Buddha, Dharma, Sangha From the Ultimate Point of View

This is a translation of the Tibetan Root-text: Mahayanauttaratantrashastra (Tib. Gyu Lama). by Maitreya through Asanga

THE BUDDHA

Homage to the Buddha

The state of a Buddha has no beginning, middle or end. It is perfect peace. Buddhahood itself is fully self-awakened and unfolded (by means of non-dual, primordial wisdom). Having attained enlightenment a Buddha fearlessly shows the path of permanence (of the Dharmakaya) in order to bring realisation to those without realisation.

He wields the supreme sword of knowledge and the vajra of compassion and cuts down the sprout of suffering. Also he destroys the walls of doubt which are surrounded by the thick forest of the various mistaken views. In front of the Buddha I bow down.

The state of a Buddha is endowed with two kinds of benefit, the benefit for oneself and the benfit for others:

· It is non-composite, spontaneously present and not realised through external conditions.

· It is endowed with knowledge, compassionate love and the capacity to help sentient beings.

Buddhahood is non-composite, because by nature it is free from beginning, middle or end. It is said to be spontaneously present, because it is perfect peace, possession of the Dharmakaya.

It is not realised through external conditions, because the self-cognizant primordial wisdom is to be realised by oneself.

It is knowledge, because it is realisation of the three previous qualities.

It is compassionate love, because it shows the path.

It is the capacity to help sentient beings, because it removes the suffering and the obscuring states through primordial wisdom and compassion.

The first three qualities make up the benefit for oneself, the latter three the benefit for others.



THE DHARMA

Homage to the Dharma

The Dharma is neither non-existent, nor existent, not a combination of existence and non-existence, nor something different from existence and non-existence. It cannot be examined nor pointed out through definitions and it can only be understood by self-cognizing wisdom. It is perfect peace.

The Dharma is stainless, illuminating by the light of primordial wisdom. It completely overcomes all attachment towards (attractive) objects, aversion towards (unattractive) objects and ignorance towards (neutral) objects. In front of the true Dharma, which is like the sun, I bow down.

The Dharma has the characteristics of the two truths, the Truth of Cessation and the Truth of the Path:

· It is inconceivable, without the two (roots of samsara) and non-conceptual.

· It is pure, illuminating and has the capacity to be a remedy against obscuring states.

The Truth of Cessation is freedom from attachment and the Truth of the Path is the method which removes the attachment. The Dharma can be summarised into these two aspects. One should know that these two have three qualities each which are presented in the above order. The Dharma is inconceivable, because it cannot be analysed by ordinary thinking (in terms of the four alternatives), because it cannot be expressed through words and because it can only be understood by the wisdom of realised beings (the Noble Ones).

It is without the two, because (karma and obscuring states have been) pacified.

It is non-conceptual, (free from the causes of obscuring states).

Also the Dharma has the three qualities of being pure, etc..(Purity means being free from disturbing emotions and habitual tendencies, illuminating means to be free from conceptual obscurations and the capacity to be a remedy means that it functions as an antidote against all obscuring states.) Therefore it is like the sun.

THE SANGHA

Homage to the Sangha

Because they have realised the Clear Light-nature of the mind, (the Bodhisattvas) see that the obscuring states have no essence at all. Therefore, after having perfectly realised the peace which is the ultimate selflessness in all sentient beings, they see that all beings are pervaded by perfect buddhahood.

The Bodhisattvas have mastered intelligence which is free from veils. Their primordial wisdom has as its object the completely pure nature which is present in limitless sentient beings. In front of the Sangha I bow down.