Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The Letter on Wisdom (Prajñālekhanāma) is a short instructional text that blends philosophical assertions on the nature of reality with the rhetoric of a personal correspondence. The text argues that ultimate reality, or suchness, is a state of non-duality that transcends the binary of existence and non-existence, appearing as pure and all-pervasive as space. The author positions the realization of this state as a process of overcoming the delusions of cyclic existence, which are metaphorically described as a forest of conceptualization and the aggregates. By integrating primordial wisdom (jñānavajra) with skillful means (upāya), the practitioner is led toward a stainless peace. The work commits the reader to a rigorous training in the path to enlightenment and the adherence to secret tantric instructions to avoid the humiliations of ignorance. It concludes by framing the composition as a result of the influence of Mahāsukha, presenting the text as a tool for extracting essence from the ocean of the knowable.
Provenance
About this text
A treatise on the nature of insight, the Prajñālekha (Tibetan: shes rab kyi phrin yig) belongs to the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. Attributed to the Indian author Padmavajra, the work was translated into classical Tibetan by Śāntabhadrapāda and bod kyi zhu chen gyi lo tsa ba ’gos lha btsas. It is preserved in the Tengyur, appearing in volume ཟི across nine pages. The text enacts a spiritual communication that blends philosophical assertions on the nature of reality with the rhetoric of personal correspondence. It argues that ultimate reality, or suchness, is a state of non-duality transcending the binary of existence and non-existence, appearing as pure and all-pervasive as space. Through the inseparable union of the three vajras and the guidance of a compassionate master, the practitioner is led toward a realization of reality and a stainless peace. By integrating primordial wisdom with skillful means, the work commits the reader to a rigorous training in the path to enlightenment and the adherence to secret tantric instructions to avoid the humiliations of ignorance. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine how the realization of suchness is framed as a process of overcoming the delusions of cyclic existence.
Sanskrit title
Prajñālekha
Indian author
Padmavajra
Tibetan translators
bod kyi zhu chen gyi lo tsa ba ’gos lha btsas, Śāntabhadrapāda
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Letter on Wisdom” (Toh 2455), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2455
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its synthesis of Madhyamaka-style negation of existence and non-existence with the practical application of Vajrayana tantric methodology. It illustrates the tradition's use of poetic and metaphorical language to describe the transition from conceptual proliferation to the direct experience of suchness.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-3
Invocation and Nature of Suchness
Homages to Avalokiteśvara and Tārā, followed by a description of the pure, space-like nature of the three suchnesses.
4-6
The State of Non-Duality
Discussion of the uninterrupted nature of insight and a critique of the deluded state of sentient beings who remain trapped in illusory forms.
7-8
The Path and Obstacles
A metaphor of cyclic existence as a forest of conceptualization and the necessity of the chariot of training to cross it.
9-11
Methodology and Conclusion
The role of primordial wisdom and skillful means in achieving accomplishment, ending with the author's attribution of the work to Mahāsukha.
Themes
Suchness and Non-duality (1-3, 9)
Delusion and Cyclic Existence (6-7)
Skillful Means (Upāya) and Wisdom (Jñāna) (9)
Tantric Realization (10-11)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Prajñālekhanāma. In the language of Tibet: Sherab kyi phrin yig ces bya ba (The Letter of Insight). Homage to the Perfection of Insight! Homage to the venerable Lord Avalokiteśvara and the goddess Tārā!
The jewel of the three suchnesses, utterly pure,
Appears like space, more secret than the secret.
The goddess who is the ground of supreme bliss for all,
To you, the ultimate insight, I pay homage.
As the cause for attaining the state of Buddhahood,
Appearing like a wish-fulfilling gem or a vase of excellence,
I shall send this letter of its most secret meaning,
To be explained as the state of suchness itself.
Then, for the benefit of practitioners,
Padma Vajra, in this Letter of Insight,
Which is more secret than the secret,
Shall clarify the very suchness.
Svasti! Pure and liberating all,
Unborn like the sky,
The object of knowledge as mere self-awareness,
She who brings about supreme joy.
Without signs and without appearance,
Completely free from existence and non-existence,
Called the nature of the expanse of phenomena,
The supremely stainless state.
