WISDOM ACADEMY

Restricted Dzogchen Teachings, Part 2: Buddhahood Without Meditation

B. ALAN WALLACE

Lesson 7: Quantum Physics, and Vajradhara’s Cosmogony

Reference Materials: “The Nine Stages Leading to Shamatha,” “The Five Kayas,”

“The Five Facets of Primordial Consciousness,” and the Outlines for Sera Khandro’s, “The Fine Path to Liberation,”

and “Garland for the Delight of the Fortunate.”

SHAMATHA

Shamatha is attained by progressing through the nine stages, relying on the eight antidotes to abandon the five faults. This is accomplished through the six powers and the four mental engagements.

Fault Antidote

1. laziness 1. faith 2. aspiration 3. enthusiasm 4. pliancy

2. forgetfulness 5. mindfulness

3. laxity and excitation 6. introspection

4. non-application 7. application

5. over-application 8. equanimity

1. The first stage is attained through the power of hearing.2. Stage 1: Directed Attention3. Mindfulness4. Introspection5. From here until the seventh stage the flame progressively decreases in size until it becomes absent. This

difference denotes the measure of the strength of effort required regarding mindfulness andintrospection.

6. The elephant is the mind and the black colour symbolizes laxity.7. The monkey is the proliferation of thoughts and the black colour symbolizes excitation.8. The second stage is attained through the power of thinking.9. Stage 2: Continuous Attention10. Excitation has the five sense pleasures as its objects.11. From here, the black colour progressively becomes white. This symbolizes the factor of vividness and

the factor of stability progressively increasing.12. The third and fourth stages are attained through the power of mindfulness.13. Stage 3: Resurgent Attention14. The rabbit is subtle laxity. From here, one can individually identify coarse and subtle laxity.15. Looking back means that having recognized that the mind has wandered, it is again directed back to the

object.16. Stage 4: Close Attention17. The fifth and sixth stages are attained through the power of introspection.18. The potential for excitation to arise prior to meditation has weakened.19. Since virtuous thoughts are an interruption at the time of shamatha meditation, it is necessary to stop

them. At other times it is not necessary.20. Due to introspection the mind does not fall into scattering and through being uplifted, it is drawn into

concentration.21. Stage 5: Tamed Attention22. Stage 6: Pacified Attention23. The seventh and eighth stages are attained through the power of enthusiasm.24. Stage 7: Fully Pacified Attention

At this stage it is difficult for subtle laxity or excitation to arise, and even if they do arise a little, theyare immediately eliminated with the slightest effort.

25. The black colour of the elephant is gone and there is no monkey. This means that in dependence oninitially applying a little mindfulness and introspection, the mind can engage continuously inconcentration without any potential of being interrupted by laxity, excitation or scattering.

26. Stage 8: Single-pointed Attention27. The ninth stage is attained through the power of familiarity.28. Stage 9: Attentional Balance29. Physical pliancy30. Mental pliancy31. Attainment of shamatha32. The root of samsara is cut by the union of shamatha and vipashyana observing emptiness.33. Equipped with mindfulness and introspection, seek the correct view of emptiness.

TH

E NIN

E ST

AG

ES L

EA

DIN

G TO S

HA

MA

TH

A

Sou

rce: Atten

tion R

evolution (A

pp

end

ix: Syn

opsis of th

e Nin

e Stages)

