Jñānasiddhi

"Having taken refuge in Jagannātha, the lord of the world, who is worshipped by all the Victors, who consists of all the Buddhas, who pervades all accomplishment, who is like the sky, who grants everything to all beings, the all-knowing, the most cherished carrier of the Vajra --- devotedly with my entire being --- I shall explain his highest sādhana."

aśeṣayogatantroktaṁ vajrayānam anuttaram|
ye na jānanti mūḍhāste bhramantīha bhavārṇave|| 3||

ye tu sattvāḥ samāruḍhāḥ sarvasaṅkalpavarjitāḥ|
te spṛśanti parāṁ bodhiṁ janmanīhaiva sādhakāḥ|| 4||

mudrāmaṇḍalamantrādyair jāpabhāvanatatparaiḥ|
naiva siddhiṁ parāṁ yānti kalpāsaṅkhyeyakoṭibhiḥ|| 5||

"Those deluded ones who do not know the unexcelled Vajrayāna spoken by all the Yogatantras,
continue to wander in the ocean of existence."

"Those who beings who have ascended (it), free of all saṅkalpas,
those sādhakas touch the supreme bodhi in this life itself."

"Through mudrās, maṇḍalas, mantras and so on, focussed on japa and meditative cultivation,
they do not attain the supreme siddhi even in innumerable millions of eons."

Chapter 1

The first chapter has 95 verses.

Cautioning against māna or identification

It begins with cautioning the practitioner not to develop māna or identification in their mind concerning their intelligence, expertise, their birth, caste, and so on. Instead, the practitioner should abide as Vajrasattva who pervades the minds of all beings. One should also not look down upon the immature, fools, the poor, those who have no conduct, or who are afflicted by illness.

Description of the practitioner

The practitioner should be devoted to the Three Jewels, full of faith, adorned by bodhicitta, with compassion for all beings, adhering to the samaya and established in the saṃvara, the practice observance.

Transgressive twilight language

The chapter then drastically dives into the tantric, very transgressive twilight language:

karmaṇā yena vai sattvāḥ kalpakoṭiśatāny api|
pacyante narake ghore tena yogī vimucyate|| 15||

"Through the very action that beings burn in horrid hell for hundreds of millions of eons:
through that very action, the yogī becomes liberated."

mahopāyasamāyukto yogī lokārthakārakaḥ|
nākāryaṁ vidyate tasya sarvasattvajugupsitam|| 16||

"Endowed with the great method, the yogī brings about the benefit of the world.
There is nothing for him - although all beings might find it abhorrent - that he should not do."

prajñopāyasamāyogāt nāsti pāpaṁ prakīrttitam|

ityuvāca svayaṁ vajrī vajrasattvavikurvitaḥ|| 17||

"'Through the union of wisdom and method, it is proclaimed that there is no sin.'
Thus the Vajra-holder himself, taking on the form of Vajrasattva, said."

The grace of the guru

guruprasādo yasyāsti sa labhet tattvam uttamam|
anyathā kliśyate bālaḥ cirakālavimohitaḥ|| 23||

"One who has the grace of the guru, attains the highest reality.
Otherwise the immature, deluded for a long time, remains afflicted."

A true guru does not strive after rewards

Verse 26 describes a true guru as being dharmadāne nirāmiṣaḥ, "not striving after any reward when bestowing the dharma."

"Others, the lord of the world has said, are not gurus." (Verse 27)

The most unexcelled of all samayas

To see the guru as Vajrasattva himself is the most unexcelled of all samayas and should ever be maintained.

The consecration with vajra awareness

labdhuṁ jñānavaraṁ divyaṁ sarvasaṅkalpavarjitam|
vajrajñānābhiṣikto hi sādhayed bodhim uttamām|| 32||

"In order to the attain the divine, choicest awareness, free from all saṅkalpas,
consecrated with the vajrajñāna-abhiṣeka, one should seek to realise the highest bodhi."

samyag-jñāna-samāyukto lekhyamṛṇmayamaṇḍale|
gṛhṇīyād abhiṣekaṁ cet samāyād bhraśyate hyasau|| 33||

"If one who is endowed with complete awareness
should receive abhiṣeka in a drawn maṇḍala of earth:
such a one falls from the samaya."

