Verse I.151

Ratnagotravibhāga Root Verse I.151

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Verse I.151 Variations

रत्नविग्रहवज्ज्ञेयः कायः स्वाभाविकः शुभः
अकृत्रिमत्वात् प्रकृतेर्गुणरत्नाश्रयत्वतः

ratnavigrahavajjñeyaḥ kāyaḥ svābhāvikaḥ śubhaḥ
akṛtrimatvāt prakṛterguṇaratnāśrayatvataḥ

E. H. Johnston as input by the University of the West.^[1]

།ངོ་བོ་ཉིད་སྐུ་མཛེས་པ་ནི།
།རིན་ཆེན་སྐུ་འདྲར་ཤེས་བྱ་སྟེ།
།རང་བཞིན་གྱིས་ནི་བྱས་མིན་དང་།
།ཡོན་ཏན་རིན་ཆེན་གཏེར་ཡིན་ཕྱིར།

Dege, PHI, 122

The beauty of the svābhāvikakāya
Should be known to be like a precious statue
Because it is without artifice by nature,
And is the foundation of precious qualities.

When the Clouds Part, Brunnhölzl, 406 ^[2]

真佛法身淨猶如真金像
以性不改變攝功德實體

http://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/en/T31n1611_p0839a07

Vous devriez savoir que la beauté du corps essentiel

Est comparable à une précieuse image Parce que ce corps de nature incréée Et ses qualités forment un trésor de joyaux.

Charrier, Christian and Patrick Carré. Traité de la Continuité suprême du Grand Véhicule. Plazac: Éditions Padmakara, 2019.

RGVV Commentary on Verse I.151

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།གཏེར་དང་འབྲས་བུའི་ཤིང་བཞིན་དུ། །རིགས་དེ་རྣམ་གཉིས་ཤེས་བྱ་སྟེ། །ཐོག་མེད་རང་བཞིན་གནས་པ་དང་། །ཡང་དག་བླང་བ་མཆོག་ཉིད་དོ། །རིགས་འདི་གཉིས་ལས་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི། །སྐུ་གསུམ་ཐོབ་པར་འདོད་པ་ཡིན། །དང་པོས་སྐུ་ནི་དང་པོ་སྟེ། །གཉིས་པ་ཡིས་ནི་ཕྱི་མ་གཉིས། །ངོ་བོ་ཉིད་སྐུ་མཛེས་པ་ནི། །རིན་ཆེན་སྐུ་འདྲར་ཤེས་བྱ་སྟེ། །རང་བཞིན་གྱིས་ནི་བྱས་མིན་དང་། །ཡོན་ཏན་རིན་ཆེན་གཏེར་ཡིན་ཕྱིར། །ཆོས་ཆེན་རྒྱལ་སྲིད་ཆེ་ལྡན་ཕྱིར། །རྫོགས་ལོངས་འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བཞིན་ནོ། །གཟུགས་བརྙན་གྱི་ནི་རང་བཞིན་ཕྱིར། །སྤྲུལ་པ་གསེར་གྱི་གཟུགས་ལྟ་བུ། །དེའི་ཕྱིར་དེ་ལྟར་གཏེར་དང་ལྗོན་ཤིང་དང་། རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་སྐུ་དང་། འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ་དང་། གསེར་གྱི་གཟུགས་ཏེ། དཔེ་ལྷག་མ་ལྔ་པོ་འདི་དག་གིས་ནི་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་སྐུ་རྣམ་པ་གསུམ་བསྐྱེད་པའི་རིགས་ཡོད་པའི་དབང་དུ་བྱས་ཏེ། དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་ཁམས་སེམས་ཅན་འདི་དག་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོར་བསྟན་པ་ཡིན་ནོ། །དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཉིད་ནི་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་སྐུ་རྣམ་པ་གསུམ་གྱིས་རབ་ཏུ་ཕྱེ་བ་ཡིན་ཏེ། དེས་ན་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་ཁམས་ཐོབ་པའི་རྒྱུ་ཡིན་པས་ཁམས་ཀྱི་དོན་ནི་འདིར་རྒྱུའི་དོན་ཏོ། །གང་གི་ཕྱིར་དེ་ལ་ཡང་སེམས་ཅན་དང་སེམས་ཅན་ལ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་ཁམས་འགྲུབ་པའི་སྙིང་པོར་གྱུར་པ་ཡོད་མོད་ཀྱི། སེམས་ཅན་དེ་དག་གིས་ཤེས་པ་མ་ཡིན་ནོ་ཞེས་གསུངས་སོ། །དེ་སྐད་དུ། ཐོག་མ་མེད་དུས་ཅན་གྱི་ཁམས། །ཆོས་རྣམས་ཀུན་གྱི་གནས་ཡིན་ཏེ། །དེ་ཡོད་པས་ན་འགྲོ་ཀུན་དང་། །མྱ་ངན་འདས་པའང་ཐོབ་པ་ཡིན། །ཞེས་གསུངས་སོ། །དེ་ལ་ཇི་ལྟར་ན་ཐོག་མ་མེད་པའི་དུས་གང་ཡིན་ཞེ་ན། དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ཉིད་ཀྱི་དབང་དུ་མཛད་ནས། སྔོན་གྱི་མཐའ་མི་དམིགས་

