Mahāmudrā and the Middle Way

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|BookEssay=David Higgins and Martina Draszczyk's Mahāmudrā And The Middle Way is a study of four Tibetan philosophers from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who attempted to forge a middle way between contemporary doctrinal extremes regarding Mahāmudrā and buddha-nature theory. Three of the four authors were Kagyu: Karma Trinle Chokle Namgyel, the Eighth Karmapa, and the Fourth Drukchen Pema Karpo, and one was Sakya, Śākya Chokden, who was, late in life, a student of the Seventh Karmapa. The four authors did not agree with each other, all finding their own ways to steer, as Higgins and Draszczyk put it, "a middle course between the Scylla and Charybdis of eternalism and nihilism."  
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|BookEssay=David Higgins and Martina Draszczyk's ''Mahāmudrā And The Middle Way'' is a study of four Tibetan philosophers from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who attempted to forge a middle way between contemporary doctrinal extremes regarding Mahāmudrā and buddha-nature theory. Three of the four authors were Kagyu: Karma Trinle Chokle Namgyel, the Eighth Karmapa, and the Fourth Drukchen Pema Karpo, and one was Sakya, Śākya Chokden, who was, late in life, a student of the Seventh Karmapa. The four authors did not agree with each other, all finding their own ways to steer, as Higgins and Draszczyk put it, "a middle course between the Scylla and Charybdis of eternalism and nihilism."  
  
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All four authors studied were "scholar-yogis,"—philosophers who were also keenly interested and accomplished in the meditative practices of their traditions. Higgins and Draszczyk position the four as responding to the doctrinal extremes of the Geluk and Jonang traditions, the first representing nihilism of Tsongkhapa's interpretation of Candrakīrti, and the second being Dolpopa's teaching on zhentong. All four wrote in an era in which Geluk Prasangika was becoming dominant, in a language that suggested an anti-tantric polemic; Geluk and Sakya authors were rejecting Saraha, an Indian saint whose writings form part of the Mahāmudrā canon. Certainly, the two hierarchs of Kagyu traditions could not afford to leave their central doctrines undefended. This perspective is true to the authors studied, but it should be noted that followers of the Geluk or Jonang would certainly not accept the label of extremism, and would—and did—view the authors' positions as intellectually naive.  
+
All four authors studied were "scholar-yogis,"—philosophers who were also keenly interested and accomplished in the meditative practices of their traditions. Higgins and Draszczyk position the four as responding to the doctrinal extremes of the Geluk and Jonang traditions, the first representing nihilism of Tsongkhapa's interpretation of Candrakīrti, and the second being Dolpopa's teaching on ''zhentong''. All four wrote in an era in which Geluk Prasangika was becoming dominant, in a language that suggested an anti-tantric polemic; Geluk and Sakya authors were rejecting Saraha, an Indian saint whose writings form part of the Mahāmudrā canon. Certainly, the two hierarchs of Kagyu traditions could not afford to leave their central doctrines undefended. This perspective is true to the authors studied, but it should be noted that followers of the Geluk or Jonang would certainly not accept the label of extremism, and would—and did—view the authors' positions as intellectually naive.  
  
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Still, the four attempts at reconciliation between doctrinal poles are a needed corrective to the many studies in which the extremes are presented as contradictory; for all four authors, the philosophical binaries were complementary and integral to the practice of Buddhism. They each advocated for an intellectual inquiry of emptiness using the language of negation favored by Geluk and mainline Sakya teachers, paired with or followed by a meditative engagement with positive-language doctrines of buddha-nature and the natural luminosity of mind. The great debates of the era between Madhyamaka and Yogacāra, zhentong and rangtong, analytical or meditative approach, Sudden vs. Gradual Enlightenment, and so forth, were for these authors not issues of either/or but matters of synthesis and balance.
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Still, the four attempts at reconciliation between doctrinal poles are a needed corrective to the many studies in which the extremes are presented as contradictory; for all four authors, the philosophical binaries were complementary and integral to the practice of Buddhism. They each advocated for an intellectual inquiry of emptiness using the language of negation favored by Geluk and mainline Sakya teachers, paired with or followed by a meditative engagement with positive-language doctrines of buddha-nature and the natural luminosity of mind. The great debates of the era between Madhyamaka and Yogacāra, ''zhentong'' and ''rangtong'', analytical or meditative approach, Sudden vs. Gradual Enlightenment, and so forth, were for these authors not issues of either/or but matters of synthesis and balance.
 
