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When the Clouds Part

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"Buddha nature" (tathāgatagarbha) is the innate potential in all living beings to become a fully awakened buddha. This book discusses a wide range of topics connected with the notion of buddha nature as presented in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and includes an overview of the sūtra sources of the tathāgatagarbha teachings and the different ways of explaining the meaning of this term. It includes new translations of the Maitreya treatise Mahāyānottaratantra (Ratnagotravibhāga), the primary Indian text on the subject, its Indian commentaries, and two (hitherto untranslated) commentaries from the Tibetan Kagyü tradition. Most important, the translator’s introduction investigates in detail the meditative tradition of using the Mahāyānottaratantra as a basis for Mahāmudrā instructions and the Shentong approach. This is supplemented by translations of a number of short Tibetan meditation manuals from the Kadampa, Kagyü, and Jonang schools that use the Mahāyānottaratantra as a work to contemplate and realize one’s own buddha nature. (Source: Shambhala Publications)

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Citation	Brunnhölzl, Karl. When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sūtra and Tantra. Tsadra Foundation Series. Boston: Snow Lion Publications, 2014.

Different Ways of Explaining the Meaning of Tathāgatagarbha

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The ''Uttaratantra'' and Mahāmudrā

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The Emptiness Endowed with All Supreme Aspects

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The Meanings of the Titles Ratnagotravibhāga and Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra

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The Meditative Tradition of the Uttaratantra and Shentong

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The Sūtra Sources of the ''Tathāgatagarbha'' Teachings

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Table of Contents About the Book Texts Translated Quotes

• Abbreviationsix
• Prefacexi
• Acknowledgmentsxiii

Translator's Introduction 1

• The Sūtra Sources of the Tathāgatagarbha Teachings3
• Different Ways of Explaining the Meaning of Tathāgatagarbha53
  • Explanations of Tathāgatagarbha in Indian Texts54
    • Tathāgatagarbha as the Emptiness That Is a Nonimplicative Negation55
    • Tathāgatagarbha as Mind’s Luminous Nature57
    • Tathāgatagarbha as the Ālaya-Consciousness63
    • Tathāgatagarbha as a Sentient Being63
    • Tathāgatagarbha as the Dharmakāya, Suchness, the Disposition, and
            Nonconceptuality64
  • Tibetan Assertions on Tathāgatagarbha65
• The History and Transmission of "The Five Dharmas of Maitreya" from
        India to Tibet81
• The Mahāyānottaratantra (Ratnagotravibhāga) and the
        Ratnagotravibhāgavyākhyā93
  • Texts and Authorships93
  • The Meanings of the Titles Ratnagotravibhāga and
          Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra95
• The Uttaratantra and Its Relationship with Yogācāra105
• The Meditative Tradition of the Uttaratantra and Shentong123
  • The Two Approaches of Explaining the Uttaratantra123
  • The Shentong Lineages and the Meditative Tradition of the
          Uttaratantra in the Jonang, Kagyü, and Nyingma Schools131
  • Indian Forerunners of Shentong, Early Tibetan Shentongpas, and Their
          Connection to the Uttaratantra140
• The Uttaratantra and Mahāmudrā151
  • Sūtra Mahāmudrā, Tantra Mahāmudrā, and Essence Mahāmudrā151
  • The Sūtra Sources of Mahāmudrā165
  • Maitrīpa’s Mahāmudrā of "Mental Nonengagement"167
  • Connections between Maitrīpa’s Mahāmudrā and the Uttaratantra177
  • Other Indian Nontantric Treatises on Mahāmudrā184
  • Gampopa’s Mahāmudrā and the Uttaratantra190
  • The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje202
  • The Eighth Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje206
  • Tagpo Dashi Namgyal212
  • Padma Karpo214
  • The Eighth Situpa, Chökyi Jungné216
  • Other Kagyü Masters on Mahāmudrā and the Uttaratantra227
  • Gö Lotsāwa’s Unique Mahāmudrā Interpretation of the Uttaratantra243
  • The Geden Kagyü Tradition of Mahāmudrā278
• Overview of the Indian and Tibetan Texts Presented in This Book283
  • The Uttaratantra and Ratnagotravibhāgavyākhyā283
  • The Indian Texts on the Uttaratantra288
  • The Tibetan Commentaries301
  • Instruction Manuals314

