The Introduction To The Commentary On
The Great Perfection:

The Nature Of Mind, The Easer Of Weariness [1] Called The Great Chariot

Om Ah Hum

{Footnotes Appear in a separate section at the end of the text}

[Note 1: This work is part of a trilogy. The other titles are like this one except for substituting bsam gtan, Dhyana/ meditation and sgyu ma/ illusion for sems nyid. Dzogchen or ati is the tradition that this teaching is part of, and also its fruition. A basic understanding of the titles is that samsara involves suffering and weariness. The view that sees the nature of mind, practicing meditation, and regarding activity from the viewpoint of all things being illusory are means of easing weariness or relaxing tension. The result of doing so is resting in the great perfection.
The three means regarded from the viewpoint of the great perfection produce the fruition. If they are samsarically regarded they are part of the problem. The Sanskrit offered for sems nyid is citta, whose primary meaning is mind in the conceptual sense, the very thing that needs to be eased. In the same way meditation as the notion that our being is intrinsically bad and needs to be made into something else is a problem. Illusion in the sense of clinging to confused views and goals is a problem.
This points out a central point of ati, that this very world of samsara is the world of nirvana, when we relax our confused fixations about it and stop struggling with the projects that confusion suggests of saving ourselves and the world from spiritual degradation.]

In Sanskrit the title is Mahasandhi citta visranta vritti maharatha nama, In Tibetan Rdzogs pa chen po/ sems nyid ngal gso'i/ shing rta chen po/ shes bya ba

I prostrate to glorious Samantabhadra

From the ocean of the glorious two accumulations come clouds that bear the abundant rain of peace and happiness.
These are the hundreds of qualities of the Nature that constitute the beauties of trikaya.
The thunder of wisdom and kindness pervading the limits of space, the great drum of Brahma, sounds.

(i.e. About the two accumulation: We have to use both method and wisdom, to accumulate both merit and wisdom; this is in accord with the goal, with the real nature of everything: not existent, not non-existent, not both, not neither; inseparability of upaya and prajña; inseparability of compassion and emptiness; luminous space; empty and still functional ...)

To the all-knowing Chief of Beings, to the Dharma, and Sangha, the leaders of beings, I bow.

On an island in the lake of Uddiyana,
Born within the blossom on a lotus stalk,
Spontaneous emanation of the victorious ones,
Blazing with qualities of the major and minor marks,
Padmasambhava protects the lotus of my mind.

(i.e. Taking refuge in the Buddha-Nature)

 O primordial, spotless, full ocean; °
    you who emanate samsara and nirvana
O non-dual, unborn, full nature; 
    perfect essence of Buddha, 
    you the natural state,
O fullness with no existence or lack of it, 
    views that things are eternal or nothing,
    coming or going, 
    nor object of complex variety.
O fullness with no conception of good or evil, 
  you who neither accept or reject.

I bow to the uncompounded nature of the mind.

This is the unsurpassable city of joyous liberation. Here the Victorious Ones of the three times attained supreme peace. So that all beings may go there directly, it embodies the heart of the sutras and tantras. Here, day and night, with unremitting effort, with single-minded devotion, my mind is absorbed in peace. May this Great Chariot of the profound path that liberates from samsara be clearly elucidated.

Of this explanation of the GREAT PERFECTION, THE NATURE OF MIND, THE EASER OF WEARINESS,
The single path of all Dharmas and traditions,

There are three main sections:

o First, the manner of entering on the composition of the treatise and the meaning of the introductory section,

o Second, the extensive explanation of the main subject of the text (i.e. The 13 chapters)

o Third, the conclusion. (i.e. Chapter 14)

 

First, the manner of entering on the composition of the treatise and the meaning of the introductory section,

The divisions are (i.e. Taking full benefits of this precious human life)

o First, the meaning of the homage (i.e. In order to make us feel inspired.)

o Second, The vow to compose the text. (i.e. out of great compassion for all the sentient beings stuck in samsara.)

First, the meaning of the homage
(i.e. In order to make us feel inspired.)

The Buddha has come into this world. The excellent speech of his teachings, holy Dharma, by the kindness of genuine beings remains in existence.

