DAVID GERMANO
Architecture and Absence in the Secret Tantric History
of the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen)
Historical overview
The Nyingma (rNying ma; "ancients") sect of Tibetan Buddhism claims
to stem in lineal succession from religious groups active during the dynastic period of Tibetan history (600-842 CE), which they maintain
endured in non-monastic lay groups though the dark period (842-978)
ensuing upon the collapse of centralized political authority in Tibet. As
this latter period gives way to the classical period (978-1419) of Tibetan
civilization sparked by economic revival and limited political centralization, competing religious traditions emerge under the rubric of the Sarma
(gSar ma; "modernists"). I The Nyingmas were known as such in con-
This article benefited greatly from discussions during a symposium on
rdzogs chen at the University of Virginia in April 1994, and I would thus
like to thank its principal participants: Ronald Davidson, Janet Gyatso,
Jeffrey Hopkins, Matthew Kapstein, Anne Klein and Dan Martin. In particular I would like to thank Janet for her criticism of an earlier draft of the paper,
and Matthew for very helpful conversations prior to and following the symposium. Paul Hackett also offered me constructive criticism on the opening
sections. Finally my remarks on the importance of the body in these contemplative techniques are in part based on extensive discussions with Charles
Herreshoff and Herbert Guenther.
1. I am well aware that some will object vehemently to my rendering of gSar
ma as "modernist" (the Tibetan term literally means "the new" or "the fresh").
I do not intend to directly compare the use of the term to the various specific
usages of the English rubric "modernism" in the twentieth century, but I do
think it accords with the general significance of "modem thought, character,
or practice" and even its more specialized contemporary definition as "the deliberate departure from tradition and the use of innovative forms of expression." It also has the advantage of making clear the pure ideological force of
these terms for competing groups during this period, while simply utilizing
203
204
trast
JIABS 17.2
セッ@
these groups actively and self-consciously reimporting
bオ、セウュ@
from India from the late tenth century onwards. Thus these
rubncs Bセ」ゥ・ョエウ@
セ、@ "modernists" are not Indic in origin, but rather
ヲセウエ@
came Into セウ・@
m Tibet to signify these two discernible periods of
Tibetan tr:mslation ッセ@ Buddhist texts: "ancients" refers to the activity of
the Nエイ。セウャッ@
Vauocana (late eighth century) up to Pandita
セiャヲエゥHェョI@
(late tenth century or early eleventh century), セ「ゥャ・@
セ、・ウ@
ウエァセヲゥ・@
Rin chen bzang po (958-1055) onwards.2 The
、エウセョ」ゥカ・@
Identities of both traditions were mutually co-constituting
dunng the .eleventh century and beyond, since both had their inception as
ウ・ャヲM」ッョキセN@
and distinct movements in intimate dialogue with each
ッエィセイ@
.. In addition, the earlier communities and their associated religious
traditions were divided up into two broadly defined camps based upon
セィ・エイ@
or not they considered themselves explicitly Buddhist in affiliaエゥッョセ@
the Buddhist "ancient ones" and the non-Buddhist Bonpos (bon
po).
セャ・Nエィ@
、セォ@
period continues to be obscure from our contemporary
as It. comes to a close we find those groups adhering to the
per セカ・L@
セ「ョ」@
of the anctents dominated by two tantric-based traditions of prac tice and theory generally transmitted in conjunction with each other·
Mahayoga (mal Gセケッイ@
chen po) and the Great Perfection ( rdzogs chen):
tィセ@ former 」ッョウセエオ・@
a classic tantric system with the full spectrum of
beliefs and practices characterizing late Indian Buddhist tantric move· hth
ments (i
im
: e. eig . century onwards). Thus representing the Tibetan
ーッセ。エゥョ@
?f cutting edge Indian Buddhist tantra in the eighth to ninth
セ・ョエオウL@
this system constituted mainstream tantra for the Nyingmas
JUst as the Anuttarayoga tantras would eventually fulfill the same ヲオョ」セ@
the ?;ibetan エセョウ@
suggests their semantic content is slight (the flat "new
ones speaks little to a reader).
[セ・@
:ong chen rab 'byams pa's Grub mtha' mdzod 315.6. The important
. y ケセァュ。@
master Rong zorn chos kyi bzang po was said to be a direct
セ・。イョエゥッ@
of pセYゥエ。@
sセヲエャェゥ。ョォイ@
(see Dudjom 1991, 703).
. e ・セiケ@
Great Perfection traditions are mainly found within these two
communtties. While the
· d
.
.
both i th
associate practices and hterature are quite similar in
.th: nth e ーイ・ウョセ@
.context I will be focusing exclusively on the situation
wt m e commumues of th
·
be stud· d .
e anctents. Though it is imperative that the two
readily セウ「・Z。イ」ィ@
has not yet progressed to a state where this is
y cases.
GERMANO
205
tion for the modernists. The Great Perfection, however, defined itself by
the rhetorical rejection of such normative categories constituting tantric
as well as non-tantric Indian Buddhism. This pristine state of affairs
known as the "Mind Series" (sems sde) movement stemmed above all
from Buddhist tantra as represented by the Mahayoga tantras, but was
also influenced by other sources such as Chinese Chan and unknown
indigenous elements. Over the course of the next four centuries traditions going under the name of the "Great Perfection" radically altered in
nature. These alterations primarily consisted of rethinking its relationship to the wider tantric domains of discourse and praxis that formed its
original and continuing matrix of significance. This rethinking was pursued in dialogue with more normative tantric traditions both from within
their own tradition (primarily the Mahayoga) and from the burgeoning
modernist movements (such as the Mahamudra and Anuttarayoga tantra
cycles); it was driven by its own interior logic of development as well as
the multiple transformations induced by the modernists philosophically,
institutionally and ideologically. The entire process constituted nothing
less than a stunningly original and distinctively Tibetan reinvention of
Buddhist tantra in a large body of canonical and commentarial Tibetan
language texts, many of which are philosophical and literary masterpieces. Of the many new systems thus generated under the continuing
rubric of the Great Perfection, the most important was known as the
"Seminal Heart" (snying thig). The process finally culminated in the
corpus of the fourteenth century scholar-poet kLong chen rab 'byams pa
(1308-1363), who not only systematized the creative ferment of the
preceding centuries, but also carefully contextualized it in terms of the
standard doctrinal and contemplative structures that were beginning to
define Tibetan Buddhism in general. It is this process from the ninth to
fourteenth century which forms the subject of my present inquiry.
The denial of tantra and rhetoric of absence in the formation of Great
Perfection traditions
From a very early point onwards, the Mahayoga Guhyagarbha Tantra
(gSang ba snying po) represents the most normative vision of what
constitutes a tantra for these Nyingma lineages. Tibetan exegetical
works on it discuss it in terms of ten or eleven "practical principles of
tantra" (rgyud kyi dngos po) understood as summarizing the distinctive
features of mainstream tantric systems overall. For example, Rong zorn
206
」セッウ@
JIABS 17.2
kyi bzang po (eleventh century)4 speaks of nine such principles in
mal)c;lala, actualization, empowerment, commitments
セ、@
・セァィエョ、@
。」セカゥエ・ウ@
(as the five foundations), along with mantra,
seals, contemplation and offering (as the four branches). The earlier
sPar Khab commentary ofLilavajra adds the dyad of view and conduct
to the five foundations to formulate seven principles. rDo grub 'jigs
med bstan pa'i nyi rna (1865-1926) then structures the second half of his
own commentary, the mDzod kyi lde mig, around ten principles termed
"supporting conditions for the path": 5 view of suchness resolving con、セ」エL@
。イケゥセァ@
mal)c;lala, em'powerments for sequential セ。カ・イウャL@
comnutme.nts セィゥ」@
are .not. to be transgressed, play of enlightened activity,
actualization of aspuations, unwavering contemplation, offerings preウセョエ・、@
to the appropriate (divine) sites and recitation of mantras with
btnding seals. Mi pham's (1846-1912) exegesis of the Guhyagarbha
Ta t 6·
n ra IS structured around the same set of topics, though he counts the
fi.nal two separately to arrive at eleven principles and sequences them
differently: the triad of view, contemplation and conduct; the triad of
ュ。ャIセL@
empowerment and commitment; the triad of actualization,
セ・ョァ@
。セ、@ ・ョャゥァセエ、@
activity; and the dyad of seals and mantras.
セヲゥイウエ@
'?ad consists of the view or outlook, the contemplative means
to iセウエ。ョゥ・@
that view in one's own being, and the conduct by which
one ュセァイ。エ・ウ@
these with one's ongoing lifestyle and behavior. The sec。セ@
trtad エィセョ@
relates to. the i?tegrated configurations ("mal)c;lala") of
divme energtes イセー・ウョエゥァ@
this world being articulated or revealed, the
transference of mtense energy that begins to purify stains and thus
・ューッキセ@
one to take part in this mal)c;lala, and the guidelines for the
preservation of this new integration, i. e. the commitments that must be
sustained. The third triad is comprised of the ritual and meditative
means to actualize these changes, the offering practices to surrender oneself up to セウ@
ョセキ@
:ision of reality while acknowledging the power and
「・。セエケ@
of Its.chief mcarnations (i.e. the buddhas, etc.), and the charisthat begin to unfold from the practitioner's
matic efficacwus 。セエゥカ・ウ@
newly found place m the universe. Finally there are seals which bind or
secure these dimensions to prevent relapse and the mantras representing
his
」ッセュ・ョエ。イケZ@
4. The descriptions from Rong zom chos kyi bzang po as well as the sPar
khab are drawn from mDzod kyi lde mig 145ff
5. Ibid., 145ff.
.
6
· gSang 'grel phyogs bcu'i mun sel gyi spyi don 'od gsal snying po 65.5.
GERMANO
207
the use of language to evoke this world as well as sustain its integrity.
These ten principles, with the detailed theories and practices they signify,
thus constitute the quintessential identity and infrastructure of normative
tantra for the Nyingma tradition. In Tibetan Buddhism in general (i.e.
both the modernists and ancients), a complimentary classification identifying a system or text as belonging to the tantric mainstream is that of
the dyad of generation stage and perfection stage theories and praxis. 7
The early Great Perfection is characterized by constant rhetorical
denials of the validity and critical relevance of not only this dyadic sys tern of tantric contemplation, but also the entire tenfold structure of tantra
precisely as represented in the ancients' own mainstream tantric traditions (Mahayoga). It is precisely such denials that were involved in
critics' rejection of Great Perfection texts as authentically tantric, as well
as the texts' own attempts at differentiating between themselves and
tantra. An early prominent example of such rhetoric is the important
ninth chapter of the Kun byed rgyal po, where normative tantric principles are negated under the rubric of the "ten facets of the enlightening
mind's own being" (rang bzhin bcu). Identified as the "view of the
great perfection, the enlightening mind," these ten constitute a rejection
of the relevance of the tantric principles defining Mahayoga: 8 there is no
meditative cultivation of a view; no preserving of commitments; no skill
or exertion in enlightened activities; no obscuration of primordial gnosis;
no cultivation or refinement of meditative stages; no path to traverse; no
subtle phenomena; 9 no duality with relationships (between such discrete
7. See my discussion of this dyad below.
8. Kun byed rgyal po 32.1.
9. I interpret "subtle phenomena" as constituting a rejection of attempts to
articulate some type of description of the ultimate nature of things (chos) as
discrete manipulable things or building blocks that language can get a sufficient handle on. The tantra elaborates that "deviations and obscurations
emerge in relation to phenomena via the grasping at a unitary dimension
which is not some-thing to be grasped." Instead it is only in releasing oneself into the nothingness of reality (chos nyid) that the truly subtle reveals
itself, at the level of the whole and its logic. Thus the tantra says "I am primordially beyond subject-object duality, and hence there is no designation of
'subtle' .... "-giving oneself up to this unitary dimension of the invisible,
one finds one's personal identity as part of its field, not in terms of some
more subtle self still conceived along discrete lines. Similarly the rejection
of duality and linkages in the following item rejects understanding this
208
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
phenomena); no delineation of definitive scriptures aside from the mind;
and no resolution in terms of esoteric precepts since it is beyond all
reductionism, whether reifications or negations. While not identical to
the Mahayoga lists, the similar numeration and partial correspondence is
unmistakable.
In his commentary on the Kun byed rgyal po, 1o kLong chen rab
'byams pa speaks of the "tenfold nature oftantra" (rang bzhin bcu) in
preface to citing a passage from the same ninth chapter: view or perspective, meditation, commitments, enlightened activity, ffi3.-l1Qala,
empowerment cultivating stages (in a gradated path), traversing paths,
purifying obstacles, and pristine awareness or buddha activity. He further specifies that these aspects can not be found upon analysis to exist
as discrete tangible essences, and describes it thus: "this tenfold nature
which is pure from the ground is resolved as a great non-meditation."
However, the passage kLong chen rab 'byruns pa cites provides brief
descriptions of the same list of ten specified above from the Kun byed
rgyal po (except it omits the tenth) and thus does not directly correlate to
his own prefatory list. kLong chen rab 'byams pa adds "ma.J).<;lala,"
"empowerment," splits "meditation on a view" and "no obscuration of
primordial gnosis" each into two elements, and omits "subtle phenomena," "non-duality" and the final two regarding scriptures and precepts.
In addition, while kLong chen rab 'byams pa simply applies absence to
all ten facets, the passage he cites oscillates back and forth between
dimensions which are "absent" (med pa) and dimensions which pertain
(ym), thereby intertwining positive and negative identifications of this
dimension being evoked. In the gNas lugs mdzod,ll kLong chen rab
'byams pa cites an earlier passage from the ninth chapter of the Kun
dimension in tenns of "relationships" between discrete (i. e. dualistically conceived) entities, a type of discourse stemming from the karmic focus on individual subjectivities and their interaction as discrete centers on the basis of
、ゥセ」・イョ「ャ@
patterns of cause and effect. Thus the tantra explains that "deviations and obscurations in terms of linkage occur via the emergence of linkages in relation to a unitary dimension which is devoid of duality"; "because
my form pervades all, primordially it is not dual."
10. Byang chub kyi sems kun byed rgyal po'i don khrid rin chen sgru bo.
All my page references are to Lipman's translation (1987, 34).
11. gNas lugs mdzod 60.5.
209
byed rgyal po and identifies the "view of th:. ァイ・セエ@
perfection:· as the
"realization of the absence of ten natures : v1ew, comrrutments,
stages, path, enlightened activity, ーセュッイ、ゥ。ャ@
empowerment, ュセ\[ャ。L@
gnosis fruit and reality itself. However, his list again only partially 」ッイセ@
respo;ds to the quote it prefaces: he adds "empowerment and ュセ\[ャ。B@
as well as "fruit and reality," and ignores the final four elements m the
tantra' s enumeration. He concludes with a citation from the tantra's
vi7w, comforty-eighth chapter12 which explains six Bヲッオセ、。エゥウZ@
mitment, enlightened activity, path, stage, and pnmordial gnos1s. These
discrepancies result from kLong chen rab 'byams pa ュッ、ゥヲケセョ@
the
original list to resemble a more straightforward 。」ッオセエ@
of エ・セ@ pAャセci・ウ@
governing tantra in particular 13 as well as a ュッイセ@
direct n。ァイjセオョᆳ
style negation of each. This apparently イ・ャ。セ@
セッ@ セウ@
agenda. of bnngmg
the Great Perfection tradition into more explicit dialogue With the types
of concerns characterizing the Buddhism of the normative academic
institutions beginning to take shape in Tibet. In the current context he
links it to the authoritative Middle Way (dbu rna, madhyamaka) ウケエ・セ@
and carves out a distinctive space for it in relation to standard tantrtc
systems.
.
.
The Great Perfection thus originates on the penphery of the vast discursive terrain of the Mahayoga, the latter being none other than the
complex web of doctrines and practices constituting normative tantra
during that period. A vacuum is created in thi.s ャ。セ、ウー・@
through tl_le
systematic expulsion of every standard tantnc pnnc1ple. Just as. m
Dignaga' s theory of language where meaning derives from. exclusiOn
(apoha), 14 it creates itself through denial, rejection, and ョセァ。エゥッ_L@
イセウオャNエᆳ
ing in a space with nothing at all. What could this possibly s1grufy m
itself, since it is by its own definition nothing? Yet this 。「ウ・ョセZ@
just as
in signification, is utterly defined by what it has excluded-It IS ョッセ@
a
simple absence, but rather an absence of precise systems, systeT?s which
are thus inexorably evoked though now under ・イ。ウセN@
Aィセ@
entire specof
trum of tantric ideologies and praxis haunts this. pnstine ウー。セ・@
absence. The subsequent history of the Great Perfection then constitutes
the cycling back of the tide, the inexorable return of the expelled, as
12. Kun byed rgyal po 141.
.
.
13. Most are also standard principles of ョッセエ。イQ」@
Buddh1sm, though the
definitions emphasize their uniquely tantric interpretation.
14. For example, see Klein 1986, 145.
210
JIABS 17.2
tantric ideologies and practices flow back into this excavated space of
Atiyoga. Yet as they return, they are transformed to become something
other than their source-while permeable, the boundaries of the space
remain. These boundaries in some way continue to demarcate a space of
absence, but now the absence coexists with affirmation. The end result
is that this becomes a place where a genuinely Tibetan transformation of
Buddhist tantra takes place, an innovative appropriation and thoroughgoing revision in the cauldron of Tibetan ideologies, culture and language. This carved out space of absence thus functioned partially to
maintain a bounded zone in which Tibetans could think, resisting the
ーイ・ウセ@
of domination from the flood of Indic culture through rhetorical
negation, and then while still holding it at an arm's distance, perform the
alchemy of cultural assimilation.
Thus, at least at the level of literary expression, for the next six centuries (ninth to fourteenth) the Great Perfection was subject to a process
of gradual alteration as these (rhetorically) exorcised demons gradually
flowed back into its very core. Given the at times highly unusual way in
which these "demons" made their reappearance, it is crucial not to
セウオュ・@
セ。エ@
this セッ」・ウN@
should be characterized pejoratively as regressw? or simple assimilation, rather than as ongoing creativity and innovation. From a very early period we find Great Perfection texts being
transmitted together with more normative tantric material and practices,
セ、@
the key. to .understanding its fluctuations over the centuries among its
different pnnc1pal authors and lineage holders is to see a shifting boundary line that delineates the Great Perfection from the tantric ocean it is
borne and sustained within in Tibet. We must trace how that oceanic
background shapes it at any given time, as well as how the constantly
shifting explicit divestiture and incorporation of diverse elements from
ゥセ@ tan.tric context continued to alter its identity, at times in startling new
direc?ons. In addition•. it is important not to exclusively privilege these
valonzed authors and hneage figures as distinct from what might have
been quite different movements among unknown figures, withholding
the pejorative designation "popular."
The rhetorical denial of early Great Perfection texts later classified as
the "Mind Series" can thus not simply be taken at face value. On the
one hand it could be largely intended for those who have already gone
through these tantric processes with their complex meditations and rituals-for an authoritative voice to suddenly pronounce the whole infrastructure as meaningless and irrelevant would in that context possess a
GERMANO
211
tremendous psychological power. Yet simultaneously its restriction to
such a context would prevent it from actually undercutting or discouraging an initial or even ongoing immersion in such practices. Aside
from such considerations, obviously rejecting such principles is a way
of talking about them, which evokes and conjures them even in its
denial, thus living a parasitic existence dependent on its own alterity.
While the precise significance of this Mind Series strategy of rhetorically
negating these normative tantric principles is thus far from straightforward, it should be noted that there are additional standard Great Perfection approaches involving reinterpreting these principles in terms of
internal process-oriented experiences of the psyche's embodied nature
rather than externally conceived and performed structured activities.
This can consist in poetic evocation that still clarifies little as to any
practical approach: while there is a naturally occurring view, it is not
forcefully cultivated; while there are commitments, they are not actively
maintained vows; ordinary appearances are the desired vision rather than
transcendent pure realms, and so forth. Alternatively, such an approach
can involve a reinterpretation of standard practices such as evocation cituals that present their many details (such as offering, confession and
feast) in terms of internal psychological processes revolving around
deep contemplative awareness. Although the practice is thus streamlined
and interiorized, it remains clearly implementable-i. e. the visualization
of the relevant deity and chanting of liturgy are still enacted.
The Great Perfection's early sources: Chinese Chan, Tibetan Mind
Series and the cutting edge of Indian Buddhist tantric contemplation
In Kennard Lipman's study of an important Mind Series text, 15 he characterizes early Great Perfection movements as growing out of tantric
speculation on the notion of the "enlightened mind" ( byang chub sems,
bodhicitta), and emphasizes the use of concepts drawn from non-tantric
"mind only" (sems tsam, cittamatrii) literature. In addition, while overt
citation of Indian buddha-nature literature in the Great Perfection only
becomes prevalent in the fourteenth century with kLong chen rab
'byarns pa, tantra itself in general is based ideologically and hermeneutically on buddha-nature traditions. 16 In similar fashion, the Great Perfection is from its inception an integral part of this long standing Indian
15. Lipman 1987, 11.
16. Snellgrove 1987, 125.
212
GERMANO
JIABS 17.2
tradition of speculation on the practical implications of using the trope of
the Buddha to talk about the ongoing dynamics of one's own being,
both that which lies in the grasp of one's vision and that which exceeds
it. Philosophically it is a tantric interpretation of buddha-nature discourse or "the enlightening mind" (byang chub sems, bodhicitta),
emphasizing original purity (ka dag) or emptiness as well as valorizing
continued action and dynamism under the heading of "spontaneity"
(!hun grub). In doing so, it relentlessly undercuts the dominance of
ordinary human subjectivity in preference for consistently adopting the
mysterious "buddha-perspective." Regardless of which elements are
stressed, the Great Perfection in its origins and development clearly
belongs in the continuum of South Asian Buddhist traditions. The
impressions of some contemporary Tibetologists to the contrary are partially due to the influential presuppositions of traditional and contemporary adherents to logico-epistemological strands of Indian Buddhism in
our interpretations of the history of Buddhist thought and textuality. 17
When an understanding of thought and language is assumed and consequently applied across the spectrum as if natural, the differences elided
are immense, and it becomes difficult to articulate a response when that
elision falls unacknowledged, a shadow across the clear light of reason.
The major modern historical study to date of the specific origins of
early Great Perfection lineages is Samten Karmay's The Great Peifection. He argues 18 that it involves the blending of elements drawn from
three principal sources: (i) movements emphasizing the instantaneous
nature of enlightenment (cig car ba) deriving from Chinese Chan traditions that were very active in Tibet during the eighth to ninth centuries;
(ii) tantric teachings found in such Mahayoga texts as the Guhyagarbha
Tantra and presumably deriving in the main from Indic areas of South
Asia; and (iii) "Mind Series" type teachings. How or whether he distinguishes the third element from the second element, i. e. whether the
Mind Series is simply a rubric for this development out of the tantric
17. I have in mind conversations I have had over the years with various
scholars. It also must be said that the quality and extent of modem academic
work done in these and other siltra-based Indian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions remains superior to that done in tantra-based traditions. For these reasons, there is a quite natural tendency for the former to unduly dominate our
critical perspectives.
18. Karmay 1988, 216.
213
perfection phase meditations in the Mahayoga Tantras 19 or a. ーイゥッセ@
existent movement, is not clear. In fact, the center of Karmay s text IS
the proposition that Padmasambhava's Man ngag lta ba'i ph:eng .ba, a
commentary on perfection phase contemplative processes outlmed m セ・@
Guhyagarbha Tantra framed by a discussion of a 、Nックセイ。ーィ@
o: rune
vehicles, represents a state at which the Great Perfection 1s begmrung to
separate itself from its tantric origins. Approximately half of
Padmasarnbhava' s text concerns the Great Perfection presented as the
third of the triune process (tshul) of the "tantric vehicle of inner yogic
means": 20 the generation mode, perfection mode, and great perfection
mode. At this early stage, the Great Perfection thus is not understood as
an independent vehicle, but rather as an expansion of セ・@
セ。、ゥッョャ@
tantric dyad of generation phase and perfection phase ュセエ。ゥッョウ@
mto a
triad which it culminates. Its rationale may be to focus m on the formless meditations of the perfection phase, 21 thereby enabling them to
become contemplative sessions in and of themselves divorced from not
only generation phase visualizations, but also the エ・」セアオウ@
セヲ@ 」ッューセ・ク@
internalized visualizations that also go under the rubnc of perfection
phase" (reflected in subtle body theory and praxis). iセ@ this way, p:l"haps, proponents were able to engage in complex and difficult contemplative processes, but also rhetorically and experientially preserve a
space in which such language as "natura1," "uncontrt' ved ," "stress·free"
and "open" could apply. It is essential to keep in ュゥョセ@
エィ。セ@
m。ィセッァ@
just represents the cutting edge of Indian Buddhist Tantrism m the etghth
to ninth centuries similar to the rubric "Anuttarayoga" in the tenth to
eleventh centurie; for the modernists-in fact the two are basically very
similar movements despite the polemics. Karmay also points to references in modernist tantras themselves that indicate "great perfection"
(whatever Indic term this may translate) was used to refer to a "high
level of spiritual attainment reached through the practice of rdzogs rim
contemplation"22 or the perfection phase itself.
19. Karmay 1988, 120.
20. Karmay 1988, 146.
. .
21. The term "formless" is problematic, since such medttations are subtly
tbematized or in-formed by the aphoristic language of "instructions" as well
as the overall context in which they are practiced.
22. Karmay 1988, 141.
214
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
セ@
In the Guhyagarbha Tantra itself we find repeated uses of the t
rdzogs, but only four references to "great perfection" Ea h P f th erm
ゥセ・ャ@
イ・ャ。エセ@
to. the term's later usage, エィッセァ@
ョセ・ オョ。セMᆳ
セ@
p Y It functiorung as a rubric for a coherent system of theory or
prrous. The first reference: 23
Primordial
gnosis const"derect 1n
· terms of a center with four dir ti
.
Is an mconceivable
spontan
. .
ec ons
(rdzogs chen)_ '
eous ュセY。jL@
which 1s a great perfection
The visionary who realizes it
Experiences the origin of everything wt"thi thi
n s great ュセ\[j。ャN@
The second reference: 24
セZ@ セゥ@ セZ@ セ。Zァ@
of the adamantine enlightened body, speech, and
times became 」ッョ、・ウAセ@
throughout the ten directions and four
equipoise within the conte
ッセN@
Thus the Great Joyous One entered
secret commitment'
mpl.ation of the cloud-array of the intensely
1. e. that all phenomena are primordially
spontaneous!
s ョオセャ・ウL@
y present Within the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen).
The third reference:25
Om 1 The great perfect·
(d
ウセィ@
and mindwn r zogs pa che) of enlightened body'
Totally perfect and
.
1 m
activities!
compete
terms of enlightened qualities and
.
.
Totally positive (kun bzan ) · .
completeness!
g m Its pnmordial spontaneous perfection/
A great seminal nucleus of the gathered great assembly! Hoh!
The fourth reference: 26
セdゥョァ@
キゥセョ@
the COmmitment of sameness
c evenly links you to sameness
'
23. Chapter six; Tibetan and translatio . Do .
lations provided here are m
n In 1Je 1987, 200, 626. All transyown.
24 · Chapter thirteen· Tibetan d
.
セ@
' .
an translation in Dmje 1987 31 982
25 Cb
apter セッオョ・[@
Ttbetan and translation in Do .
, ,
.
.
26. Chapter nineteen· Tibetan d
. .
l]e 1987, 235, 1054.
'
an translation m Dorje 1987, 253, 186.
215
You will obtain the great sameness-perfection (mnyam rdzogs chen
po);
If you transgress it, you will never be expansively awakened into
buddhahood.
This connection between the Guhyagarbha Tantra and early Great Perfection movements is supported by the traclitional characterization of the
final three vehlcles (Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga) as tantra
(rgyud), scripture (lung) and esoteric precept (man ngag). 27 This suggests that Mahayoga constitutes the traditional tantric cycles, while
Atiyoga functions as highly specialized and experiential precepts presenting the cycles' essence in contemplative form.
In saying that Padmasambhava' s text gave "birth to the doctrine of
rdzogs chen as a syncretic teaching drawing mainly from [the
Guhyagarbha Tantra]" (152), Karmay again tersely qualifies this by
characterizing it as "tinged with thinking deriving from the [Mind
Series] 18 series of texts."28 The relevant passages are ambiguously
expressed, and it is quite possible that Karmay does not intend to suggest two separate movements. However, for the purpose of my current
discussion I would like to briefly pursue the possibility of distinct
strands in Tibet that then merged during these early centuries. The contention is that the Mind Series may have constituted a separate and independent movement of unspecified origins, whlch then transformed into
the Great Perfection in Tibet through merging with a separate development flowing out of Mahayoga perfection phase theory and practices.
This then gradually detached itself from its origins into a tradition that
evolved a self-understanding of itself as an independent vehlcle. The
origins of this hypothesized early Mind Series could have been a largely
oral and non-monastic movement among Himalayan yogic circles
belonging to a similar Buddhlst milieu as that whlch generated other
such traditions reflected in Doha literature29 and Mahamudra. While
clearly tantric in nature, it was an aestheticized and streamlined variety
distancing itself from other tantric movements focusing on sexuality,
violence and complex ritual practices encompassed by generation phase
27. See, for example, the Theg mchog mdzod vol. 2, 97.4.
28. This set of texts is discussed in K.annay 1988, 24.
29. This is of course related to Kvaeme' s theory on the origins of Bon Great
Perfection.
216
JIABS 17.2
and perfection phase contemplation. 30 While possessing scattered
attempts at literary production, its literary identity was fairly unformed,
and thus it was able to easily blend with a more literary-based movement
セイッキゥョァ@
out of speculations on the implications of a type of contemplation known as the "great perfection" emerging out of perfection phase
practices (themselves drawn from the extensive Mahayoga tantra
cycles). While both the Mind Series and new Mahayoga developments
may have largely took shape in Tibetan areas as Karmay continually
implies, clearly there were also substantial ties to Indian Buddhist circles
via Tibetans traveling abroad as well as various foreign yogis 1 scholars
wandering through Tibet.
As opposed to the subsequent Seminal Heart transformation of the
?reat Perfection which is quite different from Chan and intensely tantric
m nature, 31 the early Great Perfection tradition eventually subsumed
under the Mind Series rubric obviously bears many striking similarities
to Chinese Chan (as well as differences). Given early references to the
subterranean survival of Chan in Tibet, it would thus not be surprising
that Chan constituted one of the important strands fueling the Great Perfection's initial development. Despite this, its main sources are obviously tantric in nature; the earlier characterizations of it as the "residue of
Chan in Tibet" having been thoroughly criticized by Karmay, I will not
repeatithere. 32 Robertson and Tanaka33Jikewise have strongly criticized Tucci's claims that the Great Perfection has a direct genetic relationship to Chinese Chan such that it partially represents the preservation
of Chan practices and beliefs in Tibet. While the criticism of Tucci's
fallacious arguments is excellent, they base themselves on a single text,
ウオセィ@
that the scope of refutation is too narrow and consequently the
clrums made are too strong in disregarding more subtle versions of
30. See Robertson 1992, 162 for a discussion of how the Mind Series
takes its stand independently of tantric features, claiming its
mexpress1ble spontaneous presence of pure and complete mind" is outside of
the generation I perfection phase structures (also see Karmay 1988 55-58
119-120).
'
'
GERMANO
217
Chan's possible influences on early Great Perfection traditions. Such
influence could have taken place outside of Tibetan cultural domains,
and I or in the late eighth century some one hundred and fifty years prior
to bSam gtan mig sgron 's composition (the text Robertson and Tanaka
use to argue that Chan and the Great Perfection were considered to be
quite distinct traditions). Nonetheless, I do agree that even these early
Great Perfection traditions were clearly profoundly tantric in character
by at least the latter half of tenth century, which indicates its principal
roots were non-Chan in origin, despite the lack of overtly tantric visualization techniques. This type of doctrinal argument is echoed by
Norbu. 34 However even if we posit the Great Perfection as emerging
through a process of detachment from Mahayoga tantric practices and
literature, its development in Tibet took place in a milieu where Chan
influence was at times very strong indeed. Given their striking similarities as well as the references to Chan in Nyingma literature, 35 it would
be very odd if the Great Perfection was not significantly influenced by
its dialogues with Chan, even if its original genesis and primary impetus
is to be located elsewhere.
Scholarship clearly must thus move beyond an "either I or" type of
framework that posits the Great Perfection as a survival of Chan in
Tibet, or disavows any relationship whatsoever. It is also important to
note that the later Seminal Heart movement could never be confused
with Chan in any of its ordinary forms, with the exception of its incorporation of earlier Great Perfection movements in its "absence" (med pa)
discourse articulating "breakthrough" (khregs chod) contemplation. A
more interesting line of inquiry is to ask how the Great Perfection might
have important implications for our re-reading of the history and nature
of Indian Buddhism as a tantric tradition offering important hermeneutic
and philosophical innovations rather than simple anti-nomian practices,
new terminology, or new "styles" for contemplation. 36 Finally, it is
セッカ・ュョ@
セ@ 1. For this reason, questions regarding how the Seminal Heart's innovatiVeness may be genetically related to other traditions must be pursued
elsewhere.
32. Karmay 1988, 86-106.
33. Robertson and Tanaka 1992.
34. Norbu 1984.
35. See Karmay 1988, 93, for a reference to a seventh generation of Chan
teachings in reference to an important Great Perfection master around 1000
C. E.
36. An example of the understanding of tantrism that I find problematic can
be found in Snellgrove 1987, 189: " .... the vast variety of tantric imagery,
when divorced from the actual tantric practices of the kind we have illustrated,
becomes in effect nothing more than new styles for old practices .... tantric
218
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
essential to keep in mind that th Gr
lithic traditi
b
e eat Perfection was not at all a mono.
.
on, ut rather during these 1
variety of heterogeneous movements ・セNZ@
セョエオイゥ@
」ッセエウ・、@
of a wide
WI 0 en qwte different sources
and agendas In m
any セ。ケウ@
the quest for pinpointing its "origins" is
yet an th
o er . tile search Ill-fated because of its faulty prerru· ses
Wh atever Its Q · ·
·
·
signify
meditation codified into v .
.
z s y es of
"Mind Series" (sems s
arymg traditions ァイッオセ・、@
together as the
cours
. de). The tenn became a rubnc for extended disウセ「j・」エ@
gradually オセ、・イウエッ@
as a discourse making sense
in 。ョZセA[@
fu .
」。ュセ@
エセ@
セ Aセウ@
iセヲ@ セAZゥ。・ケイ[エ、p」
sufficient praxis Zゥセ[・エ@
ented systems of Buddhist coョエ・セ@
Q エゥッョB@
(m S:e circles) of constituting a self-
o. er more
エ。ョァゥ「ャセ@
セィョゥアオ・Mッイ
」・ウセL@ its adherents thus began to イ・ヲセ@ Zセ@
セNZ[ュエ@
m this pro which connotes a soteriologically effi
.
( theg pa, yana),
Recentresearch37 indicates .
tcaciOus and autonomous way.
late eighth century in iョ、ゥ。セ@
may ィ。カセ@
been already in process by the
not by itself indicate that the gセZ[エーャケ@
the エ・セ@
"vehicle" does
self-sufficient identity for itself e'th . ection had gamed any type of
or forms of praxis althou 't 1 er tn terms of extended literary cycles
oral phenomena o:Uy
such: Iti'dentity as a largely
that fueled this initial d
n grap c orms. The strands
early Vajrayana s cul:elopment in. Tibet appears to be this triad of
of "Mahayoga" Hセ・@
G セョ。、@
1ractice, then known under the heading
u yagar ha Tantra in particular);38 Chinese
Chan traditi
ons encountered from Sich
D
and unknown indi enous i
uan, unhuang, and elsewhere;
Buddhist ュッカ・ョセ@
」ゥイオャ。セヲ・tᄋ「ーィウ@
including heterodox
ng In 1 et prior to the late eighth cen-
ァイjZセャケ「、@
Buddhism seems to offer little new i
.
.
n results, whtch earher forms of
Mahayana Buddhism do not air d
ea y supply
" D ·
Snellgrove's Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
· · ·. ·
esptte such problems,
vol. 1 remruns the standard work on the
history of Indian Buddhist tantra
37. I have in mind here the on oin d
University of Virginia into the g g ?Ctoral セ・ウ。イ」ィ@
of Phil Stanley at the
Nyingma literature.
ear1y nme vehtcle doxographical systems of
38. See Eastman 1981, 1983.
219
tury.39 This discursive independence of the Great Perfection is clearly
indicated textually during the tenth century in Tibet by gNubs sangs
rgyas ye shes's bSam gtan mig sgron and the codification by unknown
hands of earlier short tantras into the critical Kun byed rgyal po. The
former is the earliest surviving substantial exegetical work on the Great
Perfection attributed explicitly to a Tibetan author, and its main section
discusses four distinct Buddhist traditions hierarchically arranged from
lowest to highest: the gradual approach of the Madhyamika taught by
Kamala.Sna, the sudden approach of the Chan taught by Hva-shang
Mahayana, the non-dual approach of the Mahayoga and the spontaneous
approach of the Great Perfection. 40 The Kun byed rgyal po, on the
other hand, is the main canonical work of the Great Perfection as it
emerges from the "dark period" (850 to 1000 C. E.) into the light of the
economic and religious transformations of the eleventh century. While
the dark period was marked by economic depression, political decentralization, and a paucity of historical records, 41 it was thus also apparently
the site of these non-institutionalized developments of early Vajrayana
movements that resulted in the gradual articulation of a self-conscious
Great Perfection movement in Tibet, as well as the more graphically
tantric Mahayoga systems.
A digression into the history of rhetoric and practice in Buddhist tantric
contemplation: the triad of generation phase, perfection phase and the
great perfection
The later phases of Buddhist tantra in India known under the rubric of
the "Anuttara-yoga Tantras" generally classified their various contemplative techniques into two sequentially ordered types: "generation
39. See Kvaeme 1972, 38-40, where he suggests that Bonpo Great Perfection
traditions stemmed in part from the activities of Buddhist tantric adepts and
possibly Saivite yogis in western Tibet (then the kingdom of Zhang Zhung)
during the seventh to eighth centuries. In other words, the eighth century
transmission of Buddhism from China and India into central Tibet under the
auspices of the Yarlung dynasty was not the earliest or exclusive source of
Buddhist transmissions in ancient Tibet. Also see Kvaeme 1976.
40. bSam gtan mig sgron 65-118, 118-186, 186-290, 290-494 respectively.
See Guenther 1983 for a discussion of this text; also Ruegg 1989,6-7, etc..
41. Ronald Davidson delivered an excellent summary of issues related to this
period and its end in an unpublished talk entitled "The Eleventh Century
Renaissance in Central Tibet" (April 1994, University of Virginia).
