive obscurations, at that time, the supreme yogi, the Vajra-holder, is explained as "the utterly pure." Because the Buddhas enjoy all the phenomena of those to be trained and all sensory qualities as a single enjoyment, it is asserted as the "saṃbhogakāya." Perfectly endowed with all the marks, the various bodies are without defining characteristics; because they are the emanations of the Buddhas, they are explained as the "nirmāṇakāya." In order to thoroughly accomplish the Mahāmudrā, the yogi, having understood it, should meditate upon it. If all conceptual constructions are completely abandoned, accomplishment will be attained in this very life. That which is prostrated to by all Buddhas should be known as "Mahāmudrā." In the tantras of the various siddha lineages, relying upon the supreme yogis, whatever the stages of birth from the womb may be, they were individually tamed in various fields. All the Tathāgatas there truly maintain the ascetic discipline.
All the youthful sports, as well as the authentic display of the arts, the departure from the circle of queens, the subduing of the Māras, the descent from the celestial realm, the turning of the wheel of Dharma, and the authentic display of the great parinirvāṇa—whatever other sports there may be, the yogi should always meditate upon them all as being of the nature of the vajra. Here, there is nothing that has not occurred before; one should not apply what was previously established. All the deeds of all the Tathāgatas are the very essence of the vajra. One should view everything as the ultimate path of the three times. Transcending the entire sphere of speech and completely free from all defining characteristics, this yoga bestows all buddhahood; one should contemplate it in this way. The yogi, having transcended all stages and being free from cause and effect, should meditate on the yoga as if it were already accomplished, and thus it will be achieved in this very life. All yogis who possess the vajra, having understood all the ritual methods, will achieve that unsurpassed state just as Vajrasattva has spoken. Whether sitting, lying down, staying, or even walking, if one utters the vajra words, one will attain the state of Vajrasattva himself. When the practitioner of the vow is constantly engaged with forms, sounds, tastes, and tangibles, they should correctly practice with the thought: "I am making offerings to all the Buddhas." Likewise, whatever food, clothing, or anything else one gives to sentient beings, one should practice that ritual in the same manner.
With song, dance, and likewise music,
With flower garlands and other ornaments,
With hanging tassels, yak-tail whisks, and parasols,
One should make offerings to the Supreme Self.
With fragrant scents, ointments, and so forth,
Anointed according to the ritual procedure,
Recalling all the Buddhas,
The yogi should make all these offerings.
Whether they be practitioners of ascetic vows, those with shaven heads,
Householders, or those who provide service,
Or even kings and military commanders—
The practitioner of vows should engage with them as they are.
Whatever the yogi may do,
One should never disparage it in any way.
Being completely liberated from all conceptual constructs,
One performs whatever actions are desired.
That is the essence of all things,
The nature of all the Buddhas, the Pervasive Lord.
One should act according to one's own desire;
He dwells in the hearts of all sentient beings.
That very reality is the unsurpassed,
Which the lord of yogis should meditate upon.
The vajra nature accomplishes everything;
One will swiftly attain the state of Vajra itself.
Here there are no obstacles and no demons;
Everything will be brought under one's power.
Completely liberated from all suffering,
The practitioner of vows accomplishes the Self.
When one sees the one endowed with great vows,
Possessing the Self in its entirety,
Then, beyond the measure of days and nights,
The state of all the Buddhas will be accomplished.
Through the excellence of all offerings,
One should always make offerings to the Self.
The unsurpassed Vajrasattva
Likewise bestows [blessings] upon one another.
Those born from the bodies of all sentient beings,
And the creatures born from excrement—
Having properly received [the teachings] through Mahāyoga, one should consume [the substances] in order to achieve that very reality. Endowed with the great lamp and the other censured samayas, one should constantly consume the five nectars and make offerings to the Tathāgatas. One should not disparage or treat with contempt any of the limbs. One should make offerings to the Vajra-holder [Vajrasattva] with women born of all castes. Endowed with the unarisen flower and possessing the bodhicitta, remaining in the ritual of the flower, one should consume [it] in order to achieve that very reality. Those born of the outcaste (caṇḍāla) class, and especially the outcastes and those born of censured castes—if one relies upon them, one will attain siddhi. The yogin should enjoy maidens born of the Brahmin and other castes; in such a way that the mind is not disturbed, one should make them exceedingly beautiful. With a non-conceptual mind, one should offer the identity of Vajrasattva, even if it is mixed with vomit, excrement, and the like. By performing whatever actions one desires and acting according to one's pleasure, one should accomplish Vajrasattva; otherwise, one will certainly be afflicted. Through ascetic vows, fasting, and various mudrās, one will not achieve accomplishment by meditating on the form of a deity. Even if one possesses great diligence in the recitation and meditation of secret mantras as numerous as the atoms of Jambudvīpa, Buddhahood itself will not be achieved. Through such immeasurable and constant methods of the childish, [accomplishment is not found].
If birth in the higher realms is difficult to find, how could one become Vajrasattva? The mudrās, maṇḍalas, forms, and so forth taught by the Blessed Sage are for those who lack the fortune of the union of authentic wisdom. That which is the essence of self-awareness is the unsurpassed jewel; those who are unable to grasp it through the methods of scripture and reasoning are completely shrouded by the ignorance of delusion. Those of a mind devoid of practice are yogins who are beginners; they are vessels for inferior teachings. For their sake, the Protector of Beings taught the meditation on Vajrasattva and the others, complete with their colors and hand-symbols, as well as the maṇḍalas of mudrās. However, for those who do not depend on other conditions and are vessels for the profound wisdom, who are unmoved by sinful companions, māras, obstructors, or misleading spirits—for them, that very purity is the abandonment of all conceptualization. This most marvelous wisdom, which is the reality of all Buddhas and the peace of all, is taught by the Protector of the World to be accomplished in this very life. This is the first chapter, the teaching on Mahāmudrā, from the Jñānasiddhi. From the essence of the five Buddhas, the five aggregates are explained as the Victors. The elements are Locanā and the others; therefore, they are asserted to be the bodies of the Buddhas. If that is so, then all living beings are always perfect Buddhas in the three realms. Because they are the state of Buddhahood, they are all Bodhisattvas and...
Hearing and meditation would be meaningless. If everyone in the world were a buddha, then no poverty whatsoever would occur, and harms such as the cultivation of pleasure and suffering would not exist for them. If one were to become a buddha by nature, why would the wealth of a buddha’s qualities, such as the six superknowledges, be absent? How could one who does not know in that way become a perfect buddha? One who knows in that way is one who becomes a buddha. A yogi whose mind enters through the application of gradual training will become a buddha; others do not achieve buddhahood. If one were a buddha by nature, what need would there be for training? One should practice with logic; one should not practice without logic. If some helpless person, by meditating on the thought, "I shall become a king," were to do so for a hundred million eons, they would still not attain kingship. Just as one who, through wrong conceptualization, does not have a king [in reality], likewise, through wrong meditation, one will not become a buddha. In the King of Tantras, the Perfect Buddha taught that the aggregates, sense bases, and so forth are the reality of the samaya; for the fortunate, these are taught by their respective names. Excrement is explained as Vairocana, and urine likewise as Vajra-Water. Just as the female organ is the lotus, so the male organ is the vajra. Because one is unable to speak [of this] following scripture and logic, therefore, by whomsoever the deity’s body—
It is impossible to say. If a created form of a deity were to become Vajrasattva, then because it arises from conditioned factors, it would perish just like a vase or similar objects. Therefore, even the manifold practices of the bodhisattva path would become fruitless. If, having arisen, it were to perish, what purpose would meditation itself serve? How can a form created from the nature of the mind be said to be conditioned? How then could such a thing perish? Listen, you who are an ocean of delusion! These are merely conceptualizations of the mind; if they possess the characteristics of the conditioned, how could that which is conceptualized by the mind be imperishable?
If one were to meditate on the very deity’s body—endowed with the correct hand gestures and colors, just as it has existed from the beginning—as an uncreated divine form, then since it abides in an unborn essence, what need is there for meditation? If one has not become such a form, yet meditates on "I am such a one," then when yogis meditate on a form, is it that they become that form, or do they meditate on the thought, "That is me"? Thus, yogis meditating on a form should analyze these two possibilities. When one analyzes with meditative concentration, thinking, "I shall become such a one," and when that concentration becomes clear, the deities will appear as such. When you look at a form such as a painted image and then meditate with concentration, that form becomes light through concentration; it does not arise in that way [as a new entity]. If you were to bestow an unborn divine body through your concentration, [it would be so].