The tantra continues to describe the consequences of falling or breaking the samaya: one is reborn in a low caste. This statement sheds light on caste views among ancient Mantrayāna practitioners: being born in a lower caste was understood as a punishment. Further, being born with disabilities (low intelligence, blindness, deafness) is stated to be a consequence of breaking the samaya.

Description of the one who is consecrated (empowered)

sarvatāthāgataṁ jñānaṁ vajrayānam iti smṛtam|

tenābhiṣikto matimān abhiṣikto'bhidhīyate|| 37||

"The awareness of all the tathāgatas, the buddhas, is known as the Vajrayāna. Consecrated (empowered) thereby, the wise one is known as being abhiṣikta, consecrated (empowered)."

The yogī is worshipped by all the gods and gaṇas with their hands folded.

The vīras (heroes), bodhisattvas, of great power, and even the buddhas protect (him or her), ever present with their vajrakāyas.

Even if one who has accomplished realisation and awareness loses the semen, it does not matter, as he remains immovable to all the energies, acālyaḥ sarvavāyubhiḥ.

Vajra awareness is like the sky

apratiṣṭhiṁ yathākāśaṁ vyāpi lakṣaṇavarjitam|
idaṁ tat paramaṁ tattvaṁ vajrajñānam anuttaram|| 47||

"Even as the all-pervasive sky, without any characteristics, has no establishment:
such is this supreme reality, the unexcelled vajra awareness."

The Five Wisdoms

khyātā samantabhadreti mahāmudrā ca saṁjñitā|
dharmakāyam idaṁ jñeyam ādarśajñānam ityapi|| 48||

"It is renowned as samantabhadrā, 'the all-good', and also as mahāmudrā, 'the great seal'.
It is known as dharmakāya, and also as mirror-like wisdom."

pratibimbaṁ yathādarśe svakīyaṁ dṛśyate dhruvam|
dharmakāyas tathā jñāne dṛśyetādarśavatsthite|| 49||

"Even as one clearly sees oneself in a mirror,
thus the dharmakāya is seen in awareness like in a mirror."

sarvatāthāgataṁ jñānam ātmanaḥ prāṇinām api|
ekasvabhāvasambodhau samatājñānam ucyate|| 50||

"The wisdom of sameness is the awareness of all the tathāgatas - one's own as well as that of all living beings -
within complete enlightenment whose nature is one."

ādiśuddham anutpannaṁ prakṛtyaiva prabhāsvaram|
anyānyavyāpakajñānāt pratyavekṣaṇakaṁ smṛtam|| 51||

"Pure from the beginning, unborn, clear light by nature,
due to awareness pervading each other respectively, it is known
as the (wisdom of) discerning (the uniqueness of beings and phenomena)."

sarvatra sarvadā sarvaṁ buddhakṛtyapravarttanam|
sarvabuddhaikakāryatvāt kṛtyānuṣṭhānam ucyate|| 52||

"Everywhere, at all times, promoting the buddha activities, due to achieving one work of all the buddhas,
it is called (the wisdom) accomplishing what is to be done."

kleśajñeyāvṛtaṁ sarvaṁ yadā muktaṁ bhavet tadā|
suviśuddhamiti khyātaṁ vajriṇāṁ varayoginām|| 53||

"When everything knowable concealed by the afflictions is liberated,
it is known as 'perfectly pure' to the Vajra-holders, the most noble of yogīs."

tathā vaineyadharmeṣu sarvakāmamayeṣu ca|
sarvabuddhaikasambhogāt kāyaḥ sāmbhogiko mataḥ|| 54||

"Due to single enjoyment of all the buddhas in the dharmas of the disciples and all (phenomena) to be enjoyed,
the kāya is known as sāmbhogika."

sarvalakṣaṇasaṁyukto nānākāyo hyalakṣaṇaḥ|
nirmitatvāt ca buddhānāṁ kāyo nairmāṇiko mataḥ|| 55||

"Endowed with all qualities, the body of multiplicity, without any characteristics,
being fashioned, this kāya of the buddhas is known as the nairmāṇika."

From 56 onwards, it is clear that the text uses the terminology of mahāmudrā.

