Treasury of Precious Qualities: Book Two

Translation of Yon tan rin po che'i mdzod dga' ba'i char

Book

This second and concluding volume of Jigme Lingpa’s classic Treasury of Precious Qualities is presented together with a detailed commentary by Kangyur Rinpoche. Composed in the form of a lamrim, or presentation of the stages of the path, the first volume set out the teachings of the sutras. The present volume continues this same structure and is a general description of the tantra teachings followed by an exposition of the Great Perfection, which in the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism is regarded as the summit of all vehicles and the final stage of the path of spiritual training. The section on the tantras is a compendious presentation of all important issues: lineage, empowerment, the generation and perfection stages, and samaya. The section on the Great Perfection is arranged according to the classification of Ground, Path, and Result and gives an extremely clear introduction to the doctrinal background that underpins the practice of this unique system. (Source Accessed Nov 9, 2020)

Citation

Fletcher, Wulstan, and Helena Blankleder (Padmakara Translation Group), trans. Treasury of Precious Qualities: The Rain of Joy; Book Two: Vajrayana and the Great Perfection. By Jigme Lingpa ('jigs med gling pa). With The Quintessence of the Three Paths, a commentary by Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche (klong chen ye shes rdo rje, bka' 'gyur rin po che). Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2013.

Foreword by Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche xix
Translators' Introduction xxi

Treasury of Precious Qualities
by Jigme Lingpa

Chapter 10 The Teachings of the Vidyādharas 5
Chapter 11 The Ground of the Great Perfection 43
Chapter 12 The Extraordinary Path of Practice of the Great Perfection 51
Chapter 13 The Ultimate Result, the Kayas and Wisdoms 61

The Quintessence of the Three Paths
by Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche

The Extraordinary Path of Beings of Great Scope
The Hidden Teachings of the Path Expounded in the Vajrayana, the Vehicle of Secret Mantra and the Short Path of the Natural Great Perfection

CHAPTER 10 The Teachings of the Vidyādharas 83
1. The transmission lineages of the Vajrayana 83
1. The main subject of the text 85

2. The difference between the vehicles of sutra and of mantra (1—2) 85

2. The classification of the tantras

3. A general classification of the tantras into four classes (3) 93

3. An explanation of the three classes of the outer tantras 99

4. A general exposition (4) 99

4. An exposition dealing specifically with the three classes of the outer tantras 100

5. The difference between the Kriyatantra and the Charyatantra (5) 100

5. The Kriyatantra or action tantra (6) 100

5. The Charyatantra or conduct tantra (7) 103

5. The Yogatantra (8, 9) 104

3. An explanation of the inner tantras 106

4. A general explanation (10) 106

4. A specific explanation of the three inner tantras (11) 107

2. A exposition of the Anuttara or highest tantra 108

3. A short general description of the path (12) 108

3. A detailed explanation of the actual path of practice of the highest tantras 109

4. The practice related to the cause tantra or continuum of the universal ground: the view, meditation, conduct, and result (13) 109

4. The practice of the path tantra of skillful means: the maturing empowerment and the liberating stages of generation and perfection, together with the support provided by samaya 112