སོ་ཞེས་བསྟན་ཅིང་རབ་ཏུ་གཞག་པ་གང་ཡིན་པའོ། །ཁམས་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ནི། ཇི་སྐད་དུ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་གང་ལགས་པ་འདི་ནི་འཇིག་རྟེན་ལས་འདས་པའི་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོ་རང་བཞིན་གྱིས་ཡོངས་སུ་དག་པའི་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོའོ་ཞེས་གསུང་སོ། །ཆོས་རྣམས་ཀུན་གྱི་གནས་ཡིན་ཏེ། །ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ནི། ཇི་སྐད་དུ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེའི་སླད་དུ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ནི་འབྲེལ་པ། རྣམ་པར་དབྱེ་བ་མེད་པ། བྲལ་མི་ཤེས་པ། འདུས་མ་བྱས་པའི་ཆོས་རྣམས་ཀྱི་གནས་དང་གཞི་དང་རྟེན་ལགས་ལ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ནི་མ་འབྲེལ་བ་རྣམ་པར་དབྱེ་བ་དང་བཅས་པའི་ཆོས། བྲལ་ཤེས་པ། འདུས་བྱས་ཀྱི་ཆོས་རྣམས་ཀྱི་ཡང་གཞི་དང་། གནས་དང་། རྟེན་ལགས་སོ་ཞེས་གསུངས་པའོ། །དེ་ཡོད་ན་ནི་འགྲོ་ཀུན་དང་། །ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ནི། ཇི་སྐད་དུ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་མཆིས་ན་དེ་ལ་འཁོར་བ་ཞེས་ཚིག་གིས་བཏགས་པ་ལགས་སོ་ཞེས་གསུངས་སོ། །མྱ་ངན་འདས་པའང་ཐོབ་པར་འགྱུར། །ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ནི། ཇི་སྐད་དུ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་གལ་ཏེ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་མ་མཆིས་ན་སྡུག་བསྔལ་ལ་ཡང་ཡིད་འབྱུང་བར་མི་འགྱུར་ཞིང་མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ་ལ་ཡང་འདོད་པ་དང་། དོན་དུ་གཉེར་བ་དང་། སྨོན་པར་ཡང་མི་འགྱུར་རོ་ཞེས་རྒྱས་པར་གསུངས་སོ། །ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ་ལྟར་རྒྱ་ཆེ་བ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དང་དབྱེར་མེད་པའི་མཚན་ཉིད་ངེས་པའི་རིགས་ཀྱི་རང་བཞིན་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་དེ་ཡང་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་ཚེ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་ཁྱད་པར་མེད་པའི་ཚུལ་དུ་ཡོད་དོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་བར་ནི། ཆོས་ཉིད་ཚད་མར་བྱས་ནས་བལྟ་བར་བྱ་སྟེ། ཇི་སྐད་དུ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་འདི་ནི་ཆོས་རྣམས་ཀྱི་ཆོས་ཉིད་དེ། དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་རྣམས་བྱུང་ཡང་རུང་མ་བྱུང་ཡང་རུང་སྟེ། སེམས་ཅན་འདི་དག་ནི་རྟག་ཏུ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ཅན་ནོ་ཞེས་གསུངས་པ་ཡིན་ནོ། །ཆོས་ཉིད་གང་ཡིན་པ་དེ་ཉིད་ནི་འདིར་གང་གིས་དེ་ལྟ་བུ་ཁོ་ནར་འགྱུར་གྱི་གཞན་དུ་མི་འགྱུར་རོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་རིགས་པ་དང་སྦྱོར་བ་དང་ཐབས་ཡིན་ཏེ། ཐམས་ཅད་དུ་སེམས་ངེས་པར་རྟོགས་

