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HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

A Teaching on Nagarjunas BODHICITTAVIVARANA

October 4, 2009, New York, N. Y.

Dear spiritual brothers and sisters, Vietnamese Buddhist

brothers and sisters, I am extremely happy to be here to talk
about this important text written by Nagarjuna. In the
Sanskrit Buddhist tradition, Nagarjuna is almost considered to
be the second Buddha. I think he is very famous because of his
marvelous writing. In his writing he always presented the
view through reasoning not just mere quotations of Buddhas
words but rather a clear presentation through reasoning.
Because of his way of presentation through logical
reasoning, all of his immediate followers like Aryadeva and
also Buddhapalita, Bhavaviveka, all these great scholars, great
masters, also followed his method of explaining the Buddhas
teaching through reasoning. So I am extremely happy to have
the opportunity to touch on some stanzas in the text, although
the text is not very easy. So then, of course, Vietnamese
Buddhists are the same followers or the holders of the same
Sanskrit tradition as Nagarjuna. So actually we are the
followers or holders of Nalanda lineage, the great Indian
Buddhist learning center, Nalanda.
The essence of this text includes two things: Infinite
Altruism and Right View, or the wisdom that understands
Shunya. So these two things are sort of the main subjects.
Now what is the purpose? What sort of benefit arises
from these two things? Firstly, altruism brings inner strength.
We can observe those people who have more compassionate

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minds, altruistic minds. Their attitude is very open. They
easily communicate to other people. Such people are
transparent. I think their whole sort of conduct is very
truthful, very honest. So that brings trust. Trust brings
friendship. Friendship brings harmony. We are social animals,
so in our day-to-day life we are very much with the rest of the
people. So the more warm-heartedness there is, the better. A
person can be much happier twenty-four hours a day. That
person can always feel surrounded by friends, the same
human brothers and sisters.
If that kind of mental attitude is lacking and there is an
extremely self-centered attitude, then it is more difficult to
conduct oneself or communicate to others with honesty. So as
a result there is suspicion, distrust. The result is that one
finally feels surrounded by hostile or distrusting people, and
the result is that one will feel loneliness. That is very much
against basic human nature. When speaking about altruism,
we are not talking about the next life, not talking about nirvana
or Buddhahood. Simply, with more experience of altruism in
this very life we are becoming much happier. And since we are
mentally happier, our physical condition also becomes
healthier.
Now the other topic, the understanding of Shunya, the
ultimate reality the very meaning of emptiness is the
meaning of interdependency. That concept is very helpful to
develop a holistic view. The reality is that everything is
interdependent. Even with our health, there are many things
involved. Also with mental peace, there are many things
involved. So now bringing this to a global level, speaking
about the environmental issue, human beings and other
animals, everything is interdependent. In order to know this
holistic picture, the concept of interdependency is of immense
help.
Sometimes Im telling non-Buddhists, as far as religion is
concerned, they have no interest in Buddhism, and actually
there should be non-Buddhist traditions, for example
Christianity, and the Islamic tradition. If their family belongs

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to that tradition, then it is much better to keep their own
tradition. In the meantime, this view of interdependency and
interconnectedness comes from the Buddhist world but it is
applicable to all people in our daily lives. So that concept
broadens our mind. Through that way, our action becomes
more realistic.
Many problems are due to the lack of a holistic view.
People just look at one single small angle and one single sort of
cause or factor. Then they try to deal with that. In reality,
many things are involved, but peoples way of handling things
is to look or aim at just one part. So your action becomes
unrealistic. Therefore, in order to bring a more realistic
attitude, a more realistic approach, it is highly important to
know the reality. In order to know the reality, a holistic view
is very essential. So this doctrine, this teaching of
interdependency another sort of aspect of interdependency
is selflessness, or absence of independent existence. So these
two things.
Now the text. So these two things: altruism is related with
warm-heartedness or heart; the concept of interdependency is
related to intelligence. Interdependency is something like food
for the brain, or intelligence. The concept of altruism is useful
as food or fuel for warm-heartedness. This altruistic teaching
is very helpful.
So the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition, I think, comes
mainly through the Chinese tradition. Or maybe it directly
comes through India, but in most cases, I think, through the
Chinese tradition. And then the Koreans, Japanese and also
Vietnamese their original texts are mainly from Chinese texts.
So Chinese Buddhism or the Chinese tradition is, I think,
starting in the second century, third century and fourth
century. The Tibetan tradition starts in the seventh century.
Therefore we are younger students of the Buddha. You are
elder. So at the beginning, I always make salutation to Chinese
Buddhists as well as Vietnamese Buddhists. Thank you.
And then the youngest Buddhist tradition is some of these
Americans, youngest Buddhists.