ST

AG

EW

HA

T IS AC

HIE

VE

DP

OW

ER B

Y WH

ICH

TH

AT IS A

CH

IEV

ED

WH

AT P

RO

BL

EM

S PE

RSIST

AT

TE

NT

ION

AL

IMB

AL

AN

CE

S

TY

PE O

F ME

NT

AL

EN

GA

GE

ME

NT

QU

AL

ITY O

F E

XP

ER

IEN

CE

IN

VO

LU

NT

AR

Y TH

OU

GH

TS

1.Directed

attention

One is able to direct the

attention to the chosen object

Learning the

instructionsT

here is no attentional continuity on the object

Coarse excitation

Focused

Movem

entT

he flow of involuntary

thoughts is like a cascading w

aterfall

2.Con

tinu

ous

attention

Attentional continuity

on the chosen object up to a m

inute

Thinking about

the practice

Most of the tim

e the attention is not on the object

3.Resu

rgent

attention

Sw

ift recovery of distracted attention, m

ostly on the objectM

indfulness

One still forgets the object

entirely for brief periods

Interrupted

4.Close atten

tionO

ne no longer com

pletely forgets the chosen object

Som

e degree of com

placency concerning sam

adhi

Coarse laxity and

medium

excitation

Achievem

ent

Involuntary thoughts are likea river quickly flow

ing through a gorge

5.Tam

ed atten

tionO

ne takes satisfaction in sam

adhiIntrospection

Som

e resistance to samadhi

Medium

laxity and m

edium excitation

6.Pacified

attention

No resistance to

training the attentionD

esire, depression, lethargyand drow

sinessM

edium laxity and

subtle excitationInvoluntary thoughts are likea river slow

ly flowing

through a valley7.F

ully p

acifiedatten

tion

Pacification of

attachment, m

elancholyand lethargy

Enthusiasm

Subtle im

balances of the attention, sw

iftly rectifiedS

ubtle laxity and subtle excitation

Fam

iliarity

8.Sin

gle-poin

tedatten

tion

Sam

adhi is long and sustained w

ithout any excitation or laxity

It still takes effort to ward

off excitation and laxity

Latent im

pulses forsubtle laxity and subtle excitation

Uninterrupted

Stillness

The conceptually discursive

mind is calm

like an ocean unm

oved by waves

9. Atten

tional

balan

ce

Flaw

less samadhi is

long and sustained effortlessly

Fam

iliarityA

ttentional imbalances

may recur in the future

The causes for

those imbalances

are still latentE

ffortlessP

erfectionT

he conceptually discursive m

ind is still like Mount

Meru, K

ing of Mountains

Coarse excitation

: The attention com

pletely disengages from the m

editative objectM

ediu

m excitation

: Involuntary thoughts occupy the centre of attention, while the m

editative object is displaced to the peripheryS

ub

tle excitation: T

he meditative object rem

ains at the centre of attention, but involuntary thoughts emerge at the periphery of attention

Coarse laxity: T

he attention mostly disengages from

the object due to insufficient vividnessM

ediu

m laxity: T

he object appears, but with not m

uch vividnessS

ub

tle laxity: The object appears vividly, but the attention is slightly slack

TH

E F

IVE

KA

YA

S

“Here is h

ow

all th

e jinas a

re subsu

med

with

in th

e five kaya

s:” [Vol. II B

uddhah

ood W

ithout M

editatio

n –

Garlan

d fo

r the D

elight o

f the F

ortu

nate p

.194]

KA

YA

ET

YM

OL

OG

Y

1.D

harm

ak

aya

(Tib

. chos k

yi sk

u)

The “en

lighten

ed em

bodim

ent o

f truth

,” which

is the

min

d o

f the b

udd

has.

The g

reat ultim

ate reality o

f the u

nco

ntriv

ed, n

aturally

presen

t existen

ce of all p

hen

om

ena

inclu

ded

in th

e world

of ap

pearan

ces of sam

sara and n

irvan

a as the g

round ab

solu

te space, th

e great em

ptin

ess, is called d

harm

a. D

ue to

the u

nim

agin

able ran

ge o

f disp

ositio

ns an

d sp

ecific facu

lties, there is an

unim

agin

able ran

ge o

f entran

ces to th

e path

, experien

ces, and g

oals to

be

achiev

ed. T

heir n

atural p

resence is called

kaya

.

2.S

am

bh

ogak

aya (T

ib. lo

ngs sp

yod rd

zogs p

a’i sku)

The “fu

ll enjo

ym

ent em

bodim

ent” o

f an en

lighten

edbein

g, w

hich

is accessible o

nly

to ary

a-bodhisattv

asan

d b

uddhas.

In th

e abso

lute sp

ace of th

e gro

und su

gatag

arbha, all th

e disp

lays o

f the sp

ontan

eous actu

alization

of th

e kay

as, facets of p

rimord

ial conscio

usn

ess, and su

blim

e qualities are n

aturally

perfect as

prim

ord

ial enjo

ym

ents in

the g

reat ultim

ate reality o

f the g

round, an

d th

ey are called

sam

bh

oga

[co

mplete en

joym

ent]. A

ll qualities o

f wisd

om

and p

rimord

ial conscio

usn

ess are spontan

eously

actu

alized as an

aggreg

ate, as it were, so

this is called

kaya

.

3.N

irman

ak

aya

(Tib

. spru

l pa’i sk

u)

An “em

anatio

n em

bodim

ent” o

f the su

gatag

arbha th

atm

ay ap

pear an

yw

here in

the u

niv

erse in o

rder to

ben

efit sentien

t bein

gs, w

ith fo

ur ty

pes: liv

ing-b

eing,

teacher, created

, and m

aterial nirm

anak

ayas.

The d

isplay

s of em

anatio

ns th

at are none o

ther th

an th

e gro

und, w

ithout an

y m

ental activ

ity o

f th

inkin

g to

send fo

rth em

anatio

ns, are teach

er nirm

an

akaya

s, created n

irman

akaya

s, livin

g-b

eing

nirm

an

akaya

s, and m

aterial nirm

an

akaya

s.