All superknowledges will arise, and that form, too, in that very instant. Thus, for you, there is no reality; where has it come from through meditative concentration? Why do you not realize that the body produced by you yourself is artificial? Even if you claim, "I am that," a second [self] does not exist there. If there is no proof of what is already established, how can there be an analysis of meditative concentration? Omniscience itself is the knowledge of all; it is not held to be attained again. If you perform the deeds of a Buddha, there is no need for the Buddha himself to cause you to act. Thus, since reality does not exist for you, how can you engage in false conceptualization? To say that the uncreated Buddha-body is "that" is meaningless. The uncreated divine body is analyzed in that way: if it were form, it would be like a vase or the like; one cannot claim it is uncreated. Therefore, for the sake of the childish to understand, the Protector of Beings demonstrated the impermanence of the body and taught the two types of nirvāṇa. Thus, a Buddha endowed with a body does not appear anywhere in the world. To thoroughly establish the Buddha-body, one should not meditate on form. Listen to how the Buddha is formless: awareness is of the nature of the insentient. How could that which is a material form residing in a location become the six superknowledges? In all the world systems, the sense bases such as form and so forth—the eye base and so on—do not come into that [state]. When the eye and so forth...
If beings are not perceived, how could they meet? That which does not meet is not omniscient. If you say, "Having gone, it knows," how could it know sequentially? Because the objects of knowledge are manifold in nature, such an omniscient one would not exist. Therefore, the Buddha’s eyes and so forth do not possess such an intention. Apart from the eyes and other sense faculties, no other body is perceived. If one considers the Buddha’s body to be like a reflection, lacking a mind, then because it lacks authentic awareness, the Buddha’s body is not omniscient. Those possessed of compassion explain that the gods’ eyes belong to the Buddhas; they possess the gods’ ears as well. If they are not omniscient in that way, then if they know through wisdom, what is the use of the Buddha’s body? If you say that because wisdom is known to reside in the body, the body is therefore omniscient, then since it is neither different from nor different from the body, and since the Buddhas’ wisdom is said to possess the body and its limbs, that wisdom would also perish after nirvana. Since the body is subject to destruction, wisdom too would perish. Therefore, it is not logical for the Buddha’s wisdom-body to perish. If wisdom were to reside in a body, then without a body, it would not be omniscient. That wisdom arising from dependent origination would therefore be subject to destruction. Since wisdom-bodies are subject to decline, it is not logical for them to be omniscient. Therefore, the Buddha’s bodies are not to be considered omniscient. Furthermore, how could there be a Buddha’s body apart from wisdom?
In this way, the Buddha is a reflection; thus, the class of those who speak of yoga [should understand]. Whoever among the deluded worldlings desires to contemplate a form, in order to fully accomplish the wisdom of a Buddha, is like one who desires to devour space. Those who have little compassion for beings and have utterly abandoned skillful means and insight do not possess the intelligence for the profound and vast Dharmas. Those who are devoid of such Dharma and run hither and thither are like the insane, deluded regarding the Dharma, who will fall into abysses. Toward all of them, in particular, one should exercise great compassion. Through the realization of authentic wisdom, it is not right to despise them. This concludes the second chapter, the refutation of meditating on form, from the Jñānasiddhi.
Thus, by meditating on form, Vajrasattva is not accomplished. Likewise, by means of conceptualization with aspects, Vajrasattva is not accomplished. Since wisdom is the very nature of the aspect, it would be distinct from the aspect. If, however, the aspect were to become wisdom, such a thing would be illogical. The aspect is not wisdom itself; for in cognition, the aspect itself does not exist. For example, a vase does not become space, nor does space become a vase. The formless does not become form, and the formless does not possess form. Wisdom is renowned to be formless, while the aspect is explained to be possessed of form. One should examine how it could be that the very same thing is both other and not other. The conceptualization that the aspect is wisdom itself is also illogical.
Listen briefly to the Prāsaṅgika position, which is certainly different. If that aspect were not consciousness, it would follow that it is conditioned. An unconditioned essence does not exist for the foolish. How could the Buddha’s wisdom be something produced and subject to destruction? The Tathāgatas have taught it to be without beginning or end and peaceful; even the fortunate sons of the Buddha have stated that wisdom is unconditioned. Since all things are definitively explained as being like an illusion or an optical illusion, and are without arising or ceasing, why would that [wisdom] not be wisdom? That which is called "eye-consciousness" is not wisdom; if it were, it would follow that it is impermanent and subject to change. The Buddha’s wisdom is not otherwise. All Buddhas have clearly taught that wisdom is unchanging; therefore, it is certainly not logical to assert that it is a single [entity]. That is the manifestation of cognition; it is not to be conceptualized as wisdom. If the individual manifestations are negated, why would wisdom not be negated? Therefore, its oneness is not established. If that statement is so certain, why do you conceptualize them as being one? Because it contradicts scripture and reasoning, it is in every respect fruitless. That very wisdom is consciousness; even so, it is not logical. There is no difference from the aspect; it is not logical for cognition to be cognition itself. Cognition arises from the object of cognition, not in the absence of an object of cognition. If cognition were to become different, then it would be permanent as wisdom.
The various aspects are not established within wisdom itself. Even at the time when wisdom arises, the aspects do not arise; and if the aspects were to arise in every respect, wisdom itself would be untenable. For example, just as a cloth cannot arise from a completed pot, how could distinct phenomena appear in the world? If a son has not been born, what could be "another's"? In the world, a barren woman’s son possesses neither the moving nor the non-moving. When Devadatta is with his own son, even if he is "another's" son, it is not logical for him to be "with a son." Likewise, how can you assert that wisdom, which has no abode, possesses aspects? In relation to what would wisdom become "with aspects"? To say that wisdom possesses aspects is not to be free from aspects; how can wisdom that is free from aspects become "with aspects"? If that which possesses aspects is itself "with aspects," then how could the Buddha’s wisdom be liberated from all aspects? If the aspects themselves were to become "with aspects," then why would you not be a Buddha even without Buddha-wisdom? It is not omniscient, nor is it wisdom; wisdom is merely imputed as something distinct. Therefore, it is not logical for the accomplishment of the goal to reside in wisdom that possesses aspects. If wisdom were to become "with aspects" despite being without aspects, then by entering the lineage of the Buddha, one would not see any meeting with it.
Formed things do not truly engage;
The formless is not engaged in any way.
Just as space and a vase
Are not asserted to truly engage,
So too, although it possesses aspects,
It does not become possessed of aspects.
Because it is dependent, it is subject to destruction;
It would become something that lacks a collection.
Whatever arises from a collection
Cannot be the wisdom of a Buddha.
When wisdom is conditioned,
It is not established as being possessed of aspects.
If aspects and wisdom
Were to become distinct from one another,
Then, being mutually dependent,
How could they be wisdom?
If aspects are conceived as
Being separate from consciousness,
Then, being other than consciousness,
It follows that they would be non-cognitive.
If that which is other than the aspect
Therefore becomes aspectless,
Why do you not likewise conceive
That consciousness is without aspects?
This concludes the third chapter, the Refutation of Wisdom Possessing Aspects, from the Establishment of Wisdom.
Having thoroughly refuted wisdom possessing aspects
Through logical analysis,
I shall now explain how
Wisdom without aspects is also not established.
If you conceive that wisdom exists
Even if there are no aspects,
Then what does this consciousness—
Which is both with and without aspects—perceive?
Since that omniscient one would not exist,
And what is called "wisdom" would be mere conceptualization,
Because he does not perceive any aspects,
It follows that he would be inanimate matter.
The nature of non-material realization
Is explained as being without aspects.
If he truly perceives everything,
How can he perceive what is unreal?
Completely liberated from all conceptual thought,
If one knows all phenomena to be selfless in that way,
How could that wisdom be known by the false?
Through examples such as illusions and the like,
All phenomena are thoroughly realized;
For the benefit of beings, in various ways,
All Buddhas provide these teachings.
If examples such as illusions
Were merely imputed by erroneous conceptualization
And did not exist by way of their own essence,
How could the Omniscient One know them?
It would be as unreasonable as a rabbit’s horn
Or the son of a barren woman;
How could it be reasonable for something to be known
If it were a non-entity? Therefore, it would be without aspects.
The Victors and their Sons have taught
Examples such as illusions;
They are not non-entities, but are merely imputed,
And are not negated in every respect.
If phenomena were explained in every way
As being exactly like the examples themselves,
Then because they would be the very things to be proven,
The examples themselves would not be examples.
For instance, the example of a "lion-man"
Exists in the world;
It possesses qualities such as being an example,
But it does not possess the actual activity [of a lion].
Therefore, all things
Are not non-existent by way of their own essence.
Following scripture and reasoning,
The Supreme Person should realize this.
Thus, what you have said
Is a method for deceiving the childish;
It is not a truthful statement
Made with the intention of benefiting beings.
Just as with a rabbit’s horn
Or the son of a barren woman,
The Victors have never taught
That any entity is a non-entity.
If forms and other entities...
If [the aspects] do not exist in any way, how could the Buddha, whose nature is compassion, achieve the divine eye? Likewise, since the divine ear and all the others do not exist, there would be no superknowledges; therefore, an omniscient one would not exist.
If you claim that wisdom without aspects truly resides in the Buddha’s body, how could it be logical for all the superknowledges to function? The sense bases such as form are known by the eye and so forth; they are experienced by the mind, and thus they exist in the world. Have you not yourself stated that form and so forth do not exist? If things are non-existent, how can you conceive of their contact? If non-existent things were to contact, it would not be right for you to speak in this way. This very [wisdom] is in every respect a non-entity; how then can you assert contact with it?