5. A brief exposition (14) 112

5. A detailed explanation 112

6. Empowerment that brings to maturity 112

7. The need for empowerment (15—16) 112

7. An exposition of the character of authentic teachers and authentic disciples (17—18) 114

7. The An explanation of the actual empowerment 116

8. The preparatory stages of the empowerment (19) 116

8. empowerment itself 117

9. A short outline concerning empowerments in general 117

10. Empowerments classified according to the four classes of tantra (20—21) 117

10. An explanation of the causes and conditions whereby empowerment is received (22—23) I23

10. An explanation of the reason why four empowerments are necessary (24) 125

9. A specific explanation of the four empowerments 126

10. The essence of the four empowerments 126

11. A brief explanation (25) 126

11. A detailed explanation of the four empowerments 127

12.The vase empowerment (26—28) 127

12.The secret empowerment (29—30) 128

12. The wisdom empowerment (31—32) 130

12. The fourth empowerment or word empowerment (33-34) 131

10. The meaning of the term “empowerment” (35) 132

10. Empowerments related to the cause, path, and result (36) 133

8. The benefits of receiving empowerments (37) 134

6. An explanation of the path of the liberating stages of generation and perfection 135

7. The generation stage 135

8. A short exposition (38) 135

8. A detailed exposition of the generation stage 135

9. Purification, perfection, and ripening (39) 135

9. A specific explanation of the purification of the propensities related to the four types of birth 136

10. The generation-stage practice that purifies birth from an egg 136

11. A detailed explanation (40—43) 136

11. A short explanation (44) 139

10. The generation-stage practice that purifies birth from a womb 139

11. The generation-stage practice performed through the four factors of awakening (45—46) 139

11. The generation-stage practice performed through the three vajra methods (47) 141

11. The generation-stage practice performed through the five factors of awakening 142

12. A general explanation of the correspondence between the ground and the result (48) 142

12. A specific explanation of the five factors of awakening of the path (49—54) 143

10. The generation-stage practice that purifies birth from warmth and moisture (55) 146

10. The generation-stage practice that purifies miraculous birth (56) 146

10. Conclusion 147

9. The three concentrations, the basis of the generation stage (57) 147

10. The four “life-fastening” nails (58) 148

9. Progress through the grounds and paths of realization (59-60) 152

7. The perfection stage 154

8. A brief explanation (61—62) 154

8. A detailed explanation 155

9. The perfection stage with visual forms 155

10. An explanation of the aggregate of the vajra body 155

11. An explanation of the aggregate of the vajra body according to the general tantra tradition 155

12. A short explanation (63) 155

12. A detailed explanation 155

13. The stationary channels (64—66) 155

13. The chakras or channel-wheels (67—72) 157

13. The mobile winds on the outer, inner, and secret levels 160

14. The winds on the outer level (73-75) 160

14. The winds on the inner level (76) 162

14. The winds on the secret level 163

13. The positioned bodhichitta (77-78) 163

12. Conclusion (79—80) 164

11. An explanation of the aggregate of the vajra body according to the tradition of the Mayajala, as explained in the Secret Heart-Essence (81—86) 165

10. An explanation of the actual perfection stage 169

11. The skillful path of one’s own body (87) 169

11. The skillful path of the consort’s body (88) 178

9. The perfection stage that is without visual forms (89) 178

7. Conclusion: The benefits of the generation and perfection stages (90) 179

6. Samaya, the favorable condition for progress on the path 179

7. A brief explanation (91) 179

7. A detailed explanation 180

8. The categories of samaya 180

9. The general vows of the Anuttaratantras 180

10. The distinction between “samaya” and “vow” (92) 180

10. The individual considered as the basis of samaya (93) 181

10. Factors productive of a complete downfall (94—95) 181

10. How the samayas are to be observed (96—98) 182

10. The violation of the samayas 183

11. An explanation of the fourteen root downfalls (99-112) 183

11. An explanation of the category of infractions 190

12. The eight infractions (113—17) 190

12. Other categories of infraction (118) 191

11. The textual sources describing the downfalls (119) 192

10. How damaged samaya is repaired 192.

11. Why it is necessary to restore samaya (120) 192

11. The repairing of damaged samaya (121—24) 193

9. An explanation of the samayas according to the General Scripture of Summarized Wisdom, the Mayajala-tantra, and the tradition of the Mind, the Great Perfection 195

10. The samayas according to the General Scripture of Summarized Wisdom (125) 195

10. The samayas according to the Mayajala (126—29) 197

10. The samayas according to the tradition of the Mind, the Great Perfection 205

11. The samayas of “nothing to keep” (130) 205

11. The samayas of “something to keep” 208

12. The root samayas (131—34) 208

12. The branch samayas (135—36) 213

9. An explanation of the twenty-five modes of conduct and of the vows of the five enlightened families 216

10. The twenty-five modes of conduct (137) 216

10. The vows connected with the five enlightened families 217

11. General vows (138) 217

11. The special vows of the five enlightened families (139-43) 218

8. The repairing of damaged samaya 222

9. The individual considered as the basis of the vow (144) 222

9. The causes of damaged samaya and the connected antidotes (145—46) 222

9. The repairing of damaged samaya 223

10. Why it is easy to repair damaged samaya (147—48) 223

10. The methods of repairing broken samayas 224

11. Repairing the broken samayas of body, speech, and mind (149) 224

11. Repairing deteriorated samayas that have exceeded the time period for confession (150—51) 225

11. Other ways of repairing deteriorated samayas (152—53) 225

8. The defects resulting from the degeneration of samaya (154) 228

8. The benefits resulting from a pure observance of the samayas 228

CHAPTER 11 The Ground of the Great Perfection 231
1. A brief explanation of the ground of the Great Perfection (1—2) 231
1. A detailed explanation of the ground of the Great Perfection 232

