Because Bhusuku, who was of the ksatriya caste, appeared to have an auspicious character, he was accepted as a monk in the monastery of Nalanda. At this time, Devapala was king, and he provided food and drink for the group of seven hundred monks in the Dharma-circle of Nalanda; the abbot of the ordinary section of the four sections of the Sangha had about three hundred students. By their diligence, they had all become skillful in the five sciences, except for this ksatriya monk, who was very lethargic in his studies. Moreover, each morning he ate five full bowls of rice because his appetite was like a raging fire. King Devapala said of him, "This person is a bhusuku, a lazy bum." And so the monk became known by the name of Bhusuku because he did only three things: eat, sleep, and wander around.

 

It was the general practice in Nalanda to have those in the Dharma-circle recite the Sutras in turn. The abbot, speaking for the entire place, said to Bhusuku, "Since you will not take your turn reciting the Sutras, please go else- where!" But Bhusuku replied, "I have not broken any of the rules. It is not right to throw me out. It is just that I have no luck in learning academic subjects." So he was permitted to stay.

 

But when it was again time for Bhusuku to recite the Sutras, the monks told him to prepare well, because this time he would have to take his turn. He accepted that he would have to do it, and all the monks of Nalanda planned to come to hear him and laugh at him.

 

The abbot said to Bhusuku, "When you should have been studying, you were eating or sleeping instead of preparing the Siitras for the master of Nalanda." Bhusuku replied, "I will recite the Siitras." The abbot then said to him, "If you cannot recite the Siitras, you will be expelled." Bhusuku said he understood. But he still could not do it, so the abbot taught him the mantra of the holy Manjusri'-A-RA-BA-TSA-NA-and told him to recite the mantra during the night without sleeping. He set Bhusuku to reciting the mantra with a meditation cord around his neck and knee to prevent his dozing.

 

As Bhusuku was reciting the mantra, the holy Manjusri appeared to him and said, "How are you doing, Bhusuku?" Bhusuku replied, "In the morning, it will be my tum to recite the Sutras. It is about this that I am making a request to the holy Manjusri" The holy one said, "Do you not recognize me?" "No, sir, I do not," he answered. "I am Manjusri." "Oh!" said Bhusuku. "Manjusri, please, I want the siddhi of the most excellent wisdom." "Prepare your Sutra in the morning," said Manjusri. "I will give you the knowledge." Then Manjusri disappeared. On the morning of the Sutra-recitation, the monks, the mass of people, and the king arrived at the assembly hall, all telling each other how they had come to look at Bhusuku. The implements of offering, the flowers, and so forth were then carried in, and the assembly settled down, ready to have a good laugh.

 

Bhusuku, having requested the monk's parasol, went to the throne of the vihara without apprehension; when he sat down, he became extraordinarily radiant. Even though there was a curtain in front of Bhusuku, everyone was wondering what was happening.

 

"Should I recite the Sutras in the way they have been done before, or should I explain them in a way that has not been done before?" asked Bhusuku.

 

The scholars all looked at each other while the king and the people laughed. The king said, "You have developed a method of eating that has never been seen before, and a method of sleeping and strolling about that has never been seen before. Now preach us the Dharma in a way that has not been done before."

 

Bhusuku proceeded to explain the essence of the ten divisions of the Bodhicaryavatara, and then rose up into the air. The five hundred scholars of Nalanda, King Devapala, and the crowds of people all took faith and threw flowers that nearly covered Bhusuku up to his knees. "You are not a bhusuku," they said. "You are a master." The king and all the scholars called him Santideva, 'Peaceful Deity', because he quieted the pride of the king and scholars. The assembled scholars requested him to make a commentary. When that was done, they asked him to become the abbot. But he did not agree to that.

 

He placed in the temple his most precious belongings as a monk, the monk's robes and the begging bowl, and to the surprise of the abbot and the monks, he left the vihara. Eventually he came to the city of fifty-thousand inhabitants called Dekira. Holding a gilt-handled wooden sword in his hand, he went to the king and said: "It is seemly that I be your swordsman." And so he made his living in this way, and was given ten times ten gold coins a day. For twelve years he was a swordsman, yet he never deviated from his noble aim.

