Verse I.35 Variations
दुःखनिर्विच्छमप्राप्तिच्छन्दप्रनिधिकर्मकः
duḥkhanirvicchamaprāpticchandapranidhikarmakaḥ
ཡོན་ཏན་ཕ་རོལ་ཕྱིན་པ་འབྲས། །
སྡུག་བསྔལ་ཡིད་འབྱུང་ཞི་ཐོབ་པར། །
འདུན་དང་སྨོན་པའི་ལས་ཅན་ནོ། །
The qualities of purity, self, bliss, and permanence.
It has the function of being weary of suffering
As well as striving and aspiring to attain peace.
De pureté, de soi, de félicité et de permanence. Il a pour fonction le dégoût de la souffrance, L’aspiration à la paix et le vœu de l’atteindre.
RGVV Commentary on Verse I.35
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Other English translations
Obermiller (1931) [21]
- The result are the Absolute, Transcendental Properties
- Of Purity, Unity, Bliss, and Eternity.
- And the functions (of the Germ) manifest themselves
- In the aversion toward this worldly life,
- In the desire of Quiescence and the will of attaining it.[22]
Takasaki (1966) [23]
- The Supreme Virtues of Purity, Unity, Bliss and Eternity; -
- [These] are its results [of the purification];
- [Towards this purification] it has the functions,
- Aversion to Suffering, longing for and praying for
- the acquisition of Quiescence.
Holmes (1985) [24]
- Its result has the transcendent qualities
- of purity, identity, happiness and permanence.
- Its function is revulsion with suffering
- accompanied by an aspiration, a longing, for peace.
Holmes (1999) [25]
- Its result has the transcendent qualities
- of purity, identity, happiness and permanence.
- Its function is revulsion with suffering
- accompanied by an aspiration, a longing, for peace.
Fuchs (2000) [26]
- The fruit is the perfection of the qualities
- of purity, self, happiness, and permanence.
- Weariness of suffering, longing to attain peace,
- and devotion towards this aim are the function.
Textual sources
Commentaries on this verse
Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé
Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye uses this verse in The Treasury of Knowledge to discuss the fruition:
The text continues:
- 2.3.3.1.1.4. Teaching the intention of The Sublime Continuum as a supplementary topic
- The Sublime Continuum says: The essence is purity, identity, bliss, and permanence.
- Each of the three enlightened bodies has five defining characteristics.
- The Sublime Continuum of the Great Vehicle says: The essence of these enlightened bodies consists of the perfections of genuine purity, identity, bliss, and permanence. [601] All three enlightened bodies have five defining characteristics each.
ATG: The Uttaratantra says that the essence of the kāyas, specifically the dharmakāya, has four qualities: genuine purity, genuine identity, genuine bliss, and genuine permanence. The four qualities are called “the four pāramitās” or “the four perfections.” Each of the kāyas also has five defining characteristics.
The Perfection of Genuine Purity
The text continues:
Mind as such which is completely pure by nature was the support for latent tendencies before, but at the time of Buddhahood, it does not function as a support for latent tendencies. Therefore, it is endowed with twofold purity. This is the perfection of genuine purity.
ATG: What is the perfection of genuine purity? Usually, the perfection of purity is explained as being beyond pure and impure. Here, however, it says that the nature of mind and phenomena is completely pure in itself from the start. The realization of the completely pure nature of mind and phenomena is called “the perfection of genuine purity.” Although the nature of mind is completely pure, the term “the perfection of genuine purity” cannot be not applied to it at the time of the ground. Only at the time of the result can the completely pure nature of mind be called “the perfection of genuine purity.” Why? Because at the time of the ground, which is the time of ordinary sentient beings, the completely pure nature of mind is covered by delusion, habitual tendencies, and obscurations. In other words, it is the support on which delusion rests. But at the time of buddhahood, it is completely free from all obscurations, latent tendencies, and so does not serve as a support for confusion and habitual tendencies. At that point, it is endowed with the twofold purity, natural purity and freedom from delusion. Therefore, it is called “the perfection of genuine purity.” This is a very good explanation.
The Perfection of Genuine Identity
The text continues:
From the moment when [mind] is conceptual, it has the nature of being affected by latent tendencies. However, since [enlightened mind] does not come under the power of something other, i.e., conceptions, it is the genuine identity. Since all conceptions about the proliferations of [both] identity and identitylessness are at peace, this is the perfection of genuine identity.
ATG: The second quality is genuine identity, or genuine self. The idea of an identity rests on conceptual thinking and habitual tendencies. One’s idea of a self does not go beyond one’s conceptual mind and habitual tendencies. But for a buddha, the mind is not under the power of habitual tendencies or conceptual thinking. This freedom from conceptual thinking is genuine identity. But genuine identity is not only not having anymore thoughts or projections about a self, it also includes not having projections about identitylessness. Both the existence of a self and the lack of a self are no longer conceptualized. Being free of both types of conceptual thinking is called “the perfection of genuine identity.”