པ་དང་། སེམས་ཡང་དག་པར་ཤེས་པ་ལ་ནི། ཆོས་ཉིད་ཀྱི་རྟོགས་པ་དང་། ཆོས་ཉིད་ཀྱི་རིགས་པ་ཡིན་ནོ་དེ་ནི་བསམ་པར་མི་བྱ། རྣམ་པར་བརྟག་པར་མི་བྱའི། ལྷག་པར་མོས་པར་བྱ་བ་འབའ་ཞིག་ཏུ་ཟད་དོ།

Other English translations

Textual sources

Commentaries on this verse

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.
I follow DP mdzes pa as the meaning of śubha here, which seems to fit best with the two reasons in lines I.151cd.
With Schmithausen, I follow MB gotrasadbhāvārtham adhikṛtya (supported by DP rigs yod pa’i [don gyi] dbang du byas te) against J gotrasvabhāvārtham adhikṛtya.
D258, fol. 253b.5–6. The canonical versions of the sūtra literally say, "Now, the tathāgata disposition has entered sentient beings and exists within them, but these sentient beings do not realize this." As Zimmermann (2002, 137) notes, a paracanonical translation of the sūtra from Bathang (which is closer to the Sanskrit as quoted in RGVV here) and the Chinese translation by Amoghavajra read "element" (dhātu) instead of "disposition" (gotra). As for "has entered,"in accordance with what the sūtra says a few lines down, bzhugs ("abides") needs to be emended to zhugs. According to Zimmermann, the expression that the tathāgata element has "arisen"in or "entered"sentient beings is probably influenced by this passage’s being found in the context of the example of a cakravartin in the belly of a destitute woman, which says that life has entered (zhugs) the womb of that woman. The phrases, "exists . . . in the form of their heart (or in the form of an embryo)" (RGVV) and "exists within them" (DP: khong na yod; Bathang: snying po la gnas pa) render the same compound garbhagata. As Zimmermann (ibid., 58–60) points out, both meanings are possible from the point of view of Sanskrit grammar, though the latter is the more reasonable one for an unbiased reader (as confirmed by the Tibetan versions of the sūtra). This is also indicated by the corresponding verse I.123 in the Uttaratantra, which speaks of the cakravartin’s abiding within the womb (garbhāntarasthe) and the tathāgata heart’s abiding within sentient beings themselves (svātmāntarastheṣu) as their protector. However, RGVV’s point here is to identify tathāgatagarbha with dhātu, which is then said to be the cause for attaining buddhahood. Therefore, garbha can here mean only "heart" (or embryo), and it is in support of this meaning that RGVV quotes the passage from the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra.
D45.48, fol. 275a.3–4. D45.48 reads: "Bhagavan, this tathāgata heart is the heart of the supreme dharmadhātu. It is the heart of the dharmakāya. It is the heart of the supramundane dharmas. It is the heart of the naturally pure dharmas."

the tathāgata heart is the foundation, basis, and support of the unconditioned attributes that are connected [to it], inseparable [from it], and [can]not be realized as being divisible [from it]. Bhagavan, the tathāgata heart is also the foundation, basis, and support of the conditioned phenomena that are not connected [to it], separable [from it], and [can] be realized as being divisible [from it].^[1]

As for "Since it exists, all forms of existence," [this sūtra] says:

Bhagavan, since the tathāgata heart exists, the notion of ‘saṃsāra’ is formulated for it.^[2]

As for "also nirvāṇa is obtained," [this sūtra] says:

Bhagavan, if the tathāgata heart did not exist, there would be no weariness of suffering nor the wish, striving, and aspiration for nirvāṇa.^[3]

It is thus [that this is explained] in detail.

Now, [the fact that] the tathāgata heart, which is as vast as the dharmakāya,^[4] has the characteristic of not being different from suchness,^[5] and has the nature of being the disposition that is certain [with regard to buddhahood], exists at all times and everywhere in a manner that is without difference^[6] is to be considered in terms of taking [nothing but] the true nature of phenomena as the [supreme] valid authority. As [the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra] says:

Son of noble family, this is the true nature of phenomena: no matter whether tathāgatas arise or do not arise, these sentient beings always have the tathāgata heart.^[7]

Here, the nature of phenomena is the principle, the method, and the means through which^[8] [it is clear that the true state of phenomena] is just such and that it is not otherwise.^[9] In all respects, {D112b} this very nature of phenomena is the resort, and this very nature of phenomena is the principle for the contemplation of the mind and the realization of the mind.^[10] It is neither conceivable nor imaginable. It is [only] accessible to intense faith. {J74}

|OtherTranslations=

Obermiller (1931) ^[11]

The Body of Absolute Existence

Is like a beautiful, precious image,

Since, by nature, it is not wrought (by human hands)

And is the treasury of all the virtuous properties.

Takasaki (1966) ^[12]

The Body of the Absolute Essence is pure

And is known to be like the precious image,

Since, by nature, it is non-artificial

And is the substratum of precious properties.

Fuchs (2000) ^[13]

The beautiful svabhavikakaya

is like the statue of precious material,

since [it exists] naturally, is not created,

and is a treasure of gem-like qualities.

}}

Ibid., fol. 274b.2–4. D45.48 reads: "Therefore, Bhagavan, the tathāgata heart is the abode, support, and foundation of the [qualities] that do not abide as being different [from it], are connected [to it], and are known to be liberated from their cocoon (sbubs nas grol ba’i shes pa can). Bhagavan, thus, the tathāgata heart is also the abode, support, and foundation of the external conditioned phenomena that are not connected [to it], do not abide as being different [from it], and are not known to be liberated (shes pa grol ba ma lags pa)."
Ibid., fol. 274a.6–7. D45.48 reads: "Bhagavan, if the tathāgata heart exists, the word ‘saṃsāra’ is reasonable" ( ’khor ba zhes mchis na ni tshig de rigs pa lags so). DP has "Bhagavan, if the tathāgata heart exists, it is labeled with the word ‘saṃsāra’" (de la ’khor ba zhes tshig gis btags pa lags so).
Ibid., fol. 274b.5.
I follow Schmithausen’s emended reading dharmakāyavipulas tathatā° of MB (dharmakāyavipulas tastatathatā°), which corresponds to DP chos kyi sku ltar rgya che ba, against J dharmakāyavipralambhas tathatā°.
DP "the Tathāgata"instead of "suchness."
According to C, J emends MB niravaśeṣayogena saṃvadyatanatija to niravaśeṣayogena sattvadhātāv iti. However, I follow DP khyad par med pa’i tshul du yod do / zhes bya ba’i bar ni (corresponding to nirviśeṣayogena saṃvidyata iti yāvat).
D258, fol. 248b.6. As Ruegg (1969, 330–31) points out, the same statement is found in several other sūtras with regard to impermanence (Aṅguttara Nikāya I.286), dependent origination (Saṃyutta Nikāya II.25, 60, and 124; Dīgha Nikāya I.190; and the Śālistambasūtra [Sanskrit reconstruction in N. Aiyasvami Sastri, Ārya Śālistamba Sūtra (Adyar: Theosophical Society, 1950), 47]), and the nature of phenomena or suchness. As for the latter, the Daśabhūmikasūtra (Rahder ed., 65) says, "No matter whether buddhas have arrived in the world or not, [this] is just what abides as the true nature of phenomena" and the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines (Sanskrit edition by Nalinaksha Dutt, Calcutta Oriential Series 28 [Calcutta, 1934], 198; D9, vol. ka, fol. 313a.6–313b.1) states, "No matter whether tathāgatas have appeared or whether tathāgatas have not appeared, the true state of phenomena, the nature of phenomena, the dharmadhātu, the flawless dharma, suchness, unerring suchness, suchness that is never other, and the true end abide just as they are."Very similar statements are also found in the prajñāpāramitā sūtras in one hundred thousand and eight thousand lines, the Laṅkāvatārasūtra (for page references, see Ruegg 1969), and the Ratnameghasūtra (D231, fol. 69a.4).
I follow de Jong’s emendation yayaivam (supported by DP gang gis de lta bu) of J paryāyaḥ evam. In the immediately following phrase, I follow MA reading twice evaitat against J reading twice eva tat.
As already mentioned, GC (432.21–23) explains that the nature of phenomena is called a "reasonable principle" (yukti) because it is justified that this nature and its bearers definitely are in accordance and are never in discordance. It is a "joining method" (yoga) because it causes the bearers of this nature to be joined with it. It is a "means" (upāya) because the mind will be realized through it.
DP sems nges par rtogs pa dang / sems yang dag par shes pa la ni / chos nyid kyi rtogs pa dang / chos nyid kyi rigs pa yin no. VT (fol. 13v7–14r1) glosses "realization" (saṃjñāpanaṃ) as prabodhaḥ.
Obermiller, E. "The Sublime Science of the Great Vehicle to Salvation Being a Manual of Buddhist Monism." Acta Orientalia IX (1931), pp. 81-306.
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.
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.

[1] Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Unicode Input

[2] 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.

[3] I follow DP mdzes pa as the meaning of śubha here, which seems to fit best with the two reasons in lines I.151cd.

[4] With Schmithausen, I follow MB gotrasadbhāvārtham adhikṛtya (supported by DP rigs yod pa’i [don gyi] dbang du byas te) against J gotrasvabhāvārtham adhikṛtya.

[5] D258, fol. 253b.5–6. The canonical versions of the sūtra literally say, "Now, the tathāgata disposition has entered sentient beings and exists within them, but these sentient beings do not realize this." As Zimmermann (2002, 137) notes, a paracanonical translation of the sūtra from Bathang (which is closer to the Sanskrit as quoted in RGVV here) and the Chinese translation by Amoghavajra read "element" (dhātu) instead of "disposition" (gotra). As for "has entered,"in accordance with what the sūtra says a few lines down, bzhugs ("abides") needs to be emended to zhugs. According to Zimmermann, the expression that the tathāgata element has "arisen"in or "entered"sentient beings is probably influenced by this passage’s being found in the context of the example of a cakravartin in the belly of a destitute woman, which says that life has entered (zhugs) the womb of that woman. The phrases, "exists . . . in the form of their heart (or in the form of an embryo)" (RGVV) and "exists within them" (DP: khong na yod; Bathang: snying po la gnas pa) render the same compound garbhagata. As Zimmermann (ibid., 58–60) points out, both meanings are possible from the point of view of Sanskrit grammar, though the latter is the more reasonable one for an unbiased reader (as confirmed by the Tibetan versions of the sūtra). This is also indicated by the corresponding verse I.123 in the Uttaratantra, which speaks of the cakravartin’s abiding within the womb (garbhāntarasthe) and the tathāgata heart’s abiding within sentient beings themselves (svātmāntarastheṣu) as their protector. However, RGVV’s point here is to identify tathāgatagarbha with dhātu, which is then said to be the cause for attaining buddhahood. Therefore, garbha can here mean only "heart" (or embryo), and it is in support of this meaning that RGVV quotes the passage from the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra.

[6] D45.48, fol. 275a.3–4. D45.48 reads: "Bhagavan, this tathāgata heart is the heart of the supreme dharmadhātu. It is the heart of the dharmakāya. It is the heart of the supramundane dharmas. It is the heart of the naturally pure dharmas."

[7] Ibid., fol. 274b.2–4. D45.48 reads: "Therefore, Bhagavan, the tathāgata heart is the abode, support, and foundation of the [qualities] that do not abide as being different [from it], are connected [to it], and are known to be liberated from their cocoon (sbubs nas grol ba’i shes pa can). Bhagavan, thus, the tathāgata heart is also the abode, support, and foundation of the external conditioned phenomena that are not connected [to it], do not abide as being different [from it], and are not known to be liberated (shes pa grol ba ma lags pa)."

[8] Ibid., fol. 274a.6–7. D45.48 reads: "Bhagavan, if the tathāgata heart exists, the word ‘saṃsāra’ is reasonable" ( ’khor ba zhes mchis na ni tshig de rigs pa lags so). DP has "Bhagavan, if the tathāgata heart exists, it is labeled with the word ‘saṃsāra’" (de la ’khor ba zhes tshig gis btags pa lags so).

[9] Ibid., fol. 274b.5.

[10] I follow Schmithausen’s emended reading dharmakāyavipulas tathatā° of MB (dharmakāyavipulas tastatathatā°), which corresponds to DP chos kyi sku ltar rgya che ba, against J dharmakāyavipralambhas tathatā°.

[11] DP "the Tathāgata"instead of "suchness."

[12] According to C, J emends MB niravaśeṣayogena saṃvadyatanatija to niravaśeṣayogena sattvadhātāv iti. However, I follow DP khyad par med pa’i tshul du yod do / zhes bya ba’i bar ni (corresponding to nirviśeṣayogena saṃvidyata iti yāvat).

[13] D258, fol. 248b.6. As Ruegg (1969, 330–31) points out, the same statement is found in several other sūtras with regard to impermanence (Aṅguttara Nikāya I.286), dependent origination (Saṃyutta Nikāya II.25, 60, and 124; Dīgha Nikāya I.190; and the Śālistambasūtra [Sanskrit reconstruction in N. Aiyasvami Sastri, Ārya Śālistamba Sūtra (Adyar: Theosophical Society, 1950), 47]), and the nature of phenomena or suchness. As for the latter, the Daśabhūmikasūtra (Rahder ed., 65) says, "No matter whether buddhas have arrived in the world or not, [this] is just what abides as the true nature of phenomena" and the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines (Sanskrit edition by Nalinaksha Dutt, Calcutta Oriential Series 28 [Calcutta, 1934], 198; D9, vol. ka, fol. 313a.6–313b.1) states, "No matter whether tathāgatas have appeared or whether tathāgatas have not appeared, the true state of phenomena, the nature of phenomena, the dharmadhātu, the flawless dharma, suchness, unerring suchness, suchness that is never other, and the true end abide just as they are."Very similar statements are also found in the prajñāpāramitā sūtras in one hundred thousand and eight thousand lines, the Laṅkāvatārasūtra (for page references, see Ruegg 1969), and the Ratnameghasūtra (D231, fol. 69a.4).

[14] I follow de Jong’s emendation yayaivam (supported by DP gang gis de lta bu) of J paryāyaḥ evam. In the immediately following phrase, I follow MA reading twice evaitat against J reading twice eva tat.

[15] As already mentioned, GC (432.21–23) explains that the nature of phenomena is called a "reasonable principle" (yukti) because it is justified that this nature and its bearers definitely are in accordance and are never in discordance. It is a "joining method" (yoga) because it causes the bearers of this nature to be joined with it. It is a "means" (upāya) because the mind will be realized through it.

[16] DP sems nges par rtogs pa dang / sems yang dag par shes pa la ni / chos nyid kyi rtogs pa dang / chos nyid kyi rigs pa yin no. VT (fol. 13v7–14r1) glosses "realization" (saṃjñāpanaṃ) as prabodhaḥ.

[17] Obermiller, E. "The Sublime Science of the Great Vehicle to Salvation Being a Manual of Buddhist Monism." Acta Orientalia IX (1931), pp. 81-306.

[18] 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.

[19] 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.

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