Venerable Chöje Lama Phuntsok
Instructions on
The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom
by the Third Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje
I wish to speak about the text entitled The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and
Wisdom – rNam-shes-ye-shes-byed-pa that was written by the Third Gyalwa Karmapa,
Rangjung Dorje, and will base my instructions on the commentary that was written by
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye the Great, entitled An Illumination of the Thoughts of
Rangjung Dorje. The root text by the Gyalwa Karmapa is short, but it is quite vast and
profound. There isn’t enough time at our disposal during this seminar to deal with the
profundity of this text, therefore I will only present a summary.
The Third Glorious Karmapa wrote two large and two smaller treatises. The shorter treatises
are The Profound Inner Meaning and The Aspiration Prayer for Mahamudra; the longer texts
are The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom and A Teaching on the
Essence of the Tathagatas, the Buddha Nature. In The Treatise that Differentiates
Consciousness and Wisdom, the Third Gyalwa Karmapa explained the consciousnesses on the
one hand, primordial wisdom on the other, and spoke of their difference.
Homage and Introduction
To demonstrate humility after having paid homage with the line,
“I pay homage to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,”
Rangjung Dorje tells us the reason he composed this text:
“I gained a thorough understanding through hearing the teachings and contemplating them. I
then resided in solitude, in order to engage in the process of meditation. I shall describe here
the kind (of realization) that arose at that time.”
He explained consciousness and wisdom very clearly and tells us that consciousness accords
with samsara, the cycle of conditioned existence, and primordial wisdom with nirvana, the
state of perfect and lasting peace. Although different, both consciousness, rnam-shes in
Tibetan, and primordial wisdom, ye-shes, have the same basis. This means to say that the
inadequacies of conditioned existence as well as the qualities of perfect and lasting peace
arise from the very same ground. What is the basis that samsara and nirvana have in common?
One’s own mind, which is one’s Buddha nature within. Then what is the difference between
consciousness and wisdom, i.e., samsara and nirvana? Not knowing the way the mind abides
and the way it appears.
Part One: The Eight Consciousnesses
The mind as the source of delusion
The difference between consciousness and wisdom is due to ma-rig-pa, which is not knowing
and therefore being deluded as to how the mind abides and clearly appears. Not knowing how
one’s mind abides, gnäs-lug, and the manner in which it appears gives rise to desire, ‘dödchags, which in turn causes one to develop mind poisons. Due to not knowing the true nature
of one’s own mind, which is clear light, all the habits and tendencies, bag-chags, that one
accumulates subside and are stored in one’s ground consciousness. And so, one’s ground
consciousness, kun-gzhi’i-rnam-par-shes-pa in Tibetan (abbreviated as kun-gzhi, literally “the
foundation of everything”) is the storehouse of samsara in its entirety.
Not knowing causes one to grasp, ‘dzin, i.e., to cling to the false notion one has of oneself.
The erroneous notion one has of oneself arises due to conceiving one’s all-ground
consciousness as a self, thus falsely asserting “I am.” This process occurs via the defiled or
afflicted consciousness, nyon-mongs-pa’i-yid-kyi-rnam-par-shes-pa (abbreviated as nyonyid). Based upon the power of one’s afflicted consciousness, one’s conceptual mind, sems in
Tibetan, immediately grasps at one or all of the five perceptions that one perceives with any
of one’s five sensory faculties and thus one becomes involved with thought processes.
Consciousness of the five sensory perceptions is a faculty that arises when one sees a form,
hears a sound, smells a scent, tastes, and feels textures with one’s body.
The eight collections of consciousness, rnam-shes-tshogs-brgyäd, are the all-ground
consciousness (8) that is connected with the defiled consciousness (7). Based on the defiled
consciousness, the mental consciousness (6) is activated the moment one perceives any of the
five sensory perceptions (5 – 1). The basis for the seven consciousnesses is the all-ground
consciousness.
One shouldn’t think that one has many minds – one’s mind is always the same. Yet one
apprehends progressively and successively, therefore there are various levels of apprehension,
which are described in the teachings on the eight kinds of consciousness.
The all-ground consciousness is not active, rather it is the storehouse for all one’s traces or
habitual patterns accumulated through one’s former actions. The all-ground consciousness is
the state in which one’s karmic traces are accumulated and have not been exhausted. Karma
and its traces, that are habitual patterns, arise due to the afflicted consciousness, which is
conditioned by one’s foregoing conceptual mind. When one’s habits and therefore karma are
spent, then primordial wisdom freely shines forth as the pure and true nature of one’s allground consciousness.
Let’s look at this process using the following example: The afflicted consciousness hooks in
to a visual sensory perception the moment a visual organ perceives an object. As a result, the
visual consciousness arises. One’s sixth mental consciousness immediately jumps in and
interprets and judges whether the visual perception one has is pleasant, unpleasant, and so
forth. Due to judging and categorizing (with one’s sixth mental consciousness) things that one
perceives (with one’s first five sensory consciousnesses), one automatically feels attracted to
specific objects and repelled by others, and so attraction and rejection arise in one’s mind,
attraction towards those things one likes and rejection of those things one dislikes. Attraction
gives rise to desire, rejection gives rise to aversion, and - due to wanting things to be different
- greed and hatred develop in one’s mind. One can have a third reaction, which is a kind of
mental dullness. In any case, the same process applies to all sensory perceptions, i.e., when
one thinks a sound one hears is either pleasant or unpleasant, one automatically develops
desire or aversion respectively.
One’s afflicted consciousness is stirred as soon as contact with a sensory object takes place,
i.e., one acts out the impulse as soon as one identifies and judges things as pleasant or
unpleasant with one’s conceptual mind and then develops either desire and greed or aversion
and anger. This means that one will do anything in one’s might to keep or get what one wants
and to avoid or eliminate anything one doesn’t want. Focusing one’s attention on methods and
means to accomplish one’s aims and acting them out is called “karma.”