 

Then one day in autumn, the swordsmen, including Santideva, made offerings to an image of the Goddess Uma. While they were all washing their swords, one of the men saw that Santideva's sword appeared to be of wood, and he reported this to the king.

 

The king said to Santideva, "Show me your sword." But Santideva replied, "If I showed it to you, it might bring you harm." "Even if it were to harm me, so be it," said the king. "Then cover your eyes," said Santideva. He then drew the sword from its scabbard; its light was so bright the people could not endure it. They begged him to put the sword away, for even their covered eyes were blinded. Santideva then anointed them with his tears, and their sight was re- stored. Amazed, they asked him to remain and be an object of veneration, but he would not stay. Santideva went up onto a rocky mountain, where he was seen killing wild animals by his magic power. He was also seen eating their flesh, and this was reported to the king. The king and his court went to the mountain and questioned Santideva: "Once you were an ascetic, chief of those at Nalanda. There you explained the Dharma; here.you demonstrated that you could cure blindness. With such abilities, how can you bear to do an injury, let alone take life?"

 

But Santideva said, "I have not killed anything." He then opened the door of his hut. They all looked out upon the mountain and saw that the wild animals had been restored to life, and had even doubled in number. Soon the animals extended over mountain and valley. When the animals finally disappeared in the distance, and the king and the fortunate others were again alone, they realized that all existing things are illusory, only a dream. Then, realizing that things are not real from the very beginning, they set out upon the spiritual path. Santideva spoke:

 

These animals which I killed

in the beginning did not come from anywhere.

In the duration, they did not stay anywhere.

In the end, they were not destroyed into anything.

From the outset, existing things are not real,

so how can the killing and the killed be real?

Behold, still having compassion for living beings,

Bhusuku has said this.

 

Reciting this, manifesting his abilities to all, he humbled the king and all the others and instructed them in the Dharma. He obtained the siddhi of Mahamudra, realizing the unity of body, speech, and mind. The qualities of the Dharma arose in him instantly; finally, after a hundred years, he went in that very body to the realm of the Dakas.

~Caturaśītisiddha

But how are we to rest in emptiness, free from all mental activity? Let us begin by saying that the state of mind of thinking 'I' has no reality whatever. Be that as it may, we do have the feeling of something real and solid which we call 'I', and which is supported by a body with its five sense powers and eight consciousnesses! For example, when the eye apprehends a form, sight occurs by virtue of the eye consciousness. If the form is something pleasant, we think, 'This is good, I like it.' If we see something frightening, a ghost, for instance, or someone with a gun ready to shoot us, we think that we are going to be killed and react with horror. The truth is, however, that these outer events apparently happening 'over there' are in fact occurring 'here', 'within' they are fabricated by our minds.

We cling to the notion that our minds are real entities. When someone helps us, we think, 'That person has been so good to me. I must be kind to him in return and make him my friend for lives and lives to come.' This only goes to show that we do not know about the empty nature of the mind. As for our enemies, we think of how to harm them as much as possible. We think like that simply because we think our anger is a true and permanent reality - while in fact it is nothing at all. We should therefore rest in the empty nature of the mind beyond all mental elaborations, in that state which is free from clinging, a clarity which is beyond all concepts.

~From Enlightened Courage, by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is defiled by incoming defilements."

"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is freed from incoming defilements."

"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is defiled by incoming defilements. The uninstructed run-of-the-mill person doesn't discern that as it actually is present, which is why I tell you that — for the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person — there is no development of the mind."

"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is freed from incoming defilements. The well-instructed disciple of the noble ones discerns that as it actually is present, which is why I tell you that — for the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones — there is development of the mind."

~AN 1.49-52

Namaḥ Śrī Gurave

 

The ever-present Immutable Being, Vajrasattva,

Remains unchanged amidst the endless display of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—

I bow to this original, innate, and uncontrived guru,

As I write these pith instructions on Mahāmudrā.

 

For the preliminaries, 1) train in bodhicitta,

2. Meditate on the yidam deity, and 3) on the guru.

For the main part, 4) settle within Mahāmudrā,

And 5) seal with dedications at the end.

Practicing all these within a single session

Is renowned as the Fivefold Mahāmudrā.