|BookToc='''Volume One'''
 
|BookToc='''Volume One'''
  
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** {{i|Navigating the Middle Ways|29}}
 
** {{i|Navigating the Middle Ways|29}}
 
** {{i|The Nature of Liberating Knowledge|41}}
 
** {{i|The Nature of Liberating Knowledge|41}}
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* {{i|Shākya mchog ldan|44}}
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 +
* {{i|'''Shākya mchog ldan'''|44}}
 
** {{i|Shākya mchog ldan and the Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā Tradition|45}}
 
** {{i|Shākya mchog ldan and the Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā Tradition|45}}
 
** {{i|Life, Writings and Influences|51}}
 
** {{i|Life, Writings and Influences|51}}
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** {{i|Madhyamaka and the Dialectic of Emptiness: Rang stong and Gzhan stong|57}}
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** {{i|Madhyamaka and the Dialectic of Emptiness: Rang stong and<br>Gzhan stong|57}}
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*** {{i|The Three Natures (trisvabhāva)|65}}
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*** {{i|The Three Natures (''trisvabhāva'')|65}}
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*** {{i|The Two Truths (satyadvaya)|67}}
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*** {{i|The Two Truths (''satyadvaya'')|67}}
 
** {{i|Mahāmudrā and Buddha Nature|74}}
 
** {{i|Mahāmudrā and Buddha Nature|74}}
 
** {{i|Direct Perception and Nondual Wisdom|101}}
 
** {{i|Direct Perception and Nondual Wisdom|101}}
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** {{i|The Great Seal in Shākya mchog ldan’s Mahāmudrā trilogy|109}}
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** {{i|The Great Seal in Shākya mchog ldan's Mahāmudrā trilogy|109}}
 
*** {{i|Mahāmudrā: What it is and What it is Not|109}}
 
*** {{i|Mahāmudrā: What it is and What it is Not|109}}
 
*** {{i|Madhyamaka, Mantrayāna and Mahāmudrā|116}}
 
*** {{i|Madhyamaka, Mantrayāna and Mahāmudrā|116}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā and What Remains (lhag ma : avasista)|121}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā and What Remains (''lhag ma'' : ''avaśiṣṭa'')|121}}
 
*** {{i|The Problem of Cessation|124}}
 
*** {{i|The Problem of Cessation|124}}
 
*** {{i|Contested Methods of Realization|127}}
 
*** {{i|Contested Methods of Realization|127}}
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** {{i|Responses to Sa skya Pandita’s Criticism of Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā|131}}
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** {{i|Responses to Sa skya Paṇḍita’s Criticism of Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā|131}}
 
*** {{i|A Philosophical Defence and Justification of Mahāmudrā|131}}
 
*** {{i|A Philosophical Defence and Justification of Mahāmudrā|131}}
 
*** {{i|Defending Mahāmudrā Views|135}}
 
*** {{i|Defending Mahāmudrā Views|135}}
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**** {{i|The Self-sufficient White Remedy (dkar po gcig thub)|135}}
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**** {{i|The Self-sufficient White Remedy (''dkar po gcig thub'')|135}}
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**** {{i|Mental Nonengagement (amanasikāra) and the Fire of Wisdom|139}}
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**** {{i|Mental Nonengagement (''amanasikāra'') and the Fire of Wisdom|139}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|145}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|145}}
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* {{i|Karma phrin las|148}}
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 +
* {{i|'''Karma phrin las'''|148}}
 
** {{i|Overview|149}}
 
** {{i|Overview|149}}
 
** {{i|Life, Writings and Influences|156}}
 
** {{i|Life, Writings and Influences|156}}
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*** {{i|Buddha Nature Endowed with Qualities|184}}
 