One’s mental consciousness sets the entire process in motion, while the traces of one’s actions
that become habits subside into one’s all-ground consciousness and arise again as impulses
when the all-ground consciousness is stirred. So, it’s clear that any actions one carries out are
based upon one’s thoughts as to what one thinks is good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant.
Actions lead to results that one necessarily experiences, i.e., one’s positive actions lead to
happiness and one’s negative actions lead to suffering. One can say that due to one’s habitual
patterns or karmic imprints, that are stored in one’s all-ground consciousness, happiness and
suffering are experienced. And this is how samsara is created, not due to one factor only, for
instance, not by the object that is perceived and not by one consciousness alone. Rather
samsara is created due to the coming together of an apprehending subject and apprehended
objects. This very coming together activates one’s stored karma, i.e., habitual patterns, and
leads one to apprehend appearances the way one does. One’s experiences depend upon the
quality of one’s karma.
All outer appearances one apprehends do not truly exist, but one turns them into truly existing
existents because of the way one thinks they are, i.e., one erroneously apprehends objects of
perception that have no inherent existence as truly existing entities and reacts accordingly. For
example, if one takes the many living beings in the six realms of conditioned existence to
mind and understands that they are entangled in samsara yet experience appearances
differently, one can then acknowledge that manifold experiences are a subjective matter that
accord with an individual’s mind and not with appearances as such. Let’s take water to
exemplify this: A human being checks if water is dirty or poisoned before he drinks it to
quench his thirst, whereas a dog just drinks it. A hell being experiences water as boiling liquid
poured over its entire body, whereas a hungry ghost experiences it as puss or blood, so it is
evident that one and the same object is experienced quite differently by different kinds of
beings. Another example that shows that differences do not pertain to appearances, rather
depend upon an individual’s mind, is eating habits: Some people like sweets, while others
can’t stand it. The many different judgments that give rise to the many different
apprehensions are due to the great variety of karmic imprints that human beings have.
If one asks where the karmic propensities that are energies stored in one’s ground
consciousness come from, it is important to know that karma does not arise from one cause
and one condition only, but from a combination of many causes and conditions. The immense
variety of karma one collects again and again is due to the coming together of many causes
and conditions. If one asks who the busy collector is, then it’s the mental consciousness that
discriminates, “This is nice and that isn’t,” and so forth. The traces of all one’s activities
subside into one’s ground consciousness and are stored there. Understanding this process
enables one to understand that samsara, conditioned existence, is created by one’s own mind,
i.e., samsara is not created by anything outside oneself. Had the world of appearances been
created by a creator outside oneself, then the creator would have needed to have created many
things, for example, pure water for human beings, murky water for dogs, boiling water for
hell beings, etc.
It is clear that every living being apprehends phenomena subjectively, which is due to
everyone’s individual accumulation of karma - living beings create their own appearances and
experiences. Let’s take parents who have three children, love them equally, and treat them
alike, nevertheless every child will mature differently. It does happen that one child in the
family becomes a very respectable citizen, while another child turns out not so nice. Everyone
has an own destiny, because their former karma is stored in their ground consciousness as
energetic propensities that move their mental consciousness to perceive and apprehend
subjectively and therefore differently.
All appearances that one perceives and apprehends were not created by anyone outside
oneself. Appearances don’t truly exist and are mind only. Followers of the Cittamatra School
teach that all appearances are reflections of one’s own mind and that no outer phenomenon
exists of its own accord.
Why does one speak about samsara, ‘khor-ba in Tibetan? Because the mental consciousness
that is driven by the energy of one’s karmic traces, yid-kyi-bag-chags, functions and causes
one to accumulate new karma that again subsides into one’s ground consciousness, leaving
further traces that determine one’s future – and that’s how samsara continues to churn and
spin around in circles. If one asks oneself who created samsara and investigates carefully, one
discovers that one creates one’s world oneself through the coming together of one’s afflicted
seventh consciousness with the first five sensory consciousnesses, which cause one’s sixth
mental consciousness to differentiate between pleasant and unpleasant feelings. This process
gives rise to attachment and aversion. Attachment and aversion cause one to act and therefore
accumulate karma, which subsides into one’s ground consciousness as imprints or karmic
traces. These energetic propensities or traces keep the wheel of samsara turning, which is
one’s own life. If one understands this process, then one appreciates how important Dharma
practice really is - it enables one to know how to stop the chain reaction that keeps the
inadequacies of conditioned existence revolving.
Should one engage in meditation practice, it is very important to know why. Just sitting down
and meditating without knowing the purpose is like shooting an arrow at a distant goal into
the darkness of the night. It is necessary to understand one’s mind if one wishes to meditate
correctly. If one investigates how the eight types of consciousness function, one will discover
that the five sensory consciousness are very active during the daytime – one sees, hears,
tastes, smells, and touches many things while one is awake. One’s sixth mental consciousness
differentiates and evaluates the impressions perceived through one’s sensory consciousnesses.
Then the inner chattering begins and goes on all day, such as, “Oh, today I saw such beautiful
things,” or, “ I saw such ugly things that I never want to see again,” or, “Oh, today I heard
such nice things,” or, “No, I heard awful things that I never want to hear again,” and so forth.
Mind’s activities do not vanish, rather all judgments and thoughts subside into one’s ground
consciousness and are stored there as habitual patterns.
During the night, when one is asleep, the five sensory consciousnesses are inactive, whereas
the mental consciousness continues remaining active. One goes through various phases while
asleep: dream and deep-sleep phases in which case one doesn’t dream. When one dreams,
one’s mental consciousness appears illusively. One doesn’t dream if the mental consciousness
sinks into the ground consciousness while asleep. And so, the mental consciousness goes
through three phases: the waking phase in which one’s mind is actively involved with one’s
active sensory perceptions, the dream phase in which one’s mind is active without being
involved with one’s inactive sensory perceptions, and the deep-sleep phase in which one’s
mind sinks into one’s ground consciousness. These three phases are the stream of being that
characterize a living being.