Even if there is no engagement, wisdom acts for the benefit of sentient beings through the power of aspiration and according to the capacity of those to be trained. If he does not even know this, how could he act for the benefit of beings? One who lacks logic is not omniscient, nor does he have compassion for suffering beings. It is illogical to say that he acts for the benefit of beings through the power of aspiration like a supreme wish-fulfilling jewel. This [wisdom] appears as an existent thing; because it perfectly accomplishes the welfare of all beings, when it is certain, wisdom is explained as a wish-fulfilling jewel, and it is not of an insentient nature. Even where it is not seen or not performed...
Examined by one’s own wisdom: "I shall become the omniscient lord of beings"—why make such a claim? By generating the mind of perfect enlightenment and having properly accumulated all the collections, through great enthusiasm, realization, and diligence, and by means of meditation, reflection, and so forth, as well as listening to the sublime Dharma and the like, there is no need for sufferings. That which did not exist before does not arise; that which previously existed will also perish. If Buddhahood were like this, then everything without exception would be meaningless.
One is liberated from the fears of death and so forth, and freed from the harms of the hells and so forth. That which is devoid of the pleasant and unpleasant, suffering and so forth, and is of the nature of an insentient entity—knowing the essence of all phenomena is definitively explained as "omniscience." The "omniscient one" who knows the nature of things is explained as the Perfect Buddha. Because he knows everything through direct perception, he is therefore called "omniscient."
If one errs, one will wander in saṃsāra and experience the sufferings of the hells; yet even if one were to definitely attain the pleasures of a universal monarch and so forth, it would be better [to attain the former]. This concludes the fourth chapter, the Refutation of the Aspectless, from the Jñānasiddhi.
Since such a collection of faults exists, that [omniscience] is not aspectless. Now, the nature of that which is without mind will be thoroughly explained. Some yogis assert that wisdom exists during the state of extreme delusion. Through the meditation of the deluded, delusion is attained by those of evil conduct. The world engages in the results that correspond to their causes.
Rice does not grow from a koṭapa seed; such a thing exists nowhere. Therefore, one should understand that non-conceptual wisdom is not something that possesses [attributes]. Non-conceptuality is wisdom itself; it is not logical for it to be otherwise. The Tathāgata has truly taught that wisdom is non-conceptual; he did not teach that the deluded are non-conceptual through wisdom. Because the wisdom of the Buddha is spontaneously present, it is explained as being non-conceptual. There is no differentiation of thought, yet it is not a state of mindlessness. This non-conceptuality has never been taught anywhere to those who do not understand it. Since there is no fault in the Dharma, it is one's own conceptualization that perceives it otherwise. The Omniscient One, the All-Seeing, the Accomplisher of the welfare of all sentient beings, the Protector of Beings endowed with compassion, teaches it within that very state. If one were to remember it as being merely non-conceptual, then why would all these [beings] not remember it? Being free from the objects of both [subject and object], it is non-cognition and yet omniscience. This wisdom has been utterly rejected here by the deluded who possess false cognition. This concludes the fifth chapter, the Refutation of the Meditation of the Deluded, from the Jñānasiddhi.
It is not the exhaling, nor is it the inhaling; it is not logical for that to be the established reality. It does not exist in the interval between those two either. How could the reality of the wind be so? If it does not exist even slightly in the interval, how could it be the reality? If the wind were to become that reality, then the bellows would also become it. Just as someone might blow into a bellows...
Just as a bellows is fanned by wind, and likewise causes [the wind] to be drawn in, so too is the body [fanned] by the mind. There is no blowing apart from the wind, and likewise, the wind is what blows. Whatever the blowing of the body and the one who blows the bellows, no distinction is seen between them. For the yogi who sees suchness, there is no activity of blowing. Name and mind are also equal. Through the winds of inhalation and exhalation, the wind and the bellows are equal. Just as the bellows [is empty], so too will the wind of the body become. When that very wind of the body emerges from all the gates, if it is explained by one who knows suchness, it is no different from [ordinary] wind. Those who are utterly deluded, fallen from the path, and who intensely meditate on false objects, will not be born in the higher realms; they go alone to the hells. This concludes the sixth chapter of the Jñānasiddhi, the refutation of the suchness of inhalation and exhalation.
The base-born say that the bliss arising from the two organs is suchness. The Supreme Victor did not say that this is great bliss. That which is born from dependent origination cannot be established as suchness anywhere. Because in all these cases, it does not exist by way of its own essence. The wisdom of all the Sugatas, which knows its own essence, is explained as "great bliss" because it is the foremost of all blisses. Great bliss is not impermanent; great bliss is eternally permanent.
Why is that which arises from the rusted pit of the ancestral hearth not great bliss? There is no bliss equal to passion; that is offered to the Victors. "Enjoying all objects of desire, one should not disparage them"—this was spoken by Vajrasattva in all the Yoga Tantras for the sake of the yogi’s mental bliss. It is not the ultimate reality. This is the seventh chapter, the refutation of those who speak of great bliss from the Jñānasiddhi.
Since the experience of bliss is refuted, there is therefore no authentic primordial wisdom (jñāna). All such reality imagined by the deluded is erroneous. The wise, however, refute everything through their own intellect. How then is authentic reality found? That shall now be explained.
Sentient beings of small intelligence, small merit, and weak diligence have failed. How did all the Tathāgatas attain the supreme primordial wisdoms? What was spoken by all the Buddhas shall be explained here in sequence.
Having properly placed both knees upon the ground, with body straightened and palms joined, one should speak these words with faith:
"To the Teacher who has appeared in the world, those who will appear in the future, and those who are realized in the present, who teach the sublime Dharma and whoever reveals that very reality—to all those Buddhas I prostrate. For the sake of making offerings and rendering service day and night, I pray that the Lord, the embodiment of all Buddhas, may accept me."
All the various types of offerings, reaching to the very limits of the realm of space, are gathered in their immeasurability and arise perfectly from the expanse of phenomena (dharmadhātu). With inconceivable and supreme variety, I make offerings to the Gurus of beings, through the emanations of Vajrasattva, throughout all the past and the future.
I confess all misdeeds that have arisen, for the sake of benefiting all beings; I shall refrain from them henceforth and once again take the vow not to commit them. Whatever merit belongs to all the Buddhas, to their wise Sons, to the Pratyekabuddhas and the Śrāvakas, and whatever has been performed by all other embodied beings throughout all their lives—I rejoice in all that merit with a mind of perfect joy, both my own and that of others.
To those who dwell perfectly in all ten directions, who are seated upon the chariot of the reality of phenomena (dharmatā), whose hearts are endowed with great compassion, and who are skilled in teaching the Dharma—I request them to teach the Dharma. I pray that they remain for as long as all beings have not yet become Buddhas, acting for the benefit of all sentient beings; O Protectors, please do not pass into parinirvāṇa. With palms joined, I make this request.
Whatever merit I have performed, caused others to perform, or rejoiced in, through body, speech, and mind—by that, may the entire world become omniscient. To the maṇḍalas of all the Buddhas and to the Bodhisattvas themselves, I offer flowers and the rest, as much as I am able, throughout the three times.
Even those mixed with the five nectars, or if they are not mixed, those things that are examined, are of the nature of liberation from all conceptualization; thus, one should uphold the samayas and so forth. The vows and samayas taught in the Tattvasaṃgraha and other tantras are as follows: one must not kill living beings, nor take what is not given, nor engage in sexual misconduct, nor speak lies. One should completely abandon alcohol, which is the root of all faults. Likewise, one should abandon slander, harsh speech, idle gossip, malice toward ignorant sentient beings, and wrong views. One should first generate the mind [of awakening] and establish [beings] in nirvāṇa. One should uphold that supreme vow, which is all the branches of meditative concentration. One should likewise generate the bodhicitta, the great source of all merit: "I shall establish all these sentient beings on the level of omniscience." "May I become a compassionate one who dispels the suffering of all these beings, bestows all perfections, and shows the path to awakening." Generating the perfect mind of equanimity toward all embodied beings is to be known as bodhicitta; otherwise, it would be perverted. When one dwells in inequality, it is not to be known as bodhicitta. That wisdom which is free from beginning, middle, and end will not arise. The Buddhas and all the Vajradharas will not grant their blessings to such a person. Even all the gods and others will protect [the practitioner] and be hostile [to the perverter].