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The text we are going to study is entitled A Commentary
on the Awakening Mind. In terms of the scriptural sources of
this particular text by Nagarjuna, there is the sutra source and
also the Vajrayana, the tantric source as well. But between
these two, the primary source really is the Vajrayana tantric
teachings. Therefore, although the term bodhichitta, the
awakening mind, is used both in the sutra teachings and in the
Vajrayana teachings, here the term bodhichitta or awakening
mind has primarily the meaning according to the Vajrayana
teachings, because the root text on which Nagarjuna wrote this
commentary is really a five line citation from the second
chapter of Guhyasamaja Tantra where it is spoken in the
words of Vairochana. Therefore in the text when it bears the
title A Commentary on the Awakening Mind, here awakening
mind really refers to bodhichitta, the awakening mind as
understood according to the Vajrayana, in particular the
highest yoga tantra. There the awakening mind is understood
in term of the subtle clear light, the ultimate clear light mind,
both at the level of the completion stage and particularly at the
level of the union of clear light and the illusory body. And that
is the primary meaning of the term awakening mind here.
So when we speak of commenting on the Vajrayana text,
particularly with tantras, there are, generally speaking, two
main categories of tantra, referred to as the explicit tantras
and the hidden tantras. The explicit tantras are like the
Kalachakra Tantra, but the hidden tantras include, for
example, the Guhyasamaja Tantra, which is the source of this
particular text by Nagarjuna. So in the hidden tantras like the
Guhyasamaja Tantra, the meaning of even a single term can be
interpreted in many different ways.
For example, one uses the interpretive method of
invoking or applying what is known as the four modes and the
six boundaries, within which a single term is interpreted in
different ways at different levels. And here, for example,
Guhyasamaja is the root source of this particular text, and the
Guhyasamaja Tantra, the root tantra, has six principle
explanatory tantras, out of which five have been translated
into Tibetan. So five of them are available. One was not

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translated. So here, when Nagarjuna is commenting on
bodhichitta, the awakening mind, he is commenting at the
level of not only Vajrayana but also at the level of the
completion stage understanding of bodhichitta or the
awakening mind, in terms of the clear light mind, at the level of
the completion stage.
When we talk about the clear light mind on the
completion stage, essentially we are talking about the
indivisible unity of awareness and emptiness. So here we have
two dimensions. One is the objective dimension, which is the
object, emptiness, that is being experienced by the wisdom
mind. The other one is the subject that is experiencing that
emptiness, which is the subjective clear light. And between
these two, the principle understanding of bodhichitta that is
being conveyed in this text by Nagarjuna is the previous one,
the first one, which is the objective emptiness, or objective
clear light.
So when we talk about the teachings of the objective clear
light mind, we essentially are talking about the Buddhas
teachings on emptiness, which are presented in his various
sermons and from the point of view of the sutra system of
teachings. For example, according to the Samdhinirmochana
Sutra, Unraveling the Intention of the Buddha, we identify three
turnings of the wheel of dharma.
The first turning is the teaching of the Four Noble Truths.
The second turning is primarily constituted by the teaching of
the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, the Prajnaparamita sutras.
And in these two turnings of the wheel of dharma, Buddha
presents principally the objective clear light, which is the
teaching on emptiness. And then the Samdhinirmochana Sutra
itself refers to the third turning of the wheel and refers to the
clear distinction of the various natures. And here, a subsection
of the third turning of the wheel of dharma includes sutras like
the Tathagathagarbha Sutra, The Essence of Buddhahood Sutra.
In these teachings, in addition to the objective clear light of
emptiness, the Buddha also teaches the subjective clear light of
wisdom.

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What is unique about the Vajrayana teachings is that the
Vajrayana teachings present a way in which objective clear
light, which is emptiness, and the subjective clear light of
wisdom can be brought together into indivisible union,
thereby presenting a path by which one can approach
enlightenment through this indivisible union of the objective
clear light of emptiness and the subjective clear light of
wisdom.
In general, the union of method and wisdom is a very
essential part of the Buddhist path to enlightenment.
Particularly in the Vajrayana context, the union between the
method and wisdom is brought into an indivisible union
where, within a single event of the mental state, both wisdom
and method are present. So it is brought into an indivisible
union.
The text begins with the citation from the root tantra of
Guhyasamaja where we read, Devoid of all real entities
The way in which Nagarjuna interprets that line is to
really present the understanding that, in the Buddhas
teachings, any notion of some kind of real entity that possesses
an independent existence is rejected.
Historically there evolved many different philosophical
schools of thought. Except for the Buddhas teaching, all
ancient Indian schools of thought subscribe to some notion of
an eternal principle referred to as atman or some kind of
eternal soul. The characteristics of this eternal soul are
understood to be unlike the aggregates of body and mind
which are the basis of that self, which are multiple. The self is
thought to be a unity, a single entity. Unlike the aggregates,
which are impermanent, the self is thought to be permanent
and eternal. And unlike the aggregates, which are dependent
upon other forces, the self is thought to be independent. So
the notion of an eternal principle that is unitary, eternal and
independent was postulated.
Nagarjuna reads the first line as rejecting this kind of
eternal principle both in relation to the self and in relation to