Where is the mind located? Scientists are struggling to prove that it is located in the brain;
others say it’s in the heart, but Buddhism teaches it can never be located. While awake, the
sensory consciousnesses are very active; when dreaming while asleep, the mental
consciousness is very active, and while in deep-sleep the ground consciousness is active, so
one will never find that the mind exists in a specific location in the body. Mind’s location is
extremely fleeting, for example, if we see something that we really like but something heavy
falls on our knee, then our mind immediately springs from the object we were looking at to
our knee. That’s how it is, so it’s good to appreciate and acknowledge that one’s mental
consciousness, one’s mind, isn’t seated in one’s brain or heart, but is always where one
focuses one’s attention or notices something happening. When one meditates correctly, one
employs the mental consciousness, turns it inwards, and then it will be located in one’s heart.
A skilled practitioner of calm abiding meditation will reach a stage at which it is necessary to
ask whether the mental consciousness can be found to exist anywhere. If a practitioner is able
to hold his or her mental consciousness in the heart and abides in ease, instead of becoming
involved with sensory perceptions, then it is a sign of having accomplished levels of calm
abiding meditation, zhi-gnäs. It is important to meditate in order to reach this stage, and it
doesn’t really matter whether one practices zhi-gnäs or deity visualization at this point. The
purpose of calm abiding meditation practice is to be able to hold one’s mental consciousness
within and to abide in an unwavering state of non-discursive ease. As long as one isn’t able to
keep one’s mental consciousness still, one won’t be able to visualize clearly. Knowing how
one’s consciousnesses evolve and how karma is created and accumulated is a support and
prerequisite so that one’s meditation practice is beneficial.
Meditation practices are remedies to overcome and relinquish one’s discursiveness. One can
only apply a remedy if one has understood how one fabricates thoughts. Meditation leads to
attainment of Buddhahood, at which point one’s ground consciousness will have been
emptied of all habitual patterns that are traces of one’s own karma.
Summary: The root of conditioned existence is the ground consciousness. The mental
consciousness accumulates and collects karma by coming into contact with any of the five
sensory perceptions that arise when sensory objects are perceived with the respective sensory
faculty, by then judging those perceptions, and by reacting according to one’s thoughts. The
traces of actions, that are habitual patterns, subside into the ground consciousness and
determine the cycle of conditioned existence that is repeatedly experienced when causes and
conditions prevail.
It is very conducive for one’s meditation practice to understand how the eight types of
consciousness arise and function. For example, if one knows a city like Hamburg, then it’s
easy finding one’s way around. It would be very hard for me, though, because I don’t really
know Hamburg. In the same manner, knowing the way one’s mind functions is very
beneficial for one’s practice. Understanding one’s mind well is the prerequisite to develop
one’s practice, because one will have certainty in one’s practice and be able to recognize what
needs to be done.
We have been looking at sems, “the mind,” and saw that it goes through many phases that
consist of various aspects. It’s not very helpful thinking that one is dealing with a singular
mind while one practices, since everything arises in dependence upon many causes and
conditions.
All appearances are mind
Buddhism teaches that all living beings in the three realms of samsara exist due to being
deluded about the true nature of inner and outer phenomena. Anything that appears does not
exist from its own side or as it seems. Lord Buddha said in a Sutra that all appearances in the
three realms of cyclic existence (the form, formless, and desire realms) are mind. This means
to say that nothing really exists outside one’s mind, i.e., all appearances are a result of
thoughts that arise from not knowing, ma-rig-pa. Some people think a creator made
everything, but Buddhists do not believe such things.
Buddhism teaches that all apprehensions are illusory, which I spoke about. Again: The basis
is the ground consciousness (8) that stores all imprints of actions that one performed. The
afflicted mind (7) moves the mental consciousness (6) to conceptualize sensory perceptions (1
– 5). If contact between a sensory object and the respective sensory consciousness occurs,
then the mental consciousness grasps and judges that perception. It is therefore logical that all
appearances are created by concepts and thoughts and are consequently illusory.
Although it’s not true, due to not knowing how things are and how they appear, one thinks
that appearances that one apprehends truly exist. One turns appearances that do not truly exist
into truly existing objects and clings to them as real. For example, one sees many things while
dreaming, such as being swept away by a river current, but the river certainly doesn’t exist
and doesn’t consist of a single drop of water or tiniest particle. Yet, one thinks the dreamimage truly exists and experiences tremendous fear. When one wakes up, one realizes it was
just a dream. In the same manner, one turns things that one perceives while awake into truly
existing objects.
How the eight consciousnesses cause delusion
One can say that delusiveness occurs in three stages. The basis is the ground consciousness.
Then there is the conceptual mind that is activated and moved by the karmic impulses that are
stored in and arise out of the ground consciousness when causes and conditions prevail. After
an outer appearance has been perceived, the mental consciousness identifies and overlays that
object with the karmic imprints that are created by afflictions and thinks what was perceived
is a truly existent, unique, and solid entity. This is what is meant by delusion. It means to say
that awareness of an appearance arises in the mind the moment a sensory perception and the
respective object of perception come into contact and join. The immediate moment of
perception is not tainted, but delusiveness is created when the conceptual mind overlays what
was perceived with thoughts and judgments in the subsequent moment and joins both instants
of perception and conception as though they were single. And so, all things that can be
apprehended only appear in dependence upon causes and conditions. It will be very beneficial
for one’s practice if one can correctly understand how one’s consciousnesses cause delusion.
The main purpose of meditation practice is recognizing and relinquishing the misleading
contact that takes place immediately and directly the moment an appearance has been
perceived. Meditation practitioners will benefit immensely if they are aware of the great
variety of thoughts they have and then realize that they are merely bubbles of the mental
consciousness.
How delusion is recognized and overcome
- Mahamudra
Mahamudra instructions of the Kagyu Tradition are generally explained in three stages. They
are Mahamudra of ground, path, and fruition – phyag-rgya-chen-po-gzhi, phyag-rgya-chenpo-lam, phyag-rgya-chen-po-‘bräs-bu. It’s very important to understand them correctly.