GERMANO
220
221
JIABS 17.2
セBjイGZNォ。ュI@
uZエゥ」セ。@
;::
"
phase" (bskyed rim, utpatti-krama) and" rfi .
practices respective!/"
エィ・Zイゥ」。ャセッョ@
ゥョッカ。セ・@
contemplations (the latter) and
standard tantric contemplati 」ッューセi・ョエ。イケ@
processes to previously
(the ヲッイセ・IN@
The perfection
phase is thus understood as セゥイエ」・ウ@
"perfiectio " "
gmg the generation phase practices to
n or completion " th b
·
dinating, the earlier standard セイ・@
y both ュエ・ァイセゥョ@
with, and subora vision of transcendence in セ。イZッョエ・ューャゥLN@
One gives.rise to
(generation) and that visio .
ast to ones mundane eXIstence
the visionar'y•s physical ゥセ[・@
fully em-bodied as it 」オャュゥセ。エ・ウ@
in
(perfection) a new organizin _ati?n of a new order of existence
as oneself 42 "G
.
g pnnciple that begins to assert itself in and
·
eneratwn
phas
· ァ・セイ。ャ@
visual images, and in artl
e" m
signifies a concern with
visualizations of 、・ゥエウセ@
「セャ。Z@
the vanous practices of "generating"
rubric of Buddhist tantr
y Images that became so popular under the
systematizations correspond to
different procedures and a. Its カ。イゥセオウ@
classifications for how one goes
about such visualizati ⦅」ッイ・ウーョセァ@
"Perfection h .?n m an orgaruzed sequence of steps.
body ッヲーイ。」エゥセ・@
セウZイL@
」セカ・イウ@
two. distinct rubrics: an earlier
techniques focused on the ィオュセ@
;:;ce of ュセ。ァ・ウ@
and a later system of
first aspect indicates form-1
Y as a directly s_ensed reality. The
ultimate nature of one's ュゥョ、・セウ@
types of セッョエ・ューャ。ゥ@
directly on tre
neous visual images Oft セイャケ@
devOid of any fabricated or spontaen scussed as the dissolution of visual
images back into the セゥウッ@
ence of being grounded ゥZセ@
セョ・@ 」ッオャセ@
explain them as a felt experigutded by. the felt gravity of the
body's presence without any 」。エィセ@
be understood in part as atte ts to extemaltmages. They can also
teric styles of meditation on e: . to formally incorporate the non-exo- BGRセ@
in orthodox monastic ・ョカゥイッオZセIウN@
(that キ・セ@
ゥョ」イ・セァャケ@
normative
s ュセッ@
エセイゥ」@
practice and ideology.
This was done so with a de r
self-Identity that provided rhetorical
justification of their BudcnJ
transform a discourse and rs セ@ aracter, as well as perhaps a means to
doxy. 43 It is important bog aXIs that may have become a stifling orthothese meditations when ゥウッャAセZ@
セエ@ the ru:tual "content" and style of
u om their context is near identical,
:e:f
42. See Cozort 1986, 27 and 41.
43. See de Jong 1984 98 for
.
"ritualisation ッヲm。「ケセ@
ideas"am·、ゥbウ」オィセッョ@
u
.
of Matsunaga's notion of the
tst tantra
and yet, when contextualized discursively and practically, the distinct
semantic shapings of that similar "content" results in arguably quite different practices despite their formal similarities. In other words, exoteric
contemplation of emptiness and esoteric dissolution of images is simultaneously radically similar, and radically different. The second rubric of
perfection phase contemplation signifies internal meditations on a subtle
or imaginal body-image through visualizing its triune elements known as
"the channels, winds, and nuclei" (rtsa rlung thig le). This is in contrast
to focusing on external visualizations of deities in front of one's self, or
as one self, or even internal visualizations of constellations of such
deities as a "body mal)Q.ala." These types of perfection phase meditations are innovative and distinctive in the history of Buddhist tantra in
that they introduce overtly sexual symbolism as the basis for contemplation through reliance on non-anthropomorphic representations of a subtle body. Correspondingly they mark a move towards felt tactile sensations (especially sexual bliss and sensations of warmth) rather than
exclusive reliance on our capacity for vision. In this way it marks a
movement towards embodiment and processes internal to our body, with
sexuality involving intensely tactile felt presences in contrast to vision,
4
the coolest and most metaphysical of our senses. 4 We can thus only
fully embody and assimilate these transformations by coming to terms
with our body, a space that somehow resists the influence of the detached image.
'This distinction of two dimensions of "perfection phase" practices is at
times discussed as "with signs" or "symbolic" (mtshan bcas)4 in distinction to "without signs" or "non-symbolic" (mtshan med). 5 In other
44. See Levin's 1988 analysis of the nature of vision and its contemporary
distortion in "The Yielding of the Visible" (60-69) and ''The Technological
Eye" (95-107), as well as how be contrasts vision's distance to the immediacy
of touch in "Vision in Touch" (253-256).
45. Of course this distinction between images I appearances and emptiness
bas an ancient pedigree in Indian Buddhism, and even the precise terminology
of "yoga with signs" and "yoga without signs" is used to discuss the contemplative techniques found in the earlier tantric systems eventually classified as
the Action, Conduct and Yoga tantric classes (see Hopkins 1987, 189-203;
Hopkins 1987a, 52; Sopa 1985, 24-27). In that context it refers primarily
instead to contemplation of a deity in contrast to contemplation of emptiness,
since the elaborate notion of a subtle body and consequent focus on the
body's felt interior only emerges in the later Anuttarayoga tantras. Beyer
GERMANO
222
223
JIABS 17.2
contexts the distinction is terminologically expressed as "the path of efficacious means" (thabs lam) and "the path of freedom" (grollam).46 A
significant point of contention in India and Tibet appears to have been
whether the latter styles of contemplation could constitute a meditative
session with particular techniques to generate and sustain it (regardless
of rhetorical denials of formal meditation), or even an entire "vehicle" in
and of themselves. The more conservative position maintained the
necessity of their linkage to imaginal processes involving visual images
as a セ・」ウ。イケ@
セイ・ャゥュョ。ケ@
and I or complement, i. e. generation phase
practices. ObviOus reasons for the necessity of such linkage range from
the felt need to imbue these practices' powerful effects with a strong
sense of orthodox Buddhist ethics, 47 to the circular logic that Beyer
alludes to48-since normative Buddhist circles have come to set up such
practices as presupposing that "the practitioner is a deity .... formed
エィイッオァセ@
a series of magically potent contemplative events," mastery of
generation phase techniques is an absolute prerequisite. However such
circular logic is hardly convincing outside of a traditional discourse and
the セッエゥカ。ョウ@
and セ・」ウゥエケ@
of this privileging of deity-discdurse
remams an open question. 49 Just as Sharf has pointed out in other con-
texts, certainly in Tibet also there was a continual oscillation in such
practices between the actual presence of felt experiences セョ@ the ⦅ー・イ」セエオ。ャ@
fields of the practitioner's body and the dominance of discursive I ntual
variety
systematizations, with the latter generating, and fulfilling, a キゥセ・@
of needs quite distinct from the psycho-physical transformation of an
individual. 50
The term "Great Perfection" or "great completeness" then seems to
have first had a limited currency in India (and perhaps elsewhere) as a
technical term referring to a higher development of "perfection phase"
into. a エイゥ。セ」@
yogic states (eighth century?). 1his was eventually 」ッセZヲゥ・、@
transformation or expansion of the increasingly normative dyadic classification of tantric contemplation: the generation phase, perfection phase
and great perfection. In some sources this triad apparently signified セ・@
51
different stages of meditation an adept must pass セッオァィN@
. In this
context, "great perfection" apparently referred to a kind of technique-free
"natural" immersion in a non-conceptual state that became a frequent
experience for some practitioners after prolonged use of ー・イヲセエゥッョ@
セィ。ウ・@
techniques, a psychological space which was intensely tantrtc by vutue
of its matrix. As examples of textual evidence, the important Anuyoga
text the mDo dgongs dus pa represents the final three カ・セャウ@
as セ・ョᆳ
eration, perfection, and total perfection (yongs su rdzogs).
DudJOID
Rinpoche53 cites at length two such passages from modernist tantras, the
Jam dpal zhal lung of Buddhasrijnanapada and its commentary by
I
I
セ_WSL@
Qセ[I@
、Zセ」オウ・@
thi.s 、ゥウエョセッ@
in the context of the latter, identifying
stgnless as gathenng m the dtvme body-image and arising from the clear
light of emptiness" (bsdu /dang).
46. Dmje 1987, 117.
セWN@
This need is ー。イエゥ」セャケ@
evident when considering contemporary Qigong
m the.PRC, where セ・@ paranoia of "masters" obsessed with the manipulation
of セ・イ@
ッセ@
energy ts legendary. I particularly remember a discussion with a
Chmes.e ヲセ・ョ、@
of mine living in a remote Tibetan monastery after forsaking
follo:vmg Qセ@ the footsteps of his father, a famous Qigong master in Beijing.
J?esptte haVtng had numerous experiences of the tremendous power such practices have, he had been unable to cope with what he viewed as the dominant
tone. of セ。ョゥーオャエッN@
and control in their guarding secret techniques, martial
a¥phcations, セ。ウュ@
of :Vealth and general disregard of ethics. It was prectsely for the tmmers10n m a Buddhist world-view that he had come to the
monastery, despite the hardships.
48. Beyer 1973, 131.
49. tセ・@
broader subject of the role of visually conceived symbols is someキ「。セ@
dtfferent from this issue of how visualization of deity-images came to
dommate Buddhist tantric practice.
50. See Sharf 1992. The strong reading of Sharfs argument against 。ウセᆳ
ing phenomenological interpretations of Buddhist texts' イ・ヲセョ」@
to subJeCtive contemplative experiences simply does not hold water m tエ「セN@
There
are numerous very specific and pointed discussi,ons of personal expenences, as
well as pointed discussions of contemporaries who have, and have not, .experienced various types of markers in Tibetan texts (see the gTer bdag glmg pa
passage cited below). In addition, my own personal experience, and 」ッョセ・イウ。ᆳ
tions with various religious practitioners in various parts of the Ttbetan
cultural zone clearly indicates how misleading such a. strong arg.ument. would
be. Despite this, his arguments mitigated with caution ar_e qutte valtd, and
have
offer valuable hermeneutics as to how these practices and d1scourses 」セ@
numerous functions intersubjectively that have little to do wtth any
"authentic" inner experiences.
51. Karmay 1988, 18 and 138.
52. mDo dgongs dus pa 302.7.
53. Dudjom 19911 313.
1
224
JIABS 17.2
Vitapru:Ja( 'Phags pa 'jam dpal dbyangs kyi zhallung gi 'grel pa). The
texts as a pair explicitly identify the term "Great Perfection" as referring
to the second stage of the perfection phase, i. e. the "non-symbolic" as
opposed to "symbolic." The former characterizes it as "the second stage
which is the essence of all the glorious ones," which the latter interprets
as the "second stage of the second [i.e. perfection] stage." In the much
later Chos dbyings mdzod, 54 k:Long chen rab 'byams pa explicitly labels
the Great Perfection as "secret mantra" in terms of situating it within
Indian Buddhism, and further specifies that from the secret mantra's two
セカゥウッョ@
of "generation" and "perfection" phase, it is the latter. Finally,
Ill terms of the two types of perfection phases- "greater and lesser"-it
is the "great" type. In his bSam gtan ngal gso,55 kLong chen rab
'byams pa also refers to it as "the great perfection phase" (rdzogs rim
chen po ), defined as "resting in the pristine unfabricated enlighteningmind of awareness."
The orthodox position in Tibet was certainly that perfection phase
practices sequentially follow, and are contextualized by, standard
Mahayana meditations such as "engendering an altruistic motivation to
enlightenment" (sems bskyed) and tantric generation phase visualizations-one Tibetan author even defines perfection phase practices without such conjunction as essentially non-Buddhist practices. 56 Often the
advocated mastery of visualizations in the generation phase required to
move on to perfection phase contemplations is extraordinary, to the point
where one must be "capable of visualizing the entire mal)<;lala palace and
occupants as contained within a shining drop at the tip of the nose, heart
center, or genitals, and of holding that precise hologram stable for several hours. "57 Frequently Tibetans will speak of needing to see the
"whites of the eyes" of each of the innumerable deities in a given mal)<;tala. However, there are many indications that such extreme strictures
are largely theoretical or exhortatory in nature, while in practice the situ-
54. Chos dbyings mdzod 350.7ff.
55. bSam gtan ngal gso 80.2.
56. Matthew Kapstein informed
me (private communication, April 1994)
that he had seen precisely such a reference in 'Jam mgon Kong sprul's corpus
while. ウゥュャセ@
statements are scattered throughout Tibetan Buddhist texts. ウセ@
the Yid bzhm mdzod (665.7) for a typical assumption of such conjunction.
57. Thurman 1994, 73.
GERMANO
225
ation is much more fluid. Beyer 58 cites a conversation with a "highly
placed incarnate lama" who admitted to being only able to roughly
visualize the subtle deities, though he quickly cited an elder yogi who
supposedly had perfect visual mastery. Gyatso's 59 detailed account of
perfection phase practice in the Geluk tradition provides a very succinct
set of relatively simple visualizations for those who cannot do the more
extensive ones (specifying it as the minimum requirement for proceeding
onwards). Lest one think such a reference is an accommodation for
contemporary students, I should point out that in the Shing rta chen po 60
kLong chen rab 'byams pa details a practice that is said to be for "those
who only take up perfection phase practices, whether because they can't
engage in extensive generation phase meditation or because they have
little problem with discursiveness."
This question of the autonomy of perfection phase contemplation is
pertinent whether the context is a particular meditative session, or some
type of sequential progression outlined by a path structure. If it is held
that the non-symbolic formless meditations themselves are sufficient,
since there is no longer a preliminary engagement of vision that can be
said to energize or contextualize the consequent states of dissolution, a
natural question arises: in what way are such meditations delineated
from standard types of non-esoteric "calming" practices (zhi gnas,
samatha) and meditations on emptiness? Far from being the "ultrapeak" (yang rtse) of all Buddhist practices as claimed, such associations
instead link them to doxographically inferior non-tantric preparatory
types of contemplation. This appears to have been a frequent point of
attack in Tibet, since Great Perfection literature stresses that its meditations are not fixated or exclusionary as calming practices generally areinstead they enable a vibrant and ceaselessly active type of awareness to
come to the fore, which is then integrated into every day life. 61 A fur-
58. Beyer 1973, 75.
59. Gyatso 1982, 14-16.
60. Shing rta chen po val. 2, 112.5.
61. This is indicated in passages such
as the following from the Tshig don
mdzod (349):
No matter whether it (i. e. awareness) is shining forth hither to objects
of the six consciousnesses or abiding within indwelling cognition, the
dimension of awareness is a naked natural clarity, vivid in its clarity
and awareness. Though vile thoughts arise, it is nakedly present in
226
GERMANO
JIABS 17.2
227
64
ther implicit type of delineation appears to be how their discourse's surrounding semantic field flavors the practitioner's understanding of such
states of contemplation, such that their inherently tantric textual (graphic
and oral) discourses shape and give body to these simple, yet difficult,
states of being. In this way, one could argue that even a tradition not
actively appropriating visualization in praxis could be profoundly tantric
by virtue of this discursive shaping of the contemplative arena. This is
particularly clear in the Great Perfection, where such "formless" contemplations cultivate not only an alert, vigilant, eyes-open awareness, but
also are shaped in distinct styles of psychological inquiry by poetic
thematization. 62
There were at least two major religious traditions in Tibetan areas
、オイゥセァ@
the eleventh to twelfth centuries that attempted to rhetorically
Oeavmg open the question of actual praxis in specific life-contexts) present themselves as self-sufficient tantric vehicles that exclusively
engaged in "formless"63 types of contemplation: the bKa' brgyud tradi-
inherently cleansed wakefulness; though noble thoughts arise, it is
purely present and awake in its freedom from limitations. Though
awareness abides within its own place, it uninterruptedly gazes with
wide open eyes, untransformed by objects, unadulterated by grasping,
and without involvement in notions of things to abandon and their
antidotes. This dimension of awareness in its intense clarity and
unwavering lucidity is identified as the Body of Reality in its naked
unimpededness. If it is not cognitive and aware, forget about it; but if
it is, since it's impossible that its essence is not the Body of Reality,
you must recognize it as such.
62. Examples セヲ@ such poetic thematization are the four styles of letting-be,
twelve adamantine laughs and seven marvelous esoteric words described in
the Seminal Heart tradition as means for Breakthrough meditation (especially
see the Tshig don mdzod 346f0.
63. I_ continue to セウ・@
scare quotes around "formless" to frighten away inappropnate connotations. They are only fonn-less in relation to their lack of
standard Buddhist contemplative forms and their deconstruction of foeval
vision, while in fact they are very concerned with the nature of our visual
field as well as in-forming experience.
tions of the Great Seal (phyag rgya chen po, mahiimudra) and the
Ancients 1Bon traditions of the Great Perfection (i. e. the Mind Series,
not later developments). In their early forms, both represent innovative
codifications of non-symbolic perfection phase practices separated off
from their intimate partners in tantric contemplation, and thus in essence
are tantric transformations of earlier calming (zhi gnas, samatha) and
insight ( lhag mthong, vipa.Syana) meditations. These latter meditations
are modified in terms of actual practice as well as shaped by the tantric
discourses in which they are rhetorically contextualized. Both traditions
are thus referred to as "great" (chen po ), a word that in Tibetan generally
functions along the lines of the English "super." They are the "super"
part of perfection 1 completion phase practices, such that the "Great
Perfection" can be interpreted as the "super style I dimension of perfection phase practices." In other words, these traditions do not concern
themselves with the interiorization, sexualization, and de-anthropomorphic imaging of visualization in the subtle body (i. e. symbolic perfection
phase practices), but rather only with the more seemingly 。ュッイーィセウ@
realms of (visually contrived) form-less meditation. They ultimately rum
at haunting or reshaping everyday experience rather than becoming mystic trances departing from and re-entering the conventional domain.
The question as to what degree these were actually ゥューャ・ョエセ、@
apart
from any other types of more normative tantric practices, and ー。イエゥ」セケ@
subtle body meditations, is crucial. For the moment, my emphaSIS IS
simply on their rhetorical exclusion of such practices, which at the very
least appeared to be a basis for the polemical attacks launched by ッセ・イ@
groups (as well as a basis for the bKa' brgyud-Nyingma ウセ」イ・エゥ@
over the centuries that finally issued forth in a full blown ecumerucal (ns
med) movement in nineteenth century Eastern Tibet). For example, a
65
エケセN@
of
typical passage from the bSam gtan mig sgron rejects セケ@
physical discipline, including the simple discipline of a prescnbed Sitting
posture as one meditates-the practitioner "should instead do whatever
is comfortable." However in the history of Buddhism we often find the
rhetorical negation of a practice serves a variety of functions without
64. The history and nature of the various ュッカ・ョセ@
.that have _gone under
the rubric of the "Great Seal" in Tibet bas yet to be cntically studted. Such a
history should shed considerable light on these issues.
65. See the bSam gtan mig sgron 403-5; also Karmay 1988, 119. The cited
phrase is on 403.6.
228
JIABS 17.2
necessarily entailing the literal rejection of the practice in question. For
instance, such negative rhetoric can discourage becoming rigidly fixated
on particular techniques as producing desired experiences or states,
such that one loses sight of the eventual necessity to dissolve boundaries
between contemplative practice and daily life. Subsequent Great Perfection traditions indicate that such styles of meditation begin with a symbolic indication of the mind's nature in an encounter with one's teacher
referred to as a "pointing to" or "introduction to" the mind's nature
(sems khrid; ngo sprod). 66 While contemporary teachers tend to contextualize such an event within a swelter of other practices which it then
serves to reinterpret, it is not clear to what extent such may have been the
case during these earlier periods.
Following such an "introduction" constituting a type of initiation into
the tradition, one can envision at least five possible ways in which disciples may have been directed to contextualize Great Perfection rhetoric
and thus understand the traditions' specific practical parameters. (i) The
first possibility ("semantic contextualization") is that they were directed
to simply reinterpret visualization practices (already part of their daily
praxis) with an enhanced sense of the importance and priority of the
visualized images' dissolution processes ( thim tshu[). (ii) An alternative
possibility ("calming techniques") is that oral precepts may have
instructed disciples to continue and transform traditional "calming" types
of concentration exercises (again presupposing such daily praxis) by
moving towards integration and expansiveness rather than the isolation
(from daily experience) and intense concentration that such practices
tend to initially generate. This would make perfect sense of the frequent
exhortations in this literature to "relax" and "integrate" such that artificial
boundaries are deconstructed. (ill) Another possibility ("formless meditation") is that practitioners were advised to embark on extended sessions of sitting meditation (such as in some strands of Chan) devoid of
any specific techniques or imaged content, as well as any preliminary
exercises to "ease" entry into such states This also may have presupposed initial familiarity with visualization practices and their dissolution,
with the contemplation following dissolution gradually detached to crelie
66. Generally a heavily ritualized event, this at times preserves an existential
freshness and highly contextualized personal significance. See Das 1992 for
stories of such events involving flatulence (54-5), a drunken beating (20-1),
forbidden alcohol (155), and others.
GERMANO
229
a separate meditative session devoid of dependency on the initial
visualization phases. (iv) A fourth alternative ("poetically thematized
meditation") is the employment of psychological inquiries that utilize
oral instructions or graphic texts to engage in guided reveries, analyses,
or poetic thought. 11lis can be quite complex in its own right, but d?es
not necessarily involve the body in such direct ways as contemplative
techniques using posture, visualization and the like. These inquiries
could directly presume a background in calming exercises, visualization
practices, "formless" sitting meditation, or no such background at all.
(v) Finally, as critics often imply, some teachers may have interpreted
("non-meditation") the rhetoric as simply advocating doing as they
please ( ci dgar), taking these new teachings as a radical justification of
complete immanence that places the "seal" (phyag rgya) of approval on
their own ordinary life styles without the slightest necessity for any type
offormal contemplative praxis-the emotional distortions (nyon mongs)
are primordial gnosis (ye shes), after all. Obviously all of these interpretations were present to some degree, and the controversies that raged are
powerfully presented in the famous story of the origination of the
demonic Rudra in the fourteenth century "rediscovered" text Pad ma
bka' thang by 0 rgyan gling pa. 67 The story revolves around his
archetypal account of two radically different interpretative takes, and
consequent life styles, possible in the Great Perfection's teaching of "do
as you please." One student-"the secretive I definitive pig" (Dan
phag)-departs from his teacher's shadow to engage in sitting meditation while one student-"black liberation" (Thar pa nag po)-departs
with an enhanced sense of legitimacy for his ordinary coarse behavioral
patterns. The difference is a hermeneutical one that in many .ways ウセャ@
rages on in modern Buddhological research, and has far reaching soctal
implications.
.
Particularly relevant to this issue is the question of the extent to which
some Great Perfection circles were strictly opposed in practice to normative tantric contemplations of generation I perfection phases (in particular sadhanas-visualizing a deity, reciting its mantra, etc.), and the
extent to which for others these contemplations' negation was purely
rhetorical while in practice individuals routinely resorted to such techniques. For example, kLong chen rab 'byams pain his Grub mtha'
67. See Kapstein 1992 for an interpretation of this story found in chapters
five and six of the Pad ma bka' thang.
230
JIABS 17.2
mdzotffiS describes generation and perfection phases as being rejected by
the Great Perfection since they involve speculative or intellectualized
contemplation. In contrast, the Great Perfection itself is said to be
beyond all such mental constructs and fixation, instead locating the primordial ォョッキゥァHセ@
shes) of radiant light's immediacy as its view. In
fact it may be that early differences within those movements aligning
themselves with the rubric "the Great Perfection" were in large due to
three factors: the distinct lineal transmissions of the teachings; geographical differences and distances; and this issue of how literally antisadhana rhetoric (and other rhetoric) was understood in terms of actual
practice. At some point it became common among the ancients to speak
of the revealed treasure (gter ma) tradition as summarized by the triune
rubric "life force-perfection-enlightened heart" (bla rdzogs thugs), or in
less terse language, "guru-great perfection-compassionate
Avalokitesvara: 69 (i) teachings on the lama I guru (in particular guruyoga practices and guru Padmasambhava); (ii) teachings on the Great
Perfection; and (iii) teachings as well as visualization practices revolving
around Avalokitesvara, the "Greatly Compassionate One" (Thugs rje
chen po ). This triune classification could be interpreted either as supporting the thesis that the formless meditations of the Great Perfection
were generally pursued in conjunction with sadhana-types of practices
utilizing visualization, or alternatively as suggesting a tension that had
called this (forced) rubric into being. In other words, the Great Perfection of its own momentum may have tended to break away from its
contextualized relation to other practices and ideologies, a rupture that
may have had dangerous implications for some institutions and I or
individuals.
These early Great Perfection movements were rhetorically (at least)
linked to rejection of more literal tantric interpretations (power substances in general and body-fluids in particular, as well as graphic violence and sexuality), de-emphasis of the profusion of contemplative
techniques, stress on direct experience rather than scholastically mediated knowledge, de-emphasis of ritual, mocking of syllogistic logic
(despite its not infrequent use), and in general resistance to codifications
of rules for any life-processes. How these rhetorical orientations played
68. Grub mtha' mdzod 380.3ff.
69. See the numerous references in Dudjom 1991, 396, 724, 764, 765, 791,
821, 827 and 881.
GERMANO
231
themselves out at a practical level is a matter of considerable contraversy, especially with regards to their simultaneous rejection of normative contemplative techniques and linkage to the dominant contemporary
Mahayoga Tantras that incarnated such techniques. It was precisely this
rhetorical linkage of doctrinal negation and social antinomianism that
appeared to have made this movement so politically ・クーャッウゥカMセ@
tantric nature of its rhetorical codification of the formless (or en-vehicling, in Buddhist terminology) was crucial in the controversies that
swirled around the Great Perfection. Its tantric origins link it to explosive ethical questions-form-less can seem to signify ethic-less, and
thus to disparage the conventionalities of ethical structures I codes is in
some sense linked to disparaging systematic visualization practices. For
instance, in terms of the traditional dyad of accumulating "gnosis" Hセ@
70
shes) and "merit" (bsod rnams), tantric visualization and ethics are
linked to "merit," supporting the notion that we need to engage in rulegoverned activities to develop as individuals. These troubling (to some)
ethical implications were aggravated by the tantric spin on formlessness,
which coupled an arguably theoretical undercutting of ethics with the
suggestion of an active energetic exploration of the violent, 、。セォ@
impulses that also constitute who we are, particularly as summed up m
the infamous Mahiiyoga rubric of "unifying and liberating" (sbyor
sgrol). Such a rubric seemed to some no more than an euphemism for
sex and murder. It is important to note, however, that unlike Mahayoga
which matched the graphic sexual and violent imagery in the transgressive elements of the modernists' own doctrines (i. e. the Anuttarayoga
Tantras), the Great Perfection represents an aestheticized brand of tantra.
Transgression is limited I expanded to a thorough resistance to rule-governed hermeneutics of all types, rather than a focus on manifest trans gressions involving sexual fluids, ritual sacrifice and shocking public
displays. An overwhelming need to invert the law in its socially focused
manifestations, in other words, becomes more an imperative to resist the
70. See Hopkins 1987, 14, and Gyatso 1982, 191 and 208, for discussions of
how deity yoga and other contemplative focuses on a divine lxxi:Y ima?e are
linked to the accumulation of merit, and thus the eventual manifestation of
enlightened forms for the benefit of other living beings. This contrasts to
contemplation on emptiness or formless light, which is particularly connected
to the accumulation of gnosis, leading to the realization of the Buddha's
Reality Body (clws sku, dharmakaya).
232
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
law in its subtle orderings of our being, whether ethical, imaginal, intel1
lectual or otherwise.7 Whereas other tantric discourses are dominated
by intuitions of danger, of the violent impulses that constitute our
embodied identity and instinct for self-preservation, the Great Perfection
seems instead to be driven by a stronger intuition of an underlying positive force enfolded in our bodies with the capacity to simply dissolve
these forces, an instinct for relationship. 72 Thus the formlessness
unleashed in perfection phase praxis can also undercut the importance of
images of sex and violence. Indeed the Seminal Heart later reintroduces
graphic sexual and honific imagery with its set of peaceful and wrathful
(mi khro) deities, but the imagery is curiously detached without manifest
crudity of other tantras and it is conjoined with a de-emphasis of sexual
73
yogic processes. This is reflected in part by kLong chen rab 'byams
correlation of the Great Perfection to the sophistipa's 、ッセァイ。ーィゥ」ャ@
cated discourses of the "non-dual" modernist classification, i. e. the
14
Kiilacakra Tantra. In other words, Mahayoga and the Great Perfection both セ、・イ」オエ@
a certain type of ethics, but do in different ways: the
former actively advocates transgressive types of behavior, while the latter aesthetically deconstructs formal ethical systems without a corresponding urgent compulsion to actively explore the dark side of ethical
ct:construction. In セ、ゥエョL@
the latter has an alternative and quite sophisticated way of copmg Wlth concerns of intersubjective relations which
is .found. within,!ts 、ゥウ」オセッョ@
of the third quality of the ァイッセョ、@
of
bemg-literally compassiOn" (thugs rje), it is its capacity to resonate
with, and know, the other.
71. This resistance to the worship of codified rules is the empathetic basis of
kLong eben rab 'byams pa's positive reference to the eighth century Chan
ュ。ウエ・セ@
Huashang who was so maligned in later Tibetan Buddhist polemics
(see hlS gNas lugs mdzod 68.7).
72. See Levin 1988, especially "Revisioning the Body Politic" (295-340).
WセN@ s・Nョセuァイッカ@
1987, 152-176 for a discussion of issues pertaining to
セエウ@ crudtty m Buddhist tantras; Sanderson 1987 bas an excellent discussion
m エィセ@ 」ッョエ・セ@
of Hindu tantra of how early "cremation grounds culture" was
later ュエ・セ。ィコ、L@
deod?rized and aestheticized. See the passage from kLong
chen.
rab
byams
pa cited below for a criticism of ordinary tantric sexual
practices.
74. s:e below for a more detailed discussion of these doxographical
correlations.
233
However one can easily imagine the vehemence of emotions that
these issues, especially since in the public imagination
swirled 。イッセョ、@
the Great Perfection came to be linked to supposed Mahayoga
excesses.75 From its own side, its discourse denigrates conventi?nally
valorized religious and non-religious activities in preference for a stmple
phenomenological "looking" (lta ba), and this ウ・ュゥョァセケ@
lawless
dynamic devaluing structure is also experienced as threaterung gr.oups
attempting to articulate norms and establish institutional mecharusms.
The nonnative position of the modernists (to the degree we can speak of
セ・@
ヲッセャ・ウ@
or the i。セ@ less
one) became a general suspicion of 。ャッキセョ_@
to exist in itself, with its implied or exphc1t discarding of con カ・ョセッ。ャ@
consensually validated order. Does naturalness 」ッョセエゥオ・@
a ーイ。」セ・@
of
a. ーイ。」エゥセ@
of
the self in the same way that violent inversion 」ッョウエゥオセ@
mto
the self in other tantras (a practice the necessity for which セエ@ セ。ャウ@
question), or does it constitute a denial of エィ・ョセ@
ヲッセ@
such di.sclplme.all
together? In the latter eventuality, we can 1magme a ヲ。ャセ@
berugn
cultivation of natural experiences (sexuality, art, etc.) and expenences of
nature as well as an actively negative appropriation (such as Rudra
evoke;) that utilizes this rhetoric to authorize self-aggrandizing practices
of a violent and disruptive nature.
. ,
Finally, the term "generation-perfection-great perfection (bskyed
rdzogs rdzogs chen) can be interpreted as signifying.that the great セイᆳ
fection is the "great consummation" of the generation and ー・イヲ」エゥセョ@
phases-the latter's lighting-up or vision (snang ba) and the ヲッイセ・@
s
ー・セ」エ@
Simulopenness (stong pa) are experienced in a dynamic セ、@
taneity. In Seminal Heart tenns, the generation phase 1s thus ュセイー・エ@
as "spontaneous presence" (lhun grub) and the Nァイッオセ、M⦅p・ウョ」Q@
セNァコャョ@
snang) of its ascendancy; perfection phase sigrufies ongtnal punty セ@ ka
dag) and the ground (gzhi) of its ascendancy; and the Great p・イヲ」セッョ@
then evokes their primordial intertwining. An example of such a remterpretation of standard tantric contemplative terminology can be found
in kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s Zab mo yang tig (vol. 11, 344.2-6): 76
(The Great Perfection) style of ."ritual arproach and 。」エオャゥコセッョB@
to that of st;ress-fllled
actualization involved in ordinary generation and perfection (phase
(bsnyen sgrub, seva-sli.dhana) lS ウオー・ョセイ@
75. See Karmay 1988, 121ff.
76. Zab mo yang tig vol. 2, 344.2-6:
234
liABS 17.2
GERMANO
tantric contemplations)
. (i) "ritual
recognizing the r・。ャゥエケᄋbセ、@
as self approach:' (bsnye? pa, seva) is
self-emergent primordial ァョセウゥᄋ@
(ii) Nセオィ@
b.emg self-mtroduced to
bsnyen pa, upaseva) is s
.'.
cu nunating approach" ( nye bar
"actualization" (s rub
セウエイオョァN@
yo?I"self. within that state; (iii)
sealed-oft) "selvfs ... af:icta:?ana) ts dissolvmg fixation on (discrete
mahiisadhana) is エィセ@ fruit 」セj。ZNエゥッョB@
(sgrub pa chen po,
In addition, while early Great Perti ti
..
themselves as engaging in excl . eel on traditions may have understood
phase praxis with th S . ustve y non-symbolic styles of perfection
'
e enunal Heart and associ ted
the reintroduction of symbolic s 1
a. movements we find
unique subtle body theon'es ("I tynu:S as well. This occurs not only in its
u nous channels"· ' d
around an interiorized lighting-u of th
• o . rtsa) revolving
embrace of a radical new versi p
e gセッオョ、@
(gzht snang) and its
cation of spontaneous vision Hエセ[、ッヲ@
ァセIョ・イ。エゥッ@
ーセ。ウ@
ーセ。クゥウ@
in its avoration of standard
rga 'but also mtts literary incorpogeneration and perfection phas
. .
as well as somewhat more customi ed .
e practices m its cycles,
"eating the winds "77 Th S . z vanants such as "sleep yoga" and
·
e emma! Heart thus as
'II
. • we WI see, marks the
radical re-influx of the body and 1't
1
Perfection.
s cu t mto the domain of the Great
·
A brief overview ofMind Series (se
Traditional Nyingma hist .
ms sde) ltterature and lineages
only a very limited 」ゥイオャ。セョ・ウ@
・ュセA。ウゥコ@
.that the Great Perfection had
origins through a series セ[@ ッセ@
hofTtbet, 。ョセ@ trace its non-Tibetan
"Mystics" (rig ,dzin; カゥ、ケ。ィイIセ@
セ、ッキ@
r.ndtc figures known as
Mafijusnmitra ('Jam dpal bshes . オイ。エゥカZ⦅jABセ@
(dGa' rab rdo rje),
Jfianasutra (Ye shes セLッI@
y· ai .gnyen), Snsnpha (Shri sing ha),
.
BセᆱG@
' tm anutra (Dri med b h
.
la mz tra) and Padmasambh
.
s es gnyen or Bt ma
during the late eighth 」・ョセカ、oヲ@
Six, two actually visited Tibet
Padmasambhava) while one othe セ。イ@ Y.runth century (Vimalamitra and
tゥ「セエ@
translators outside ッヲtゥ「セZ@
エセ@ have キッイォセ、@
」ャセウi@
with
While Snsitpha and his Tibetan disci Ie
e same penod セsイウョーィ。IN@
ures mentioned in colophons to the セ。イ@
。イセ」ョ@
。イセ@ the pnnctpal figemergence of the Esoteri p
ly Mi.n? Senes texts, with the
Padmasambhava are ゥョ」イ・。ウセァャOーZ@
trtadiThtwns, Vimalamitra and
nen · e early Great Perfection
J.
77. See Tshig don mdzod 319-327.
235
is represented literarily by what came to be classified as "Mind Series"
texts, the most important of which were the very lengthy Kun byed
rgyal po (by far the major Mind Series source cited by kLong chen rab
'byams pa) and a number of texts that at some point came to be transmitted as a group known as The Eighteen Texts of the Mind Series (Sems
sde bco brgyad). These were said to have been translated into Tibetan
via the activity of the Vairocana (in conjunction with Srtsitpha and later
Vimalamitra) and Vimalamitra (in conjunction with other key Tibetan
translators of this period). The former text was circulating at least by
1032, when Pho brang zhi ba 'od criticized it as a composition by a
unknown Tibetan by the name of Drang nga shag tshul.78 At least five
of the set of eighteen texts are identifiable with chapters in the present
recension of the Kun byed rgyal po,19 the former being quite short on
the whole in striking contrast to the latter's sprawling length. In the
lengthy discussion of the Great Perfection found in the important tenth
century bSam gtan mig sgron by gNubs sangs rgyas ye shes, a number
of these eighteen texts are cited at length and there is a marked absence
of any of the characteristic Seminal Heart doctrines. The fact that he
does not appear to cite the Kun byed rgyal po (?) at all suggests that this
tantra was most likely a Tibetan composition in the late tenth century
functioning to integrate previous shorter canonical works (in part perhaps genuine dynastic period translations of non-Tibetan originals) as
well as introduce more systematically innovations that had developed in
Tibet over the intervening decades.
Whereas the Kun byed rgyal po is a tantra presented as a transcript of
a teaching by a Buddha (traditionally said to be translated into Tibetan by
Vairocana and Srisiipha during the dynastic period), and ーッウ・セ@
consequent dramatic setting of a dialogue between a Buddha and his I
her retinue, the eighteen Mind Series texts appear to have been understood initially as simple human-authored compositions by one of above
six Indic figures. Most lack any colophon indicating an author, but on
the whole lack references to the dialogues between a Buddha and retinue
that characterize normal tantras. It may be that initially there were no
specifically Great Perfection Tantras in its early stage as "esoteric precepts" (man ngag) to the other tantric systems (especially Mahayoga).
This early literature could have been subsequently systematized into
78. See Karmay 1975, 151.
79. Karmay 1988, 207.
GERMANO
236
JIABS 17.2
tantras (especially the Kun byed r I ) .
tinctive self-identity in Tibet 」ッョウセエゥ@
po セ@ It began to develop a disZセカ・ュョエ@
that
needed the authorizing force of its ッキョセイZ]エ@
Another distinctive grouping of Mind Senes
. l'Iterature whichy of tantras.
h
. th
may ave
al so been generated during this intermediate ph
tantras constituting the third volume of the mT. セ@
IS e エセ・ョケ@
five
rNying ma rgyud 'bum th
. .
s
brag edition of the
these circulated as a se;. QZAセ@
iエイセ・」オョャケ@
オセッキョ@
at what point
number of different
Y
' these traditions developed in a
11
rtn:ough the eleventh to
thirteenth centuries, オョセ。A・Z、ャゥ」ィイエ@
whelming success of m
.. Y ・セ@ became displaced by the overSeminal Heart.
ore VISIOn-onented movements such as the
Karmay' s simplified analysi 80 f
. .