Therefore, the yogi of method and wisdom, being the sole kinsman of all sentient beings, should generate a stable mind that is free from deception. By doing this, all the Buddhas, who are the embodiment of joy, will be pleased; those of great power who subdue others will grant their blessings; and even Māras, obstructors, and the like will not seek an opportunity to harm. Vajrapāṇi and the others, out of joy, will always provide protection. All misdeeds will be purified, and the person will attain the status of a noble being. All merit will be generated, and they will come to possess authentic wisdom. Otherwise, that very reality will never arise in any way. Therefore, for those who understand the initial application and desire to attain wisdom, for the sake of accomplishment in this very life, for the sake of non-violence, for the sake of pacifying all obstructors, and for the sake of increasing longevity and health, the yogi who desires the fruit must certainly practice this. This was taught in various tantras by all the Buddhas and Vajra-holders. For the yogi who abides on this path, like the waxing moon, it will gradually and perfectly increase, never to be exhausted. Even if some of inferior diligence do not attain Buddhahood itself, they will obtain the happiness of a universal monarch in every birth. The Victorious One, the Supreme, has declared that whatever merit belongs to all the Buddhas throughout all directions and times resides within each and every pore of the body.
From the Jñānasiddhi, this is the eighth chapter, titled "The Great Increase of the Accumulation of Merit and the Accumulation of Wisdom."
Just as the sins confessed
Are utterly exhausted, even those most unbearable,
So too, through rejoicing,
Is merit perfectly completed.
Regarding the taking of life and so forth,
It is correctly explained that "one should do it."
In some tantras, it is said "one should not";
How is it that these do not contradict one another?
The five nectars and all such things,
Likewise, those things not to be eaten or approached,
And the many things not to be drunk and so forth—
How is it that these also produce virtue?
In order that beings of inferior intellect may understand,
The Buddhas and Vajradharas
Have definitively taught in various tantras;
That shall now be explained in stages.
Whatever actions are to be performed,
Whether by body, speech, or mind—
Since there are no others that are peaceful,
One should analyze them in this way:
Without the mind, the body and speech
Are not able to do anything at all.
Without that [mind], even through words,
It is never possible to act.
Therefore, the actions of body and speech
Arise from the mind itself.
Whatever virtuous or non-virtuous deeds
All beings perform through the mind itself,
Whatever actions lead to benefit,
All of them become well-practiced.
By the opposite, it is called "non-merit"—
Thus the Supreme Victor has clearly taught.
Therefore, all that is virtuous and non-virtuous
Is performed by the mind itself,
And by the mind itself it is destroyed—
Thus has the Teacher of the World spoken.
Having harmed sentient beings, [the result is] complete...
Having generated a truly altruistic intention, I shall confess all my misdeeds with total dread. Whatever harmful actions I have previously committed with great effort will be destroyed by their antidote, for it is by that very [antidote] that they are undone. Just as one who creates a jar is the same one who breaks it, so too, whatever misdeeds arise, they are destroyed by the self [who committed them]. If the base think, "I shall confess later," it is improper for them to confess, and that misdeed will not be destroyed. Likewise, merit is also destroyed in that same way; therefore, even if one has performed merit, there is no doubt it will be destroyed by a lack of joy. When one does not give to the mind that desires to give, even if the gift is made, merit will not arise in any way. That which abides superior to all is that in which everything is destroyed: the accumulation of the merit of generating the bodhicitta, which produces great bliss for thousands of millions of eons. That which arises for millions of eons is destroyed in a single instant; a person who hates a second person similar to that [bodhicitta] is a wretched person. For the sake of protecting against that, the Tathāgata spoke these words: even a small harm done to that [bodhicitta] becomes a great mass of sin, while even a small benefit done to it becomes a great mass of merit. Of all forms of happiness...
It is for the sake of abiding in an ocean of qualities. Some childish people, utterly deluded, who have not seen scripture or reasoning, say: "It is through the very act of conceptualization that one becomes sinful," thus speaking as those who destroy themselves. If a yogi free from conceptualization is not stained by sin, then it is also illogical for there to be any transformation even in the presence of a cause for the arising of hatred. Having abandoned the ways of the world, nothing else whatsoever will change; it would be as reasonable to run with one's head or likewise to eat stones. It is illogical for that person to be harmed by wind, cold, dryness, and the like. Even if one's faults are exposed and one is harmed, no birth [of affliction] will arise. If, in one's own actions, attachment and so forth are drawn in and are difficult to abandon, then for one who has realized the non-conceptual, it will not be otherwise. That which is unborn is not exhausted; this is the case for one who possesses sinful karma, anger, and pride. Their sin will not be completely purified. If one thoroughly realizes that "the gods themselves have done all of this," then since this occurred previously, it was done exactly as it was. The thorough realization that "the gods themselves have done it" is a misconception. Because one is overwhelmed by attachment, one desires to perform the very action. All things, such as rejoicing and so forth, arise from that very mind alone. The wise should understand that one is endowed with the accumulation of merit. The inferior, possessing body and speech, will not partake in that merit. Regarding the merit of a single fierce mind that the Buddha has spoken of—
Whatever actions such as taking life, if performed with a mind of vast attachment, will not all become non-virtuous; they are born from merit and compassion. Whatever actions are performed for the sake of benefiting others by those possessing compassion, the One who fulfills the intentions of beings has taught that all of these are merit. Even those things forbidden to an outcaste are permitted if the intention is one of compassion. It is not that embodied beings lack compassion; rather, for some people, even performing meritorious acts becomes an act of malice if it is done out of attachment to their own self-interest. The Supreme Victor has clearly taught that such an act is indeed a sin. When a Bodhisattva thoroughly understands all these virtuous and non-virtuous actions, they all become virtuous, because they are under the mastery of the mind.
This concludes the ninth chapter, "The Thorough Knowledge of the Arising and Destruction of Merit and Sin," from the Jñānasiddhi.
Because the five nectars are not understood, and in order to thoroughly purify the mind, the Victor taught that the meat of elephants and so forth are likewise [to be consumed] by the yogi. Even if one were to kill all living beings and eat them, one would not attain Buddhahood. Those sentient beings who are devoid of mind are not understood by the deluded. Because everything is filled [with impurity], there is no purity in the body for the time being. Some who eat the oozing [substances] are not eaten by everyone. Just as all things such as milk and so forth are renowned as food or non-food for all these embodied beings, they do not exist within one's own mind [as inherently pure]. If one thoroughly understands that all food, clothing, and so forth are impure, [then one is liberated].
Because water is perfectly [pure], these [beings] enter into it. By the falling of masses of rain, all impurities are washed away, and after producing all the grains, [the water] then flows into the ocean. The nāgas take up the water, whether it be impure or whatever else it may be, and all of it falls as rain in that same way. Ponds and all such [reservoirs] are filled, and everyone is washed by it all. Therefore, purity, impurity, and so forth—none of these exist here. If purity itself were to exist, then impurity would arise; but without purity, impurity is not found in any way. For example, like "this side" and "the other side," they are mutually dependent; the conceptualization of purity, impurity, and so forth belongs to the worldly. This concludes the tenth chapter, on liberation from the conceptualization of purity and impurity, from the Jñānasiddhi.
Now, how it is that yogins engage in what is not to be engaged in, without contradicting the authentic authorization, shall now be analyzed. In this way, all embodied beings are born and perish from the mind; and that [mind] is under the power of karma throughout all states of existence. A father and mother may become a son, and a son and mother may become a father; a maidservant may become a wife, and a wife may become a mother. Such modes of being have occurred in existence from the very beginning in many and very extensive ways, as Vajrasattva has taught. Abiding and wandering in that way...
There is not a single sentient being who, over the long course of time, has not been one's father or mother; likewise, all others, such as daughters and so forth, have previously been one's kin within the six realms of existence. Therefore, the Supreme Victor has taught that one should practice great compassion. For this reason, Vajrasattva and the other supreme protectors, in order to train the minds of yogis, have granted permission for [the practice of] daughters and so forth. Who could cross to the other shore of the great ocean of saṃsāra, which is filled with the waters of conceptual thought, without mounting the Vajra Vehicle? All erroneous cognitions, being the source of every fault, are gradually refuted by means of scripture and sound reasoning. This concludes the eleventh chapter of the Jñānasiddhi, concerning the transcendence of what is to be traversed and what is not to be traversed.
In order to thoroughly realize the Vajra Vehicle, the Yoga Tantras were taught for the sake of the supreme yogi; I shall now explain them through both examples and reasoning. The entities such as the form body (rūpakāya) and so forth do not possess the nature of suchness (tattva) as they appear. Since the negation of those has already been established, they do not exist even as formless entities. That which is the source of all faults cannot be suchness. Neither existence nor non-existence is suchness, nor is it something other than those. Therefore, it is not logical for it to have a spatial direction, and at that time, it is not an omniscient [subject]. From the awareness of authentic wisdom, there is the all-pervasive Vajra Body itself.