Ground Mahamudra employs three reasonings, dön-mkhyen-gsum, to describe the
consciousnesses. The reasonings are carried out in order to know three things: how the mind
abides, gnäs-lug, how delusions are, ‘khrul-lug, and how the mind really is, nyid-lug. It’s
extremely important to correctly understand in which manner one apprehends appearances
delusively in order to have the correct view of Mahamudra and in order to realize how the
mind truly is.
Path Mahamudra consists of three profound stages, which are calm abiding and insight
meditation, zhi-gnäs and lhag-mthong, furthermore the specific pointing-out instructions, ngospröd. The direct pointing-out instructions consist of four steps, the first being to receive the
transmission, in which case a teacher introduces a qualified student to the truth that all
appearances are mind. As long as devotees don’t really understand how the mind functions,
they won’t be able to appreciate and understand the meaning of calm abiding, insight, the
sacred pointing-out instructions, and yidam meditation practices. Lacking correct
understanding, one’s meditation practice will be superficial and shallow. Meditating these
practices one-pointedly and clearly involves the conceptual mind. Yidam meditation practices
are remedies to purify one’s mental consciousness from delusiveness by exchanging negative
thoughts with positive ones.
Difficulties to clearly visualize a yidam, a Buddha, are natural, because the karmic imprints
and traces, that cause one to perceive impurely, are stirred up. One’s karmic imprints will
always interfere with one’s meditation, notably when one begins progressing in one’s
practice. Interferences that disturb will occur while more and more subtle karmic traces are
eliminated, but one’s visualization of a yidam will become clearer and clearer during the
purification process. Subtle disturbances and interferences will finally end when fruition has
been achieved, and then all appearances will be apprehended clearly and purely. When a
yidam is seen clearly, then it’s not an appearance outside oneself, but is an appearance of
one’s own mind. A clear visualization is a sign that one’s practice is going quite well.
Perceiving appearances either purely or impurely depends upon each individual, i.e., upon the
karmic traces each and everyone has accumulated. If one perceives impurely, then it is called
“samsara.” If one only perceives purely, then it is called “nirvana.” Pure and impure
apprehensions have nothing to do with something outside oneself, rather depend upon one’s
thoughts, so one’s thoughts are extremely important.
Anyone who practices Phowa (transference of consciousness) must understand the teachings I
am presenting here. The main goal of Phowa and all other practices is to empty one’s ground
consciousness – one can actually say to relinquish one’s ground consciousness. The more one
succeeds, the easier one’s Phowa practice will become. There’s a moment during the dying
process when all sensory organs cease functioning and one can’t perceive anything anymore.
At that stage in the death process, all elements have subsided into the mental consciousness
that, in turn, subsides and becomes inseparable with the ground consciousness. Death has set
in when the karmic wind leaves the body. If one understands these instructions, has practiced
in one’s life, and if one isn’t killed suddenly but dies slowly, then one knows that one will die
in any moment when one loses the ability to perceive anything anymore. At that point, one
can cause one’s mental consciousness to fall into one’s ground consciousness in order to alter
one’s way of dying.
Summary: Everyone has eight consciousnesses. They are the ground consciousness that
stores all imprints of actions that one performed. The afflicted mind moves the mental
consciousness to conceptualize sensory perceptions. One can say that the first seven are the
same as the ground consciousness. When the ground consciousness has been completely
emptied of all karmic traces, Buddhahood will have been attained.
The aim of all practices is to attain Buddhahood. Therefore it is important to know that the
all-ground consciousness determines one’s perceptions and needs to be purified and emptied
of any karmic traces so that one can perceive purely. Although one may experience temporary
results through one’s practice, one will not even be able to approach or come near the ultimate
goal if one doesn’t purify one’s ground consciousness. The moment a very advanced
practitioner succeeds, then he will have cut the root of samsara and have reached the state of
nirvana.
- Zhi-gnäs and lhag-mthong
The purpose of practicing zhi-gnäs, lhag-mthong, or Mahamudra as it is taught in Sutrayana is
to diminish one’s habit of focusing one’s attention outwards and as a result to purify one’s
sensory consciousnesses. One turns one’s attention inwards and pacifies one’s mental
consciousness through zhi-gnäs practice. If one practices diligently for a long time and is able
to hold one’s mind inwardly without wavering - i.e., when one turns one’s attention outside
oneself less and less –, then that is a sign that one’s zhi-gnäs practice is good. If one engages
in zhi-gnäs meditation and doesn’t know what needs to be abandoned, then it would be like
one were throwing a stone at something one cannot see in the dark night.
When one gives up chasing after thoughts that move one to wander outside oneself and
become distracted by sensory perceptions, then one will be able to practice lhag-mthong and
pacify one’s mental consciousness. The mental consciousness continuously ‘dzin-pa,
“conceives, grasps, fixates, and clings” to things. ‘Dzin-pa is the basic aggression of wanting
things to be different than they are. As a result, one’s mental consciousness has the strong
tendency to control perceived sensory objects by identifying, categorizing, and judging them.
Mahamudra meditation is based upon pointing-out instructions and addresses the ground
consciousness. When advanced practitioners have transformed their ground consciousness by
fully emptying it of last karmic traces, then they will have directly realized Mahamudra,
which is the same as attaining Buddhahood. If one wants to engage in zhi-gnäs, lhag-mthong,
and Mahamudra, then one needs to know what each method of practice purifies and
eliminates. For example, one needs to take the right medicine that heals the sickness one has
when one is sick – swallowing any pill one has saved in one’s cupboard will most likely
harm. Likewise, it is necessary to practice the right method to overcome specific adverse
conditions that one does have.