Khams tradition (lugs) in b。ウエ・セ@
.o theu diversity focuses on the
gnas (eleventh century) and the R Tibet ヲッセ、@
by A ro ye shes 'byung
by Rong zorn chos kyi bzang po (onlg tradition m Central Tibet founded
.
e eventh century) The R
remams unclear since all of R
,
·
ong system
works remain unavailable 81 セョァcッュL@
s ウー・」ゥセ。ャケ@
Great Perfection
by rOyal sras thugs ュ」ィセァ@
イエウ。セ@ 、・ウセ「@
by;:g rm po che'i gter mdzod
ウセッョ@
as beginning in the ei hth tn ・セ@
e Rong セ。、ゥエョ@
transmisi
g
o runth centunes With gNyags
Jnanakumara and
•
pass ng through Sog po d al ·
P gyi ye shes and gNubs
sangs rgyas ye shes· 82 the D b h
sangs rgyas ye shes,'s bSam e t
sngon po also refers to gNubs
mtg sgr?n as belonging to the Rong
tradition. However 'Jam m Zセョ@
khyab and Zhe chen rgyal エZィ。「Gセ@
ウーセ|ZjXQSMYI@
Shes bya kun
bu later link the Rong tradition t R gs s
padma dkar po'i rdzing
ence to "Three Traditions of
セコッイョN@
aNセ@ an unknown date, refercame to be normative in some . I d Class. (sen:s sde lugs gsum)
having been studied by gTer bdCirc e.s-DudJOm Rinpoche
83 cites it as
and DorJ'e first identify 't
セァN@ ghng pa (!646-1714). Kapstein
di .
I as consisting of these tw
"the original cycles of the Mind Cl , b
.o tra. tions plus either
A ro thun bdun system of A ro ass,h オセ@ later Identify the third as the
often instead considered as a ウー・」セ@
dis. セウN@ byung gnas (though this is
I
VISIOn of the Khams tradition). 84
e:
d:e
80.
81.
82.
83.
237
Karmay 1988, 207-8.
Karmay 1988, 125.
Karmay 1988, 125-6, 207-8
Dudjom 1991, 827.
·
In addition, Kapstein has verbally conveyed to me his belief that rGyud
'bum ofVairo(cana) represents the Mind Series lineages of the Zur tradition, referring to the well known Zur family.
Nyang ral nyi rna 'od zer's (1136-1204) famous Chos 'byung me tog
snying po sbrang rtsi'i bcud contains an appendix outlining
the history
85
of the early development of Nyingma tenet systems.
He begins by
highlighting The Eighteen Mind Series Texts, the cycle of the Kun byed
rgyal po with its nine mother-son texts (Kun byed ma bu dgu skor) and
a general reference to "Mind orientation texts" (Sems phyogs rnams).
He also provides a lineage for a Sems so tradition deriving from gNubs
sangs rgyas ye shes, though this apparently is not limited to Mind Series
texts. 86 He subsequently87 provides the following lineage transmission
for Sems phyogs a ti: Chos sku kun tu bzang po, dPal rdo rje sems
dpa', rDo rje snying po, Yang sprul dga' rab rdo rje, 'Jam dpal bshes
gnyen, five hundred learned ones such as the twenty five lineal descendants, Pal).<;lita Shrt Singha, Lotsawa Vairocana, gYu sgra, Jiiana, Sog
po dpal gyi ye shes, sNubs yon tan rgya mtsho, Ye shes rgya mtsho,
84. Kapstein and Dorje 1991, 121, 279. Their index provide the following
references for existent literature concerning these traditions. The rDzogs chen
khams lugs is described by Sog bzlog blo gros rgyal mtshan (1552-c. 1624)
in the gDams ngag mdzod vol. 1, 305-55; and in the rNying ma bka' ma
rgyas pa vol. 17. The rDzogs chen rong lugs is described 「ケセ@
thog pa
nam mkha' rdo Ije (dates?) in the gDams ngag mdzod vol. 1, 270-95; and in
the rNying ma bka' ma rgyas pa vol. 17. It is important to note that both
texts are relatively brief and are written by much later authors. The A ro thun
bdun ("Seven Sessions of Aro [ye shes 'byung gnas]") is found in the gDams
ngag mdzod vol. 1, 356-371; and in the rNying ma bka' ma rgyas pa vol.
17. This was also known as the A ro khrid nw che (don skor), Aro'i thugs
bcud and rDzogs chen aro lugs kyi man ngag; the term "seven" derives from
A ro ye shes having held the Indian and Chinese lineages during the seventh
generation of their development. The text as we currently have it is written
by Zhwa dmar II mkba' spyod dbang po (1350-1405).
85. Chos 'byung me tog snying po sbrang rtsi'i bcud 482-498. At the
Virginia rDzogs Chen symposium mentioned above, the consensus was that
this section may not have been written by Nyang ral himself, but if so, was
most likely written by either his son or another direct disciple.
86. Ibid., 483.
87. Ibid., 488.
238
nABs 11.2
GERMANO
Padma dbang rgyal, Nyang chen nyang chun
gives another lineage 88 for the Great p・イヲ」セ、@
セオイ@ セ@ che. セ・@ then
the five Proclamation Tantras if 1he
' w c e spec1fies as
Perfect Completeness of Esoteric
Primordial Gnosis (bKa • ye s:
one Profound Treasure s」イゥーエオセAOヲ@
[Aッセウ@
イァケセ、I@
and the twenty
the empowennent and introduction Th I' g e: gz ung ), along with
translator Vairocana, gYu sgra, sB a seo:e:;e Qセ@ as follows: the great
snang Iha'i dbang phyug 0
h g . 0 fJe rgyal mtshan, Rab
'byung gnas, Nyang rdo イェセ@ ウョセ[@
ッエ[セ・イゥ@
s:, dNyang shes rab
med kyi sku bmyed pa 'dar ston d e ''
o pa chen po zag
ras pa, rTse phrom bar Ihas
dun, Nァnセ。ョ@
Icags byil ba, sPa se
mgon po, dBas grub thob ー。LZセ@
s:;,;:min セ@
ba, XLan shakya
'byung gnas, a disciple of sN
·-- .
on, ro ye shes
Maiijusrr from lower Amdo ta::s jョセ。N@
who was an emanation of
skor), Internal Cycle (nang ;kor セ@ エィセオ・」@
セ@
セ@ th(e Outer Cycle (phyi
Greater and Intermediate Spikes セコ・イ@
ka セ@
, c.e gsang skor) セ、@
セ・@
from him onwards involved z
k
e bnng ). The transnusswn
rgyal bu, Ya zi bon st G
angs a mdzod khur, Kha rag gru sha
rna, Tshe me byang 」セZ「@
イ、セ@ セオ@ glog chung, Kong rab mtsho, I Tam dar
chung, Ba rang sgom chen
ウbセ@ sgom bsod snying, Kha rag sgom
rgyal. He then provides a iゥセ・。@
a gclg nyang mo, and Dam pa shilkya
with its nine mother-son texts Hセオッ@
エィセ@ ・ケセ@
of the Kun byed rgyal po
ye shes 'byung gnas figures
. ye ma u dgu skor) in which A ro
the Khams tradition ッヲmゥョ、ー[セ・エケN@
セ・@ concludes by explaining
Dam pa shakya r al .
enes as イ・セュョァ@
to Dha tsha hor po and
passed through
st:· ウセ・@
sKor tradition referring to that which
that which passed through
イ。セ@ grags pa; and the Rang tradition as
bzang po. Finally he gives be. gf ャセ。ョァ@
master (Rong zorn) chos kyi
(bram ze'i lugs)-Vimalamitr ョセ@
ュ・。セウ@
ヲッイセ@
"Brahmin tradition"
rna lhun gyi rgyal mtshan 。ョセ@
セ。ョァ@
ting nge dzin bzang po, 'Dan
mtshan-as well as the "uns
angs pa Ice chung ye shes rgyal
med)-Vimalamitra, Nyan
&z;eat.perfection" (rdzogs chen bla
zhang chen po rJe (i e ICeg) btsg ge dzm bzang po, bSam yas kyi
un hseng .ge dban
· ·•so (at whi
po, and sKai 'Idan yo
... g Phyug, ICe sgom nag
spread"). These latter two m
c ーッXセョエ@
Its exegesis and practice
ovements apparently signify visionary
i
i;•
sf:r
U:
u:ass:
88. Ibid., 490-1, 491-2, 492 .
89. I would like to thank Matthew Ka
age's significance to me.
.
pstem for first pointing out this pass-
239
movements sharing similar lineages of transmission involving
Vimalamitra, Nyang ting nge 'dzin bzang po, concealment as treasure
and members of the ICe clan. The latter clearly refers to the Seminal
Heart tradition proper, which is frequently styled as the "unsurpassed
secret" (gsang ba bla na med pa) division of the Esoteric Precept Series,
while the former apparently refers to texts from the yang ti tradition of
the Great Perfection. The yang ti texts collected in volume seven of the
rNying ma rgyud 'bum (gTing skyes) are in Kaneko's catalogue90
labeled as the "yang ti Brahmin cycles" (rDzogs pa chen po yang ti
bram ze'i skor), the bulk of which are traced back to Vimalamitra.
This brief outline merely touches upon this complex issue of beginning to untangle the many different threads constituting the first six
centuries of the Great Perfection (ninth to fourteenth). Further progress
can only come from systematically collecting all early references to
internal divisions and lineal transmissions, particularly within the material currently collected in the various recensions of the rNying ma rgyud
'bum. In conclusion, I would like to note the innovative nature of the
Mind Series trilogies developed by kLong chen rab 'byams pa in the
fourteenth century, which I discuss in more detail below: the Ngal gso
skor gsum and the Rang grol skor gsum. In addition, Mind Series
discourse and praxis was transformed in its assimilation by the Seminal
Heart under the rubric of breakthrough contemplation.
Early Mind Series contemplation
The early Great Perfection was principally a tantric development of buddha-nature discourse without any complex systematic literature or meditative practices. It is thus difficult to ascertain precisely what type of
formal contemplation might have been associated with early Mind Series
literature, since it devotes little space to such practical presentations. The
language of the early texts suggests that in the beginning its proponents
may have had little use for visualization, but (as discussed above) this
does not necessarily entail a process-oriented rejection of any structure
involved in formal contemplative procedures. In fact, later developments
indicate that at least among certain circles there was probably cultivation
of mental concentration via calming techniques (zhi gnas) using the
standard seven point posture, as well as precisely thematized meditation
topics (provided in lineally transmitted discourses) that functioned psy90.
Kaneko 1982, 127.
240
JIABS 17.2
chologically within the context of such cultivation. Thus the basis of
contemplation appears to largely have been a type of extension of
"calming" practices at times involving concentration exercises as
preparatory techniques, but ultimately aiming at a technique free immersion in the bare immediacy of one's own deepest levels of awareness.
Thus formless types of meditation were valorized over the complex fabrication of visual images found in other tantric systems such as
Mahayoga, though it may very well be that during these early phases it
was largely practiced in conjunction with other types of more normative
tantric practices of that type. I have also suggested that certain groups
may have exclusively adhered to Mind Series traditions, even if its
"main" transmitters were doing so in conjunction with other types of
tantric lineages. The accompanying literature consisted of evocative
descriptions of, and exhortations to, this process, that served to contextualize this contemplative inquiry as the unfolding of a type of interior
primordial purity known as the "buddha" (literally "purifying-expanding"-sangs rgyas). This also functioned to relate the inquires to the
buddha-nature strand of Mahayana discourse as well as more aestheticized strands of V ajrayana. Based on this belief in a primordial state of
enlightenment within, the literature is characterized by the language of
letting-go, relaxation, naturalness and simplicity, in stark contrast to the
rhetoric of control, analysis, and "marshaling of resources" found in
Indian Buddhist logico-epistemological treatises, as well as the strands
of tantric discourse dominated by sexual and violent imagery. The latter
is found in the Mahayoga traditions of the ancient ones as well as the
Anuttarayoga tantra traditions that subsequently emerge in the modernist
traditions. There is also a consistent antinomian tendency in these discourses, a rhetorical lawlessness asserting a primordial dimension that is
neither accessed by, nor governed by, law-abiding patterns.
The nature of these traditions is indicated clearly in the famous incident in Mi la ras pa's biography when he is directed to his first
encounter with Marpa by a Great Perfection teacher, after Mi la ras pa
fails to understand his own teachings. The teacher, known as Rong ston
lha dga', greeted Mi la ras pa' s request for liberating teachings with the
following words:91
91. See Lhalungpa 1992, 42.
GERMANO
241
This Teaching of the Great Perfection leads one to セオューィ@
。セ@ the root,
to triumph at the summit, and to triumph_in the fruits of 。」ィゥセカ・ュZエ@
To meditate on it by day is to be Buddha m one day. To meditate 0 .
by night is to be Buddha in one night. For those fortunate ッョセ@
w_tth
favorable karma who merely chance to hear ゥセ@ with?ut even ュセエ。ャョ@
on it, this joyous teaching is a sure means of liberation. That Is why
wish to give it to you.
It comes as little surprise that the youthful Mi la ras ーセ@
figured he ィセ@
it
dis made, and slept through the next few days, after which セ・@ l。ュセ@
cerned he wasn't up to such a subtle doctrine and sent him packing to
Mar pa. In other words, he sent him to much m?re. 」ッュセャ・⦅ク@
and
intensely tantric contemplative systems utilizing visualization wtthin, and
without, the body.
.
· 1 d
However regardless of whether or not its earliest phases mvo セ・@
largely アオゥ・セ@
sitting partially thematized by aphoristic 」ッョエ・ューャ。セ@
themes, from at least the eleventh century _ョキ。イセウ@
Great p・イヲ」セッョ@
groups began to experiment increasingly wtth vanous 」ッョエ・ューセ。ゥZ@
techniques and procedures generally 」ャ。ウセ_@
under the two rubncs . "generation phase" and "perfection phase. The course these expen
ments took became one of the key factors behind セ・@ セ・イ@
、・カセャ_ーᆳ
ment of different traditions, the more radical of which 「セョ@
エセ@ positiOn
themselves under pre-existing and I or new rubrics in d!stincti?n 1? セ@
"lower" Mind Series teachings. Yet eventually the Mi_nd Senes lts
. lded to this experimentation and began to mclude to a cerapparentl Yy1e
·
d rfection
tain degree contemplative praxis drawn from ァ・ョイ。エゥッセ@
pe..
phase traditions. The principle of incorporation is that of stmpllctty, of
mai).<;lalas of
rejecting highly structured visualizations such as 」ッュセャ・ク@
deities to instead focus on limited images, spontaneous iュセァイケ@
or natuセ@
rally occurring objects (meditation on water, fire, etc.). This IS セ・ヲャ」@
in the rhetoric of being simple (spros med), natural (rang bzhm gyzs),
stress-free(' bad rtsol med pa) and the like.
Doxographical gymnastics:
.
Spanning the abyss between the modernists and the anczents
The classical example of these transformed Mind Series-based contemplative systems is kLong chen rab 'byams pa's Ngal gso skor gsum and
GERMANO
242
243
JIABS 17.2
In his own catalogue to his corpus, 92 kLong chen
rab 'byams pa's final two rubrics classify works as being "general
explanations of crucial topics of esotericism" and "detailed exegesis of
the crucial topics of the unsurpassed great esotericism." The latter
embraces his main Seminal Heart works such as the Tshig don mdzod
and Theg mchog mdzod, while the former is divided into the three
series, with the Mind Series classification containing his commentary on
セ@
Kun byed rgyal po and Rang grol skor gswn The former also contams a ーイ・ヲ。エッセ@
s_ection including the Man ngag mdzod and Ngal gso
skor gsum that 1s mtroduced thus: ".... in order that the significance of
all the s?iritual vehicles be understood as a preliminary to or mere means
of セョエ・ァ@
the path of the Great Perfection, (these texts) clarify treatises
which エ・セ」ィ@
the stages of the path along with fruits to lead people
onwards m accordance with any (tradition of Tibetan Buddhism)." In
fact, the Ngal gso skor gsum is traditionally classified with the Rang
セイッャ@
skor gsum as essentially a Mind Series treatise. Its primary focus
IS, as セョァ@
chen rab 'byams pa's own characterization clearly indicates,
on relatin? セ・@ Great セ・イヲ」エゥッョ@
Mind Series tradition to everything that
preceded 1t m Buddhism, and creating a discursive and contemplative
momentum towards experiencing the Mind Series as its natural culminaセッョN@
While there are a few points at which an Esoteric Series-perspective surfaces, on the whole he systematically avoids reference to the
Seminal Heart's technical vocabulary in the cycle, as well as to its conエ・ュセャ。ゥカ@
procedures known as the direct transcendence. kLong chen
rab byams pa's apparent motivations are most likely his ongoing
、セヲ・ョウ@
of the ?reat Perfection in the context of the wider sphere of
T1betan Buddhism through relating it to other non-tantric and tantric
bオ、セウエ@
movements, and his desire to provide a deeply Great
Perfection-based system of study and practice that reached out to other
yogic and intellectual circles through such linkage. There are thus
numerous references to "your own tantric cycles" or "the tantric cycle
you are involved with." It may have also stemmed from a time in kLong
chen rab 'byams pa's life when his disciples were increasing in number
セウ@ well as 、ゥカセイウケ@
and セ。」ォァイョ、L@
such that the always dangerous
1ssue of tantr1c comm1tments (dam tshig, samaya) increasingly
Rang grot skor gsum
a copy of this catalogue as appendixed to the contemporary
92. I have セウ、@
sDe ⦅、ァセ@
ーセュエゥョァ@
of kLong chen rab 'byams pa's gSung thor bu; no other
publiShing mformation available.
weighed on his mind. 93 The relatively straightforward Mind Series _is
quite a bit less intense than the Seminal Heart in such terms, and thus m
the Ngal gso skor gsum kLong chen rab 'byams pa ウケエ・ュ。ゥ」ャセ@
avoids the theoretical and contemplative details oflater developments (1.
e the Seminal Heart). 94 Such a Mind Series practice-focused cycle not
ocly provided a way to disseminate the Great Perfection intellectually
and contemplatively in a trans-sectarian fashion, but 。ャウセ@
エイ。ョウセッ・、@
the
Mind Series into a springboard for particularly comm1tted disciples セッ@
eventually leap into the more quirky and unique world of the セウエ・ョ」@
Precepts Series. While clearly the Ngal gso skor gsum was qmte ュョセᆳ
vative in many ways in the context of the Mind Series, the ・クエョセ@
of 1ts
innovativeness is as yet unclear and it is thus ー。イエゥ」オャケ⦅pセカッ・N@
for
the types of questions I have raised about formal practice m the Mind
Series prior to the fourteenth century.
. .
In kLong chen rab 'byams pa's very self-conscious 。セ・ューエウ@
m this
cycle to integrate the Great Perfection_ into エィセ@
エセイゥ」@
movem.ents
increasingly normative in Tibet, one of his strategies 1s 、ックァイ。ーィゥ」セN@
He seemingly identifies (rather than simply correlates) the エィイセ@
mam
uniquely Nyingma tantric systems (Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga)
with the modernists' three internal divisions of Anuttarayoga tantra
(father, mother and non-dual). 95 As far as I know this is エィセ@ ・セャゥウエ@
instance of such a correlation. In the ensuing discussion, he .mdicates
that the Mallayoga "father" tantras principally focus on generation セィ。ウZ@
practices, while their perfection phase practices are focused on wャセ、ウL@
the associated tantras cited are the Guhyasamlija Tantra (gSang96ba dus
pa) and the Maiijusri Yamliri ('Jam dpal gshin rje'i gshed).
The
93. Matthew Kapstein suggested this possibility to me (Aprill994).
.
94. It appears to be a common phenomena that prominent Great. Perfection
as セ・ケ@
teachers who once openly taught become increasingly 」ッョウセイカ。オ・@
age, often attributing health-related or other problems to thetr open エ・。」ィセョァ@
of such esoteric traditions. For instance, I have on more than one occaswn
heard such stories about the contemporary teachers sMyo shul Kbanpo and
Bya bral Rinpoche.
.
a
95. Shing rta chen povol. 2, 8.5ff.
96. While the former is of course one of the main ュッ、・セエウ@
aョオエ。イセケッァ@
tantras, and also exists in an earlier translation as a princtpal エ。ョセ@
セョ@ セ・@
Nyingma Mabayoga classification, I could not locate the latter s title m
either the TOhoku or Peking catalogues of the Tibetan canons. There are,
244
JIABS 17.2
Anuyoga "mother" tantras, on the other hand, focus on perfection phase
practices in general, while their particular brand of such practices
emphasize the seminal nuclei; the associated tantras cited are the Yang
dag, Vajrakilaya, CakrasalJlvara Tantra and Hevajra Tantra.97 The
Atiyoga "non-dual" tantras then focus on the integration (zung 'jug) o:f
generation and perfection phase practices, while its perfection phase
practices concentrate on the great primordial gnosis in its inconceivable
radiant light of bliss, radiance and non-conceptuality generated from the
channels, winds and nuclei.9 8 Although the first two categories thus
ignore the standard Nyingma association of Mahayoga with セ@
Guhyagarbha Tantra and Anuyoga with the mDo dgongs 'dus pa in
preference for standard modernist associations, in this category kLong
chen rab 'byams pa ignores the modernist association of it with the
Klilacakra Tantra 99 and instead refers to the "sGyu 'phrul drwa 「。Gセ@
(mliylijlila) and so on" (later indicating this refers to the Guhyagarbha
Tantra in particular). 100 Subsequently in his discussion of empowerments 101 he reiterates the identification of "Ati" with the non-dual tantric
classes, and in particular with the sGyu 'phrul drwa ba, which he
characterizes as "the peak of all vehicles" in contrast to "the stage o:f
general secret mantra." This fissure in some contexts between how he
identifies "Atiyoga" and the Great Perfection is further suggested in his
"practical instructions" (don khrid) on the Sems nyid ngal gsa, where he
presents the text's contemplative system as a sequence of one hundred
and forty one topics divided up into three rubrics: (i) the exoteric
causally oriented vehicle of characteristics (sutra); (ii) the inner extraordinary result-oriented vehicle of adamantine secret mantra (tantra); and
however, two similar titles in the gTing skyes edition of rNying ma rgyud
'bum (Kaneko 239 and 248).
97. The last two tantras are of course the standard modernist Mother tantras,
but the previous two would seem to refer to Nyingma Mahayoga tantras.
98. See the Shing rta chen po vol. 2, 12.3ff for further details on the types
of practices associated with these three tanUic classes.
99. While some traditions classified the Kalacakra Tantra as part of a third
"non-dual" division, the Geluk rejected a threefold division of the
Anuttarayoga tantras and thus instead classified it as a "mother" tantra (see
Wayman 1980,250-269 and Sopa 1985, 31).
100. It is cited under this title in the Shing rta chen po vol. 2, 14.6.
101. Shing rta chen po vol. 2, 47.2-3.
I
GERMANO
245
(iii) the vehicle of the unsurpassed great perfection, the fruit of the
definitive nucleus of esotericism (the Great Perfection). Tantra is then
divided into the standard set of four systems, with the fourth labeled "the
unsurpassed Mahayoga tantras" (mal 'byor chen po bla named pa'i
rgyud, mahayoga-anuttara tantra). 102 As above, it is subdivided into
the father, mother, and non-dual, with the non-dual identified as the
sGyu 'phrul drwa ba.
Interestingly, however, in the Ngal gso skor gsum gyi spyi don legs
bshad rgya mtsho, kLong chen rab 'byams pa's discussion of tantra
clearly delineates between the modernist tantras and the Nyingma tantras
03
along the lines of the doxography in his Grub mtha' mdzod.l While
he continues to correlate Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga to the modernist classification of father, mother and non-dual tantras, 104 the listing
out of titles corresponding to the modernist triad and the nケゥセァュ。@
tria.d
in no way overlap with each other, and instead reflect prectsely thetr
106
traditional textual associations. 105 In particular, the Atiyoga section
lists out groups of Mind Series texts, pointedly ignoring Seminal Heart
QP
traditions despite earlier citing two of its main キッイォウN
セ@ セッョァ@
the
possible reasons for this doxographical discrepancy wtthin the same
cycle is that kLong chen rab 'byams pais 。エ・セーゥョァ@
to reach out to
Nyingma scholars and practitioners in the earlier ーセウ。ァ・@
by ーイ・ウョエゥセァ@
a syncretic doxography that emphasizes the thematic and セョエ・ュャN。ゥカ@
points of contact between the modernist and nセョァュ。@
エ。ョセ@
エイ。、ゥセッョウL⦅@
while in these later passages he is acknowledgmg the clear lineal differ
ences (that this approach intentionally obscures).
.
Mahayoga is thus pivotal to this strategy: he not only lmks the
108
"Mahayoga" tradition as a whole with the "Anuttara tantras," ィ・。ャセ@
identifies the key Mahayoga group of texts referred エセNオョ・@
セ・@ rubnc
sGyu 'phrul drwa ba chen po as the "non-dual 、ャvセエッョL@
thus
presenting the Great Perfection as outside, and beyond, that triad. At the
n?n-
102. Byang chub lam bzang 514.1.
h 176 4-193 1
·
•
103. Ngal gso skor gsum gyi spyi don legs bshad rgya mts 0
and 193.1-207.5 respectively.
104. Ibid., 199.5ff.
.
105. Ibid., 190.3-193.1 and 203.1-207.5 respecuvely.
106. Ibid., 205.1-207.5.
107. Ibid., 196.4 and 201.3.
108. Shing rta chen po vol. 2, 4.5.
246
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
same109
time, he elsewhere correlates Atiyoga with this non-dual catethus implying an Atiyoga-Guhyagarbha tantra connection. In
gory,
general, he thus tends to treat the sGyu 'phrul drwa ba, and its main
exemplar, the Guhyagarba Tantra, as a unique and profound tantric
system 、ゥセョァオウィ・@
from others, somewhat analogous to how the
Geluk tradition tends to treat the Kiilacakra Tantra cycle as a category
t 'tself 110
un o 1 . .
In fact there are points where he explicitly suggests a
」ッョ・エゥセ@
between the two systems, such as the comparison of their
presentations of subtle body theories in the Shing rta chen po .111 While
ォZlッセァ@
chen rab 'byams pa ranges through a tremendous variety of nontantric and tantric Buddhist materials in the Ngal gso skor gsum, apart
from the Great Perfection it is clearly the Guhyagarba Tantra above all
・ャウセ@ that ヲセ@
the hermeneutical core of the cycle. For example, the two
ュセ@
subdiviSIOns of the ninth chapter (which is focused on the developmg and perfection phases) are "a general discussion of the significance of secret mantra" and "a detailed exegesis of the sGyu 'phrul drwa
ba. "112 Th th
. . us セ@ cycle offers a prominent example of an influx of Mind
Senes ャセ・ッァケ@
セョエッ@ the exegesis of Mahayoga materials, as well as the
reverse, セᄋ@ e. the mflux of more normative Mahayoga traditions back into
セ・@ pristine sp.aces of Mind Series discourse. Such intersections allow
him to authonze and introduce the Great Perfection in connection to
potentially mainstream tantric movements, as well as begin to intertwine
セ・@ f?rmer ゥョセ@ the latter's very foundation (a strategy eventually flowerセLョァ@
m the. runeteenth,century non-partisan movement). Thus his
ーイ。」セャュウエオゥッョ@
(don khrid) on the Sems nyid ngal gsoll3
セ・ウ」ョ「@
セ・@ culminating meditation of tantra (prior to the Great PerfectiO.n) as セ・@
great perfection of pristine primordial gnosis, the
セオュエ・ウョゥ。ャ@
core of the definitive ultimate in the unsurpassed perfection phase of the sGyu 'Phrul (cycle)."
109. Ibid., vol. 2, 47.2.
110. For example, see Ngag dbang dpal ldan's well known gSang chen
rgyud sde" bzhi'i sa lam gyi mam gzhag rgyud gzhung gsal byed. He contrasts the general Anuttarayoga tantra" to the Kalacakra in his presentation
of Anuttarayoga tantras (540.1fO.
111. Shing na chen po vol. 2, 18.3-19.3
112. See kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s own structural outline of the text (vol
2, 418.2-422.1).
.
113. Byang chub lam bzang 524.6-525.1
247
This presentation closely corresponds to that found in the lengthy
doxographical twelfth chapter of kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s modernist
oriented-survey entitled the Yid bz)lin mdzod. He begins by specifying
four tantric sets, 114 the first three of which are the standard triad of
"outer" tantras: Action, Conduct, and Yoga. The fourth set is first
specified only as "perfection phase" and "inner," 115 followed by the
specification "inner unsurpassed secret mantra" (nang pa gsang sngags
bla named pa) and "the unsurpassed Mahayoga" (mal 'byor chen po
bla named pa'i rgyud).l16 He begins by differentiating it into "father:•
and "mother" tantras on the basis of the deities involved and therr
apparel, but his main discussion subsequently 117 divides the
"unsurpassed Mahayoga" into the triad of father, mother, and non-dual
on the basis of criteria very similar to those in the Shing rta chen po.
Father tantras emphasize generation phase contemplation and perfection
114. Yid bzhin mdzod 553.2. This doxography of four tantric classes along
with the terminological distinctions of a dyadic or triadic ゥセエ・イョ。ャ@
、ゥカウッセ@
of
the fourth only penetrated Tibet in the eleventh century wtth. エィセ@ セ・イョエウN@
The term "Anuttarayoga" evidently itself stems from Buddhtst-SalVlte ケッセQ」@
circles in Northeastern India (see Snellgrove 1987, 462-3 and 504-5). Earher
the term "Great Yoga" (Mahiiyoga) was used to classify certain tantras that
had taken directions distinctive enough that it was felt necessary to doxographically distinguish them from other tantras known. as "Yoga tantras."
The term also was used in early modernist circles to sigmfy what came to be
known as the "father" tantras in contrast to the yogini I prajfia" tantras, or
"mother" tantras, leading Snellgrove (505) to suggest a fivefold 」ャセウゥヲ。エ_ョ@
of tantras-Action, Conduct, Yoga, Great Yoga and Yogini I PraJf\3.. While
in Tibet it became the standard among modernists to artificially classify all
tantras outside of the first three classes as "Anuttarayoga," itself divided up
into "father" and "mother" (or with a third "non-dual" subdivision), this _was
simply one scheme among many. The Nyingmas instead opted for the _triune
division of its higher tantric classes into Mahayoga, Anuyo_ga and aエケッァセN@
The differences between the modernists and ancients on tantrtc doxography ts
thus due to three factors: the temporal period of the reception of tantric traditions from outside Tibet (seventh to tenth centuries vs. eleventh to twelfth),
the geographical location outside of Tibet of their transmissions' セッオイ」・ウL@
and
the intervening development of received traditions in Tibet dunng the four
centuries they existed prior to the modernists' arisal.
115. Yid bzhin mdzod 554.6.
116. Ibid., 555.2 and 563.4 respectively.
117. Ibid., 565.6ff.
GERMANO
248
249
JIABS 17.2
ーィセ・@
techniques focused on winds, in addition to which they teach a
variety of enlightened activities and are said to be for taming males.
Mother tantras, on the other hand, focus on perfection phase techniques
overall, and in particular those involving the nuclei, while they stress the
powerful activities (dbang gi las) and are said to be for taming women.
Non-dual tantras then emphasize primordial gnosis with an equal balance on generation and perfection phases, correlated to efficacious
I?eans Hセィ。「ウI@
and insight (shes rab) respectively. His textual correlations wtth these categories are as follows: father tantras with the
Guhyasamaja Tantra, Yamari and so forth; mother tantras with the
c。ォイヲセカL@
c。エオセ@
pセエィ。@
Tantra and so forth; and non-dual
tantras with the Kalacakra Tantra and sGyu 'phrul drwa ba ("and so
forth" is not specified). The key difference is that he makes no correlation here of this triad to the Nyingma triad of Maha, Anu and Ati, and
セオウ@
no suggestion of a split between Atiyoga and the Great Perfection.119 Additionally, the relationship between the Guhyagarba Tantra
:md the K?lacakra Tantra is here made explicit, a relationship suggested
m the Shmg rta chen po passage cited above. It is clear that this is in
part an 。セューエN@
to authorize the controversial Mahayoga tantra by reference to セウ@
Widely accepted modernist tantra differing markedly on
many pomts of theory and praxis from other modernist tantras.
The Grub mtha' mdzod is by its very title defined as kLong chen rab
'byams pa's doxographical analysis par excellence, and as might be
expected, devotes its final four chapters to an analysis oftantric literature, ideas and pr.actices. Chapter five offers an overview, chapter six
concerns moderrust tantras, chapter seven presents the ancients' tantras
セ@ 18. Despite his consistent use of the "non-dual" category in his presentations of セ・@
セョオエ。イケッァ@
tantras as triune in nature, in the Ngal gso skor
セウオュ@
gyl spyl don legs bshad rgya mtsho (192.5-193.1) kLong chen rab
byams pa argues that it is inappropriate to speak of a class of tantras that are
''non-dual" separate from the father and mother categories.
119. An additional difference in the treatment of tantra between the Yid bzhin
セコ、@
and Ngal gso skor gsum is the lack in the former of the latter's distinctive use of the triune experiences of bliss, clarity and non-conceptuality
H。ャウセ@
understood as the triune radiant light) to structure its presentation of perヲ・」セョ@
phase practices. Such differences clearly indicate a later date of comーセsャエゥッョ@
for the latter, which is in many ways a reworking of the former
chen rab 'byams pa's new agenda of integrating the Great
driven セy@ ォlセョァ@
Perfection Mmd Series traditions into Buddhism as a whole.
(including the Great Perfection), and cha?ter ・ゥァィセ@
is devoted to エセ・@
Seminal Heart tradition in particular. In his analysis of the moderrust
tantras, he presents the standard fourfold division, ャ。「・ゥョセ@
セ・Nヲッ@
"the unsurpassed yoga" and subsequently "the great yoga, mdicating
the two rubrics are interchangeable. 120 His analysis of the fourth Nセᆳ
gory121 again utilizes the standard triad of father tantras emphastzmg
efficacious means, mother Tantras emphasizing insight, and セョウオイー。・、@
tantras emphasizing non-duality (he also subsequently provides a very
of
detailed differentiation of the father and mother tantras 「セ@ ュ・セョウ@
seven distinctions).I22 In this context, he pro:ides d.etalled llsts. of
modernist tantras correlating to the first two rubncs, while for the third
he only specifies the"' Jam dpal rtsa rgyud sgyu 'phrul drwa ba, the
Kalacakra Tantra and so forth." The flrst title refers to one of the key
textsl23 in the important sGyu 'phrul collection of Mahayoga t。ョエイセ@
that the various versions of the Guhyagarba Tantra also belong to.
This particular text was also later translated, and,thus 。」・ーエセL@
by the
modernists, in which context it is known as the Jam dpal gyt mtshan
yang dag par brjod pa (Mafijusri nama sa7Jtgitl). Through reference to
this common text, kLong chen rab 'byams pa thus cleverly connects the
Guhyagarba Tantra with 1m Kalacakra Tantra, as セ・ャ@
as the sGyu
'phrul Mahayoga tantric traditions with the ュッ、・イセウエ@
Anuttarayoga
cycles, without explicitly referring to the controversial Guhyag.arbha
Tantra. In the following chapter in which. he ーイセウ・ョエ@
セ・@ nゥセァュ。@
tantras, he begins by outlining the standard list of rune vehicles.
セ@
and an
last six are split into an outer triad (Action, Conduct and yセァ。IL@
inner triad (Maha, Anu, and Ati). He proceeds to agam correlate
Mahayoga with father tantras, Anuyoga with mother tant:ras, and
some
Atiyoga with non-dual.I26 However, the list セヲ@ texts, 、セウーエ・@
problematic aspects, clearly reflect principally Nymgma tantrtc literature.
120. Grub mtha' mdzod 319.4 and 320.5 respectively.
121. Ibid., 328.lff.
122. Ibid., 331.5-335.1.
123. Kaneko 196; Pelliot Tibetain 849.
.
124. For a thorough discussion of this collection, see Dol]e 1987, 37-58.
125. Grub mtha' mdzod 336.4ff.
126. Ibid., 342.3ff.
250
llABS 17.2
GERMANO
kLong chen rab 'byams pa's Theg mchog mdzod devotes an entire
chapter to Nyingma doxography 127 organized around the nine vehicles
and thus lacking any reference to the standard four tantra sets of mod:
emist doxography. Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga are discussed in
tenns of the specifically Nyingma tantrlc traditions without any reference
to mother, father and non-dual classifications or the concomitant disエゥョ」セッウNQRX@
His Chos dbyings mdzod 129 、ゥウセオ・@
the nine vehicles,
but IS so focused on Atiyoga that discussions of the lower vehicles is
セ。イァ・ャケN@
simply to c?ntrast them to the Great Perfection. Finally, it is
mteresting to note his modernist-oriented presentation of tantric doxography in his principal commentary on the Guhyagarbha Tantra, the
Phyogs bcu. ュオセ@
sel. Here kLong chen rab 'byams pa divides the Secret
セ。ョエイ@
vehicle mto two: the external and the internal.I3o The external
セョ」ャオ、・ウ@
セ・@ .standard triad of Action, Performance and Yoga, while the
ュエセ。ャ@
Stgmfies the following triad: the yogis' tantras (correlated with
Mahayoga and a foc.us on winds in contemplation), the insight-mother
tantras (correlated wtth Anuyoga and perfection phase techniques) and
the non-dual tantras (correlated with Atiyoga and primordial buddhahood).
The variations in kLong chen rab 'byams pa's various doxographies
of tantra relates to the different agendas of each work. For example,
these final two treasures (the Theg mchog mdzod and Chos dbyings
mdzod) are principally focused on the Great Perfection tantric traditions
(the fanner on Seminal Heart and the latter on a Mind Series-oriented
イセ、ゥョァ@
of the .Seminal Heart), and thus are not concerned with assimilating or catenng to such modernist concerns as the four categories of
エ。ョセᄋ@
The gセオ「@
mtha' mdzod, however, ranges over a wide variety of
traditions, セ、@
m doing so presents the modernist and Nyingma tantrlc
doxographies ウ・ー。イセエャケL@
though it does also correlate them. The Ngal
ァウセ@ sJco_r gsum エィセョ@ ts concerned to integrate the Great Perfection orienエ。セッョ@
mto t?e セi、・イ@
!ibetan religious scene without insisting on the
uruque ウセエヲゥ」ケ@
of Its own terminology, practices and sources, and
thus exphcttly synthesizes the modernist and Nyingma tantric doxography. kLong chen rab 'byams pa even completely identifies the three
127.
128.
129.
130.
Theg mchog mdzod vol. 1, 62-119.
Ibid., 96.7-119.6.
Chos dbyings mdzod 104.2ff.
Phyogs bcu mun sel149.5ff.
251
Nyingma inner tantras with the three divisions of the modernist
Anuttarayoga Tantras, such that the only specifically Nyingma tantra
mentioned is the Guhyagarbha Tantra. In contrast, the Yid bzhin
mdzod is solidly modernist in its tantric orientation, and consequently
ignores the Great Perfection as well as Nyingma doxography to focus
on the standard four tantric sets of the modernists.