Self-Worship

nṛtyagītaistathā vādyaiḥ puṣpamālyādibhūṣaṇaiḥ|
sragdāmacāmaraiḥ chatraiḥ parātmānaṁ prapūjayet|| 69||

"One should worship the parātmā with dances and songs, instruments, adornments such as flower garlands and so on,
garlands , wreaths, fans, and umbrellas."

sugandhi-gandhalepādyairapi liptaṁ yathāvidhi|
ātmānaṁ pūjayed yogī sarvabuddham anusmaran|| 70||

"With fragrances, anointments, and so on, anointed in accordance with the procedure,
the yogī should worship the ātmā, recalling (it) as all buddha(s)."

vratī vā muṇḍito vā'tha gṛhī vā sevako'tha vā|
rājā vā sevakādhyakṣo yathā'sau rocayed vratī|| 71||

The yogī acts from free will

tathāsau kurute yogī sarvathā na praduṣyati|
sarvakalpavinirmukto yathākāmakriyākaraḥ|| 72||

"Whether a vratī, one who is following the observance, or one whose head is shaven (i.e. a monk),
whether a householder or a servant, whether a king or a leader of servants - whatever appeals to the vratī,
accordingly the yogī should act, he will not deteroriate under any circumstances, free of all notions, doing as he wishes."

The lord present in the heart of all beings

sarvabhāvasvabhāvo'sau sarvabuddhamayo vibhuḥ|
svayambhūḥ kāmacārī ca sarvasattvahṛdi sthitaḥ|| 73||

"The lord is the svabhāva, the very own nature, of all bhāvas, existents,
consisting of all the buddhas, self-arisen, acting as he wills, present in the heart of all beings."

The tattvayogī, the reality-yogī

bhāvayet tattvayogī sa sarvatattvam anusmaran|
sarvavajramayaṁ siddhaṁ laghu vajratvam āpnuyāt|| 74||

"The tattvayogī, the reality-yogī, remembering that which is all of reality,
consisting of all vajra, easily attains the accomplished state of the vajra."

The vratī has no obstacles

nātra vighnā na mārāś ca sarve vaśyā bhavanti ca|
sarvaduḥkhavinirmuktam ātmānaṁ sādhayed vratī|| 75||

"Here there are no vighnas (obstacle-causing beings) or māras, as they all come the (practitioner's) sway.
The vratī should realise the ātmā as free from all suffering."

Of course here one could translate the word ātmā simply as a self-reflexive: "the vratī should realise himself as being free from all suffering."

sidhyate sarvabuddhatvaṁ dine vidhivivarjitam|

ātmānaṁ sarvasaṁyuktaṁ sadā paśyan mahāvratī|| 76||

"All buddhahood is realised in just a day, without any procedure,
the great vratī ever beholding the ātmā as endowed with everything."

The five nectars and sexual practice

Verses 79-83 describes the consumption of the pañcāmṛta, the five nectars, and discusses the ideal partners for spiritual practice: low-caste women, but also brahmin women.

Realisation does not occur through accumulations of mantras

The remaining verses of the chapter repeats that the realisation of reality will never occur even if one recites as many mantras and does as many meditations as there are grains of dust in jambūdvīpa, the Indian subcontinent.

Chapter 2

The second chapter begins by introducing the view that the skandhas are the five buddhas, and a discussion on why practice ultimately makes no sense, since the whole world already has the buddha nature.

The five skandhas are the five buddhas

pañcabuddhasvabhāvatvāt pañcaskandhā jināḥ smṛtāḥ|
dhātavo locanādyāstu buddhakāyastato mataḥ|| 1||

"Because their very own nature is the five buddhas, the five skandhas are the Victors.
The elements are (the ḍākinīs) Locanā and so on, the kāya of the Buddha."

Meditative cultivations are useless

evaṁ cet prāṇinaḥ sarve sambuddhās tribhave sadā|
buddhatvāya kriyāḥ sarvā vṛthaiva śrutabhāvanāḥ|| 2||

"Thus, since all beings in all the three worlds are complete buddhas,
all actions such as the meditative cultivations learnt (in order to attain) buddhahood are utterly meaningless."

buddhatvāt sarvalokasya sarve'pi tribhavena tu|
sukhaduḥkhapipāsādibādhā tasya na yujyate|| 3||

"As the whole world has the buddha nature, everyone in the three worlds:
obstructions such as pleasure, pain, thirst and the like do not apply."

