Passage

[421.4] de ltar dge ba'i bshes gnyen legs bsten nas

thar pa'i lam la rim gyis bslab par bya/

ci'i phyir zhe na thod rgal du 'jug par mi rigs pa'i phyir te/ lam gyi yon tan 'og ma ma skyes par gong ma thob par mi nus pa nyid dang/ rim pas ma 'dzogs par gong du phyin par mi nus pa'i phyir te/ mya ngan las 'das pa'i mdo/

ji ltar skas kyi rim pa bzhin
nga yi bstan pa zab mo yang
rim gyis bslab cing nan tan bya
thod rgal ma yin mthar chags so
rims gyis lus shad rdzogs pa ltar
chos 'di yang ni de dang 'dra
dang po 'jug pa'i rim pa nas
yongs su rdzogs pa'i bar du'o/ zhes so/

[896.4] de nyid shes na gzhan zhig dgos mi 'gyur

grol ba rnams ning bzhin 'khrul pa chad
da ni mi 'dri sems kyi gzhi rtsa stor
gtan med 'dzin med nges med 'di yin med
phyal pa lhug pa yengs pa phyam gcig pa
'di ltar rtogs nas da ni glu len te
dri med 'od zer shar bas bstan nas song/

zhes pa ni gnas lugs kyi phu thag 'khrus pas gzhan la smon pa med pa'i dus te/ rnal 'byor pa gzhan dag grol ba rnams kyang ngas ji ltar rtogs pa'i tshul 'di rtogs pas grol bas na/ [897] da ni 'di ba'i the tshom med de de las lhags sus kyang bstan rtyu med pa'i phyir ro/ do hA [Saraha's dmangs gi dohā] las/

mdun dang rgyab dang phyogs bcu ru
gang gang mthong ba de de nyid
di ring mgon po nga ltar 'khrul pa chad
da ni su la'ang dri bar mi bya'o/ zhes pa dang tshul gcig go

sngon lta sgom spyod pa'i go rims dang khrigs shin tu legs pas sa la gong 'og gi rim pa skas kyi gdang bu lta bu la brten zhing/ rnal 'byor gong 'og gi skye tshul la blo goms 'dris su byed pa rnams dus 'dir sems kyi gzhi rtsa stor ba dang mnyam du stor bas/ da ni gang la'ang gtad so dang 'dir rgyag med de/ 'ji ltar shar yang 'dzin pa med pa smyon pa chang gis gzi ba lta bu dang/ snang la ngos gzung med pa bu chung lta bu dang/ bya cha'i rim pa rnam la khrigs su med pas phyal pa dang/ lhug pa dang/ yengs pa dang/ gtad so med pas zhe 'dzin las 'das par phyam gcig pa ste ya cha ba'i rnam pa zhig bdag la shar ba ni/ ...

Note

In the first passage, Klong chen pa compares the stages of the path to a ladder which leads one higher and higher. See also 'Jigs med gling pa's autocommentary on Yon tan mdzod (Bden gnyis shing rta {115781}/ Rnam mkhyen shing rta {115786} p. 331.6}). In the second, he shows that this sequential, step by step approach has only operational validity. At the time of deeply understanding Being's abidingness, all props and supports (which are engendered by mind) break down and give way to openness and freedom. This breaking point, finding oneself lost 'nowhere' with no one and nothing to turn to, marks not the end of the path but a re-entry into an immediacy prior to its interpretation. For translations, see Higgins's thesis The Philosophical Foundations of Classical rDzogs chen in Tibet. Investigating the Distinction Between Dualistic Mind (sems) and Primordial knowing (ye shes) {116296}.

by David Higgins