Here are the details of how the ocean of the sutra and mantra vehicles may be practiced by a single individual now that the freedoms and good favors, so difficult to attain, have been attained. In that way oneself and others may completely cross the ocean of sufferings of samsara. How mind [2], wearied in samsara, eases its weariness in the land of peace is taught fully and without error.

This goes from how the beginner enters and begins, up to how the fruition of Buddhahood manifests as the completed and perfect meaning of all the vehicles.

Wishing to compose the thirteen chapters of this treatise, the Great Perfection, the Nature of Mind, the Easer of Weariness, first I offer a short homage:

 The primordial lord; the great, full ocean [3] of Buddha qualities;
Whose natural wisdom and kindness is limitless in its depth,
Birthplace of the Victorious Ones and all their sons,
Who emanates heaped up clouds of goodness and benefit,
I prostrate to the one who is all that is desired.

Thus I call on him. This lord is the manifestation of enlightenment, whose place is in the primordial ground. This is the teacher, the Buddha Bhagavat. Having the nature of the great full ocean of qualities of renunciation and realization, he rules the sphere of inexhaustible adornments of body, speech, and mind. All the depth and expanse of supreme understanding and wondrously arisen compassion are just this. This saying is incomprehensible to the mind that sees only the manifestations of the I of "this side."

By earnestly practicing the Dharma taught here, mind becomes the source of the jewel of the Buddhas of the three times and their sons. Then for all the realms of sentient beings, as limitless as the sky, there are temporary benefits in accord with the happiness of each. Gods and human beings alike are brought to happiness.

The ultimate happiness is being brought to whichever of the three enlightenments of the shravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas is in accord with the good fortune of one's powers. The holy masters join us to supremely ultimate great enlightenment, omniscient Buddhahood. Therefore, I prostrate to glorious Samantabhadra and so forth, all the victorious ones and their sons throughout the ten directions and the three times.

As for the ocean of Buddha qualities of this primordial lord. The glorious Net of Illusion says:

The lord is timeless perfection, known as Buddhahood.
This is the precious ocean of Buddha qualities.

These precious jewels also arise within the connections of cause and effect. The Uttaratantra says:

From the Buddha comes the Dharma; From the Dharma comes the assembly of the Noble Ones.

Regarding emanation of heaped up clouds of goodness and benefit for sentient beings, the Mahayanasutralankara says:

They have compassionate kindness for every sentient being.
They have the kind of vision we do not need to seek.
They have the kind of vision that is inseparable.
I prostrate to you with the vision of goodness and happiness.

We should prostrate, because there are such great benefits for both ourselves and others. Since our bodies are of this excellent kind, if we briefly praise the good fortune of words and meaning, we realize that all this is holy. If we undertake this holy activity who stay with it, we cannot but reach the goal. The Great Commentary on the Prajñápáramitá in 8000 Lines says:

Those who have the kindness of benefit for others
For the sake of living beings do not relax their powers.
Though these holy beings bear a heavy burden,
they never put it down and dwell in discouragement.

This needs to be attained by others as well. When the teacher and shastra are understood in the highest way, there is devotion. Nargarjuna says:

It is never fruitless, when the authors of the treatises
express their homage to the teacher and the teaching [4];
Because of doing so they make us feel inspired. [5]

[Note 5: This increases merit so that enlightenment is gained. If reasoning is rightly used it inspires people to appreciate directly the experiential meaning of the teachings and teacher. But often the result is just the opposite, to make it all seem very conceptualized, abstract, and proud of its orthodoxy. It becomes uselessly circular. The teachings are true because the Buddha taught them, and the Buddha is an authentic, true person because the teachings say so. We have to be inspired to see for ourselves what is meant. For example, the Gelugpas often begin more with reasoning and then practice. The nyingmas and Kagyus tend to start in the middle with some of both. But in the end, if they practice well, they all go to the same place. KPSR.]

As for saying that both kinds of benefit must be attained, by perfecting the accumulations the goal of ripening will be accomplished. The Sutra of Vast Play says:

The wishes of those with merit will surely be accomplished.

The Sutra producing many Buddhas:

Whoever for the Conqueror as a leader,
Does even a little bit of activity,
having gone to various celestial realms,
Will attain the level of Buddhahood.

Second, the vow to compose the text:
(i.e. Taking full benefits of this precious human life; and out of great compassion for all the sentient beings stuck in samsara.)