 

1. First, train in bodhicitta—the heart of awakening.

When it comes to the cultivation of relative bodhicitta,

There is aspirational bodhicitta, which is like wishing to go somewhere,

And applied bodhicitta, which is like actually going there.

 

Of these two, aspirational bodhicitta is seeing

That not a single sentient being has not been your parent.

Despite wanting happiness, they don’t know how to be happy.

They only act in ways that are negative, and so wander in saṃsāra.

Therefore always cultivate a love and compassion

That includes everyone, praying from the bottom of your heart,

“I myself will accomplish awakening for their benefit!”

 

Applied bodhicitta is the cause of buddhahood.

It refers to the six or the ten perfections,

which can be subsumed within the two accumulations:

Discipline is the accumulation of merit, and insight is the accumulation of wisdom;

Both are included in calm abiding meditation.

Thinking, “I will practice these two without laziness,”

Promise to practice them one-pointedly.

 

2. Second, meditate upon your body as the yidam deity.

It’s fine whether or not you have a special yidam;

You can meditate upon yourself as Four-Armed Avalokiteśvara.

Seeing appearances, sounds and thought as deity, mantra, and samādhi,

Take them onto the path, casting off attachment to them as ordinary.

 

3. Third, visualize your root guru seated upon a lotus and moon

atop your crown as you visualize yourself as the deity.

He is Great Vajradhara, embodiment of all Three Jewels,

Surrounded by the gurus of the Oral Lineage, the Kagyü.

 

Despite the compassionate power of the Victors of the three times,

Without a guru, disciples’ minds will not ripen.

This is especially true for the unruly folks of these destitute times,

When the force of the Victors has declined.

 

Beginning with this one wholesome thought,

Consider how they help us in uncountable ways through their skillful methods.

Therefore, with the sublime perspective that sees the guru

As equal or superior to all buddhas, single-pointedly pray to him.

 

After this, once you have taken the empowerments three times,

The guru melts into light and dissolves into you.

At that moment, consider his three vajras and your three doors

To be indivisible, and relax into uncontrived naturalness.

 

4. Fourth is the main part: training in Mahāmudrā.

First, there’s what’s to be understood; and second, what is to be practiced.

First, the nature of all that appears and exists within saṃsāra and nirvāṇa

Has from the beginning been the utterly pure dharmadhātu.

 

Profoundly clear, non-dual, beyond extremes, and uncompounded,

This is what we call “Original Buddha,”

The causal continuum, the natural state of Mahāmudrā,

And the tathāgatagarbha—buddha nature.

 

This utterly pure nature, which is like space,

Is perceived as “I” and “mine”

Through the fleeting movement of discursive thought.

And so, beginning with ignorance, the process

Of interdependence unfolds as the wheel of saṃsāra.

The guru introduces you to its true character,

And when you understand that the root of saṃsāra

Is grasping to the self, and the root of that is thinking,

Then just as when a fire is extinguished and its smoke naturally ceases,

All discursive thoughts are relinquished in the emptiness in which one trains.

 

This supreme path to liberation holds methods for realizing just that.

In tantra it’s taught in many ways—the development stage, training the prāṇa energies,

Blazing and dripping, and so on—while the sūtras teach calm abiding

With various supports and gaining certainty through insight, and so on.

Why so? Because without realizing emptiness

It will be impossible to transcend saṃsāra and so emerge awakened.

Therefore, it is said, “Whatever Dharma the Victor taught flows into and comes down to emptiness.”

The Noble Ones shall be liberated by meditating upon emptiness,

And the other meditations are taught for this purpose, it is said.

 

Abandoning thoughts in their meditation,

Some non-Buddhists cultivate the mistaken idea,

“I am the nonconceptual Supreme Self”;

Others refute the “samādhi of non-thought from Hashang’s tradition,”

When it’s just the calm abiding of beginners;

While long chains of intellectual thoughts

Are hailed as meditation by those pining after future fame—

All such impure meditations should be totally abandoned.

 

You should gain experiential instruction, rather than settling for words—

Pith advice that adorns the lineage of the Buddha’s teachings.

Those with the good fortune to gain experience through such instruction

Should unify their samādhi with discerning wisdom.

 

This is known as taking buddha nature as the path,

The continuum of skillful methods, the truth of the path,

And the accumulation of wisdom.