4.S

vab

havik

ak

aya (T

ib. n

go b

o n

yid

kyi sk

u)

The “n

atural em

bodim

ent” o

f the b

uddhas, w

hich

isth

e one n

ature o

f the d

harm

akay

a, sambhog

akay

a,an

d n

irman

akay

a.

The g

round itself is th

e essential n

ature o

f all of sam

sara and n

irvan

a, and in

this essen

tial natu

re

every

thin

g is o

f one taste, so

it is called sva

bh

ava

; and b

ecause all su

blim

e qualities an

d facets o

f

prim

ord

ial conscio

usn

ess are assembled

in an

aggreg

ate, as it were, it is called

kaya

.

5.V

ajra

kaya (T

ib. rd

o rje sku

)A

term w

ith w

hich

great tran

sference rain

bow

body

isoften

com

bin

ed. It em

phasizes th

e indestru

ctibility

and in

corru

ptib

ility o

f such

an em

bodim

ent –

the fact

it will n

ever ag

ain u

nderg

o a tran

sference o

fco

nscio

usn

ess – w

hereas rain

bow

body

emphasizes

its illuso

ry ap

pearan

ce as light o

f five co

lors.

Sin

ce [the g

round o

f bein

g] is u

nch

angin

g th

roughout th

e three tim

es and d

oes n

ot tran

sform

into

an

y o

ther essen

tial natu

re, it is called im

mu

table. S

ince it is in

destru

ctible an

d is im

bued

with

the

seven

vajra q

ualities, it is called

vajra

. Th

e natu

re of ex

istence o

f the u

ltimate, in

destru

ctible v

ajra

is imbued

with

four p

ledges: (1

) It is impossib

le for sen

tient b

eings to

realize it, apart fro

m th

ose

bein

gs w

ho p

ossess th

e necessary

karm

a and g

ood fo

rtune. (2

) Once it h

as been

realized an

d p

ut

into

practice, it is im

possib

le for y

ou n

ot to

acquire in

dw

elling co

nfid

ence in

it. (3) W

hen

co

nfid

ence is acq

uired

, it is impossib

le for y

ou n

ot to

be lib

erated. (4

) As fo

r the ex

tent o

f your

liberatio

n, it is im

possib

le for y

ou n

ot to

beco

me en

lighten

ed. T

hus, sin

ce it is imbued

with

these

four v

ajra pled

ges, it is called

the im

mu

table va

jrakaya

.

TH

E FIV

E FA

CE

TS O

F PR

IMO

RD

IAL C

ON

SC

IOU

SN

ES

S

“T

he dharmakaya, Sam

antabhadra ... [manifests as] apparitions of prim

ordial consciousness, because he emanates as the five kayas and the five buddha fam

ilies from

the causal five facets of primordial consciousness. T

he buddha field of the buddha family em

anates from the causal prim

ordial consciousness of the absolute space of phenom

ena. This likew

ise applies to the [buddha fields of the] vajra, jewel, lotus, and karm

a families arising from

mirror-like prim

ordial consciousness, theprim

ordial consciousness of equality, discerning primordial consciousness, the prim

ordial consciousness of accomplishm

ent, and so on.” [Vol. II B

uddhahood W

ithout Meditation – G

arland for the Delight of the F

ortunate p.62]

FA

CE

TB

UD

DH

A F

AM

ILY

PO

ISO

NC

OL

OU

R, E

LE

ME

NT &

A

GG

RE

GA

TE

1.Th

e absolu

te space of p

hen

omen

a (Tib. chos kyi dbyings kyi ye shes,

Skt. dharm

adhatujnana)T

he self-emergent essential nature of the pure ground, w

hich is primordial

great emptiness, and w

hich subsumes all phenom

ena of samsara and nirvana

Buddha fam

ilyV

airochana (Ghanavyuha)

Delusion

Indigo, Space, F

orm

2.Mirror-lik

e (Tib. m

e long lta bu’i ye shes, Skt. adarsajnana)

Self-illum

inating primordial consciousness, w

hich is of a lucid, clear nature,free of contam

ination, and allows for the unceasing appearances of all

manner of objects

Vajra fam

ilyA

kshobya (Abhirati)

Hatred

White, W

ater, Consciousness

3.Eq

uality (T

ib. mnyam

pa nyid kyi ye shes, Skt. sam

atajnana)P

rimordial consciousness of the equal purity of sam

sara and nirvana in greatem

ptiness

Jewel fam

ilyR

atnasambhava (S

rimat)

Pride

Yellow

, Earth, F

eeling

4.Discern

ing (T

ib. so sor rtog pa’i ye shes, Skt. pratyaveksanajnana)