Here why homage is made:

 Luminous Dharmakaya, immaculate realm of the conquerors!
For us who wander here in samsara, by ignorant grasping,


Amidst this realm of grief of karma and the kleshas,
Today may our weariness come to rest in the nature of mind.

(i.e. May all sentient beings come to realize the real nature of their own mind, and thus the real nature of everything. That will be enough to Liberate them from any attachments to those illusion-like dharmas. May they come to realize the inseparability of the Two Truths, the inseparability of their Trikaya, the inseparability of dependent origination and emptiness.)

The nature of mind is primordial luminosity, the essence of the Buddha realm. It is beyond the four extremes of existence, non-existence, Eternalism, and nihilism. It primordially pervades all sentient beings. (i.e. Unborn non-dual Buddha-nature)

(i.e. About "the four extremes" / the tetralemma:
-- Here the four extremes are listed as "existence, non-existence, Eternalism and nihilism.
-- There is also the four extremes of production as explained by Nargarjuna and Chandrakirti.
-- And there is the four extremes of

1. Existence,

2. Non-existence,

3. Both existence and non-existence,

4. Neither existence nor non-existence;

Which are the same as the four extreme positions of

1. Realism / Eternalism,

2. Nihilism / idealism,

3. Dualism

4. And monism / oneness.

Some Quotes On The Various Forms Of The Tetralemma :

-- "Never are any existing things found to originate From themselves, from something else, from both, or from no cause." -- Karikas 1.1

-- "8. Everything is "actual" (tathyam) or "not-actual," or both "actual-and-not-actual," Or "neither-actual-nor-not-actual": This is the teaching of the Buddha. " -- Karikas 18

-- "11.One may not say that there is "emptiness" (sunya) (1) nor that there is non-emptiness. (2)" Nor that both [exist simultaneously] (3), nor that neither exists (4); the purpose for saying ["emptiness"] is for the purpose of conveying knowledge. 12.How, then, will "eternity," "non-eternity," and [the rest of] the tetralemma apply to bliss (santa)? How, then, will "the end," "without end," and [the rest of] the the tetralemma apply to bliss? " -- Karikas 22

-- "17.It is not expressed if the Glorious One [the Buddha] exists (1) after his death, Or does not exist (2), or both (3) or neither (4). 18.Also, it is not expressed if the Glorious One exists (1) while remaining [in the world], Or does not exist (2), or both (3) or neither (4). " -- Karikas 25

-- "13.Thus the view concerning the past which [asserts] "I have existed (1)," or "I have not existed (2)," Both ["existed and not existed"] (3) or neither (4): this does not obtain at all. 14.[The views:] "I will become something in a future time (1')," Or "I will not become (2') [something]," etc. (3') (4'), [should be considered] like those [views] of the past. 20.If someone who is eternal does not exist, who will exist being non-eternal, Or who being both eternal and non-eternal, or devoid of these two [characteristics] ?" -- Karikas 27

-- "It does not arise from itself; how can it come from other? Also it is not from both; how can it be without a cause?" "Since production from self, other, both, or without depending upon a cause do not exist, Things are free from inherent existence." -- Chandrakirti's Guide to the Middle Way; this refutation is known as 'vajra segments'.

-- "460. If a producer producing a product that is other is a cause, Then what is produced, an existent, a non-existent, both, or neither? If it is an existent, what need is there for a producer, and what need is there if it is a non-existent? What need is there for both, and what need is there for neither?" -- Chandrakirti's Guide to the Middle Way

-- "195. Teaching existence, non-existence, both existence and non-existence, and neither Surely are medicines for all That are influenced by the sickness." -- The Treatise of the Four Hundred Stanzas on the Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas - Aryadeva

-- "346. The approach of existence, non-existence, both existence and non-existence, and neither, Should always be applied by those with mastery to oneness and so forth." -- The Treatise of the Four Hundred Stanzas on the Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas - Aryadeva

-- "400. Against one who holds no thesis that [things] Exist, do not, or do and do not exit, Counter-arguments cannot be raised No matter how long [one tries]." -- The Treatise of the Four Hundred Stanzas on the Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas - Aryadeva

