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Teaching on the Title

TEACHING ON THE TITLE IN ORDER TO EASILY UNDERSTAND THE MAIN TEXT

This has three points: stating the actual title, explaining the meaning, and defining the scope of the scripture from the title.

STATING THE ACTUAL TITLE

The Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo root text says:

          The Heart Essence of Padmasambhava According to The Guru’s

          Heart Practice of Dorje Drakpo Tsal, Powerful Vajra Wrath. The

          Wisdom Essence of Oral Instruction in the Stages of the Path.

EXPLAINING THE MEANING

This has two parts: the general explanation of the literal meaning and the detailed explanation of the special meaning of the title.

GENERAL EXPLANATION OF THE LITERAL MEANING

In general, it is well known that the tantras are the basis of the oral instructions, the oral instructions are the basis of the sadhanas, and the sadhanas are the basis of the applications. Within these categories, countless sadhanas of the Three Roots have been taught, each of which again has many sadhana versions that are general or specific, root or branch, and intended to be temporary or ultimate.42 Among them, The Wisdom Essence is the quintessential extract of the most pithy teachings of all the instruction tantras that explain the foundation of the Magical Net of the Vidyadharas, the Root Tantra of the Assemblage of Vidyadharas, and other scriptures.43 It is a means of accomplishing chiefly the guru, the root of blessings, and epitomizes the realization of the victorious ones throughout all directions and times. It is the core of practice for all vidyadharas in the three times, the vital core of the wisdom sphere extracted from the expanse of Guru Rinpoche’s mind, and a crucial means of accomplishing the most profound essence. Thus it is called the Guru’s Heart Practice. The Sheldam Nyingjang says:

          This most profound Heart Practice

          Spontaneously manifested from the expanse of realization of myself,

          The Self-Born Padma.44

And,

          I, Uddiyana, did not expound this

          As a commentary based upon

          Other tantras, statements, and instructions,

          But as the true meaning of the tantras, statements, and instructions,

          The essential extract of the essence.

          Fully present as the essence of my heart,

          When it manifests as the natural sound of dharmata,

          It is especially exalted by not being in conflict with the tantras,

          By being in accordance with the statements,

          And by possessing the experience of the instructions.45

Of the Four Profound Cycles of Heart Practice, this teaching was revealed within the Teaching Cycle of Dorje Drakpo Tsal, Powerful Vajra Wrath, the means of accomplishing the guru according to the innermost way. He taught orally in the manner of instructions and advice, considering all worthy followers with loving kindness. Lucid and appropriately detailed, it possesses the complete stages of the path for accomplishing the unified state within one lifetime. It is entitled Yeshe Nyingpo, The Wisdom Essence.46

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE SPECIAL MEANING OF THE TITLE

This has two points: explaining in terms of the four modes47 and explaining in terms of the meaning of ground, path, and fruition.

Explaining in Terms of the Four Modes

Basing the explanation on the particular title, Wisdom Essence, separate from the general title, I will now explain it according to the literal meaning.

In the general sense, considering the broad scope of the word “wisdom,” yeshe or jnana, the root meaning of jna, which means “understanding,” is applicable to both the objects known and to the subject, the consciousness.48 The Accomplishment of Means and Knowledge explains:

          Consciousness fully discerns the known object.

          Having fully discriminated through joining,

          All phenomena are devoid of a self-nature.

          That itself is called wisdom.49

Here, the wisdom of the buddhas is described as knowledge that has fully discarded defilement. All the qualities of perfection result exclusively from the play of the wisdom of the victorious ones.50 As the regent Maitreya revealed:

          From the buddhas comes the Dharma, from the Dharma appears the noble assembly.51

The word “wisdom” therefore describes the identity of what is characterized. The word “essence,” nyingpo or garbha, means “the nakedly extracted essence devoid of covers.” It refers to the extracted essence of the profound meaning of the teachings of Sutra and Mantra, free from the covers of words and constructs. The word “essence” therefore describes how the special characteristic is. Thus, Wisdom Essence, Yeshe Nyingpo, means “the essence of all the sacred teachings of the most perfect wisdom.”52

When explaining the general meaning according to the sutras and the common teachings, “wisdom” means knowledge (prajna) that is primordially free from defilement, the basic state of emptiness. The word “essence” or hridaya means “extract” or “supreme,” and is therefore compassion, the supreme path that is indispensable for accomplishing buddhahood. The Five Hundred Thousand Scripture says:53

          From the wish-fulfilling tree of emptiness

          Appear the fruits of nonconceptual compassion.

          This is the root of all the awakened ones.

          From this they emerge, there is no doubt.54

Therefore, Wisdom Essence means the “supreme path of emptiness endowed with a core of compassion.”

