Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This commentary presents a synthesis of Madhyamaka philosophy and Vajrayāna practice, arguing that all phenomena are characterized by non-abiding and the nature of reality is beyond conceptual proliferation. The author asserts that while the Buddha provided gradual teachings for those of inferior capacity, the definitive intent is the realization of a non-dual, vajra-like bodhicitta that transcends both scripture and reasoning. The text positions this realization as a 'lion' that destroys erroneous views, specifically targeting the misconceptions of the deluded and the pitfalls of perverted tantric practice. It commits the reader to a rigorous path of recognizing the 'taste of liberation' through the guidance of an authentic guru and the integration of the three baskets of Buddhist teaching. By reconciling the voidness of phenomena with the spontaneous presence of bliss and coemergent joy, the work argues that the ultimate state is one of equality across the three times, where the practitioner no longer abides in any conceptual duality.
Provenance
About this text
A commentary showing that all phenomena are utterly non-abiding, this work belongs to the tradition of the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. It is attributed to the Indian author Avadhūtipa Advayavajra. The text is preserved in the classical Tibetan Tengyur, specifically volume ཞི, where it extends over twenty-five pages. In its opening, the work addresses the nature of phenomena and the means of establishing that nature, utilizing scriptural authority and reasoning to examine the status of phenomena. It engages with the teachings of the Buddha and Mañjuśrī, contrasting provisional and definitive meanings while discussing the dharma that transcends conceptualization and non-conceptualization. By asserting that all phenomena are the very nature of reality and unerring, the author provides a framework for understanding the non-abiding nature of existence. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the specific arguments regarding the nature of reality and the methods for examining phenomena as presented within the Unexcelled Yoga Tantra corpus.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Commentary on the Verses on Suchness which Teach All Phenomena as Non-Abiding” (Toh 2296), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2296
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its attempt to bridge the gap between sutra-based emptiness and the experiential claims of the Secret Mantra tradition. It serves as a polemic against the degradation of monastic ethics and the misuse of tantric empowerment, emphasizing the necessity of valid cognition alongside esoteric practice.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-6
Philosophical Foundations and Scriptural Authority
Establishes the authority of the text through sutra and discusses the nature of reality as beyond conceptualization, contrasting this with the views of the deluded.
7-14
Tantric Practice and Misconceptions
Addresses the nature of bliss, the dangers of erroneous paths, the identity of the dharmakāya, and the consequences of mocking preparatory practices.
15-22
The Nature of Bodhicitta and Realization
Defines vajra-bodhicitta, the role of the guru, and the distinction between gradual stages and the ultimate non-dual realization.
23-26
Ethics, Samaya, and Degeneration
Warns against the violation of samaya and the ethical decay of the sangha, predicting a period of strife and spiritual ignorance.
27-30
The State of Non-Abiding and Final Instructions
Describes the state of equality and non-abiding, concluding with an exhortation to study the three baskets and authoritative scriptures without partiality.
Themes
Non-abiding and Emptiness (1-4, 22, 27-29)
Vajrayāna Empowerment and Bodhicitta (5, 11, 15-16)
Samaya and Ethical Discipline (10, 17, 23-25)
Gradual vs. Definitive Teachings (1, 12, 21)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Commentary on the Verses on Suchness which Teach All Phenomena as Non-Abiding·
The Commentary on the Verses of Suchness Showing that All Phenomena are Utterly Non-Abiding.
Homage to the Buddha!
"The elephant of wisdom born of causes, the lion that destroys it—this is my treatise." Thus it is said. This refers to the stages and the months, and to the provisional and definitive meanings. What, then, are these? They are the nature of phenomena, the means of establishing that, and the perfect attainment of that.
Regarding this, the treatises of the Yogācāra school assert that the ultimate phenomenon arising from other causes is established by scripture and reasoning. They claim that the nature of all phenomena—whether appearing or non-appearing—is the ground and support of all things: non-dual wisdom, empty of conceptual imputation, continuous, and the Middle Way liberated from the four extremes. They maintain that this alone truly exists, and that the means of accomplishment and the result are likewise so. This is like an elephant.
Why is it like an elephant? Because it is capable of destroying the scriptures of the non-Buddhists, the Śrāvakas, and the Sautrāntikas—who assert the existence of external objects—through the greatness of scripture and reasoning. Furthermore, since consciousness is the very body of the Buddha's teachings, it is not that it is not accepted at all; thus, it is praised. However, because it views objects of knowledge as internal entities, it too is subject to destruction, and is therefore like an elephant.
By what is it destroyed? It is destroyed by the extremely fierce fangs of scripture and reasoning belonging to the Lion-like Madhyamaka, which proclaims utter non-abiding.
What is the scriptural authority? In this regard, a sūtra states: "Mañjuśrī, when you ask, 'Are all these five methods for examining phenomena correct? Or are some correct and some not correct?'—all these five methods for examining phenomena should be understood as being correct. Some teach the dharma that all phenomena exist just as they appear. Why is that? Because the four elements and the things produced from them exist conventionally, like an illusion. Some think they teach the dharma that all phenomena are nothing other than mind-only. Why is that? Because through the power of the habitual tendencies of conceptualizing various phenomena as permanent and eternal, which are placed in the mind, self and phenomena appear as distinct appearances at all times; yet ultimately they lack intrinsic nature, because they do not exist apart from mind-only. Some think they teach us the dharma that even the mind itself is unarisen. Why is that? Because it has no shape, no color, no three times, and no center or periphery. Some think they teach the dharma that all phenomena appear like an illusion and are unestablished like an illusion. Why is that? Because all phenomena arise and emerge from causes and conditions. Some [teach] that all phenomena are by nature unarisen, do not abide by way of their own essence, and are free from all extremes of action and activity."