-- "48. An existent's arising is impossible; A non-existent's is like flowers in the sky; For a thing to be both is absurd fallacy; So neither do they originate together. 49. Since an entity does not arise from itself, And is not from another, or even from both, Nor is it yet without cause; therefore it has No intrinsic nature by way of own-existence." -- A Lamp for the Enlightenment Path Composed by Atisa

Hence, Buddhism has always defined itself negatively, as a rejection of the four extremes, or heresies: monism, dualism, nihilism and Eternalism. It follows that Buddhism must be essentially pluralistic: because the non-dual View could give rise to infinite different Paths of practice. ... ... The Buddhist tradition comes from vision, from human personal experience. That is why we chose Vision as the name of our magazine. The Tibetan word for the Buddha’s subsequent teachings is chö, meaning ‘As It Is’, and any teachings, which happened to explain the nature of beings and phenomena in the same way would also be chö. If Pathfinder on Mars were to pick up radio signals or prehistoric rock-carvings, which translated into teachings on the non-duality of emptiness and form; and if they thereby rejected the extremes of monism, dualism, nihilism and Eternalism; then we could say with confidence "We recognize this! This is what we call Buddhism." Indeed, there is a text which declares that the Dzogchen teachings are to be found in more than a dozen other solar systems. Sadly, the appetite for sectarianism among Buddhists on this planet is already too much for the teachings of our own solar system.-- Buddhism in the West: A View from the Thunderbolt Bridge by Ngakpa Rig'dzin Dorje

 

Lokayatika Sutta - The Cosmologist - SN XII.48

"Now, then, Master Gotama, does everything exist?"
"'Everything exists' is the senior form of cosmology, Brahmin." (i.e. Existence; realism)
"Then, Master Gotama, does everything not exist?"
"'Everything does not exist' is the second form of cosmology, Brahmin." (i.e. Non-existence; idealism or nihilism)
"Then is everything a Oneness?"
"'Everything is a Oneness' is the third form of cosmology, Brahmin." (i.e. Neither existence nor non-existence; monism or oneness)
"Then is everything a Many ness?"
"'Everything is a Many ness' is the fourth form of cosmology, Brahmin. (i.e. Both existence and non-existence; dualism)
Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathágata teaches the Dhamma via the middle: .

(i.e. The Middle Way is to stay away from the four extremes of existence, non-existence, both, neither;
away from the four absolute positions of realism, idealism or nihilism, dualism, monism or oneness.
Not accepting them as absolute truth; not rejecting them as meaningless, useless. No absolute, only adapted skillful means.
The real nature of everything is not existence, not non-existence, not both, not neither or something else.
The real nature of everything is beyond any description, beyond any conceptualization, beyond any duality, beyond causality space and time. We cannot express what it is but only directly seeing it by directly seeing the real non-dual nature of our own mind. But we can express what it is not by using this tetralemma.
The whole path, with its two accumulations of merit and wisdom, is based on this realization of the real non-dual nature of everything. There is merit because emptiness doesn't mean complete non-existence. And there is the wisdom realizing the emptiness of inherent existence of all dharmas. We need both together, all the time, until we can realize the perfect Union of The Two Truths: dependent origination and emptiness. We need to use methods, and to know the emptiness of all the elements, subjects, objects, actions, characteristics, ...
So the whole path turns around this tetralemma. This is a very important key in all vehicles.)

Isidatta Sutta (SN XLI.3) About Isidatta

"Venerable sir, concerning the various views that arise in the world -- `The cosmos is eternal' or `The cosmos isn't eternal'; `The cosmos is finite' or `The cosmos is infinite'; `The soul and the body are the same' or `The soul is one thing, the body another'; `A Tathágata exists after death' or `A Tathágata doesn't exist after death' or `A Tathágata both exists & doesn't exist after death' or `A Tathágata neither exists nor doesn't exist after death'; these along with the sixty-two views mentioned in the Brahmajala [DN 1] -- when what is present do these views come into being, and when what is absent do they not come into being?"
When this was said, the senior monk was silent. A second time ... A third time ...)


The Uttaratantra says:

When by the luminous nature of the mind
It has been seen that kleshas are essence-less,
After it has been realized that
all beings Are completely pure of the four extremes,

(i.e. All empty of inherent existence; merely imputed by the mind; not existent, not non-existent, not both, not neither; no absolute objective characteristics to really discriminate objects; not really arising, not really existing, not really ceasing.)

