Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
Establishing the Sequence of the Four Mudrās (Caturmudrāniścaya) is a technical treatise on the realization of the coemergent nature of mind through the framework of the four seals (mudrās). The text argues that the uncontrived nature of reality cannot arise from contrived actions alone, but requires the application of forceful empowerment to realize the absence of characteristics. It posits a causal relationship between the action seal (karmamudrā) and the resulting wisdom of insight, characterized by specific joys and moments. The work commits the reader to a practice where external ritual elements—including mantra, austerity, fire offerings, and maṇḍalas—are subsumed into the mind. By shifting the focus from dualistic ritual to the non-dual nature of the first essence, the text aims to lead the practitioner toward the stainless fruit of mahāmudrā and the manifestation of cessation.
Provenance
About this text
A concise arrangement of the seals intended for the author's own understanding, the Caturmudrāniścaya (phyag rgya bzhi gtan la dbab pa) is a treatise belonging to the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. It is attributed to the Indian author Avadhūtipa Advayavajra, Nāgārjunagarbha. The work was translated into the Tibetan language by Dhiriśrījñānapāda and bod kyi lo tsA ba rma ban chos ’bar, and is preserved in the Tengyur (vol. ཝི), where it extends over six pages. The treatise argues that the uncontrived, coemergent nature of reality cannot arise from a dissimilar cause, such as mere contrived karma-mudrā, but requires the application of forceful empowerment to realize the absence of characteristics. It posits that a result of a similar type arises from a cause of a similar type, emphasizing the necessity of the dharma-mudrā. A scholar or serious reader consults this work today to examine its technical framework for the realization of the coemergent nature of mind and its argument that external ritual elements—including mantra, austerity, fire offerings, and maṇḍalas—must be subsumed into the mind to achieve the stainless fruit of mahāmudrā and the manifestation of cessation.
Sanskrit title
Caturmudrāniścaya
Indian author
Avadhūtipa Advayavajra, Nāgārjunagarbha
Tibetan translators
Dhiriśrījñānapāda, bod kyi lo tsA ba rma ban chos ’bar
Cite thisAnuvāda, “Establishing the Sequence of the Four Mudrās” (Toh 2225), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2225
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its integration of ritual praxis with the philosophical goals of mahāmudrā, specifically the transition from contrived action to uncontrived realization. For the modern reader, it illustrates the tantric method of internalizing external liturgy to achieve a state of non-duality.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-4
Introduction and Empowerment
Establishes the title and the necessity of forceful empowerment to realize the absence of characteristics and the relationship between the action seal and the dharma-mudrā.
5
The Nature of Cessation
Discusses the manifestation of the coemergent nature as a state where nothing is added or removed.
6-7
The Samaya-Mudrā and Ritual Subsumption
Explains the samaya-mudrā as an emanation of Vajradhara and describes the process of subsuming all ritual activities into the single aspect of the mind.
Themes
Coemergent Nature and Cessation (2, 3, 5)
The Four Mudrās (Action, Dharma, Samaya) (3, 4, 6)
Internalization of Ritual (7)
Forceful Empowerment (2, 4)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaEstablishing the Sequence of the Four Mudrās·
In the language of India: Caturmudrāniścaya. In the language of Tibet: Phyag rgya bzhi gtan la dbab pa (The Ascertainment of the Four Seals). Homage to the Blessed One, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.
Having prostrated to Vajrasattva, the very nature of pure primordial wisdom, I shall write this concise arrangement of the seals for the purpose of my own understanding. Here, for those who wander and suffer in the ocean of existence due to the confusion and delusion regarding the arrangement of the seals, I shall follow the tantras to thoroughly establish the means of accomplishing great bliss, so that they may easily comprehend the meaning of the four seals.
The so-called "four seals" are the action seal (karmamudrā), the dharma seal (dharmamudrā), the great seal (mahāmudrā), and the commitment seal (samayamudrā). Regarding these, the action seal is to be examined: it consists primarily of the body of action, speech, and the mental intention. The seal is of an imputed nature. From that action seal, through the differentiation of moments, the joys are produced.
"The knowledge of the moments is established in E-Vaṃ."
"The four joys are: joy, supreme joy, coemergent joy, and the joy beyond joy."
Otherwise, it would not be correct to say: "Between supreme joy and the joy beyond joy, it should be shown as the imputed object of illustration." The four moments are: the variegated, the ripening, the signless, and the crushing.
The teaching on the absence of characteristics in the middle should be understood through the power of the empowerment. The application of the forceful empowerment is realized as the absence of characteristics and the abiding of the coemergent at the end. The Blessed One taught this through the application of the forceful empowerment. All of that is the coemergent; because it follows the shadow of the coemergent, it is called "coemergent." Since the shadow of the coemergent causes one to comprehend the wisdom that is the natural outflow of the coemergent, the wisdom of insight is the coemergent. Therefore, the coemergent does not arise from the wisdom of insight. This is because the nature of what is called "coemergent" is the uncontrived own-characteristic of all phenomena. Consequently, by relying on the action seal (karmamudrā), one attains the result that is a natural outflow. A natural outflow is so called because it arises similar to its cause. For example, the reflection of a face that arises in dependence upon a mirror and a face is not something else; it is not established beforehand, nor is it established now. While it is certainly just a natural outflow of another's reflection, worldly people are deluded into thinking they see their own nature and thus become joyful. Likewise, teachers of inferior intelligence also say that when they accomplish the wisdom of insight, they experience the nature of the coemergent, and joy arises in them.