Translations 329

• Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra—An Analysis of the Jewel Disposition, A
        Treatise on the Ultimate Continuum of the Mahāyāna331
  • Chapter 1: The Three Jewels and the Tathāgata Heart337
  • Chapter 2: Awakening415
  • Chapter 3: The Buddha Qualities429
  • Chapter 4: Buddha Activity437
  • Chapter 5: The Benefit455

• Pith Instructions on "The Treatise on the Ultimate Continuum of the
  Mahāyāna" by Sajjana461

• A Commentary on the Meaning of the Words of the "Uttaratantra"473

• A Commentary on "The Treatise on the Ultimate Continuum of the
  Mahāyāna," The Heart of the Luminous Sun by Dashi Öser695

• Instructions on "The Ultimate Continuum of the Mahāyāna" by Mönlam
  Tsültrim777

• The Repository of Wisdom by Mönlam Tsültrim789

• The Heart of the Matter of Luminosity by Mönlam Tsültrim797

• Pith Instructions on the Wisdom at the Point of Passing when about to
  Die by Mönlam Tsültrim801

• The Lamp That Excellently Elucidates the System of the Proponents of
  Shentong Madhyamaka by the Eighth Karmapa803

• Guiding Instructions on the View of Great Shentong Madhyamaka— Light
  Rays of the Stainless Vajra Moon by Jamgön Kongtrul831

• Appendix 1: Selected Indian and Tibetan Comments on Uttaratantra I.27–2855

• Appendix 2: Selected Indian and Tibetan Comments on Uttaratantra I.154–5901

• Appendix 3: Indian and Tibetan Comments on Abhisamayālaṃkāra V.2943

• Appendix 4: The Emptiness Endowed with All Supreme Aspect953

• Appendix 5: The General Explanation of Tathāgatagarbha in Yeshé Dorje's
  Commentary on the Uttaratantra963

• Appendix 6: The Presentation of the Purpose of Teaching Tathāgatagarbha in
  Yeshé Dorje's Commentary on the Uttaratantra969

• Appendix 7: Comparison of the First Six Topics of the Fourth and Fifth Vajra
  Points in the Uttaratantra with the Same Six Topics in the Mahāyānasūtrā-
  laṃkāra and the Mahāyānasaṃgraha979

• Appendix 8: A Letter from Stainless Expanse and Awareness— a Casual
  Summary of the "Uttaratantra"983

• Notes985
• English–Sanskrit–Tibetan Glossary1227
• Tibetan–Sanskrit–English Glossary1231
• Selected Bibliography1235
• Index1259

When the Clouds Part is a translation and study of the Uttaratantra, also known as the Ratnagotravibhāga, and nine related texts from India and Tibet, some translated for the very first time in this publication. It is not the first translation of the text—Brunnhölzl cites two previous English translations by Obermiller (1931) and Takasaki (1958), who translated from Sanskrit and Tibetan, and Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese, respectively.

The book begins with a 325-page "Translator's Introduction," a study of the sutra's sources and exegetical traditions, which is a tour de force and a major reference for buddha-nature studies. It is for highly educated readers, assuming an extensive familiarity with the issues and terms of the discussion, such as the Madhyamaka/Yogācāra divide and the doctrine of tathāgatagarbha.