It is also thought that [the Buddha] teaches the dharma that is beyond conceptualization and non-conceptualization, transcending objects, and pure of conceptual proliferation from beginningless time. Why is that? It is because all phenomena are the very nature of reality, unerring. Thus it is said. There is no need to enumerate anything else beyond this.
What is the reasoning? It is as follows: since all phenomena renowned by the great beings as existing have arisen merely from dependent origination, they are like an illusion. Furthermore, because it is never tenable for things to arise ultimately from themselves, from others, from both, or without a cause, it is taught that ultimately they are like a lotus in the sky. This alone is sufficient. If those possessing the eye of insight examine this precisely and honestly by means of this very reasoning of intrinsic nature, they will find that ultimately nothing is established. Thus, all phenomena are not established as abiding.
Nor is it the case that the reason is unestablished and so forth; there is no need to say more. By this alone, all erroneous systems without exception will be defeated. Regarding this, there is a verse:
If one asserts arising from a self without dependence,
One is a Sāṃkhya who propounds a permanent cause.
If one asserts arising from other causes,
One is a Vaiśeṣika who propounds an agent as the cause.
If one asserts arising from both,
One is a Nirgrantha who propounds Īśvara as the cause.
If one asserts arising from the unarisen,
One is a Lokāyata who propounds primordial nature as the cause.
If one asserts that what has arisen becomes empty,
One follows the nihilistic path of the "space-minded."
If one accepts nothing at all,
The view of the deluded and deceitful is as follows: if one analyzes whether things are established by way of their own nature or not, or whether they are permanent or impermanent, arising is untenable. Likewise, because they are occasional, all these are the manner of dependent origination; all conceptual extremes are primordially pacified. Thus it is said. Therefore, because all phenomena are not truly arisen, they are not to be mentally engaged, and there is nothing whatsoever to be ripened; this is called "my own system."
That very meaning of the ultimate reality is, in the scriptures of Secret Mantra, asserted to be the coemergent joy established through the action seal (karmamudrā). Furthermore, the assertion that it is the fourth coemergent joy is called "forceful" because it contradicts the scriptural authority of the arising of the first joy of separation and so forth, the reasoning that "joy of separation is the post-meditative cognition of heat" and so forth, and direct perception.
Even if one asserts it to be the third coemergent joy, because one is utterly deluded regarding the hidden point of the actual state, there is no difference from the systems of the non-Buddhists; because it is devoid of the seal of Vajrasattva; and because it contradicts direct perception, it is called "unskilled in empowerment." These two are like elephants that have not been trained.
Furthermore, the attainment of the coemergent joy in the third extremely subtle moment—through the scriptural authority of "the first of the joy of separation is the limit of the supreme" and so forth, the symbolic signs of the Blessed One’s body, the reasoning that refutes other systems, the pith instructions of the lineage, and the direct perception of self-knowing awareness—
This is called being "skilled in the authentic empowerment." It is established through various analogies in the Mahāyoga and Yoginī Tantras, such as "like a lamp in the darkness," and so forth. It is established as the definitive terminology of the Secret Mantra Vajrayāna, distinguished by its methods from the Pāramitāyāna, and is the domain of practice for those with the fortunate karma. It is the very nature of the Hevajra, the Paramādya, the Guhyacandratilaka, and so on. Thus, because it is said, "In that same way, the fourth also," one should understand that the method of accomplishment and the nature of the attainment are likewise.
Regarding the general instructions for the wisdom-knowledge empowerments—the examination of the mudrā, the sequence of activities, the aspects, the analogies, the locations, the symbols, and the stages of the levels that are attained—I already know these clearly; therefore, there is no need to discuss them here. However, one who is skilled in the authentic empowerment is able to destroy the systems of those unskilled in empowerment and forceful methods with the fangs of scripture and reasoning. Because it constitutes the body of the vehicle of methods, it is praised as being "like an elephant and its goad."
What is the method? It is to lead those deceived by false paths to the authentic path. Who is deceived? Those who are broader than other vehicles, those who enter from elsewhere, the ordinary, and those who practice celibacy. How are they deceived? Regarding the first three, since there is no fault in relinquishing the vows they have correctly taken, they are engaged in the actual objects of practice; or, if they conflict with the master—
It is taught through various terms so that, for the time being, one is not turned away from inferior objects by means of other methods. Regarding "celibacy" (brahmacarya): it is taught by means of other methods consistent with that [inferior practice], either by leading the meaning to another level or by explaining the actual meaning itself. Furthermore, because it is susceptible to being destroyed by that which is not the authentic quintessential instruction (upadeśa), it is like an elephant. If one asks how it is authentically destroyed: it is by means of the lion-like authentic scriptures, reasoning, and quintessential instructions. This is clarified by such scriptural citations as: "The action seal (karmamudrā), which is subject to cyclic existence, should be completely abandoned from afar." Because it is taught for the sake of those to be trained who are extremely inferior, it is to be abandoned by the noble ones; because there are other methods, it is uncertain; and because it is not permitted for the celibacy of beginners, it is contradictory. It is destroyed by the reasonings set forth such as: "Because it arises from effort, it is momentary, like an autumn lotus." Furthermore, it is because other authentic quintessential instructions are referred to, as in: "He who views the semen at the time of the wind does not know Hevajra; the definitive meaning is not that, but should be analyzed otherwise." In short, if one analyzes correctly, all those who, without knowing the meaning of Mahāmudrā, view the action seal as the path, are clearly seen to be of the class of outsiders or of Māra. Although the innate nature is described in words as "unborn," "characterless," and "ineffable," because it necessarily depends upon the cause of the action seal, [it is not the true path].