All will dwell within perfect Buddhahood,
Possessing the mind that has no obscuration.
Beings completely purified will possess
the limitless vision of the perceiver, wisdom.
Therefore, to that nature I pay homage.

(i.e. Like space and sun; inseparability of space/emptiness and luminosity/wisdom. -- Once the real non-dual nature of appearances / defilements is directly seen then one is liberated from its grasp. There is nothing to accept or get, nothing to reject or drop. It is just a matter of directly seeing the real nature of our own mind, and thus the real nature of everything.)

Though primordially pure wisdom exists within us, (i.e. We all have the Buddha-potential, but still are not realized Buddha because of our ignorance... We have all the potential to realize the real nature of everything, and act in perfect accord with this real non-dual nature, instead of reacting in accord from past errors and conditioning. We naturally have this potential because we are part of it ... this ocean, or luminous space beyond conceptualization, causality space & time, beyond existence, non-existence, both, neither. It is just a matter of directly seeing this real nature, and acting while always being aware of it. The Middle Way: not accepting, not rejecting.)

o by not recognizing it, we wander here in samsara.

o This karma of ignorance produces ego-grasping.

o By that in turn are produced passion, aggression, ignorance, pride, and envy.

o It is because of these five poisons or kleshas that we are whirling around here in samsara.

Why so? As various habitual patterns are superimposed on alaya, we enter into unhappiness.

o The least result is that by the karma of ignorance we are born as animals.

o The intermediate is that by the karma of seduction and desire we are born as pretas.

o The worst is that by the karma of aggression we are born in Hell.

o Those who have pure merit, but also an equal amount of pride, are born as gods or human beings.

o Those who have equal parts of goodness and jealousy are born as asuras.

Each of these has their own realm of existence, with its happiness, sorrow, and the states between them. They have their own sorts of good and evil behavior.

So it is that we wander helplessly in this plain of the beginning-less and endless sufferings of samsara, so difficult to cross. In vanity we grasp at an I or real self, which is like the seeming appearances of a dream. Though if we examine these well, they are non-existent, at this time of our confusion they appear to be really and truly existent.

The Samadhiraja Sutra says:

The life of samsaric beings is like that in a dream.
Since this is so, no one is ever born or dies. (i.e. no real origination, duration, or cessation)

The Request of Brahma says:

The beings of appearance are like those in a dream.
By their personal karma, they are bound as individuals.
They wander among Samsára’s many joys and sorrows.
Though their nature is such-ness that is ego-less
Still these unknowing children fixate I and ego,
And so Samsára’s torments are ever on the rise.

The sentient beings of samsara are held in various kinds of bondage. Though all dharmas are ego-less, fixators of ego excluded themselves off from the eye of liberation, and have to be taught their own true essence.

How? When they know that this is their path, it is improper for them to concern themselves with the goal of peace alone. As all beings wander here in beginning-less samsara, there is not even one has not been our father and our mother. So to reject them and liberate ourselves alone is not the proper way.

The Teacher's Letter says:

Our kinsmen who are carried in the ocean of samsara
Seem to have tumbled down into a great abyss
If we have rejected these, who do not know what they are,
Because of the process of birth and death and transmigration,
If we produce liberation for ourselves alone,
They will never be liberated from their karma.

Thinking about that, and seeing the weariness of sentient beings, exhausted by the burden of their long wandering here in samsara, I wanted to compose a treatise giving the instructions of how we can ease this weariness by coming to the resting place ornamented by the wondrous wealth of the Victorious Ones, the level of great nirvana. I wanted to illuminate how by immeasurably abundant compassion, we can guide those wandering in samsara.

The Avatamsaka Sutra says:

Kye! O son of noble family, when we see the realm of sentient beings, all undertakings of body, speech, and mind become the immeasurable great compassion. We work with the worldly sciences and those beyond the world that have come from the heads of the noble ones. Having been inspired to the good, we perform once more the Buddha activity of the former Victorious Ones. Let us offer to the Tathágata. Let us raise the victory banner of Dharma. Let us introduce the great path of liberation. O Holy beings! O precious crest-ornament!