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the basis of that notion of self, which is our body and mind.
Generally, in our nave sense of our own self, when we think
about the idea of I or me, the notion arises as if coming from
our body or coming from within our mental processes.
Nagarjuna is pointing out that not only does this self which is
imputed not exist, but also the bases upon which the notion of
self arises our body and mind, the physical and mental
aggregates are devoid of any independent existence.
Then we read lines two and three:
Utterly discarding all objects and subjects,
Such as aggregates, elements and sense-fields;
Here Nagarjuna is referring to the philosophical views of
the first two classical Buddhist schools of Vaibhasika and
Sautrantika. Both of these non-Mahayana, classical Indian
Buddhist schools accept the Buddhas teaching on no-self and
reject the notion of atman that is unitary, unchanging and
independent, as postulated above. And on top of that they also
reject the notion of any kind of self that is the owner of our
body and mind.
In our nave perception of self, we have a feeling that over
and above our physical and mental processes there is someone
or something called me that somehow owns this, to whom
these physical and mental processes belong, which is
somehow independent of these bases. So that kind of notion of
self is also rejected. So, according to these two schools, the
Buddhas teaching on no-self is understood in terms of the
absence of a self-sufficient and independent self.
However, these two schools do accept that, when it comes
to the basis of the notion of self, which are the physical and
mental processes, these are unlike the self they possess real
existence. Whether it is physical or mental processes, they
possess real existence. These real existences can be grounded
in understanding the deeper reality. Here we are primarily
talking about mental processes and physical phenomena
because these are the two domains that have direct bearing on
our experience of happiness and suffering. When we talk

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about happiness and suffering, which are our main concerns as
sentient beings, we are talking about subjective experiences
which are mental and psychological processes, and then the
ultimate constituents of matter which, through greater
aggregation, give rise to the microscopic level of the physical
world that we experience.
Similarly when it comes to consciousness, the mental
realm, they understand the existence of consciousness in
terms of its ultimate constituents being indivisible units of
cognition, kind of moments of cognition, which through
aggregation create this continuum that we experience as
conscious experience.
This is how Vaibhashika and Sautrantika, the two classical
Indian Buddhist schools out of the four, the non-Mahayana
schools, account for our reality. Of course this understanding
of reality is then rejected and critiqued by the Mahayana
schools, the first of which is the Consciousness Only School,
which is Chittamatra, or Mind Only. And according to the Mind
Only School, they take issue with the notion of physical reality
as constituted or made up of indivisible elements, elementary
particles. According to the Mind Only School, the argument is
that no matter how minutely we take this dissection of matter
to any level, so long as it remains matter or material, it must
have some notion of parts, because without any sense of
directional location, the whole notion of matter breaks down.
If you analyze in this way, the notion of indivisible
elementary particles just becomes untenable. Therefore they
reject this attempt to understand the nature of reality in this
reductive manner, building up from this indivisible elementary
particle. So therefore Chittamatra, the Mind Only School,
rejects even the physical reality that we experience. Then the
question arises, Now, given that we do experience the
physical world we see flowers, we see vases and so on how
can we? And what are they made of? The Mind Only Schools
understanding is that these are in fact only extensions of our
own perception which result from habitual propensities that
we create in our mind, which then appear as a projection out