In that regard, those who are merely delighted and satisfied do not even know the discourse on the dharma-mudrā. Because they do not know the dharma-mudrā, how could the uncontrived, coemergent nature arise from a mere contrived karma-mudrā? A result of a similar type arises from a cause of a similar type, but not from a dissimilar one. Just as a rice sprout arises from a rice seed and not from a ṣaṣṭika grain, likewise, the uncontrived coemergent arises from the nature of the uncontrived dharma-mudrā. Therefore, by practicing inseparably with the very cause of the dharma-mudrā, it becomes the cause of the mahāmudrā. Thus, as the Blessed One said:
"In the beautiful form of the letter E,
Adorned in the center by the letter Vaṃ,
The abode of all bliss,
The jewel casket of the Buddha."
This is because it follows the shadow of the Buddha. The "casket" is the abode or the basis. Therefore, from the karma-mudrā as the possessor of parts, the delightful joy arises as the source of jewels, according to Ratnākaraśānti and Saroruha. Through the authentic union of the churning and rubbing of the vajra and lotus, the conventional bodhicitta travels through the avadhūtī until it reaches the interior of the jewel; that is called its "moment." That is the wisdom called "coemergent," which arises for a mere moment, but it is not the [true] coemergent, as the cause is dissimilar.
Its nature is endowed with the three joys of the wisdom of insight and the four moments. Through the application of forceful empowerment, it is taught to be the concordant result of the action seal (karmamudrā). This is the definitive explanation of the empowerment of the action seal.
Oṃ. The dharma seal (dharmamudrā) is the nature of the expanse of reality (dharmadhātu); it is free from conceptual elaboration, non-conceptual, uncontrived, and free from arising. It is the supreme joy of the nature of compassion, becoming the means that is singularly beautiful. It arises from being coemergent with the wisdom of the nature of the coemergent, which is perpetually constant. That which is inseparable should be known as the dharma seal.
Furthermore, its characteristic is, for example, like the rays of the sun to one completely agitated by darkness. Through the guru’s quintessential instructions alone, one realizes the abandonment of the thorns of delusion—the agitation of the darkness of ignorance—even if they are as minute as a speck of dust. One should understand that the three worlds, entirely bound by the power of the four elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—are of a single nature: the inseparability of emptiness and compassion, free from waves.
The Blessed One also said:
"In the beautiful lady, the nature of insight,
The rasanā is perfectly situated as the means.
The 'sin-abandoning' lady is in the very center,
Completely free from subject and object."
Thus, through great effort, that which becomes the proximate cause for the aspect of suchness should be known as the path. Through knowing the path, the uninterrupted continuity of devotion is the path.
Cessation is the manifestation of the coemergent nature. As it has been said: "In this, there is nothing to be removed, and not the slightest thing to be added. Look truly at the truth itself; seeing the truth, one is liberated." O beautiful one, that which abides in the center of the rasanā and lalanā is the one who has abandoned negativity. Through intense devotion to that very state, the level of the coemergent nature is realized in its entirety by means of one-pointed mind and the pith instructions of the sublime guru. The dharma-mudrā is the cause of the inseparable mahāmudrā. This is the second [chapter], which definitively teaches the dharma-mudrā as the ripened fruit.
Regarding what is called "mahāmudrā": it is a mudrā and it is great, thus it is mahāmudrā. It is the absence of intrinsic nature, the abandonment of obscurations such as the objects of knowledge, stainless like the autumn sky at midday, the basis of all perfections, the single nature that transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, and the body of non-referential compassion, the nature of great bliss. Likewise, it is the virtue of non-mental engagement. As it is said: "Mental engagement is non-virtue," and: "The mind that is not examined by conceptualization, the mind that does not abide, without recollection and without mental engagement—to that which is without reference, I prostrate and bow." One should understand that this is mahāmudrā. Therefore, from the inconceivable nature of mahāmudrā...
The supreme fruit of the samaya-mudrā will arise. This is the third [chapter], the definitive teaching on the stainless fruit of the mahāmudrā.
Regarding the term "samaya-mudrā": it is the emanation of the Vajradhara Heruka in the form of the nature of the first essence, which consists of the sambhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya, for the sake of sentient beings. That is asserted to be the samaya-mudrā.
Regarding the phrase "having taken the samaya-mudrā": the master who meditates on the wheel of the samaya-mudrā—having thoroughly examined the ritual of the five wisdoms in the form of a wheel, namely the mirror-like, the equality, the discerning, the all-accomplishing, and the utterly pure dharmadhātu; and by means of the first union, the supreme maṇḍala, the supreme activity, the yoga of the bindu, and the subtle yoga—will have performed merit.
However, by that alone, the fruit of the dharma-mudrā will not be attained. The meaning is that from the cause of the definitive meaning, that very definitive fruit will arise. Therefore, whatever stable or moving entities are conceptually imputed by the childish, if they are pierced by the innate taste, they will become the gold of enlightenment. By this, the wheel of the three worlds is perfectly meditated upon. As it is said:
"There is no mantra recitation, no asceticism, and no fire offering; there is no maṇḍala, nor are there any maṇḍala deities."
That is the recitation of mantra, that is the austerity and the fire offering. That is the maṇḍala, and the deities of the maṇḍala are also that. In brief, it is the manner in which everything is subsumed within the mind—so the Blessed One has said. "In brief" means the single aspect of all phenomena; what is that? It is the nature of great bliss. "Mind" refers to bodhicitta. The "manner of subsumption" is through the power of the dharma-mudrā and the mahāmudrā. Whatever wisdom there is, that itself is expressed as the manner of subsumption. This concludes the fourth chapter, which definitively teaches the samaya-mudrā as the fruit of human effort. This "Ascertainment of the Four Mudrās," composed by the great master Nāgārjunapāda, is complete. It was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian master Dharikaśrījñāna and the Tibetan translator Rma ban Chos 'bar.
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.