Next, related to the general meaning of Mantrayana, “wisdom” is the support, the mandala, while “essence” is the supported, the circle of deities. This is explained in the Two Segments:

          The center describes the essence.

          This bodhichitta is the great bliss.

          Taking hold of it is the mandala.

          Their merging expresses this mandala itself.55

The meaning of that describes the path of the development stage as well as its associated points.

According to the hidden meaning, “wisdom” is the support, the syllable E of primordial great emptiness. “Essence” is the supported, the VAM syllable of great bliss. The Exposition Tantra of Guhyasamaja states:

          Since omniscience abides

          In the magical display of the two letters E and VAM,

          E and VAM are fully explained

          At the beginning of teaching the sacred Dharma.56

The Vajra Garland adds:

          E is emptiness, it is taught.

          Likewise, VAM is compassion.

          The bindu results from their union.

          This union is the supreme marvel

          Embracing the 84,000 Dharma teachings.

          In short, it is the seal of the Dharma.57

As thus stated here and in countless other places, the two syllables E and VAM provide the setting for teaching all the sutras and tantras, and therefore the profound and vast meaning can be elaborated from them.58

According to the hidden conventional truth of the system of Phakshab, E and VAM mean the body of unity that manifests from luminous wisdom as its essence after the stages of illusory body have been perfected.59

According to the concealed teachings on passion, when following what has been taught in the Ocean of Magical Display and elsewhere, the nadi-wheels are the syllable E and the bindus are the syllable VAM, and thus they apply to the liberation of the upper gate. Moreover, the lotus of the consort is E and the lord’s vajra is VAM, and thus they apply to the secret lower gate. The meaning of these points will be explained in this text.60

According to the ultimate meaning, “wisdom” is the original space of primordial purity, and “essence” is spontaneous presence, the “vajra chain of awareness.” Thus they mean the indivisible unity of space and awareness, the ultimate realization of the Original Protector. Also these points will be understood from the following sequence of teachings.61

Explaining in Terms of Ground, Path, and Fruition

Ground.  First, applied to the ground in the general way, “wisdom” means the basic dharmakaya, the ultimate nature of undivided space and wisdom that encompasses all phenomena and is present like the all-pervading sky.62 The noble Nagarjuna said:

          As water within the earth remains free from defilement,

          The wisdom within emotions likewise dwells undefiled.

The Sambhuti states:

          Utterly free from all concepts,

          The great wisdom dwells in the body.

          It encompasses all things.63

As for the meaning of “essence,” the Tantra That Prophesies Realization says:

          “Essence” is this pure nature of the buddhas,

          The experienced meaning of Mantra,

          The enlightenment of all experience;

          It is most eminent experience.64

Thus Wisdom Essence means that the ultimate wisdom is present as the essential quality in all of samsara and nirvana. The victorious Maitreya has said:

          The suchness is in everything, pure without any distinction.

          All beings therefore have the essence of the tathagata.

The Radiant Lamp explains:65

          The abode of the victorious ones is all sentient beings

          Because they are of the essence of the tathagatas.

In this way, the “essence of wisdom” indicates the basis for purifying defilements, the natural state of the sugata essence.66

According to the uncommon Mahayoga, Wisdom Essence means the superior dharmakaya of the indivisible two truths. According to Anu Yoga, it means the bodhichitta mandala of great bliss, the nondual space and wisdom that is primordially present as our natural possession.67

According to the system of the Great Perfection, [Wisdom Essence is described in the following way]. The primordial purity of the original ground that is inexpressible and inconceivable, indescribable and beyond the confines of mental constructs, is the universal ground of both confusion and liberation endowed with a threefold wisdom. Even when the seal of space broke open and samsara and nirvana separated with the unfolding of the manifestation of outward brilliance, this universal ground is still present as a temporary ground in all sentient beings as their essence.68 The Six Spheres describes:

          Devoid of constructs, the primordially pure nature

          Is the pure natural face, the essential ground.69

This quote indicates the original ground of primordial purity. These points of the basic nature will also be taught within this text.

Path.  When applying the meaning of Wisdom Essence to the path, “wisdom” means knowledge, prajna. “Essence,” as the word sara, means the “root” or “source” from which manifold things unfold.70 Thus it is the means, upaya, of the accumulation of merit from which originate the manifold excellent results, both temporary and ultimate. According to the ordinary paths, these two, means and knowledge, are merit and wisdom. According to the extraordinary paths, they are the development stage and completion stage; and in the case of the special paths, they are bliss and emptiness, space and awareness, and so forth. Thus they can be combined with the meaning of all the dual aspects of the path. The accomplishment of buddhahood requires that means and knowledge be united without one-sidedness. The Lamp for the Path of Enlightenment, which is a summary of the meaning of the sutras, makes this clear:

          Knowledge devoid of means as well as means devoid of knowledge

          Is in all cases taught to be a fetter; therefore, do not abandon either of the two.71

Since the details of the stages of the path of unity are taught here in The Wisdom Essence, the root text says,

This path of the wisdom essence, the epitome of all . . .