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there as if there is external physical reality. So in this way the
Mind Only School critiques the view of reality of the
Vaibhashika and the Sautrantika.
Then we read the remaining lines from the root tantra:
Due to sameness of selflessness of all phenomena,
Ones mind is primordially unborn;
It is in the nature of emptiness.
So here Nagarjuna is presenting the final view, which is
according to the Madhyamika or Middle Way School. They
reject the perspective of the Mind Only School because, in their
analysis, although the Mind Only School rejects the intrinsic
existence of the external world of matter, it accepts that the
internal world of subjective experience or consciousness
possesses real existence, some kind of intrinsic, independent
existence. Nagarjuna is saying that just as the external world
of matter becomes unsustainable, untenable, when you subject
it to analysis and seek its ultimate constituent elements, the
ground of its reality in that way, in just the same manner if you
take consciousness or mind and you apply the same analysis,
you will not be able to find a real existence or intrinsic
existence of consciousness either. And furthermore, one
problem with grounding the notion of consciousness in some
kind of intrinsic existence is that then there is no real antidote
to deal with attachment related to ones own experience.
Through rejecting the reality of the external world, one may be
able to prevent attachment towards external objects, but if you
reify your internal experience, then there is no antidote to
counter the attachment and grasping that may arise with
respect to the internal world of experience.
Therefore Nagarjunas teaching presents a negation of not
just the independent existence or the true existence of the
external world of matter, but also of the internal world of
experience as well. In this way, the teaching of emptiness is
presented right across the entire spectrum of reality. And in
fact the teaching of emptiness across the entire spectrum of
reality is the main subject matter of the Perfection of Wisdom
sutras, these teachings. All of this points out that the root of

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our unenlightened existence, samsara, is really this grasping at
true existence of all phenomena, particularly the true
existence of ones own self, on the basis of this innate notion of
I am me.
Therefore, in the Buddhas text, we speak of grasping at
true existence of the person and grasping at true existence of
phenomena. Between these two, grasping at true existence of
the person is a more fundamental cause of our samsaric
existence, and particularly here, not just some other person,
but rather grasping at the true existence of your own sense of
me, I. This is referred to as the egoistic grasping, grasping at
ones own sense of I. In fact this is the first link in the chain
of twelve links of dependent origination where we identify
ignorance, fundamental ignorance, to be the first link in that
chain. Therefore it becomes very important for the spiritual
aspirant to understand the emptiness of the person. In this
case what becomes important is to also have an understanding
of the emptiness of consciousness itself, because when we talk
about the notion or sense of self or of person, the person or
self is designated on the basis of physical and mental
aggregates. Within this process, it is really the mental
continuum that serves as the primary basis for our notion of
self and person. Therefore, understanding the nature of
consciousness becomes very crucial.
Particularly if you look at the highest yoga tantric
teachings, these teachings really emphasize meditation on the
emptiness of mind, because understanding the nature of the
mind becomes crucial for understanding emptiness. And in
the Vajrayana teachings there is a recognition of different
levels of subtlety of consciousness the grosser level, the
subtle level, the extremely subtle levels of consciousness.
When one meditates upon the nature of mind, it is done in
terms of invoking a subtle level of consciousness and
meditating upon its emptiness. For example Aryadeva, who
was the disciple of Nagarjuna, in his commentary on
Nagarjunas five stages called the Compendium of Training, or
Compendium of Deeds, there Aryadeva presents the teaching
on emptiness primarily on the basis of meditation on the

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emptiness of mind, the nature of mind. This is because mind is
the basis of the notion of self, and self is the subject that
experiences the results of karma. It is the self that is the agent
of an action, and therefore in order to truly negate grasping at
this self, one also needs to negate the grasping at
consciousness, which is the basis of the notion of that self or
person.
Then the text reads:
Just as the blessed Buddhas and the great bodhisattvas have
generated the mind of great awakening
So from that point onwards, Nagarjuna presents the
conventional bodhichitta, the meditation on the conventional
awakening mind. When Nagarjuna in his own words
comments on the Buddhas teaching on the awakening mind,
in stanza one he makes the salutation to the Buddha, and then
in stanza two he actually makes the presentation, and here it
reads:
2. The Buddhas maintain the awakening mind
To be not obscured by such conceptions
As self, aggregates, consciousness and so on.
It is always characterized by emptiness.
Here what Nagarjuna is presenting is that the awakening
mind, which is here the ultimate awakening mind, a direct
realization of emptiness, is such that it is devoid of any
conception or notion of self. Here he is negating the non-
Buddhist notion of atman.
Then when he talks about conceptions of aggregates, he is
negating the Buddhist schools such as Vaibhashika and
Sautrantika, who present the notion of the real existence of
aggregates. When he says that it is devoid of the conception of
consciousness, here he is negating the position of the Mind
Only School. Then he says that the true nature of this
bodhichitta is really emptiness. This realization of emptiness
alone, however, does not become ultimate awakening mind,
does not become bodhichitta. Therefore he writes in the next
stanza:

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3. It is with a mind moistened by compassion
That you must cultivate [awakening mind] with effort.
The point being made here is that the ultimate awakening
mind is a direct realization of emptiness which is
complemented or reinforced by bodhichitta, the altruistic
awakening mind. Therefore he writes:
The Buddhas who embody great compassion
Constantly develop this awakening mind.
From stanza four onwards, Nagarjuna is presenting the
critique of the non-Buddhist views. If you think more deeply
about the basis of the non-Buddhist view about the notion of
self, in fact we can relate it to our own personal experience.
When we examine the way in which we, in our naive
understanding, perceive our own existence as individuals and
as selves, we know that if we think about our own continued
existence with relation to body, we intuitively have a notion
that the body ages. For example, if you are already grown up
to a certain age or point in your life, you dont have the feeling
that, This body is the same body as the body I had when I was
a kid. So you do kind of naturally accept the aging process of
your body.
Similarly with relation to the mind, if we think about the
current state of our mind, which has already benefited from
the long experience of going through formal education and so
on, again here we dont feel that, This mature mind that I have
is the same mind that I had when I was a kid. So with relation
to body and mind, we have a sense that it is continuous, it is
multiple and so on. However, when we relate to our notion of
self, it seems to be quite different. When we think about
ourselves, we immediately, for example, if we try to recall our
experience from very early childhood, we say, When I was at
that age?
So we use the same term I and extend it across this span
of time, and assume as if there is this one individual that
passed through this temporal passage. Unlike body and mind,
when it comes to the notion of self we have this notion of

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unity. We feel there is only one thing, so therefore we can
understand why philosophers would attribute this oneness or
unity to the characteristic of self.
Similarly when we observe our body and mind, we can
feel that, This body is mine I have this thought and
emotion, and so on. So we feel as if, over and above our body
and mental processes, there is someone or something called
me or self that is the owner of, or that is the bearer of, the
experiences that is the owner, somehow, to whom these kinds
of processes belong. So we feel that, since this self or this
person is the owner or controller of these processes, these
processes depend upon the self, but not vice versa. The self is
somehow independent of this.
So in this way we can see how the philosophical idea of
self as unitary, unchanging and independent can occur, how
these kinds of philosophical views arise. Similarly these non-
Buddhist schools argue that there must be something called
self because when you see something with your eyes,
instinctively you do not feel that, My eyes see this thing, but
rather instinctively the thought arises, I see this thing. So
therefore we have a sense that somehow our senses are like
doors and avenues through which we experience the world,
and there is something called self that engages with the
world through these doors which are the senses. Its for these
kinds of reasons that non-Buddhist classical Indian schools
postulate a notion of an eternal, independent self.
So as mentioned earlier, from verse four Nagarjuna is
critiquing the non-Buddhist schools view of self and then in
verse nine we read:
9. If it were an entity it would not be permanent
For entities are always momentary;
And with respect to impermanent entities,
Agency has not been negated.
What Nagarjuna is stating here in the concluding verse in
this particular section is that if, as non-Buddhist schools
postulate, self is eternal, unchanging and independent, then

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how can the relationship between this self, which is
supposedly unchanging, and the aggregates, the physical and
mental elements which are constantly changing, how can the
relationship between the two be accounted for?
Nagarjuna argues that just as the body and mind go
through a process of change, therefore self or the notion of
person that is designated upon body and mind too must
undergo change. And in fact he argues that if we carefully
examine the way in which the notion of self operates in us,
there is recognition of this. For example, when we talk about
When I was young, when I was old, when I was sick, and when
I was happy and so on, unhappy... So here what is happening
is that the attributes of the physical and mental states
whether young or old, sick or well are all also attributed to
become attributes of the person, the self that is being
designated.
Nagarjuna explains that if the self, on the other hand, is
completely independent, then how can this independent self
interact with the physical and mental processes that together
make up the existence of this individual? What the Buddhist
teaching explains is that the reality of self, the existence of self
and person, can only be understood in terms of something that
is contingent, something that is dependent upon the physical
and mental aggregates, the physical and mental processes.
Therefore, just as the physical and mental aggregates are
impermanent, the self or the person that is designated upon
these processes too is impermanent.
Then Nagarjuna explains, however, that rejecting this
eternal self that is independent does not by implication also
negate the existence of the person, the existence of some kind
of agency. That is why he writes that with respect to
impermanent entities, agency has not been negated. He is
saying that although the self as an agent that is independent
has been negated, one can still maintain the notion of an
agency or a person that is impermanent.
Then from verse ten we read:

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10. This world devoid of self and so on
Is utterly vanquished by the notions
Of aggregates, elements and the sense-fields,
And that of object and subject.
Here self and so on includes all the characteristics or
terms that are generally used to refer to the individual or
person the person, the individual being, and so on.
Nagarjuna, having negated the notion of self and atman, then
goes on to negate the views of the Buddhist schools as
explained earlier, here particularly the real existence of
aggregates, elements and so on. This section of the text goes
on to verse twenty-two.
The version that is printed here has one extra stanza,
stanza sixteen. So when His Holiness says twenty-one, ours is
twenty-two. The version that His Holiness is using is from the
Tengyur, in the Derge edition, which is compared against
Smriti Jnanakirtis commentary of this text. It seems to go
really well with the root text in the Tengyur. Our version here
has one extra stanza.
So verse twenty-two of our version reads:
22. In terms of objects and subjects,
Whatever appears to the consciousness,
Apart from cognitions themselves,
No external objects exist anywhere.
Here what Nagarjuna is presenting is the critique of the
view of reality of the classical Buddhist Indian schools, the
realist schools, Vaibhashika and Sautantrika, from the point of
view of the Mind Only School. Therefore he writes that apart
from the cognitions themselves, no external object exists
anywhere.
Then in verse twenty-five, we read:
25. To overcome grasping at selfhood
[The Buddha] taught aggregates, elements and so on.
By abiding in the [state of] mind only,
The beings of great fortune even renounce

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that [teaching].
What is being presented here is a progressive
development of the view. On the first stage, you reject the
non-Buddhist notion of selfhood and then accept the reality of
aggregates and so on. Then from the perspective of the Mind
Only teachings, you negate even the real existence of these
aggregates as well.
And then from verse twenty-six, we read:
26. For those who propound consciousness [only]
This manifold world is established as mind.
What might be the nature of that consciousness?
I shall now explain this very point.
From this point onward, Nagarjuna is presenting the Mind
Only Schools understanding of the nature of reality. The Mind
Only School, having rejected the real existence of an external
world of matter, accepts the true existence of consciousness.
Therefore in this particular school, understanding the reality
of consciousness becomes very crucial, and it is to this
particular school that many great masters of the Buddhist
epistemological tradition such as Dignaga and Dharmakirti
belong. If you look at Dignagas and Dharmakirtis writings,
the whole epistemological system is built upon making a
distinction between perceptions of the external world versus
apperception, or self-cognizing awareness. And since the
reality of the external world, or the validity of our perception
of it, is grounded in the validity of the perceptions themselves,
the validity of the perceptions is then grounded in a quality
that is attributed to these perceptions, which is a self-
cognizing faculty. And in this way the reality of consciousness
or mind is established in this school.
Then in stanza twenty-seven we read:
27. All of this is but ones mind,
That which was stated by the Able One
Is to alleviate the fear of the childish;
It is not [a statement] of [final] truth.

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So here Nagarjuna is critiquing the Mind Only Schools
view. Of course, in the Buddhas sutras such as the Ten Level
Sutra, Dashabhumika, although it has different interpretations,
and also in Lankavatara, Descent into Lanka Sutra, there are
statements which explicitly reject the reality of the external
world and establish the truth of Mind Only. So similarly if you
look at Vasubandhus commentary on Differentiation of the
Middle and the Extremes, which is Maitreyas text, there is a
particular stanza where Vasubandhu comments upon this. He
explicitly states that the thought processes that are deluded,
distorted, do exist. And he says that it is not merely a matter of
existence but also that here the notion of existence is intrinsic
existence. The point is that, in Vasubandhus writing, it is very
clearly stated that according to the Mind Only School,
consciousness and the cognitions and the mental processes do
possess real intrinsic existence. So Nagarjuna and
Madhyamika, when they critique the Mind Only School, do not
do so by saying that the Buddha never taught the Mind Only.
The critique is, yes the Buddha taught this teaching in the very
sutras, such as in the Samdhinirmochana Sutra, the Sutra
Unraveling the Intention of the Buddha, where the teaching on
emptiness is explained in terms of contextualizing different
meanings of emptiness. So Nagarjuna says that it is not that
the Buddha did not teach Mind Only, but he is saying that the
teachings that the Buddha gave do not represent the final
truth. They were taught for a specific purpose. Therefore he
writes:
It is to alleviate the fear of the childish;
It is not [a statement] of [final] truth.
In stanza twenty-nine Nagarjuna then writes that the
Buddha taught that even the mind, too, is emptiness:
29. To those who delight in the great vehicle
The Buddha taught in brief
Selflessness in perfect equanimity;
And that the mind is primordially unborn.
Then from stanza thirty, Nagarjuna is critiquing a
principle tenet of the Mind Only School, the notion of alaya, the