Perfectly abandoning all signs,
Perfectly complete in all characteristics,
The ground of selflessness and stainlessness,
The stainless source of the three vajras.
Becoming the locus of desired aims,
It arises like a wish-fulfilling gem,
Like a divine wish-granting tree,
The locus of supreme offerings.
The goddess who dwells there,
Is the unsurpassed goddess of insight.
Through the inseparable union of the three vajras,
Suchness is endowed with the lotus.
By the nature of the inner abode,
In producing supreme joy,
Through the nature of existence and non-existence,
I pray that you correctly understand my efforts.
Without waves and without appearance,
Though it abides within one’s own body,
For so long, that great blazing one,
I did not know it throughout the three times.
She who has the form of supreme joy,
Beautiful through the absence of intrinsic nature,
Pervading everywhere through the realization of non-arising,
Possessing the excellent qualities of desire,
She dwells everywhere within body and body.
In all places, from the hells and so forth,
She sports through secret conduct.
Completely devoid of color and limbs,
This which is more secret than the secret,
I have realized through the kindness
Of the presence of the glorious Mahāsukha.
Stainless and all-pervading,
The single characteristic of self-awareness,
In order to realize the unborn,
She abides exactly as she is.
To exhaust the grasping at existence and non-existence,
She abides exactly as she is.
Through the kindness of the Guru’s presence,
Having understood the virtuous one as she is,
With perfect devotion,
I have also practiced meditation according to my capacity.
Even so, until now,
Why have I not reached the singular state?
Or is it that I lack the fortune?
Or is it that within my mental continuum,
Through the authentic application,
I do not abide as it has been taught?
Pure by her own nature,
She who brings about manifest enlightenment,
Within the five aggregates, the three vajras, and so forth—
As for abiding in the state of suchness, the glorious master, with a mind entered by compassion, spoke to me exactly as it is, so that I might realize it accordingly. "The glorious protector of great bliss has generated the realization of reality within your mind; since he has bestowed this instruction and remains present, there is no doubt in this regard." Having clearly understood that very reality, even if one meditates day and night, why is it that it does not appear clearly as the truth—is it empty? It is said that the perfect Buddha taught that it is like a wish-fulfilling jewel and equal to space. Are those words thus spoken true or untrue? That which is equal to space is the truth; yet, if one knows it and meditates, but the actual reality is not clearly shown, then being like a wish-fulfilling jewel, it is false. I know you to be the ultimate, appearing everywhere; nevertheless, because it is not perceived, it is the form of an illusory collection. The perfect Buddha taught that in the ultimate sense, faults and virtues certainly arise just as they are from the gathering of conditions. Those spoken words are true; you are one who speaks the truth of insight. Even the nature of that which is realized, through the gathering of the four selflessnesses, abides in a manner similar to that. O stainless and blazing lady, even if one knows the self and analyzes it for a long time, where does that which is not perceived hide? It is the form that brings supreme joy, the manifest awakening. It is the light of the lamp of primordial wisdom.
Having been clearly raised up in the ten directions, with perfumes, garlands, and the like, robes, food, drink, feasts, and likewise other offerings, through the yoga of non-duality, and though my insight is constantly and uninterruptedly relied upon, it does not change for even a single moment. This is the entry into the stainless clear realization. Through your conduct of the samaya, which is the purity of knowing suchness, you are the teacher of the path to enlightenment, just as it appears in the tantras. By constantly and without interruption relying upon the five sensory qualities, from my childhood onwards, through the thorough knowledge of my own nature, and by means of reliance and meditation, you are the ground of virtue. Why do you not place your trust in me? As for the statement of the Perfect Protector: "Who can rely upon a woman who possesses two minds?" that remains true. Among all illusions, the illusion of a woman is particularly sublime. Because she benefits in many ways, whoever relies upon her in every respect—even if one looks at the three realms without exception—where could that which is invisible and solitary abide? If a fool meditates upon you without remembering the vital points, they will come to ruin in vain, and you will not abide as the cause of their enlightenment. But whoever possesses the correct knowledge of the vital points and meditates upon you, they will abide for the sake of attaining buddhahood until reaching the heart of enlightenment. O Excellent One, once you are known in your true nature, even for those who do not meditate, go away with your hand held by a female friend.