One should understand that this very reality is asserted to be the aspect of bliss, just as, for example, those with perverted desires engage in taking a bride. Thus, from the Sūkṣma-vedanā-śāstra:
God and goddess in inseparable union,
Great bliss arises suddenly.
Furthermore:
If it abides within the jewel,
There is no god, nor is there a goddess.
Free from the definition and the basis of definition,
It cannot be expressed by speech.
From this jewel palace,
If it falls upon the anthers, it is free from attachment.
Satiated by the nectar of primordial wisdom,
The yogi who has completed what was to be done
Has not the slightest thing to do.
If there were, that would not be knowing reality.
Furthermore:
Whatever is seen, however slight,
That very thing abides as Brahmā.
The mind that does not go elsewhere
Abides definitely as Brahmā itself.
Furthermore:
In that, bliss is uninterrupted,
And in that, suffering does not come.
Furthermore:
It is not existent, nor is it non-existent;
It is neither both, nor is it non-dual.
Its state is difficult to realize;
How difficult? It is the unsurpassed.
Furthermore:
Abandoning dharma and abandoning non-dharma,
Having abandoned both truth and falsehood,
One should even abandon that very abandonment.
Furthermore:
Even from the mind of ordinary desire,
To that extent, that is nirvāṇa.
Thus it is said. By these [passages], the support of primordial wisdom, its abode, its nature, the faults of the separation from joy, the conduct, the yoga indicated by that, the benefits, the elimination of defects, the final resolution, the distinctions of the method, and the attainment of the result, nirvāṇa, are taught.
It is of great importance for a Buddhist yogi to recognize such erroneous paths, for they are the very branches that must first be abandoned. In this regard, the māras of the desire realm and the hungry ghosts (preta) belonging to their class create obstacles for those who have entered or are about to enter the authentic path. By acting as the conditions for whichever affliction is most prevalent, they cause afflictions to proliferate and blaze. They display mere semblances of the profound path and cultivate qualities of attachment toward whatever one hopes for. In doing so, they cause the authentic path to degenerate and become corrupted.
As the sūtras state, when the māra of emptiness, the māra of desire, and so forth enter the depths of the mind, they speak thus: "Bodhisattvas are beyond protection or destruction; drink alcohol, eat meat, and indulge extensively in sexual misconduct!" By the power of the māras, they even gather in human beings. When people harbor doubt and slander, hungry ghosts enter their minds for a long time, such that even those who occasionally eat excrement and drink urine are treated as if they were consuming meat and alcohol. Claiming that "all these are of one taste in emptiness," they destroy the Buddha's ethical discipline and the Vinaya. They teach this to as many as a hundred or ten thousand base and foolish people, and they speak these words: "There is a Great Buddha, a Lesser Buddha, a Former Buddha, and a Latter Buddha." Furthermore, they distinguish among them: "The authentic Buddha, the illusory Buddha, the male Buddha, and the female Buddha."
"My fleshly body is the father of fathers and the son of sons; that which is born from one to another is the dharmakāya, which is uninterrupted. Since all these are it, that itself is the buddha-field. There is no separate buddha-field such as one with the color of gold." When he says this, people take it as true; they lose and forget their former minds, and by dedicating their lives and bodies to that, they claim to have attained what they have never experienced before. Such people are foolish and deluded; occasionally, thinking they have attained enlightenment, they forget and lose their own minds, destroy the Buddha's ethical discipline, and engage in secret sexual misconduct. With their speech, they speak of worldly existence, saying: "The eyes, ears, nose, and tongue are all the buddha-field; the female and male organs are the path to enlightenment. No one knows the true nirvāṇa." They claim to have attained the mind of emptiness and say that dependent origination does not exist. Furthermore, they say in words: "All sentient beings of the ten directions are my children; all buddhas are born from me; I appear in the world; I am a buddha from the very beginning. Although I appear in the world, I am not born from conditioned things." Occasionally, they say: "I am Vajradhara; I shall grant you long life," and so forth. Ānanda, those māras will appear in the future within my scriptures and will enter the minds of people who are practicing the path of the Dharma. They will praise the practice of sexual misconduct, and...
The Buddha’s ethical discipline will be destroyed. First, one is deceived by the abbot; later, one is deceived by the disciple, who incites one to engage in sexual misconduct. Furthermore, it is said: "If near, for nine lifetimes; if far, for up to a hundred lifetimes, one will practice virtue but become a friend of Māra. Then, after changing lives, one will become a specific type of Māra. Having lost the thread of authentic pervasive knowledge, one will fall into the Avīci hell of no interval." Thus, one should recognize such activities of Māra. Moreover, one should abandon them by remaining steadfast in the bodhicitta that is the inseparability of emptiness and compassion.
From the sūtras themselves: "Do not enter saṃsāra; understand this beforehand." And: "Nanda, if sons of noble family rest in meditative equipoise in the reality that does not abide in samādhi, the Māras will be utterly defeated." And: "In the final evil times of the future, generate great compassion and liberate and deliver those sentient beings who possess authentic faith." And: "Teach this extensively."
