Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This text outlines a method for transforming the five poisons—the primary mental afflictions—into a path toward liberation. The author argues that rather than simple abandonment, these afflictions are purified through a process of recognition and meditative application. The work begins by categorizing the physical and behavioral manifestations of specific poisons, such as desire and hatred, to facilitate their identification. It then transitions into a technical discussion on the nature of inconceivable states and the role of post-meditative cognition, asserting that the purified poisons do not conflict with the realization of reality. The reader is committed to a disciplined practice of habituation and the selection of a suitable yidam (meditational deity) to stabilize the mind. Ultimately, the text posits that intense effort during the transition of death can leverage these purified states to achieve the result of the kāyas and wisdom, comparing the innate nature of the mind to gold that remains radiant despite being cast into filth.
Provenance
About this text
A treatise dedicated to the glorious Cakrasaṃvara, this work belongs to the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. It is attributed to the Indian author Āryadeva. Preserved within the classical Tibetan tradition, the text is found in volume ཟི of the Tengyur, where it extends over seven pages. The work argues for a method of liberating fools by transforming the very fetters that bind them into a path toward liberation. Drawing upon the Mahāyoga Tantra known as the Amoghasiddhi-vinaya, the author enacts this by analyzing the physical and behavioral manifestations of the five poisons—such as the reddish complexion and quick gait associated with desire, or the dark complexion and harsh speech of hatred—to facilitate their identification and subsequent purification. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the technical process of transforming primary mental afflictions into a path of liberation through recognition and meditative application, rather than simple abandonment, ensuring that these purified states do not conflict with the realization of reality.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “The Hidden Path of the Five Poisons called “The Inconceivable Supreme Secret”” (Toh 2457), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2457
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its representation of the Mahāyoga approach to alchemy of the emotions, where afflictions are utilized as the raw material for enlightenment. For the modern reader, it provides insight into the intersection of somatic observation and high-level tantric metaphysics regarding the process of death.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-3
Identification of Afflictions
Describes the physical characteristics and behavioral patterns associated with the five poisons.
4-5
Theoretical Framework of Inconceivability
Discusses the nature of inconceivable states and the purification of desire and hatred through post-meditative cognition.
6-7
Practical Application and Habituation
Provides instructions on selecting a yidam and the necessity of intense effort to remove doubt.
8
The Result at Death
Explains the application of these practices at the moment of death to achieve the kāyas and wisdom.
Themes
Transformation of Poisons (1-5)
Somatic Markers of Mental States (2-3)
Yidam Practice and Habituation (6-7)
The Inconceivable State at Death (7-8)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaThe Hidden Path of the Five Poisons called “The Inconceivable Supreme Secret”·
Homage to the glorious Cakrasaṃvara!
"Fools follow after fools; because fools cause fools to be destroyed, here, for the sake of liberating fools, I shall explain [this]." Thus I intend to teach. I shall explain how the fetters of fools are carried as the path. Regarding this, from the Mahāyoga Tantra known as the Amoghasiddhi-vinaya:
"That very thing by which the deluded are bound and which leads inevitably to the cries of the hell of Howling, by that very thing they are liberated and attain bliss through the power of insight."
The wise should rely upon the meaning of what was thus spoken. Since that is what must be supremely restrained, one should first examine the continuum (tantra). In that regard, those of "equal temperament" are those for whom the afflictions such as attachment do not arise for a long time, yet it is not that those things do not give rise to attachment and so forth in them. Those with "minor afflictions" are those for whom the afflictions arise slowly even when encountering, manifesting, or being confronted with great, numerous, or excessive objects of attachment and so forth; for those of middling or minor [afflictions], they are extremely subtle.
As for individuals who act out of attachment, if they develop great attachment even toward small or inferior objects of attachment, what need is there to mention the opposite case? They remain attached for a long time. Their faculties are supple, likewise gentle, and not harsh. They do not provoke others through body or speech, are difficult to alienate, and have an inclination toward the lowly. They are patient, prone to gathering [in groups], have much mental unease, much joy, no frowning, and a clear complexion.
They are preceded by smiles, have a reddish complexion and a quick gait, speak with moans, and their thoughts wander through various unstable states.
A person possessing hatred has a dark complexion and great strength. They walk straight and speak harshly. They harbor malice toward everything. Even toward a minor object of hatred, they are bound by a dense entanglement of anger; if they produce such anger toward many objects, what need is there to mention the medium or great degrees? It persists for a long time. Their faculties are not supple or gentle; they provoke others, are easily alienated, easily disillusioned, and speak nonsense. They are very audacious, have many dislikes, are firm in their worldly activities, and firm in their ascetic vows. They have much mental unease and much agitation. They are difficult to turn back, dwell in a state of harm, have a frowning brow, and their facial color is dull.
