Mahamudra Teaching - Dharma Media

the heat.” So you may ask what is the difference between the sun from the east and the one at noon
which produces all the heat? In reality, there is no difference. Both are simply the sun. Yet with the
passage of time, it dispels confusion. Just see it. Then slowly, slowly, progress on the path and
eventually it will just reveal all the qualities of Buddha. As the sun first rises in the east and then
come to the noon-position and produces all the heat, so in that way we just meditate. We dedicate our
life to meditation rather than say “I can’t do this.”
The Meaning of Sangye
Lord Jigten Sumgon quotes from Milarepa’s teachings and what the great yogi Milarepa said about
the Buddha regarding the meaning of “Buddha.” In Tibetan Buddha is translated into the word Sangye.
There are two parts to this word. First, what is the meaning of ‘San?’ San means fully awakened.
What does ‘awakened’ mean? Dispelling the two obscurations. What are the two obscurations? The
self-grasping, called self-grasping self, and the subtle obscurations to the omniscient. These two are
dispelled and one is as if awakened from the sleep of the ignorance. That’s what Milarepa said is
called ‘awakened’, ‘San’. And ‘gye’ means blossomed, the establishment of that which is called the
self-awareness. This self-awareness clearly blossoms with the nature of the primordial wisdom. He
said “I’m Mila; this is called the Buddha ‘Sangye’”. So we just need to dispel our delusions, the
grasping to the self. We need to dispel the misunderstanding of the self to be something that exists
independently and come to an understanding of that which does not exist inherently. So realize that
nature. Awake from this ignorance, that kind of seed of the ignorance and realize your own nature of
mind. Let the wisdom blossom. So that’s called “Buddhahood,” which everyone can accomplish.
Milarepa is such a well-known master. He is known everywhere these days. Milarepa’s life story can
be found in many languages and everyone appreciates and admires Milarepa’s life and what he went
through to accomplish his realization. Before that historically we have the example of the Buddha,
and now more recently, Milarepa. [Khenpo: Compared to Buddha, Milarepa is more recent, isn’t it?
Even though Milarepa lived 900 years past!] So there is no controversy about Milarepa’s life story.
Everyone accepts it and takes it as an example, what Milarepa said, what Milarepa did. So this is
what he said.
Even through your own experience, when you look at your mind, you can see it. It is not far. It is
within you. This is not a fantasy, rather it is actual. That mind, when you look at it, is free from all the
boundaries and is free from all the identification. At that level there is no subject and object, no me
and you. This is empty of others and myself. There is no self-grasping, no fixation. Therefore it is
called beyond the duality; it is free from duality. Like the sky of the east and the sky of the west, there
is no difference. The sky is of one nature. That nature of the Dharmakaya is within every individual.
Everyone has this. We just need to reveal it.
Take the example of a clay pot. The inside of the clay pot has the nature of the sky. Also when the
clay pot is broken, that inner space is no different from the space on the outside. So that is called “the
breaking of the clay” and is like being awakened fully. You break the clay pot of self-grasping and
then you unify your mind as the Dharmakaya. This is what fully blossomed is and this is what
Milarepa is saying. So Dharmakaya is all pervading or as limitless as space or the sky.
So realizing that is called emptiness. Yet it is not a mere vacuum. We have to put so much emphasis
on the compassion, which is not so easy. It is not just a mere emptiness. Compassion is so important.
In Buddhism, wisdom and compassion are the most important essence of the teachings and are that