A Direct Path to the Buddha Within
From Buddha-Nature
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{{Book | {{Book | ||
| + | |TileDescription=A translation and study of an important Kagyu commentary on the ''Ratnagotravibhāga''. | ||
|BookPerson={{Book-person | |BookPerson={{Book-person | ||
|PersonPage=Mathes, K. | |PersonPage=Mathes, K. | ||
|PersonName=Mathes, Klaus-Dieter | |PersonName=Mathes, Klaus-Dieter | ||
}}{{Book-person | }}{{Book-person | ||
| − | |PersonPage=' | + | |PersonPage='gos_lo_tsA_ba_gzhon_nu_dpal |
|PersonName=Gö Lotsāwa Zhönu Pal | |PersonName=Gö Lotsāwa Zhönu Pal | ||
}} | }} | ||
|FullTextRead=No | |FullTextRead=No | ||
| − | |BookEssay=[ | + | |TextTranslated=Texts/Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi 'grel bshad de kho na nyid rab tu gsal ba'i me long |
| + | |BookEssay=''A Direct Path to the Buddha Within'' is one of a handful of recent densely-presented studies of Tibetan attempts to grapple with the ''Uttaratantra'' and tathāgatagarbha theory. [[Klaus-Dieter Mathes]] takes as his focus [[Gö Lotsāwa Zhönu Pal]]'s commentary on the sūtra, the translation of which makes up 165 pages out of the 421 of the book (excluding back matter). Preceding the translation are three introductory chapters on the intellectual context of Gö's work. The translation is followed by three chapters that individually address Mathes' three questions: what are "subtle" buddha qualities, how is buddha-nature related to prājñaparamitā, and how does [[Gö Lotsāwa]] read Mahāmudrā into the ''Uttaratantra'' and other Yogācāra works? The book assumes a high level of understanding of the issues and is meticulous in its detail and documentation; the footnotes have footnotes. | ||
| − | ' | + | Mathes argues that Gö's intention with his commentary was to provide a sūtra basis for Mahāmudrā, the otherwise tantric teaching of the Kagyu tradition. There is some irony in this, as Mathes somewhat blithely dismisses what he claims was [[Longchenpa]]'s attempt to use the same material to find an Indian basis for Dzokchen, an otherwise tantric teaching of the Nyingma tradition. Both great masters did indeed seem hard-pressed to justify the central teaching of their tradition against criticism of Prājñaparamitā-based Madhyamaka adherents in the Sakya and Kadam/Geluk traditions. These criticisms generally centered on the issue of whether the ultimate could correctly be described as possessing qualities of its own or whether emptiness was, in fact, a radical denial of all propositions. Sakya, Kadam, and Geluk writers argued either that the ''Uttaratantra'' was provisional—a Yogācāra teaching in need of interpretation—or its teaching on buddha-nature was in line with a Madhyamaka presentation of emptiness, denying the language-positive elements of the scripture. |
| − | + | Gö rejected both of these positions, arguing that the ''Uttaratantra'' is consistent with other Third-Turning teachings of Yogācāra and that such teachings are definitive. This was a necessary move in order to conflate cataphatic Yogācāra doctrine with Mahāmudrā: buddha-nature for Gö is not a synonym for emptiness, but rather for "the unfabricated nature of mind" and "luminosity," core Mahāmudrā doctrine. But Gö differentiated his approach from other advocates of a Yogācāra interpretation. He argued against the notion that buddha-nature is fully formed in every sentient being (the "buddha qualities" discussion), advocating instead that buddha-nature is a potential that needs to be developed. We are not like golden statues hidden in mud, but rather like acorns that need water and sunlight to grow into oak trees. | |
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|BookToc=* {{i|Abbreviations|viii}} | |BookToc=* {{i|Abbreviations|viii}} | ||
* {{i|Preface|ix}} | * {{i|Preface|ix}} | ||
| − | * {{i| | + | * {{i|Introduction|1}} |