Prim

ordial consciousness that unimpededly discerns the displays of pristine

awareness, w

hich knows reality as it is and perceives the full range of all

phenomena

Lotus fam

ilyA

mitabha (S

ukhavati)A

ttachment

Red, F

ire, Recognition

5.Accom

plish

men

t (Tib. bya ba sgrub pa’i ye shes,

Skt. krtyanusthanajnana)

Prim

ordial consciousness by which all pure, free, sim

ultaneously perfecteddeeds and activities are accom

plished naturally, of their own accord

Karm

a family

Am

oghasiddhi (K

armaprasiddhi)

Envy

Green, A

ir, Com

positional factors

THE FINE PATH TO LIBERATION An Explanation of the Stages of the Preliminary Practices for Manuals Such as “Buddhahood Without Meditation”

by Sera Khandro

I. The Way to Listen to the Dharma [48]A. The General Explanation [48]B. The Specific Explanation [50]

1. The Cultivation of Admiration and Reverence for the Guru [50]2. The Cultivation of Love and Affection for Your Vajra Siblings and Friends [53]3. The Cultivation of Compassion for Sentient Beings [54]4. The Cultivation of the Spirit of Emergence Regarding Saṃsāra [54]5. Meditation on the Impermanence of Composite Phenomena [55]

GARLAND FOR THE DELIGHT OF THE FORTUNATE A Supremely Clear Elucidation of Words and Their Meaning: An Explication of the Oral Transmission of the

Glorious Guru, as Notes on the Nature of Reality, the Great Perfection, “Buddhahood Without Meditation” by Sera Khandro

II. The Actual Explanation of the Meaning of the Text [60]A. The Virtuous Introduction [60]

1. The Meaning of the Title [61]2. The Homage [62]3. The Explanation of the Introduction [63]

a. Individuals Who Lack the Proclivity for the Path [64]b. Individuals Who Do Not Seek the Path [65]c. Individuals Who Seek the Path but Do Not Find It [65]d. Individuals Who Have a Dispensation for the Path [66]

B. The Meaning of the Text [67]1. Determining the Ground by Way of the View [68]

a. Determining the Manner of Nonexistence [69]i. Determining the Apprehending Subject, Your Personal Identity, as Identityless [69]

Teachings of Avalokiteśvara [69]ii. Determining the Apprehended Objects, Phenomenal Identity, as Identityless [73]

A' Searching for the Bases of Designation of Names [74]Teachings of the Lake-Born Vajra of Orgyen [91]

B' Dissolving Grasping at the Permanence of Things [103]Teachings of Vidyādhara Düdul Dorjé [103] Teachings of Longchenpa, Drimé Özer [109]

C' Counteracting the Faults of Benefit and Harm [123] Teachings of Saraha [123]

D' Collapsing the False Cave of Hope and Fear [135] Teachings of Vajrapāni [135]

b. The One Nature of All Phenomena as the Ground, Absolute Space [143]Teachings of Dorjé Drolö [143]The Distinction Between Liberation and Delusion [147]Teachings of Vajradhara [147]i. The Manner in Which the Ground Pristine Awareness Is Perfected as the Four Kāyas and Five Facets

of Primordial Consciousness [148]ii. The Manner in Which the Path Pristine Awareness Manifests as the Four Kāyas and Five Facets of

Primordial Consciousness [149]

c. The Instructions on Not Allowing the Uniform Pervasiveness of Equality to Be Defiled by the Faults ofConceptual Elaboration [165]Teachings of Hūmchenkāra [165]

d. Explaining How All Virtues without Exception Are Thoroughly Established as Being of the Natureof Precious, Spontaneously Actualized Displays of the Inner Glow [193]Teachings of Mañjuśrī, the Lion of Speech [193]Teachings of the Lake-Born Vajra of Orgyen [235]The Perfection of the Greatness of the Names of this Yāna [239]

Teachings of Ekajati [239] 2. The Practice of Cultivating the Path [247]

a. The Concise Teachings of Pith Instructions on the Vital Points of Methods for Placing the Mind [247]Teachings of Śrī Simha [247]

b. The Four Methods of Liberation of the Radiance [251]c. The Four Kinds of Open Presence [251]

3. The Accompanying Conduct for Those Two [View and Meditation] [255]An Explanation of Three Pitfalls of Meditative Experiences [258] Further Teachings on Authentic Conduct [261]

Teachings of Zurchung Sherap Drakpa [261] 4. How to Finally Progress on the Grounds Leading to the Ultimate Fruition of Eternal Liberation [268]

a. The Distinction between the Mind and Pristine Awareness [271]b. The Distinction between Mentation and Wisdom [273]c. The Distinction between Conditioned Consciousness and Primordial Consciousness [273]d. The Distinction between the Substrate and Dharmakāya [274]

C. The Virtuous Conclusion [278]

Sarva maṅgalam!