The Translator's Introduction is divided into eight sections: (1) the sūtra sources for tathāgatagarbha teachings; (2) historical survey of Indian and Tibetan definitions of tathāgatagarbha; (3) the history of the transmission of the "Five Books of Maitreya" to Tibet; (4) a survey of explanations of the meaning of the title of the Uttaratantra; (5) the relationship between the Uttaratantra and Yogācāra; (6) the Uttaratantra and zhentong; (7) the Uttaratantra and Mahāmudrā; (8) and an outline and summary of the ten works translated.

1. Maitreya. An Analysis of the Jewel Disposition, A Treatise on the Ultimate Continuum of the Mahāyāna - mahāyānottaratantraśāstra-ratnagotra-vibhāga (theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos). (D 4024) sems tsam, phi 54b1-73a7. (Q 5525) sems tsam, phi 54b7-74b6 (vol.108, p.24-32); (N 4293) sems tsam, phi 48b3-69a3. In bstan 'gyur (sde dge), Vol. 123: 107-146. Delhi: delhi karmapae choedhey, gyalwae sungrab partun khang, 1982-1985. Columbia AIBS
2. Sajjana. Pith Instructions on “The Treatise on the Ultimate Continuum of the Mahāyāna” - Mahāyānottaratantraśāstropadeśa. Sanskrit edition in Kano, Kazuo. "rNgog Blo-ldan Shes-rab’s Summary of the Ratnagotravibhāga: The First Tibetan Commentary on a Crucial Source for the Buddha-Nature Doctrine" 513-18. PhD diss., University of Hamburg, 2006.
3. Vairocanarakṣita. Mahāyānottaratantraṭippaṇī (rgyud bla ma'i tshig don rnam par 'grel pa. Sanskrit edition in Kano, Kazuo. "rNgog Blo-ldan Shes-rab’s Summary of the Ratnagotravibhāga: The First Tibetan Commentary on a Crucial Source for the Buddha-Nature Doctrine" 552–75. PhD diss., University of Hamburg. 2006.
4. Dümo Tashi Öser (bdud mo bkra shis 'od zer). A Commentary on “The Treatise on the Ultimate Continuum of the Mahāyāna,” The Heart of the Luminous Sun - Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi 'grel ba gsal ba nyi ma'i snying po. In gsung 'bum rang byung rdo rje. Vol. 7 (ja): 126–263. Zi ling: mtshur phu mkhan po lo yag bkra shis, 2006.
5. Kyotön Mönlam Tsültrim (Skyo ston smon lam tshul khrims). Instructions on “The Ultimate Continuum of the Mahāyāna” - theg chen rgyud bla ma'i gdams pa. In Bka' gdams gsung 'bum phyogs sgrig thengs gnyis pa, Vol. 50: 147-156. Chengdu: si khron dpe skrun tshogs pa si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2007.
6. _____. The Repository of Wisdom - ye shes kyi bzhag sa? ye shes kyi 'jog sa?. In Bka' gdams gsung 'bum phyogs sgrig thengs gnyis pa, Vol. 50: 293-304. Chengdu: si khron dpe skrun tshogs pa si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2007.
7. _____. The Heart of the Matter of Luminosity - 'od gsal snying po'i don. In Bka' gdams gsung 'bum phyogs sgrig thengs gnyis pa, Vol. 50: 421-424. Chengdu: si khron dpe skrun tshogs pa si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2007.
8. _____. Pith Instructions on the Wisdom at the Point of Passing when about to Die - 'da' ka ye shes kyi 'chi kha ma'i man ngag. In Bka' gdams gsung 'bum phyogs sgrig thengs gnyis pa, Vol. 50: 183-186. Chengdu: si khron dpe skrun tshogs pa si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2007.
9. Mikyö Dorje, the 8th Karmapa, (mi bskyod rdo rje). The Lamp That Excellently Elucidates the System of the Proponents of Shentong Madhyamaka - dbu ma gzhan stong smra ba'i srol legs par phye ba'i sgron me. Rumtek (Sikkim), India: Rumtek Monastery, 1972.
10. Jamgön Kongtrül ('jam mgon kong sprul). Guiding Instructions on the View of Great Shentong Madhyamaka—Light Rays of the Stainless Vajra Moon - gzhan stong dbu ma chen po'i lta khrid rdo rje zla ba dri ma med pa'i 'od zer. In 'khor lo tha ma'i dgongs don gces btus, 179–204. Kathmandu: Rigpe Dorje Publications, 2008.

the buddha potential that is innate in all sentient beings.  