18
foundational consciousness. The reason for postulating this
notion of alaya, or foundational consciousness, is to really
search for the true identity of the person. Since there are
many unconscious states of existence, such as when one is
fainting or one is in deep cessation, and so on, the Mind Only
School maintains that there must be an eighth consciousness
which retains its continuity. Because if we take the continuum
of consciousness to be the basis of the personal existence, then
in states of unconsciousness, when there is no conscious
experience, there will be no person. The continuity of the
person will be broken. This is the reason why the Mind Only
School postulates the notion of alaya, foundational
consciousness. So this notion is being negated by Nagarjuna.
Similarly the notion of self-cognizing awareness, which is this
apperceptive attribute of consciousness, this is also negated.
Finally in stanza thirty-nine, Nagarjuna writes:
39. The cognizer perceives the cognizable;
Without the cognizable there is no cognition;
Therefore why do you not admit
That neither object nor subject exists [at all]?
So, what Nagarjuna is stating here is that when we have
notions such as the object and subject, cognizer and the
cognized object, these are concepts that arise on the basis of
mutual relationship. It is not the case that the perception
verifies the object. The perception itself is verified by a third
kind of factor, which is the self-cognizing awareness.
Therefore, Nagarjuna is saying that, just as in the case of
agency, act and the object of action, all these three elements of
an action are mutually dependent and mutually defined. In the
same manner, conscious cognition and the cognized objects
are mutually defined. One cannot define one without the
other. So it is through mutual dependence that one can
maintain these notions. This is what Nagarjuna is presenting
in stanza thirty-nine. And this notion of mutual dependence is
very clearly presented in Chandrakirtis commentary on
Mulamadhyamakakarika, which is the Clear Words, the
Prasannapada.

19
Then in stanza fifty-eight we read:
58. When one speaks of emptiness as the nature
[of phenomena],
One in no sense propounds nihilism;
The point Nagarjuna is making here is that the teaching
on emptiness presents all phenomena to be empty because
they are dependent, because they are devoid of independent
nature. So emptiness is presented as the true nature of things.
There are true natures of things and there are phenomena
whose true nature we can talk about, therefore the teaching on
emptiness does not constitute a form of nihilism, because here
we are talking about emptiness as being the ultimate nature of
things. Then this is of course presented very clearly in
Nagarjunas Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way,
Mulamadhyamakakarika, where he explains the meaning of
emptiness in terms of dependent origination when he says,
That which has dependently originated, that has been taught
to be empty. Here he equates the meaning of emptiness with
dependent origination. Since emptiness is the ultimate nature
of things, therefore the teaching on emptiness does not
constitute a form of nihilism.
Similarly, Nagarjuna writes:
By the same token one does not
Propound eternalism either.
What Nagarjuna is presenting here is that this emptiness,
which is the ultimate nature of things, itself is not truly
existent, itself is dependently originated. Unlike the Mind Only
School where, having rejected the imputed nature, they
attribute true existence to emptiness, in Nagarjunas teaching
not only are phenomena empty but also emptiness of
phenomena is empty. Therefore one speaks of emptiness of
emptiness, and because of this there is also no danger of falling
into eternalism. So in this way, the teaching on emptiness
guards one from both extremes of absolutism and nihilism.
So we read in stanza fifty-nine:

20
59. Starting with ignorance and ending with aging,
All processes that arise from
The twelve links of dependent origination,
We accept them to be like a dream and an illusion.
Here Nagarjuna is explaining that, while rejecting any
notion of true existence in the teaching of emptiness, one can
still maintain a robust, coherent notion of reality. He explains
reality in terms of dependent origination: dependent
origination pertaining to the external world, dependent
origination pertaining to the internal world of sentient beings
and, of course, the origination of sentient beings as explained
in terms of the twelve links of the Buddhas teaching, the
twelve links of dependent origination.
So here the key principle that is being invoked is the
principle of cause and effect. On the basis of the law of cause
and effect, Jang-gya Rolway Dorjay wrote a text called Songs on
the View: Recognizing my Mothers Face, or Recognizing my
Mother, in which he wrote the following stanza Here,
Mother is used in the sense of emptiness. Emptiness is the
ultimate nature of everything, so he refers to it as Mother.
Referring to each of the different views of the Buddhist
schools, he wrote the following, although my recitation of the
stanzas themselves may not be the exact words. He wrote
that, given that a kind of a conventional notion of external
reality can be maintained, therefore the masters of the
Vaibhashika and Sautrantika Schools do not need to worry too
much. Having rejected the notion of an independent self, it
was very important to them to have a robust notion of the
world of existence, so they attributed reality to elementary
particles and so on, as we discussed earlier. What Jang-gya is
saying is since one can have a robust notion of this external
world without granting it reality in the sense of ultimate,
eternal, indivisibly constituted elements, therefore these
masters do not need to worry.
Then, talking to the Mind Only School masters, he says
that without accepting the notion of this apperceptive, self-
cognizing faculty, one can still maintain a coherent notion of