For those who uphold the three vows, even a single branch of the training is not permitted to degenerate. As the text states:
"The mendicant's staff, the alms bowl, the Dharma robes,
The water filter, and the qualities of purification—
Do not abandon these branches according to the scriptures.
A yogi who does not realize the scriptures
Becomes a Buddhist heretic."
Thus, it is taught that a monk who possesses all the trainings without degeneration and is endowed with excellence is a supreme Vajradhara. Furthermore, at all times...
If it is taught that bodhicitta is characterized by being formless, all-pervasive, and immutable, then the momentary bliss of emission is the opposite of that definition. Since such a state is not even renowned to exist among the gods of the meditative concentrations, how could such a stain exist in the wisdom deities who have attained mastery over the all-pervading dharmadhātu? Consequently, how could it be appropriate for there to be a relationship between the signified and the signifier, or between cause and effect? Therefore, what is taught in the Buddhist scriptures is merely a worldly wisdom, an incongruous example, a metaphor for another meaning, or an intentional terminology.
If that is so, while it is true that the dharmakāya is free from conceptual elaboration, how could it be appropriate for the saṃbhogakāya to abide in the form of a great maṇḍala, or for the nirmāṇakāya to be born from the father and mother of a supreme family? To this it is said: Just as the perfectly enlightened Buddha is conceptualized and perceived by beings of inferior intelligence, it is impossible for him to appear in a form body in any world system, because it is taught that the causes—the latencies of ignorance—have been permanently and utterly exhausted. Furthermore, the perfectly enlightened Buddha is not entirely devoid of power like the horns of a rabbit or the son of a barren woman as conceptualized by beings of inferior intelligence, because through great compassion he has attained mastery in the display of the Net of Magical Illusion over infinite eons.
The Tantra also states: "The Blessed Ones, the Tathāgatas, the Arhats, the perfectly complete Buddhas, having attained the wisdom of omniscience, analyze that wisdom of omniscience for the sake of sentient beings and teach it through various methods, various intentions, and various means. To some they teach the method of the Śrāvaka vehicle; to some, the method of the Pratyekabuddha vehicle; to some, the method of the Mahāyāna; to some, the method of the five superknowledges. To some they teach the Dharma for the sake of being born as gods, and to some for the sake of being born as humans, and so on, up to being born as mahoragas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, and kinnaras. Among them, those sentient beings who are to be disciplined by a Buddha see the Buddha’s form; some see the form of a Śrāvaka, some the form of a Pratyekabuddha, some the form of a Bodhisattva, some the form of Maheśvara, some the form of Brahmā, some the form of Nārāyaṇa, some the form of Vaiśravaṇa, and so on, up to seeing the forms of mahoragas and everything in between, including humans and non-humans. They see various modes of speech and various modes of conduct, yet the wisdom of omniscience is, in this way, of a single taste within the flavor of the Tathāgata’s liberation." Thus it is said.
The taste of liberation is also taught to be the unborn nature of phenomena (dharmatā). Furthermore, the tantras state: "The glorious Vairocana became Śākyamuni; Mañjuśrī became Śuddhodana; Lokanātha became Mahāmāyā; Samantabhadra became Ānanda," and so forth. Moreover, it is taught that all of these are the expanse of phenomena (dharmadhātu), in which there is no coming or going whatsoever. One must perceive such profound and vast scriptural authority and reasoning; otherwise, it is nothing more than the intellect of a child.
If one asks, "In that case, do you never accept such a path as the one mentioned above? If so, I see many points of contradiction even in your own position," the answer is no. For noble individuals, there are occasions when the afflictions (kleśa) become branches of enlightenment (bodhyaṅga). This is for the sake of generating the strength of the calm abiding (śamatha) of great bliss, training in the skill of unceasing special insight (vipaśyanā), entering the equanimity of unimpeded conduct, demonstrating the measure of accomplished yoga, inspiring the enthusiasm of yogis in training, clearing away the exaggerations and denigrations of worldly commoners, subduing the arrogant, and demonstrating that, in reality, the nature of all phenomena does not abide anywhere.
With this in mind, the tantras state: "When teaching the profound Dharma, even if others do not have faith, one should not disparage them; one should remember that the nature of phenomena is inconceivable." And again: "Whosoever [disparages] the secret mantra tantras..."
"One who mocks the preparatory practices will not attain siddhi. They will be constantly possessed by demons. Like iron drawn to a magnet, various unwanted and unpleasant miseries will gather in this life, and in the next, one will fall into the three lower realms." Thus it is said. Therefore, since most faulty actions arise from ignorance, one should speak only after investigating with insight. For beginners practicing celibacy, when the necessary purpose is seen, there is nothing but mere signs and conventions; the actual reality never appears. Thus it is said: "Until stability is attained, one who possesses the three vows should not engage [in such practices]," for otherwise one will fall into downfalls and become an object of ridicule for others. Consequently, wherever the "vast conduct" is taught, the capacity and boundaries of the utterly pure yogi are explained. Therefore, mantra practitioners who desire the welfare of themselves and others and possess the eye of insight should look to the treatises composed by the holy masters. In short, what is the use of speaking much here? The holy gurus who are one's own lineage do not accept relying on the action seal (karmamudrā) as the authentic path. Therefore, it is said: "The elephant of causal innate wisdom." The provisional meaning has been explained. What is the definitive meaning? It is said: "My own treatise, the lion that destroys." This refers to engaging in Mahāmudrā. It is the fourth empowerment. What is that itself? It is the essence and its branches.