*** {{i|Buddha Nature Endowed with Qualities|184}}
 
*** {{i|On the Unity of the Two Truths|200}}
 
*** {{i|On the Unity of the Two Truths|200}}
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*** {{i|“Thoughts are Dharmakāya”|210}}
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*** {{i|"Thoughts are ''Dharmakāya''"|210}}
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*** {{i|Understanding Coemergence: the Inseparability of Samsāra and Nirvana|217}}
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*** {{i|Understanding Coemergence: the Inseparability of ''Saṃsāra'' and<br>''Nirvāṇa''|217}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|223}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|223}}
−
* {{i|Karma pa Mi bskyod rdo rje|226}}
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 +
* {{i|'''Karma pa Mi bskyod rdo rje'''|226}}
 
** {{i|Overview|227}}
 
** {{i|Overview|227}}
 
** {{i|The Differentiation and Identification Models|229}}
 
** {{i|The Differentiation and Identification Models|229}}
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*** {{i|Nature of Reality|275}}
 
*** {{i|Nature of Reality|275}}
 
*** {{i|Nature of Mind|277}}
 
*** {{i|Nature of Mind|277}}
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*** {{i|The Problem of the Remainder (lhag ma : avasista)|299}}
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*** {{i|The Problem of the Remainder (''lhag ma'' : ''avaśiṣṭa'')|299}}
 
*** {{i|On the Prospect of a Groundless Ground|314}}
 
*** {{i|On the Prospect of a Groundless Ground|314}}
 
*** {{i|On Whether or Not a Buddha has Wisdom|320}}
 
*** {{i|On Whether or Not a Buddha has Wisdom|320}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā as Mental Nonengagement (amanasikāra)|325}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā as Mental Nonengagement (''amanasikāra'')|325}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|341}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|341}}
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* {{i|Padma dkar po|342}}
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 +
* {{i|'''Padma dkar po'''|342}}
 
** {{i|Overview|343}}
 
** {{i|Overview|343}}
 
** {{i|Life, Writings and Influences|347}}
 
** {{i|Life, Writings and Influences|347}}
−
** {{i|The Basic Framework: Mahāmudrā and the Unity of the Two Truths|350}}
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** {{i|The Basic Framework: ''Mahāmudrā'' and the Unity of the Two Truths|350}}
 
** {{i|Emptiness and the Hermeneutics of the Three Turnings|352}}
 
** {{i|Emptiness and the Hermeneutics of the Three Turnings|352}}
 
** {{i|Hermeneutics of Mahāmudrā as Ground and Path|356}}
 
** {{i|Hermeneutics of Mahāmudrā as Ground and Path|356}}
 
** {{i|The Two Faces of Mahāmudrā: the Modes of Abiding and Error|357}}
 
** {{i|The Two Faces of Mahāmudrā: the Modes of Abiding and Error|357}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā as the Mode of Abiding (gnas lugs phyag chen)|359}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā as the Mode of Abiding (''gnas lugs phyag chen'')|359}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā in the Mode of Error ( ’khrul lugs phyag chen)|363}}
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*** {{i|Mahāmudrā in the Mode of Error ('' 'khrul lugs phyag chen'')|363}}
 
*** {{i|Yang dgon pa on the Two Modes of Mahāmudrā|369}}
 
*** {{i|Yang dgon pa on the Two Modes of Mahāmudrā|369}}
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*** {{i|Padma dkar po’s Transposition of Yang dgon pa’s Distinction|376}}
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*** {{i|Padma dkar po's Transposition of Yang dgon pa's Distinction|376}}
 
*** {{i|Interpretations of the Mahāmudrā Distinction|378}}
 
*** {{i|Interpretations of the Mahāmudrā Distinction|378}}
 
*** {{i|Mahāmudrā and the Unity of the Two Truths|382}}
 
*** {{i|Mahāmudrā and the Unity of the Two Truths|382}}
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** {{i|Path Mahāmudrā and Liberating Knowledge|398}}
 