ṣaḍabhijñādayaścāpi bodhau guṇavibhūtayaḥ|
kathaṁ te na pravarttante buddhakāyo bhaved yadi||4||

yastvevaṁ na prajānāti sa sambuddho bhavet katham|
evaṁ jānāti cet kaścidasau buddho bhaviṣyati|| 5||

kramādabhyāsayogena yasya cintā pravarttate|
buddho bhavedasau yogī nānye buddhatvasādhakāḥ|| 6||

svabhāvād yadi te buddhā nābhyāsena prayojanam|
sayuktikasadābhyāsaṁ yuktito'yuktivarjitam|| 7||

yadyanātho janaḥ kaścit rājā'hamiti bhāvayet|
kalpakoṭiśatenāpi nāsau rājyam avāpnuyāt|| 8||

mithyākalpanayā yasmād rājyaṁ tasya na vidyate|
mithyābhāvanayā tasmād buddhatvaṁ na bhaviṣyati|| 9||

The six (supernatural) faculties and the like, the qualities and powers that exist in enlightenment:
Why are these not active if (everyone has) the enlightened body?

How could one become a complete buddha who does not understand this?
Whoever does understand this, will become a buddha.

One whose contemplation proceeds through the yoga of sequential training,
such a yogī becomes a buddha - not others who attempt to realise buddhahood.

If they were buddhas by nature, what would be the purpose of practice?

If a person who is an orphan meditates on (the idea) 'I am a king',
he won't obtain a kingdom even in millions of eons.

He doesn't gain a kingdom by means of an illusory imagination.
There won't be buddhahood by means of an illusory meditation."

The sexual organs are divine

[śukraṁ] vairocanaṁ khyātaṁ vajrodakaṁ tathā'param|

strīndriyaṁ ca yathā padmaṁ vajraṁ puṁsendriyaṁ tathā|| 11||

"The semen is known as Vairocana, the vajra fluid the other.
The female organ is like a lotus, the male organ like a vajra."

Artificial versus natural meditation

svabhāvād devatākāyaṁ tasmād vaktuṁ na yujyate|
yuktyāgamānusāreṇa yasmād vaktuṁ na śakyate||12||

kṛtakaṁ devatārūpaṁ vajrasattvo bhaved yadi|
saṁskṛto jāyate tasmāt naśyate tu ghaṭādivat|| 13||

tato niṣphalatāṁ yāyāt bodhicaryā tvanekadhā|
bhāvanā'pi kimarthaṁ syād yadi bhūtvā vinaśyati|| 14||

manomayakṛtaṁ rūpaṁ kathaṁ saṁskṛtamucyate|
kathaṁ vinaśyati caitat śrṛṇu mohārṇavādhunā|| 15||

cittasya kalpanā hyeṣā sāpi saṁskṛtalakṣaṇā|
manasā kalpitaṁ yat tadavināśi kathaṁ bhavet|| 16||

"If one is the kāya of the deity by nature, it is not meaningful to speak about it,
because according to reason and scriptural transmission, one cannot speak about it.

If Vajrasattva was an artificial deity form, he would arise as compounded,
and hence be annihilated like a pot.

Thus the manifold enlightened conduct would become fruitless.
What would the point of meditation be if, having come into being, it would perish?

Why is a mentally created form called compounded?
And why does it perish? Listen now, o you who are sunk in the ocean of confusion."

"The imagination of the mind has compounded characteristics.
How could that which is imagined by the mind be indestructible?

Omniscience cannot have a limited locus

Verses 25 to 46 discuss in a discursive way how sarvajñatva or omniscience cannot have a limited, impermanent locus.

Chapter 3

Jñāna awareness is not compounded and contrived

The chapter commences with a similar discussion on meditation with form (ākāra) and without form. The premise continues to be that whatever is contrived (kṛtaka) is compounded (saṁskṛta). Whatever is compounded, is impermanent. An existent (bhāva) that is not compounded is not found in the world.

anādinidhanaṁ śāntam ity uvāca tathāgataḥ|
tatsutāśca mahābhāgā āhur jñānam asaṁskṛtam|| 8||

"'Without beginning, without end, peaceful' - thus spoke the Tathāgata.
And his exalted children describes awareness as being uncompounded."

This is a key point of the text: jñāna is not compounded, hence not contrived, hence not impermanent.