Conclusion
This has been a brief explanation of the eight consciousnesses, rnam-shes-tshogs-brgyäd,
which can be summarized in three: the ground consciousness, the mental consciousness that is
plagued with thoughts, and the five sensory consciousnesses. Zhi-gnäs practice deals with the
sensory consciousnesses; lhag-mthong deals with the mental consciousness; and Mahamudra
deals with the all-ground consciousness. These procedural practices lead from coarse to more
subtle practices as one advances from the one to the next. Let me stress again that it is very
important to recognize one’s real enemies, to know the remedies, and then the remedies one
applies will be right. For example, if the cup in front of me has black stains, then I need to
know what kinds of stains they are if I want to clean the cup. I would need to know whether I
should use soap or something else to scrub the cup clean of stains. Likewise, it is necessary to
know which defilements and afflictions one has so that one knows which method to practice.
Let me stress, too, that it is utterly important to understand how one’s defilements and
afflictions impede achieving freedom from suffering and pain, which is samsara. One needs to
correctly understand what kinds of defilements and afflictions one has, how they arise, and
what their negative impact in one’s own life as well as on that of others they have. If one
knows, then one can apply the right remedy and engage in zhi-gnäs, lhag-mthong,
Mahamudra, yidam meditation, or Phowa.
It will be very beneficial to deepen one’s understanding of the Dharma, especially in
preparation for one’s own death. The death process is taking place in this very instant. One’s
sensory faculties are very clear and sharp when one is 20 and 30 years old, but they are less
clear when one turns 50 and become worse when one is 60 years old. When one is 70 or 75,
they have become rather selective, so by brushing the thought of one’s imminent death away,
by fighting this fact, and by acting as though one has lots of time is useless. When the sensory
faculties become weak and even weaker, it will not be long and one will have died.
One cannot see, hear, smell, touch, or taste anything anymore when the final death process
has set in. At that stage, the five sensory consciousnesses have ended, and then the subtle
perception of the mental consciousness appears, which is the manifestation of red and white.
If one understands this vision by having practiced and became prepared during one’s life, then
one knows that one is dying and can continue practicing when red and white appear. Dying
actually means that the eight consciousnesses dissolve, one into the other, i.e., the sensory
consciousnesses subside into the mental consciousness, and the mental consciousness then
subsides into the ground consciousness. At that point, it would be good to unite one’s energywind with one’s ground consciousness and to do Phowa by sending one’s consciousness,
one’s mind, out of one’s body through the crown of one’s head.
The short but very profound text, entitled The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and
Wisdom – rNam-shes-ye-shes-byed-pa that was written by the Third Gyalwa Karmapa,
Rangjung Dorje, is very important if one wishes to understand the consciousnesses and know
how they arise in dependence upon each other. It was only possible for me to offer a brief
explanation of the consciousnesses during this short seminary, but it would be very good and
beneficial if you study the text well.
When differentiating between samsara and nirvana, it is important to know that both are only
mind.
All living beings without exception have Buddha nature, are therefore always and already
endowed with pure and perfect qualities of enlightenment. But individuals differ in as much
as they don’t realize their true nature due to their karmic traces. Those who don’t realize their
true nature move about and remain entangled in samsara.
What did the Buddha teach? The methods by which one can surpass and overcome ma-rig-pa,
the main defilement that is not knowing. For those individuals who have overcome and
relinquished their habitual patterns (that are karmic traces stored in their ground
consciousness) and uprooted the seed of negativity (which is not knowing) their Buddha
nature will manifest openly and their immaculate qualities of Buddhahood will have freely
unfolded. The only difference between those individuals who are fettered in samsara and
those who have attained nirvana is given in the connotation of the terms “consciousness” and
“wisdom.” Knowing this, Lord Buddha therefore taught beings: “All appearances in samsara
and nirvana are only mind.”
What happens as long as one doesn’t realize the true nature of one’s own mind and
erroneously thinks it’s something else? One wanders in samsara, accumulates karma, and
suffers. What happens when one realizes the true nature of one’s own mind? Then one no
longer has an all-ground consciousness, kun-gzhi’i-rnam-par-shes-pa, rather one has realized
all-basis, primordial wisdom, kun-ghzi’i-ye-shes.
The method to realize primordial wisdom depends upon understanding very, very well how
one’s mind is and functions. Based upon one’s understanding, one diligently works to
eliminate one’s negativity and thus enables one’s positive qualities to unfold from within. One
should never forget that one’s mind possesses immense capabilities and is very powerful. For
example, computers are very complex. Once someone sat down and thought it all out - a
slight example for mind’s extraordinary abilities. If one is really connected and is certain of
what needs to be abandoned and eliminated and has trust in the methods to realize what needs
to be established, then - due to the power of one’s mind - one will definitely attain the result,
which is complete and perfect enlightenment. If one is able to establish an authentic and
reliable connection and receives the pointing-out instructions, then one will attain
enlightenment real, real fast. If one isn’t able to make a connection and receive the
instructions, then it won’t be easy to practice.
Let me stress that it is necessary to again and again study and thoroughly understand how the
consciousnesses arise, how they cause delusion, and how delusion can be recognized and
overcome - then one will attain the result. If one studies dependent arising of one’s own
mind, one will develop and have the correct view. One can go astray if one becomes
negligent, for example, by believing that nothing exists or that things exist forever. Studying
the teachings protects one from going astray, and then it doesn’t matter which meditation one
practices, whether zhi-gnäs, lhag-mthong, Mahamudra, or yidam meditation. In fact, one can
meditate the method one prefers, because one’s practice will be to the point.
The same applies to the practices of mind training, loving kindness and compassion, or giving
and taking through cultivating Bodhicitta, in any case, lacking the perspective, one’s efforts
will remain bereft of a purpose. It’s more than necessary to know what the mind is if one
wishes to practice mind training that I spoke about on another occasion. What is the mind?
Our thoughts. So we need to purify our thoughts.
In the absence of the right view, one’s practice of giving others all one’s joy and taking on
their pain, of giving them the causes for their happiness and taking away the causes for their
suffering and pain will be useless if the one who receives doesn’t have the karma to receive.