Page 246
The Perfection of Genuine Bliss
The text continues:
Conceptions that appear as terms and meanings cease from the eighth ground onward. However, the appearances of vessel and content[27] that emerge within the nonconceptual [field of] appearance are the most subtle suffering, i.e., the aggregates that are of a mental nature. Together with their cause—the ground of latent tendencies of basic unawareness[28]—they have ceased [at the time of enlightenment,] and thus the entirety of suffering together with its cause has ceased. Therefore, this is the perfection of genuine bliss.
ATG: The third perfection is the perfection of genuine bliss. Ideas of having an identity or not having an identity cease on the eighth bhâmi, but a subtle type of mental proliferation still occurs. At the end of the tenth bhâmi, all subtle proliferations are relinquished, which means there are no more causes for suffering because all proliferations in the mind have ceased. Since there are no more causes for suffering, it is called “the perfection of genuine bliss.”
The Perfection of Genuine Permanence
The text continues:
That there is no decrease of cyclic existence and no increase of nirvāṇa is the equality of existence and peace. Since the meditation on this has been finalized, the nature of the equality of cyclic existence and nirvāṇa has been found. It is primordially impossible for this to change for as long as space exists. Therefore, this is the perfection of genuine permanence.
ATG: The perfection of genuine permanence means that neither cyclic existence nor nirvāṇa increase or decrease. They are equal. When one realizes the equality of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, it is called “the perfection of genuine permanence.”
Student: When a sentient being realizes buddhahood, wouldn’t that decrease cyclic existence?
Page 247
ATG: We have very big concepts about increase and decrease. If a sentient being is born in cyclic existence, we think, “Oh, cyclic existence has increased,” and when someone attains enlightenment, we think, “Oh, cyclic existence has decreased.” But appearances of increase and decrease only happen for the perspective of ordinary sentient beings. That is not how it really is. It only appears this way for confused sentient beings, like in a dream or an illusion. Nothing like that happens in terms of the actual nature. When one realizes the true nature, one realizes that none of it ever happened.
The Enlightened Body of a Buddha
The text continues:
That in which these four perfections are complete is the enlightened body of a Buddha. Thus, they are complete in any enlightened body of the actual mode of being.
ATG: Whatever possesses the four perfections is an enlightened body of a buddha, and whatever does not posses the four perfections is not an enlightened body of a buddha. All four perfections are complete in the enlightened body of a buddha. The Uttaratantra teaches the four perfections as the resultant stage.
The Five Defining Characteristics
- The text continues:
Page 248
- 5) it is natural luminosity
The five of the Enjoyment Body:
- 1) its verbal expression is continuous
- 2) its physical appearance [is continuous]
- 3) its activity [is continuous]
- 4) its activity is spontaneously present
- 5) it displays as many activities of the three enlightened bodies, but is free from the nature of these [activities]
The five of the Emanation Body:
- 1) it demonstrates the path of peace
- 2) it matures those to be tamed
- 3) it gives the prophecies
- 4) it displays the stream of various enlightened activities, i.e., [it assumes various] forms that tame [sentient beings]
- 5) it appears for the cognitions of others
[The Sublime Continuum] explains that the two Form Bodies are Buddhahood, [602] whereas The Sūtra of Genuine Golden Light[32] explains that they are not. Some [other sources] say, “Buddhahood does not exist.” Those scholars who know the essential point [of this] assert that these [statements] are the expedient meaning, the definitive meaning, and the final definitive meaning [respectively]. ATG: The five defining characteristics of the three kāyas are easy to understand, so you can read this section on your own.
Academic notes
- Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Unicode Input
- Brunnhölzl, Karl. When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sūtra and Tantra. Boston: Snow Lion Publications, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, 2014.
- This sentence in D45.48 reads, "Bhagavan, even the pure wisdom of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas has not seen the object of omniscient wisdom and the dharmakāya of the Tathāgata before."
- D45.48 adds "by virtue of their faith in the Tathāgata."
- D45.48, fols. 273b.3–274a.1.
- I follow MA/MB visaṃvāditatvāt against J visaṃvāditvāt (the same goes for avisaṃvāditatvāt a few lines below).
- I follow MA/MB evātmeti against J evātmani.
- With Schmithausen, I follow MA sattvārthagodhapaliguddhatvād against MB sattvārthapariśodhapariśuddhatvād (corresponding to DP yongs su sbyong ba yongs su dag pa’i phyir) and J sattvārthaphaligodhapariśuddhatvād.
- Daśabhūmikasūtra (Rahder ed., 14ff.): dharmadhātuvipulam ākāśadhātuparyavasānam aparāntakoṭiniṣṭham. In the sūtra, these three phrases occur several times in this order in the lists of attributes of a bodhisattva’s aspiration prayers, veneration of buddhas, and so on.