Immutability and omniscience are established by that. It is not a material, pervasive body; therefore, it is not a vajra-body. Since immutability does not exist in that [material body], it cannot become omniscient. Whatever is known sequentially is not a realization of all; because objects of knowledge are limitless, this is not accepted as omniscience. That which is explained as an object of knowledge is but a single portion of space; even in ten million thousand eons, it could not be known. If it were to perish after arising, then it should not be produced. The wisdom that is utterly stable destroys only delusion. That which comes and goes does not possess pervasiveness. That which moves and dwells in one direction would follow as being subject to destruction. By what could a phenomenon that is without color be destroyed? It cannot be harmed by weapons, poison, fire, or water. Its nature is to abide everywhere like space; it is immutable and equal to space. It is without afflictions and is changeless, at all times and in every way. That which is not present at all times cannot be omniscient. Therefore, one should know it to be changeless at all times. Although the great wisdom abides in all embodied beings, the ignorant, obscured by the cataracts of ignorance, do not know it. Just as a dog chases after a clod of earth and does not [seek] the thrower, so too the mind thinks of whatever it should think.
It is not in the nature of the mind itself. Even that which is to be contemplated by the mind is also definitively realized as that very nature. One does not differentiate or destroy the mind while contemplating what the nature of that very mind is like. This concludes the twelfth chapter, titled "Establishing the Abiding of Reality," from the Jñānasiddhi.
The world, being utterly deluded, if urged by others, would even cast themselves into a precipice for the sake of liberation. Since many who have become deluded act in such a manner, they abandon the path of the Sugatas and are seen to rely on the path to hell. Just as a certain blind man might show the way to others, he does not ask those who are questioning him about whatever he himself has conceptualized. Even if he shows the path due to the power of delusion, though he does not see it, by that sinful path he will suffer the ruin of his journey. Without seeing the path himself, how can he lead others? If two blind people travel together, there is no doubt that both will suffer. Just as two born-blind people who have entered a wilderness, how could they possibly enter a city? Likewise, since that one who has become blind does not see authentic wisdom, if he is unable to reach that state himself, how can he liberate others? Therefore, a disciple who possesses the authentic [qualities] should rely upon a guru; thus the Supreme Victor has clearly taught that one must thoroughly examine [the teacher]. One should have natural faith in the Three Jewels.
Possessing compassion for all sentient beings,
Endowed with qualities such as stability and generosity,
Having greatly increased all merit,
One should perfectly generate the mind of awakening.
With an excellent intellect, endowed with virtues,
Free from anger and possessing great enthusiasm,
One who has exceptional devotion to the profound Dharma—
Such a person always delights in the gift of Dharma
Without any material interest.
Such a person always has few desires
And has perfectly gathered the two accumulations.
This is what all the Buddhas,
Along with the Vajra-holders, have taught as the Guru.
He is the teacher of all sentient beings,
The guide of the world.
As for others who are described as Gurus,
Who possess wrong knowledge and manifest pride,
And who teach the supreme Dharma
For the sake of wealth and the like—
They remain in the world as evil friends to beings,
Belonging to the faction of Māra,
Bringing ruin to both themselves and others.
One should always avoid such people
And should not honor or serve them.
One should not feel anger toward them,
Nor should one associate with them closely.
Just as the Sugatas do not wish to dwell
Together with the Śrāvakas,
So too, one should never dwell
In the company of such as them.
This is the thirteenth chapter, on the Characteristics of the Teacher, from the Jñānasiddhi.
Based on the characteristics previously explained,
The teacher has been described.
Now, the characteristics of the disciple
As they truly are, shall be explained.
Just as someone who has boarded a boat
Is well-instructed in how to hold the oar,
And thus reaches the far shore of the great ocean,
Otherwise, one will not cross to the other shore.
Likewise, one who has faith in the guru, the Three Jewels,
and in the mind of awakening (bodhicitta),
and who possesses compassion for the world—
this is explained as being a "boat."
The learned guru holds the oar,
and the boat reveals everything.
For those who go to the far shore of saṃsāra,
this was spoken by Vajrasattva.
Without one who holds the oar,
the boat cannot cross to the other shore.
Even if one has fully realized all qualities,
without a guru, one will not reach the end of existence.
Therefore, with firm ascetic discipline,
those who possess both outer and inner [nature]
should always make offerings to the yogi.
All activities, such as prostrations and so forth,
should be performed at all times.
Perfectly endowed with insight and faith,
possessing compassion for all beings,
free from anger and free from deceit,
adorned with qualities such as generosity,
great enthusiasm, and personal diligence,
one should always act according to the guru’s word.
Even without formal meditation, by one’s own intellect,
whatever material things there may be,
as much as one has and as much as one can,
as well as food, snacks, and so forth, should be offered.
No matter how much one is treated with contempt,
one should endure it without a discouraged mind.
One who realizes scripture and reasoning
is a disciple endowed with all qualities.
"One who is of a non-conceptual nature,
and who asks nothing at all,
is unable to be trained"—
thus the Buddha himself has clearly taught.
Just as a child throws a lump of mud
as much as they please,
so too, whoever is under the power of others
is not a vessel for the sublime Dharma.
This is the fourteenth chapter, on the characteristics of the disciple, from the Jñānasiddhi.
Just as the reality of suchness was previously explained together with knowledge, that very reality abides in all tantras; I shall explain a small portion of it from among them. In the world, the word "thief" is used to indicate the purpose of the cooked rice; some speak of the thief himself. The tantras are also like that. The Buddhas, who act for the benefit of sentient beings, teach through various syllables for those who are superior, middling, and inferior. They teach the Dharma as that very reality. Some speak of that reality alone; likewise, some use two words. For some whose faculties are attached, the Dharma is taught; for some, it is taught through speech, and not otherwise.
From the Glorious Guhyasamāja:
"Without beginning or end, peaceful,
Completely free from existence and non-existence,
The indivisibility of emptiness and compassion
Is explained as the bodhicitta."
Thus it is said. "Without beginning or end" means without arising or ceasing. By this, it is shown to be all-pervasive, formless, unchanging, and eternal. This is because those things that abide in a location, those that have form, those that change, and those with a temporal limit are subject to destruction. If even formless things were to abide in a location, they would be subject to destruction. For example, fragrant scents such as musk, though formless, abide in a location; if the musk or the substances infused with it are gone, they change and are destroyed.
"Peace" means that because all afflictions are adventitious, they are thoroughly pacified. When endowed with the qualities previously explained, that very [state] is the principal, the exhaustion of both existence and non-existence; it is the "principal" or "lord" because it perfectly accomplishes the aims of all that is mundane and supramundane.
Regarding the phrase "the indivisibility of emptiness and compassion": because all phenomena are without intrinsic nature, there is the emptiness that is the complete perfection of the wisdom of all tathāgatas. The mind in which that [emptiness] and great compassion are indivisible and become one is what is called "compassion." The correct intention is the thought: "I shall establish all sentient beings in this very king of wisdom and benefit them with all the requisites of happiness."
This is what is being shown: the yogi who knows the intrinsic nature of all phenomena abides with all tathāgatas in a state of mutual pervasion and pervasiveness. By performing the deeds of a Buddha, they cherish all sentient beings with great compassion; this is the meaning of the "vajra bodhicitta." This also teaches that meditation should be performed in that manner.
As for "bodhicitta," this is the intended meaning throughout all the Yoga Tantras without exception. For beginners as well, it is taught that "bodhicitta" is the mind that thinks, "I shall establish all sentient beings in unsurpassed, perfectly complete enlightenment."
Furthermore, from that same source: "The term 'all buddhas' is explained as a unified assembly." Thus it is said. Since it is impossible for material things to be without beginning or end, the buddhas possess the dharmakāya. Their "assembly" refers to the wisdom of all tathāgatas, which is shown to be Vajradhara himself; otherwise, how could the rūpakāyas be assembled? Even if they were to assemble with all tathāgatas in a space the size of a single subtle atom, it would completely fill space and exceed it; since the word "all" refers to the entirety without exception, it is illogical for them to assemble in a small space.
Furthermore, from that same source:
"The generation stage itself,
And likewise the completion stage—
That which is called the 'completion stage'
Is that very authentic wisdom,
The so-called 'uncontrived' itself;
This is correctly explained from that very source.
Whoever meditates with a pure mind
Upon the reality that is without beginning or end,"
and so forth.
From the first chapter: "Then this entire expanse of space came to abide as the vajra nature of all tathāgatas." And again:
"In phenomena that are unarisen,
There is no entity and no meditation.
Through application in the manner of space,
These entities are thoroughly proclaimed."
And again:
"Phenomena are luminous by nature,
Primordially pure like the sky.
There is no enlightenment and no conceptualization;
This is the teaching on the way of enlightenment."
Thus it is said. And from the ninth chapter: "O son of noble family, it is like this..."
For example, space pervades everything, and all phenomena are included within the expanse of space. All those phenomena do not abide in the desire realm, nor do they abide in the form realm, nor do they abide in the formless realm, nor do they abide in the four great elements. Noble son, all phenomena should be understood in that same way. The Tathāgatas, having realized such a reality and having known the inclinations of sentient beings, teach the Dharma. Noble son, by thus definitively expressing the words of space, one should understand those samayas of the Tathāgatas.
Noble son, it is like this: for example, through the conditions of a fire-drill, a fire-board, and the movement of a person’s hands, smoke arises and a great fire is produced. Yet that fire does not abide in the fire-drill, nor does it abide in the fire-board, nor does it abide in the movement of the person’s hands. Noble son, in the same way, the samayas of all the Tathāgatas, as well as their coming and going and so forth, should be understood.