What is the essence? It is the vajra-like bodhicitta seen through the lineage of the authentic guru. That transcends both scripture and reasoning. What are its branches? They are merely that which do not contradict scripture and reasoning. Its slight differentiation is as follows: because it is the basis of all and extracts the essence, it is the maṇḍala. Because it purifies the stains of delusion, is supreme, unchanging, empty by nature, is a symbolic designation, is all-pervasive, and is self-aware, it is the water empowerment and so forth. Because it is the sublime, inexhaustible bliss and is granted through the oral instructions of the lineage, it is the secret empowerment. Because it is the mother of all, is not an object to be grasped, generates joy, is the single taste of all, and robs the life-force of clinging, it is the wisdom consort of one’s own family, such as the mother and so forth. Because it is unborn, beyond examples, all-pervasive, and the meaning of the innate nature, it possesses the four qualities such as being indestructible. Because it is without center or periphery, lacks substantiality, and is the source of bliss, it is the lotus possessing qualities such as being fully blossomed. Because it pierces without error, definitively destroys, and is unchanging, it is the vajra possessing qualities such as inseparable union. It is equal to the taste of space.
Spontaneously present and perfect, that very reality is the marvelous, stainless stream of coemergent joy, having become the dharmatā of the three levels. Because it is liberated from worldly activities and is captured in the vajra words of the scriptures, it is the path traversed by the sublime ones. Because it is the meaning that abides as the essential nature, it can be investigated by sublime reasoning. Because it is naturally hidden from logicians and difficult to find, it is the ultimate meaning. Because it is met directly through the oral instructions of the lineage, one gains conviction and does not decline; therefore, it is called the "fourth empowerment." Because it is never to be abandoned and never to be transgressed, and so forth, it should be understood as the ultimate deity, the samaya of equality, and so on.
Therefore, from the scriptures and oral instructions:
"Disciples should diligently
Purify themselves with the bodhicitta.
That which is the first level
Is explained as the level of the mind.
The purification was previously taught;
By that, it is thoroughly purified.
When dharma and non-dharma are analyzed,
All phenomena are not perceived,
Pure like the sky;
That is the sublime maṇḍala.
From that empowerment of Mahāmudrā,
The great bliss as it is known—
By the power of that, this is it;
That maṇḍala is none other.
That natural Nairātmyā
Is held to be my courtesan;
By that lack of attachment,
The afflictions are pacified.
When the yoginī is experienced..."
One does not become a yogi [merely by that]; the maiden generates bliss through union with others. The exhaustion of the knower and the known is called "meditative equipoise." That which is unborn is explained by the term "semen." Whoever drinks compassion, maintains the samayas, and attains unsurpassed wisdom—that is called a kapāla. That which is bodhicitta is the vajra; insight is explained as the ghaṇṭā. Thus it is said, and furthermore: "There is no mantra recitation, no asceticism, and no fire offering. There is no maṇḍala there, nor is there one who possesses a maṇḍala. That is the mantra recitation, that is the asceticism, and that is the fire offering. That is the one who possesses the maṇḍala, and that is the maṇḍala itself. In brief, it is the manner in which everything is gathered within the mind." Such scriptural citations are few, unclear, and scattered; therefore, they are called "vajra words" found within the tantras. In short, because that very reality is the profound and vast nature of all phenomena, it is called the "basis of all views," the "source of all scriptures," and the "essence of all reasonings." Because the wisdom of reasoning arises from within itself or because it dispels the darkness of obscurations without exception, it is called the "sun and moon of yoga." Because it perceives the limits of things or the depths of their meaning, it is called the "vajra eye." Because it is the place where all phenomena flow or where they are poured into a single taste, it is called the "coemergent ocean."
Because it abides within all or is capable of incinerating everything without exception, it is called the "coemergent inner heat" (sahaja-caṇḍālī). Because it is the place where the life-force of signs is arrested or where the infant is destroyed, it is called the "ultimate charnel ground." Furthermore, the equality of all things from the perspective of the nature of bodhicitta, and the inequality of sentient beings and buddhas due to the conditions of realization and non-realization, should be understood through the example of the moon. In actual fact, the equality of all things should also be understood through that very same example. That the nature of a buddha is simultaneous merely by being shown and receiving the instructions of the definitive meaning, and that the qualities of omniscience arise gradually, should be understood through the example of the son of a victor. Furthermore, that the qualities are also simultaneously possessed in actual fact should be understood through that very same example. That all beings experience suffering, obscured merely by non-realization, should be understood through the example of the precious jewel in a poor man's body. That this nature does not depend on causes and so forth, and that it depends on the unerring instructions and so forth, should also be understood through that very same example. Furthermore, that it is not a chaotic randomness because the causes and conditions of all phenomena are distinct, and that its own essence does not truly exist because it is produced by conditions—thus being unlike the outsiders such as the non-Buddhists—should be understood through the examples of illusions, dreams, and so forth. That the ultimate meaning is non-dual, whether internal or external, true or false, and so forth, should also be understood through that very same example.
There exists that which is called the "Instruction for the Ultimate Realization." It is difficult for all to find, and the meaning of how it is found is to be practiced either instantaneously or gradually. That which is non-deceptive regarding the object attained should be understood through the analogies of excellent medicine for humans and gods, and the supreme nectar. That it is not an object for everyone who enters instantaneously, and that if the meaning is misunderstood it will instead cause harm, and so forth, should also be understood through those very analogies. By explaining the branches of these analogies and their meanings without error, the essence of the meaning is adorned and conviction is shown.