** {{i|Path Mahāmudrā and Liberating Knowledge|398}}
 
*** {{i|Nonconceptual Knowing in the Shadow of the Bsam yas Debate|399}}
 
*** {{i|Nonconceptual Knowing in the Shadow of the Bsam yas Debate|399}}
−
*** {{i|Three Strands of Amanasikāra Interpretation in Indian Buddhism|403}}
+
*** {{i|Three Strands of ''Amanasikāra'' Interpretation in Indian Buddhism|403}}
−
*** {{i|Padma dkar po’s Three Grammatical Interpretations of Amanasikāra|413}}
+
*** {{i|Padma dkar po's Three Grammatical Interpretations of ''Amanasikāra''|413}}
−
*** {{i|Responding to Criticisms of Amanasikāra|422}}
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*** {{i|Responding to Criticisms of ''Amanasikāra''|422}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|426}}
 
** {{i|Concluding Remarks|426}}
−
* {{i|Final Reflections|429}}
+
* {{i|'''Final Reflections'''|429}}
  
 
'''Volume Two'''
 
'''Volume Two'''
  
−
* {{i|Shākya mchog ldan|10}}
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* {{i|'''Shākya mchog ldan'''|10}}
 
* {{i|Introduction: the Mahāmudrā Trilogy|11}}
 
* {{i|Introduction: the Mahāmudrā Trilogy|11}}
−
** {{i|1a. English Translation of Gzhan blo’i dregs pa nyams byed|14}}
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** {{i|1a. English Translation of ''Gzhan blo'i dregs pa nyams byed''|14}}
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** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of Gzhan blo’i dregs pa nyam byed|26}}
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** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of ''Gzhan blo'i dregs pa nyam byed''|26}}
−
** {{i|2a. English Translation of Grub pa mchog gi dgongs pa rnam nges|34}}
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** {{i|2a. English Translation of ''Grub pa mchog gi dgongs pa rnam nges''|34}}
−
** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of Grub pa mchog gi dgongs pa rnam nges|43}}
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** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of ''Grub pa mchog gi dgongs pa rnam nges''|43}}
−
** {{i|3a. English Translation of Zung 'jug gi gru chen|48}}
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** {{i|3a. English Translation of ''Zung 'jug gi gru chen''|48}}
−
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of Zung ’jug gi gru chen|71}}
+
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of ''Zung 'jug gi gru chen''|71}}
−
* {{i|Karma phrin las pa|86}}
+
 
 +
* {{i|'''Karma phrin las pa'''|86}}
 
* {{i|Perspectives on Rang stong and Gzhan stong|87}}
 
* {{i|Perspectives on Rang stong and Gzhan stong|87}}
−
** {{i|1a. English Translation of Dri lan yid kyi mun sei|88}}
+
** {{i|1a. English Translation of ''Dri lan yid kyi mun sel''|88}}
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** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of Dri lan yid kyi mun sei|91}}
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** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of ''Dri lan yid kyi mun sel''|91}}
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* {{i|A Mystical Song of the View Proclaiming the Mode of Being|94}}
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* {{i|''A Mystical Song of the View Proclaiming the Mode of Being''|94}}
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** {{i|2a. English Translation of the Yin lugs sgrog pa Ita ba’i mgur|95}}
+
** {{i|2a. English Translation of the ''Yin lugs sgrog pa lta ba'i mgur''|95}}
−
** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of the Yin lugs sgrog pa Ita ba ’i mgur|98}}
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** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of the ''Yin lugs sgrog pa lta ba'i mgur''|98}}
−
* {{i|A Vajra Song|100}}
+
* {{i|A ''Vajra'' Song|100}}
−
** {{i|3a. English Translation of the Rdo rje mgur|100}}
+
** {{i|3a. English Translation of the ''Rdo rje mgur''|100}}
−
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of the Rdo rje mgur|102}}
+
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of the ''Rdo rje mgur''|102}}
−
* {{i|Karma pa Mi bskyod rdo rje|104}}
+
 