Mind Series contemplative systems in kLong chen rab 'byams pセ@ 's
Trilogies (sKor gsum): the impact of modernism and the reappropnation oftantric techniques
.
The point of this extended doxographical digression is to contextualize
the possible innovation of the Mind Series 」ッセエ・ュー。ゥョ@
ウケエ・セ@
pr?sented in the Ngal gso skor gsum. The system ttself ts presented m different ways, one of the most clear being the "practical guidance" commentary on the Sems nyid ngal gso. This エセク@
ッオエャゥセ・ウ@
one ィ_セ、イ・@
and
forty one sequentially arranged contemplative techniques split mto セ・@
sections: exoteric Buddhism (92), tantra (22) and the Great Perfection
(27). Evidently dPal sprul o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po
13.1 main(commonly referred to as dPal sprul Rim poche; QセPXMWI@
tained the lineage of using this as a teaching tradition by teaching one
topic each day with regular practice sessions over the course of one
hundred and forty one days. 'Jam mgon kong sprul tried to keep セウ@
alive, as evidenced by his including the text in the first volume of hi.s
large compilation entitled the gDam ngag mdzod, but eventually It
apparently lost its last main advocate with the death of mKhan po ngag
chung (1879-1941). It is currently used primarily as セ。」ォァイッオョ@
c?mbined with other systems, rather than itself functiorung as a pnnc1pal
practice text.
The twenty-seven aspects of Great Perfection contemplation clearly
avoid any reference to Seminal Heart 」ッョエ・ューャ。ゥセ@
systems, as well as
the auxiliary perfection phase techniques closely linked to them. セッキᆳ
ever it should be noted that in the opening lineage account he specifies
'
the Seminal
Heart lineage of Indians and Tibetans. 132 I n addition,
having specified that the Esoteric Precept Series is the highest teaching
131. Matthew Kapstein is the source of the following ゥョヲセイュ。エッN@
its use
in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as an actual practice text (m conversation, summer 1994).
132. Byang chub lam bzang 526.4ff.
252
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
セイッュN@
。ュッョセ@
the three Series ( sde gsum) of the Great Perfection, he
present account as in accord with practices for engaging
エィセウ・@
With Intellects wrapped up in objective references" (dmigs pa yul
gyz blo can) and the breakthrough practices. 133 The former is a standard
term used to identify lower order tantric-based practices associated with
Great Perfection contemplation as adjuncts, but not considered intrinsically part of.it..セ・@
ーイセウ・ョエ。ゥッ@
of precepts on contemplative practices
themselves Is diVIded mto three rubrics;l34 (i) determining (the ground)
through \understanding) the view (precepts 115-118); (ii) sustaining
yourself m セ・ウエ。@
(of this view) through contemplative cultivation
(119-138); (m) and the fruit (of such contemplation), divestiture from all
ィッセウ@
and ヲ・セウ@
(139-141). The four precepts of the first rubric are
ュイオセケ@
analytical contemplative techniques for evoking a sense of the
emptiness or intangibility of external objects and the internal psyche.
Apart from the reasoning process involved in such deconstruction no
ウセゥヲ」@
セ」ィョゥアオ・ウ@
or postures are identified. The three precepts of the
third rubnc contain no indications of discrete contemplative procedures
but rather are poetic reveries on the phenomenological significance of エィセ@
セクー。ョウ・@
•.the.ftve spiritual bodies, and the five types of primordial gnosis
mvoked m discussing the ideal of perfected (wo)man (i.e. the Buddha).
The twenty precepts of the second rubric, however, do involve contemplative techniques and procedures beyond such thematic inquiries
セ・ケ@
are classified into two groups: a general discussion of 」ッョエ・ューャ。セ@
tive ーイッセ・ウ@
」ャセウゥヲエ・、@
in accordance with three levels of practitioners
oッセカ・イL@
mtermediate and higher; precepts 119-129) and a detailed explaョ。エゥッセ@
セヲNエィ・@
Particulars of skill in means (precepts 130-138). As for the
セイウエ@ divtswn, the lower level of practice (precepts 119-125) is discussed
m terms of 」。ャセョ@
エ・」ィョゥセオウ@
(zhi gnas), insight techniques (/hag
mthong) and thetr mtegration (zung 'jug). The calming techniques
セイ・」ーエウ@
119-122) are all specified as following (and thus contextuaiIzed by) セ・@ standard practice of guru yoga and utilizing the standard
セWカ・ョ@
pomt セウエオイ・N@
All four involve developing concentration through
. mple エ・」セアオウ@
of focusing on various external objects or internal
セ。ァ・ウN@
While as a whole they utilize such tantric techniques as visual lZlng the subtle .body's three main channels, visualizing the breath with
colors, modulating the length of inhalation and exhalation, focusing on
エ、・ョゥヲセウ@
セ@
133. Ibid., 526.3.
134. Ibid., 527.2-543.2.
253
internal images, visualizing one's own body as a deity, or ・ュセエゥョァ@
セ、@
contracting light rays, the technique in question is always very. simple m
form and the focus remains on the generation of concentration rather
than any quality of the technique in and of itself. The use of deity visualization is entirely incidental and appears to simply be used as a convenient and familiar object to focus the psyche on, given the wide spread
use of such practices. Other things to note are the emphasis on the
body's sensory experience, with visible forms, sounds, scents, ヲャ。セッイウ@
and tactile sensations all forming the objective pole for contemplation.
The insight techniques and "integration" (precepts 123- セRUIL@
ィセキ・カイL@
involve no specific techniques beyond analytical or ーッ・エゥセ@
ウィ。_セョァ@
.of a
preexisting contemplative state, with a focus on directed.mqwnes mto
emptiness. The intermediate (precepts 126-128) and higher (precept
129) levels of practice involve no techniques beyond the standard ャッセウ@
posture, and are again poetically thematized styles of 」Nッョエ・セーャ。ゥカ@
inquiry attempting to evoke and I or pinpoint such key dimens10ns as
emptiness, clarity, awareness and primordial freedom.
.
The second division (precepts 130-138) is fourfold: calmmg techniques, insight techniques, their integration, and エィ・セイ@
finalization セ@ la
zla). In general these techniques イ・ーウセョエ@
a セ・ュァ@
o: the ・セャエイ@
techniques in their emphasis on integrating イ・セiコ。エゥッョ@
セQエィ@
ordinary
activity and direct rather than analytical or analogical expenence. (i) The
」。ャュゥョセ@
techniques ( 130-132) are as follows: visualizing an image such
as a lotus at one's heart which then runs down into the depths of the
earth to create a sense of stability, after which it is contracted into one's
heart (130); incidentally using an image of a deity .to 、ゥウセャカ・@
セウエッイ・、@
mental activity and focus on emptiness (131); and ュエ・ァイセョ@
this 」。ャセ@
state with activity such as walking, thinking and conversmg (132). (n)
The insight techniques (133-135) all lack any particular エ・」ィョゥアセウ@
of
postures, visualization, or the like, instead focusing on the ウ・セョァャケ@
intangible experiences of appearance's illusory quality and ・ューエゥョセウN@
(iii) The integration techniques (136-137) are twofold, the ヲゥセウエ@
of which
again is a thematic type of contemplation focused on finding the valorized state of awareness while sitting in the standard posture. The second technique, identified as an "enhancer" (bogs 'byin) to the first,
involves utilizing specific postures and gazes to contemplate a ャオ」セョエ@
cloudless sky. This causes one's inner sky to clear up, such that reality
manifests as the "secret nucleus of radiant light" (gsang ba Gッセ@ gsal
snying po). While in the Seminal Heart this would refer to the particular
GERMANO
254
255
JIABS 17.2
visions of direct transcendence contemplation, here it apparently refers
more to a sense of the luminous expanse or an inner vastness, as indicated by ゥエセ@ description as "beyond centers and peripheries." (iv) The
final technique, that of finalization, appropriately returns to pure Mind
Series contemplation. 135
The bulk of these contemplative styles are thus technique-free, exhortatory and evocative in nature, poetry and analysis on a cushion. Of the
of contemplation kLong chen rab 'byams pa details
twenty seven セッイュウ@
under the rubnc of the Great Perfection, twenty are of this technique-free
variety appropriate to the rhetoric of early Mind Series literature
Hセク」・ーエゥァ@
posture), while seven involve some type oflimited application ?f either ・。イャセ@
Buddhist calming techniques or later principles of
tantnc contemplation. A seven point lotus posture is consistently
ウエイセ・、@
even within セ・@ context of the former set of practices, making
アキエセ@
clear エィセ@
these mvolve formal meditative sessions sitting on a
」セウィゥッョL@
not stmply a vague spin put on experience in the back of one's
mmd as one goes through daily activities. As for the latter set of
practices, though they draw upon tantric practices and other normative
bセ、ィゥウエ@
meditative techniques, the guiding principle is extreme simーャゥ」セエケ@
(spros bral), and always priority remains on the mind's state not
セ・@ .Imported practice's specific details. The emphasis in such practlces
セsゥューャケ@
ッョNセ」・エイ。ゥァ@
the mind, and then dissolving that concentraエゥッセN@
In 。セエゥッョL@
they are clearly positioned as "inferior" styles of meditation, while エィセ@ ィゥァ・セ@
levels are purely of the former type. Again, it is
セッエ@
clear ?ow Innovative the formal inclusion of such meditative practices was m the context of fourteenth century Mind Series traditions-it
may have 「・セ@
partially an attempt to revive this genre in ecumenical
v:ays セッエ@
ーッウセエ「ャ・@
for the Seminal Heart. Yet even overlooking its posSible mnovativeness, it is striking that as late as the fourteenth century
we find 74% ッセ@ a famous Mind Series contemplative system involving
セッ@
ヲッセ。ャ@
techniques of any type, and the remaining 26% simply involvmg baste concentration exercises.
The contemplative structure utilized in the second text of the trilogy
(bSa": gtan ngal gso), is based upon the standard triad of contemplative
bliss (bde ba), radiance I clarity ( gsal ba) and
:xpenences Hョセ。ュウIZN@
on-conceptuality (mz rtog pa). The Shing rta chen po identifies this
135. Ibid., 138.
136
triad as the three aspects of radiant light(' od gsal):
the radiant light
of bliss involves contemplations bringing the seminal nuclei into the
central channel and consequently tactile sensations; the radiant light of
winds and conclarity involves contemplatively working with the ゥョ・セ@
sequently visual sensations of lights; and the radiant llght of セッョM」ᆳ
ceptuality involves contemplating the mind directly (or psychzc sensations). In chapter three (the principal section) of the bSClJ11: ァエセョ@
ngal ァセッ@
and its auto-commentary the Shing rta rnam dag, this triad IS the mam
structure kLong chen rab 'byams pa utilizes to present the エイゥャッセケᄋ@
main
Great Perfection-based contemplative system. That presentation IS further delineated in terms of the standard tripartite sequence of prelirninaries, main practice, and concluding phase. The intennediate phase is particularly important, since it is considered to be the heart of the system.
The preliminaries consist of a triad that can be correlated to セ・N@ three
vehicles: the general preliminaries on impennanence and renunciation of
ーイ・ャセュゥ。ウ@
on comcyclic existence (the Lesser Vehicle); the セー・、。ャ@
passion and the engendering a compassiO.nate ュNッエゥカセャョ@
(the Great
Vehicle); and the supreme preliminaries, which are i、・セエゥヲ@
as the gen137
This ウ・イカセ@
to coneration phase, perfection phase and guru yoga.
textualize the system in terms of the standard range of Buddhist teachings and practices in Tibet, simultaneously relegating them to a lower
status even while emphasizing their necessity. In fact he makes a
point138 of emphatically stressing the necessity of doing four エケーセウ@
ッセ@
preliminaries prior to "meditation on the path of the gイ・。セ@
p・イヲ」セッL@
the latter which he characterizes as "settling into the unfabncated pnstine
enlightening mind of awareness" (rig pa byang chub kyi sems rna bcos
mal du 'jog pa). He indicates that among his contempor.aries there were
many who attempted to directly meditate on the path V:Ithout such ーイセᆳ
liminaries but he characterizes them as deviant or ffilStaken. In this
'
.
context, he specifies the four as (i) impermanence, compassiOn, generation of an enlightened motivation (bodhicitta); (li) imaginatively generating all appearances and life-worlds as the pure lands of the Buddhas and
deities; (iii) chanting mantras and focusing the mind on the subtle yoga;
and (iv) meditation and supplication in guru yoga.
136. Shing rta chen po vol. 2, 12.6ff.
137. Shing rta rnam dag 72.5ff.
138. Ibid., 80.2ff.
256
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
Although he refers to the perfection phase techniques of "channels,
winds and nuclei" in this context of the preliminaries, 139 in fact the
commentary does not elaborate on any such techniques at that point. In
contrast, the practices classified as the "main" and "concluding" phases
clearly are modifications or variants of such techniques. In fact his
opening discussion of the main phase 140 describes a variant of the standard perfection phase fierce woman ( gtum mo) practice described as
セGヲッャキゥョ@
the (preliminary) generation of the deity and guru yoga." I
mterpret this as reflecting his desire to modify the Mind-Series style of
Great Perfection contemplation to include such normative tantric techniques, but in the process to thoroughly modify them in line with the
Great Perfection's ideological and psychological premises. For this reaセッョL@
セ・@ .rheto:!cally identifies ordinary perfection phase techniques as
ーイ・セエヲゥャョ。ケL@
. and then takes pains to point out how the similar yet
modified techniques classified as the latter two phases (main 1 concluding) are instead
specifically Great Perfection in character. In the com141
ュセョエ。イケL@
kLong chen rab 'byams pa refers to this presentation as
uruquely Great Perfection in its orientation precisely in this classification
セヲ@ the above triad of practices as "preliminary" since they involve objective references (dm.igs bcas); in contrast, ordinary tantra teaches the "real
path" セ@ "meditation on a single seat alternating between generation and
perfection phase techniques I states." Thus the system again shows
kLong chen.rab 'byams pa's emphasis on the perfection phase rather
than generation phase practices, just as in his presentation of tantric contemplation in the Yid bzhin mdzod. In the latter context he describes 142
t?e "mainphase".(dngos gzhi) ofmeditation as the utilization of perfection phase techniques to contemplate "primordial gnosis in its radiant
light:• ('.ad gsa/ ye shes), explicitly positioned as posterior to preliminary
meditation on engendering an enlightened motivation and generation
phase techniques. This is not to deny the frequent passages in the Shing
rta mam dag that stress the inappropriateness of "perfection" without
"generation,"143
as well as describe a "path without a deity" as not being a
mantnc path.
This would appear to be a veiled criticism of those who
139. Ibid., 73.
140.
141.
142.
143.
Ibid., 81.4ff.
Ibid., 73.3.
Yid bzhin mdzod 665.
257
construe the Great Perfection's rhetoric to explicitly deny the use of any
type of practice involving vision or visualization, though f.t is ゥセj_oイ@
to note that this particular statement is in the context of ーイ・ィュゥセ。ケ@
practices of generation and perfection, and hence does not apply, strictly
speaking, to the Great Perfection per se.
.
. .
The Shing rta rnam dag then outlines the mam practices m terms. of
contemplative techniques I states (bsam gtan) ヲッ」オウセ@
on the イ・ウセエゥカ@
experiences of bliss, radiance and non-conceptuallty. The ーイ。」セ・ウ@
U nder the rubric of "bliss" are a variant on the sexual yogic practices
·
centered on seminal nuclei (the key technique
of many perfiセ@ tion Phase
systems under the rubric of "fierce woman" [gtum mo]), and mvolve the
manipulation of visualized syllables and so on within. the ウオ「セャ・@
bo.dy
system to evoke experiences of intense bliss. The ーセ。」エャ・ウ@
dealing Wlth
"radiance" utilize techniques involving the body's wmd.s I breath and the
visualization of light within the body, ultimately focusmg on the c?nsequent experiences of internal and ・クエイョ。ャオュゥッウセケN@
The エ・」セアオウ@
dealing with "non-conceptuality" involve 」ッョエ・ュセャ。ゥ@
ッセ@ the sky s vast
openness with the aid of an extremely simple カQウオ。ャセエゥッョ@
and chant,
and subsequently focusing on the concomitant ウ・ョ。エゥッセ@
of non-conceptuality. In this modification of perfection phase エセ」ィョゥアオ・ウL@
the key
principles are that of extreme simplicity (spros med) m terms of ーセッ」・ᆳ
dures and visualizations, in striking contrast to the often セュ。コァャケ@
complex and convoluted (spros bcas) contents of generation phase
practices; the frequent invocation of the importance of 「。ャョ」セL@
smoothness, and avoidance of stress; and a constant return to, ・ューィセQウ@
?n, and
culmination in, contemplation of the open spaces of セ・@
ョオセ@
s. final
nature beyond and within all specific images and sensations. セウ@
ュエ・セᆳ
linked triune tact is what, for kLong chen rab 'byams pa, 」Nッョセエゥオ・ウィ@
as a uniquely Great Perfection contemplative ウケセᄋ@
despite 1ts obv1?us
departure from what one might imagine as a pnstine uncompromismg
Mind Series-based contemplative style.
The discussion of the concluding phase is not at all perfunctory, but
rather includes discussions of new contemplative techniques under the
rubric of "branches which aid the practice of the セ。ュ@ . Phase. "144" Thus
kLong chen rab 'byams pa interprets this category m エィセ@ sense of background teachings" (rgyab chos) to discuss more ・クエョセQカ@
and 」セュャ・ク@
tantric techniques, without, however, admitting them mto the pnnclpal
Shing rta mam dag 76.5.
144. Ibid., 92.4.
GERMANO
258
259
JIABS 17.2
system itself. Of the four sections, two explicitly deal with new contemplative techniques: (i) contemplative experiences (nyams) and (ii)
techniques for enhancement or energization of one's contemplation
(bogs 'byin). The former is not particularly interesting for our present
purposes, as it consists of pointers to cope with the inevitable attachment
that occurs to the intense new sensations generated by contemplation.
The latter is presented in terms of (i) techniques for curing defects in
one's contemplative experiences (nyams skyon can bcos thabs) and (ii)
techniques for intensifying (gong du 'phel ba) the gnosis of bliss, radiance: and non-conceptuality. In discussing the curative techniques, he
spectfies that the best practitioners simply have recourse to the "view"
(ita ba), the intermediate to "meditation" (sgom pa) and the inferior to
"conduct" (spyod pa). 145 Thus for the "best" we find that pure Mind
Series contemplation without any specific techniques, even to the extent
of calming practices, is sufficient. In this way kLong chen rab 'byams
pa 。」セッキャ・、ァウ@
the older tradition (whether it was simply rhetorical or
practical) and the supremacy of such simple contemplation within the
pristine view. But the slight space given it in comparison to the other
two types of practitioners clearly constitutes a pragmatic recognition that
such an uncompromising position simply isn't sufficient for most individuals-as a tradition, it seems one must involve oneselves in
"meditation" and "conduct" (key words for different types of practice),
despite the "view's" ontological accuracy in its claims to be "beyond
meditation and conduct" (sgom med, spyod med). Thus the traditional
triad of a view, its meditative cultivation, and its behavioral implementation ( lta sgom spyod) is used to justify this extension out of pure Mind
Series contemplation, whether or not such an extension is actual, or a
mere rhetorical acknowledgment of a pre-existing state of affairs. Additional elements of this strategy are the triad of bliss, radiance and nonconceptuality-it suggests Mind Series is focused more on the non-conceptuality, but other techniques are more adequate to the equally imporエセ@
experiences and intuitions of bliss and radiance. Finally the
";tdespread hiearchization of individuals' varying contemplative capacities (as seen above) is utilized: the lower on the yogic ladder you get,
the more elaborate techniques are needed (though the most elaborate
elements of this contemplative system remain considerably simpler than
the elaborate mllJ).<;lalas and procedures of some tantric systems).
145. Ibid., 96.1-98.6, 98.6-103.2, and 103.2-107.2 respectively.
The instructions for curative techniques in "meditation" for the 。カ・イセ@
practitioner all consist of very simple techniques used to cur:e prectse
problems that arise in the above three practices. For example, 1f one has
problems with preventing ejaculation in the "?liss'_' practice, ?ne
visualizes a dark blue hum syllable within the perus-vaJra. From this a
frre blazes and ゥョ」・イ。エセウ@
all the seeds, and one visualizes it as ・ュセエケN@
If one has problems with the mind being too agitated to focus •. one vtsualizes a lotus or crossed double vajra at one's heart, from which a cord
extends downward. This cord increases in length until it reaches all セ・@
way down to the universe's very foundation. With prolonged ュ・、ゥセᆳ
tion this will clear away the agitation. Finally, if one has a problem With
ュ・セエ。ャ@
fogginess and torpor while doing practice ッヲョセM」・ーエオ。ャゥケL@
one can clear it away with the following technique: a glittenng ーイ・ウョ」セ@
resembling a globe of light raises from one's heart, and one focuses on 1t
hovering in space an armspan above one.
"Conduct'' is then explained in terms of utilizing different postures (lta
stangs), substances (rdzas), and supporting links. (rten G「セ・ャIN@
The
m ウセーッイエ@
rubric of postures includes some simple postural 。、juウエュ・ョセ@
of the above three types of practice, as well as .an ・クエセ、@
、ゥウ」オセ@
on of
146
why the classic seven point posture is so cruc1al.
Substances 」ッセᆳ
centrates on diet as well as the type of company to keep and geographical environmen;, in relation to the particular type of practice one is e.ngaged on. "Supporting links" involves using particular types of matenal
substances such as charmed cords and sandalwood.
kLong chen rab 'byams pa begins his discussion. of Bゥョエ・ウセァ@
techniques with a trenchant criticism of those who. イ・jセエ@
セQ@ meditative
references (dmigs pa) or specific icons ウオ」ィNセ@
vャsu。ゥコエッセ@
(mtshan
beas). 147 Without the use of such "key points (gnad), he セョ、ゥ」。エ・ウ@
one
wm not have the slightest meditative experience and thus will not セ・@ セャ・@
to stabilize one's mind. He instead stresses the importance ofbegmmng
with meditative objects, and only subsequently releasing them セョエッ@
セッョᆳ
referential (dmigs med) meditation. In the present context, he Q、・セエゥヲウ@
"meditative references" as the blazing and dripping of the nuclei m the
bliss practices; the colorized inner winds in the radiance practices; and
the pure sky in the non-conceptuality practices. Subsequently he con-
146. Ibid., 103.3-104.5.
147. Ibid., 107.3-116.3 and 107.3-108.3 respectively.
GERMANO
260
eludes this section 148 in a similar vein with an admonition that for the
energization of all these contemplative teclmiques a practitioner should
generally value the セエ。ョ、イ@
イ。ョセ・@
of meritorious activities: amassing
accumulations of gnosis and merit, purifying obscurations,
the セキッN@
and perfection phase techniques, and doing
meditation on ァ・ョセイ。エゥッ@
guru yoga. Thus m the intervening discussion, he indicates how to
セョ・イァゥコ@
the bliss practice in particular by providing more particulars on
Its four ーィセ・ウ@
of 、・セョエL@
reversal, dispersal and indictment (as empty)
of the ウ・イオセNョ」ャゥ@
m one's body, including pointers on posture and so
ヲッセ@
セ。エ@
Z。」エャゥセ・@
them. 149 Of particular interest 1so is what appears to
be his JUstification for including sexual yoga in a Great Perfection conエ・ゥ⦅tiセャ。カ@
system: the focus here is on the final phase of finding the
ongmally pure emptiness within these sensations of intense bliss in
marked contrast to the "stressful and forced" ( rtsol ba can) ーイ。」エゥ・セ@
of
those who just continually concentrate on the descent, reversal and disー・イウセ@
of the ウ・セ。ャ@
nuclei within their bodies along with the concomiエ。ョセ@
mtense ッイセエ。ウゥ」@
sensations. In his account of the energization of the
radianc.e practice, 151 h: also emphasizes its difference from ordinary
perfection phase techniques, characterizing it as superior to standard
breath techniques visualizing the breath as colored, with temperature,
s? on. The energization of the non-conceptuality practice,I52
shapes 。ョセ@
however, セ@ juセエ@
an outline of several simple teclmiques; dis solving all
conceptuality mto an intent focus on a meditative reference such as the
statue セヲ@ a deity; holding the lungs empty and staring intently at
ュセオョ。ウL@
rocks and so on; or focusing the mind on letters, lights, or
deity Images at the four wheels of the subtle body while holding one's
breath inside.
. Finally, I キセオャ、@
ャゥセ・@
to point out that this entire system is summarized
simple sequence of preliminaries, main practice and
mto an セエイ。」ゥカ・ャケ@
con?luding phase in the "practical guidance" (don khrid) on this text. 153
Whi!e space prevents me .from outlining it here, it suffices to point out
that It presents the above m a very stream lined package giving one the
148.
149.
150.
151.
152.
153.
261
JIABS 17.2
Ibid., 115.6-116.3.
Ibid., 108.3-112.4.
Ibid., 112.3.
Ibid., 112.4-114.6.
Ibid., 114.6-115.6.
Yid bzhin nor bu 126.3-129.4.
sensation of a truly Great Perfection-based reading of the standard range
of Tibetan Buddhist contemplative practices, inclusive yet ョッM」ュセ@
promising in its adherence to the principle of simplicity (spros med).
As with the Ngal gso skor gsum, kLong chen rab 'byams pa's &u:g
grol skor gsum cycle enables him to present セ・@
ウエ。ョ、イセ@
Buddhist
vehicles with a focus on practice in the Mind Senes. It also IS novel to
some degree, as indicated by its status as a "pure vision" (dag snang)
received by kLong chen rab 'byams pa directly from Ye shes ュセィッ@
rgyal. 154 This trilogy provides a sustained interpretation of the Mind
Series,. such as when
Series from the perspective of the Esoteric pイ・」セ@
it utilizes the unique terminology of the four vtstons of ?irect tr.anscendence to discuss the progression of breakthrough I mゥョセ@
s・ョセ@
contemplation, or its clear references to dream practices assoctated セQエィ@
the
Seminal Heart tradition. 155 Thus it would seem kLong chen rab 「ケセウ@
pa thought of this trilogy as an intermediate bridge between the solidly
Mind Series-based Ngal gso skor gsum and specifically s・セョ。ャ@
Heart
modermsts to the
scriptures, probably intended to gradually セョエイッ、」・@
latter's unique and quirky world both temunolog1cally and. 」ッョエ・セャ。ᆳ
tively through the medium of the more palatable Mind ウN・ョセ@
tradition.
In other words, it was intended as a springboard for ッョ・エゥセァ@
people
towards the Esoteric Precept Series vision of the Great Perfection:
The first text of the trilogy, the rDzogs pa chen po ウ・ュセ@
nyld イ。セァ@
grol, 156 devotes its lengthy second chapter to. 」ッョセ・ューャ。エゥL@
but Its
on 。」セャ@
intensely beautiful and experiential account provideS little 、・セ。ゥャ@
contemplative procedures aside from the standard ーッ・エゥ」Mセ[。カ@
Mind Series style of meditation. Its auto-commentary (another practical
guidance" (don khrid) text), however, has more ウー・セゥ」@
in ゥセ@ triune
157
(I) mstructions on
presentation of a gradated path of meditation:
154. See Buddha Mind (356) for a lineage with several ゥョエ・、セ@
different lineage list for the Chos nyid rang grol and mNyam
セケゥ、@
figures;
セ@
rang gro
provided in their respective "practical guidance" commentanes <?29.6 and
377 4) goes dii'ectly from Ye shes mtsho rgyal to kLong chen rab byams pa
·
"·
p dmasambhava
himself (the latter text specifies the "Padma couple, 1. e. a
and Ye shes mtsho rgyal).
155. See Tbondup 1989, SセMVN@
.
,
la156. All page references to th1s and 1ts commentary are to Thondup s trans
tions for the reader's convenience.
.
157. Lam rim snying po 357-367,367-370 and 370-373 respectively.
GERMANO
262
263
JIABS 17.2
natural freedom in contemplative practice in this current lifetime; (ii)
instructions on radiant light as the pure source-potential within the postlife intermediate state; and (iii) instructions on the fruit of definitive
actualization. The first section begins with seven preliminary phases of
contemplation (the frrst six are done for seven days apiece, and the seventh for a few additional days): (i) a standard, and fairly complex,
tantric guru-yoga centered on the visualization of Padmasambhava and
Ye shes mtsho rgyal; (ii) ュセア。ャ@
offering utilizing visualization; (iii)
purificatory meditation on Vajrasattva; (iv) contemplation of impermanence; (v) going for refuge to visualized presences; (vi) the standard
Mahayana generation of an altruistic motivation towards enlightenment;
and (vii) finally a triune meditation on calming, insight, and their integration. None of these involve any visionary or visualization practices
unique to the Seminal Heart tradition. These preliminaries are then followed by the main and concluding practices, which on the whole involve
no iconic-specific visualizations, breathing modulations, or other such
tantric techniques. Thus typical Buddhist meditations are relegated to a
"preliminary" phase, while the main contemplations are concordant with
セ・@
。ョエゥMッュセ@
(from a normative Buddhist scholastic and contemplative vantage pomt) discourse of early Great Perfection literature. The
only exception is the "enhancement" (bogs dbyung) section of the concluding practices, which describes a practice involving going to a solitary spot and acting out whatever comes to your mind. This practice is
drawn from the Seminal Heart tradition, where it is known as "the differentiation between cyclic existence and transcendence's respective
domains" (' khor 'das ru shan). 158
The intermediate state section, however, is an abbreviated account of
the processes of dying and post-death existence accompanied by a terse
_オエセョ・@
of the associated contemplative precepts involving lights, visualIZation, and so on, drawn from the tenth adamantine topic of the Seminal
Heart tradition. The final section on the fruit is not so clearly experiential
in nature, and largely involves theories of the nature of a Buddha's
activity and realization. Thus overall we find again an incorporation of
ウエ。ョ、セ@
tantric practices that have been streamlined and simplified, tiE
ーイッョュセ」・@
of calming I insight techniques, and a subdued incorporation
セヲ@ certrun セー・」エウ@
of Seminal Heart terminology and contemplative practices. Desptte the presence of these tantric techniques, there is absolutely
158. See the description in Tshig don nuizod 372.4-374.3.
no focus on the iconic presence of any one deity or set of セ・ゥエウ@
セ@ in
ordinary generation phase practices, nor is there any emphasis .on bnnging the internal winds into the body's central channel as in ordinary perfection phase practices.
.
I will defer a similarly detailed examination of the other texts m the
trilogy, except to note that in general they follow the ー。エセイョ@
of.the first
set of texts: they frame the breakthrough style 」ッョエ・ューャ。ゥセ@
w1th ュッイセ@
conventional preliminary tantric and Mahayana 」ッョエ・ュセャ。ゥウL@
エィ・セ@
IS
an infusion of bardo ideology and praxis, the moderrust and sex:run.al
Heart focus on radiant light and vision is pronounced, and desptte tts
obvious infiuence, they refrain on the whole from オセャコゥョァ@
.the characteristic Setninal Heart terminology or describing the cntical direct エイ。ョウ」・セᆳ
dence contemplation. The emphasis on radiant light and the bardo IS
"
· al ·dances" structure
even more pronounced, and the other two practic gw
..
.
their discussion of contemplative instructions around the traditional セ。、N@
used to structure Seminal Heart treatises' presentations of セッュャ。エゥョN@
(i) a description of contemplative procedures to be used m エィゥセ@
hfe ヲッセ@
the sharpest of practitioner; (ii) instruc?ons セッ@ _th: post-death ャセョ・@
_
diate states for practitioners of intermediate 。「Qャセエゥ・ウL@
and セョ。ゥャ_G@
(111! Nセ・@
cepts for those of inferior abilities, which bru:lCally consists m オエゥャセァ@
the practice of transference of consciousness ( pho ba) to. be イ・「ッセ@
ma
pure land. kLong chen rab 'byams pauses this emphasis on the mtermediate state and radiant light to bring an Esoteric Precept sセイゥ@
tx:rspective to bear upon the Mind Series without, however, bnng.mg Its
dangerous "commitments" (psychically and politically) into play smce he
avoids explicitly invoking the former. It may have been エィセ@
the bardo
discourses had gained a wider acceptance in Tibetan Buddhist comrnunities by virtue of their widespread popularity among the lay • as well セウ@
their displacing these unusual doctrines from the mainstream arena vta
situating them in the liminal zone of death. Thus kLong 」セ・ョ@
rab
'byams pa saw them as the most appropriate teachings to セョ」エゥッN@
as a
bridge between the world of the Mind Series and moderrust traditions,
and that of the Seminal Heart.
.
.
Finally, I will briefly sununarize the contemplative ウケエ・セ@
セオエャュ@
m
kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s own commentary on the P?nctpal セョ、@
Series text, the Kun byed rgyal po. 159 His account is particularly mter159. Byang chub kyi sems kun byed rgyal po'i don khrid rin crn:n sgru bo
29-52. This text has been translated by Kennard Lipman and Memll Peterson
264
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
esting since it is closely b d
.
unfolds a series of ーイ。」エゥ・セッ@
on the text エセ・ャヲL@
thus revealing how he
mal contemplative scenarios セエ・ク@
Nキセ」@
ョ・セイ@
describes any forditionai triad f
.
escnptton ts divided up into the trao a contemplation ses i . th
. . .
fied as guru yoga) the .
. s on. e prelmunanes (here identimtirun practice and the concluding practices (here
specified as techni'
ques or sustaining th · ·
guru yoga begins with sim le . . . e VISIOns and experiences). The
rays, continues with ウ・ャヲMカォオセ[Zコ。エッョ@
ッヲセ@ syllable emanating light
visualization of an image of th a on as the deity Sems dpa' rdo rje' a
·
· ·
e guru upon your head• and further VIsualtzations
of surroundin li
.
g neage masters and so forth In additio
utili ze a spectal
breatbin te hni
·
n, you
bzla.s)-you pronounce セュ@ cas セオ・@ .called Bセ。ェイ@
repetition" ( rdo rje'i
momentarily and hu·
Y u tnhale, 。セ@ as you hold the breath
•
m as you exhale TW
· .
.
.
s practice Is a qmte standard
tantric contemplation' but 't . .
preliminary which '
I Is Important to note this is introduced as a
would be the Great Pseerf1rveceus· to contextualize the main practice, which
on proper
The main practice in I
fi
·
ッオセ@ subdivisions: 160 determining (the
ground) through the a カセッ@ カセ@
セョ。エ@
VIew, finalizing through contemplative
cultivation (of this カゥ・セᄋ@
your conduct· and dive
eanng away treacherous pathways through
fiuit. The カゥ・セ@
sec . .s ng yourself from all hopes and fears as the
meditative inquiry Zイッセャカク」オウゥ・ケ@
poetic I analytic thematic
days Should be
.
'
gh the two references to how many
spent on It clearly indi te tha
are indicated.161 The co t
t fonnai meditative sessions
. ca
with relaxing in the ウ・カセ@
・セー@ 1エセッョL@
conduct and fruit sections begin
entirety "technique ,_ , potn otus posture, but are in fact in their
-.uee yet highly
· ·
.
one's own psyche Th
・セーョエゥ。ャ@
scnpts for working with
·
e concludmg phase
·
.
provtdes some simple
practical techniques for c .
for dealing with obstacleospttong キセエィ@
カ。Zイゥ_オセ@
situations.t62 As strategies
'b
one s meditative practi kL
yams pa advocates traditional Bud .
. ce, ong chen rab
ing one's Master trusti .
dhist techniques such as supplicatsion, and training'
• ng .m pure vision, cultivating love and compasone s nund to be constantly aware of karmic conse-
tl
as You are the Eyes of the World (198
following are to this translati ., th 7). All page references here and in the
160 L'
on セッイ@
e reader's conven·
. tpman and Peterson 1987 31-50
Ience.
161. Ibid., 33, 35.
'
'
162. Ibid., 50-2.
265
quences of one •s actions as well as impermanence. While other solutions are again more cognitive in nature, he offers specific advice for
feelings of drowsiness and distraction towards objects-"stick to a cool
room with a high seat, exert yourself and do physical exercises. " 163 He
also reiterates the importance of stabilizing concentration on an objective
reference, the precise content of which is not relevant,l64 followed by a
clear explication of how such stabilization is utilized. The beginning
level of such practice involves the achievement of a calm, collected state
of mind, which, however, is periodically interrupted by the movement of
thought (serns gnas thog nas 'phro ). The intennediate level of familiarization with such contemplation is reached when one begins to gain the
ability to find such calm amidst the movement of thought ('phro thog na
gnas); the advanced level is when calmness and thoughts manifest without any duality or fissure (gnas 'phro gnyis med du shar ba).
In conclusion, this brief look at k.Long chen rab 'byams pa' s fourteenth century writings on Mind Series contemplation indicates quite
clearly an important, though limited and modified, role of ordinary
tantric contemplative principles distinct from their possible importance as
an assumed background. It clearly represents a simplification of perfection phase techniques infused with the spirit of Great Perfection rhetoric
while consciously avoiding complicated generation phase production of
images, resulting in an attractively simple yet evocative system. In adelltion, it indicates the importance of calming techniques as a central means
for preparing one's psyche for the tricky nature of such seemingly intangible styles of contemplation. Finally, his accounts both indicate how
highly experiential these at times vague sounding contemplations can be
in terms of providing precise means for working directly with one's
psyche, sensory experience and sedimented interpretative patterns, as
well as stress the importance of pursuing these in a formal setting while
seated in a supportive posture and disengaged from other activities. It is
only in the context of cultivating such concentration in extended meditative sessions that his avocation of integrating such experiences with
ordinary activities makes sense, as well his frequent invocations of
"relaxation" and "naturalness." Further research must be done on earlier
Mind Series literature with a specific focus on evidence of contemplative
praxis to assess kLong chen rab 'byams pa's innovativeness. In par-
163. Ibid., 51.
164. Ibid., 52.
266
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
ticular, a systematic review of the rGyud 'bum of Vairo(cana) is vital if
Kapstein is correct in his characterization of it as a middle to late twelfth
century redaction of Zur Mind Series traditions.
The path from bodhicitta to bindu
セエィ・@
eleventh century begins, the Great Perfection is already characterIzed by these webs of lineages known as the Mind Series, separated
from each ol:her by such factors as geographical distances and clan affiliations. The emergence of the modernist movements from this point
onwards resulted in new religio-cultural heterologues sparking a series
of crises and transformations in pre-existing Buddhist groups
(beginning with their constitution as the "ancients"). The eleventh to
セイエ・ョィ@
」・ョセウ@
are a time of tremendous ferment as a variety of
セョエ・イャゥォ、@
yogic systems of theory and praxis are not only being
Imported from outside Tibet, but are also being developed and refined in
Tibet.itse.lf. Tilis latter process took place intellectually, literarily and
expenentially, and for a few explosive centuries literally thousands of
エ。ョセ」@
ヲャッセ・イウ@
bloomed, most eventually withering away within the
イ・ウセ」エ、@
セエイ」ャ・ウ@
wherein they first emerged, forever beyond retrieval.