Therefore one does need to know that one practices mind training and giving and taking in
order to purify one’s own mind of attachment to a self and all habitual impulses and
consequences that follow.
Where do all one’s negative and frequent positive thoughts come from? Exclusively from
one’s sixth mental consciousness that is enslaved by one’s concepts and thoughts. So the
mental consciousness is the enemy one attacks in order to decrease and vanquish one’s
negative thoughts and in order to increase and establish a benevolent mind. A great Tibetan
Mahasiddha once said, “If one wants to vanquish all harmful appearances, then one needs to
uproot the cause, which is one’s thoughts. If one succeeds, then one has uprooted the cause of
all painful manifestations.” Since this is the case, then one must know where the cause is
located. It’s located in the mental consciousness.
The Third Gyalwa Karmapa said, “If one wants to bring the essence of the Sutrayana and
Vajrayana to a point, then it is crucial to understand the difference between consciousness and
primordial wisdom.” Therefore, I do want to ask you to please study the profound text, The
Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom. Teachers will visit Theksum Tashi
Chöling in the future and offer instructions. It would be very good and beneficial if you ask
them to present further instructions on this topic and to personally answer any questions you
may have.
As long as we have not attained Buddhahood, we are like a patient who does have to find out
what he needs to abandon and adopt in order to become well. Nowadays, it has become
fashionable to buy a Dharma book or two, to read them, and then to practice what one has
read. This is not really a good idea, because practitioners do need to receive personal
instructions from a qualified and authentic teacher in order to deepen and intensify their
understanding of the Dharma correctly. If one bases one’s practice on books, it will be rather
difficult. Even if the books are correct, they are always written from a specific perspective and
in the context of a certain viewpoint. Some books explain the practice; others describe the
view, yet others speak about ethical behaviour. If one doesn’t receive instructions on which
topics pertain to which aspect of the teachings, it will be rather difficult. Thinking it is
sufficient to read books resembles a patient who just takes any old medicine he happens to
have.
The text, The Treatise that Differentiates Consciousness and Wisdom is very summarized and
has been translated into English. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye wrote a detailed commentary
that you can read in English. It would be good if you study these books again and again as
well as the other treatises that the Third Gyalwa Karmapa wrote.
Buddhism teaches that one needs to meet preparations correctly and understand the purpose of
one’s practice. If one fails, one may think one is practicing meditation but will not know what
the source of lasting happiness is, which is our aim. Lasting happiness is the same as perfect
enlightenment. And the source of lasting happiness lies in one’s own mind. In regions
populated by many monkeys, one can see them seated in a meditative posture – eyes closed
and hands resting on their lap, but they are sleeping. Just sitting like that and thinking one is
meditating is rather useless and helps no one at all.
Part Two: The Five Wisdoms and Four Kayas
Transformation of the consciousnesses into wisdoms and kayas
We saw that there are eight consciousnesses: the all-basis ground consciousness, the afflicted
consciousness, and the mental consciousness that identifies and judges the five sensory
consciousnesses. One can say briefly that they belong to samsara.
- The five wisdoms
What is primordial wisdom, ye-shes in Tibetan? When the all-ground consciousness, kungzhi’i-rnam-par-shes-pa, has been purified of all stains, then it is called “all-basis, primordial
wisdom,” kun-ghzi’i-ye-shes.
Generally, all living beings without exception have Buddha nature, but as long as they don’t
realize it, then not knowing, ma-rig-pa, is the all-ground consciousness. The seven other
consciousnesses are impure as long as the ground consciousness is stained and obscured.
When the veils and obscurations brought on by not knowing have been dispelled from the
ground consciousness, then the Buddha nature is free and primordial wisdom manifests in five
aspects. The five aspects of primordial wisdom, ye-shes-lnga, are: (1) me-long-lta-bu’i-yeshes, mirror-like wisdom, (2) mnyam-nyid-ye-shes, wisdom of equality, (3) sor-rtog-ye-shes,
discriminating wisdom, (4) bya-grub-ye-shes, all-accomplishing wisdom, and (5) chös-byingye-shes, wisdom of the expanse of reality. The five aspects of primordial wisdom manifest
directly when a practitioner has attained the final result of the path, which is called “fruition.”
As long as practitioners are on the path, traces of not knowing conceal their mind’s true nature
and the five aspects of primordial wisdom do not manifest.
One attains fruition, which is Buddhahood, when the ground consciousness has been totally
emptied of finest and most subtle karmic traces. At that point, primordial wisdom is unleashed
and manifests the five aspects listed above. As long as the purification process is not
completed, a practitioner is on the path and does achieve levels of realization, but primordial
wisdom will not directly manifest until fruition has been fully established. Buddhahood is
understood to be the point at which the ground consciousness has been completely negated,
because the last traces and finest stains that arise from not knowing have been eradicated.
Then the ground consciousness manifests mirror-like wisdom.
It is important to understand that mirror-like wisdom is not something new when the ground
consciousness has been purified, because mirror-like wisdom is always and already present in
one’s mind. We are looking at this from the viewpoint of the purification process. When the
ground consciousness is free of all traces and fully negated, then it is all-basis, primordial
wisdom that is like a mirror.
We saw that the ground consciousness is the basis and source for the other seven
consciousnesses. Likewise, mirror-like wisdom is the root and source of the other four
wisdoms. Based upon mirror-like wisdom, the three following kinds of primordial wisdom
appear - wisdom of equality, discriminating wisdom, and all-accomplishing wisdom. Looking
at the simile of a mirror that is free of stains, the other wisdoms appear clearly in the
immaculate mirror of mirror-like wisdom.
Nothing is added to the purified ground consciousness at fruition, rather at that time it is
completely transformed and appears clearly. As long as it is stained, the ground consciousness
is the source of samsara. During the purification process of the ground consciousness, it is the
root of nirvana. There is only a difference between the dimensions of samsara and nirvana as
long as the purification practice takes place. And the mutual source of samsara and nirvana is
nothing but the mind.