2. An explanation of the common ground of samsara and nirvana 232

3. An explanation of the ground itself 232

4. A general explanation of the fundamental nature of the ground (3-4) 232

4. An explanation of the various assertions made about the ground (5-6) 233

4. A detailed explanation of the ground according to our own unmistaken tradition (7—11) 234

3. An explanation of the appearances ot the ground 237

4. A general explanation of the manner of their arising (12) 237

4. The eight ways in which the appearances of the ground arise (13-14) 238

2. The freedom of Samantabhadra 240

3. The way Samantabhadra is free in the dharmakaya (15) 240

3. How the sambhogakaya buddhafields manifest (16) 242

3. How the nirmanakaya accomplishes the benefit of beings (17—19) 242

2. How beings become deluded 244

3. The causes and conditions of their delusion (20-23) 244

3. The manner in which delusion occurs (24—25) 247

3. Distinguishing between mind and appearance (26—29) 248

CHAPTER 12 The Extraordinary Path of Practice of the Great Perfection 251
1. A brief explanation (1—2) 251
1. A detailed explanation 252

2. The distinctive features of the path of the Great Perfection 252

3. The superiority of the Great Perfection as compared with other paths (3-5) 252

3. The particular features of the three inner classes of the Great Perfection (6) 254

2. An explanation of the actual path of the Great Perfection 255

3. The ways of subsiding or freedom 255

4. How one is to understand that there is nothing to be freed (7) 255

4. A specific explanation of the individual modes of subsiding or “states of openness and freedom” (8) 256

3. An explanation of the ten distinctions 257

4. Distinguishing awareness from the ordinary mind (9—11) 257

4. Distinguishing awareness from the ordinary mind in relation to stillness (12) 258

4. Distinguishing awareness from the ordinary mind with reference to unfolding creative power (13) 259

4. Distinguishing awareness from the ordinary mind with reference to the mode of subsiding or freedom (14—15) 260

4. Distinguishing the universal ground from the dharmakaya (16) 261

4. Distinguishing the state of delusion from the state of freedom (17) 262

4. Distinguishing the ground from the result with reference to spontaneous presence (18) 262

4. Distinguishing the path from the result with reference to primordial purity (19) 263

4. Distinguishing the deities appearing in the bardo (20) 263

4. Distinguishing the buddhafields that give release (21) 264

3. An explanation of the key points of the practice 265

4. The practice of those who perceive everything as the self-experience of awareness 265

5. Trekchö, the path of primordial purity 265

6. The view that severs the continuum of the city (of samsara) (22) 265

6. Meditation is the self-subsiding (of thoughts) through the absence of all clinging (23) 266

6. Conduct that overpowers appearances (24) 266

6. The result is the actual nature (the dharmakaya) beyond all exertion (25) 267

5.The particularity of thögal, the practice of spontaneous presence (26—27) 268

4. The practice of those who perceive appearances in the manner of sense objects 269

5. Sustaining meditative equipoise with shamatha and vipashyana 269

6. A brief explanation (28—29) 269

6. A more detailed explanation (30—31) 270

6. A short account of the union of shamatha and vipashyana (32-33) 271

5. Bringing thoughts onto the path (34—35) 272

1. Conclusion of the chapter (36—37) 274

CHAPTER 13 The Great Result That Is Spontaneously Present 277
1.The result is not produced by extraneous causes (1—2) 277 1. A detailed explanation of the five kayas 278