~ in When the Clouds Part, page(s) 3

Mipham Rinpoche wrote four texts that discuss the tathāgata heart—his commentary on the Uttaratantra,262 The Beacon of Certainty,263 The Lion’s Roar of Shentong,264 and A Synopsis of the Sugata Heart.265 As Dorji Wangchuk says, the “official position” of the Nyingma School on buddha nature may be said to be spelled out in A Synopsis of the Sugata Heart. Briefly speaking, Mipham generally describes the tathāgata heart as the unity of appearance and emptiness, adopting a view of buddha nature that reflects Longchenpa’s description of the ground of Dzogchen—the ground of the indivisible ultimate reality that is primordially pure (ka dag) and spontaneously present (lhun grub). Mipham also uses reasoning in the tradition of valid cognition to establish the existence of the tathāgata heart, similar to his use of reasoning to establish the purity and divine nature of appearances in the vajrayāna (the latter use of reasoning is a unique feature of the Nyingma tradition, which is said to go back to the works of Rongsom).  

~ Brunnhölzl, K. in When the Clouds Part, page(s) 74

During analysis, the adventitious stains and buddha nature are necessarily differentiated since buddha nature is empty of what does not belong to it (that is, it is shentong—"empty of other"). But when buddha nature is directly realized in Mahāmudrā, there is no longer any difference between it and the adventitious stains or seeming reality.  

~ Mathes on Thrangu Rinpoche's position. in When the Clouds Part, page(s) 131

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These are the root verses of the Uttaratantra attributed to Maitreya by the Tibetan tradition.

'jog sgom - This is the meditation of directly observing the mind without engaging in any analytical or intellectual activity. (Thrangu Rinpoche, Transcending Ego, 102). Skt. स्थाप्यभावना Tib. འཇོག་སྒོམ་

tathāgatagarbha - Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness)." Skt. तथागतगर्भ Tib. དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ Ch. 如来藏

sūtra - Sūtras mainly refer to the discourses delivered by the Buddha and his disciples, and the Sūtra corpus is one of the three main sets of teachings which form the Buddhist canon. Skt. सूत्र Tib. མདོ། Ch. 佛经

These are the root verses of the Uttaratantra attributed to Maitreya by the Tibetan tradition.

Kagyu - The Kagyu school traces its origin to the eleventh-century translator Marpa, who studied in India with Nāropa. Marpa's student Milarepa trained Gampopa, who founded the first monastery of the Kagyu order. As many as twelve subtraditions grew out from there, the best known being the Karma Kagyu, the Drikung, and the Drukpa. Tib. བཀའ་བརྒྱུད་

Tsen Tradition - Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana. Tib. བཙན་ལུགས་

Mahāmudrā - Mahāmudrā refers to an advanced meditation tradition in Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna forms of Into-Tibetan Buddhism that is focused on the realization of the empty and luminous nature of the mind. It also refers to the resultant state of buddhahood attained through such meditation practice. In Tibet, this tradition is particularly associated with the Kagyu school, although all other schools also profess this tradition. The term also appears as part of the four seals, alongside dharmamūdra, samayamudrā, and karmamudrā. Skt. महामुद्रा Tib. ཕྱག་རྒྱ་ཆེན་པོ།

gzhan stong - The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature. Tib. གཞན་སྟོང་

Jonang - The Jonang tradition was established by Dölpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, a thirteenth-century Sakya monk famous for his Zhentong teachings. The Jonang teachings and monasteries were suppressed in Tibet in the seventeenth century but survived in Amdo. Tib. ཇོ་ནང་

Uttaratantra - The Ultimate Continuum, or Gyü Lama, is often used as a short title in the Tibetan tradition for the key source text of buddha-nature teachings called the Ratnagotravibhāga of Maitreya/Asaṅga, also known as the Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra. Skt. उत्तरतन्त्र Tib. རྒྱུད་བླ་མ་ Ch. 寶性論

These are the root verses of the Uttaratantra attributed to Maitreya by the Tibetan tradition.