A person possessing delusion is bound by a dense entanglement of delusion even toward a minor object of confusion, and if they produce it toward many objects, what need is there to mention others? It persists for a long time. Their faculties are slow, they are foolish and weak. Their physical activities are lax, their verbal activities are lax, they think wrongly, speak wrongly, and perform wrongly done actions. They are very lazy, lack the courage to accomplish things, speak weakly, and their minds do not engage. Due to forgetfulness, they do not act with situational awareness; they hold wrong views, are difficult to alienate, and difficult to disillusion. They are inclined toward the base, are dull, stammering, and mute, and communicate with hand gestures. Regarding what is well-spoken...
One cannot understand the meaning of all the poorly explained dharmas; one is carried away by conditions and remains dependent on others. The complexion of the skin is not fixed, and one moves slowly. As for a person possessed of pride: even toward a small object that causes arrogance, they give rise to a dense and abundant entanglement of the causes of pride; if this is so, what need is there to mention medium or great objects? They cause it to persist for a long time. Their faculties are agitated, and their faculties are as high as reeds. They apply themselves to the practice of greatly adorning their bodies with arrogance. They speak with a harsh voice and do not bow. They do not perform appropriate offerings at the three times toward parents, relatives, or those like gurus. They do not bow with their bodies. They do not possess the disposition of speaking honestly, prostrating, rising to greet others, joining their palms, or showing respect. They grasp at a self, praising themselves and disparaging others. They desire gain and honor; they desire fame. They have become vessels for confusion. They are difficult to separate from and difficult to disillusion. They have no interest in the vast; they have little compassion. They are dominated by the views of a self, a sentient being, a life-force, a nourisher, and a person. They are very fierce and wrathful, and are full of agitation. Such qualities as these are the signs of pride.
A person possessed of envy has a dark blue complexion, moves without a fixed place of assembly, speaks to harm others, and wanders with various不定 (indeterminate) thoughts. These points, as they have been taught, should be examined and then used as instructions by the master. Furthermore, it is said: "Just as gold is tested by burning, cutting, and rubbing, so should my words be thoroughly examined."
"One should adopt [this] for the sake of devotion, not for the sake of [mere] respect," it is said. Thus, there are those who assert that total liberation is inconceivable, those who assert that the impure cause is inconceivable, those who assert that a mere portion is inconceivable, and those who assert that the extreme consequence is inconceivable. These are the hallmarks of the deluded and should be entirely abandoned by the wise.
What is to be adopted is the supreme secret, the inconceivable. This consists of six: the inconceivable secret, the inconceivable patience, the inconceivable method, the inconceivable sleep, the inconceivable transference, and the inconceivable fruit. The inconceivable secret is the instruction of the guru. The inconceivable patience is taking the five poisons as the path. Although some aspects of the inconceivable secret and so forth are included within the five poisons, they are of intentional meaning.
How are the five poisons taken as the path? As it is said: "The emptiness of one is the emptiness of all." Thus, just as it is with the emptiness of desire, so it is with hatred and the others. In that regard, when attachment arises toward a single attractive external or internal form, such as a color, since it is not established as such, the extreme of conceptual imputation is cleared away. Through the inference of the winds, one knows that, likewise, through the unceasing gate of cognizant awareness, it is not a nihilistic void. Between those two, there is no entity that possesses the nature of both.
Therefore, the fourth [point] is that at the time of the reality to be inferred by the post-meditative cognition, there is no conceptual elaboration whatsoever. In that regard, it is said that desire is not abandoned but is purified; the same is said for hatred and so forth. These are not mutually exclusive contradictions. It is taught that by realizing the dharmadhātu, the entire field of objects is rendered free of poison. As previously mentioned, emptiness should be applied universally; the method for seeking the five poisons should be viewed in the same way as seeking hatred.
In that regard, at the time of rising in the morning, one should make a prayer: "Today, whether it be the arising of the entity of my own hatred, or the hostility of an opponent, or the mutual fighting of others, or whatever hatred may arise—since these are branches for attaining the supreme siddhi, may I perceive whatever hatred occurs." At the time of perceiving it, one should render that very hatred inconceivable. If hatred does not arise on that day, one should recollect instances of one's own past hatred, mutual hostility, or the hatred arising between others, and render those very things without intrinsic nature. In this way, one should make such prayers every day. By doing so, one will not be harmed by the poison of hatred. As soon as one recognizes every arising of hatred as the path, one should likewise understand the other poisons. Just as a person whose mind is dominated by hatred takes hatred as the yidam and thereby becomes serviceable in it, and thus desire and so forth become easy to handle, one should likewise first take whichever [poison] is most predominant as the yidam.