−
* {{i|Critique of ‘Gos Lo tsd ba’s Separation of Buddhahood and Buddha Nature|105}}
+
* {{i|'''Karma pa Mi bskyod rdo rje'''|104}}
−
** {{i|1a. English Translation of Rgan po’i rlung sman (excerpt)|105}}
+
* {{i|Critique of '''Gos Lo tsd ba' ''s Separation of Buddhahood and Buddha Nature|105}}
−
** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of Rgan po’i rlung sman (excerpt)|109}}
+
** {{i|1a. English Translation of ''Rgan po'i rlung sman'' (excerpt)|105}}
−
* {{i|Some Criticisms of Shākya mchog ldan’s Buddha Nature Epistemology|111}}
+
** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of ''Rgan po'i rlung sman'' (excerpt)|109}}
−
** {{i|2a. English Translation of Rgan po ’i rlung sman (excerpt)|112}}
+
* {{i|Some Criticisms of Shākya mchog ldan's Buddha Nature Epistemology|111}}
−
** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of Rgan po’i rlung sman (excerpt)|115}}
+
** {{i|2a. English Translation of ''Rgan po'i rlung sman'' (excerpt)|112}}
−
* {{i|Two Minds in One Person? A Reply to the Queries of Bla ma khams pa|117}}
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** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of ''Rgan po'i rlung sman'' (excerpt)|115}}
−
** {{i|3a. English Translation of Bla ma khams pa ’i dris lan mi gcig sems gnyis|118}}
+
* {{i|''Two Minds in One Person? A Reply to the Queries of Bla ma khams pa''|117}}
−
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of Bla ma khams pa’i dris lan mi gcig sems gnyis|120}}
+
** {{i|3a. English Translation of ''Bla ma khams pa'i dris lan mi gcig sems gnyis''|118}}
−
* {{i|A Trove Containing Myriad Treasures of Profound Mahāmudrā|122}}
+
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of ''Bla ma khams pa'i dris lan mi gcig sems gnyis''|120}}
−
** {{i|4a. English Translation of Zab mo phyag chen gyi mdzod sna tshogs ’dus pa’i gter|123}}
+
* {{i|''A Trove Containing Myriad Treasures of Profound Mahāmudrā''|122}}
−
** {{i|4b. Critical Edition of Zab mo phyag chen gyi mdzod sna tshogs ’dus pa’i gter|134}}
+
** {{i|4a. English Translation of ''Zab mo phyag chen gyi mdzod sna tshogs 'dus<br>pa'i gter''|123}}
 +
** {{i|4b. Critical Edition of ''Zab mo phyag chen gyi mdzod sna tshogs 'dus pa'i<br>gter''|134}}
 