Amidst this mutually constituting creativity in modernist and ancient
circles, startling new developments emerge within these Great Perfection
traditions. While grounded in classical Indian Buddhist thought, they
also represent systematic Tibetan innovations of an extremely sophisticated and creative nature.
The セッウエ@
セョエ・イウゥNァ@
were those experimenting with imaginal processes mterbnked With the human body through pushing outwards the
boundaries demarcating the Great Perfection from the other tantric tradi tions being transmitted with it, 165 as well as incorporating in interesting
ways tantric doctrines and practices circulating in modernist camps.
tィセ@
セ・カャッーュョエウ@
reversed its probable initial process of formation in
ゥセ・ャヲ@
off from other areas of tantra to gain its own
":hich 1.t ウ・ー。イセ、@
distinctive self-Identity. As these boundaries of discourse and praxis
fluctuated ッオセキ。イ、ウL@
the incorporated materials I techniques themselves
were altered m ways both subtle and striking by their new setting and
use, as well as altering the very identity of the Great Perfection in the
ーイセ・ウN@
These fluctuations and reintroductions oftantric elements were
taking place across an immense geographical landscape over a number
165. This is clear from hagiographic and lineage records.
267
of centuries, and it is not yet possible to give a competent outline of the
various heterogeneous systems, nor their interrelationships and differences. We have yet to adequately analyze the existent literature to discern the outlines of these groups, much less ask questions as to philosophical and contemplative differences that may have constituted their
respective boundaries (beyond the mere clan affinities, セョ・。ァ@
transmissions, and geographical locations). The situation is particularly 」ッュセャ・ク@
in that much of the early materials were being introduced as canomcal
tantras attributed to a cosmic buddha, or compositions by Indian and
Tibetan figures of the seventh to ninth centuries. As such, セ・ケ@
were
often introduced into collections without any further colophoruc data.
The "Seminal Heart" (snying thig) emerged out of such ferment from
the mid eleventh century onwards. The Seminal Heart was also known
as the "unsurpassed" (blamed), perhaps echoing the ュッ、・セウエ@
term
"Unsurpassed Yoga Tantras" (rna/ 'byor bla na med pa ' rgyud).
While it is startlingly different from the world evoked by the classic
Mind Series texts, its innovativeness in the context of related movements
in the Great Perfection cannot be assessed until further research has been
done on surviving textual materials from this time period. 166 Si.nce エィ・セ@
traditions were in intimate dialogue with the emerging moderrust tantric
and yogic developments as well, comparative studies should also yield
detailed correspondences. With the emergence of such movements,
various classification systems or doxographies begin to develop to make
sense of older Great Perfection traditions in this new context. Early
developments gaining wider acceptance with their proposed rubrics for
self-identification (yang ti, spyi ti, a ti and so forth) thus began to create
systematized genres as early as the eleventh century. Eventually a
certain spectrum of these that went furthest in assimilating perfection
phase techniques were understood as variations of a single 」ャ。ウゥヲセッョ@
known as the "Esoteric Precept Series." The most standard overarching
doxography included this in a triune hierarchically seq.uenced series Hセ、・@
gsum): the Mind Series, Space Series, and Esotenc pイ・」セエウ@
セ・ョウ@
(man ngag sde). The Mind Series functioned as a ウケセ・ュN。エゥコッョ@
of
older traditions as well as eventually more conservative Innovations,
while the Esoterlc Precepts Series and its internal divisions authorized
and positioned the radical developments led by the Seminal Heart. Thus
166. Particularly important are the key "Space Series" (klong sde) works and
those grouped under the rubrics yang ti or spyi ti.
268
JIABS 17.2
while people were continually going off into the vast Tibetan wilderness
and pursuing their own interests in isolated conditions, the pervasive
institution of lineages and the complimentary Tibetan instinct for
collectivization constantly acted to counterbalance these tendencies
towards fragmentation and isolation. Some early passages about the
interrelation between yang ti and spyi ti clearly indicate these were
separate currents with self-conscious identities, 167 although this is not to
deny that later classificatory attempts (such as those found in the
ordering of texts in the rNying ma rgyud 'bum) introduce artificial
divisions as they attempt to fit heterogeneous material into a few rubrics
distilled out from this creative period. In particular, later attempts to
confine this into a standard four divisions of the Esoteric Precepts Series
seems to reflect a late hegemonic attempt to homogenize these developments into a unified scheme. While in the Seminal Heart's earliest
emergence in the eleventh century it was one of many tentative inquiries
into the expansion of the Great Perfection, this particular line of development eventually become so dominant in Tibet that the term came to be
understood as synonymous with the Great Perfection itself in many circles. Even later traditions claiming distinct visionary roots in the eighth
century are clearly heavily indebted to the practices, terminology and
167. For example, a revelation of Nyang ral nyi rna 'od zer entitled rGyud
lcyi rtse rgyal nyi zla 'od 'bar mkha' klong mam dag rgya mtsho klong gsal
rgyud currently found in the mTshams brag edition of rNying ma rgyud 'bum
(vol. 10, 624-671; Kaneko 124) has references to spyi ti and yang ti; also see
the references in the chapter titles of two other Nyang revelations (Kaneko 934). A Padmasambhava treasure (the discoverer is unspecified) located immediately after those texts (Kaneko 95) has numerous references to spyi ti, yang
ti and a ti (the rGyud thams cad kyi rgyal po nyi zla'i snying po 'od 'bar ba
bdud rtsi'i rgyal mtsho la 'khyil ba'i rgyud). Chapter 47 discusses the view
of spyi ti, which it identifies as "original purity" (ka dag), while the following chapter discusses the view of yang ti, which it explicitly identifies as
"higher" than spyi ti. Chapter 48 then discusses the view of "the totally perfect direct transcendence" (yongs rdzogs thod rgal). Chapter 72 further discusses the "difference between a ti and spyi ti," and actually presents it in
terms of a debate between two proponents. Systematic research into such
passages will eventually yield a clearer understanding of what is implied by
each rubric.
GERMANO
269
direction first formulated in the Seminal Heart circles (this is particularly
true of the important fourteenth century dGongs pa zang thal cycle). 168
The history of the Great Perfection's transformation into the Seminal
Heart
Traditionally, the Seminal Heart is said to have been the exceedingly
secret core of the Great Perfection, and as such was only transmitted to
literally a handful of people during the late eighth and ninth centuries as
Buddhism took hold in dynastic period Tibet. This new Great Perfection movement was then introduced to the wider Tibetan public from the
eleventh century onwards under the auspices of "recovered" texts called
"treasures" (gter ma), which included both transcendental buddhaauthored tantras and their human-composed exegetical literature. In
terms of the former, there were a series of new tantras in the classic format said to be dynastic period translations by either Vimalamitra or
Vairocanain conjunction with Srishpha, from which a set of seventeen
was gradually codified under the rubric of rGyud bcu bdun (The Seventeen Tantras). In addition, there emerged a body of exegetical literature
attributed to six Indian figures (see below) and eventually collected into
a set known as Bi ma snying thig (The Seminal Heart of Vimalarnitra),
the name pointing to the supposed eighth century Indian redactor who is
said to have brought the texts to Tibet and redacted them there as a collection. These texts' origination and transmission were both attributed to
the shadowy non-Tibetan figures said to play the key roles in the Great
Perfection's emergence in this world system and initial very limited circulation (prior to its unprecedented expansion in Tibet)- Surativajra,
Mafijusrirnitra, Snsirpha, JfUmasutra and Vimalamitra. The main early
figure that is historically attested seems to be ICe btsun seng ge dbang
phyug (active in the eleventh century), who was said to have played a
major role (some claim "authorship" in many cases as the most appropriate description)l69 in the rediscovery of these two principal textual
168. It is necessary to carefully chart the way in which Seminal Heart developments were appropriated by other systems as the centuries passed on, since
the special treasure-revelation mechanisms of the ancients was often utilized
to create separate sources of authorization clouding their immense debt to the
original Seminal Heart corpus. For information on the phenomena of
"treasure," see Thondup 1986 and Gyatso 1986, 1993.
169. See Karmay 1988, 210.
GERMANO
270
271
JIABS 17.2
collections that were to put the Seminal Heart teachings on the spiritual
and intellectual map in Tibet. 170 These two collections later formed a
triad with the important mKha' 'gro snying thig (The Seminal Heart of
the Sky Dancer), a group of texts ascribed to the authorship of
Padmasambhava in conjunction with his Tibetan consort Ye shes mtsho
rgyal yet only re-revealed in Tibet during the late thirteenth century by
pセ。ャウ@
'brelrtsal (1291-.1316). Traditional accounts of this ensuing
penod thus speak of theu concealment in Tibet and subsequent
"rediscovery" as actual physical manuscripts or visionary documents, an
extremely complex and confusing series of events over a period of four
centuries that is in part certainly beyond our retrieval. Along with the
repeated disclaimers explaining why these teachings and doctrines had
「セ・@
エッセ。ャケ@
オョォッセ@
セイゥッ@
to this time (roughly the eleventh century),
this mdicates the qwte mnovative nature of these Seminal Heart teachings in the context of what was understood to signified by the "Great
Perfection" when they first appeared. Even within the context of
nケゥョァュセ@
communities, and more so in the wider Tibetan religious landウ」セー・@
bemg イ・ウセ。ー、@
by エィセ@ modernist movement, these teachings were
qwte controversial. The uruqueness of the Seminal Heart tradition in the
co?text o: the Great Perfection is due equally to its complex mythoーィゥャッNウセ」。@
presentation of the cosmos' unfolding within an explicitly
sotenological. and psychological framework, as well as its incorporation
VIsual images and imaging into its mainstream (though in a
of セッューャ・ク@
qwte different style than traditional tantric praxis).
Given.the ー・イゥセ、Gウ@
complicated maneuvers regarding ascription of
。オエィセイウゥー@
as motivated by desires for legitimation in the often fractious
conflicts between the modernists and ancient ones, attributions to Indian
figures such as Vimalamitra and even to Tibetan figures beginning with
ICe btsun seng ge dbang phyug (though from fairly early on he is cited
as the s?urce セヲ@ the Seminal Heart innovation) cannot be taken at face
value Without mdependent corroboration. The situation is further confused by the fact that many of the early figures were visionaries who
17?. I am セオ・ョエャケ@
working on a detailed analysis of this literature in an
arucle セイッカエウョャ@
・セエャ、⦅@
"kLong chen rab 'byams pa's sNying thig
sッオイセウN@
The Origmal sNymg Thig Literature Canonized in the 14th CenエセN@
The _most pressing task in reconstructing a literary history is a systema c catalogmg and comparison of the huge amounts of Great Perfection literature produced during this period.
received texts in varying states of detail within visions, 171 texts which
subsequent transmissions would speak of as belonging more to the
envisioned author than the visionary him I herself. In addition, to some
degree genuinely ancient texts lost or concealed during the dark period
were being recovered and recirculated from the late tenth century
onwards, just as is happening now in Tibetan regions following the far
darker period that transpired under Chinese Communist rule during the
sixties and seventies. Finally, these texts, as well as other texts, were
often sites of continuing creative development that in some cases lasted
over several centuries or more, such that reference to a text or collection
by name is not clear evidence that it existed at that point in its present
codified form. It is important to realize that traditional and modern
accounts of a type of "renaissance" of Tibetan religious culture from the
tenth century onwards as essentially creative, dominant and active modernist movements pushing along reactionary, weak and passive
Nyingma and Bonpo movements is profoundly inaccurate. Instead it
was a joint explosion of creativity shared by all three, with the Seminal
Heart in particular marking the profundity of the changes occurring in
the Nyingma camps.
The traditional account of the emergence of this literature can be found
in the sNying thig lo rgyus chen po (The Great Chronicles of the Seminal
Heart), a historical work found in the Bi ma snying thig, possibly
authored by Zhang ston bkra shis rdo rje. 172 In this account,
Vimalamitra brings the texts to Tibet towards the end of the eighth century, but decides against disseminating them at that point, and instead
conceals the texts in mChims phu (the retreat site associated with bSam
yas monastery in Central Tibet). He transmits some materials to tre
171. A contemporary Great Perfection Teacher in Golok Serta, mKhan po
'jigs med phun tshogs, is quite famed for his visionary reception of texts in
perfect syllabic meter. This being the twentieth century, disciples scramble for
the tape recorder and microphone when he appears to be going into such a
state. In his own community, and in the wider religious community if they
gain legitimation as genuine, these compositions are attributed to the eighth
or ninth century and the subsequently discussed as the ''root" of a fourteenth
century text and so on. An excellent discussion of this tradition of "treasure"
(gTer rna) texts revealed physically or in non-material visions can be found in
Thondup 1986.
172. See Karmay 1988,209. See Thondup 1984 for a good syncretic presentation of such accounts.
zn
nABs 11.2
GERMANO
Tibetan Nyang ting nge 'dzin bzang po, who conceals those texts at the
Zhwa'i temple. In order to maintain the lineage, he transmitted it in
some type of oral form to 'Bron rin chen 'bar ba, who in turn transmit1ed
it to dBu ru zhwa'i ldang rna dge mchog. The latter's son, gNas brtan
ldang rna lhun gyi rgyal mtshan then rediscovered some portion of the
texts from Zhwa temple. He transmitted these to ICe btsun seng ge
dbang phyug, who further re-located some of the texts at mChims phu,
but also re-hid these texts. ICe sgom nag po then thirty years later
recovered some of those texts. From this point on we have datable figures: ICe sgom nag po's disciple Zhang stan bkra shis rdo rje (10071167), Zhang's son Nyi rna 'bum (1158-1213), Nyi 'bum's nephew
Gurujo 'ber (1172-1231), Jo 'her's disciple 'Khrul zhig seng ge rgyab
pa (1200s), the latter's disciple Me long rdo rje (1243-1303), and Me
long rdo rje's disciple Kumaradza (1266-1343), the root teacher of
kLong chen rab 'byams pa (1308-1363). The materials developed during the pre-kLong chen rab 'byams pa period bear traces of a number of
quite different authorial hands, often in a single text. However material
attributed to Vimalamitra's (traditionally seen as the key redactor of this
material) own hand often seems stylistically unified, internally structured
and possibly forming the corpus of a single individual. The key issue in
part, then, is whether we can pinpoint a historical figure who most likely
penned a substantial portion of these materials, whether it be ICe btsun
seng ge dbang phyug, ICe sgom nag po, or some later figure. Interestingly, Nyang raJ nyi rna 'od zer's twelfth century Chos byung me tog
snying po sbrang rtsi i bcud clearly refers (see above) in passing to the
emerging Seminal Heart tradition under the rubric of "the unsurpassed
(tradition of the) Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen blamed), though he
confines himself to a brief description of the lineage.
It is helpful to understand the history of the Seminal Heart in tenns of
three phases. (i) The initial period of formation (early eleventh century
to early twelfth century?) was marked by the longer texts (such as the
sGra thal lgyur and Rig pa rang shar tantras) and two main coiiections
of texts (The Seventeen Tantras and the Bi ma snying thig) gradually
taking shape over the course of decades via a number of authors. TI:l.is
is suggested by the reoccurring theme of visions of Vimalamitra and
texts which are re-covered, re-concealed and re-recovered. Thus at some
time in the eleventh century this new movement began within the
framework of the Great Perfection drawing upon a variety of sources:
new modernist doctrines, indigenous Tibetan religious concepts, inno1
1
273
. ウセ@ chthat
as these
in thevisionary
Space Series
and
vative strains of the Great Perfection
practices
other unknown inftuences. It may ・カセ@
エイセウュゥッョ@
largely contemplawere partially already ーイセ・ョエ@
セ。ョ@
セイ@ 'ted graphic tradition focused on
tive in nature in conjunction Wlth a Qセ@
dial purity· the Seminal Heart
tantric themes of buddha-nature and pnmor
. セヲ@ this into a sysmay then reflect the subsequent gradual el:r;:ro:everal centuries with
tematic philosophical discourse. It エィセ@
ウセエ。ョイB@
claiming to be tranliterary production 「。ウゥセャケ@
」ッョヲゥセ@
ohuman compositions, and I or
scripts of celestial doctrines rather
'nth century non-Tibetan
texts claiming to be rediscover!es ofエゥヲセ[@
the two basic collections
Great Perfection masters. The orma 0
e dbang phyug was most
composition reaching a
said to stem from the time of 1Se .btsun ウセ_A[、@
likely the product of gradual 、ャウ」ッセ・イケ@
th
tury though it may be
codified form ッョャセ@
later in the late thirt7nnエィ・」]ャセカョヲオ@
century with ICe
that it was present m a core form already
po •s literary activity
btsun seng ge dbang phyug's, or ICe sgom nag
'
("archaeology" and composition).
th
tury to early four.
· d ( ly thirteen cen
(ii) In the intermediaU: セョッ@
ear take stable form and move into
teenth century) the エイ。、ゥセッョ@
ウエセ@
to Ion rdo rje and Kumaradza. In
wider patterns of circulation wャセ@
Me Gエィセウ@
texts and associated prac.
·
s · al Heart tradition w1 1
this way, the errun
.
uite a bit of success, such that m
tices eventually began to ・クーョセ@
q h a prominent modernist figure
the early fourteenth century we fin sue. (1284-1339) deeply involved
th third Karma pa Rang byung rdo rJe
h
as e
. .
173 In this process, the mK a
g;o
study· . di ted by its great popularity m
in their transrruss10n セョ@
d this popularity lie partially
snying thig played a cntical role, as ュ「・ィゥ」セ@
n
tury 174 The factors
the fourteenth cen
·
.
It of Padmasambhava that was
in its direct linkage to the evo.lvmg セ@
ges but also in its stylistic
beginning to dominate the nケュァセ@
meafulne'ss Whereas the Bi ma
· · and pragmatic use
·
qualities, orgaruzation,
.
of often quite obscure and cersnying thig represents a ウーセ。キャュ@
セ]」ッャ・エゥョ@
(as one might expect)
tainly heterogeneous maten.als, this a vocative yet clear style, and preis tightly written, charactenzed by an e ti
ritual manuals and consents the entire range of セィゥャッー」。@
エイ・セッ@
セウオゥエ@
cycle. rhls is yet
n chen rab 'byams pa's
templative instructions l.n a smgle easy
another reason for the importance of kLo g
1
173. See Dudjom 1991, 572-4.
174. see Ehrhard 1992, 54.
1
274
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
exegetical work, since he also brought much needed order and organizational clarity to the at times chaotic mass of the Vimalamitra-transmitted
Seminal Heart scriptures inherited from Kumaractza (also the relevant
teacher of Rang byung rdo rje ). In addition, Kumaradza's biography
has the following interesting comment: "... Kumaradza was able to
explain the instructions of the Innermost Spirituality (snying thig) without mixing them with others' systems of the stage of perfection; and
thus he created a philosophical system in the technical language [of the
Great pセ・」ッョ@
itselt] .... " 175 In their annotation to this, Kapstein
。ョセ@ DorJe mdicate that they suspect this may indicate Kumaradza played
an Important role, perhaps even a literary one, in the systematization of
the Seminal Heart tradition with its peculiar terminology that k:Long chen
rab 'byams pa received.
(iii) In the. "final" perio? (fourteenth century) k:Long chen rab 'byams
pa systematized and codified these literary and oral traditions into a
complex, yet clear architectonic structure. This resulted in the redaction
of the literature into the vast sNying thig ya bzhi (The Seminal Heart in
Four Parts) along with the canonical Seventeen Tantras. Further
イ・ウセ。」ィ@
ゥョセッ@ other Great Perfection figures of the time may reveal alternative Semmal Heart-inspired or related traditions that bypassed kLong
chen rab 'byams pa's systematization, though it is unlikely any do so in
such ュ。ウエ・イセケ@
ヲ。ウィゥッセ@
.. Prior to the fourteenth century, there appears to
ィセカ・@
been httle expltcztly commentarial literature being attributed to
tゥ「・セ@
scholar.' ーイ。」セッョ・ウL@
although presumably many of the tantras
found In the vanous editions of rNying ma rgyud 'bum were being produced, revealed, or rediscovered during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries under circumstances that are less than clear. This entire developmental ーイッセ・ウ@
of a complex and highly architectonic discourse over
centuries then culminated with the life and writings of k:Long chen
rab .byams pa, who produced a massive corpus of writings on the
s・セQ。ャ@
Heart. constituting its first systematic exposition attributed
・クーャゥ」エセケNッ@
セ@ セョ、ゥァ・ッオウ@
Tibetan author. Not only did he put thus put
セ・@ tradition m.1ts 」セ。ウゥャNヲッイュL@
he also managed to integrate its doctrines and practices mto the mcreasingly normative modernist discourses
Zセエィ。、@
エ。セ・ョ@
ウセ。ー・@
from the contemporary Indian Buddhist Iogicop stemologtcal Circles, Madhyamaka, Yogacara, and tantric traditions of
the late tenth to thirteenth centuries Thi · .
.
.
s Is m 11 ne With the general tenor
thre:
175. See Dudjom 1991, 571-2.
275
of the fourteenth century, a time when the preceding centuries' creative
and at times chaotic ferment was being everywhere systematized and
codified, and the Tibetan version of the academic industry was kicking
into gear. kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s overall corpus is brilliant, and
has enjoyed a commensurate reputation in all Tibetan traditions .from the
fourteenth century onwards. It had an immediate impact, and m セオ「ウ・ᆳ
quent centuries was to serve as the explicit model for many Nymgma
compositions. In particular, his Seminal Heart writings were intensely
philosophical as well as contemplative, and architectonic. in nature.
Though on the whole their characteristic doctrines and termmology are
present in the earlier literature stemming from ICe btsun seng ge dban.g
phyug onwards, their terminological precision, ・ャセアオョエ@
ウエケャセL@
sy.stematic
range and structure, and integration with normative bオセ、ィゥウエ@
セウ」ッオイ・@
constitute a major innovation in and of themselves. To his credit, kl:ong
chen rab 'byams pa' s alternative identities as a poet and accomplished
yogi enabled him on the whole to avoid the scholastic sterility that many
Tibetan scholars were already becoming trapped within.
A period of striking creativity was thus brought to its セオャュゥ。エッョ@
by
kLong chen rab 'byams pa, while in the following centuries (nght up to
the present), many figures in the Nyingma tradition (and other sects)
composed their own Seminal Heart systems (generally known by such
titles as the Pad rna snying thig [Lotus Seminal Heart] and so on) such
that earlier traditions of the Great Perfection became marginalized and
Seminal Heart came to be widely recognized as the premier form of the
Great Perfection. Indeed, it was viewed as the pinnacle of the entire
"nine vehicle" ( theg pa dgu) systematization of tenet systems in
Nyingma literature. However, despite, or perhaps because of, the
immensity of his accomplishment, kLong chen rab 'byams pa's corpus
had a relatively limited circulation for the ensui.ng .four 」・ョエオイゥセN@
It セ。ウ@
finally simultaneously established as authontative, and partially displaced, in the eighteenth century by 'Jigs med gling ーセG@ s (1730-1798)
immensely popular kLong chen snying thig cycle. This functioned to
simplify much of kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s Seminal Heart systematization but also altered the fundamental structure of its literature and
praxis 'by drawing upon normative (and transformed) rn:ity visualizationoriented practices as found in Mahayoga cycles for 1ts key structural
framework. In addition, his Yon tan mdzod basically rewrote kLong
chen rab 'byams pa's Ngal gso skor gsum. While both works were to
prove considerably more popular than their inspiration in kLong chen
GERMANO
276
277
JIABS 17.2
rab 'byams pa's corresponding compositions, they also solidified the
tradition of according the latter an authoritative position in the field of the
Great Perfect, and opened up a space within which kLong chen rab
'byams pa studies flourished (relatively speaking). In addition, it
sparked the famous "non-partisan" ( ris med) movement that spread over
eastern Tibet in the nineteenth century, for which this renewed Seminal
Heart formed the visionary and intellectual heart. 1 7 6 Much of the
Nyingma school's ensuing (nineteenth and twentieth centuries) production of systematic exegetical literature on the great Mahayana exoteric
classics can be profitable viewed as an attempt to pursue Great Perfection concerns in the new arena of discourses formerly dominated by the
modernists. However the history of Seminal Heart post-fourteenth
century to the.twentieth century remains a complicated matter requiring
further extensive research, as well as the sam issue of parallel movements in the Great Perfection that may have been formulated in separation from, in dialogue with, or in dependence upon the Seminal Heart
traditions.
Just as with the Mind Series traditions, an important issue in the
Seminal Heart's historical development is the extent to which its Heart
must be 」ッョセクエオ。ャゥ・、@
pedagogically and contemplatively in terms of
other Buddhist doctrinal, contemplative and ritual systems. For example, i.n. most N_Yingma セ」ィッャ。ウエゥ@
centers established in the refugee commuruties outside.of Tibet, monks are generally required to engage in
years of systematic study of other traditions before (if ever) instructed in
highly technical literature of the Seminal Heart tradition. On the other
hand, at mKhan po 'jigs med phun tshogs's contemporary institute
located at Go log gser rta in far east Tibet, he regularly teaches such literature to the monastic assembly, and as a result I found monks in their
・。イャセ@
.twenties with whom I could have quite specialized discussions. In
addition I once had an interesting discussion with the contemporary
B.onpo セ。ウエ・イ@
sLob dpon bstan 'dzin mam dag in which he expressed
ィゥセ@
セッイョ・ウ@
that the contemporary marginalization of these traditions
Within the normative study curriculum was contributing to their decline.
On the other side of the religious fence in Tibetan cultural zones, there
are ョセ・イッオウ@
accounts of distinguished great Perfection teachers and
practitioners who were not ritually, scholastically, or at times even lin-
176..see Sfmith 1969, .1970, and Samuel 19993, 525-552 for an excellent
oveMew o the ecumemcal movement
'
guistically literate in the wider Tibetan Buddhist domain. A charming
example is related by Namkhai Norbu I77 in telling how his teacher
Byang chub rdo rje fumbled his way through a standard ritualized
sequence of events (since he lacked formal training in these complicated
tantric structures) after being pressured by his eager young scholastically-trained student (Norbu himself) to fit into his preconception of
what a Tibetan Buddhist teacher should do. However, the contemporary
norm is that prior to engaging in the main practices such as Breakthrough and direct transcendence, one must perform the lengthy practices of the five hundred thousand preliminary practices, the recitationsactualizations of the three roots (master, tutelary deity, and sky dancer),
and channel-windpractices (rtsa rlung). 118 The shifting diachronic and
synchronic lines of the Seminal Heart's relationship to other traditions at
the practical rather than theoretical level is thus an important area for
further research. The intent of this vastly oversimplified and brief historical sketch is to offer a preliminary schema to facilitate further discus sion, and has no pretense of doing justice to a complex and murky
situation. 179
177. See Norbu 1986, 15-19.
178. For example see Jampal Zangpo 1988, 12.
179. In.particular, my historical sketch makes no attempt to integrate the
complex developments of the Bonpo traditions of the Great Perfection, about
which I have only begun study the past few years. In addition, it is necessary
to systematically survey all Nyingma and Bon literature prior to the fourteenth century for references to such specific エセィョゥ」。ャ@
terminology and エィ・ュLセ@
as snying thig, thod rgal, khregs chod, gzhr snang and kun tu bzang po 1
grol tshul, as well as indications of awareness of different types of Great Perfection lineages existing during the author's lifetime. In this way we can
begin to accurately delineate the formation of these doctrines from the
eleventh to fourteenth centuries by tracing the gradual codification of a standard set of terminology, structures and so on. Thus we can clarify interrelations between various elements of the Nyingma tradition, as well as the
nature extent and histories of alternative attempts at renovating the Great Perヲ・」エゥッセ@
tradition during these first few centuries which failed where the Seminal Heart-Essence succeeded. Finally, systematic studies of the vast uncharted textual territory of the various editions of rNying ma rgyud 'bum as
well as biographical literature are a vital necessity for further progress. For
example, there is a large number of texts in the various editions attributed to
Padmasambhava, for which it would be extremely helpful to analyze for the
278
JIABS 17.2
The Seminal Heart's innovations: the spontaneous visions of absence,
the cult of the body and the transformation of tantric contemplation
The core of the Seminal Heart's difference from earlier Great Perfection
traditions can be summed up as a focus on the spontaneous dynamics
(lhun grnb) of the Ground, a spontaneity which one visually experiences
in mandalic images in death and death-in-life, i. e. contemplation. This
emphasis on spontaneity and vision is related not only to the modernists' emphasis on techniques of vision, but also to the need for the
ancients to present themselves ideologically as having a "vision." In
other words, the communities of the ancients needed to show their own
cultural vitality, and undercut caricatures of themselves as stagnant conservatives with new visions of a specific nature rather than mere amorphous formlessness. Evidently even in the fourteenth century there continued to be conservatives in the Great Perfection tradition who rejected
the Seminal Heart, and instead focused on the austerely conceived
dyadic poles of a primordial ground and the distorted worlds of samsaric
life forms. kLong chen rab 'byams pa alludes to this continuing controversy in the following discussion of the four visions of Direct Contemplation practice: 180
These four visions (snang ba) of such natural spontaneity are eloquently borne witness to in the great canonical tantras, scriptures
HャセョァI@
and esoteric _precepts (man ngag), and yet nowadays (many) err
wtth イセー・」エN@
to therr internal. radiance within the great lighting-up of
エィセ@
セョュッイ、ゥ。ャ@
ground (gzhz snang), the lighting-up (snang) of the
セョァQ。ャケ@
pure essence. They thus fail to recognize these visions I
ャゥァィセョMオー@
?f.natural spontaneity, the sheath (sbubs) of gnosis' radiant light, eXIsting between the primordial ground and the distortions of
セ・@
six i⦅ゥヲ・Mセッイュウ@
(in srup.sara). I consider such people to be exceedmgly IDisgwded, despite their conceited pretensions to understanding
the Great Perfection. I myself have seen all of this lighting-up (or
type of tenninology, doctrines, and overall consistency that characterizes this
group of セ・クエウN@
セエ@ the University of Virginia we currently have a computerセ。ウ・、@
proJect to mdex, correlate and summarize individual texts in these editions:-for further information, I can be contacted at Department of Religious
Studtes, Cocke Hall, Uinversity of Virginia, Charlottesville, vA 22903.
180. Zab don rgya mtsho'i sprin 108.3.
GERMANO
279
"these visions") through the inspiration of Padmasambhava and his
consort, and it appeared exceedingly similar to (how they are
described) in the Rang Shar scripture.I 81 Having seen it like that, I've
set it down here for the sake of future generations ....
Though this clearly indicates controversies were raging still in central
Tibet over the identity of the Great Perfection, by the seventeenth century gTer bdag gling pa says "practically nothing much survived of the
Mind Series apart from the transmission of the "permission" (lung) in
his time,"l82 indicating that the victory of the Seminal Heart over the
heart and soul of the Great Perfection was almost total. This occurs in
the context of a discussion 183 of the extent to which such esoteric traditions in both the modernists and Nyingma circles survived as experiential systems beyond a mere exegetical continuity. In particular he says
that many Mind Series systems (lugs) previously flourished, such as the
Rong, Khams, sKor, and Nyang, but that in contemporary times the
Mind Series and Space Series systems barely survive in terms of the
traditional triad of their respective empowerments, experiential guidances
and verbal transmissions. In contrast, he describes the Esoteric Precept
Series-i. e. the two traditions supposedly stemming from Vimalamitra
and Padmasambhava respectively-as having been preserved in its
unique exegetical form as well as experientially, though without _any
great expansion. The ensuing discussion goes into considerable detail as
he mentions contemporary or recent figures and their experiential
accomplishments of these systems, in the context of which his concern
for these as living contemplative traditions is manifest. It should be
noted however that the contemporary Great Perfection teacher Namkhai
Norbu (among others) has taught both the Mind Series and Space Series
as practices over the past few decades, and his characterizations of their
status has been far milder: " .... the [Mind Series] has tended to
become rather overshadowed by the presentation of the [Esoteric Precept
181. The Rang shar is one of The Seventeen Tantras Hイgセオ、@
「・セ@ 「、セョIN@
.
182. Kannay 1988, 208; see further information on thts texts discusston
below (this passage is on folio 351).
183. gTer chen chos ki rgyal po gter bdag gling P_a gar dbang Gァケオセ⦅ュ・、@
rdo rje'i zhal snga nas mchog sman rnams kyis dn ba sna tshogs pa' lan
rim par spel ba rin chen phreng ba (chab shog) (350.4ft).
280
JIABS 17.2
Series], and at various times it has been necessary to re-emphasize its
importance." 184
In broader terms, the Seminal Heart innovations within the previous
イセ。エ@g
Perfection environment can be discussed as fourfold. (i) It
articulates a deeply phenomenological and partially mythic overarching
narrative about the origination and telos of the human world that serves
to structure the entire tradition. This can be summed up by a primordial
ァセッオョ、L@
its unfolding in the ground-presencing, its split into sarpsara and
ュイカセ@
and its culmination in enlightenment. (ii) It directly introduces
visionary practices into the heart of Great Perfection contemplation in a
way intertwined with this evolutionary or developmental ethos. 111is is
the "?ITect transcendence" discourse. (ill) It incorporates a wide range of
of practices as auxiliary and supporting praxis, which on
tantric エセウ@
the whole mvolve relatively simple techniques of visualization in conof modernist focus. (iv) It injects a far
trast to the intricate ュセ。ャウ@
greater range of tantric doctrines into its discourse, ranging from subtle
body theory to the set of one hundred peaceful and wrathful deities
「。ウセ@
on the five Buddha families. In this way, an extensive set of new
technical vocabulary (gzhi snang, gdangs I mdangs, thad rgal, khregs
chad, ru shan, etc.) emerges that is not attested in earlier Great Perfection literature. In terms of the classic tantric split between traditions that
give. イセ・エッゥ」。ャN@
voice (and often actual practical implementation) to
セクーャゥ」Qエ@
sexualtmagery, violence and horrific imagery and those traditiOns that. are more aestheticized and overtly symbolic in nature, 185 the
new Senunal Heart system remains relatively desexualized and aestheticized in comparison to the often shockingly crude discourses of the
ュッセ・イョゥNウエZ@
tantras and the Nyingma's own Mahayoga tradition (the
antinom1arusm operative in the Great Perfection is more hermeneutical
than social) .. However the influx of tantric vocabulary, themes, and even
sexual practices as adjuncts do sexualize and em-body the tradition to a
greater ・クエョセ@
than seems to have been the norm previously.
fu the Serrunal Heart, the contemplative discourses on internal movements of energy within a "subtle" or imaginal body that characterize later
phases of Indian Buddhist tantra are reincorporated into the Great Per-
184. Norbu 1986, 24-5.
185. This split is variously referred to in Western literature as "crude" vs
"refi
.
セ@ d," "b'1?du" vs. ''nada," or "sexual fluids" vs. "aestheticized symbol-·
tsm, cremation grounds culture" vs. "deodorized" traditions.
GERMANO
281
fection, and furthermore instantiate and transform its cosmogonic discourses of the movement from formless unity to hierarchized multiplicity. It is particularly interesting how processes of "intelligence" or
"gnosis" operative in a wide range of dimensions are both models for,
and modeled by, these cosmo gonic imaginal bodies of understanding
and experiencing. We must note the "dislocation" of intelligence as a
trope and how that interplays with the shifting parameters of ordinary
and authentic modes of subjectivity-how does realization involve ontological processes constitutive of our ordinary modes of being? How
does the theme of unitary beginnings in potentia relate to the experienced
presence of complex hierarchies of actualized plural structures? In
understanding the nature of Seminal Heart subtle body theory and prac. tice, it is critical to look at the different styles in which these imaginal
discourses take place, beginning with a tentative triadic classification into
tactile (the "hydraulics" of the body), photic (the electrical "wiring" of
the body), and phonic (the "graphing" of the body) dimensions of this
body of practices that graphically inscribe cosmogonic tales of beginnings and philosophical controversies over gnosis and subjectivity into
our sensually experienced bodies.
Nyingma daxographies of the ninth vehicle:
"writing the view" in a infinite regression of nuances
Before going into greater detail as to the specific nature of the Seminal
Heart, I will briefly discuss the doxographical ways in which it was
apparently integrated with the previous Buddhist and specifically Great
Perfection traditions such that the latter were both incorporated into, and
subordinated to, the new Seminal Heart school. Here also I can only
offer tentative sketches, since a systematic history of early doxographical
schemes in the Nyingma tradition remains to be written. The standard
doxographical scheme in the Nyingma tradition of systematizing the
entire range of inherited Buddhist thought and praxis was a structural
framework of "nine vehicles," each further characterized by internal
structuration.l86 The initial triad constitutes the way of renunciation
(spong lam): (i) the listeners (nyan thas, srlivaka) and (ii) the self-
186. See the extensive discussion in Dudjom 1991, 151-374. I have here
given the standard list of nine vehicles, though there are variations-see
Karmay 1988, 172-3) Norbu 1989, xii and Stanley's ongoing research (see
above).
282
JIABS 17.2
。セォ・、@
ones.. セイ。ョァ@
ウN。セァ@
rgyas, pratyekabuddha) representing
IDnayana; and (m) the spmtual heroes (byang chub sems dpa', bodhisattva) signifying Mahayana. The intermediate triad is the way of
purification (sbyong lam) representing the lower three tantric classes
from the standard set of four found in modernist traditions (here termed
"outer tantras"): (iv) the Action Tantras (bya ba'i rgyud, kriyii), (v) the
Conduct Tantras (spyod pa'i rgyud, carya), and (vi) the Yoga Tantras
(mal 'byor rgyud, yoga). The final triad, the way of transformation
(bsgyur lam), represents the uniquely Nyingma set of tantric classes
referred to as the "inner tantras": (vii) the Great Yoga Tantras (rnal
'byor chen po'i rgyud, mahliyoga), (viii) the Subsequent 1 Complete
Yoga Tantras (rjes su lyongs su mal 'byor rgyud, anuyoga), and (ix)
the Transcendent Yoga Tantras (shin tu mal 'byor rgyud, atiyoga ).
Though the frrst six vehicles represent codifications of traditions undeniably non-Tibetan in origin, the status of the final three vehicles' texts and
ーイセ」エゥN・ウ@
has traditionally been controversial, with many modernists
セャ。オイョァ@
they are wholly Tibetan developments in nature (a potent claim
m a world where Indic origins became the most powerful tool of legitiュ。」セᄋ@
However, it appears that in fact the tantric core of the Mahayoga
traditions represented by the Guhyagarbha Tantra and associated
キセイォウL@
エィセ@ key canonical texts of Anuyoga, and some early key short
Mmd Senes texts of Atiyoga are in fact pre-eleventh century nonTibetan works which to some degree go back as far as the ninth century.
On the other hand, the elaborate "eight pronouncement deities" (bka'
brgyad) traditions of Mahayoga and most of the Atiyoga tradition
(especially the Seminal Heart) are clearly, at least in terms of received literature, products of a uniquely Tibetan religious imagination.
