The Clear Light Nature of the Mind
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abiding disposition. Nagarjuna in his ''Praise of the Sphere of Phenomena''<ref>''Dharmadhātustotra'', ''Chos kyi gbyings su bstod pa'', P2010, Vol.46. The Indian master Nagarjuna (Klu sgrub, first to second century) was the trailblazer who established the Madhyamika or Middle Way system of philosophical tenets which propound that while nothing has true existence, the conventional existence of actions and agents is feasible. His most famous work, the | abiding disposition. Nagarjuna in his ''Praise of the Sphere of Phenomena''<ref>''Dharmadhātustotra'', ''Chos kyi gbyings su bstod pa'', P2010, Vol.46. The Indian master Nagarjuna (Klu sgrub, first to second century) was the trailblazer who established the Madhyamika or Middle Way system of philosophical tenets which propound that while nothing has true existence, the conventional existence of actions and agents is feasible. His most famous work, the | ||
''Treatise on the Middle Way (Madhyamakaśāstra, dBu ma'i bstan bcos'', P5224, Vol.95), also called ''Fundamental Wisdom (rTsa ba shes rab)'', is a work in twenty-seven chapters which presents the explicit content of the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. Employing a wide variety of approaches and lines of reasoning, it emphasizes dependent arising and explains the paths of insight related to the understanding of emptiness.</ref> and Maitreya in his ''Sublime Continuum'' compare our minds to a cloudy sky, polluted water and alloyed gold. But the clouds are not an intrinsic part of the sky, nor are pollutants intrinsic to the water, and the alloys are not an integral part of the gold. The mind is not affected in its nature by these temporary stains but is clear and cognizant. This is its conventional nature. The ''Sublime Continuum'' says<br> | ''Treatise on the Middle Way (Madhyamakaśāstra, dBu ma'i bstan bcos'', P5224, Vol.95), also called ''Fundamental Wisdom (rTsa ba shes rab)'', is a work in twenty-seven chapters which presents the explicit content of the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. Employing a wide variety of approaches and lines of reasoning, it emphasizes dependent arising and explains the paths of insight related to the understanding of emptiness.</ref> and Maitreya in his ''Sublime Continuum'' compare our minds to a cloudy sky, polluted water and alloyed gold. But the clouds are not an intrinsic part of the sky, nor are pollutants intrinsic to the water, and the alloys are not an integral part of the gold. The mind is not affected in its nature by these temporary stains but is clear and cognizant. This is its conventional nature. The ''Sublime Continuum'' says<br> | ||
| − | + | {{Indent|Like that which is precious, the sky and pure water, | |
| − | + | Its nature is always free of disturbing emotions.<ref>''rin chen nam mkha' chu dag bzhin // rtag tu rang bzhin nyon mongs med}}</ref> | |
}} | }} | ||
Revision as of 13:22, 29 January 2021
{{BookExcerpt
|Title=The Clear Light Nature of the Mind
|BookTitle=Books/Buddha Nature (Geshe Sonam Rinchen)
|AuthorPage=Rinchen, Sonam
|TopCitation=Sonam, Ruth, trans and ed. "The Clear Light Nature of the Mind." In Buddha Nature: Oral Teachings by Geshe Sonam Rinchen, 19–28. New Delhi: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2003.
|Content=The Madhyamika school draws on the Essence of Those Thus Gone Sutra and on Maitreya's Sublime Continuum, according to which the nature of our minds is not affected by the temporary stains which are present, such as the disturbing emotions. The fundamental nature, namely the emptiness of our minds with these stains, is the innately
abiding disposition. Nagarjuna in his Praise of the Sphere of Phenomena[1] and Maitreya in his Sublime Continuum compare our minds to a cloudy sky, polluted water and alloyed gold. But the clouds are not an intrinsic part of the sky, nor are pollutants intrinsic to the water, and the alloys are not an integral part of the gold. The mind is not affected in its nature by these temporary stains but is clear and cognizant. This is its conventional nature. The Sublime Continuum says
Like that which is precious, the sky and pure water,
Its nature is always free of disturbing emotions.[2]
- Dharmadhātustotra, Chos kyi gbyings su bstod pa, P2010, Vol.46. The Indian master Nagarjuna (Klu sgrub, first to second century) was the trailblazer who established the Madhyamika or Middle Way system of philosophical tenets which propound that while nothing has true existence, the conventional existence of actions and agents is feasible. His most famous work, the Treatise on the Middle Way (Madhyamakaśāstra, dBu ma'i bstan bcos, P5224, Vol.95), also called Fundamental Wisdom (rTsa ba shes rab), is a work in twenty-seven chapters which presents the explicit content of the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. Employing a wide variety of approaches and lines of reasoning, it emphasizes dependent arising and explains the paths of insight related to the understanding of emptiness.
- rin chen nam mkha' chu dag bzhin // rtag tu rang bzhin nyon mongs med}}