Here, summarized in verse:
Just as a father places a Kaśika stone for his wise son to examine the jewels,
So that non-Buddhists and Buddhists may realize the intermediate state,
The Sage placed the Seal of Dependent Origination for his retinue.
Scripture is the purifier, and reasoning is the excellent [means];
Reasoning is said to produce bliss, and scripture is its illumination.
From the excellence of scripture and reasoning, the essence of the meaning is seen;
Other than that, it could never possibly exist.
First, one develops devotion to the qualities of the Sugata;
After that, one devotes oneself to the Dharma that is the cause for achieving that;
After that, one becomes respectful toward the Guru who teaches;
Finally, joy and [realization] arise within one's own mind.
Just as a sprout has no chance to grow in the midst of a blazing fire,
How could the freedoms and endowments be obtained in states of no-leisure?
Therefore, this conceptualization of the ten virtues is excellent;
The conceptualization of non-virtuous actions is not so.
A chain made of iron and one made of gold
Are alike in binding, yet there is a great difference between them.
Therefore, from scripture, the words of virtue of the three times...
It is taught that "mine" pervades all things. From the Vinaya of the well-spoken sublime Dharma, it is said that regarding the objects of impermanence and selflessness, there is no fault in the actual basis if it is devoid of [conceptual] branches. Therefore, even in the manner of the Mahāyāna Mantra, there is not the slightest teaching of contradiction or negation through other times, other persons, other objects, or other methods and intentions. Thus, that monk Vajradhara is said to be supreme. For that reason, the meaning of the Tantras is taught as being like a wish-fulfilling tree, a wish-granting jewel, an excellent vase, and the guru who knows the meaning of mantra; it is like the sound of "sena" and the sound of "thief." Just as the supreme medicine, when given to different patients, appears to have different powers depending on whether it is taken alone or in a compound, and whether it is digested or not, the guru has taught that the sublime Dharma medicine is also like that. In the state of the great bliss of the magical display of self-awareness, there is the magical display of ignorance, suffering without beginning or end. All phenomena are a magical net; existence and liberation are neither one nor different. Furthermore, examples are merely for the sake of realization; in reality, there is no bondage whatsoever. Therefore, for the wise and the others, the teaching of what is to be accomplished and the means of accomplishment is appropriate here. Just as a hero who moves without obstruction may rest and proceed gradually for the sake of the lowly, likewise, although the wise have no place of attachment, they maintain the philosophical systems gradually for the sake of the intelligent. For that very reason, even the Great Yoga first teaches the essential meaning to some.
Seeing that those to be trained are of inferior capacity, he also taught gradual stages; yet these should be understood as not being his ultimate intent. Depending on the levels of their intellect, individuals grasp at the distinctions of the meaning. Otherwise, the systems of those who follow their own whims are like the following: for a beginner, to enter a path of afflictions is taught to be the host of Māra, leading neither to liberation nor freedom. It is like running a long distance to quench hunger, or drinking salt water to eliminate thirst, or killing one’s parents out of a desire for fame, or casting away one’s own life out of a desire for pleasure. Only the supreme physician, and not ordinary ones, can pacify all diseases with potent poison. Only the pure one, and not all wild beasts, can perform the rite of bathing with blazing fire. Only the Gandhahastin elephant, and not other cattle, can turn dung into medicine by eating the Ketaka fruit. Only the holy ones—who have attained the power of compassion and are free from attachment to their own bodies, who have attained mastery in meditative concentration and are able to transform appearances, and who have attained the confidence of equanimity and thus overwhelm delusion—can be liberated by engaging with sense objects, but not others. Therefore, in this degenerate age, it is of the utmost importance for a disciple to seek a genuine guru. If that is mistaken, everything will go wrong; one will wander for a long time in the ocean of existence on a mistaken path. Thus it is said. In that way, by realizing the ultimate nature of all phenomena as dependent origination, one thoroughly distinguishes between the path and what is not the path. By understanding that even though the vehicles are divided into three, their meaning is not contradictory, one gains conviction and respect for the teachings of the Guides.
When phenomena are established as selfless through the three valid cognitions, one knows and gains confidence in the fact that, in reality, all things are in a state of equality; such a person is a genuine yogi. This is what is meant by the statement: "The lion that destroys is my own system." Without such a yogi’s realization and experiential mastery of the suchness of primordial wisdom, to rely merely on conventional terminology and yet claim to be a yogi while entering a mistaken path is to circle the precipice of perversion; thus, it appears to be extremely perilous. As it says in the Tantra:
"In the future, many practitioners of yoga will appear who are greedy, fierce, and unrestrained. Delighting in sin, they will be attached to the requisites of yoga. They will abandon this great tantra and the fourth [empowerment]. Boisterous, with distracted senses and full of envy, attached to their dwellings and desiring gain, they will always remain intent on the practice of union. They will abandon this fourth [empowerment] completely.
Clapping their hands and feet, they speak with loose and careless mouths. Attached to play and sport, they are constantly engaged in laughter. Embracing one another and linking hands, when entering a village they behave in a manner contrary to the Dharma. These are the characteristics of improper conduct: they are constantly lustful even for the daughters of others. Arrogant in their physical form, they cast off their vows. They wander through villages, cities, and all the countryside. They are deeply involved in food and drink, and likewise in song, dance, and music. They are especially diligent in buying and selling. Attached to intoxicants, they cast aside all shame. Through improper exertion, they send out letters."