Furthermore, samādhi refers to calm abiding meditation

That remains one-pointed and without conceptual thought.

The luminous essence of mind, undeluded and beyond thought,

Is the way all things truly are.

To gain certainty, from the depths of your very being,

In the realization that all that could possibly exist is unborn simplicity

Is the insight referred to here as discerning wisdom.

When you settle evenly in both calm abiding and insight,

They have but a single essence—a “unity.”

For as long as meditation and post-meditation have yet to mix,

Analytical wisdom during post-meditation is most important.

 

In the sūtras, special insight is likened to eyes,

And calm abiding compared to legs.

Without the eyes seeing, the legs will not know

Or understand the path to be taken on their own;

And yet without legs, how could one walk this path?

Possess both eyes and legs, therefore, the teachings say.

 

Such a meditator discovers that within the sky-like space of reality,

It is impossible, naturally, for there to be any stains,

And yet the temporary emotional and cognitive stains

Will gradually clear away like clouds.

The various divisions of the ten grounds,

The five paths, or Śāntipa’s system of One-Pointedness, Simplicity,

One-Taste and Non-Meditation, and so forth,

Are presented on this basis.

As it is said, “When the stains and their imprints

Are utterly exhausted, that is complete awakening.”

 

When one has realized the all-pervasive dharmakāya,

There is the second fruit, rūpakāya, which comes from merit.

These two arise as effortlessly as light from the sun.

This is called the fruitional continuum, fruitional buddhahood,

And sugatagarbha endowed with twofold purity.

The Buddha’s teachings on this topic are widely renowned!

 

Second, when it comes to that which is to be practiced,

There are the two means of resting.

Place the body at rest in the sevenfold posture of Vairocana,

And rest the mind easily, without changing anything.

In the naked recognition of this present awareness,

Don’t follow after thoughts of the past

Or entertain thoughts of the future.

When thoughts abound, recognize that which proliferates them.

Let it be as it is—without any judgement, acceptance, or rejection.

 

If you haven’t attained the level of One-Pointedness,

Then focus on whichever support you like

For taking hold of the mind, such as a stick, a pebble,

A deity’s image, a syllable, or anything else.

When your mind gradually becomes somewhat stable through such meditation,

Practice in short sessions, many times.

 

First, combine your entire sixfold sensory experience

Into a single point of mindfulness,

Then, in an instant, completely relax and let go,

Like slicing through a knot with a sharp blade.

Apart from simply not being distracted from this state,

Give up all points of focus—thoughts about “meditating on this,”

A meditation or a meditator, presence or absence, “this is it” or “this isn’t it,”

Bliss, clarity, non-thought, emptiness, or any of the like.

 

As long as you simply do not stray from this mindful state,

Your awareness, never grasping at a self, may go wherever it likes,

Like a crow soaring above a ship at sea.

Based on this training, the apparent objects of the six senses,

Pain, emotions, and thoughts may all be taken as supports

And blended with your meditation.

They will not cloud your samādhi but increase it.

 

In brief, when training to stabilize your calm abiding,

Too much relaxation will lead to drowsiness,

While too much tightness will lead to agitation and difficulty sitting still.

The quality of tightness only torments the mind,

And overcome by doubts, you will not gain One-Pointedness.

So, neither too tight nor too loose, meditate with joy and certainty.

Attachment to any experience of bliss, clarity, or emptiness

Will make you stray into saṃsāra.

So without grasping, just recognize your natural face

And remain there without any judgement whatsoever.

 

When you are given the introduction to special insight,

It is as the protector Maitreya says in The Ornament of the Sūtras:

 

Once you discern that there is naught apart from mind,

Then you will realize that even mind is emptiness.

The clever understand that neither truly exist,

And so know the state of dharmadhātu besides.

 

Through valid citation, reasoning, and experience,

We may gain conviction that this is so.

Firstly, this entire miasma of thought we experience

Has no basis apart from just this very mind,

So know it to be like things in a dream.

 

But how is it, you may wonder,

That substantial things like firmness, wetness, warmth, and such,

Could be produced by an insubstantial mind?

It is like the legend of the cowherd who willed

Visible horns from his head through meditation

Or the mantrin who undertook nāga practice

And so transformed into Apalāla the Nāga King.

Or when one beholds the yidam deity

Through stability in the development stage.