Tsen Tradition - Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana. Tib. བཙན་ལུགས་

sūtra - Sūtras mainly refer to the discourses delivered by the Buddha and his disciples, and the Sūtra corpus is one of the three main sets of teachings which form the Buddhist canon. Skt. सूत्र Tib. མདོ། Ch. 佛经

tantra - Tantra, when juxtaposed with Sūtra, generally refers to the scriptures and texts which discuss esoteric topics. While the term is used to refer to texts on other topics, it is mostly used to refer to the genre of scriptures and texts on themes and topics associated with Vajrayāna Buddhism. Skt. तन्त्र Tib. རྒྱུད། Ch. 密宗

tathāgatagarbha - Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness)." Skt. तथागतगर्भ Tib. དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ Ch. 如来藏

These are the root verses of the Uttaratantra attributed to Maitreya by the Tibetan tradition.

Madhyamaka - Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā. Skt. मध्यमक Tib. དབུ་མ་ Ch. 中觀見

Yogācāra - Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana). Skt. योगाचार Tib. རྣལ་འབྱོར་སྤྱོད་པ་ Ch. 瑜伽行派

gzhan stong - The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature. Tib. གཞན་སྟོང་

Nyingma - The Nyingma, which is often described as the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, traces its origin to Padmasambhava, who is said to have visited Tibet in the eighth century. Tib. རྙིང་མ་

śūnyatā - The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics. Skt. शून्यता Tib. སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་ Ch. 空,空門

Dzogchen - Dzogchen is an advanced system of meditation techniques to reveal the innate state of perfection primarily, but not exclusively, espoused by the Nyingma Buddhist tradition and the Tibetan Bön tradition. Skt. महासन्धि Tib. རྫོགས་ཆེན།

paramārthasatya - "Ultimate truth" or "absolute truth"; the reality of things as they truly are. Skt. परमार्थसत्य Tib. དོན་དམ་བདེན་པ་ Ch. 第一義諦,眞諦

ka dag - Primordial purity is a term found in the Dzogchen tradition and refers to the empty nature of phenomena which is experienced through the practice of cutting-through meditation (khregs chod). It is often juxtaposed with spontaneous presence (lhun grub). Tib. ཀ་དག

Vajrayāna - The esoteric Buddhist tradition which developed as a syncretic system involving deity worship, use of mantras, physical energy, and mystical practices. It is also known as the mantra tradition and the tantric school as a result of being based on texts known as tantras. Skt. वज्रयान Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་ཐེག་པ། Ch. 金剛乘

āgantukamala - Mental stains that are not inherent to the nature of the mind but are temporarily present as the residue of past actions or habitual tendencies. It is sometimes iterated as adventitious defilements (Skt. āgantukakleśa, Tib. glo bur gyi nyon mongs), which references the fickle and temporary nature of disturbing emotions that lack an ultimately established basis for existence. Skt. आगन्तुकमल Tib. གློ་བུར་གྱི་དྲི་མ་

gzhan stong - The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature. Tib. གཞན་སྟོང་

gzhan stong - The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature. Tib. གཞན་སྟོང་

Ngok Tradition - Ngok Lotsāwa Loden Sherab's "analytic tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana. Tib. རྔོག་ལུགས་

Tsen Tradition - Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana. Tib. བཙན་ལུགས་