From the tenth chapter:
The meditation on body, speech, and mind
Is non-conceptual and non-referential;
Not abiding in anything, it is equanimity—
Meditate on the Vajra of Body, Speech, and Mind.
From the twelfth chapter:
Equal to the expanse of space,
Non-conceptual in its very essence,
Within phenomena that are pure by nature—
Thoroughly meditate on these musical offerings.
From the sixteenth chapter:
The striking of the vajra lines
And the application of the colored powders...
"A mantra-being should not perform [these acts]; if they do, enlightenment will be difficult to find," it is said. Thus, one should not perform the laying of the maṇḍala lines, the application of colors, and so forth. The term "mantra-being" (mantrasattva) refers to the fact that mantra is wisdom (jñāna) because it protects the mind; it means the vision of authentic wisdom. If one acts in such a way out of delusion, enlightenment will be difficult to find; the meaning is that by performing the activities of ordinary, beginner beings, it will be difficult to attain the state of a Buddha or a Vajradhara. For a yogin who possesses the empowerment of authentic wisdom, the drawing of the maṇḍala, the entry, the conferral of empowerment, and so forth, are prohibited.
"Because the appearance of Vajrasattva clarifies one's own essential nature, he is explained as the Tathāgata’s wisdom and as Vairocana. Because he is the essence of Akṣobhya for people who are averse to all things and for teachers with wrong knowledge, he is correctly explained as Akṣobhya. Because the jewels of the Buddhas and so forth are self-arisen and possess wisdom for the benefit of sentient beings, he is explained as Ratnasambhava. Because he is non-abiding nirvāṇa, unstained by existence or nirvāṇa, and perfectly endowed with immeasurable qualities, he is explained as Amitābha. Because he personally accomplishes the welfare of all sentient beings, he is the great wisdom of Amogha; thus he is explained as Amoghasiddhi."
The subtle and the vast modes,
Fully knowing the three worlds,
And beholding the abodes in all realms—
Therefore, she is explained as Locanā.
The wisdom of all the Tathāgatas
Is realized by themselves within themselves;
Because it is mutually pervasive,
She is explained as Māmakī.
The wisdom of the supreme Tathāgatas
That clears away all faults,
And the diligence of correctly engaging with sentient beings—
She is explained as Pāṇḍaravāsinī.
The intention to always deliver beings
Through great compassion,
And the skill in liberating sentient beings—
She is explained as the Lamp of Wisdom.
The enjoyment of the Buddha-wisdom
Regarding the three realms and so forth,
And all the enjoyments of desire—
These are explained as Locanā and the others.
Because the supreme Tathāgatas
Are liberated from the terrors of killing and so forth,
The wisdom that subdues the most fierce
Is therefore explained as Yamāntaka.
Because he dispels erroneous cognition
And reveals the deluded sentient beings,
Possessing the supreme, authentic wisdom,
He is explained as Prajñāntaka.
Because he thoroughly examines
The joys of all beings without grasping,
And realizes the stainless existence,
He is therefore explained as Padmāntaka.
The self-liberated from obstacles and the like,
The achiever of the purpose of all wisdom,
Who accomplishes the nature of all Buddhas—
Therefore, he is explained as Vighnāntaka.
The exhaustion of the knower and the known
Is explained as "entering into equipoise."
The wisdom directed toward the three existences
Is the purification of the three, such as attachment.
The nature of all buddhas is explained as being three faces. From the essence of purity and total purification, the white body color is revealed. Generosity is yellow; compassion is likewise red. For the sake of subduing those who harm the Three Jewels and so forth, the supreme activity for the benefit of beings is explained as black wisdom. Whatever various methods are pure are explained as the green body color. Because he thoroughly engages with the sense bases of form and so forth, the Tathāgata’s wisdom is explained as having six hands. The bodhicitta becomes the vajra; insight is explained as the bell. The wheel perfectly cuts through ignorance. The jewel is difficult to find; because it is unstained by the defects of existence, that wisdom is explained as the lotus. The sword cuts the enemy of the afflictions. Arising upon the utpala flower, it is explained as the utpala because it is born from the water of saṃsāra, which is submerged in the water of cyclic existence. Because it purifies the stains of conceptual thought, the lotus is explained as the purifier. Because it strikes sentient beings with the Buddha’s permission, it is explained as the hammer. The staff is for subduing through punishment; wisdom is the subduer of beings. Because the lotus is pure in its birth, it is the cleanser of the stains of conceptualization. Because it pervades one another, it is explained as the crossed vajra. Thus, at one time when I heard this, the Blessed One, the essence of the vajra body, speech, and mind of all Tathāgatas, was dwelling in the bhaga of the consort.
Thus have I heard at one time: because the Blessed One is endowed with qualities such as sovereignty and so forth. The essence of all Tathāgatas is wisdom. That itself is the Vajra Queen, because it is the very nature of indivisible wisdom. It is the bhaga because it destroys all afflictions; he dwells within those bhagas of the Vajra Queen, which are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all Tathāgatas. This is what is being shown: the yogi’s wisdom is contained within those wisdoms of all Tathāgatas, which have become mutually pervasive as the pervaded and the pervader. Regarding the phrase "dwells in all," it does not mean that he dwells in all wisdoms sequentially, but rather that he dwells in all wisdoms simultaneously. The phrase "inexpressible" and so forth is intended to mean that he is together with immeasurable Bodhisattvas; the intention is that they also dwell in this very manner. This is also taught in the Tattvasaṃgraha, the King of Tantras, beginning with "steadfast in the great enlightenment of all Tathāgatas," and continuing: "The Blessed One, the beginningless and endless Great Bodhisattva, the mind of the Great Bodhisattva Vajrasattva Samantabhadra, dwells in the minds of all Tathāgatas." Then, all the Tathāgatas spoke:
"Noble son, for what reason do you generate enthusiasm for all the difficult-to-realize practices of the suchness of all the Tathāgatas? How do you intend to manifest complete and perfect awakening into unsurpassed, true, and complete enlightenment?"
The Great Bodhisattva Sarvārthasiddha replied, "Blessed One, what is the suchness of all the Tathāgatas like? How should it be accomplished? I pray that you grant an explanation."
All the Tathāgatas replied, "Noble son, examine your own mind and rest in meditative equipoise. Recite and accomplish the naturally accomplished mantra as you wish: svacittaprativedhaṃ karomi."
The Great Bodhisattva replied, "Blessed One, I understand that the minds of all the Tathāgatas appear as a moon maṇḍala."
All the Tathāgatas replied, "This mind is like the moon because it is naturally luminous. The moon maṇḍala is that very wisdom which is naturally luminous. For example, just as the moon maṇḍala gradually becomes full, so too the precious intention that is naturally luminous becomes full. For example, just as the moon maṇḍala, free from adventitious stains and the rays of the sun maṇḍala, gradually appears full, so too the precious mind that is naturally and utterly pure—"
It is free from the dark stains of all afflictions and appears with the qualities of a buddha fully perfected. From the Non-dual Victory of Equality: "Oṃ sarvatathāgatajñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ’ham." Furthermore, from the ninth chapter: "The mind of all sentient beings is clarity; its very peace is luminosity. Unstained by manifold entities, that which is called 'suchness' is to be meditated upon. This is the ritual of the Buddha’s body; one should engage with it as suchness. Otherwise, all mantras and so forth will not achieve virtue." Also, from the thirteenth chapter: "The maṇḍala of all buddhas is the maṇḍala of knowing suchness. This is the accomplishment of suchness; it is explained as being like a wish-fulfilling jewel." As taught in the King of Tantras, the Secret Moon Jewel Bindu: "Transcending the meditation on all limbs, having abandoned conceptualization and the object of analysis, and having truly transcended curves, vowels, and bindus—this is the supreme maṇḍala." Also from that same text: "The being without beginning or end is Vajrasattva, the supreme bliss. Suchness truly abides everywhere through all entities. Apart from the bodhicitta, there is no other bliss in the three realms of existence. The bliss that is the reality of bodhicitta is the producer of all bliss." This is taught in the Suchness of the Samaya of the Guhyasamāja: "I too am blessed by all buddhas as the supreme desire and form. I also bless all buddhas as the supreme dharmakāya."
The ever-joyful Bhagavān, Vajrasattva, the Great Bliss—because these arise from him, this is asserted to be reality itself. Furthermore: "The Great Being, the Great Vajra, is explained as Vajrasattva. His being is without beginning or end; Vajrasattva is the Great Joy. Samantabhadra, the self of all, the buddha-enlightenment of the three realms—this is all that is non-moving. The Great Vajra, the Great Supreme, the conditioned activity of the moving mind—this is all that is all-creating."
It is also taught in the Māyājāla: "The single eye of wisdom, stainless, the Tathāgata with a body of wisdom, unchanging, all-pervading, and omnipresent; subtle, untainted, and free from seeds."