(i.e. Understanding the causes of samsara, and seeing how all sentient beings are stuck in it without knowing how to stop creating more suffering, I feel great compassion and vow to take full benefit of this precious human life in order to attain full Buddhahood and be able to help them all. This text will explain the full path that helps in attaining the unborn, uncaused fruit.)

That was the vow to compose the text.

 

Second, there is the extensive explanation of the actual subject.

In general, the extensive explanation of the subject, how the two benefits arise, is in thirteen chapters. (i.e. the 13 chapters)

Summery of the Chapter

· Prostration, taking refuge in the mind's true unborn non-dual nature, beyond the four extremes, beyond all dualities.

· Desire to explain the unique essence, the true meaning, the common fruit, and the details of all Buddhist paths (sutra, tantra, and oral instructions).

· May this Great Chariot of the profound path that liberates from samsara be clearly elucidated?

· The single path of all Dharmas and traditions.

· Here are the details of how the ocean of the sutra and mantra vehicles may be practiced by a single individual now that the freedoms and good favors, so difficult to attain, have been attained.

· This goes from how the beginner enters and begins, up to how the fruition of Buddhahood manifests as the completed and perfect meaning of all the vehicles.

· By earnestly practicing the Dharma taught here, mind becomes the source of the jewel of the Buddhas of the three times and their sons.

· Today may our weariness come to rest in the nature of mind.

· The nature of mind is primordial luminosity, the essence of the Buddha realm. It is beyond the four extremes of existence, non-existence, Eternalism, and nihilism. It primordially pervades all sentient beings. (i.e. Unborn non-dual Buddha-nature)

· "Thinking about that, and seeing the weariness of sentient beings, exhausted by the burden of their long wandering here in samsara, I wanted to compose a treatise giving the instructions of how we can ease this weariness by coming to the resting place ornamented by the wondrous wealth of the Victorious Ones, the level of great nirvana. I wanted to illuminate how by immeasurably abundant compassion, we can guide those wandering in samsara."

· See also the "Conclusion" (i.e. Chapter 14)

 

"O Subhuti, those who develop the conduct of the ten virtues,
the four samádhis, and the four formless attainments,
when they also arouse bodhicitta, aspiration to unsurpassable enlightenment, at that time,
since this is in accord with liberation,
it becomes a cause of omniscience.
This should be performed. By being mastered, this should be established."
-- The Middle Length Prajñápáramitá (C4)

Key Points

· Tetralemma:  The Middle Way is staying away from the four extremes of existence (realism), non-existence (idealism or nihilism), both existence and non-existence (dualism), neither existence nor non-existence (monism or oneness). It is not accepting any position as absolute, not rejecting any skillful means.

· Too much realism and determinism (like too much emphasis on dependent origination, karma, causality) leads to the frozen hells. Too much nihilism (like rejecting karma or causality, too much emphasis on death and impermanence or on emptiness), leads to the chaos of the hot hells. The Middle Way consists of staying on the edge between total determinism and absolute chaos.

· The real nature of everything is beyond any description, any conceptualization, beyond causality space and time, beyond any duality. It has to be directly seen by seeking the very subtle nature of our own mind. By directly seeing the real nature of our own mind, we see the real nature of everything.

· There is no absolute, only adapted skillful means.

· Purification of the body, speech, mind, and the three together, is directly seeing the real nature of the objects of those three realms  [the objects of the senses (material and limited), the abstract objects (immaterial and limited), and the unlimited objects like space (immaterial and unlimited)] and their inseparability. It is a gradual process done using adapted skillful means more and more subtle. The fruit is the five wisdoms, the inseparable Trikaya, the Buddha qualities and activities.

· The three worlds are three occasions of the mind: with conditioning and producing conditioning, with conditioning without producing more conditioning, without the influence of conditioning and without producing more conditioning. Or as exemplified by body, speech / abstractions and pure mind. They correspond to three stages of purification of the mind with the practice of the eight Dhyanas, or going to sleep, or dying.