Fruition.  When combining the meaning of Wisdom Essence with the fruition, the general way is as the Ornament of the Sutras explains:

          The classification of the kayas of all the buddhas

          Is the natural, the perfect enjoyment,

          And the body of emanation.

          The first is the basis for the other two.72

In this way, “the pervaded” is the rupakaya appearing symbolically for the welfare of others from the manifestation of wisdom. “That which pervades” is the dharmakaya for the welfare of oneself, the nature of the absolute essence. Thus Wisdom Essence means the two kayas to be attained.73

The nature of realizing the wisdom endowed with the twofold purity is the qualities of freedom. The manifested power of the essence through the developed potential is the qualities of maturation. Thus Wisdom Essence means the two qualities of freedom and maturation.74

“Wisdom” means all-pervasive, and “essence” means inexhaustible and unchanging and therefore everlasting. Thus Wisdom Essence also indicates the everlasting and all-pervasive activities.75

In the extraordinary sense, “wisdom” means space, and “essence” means awareness. Thus Wisdom Essence means to attain enlightenment as the indivisible unity of space and awareness. Alternately, the phrase “endowed with the essence of wisdom” indicates the unity of the kayas and wisdoms. In other words, the realization that awareness since the beginning, like the sun, is spontaneously present as radiant cognizance, clears away the clouds of temporary obscurations and causes immaculate knowledge to unfold as a mandala of all qualities. Since this is the essence of all the kayas, the kayas and wisdoms are an indivisible unity.76 The Tantra of Self-Arising Awareness states:

          Without different natures or change,

          The wisdoms of the five kayas

          In actuality abide in the way in which

          The kayas and wisdoms are an indivisible unity.77

Thus Wisdom Essence directly identifies the kayas as the support with the wisdoms as the supported, while the activity of deeds is indirectly demonstrated. Hence the root text says:78

          May the wisdom essence be accomplished within this lifetime.

DEFINING THE SCOPE OF THE SCRIPTURE FROM THE TITLE

As for “oral instruction,” there are many kinds: urging beginners to the Dharma, giving extensive instructions with words, giving profound instruction in the meaning, instructing in practice condensed to key points, and giving the pointing-out instruction in the manner of placing something directly in the palm of one’s hand.79 Of these, The Wisdom Essence is an instruction in the profound and extensive practices that is condensed to the key points and placed directly in the palm of our hand. The root text describes this in the following way:80

          This most eminent essence

          Of all the hundred million scriptures of profound and extensive instructions,

          Which you have taught in the past,

          Is the complete and sublime path of the causal and the resultant,

          A quintessence that has rarely appeared and will rarely reappear.81

This quote shows how The Wisdom Essence is praised again and again.

Concerning the “stages of the path,” lamrim, there exist many general versions for the Sutra tradition, such as the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment according to the tradition of the glorious Atisha and also Rongzom Pandita’s and Aro’s Yogas of the Greater Vehicle. As well, there are also the special types of lamrim belonging to Kama and Terma, such as Padmey Lamrim, Rinchen Drönmey, and others. Among these kinds, the text here entitled Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, The Wisdom Essence of [Oral Instructions in the] Stages of the Path, is superior by numerous special qualities.82

Who bestowed the title? It was not given as an intellectual construct of an ordinary person, but rather manifested as the self-existing and spontaneous vajra sound from the secret treasury of great wisdom, the expanse of the realization of ever-excellent Padmakara. Thus it is indivisible from the vajra words of the tantras, such as Guhyagarbha and Hevajra.83

Titles given through intellectual constructs of ordinary persons can be given in terms of analogy, meaning, place, or circumstance.84 Yet, as Dignaga stated:

          Prajnaparamita is wisdom devoid of duality.

          The name demonstrates the scripture as well as the path

          Because it contains the ultimate

          Of what the tathagatas accomplish.85

In this way, The Wisdom Essence appeared as the spontaneous sound of wisdom that interlinks the scripture and the path.

The purpose of the title is the following. For people of the highest capacity the meaning of the scripture is contained in its title so they will easily understand the entire meaning from top to bottom simply from the title. Those of the medium capacity will understand the general meaning of what the scripture contains, and those of the lowest capacity will be inspired to quickly understand a scripture with such a title and meaning.