Jñāna is unchanging (avikāra). What is an appearance of jñāna is not jñāna itself. When the appearance comes to an end, jñāna does not come to an end.

If it were asked: Does jñāna exist separately from forms? And do forms exist separately from jñāna? When jñāna arises, forms do not arise (alongside). When forms arise, jñāna does not (necessarily) arise alongside.

Chapter 4

Reality is neither the non-existence of forms nor dependent on forms

The chapter is known as nirākāra-nirākaraṇam, the refutation of the non-existence of forms.

A Mādhyamika-style discussion follows.

Some interesting points are made: If existents do not truly exist, how are the powers of a Buddha such as clairvoyance active?

Chapter 5

Reality is not the absence of thoughts

"Some deluded ones desire jñāna as a deluded state. By meditating on the deluded, they obtain only the deluded."

This chapter refutes niścittatā, the absence of mind or thoughts. It discusses the nirvikalpatva of jñāna. Vikalpa means a conceptual notion. Nirvikalpa is that which is free of conceptual notions.

Chapter 6

Reality is not the breath

This chapter refutes that reality is the out-breath or the in-breath, or the space in between them.

An interesting point: The Jñānasiddhi knows the term bhastrā, 'bellows' breathing.

Chapter 7

Refutation of temporary bliss

pratītyotpādasambhūtaṁ na tattvaṁ jāyate kvacit|
na tatsukhaṁ svabhāvena vidyate sarvadā yataḥ|| 2||

sarvatāthāgataṁ jñānaṁ svasaṁvedyasvabhāvakam|
sarvasaukhyāgrabhūtatvāt mahāsukhamiti smṛtam||3||

anityaṁ mahāsukhaṁ naiva sadā nityaṁ mahāsukham|
kacchakaṇḍūyanotpannaṁ kathaṁ mahāsukhaṁ nahi|| 4||

"Reality does not arise through dependent origination,
hence its bliss is not found to be self-existent anywhere.

"The awareness of all the Tathāgatas, of the nature of self-knowing,
being the peak of all bliss, is known as the Great Bliss.

"The Great Bliss is never impermanent. The Great Bliss is ever permanent.
The Great Bliss is not like that arising from scratching an itch."

Chapter 8

The method to accumulate merit and awareness

The chapter extols the worship of the Buddhas, the power of rejoicing in the merit of others as well as one's own, during all lives.

Verse 17 uses the term Vajrasattva in the plural, showing that the author uses it as a generic term like Buddhas.

sarvānarthasya mūlatvāt madyapānaṁ vivarjayet|

"One should avoid drinking alcohol, the root of all ills."

A list of various things to be avoided is given.

Chapter 9

Sin and merit

The chapter discusses the generation and exhaustion of sin and merit.

Chapter 10

Purity and impurity

The chapter discusses the generation and exhaustion of sin and merit.

Chapter 11

Reincarnation

sarveṣāṁ dehinām eva astyevotpādanāśanam|
tacca karmmavaśād eva sarvadā tribhave [bhave]t||2||

mātā pitā ca putraḥ syāt putro mātā pitā bhavet|
ceṭī bhāryyāpi tau syātāṁ bhāryyā mātā bhavatyapi||3||

"All embodied beings experience birth and death.
This happens through the influence of karma, throughout the three worlds.

A mother, a father, or a child become the child, the mother and the father (in a next birth).
The servant becomes the wife, and the wife becomes the mother."

Chapter 12

The establishment of reality

The chapter describes what vajrajñāna or vajra awareness is:

vyāpitvaṁ vajrakāyatvaṁ avikāritvaṁ eva ca|

sarvajñatvam ataḥ siddhiṁ samyagjñānasya yuktitaḥ|| 5||

"Pervasiveness, the state of the Vajrakāya, unchangingness, all-knowingness:
thus is the realisation of perfect awareness according to reason."

rūpiṇo nahi vyāpitvaṁ vajrakāyamato nahi|

avikāryyaṁ na tasyāsti na sarvajño bhaviṣyati|| 6||

"If the holder of the body is not all-pervasive, it would not be the Vajrakāya.
If it is not unchanging, it is not all-knowing."

kramāt jānāti yaḥ kaścit sarvaṁ nāsau prabuddhyate|

jñeyānām apramāṇatvān nāsau sarvajña iṣyate|| 7||

"Someone who knows only sequentially, cannot be awake to everything.
Due to the limitlessness of knowable phenomena, such a one cannot be considered all-knowing."