* {{i|Mental Nonengagement as Unconditioned Mental Engagement|143}}
 
* {{i|Mental Nonengagement as Unconditioned Mental Engagement|143}}
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** {{i|5a. English Translation of Sku gsum ngo sprod rnam bshad (excerpt)|144}}
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** {{i|5a. English Translation of ''Sku gsum ngo sprod rnam bshad'' (excerpt)|144}}
−
** {{i|5b. Critical Edition of Sku gsum ngo sprod rnam bshad (excerpt)|147}}
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** {{i|5b. Critical Edition of ''Sku gsum ngo sprod rnam bshad'' (excerpt)|147}}
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* {{i|Amanasikāra, Emptiness, and the Tradition of Heshang Moheyan|150}}
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* {{i|''Amanasikāra'', Emptiness, and the Tradition of Heshang Moheyan|150}}
−
** {{i|6a. English Translation of Dgongs gcig ’grel pa VI (excerpt)|151}}
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** {{i|6a. English Translation of ''Dgongs gcig 'grel pa'' VI (excerpt)|151}}
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** {{i|6b. Critical Edition of Dgongs gcig ’grel pa VI (excerpt)|153}}
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** {{i|6b. Critical Edition of ''Dgongs gcig 'grel pa'' VI (excerpt)|153}}
−
* {{i|Padma dkar po|156}}
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−
* {{i|Distinguishing Gnas lugs phyag chen and ’Khrul lugs phyag chen|157}}
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* {{i|'''Padma dkar po'''|156}}
−
** {{i|1a. English Translation of Phyag chen rgyal ba’i gan mdzod (excerpt)|157}}
+
* {{i|Distinguishing ''Gnas lugs phyag chen'' and '' 'Khrul lugs phyag chen''|157}}
−
** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of Phyag chen rgyal ba’i gan mdzod (excerpt)|168}}
+
** {{i|1a. English Translation of ''Phyag chen rgyal ba'i gan mdzod'' (excerpt)|157}}
−
* {{i|Three Grammatical Interpretations of Amanasikāra|175}}
+
** {{i|1b. Critical Edition of ''Phyag chen rgyal ba'i gan mdzod'' (excerpt)|168}}
−
** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of Phyag chen rgyal ba’i gan mdzod (excerpt)|176}}
+
* {{i|Three Grammatical Interpretations of ''Amanasikāra''|175}}
−
* {{i|Refuting Sa pan’s Equation of Mahāmudrā with Heshang’s Chan Meditation|179}}
+
** {{i|2b. Critical Edition of ''Phyag chen rgyal ba'i gan mdzod'' (excerpt)|176}}
−
** {{i|3a. English Translation of Klan ka gzhom pa’i gtam (excerpt)|180}}
+
* {{i|Refuting Sa paṇ's Equation of Mahāmudrā with Heshang's Chan Meditation|179}}
−
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of Klan ka gzhom pa ’i gtam (excerpt)|188}}
+
** {{i|3a. English Translation of ''Klan ka gzhom pa'i gtam'' (excerpt)|180}}
−
* {{i|Response to Nam mkha’ rgyal mtshan’s critique of Padma dkar po’s Amanasikāra|194}}
+
** {{i|3b. Critical Edition of ''Klan ka gzhom pa'i gtam'' (excerpt)|188}}
−
** {{i|4a. English Translation of Shar rtse zhal snga’i brgal lan (excerpt)|195}}
+
* {{i|Response to Nam mkha' rgyal mtshan's critique of Padma dkar po's<br>''Amanasikāra''|194}}
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** {{i|4b. Critical Edition of Shar rtse zhal snga’i brgal lan (excerpt)|197}}
+
** {{i|4a. English Translation of ''Shar rtse zhal snga'i brgal lan'' (excerpt)|195}}
−
* {{i|Amanasikāra in the Context of Nonreferential Meditation|199}}
+
** {{i|4b. Critical Edition of ''Shar rtse zhal snga'i brgal lan'' (excerpt)|197}}
−
** {{i|5a. English Translation of Snying po don gyi man ngag (excerpt)|199}}
+
* {{i|''Amanasikāra'' in the Context of Nonreferential Meditation|199}}
−
** {{i|5b. Critical Edition of Snying po don gyi man ngag (excerpt)|201}}
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** {{i|5a. English Translation of ''Snying po don gyi man ngag'' (excerpt)|199}}
 +
** {{i|5b. Critical Edition of ''Snying po don gyi man ngag'' (excerpt)|201}}
 
* {{i|Bibliography|202}}
 
* {{i|Bibliography|202}}
 
* {{i|Abbreviations of Canonical Collections, Journals, and Online Sources|202}}
 
* {{i|Abbreviations of Canonical Collections, Journals, and Online Sources|202}}
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Latest revision as of 19:09, 6 October 2020