** {{i|General Remarks|1}} | ** {{i|General Remarks|1}} | ||
** {{i|Delimitation of the Subject and Methods Employed|3}} | ** {{i|Delimitation of the Subject and Methods Employed|3}} | ||
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* {{i|Part I:The Tibetan Historical Context}} | * {{i|Part I:The Tibetan Historical Context}} | ||
** {{i|1. The Development of Various Traditions of Interpreting Buddha Nature|25}} | ** {{i|1. The Development of Various Traditions of Interpreting Buddha Nature|25}} | ||
| − | *** {{i|Ngog Loden Sherab's Analytical Interpretation of the ''Ratnagotravibhāga''|25}} | + | *** {{i|Ngog Loden Sherab's Analytical Interpretation of<br> the ''Ratnagotravibhāga''|25}} |
*** {{i|''Ratnagotravibhāga'' Commentaries in the Meditation Tradition|32}} | *** {{i|''Ratnagotravibhāga'' Commentaries in the Meditation Tradition|32}} | ||
*** {{i|The Mahāmudrā Interpretation of the ''Ratnagotravibhāga''|34}} | *** {{i|The Mahāmudrā Interpretation of the ''Ratnagotravibhāga''|34}} | ||
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*** {{i|Translator's Introduction|151}} | *** {{i|Translator's Introduction|151}} | ||
*** {{i|Technical Notes|154}} | *** {{i|Technical Notes|154}} | ||
| − | *** {{i|''The Commentary on the Treatise "Mahāyāna-Uttaratantra": The Mirror Showing Reality Very Clearly'' (Introduction and Initial Commentaries)|157}} | + | *** {{i|''The Commentary on the Treatise "Mahāyāna-Uttaratantra": The Mirror<br>Showing Reality Very Clearly'' (Introduction and Initial Commentaries)|157}} |
**** {{i|Introduction|157}} | **** {{i|Introduction|157}} | ||
**** {{i|The Commentary for Those with Sharp Faculties|169}} | **** {{i|The Commentary for Those with Sharp Faculties|169}} | ||
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*** {{i|Sūtra-Based Mahāmudrā Meditation|377}} | *** {{i|Sūtra-Based Mahāmudrā Meditation|377}} | ||
**** {{i|The First Mahāmudrā Yoga of One-Pointedness|381}} | **** {{i|The First Mahāmudrā Yoga of One-Pointedness|381}} | ||
| − | **** {{i|The Second Mahāmudrā Yoga of Freedom from Mental Fabrications|382}} | + | **** {{i|The Second Mahāmudrā Yoga of Freedom from Mental<br> Fabrications|382}} |
**** {{i|The Third Mahāmudrā Yoga of One Taste|384}} | **** {{i|The Third Mahāmudrā Yoga of One Taste|384}} | ||
**** {{i|The Fourth Mahāmudrā Yoga of Nonmeditation|385}} | **** {{i|The Fourth Mahāmudrā Yoga of Nonmeditation|385}} | ||
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| − | | | + | |PublisherLogo=File:Wisdom logo.png |
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| + | |BookParentPage=Library | ||
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Latest revision as of 15:27, 23 February 2021
A Direct Path to the Buddha Within
Book
Book
Maitreya’s Ratnagotravibhāga, also known as the Uttaratantra, is the main Indian treatise on buddha nature, a concept that is heavily debated in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. In A Direct Path to the Buddha Within, Klaus-Dieter Mathes looks at a pivotal Tibetan commentary on this text by Gö Lotsāwa Zhönu Pal, best known as the author of the Blue Annals. Gö Lotsāwa, whose teachers spanned the spectrum of Tibetan schools, developed a highly nuanced understanding of buddha nature, tying it in with mainstream Mahāyāna thought while avoiding contested aspects of the so-called empty-of-other (zhentong) approach. In addition to translating key portions of Gö Lotsāwa's commentary, Mathes provides an in-depth historical context, evaluating Gö’s position against those of other Kagyü, Nyingma, and Jonang masters and examining how Gö Lotsāwa’s view affects his understanding of the buddha qualities, the concept of emptiness, and the practice of mahāmudrā. (Source: Wisdom Publications)
| Citation | Mathes, Klaus-Dieter. A Direct Path to the Buddha Within: Gö Lotsāwa's Mahāmudrā Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhāga. Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2008. |
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