asārvakāliko yastu na sarvajño bhavet sa tu|
tasmāt sarvaprakālaṁ tu bhavitavyaṁ iti smṛtam|| 13||

"If one is not (present) throughout all times, one is not all-knowing.
Hence it is to be understood as existing throughout all times."

sthitamevaṁ mahājñānaṁ sarveṣāmeva dehinām|
na prajñānanti muḍhāste bālā mohapaṭāvṛtāḥ|| 14||

"The Great Awareness abides for all embodied beings.
The deluded, the immature do not realise it, covered by the veil of confusion."

loṣṭaśca dhāvati kṣipto nāsau prakṣepakastathā|
evaṁ cittena yaddhāvyaṁ taddhāvati na citta[kam] ||15||

"A lump of earth roles when thrown - it is not the thrower.
Thus, whatever is brought to move by consciousness, moves.
But consciousness itself does not move."

cittena bhāsyate yattat tadeva tu nirīkṣyate|
idaṁ tat kīdṛśaṁ cittamiti cintā na varttate|| 16||

"Whatever is illuminated by consciousness, that alone is perceived.
But one does not contemplate: what is the nature of this consciousness?"

Chapter 13

Examining the guru

evaṁ jātyandhabhūtās te samyag-jñānam apaśyakāḥ|
aśaktās tatpadaṁ prāptuṁ katham anyaṁ tu prāpayet||7||

"Like those born blind, those who have not beheld complete awareness
are incapable of attaining that state. How could they help someone else to attain it?"

tasmāt parīkṣya karttavyaṁ gurūṇāṁ paryyupāsanam|
śiṣyairbhaktisamāyuktaiḥ pravadanti jinottamāḥ|| 8||

"Hence students who have devotion should engage in worshipping of gurus only after examining them.
This is what the supreme Victors say."

The qualities of a real guru

ratnatrayeṣu buddhātmā kṛpāvān sarvajantuṣu|
tyāgādisaṁyato dhīraḥ sarvapuṇyamahodayaḥ||9||

bodhicittasamutpannaḥ prasanno guṇavān sudhīḥ|
akrodhano mahotsāhī dharmmagambhīraniścayaḥ|| 10||

sayuktikaṁ dharmmadānaṁ nirā[bhā]saṁ sadā matam|
alpecchatā sadā tasya sambhāradvayasambhṛtaḥ|| 11||

gurureṣa samākhyātaḥ sarvabuddhaiḥ savajribhiḥ|
sa eva sarvasattvānāṁ śāsako lokanāyakaḥ|| 12||

His nature is awakened to the Three Jewels, he is compassionate towards all beings,
he is reigned in by renunciation and the like, wise, he is endowed with the great sunrise of all merit.
His bodhicitta has fully risen, he is serene, full of qualities, with great intelligence.
He does not get angry, is very enthusiasic. He has ascertained the deepest (truths) of the Dharma.
His bestowing of the Dharma is combined with reasoning. He is free of appearances.
His desires are very few. He has accumulated the two accumulations.
Such a one is known as a guru by all the Buddhas and Vajra-holders:
He is a teacher to all beings, a guide to the world.

The signs of a false guru

anye ca guravaḥ khyātā mithyājñānābhimāninaḥ|
lobhādyarthaṁ prakurvanti dharmma[sya] deśanāṁ parām||13||

pāpamitraśca te bālāḥ sattvanāśe pratiṣṭhitāḥ|
mārapākṣikagotrāste'parātmāno vināśakāḥ||14||

varjanīyā[śca te ] sattvā na teṣāṁ paryyupāsanam|
na teṣāṁ pratighaṁ kuryyāt na te [pūjya]tarā bhavet|| 15||

śrāvakaiḥ saha saṁvāso [yathā] neṣṭaṁ tathāgataiḥ|
tathaivaivaṁvidhaiḥ sārddhaṁ na saṁvāso viśiṣyate|| 16||

Others who are gurus (merely) in name are puffed up with false knowledge,
they provide the teaching of the Dharma for the sake of greed and the like.
Immature, they are friends of sin, and are settled on causing destruction to beings.
They are of the lineage of Māra and destroy themselves as well as others.