2. The three kayas of inner luminosity of the ultimate expanse 278

3. An explanation of the three kayas 278

4. The vajrakaya, the unchanging and indestructible body (3) 278

4. The abhisambodhikaya, the body of manifest enlightenment (4) 279

4. The dharmakaya, the body of peaceful ultimate reality (5) 280

3. From the standpoint of ultimate reality, the three kayas of inner luminosity cannot be differentiated 280

4. The three kayas of inner luminosity are not objects of the ordinary mind (6) 280

4. The manner in which the three kayas of inner luminosity dwell in the dharmadhatu (7) 281

2. An explanation of the two kayas of outwardly radiating luminosity 282

3. An explanation of the sambhogakaya 282

4. The sambhogakaya in which the ground and the result are not separate 282

5.A brief explanation (8) 282

5.A detailed explanation of the five perfections of the sambhogakaya 282

6. The perfection of the place (9—10) 282

6. The perfection of the time 284

6. The perfection of the Teacher 284

6. The perfection of the retinue (11) 285

6. The perfection of the teaching 285

4. The sambhogakaya of the spontaneously present result 286

5. The peaceful mandala of the upper palace (12) 286

5. The wrathful mandala of the lower palace (13—17) 287

4. A summary of the sambhogakaya in which the ground and result are not separate, together with the sambhogakaya of the spontaneously present result (18—19) 292

3. An explanation of the nirmanakaya 293

4. A brief explanation (20) 293

4. detailed explanation 294

5. The nirmanakaya of luminous character 294

6. The nirmanakaya of luminous character that is counted as the sambhogakaya (in the vehicle of the paramitas) 294

7. A brief explanation 294

7. A detailed explanation in six points 294

8. The place (21) 294

8. The Teachers 295

8. The primordial wisdoms (22) 295

8. The retinue (23) 296

8. The time (24) 298

8. The defilements to be purified (25) 298

7. Conclusion (26) 299

6. The nirmanakaya of indwelling luminous character 300

7. The actual nirmanakaya of indwelling luminous character 300

8. A brief explanation of the nirmanakaya fields of the ten directions (27) 300

8. The five buddhafields that grant release and freedom (28—33) 301

7. The highest celestial pure lands (34) 304

5. The nirmanakaya guides of beings 305

6. The explanation of the guides themselves (35—40) 305

6. The secondary emanations of the mrmanakaya guides of beings (41-43) 309

6. The illusion-like appearance of the nirmanakaya guides of beings (44) 311

5.The diversified nirmanakaya 313

6. The diversified nirmanakaya itself 313

7. The nirmanakaya that appears as inanimate objects (45) 313

7. The animate nirmanakaya (46) 314

6. Conclusion: the dissolution of the rupakaya’s appearance 314

7. The dissolution of the nirmanakaya into the sambhogakaya (47) 314

7. The dissolution of the sambhogakaya into the dharmakaya (48) 315

7. The abiding of the dharmakaya in the dharmadhatu (49) 316

1. The virtuous conclusion 318

2. The circumstances that make possible the composition of shastras 318

2. The dedication of the merit of composition 319

2. Colophon 321

APPENDIX 1 The Three Transmissions of Kahma, the Orally Transmitted Teachings 323
1. The mind transmission of the Buddhas 323 1. The knowledge transmission of the Vidyādharas 324

2. The transmission lineage of Mahayoga, the system of tantra 327

2. The transmission lineage of Anuyoga, the system of explanatory teaching 327

2. The transmission lineage of Atiyoga, the system of pith instructions 328

1. The hearing transmission of spiritual masters 330

APPENDIX 2 The Manner in Which the Tantras Are Expounded 333
1. How the teacher is to teach 333

2. The six exegetical perspectives 333

2. The four ways of exposition 335

1. How disciples are to receive the teaching 336

2. Mental attitude 336

2. Conduct 338

1. The method of explanation and study 338

APPENDIX 3 The View Expounded in the Guhyagarbha, the Root Tantra of the Mayajala Cycle 341
1. The view of phenomena 342
1. The view of the ultimate nature of phenomena 340
1. The view of self-cognizing awareness 347

APPENDIX 4 The Ten Elements of the Tantric Path 351
APPENDIX 5 The Mandala 353
APPENDIX 6 The Winds 359
APPENDIX 7 A Brief Summary of the Stages of Generation andPerfection 363
APPENDIX 8 Transmission Lineages of the Treasury of Precious Qualities 367

Notes 369
Bibliography 483
Index 493

yon tan rin po che'i mdzod dga' ba'i char by 'jigs med gling pa. bka' ma shin tu rgyas pa, Vol. 53, 73 ff., (pp. 5-150). Chengdu: kaH thog mkhan po 'jam dbyangs, 1999. [1]
yon tan mdzod kyi mchan 'grel by klong chen ye shes rdo rje, (bka' 'gyur rin po che). paro: taklung tsetrul rinpoche pema wangyal, 1982. TBRC RID: W23616