· The three occasions are three states where we can observe the mind while seeking its real nature under all the added conditioning.  The usual every day state is when it is under the influence of accumulated conditioning and producing more karma (much fermentations); then there is the eight consciousnesses (assimilation, accommodation, becoming). As a result of the first four Dhyanas, the mind is not producing any more new karma (no action, no-thought), and what can be observed is the alayavijnana, the subtle mind, which is still under the influence of already accumulated karma (still filtering, assimilating on acquired schema). As a result of the formless Dhyanas, the mind is also temporarily free from the influence of accumulated karma (no objects), while still not producing any more new karma (no action, no thought). Then the mind that is directly seen is the alaya, the essence. -- But these three occasions are still within samsara. Only the union of upaya and prajña will permit to transcend all conditioning definitively, thus escaping all karma influence and formation.)

· The perfection of the Dhyanas (upaya) is to combine them with Vipashyana (prajña); staying away from the two extremes: not rejecting the world as if completely non-existent or falling for a mind that is suppose to be without any thought, not accepting the world as inherently existing or being slave of the conditioning; not meditating, not non-meditating. Only then is it in accord with the goal, with the real nature of the mind and of everything: Dharmadhatu, luminous space.

· Wholesomeness is acting more and more in accord with the real nature of everything.  It is gradual, adapted skillful means. It consist of adding more and more wisdom to the methods, the skillful means. It is guarding the mind so we are constantly aware of the real nature of everything, or at least of our actions compared to the guidelines. -- What makes an action unwholesome is its divergence with the real nature of everything, the fact that it is an investment based on an error, based on ignorance.-- Wholesomeness, virtues, Buddha wisdoms, qualities and activities, are already in us, in the sense that they are acting in accord with the real nature of everything which we are part of. It is just a matter of directly removing the ignorance and automatically its consequences (fixation, grasping, karma formation and its consequences) are dropped. -- Both unwholesome and wholesome actions produce karma, but wholesomeness is preferable because it is closer to the real nature of everything by combining upaya and prajña, it produce better conditions favorable to be able to directly see the real nature of our own mind and to transcend all conditioning definitively.

· The two accumulations: The path consist of accumulating both merit and wisdom together because this is in accord with the non-dual nature of everything: not existence, not non-existence, ... So the perfection of any wholesome action or virtue is to see the emptiness of the subject, object and actions while doing it.

· Inseparability of the two aspects: Everything has the two aspects inseparable (inseparable appearance or luminosity or interdependence, and emptiness) reflecting the non-dual nature of everything: not existence, not non-existence, not both, not neither. It is just a matter of directly seeing this, and being fully aware of this all the time.

· Seeing our Buddha-nature is seeing the real nature of everything, acting according to the real nature of everything, being constantly aware of the emptiness of everything while still dealing with appearances. That is the perfect Union of The Two Truths.

· The Two Truths: Dependent origination (conventional truths) and emptiness (Ultimate Truth) are not separate or different, but still not the same. They are complementary, co-emergent. One implies the other. The real nature of everything is beyond this duality: not accepting it, not rejecting it.

· Non-duality is not one, not two.

· Conditioning: Unwholesomeness, and wholesomeness, are like developing habits. The more we do them, the more they become our second nature. They are self-amplifying.

· The gradual path probably goes by successively seeing the faults in the four extreme positions: realism, idealism, dualism, monism.

· The way out of any difficult situation like the suffering of the lower realms is always to realize the real nature of the three: the subject suffering, the object or cause of the torment, and suffering itself.

· About the purification of the body, speech and mind corresponding to the three worlds: The purification of the body permits to go beyond ordinary realism, and to see the alayavijnana, the mind interpreting the world without actually producing more karma. The purification of the speech permits to go beyond simple idealism, beyond the acquired karma, the scheme of assimilation, by creating an artificial situation where there is nothing concrete to assimilate, or to filter using the karma seeds. What is seen then is the alaya, the very subtle mind without the influence of the karma seeds. The purification of the mind, is to go beyond this artificial state of pure mind; not thinking there is this duality of an impure mind, and a pure mind; and thinking that one is preferable than the other. Purifying the three together is to see their inseparability, not falling into monism either. This is done while perfecting Dhyanas by combining them with Vipashyana. It is then seen that a mind with or without thoughts is not different, not the same; that appearances and mind are inseparable; that appearances and emptiness are inseparable; that mind and body are inseparable. So the real nature of everything is gradually seen as being : not existence / realism (empty), not non-existence / idealism / nihilism (still dependently arisen and functions), not both / dualism (inseparability), not neither / monism (non-dual: not one, not two). Those are the stages of the progressive purification along the path.