The next primordial wisdom that appears in mirror-like wisdom does so when the afflicted
consciousness is utterly defeated and the disturbing emotions are utterly eliminated. When the
afflicted consciousness is purified of all destructive mind poisons, then it is completely
transformed and is then wisdom of equality.
When great wisdom of equality manifests freely, the mental consciousness that judges the five
sensory consciousnesses and consequently gives rise to thoughts is defeated.
Conceptualization is then transformed into discriminating wisdom. Furthermore, the five
sensory consciousnesses are transformed through discriminating wisdom and when they are
purified, there is all-accomplishing wisdom.
Summary: One can briefly say that samsara is characterized by the activity of the eight
consciousnesses, and nirvana is characterized by the manifestation of the five primordial
wisdoms. We have only addressed the first four so far and will look at the wisdom of the
expanse of reality in a moment. One can describe the result of having completed the
purification process by means of the five primordial wisdoms or by means of three or four
kayas, the Sanskrit term for “bodies of a Buddha.”
- The four kayas in relation to the five wisdoms
When the four kayas, sku-bzhi in Tibetan, are discussed in relation to the five aspects of
primordial wisdom, then mirror-like wisdom is equivalent to the Dharmakaya, which is the
Sanskrit term that was translated into Tibetan as ye-shes-chös-sku, “wisdom body.” Two
aspects of primordial wisdom, wisdom of equality and discriminating wisdom, are related to
the Sambhogakaya, longs-spyöd-rdzogs-pa’i-sku, “complete enjoyment body.” And allaccomplishing wisdom is related to the Nirmanakaya, sprul-pa’i-sku, “emanation body.”
Summary: Mirror-like wisdom and Dharmakaya are the purified ground consciousness.
Discriminating wisdom and wisdom of equality are the purified afflicted and mental
consciousnesses and the Sambhogakaya. All-accomplishing wisdom is the purified five
sensory consciousnesses and the Nirmanakaya.
A fifth wisdom and fourth kaya are explained so that one understands that the four wisdoms
and three kayas are inseparable, since their essence is one and the same. The fifth wisdom is
Dharmadhatu wisdom, chös-bying-ye-shes, “wisdom of the expanse of reality.” Dharmadhatu
wisdom is equivalent to Svabhavikakaya, gno-bo-nyid-kyi-sku, “the body of their
essentiality.”
What is nirvana, mya-ngän-läs-'däs pa? Nirvana is the state in which the five wisdoms and
four kayas manifest directly. When this is so, then it is a sign that ultimate fruition has been
attained. Again, the source of primordial wisdom is mirror-like wisdom, which is the
completely purified ground consciousness. What is samsara? Samsara is the state in which
duality abounds – suffering as well as happiness. Karma creates both suffering and happiness.
The mental afflictions create karma, and not knowing gives rise to the mental afflictions. Not
knowing means being ignorant of one’s true nature and as a result thinking it is something
foreign to oneself. Karmic traces and habitual patterns are created as long as delusions are
created. Karma is stored in one’s ground consciousness. When one’s ground consciousness
has been emptied of all karmic traces, then the four kayas manifest. And so one sees that the
source of samsara as well as nirvana is one and the same - one’s own mind. The only
distinction one can make between samsara and nirvana is whether one has realized the true
nature of one’s mind or not. Therefore the Third Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, stated in
this treatise, “All appearances are only mind.” It’s extremely important to understand this.
In our present situation, it’s not very useful receiving detailed instructions on fruition,
although it’s good to know where one is heading. Followers will gradually understand the
result while practicing the path. Yet, from the viewpoint of Buddhism, it is important for
followers to know that both samsara and nirvana are not created by anyone else, rather the
experience of samsara and nirvana depend upon the state of one’s own mind. The only
difference between samsara and nirvana lies in the amount of defilements one has or has been
able to purify and eliminate. When defilements and afflictions have been completely
dispelled, then the five primordial wisdoms and four kayas manifest. As a result, an
accomplished practitioner experiences the environment as a pure realm and all appearances
purely, which is referred to as having “the pure view.” Vice versa, as long as one’s
consciousness has not been purified and one is deluded, one’s same old defiled mind appears
again and again, i.e., one continues experiencing suffering and pain due to karma and
perceives appearances impurely, which is referred to as having “the impure view.”
One will not understand the significance of differentiating consciousness and wisdom by only
having heard or read about it. Rather, one can only win a true understanding if one engages in
the three trainings to realize discriminating awareness, prajna in Sanskrit, shes-rab in Tibetan.
The three trainings are: receiving the instructions, contemplating them thoroughly, and
integrating them in one’s life by meditating them. It is crucial to investigate and reflect the
teachings one has received carefully and thoroughly, until one has gained certainty in the truth
of the teachings. Contemplating the teachings deeply is a prerequisite if one wishes to
meditate correctly. Meditating the teachings after having contemplated them carefully is the
method by which one perfects discriminating awareness. Having perfected discriminating
awareness, an advanced practitioner has attained the knowledge needed in order to manifest
the five wisdoms and four kayas.
Conclusion
Usually one has the tendency to think that Buddhahood is far, far away, but these teachings
show that this isn’t so. Buddhahood lies within every living being without exception in every
single instant of time. As long as one remains spellbound in a dream-like state that is
characterized by not knowing, one’s true nature is experienced as samsara. As soon as one
wakes up from the sleep of not knowing, one’s mind manifests and one experiences nirvana.
It will be very helpful to gain certainty through one’s meditation practice that one’s practice is
solely aimed at one point, which is one’s all-ground consciousness, to recognize that it needs
to be purified of all karmic traces, and to furthermore acknowledge that one’s pure qualities of
being will manifest the moment the purification process has been completed.
A great Siddha of the Kagyu Tradition once said, “Buddha resides in one’s very own mind
and nowhere else.” In order to appreciate this fact, it is necessary to understand that samsara
is based upon the one and very same source as all qualities that characterize nirvana. If one
doesn’t understand this and merely reiterates, “Buddha is within me,” then he isn’t.