Chapter 14

The qualities of a real student

naukārūḍho yathā kaścit karṇadhāraḥ suśikṣitaḥ|
pāraṁ mahodadheryāti nānyathā pārago bhavet||1||

tadvad gurau triratne ca bodhicitte ca bhaktimān|
karuṇā ca tathā loke nauriyaṁ saṁprakīrttitā|2||

guruḥ karṇadharo vidvān naukā dharmmaḥ prakāśitaḥ|
saṁsārapāragantṝṇāṁ vajrasattvena deśitam|| 3||

karṇadhāraṁ vinā naukā pāraṁ prāptuṁ kṣamā nahi|
guṇaiḥ sarvaiḥ prapūrṇopi nā gururbhavapāragaḥ|| 4||

tasmādevāsya caivedaṁ kāryaṁ sarvaṁ dṛḍhavrataiḥ|
sadā pūjārato yogī bāhyairādhyātmikaistathā|| 5||

vandanādikriyāḥ sarvāḥ prakuryyāt sarvakālikāḥ|
śraddhā prajñāsamāyuktaḥ kṛpārdraḥ sarvajantuṣu|| 6||

akrodhano'visaṁvādī tyāgādiguṇa[bhūṣitaḥ]|
suvīryyaśca mahotsāhī gurorājñāṁ sadā karaḥ|| 7||

A well-taught helmsman who gets onto a boat conveys across the large water,
no-one else can convey to other shore. One who has devotion in the guru, the Three Jewels, and in bodhicitta,
as well as compassion for the world - this is known as the boat.

The helmsman is the knowledgeable guru, the boat is the Dharma -
as taught by Vajrasattva to those who seek to go to the other shore of saṃsāra.

Without a helmsman, the boat cannot convey to the other shore.
Even someone who is filled with all qualities cannot reach the other shore of becoming
without a guru.

Hence those who are steady in the observance should ever be immersed in his worship
with both external as well as internal (items of worship).

One should ever engage in the actions of homage (to him) and the like,
(endowed with) faith, endowed with wisdom, moist with compassion towards all beings.

Free from anger, not argumentative, adorned with the qualities of renunciation,
full of energy, with great enthusiasm, ever fulfilling the directive of the guru.

tiraskāre kṛte'pyevaṁ svayameva na durmmanāḥ|
śiṣyaḥ sarvaguṇopeto yuktyāgamaparīkṣakaḥ|| 9||

aparīkṣakajātīyaḥ pṛcchet parahitañca yaḥ|
śiṣyo ca bhavituṁ śakto buddhairevaṁ pradarśyate|| 10||

When admonished, he does not become of negative mind.
A student has all the qualities and examines with reasoning and scripture.
He does not examine (someone's backgorund of) birth. He asks for the benefit of the other.
Such a one is capable of being a student. This is what is shown by the Buddhas.

Chapter 15

The Great Seal is present in all beings

The chapter discusses in detail the five Buddhas and wisdoms, in innovative ways.

puṣpeṣu vā yathā gandho dadhni navanītaṁ yathā|

sarvatra sarvasattveṣu sthāvare jaṅgameṣu ca|

rupārūpagatā cāpi mahāmudrā pratiṣṭitā|| 55||

Even as there is fragrance in flowers, butter in milk,
even so, everywhere, in all beings, the mobile and immobile
is established Mahāmudrā, present in both forms and the formless.

Chapter 16

A yogī should not fast

Various explanations, including interesting statements such as:

nopavāsarato yogī na snānaśuddhikalpanaḥ|
nānākalpaviviktātmā bhaved yogī varātmakaḥ|| 9||

A yogī shouldn't be immersed in fasting, and shouldn't worry about purifications through baths.
The yogī of noble nature should be free from all artificial notions.

kāyikaṁ mānasaṁ duḥkhaṁ nāvakāśaṁ pradāpayet|
sarvasaukhyasamāyuktaḥ sidhyate nātra saṁśayaḥ|| 10||

He should not give space to bodily and mental suffering.
Endowed with all happiness, he gains accomplishment. There is no doubt.

Chapter 17

The Vajrajñāna-abhiṣeka

The chapter describes the Vajrajñāna-abhiṣeka.

Verse 2 uses the word Vajraguru.

The word prasāda occurs several times in the chapter, referring to the guru's grace.

