About these six limits and four modes, the Galpo Tantra says:
There are six types of limit for detailed explanations:
Expedient meaning, definitive meaning, and implied exposition,
The not implied and the literal,
And explained in a not literal way.310
1. The expedient meaning. One vajra word demonstrates different meanings to two disciples—one who directly has and one who has not the fortune for the genuinely true, so that for the one who has not, the Victorious One will conceal it and, for instance, teach the subsidiary aspects of the development stage in order to lead the disciple to the real; that is teaching according to the expedient meaning.
2. The definitive meaning has two aspects: The “true definition” is in conformity with the development stage as taught in the Vajra Wisdom Scripture, as for instance that camphor is semen and so forth. The “true innate” is the continuity of cause, the natural and intrinsic belonging to the completion stage. That which teaches the meaning of these two is the definitive meaning.
3. The implied exposition. For those who desire the most eminent, he teaches thatness; but in order to prevent them from practicing without a teacher, he speaks with contradictory sentences by means of what is despised by righteous worldly people, such as “You shall kill the living!” That is implied exposition. To kill the living implies stopping the wind of karma, and the contradictory sentences are for the purpose of converting slaughters and so forth. Moreover, implied exposition is what should be understood dependent upon the implied expressed meaning phrased in contradictory sentences, the same point of development and completion by means of different vajra words.
4. The not-implied exposition is what by means of the directly expressing teachings does not depend upon the implied expressed meaning. That is to say, the exposition that is not implied is to clearly teach that the nature of the phenomena of the development stage is empty and luminous and so forth to the people whose capacity for the implied exposition is dull.
5. The literal is the terminology and meaning taught with words universally known in mundane treatises and so forth and which is taught in conformity with the lower tantras, the extensive engagement in rituals of various activities, such as external mandalas, fire puja, torma offering, and so forth.
6. The not literal is what is not renowned in the mundane treatises and is phrased in the symbolism of the secret language of the tathagatas, such as the names of the ten winds being kotakhya and so forth—kotawa, kota, kotabashca, kotaraga, kolakhya, kolawa, kola, kolabashca, and kolasta—as well as the Guhyagarbha Tantra calling union and liberation “Ali Kali.” These six are known as the six limits because all the secret words and meanings do not transcend them.
As for the four modes, the Galpo Tantra says:
I will teach to you the four modes of exposition.
There are the literal, the general, the hidden, and the ultimate.
1. The literal meaning is the explanation engaging only in the word-for-word meaning by means of the inflections and particles and so on, and is stated in terms of the authoritative scriptures on grammar. The literal meanings are also known as the word-for-word meaning.
2. The general meaning has two aspects: the general meaning according to the sutras and the general meaning according to the development stage. First, to prevent regret of having entered the Sutra system due to the statement:
One does not attain accomplishment
Though endless vows of asceticism have been taught.
But by relying on all the desirable objects
One quickly attains accomplishment.
If one thus regrets, considering it to be unworthy to have entered the Sutra system or the Kriya or Charya systems prior to entering this easy and swift path of Inner Mantrayana, this path is not to be entered without practicing the Sutra system, such as renunciation for samsara and arousing the wish of bodhichitta, and they are all steps for this path. The same text therefore says:
Although the levels have been stated,
They are the path leading to the essence of secrets.
One sutra as well says:
For the one who possesses the great means,
The disturbing emotions become factors of enlightenment.
Thus, if one has sharp faculties and possesses special ingenuity, one single immense act of accumulation consummates the accumulation of many aeons. Since also the sutras maintain such an easy and swift path, it is called the general meaning.
Second, preventing the regret of having entered the Mantrayana system: The Buddha taught such topics as bathing, cleanliness, fasting practice, and so forth in the Sutra, Kriya, and Charya systems, so toward this [the system of the Three Inner Tantras], one may feel remorse, thinking that such practices are prohibited and that the Dharma practices, which are like pigs and dogs, making offering to the deities with feces, semen, and blood and also eating those things oneself, as well as asserting what harms, such as “union and liberation,” to be a spiritual practice are nothing but the teachings of the tirthikas. These types of general meaning are therefore taught:
A. The general meaning for people of dull faculties is to teach that the bathing and cleanliness according to the systems of the tirthikas that lack the special ingenuity are prohibited; but the bathing and so forth that purify evil deeds and obscurations are also accepted here [in the inner tantras]. The eating of feces and so forth is practiced as the yoga of the thatness which is the one taste of sense object and faculty.
B. The general meaning for people of sharp faculties. The Kriya Tantra entitled Arrangement of the Three Samayas teaches that one attains accomplishment without adhering to asceticism and so forth; one does not realize the meaning of the Dharma without abandoning the clinging to purity and impurity; it is futile to cling to cleanliness and feel aversion toward dirt. Through that, one does not attain the wisdom of equality, so to practice same taste in order to abandon attachment is also accepted in the Sutra, Kriya, and Charya systems. It is permissible to engage in union and liberation with a virtuous attitude, such as killing Spear-Wielding Criminal, having intercourse with the chieftain’s daughter, and so forth; one will not be tainted by infractions but accumulate boundless merit.311 Since these things are common to all the [bodhisattva] trainings, they are called “general meaning.”
C. The general meaning according to the development stage is, for instance, to explain the outer or general meaning of the development stage by teaching the people who are unsuited for the concealed teachings on passion to visualize the subtle emblems of the five families at the tip of one’s “superficial nose” with statements such as:
Always contemplate at the tip of your nose
The precious gems of five colors.
Moreover, this includes all that is connected to the development stage, such as visualizing the basis, the celestial palace; and the based, the deities. Since that training is common to both development and completion, it is the general meaning.
3. The hidden meaning. Teaching plainly the rituals for the action seal (karmamudra) and union, the male and female yoga practitioners’ engagement in the passion of intercourse, is unseemly and so inappropriate to express in verse. Therefore, this is hidden and is the concealed teachings on passion. The concealment of the relative is the completion stage of the channels, winds, and essences, the self-consecration, and so forth. Generally speaking, they are concealed because they are like the essence placed in the center of the two extremes.
The meaning of the higher, medium, and lower essence is as follows: According to the stages of illusory body, the higher essence covered by the thin manifest defilements is thus the concealment for realizing the relative truth. The cause of that, the wisdoms of appearance, increase, and attainment, is the medium essence covered by medium defilements. The cause of that, the secluded mind called vajra mind, the secluded speech called vajra speech, and the secluded body called vajra body, is the essence of the great defilement, the lesser natural state, and is therefore concealed. This explanation is also the explanation of concealment. In brief there are two aspects: the hidden and the concealed.
4. The ultimate meaning is the ultimate that pervades all of them—the completion stage of luminosity is the ultimate of the path, while the stage of the unity of the two truths is the ultimate of fruition. To explain these is the ultimate explanation. Since all four modes must explain one single vajra word based on different mental capacities, it is the ultimate because it reaches to the end of all remaining meaning to be expressed about that word.
Again, [the four modes are]: to explain just in general the word-for-word meaning by means of the sense, grammar, and implication of the term; the general intent common to the sutras; the hidden and uncommon profound meaning of the Unexcelled (Anuttara); and in the manner of combining the ultimate to the unified level of training and beyond training.
Chagmey Rinpoche’s statement that each word of the tantras should be understood according to the literal meaning, general meaning, direct meaning, and indirect meaning corresponds fairly well to what is meant here.
Without possessing these oral instructions, one will not be able to gain true knowledge, no matter how detailed the analysis of one’s reflection may be. But when possessing the oral instructions, one will give rise to the flawless knowledge resulting from reflection when examining the ways of the sutras and tantras.