From the seventh chapter, the "Bodhisattva Chapter": "Phenomena are without birth; they are unchanging and without abiding. Having abandoned the modes of conceptualization and speech, this is what is taught as that which is to be generated."
Furthermore, from that same source: "Because phenomena are luminous by nature, they are primordially pure and unstained. There are no sentient beings and no life-force; they are buddhahood itself and the bodhicitta."
From the Śrīvajramaṇḍalālaṃkāra: "In all places, throughout all realms, and in all sentient beings everywhere, it pervades all bodies equally. While pervading sentient beings, it abides authentically. Though untainted, it is inconceivable; stainless, without 'I', and by nature, it is emptiness, equal to space, and the peace that has abandoned both existence and non-existence."
The body is the sovereign of all phenomena, the wealth of all forms. Abiding perfectly in the two truths, it is supreme by virtue of the ultimate meaning; thus it is explained as the dharmakāya. It is explained as all the faculties and consciousnesses, and as the mind and consciousness within all sentient beings. It possesses insight, intellect, and wisdom; it is the wisdom of omniscience and special insight. It is the objects of knowledge, the afflictions, and liberation itself. It is free from the extremes of permanence and nihilism, having utterly abandoned all extremes. It is analyzed as being of two types: the conventional and the ultimate. For example, just as the seed of fire resides within the fuel, or as sesame oil is in sesame seeds, or as juice is in sugarcane, or as fragrance is in a flower, or as fresh butter is in curd—so too, the Mahāmudrā abides everywhere within all sentient beings, the moving and the non-moving, in the conceptualizations of form and the formless. Furthermore, it is said: "This wisdom is indestructible, inexhaustible, immovable, primordially pure, stainless, luminous, and inexpressible." It is also stated in the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra: "Yoga will not arise from images, cast statues, and the like; but if one exerts oneself in the bodhicitta, yoga will become a deity from the mind. The bodhicitta is the vajra, the very nature of all Buddhas. Through bliss, one is enriched by the self of all, and thus all Buddhahood will be attained. By seeing, touching, hearing, or even remembering it..."
By this, one will see and make offerings to all the buddhas. Through seeing and touching this and all the buddhas, even those who have not entered the maṇḍalas will behold bliss. By seeing, touching, hearing, and remembering this, one is completely liberated from all misdeeds and accomplishes all the siddhis of the buddhas. Through this and all the buddhas, even women who engage in the union of all yogas are liberated and will touch the awakening of a buddha. In every way, everywhere, and in all respects, one will see one's own self as the accomplishment of all the buddhas. Because one abides as the self of this, one makes offerings to the tathāgatas with the supreme, vast arrays of all great clouds of offerings. Through the enjoyments of all yogas, one should partake of whatever brings bliss and worship oneself through the yoga of one's own deity. Furthermore: Through various applications of activity, the self that tames in various ways should accomplish all other [deities] in order to tame sentient beings. Because the supreme Vajrasattva, the being without beginning or end, is renowned as "Fortunate One" (Bhagavān) through the symbolic mudrā of the buddhas. Furthermore: For those who desire various rituals, various applications of activity were performed in order to tame the buddhas, Vajradhara, and so forth. Also, from the Śrīparamādya:
The vision of the assembly of secret lotuses and so forth has not been written here, as it is feared to be too extensive in the many scriptures. This is the fifteenth chapter, the definitive teaching on the collection of syllables of suchness as spoken in the Jñānasiddhi.
Thus, by correctly meditating upon supreme wisdom together with skillful means, one who possesses a very fierce nature will achieve accomplishment in a single lifetime. With the bodhicitta clearly manifest, rooted in skillful means and compassion, and impartial toward all sentient beings, one should worship the Three Jewels with faith. Realizing the wisdom of emptiness, yet not being free from attachment to all desires, one should maintain all the enjoyments for the sake of making offerings to all the Tathāgatas. The pure practices beginning with prostration and ending with dedication were taught by the Perfect Buddhas as skillful means, such as compassion and so forth. The yogi who possesses such skillful means and wisdom is the second [son], equal to all Buddhas. For such a person, not even the slightest harm exists at any time. That which is proclaimed as protection through the application of mantras and mudrās has been definitively taught in all the scriptures by all the Buddhas and their sons. The protection that those Buddhas and their sons provide for hundreds of millions of eons is achieved by meditating on that wisdom. It is taught that one should meditate while possessing the four modes of conduct. No dwelling place for a yogi has been taught that bestows all happiness. A yogi does not dwell in fasting, nor is nakedness a purification of conceptual thought.
I, liberated from various conceptualizations,
Should meditate on the self through supreme yoga.
The sufferings of body and mind
Shall not occur for tens of millions of eons.
Endowed perfectly with all happiness,
This very accomplishment is beyond doubt.
The birth of all sentient beings
Exists only within the six realms; there is no other.
Therefore, one should not grasp at anything;
A superior state will not be found otherwise.
Regarding dwellings, lands, homes,
And the images of scriptures and forms—
By being liberated from all grasping,
Yogis are praised as Buddhas.
This is the sixteenth chapter, the Definitive Teaching on Methods, from the Jñānasiddhi.
To generate authentic wisdom,
That yogi should constantly offer prayers.
Having been prostrated to by the three realms,
The empowerment should be fully bestowed.
Possessing all necessary requisites,
And having well-accumulated everything with devotion,
One should please the supreme Vajra Master,
The abode of all excellent qualities.
Providing food, snacks, and the like,
Along with flowers, incense, and so forth,
Having perfectly worshipped the maṇḍala,
One should join the palms and say:
"O compassionate and gracious one,
May I attain the supreme authentic wisdom.
Within the essence of self-knowing awareness,
I have developed profound certainty.
This very non-dual wisdom
Does not exist in other beings.
To drink this nectar of the Dharma,
I pray to the great Guru.
Whatever deeds are to be done for all sentient beings,
I shall perform them to the best of my ability.
May I grant the gift of Dharma without expectation,
Just as you yourself bestow it."
If the supreme jewel of empowerment
Is obtained through the guru’s kindness,
And I have understood it well,
Then grant the grace of fearlessness.
If the disciple possesses wisdom,
And the guru also acts with joy,
Then for the person whose qualities are complete,
One should bestow the empowerment
Taught by all the Buddhas.
Through the excellence of all the meanings
Of the speech of the Compassionate Bhagavān,
I pray for the empowerment of the Dharma King.
Empowerment is unsurpassed.
Then, having fixed the date,
The disciple is instructed with these words:
"Son, on whichever day
You have become certain in your mind
That all is complete,
Therefore, make your mind firm.
Just as the white of the eye does not change,
O one of great intelligence, act in that way."
Then, when the date is certain,
Make extensive offerings to all the Buddhas.
Provide a feast for the Noble Saṅgha
Along with the ritual fees.
With a vast feast for the assembly,
And especially for the guru,
Give to the destitute as much as you can.
Practice all the rituals.
Offer fees to the guru, who is praised
By all the Buddhas.
By offering fees to the guru in every way,
The supreme accomplishment is attained.
Whatever is most difficult to give,
That is explained as the supreme offering.
Whatever is your most beloved,
Or even your most exceptional possession,
Offer that very thing to the guru,
Desiring that very reality.
Alternatively, whatever you desire,
Or whatever is necessary for your mind,
Give that, or else fulfill that need.
Even if it is small, it is supreme. If there is a supreme [offering] for that, and one offers an inferior gift, everyone will despise the master, and he will always experience suffering. This is from the King of Tantras, the Cakrasaṃvara. Having offered oneself, to then deceive with a price is taught in the various tantras. The gift is unsurpassed. Then, the empowerment of all Buddhas is hidden in all the tantras. The yoga that is the actual nature of all Buddhas generates perfect bliss for all. Except for all sentient beings, that which was spoken by the Protector of the World is the mind of all Tathāgatas; speech and body are all gathered therein. Having understood both in that way, the blessing should be described. All of these arise perfectly from mind, body, and speech. Because of the blessing of all Buddhas, the permission should be granted to him. For the sake of all Vajra-holders, the perfect Buddhas confer empowerment, as do all Vajra-holders of the past and the future. Now, O Great Intelligence, you are of one body with all Buddhas. Through the gift of Dharma and material wealth, you must care for sentient beings. To the best of your ability, you must protect the Three Jewels that generate bliss. The activity of Vajrasattva has been definitively spoken by all Buddhas: "O Supreme Vajra-holder, you must not show contempt even for those who are contemptible." Because you have not abandoned what is perilous...