The gift to the guru is called dakṣiṇā.

Chapter 18

The Play of Vajrasattva

ākāśadhātuparyantāḥ sarvabuddhādayo varāḥ|
samāviśanti sarvātmā siddhyaiśvaryaprasiddhibhiḥ||6||

sarvato viśvavinayaṁ sattvadhātuṁ prasādhayet|
vikrīḍati vicitraḥ śrīvajrasattvastathāgataḥ|| 7||

The play of the glorious Vajrasattva is described.

All deities and their consorts - including Parameśa and Umādevī, Nārāyaṇa and Rūpiṇī (Lakṣmī), Prajāpati and Praśāntadevī, Kāmadeva and Rati -
are attracted by the one who has gained siddhi.

Chapter 19

Instant Self-Generation as the Deity

sarvākāravaropetāṁ jhaṭityeva svadevatām|
niṣpādya pūrvavad yogī mārgastho japamārabhet||3||

avasāne tu karttavyaṁ sarvabuddhāḥ sa aurasāḥ|
prasādaṁ mama karttavyaṁ śaraṇye'sya kṛpātmakāḥ||4||

anādikālamadyāpi saṁsāre saṁsarannaham|
khinno'smi sarvadā duḥkhaiḥ samyagjñānamapaśyakaḥ|| 5||

yathā jñānodayo bhūyāt tathāhaṁ karttumudyataḥ|
krameṇānena saṁyukto yadi samyak pravarttate|
bhavet jñānodayaṁ tasya na mithyāmārgayāyinaḥ|| 6||

Chapter 20

Final Instructions

mudrā-maṇḍala-varṇādi-bhuja-sthāna-vibhāvitāḥ|
samādhitraya-mudrādi-dvārāś caiva mahadbhujāḥ||1||

nānā-prapañcanāmnāyāt sarve te mṛdavaḥ smṛtāḥ|
teṣām api yathānyāyaṁ bravīmi tattvasambhavam|| 2||

madhyādhimātra-mārgeṣu pratiṣṭhāya yathānayam|
tantroktaṁ sarvadā kāryaṁ devatāmantrajāpinā|| 3||

yadi cittaṁ samaṁ yasya jñānaṁ tasyodayaṁ bhavet|
anyathā nahi tatprāptiḥ kalpakoṭiśatairapi|| 4||

sarvadā cintayā yukto mahākāruṇyavān sudhīḥ|
pūrvoktalakṣaṇopeto yogī jñānavaraṁ labhet||5||

madhyāntayor dvayoś caiva bhāvanāmātra-mukhyatā|
samyak jñānodayārthāya proktā kṛtyamapaśyatā|| 6||

tattvaṁ vinā na buddhatvaṁ tattvaṁ mārgaṁ vinā na ca|
tanmārgasthitayoreva pratipadjñānam āvahet|| 7||

mārgabhraṣṭo bhaved yas tu karuṇā-hīna-cetasām|
lābhādyarthaṁ prapañcātmā na teṣāmudayo bhavet|| 8||

Concluding Verses

amukasya idaṁ guhyaṁ sarvatantreṣu gopitam|
tannirddiṣṭaṁ mayā samyak yogināṁ jñānasiddhaye|| 1||

vajrajñānavaro yogo yeṣāṁ naiva hi vidyate|
bhāvanāṁ devatārūpaiḥ karttumudyaktacetasām||2||

darśanaṁ pustakasyāpi na dātavyaṁ prajānatā|
vajrajñāna-pratikṣepāt narakaṁ yānti mohitāḥ|| 3||

teṣāṁ narakahetutvāt so'py avīciṁ vrajen naraḥ|
tatparānarthasadbhāvād rakṣaṇīyam iti dhruvam|| 4||

anyathā samayabhraṁśo bhaved iti prakāśitam|
yogatantreṣvanekeṣu sarvabuddhaiḥ kṛpātmakaiḥ|| 5||

vidhūtakalpanājālaṁ vajrajñānam idaṁ param|
sādhanaṁ vajrasattvasya kṛtamārgaṁ sayuktikam|| 6||

sādhanopāyikāṁ kṛtvā yanmayopacitaṁ śubham|
tenāstu sarvasarttvānāṁ vajrasattvatvam uttamam|| 7||

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse