Property:Gloss-def
From Buddha-Nature
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T
Agent, act, and object. [TD 320] +
In this term, "knowledge" refers to deity, mantra, and the wisdom of great bliss. One who "holds" these three, then, with profound and skillful means is a "knowledge holder." [TD 2683] In the ''Chariot to Omniscience'', Jigme Lingpa points out that there are many different approaches to classifying these levels of realization. Explaining the approach advocated by Longchenpa, he writes. "The approach taken by the great Omniscient One is to link the four knowledge holders with the five paths. By stabilizing one's practice of the development stage, the mind itself matures into a divine form. Nevertheless, at this stage one does not engage the immediate cause and: hence, is unable to refine the impure elements. Such individuals are on the paths of accumulation and joining, which are associated with the matured knowledge holder." <br>Addressing the second and third levels, he continues, "If the physical body, the maturation [of past karma], is destroyed before they attain the supreme state on the path of joining, the practitioner will attain the great seal in the intermediate state, without having to take rebirth. The rationale is that the mind will have already matured into the form of the deity, the illusory empty form. Hence, as soon as the matured body is cast away, one will immediately attain the bodhisattva's path of seeing. On the other hand, if one reaches the supreme state with [the ordinary body] as one's basis, one will, as is said, 'attain the level of the supreme knowledge holder with power over longevity.' Said differently, the physical body itself, the support, will transform into a clear, vajralike body." [YT 418] <br>It should be noted that there are different presentations of the relationship between the four knowledge holders and the five paths. Dudjom Rinpoche, for example, places all four levels of knowledge holder on the transcendent paths, the path of seeing, the path of cultivation, and the path beyond training. [NS 281]<br>According to Khenpo Yönga, this is also the approach taken by the masters of the Zur clan, the famed Nyingma lineage that flourished in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. He explains, "The textual lineage of the Zur clan places the four knowledge holders on the three paths of seeing, cultivation, and liberation, encompassing the ten levels upon which the noble ones train. The first two knowledge holders relate to the path of seeing. At this stage true reality is seen, but the flame of wisdom is, as of yet, unable to purify the matured body. This is the 'matured knowledge holder.' When this capacity is in place, the body transforms into a clear form, free from birth and death, which is the 'knowledge holder with power over longevity.' 'The knowledge holder of the great seal' applies to the path of cultivation and the spontaneously present knowledge holder to the state of liberation.' Concluding, Khenpo Yönga writes, "These two approaches come to the same point, however. The difference is only in terms of the point at which certain ''labels'' are applied, in this case that being whether or not the label 'matured knowledge holder' applies to the paths of accumulation and joining." [NO 419]
The "Gentle, Glorious, and Melodic One" or, alternately, the "Gentle, Glorious, and Youthful One"; a bodhisattva and yidam deity that personifies perfect knowledge. [TD 888] +
These three empowerments mature the student and provide access to the maṇḍala of Anuttarayoga Tantra. In order, they are the secret empowerment, knowledge-wisdom empowerment, and the precious word empowerment. [TD 853] +
Tantric practice is divided into two phases, the development stage and the completion stage. Lochen Dharmaśrī explains, "To summarize, the development stage involves transforming impure appearances into pure ones and meditating on the mandala circle. In the completion stage, the aim is to realize the wisdom of bliss-emptiness." The latter, he continues, can be divided further into two approaches, the conceptual completion stage and nonconceptual completion stage. He writes, "In this stage, one either meditates conceptually on the energies, channels, and essences, or nonconceptually by absorbing oneself in reality." [SD 325] Ju Mipham summarizes this phase as follows, ''All the various forms of completion stage practice bring about the manifest appearance of pure wisdom by bringing the karmic energies into the central channel, though this may be brought about either directly or indirectly.'' [ON 417] +
''See'' purification, perfection, and maturation. +
'See' enlightened activity. +
There are four factors that subsume all aspects of development stage practice. Jamgön Kongtrül explains, "To engage in development stage practice, one needs to have at least some understanding of four factors: the basis, object, and process and result of purification ... The process of purification involves the various form yogas. Here, the five manifestations of enlightenment, the four vajras, the ritual of the three vajras, and other such visualizations are employed to purify the birth process, such as womb birth, egg birth, and heat-moisture birth. Miraculous birth is purified by visualizing instantaneously, in others words by perfecting the visualization with an instant of mindfulness ... In short, though there are various approaches found in the Nyingma tradition and the New Schools, they are fundamentally the same in that they all purify the affiictions, the impurities of confusion." [ND 13-14] +
The third of three divisions that comprise the Anuttarayoga Tantra; Nondual Tantra stresses the view of the path of liberation. In the New Schools, this includes the Six Applications of the Kālacakra Tantra. [ST 6] +
''See'' three outer tantras. +
According to Ju Mipham, the path of Anuttarayoga Tantras can be divided either in terms of its essence or in terms of practice. The former consists of the development and completion stages, while the latter comprises the path of skillful means and the path of liberation. [ON 415] +
''See'' yidam deity. +
Though this appellation is used as a general title for wrathful yidam deities, it often refers to the deities of the Eight Great Sādhana Teachings, such as Mahottara and Viśuddha. +
In general, this refers to the presence of the aggregates and elements as the male and female buddhas, the senses and sense objects as the male and female bodhisattvas, and the limbs as the male and female wrathful deities. [TD 1342] +
Vajrapāṇi is the condensation of the enlightened mind of all the buddhas and the embodiment of their strength, might, and power. [TD 1734] +
''See'' true luminosity. +
The female counterpart of Samantabhadra; representing wisdom, Samantabhadrī embodies the empty nature of all phenomena, the "pure spacious expanse." [NS 284] +
These two factors are considered the basis for development stage practice. In his commentary on Jigme Lingpa's ''Treasury of Precious Qualities'', Khenpo Yönga echoes this point: "Emptiness and compassion are like pillars that support the teachings. As such, they are absolutely indispensable, whether one is practicing Sūtra or Mantra. In these dark times, most tantric practitioners don't understand this point. In their version of 'the path of Mantra' emptiness and compassion are superfluous. Consequently, they meditate on the deity with a self-centered attitude. In doing things like mantra recitation, they only benefit themselves. Not only that, their anger drives them to use powerful and malicious mantras towards others. This arrogant behavior is actually a distortion of the Mantra teachings, though, a teaching for demons!" "Knowing this," Yonga continues, "realized masters of the past stressed the importance of these two factors, particularly in the context of explaining the texts of the Mantra tradition. They taught over and over again that these two are of vital importance for those who engage in the main practices of development and completion. As this is the case, we would do well not to forget it ... Hence, all beginners who have begun practicing mantra in our tradition should take this to heart." [NO 4, 2] +
Jamgön Kongtrul explains this term as follows: "All of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are said to be, by nature, energy. There are two forms of energy: karmic energy and wisdom energy. The former consists of two further divisions, the conceptual and the indivisible. Conceptual karmic energy includes the energies of ignorance, attachment, and aggression; this aspect is what must be eliminated. <br>The second form of karmic energy consists of antidotes that cut the continuity of this conceptuality. This includes more authentic concepts, such as the belief in selflessness. Together, these two are referred to as 'karmic energy.'" [TK 3, 45] +
[Lit. "One Gone to Bliss"] - An alternate term for the buddhas who, by relying upon the path of bliss - the Bodhisattva Vehicle - progress to the blissful fruition, the state of perfect buddhahood. [TD 1368] +