Having abandoned the samaya and the proper conduct, they rely on householders and violate their commitments; thus they abide in a state of utterly perverted samaya. Those who perform whatever actions are constantly censured by Vajradhara—such as practicing deceit with weights and measures—commit such sinful afflictions that those who perform such evil deeds go to the lower realms.
Having renounced conch shells, gold, many jewels, homes, and kinsmen, they enter the maṇḍala. Having gone forth into this teaching of the Buddha, they nevertheless engage in sinful actions. Perceiving wealth and grain as the essence, they are attached to mounts, cattle, and chariots. Why have those who lack diligence in yoga entered the maṇḍala?
In former times, when I practiced the conduct of yoga, I did not regard even my body or life. While I sought this fourth samādhi, they would mock me upon hearing of it. Abandoning patience, they engage in great conceptual proliferation, saying, "We are practitioners of yoga." How can there be awakening for those whose samaya has degenerated? I have never heard of, nor have I ever seen, anyone attain this awakening after violating the samaya.
Those of inferior insight who have utterly abandoned good qualities constantly speak of the faults of the supreme Great Tantra. Many who lack a livelihood practice yoga, yet they do not desire the awakening of a Buddha in any way. Those fools are attached to the view of a self; when they hear of emptiness, they become terrified.
Those who guard the samaya and possess good qualities, who abide in loving-kindness and always contemplate patience, who are gentle, mild, and perfectly restrained—
At that time, they will be utterly despised. Those whose minds are utterly devoid of samaya, who perform terrible, wicked, and evil deeds, who act contrary to samaya and delight in strife—they will be the ones who engage in disputes at that time. Having entered this great secret of the supreme reality, they will claim to be practitioners of yoga, yet they will engage in all manner of improper conduct. Thieves who bring disgrace upon the world will appear. Claiming, "I shall provide relief to the world," they will pour streams of water over their heads. With their hands, they will grasp the crown, the vajra, the bell, and so forth, upon their heads. Thereafter, they will pursue a livelihood. Some will gather a host of disciples and, saying, "These very words are mine," they will deceive the foolish and teach the secret in a perverted way. Some will dwell in remote borderlands, yet without remaining even for a single moment in the wisdom of selflessness and the Perfection of Wisdom, they will practice worldly mantras and the like. Some will wander about begging for alms, traveling everywhere and speaking recklessly; they will be intensely attached to women and utterly destroy the samaya of the Buddha. Some will settle in villages and be intensely attached to food and drink; they will laugh and play with many boys and girls. Some will engage in music, dance, song, and gambling; they will watch assemblies of crowds and train in the arts of craftsmanship. Some will engage in trade, agriculture, and the tending of elephants, cattle, and so forth; they will drive chariots and the like, committing many faults. Furthermore, those who claim to be practitioners of yoga—
Monks and nuns, laymen and laywomen, will strike one another with weapons. They will not abide by nor protect the well-spoken Vinaya. They will disparage the banner of the Buddha and commit defeats and the like. Not knowing the supreme drink, they will consume fermented liquors made from rice and other ingredients, which will bring about their ruin. As for those who, relying on mere conventional terms, engage in the ten non-virtuous actions—what kind of rebirth they will go to, even the Guide could not fathom. Thus it is said.
Furthermore, there are many points of analogy with the lion. For instance, even when the bodhicitta has not yet realized cyclic existence, it is naturally endowed with power. As soon as the bodhicitta is realized and arises, it is endowed with the power to overwhelm others. When the cultivation of bodhicitta reaches its culmination, it is endowed with the power to uproot all discordant factors. Those who possess it are rare and noble. It is courageous. It dwells upon the mountain and fortress of emptiness. It roars the sound of selflessness. It perfectly establishes its own continuum, and so forth. Accordingly, the scriptures state:
Just as the offspring of the garuḍa and the lion,
Though obscured by the womb or the egg,
Possess the power and strength to become antidotes
Through the skills inherent within them,
So too, entering the bodhicitta
And likewise aspiring to it,
Even if darkness has persisted for a thousand years—
A single lamp dispels [darkness]; likewise, even a lion cub terrifies beasts that are extremely old. Even a single king of beasts crushes the heads of a pride of arrogant elephants. A lion dwelling in a herd has never occurred on earth before; a sublime person dwelling in a herd has never occurred before. The hero acts fearlessly like a lion. Thus it is said. For example: Just as a lion, relying on a mountain ravine, roars and terrifies many small wild animals without fear, so too the lion among men, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, terrifies many non-Buddhists and proclaims his fame throughout the world. Thus it appears. Furthermore, the lion alone is used as an analogy: a lion cannot be defeated by other wild animals, yet in the end it dies of its own conditions; even its carcass cannot be destroyed by others, but its own aggregates perish without remainder. In the same way, the yogi who proclaims that all phenomena are utterly non-abiding should be understood in that manner. Moreover, through the yoga of abiding in non-abiding—where the discriminating wisdom is like fire, the Samadhi of the Net of Illusion is like a path, the Samadhi of observing suchness is like water, and the coemergent bodhicitta is like space—one abandons, through the condition of long-term cultivation, all discordant conceptualizations, conceptualizations of the remedial side, conceptualizations of suchness, and conceptualizations of the result.
Having attained the state of the equality of the three times, one will not abide in anything whatsoever. Here, there are these verses:
Just as even ordinary food becomes the supreme medicine
When pervaded by a panacea that cures all disease,
So too, when embraced by the bodhicitta of equality,
All practices of the generation and completion stages are the authentic path.