One will experience for a hundred eons the terrifying mass of sufferings of hell, which are most unbearable at the time of death. Those who disparage the world, who practice false dharmas, and who abandon the sublime Dharma—one should not dwell with them at all. Those who are deluded and devoid of Dharma, whose minds are intent on their own pleasure, and who are of evil conduct and lacking in merit, will not attain supreme enlightenment; rather, they will wander back and forth through the six realms of cyclic existence. Those of a deluded worldly nature, who act in a thoroughly mixed and common way, and who dwell in such defiled and erroneous dharmas, will not be born in the higher realms, and even a Buddha will be difficult for them to find. O Mahāmati, you must always protect them. Thus, bound by the noose of Māra, others too are ruined. You are yourself a pure Buddha; now, for the sake of sentient beings, teach the Dharma to those to be tamed, just as it is, to all wandering beings. Now, you must not harbor any doubt regarding the dharmas, nor should you receive empowerment again; otherwise, your samaya will be impaired. You are the upholder of the supreme, authentic Dharma, and are prostrated to by all the three realms. Since you have obtained this empowerment, there is no other supreme one than this. It is the empowerment of supreme wisdom conferred by all the Tathāgatas.
Regarding the great being of the yogins, it is taught in the Glorious Guhyasamāja: "How should one view the master who confers the empowerment of the manifest realization of the secret body, speech, and mind of all the Blessed Tathāgatas? All the Tathāgatas and Bodhisattvas replied: 'Noble son, one should view the master as the vajra-like bodhicitta of all the Tathāgatas and Bodhisattvas. Why is that? Because the vajra of bodhicitta and this very master are non-dual and cannot be divided into two. Noble son, to teach this in brief: however many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas reside, live, and sustain themselves in the world systems of the ten directions, they all arrive during the three times and perfectly worship that master with the offerings of all the Tathāgatas, and they also go to that buddhafield. They utter these vajra words: 'We are the fathers of all the Tathāgatas,' 'We are the mothers of all the Tathāgatas,' and so on, up to 'We are the teachers of all the Tathāgatas.'"
For example, noble son, the mass of merit of the body and compassion of all the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, as many as reside and act throughout the ten directions, is surpassed by a single pore of the master’s body. Why is that? Noble son, it is because bodhicitta is the essence of the wisdom of all Buddhas, the source of their birth, and the origin of the wisdom of omniscience.
This concludes the seventeenth chapter, the Ritual for the Empowerment of the Vajra of Wisdom, from the Jñānasiddhi.
The power of the great lord of yogis who has thoroughly meditated upon the great vajra wisdom cannot be described even in a hundred million eons. Nevertheless, I shall briefly describe what is taught in the Śrī-Cakrasaṃvara:
In every way, everywhere, and at all times,
I am myself in every aspect.
All Buddhas, and all that is stable and moving,
I become in the form of all things.
In all Buddha-fields without exception,
I accomplish the emanations of the Buddhas.
Through the illusory emanations of the Buddhas,
I display the deeds performed by the Buddhas.
Through the miraculous display of the lotus illusion,
I manifest as the Buddha Vajradhara and others.
By the principle of assuming various forms,
I bring joy to all wandering beings.
The great sovereignty of the three realms,
Whether conquering, subduing, or waging war,
Through the illusory emanation of sovereignty,
I display all such activities.
The great sovereignty of the three realms...
Having suppressed with heroic valor, he utterly subdues all wandering beings. The horse displays the dance; such are the infinite, supreme [manifestations]. Equal to and unequal to the expanse of reality (dharmadhātu), as far as the limits of the expanse of space, through the supreme of all variety, the glory in the midst of all space is the Tathāgata Vajrasattva. The glorious, joyful play of emanations, he sports in various ways. With various auspicious aspects and various supreme bliss, through various means of discipline, he thoroughly gathers the realms of sentient beings. Such are the infinite, supreme [manifestations], equal to and unequal to the expanse of reality, as far as the limits of the expanse of space. The supreme source of all Buddhas, the glory in the midst of all space, Vajrasattva is firmly established. Renowned as the Lord of Siddhas, he who is renowned among embodied beings brings all to the realization of the self-nature. Thus spoke the Blessed One, the glorious Vajrasattva. Through devotion to all Buddhas, by the manifest power of sinlessness, and through the skill of harming the enemy, he thoroughly subdues the many realms of sentient beings who are extremely fierce and wrathful. The entire world is terrified; those who are extremely difficult to tame, he tames. Like children, thieves, and robbers, he completely purifies them all. Through deception, guile, manifest power, and likewise the five weapons of the enemy, having crossed over, he then conquers the three worlds. The abodes of living beings and the wandering beings...
Through various methods of subduing,
All are tamed and brought to accomplishment.
Through various methods of taming,
One constantly protects one’s own kingdom.
To the lustful, one becomes lustful;
To the wrathful, the supreme wrath;
To the peaceful, the supreme peace;
With violence, one suppresses the violent.
By the power of being without sin,
Having openly and forcefully subdued
The supreme lord Maheśvara,
One seizes the goddess Umā
And then enjoys the enjoyments for oneself.
By the power of being without sin,
Having openly and forcefully subdued
The mighty Mahābala,
One seizes Rūpiṇī
And then enjoys the enjoyments for oneself.
By the power of being without sin,
Having openly and forcefully subdued
The lord of beings Prajāpati,
One seizes the goddess Praśāntā
And then enjoys the enjoyments for oneself.
By the power of being without sin,
Having openly and forcefully subdued
The god of desire Kāmadeva,
One seizes the mistress Rati
And then enjoys her for oneself.
Such are the infinite, supreme emanations;
Equal and unequal to the expanse of reality,
As far as the limits of the expanse of space,
One completely suppresses the supreme vajra activities.
Such various emanations
Are taught in the various tantras.
This is the eighteenth chapter, on the definitive demonstration of power from the accomplishment of wisdom and the excellent conduct of the supreme faculties.
Now, for those who lack authentic wisdom
And possess such engagement in distorted knowledge,
They are explained as those of intermediate faculties;
Their activities shall now be explained.
All the prostrations and so forth
That were previously explained as the path,
Thus it is explained in the words of the assembly; all of these are also activities. Having generated oneself as one's own deity in an instant, endowed with the supreme of all aspects, the yogi, abiding on the path, should perform the mere recitation as before. Finally, one should also say these words:
"All Buddhas together with their sons,
You who are the very nature of compassion,
I pray that you grant me your grace.
From beginningless time until now,
I have wandered in saṃsāra;
Because I have not seen authentic wisdom,
I am constantly exhausted by sufferings.
How may wisdom be born?
Having attained that supreme wisdom,
May I become a guide for sentient beings—
Please instruct me in that way.
Just as the perfect Buddhas of the past,
And likewise those yet to come,
Are renowned for acting for the benefit of beings,
So shall I strive to do the same.
If one enters correctly into this stage,
It will become the supreme wisdom,
And one will not wander onto wrong paths."
This concludes the nineteenth chapter, "The Attainment of Wisdom," which teaches the faculties of the middling [practitioner].
Regarding the maṇḍala of mudrās, the body colors and so forth,
The visualization of the hands and seats,
The three samādhis and the four mudrās,
The three faces and the six arms—
To meditate on these is to remain with the outer husk.
All those various instructions of conceptual elaboration
Are explained as being for the inferior [practitioners].
For those [inferior ones], there are likewise methods;
The reasoning for that shall now be explained.
From the supreme and middling paths,
One should likewise perform the other [lower] practices.
The yogi should always perform the deities and mantras as taught in the tantras. In whom there is an equanimous mind, in them wisdom will arise; otherwise, even in a hundred million eons, it will not be attained. One who possesses a mind of universal concern, a great root, and excellent intelligence, and who possesses the characteristics previously explained, will attain the supreme wisdom of yoga.
Since the three meditations on the middle and the two extremes are the primary [means], the purpose of the arising of authentic wisdom is that one gains mastery over authentic activity. Without that reality, one does not attain enlightenment; that which is practiced on the path is not [the path] itself. Therefore, if one who abides on the path practices it, wisdom will be attained. It will not arise for those who have fallen from the path, those whose minds lack compassion, or those who delight in the objects of attachment and the like.
This is the twentieth chapter, from the Jñānasiddhi, which teaches the faculties of the lowest [capacity].
For the sake of the yogi’s accomplishment of wisdom, I have explained this correctly and thoroughly. This secret, which is hidden throughout all the tantras, should not be explained [to the unqualified]. To one who lacks the supreme yoga through supreme wisdom, one should apply the mind to the meditation on the form of the deity. One should know that even the mere showing of a volume should not be given; by utterly abandoning vajra wisdom, the deluded will go to hell. Because that becomes the cause of hell, such a person will reach the Avīci hell. Therefore, since it brings ruin to oneself and others, one must certainly guard [this teaching].
If it were taught otherwise, the samaya would be impaired. In many Yoga Tantras, all the compassionate Buddhas have taught that this supreme vajra wisdom is the complete abandonment of the web of conceptualization. The practice of Vajrasattva is to be understood through scripture and reasoning. Whatever merit I have accumulated by composing this sādhana, by that may all sentient beings attain the supreme state of Vajrasattva.
The Sādhana of the Accomplishment of Wisdom, originating from glorious Oḍḍiyāna and composed by the master Indrabhūti, is hereby complete. It was translated by the Indian abbot Śraddhākaravarman and the chief editor and translator, the monk Rinchen Zangpo. It was later revised by Naktso.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.