If such things can manifest in a single life,

Then what is there to stop all these experiences from manifesting

Out of the bad habits formed over beginningless time?

 

Gods will see a cup of water as ambrosia

While hungry ghosts see it as pus and blood.

Land spirits will see a mountain

As their own lovely mansion,

While humans see it as ordinary stone.

All this goes to show that such things

Hold no truth apart from their mere appearance to the mind.

 

Once you gain certainty that apparent objects are mind,

Then come to know that mind as well is emptiness.

Mind has no concrete existence, not so much as an atom’s worth.

Why? When the condition of an object appears,

We have a distinct experience of knowing it

That arises and ceases with each moment.

This is what we categorize in terms of the eight collections of consciousness,

But if you dissect any of these, any basis for them disappears,

For that which we call the basis-of-all is nothing but a name.

Just as a thirsty animal will chase after the water

Seen in a mirage, where none exists,

This utterly mistaken mind grasps at a self,

And grows more and more confused as it gathers bad karma.

 

This is why in the Sūtra Collection the Victor clearly states:

“There is no mind within the mind.”

While mind isn’t there, it’s taught that

“Its nature is luminous cognizance.”

Why? Because what we call the “mind”

Is just the eight collections of consciousness,

And these are but thoughts, by nature confused.

But the “nature of mind, luminous cognizance,”

Is thought-free, unconfused, self-knowing gnosis.

This is not gained anew through meditation,

Nor bestowed by the compassion of the Victors.

It is the beginningless causal continuum, our natural birthright.

 

Through the power of gathering the accumulations,

Purifying obscurations, training, and through the blessings

Of your guru’s pointing out, you come to see for yourself

That you already possess this. As it is said:

 

It is therefore unspeakable by others, but always with you,

Yet cannot be found anywhere at all.

It must be known through the timely methods of the glorious guru,

And through one’s own merit.

 

As such, it is ever-present,

Free from both perceived objects

And the perceiving mind.

Pure like the sky, with no restrictions or bias.

If you are able to rest in composure in this unity

Of calm abiding and special insight, free from complexity, for even for a moment,

Then “the darkness of many aeons is thereby defeated.”

 

This Mahāmudrā free from complexity

Is the essential view of both Sūtra and Tantra.

This is explained to be the single meaning of the view

Espoused unanimously by the great Indian commentators,

Such as when masters like Nāgārjuna state,

“There is no view superior to the Middle Way,”

Or as in the passage from The Torch of the Three Methods,

That begins, “The meaning is the same…”

What then is the point of receiving

Hundreds of empowerments and bestowing them on others

If you don’t practice the meaning of the fourth empowerment, Mahāmudrā,

But cover your ears when you even hear its name?

How is that different from the karma of a lord of the Desire Realm?

 

So when you practice this yoga of unity,

If you grasp to the meditation moods of bliss, clarity, or non-thought,

These will lead you astray into the Desire, Form, and Formless Realms.

So do not grasp or block them, but just allow for the continued presence of the natural state.

Moreover, whether it’s presuming intellectual understanding to be enough,

Or destroying appearances and imagining them to be empty,

Or blocking of any kind of thought, however minute—

These should be treated as frightful abysses.

Give up the intellectual posturing of dry scholars,

Such as clinging to the faults of whatever thought may arise,

And simply allow for the unaltered, natural flow of whatever arises.

 

When diligently practicing according to this tradition,

Which is adorned with such experiential oral instructions

As “relax and let be within undistracted non-meditation,”

Gnosis will shine from within your heart, misconceptions will fall away,

And the signs and qualities of the path will increase, even if you wish otherwise.

Like mercury that has fallen on the ground,

You will remain unsullied by the dust of the eight worldly concerns,

And all the grandeur of saṃsāra will seem as revulsive as poison.

By understanding this key point of emptiness and dependent origination’s unity,

The benefit for oneself and others, wisdom and method united, will spontaneously arise.

When this happens, your “practice has arrived at the key point.”

 

The threefold preliminaries above gather merit,

While the main practice gathers wisdom.

Therefore, through these two accumulations

You will attain the resultant two or threefold kāyas.

Then, when ground and path luminous cognizance mix

Like the meeting of mother and child,

This is called perfect buddhahood.