Whether of low or high birth, once the vital point is known and one has become an intimate, even a noble lady is made to appear within. Yet, at times, there is no sign of affection; the nature of the base is such that when their faults are exposed, they will surely come under one's power, looking upon the person's face as if it were a lotus. Even for those of noble lineage, this is the very path of engagement. Even if one is punished with mere words, there is no change even unto death. Born from a lineage pure in both respects, you are one of noble descent. In this world, there is no distinction between what should and should not be done, or between a worthy and unworthy vessel. Since I have honored you in every way but have never looked upon you [with such intensity], I have now realized the sphere of your wisdom and conduct. The nature of women is to be extremely flighty and fickle; with lips and palate parched, what is the use of so many exposures of faults? If you meditate day and night, without distraction for even a single moment, in that very instant you will attain the unsurpassed state. I did not previously know your conduct, which is the cause for the state of Buddhahood through such close meditation, exactly as it was taught. What is the use of speaking much? There is nothing at all to be relied upon. If, through regret, sleep, and lethargy, you are deluded and do not know, then clearly state what your own nature is. Since you have arisen from the seed of the three vajras, there is no doubt that you are generated by the three. By the stains of attachment, aversion, and so forth—
Because all sentient beings are deluded,
Even among many tens of millions,
There is no one who knows you.
What need is there for much speaking?
Surrounded by deceitful courtesans,
Since you are not established in ultimate reality,
You are a holder of the supreme illusory form.
For countless tens of millions of eons,
You, the deluded one, have not known me.
Through attachment to food, drink, and the like,
You will fall into the prison of cyclic existence.
By being intensely attached to that,
You will forget me, the bestower of wealth.
By engaging in attachment to the mudrā,
You will become the supreme Vajra Queen.
Through the kindness of the Guru’s feet,
O noble lady, your nature
Just as it truly abides,
I shall come to know it all.
Since I know your nature without exception,
I cannot be deceived even in a dream.
Therefore, place your trust in me.
Your path is but a single one.
The Victors have correctly taught
That by training according to the ritual,
The wise will meet the Buddha who dwells there.
As for that profound [path], as long as I
Have not purified it,
For that long, you will not find
The bliss arising from the touch of your body.
Shrouded by the pit of ignorance,
With the stumps of hatred rising up,
And the perilous thorns of desire,
The path to enlightenment is difficult to traverse.
The tree of the aggregates is without beginning or end;
With the branches of sensory qualities reaching upward,
It covers the expanse of space,
Thus blocking that path firmly.
The aggregates and afflictions are likewise...
The Lord of Death, the god-demons, and the robbers, surrounded by many enemies, dwell in a forest of great conceptualization. This forest, consisting of the grasses and creepers of cyclic existence, the stones of the aggregates, and so forth, is vast and difficult to cross. Relying on the chariot of the aggregates, one stands in the impassable pit of ignorance, striving to hide within the thickets of conceptual grass and weeds. Such are the god-demons and robbers who dwell in that direction, who, by plundering the jewel of the mind, destroy the travelers who have entered the authentic path with intense malice.
But the watchmen who abide on the path to enlightenment, seeing that great treasury of the Three Jewels filled with the wealth of noble qualities, take up the vajra-axe of wisdom with its sharpened edge. Having cut down all the trees of the aggregates that block the path to enlightenment, and having chopped them according to the ritual, they burn the thorny shrubs of the afflictions arising from the wood of the mind in the fire of selflessness. They grind the heap of stones of pride into dust with the vajra of insight. The dense pit of ignorance is purified by the uninterrupted flow of bodhicitta.
By defeating the Lord of Death and the other robbers who are difficult to subdue and who harm the travelers who have entered the authentic path, they cause them to flee. On the vast path to enlightenment, those who dwell in the ten directions and remain to obstruct enlightenment are overcome by the stainless body of skillful means and the sharp sword of wisdom.