While ゥセエ。ャケ@
the ninth vehicle (Atiyoga generally is used synonyセッウャケ@
with セ・@ term Great Perfection) apparently referred to the type of
lnruted tradition of formless meditation and poetic reveries on buddhanature discussed above, with the development of more elaborate and
complex movements under the wider rubric of the Great Perfection (as
well as new specific sub-rubrics such as Seminal Heart), 187 an elaborate
187: Phil. sセケ@
verbally infonned me (1/94) that he had yet to see the tenn
thrg m his research into early doxographical accounts in the Nyingma
tradiUon. Other such terms as yang ti and spyi ti along with snying thig need
ウョケイセ_@
セ P@ be イ・セ。」ィ、@
as to their earliest occurrences and the full range of their uses
m early literature.
GERMANO
283
system of internal divisions developed to discuss the changing identity
of the ninth vehicle. The motivation was clearly in part the need to make
sense of the different strands of the Great Perfection that had developed
historically, and which partially continued to coexist with each other. A
simplified presentation of these systems is the basic hierarchically organized triad cited above, with each member possessing its own existent
texts and practices: the Mind Series (sems sde), Space Series (klong
sde)lBS and the Esoteric Precept Series (man ngag sde). It is not yet
clear at what point historically these rubrics came to refer to distinct
movements, and it may very well be that these doxographical distinctions preexisted such a point. The Mind Series, in particular, serves
partially as a rubric to classify the earlier states of the Great Perfection
prior to the development of the Seminal Heart movements. "Mind"
(sems) is understood as referring to the "enlightening mind" (literally
"purifying 1 encompassing mind"-byang chub kyi sems, bodhicitta),
connoting how these traditions were in large part tantric-influenced
meditations on the presence of an enlightened psychic force within. It
also points (in contrast to the use of term thig le) to an orientation
towards a non-tantric traditional focus on the mind, and Mahayana's
particular usage of the notion of "the enlightened mind." The Space
Series and Esoteric Precept Series then came to serve as rubrics for later
developments of the Great Perfection which increasingly experimented
with re-incorporating tantric contemplative techniques centered on the
body and vision, as well as the consequent philosophical shifts this
became interwoven with. This is why the Mind Series is connected
more to the tradition of continuously transmitted scriptures (bka' ma),
while the Esoteric Precept Series is intimately bound up with the
188. Almost no Euro-American research into the surviving texts of the Space
Series has been done. However, Matthew Kapstein has verbally infonned me
that he has seen passages in the writings of both rTse le sna tshogs rang grol
(1608-?) and Karma chags med (1605-1670) insisting on a strong connection
between the Space and Esoteric Precept Series. If this is borne out by textual
research, this could be a valuable piece of the many interlocking puzzles surrounding the formation of the various Great Perfection traditions 、オイゥセァ@
the
tenth to thirteenth centuries. A careful study of these doxographies of
Atiyoga will also shed further light on these issues-in particular, it is ョ・」セウᆳ
sary to trace the earliest occurrences of the "three series" Hセ・@
セウオュ⦅IN@
which
probably preexisted its use by ICe btsun's lineages to legitnruze, mtegrate
and differentiate its new Seminal Heart-Essence teachings.
284
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
emerging "treasure" (gter ma) ideology of freshly revealed scriptures
without obvious historical precedent. 189 In this context, "esoteric precepts" (man ngag)-a term usually referring to a teacher's private instructions to his I her disciple on the precise details of contemplationconnotes how the Seminal Heart traditions elaborate in much more detail
the actual contemplative practices that may be utilized for existential
realization.
The Esoteric Precept Series is also characterized by a complex set of
190
internal divisions, the most straight forward one being a fourfold set
of cycles: the outer cycle (phyi skor), inner cycle (nang skor), secret
cycle (gsang skor) and unsurpassed secret cycle (bla na med pa skor).
kLong chen rab 'byams pa identifies the Seminal Heart with only the
fourth cycle, indicating that even here there was a complex set of developments with enough differences existing that it was felt important to
stress these internal divisions' separations. Its literary correlate is most
frequently identified as rGyud bcu bdun (The Seventeen Tantras). 191
"Lower" divisions deal with many of the same themes, but on the whole
do not so with the elaborate sweep, detail and narrative force of texts
falling under this classification. It thus may be that a type of threefold
division of the Great Perfection or Atiyoga existed as far back as the late
eighth century (if we accept the traditional account of the Great Perfection's arrival into Tibet), and that this threefold division was then later
adapted, manipulated and transformed by Seminal Heart proponents and
189. For example, see gTer chen chos ki rgyal po gter bdag gling pa gar
dbang 'gyur med rdo rje'i zhal snga nas mchog sman rnams kyis dri ba sna
tshogs pa'i lan rim par spel ba rin chen phreng ba (chab shog) (351.2).
190. The aforementioned article in progress on "kLong chen rab 'byams pa's
sNying-thig Sources" includes an analysis of the internal divisions of Esoteric
Precept Series.
191. See Chos dbyings mdzod 350.4-5, where kLong chen rab 'byams pa
says there are an inconceivable number of tantric series associated with this
division, but that all can be summarized in tezms of The Seventeen Tantras.
Also see his Grub mtha' mdzod 370.4-5, where aside from the mention of a
text in the Bi ma snying thig, The Seventeen Tantras are the only texts mentioned as belonging to the Esoteric Precept Series that are actually cited by
kLong chen rab 'byams pa elsewhere. Finally, see Kaneko's 1982 index,
which clearly indicates it is these tantras alone that correspond to the rubric
:·unsurpassed secret cycle" in the gTing skyes edition of rNying ma rgyud
bum.
285
other groups for their legitimizing potency with ャゥエセ@
regard セッ@ セ・ゥイ@
original references. This is suggested in part by these tntemal div1s10ns
of Esoteric Precept Series, which may have stemmed from the attempt to
、・カャッセュョN@
transform a pre-existing category to account for ョセキ@
Examining these divisions of the Esoteric Precept Senes and then eXIstent literary correlates should be very helpful in beginning to sort out the
various currents.
.
Since kLong chen rab 'byams pa's way of presenting the ュエセイョ。ャ@
divisions of the three Series192 is exceedingly complicated and he falls to
associate the divisions with literary works, I suspect these 、ックセᆳ
graphical divisions are often more thematic in nature and セカッ」。エゥ・@
m
intent than classifications of real bodies of literature, practice, or even
transmission lineages. For example, divisions of the Mind Series often
resemble contemplative themes more than distinct traditions, ウオ・セ@
as the
twenty one contemplative strands discussed by kLong chen rab byams
ョァ。セ@
ァウセ@
pa in his "practical guidance" commentary ?n the Sems ョセゥ、@
(see above). Since these various 」ッョエ・ューャ。ゥセウ@
セ・@
often セiューャケ@
セヲ・@
ent poetic aphorisms subtly flavoring the meditative state m qu7stion, It
is easy to miss their experiential implications, セ⦅キ・ャ@
セ@ to ュエウオョ、・セᆳ
stand them as referring to distinct traditions. This 1s particularly 」ャ・セ@
iセ@
the complex discussion in the Grub mtha' mdzod of the セ・@
sセョ・ウ@
internal divisions, which seem to bear little relation to any eXIstent literature or lineal transmissions. This has also been noted by kセョ@
Eastman:193 "In the Tibetan dynastic period there were a number of.different schemes for categorizing tantra, but these were abstract rankings
ウケエ・ュセ@
of
of doctrine or understanding rather than the 「ゥャッァイ。ーセ」@
classification they became in the medieval period; and netther the_nmefold nor the four-fold schemes are found precisely as given above m the
archaic literature." These neat classificatory schemes thus do not always
ヲャッセᆳ
clearly reflect the actual rubrics under which distinct ュッカ・セョエウ@
ished during this time period. A clear history of エィ・セ@
vartous rubncs
and their historical permutations has not yet been wntten, but of clear
importance is the triad of a ti, yang ti and ウーセゥ@
ti. a 」ャ。ウゥヲセエッイケ@
ウ」セ・@
utilized in the various recensions of the rNymg ma rgyud bum to mdi
192. A classic example is in Grub mtha' mdzod 351.7-369.6.
193. Eastman 1983, 44.
286
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
cate distinctions between visionary literature and practices that were
emerging within the tradition of the Great Perfection.l94
The intertwined Books oflife and Death:
ordinary vision, spontaneous vision and visualization
!hese P.articular ctt:vel?pments of the Seminal Heart were thus spawned
m a vanety of yogic crrcles (sometimes consisting of a single person and
a .few followers? who were "rediscovering" texts and experimenting
With new techniques and ideas, especially as revolving around the
human body and its capacity to see light. It was a reclamation of the
value of images to speak within the purview of the Mind Series' pristine
absence, and the potent significance of the human body despite its
。「ケウセ@
lack of any discrete, definable ontological ground. Contemporary Interpreters refer to these innovations when they sayl95 that if not
properly analyzed, the Mind Series appears similar to the extreme of
nihilism (chad pa'i mtha') with its frequent antinomian invocation of
absence セ、@ the inadequacy of language to represent our experience; the
Space Senes, however, appears similar to the opposing extreme of perュ。ョセ」・@
(rtag pa'i mtha') with its focus on images and the visually dis」セイオ「ャ・@
presence of a ーセュッイ、ゥ。ャ@
Buddha within all sentient beings. In
this way over the centuries the Great Perfection has paradoxically been
。エ」ォセ@
on both セッョエウ@
as representative of these two traditional poles of
heresy m Buddhism, of erring on the side of too much and too little
セュゥエ・ョ@
commitment to ontologies, to language, to human convenlions. This tension is unabashedly the central focus of the Esoteric Precept ウN・イセL@
reinscribed philosophically in its central hermeneutic of
potentiality (nang gsa[) and actuality (phyir gsa/) while reflected contemplatively in its conjunction of the breakthrough and direct
transcendence.
. Thus •. in 。セ、ゥエッョ@
to these doxographical demarcations, two strands are
discerruble m the early Seminal Heart systems: the breakthrough
(khregs chod) and direct transcendence (thod rgal) discourses. I have
named these after its two principal styles of contemplation, which corre-
セ@ 94· I will defer. further discussion of these to the article on "kLong eben rab
byams pa's sNymg thig Sources," since only a detailed presentation is likely
to be of any use.
195 Th"
·
ts comment was attributed to the contemporary teacher mKhan po
smyo shul during a visit to Penor Rinpoche's monastery in the early 1990s.
287
spond directly to its central philosophical dyad of "original purity" (ka
dag) and "spontaneous presence" (lhun grnb ), the Great Perfection version of emptiness and interdependent origination recast as nothingness
seething with dynamic webs of relatedness. The direct transcendence
incorporates most of what is unique to the Seminal Heart, while the
breakthrough serves as a rubric for those older elements of the Great
Perfection continuing to play an important role in its new formulations.
Interestingly, the breakthrough discourse also subsequently served as a
way to both assimilate, and respond to, the modernists' attack on the
Great Perfection as a reifying self-oriented heresy, since these sections
and texts tend to be resolutely apophatic in their emphasis on an immediate formless (yet in-forming) awareness. The breakthrough clearly
corresponds to non-symbolic types of perfection phase contemplation,
just as the direct transcendence corresponds to the generation phase (as
well as symbolic types of perfection phase techniques). Thus while the
Seminal Heart in part is a recognition of the need for the latter エセウ@
of
practice-for form, image and spontaneity-the eventually codified
order of practice (in which the former precedes the latter) ・アオセャケ@
reiterates the traditional Great Perfection inversion of the normative sequencing. In other words, it precedes perfection phase contemplation
with competence in the generation phase, emptiness before interdependence, openness before figural image. Conversely, the. ウエ。セイ、@
セ」ᆳ
count 196 of the manner in which breakthrough contemplation IS mfenor
to the practice of direct transcendence indicates 」ャ・。イセ@
these 」ッュセᆳ
ties' recognition of the inadequacy of a mere rhetonc of no-practice
(even if conjoined with formal types of calming techniques and other
image-less extensions), and the consequent need for a prioritization セヲ@
working directly with the human capacity for the generation and expenence of images.
.
The Seminal Heart's innovativeness thus basically boils down to an
unusual technique of spontaneous vision ( thod rgal) sai? to yield an
orderly regularity of images in terms of temporal sequencmg and c?ntent, along with a systematized technical vocabulary developed to articulate an ideological structure integrating those visions into previous Great
Perfection discourse. Thus the most interesting historical question concems the sources of this visionary praxis (as distinct from the sources of
196. See the Tshig don mdzod 365.4-368.7 for a discussion of seven points
in which direct transcendence is superior.
288
JIABS 17.2
the non-Seminal Heart Great Perfection): an indigenous shamanistic set
of techniques perhaps first incorporated by the Bonpos, 197 contact with
セャオュゥョ。エッウ@
Sufis to the West, Daoist yo gas to the East, 198 Kashmiri
Saivism to the Southwest, or perhaps even some subcurrents of Indian
Buddhist tantra (such as reflected in the Klilacakra Tantra)? In most
ways, however, the tradition is clearly profoundly Buddhist to the core,
and has systematic affinities with the many other fragile yogic systems
circulating around and through Tibetan areas during the eleventh century. For example the visions in question are centered around the five
Buddha families which were the standard set of deities in Buddhist
tantra, 199 though here enframed in the expanded mandalas of the "one
hundred peaceful and wrathful deities" (zhi khro ). iセ@ fact, the Seminal
Heart can be discussed as the influx of symbolic perfection phase tantric
practices back into the Great Perfection as vision again assumes a dominant position, though in a strikingly innovative way with its theories of
"light channels" (' od rtsa) and the spontaneous visual imagery flowing
out from them. Regardless of the sources, there is also the issue of what
motivated certain Great Perfection groups to so radically transform their
tradition in ways evidenced by the emergence of the direct transcendence-based body of contemplative and philosophical materials. While
they may have generally returned to their own tantric traditions for the
イセ。ーッゥエョ@
of tantric contemplative techniques, and only surreptitiously to the new modernist tantric systems, clearly the new threat and
presence of modernist communities was one of the main factors
impelling these changes. Ideologically, the many tantric systems based
on "radiant light" (' od gsal) definitely had an impact as well as the
Anuttarayoga emphasis on the body, and one can well imagine Great
Perfection .advocates experimenting with the significance and practice of
such doctrmes to see how they could fit in their own tradition. In addi tion, certainly one line feeding into these changes was simply a natural
197. It is .at this セゥョエ@
not yet clear in which camp these techniques first
emerged, smce until more systematic research has been done all traditional
Bonpo datings of early materials must be considered highly unreliable
セYXN@
sセ・@ rッ「ゥセ・Nエ@
1993 for an account of the Mao-shan tradition th;t yields
ュエ・イセウゥョァ@
affimties; also see Deng 1990 for a contemporary assertion of the
affimty of the Great Perfection with Daoism.
199. See Snellgrove 1987, 189-213.
GERMANO
289
progression of their own practices and ongoing inquiries. 20° For
example, kLong chen rab 'byams pa's "practical guidance" for the Sems
nyid ngal gso presents a sky meditation as an "enhancement" or
"energizer" practice in his Mind Series contemplative system, which
involves using certain postures to gaze into a cloudless sky. 201 After a
while one's inner sky clears up, and for a moment reality itself ( chos
nyid), identified as "the pure sky of the esoteric nucleus of radiant light,"
manifests. It could be that early Great Perfection advocates utilized
contemplation of the sky to evoke a sensation of vast emptiness, but that
for some practitioners strange lights began to appear, and they followed
their experiences.
Arguably the most vital source of this tantric influx into the Great
Perfection was the Indian Mahayoga tantras (especially the Guhyagarbha Tantra), which were the original location of the set of "one hundred peaceful and wrathful deities." 202 This ュセ\[ャ。ゥ」@
set also was central to the accounts of post-death visions in the so-called "Tibetan Book
of the Dead" literature, and in fact Mahayoga was one of the most
important strands woven together to form this highly popular literaure
and its associated practices that came to be relied upon by all traditions in
dealing with the dead. Research on its historical development and codi fication as a genre should yield light on the intimately related rise of the
Seminal Heart, which embraces the "Book of the Dead" topics as a sub-
200. This issue is in some ways reminiscent of the long standing controversy over the Upanishadic transformation of Vedic religious culture in the
sixth century B. C. E. Scholars such as Heesterman (1985) emphasize the internal logic of these changes from within the Brahmanical system (the interiorization of sacrifice's violence, etc.) while others such as Olivelle (1992)
stress the importance of external factors (urbanization, etc.) and the discontinuity of the new symbolic order from the previous Vedic world. I have tried
to strike a balance between these two poles in my analysis of the transformations of the Great Perfection during this time pericxl.
201. Byang chub lam bzang 539.2-539.4.
202. I know of no study as yet that clearly analyzes this important set of
deities in terms of its historical rise, or precise correspondences to mai)galas
found in modernist tantric cycles. Particular points of interest are the earliest
ascertainable mention of a wrathful version of the set of five Buddhas, such a
set with the precise names found herein, and whether The Nucleus of Mystery
itself or only its exegetical literature explicitly mentions the entire one hundred member Dlal)Qala.
290
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
291
set. It seems that the famous fourteenth century "rediscovery" of Karma
gling pa (1327-1387) entitled the Bar do thos grol was in large part a
systematization of Seminal Heart teachings:203 the latter's technique of
spontaneous vision yielding curiously specific and ordered types of
visual images is perfectly mirrored by the "Book of the Dead's" teachings of how the peaceful and wrathful deities appear following death
(especially striking is this shared manifestation of the same set of
deities). Similar to the using of direct transcendence, they naturally and
spontaneously overflow out of one's heart following the primal manifestation of one's core radiant light(' od gsal) in death, and yet are said
to take this very specific visual form regardless of one's acquaintance
with them during life. The practice of direct transcendence thus can be
characterized as an incorporation of post-death experience into our lives,
and understood as the this-life contemplative praxis of the Book of tre
Dead. In fact its crucial forty nine day dark retreat is termed the "bardo
204
retreat," the number forty-nine obviously corresponding to the period
said to be the limit for post-death existence: in both, vision is borne
within darkness, whether naturally (death) or artificially induced (the
s.ealed off enclosure of the dark house). Furthermore, the two genres of
literature and practices are closely interrelated given the obvious unity of
four different central notions: the psycho-cosmogony205 of the ground
(gzhl) and Ground-presencing (gzhi snang), the post-death visions, the
four visions of direct transcendence contemplation, and the experiences
or activity of a buddha. kLong chen rab 'byams pa's account of the
ground-presencing in his Zab don rgya mtsho'i sprin,206 for instance, is
clearly modeled I modeling accounts of post-death experience, even to
the ーッゥョセ@
of talking about "contemplation days" ( bsam gtan gyi zhag)
over which the sequence of manifestations take place. Thus a pressing
task
. is the
. history of the development of the bardo literature in Tibet' and
m particular how the various modernist doctrines drawn from
Anuttarayoga Tantras (such as the "bardo" and "radiant light" in
Naropa's "six yogas" systematization of perfection phase practices)
figure in.207 Nyingma communities giving voice to the Seminal Heart
transformation were obviously creatively appropriating tantric discourses on the bardo, as well as possibly indigenous proto-bardo literature, ideologies or practices, into the framework of the Great Perfection,
appropriations which also contributed to the rise of a separate genre
finally codified with Karma gling pa's fourteenth century "rediscovery."
In other words, the articulation of such themes as spontaneous vision
and the dissolution of physical energies was developed in a complex
pattern of interrelation as both an account of actual death and post-death
experiences and as meditative techniques for this life. The ongoing
dialectical unity of the two is also clearly indicated in how the Seminal
Heart discusses bardo accounts under the rubric of "how you obtain
enlightenment if you are unable to be freed in this life." 208
Thus the Seminal Heart's transformation of the Great Perfection
marks a return to its Mahayoga roots sparked by a constellation of reasons, one of the principal of which is indicated by the coincidence of its
origins with the onset of the modernist movement. This return first
appropriates tantric techniques and ideology in unusual ways, but eventually returns to a fuller embrace of traditional sadhana practice revolving
around the visualization of deities according to strictly prescribed patterns. This extension of the Mahayoga's incorporation into the Great
Perfection occurred with 'Jigs med gling pa's (1730-1798) famous
kLong chen snying thig three volume cycle, which has come to be as
normative as any cycle could be given the fissured state of Nyingma lineages. It marks the most important transformation in Seminal Heart
discourse following kLong chen rab 'byams pa. I am struck by how
much more ritualistic and conventionally tantric in nature the klong chen
snying thig seems in comparison to kLong chen rab 'byams pa's own
203 .. See Schmidt 1987 and Orofino 1990 for translations of explicitly
207. See Guenther 1978, 82-86 and Hopkins 1981.
208. Alternatively, this is expressed as being precepts for "average" practi-
・イオョセ@s
h・セMeウョ」@
oriented works on the bardo. The latter is a partial
translation Ny1 zla kha syor, one of The Seventeen Tantras which is in fact a
systematic presentation of bardo-related topics.
204. Freemantle 1987, 11.
RセUN@
k・セ@
Skora (University of Virginia) first pointed out the usefulness of
thts term m the present context
206. Zab don rgya mtsho'i sprin 96.5-109.2.
tioners, while the standard practices are for the "best" practitioners-the latter
become free in this very life and hence have no need for additional precepts.
This is often complemented by a third category for those of inferior diligence
or capacities-precepts on bow to be reborn in a pure land and eventually
become enlightened there. For example, see the structure of the discussion
of the path in Zab don rgya mtsho'i sprin 329.2-453.6.
292
JIABS 17.2
Seminal Heart writings. 20 9 This is not to deny its unconventional
aspects such as in the Thig le rgya can, 210 but simply to point out its
general characteristics. This cycle not only directly and extensively
incorporates the "eight proclamation deities" (bka' brgyad) that form one
ofthe two main strands ofMaMyoga Tantras, but also grants a far more
prominent role to traditional sadhanas (i. e. meditative sessions relying
on prescribed and detailed visualizations). Certainly one could argue
that previous Seminal Heart movements often involved intense reliance
on associated sadhana practices, and there is no question that its earlier
cycles often contained short descriptions of such practice. However it is
209. Karmay 1988, 213, makes similar but vague comments in characterizing the Seminal Heart-Essence system of 'Jigs med gling pa as "pervaded
with a type of sadhana, hence very ritualistic" in opposition to the "serene
contemplator" of the Mind Series and the "profound meditation of the calm
ascetic" of the Space Series. Eva Dargyay (1977) has characterized it as a
mixture of the old Great Perfection system and the Mahayoga cycles centered
around sadhanas of the set of deities referred to as the "eight pronouncements"
(bka' brgyad). A detailed survey of post-kLong chen rab 'byams pa transformations in the Seminal Heart tradition remains to be written, and thus for the
aforementioned article ("kLong chen rab 'byams pa's sNying thig Sources") I
am currently compiling analytical lists of surviving Seminal Heart literature.
210. I owe the following comments on this sadhana entirely to a discussion
with Janet Gyatso (April1994). The Thig le rgya can sadhana is phrased in
terms of direct transcendence terminology, with the act of the deity's bodyimage coming into appearance understood in terms of its four visionary
phases. While this does not undercut my comments, it is important to note
the degree to which some authors may have been altering normative sadbana
structures. In addition, this constant worry about the tendency to give ourselves over to concretizing instincts, to the security of in-place structures, has
a long pedigree in Buddhism: in generation phase praxis and exegesis, the
deity springs out of and returns to emptiness, and there is a deliberate attempt
to avoid attachment to images of deities with the constant reminders that they
are only projections, rainbows, and so on. The visions and visualizations of
Great Perfection are arguably even more concerned with this constant immersion in fluidity and openness, but it is a question of degree rather than striking difference. We also find this constant oscillation in 'Jigs med gling pa's
autobiographical writings, where he constantly deprecates particular visions he
has as only more signs or images (mtshan bcas) among many. In contrast to
the valorization of the always unformulated ground, there at times seems no
ground to favor one image over another.
GERMANO
293
surely of significance that with 'Jigs med gling pa' s revelation these
セ・@ ュセョ@
cycle--;practices are formally included in elaborate セッイュNキゥエィョ@
the balance has clearly shifted from the earlier Bz ma snymg thzg, mKha
'gro snying thig, bZab mo yang tig and others. This may in pセ@
セ・@ why
'Jigs med gling pa is so insistent on his inspiration I authonzation by
kLong chen rab 'byams pa himself in a series of カゥウセッョ。イケ@
・ョ」セオエイウ@
(though not those relating to the kllJng chen snying thzg system セ・」エャケI@
and on his own work incarnating the essence of kLong chen rab byams
pa' s Great Perfection writings (which they are often explicitly ュッセ・ャ、@
after). This is reflected in the (surreptitious and perhaps unconscious)
naming of the cycle as a whole after him ("great sphere" 「・セョァ@
'.' klongchen") such that, in ignorance of its visionary attribution to
Padmasambhava from the eighth century, ordinary monks often mistakenly refer to the system as the Seminal Heart ofkLong chen rab 'byams
pa211
Analysis of the structure of the cycle clearly indicates ゥセ@ focus on
sadhanas:212 it is explicitly structured principally around a wtde.v.ariety.
of sadhanas centered on two sets of deities-eight tutelary deities ()'l
dam, ista-devatii) referred to as "awareness holders" (rig 'dzin, vidyadhara )'drawn from Mahayoga sources and seven "religious ーイッエセウB@
(chos sk:yong, dharmapala)-while overtly Seminal Heart matenals are
mainly present in the third volume. The principal work of what. I below
term "scholastic Seminal Heart" constitutes one hundred and s1xty four
pages in that volume, and is titled the Khrid yig ye shes bla ma ·
Goodman refers to this as a "practice text," 213 and while I argue below
211. See Goodman 1992a, 143. I add the "surreptitiously" since, セj。ョ・エ@
Gyatso stressed to me in conversation, the visionary retrieval of this cycle
involved no visions of kLong chen rab 'byams pa and in that it is セョ、・イウエッ@
as a direct transmission from Padmasambhava, there can be no manifest question of the title relating to the fourteenth century kLong chen rab G「ケセウ@
pa'.s
personal name. Thus Kapstein and Dotje's (Dotje 1991, RTセZ@
セ・ョ、ァ@
1t
as "Innermost Spirituality of kLong chen rab 'byams pa セ@ NュQウャセ。、ァ@
However, whether motivated consciously, unconsciously, or vts1onanly, the
semantic leakage is undeniable.
212. Goodman 1983, chap. 4, 118ff.
.
.
.
.
213. Goodman 1983, 128. This must be understood in 」ッョェオセ@
Wlth.hts
characterization (135) of 'Jigs med gling pa's Yon tan mdzod as a classtcal
presentation of rDzogs chen philosophy." While it is directly ュッ、・ャセ@
on
kLong chen rab 'byams pa's Ngal gso skor gsum, the former also ends wtth a
?f
294
JIABS 17.2
that エィゥセ@
is a セウャ・。、ゥ_ァ@
designation for this genre of literature except as
a terse mdication of Its phenomenological orientation it could in art
. di
h
'
p
I? cate ow ュオセィ@
less philosophical, and more conventionally tantric
(1. e. ヲッ」オセ・、@
on ウセ。ョNーイ」エゥ・IL@
the entire cycle really is. My cursory
examination of this text mdicates that it is a non-innovative and fairly
セイヲオョ」エッケ@
summary of older materials offering a simplified presenta」ッセ・ウ@
セッ@ be nonnative. This overall emphasis on standard
tion セ。エN@
tantric VIsualization practices and the corresponding liturgical requirego a long way to explaining its quick ascendancy in subse _
ments 」ッセャ、@
quent Nymgma communities, since it's revelation came at a time that
Nyingmas were beginning to systematically respond to modernist chalnany.
lenges through assimilating their traditions institutionally and aセイNKMZ@
Th thi d
•
\A.I\..Ul
us . s ッ」エイセョ。ャ@
。ョセ@
contemplative move in the direction of more
practices may be seen as marking a shift towards
normati:e エ。ョセ@
moderrust traditions, a tendency which flowered in the nineteenth century non-partisan Hイゥセ@
med) movement culminating with Mi pham 'jam
、「ケ。ョセウ@
rnam rgyal .s (1846-1912) systematic attempt to reinterpret
normati:e non-esotenc Mahayana scriptures from a Great Perfection
perspective. It also accorded with the institutional assimilation that
occurred as Nyingmas began to focus more on monastic institutions
rather than its ancient roots in villages, sacred pilgrimage routes, and
small temples. The ancient anti-rule orientation of Great Perfection
discussion of s.eminal Heart tradition. At the moment my reading of the text
does not pernut セ・@ t? compare that discussion with Khrid yig ye shes bla
ma, nor c?aractenze セエ@ ッ[・イ。ャセ@
in terms of its agenda. My suspicion about
gセュ。ョ@
s ch:rractenzauons 1s that I consider the earlier materials of the
sセュN。ャ@
Heart Intensely philosophical in their own right, and I find problematic hmts that the "real" philosophy is instead found in these works that
セ」ッュエ・@
modernist concerns. dPal sprul Rim poche continued this trend
m the ョャセ・エィ@
century with his very popular Kun bzang bla ma'i zhal
!,ung: BZィエ」セ@
セ。ウ@ セ・@ of a number of texts that emerged dealing with the
ーイ・ャゥュセウ@
or mtroduction" (sngon 'gro) to Seminal Heart cycles (in this
セ@
t? . tgs ュ・セ@ gling pa's kLong chen snying thig). Despite its charming
セ@ e, tt lS essentially a very standardized presentation containing little that is
オュア・ャセ@
gイ・。セ@
.Perfection or even differing from the politically normative
セッ、・ョオウエ@
tradlti?ns. This is quite in contrast to kLong chen rab 'byams pa's
triャッセケL@
a 」ッューャゥセエ・、@
series of interlocking texts containing many unusual
dOCtrines and practices.
GERMANO
295
hermeneutics, philosophy, and contemplation did not fit in well with the
collective mentality of monastic institutions, and the necessity for codifled rules governing the collective.
Further research on other cycles including Seminal Heart materials
between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries (such as the seventeenth
century gNam chos) is required to fully trace its gradual alteration, and
normalization, along these lines. In doing so, it is important not to
quickly extrapolate from literary documents to wide ranging generalizations about actual practice-for example, sadhana practice may have
been a pervasive reality of the Great Perfection from the beginning,
despite its anti-sadhana rhetoric. It is also important to ask what forces
were at work in these changes, as well as inquire into the differences
between "tactile" and "visual" styles of contemplation, and between
spontaneous and codified uses of imagery. From both psychological
and socio-political perspectives, we must ask what has been lost and
what gained? The dynamic is partially that the Seminal Heart innovations were increasingly mixed in with other types of materials as they
gained wider circulation post fourteenth century. In this way large collections such as the gNam chos may contain Seminal Heart elements, but
quite different materials constitute the logic driving their overall organi zation. Given the absolutely central role2I4 of Mahayoga to Nyingma
lineages ritually, contemplatively, and literarily, it is comes as no surprise that it should be the principal dynamic that increasingly exerts its
influence. It should also be noted, however, that as early as the fourteenth century we find examples of the converse direction, i. e. in how
kLong chen rab 'byams pa reinterprets the Guhyagarba Tantra from a
214. See D01je 1987, 7-58, for two passages from kLong chen rab 'byams pa
and Mipham that describe the Guhyagarbha Tantra in glowing tenns as the
pinnacle of all Buddhist traditions, on the basis of which Dmje concludes
that "the rnying rna tradition therefore regards this text as its fundamental
tantra, whether it is interpreted as mainstream Mahayoga or as an Atiyoga
source." I would only qualify this assertion with the caveat that no
"Nyingma tradition" as such ever existed, of course, and the diachronic and
synchronic oscillations in the wide range of Nyingma communities on this
issue of the priority of Mahayoga principles are an important topic for further
study. For example, kLong chen rab 'byams pa clearly values the Great Perfection corpus over the Guhyagarbha Tantra (if one were to make such hierarchical judgments), a fact evidenced in his Atiyoga-based interpretation of
the latter.
296
JIABS 17.2
resolutely Atiyoga-based vantage point, such that influence between the
two was a mutually constituting process.215
The scholastics (grub mtha') of simplicity (spros med; phyal pa)
It is fairly well known that from the eighteenth century onwards as
spurred by 'Jigs med gling pa, the "non-partisan" movement in Eastern
Tibet resulted in the production of important and extensive Nyingma
scholastic literature on the same Mahayana topics that had been, until
then, the traditional stronghold of the modernists, and of little interest to
those in Nyingma circles. This literature's orientation often derived
from the Great Perfection, yet contained relatively slight direct discussion of the latter in its own right. Yet what about this Seminal Heart
tradition as it formally began with the startling "discoveries" by ICe
btsun seng ge dbang phyug, developed through a series of further
"discoveries" of texts attributed either to transcendental sources or the
near transcendental and semi-legendary seventh to ninth centuries nonTibetan Masters of the Great Perfection tradition (Surativajra etc.), and
finally culminated in kLong chen rab 'byams pa's corpus? It is often
assumed that there was little such systematic thought or literature in the
Great Perfection itself, which is taken to be a type of poetic exhortation
to non-discursive experiences of natural simplicity, often caricatured as a
simplistic or paradoxical call to "experience." Thus complex philosophical speculation is seen as constituting a problem rather than a solutionyou either get it, or you do not, just as in the famous encounter of
Milarepa with the Great Perfection teachings. In addition, while the
Great Perfection lacks the sexually and wrathfully stylized antinomianism of the Anuttarayoga Tantras, it is characterized by a hermeneutical or
philosophical type of antinomianism that expresses itself in more
abstract types of ethical transgression and a thorough going resistance to
エィセ@
codification of rules (literarily, doctrinally and contemplatively).
This would appear to conflict with scholastic ventures, and indeed perhaps even with rigorous thought itself, though Buddhist Tantra's own
general antinomianism failed to prevent the eventual rise of a scholastic
industry in both India and Tibet. Thus for many traditional and EuroAmerican scholars the notion of a Great Perfection systematic literature
215. See Dorje 1987, 21, 58, 88-8 and 123-7. Also see Guenther's The
Ma_trix of Mystery for a brilliant presentation of such an Atiyoga-based explication of the Guhyagarbha Tantra .
GERMANO
297
even seems contradictory, given this widespread reputation of being a
largely contemplative tradition with textual expressions limited to often
lovely but vague poetic invocations and exhortations.
While it is true there is a consistent valorization in these traditions of
the possibility of a culturally unsophisticated and even illiterate ゥセ、カNᆳ
ual incarnating its realization, there is also an equally strong valonzation
of experientially-based intellectual and graphically textualized traditions
of immense literary and intellectual complexity. This complexity is
interlaced with equally consistent calls to simplicity, to direct and seemingly unmediated experience (mngon sum) and criticism of the futility of
conceptual thought with its discursive expressions (spros bcas). In particular, I would argue that in fact an elaborate scholastic literature can be
found in the Nyingma school very early on within the Great Perfection
traditions themselves, namely the extremely technical genre of Seminal
Heart literature I have discussed above. 216 While continuing the earlier
emphasis on non-discursive experience and simplicity thematically セ、@
hermeneutically (especially as incorporated into its breakthrough discourse), the Seminal Heart literature is clearly a genre of philosophical
tantra that is systematic, complex and extremely architectonic. Despite
the seeming contradictions of a systematic body of discourse centered on
non-discursive experiences and exhortations to transcend the discursive
proliferation of thought and language, this discourse flourished, and ゥセウ@
architectonic nature is revealed most clearly in its various thematic
structures. Often this is expressed as a set of overarching rubrics termed
"adamantine topics" (rdo rje'i gnas), themselves characterized by a
.of
complex set of interlinked subdivisions, which form the 。イ」ィゥエセオ・@
these texts. Though an analytic presentation of these structures IS crucial
for understanding the scholastic nature of this literature, at present I will
confine myself to more general remarks. 217
216. I am thus not thinking of the Great Perfection-flavored Nyingma version of the "stages of the path" (lam rim) genre of Tibetan Buddhist literature
which kLong chen rab 'byams pa initiated with his Ngal gso. sko: gsum,
though this genre does form an important subset of Great Perfection literature
from that time onwards.
217. The highly distinctive terminology, practices and beliefs ァッカ・セゥ@
_this
tradition are discussed in detail in an article I am currently fmtshmg,
"Building within Absence: the Infra-structure of Seminal Heart-Essence."
298
JIABS 17.2
kl..ong chenrab 'byams pa's Tshig don mdzocf218 is the most succinct
yet detailed instance of this genre of technical literature in the Great Perfection tradition best described as "scholastics" or "systematic thought,"
the latter term lacking the pejorative connotations of the former
(divestiture from embodied experience, lack of textual aesthetics and
divergence from non-textual contemplative praxis). However, considered in its root meaning of simply a love of study without these negative
connotations of irrelevancy for lived experience and an overwhelming
desire for closure, this text may be accurately described as Great Perfection scholastics, though under such a rubric we may perhaps find our
understanding of scholastics strangified beyond recognition (a familiar
experience in the shifting realms of Great Perfection textuality). This
genre of literature is scholastic not only in its clear love for language and
thought for its own sake, but also in its intense structuration with analytical internal outlines (sa bead). k:Long chen rab 'byams pa's own title
self-consciously embraces this paradox with its celebration of words and
thought in unfolding the pristine simplicity of the Great Perfection. Its
divergence from other types of Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism, however, is revealed in the striking tension between scholasticism's systematic and analytical form and the Great Perfection's own valorization of
poetry, analogy and allegory as the primary mode of serious philosophical thought, its dismissal of literalness-obsessed intellectualism, its
rejection of syllogistically-bound analysis and its constant invocation of
natural spontaneity. kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s hermeneutical explication of the term "main practice" (dngos gzhi) is illuminating in this light,
a term designating the principal phase of contemplation between preliminaries and concluding activities, yet literally meaning "real-basis."219 He
interprets dngos as referring to "real" contemplative experiences and
gz}li as an verbally articulatable intellectual "basis" for contextualizing
and explicating those experiences. Through a series of analogies revolving around seeing a king, he stresses the vitality of both in the Great
This most clearly explicates the systematic architectonics of the tradition's
primary literature.
218. See Germano 1992 for a study and partial translation of this work. I
am. now completing a translation of the entire text as well as a separate study
Oflt.
219. See the Theg mchog mdzod vol. 2, 250.
GERMANO
299
Perfection: (i) the "basis" (gz}li) without the "real" (dngos) is like seeing
the palace but not the king; (ii) the real without the basis is like seeing
the king, but not being able to discern his characteristics; (iii) lacking
both the real and the basis is like neither seeing the king nor palace; and
(iv) the real with the basis is like seeing the king and thoroughly understanding all his characteristics. In other words, the stress on the phenomenological, on this being a practice of the self, cannot be at the
expense of the hermeneutical, on the literary-intellectual expressions that
shape and are shaped by such practice. This dual intertwined emphasis
is characteristic of Seminal Heart literature from its onset, with its
founders as interested in intellectual-literary traditions as they are in the
body.
k.Long chen rab 'byams pa further systematized this tradition into
forms which have served as its guiding paradigms for the following six
centuries (fifteenth to twentieth) and which, despite their own rich ambiguity and disseminative play eluding and eliding attempts at closure,
functioned to cap off the tremendously fertile period of its preceding
development. In other words, his systematic writings on the Great Perfection mark the transition from a creative tradition-in-ferment to a
received tradition whose basic paradigms of contemplation and thought
are no longer at stake. This gives rise to the perennial question-what
and where is the difference between paradigms at stake, structures in
playful and dramatic process, and inherited paradigms that are as similated, structures no longer at stake or risk? One could of course argue
that experientially the tradition remains a risky business, but it would
seem to me that six centuries of closure, and often dilution, in graphic
systematic incarnations reflects a hermeneutical, and human, series of
losses. This suspicion of loss has been compounded by my frequent
frustration with contemporary Tibetan figures' tendency to gloss over
the intricate textuality of the early traditions and their hermeneutical
instincts for closure in the face of clearly fissuring circles of meaning.
