Dzogchen-The Ultimate Teaching Of Buddhas

Ch. 22  Distinction between ‘emptiness’ and ‘inseparability of awareness and emptiness’

1 What do you mean by ‘obscurations of this delusive life’?

As described in the Prajñāparāmitā teachings, conceptual thoughts and knowledge in our mind obscure us.  Limited by the agents of acquiring intellectual knowledge and most importantly, they are dualistic so that we are born to be separated from the true nature of the mind, trapped in a net even without knowing our own real condition.  Blind congenitally we are and repeatedly repay for following the wrong paths.  The one and only method, in the Sūtra system, to gain freedom from ‘deluded life’ is the realization of emptiness.  “Meditating deeply on Perfection of Wisdom, He clearly perceived that all five skandhas of human existence are empty of inherent nature, thus He transcended all sufferings.”  Realize emptiness by complete and perfect wisdom can totally wipe off all obstacles covering the face of the truth produced from our past and present delusive lives.

Apparently, the viewpoints of the Sūtra system are obscured and lead their devotees into dualism: an ‘apprehender’ of Meditating deeply on Perfection of Wisdom and an ‘apprehended object’ of clearly perceived that all five skandhas of human existence are empty of inherent nature.  Here, it is of paramount importance on the observed object in realizing the secret of existence so as to ‘transcend all sufferings’, dwells without delusion and free from five fears (fear of giving away all lest they should have no sustenance; fear of being insignificant after sacrificing their reputation; fear of dying in situations that call for self-sacrifice; fear of falling into evil circumstances; and fear of addressing an assembly, especially in the presence of men of importance).  Positing subject and object of self and emptiness, the role and the ability of an individual to realize emptiness are incongruity never mentioned and left unanswered implying there exists very much limitation and the higher hierarchical vehicle, secret Mantrayāna has no alternative but to approach necessary complement.

2 In what way does the viewpoint of secret Mantrayāna, more sophisticatedly than the Wisdom Sūtra system, succeed in extensively explicating ‘inseparability’?

All three inner Tantras employ the emptiness of all phenomena as the starting point to deal with our mind.  Mahāyoga (including Śākya, Kaygu, Gelug schools) asserts clarity and emptiness are as inseparable, where the two succeeding yānas, in hierarchy, Anuyoga and Atiyoga stress the bliss and emptiness inseparable and awareness and emptiness inseparable, respectively.

3Actually, what is the rationale behind ‘inseparability of awareness and emptiness’ in secret mantra system?

The view of ‘inseparability of awareness and emptiness’ can be epitomized in five statements:
1  All phenomena that is non-dual in nature.
2  Each occurrence and appearance, within the sphere of worldly phenomena, in their true condition are beyond the limits of the mind (this means that all phenomena is uncreated and at the same time, complete in itself).
3  The true condition does not develop into an intellectual idea and there exists no word, concept nor pictures conveying the truth.
4  No practice other than profound contemplation perceives the true condition.
5  The impure karmic vision of ordinary beings, the vision of experience recognized by practitioner, and the pure vision of the enlightened beings manifest according to the natural law of cause and effect.