· Karma is about a self-conditioning loop based on ignorance; it works on all levels of organization simultaneously. And the only way to stop it, is by directly seeing the real nature of this conditioning loop. Everything in the path is aimed at this goal.

· Bringing the result into the path: Wholesomeness, Buddha qualities and activities, are in accord with the real nature of everything. That is why they do not bring suffering; they are not in opposition with this real non-dual nature. If they are done, even without totally understanding their logic, they will still bring great peace, happiness, and the conditions necessary to be able to see through all conditioning. Morality has always been about using guidelines that were given by those who have succeeded in transcending all unwholesomeness and their consequent suffering. But morality gets more and more subtle as we progress. The ultimate is to guard the mind, to always be aware of the emptiness of everything as we continue to act for the benefits of all sentient beings (because we are not separate from them, but still not the same -- not one, not many).

· Correspondence between: the four immeasurables, the five poisons, the five wisdoms, the 3 inseparable kayas (C7), purification of the inseparable body speech and mind,

o After kindness has transformed aggression into the mirror-like wisdom (knowing the real nature of the seeds, of concepts, of the form realm, of conditioning; not falling for the conditioning, luminous emptiness; not adding or withdrawing anything, without defilements / obstructions), one attains Sambhogakaya (pure speech). Kindness is the antidote used to purify the speech, the form realm, thinking words; concepts are real (being hurt by some, desiring others, using them as weapons to hurt or control others), idealism - non-existence, being slave of accumulated conditioning or concepts (alayavijnana's karma seeds). It leads to realizing that obstacles (concepts, characteristics) are fabrications of the mind (conditioning, taints on the mirror); seeing the real nature of the objects of the form realm / seeds (abstract, conceptual, symbolic); Inseparability of emptiness and sounds; simplicity (no need to over analyze, escape from conceptualizing)

o Compassion pure of desire is discriminating awareness wisdom (knowing the real nature of the formless realm, discrimination between self and beings knowing their real nature; understanding nature and extent; objects are distinct; discriminating all the Buddha qualities with their causes and effects) and Dharmakaya (pure mind). Compassion is the antidote used to purify the mind, the formless realm, thinking there is an opposition between self and others, dualism - both existence and non-existence, slave of the belief in a self separated from the world (alaya). It leads to realizing that the self is not separated or different from the world, not the same; seeing the real nature of the objects of the formless realm (intuitive); Inseparability of emptiness and awareness (mind); one taste (escape from all -- but temporarily)

o By immeasurable joy one attains the all-accomplishing wisdom (knowing the real nature of the sense realm, understanding personalities (particular five aggregates); perfectly adapted Buddha activities not obstructed by knowing everything all the time), whose nature is perfect Buddha activity. Purifying jealousy makes Nirmanakaya (pure body) manifest. Joy is the antidote used to purify the body, the desire realm, the realm of the senses, thinking objects of the senses are real and that we should compete for them, realism - existence, thinking things exist independently of the mind (seven consciousnesses) and have absolute characteristics. It leads to realizing that objects of the senses are all like illusions; seeing the real nature of the objects of the desire realm (objects of the senses); Inseparability of emptiness and appearances (body); stable shamatha (escape from the desire realm)

o When equanimity has purified pride and ignorance, the wisdom of equality (equality of self and others, equality of all dharmas in emptiness; equality of samsara and Nirvana; all empty of inherent existence because dependently arisen, composite, merely imputed by the mind ...) and the Dharmadhatu wisdom (inseparability of the three worlds; knowing the real nature of the mind and of everything; beyond conceptualization; Union of the Two Truths) are established. Svabhavikakaya (inseparable pure body speech and mind), the unchanging vajrakaya and the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment manifest. Equanimity is the antidote used to purify the body, speech and mind, the three realms together, thinking everything is one, monism - not existence and not non-existence, believing in inherent existence (eight consciousnesses). It leads to realizing that everything is non-dual, luminous space; seeing the real nature of the objects of the three realms, of the three together (of our own mind and of everything, of all discrimination); inseparability of emptiness and D.O., of the Two Truths, of body and mind; no meditation (transcending everything)