This frustration, however, is laced with a respect for the deeply experiential involvement of some with the tradition, an involvement that manifests clearly on an interpersonal level in an unusual blend of caring,
intelligence and psychological acuteness. It must also be kept in mind
that the hermeneutically complex tradition of systematic thought and
textuality that k.Long chen rab 'byams pa incarnated was not widely read
in the subsequent centuries, though the more simple narrative outlines of
that tradition are easily discernible in the oral textuality of even the most
300
JIABS 17.2
inte11ectually simple of Great Perfection visionaries. This is not to suggest a straight forward contrast between lived narratives and scholastically elaborated narratives, since autobiographical references clearly
indicate k.Long chen rab 'byams pa and his predecessors were on the
whole intimately familiar with the contemplative traditions at the heart of
the Great Perfection. In addition, one of the most complex facets of their
textuality is its intricately phenomenological nature, i. e. cultivated experiences are irretrievably embedded in the most systematic, detailed
aspects of their writings. One of the most remarkable features of these
early traditions is their production of a scholastic body of literature that
paradoxically curbs the disembodying and reifying tendencies (tre
metaphysical) of such graphically conceived I expressed systematic lines
of inquiry, so that it remains simultaneously an inquiry into the embodied experience oflived worlds. Such inquiry requires commitment and
risk to quests which weave in and out of the texts that one lives through,
entailing attempts to transform the very nature of one's physical being
and modes of perception. k.Long chen rab 'byams pa himself is thus
generally considered to be a perfect exemplar of the traditional Tibetan
Buddhist ideal of someone who is a brilliant scholar intellectually, and
セ・エ@
w?o also has e:perientially transformed his own body and perception VIa contemplation (mkhas grnb; literally scholastically "learned" and
experientially "accomplished"); wisdom and compassion that inform
each other in ways that allow each to bypass their own potential deadends. k.Long chen rab 'byams pa's own corpus is marked by frequent
attacks on both intellectuals whose understanding remains metaphysical
H・クーセウ、@
セウ@ be.ing "dry" in its lack of the lived experience's fluidity,
lost m the mfiruty of words (kha 'byams)) and contemplators (sgom
セィ・ョA@
:Whose intellectual naivete distorts and undercuts their experiential
mqwnes. In fact the term "Great Perfection," or its more literal rendering as "Super (chen) Completion (rdzogs)," itself yields the slipperiness
and ウエイ。セ・ョ@
of the enterprise: it tricks one into expecting closure,
the defirutive take, the master narrative that will finally bring the uncomセッイエ。「ャ・@
ambiguity of this long human journey to an end, and yet in fact
1ts "completion" is in many ways a complete deconstruction of the
セエイオ」・ウ@
?ne brought to the text, an opening up to the process ambigu tty ?f llfe-m-formation. This is not the completion we bargain for in a
typtcal scholastic structure, just as we might find the "buddha" (sangs
rgyas) we thought was within is a buddha whose face, or masks, we
find strangely unfamiliar, a sensation the tradition would argue is inter-
GERMANO
301
twined with an awakening recognition of the strangeness of what is
familiar.
The graphic locus of the classical Seminal Heart tradition220
Since the principal goal of my recent research has been to articulate the
significance evoked by the rubric of the Great Perfection in what came to
be its classical form during the period when the basic religious
paradigms of Tibetan civilization took shape (eleventh to fourteenth
centuries), I have concentrated not on its earliest occurrences but rather
on those bodies of Seminal Heart literature which first give systematic
expression to the full range of its contemplative and philosophical facets.
Yet even to make sense of this chaotic array of early materials it is also
necessary to precisely understand its classical systematization, such that
earlier texts can be evaluated not only by what is present, but also by
what is absent. To pursue this inquiry, my point of departure is thus the
figure universally acknowledged as the key juncture between the present
and the past, between normative Mahayana Buddhist scholasticism and
the Great Perfection, between creative ferment and received tradition,
between culturally, ideologically and doctrinally heterogeneous roots and
a clearly unified Tibetan reality: k.Long chen rab 'byams pa. His corpus
is generally taken to be the definitive expression of the Great Perfection
with its precise terminological distinctions, systematic scope, and integration with the normative Buddhist scholasticism that became dominant
in Tibet during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. As for his own
sources in his systematic technical Great Perfection writings, they can be
grouped under the following four rubrics: (i) the Kun byed rgyal po,
(ii) The Seventeen Tantras of the Great Perfection (including two
closely affiliated tantras-the kl.ong gsal and Thig le kun gsal), (iii) the
Seminal Heart system of Vimalamitra (Bi ma snying thig) and (iv) the
Seminal Heart system of Padmasambhava (mKha' 'gro snying thig ).
Classical Seminal Heart literature thus consists of the massive corpus of
k.Long chen rab 'byams pa along with these four heterogeneous collections of texts that he positions himself as an interpreter of: (i) the tantra
representing the systematization of earlier Great Perfection movements;
220. I have kept the present section quite brief, since my article cited above
on kLong chen rab 'byams pa's sources involves a very detailed analysis of
the complex identity of Seminal Heart literature from the eleventh to fourteenth centuries.
302
JIABS 17.2
(ii) the principal early Seminal Heart tantras; and (iii-iv) the two main
cycles of early commentarial literature on the latter. None of these
sources include significant texts explicitly authored by Tibetans, since
they claim to be either (i) primary tantras with anonymous behind-thescenes authors or (ii) a commentarial tier citing and interpreting those
tantras in texts attributed to legendary Indian figures such as
Padmasambhava and Vimalarnitra. Thus not only did kLong chen rab
'byams pa inherit a large body of already existent systematic exposition
which he brought into explicit dialogue with normative modernist
themes, but he was also the first Tibetan figure in the tradition to write
systematic treatises in this vein and acknowledge his I her authorship of
them. The vast majority of the inherited literature was presumably produced in Tibet from the eleventh to fourteenth centuries, but most was
written in canonical assumed buddha-voices rather than exegetical
forms, and as such its authorship was deferred to an experiential domain
without discrete conventionally specifiable locations.
The Seminal Heart tradition can thus be defined as those texts which
take The Seventeen Tantras, Bi ma snying thig and subsequent works
developing out of them as authoritative. This literature consists of (i)
tantras with the standard psycho-cosmic dramatic setting of a dialogue
between a Buddha and his I her retinue; (ii) cycles or systems such as
kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s bLa ma yang tig providing a comprehensive interlinked series of texts with lineage histories, supplication
prayers, empowerment rituals, indexes, meditation handbooks and
philosophical exegesis; and (iii) more strictly philosophical works ranging from the scholastic (kLong chen rab 'byams pa's Theg mchog
mdzod) to the intensely poetic (his Chos dbyings mdzod), as well as
works focusing on a particular contemplative topic. Only the second
category of texts offers a comprehensive system containing everything
necessary to transmit, study and implement it along traditional lines.
Apart from the four principal collections of the early Seminal Heart tradition outlined above, a massive body of other literature on the Great
Perfection was also produced during the tenth to fourteen centuries
including canonical tantras, supposed "translations" of texts attributed to
Indian figures such as Padmasambhava, and works penned by indigenous Tibetan lamas. Thus much research remains to be done in discerning other textual gestalts and their interrelations with the corpus deemed
canonical by kLong chen rab 'byams pa. It is also an imperative to
study later affiliated traditions in the Great Perfection incorporating these
GERMANO
303
new visionary trends which may have had a distinct identity from the
Seminal Heart traditions, analyzing their canonical sources, terminology,
and distinctive structures.221 If the primary source of any given text or
cycle is The Seventeen Tantras or cycles established as belonging to its
lineage, it would be classifiable as Seminal Heart. If, ッョセZ@
other セ、L@
it does not draw upon these literary sources but uses strikingly smular
tenninology and practices, it will be necessary to look carefully at its
textual authorities, and consider whether or not the creator of that tradition was surreptitiously borrowing from Seminal Heart circles while utilizing the "treasure" (gter ma) ideology to obscure its debt. In doing so,
one must analyze the role of Space Series materials in bridging the gap
between Mind Series and Esoteric Precepts Series, as well as the precise
significance of such alternative rubrics as yang ti and spyi ti. Finally, it
is essential to chart out the transmission of the original Seminal Heart literature during the fourteenth and fifteen centuries to discern lineages for
which kLong chen rab 'byams pa's work was not the final say, or even
necessarily quite that relevant. 222 In this way, it will be possible to begin
to discern whether there were alternative sources for direct transcendence practice and its associated ideologies, or attempts to appropriate Seminal Heart innovations without crediting it as the source, as
well as sketch out the historical circulation of the direct transcendencebased uniqueness of Seminal Heart within Great Perfection circles from
the twelfth century onwards.
The Seminal Heart's ambivalent relationship to other Tibetan tantric
yoga systems and ideologies
.
The eleventh to twelfth centuries in Tibet witnessed the flowenng (and
in many cases simultaneous withering) of a tremendous variety of yogic
systems experientially based upon the human body and claiming to offer
comprehensive systems to arrive at the ultimate realization ッヲ「オ、セ。ᆳ
hood. The systematization and codification of the ensuing centunes
221. Examples are Rig 'dzin rgod kyi ldem 'pbru can's (1337-1408),dGongs
pa zang thal, Sangs rgyas gling pa's (1340-1396) bLa ma dgongs dus and
Mi 'Gyur rdo tje's (1645-1667) gNam chos.
. .
.
222. For example, Ronald Davidson pointed out m hts presentation at the U·
Va. Great Perfection symposium that U rgyan gter bdag gling pa does ョセエ@
even list kLong chen rab 'byams pa in his "teachings received" under Esotenc
Precepts Series, but rather places gYung ston rdo Ije dpal after Kumaradza.
304
GERMANO
JIABS 17.2
produced a widespread acknowledgment of a limited range of such systerns as the most prominent, most of which focus on perfection phase
practices with a consequent emphasis on interior movements of energy,
breath, sexuality and perception normally constituting unconscious
organismic processes. There are numerous passages 223 where a set
selection of these are listed out as reflecting experiential paths with a
certain unity on the ground (identified by kLong chen rab 'byams pa as
"seeing the dimension of the mind-as-such")224 that may seem lacking in
the more intellectualized practices of the various tenet systematizations of
each sect and sub-sect. Some of the more prominent systems are the
Great Perfection, the Great Seal (phyag rgya chen po, mahlimudra), the
Sakya tantric synthesis of the path and the fruit (lam 'bras), the six doctrines of Naropa (naro chos drug), 225 the six doctrines of Niguma (ni gu
chos drug) in the Shangpa Kagyu tradition (shangs pa bka' brgyud),226
the pacification (zhi byed), the object of cutting (gcod yul), the various
practices stemming from the Kltlacakra tantric system, the six yogas
(sbyor drug, セ。ィァケッI@
and five phases (rim lnga, paficakrama);221
these are often further linked back to non-tantric ideologies through
references to the "great Middle Way" (dbu ma chen po,
*mahltmadhyamaka) 228 and the "transcendent consummation of insight
223. See Dudjom 1991, 926, for a famous passage by pセ@
chen bla ma blo
bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan (1567-1662); Schmidt 1987, 90-1 for a passage
by rTse le sna tshogs rang grol (b. 1608); kLong chen rab 'byams pa's Yid
bzhin mdzod (673.2) and Shing rta mam dag (119.4).
224. Shing rta rnam dag 119.3.
225. See Guenther 1978 and Gyatso 1982.h
226. Kapstein (1992a, 200) says that the six yogas of Niguma differ from
!ilopa I Naropa's six yogas primarily in points of emphasis, the most strikmg difference being Tilopa' s emphasis on the fierce woman (gtum mo) and
セ。、ゥョエ@
light ('od gsal) contemplations as opposed to Niguma's focus on the
Illusory body (sgyu Ius) and dreams (rmi lam). Niguma (Kapstein 1992a,
193) is said to be either the wife or sister of the famous siddha Naropa.
Khyung po mal 'byor (?-c. 1135), the Tibetan founder of the Shangpa Kagyu
tradition, claims to have studied with her and received texts authored by her.
See Mullins 1985 for extensive comments on this version of the six yogas.
227. See Cozort 1986, 66-67, footnote 114, for a list of the six yogas and
five phases, followed by a detailed discussion.
228. As explained by Hookham (1991), this term was used in two principal
ways in Tibet: (i) to refer to the "emptiness of other" (gzhan stong) traditions
305
(of abiding reality)" (gnas lugs don gyi shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa;
A typical passage can be found in kLong chen rab 'byams pa's Yid
bzhin mdzod: 229
Now is the introduction to the manifestation of the indwelling innate
naturally radiant primordial gnosis which comes to pass through these
techniques:
The primordial gnosis of expansive insight coming to pass via
such techniques
Is the glowing lucency beyond all expression indicating it as
localized or not localized,
Existent or non-existent, something that is or is not the case,
Within the range of radiance and bliss.
Self-awareness is vivid in its non-discursive brightness and
radiance,
Like the sky in its lack of fragmentation and polarization,
Resembling the solar and lunar mal)<;lalas in its unwavering
brightness and radiance,
Like the ocean free from the turbidity of reifying concepts.
This is what the sacred ones introduce you to
As self-emerging primordial gnosis, mind-as-such, and radiant
lightThis body of reality, innately co-emerging,
Should be perpetually contemplated.
of y ogacara-Madhyamaka and (ii) a syncretic and contemplatively-oriented
interpretation of Nagllljuna and Asailga with a special emphasis on the
Uttaratantra. While clearly kLong chen rab 'byams pa's reference below
indicates a thoroughly experiential and phenomenological interpretation of
Madhyamaka, it should be noted that earlier in the text (549.2) he identifies
the "Great Madhyamaka" as referring to the Priisaligika tradition. Interestingly, van der Kuijp (Hookham 1991, 157) claims the term's earliest occurrence is in Great Perfection tantras.
229. Yid bzhin mdzod 672.4.
306
JIABS 17.2
Our ?wn sacred master, the glorious precious lord of the sacred
teachings,230 contextuallzed the primordial gnosis involved in the four
great seal.s in precisely this manner. 231 When previously meditating
on the キエセ、ウ@
?ne's awareness of radiance is non-conceptual, while
when meditating on the seminal nuclei one's awareness of bliss is
radiant. But in both states you look nakedly at the face of self-awareness, .and thus there is no. question of .either abiding or non-abiding
・カセ@
m エィセウ・N@
mere [expenences of] bliss, radiance, and non-concepセ。ャエケN@
W!thin セ・@ essence of this radiant empty self-awareness, there
1s. only a セュ・ョウQP@
totally beyond thought, expression or even analoァオセウL@
devOid ッセ@ such considerations as existence or non-existence,
bemg or n?t ?emg the. 」セN@
This self-purifying self-awareness is like
the ocean m Its pellucidity and non-wavering depths like the solar and
lunar ma.J).<;lalas in its radiance and non-conceptu;uity, and like the
ュ。j_Nセャ@
of the clear sky devoid of fragmentation and polarization. He
セオウ@
mtroduced [us] to this very self-awareness in which the discursiveness of the mind and its operations fade away as the [true signifi」。ョ・セ@
of the] reality body, the great seal and self-emerging primordial
gnos1s. He also spoke of precisely this as being the Great Perfection
the Great Middle Way, the essence of the six branched yoga エィセ@
essence .of the path and fruit system, the pacifying which 」。ャセウ@
all
・ャ。_ッセエゥョウ@
キゥエィッセ@
exception, and the transcendental consummation
of msight of the abtding dimension of reality.
I myself as well have had a little experience of this and have seen
clearly that this dimension is described as such in' the sutras and
tantras. The Guhyasamlija Tantra describes it thus:
セPN@
Not meditating is the real essence of meditation·
Having meditated is not meditation
'
Since the real thing is not a thing
Meditation is devoid of objective referents ....
_P!dzaesumably this refers to his own root Great Perfection teacher
umara .
231. tィセ@
four :•great seals" (mahiimudrii) evidently refers to the standard list
of セッオイ@
dimenstons of a consort participating in sexual yogic practices: the
。」エゥッセ@
seal, gnosis seal, great seal and commitment seal. The action seal is
explamed セ@ an actual ー「ケセゥ」。ャ@
woman; the gnosis seal is a visualized goddess stemmmg セュ@
セ・ョイ。エゥッ@
phase practice; the great seal is an empty-form
goddess セーョァ@
vta perfection phase contemplation; and the commitment
seal then ts the mtegration of all three.
GERMANO
307
Aside from such phenomenological claims of identity and at times
striking surface differences, all of these systems are based on the same
milieu of late Buddhist tantrism in India and associated regions, and
hence are inextricably interconnected. They are simultaneously somewhat heterogeneous anthologies, and coordinated integrations into a
single pathway, of yogic techniques for going beyond the mere visualization of deity images to corning to terms with the human body and
radical emptiness, to bring these images back home to their grounding
matrix in a body of emptiness. The hagiographic and exegetical literature abounds with very clear and particular references to the experiential
implementation of these systems for psycho-physical transformation of
individual practitioners (for example note the passage by gTer bdag
gling pa cited below), clearly indicating that from a very early period the
prevalent talk of experience in these texts was not mere rhetoric (which
is not to deny the diverse rhetorical usages of such discourse, as well as
232
the variegated social functions of ritual and contemplation in Tibet).
I would thus like to briefly look at two Nyingma authors' (kLong
chen rab 'byams pa and gTer bdag gling pa) attempts to delineate Great
Perfection practices from other Tibetan tantric yoga systems, since even
attempts to assert difference also reveal the lingering shadows of similarity. The symbolic perfection phase practices, i. e. those centered on
internal manipulations of energy utilizing visualization, breathing, and
tactile sensations, are generally referred to in Tibetan as "channelwind"233 (rtsa rlung) practices. This derives from their focus on the
human body, which in its experiential felt presence (termed the
"adamantine body" (rdo rje'i lus)) is discussed as a triad of qualities:
channels (rtsa, naf[l), winds (rlung, vayu) and seminal nuclei (thig le,
bindu). In short, these can be understood as characteristic patterning
lines of energy in the body, the movements of energy through those
lines, and the particular intelligences and organizing capacities borne by
those movements. In addition to the Seminal Heart transforming these
symbolic perfection phase techniques in innovative ways (especially
those centered on "radiant light"), its cycles also include versions of
those standard techniques as "ancillaries" or "adjuncts" to its main practices. They thus incorporate the practices of the fierce woman ( gtum
mo ), dream yoga, sexual yoga and so on, but generally refrain from the
232. See Sharf 1992.
233. For example see kLong eben rab 'byams pa's Yid bzhin mdzod 672.3.
GERMANO
308
309
JIABS 17.2
emphasis on focusing energy in the central channel as well as constantly
criticize the rhetoric of manipulation and control that ideologically underlay such techniques.
Given their inordinate importance for understanding Tibetan Buddhism in general, and the Seminal Heart traditions in particular, I will
briefly summarize perfection phase ideology based on kLong chen rab
'byams pa's succinct summary in the twentieth chapter of the Yid bzhin
mdzod. As the early Seminal Heart tradition often does, he divides these
practices into two overarching rubrics:234 (i) wind-yoga235 focusing on
the "winds," the body's internal currents of energy closely linked to the
breath; and (ii) practices focusing on the "seminal nucleus," the body's
organizing points of energy closed linked to the sexual fluids (he also
associates these two rubrics with the father and mother tantras
respectively, the standard internal dyadic classification of Anuttarayoga
Tantras). In fact, the latter practices generally also deal with the winds
or breath, while the former category functions to embrace practices that
almost exclusively focus on the winds themselves. Leaving a more
detailed discussion of kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s presentation to a later
forum, I would merely like to point out that the principal contemplative
processes are characterized by two central intertwined ideologies
focused on the body, and based on the resolute belief that our mental
images and experiences are heavily dependent on internal transformations and states of energy (which is why all such manipulation of internal energy is marked by unusual visual experiences): (i) dissolving or
confining all winds into the body's central channel ( dbu rna or kun 'dar
rna) as marked by a series of visual experiences of light (smoke, fireflies, etc.) and (ii) mastering the movement of energy within that central
space, generally described as impelling seminal nuclei up and down
through the body's four main energy "wheels" ('khor lo, cakra) accompanied by orgiastic sensations of bliss graded into a set of four "joys"
(dga' ba, iinanda). The Geluk scholar Geshe Kelsang Gyatso236 summarizes such techniques as "generating simultaneous bliss," which is
done in conjunction with emptiness meditation. He divides them into
two categories: the fierce woman or inner fire (gtum mo) practices in
which a visualized flame at the navel ignites the melting of seminal bliss
234. Ibid., 666.4ff.
235. Ibid., 668.6.
236. Gyatso 1982, 18.
from the crown's lunar treasury, and sexual yoga, which relies on sexual
intercourse to stimulate the movement of energy up the body's center.
He further237 characterizes the inner fire practices as the "foundation" of
all perfection phase techniques-its process of igniting intern.al キ。イュセ@
and consequently melting the two types (white I red) of semmal nuclei
(sometimes summarized as "blazing and dripping") is at the セ・。イエ@
of
ra? 「ケセウ@
such techniques, directly or indirectly. While kLong 」ィ・セ@
pa's presentation here is somewhat more complex than this, 1t does m
general correspond to the structure of a short text in his Zab mo yang tig
entitled the Zab mo phra khrid. In that presentation of channel-wind
ractices he divides them up into three categories corresponding 238
to
P
.
. nuclei. respectively.
.
The thi rd category
channels , wmds
and semmal
is entitled "esoteric precepts on the great bliss of the [nuclei]" and is
further subdivided into "techniques on your own body" and "relying on
another's body." He clearly specifies239 that prior to engaging in sexual
yoga with a partner, one must first master these fierce woman practices
utilizing merely one's own body.
The key throughout is this concentration and manipulation of energy
or
in the body's center, usually discussed in terms of "dissolving" Hエィゥュセ@
"taking hold" (zin)240 of the winds into a central 」セ。ョ・ャ@
イオョセァ@
through the upper torso's center, connecting the ァ・イオエセウ@
。ョセ@
bram.
Clearly there is a strong physiological (the lungs, blood N」イオャ。エゥッセL@
ョ・セᆳ
vous energy) and experiential basis to this focus on tactile セ・ョウ。エゥッ@
セョ@
the center of the torso, which are strikingly similar to practices found m
other traditions, such as Daoist Qigong,2 41 Hindu ォオセ\[i。ャゥョ@
I hatha
237.
238.
239.
240.
Ibid., 33.
zab mo phra khrid 376.3-389.2.
Ibid., 382.6.
256
See Cozort 1986, 73, and Guenther 1978, 60.1, Tibetan on
respectively.
241. See Robinet 1993 and Deng 1990. I am largely indebted to !ohn
Alton who studied for several years in Beijing with a contemporary Chmese
エ・。」ィセイL@
for my exposure to the physical orientations and ゥュセャ」。エッョウ@
of such
practices, as well as general discussions 」ッョ・イゥセァ@
body-onented セョエ・ューャ。ᆳ
tion (see his autobiographical account of Q1gong to be pubhshed by
Shambhala with the title Adventures with Qi).
310
JIABS 17.2
242
yoga and even the Christian Hesychasts.243 Thus we find a focus on
breati_I and sexual sensation, both critical and immediately accessible
セクー・ョ」@
ッセ・@ has. of セ・@ body's internal flows of energy, and in parエゥ」セャ。イL@
ッヲセ@
mtensrfication in the center. It could be argued that symbobc perfection phase techniques begin as breath and sex, felt sensations
of セオイ・ョエウ@
of movement and bliss running up the center of the body,
キィエセN@
are then 」ッョエ・セーャゥカケN@
ュゥセ」ォ・、L@
controlled, altered, and deep_
ened; Its ョッMウセュ「ャ」@
dimensiOns, m contrast, begin in experiences of
absence, of the mtangtble. In the Yid bzhin mdzod, 244 kLong chen rab
ᄋセケ。ュウ@
pa responds to criticism of channel-wind practices as inferior
(smce セ・ケ@
are セ「。イ・、@
by non-Buddhists) by linking them to exoteric
セオ、ウエ@
techruques .of meditating on the breath-by focusing on
iセ。エゥoョウ@
and セクィ。エゥッョウ@
to calm the ordinarily frenetic activity of your
mmd, one can giVe nse to deep contemplation ( ting nge •dzin):
The following reconciles sutric and tantric contemplative techniques:
Since エィセ@ sutras and their exegetical literature teach that you actualize
"calmmg"
Through focusing the mind on the winds (breath) and external
objective supports,
I see this as similar to these (tantric techniques).
セーゥ・@
think that since these wind-channel [tantric practices]
extstm the non-Buddhist "outsiders" traditions, they are an ii1fenor path. Yet the sutras and associated exegetical literature of the
Lesser and the Great Vehicles such as the Nyi ma'i snying po'i mdo
。ョセ@ the mDzod all teach that you meditate on the winds [breath] as an
anti?ote to conceptuality out of control, and thus give rise to contemーャ。エゥセョN@
In. these people's view, we would have to say that this also is
ュヲ・ョセイN@
Smce all the s.utras and tantras are thus in harmony with each
other m.terms of techniques for giving rise to contemplation there is
no con:tlict here.
'
セウッ@
sッュセ@
242. See Silbum 1988 and White 1995.
243. See Palamas 1983, 5, 8, 9, 14-16, 46, 47 and 129 for discussions of
the h・ウケ」ィセエG@
body-based approach to spirituality with its focus on the
navel, breathmg, and the heart.
244. Yid bzhin mdzod 672.3.
GERMANO
311
In fact, the term for "winds" (rlung) is often used interchangeably to
refer to the literal breath (dbugs), a semantic linkage founded on
metaphorical and physiological grounds. With these techniques, one
discovers extraordinary dimensions of breath and semen, i. e. other
movements and charges of intensity in the body that can be actually
experienced in ways analogous to ordinary experiences of the coursing
of breath and stimulation of orgasm. In addition to the emphasis on
tactile sensations in the body's interior with the concomitant feelings of
bliss, the phenomenology of this intensification of energy within the
body's center focuses on light, a luminosity that has its own logic experientially and philosophically. This unfolding radiant light(' od gsal)
both creates a felt impression of the body's own luminosity and sparks
changes in one's visual field as flashes of light begin to dominate
experience externally and internally. Thus perfection phase practices are
generally characterized as meditation on "radiant light" (the title of chapter twenty in Yid bzhin mdzod) or "primordial gnosis," indicating these
practices unfold radiance and gnosis from one's embodied being, our
bodies being pervaded by luminousity and intelligence.
The Great Perfection's notion of a triune ground-empty (stong pa),
radiant (gsal ba) and self-organizing intelligence (thugs rje)-reflects
the traditional triune characterization of this ultimate dimension,
"emptiness" being the third (along with radiant light and primordial
gnosis). Additionally there is the standard categorization of meditative
experiences (nyams) into bliss, clarity and non-conceptuality (bde gsal
mi rtog). The various gradations and sequences described in discussing
these practices-such as the four joys, four visions (snang ba bzhi) and
four emptinesses (stong pa bzhi)-thus represent attempts to talk about
the phases in one's increasing realization of this unitary triune dimension, simultaneously an immersion in the felt human body of experience
and in its grounding in, and as, an intense luminosity that is no-thing at
all, yet reveals itself as intensely blissful sparks oflight. 245 In this way,
245. While Gyatso (1982) is perhaps the clearest and most detailed factual
account of these processes, the most interesting English language account
セョ・@
qualm N。「セオエ@
interpretatively is found in Beyer 1973, 127-143. セケ@
Beyer's account is he almost entirely ignores the phys10logtcal I ・セョエゥ。ャ@
basis of these processes (taking note of his disclaimer on 133 and hts mvocation of an "experiential given" on 135) to exclusively focus on the symbolic
logic of the contemplative systems, a logic which be brilliant unpacks.
312
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
the dual emphasis of perfection phase techniques on immersion in the
human body (symbolic) and in emptiness (non-symbolic) intertwine as
the divine images of the generation phase are brought home to an interlor
of swirling .currents of sensed energy (heat, stimulation, rippling movements), an mterior which also gradually reveals itself as a groundless
abyss of セウゥャエ・N@
セケ・@
points this out in his consistent emphasis
on セッエィ@
、ゥウ_ャカセョァ@
the diVIne Image-representations of magical simulacra
(which one Is) mto the emptiness of radiant light and re-emerging from
that dissolution as a gnostic body that now represents one's own inner
・ュ「ッ、ゥセ@
fluidity given new form. Obviously there is a great degree of
ャ。エゥオセ@
m what type of experiential aspects are emphasized in this proセイ・ウキョMbケ@
focuses on the Hindu emphasis on sonic experiences
m contrast to Buddhist privileging of the visual, 246 while other traditions
focus 。ャセッウエ@
exclusively on tactile sensations (together representing our
エィイ・Nュセjッ@
senses); another important issue is the extent of analogical
associations. From セ・@ perspective of the collapse of typical habituated
patterns we talk of dissolution or dissipation (the byang of byang chub
and sa?gs of ウ。セァ@
rgyas), while from the perspective of the gradual
unfolding of.an mner luminosity we are impelled to speak of these
events as セ。ォゥョァ@
hold of an inner citadel (btsan sa zin ), an increasing
apprehensiOn of a palace implicated within nothingness (chub; rgyas ).
Buddha-nature thus represents a trust in embodied identity that the
break?o.wn.of socially enframed structures does not lead ゥョ・セエ。「ャケ@
to
247 but also can allow the emergence of new
chaotic ャセョ」エオ。@
カゥッセ・ョ」L@
ウ・ャヲMッイァセコュ@
patterrung more sensitive to interior and exterior worlds
of ・セーョ」L@
as wen as the abyssal field of possibilities that constitutes
the life-process. Thus these contemplative ideologies are based upon
ーイッ」・ウセ@
said to セ」オイ@
in the body at moments of gap or fissure, when
ッセ@ セャ・。@
strategies of ordering the body collapse: orgasm, sleeping,
248
セ。ュエゥァ@
セ 、・。エィN@
セオュゥョウエケ@
unfolds during these "sWfting
Interstices
(bar do) m which paradigms shift and foundations
Y
セゥ・ョ@
セゥウ@ tendency, it エセョ、ウ@
to partially obscure other possibilities as he
g tly mterweaves the enure contemplative process in a very traditional way
246. Beyer 1973, 136.
·
247. See Levin 1988, particularly 303-317.
248. See Cozart 1986, 72 and Beyer 1973, 139.
249. Beyer 1973, 138.
313
tremble, since radiant light is none other than the fluid process of lifeenergy, the self-organizing intensity ordinarily trapped and repressed
witWn entrenched structures and dominant frames, the ground zero
which contemplation aims at contacting, and then channeling more
directly.
Despite this theme of collapse and fissure, a consistent tantric rhetoric
of control, domination and manipulation is also evident, of forcing a
collapse of the ordinary to marshal one's forces into an extraordinary
intensity. One contracts one's ordinarily dispersed energy into a central
conduit, arrest its fluctuations and confine it to quarters, so to say, with
the justification of making it "pliable" (las su rung ),250 ュッセ・@
。ュ・セャ@
to
the demands and needs of the center (often imaged With explicitly
political tropes-kings, ministers, armies, etc.). In this way, discoursepractices situating themselves as non-symbolic perfection phase ウケセエ・ュ@
often rhetorically denigrate such practices as lower order techruques
dominated by danger, stress, politicization and forced contrivance, even
to the point of placing themselves beyond the entire generation I perfection ideology all together, though in fact they are all heavily 、・ーョセエ@
on the ideological and contemplative landscape shaped by such practices.
In the Yid bzhin mdzod' s account of conventional tantric practice we
find an integrated approach acknowledging this indebtedness with ャゥセ・@
of the aggressive rhetoric of denial and エイ。ョウ」・セ@
that we セョ、@
t.n
k.Long chen rab 'byams pa's Great Perfection wntings. He begms his
account with a warning that these wind-channel practices are not the real
or ultimate path, but still strongly urges the prospective practitioner to
exert him I herself in these contemplative systems until they are perfected, given their essential importance in facilitating progress along the
path.251 After detailing the systems, he then turns to the Great Perfection in a very low key manner252 by speaking of an Bゥョエイッ、オセZ@
Hョセッ@
sprad) to the manifestation of indwelling primordial gnos1s which 1s
coemergent with the natural radiance and clarity produced by ウオセィ@
エ・」セᆳ
niques. He advocates intently gazing upon ウ・ャヲM。キセョ@
agru.nst this
backdrop of these unusual experiences of mental clarity, ?llss, and. nonconceptuality produced by reliance upon the 」ッョエ・ューャ。ゥZNィアオセウ@
manipulating the winds and seminal nuclei, this striking flwdity or luiDI-
250. Yid bzhin nuizod 667 .1.
251. Ibid., 666.7.
252. Ibid., 672.4ff. See my translation above.
314
GERMANO
JIABS 17.2
nosity in one's perceptual field, such that one begins to sense an intelligence or wisdom at work deep within one's embodied unconscious. It
is this vivid, lucent, unfragmented and non-conceptual dimension that is
specified as the heart of the Great Perfection, Great Middle Way, Sixbranched Yoga, Path and Fruit, and so on. In the ensuing discussion he
even casually cites a key Great Perfection text, the Kun byed rgyal
po, 253 and in giving general guidelines for meditation refers to its meditation on awareness (rig pa) as a third alternative along with focus on
the winds and seminal nuclei, depending on "which is comfortable". 25 4
However, the overall context makes clear that the key is to first work
with one's embodied psyche's energy via the winds and nuclei contemplative techniques, and only then does direct contemplation of one's own
vivid radiant awareness, such as detailed in Mind Series texts, become a
natural further deepening of the practice. Obviously his intent in the Yid
bzhin mdzod is in part to provide a mildly Great Perfection-influenced
reading of Mahayana and other Vajrayana traditions that can reach out to
other circles of Tibetan BUddhism not directly involved with the Great
Perfection's own unique terminology and practices (though this is quite
subtle as opposed to the more manifest agenda of the Ngal gso skor
315
[The former manifests in Seminal Heart contemplation], in which
these seminal nuclei of natural thorough purity are the lighting-up of
the expanse and awareness. For this reason they are bright and lucent,
ッヲdゥイセ@
tイセウ」・ョᆳ
while provisionally in the "intensification" {カゥセッョ@
ctence contemplation] they shine forth up until [the marufestation of
full] mandalas [of buddha images]. [Since these visions] are not
dependent. on holding the winds, emotional distortions and conceptuality naturally cease, and they are adorned by the meditative state of
naturally abiding within lucency.
However, the thoroughly pure ten signs of wind-channel [practices
that the latter involves] is brought about in the wake of ウエイ・ョオッセ@
activities involving the winds. 256 For this reason, they are qwte
unstable, constantly oscillating between intensification and ッ「ウ」オイセᆳ
tion-following non-lucency, partial obscuration, 」ッ。イセ@
c_ョ」・ーエオ。ャセy@
and emotional distortions, there is only a little moisturtzation of clanty' s emergence and stable focus. For these reasons and others, the
difference is exceedingly great.
.
Though such [visions] manifest when you meditate on the p。エィセ_@
the Fruit, the six yogas, and the Phra tik(?) of the gオセケ。ウュ}@
Tantra, when compared to the immediacy of the Semmal Heart
(practices), the difference is like between gold and brass.
gsum).
Such conciliatory motivation and corresponding expression is quite
distinct from the tone of kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s explicitly Great
Perfection corpus in passages where he deals with the relationships of
Seminal Heart practices to seemingly similar techniques found in the
modernist tantras. For example, in the following passage from the Theg
mchog mdzod,255 he attempts to strictly differentiate between the visual
appearances of spheres or circles of light (termed "seminal nuclei")
which appear in the practices of direct transcendence and the similar
apparitions appearing in the context of other Tibetan Buddhist tantric
practices:
Although both (i) the seminal nuclei ( thig le, hindu) of radiant light's
primordial radiation and (ii) the seminal nucleus of rainbow light
[deriving] from holding the winds and mind are similar in terms of
being empty forms, in fact they are exceedingly different.
253. Kun byed rgyal po 675.1.
254. Yid bzhin mdzod 675.4.
255. Theg mchog mdzod vol. 2, 103.5.
In a later passage from the same text, 257 kLong chen rab 'byams pa
strictly differentiates Great Perfection meditation ヲイッセ@
_Jower ッイセ@
subtle
body contemplations, including the well know. six yogas. (sbyor
drug). 258 In general he describes these techniques as bemg very
256 These ten signs are phenomenological markers 、・ウ」イゥセョァ@
カゥウオセイエ。ZA@
one. sees and feels as one progresses NセwZエィ・イ@
Nセ、@ AオセZ@
セZ]ᄋョエオュ@
body's internal currents of energy, or wmds, m . e
. 1 type of
- ·
·
ith each step corresponding to a parucu ar
mo; ca!l4alt) ーイ。」エゥセウL@
wth 1978 60 1· a somewhat different account is
' セ@ セ@ with the dissolution of the winds
visual image. See uen ・セ@
given by Cozort (1986, 74), 10 correlatio
ti n base ractices or norinto the body's central channel, whether by perfec. o P thPH0 k' (1981
and fainting. Bo
'
P ms
orgasm,
t as a series of eight, elimimal phenomena such as ウャ・セーL@
18) and Gyatso (198_2. 70) gtve the. same 「セZァ@
patterns rather than visual
nating the ftrst two stgns, and refemng to h
( 1985 135) also discuss
system.
experiences. Cozort (198.6, 124-5) and? 。イAケゥGコ」ォセ@
this in the context of the mght yoga practiced
257 . Theg mchog rrulzod 195.2-196.2.
