The Role of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa in the Mahāmudrā Tradition of ...

Mathes: The Role of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa
compassion. In doing so, they obtain a ripening empowerment, the door leading
to the way of secret mantras. [Such bodhisattvas, whose] conduct is that of the
liberating path, [characterized by] the unification of the generation and completion
[stages]… 30
Reading this passage carefully, one can discern a Great Seal path of direct
perceptions which only equals, or accords with the Way of Mantras. Bodhisattvas
empower themselves here by protecting their mind by means of non-conceptual
wisdom and compassion. This is very similar to the above-mentioned practice of
engaged enlightened attitude based on a form of deep insight (vipaśyanā) which
starts with direct perceptions. In stanza 9 of the Ten Stanzas on True Reality
(Tattvadaśaka), a yogin with such a direct access to his true nature is said to be
adorned with “self-empowerment” (svādhiṣṭhāna). 31 In other words, ultimate
enlightened attitude is generated here by realizing the primordial qualities of one’s
own true nature of mind. It is precisely this direct realization of wisdom and
compassion which leads to a so-called ripening empowerment, which is the door
to the Way of Mantras.
It should be noted that Zhwa dmar pa chos grags ye shes does not describe the
related conduct by the technical term “path of means” (thabs lam), but “liberating
path,” an allusion to the Great Seal path of liberation (grol lam). In the Bka’ brgyud
traditions, the Great Seal teachings are called the “path of liberation,” and formal
tantric practice (such as the six yogas of Naropa [na ro chos drug]) the “path of
means.” While the six yogas must be combined with the path of liberation, the
latter is considered as being self-sufficient, in that not specifically tantric Great
Seal practice can lead to the goal in a similarly efficient way. This is exactly what
is intended by Zhwa dmar pa chos grags ye shes: In the same way as the realization
of one’s true nature of mind equals tantric empowerment, the Great Seal path of
liberation equals the “unification of the generation and completion [stages].” The
only thing “tantric” is thus the ability to generate ultimate enlightened attitude
through the power of meditation, that is, to realize emptiness directly. The latter
is as efficient as tantra and thus in accordance with it, as ’Gos lo tsā ba gzhon nu
dpal puts it, but does not require formal tantric practice. In the Commentary on
Enlightened Attitude it is simply the non-conceptual meditation on emptiness,
compared to meditation on space, 32 or Sahajavajra’s (eleventh century) particular
form of deep insight, which is performed with direct perceptions from the beginning.
Padma dkar po (1527-92) claims, however, that such a deep insight practice must
30
Zhwa dmar pa chos grags ye shes, Byang chub sems ’grel gyi rnam par bshad pa, 68, lines 6-9:
byang chub mchog la yi dam bsten pa’i sems dpa’ rgyu la ’bras bur btags pa/ rnam par mi rtog pa’i
ye shes dang snying rje’i bdag nyid kyis yid skyob par byed pas gsang sngags kyi theg par ’jug pa’i
sgor ’jug pa smin byed dbang thob nas/ grol byed lam bskyed rdzogs gnyis zung du ’brel pa’i spyad
pa spyod pa rnams kyis….
-
The wrong readings yi dam bstan and rnam par mi rtogs pa’i ye shes have been corrected.
31
See Mathes, “Blending the sūtras,” 211.
32 See the explanation on stanza 51 of the Commentary on Enlightened Attitude, below.
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