Having diligently conquered those [obstacles], and having entered that excellent path, all will proceed there as they please. By training in the path to enlightenment, it becomes utterly stainless in every respect. Since you, my friend, have trained in this marvelous and inconceivable [state], you will attain the unsurpassed level that is naturally stainless, pure, and peaceful—the self-knowing, selfless equality that bestows the fruit of all desired aims. If one tastes your nature, even a Buddha could not describe it as "it is like this." You will attain that which is self-knowing, unborn, and praised by all the Buddhas, which transcends the sensory faculties. This state, born of supreme joy, is exceedingly difficult to find; it is inconceivable, unsurpassed, and is called the "abode of nirvāṇa," the state of manifest enlightenment. Through the kindness of the guru’s presence, meditating day and night, it will be attained by means of a single dharma. It is not attained otherwise than through meditation with profound devotion. It is naturally pure, eternally unconditioned, and completely free from the extremes of permanence and nihilism. Stainless in both method and insight, through the realization of the unborn, it abides perfectly within all sentient beings. Know that the inconceivable enlightenment of the Buddhas is unsurpassed. That is the abode of all Buddhas, which brings about the attainment of Buddhahood itself. Thus, having realized the nature of the objects of mind and mental factors, if one understands and meditates upon the union of the three stainless vajras, [the result is achieved].
Through the supreme application of primordial wisdom (jñānavajra),
You, my companion, shall be accomplished.
Transcending both existence and non-existence,
You are all-pervasive like space.
The Guide has declared: "Rely upon the stainless peace together with skillful means (upāya)."
Without skillful means, you are not yours;
Without you, skillful means is not.
Through the mutual separation of these two,
Accomplishment will never exist.
When perfectly endowed with skillful means,
You, my beloved, will become just as you are.
Since I have already understood this completely,
What else remains for me to say?
The kindness of the Guru’s presence
Shall remain firm until I reach the heart of enlightenment (bodhimaṇḍa).
Therefore, cover me with your grace.
From the presence of the glorious Great Bliss (mahāsukha),
You, Great Intelligence, who are perfectly endowed with skillful means,
Are the cause for me to become a Buddha.
Just as the Buddha sent the message: "Padma and Vajra,
You must act together with skillful means,"
So too, O supreme companion,
The glorious Vajra-holder of Great Bliss sent this message:
"Act in such a way that I may quickly become the cause of Buddhahood."
Send me a clear message instantly,
Just as it is for me.
If you abandon me or forget me,
I shall not remain in this life.
Having abandoned dullness and agitation,
At all times, day and night,
Constantly and without interruption,
By remembering you moment by moment,
Grant me all the goals of spiritual accomplishment (siddhi).
If it should not be so, then...
At that time, I shall be humiliated; see what I shall do! Having bound you with the vehicle of the reality of the tantras just as they are, and having led you into the authentic house, I shall thoroughly place you there. Having diligently guarded the nature of mind and mental factors through the realization of non-arising, and having bound that very reality with the iron shackles of skillful means at the supreme stage of Buddhahood, I shall drive in the stake of vajra-wisdom and place you in the fortress of selflessness. Then I shall accomplish my purpose. Thus, I have sent this message to you exactly as it is. Having abandoned flattery and fawning, I have spoken all this to you, O noble lady. If you do not act with love, then what will you have to say? Otherwise, take these words to heart, O Vajradhātrī. I know the distinctions of your path and your training; I know your lineage, the nature of your form, your origins, and your ultimate abode. Therefore, place your trust in me. By the grace of the Guru’s presence, I have seized and bound with the very firm ropes of the objects of knowledge, together with the supreme skillful means, so that you run here and there. Now, where is there any place to flee? Therefore, O Goddess, being joyful, accept the samaya under my power, and be sustained by the ocean of qualities of the command of the glorious Mañjuśrī. Having realized your nature to be ungraspable and as it truly is, wondrously, the conduct of the glorious Mahāsukha—
One should engage in this according to the command. Endowed with the secret vajra words, this peerless letter of insight was composed by me through the kindness of the presence of the glorious Mahāsukha.
From churning the ocean of the knowable with the churning stick of the mountain of insight, this self-arisen nectar of wisdom emerged. It is the manifest maker of buddhahood. Any person who, having exerted themselves in this letter of insight, understands it and meditates upon it with diligence, will become an actual Vajradhara.
The Letter of Insight, composed by the great master Padma Vajra, is complete. It was translated, edited, and finalized by the great paṇḍita Śāntibhadra and the Tibetan chief editor and translator, ’Gos Lhas btsas.
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.