Padmasambhava’s final condensed instruction to Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal
from Dakini Teachings, Rangjung Yeshe Publications
Part 4
[This is the end portion of Padmasambhava’s teaching to Yeshe Tsogyal. I hesitate to put it on as has a ‘Samaya Seal’ on it. However, it is a text freely available, so I sure it’s okay to read this. However, as Padmasambhava says…”You should give this oral instruction to recipients who have great faith, strong diligence and intelligence, who always remember their teacher and who have confidence in the oral instructions, who exert themselves in practice, who are stable-minded and able to give up concerns for this world.”]
“The innate deity is your present taking hold of your mind with undistracted mindfulness. From this moment, it is very important to be without any hope or fear, clinging or fixation, towards the object of your sixth sense faculty as well as towards fascination, happiness and sorrow. From now on, if you attain stability, you will be able to assume your natural state in the bardo and become enlightened. Therefore the most vital point is to sustain your practice undistractedly from this very moment.
“The innate demon is your present tendency for ignorance, your doubt and hesitation. At that time, whatever fearful phenomena appear such as sounds, colours and lights, don’t be fascinated, don’t doubt and don’t be afraid. If you fall into doubt for even a moment, you will wander in samara so gain complete stability.
“At this point, the womb entrance appears as celestial palaces. Don’t be attracted to them. Be certain of that! Be free from hope and fear! I swear there is no doubt that you will then become enlightened without taking any further rebirth.
“At that time, it is not that one is helped by a Buddha. Your own awareness is primordially enlightened. It is not that one is harmed by the hells. Fixation being naturally purified, fear of samara and hope of nirvana are cut from the root.
“Becoming enlightened can be compared to water cleared of sediment, gold cleansed of impurities, or the sky clear of clouds.
“Having attained space-like Dharmakaya for the benefit of oneself, you will accomplish the benefit of sentient beings as far as space pervades. Having attained Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya for the welfare of others, you will benefit sentient beings as far as your mind pervades phenomena. If this instructions is given three times to even a great sinner such as one who has killed even his own father and mother, he will not fall into samsara, even if thrown there. There is no doubt about becoming enlightened.
“If you have many other profound teachings, without instructions like this, you remain far away. Since you don’t know where you may wander next, practise this with perseverance.
“You should give this oral instruction to recipients who have great faith, strong diligence and intelligence, who always remember their teacher and who have confidence in the oral instructions, who exert themselves in practice, who are stable-minded and able to give up concerns for this world. Give them this, with the Master seal of entrustment, the Yidam seal of secrecy and the Dakini seal of entrustment.
“Although I, Padmakara, have followed masters for three thousand six hundred years, have requested instructions, received teachings, studied and taught, meditated and practised, I have not found a teaching more profound than this.
“I am going to tame the rakshas. You should practise like this. Mother, you will become enlightened in the celestial realm, therefore persevere in this instruction.” Having spoken, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) mounted the rays of the sun and departed to the land of the rakshas. Following that, Lady Tsokgyal attained liberation. She committed this teaching to writing and concealed it as a profound treasure. She made this aspiration; “In the future, may it be given to Guru Dorje Lingpa. May it benefit many beings.”
“This completes the sacred refined essence instruction, the reply to questions on self-liberation at the moment of death and in the bardo.”
SAMAYA. SEAL, SEAL, SEAL.
NB
[the phrase ‘reply to questions on self-liberation’ in this final chapter could mean this final chapter, entitled The Refined Essence of Oral Instructions, but it would be better to have studied the whole of the book, “Dakini Teachings – a collection of Padmasambhava’s advice to the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal”, from Rangjung Yeshe Publications.
[Putting these teachings here is just to provide a flavour and general picture of Tibetan Buddhism. The teachings in this book are mind-blowing in their purity. It is a sort of path to step on where you don’t put a foot wrong: you are totally surrendered to the path, and that is not for everybody – until they are ready.
[When I first started reading this book many years ago, I turned the pages, and my reaction was, “O don’t want to read that…or that!” It was obvious that I wasn’t ready, so that is how it has a seal of secrecy about it.
[It is not a matter of reading a book or listening to a teaching: it is understanding, comprehending and practising, and in this way, the Dharma becomes real.
[I have a dilemma in putting this on, but unless you get an inkling of what it’s all about, you won’t know in which direction to go.]
BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog - a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. We are all Buddhas in the mud of concepts. 