At this point, its empty essence is the dharmakāya,

Its cognizant nature is the sambhogakāya,

Its unobstructed expression is the all-encompassing nirmāṇakāya,

And this total perfection is the kāya of great bliss.

This is the supreme result of recognizing your own face,

The original natural state whose nature is these four kāyas—

Thus, it is taught to be “the fruition, beyond hope and fear.”

 

Fifth: Conclude by sealing the practice with dedications.

Imagine that all the virtue there could be

In the past, present, or future is all condensed

Into the virtue amassed by your gathering the two accumulations

Within the maṇḍala of self-knowing buddha nature.

Dedicate this one-pointedly to all beings, yourself and others,

Being quickly freed from the snare of saṃsāra

And attaining the state of Mahāmudrā, unified connate gnosis.

Make this dedication from within the state that

Embraces the view of emptiness, with no reference to the three spheres

Of action, actor, and object of dedication.

 

Whatever great virtue you may accomplish,

If it’s not embraced by the view purified of the three spheres,

It will become as the Victors described

In the Perfection of Wisdom sūtras and elsewhere

As like a blind man or food mixed with poison—

It won’t serve as the flawless cause of freedom.

Therefore, take care at all times

To plant the seed of awakening

Every time you practice the development and completion stages

Or whichever virtuous practice you exert yourself in.

 

In this way a beginner may practice

All these five elements in a single session.

Once you practice and gain familiarity

With the different stages of the main part,

Such as focusing your attention in calm abiding,

You will not need any elaborate practice besides

This yoga of unity.

 

Then, there are supplementary practices related to the different times of day.

First, at dawn comes the yoga of clarifying gnosis,

Wherein immediately upon waking from sleep

You recognize awareness, the unity of empty cognizance

Uninterrupted by thoughts, and rest there evenly,

Then develop fierce compassion for all beings

Who do not realize this nature,

And thereafter begin your daily practice.

This is the instruction for making a habit of your practice;

It’s excellent to begin your practice joyfully in this way.

 

During the daytime, the yoga of sealing the experiences

Is to seal and meditate upon all experiences

As being the confused mind, dreamlike,

And by nature deluded.

By viewing them as emptiness, just like dreams that can’t be held as real,

You will not be overpowered by delusion

And will refine the expression of awareness;

This is the instruction for preparing for the bardo.

 

During the morning and evening, the yoga of befriending luxuries

Is to have little attachment to food and drink,

Clothing, place, bedding, and so on,

But to train in their use as reality dissolving into itself

From within the state that knows their emptiness.

If you are unable to train like this,

Then make use of things as though you were offering them

To the deities and your guru.

These are the instructions for perfecting the accumulations

And not being bound by luxuries.

 

At nighttime, the yoga of withdrawing the senses into the basis-of-all

Is to not follow after the proliferation

Of whatever deluded memories of the day may arise,

But to look nakedly at their very essence.

This is the instruction for making a habit of practice at nighttime.

 

Late at night, the yoga of consciousness entering the vase

Is to pray to your guru, visualized in your heart center,

And then to completely cut through thoughts

And fall asleep while resting evenly in the simplicity of reality.

This is the instruction for blending mother and child luminosity

In sleep and at the time of death.

 

At the moment of death, the yoga of wide open gnosis

Is to sever your attachment to anything at all,

Confess all the faults of this and past lives,

Then bring to mind all your own and others’ virtue,

Rejoice in it, and dedicate it to great awakening.

If you’re especially capable, offer and give away your own aggregates,

Remain decisively confident that your own mindfulness

Is not born and does not die,

And then let the stages of dissolution transpire as they like

While resting evenly in the natural flow of Mahāmudrā,

Free from any meditation or non-meditation,

And uncomplicated by many complex visualizations.

This is the transference of consciousness

Within the wide open expanse of dharmakāya.

This will close the doors to the lower realms,

And halt the perpetuation of samsāra in general,

And the confusion of the bardo in particular.

This is the instruction for realizing death as dharmakāya.

 

This briefest of brief instructions

On the Fivefold Mahāmudrā

Was written freely without care for poetics

At the behest of the minister of the great king of Dergé,

The seasoned practitioner Lodrö,

By the one called Tsuglak Chökyi Nangwa.