It’s very important to understand these teachings. Many people believe that living beings and
all appearances of the outer world truly exist. Buddhists do not think like that. Nothing
whatsoever contains the tiniest trace of real existence, and nirvana is not something that is
newly acquired and truly exists either.
The Hevajra Tantra states: “All beings are Buddhas, but obscured by incidental stains. When
those have been removed, there is Buddhahood.” This means to say that the entire process of
becoming free from the experience of suffering and attaining the experience of peace is
nothing but a gradual purification process. When purification has been completed, the goal
will have been attained, in which case nothing has been removed from one’s true nature and
nothing new has been added to it.
Please don’t forget that the Buddha presented teachings in stages. He taught beginners that
samsara exists, that karma is valid, and that suffering is a true experience. These instructions
are necessary so that a devotee recognizes and is inspired to overcome the coarse
inadequacies of conditioned existence. The Buddhist teachings become more and more subtle,
though, until a practitioner learns that nothing really exists. One needs to become prepared by
slowly and gradually learning the meaning of the teachings, so that one is able to actually
experience the very profound meaning oneself. In reliance upon the Buddha’s instructions, a
practitioner therefore takes one step after the other, by first taking refuge in the Three Jewels,
by practicing the preliminaries, by generating and developing Bodhicitta, and by practicing
the further stages of the path. For example, having studied well, scientists can analyze, break
an atom, and destroy anything that has been made. Our mind and mental afflictions are
different, though - they can’t be destroyed that easily. Even if a scientist were to shoot a
rocket and try to throw a bomb on our defilements, he wouldn’t succeed. If it were possible, it
would really be useful and then it would be easy to attain enlightenment. Please think about
this, seeing nowadays scientists and neurobiologists are spending much energy studying the
mind. If one tries to clearly understand the cause of suffering, which is samsara, and the cause
of lasting happiness, which is nirvana, and practices diligently, regularly, and continuously in
reliance upon the knowledge one has won, then one doesn’t need scientific studies.
It’s very important to acknowledge that the teachings of Buddhism again and again remind us
that we need to cultivate the right view joined with meditation practice. Should someone
practice meditation in the absence of the correct view that is established by studying and
reflecting the teachings, he would resemble someone trying to shoot an arrow at a distant goal
in the darkness of the night. Should someone cultivate the correct view and not meditate, he
would resemble someone trying to climb a cliff without hands.
As to meditation practices, there are very many methods available to practitioners who have
boarded the vehicle of Mahayana. All methods have the same source, whereas the great
variety is due to the many different inclinations and capabilities that living beings have.
Understanding the treatise we went through here is a very good preparation for one’s practice.
It’s very important to differentiate between consciousness and wisdom. If one is then able to
meditate one-pointedly in reliance upon one’s correct understanding, without thinking about
it, the qualities of primordial wisdom will arise and increase in and through us. A practitioner
who has attained Buddhahood needn’t take refuge anywhere else.
If no historical Buddha had ever appeared and offered instructions, we wouldn’t be able to
attain Buddhahood. It’s also important to appreciate that there were many Buddhas in the
past, that many Buddhas live in our presence, and that many will be born in the future, i.e.,
everyone without exception has the capacity to become a Buddha. Buddha Shakyamuni
appeared in the world, turned the Wheel of Dharma, and showed us the way. If we practice
his instructions, we will attain the result.
Please recognize and know that there isn’t the slightest difference between our present mind
and that of a Buddha. For example, there is a huge difference between a precious bowl made
of pure gold and one made of clay, but the space in each bowl is the same. Likewise, there’s
no difference between the mind of an ordinary being and that of a Buddha, only the outer
form differs.
It is important to see that one is entangled, caught, trapped in samsara. What keeps one
chained to conditioned existence? Believing in and clinging to appearances as though they
were real. Therefore Tilopa told Naropa, “Child, it is not by appearances that you are fettered,
but by craving.” Who grasps, clings, clutches? One’s afflicted and defiled consciousness
(number 7 in the list). What does grasping and clinging actually mean? For example, let’s all
lay our watches on a pile on the table. While noticing that the other watches are there,
everyone will stare at his or her own watch and grasp and cling to it. Those who don’t have a
watch and therefore couldn’t lay it on the table won’t grasp and cling if someone threw a rock
at the pile and broke all the watches. This doesn’t mean that those who had no watch are free
of attachment and desire, because those who wouldn’t lose a watch they didn’t own in the first
place and see the others broken will experience joy that the watch they didn’t own wasn’t
broken – and this is a sign of attachment. Those who have lost their watch will experience
sadness – and this is also a sign of attachment. This example clearly shows that appearances
are innocent, so to speak, and cause no problems, rather one’s own reactions cause problems.
And so, it is necessary to give up one’s grasping and clinging, just like Tilopa told Naropa,
“Child, it is not by appearances that you are fettered, but by craving.” Simply telling oneself
that one is abandoning one’s attachment without knowing how it arises is useless. One needs
to clearly understand that one’s own afflicted and conceptual consciousnesses fetter and bind.
Thank you very much.
Dedication
Through this goodness, may omniscience be attained
And thereby may every enemy (mental defilement) be overcome.
May beings be liberated from the ocean of samsara
That is troubled by waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.
May the life of the Glorious Lama remain steadfast and firm.
May peace and happiness fully arise for beings as limitless (in number) as space (is vast in its
extent).
Having accumulated merit and purified negativities, may I and all living beings without
exception swiftly establish the levels and grounds of Buddhahood.
Instructions presented at Theksum Tashi Chöling in Hamburg in 2006. With sincere gratitude to Khenpo Karma
Namgyal for his immense help, translated into English in reliance on the German rendering kindly offered by
Rosemarie Fuchs by Gaby Hollmann, responsible and apologizing for all mistakes. Copyright Karma Lekshey
Ling Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Theksum Tashi Chöling, 2008.