Mahāmudrā and the Middle Way
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This two-volume publication explores the complex philosophy of Mahāmudrā that developed in Tibetan Dwags po Bka’ brgyud traditions between the 15th and 16th centuries CE. It examines the attempts to articulate and defend Bka’ brgyud views and practices by four leading post-classical thinkers: (1) Shākya mchog ldan (1423‒1507), a celebrated yet controversial Sa skya scholar who developed a strong affiliation with the Karma Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā tradition in the last half of his life, (2) Karma phrin las Phyogs las rnam rgyal (1456‒1539), a renowned Karma Bka’ brgyud scholar-yogin and tutor to the Eighth Karma pa, (3) the Eighth Karma pa himself, Mi bskyod rdo rje (1507‒1554), who was among the most erudite and influential scholar-hierarchs of his generation, (4) and Padma dkar po (1527‒1592), Fourth ’Brug chen of the ’Brug pa Bka’ brgyud lineage who is generally acknowledged as its greatest scholar and systematizer. It is an important academic work published in the Vienna series WSTB and is divided into two volumes: the first offers a detailed philosophical analysis of the authors’ principal views and justifications of Mahāmudrā against the background of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist doctrines on mind, emptiness and buddha nature; the second comprises an annotated anthology of their seminal writings on Mahāmudrā accompanied by critical editions and introductions. These two volumes are the result of research that was generously funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) from 2012 to 2015 under the supervision of Prof. Klaus-Dieter Mathes. The project was entitled “‘Emptiness of Other’ (Gzhan stong) in the Tibetan ‘Great Seal’ (Mahāmudrā) Traditions of the 15th and 16th Centuries” (FWF Project number P23826-G15). (Source: WSTB Description)

Citation Higgins, David, and Martina Draszczyk. Mahāmudrā and the Middle Way: Post-Classical Kagyü Discourses on Mind, Emptiness and Buddha-Nature. Vol. II, Translations, Critical Texts, Bibliography and Index. Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde 90.2. Vienna: Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien Universität Wien, 2016.

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་

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

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་

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་

Sakya - The Sakya tradition developed in the eleventh century in the Khön family of Tsang, which maintained an imperial-era lineage of Vajrakīla and which adopted a new teaching from India known as Lamdre. Tib. ས་སྐྱ་

Geluk - The Geluk tradition traces its origin to Tsongkhapa, who propagated a modified version of the Kadampa lojong and lamrim teachings. It is the dominant tradition of Tibet, having established its control of the government under the figure of the Dalai Lama. Tib. དགེ་ལུགས་

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་

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་

prabhāsvaratā - In a general sense, that which clears away darkness, though it often appears in Buddhist literature in reference to the mind or its nature. It is a particularly salient feature of Tantric literature, especially in regard to the advanced meditation techniques of the completion-stage yogas. Skt. प्रभास्वर Tib. འོད་གསལ་ Ch. 光明

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

rang stong - The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena. Tib. རང་སྟོང་

svasaṃvedana - An important term for the Yogācāra that refers to a consciousness of consciousness itself, or how one knows that they know something. It was a hotly debated topic that was disputed by followers of the Madhyamaka. In Tibet it would later become a common Dzogchen term, though with the entirely different meaning of one's own innate awareness (rig pa), a crucial concept in the Dzogchen teachings. Skt. स्वसंवेदन Tib. རང་རིག་ Ch. 自證分

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.

tridharmacakrapravartana - Three successive stages of the Buddhist teachings. Though they are traditionally attributed to the historical Buddha, modern scholarship tends to view them as developmental stages that occurred over the course of an extended period of time, with interludes of several centuries, in which we see major doctrinal shifts often based on seemingly newly emergent scriptural sources. Skt. त्रिधर्मचक्रप्रवर्तन Tib. ཆོས་འཁོར་རིམ་པ་གསུམ་

pariniṣpannasvabhāva - The third of the three natures, according to the Yogācāra school. It is the perfect nature that represents the most authentic understanding of phenomena, which is classically defined as the complete absence of the imaginary nature within the dependent nature. Skt. परिनिष्पन्नस्वभाव Tib. ཡོངས་སུ་གྲུབ་པའི་རང་བཞིན་

rang stong - The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena. Tib. རང་སྟོང་

nītārtha - Refers to a teaching that is literally true. Skt. नीतार्थ Tib. ངེས་དོན་

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།

advaya - Literally, "without duality," it refers to that which is indivisible, in that it is not divided into two. Skt. अद्वय Tib. གཉིས་མེད་ Ch. 不二

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