Then, applying this to others is as before. Even for those with balanced temperaments or those with minor afflictions, one should first take any suitable [deity] as the yidam, and once that becomes serviceable, one should gradually shift to others. Why is that? If a beginner does not single out one [deity] as supreme, the five poisons will arise in abundance, leading to a lack of desire to apply the mind and the development of laxity. These [methods] should not be taught beforehand; rather, at the time of meditation, one should finally choose whichever [deity] is appropriate. The meaning of what was taught previously is that one should choose that very [deity] as the yidam. Having subdued the fear of the five poisons and entered into fearlessness, this is the supreme secret. One should give instructions to those who are excellent vessels, but not to those who are poor vessels and who act heedlessly based on mere words.
All is inconceivable:
The torma offering and the recitation,
The maṇḍala, fire, and water rituals,
The mudrās, parasols, and other offerings,
Prostrations, circumambulations, and so forth,
Casting [images] in metal or painting them,
And composing works such as writing the scriptures—
At all times, the yogi
Should realize the nature of all as non-conceptual.
One should not sleep heedlessly;
Just as a lotus closes its petals
When overcome by the shadows of night,
But opens and expands through the power of dispelling those shadows,
So too, when clarity has passed and ignorance
Has become thick through the power of [habitual] ground,
Like breath gathered in the center of a mirror,
Ignorance is gradually withdrawn.
Having purified it with insight,
It is definitively gathered into the other.
From lack of familiarity, the mind does not turn away.
Through habituation, the absence of doubt is the mind’s habituation through intense effort. From the Guhyasamāja: "At the time of transition, it is inconceivable; there is transition through the force of karma, and the pith instructions for yogic suicide. Regarding the objects of meditation, such as the mirage and so forth, once they are seen, one abides in reality itself. Having abandoned the transition of the seven naturally established vajra bodies, one does not enter into existence, thus abandoning the two extremes. By first establishing the preparatory mind, once [the signs] are seen, one arises and does not enter [again]. This is the supreme accomplishment that does not pass away. The feet, the mouth, the navel, the heart, the crown of the head, and the eyes—whichever of these the winds transition from, one is born and attains [a state] in that respective order: hell, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, gods, and wisdom. Then, having blocked the other gates, one should force the wind out through the eyes. This resides in the mouth of the guru; likewise, the pith instructions for suicide also reside in the mouth [of the guru]. For an individual who does not know [this], the mind should be one-pointed in the desire to take birth as a human or a god. Even from within the Vajraḍāka, it is said: 'Because the mind at the moment of death is paramount, however one thinks, so it will become.'"
If one asks, "Well then, would even a sinner become like that?" it is not so. "Separated by the force of great sinful karma, even if they desire the pith instructions, they will not meet them. If they should meet them, they will not remember due to headaches, insanity, and so forth." If one asks, "Well then, even if one who has accumulated merit lacks the mind at the moment of death, will they not be born in a happy realm?" even if one has accumulated many collections of merit, if a negative mind arises at the time of death, it is like King Ajātaśatru.
Therefore, one should exert great effort in the inconceivable state at the time of death. The inconceivable result is the kāyas and wisdom. As it is said: "Just as gold, even when cast into filth, never abandons its nature of radiance, so too, even if one engages in worldly activities, one never abandons the nature of one's resolve." Thus, even when the form bodies (rūpakāya) act for the benefit of beings, they are free from the base activities of the world. In this way, all causes and results are exclusively non-dual. Although the five poisons are to be thoroughly sought, due to the power of habituation to error since beginningless time, one is separated from insight and wanders in perverted insight. However, once the power of non-conceptuality is attained, even if one enters the midst of a crowd, if one does not part from mindfulness and does not fall under the power of others regardless of what anger or other emotions arise, then the time has come. Alternatively, one should act as a wandering mendicant and not remain in one place for long. Just as with a dog, its own territory is its strength, but in another land it becomes tame; likewise, for a person, it is difficult to tame the afflictions in one's own home, but in another land the afflictions are easy to subdue. Therefore, one should abide in the manner of a wandering mendicant.
By the merit of whatever I have done,
May all beings be free from harm.
By the path through which they travel,
May they achieve the state of Buddhahood.
This concludes "The Inconceivable Secret of the Supreme Path that Conceals the Five Poisons," composed by the master Āryadeva.
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.