258. These are explicated in Cozort 1986.
316
JIABS 17.2
"strenuous" in their directly attempting to forcefully manipulate and
redirect one's conventional energy (i. e. physical body and ordinary
thought activity), such that they are beset by obstacles and potential pitfalls. In contrast to this, direct transcendence contemplation works
directly with one's inner spontaneous gnostic energy, avoiding the
coarse dimensions of one's body, speech and mind apart from their mere
"restriction" via the three modes of non-wavering (see below). Since it
thus only involves "undistorted" ultimate gnostic energy, the many
potential obstacles and pitfalls inherent in working with distorted materialized energy are absent In addition, these lower order contempiations
tend to deviate through fixating on the various psychic experiences and
sensations (shes nyams) that emerge during contemplation. Direct transcendence contemplation, however, does not prioritize or cling to these
psychic experiences, and instead remains focused on the "visionary
experiences" (snang nyams) of the radiant light's natural radiation, i. e.
the exteriorized images of awareness' radiation that fills one's surrounding space. The Tshig don mdzod 259 explains this contrast between
"psychic experiences" and "visionary experiences" as referring to inter na1 sensations and external visions respectively. Since in these visions
one perceives primordial gnosis in direct sensory experience, there is no
possibility of error or deviation, unlike the changing succession of inner
ーセケ」ィゥ@
sensations. Finally, kLong chen rab 'byams pa differentiates
direct transcendence from the "six yogas" thus: direct transcendence
involves "awareness' radiation" (rig gdangs) which is like "the light of a
lamp" and is the "radiation of (awareness') actual radiant light, i. e. pure
appearances" via which one can become free; the six yogas instead
involve "the winds' radiation" ( rlung gdangs) which is like "the light of
a jewel" and is "the radiation of awareness' impure dynamism, i.e. distorted appearances" via which one cannot become free. This distinction
between different types of "radiation" is one I have heard echoed several
times in oral explications of the difference between Seminal Heart
visions and those inspired by the modernist Kiilacakra Tantra.
セョァ@
セィ・ョ@
rab 'byams pa explicitly criticizes the perfection phase•s
pnnctpaltdeology of confining the winds into the central channel in the
following discussion of the gnostic winds from the mKha' 'gro yang
tig:260
259. Tshig mdon mdzod 390.4ff.
260. mKha' 'gro yang tig vol. 2, 161.6ff.
GERMANO
317
In brief, "gnostic winds" is just a label applied to compassionate
resonance's essential awareness-since it is present with the indivisible triune identity of essence, nature and compassionate resonance, it
is termed "primordial (ye) cognition (shes)" (the literal rendering of
"gnostic"). It is termed "wind" (rllmg) in that its mere stirring and
mere aware-ing share concordant qualities with wind. The "real"
energy winds (i. e. the karmic winds) should be understood as its
dynamism manifesting in terms of the ordinary "mind" [i. e. the neuroticized mind], such that primordial gnosis' radiation as a mere
"aware-ing" is carried off by the wind-horses, and operates in terms of
the pluralized modes of ordinary perceptual consciousness (mam
shes).
The gnostic winds themselves are beyond all extremes of discursiveness by force of being empty in their essence-dimension; they
light-up as the spiritual bodies and primordial gnoses by force of
being radiant in their nature-dimension; and they manifest in terms of
the primordial gnosis sensitive to everything's [final reality] and the
primordial gnosis sensitive to all their specifics by force of being
aware in their compassionate resonance-dimension. Though this is
itself labeled "wind," it in fact manifests in the contemplative path of
visionaries as primordial gnosis' inner radiance, and its thoroughly
pure radiation as it externally manifests.
The "channel/ winds" [praxis and theory] oflower spiritual vehicles
are ignorant of this, such that they view the non-elaborated essence of
the moving winds as the gnostic winds. Having thus seized hold of
them, they insert the coarse winds from the right and left [channels]
into the central channel. In this way bringing about [sensations of]
"clarit)'" through the right channel's winds, "bliss" through the left
challllel' s winds and "non-conceptuality" through the central channel's winds the セゥョ、ウ@
remain in the central channel with these triune
[sensations 'of] bliss, clarity and non-conceptuality, such that {カゥセッ@
of] seminal nuclei and rainbow light emerge. Furthermore, this ts
[believed] to be the sign oftaking hold of the [body's] five elemental
energy-winds [fire, earth, water, wind and space].
.
.
This is, however, a quite distorted view. If the five movmg wt.nds
had color, then why does not the wind of our mouth and !lose [1. e.
breath] come with color? As for attaining stability upon taking hold ?f
these [winds], though they claim they have taken hold of.the ァョッウエゥセ@
winds, actually they are not cognizant or aware of even an ャoエセL@
of エィセイ@
true dimension, except for having simply heard the na:me gnostic
winds " I do not believe that enlightenment can be attamed through
checidng the winds of the mouth and nose, since [nothing ensues]
through these practices of the lower vehicles taking hold of those
318
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
"gnostic winds," apart from a type of non-conceptuality deriving from
the no?-movement of breath. Such a practice resembles the filling and
emptymg of a bellows-not only do no enlightened qualities ensue
upon exerting yourself in this, but your body grows cold and shakes
your speech becomes trivial and false, your mind becomes even ュッイセ@
coarse than before in its dualistic conceptions, and cannot withstand
any [adverse] conditions.
·
Here [in エィセ@ context セヲ@ the Great Perfection tradition, in contrast], we
say that taking hold m the following manner is termed "gnostic
winds": when in a single period you bring together the three watching
セウエオイ・@
and the セ・@
enlightened gazes via the three spiritual bodies
[1. e.. the key セュエ@
of direct transcendence contemplation], you
・クセョ」@
a radiant, Immaculate, crystal clear state of consciousness
which Is beyond discursiveness through the emptiness of essence to
which radiant light manifests through the clarity of nature and whlch
is utterly ョッセM」・ーエオ。ャ@
through the awareness of 」ッュー。ウセゥョエ・@
resonance. While not conceptualizing anything at all, the visual dimension of whatever might appear remains unceasing. [Because we hold
that, when you say "gnostic winds" we say it is taken hold in this
manner].
iョNセ@
Grub mtha' ュ、セッ
ャ@ kLong chen rab 'byams pa also incisively
cnticizes these normative modernist tantric practices of forcefully insertゥョセ@ the :nergy V:inds into the central channel in the attempt to achieve
セョュッ、ゥ。ャ@
gnosis. , He contrasts this to Great Perfection contemplation
m which the body s luminous channels are let be, and thus naturally
expand outwards from their current presence as a thin thread of light at
セ・@ body's center, so as to directly permeate one's entire existence and
dissolve all energy blockages therein. He retains the emphasis on the
body's center and light-experiences, yet undercuts the tone of control
and manipulation. This indicates the reoccurring issue of whether contemplation should be the forceful assertion of a predetermined pattern or
a more personalized quest to find one's own way, patternings that イ・カセ@
themselves only when one releases the attempt to fore-structure them:
RV
セ・@ ャッキ・セ@
secret mantra [systems] hold that by inserting the windnund energtes of your solitary and flavor channels [i. e. right and left]
セイオ「@
ュエセ。G@
セコッ、@
382.1-383.3. See Dudjom 1991, 40-341, for a
translation of h1s abndged account, which is simply a reworded presentation
of kLong chen rab 'byams pa' s comments.
261.
319
into the central channel, a primordial gnosis of bliss, clarity and nonconceptuality will emerge, which they identify as innate [gnosis].
However in fact this in no way reverses your ordinary eight fold consciousness based on the universal ground: the blissful sensation is
due to the ordinary egoic psyche and the emotionally distorted psyche,
while the lack of conceptuality in the undivided lucency is the universal ground. The slight clarity and lucency [they ・クーイゥセ」}@
is the universal ground consciousness, while that which appears m.terms of セ・@
individual five types of coarse sensory objects and cognitive faculties
[such as visible forms and sounds] are the five sensory modes of consciousness. Yet if those [modes of consciousness] are not reversed,
you will not become free of cyclic existence, since you are manifestly
not free from the mind-sets of cyclic existence. Since this style of
practice is not different from that outlined in the Salpkhya scriptures
[he cites a passage from therein ....), they do not accomplish freedom
from the mind-state of the formless meditative states [dhylina].
They hold that the joy of mixing the channels, winds and seminal
nuclei into a single flavor is the pristine dimension [mal ma ], and thus
believe that the respective enlightened qualities manifest by force of
liberating the corresponding channel-knots as the winds and seminal
elements enter the central channel from the flavor and solitary channels. Thus there are many obstacles-as the winds enter the channelpetals energetically corresponding to the various six types of living
beings, many delusory appearances manifest In this way it セョウエゥオ・@
the key point of why deviation comes to pass [for such practitioners].
Since in the context [of Great Perfection contemplation] the winds
are left to naturally calm down of their own accord, there is. no. i?sertion into the central channel. When the wind currents of the mdividual
channel petals become naturally purified, the gnostic winds of the
luminous channel shines of their own accord in their own state. Thus
there is a lighting-up of primordial gnosis as there manl!ests su.ch
visions as the spiritual bodies, lights, and pure イセ。ャュウL@
while n? distorted appearances at all manifest. As the lummous channel m the
center intensifies, the channel-knots sequentially pass into light and are
free-this is what we assert. The enlightened qualities of the [spiritual
hero/ine] stages manifest in a self-presencing way. To expand on that,
by force of the first two channel-knots becoming liberated into light,
twelve hundred Buddha realms manifest within the luminosity that
lights up externally ....
Thus this is exceedingly superior to the level ッセエィ・@
lower カ・ィゥセャウN@
If your mind is of cyclic existence when you セ。」エゥL@
the result キエセャ@
be
cyclic existence.. . . Since [the Great pセ・」エゥッョ}@
IS ヲイセ@
of the nn.ndsets of cyclic existence via the path, this IS the key pomt of raptdly
320
flABS 17.2
arriving right at the fruit. Nowadays those who desire Buddhahood
from the ordinary mind do not understand this key point, and thus do
not know the real path-primordial gnosis and the mind substantially
contradict each other....
Finally, in the following passage from the Tshig don mdzod262 kLong
chen rab 'byarns pa criticizes two key contemplative procedures associ ated with perfection phase systems-sexual yoga and the yogic body
exercises known as "magical wheels"(' phrul 'khor, yantra):
Furthennore, it is taught that ordinary minor psychic attainments and
depth-contemplation [which involves the mind's stabilization] can be
。」セューャゥウィ・、@
_?n the path in reliance upon the conventional catalytic
semmal nuclei, yet the supreme spiritual attainment [the meditative
state wherein セ・@ Reality Body and primordial gnosis naturally flow]
can be m.ade dir:Ctly セ。ョゥヲ・ウエ@
only in reliance upon the ultimate seminal nuclei of radiant hght. Since along these lines the tradition of the
Great Perfection does not view the conventional seminal nuclei as an
セウ・ョ_。ャ@
pセ@
of the spiritual path, it advocates meditation on radiant
セァエ@
セョ@ reh,ance UJ?On the オャエゥセ。・@
seminal nuclei. However, some
ュ、ゥセiオ。ャウ@
セウケ」ィゥNュ。ォ・オー@
1s such that engaging the conventional
seffilnal nu.clet here [m the Great Perfection tradition] becomes neces sary. In this sense, the means of meditation on the conventional seminal ョオセャ・ゥL@
relianc.e on a sexual セッョウイエ@
and so forth are taught simply
as a kind of special method or efficacious means" for taking care of
those ッエィ・イキゥセ@
blocked from the Great Perfection path, so that those
セーゥ・@
obsessively addicted to the conventional seminal nuclei can circwtously enter [the. path ッヲエィセ@
Great Perfection]. Then, subsequently
セ・@
Nウセ。ァ・@
of engagmg the ultimate seminal nuclei is taught to such
ュ、ゥviセ。ャウN@
As .for that prior stage [of yogically manipulating the
conventional semmal nuclei], the sGra thal 'gyur says:
Since you desire to rely on the reality of seminal nuclei
[I キゥャセ@
discuss the contemplative techniques]
'
Relating to the ultimate and conventional [seminal nuclei].
[i] Th?se who for the time being desire buddhahood
In reliance upon the conventional seminal nuclei should do as
follows:
262. Tshig don mdzod 258.
GERMANO
321
Your consort should have the complete requisite characteristics When you spot one with the perfect characteristics
Whether she be a goddess, demi-goddess, brahmin,
Low caste, or a heretic,
You begin with the techniques for attracting her,
And then you must perfect your body
Via the object of reliance [i. e. consort], the channels,
And the focus of visualization [i. e. the seminal nuclei, etc.].
Then, you must bring the conventional seminal nuclei down, retain
them, reverse them [back upwards]
Disperse them within the channels, and mix them with the winds;
You then must rely upon emptiness, eradicate your intellect,
And reverse your ordinary body and mind.
[ii] On the other hand, through reliance upon the ultimate seminal
nuclei
You can meet with the objects of the empty reality body:
Stimulating the lamp of the empty seminal nuclei
You train on awareness' efflorescent dynamics,
And when you finally gain deep attunement such that [their luminosity
Is vividly clear] without ordinary distinctions between daytime and
nighttime,
These [luminous nuclei] directly manifest without any exertion on
your partThis is the measure indicating experiential mastery [of this practice].
Therefore, the two classifications of seminal nuclei are related as follows: the conventional seminal nuclei are not the real spiritual path,
aside from simply being a belief and interest-inspiring efficacious
means of entering [certain types of people] into this path [of the Great
Perfection]. Thus, here in this text these systems of practice will be
left at that while since the ultimate seminal nuclei are the real path, I
will 、ゥウ」オセ@
them extensively. The stimulation of the [empty seminal
nuclei] lamp is discussed in particular within the chapter on the
"objective sphere" [chapter seven], and thus you s?oul.d エ。ォセ@
Hセッウ・@
discussions] as the point of departure for understanding 1t. This IS an
extremely important point, since nowadays some people assert that
both the conventional and ultimate seminal nuclei are the Great Perfection path, and in particular, those people fixated セNーッ@
the 」セョ・エゥッ。ャ@
seminal nuclei do not see these [luminous nuclei s VItal] sigruficance.
322
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
They advocate many strenuous practices in training on the conventional seminal nuclei such as "binding" with yogic physical exercises
[yantras] and forced visualizations, while as fruit of such training they
desire the bliss and emptiness of depth-contemplation within the
coarse body. The Great Perfection tradition is quite the opposite: in
its avocation of a series of triadic key points in contemplation [your
body being unshakable from the "watching postures" and so on] and
ゥセ@ desired attainment of a body of light, there is a very important distinction.
The "ultimate seminal nuclei" are synonymous with the "luminous seminal nuclei" discussed above, and are principally located within the solitary, 。ャM・ョ」_ュセウゥァ@
and luminous channels). These light nuclei play
セ・@ key role m direct transcendence contemplation, and thus are the principal focus of Seminal Heart meditation and theory as the internal bases
or supports for the contemplative optimization and revelation of one's
internal latent nucleus of gnostic light. They should be understood in
opposition to the conventional nuclei which concentrate within the flavor
channel, and in general are distributed throughout the body's internal
channels in their various red and white forms (the concentrations of the
white nuclei at the crown and the red nuclei at the navel play key roles in
"lower" contemplation techniques). These conventional seminal nuclei
ultimately all stem from the "white and red" nuclei initially inherited
from one's father (white) and mother (red) at conception. Their coarser
forms are the material sexual fluids involving the male's white sperm
and the female's red blood I ovum, such that both their subtle and coarse
forms play the key role in sexual sensation, intercourse and orgasm.
. For those who do not have any trust or belief in the significance and
Importan.ce of the オャセュ。エ・@
luminous nuclei or spiritual concerns in general Hキィゥ」セ@
are not Immediately manifest to reason or experience),
キッイォゥセァ@
with エィセ@ conventional nuclei (whose role in sexuality provide
an easily accessible path to their dynamics) is an alternative means to
セョァ。・@
セ・ュ@
on the path. Thus they can be gradually led to see the realiエセ@ and Importance of the ultimate nuclei, and overcome their initial
disparagement of any type of spiritual practices concerning the nonmaterial (which they otherwise confuse with the "immaterial"). For this
reason kLong chen rab 'byams pa briefly outlines the techniques of sexual yoga, but does not go into any detail since these lower order conエ・セーャ。ゥッョウ@
are not actually part of the system of Great Perfection meditation proper. In kLong chen rab 'byams pa's other Great Perfection
}
I
I'
323
writings, however, sexual yoga is discussed in extensive detail, purportedly as a popular and efficacious means to help people enter the spiritual
path who would otherwise be disinterested or bewildered by the practices of breakthrough and direct transcendence. Needless to say, 100
rhetorical disclaimers do not exorcise such practices from the system,
but rather situate them within it in particular ways. The final paragraph
refers to subtle body contemplations such as sexual yogas which involve
complicated physical movements, complex forced visualizations, difficult breathing techniques and so on which forcibly "bind" and restrict
our energies to prevent ordinary neurotic thought activity, none of which
play a part in Great Perfection contemplation. In particular "yogic exercises" ('phrul 'khor, yantra) refer to various physical postures and
movements performed along with certain patterns of breathing (ranging
from simple to near impossible), which are designed to manipulate our
body's internal energies (i. e. the seminal nuclei and wind-currents);
"visualization" (dmigs pa) indicates the various visualizations utilized in
the channel-winds practices of the lower vehicles, which are contrived in
their forcible manipulation and concentration of physical and psychic
energy. In contrast to this, direct transcendence contemplation involves
only very simple postures and gazes, while the focal object is self-manifest visions (snang ba) spontaneously unfolding without any fabricated
visualizations. kLong chen rab 'byams pa thus contrasts these two contemplative systems both in terms of their techniques and the desired
"fruit" or "climax": the Great Perfection involves very simple, natural
postures and spontaneous visions rather than difficult contortions and
forced artificial visualizations, while the ultimate goal is a "body of light"
wherein all corporeality dematerializes rather than simply sensations of
bliss and concentration within our current corporeal body. As for being
"unshakable" from the body's "way of looking" or "watching postures,"
these are explained263 as the three "postures" or "looks" which the body
should remain within without any wavering. Together with speech
being unshakable from silence and mind being unshakable from undistracted non-conceptual gazing at the center of the open sky, they form
the three modes of being "unshakable" in direct transcendence contemplation. In general, the key points of this contemplation simply emphasize being "unwavering" in the sense of remaining within a calm, natural
263. Ibid., 375.6-7.
324
JIABS 17.2
state of quiet disturbed by neither the ordinary turbulence of neurotic
activity nor strenuous yogic contortions.
I will conclude with a brieflook at a very interesting section of a text
written by gTerbdag gling pa (1646-1714) entitled gTer chen chos ki
rgyal po gter bdag gling pa gar dbang 'gyur med rdo rje'i zhal snga
nas mchog sman mams kyis dri ba sna tshogs pa 'i Zan rim par spel ba
rin chen phreng ba (chab shog) (The Garland of Answers to Various
Questions with the Supreme Medicine).264 This particular reply is
ostensibly written in response to inquiries as to the difference between
the Great Seal and Great Perfection traditions. In understanding this
text, it is essential to keep in mind that gTer bdag gling pa lived during
times when Nyingma traditions had fallen upon hard times in Central
Tibet, and that he was a key figure in stimulating their revival. He discusses the Great Perfection in terms of the standard three Series which
he individually correlates to particular modernist yogic systems. Despite
his acknowledgment of a certain surface similarity he stresses critical
differences that he perceives between the two ュ・セ「イウ@
of each dyad.
The mゥセ、@
Series is associated with the Great Seal, with the major difference bemg that the latter seals external objects located "thither" in the
field of our experience, while the former ascertains the subject located
Bィゥセ・L@
ュゥョ、M。ウセオ」ィL@
empty awareness' original purity. The Space
Senes IS then associated with, and differentiated from, "the five stages,"
エィセ@ セ@
ウケエ・ュセゥコ。ッョ@
of perfection phase techniques deriving from
Nagar]una s exegetical work on the Guhyasamiija Tantra. He specifies
エィ。セ@ the ウセi。イゥエケ@
is in their common focus on radiant light (' od gsal),
キセャ・@
セ・@ difference lies in the latter's forceful binding of the internal
wiセ、ウNュ@
」セョエイ。ウ@
to the latter's no-activity praxis divested of any such
obJectifications or forced foci. The Esoteric Precept Series then is associated セゥエィ@
the "six yo gas" (sbyor drug), an important systematization of
セイヲ・」エゥッョ@
phase techniques also deriving from the Guhyasamaja Tantra
ャゥセイ。エオ・N@
!he ウゥセャ。イエケ@
lies in the emphasis on light visions, while the
difference IS agam presented in terms of "exertion" and "stress": the
latter utilizes sexual practices and forcefully binds the winds into Ire
「ッ、セGウ@
」・セエイ。ャ@
channel, while the latter involves releasing all such willful
marupulation, and instead perceiving the self-radiant abiding reality in
264. This text is written in the forms of questions and answers; this particular section can be found at 345.6-357.6.
GERMANO
325
sensory immediacy. He also 265 stresses the importance of how the Esoteric Precept Series' exegetical traditions with its own unique terminology had been maintained through k.Long chen rab 'byams pa' s efforts
without becoming mixed up with other esoteric yogic traditions such as
the Great Seal.
Conclusion
While the Great Perfection represents one of the most interesting, complex, and vital set of contemplative I scholastic traditions in Tibetan religion, until recently in Euro-Amerlcan circles 266 it was largely known for
its controversial claims to non-Tibetan roots, its supposed anti-nomian
rejection of normative Buddhist categories and its mystic emphasis on an
arguably phenomenological notion of awareness' bare simplicity. In
particular, there has been a persistent tendency to literalize its rhetoric,
ignoring the complex ways in which a language of denial can function
on the ground. This has led many casual observers to assume these
movements involved a paradoxical rejection of formal contemplation, or
intense adherence to simple contemplative techniques with neither
serious intellectual inquiry nor a corresponding production of complex
literature. There have also been few non-traditional attempts to account
for the internal dynamics of the growth and transformation of these
traditions over time, perhaps in part because the seeming absence of
rigor would appear to entail a lack of historical dynamism and change.
The common thread of these misunderstandings has ancient roots in
Tibetan Buddhist polemics, namely that an emphasis on process dynamics and the organismic intelligence of the unconscious at the expense of
established normative structures often rhetorically appears to others as
265. Ibid., 351.6.
266. I am aware of the inadequacies of the term "Euro-American" with re-
gards to scholarship as opposed to contrasting "modern" to "traditional" to
acknowledge the contemporary work of Japanese, Indians and other ethnic
groups. However I do not think that my current usage implies restricting participation in privileged "modernism" to Europeans and North Americans, and
I worry that using the term modernism broadly can legitimize evolutionary
strategies put forward implicitly by many authors to privilege their own cultural world views, as well as contribute to the stigmatization of discourses
and practices that do not seem to belong to our collective illusion of
''modernity."
326
JIABS 17.2
deviating into simplistic chaos or even inaction (bya bral). To articulate
a quite different vantage point viewing these traditions as located in the
dangerous yet stimulating oscillation between architecture (structure,
images, the intellect) and absence (process, emptiness, the body), my
present inquiry has centered around the issues of rhetorical negation and
contemplative practice in the early Mind Series (sems sde) traditions, the
emergence of the Seminal Heart (snying thig) movement within that
matrix, and the relation of both to the tantric categories and practices
forming their overarching background. I have thus traced the general
outlines of the true heterogeneity and interrelationships of the movements that went under the rubric of the Great Perfection in Tibet from
the ninth to fourteenth centuries, their complex relationships to the tantric
categories and practices being imported by other groups under the banner of "modernism," their intricate balancing act between architecture
and absence, and the deep human significance of what at first may seem
abstruse issues.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tibetan and Sanskrit works
Note: "Kaneko" refers to the numbers given works in the gTing skyes edition
of the rNying rna rgyud 'bum in Kaneko 1982.
Kun byed rgyal po. Kaneko 1. See Neumaier-Dargyay 1992 for a translation
and Lipman 1987 for a translation of kLong chen rab 'byams pa's
commentary.
Kun bzang bla ma'i zhal lung by dPal sprul o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi
dbang po. Chengdu: Sichuan Minorities Press (1988). See Kazi 1989 for
translation.
kLong chen snying thig by 'Jigs med gling pa. Published in three volumes.
New Delhi: Ngawang Sopa (1973); 1-Tib 73-904268. See Goodman 1983
for a study of this cycle.
kLong gsa!. As cited in kLong chen rab 'byams pa's Zab mo yang thig (vol.
1, 473.3, 478.4, 487.6 and so on), this text is found in vol. 24 ("Ra") of
the contemporary print of the rNying ma rgyud 'bum available in sDe dge
(344a.1-361b.7) with the title Kun tu bzang mo klong gsal nyi rna'i gsang
rgyud. The colophon identifies it as transcribed by Ye shes mtsho rgyal
from Padmasambhava' s words.
Khrid yig ye shes bla rna. This text is found in the kLong chen snying thig.
mKha' 'gro snying thig. This cycle is found in the sNying thig ya bzhi.
mKha' 'gro yang tig. This cycle is found in the sNying thig ya bzhi.
GERMANO
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
li
327
Grub mtha' mdzod. This text is one of the mDzod bdun.
.
dGongs pa zang thai by Rig 'dzin rgod kyi Idem 'phru can. Publtshed as
volumes 60-64 of the Smanrtsis shes rig spendzod. Leh, Ladakh: S. W.
Tashigangpa (1973).
.
rGyud bcu bdun. Kaneko 143-159. Also published separately セョ@ a thn;e
volume edition based on the Adzom blocks; New Delhi, iョセエ。Z@
SanJe
bKra
Dorje (1973). The individual titles are as follows: sGra thai ァケセイL@
shis mdzes ldan, Kun tu bzang po thugs kyi me long, sGron rna bar ba,
rDo rje sems dpa' snying gi me long, Rig pa rang shar, Nor bu phra
bkod, Ngo sprod spras pa, kLong drug, Yi ge. med pa, Seng ge rtsal
rdzogs, Mu tig phreng ba, Rig pa rang grol, Rm chen spungs pa, sKu
gdung 'bar ba, Nyi zla kha sbyor, and rDzogs pa rang byung ·
.
rGyud 'bum of Vairocana. Published as volumes 16-23 of the sュセイエウゥ@
shesrig spendzod. Leh, Ladakh: S. W. Tashigangpa (1971).
1-Tib 70-
924557.
sGyu ma ngal gso. This text is found in Ngal gso skor gsum (vol. 2, 547579).
Ngal gso skor gsum by kLong chen rab 'byams pa. 4 volumes. Gangtok,
are セッュ@ヲ
the
Sikkim: Dodrup Chen Rinpoche (1973). Page イ・ヲョ」セウ@
enlarged reprint of this edition in India which I ッ「セョ・、@
m. QYセX@
m セ・@
volumes without any additional publishing information. Thts trilogy IS an
interlocking series of three root texts, which has been translated by
Guenther (1975-6): the Sems nyid ngal gso (vol. 1, 1-111), bSam gtan
ngal gso (vol. 3, 1-25), and sGyu ma ngal gso (vol. 2, 547-579). Each has
its own lengthy auto-commentary: the Shing rta chen po (val. 1, 1 セRMWY@
and vol. 2, 1-381), Shing rta rnam dag (vol. 3, SUMQRLセI@
。ョセ@
the sセュァ@
イエセ@
bzang po (vol. 2, 593-761). In addition each has セ@ ーイ。」エゥセ@
gutdance
(don khrid) presentation of its associated contemplative system. the Byang
chub lam bzang (vol. 2, 441-546), Yid bzhin nor bu (vol. 2, 761-766) and
sNying po bcud bsdus (vol. 3, 126-130).
Ngal gso skor gsum gyi spyi don legs bshad rgya mtsho. This text is found
in Ngal gso skor gsum (vol. 3, 131-244).
Chos dbyings mdzod. This text is one of the mDzod bdun.
.
,
Chos 'byung me tog snying po sbrang rtsi'i bcud b7 Nyang ral nyt rna. セ@
zer. Volume 5 of the series entitled, Gangs can ng mdzod. Lhasa, Tibet.
the People's Publishing House of Tibet (1988). . _ _
_.
'Jam dpal gyi mtshan yang dag par brjod ーセ@ (Matljusn ョ。セ@
sa1Jtgttt). See
Davidson 1981 for an edition of the Sanskrit and a translation.
. .
'Jam dpal zhallung by Buddha.SnjfUinapada. tッセN@
1853-4. tセ・@
full title 18
(' Phags pa) 'jam dpal (gyi de kho no nytd s?rub pa z) zhal ャセョァ@
(Dvikramatattvabhlivanlinlirnamukhligama). There IS also a shorter version
entitled Matljusrimukhligama.
328
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
Nyi ma'i snying po by rTse le sna tshogs rang grol. The Tibetan text I have
.any publishing information, and is in dbu can with fifty five
is セゥエィッオ@
fohos. This has been translated by Schmidt as The Circle of the Sun and
by Guenther in Meditation Differently.
rNyin? rna bka' rna rgyas pa. Editor Dudjom Rinpoche; 55 volumes.
Kahmpong, WB: Dubjung Lama (1982). 1-Tib 82-900981.
rNying rna rgyud 'bum. There are currently a number of different editions of
this セ。ウゥ」@
collection of the Nyingma Tantras circulating, among which exist
considerable differences (Dharma Publishing under Tarthang Tullcu's direction [Berkele!, .CA] is apparently currently attempting to systematically
gather all vanauons together in order to publish a defmitive edition). The
36 .volume gTing skyes edition printed by Jam yang Khyentse Rinpoche in
Th1mphu, Bhutan (1973; Bhu-Tib 73-903590) has been catalogued by E.
Kaneko セQYXRIN@
In addition there is the mTsham sbrag edition in 46 volumes, pnnted by the National Library, Royal government of Bhutan in
Thimphu, Bhutan (1982; Bhu-Tib 82-902165).
sN!an brgyud kyi rgyab chos zab don gnad kyi me long. This text is found
m the Zab mo yang tig vol. 2, 153-494.
sNying thig ya bzhi by miscellaneous authors. All page references are from
the eleven volume edition. New Delhi: published by Trulku Tsewang,
Jamyang and L. Tashi (1971). The current redaction has five sections
despite its title: the bLa ma yang tig by kLong chen rab 'byams pa (vols:
1); mK_ha' 'gro snying thig by Padmasambhava (vols. 2-3); mKha' 'gro
yセョァ@
ttg セケ@ kLong chen rab 'byams pa (vols. 4-6); Bi ma snying thig by
Vimalamitra and other early Great Perfection Masters (vols. 7-9); and Zab
セ@ ケ。ョセ@
tig by kLong chen rab 'byams pa (vols. 10-11).
sN!mg thtg.lo rgyus chen mo by Zhang ston bkra shis rdo tje (?). This text
IS found m the Bi m snying thig (vol. 3, 1-179). See Valby 1983 for a
partial translation.
sNying po bcud bsdus. This text is found in the Ngal gso skor gsum vol 3
126-130.
. '
gTer chen chos ki rgyal po gter bdag gling pa gar dbang 'gyur med rdo rje 'i
zhal snga nas mehog sman rnams kyis dri ba sna tshogs pa 'i lan rim par
セー・ャ@
ba イセョ@ chen phreng ba (chab shag)) by gTer bdag gling pa. This text
IS found m the Collected religious instructions and letters of gTer-bDaggLing-Pa-'Gyur-Med-rDo-rJe (159-493). Debra Dun: D. G. Khochhen
Tulku (1977). 1-Tib 78-9000434.
bs;an bcos kyi dkar chag rin po che'i mdzod khang by kLong chen rab
セケ。ュウ@
pa. kL?ng chen rab 'byams pa produced this partial catalogue of
own works mcluded in some editions of his gSung thor bu (I obtained
mme from the modem day Derge edition) while residing in Bhutan at Bum
ィゥセ@
thang thar pa gling.
329
Thig le kun gsal. Kaneko 81 as well as volume "Pa" of the mTshams brag
edition of the rNying rna rgyud 'bum (296.6-492.5).
Thig le rgya can: this text is found in the kLong chen snying thig (vol. 2,
403-421).
Theg mehog mdzod. This text is one of the mDzod bdun.
mThar thug don gyi snying po. This text is found in the Zab mo yang tig
vol. 1, 293.6-307.6.
Deb ther sngon po by 'Gos lo tsa ba gzhon nu dpal. Two volumes. Chengdu:
Sichuan Minorities Press (1974). See Roerich 1976 for a translation.
gDams ngag mdzod. 12 volumes. Delhi: N. Lungtok and N. Gyaltsan (1971).
mDo dgongs 'dus pa. Kaneko 160.
gNam chos by Mi 'gyur rdo rje. 13 volumes. Paro, Bhutan: published by
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpocbe and Perna Norbu Rinpocbe (1983). Bbu-Tib 84901303.
gNas lugs mdzod. This text is one of the mDzod bdun.
Padma bka' thang by 0 rgyan gling pa. Chengdu: Sichuan Nationalities
Press (1987). See Douglas 1978 for a very erratic translation of the Tibetan
via Toussaint's original French translation.
Phyogs bcu'i mun pa thams cad rnam par sel baby kLong chen rab 'byams
pa. Published as volume 26 of the rNying ma bka' ma rgyas pa. It has
been translated in its entirety by Gyurme Dorje. It is also the subject of a
difficult, yet at times brilliant, study by Herbert Guenther (The Matrix of
Mystery).
'Phags pa 'jam dpal dbyangs kyi zhallung gi 'grel pa (Sukusumanamamukhllgamavrttt) by Vitapada. Toh. 1866.
Bar do thos ァイセャ@
revealed by Karma gling pa. I have referred to a version in
a small size 549 page Tibetan edition of the Zhi khro rang grol printed on
January first 1985 in India. See translations in Freemantle 1987 and
Thurman 1993.
Bi rna snying thig This cycle is found in the sNying thig ya bzhi.
Byang chub kyi sems kun byed rgyal po'i don khrid rin chen sgru bo by
kLong Chen Rab 'Byams Pa. This text is found in Ngal gso skor gsum
(vol. 4, 142-177 of the 1973 edition-! have utilized the former). See
Lipman 1987 for a translation.
Byang chub lam bzang. This text is found in the Ngal gso skor gsum (vol.
2, 441-546).
bLa rna yang tig. This cycle is found in the sNying thig ya bzhi.
Man ngag Ita ba 'i phreng ba by Padmasambbava. See Karmay 1988 for an
edition of the Tibetan text (163-171) as well as a translation (152-163).
See Dowman 1994 for a second translation.
Mun sel skor gsum by kLong chen rab 'byams pa See the Phyogs bcu mun
sel for its separate listing. The other two texts in this trilogy are (i) the
bsDus don rna rig mun pa thams cad sel ba published in volume 27 of the
330
JIABS 17.2
GERMANO
1
rNying ma bka ma rgyas pa; also a xylographic edition published by
Sonam Kazi (1973); I(Sik)-Tib 73-905823; and (ii) sPyi don legs bshad
snang bas yid kyi mun pa thams cad sel ba published in volume 27 of the
rNying ma bka ma rgyas pa; also a xylographic edition published by
1
Dodrup Chen Rimpoche. I(Sik)-Tib 74-901179.
miJ_zod bdun by Nセッョァ@
chen rab 'byams pa. All page references are to the
stx volume edtuon; Gangtok, Sikkim: published by Sherab Gyaltsen and
Khyentse Labrang (1983). 1-Tib 83-905058. While three of these texts consist of roo.t セ・イウ@
with separately titled lengthy auto-commentary, I have
made no dtstinction between these two elements in my page references.
Zab don rgya mtsho i sprin. This text is found in the mKha' 'gro yang tig
(vol 2, 1-488).
Zab mo phra khrid. This text is found in the Zab mo yang tig (vol 1 369389).
. •
1
mo セ。ョァ@
tig. This cycle is found in the sNying thig ya bzhi.
Yzd bzhm nor bu. This text is found in Ngal gso skor gsum (vol 2 761-
. .
WセIN@
Yid bzhin mdzod. This text is one of the m.Dzod bdun.
Yon tan mdzod by 'Jigs med gling pa. This is found in vols. 1-2 of the
'Jigs med gling pa'i gsung 'bum, which is itself vols. 29-37 (1970
セョキ。イ、ウI@
of the Ngagyur rNying may Sungrab. Gangtok, Sikkim: published by Sonam T. Kazi. I(Sik)-Tib 74-917093. It is also found in volume 38 of the rNying ma bkal ma rgyas pa. It is also published separately-Bodnath, Nepal: Ngagyur Dojod Ling (1981). N-Tib 82-902339.
Rang grol skor gsum by kLong chen rab 'byams pa. These texts are published with the Ngal gso skor gsum (see below, vol. 3). The three root
texts are as follows: the Sems nyid rang grol (vol. 3, 251-284), Chos nyid
rang grot (vol. 3, 310-329) and mNyam nyid rang grol (vol. 3, 349-376).
The ftrst text has a "practical guidance" (don khrid) on it entitled Lam rim
snying po (vol. 3, 284-306). See Guenther 1975 for a translation of the
ftrst versified root text of the trilogy. This was retranslated by Thondup
セQYX[@
316-354), who also translated its "practical guidance" (355-374).
Shmg rta chen po. This text is found in the Ngal gso skor gsum (vol. 1,
112-729 and vol. 2 1-381).
Shing rta rnam par dag pa. This text is found in the Ngal gso skor gsum
(vol. 3, 35-126).
s・セ
セケゥ、@
ngal gsa. This text is found in Ngal gsa skor gsum. (vol. 1 11
Q
Sems sde bco brgyad. There is disagreement over the precise identification of
the eighteen, but most titles can be found in volume 1 of the gTing skyes
edition of the rNying ma rgyud 'bum. See Karmay 1988, 23-4, for details.
See Lipman's Primordial Experience for a translation I study of one text
and Kannay 1988, 41-59, for a translation I study of another.
Sonam Kazi (1973); I(Sik)-Tib 73-905821.
Tshig don mdzod. This text is one of the m.Dzod bdun.
mDzod kyi lde mig by the third rDo grub chen, 'jigs pa'i bstan pa'i nyi rna.
This text is found in volume III of The Collected Works (gSun 'bum) of
rDo grub chen 'jigs med bstan pa'i flyi ma. Gangtok: reproduced by
セ「@
331
1
gSang 'grel phyogs bcu'i mun set gyi spyi don 'od gsal snying po by Mi
pham 'jam dbyangs rnam rgyal rgya mtsho. I have referred to a contemporary xylographic print without any printing information or date.
gSang chen rgyud sde bzhi'i sa lam gyi rnam gzhag rgyud gzhung gsal byed
by Ngag dbang dpalldan. This text is found in volume 2 of The Collected
Works of Chos rje ngag dbang dpal ldan of Urga. Delhi: Mongolian
Lama Gurudeva (1983). I-Tib-83-905048.
gSang ba snying po (Guhyagarbha Tantra). Kaneko 187. See Dorje 1987
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gSung thor bu by Kun mkhyen klong chen pa dri med 'od zer. Two volumes. Delhi, India: Sanje Dorje (1973).
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Editor-in-Chief
Robert Buswell
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Editorial Assistant
Alexander Vesey
Volume 17 • Number 2 • Winter 1994
GREGORY SCHOPEN
The Monastic Ownership of Servants or Slaves:
Local and Legal Factors in the
Redactional History of Two Vinayas
145
LEONARDW.J. VANDERKUUP
Apropos of Some Recently Recovered Texts
Belonging to the Lam 'bras Teachings of the
Sa skya pa and Ko brag pa
175
DAVID GERMANO
Architecture and Absence in the Secret Tantric History
of the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen)
RPセ@
PAULL. SWANSON
Understanding Chih-i:
Through a glass, darkly?
337
BERNARD FAURE
In Memorian
Michel Strickman
TREASURER'S REPORT
361
365