- These ten are mastery over (1) life span (being able to live for infinite eons), (2) mind (firmly dwelling in samādhi through infinite wisdom), (3) necessities (displaying all worldly realms by blessing them with many embellishments), (4) karma (displaying karmic maturations just at the time when they can be blessed), (5) birth (displaying births everywhere in the worldly realms), (6) creative will power (displaying all worldly realms as being completely filled with buddhas), (7) aspiration prayers (displaying awakening in any buddha realm and at any time one pleases), (8) miraculous powers (displaying all kinds of miraculous feats, such as going to all buddha realms), (9) dharma (displaying the light of the dharma doors without center and periphery), (10) wisdom (displaying a buddha’s powers, fearlessnesses, unique qualities, major and minor marks, and becoming completely perfectly awakened). Usually, it is said that these ten masteries are attained on the eighth bhūmi. However, even bodhisattvas on the lower bhūmis possess certain degrees of such masteries.
- RYC (70) explains that "the ground of the latent tendencies of ignorance"refers to the latencies of being ignorant in terms of a phenomenal identity. Based on that, uncontaminated karma is motivated by the subtle ignorance that consists of the cognitive obscurations. YDC (299) explains that the nature of the ground of the latent tendencies of ignorance consists of subtle dualistic appearances. Since these function as the support of the latent tendencies of the afflictions, it is called "the ground of latent tendencies."
- DP and C have "body"for Sanskrit ātmabhāva, which is one of its meanings. The term (lit. "becoming or existing of one’s self" or "produced by one’s self") can also refer to the entirety of one’s psychophysical existence as related to a self. The three kinds of mental bodies mentioned here are those assumed by śrāvaka arhats, pratyekabuddha arhats, and bodhisattvas, respectively.
- These are usually listed as desire, (wrong) views, holding (wrong) discipline and spiritual disciplines as paramount, and proclaiming a self (ātmavāda). VT (fol. 12r7) lists them as extreme views (dṛṣṭānta), the appropriating factor of conception (kalpopādāna), the appropriating factor of (wrong) discipline and spiritual disciplines (śīlavratopādāna), and the appropriating factor of existence (bhavopādāna). VT also adds the appropriating factors of a self, craving, and ignorance.
- I follow Schmithausen’s emendation acintyapāriṇāmikī against J acintyā pāriṇāmikī (MA/MB °pari°).
- With de Jong, I follow MB °prakarṣa° and DP rab against °pakarṣa° in MA and J. I also conform with DP pha rol tu phyin pa rab kyi mthar thug pa in connecting °prakarṣaparyanta° with °śubhapāramitāṃ.
- One of the literal meanings of the Sanskrit vāsa or vāsanā for "latent tendencies" is "perfuming." Thus, as described here, the latent tendencies of the afflictions are like the lingering traces of the smell of a perfume even when a bottle with perfume has been emptied and washed.
- Skt. saṃudbhūta can also mean "arising" and "being produced,"but those two meanings do not seem appropriate here because the tathāgata heart does not ever arise and DP read ’gags pa las gyur pa.
- D45.48 says "foundation" (rten).
- D45.48, fols. 265b.7–266a.2.
- Ibid., fol. 273b.7.
- Obermiller, E. "The Sublime Science of the Great Vehicle to Salvation Being a Manual of Buddhist Monism." Acta Orientalia IX (1931), pp. 81-306.
- This is verse 34 in Obermiller's translation
- Takasaki, Jikido. A Study on the Ratnagotravibhāga (Uttaratantra): Being a Treatise on the Tathāgatagarbha Theory of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Serie Orientale Roma 33. Roma: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente (ISMEO), 1966.
- Holmes, Ken & Katia. The Changeless Nature. Eskdalemuir, Scotland: Karma Drubgyud Darjay Ling, 1985.
- Holmes, Ken & Katia. Maitreya on Buddha Nature. Scotland: Altea Publishing, 1999.
- Fuchs, Rosemarie, trans. Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra. Commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul and explanations by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso. Ithaca, N. Y.: Snow Lion Publications, 2000.
- 160 An expression for the world and sentient beings who live in it
- 161 Skr. avidhyāvāsanabhūmi, Tib. ma rig bag chags kyi sa
- 162. According to Jamgön Kongtrul’s commentary on The Sublime Continuum, this refers to the two extremes of permanence and extinction.
- 163. The Sublime Continuum describes this as freedom from afflictive, cognitive, and meditative obscurations.
- 164. The Sublime Continuum says that this is freedom from the contaminations of afflictions and not being an object of conceptions.
- 165. Skt. suvarṇaprabhāsasūtra, Tib. gser 'od dam pa'i mdo, (D 556) rgyud, pa 151b1-273a7 (vol. 89)