Whether it be the vital points of drawing in, holding, and releasing,
Or of retaining, entering, viewing, and blending—
Whichever pith instructions on the key points one practices,
They are never deceptive; they are the authentic path.
The expanse of equality, where there is no knowing and no abiding,
The mind free of hope and fear, knowing all times—
That is the ultimate realization of the final meaning:
The great bindu, the deity without syllables.
Through the power of practicing the accumulation of virtue
For many eons, if one hears these instructions on bodhicitta,
Like nectar-water emerging from a precious stone,
Tears of faith will flow from the depths of the heart.
A flock of swans wanders everywhere in the sky,
But whichever is struck by an arrow falls to the ground.
Childish beings seeking pleasure run toward false objects;
But the yogi struck by the weapon of the pith instructions is as if dead.
Having seen all worldly activities, profit, and fame
To be like dreams, echoes, or the earth,
They soar in the expanse of ultimate, unattached compassion.
The sole kinsman of beings is the avadhūti.
Naturally empty and utterly secluded from emptiness,
Those who conceptualize fear the path of nihilism.
On the plain of bliss, the hosts of ignorant protectors
Wander at night, requiring the right and left channels.
Having utterly destroyed the delusions of the elephant of existence,
In the pool where non-conceptual spontaneous presence and the three times are equal, the lion of awareness casts away its own life-force. Through the power of its own continuum, it proclaims the great sound of selflessness. Just as water is the antidote to fire, yet fire also blazes from the whirlpools of the ocean, so too is the unborn the antidote to birth; from the unborn phenomena, the Net of Magical Illusion arises. In such a reality, is there birth or is there not? Does the Sage act for the sake of others, or does he not? Beyond speech and thought, the supreme of all aspects—for that reason, place your conviction in the meaning of the essence. Thus it is said.
That emptiness endowed with the supreme of all aspects, which is the pervader of all, is stated in the scriptures: "It is not engaged by speech; it is not even self-cognized. The intellect is destroyed on this side; it is exceedingly profound. That which is clear, having abandoned existence and non-existence, is beyond the coemergent. This is what I, the friend, have spoken. Be firm there and do not waver; this meaning is the domain of the Lord of Sages." And also from the Tantra: "Just as in the directions of space, the Protector of Secret Mantra does not abide permanently in any of all phenomena. Just as things abide in space and are always manifest, yet space does not become a location, so too is the Protector of Secret Mantra. Just as space is asserted to be free from the three times and so forth, so too the Protector of Secret Mantra appears even though the three times do not exist. It is a basis for designation by name alone."
Free from an agent and so forth,
Just as the wise apply the convention
"Space" to that which, apart from a name,
Does not exist in the slightest, like space itself,
So too the Lord of Secret Mantra
Appears as a mere convention.
He is not fire, water, or wind;
He is not earth or the sun,
Nor is he any of the planets such as the moon.
He is not day, nor is he night;
He is not birth, nor is he cessation;
He is not death, nor is he decline.
He is not a moment, nor a brief instant;
He is not years and so forth,
Nor is he the destruction or formation
Of the world-systems, nor even the number of eons.
He does not exist in the middle
Of the results arising from virtuous or non-virtuous karma.
Those who desire the state of omniscience
Should always strive in that which is free
From all those various types of conceptualization.
Thus it is said. Furthermore, from the Tantra:
"Consciousness transcends the nature of phenomena;
Wisdom maintains the manner of non-duality.
Non-conceptual and spontaneously present,
It performs the activities of the Buddhas of the three times.
The Buddha is without beginning or end."
Such profound and extensive passages occur.
As for the statement "my own treatise," it is taught as a commentary of the lineage of gurus in order to uphold the mental continuums of future disciples who possess the fortune of devotion to the profound meaning. The meaning is that I found this treatise, which demonstrates that ultimately all phenomena do not abide anywhere, in the southern forest in the presence of the glorious Śrī Parvata Vajrī.
Here is a verse:
The guides have taught the three times: the ultimate, non-dual bodhicitta itself. Since all the teachings of the Sage are of one taste, look to the three baskets without partiality. Look to the excellent treatises possessing the nails of reasoning. Look to the authoritative scriptures of the pith instructions. Since those cannot be easily perceived, look to this essence of the lineage instructions.
Furthermore, regarding the concealment of the authentic pith instructions and the proper recipients for their entrustment, the scriptures state:
Do not teach this to those who, through pride in conventional words, do not rely on a guru or offer service. To those who are inclined toward inferior views, who do not let go of attachment to the three hidden [levels], and who do not speak of the ultimate meaning, but instead prioritize reasoning and use their insight to refute the profound ultimate—do not teach this to them.
However, to those who honor the guru, who are patient and undaunted by the emptiness of all things, and who have faith and devotion in the ultimate meaning—to them, the guru should bestow the grace of these instructions.
To summarize the meaning here: in brief, the nature of all phenomena is unborn and all are in a state of equality. As for the sādhana, it is the unerring realization and familiarization with that meaning. As for "attainment," it is the state of confidence from which there is no turning back.
Thus: "Whoever understands the meaning of the non-abiding lion will swiftly destroy the elephant of wrong views and never turn back from the path of liberation."
The commentary on the half-verse of Tattva (Suchness) which teaches that all phenomena are utterly non-abiding, composed by the venerable Ārya-Avadhūtipāda, is complete.
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.