21
subject and object, cognition and the cognized object.
Therefore the Mind Only School masters need not worry too
much.
And then he moves on and says for those Madhyamaka,
Middle Way, philosophers who insist on some notion of
intrinsic reality on the conventional level, they too need not
worry because, you know, despite rejecting any notion of
intrinsic-ness, one can still maintain a coherent understanding
of the world of dependent origination. So the masters of the
Svatantrika Madhyamaka need not worry either.
So what Jang-gya is saying here is, if one truly
understands the teaching of Nagarjuna, particularly in the
unique way in which it has been read by Indian masters like
Buddhapalita and Chandrakirti, then one will have a very deep
understanding of the final meaning of emptiness, where not
even a trace of grasping at any notion of objective, intrinsic
existence is left. Yet, at the same time, within that view there
is a robust, coherent notion of reality within which cause and
effect and all conventions operate. Therefore, if one really
examines carefully, one can really come to recognize that in
the teaching of Nagarjuna there is truly the method and the
antidote to counter our innate, deeply ingrained grasping at
selfhood, our deeply ingrained grasping at real existence.
And yet, at the same time, one does not slide into a form of
nihilism. Rather, one maintains a robust notion of reality. And
at the same time Nagarjunas teachings are completely free of
any faults, and they can be completely supported by reasoning.
So when you think along those lines of course, I am not
claiming that I have realized emptiness, but I can say that I
have kind of tasted it, at least a little bit. So when you delve
deeply into the true meaning of emptiness, and when you
begin to have a little taste of it, then clearly, when you hear
words like emptiness, it conjures up and evokes in you a
completely different experience.
Otherwise one may misunderstand the teachings of
Nagarjuna, because the teachings of someone like Nagarjuna
cannot be seen as those of an academic professor who was just

22
developing some kind of speculative view. Rather, Nagarjunas
teachings on emptiness are teachings that have direct
relevance to our own experience, our own quest for
enlightenment.
So I will single out the next two stanzas. Stanza seventy
reads:
70. A happy mind is tranquil indeed;
A tranquil mind is not confused;
To have no confusion is to understand the truth;
By understanding the truth one attains freedom.
And then later on in stanza seventy-two, we read:
72. Those who do not understand emptiness
Are not receptive vehicles for liberation;
Such ignorant beings will revolve
In the existence prison of six classes of beings.
So with this, up to this point, the teaching on ultimate
bodhichitta, ultimate awakening mind, has been presented.
Then from stanza seventy-three onwards, the conventional
bodhichitta, the conventional awakening mind, is being
presented. This is what I referred to as altruism in the opening
remarks. Then in stanza seventy-three we read:
73. When this emptiness [as explained]
Is thus meditated upon by yogis,
No doubt there will arise in them
A sentiment attached to others welfare.
What Nagarjuna is saying here is that once you have a
deeper understanding of the meaning of emptiness, you will
come to recognize that there is a possibility of purifying the
pollutants of the mind. And once you come to recognize the
possibility of purifying the pollutants of the mind, then a
genuine aspiration to seek that freedom which is freedom
from the pollutants of the mind arises in you. And when you
recognize that, you will then recognize that in all the other
beings who are entrapped in the cycle of existence, the root
cause of their cyclic existence is this ignorant mind grasping at

23
self existence and inherent existence. And, however, this
ignorance, which is the root cause of samsara, is a distorted
state of mind which can be removed, which can be eliminated,
and there exists a powerful antidote to eliminate it. So once
you recognize that, then genuine compassion for all beings
who are entrapped in cyclic existence because of ignorance
arises in you. Thats why Nagarjuna writes that:
No doubt there will arise in them
A sentiment attached to others welfare.
So stanza seventy-six reads:
76. The fruits which are desirable or undesirable
In the form of fortunate or unfortunate births
in the world,
They come about from helping the sentient beings
Or harming them.
77.-78. If by relying upon the sentient beings
The unexcelled state [of Buddhahood] is brought about,
What is so astonishing about the fact
That whatever prosperities there are among
the gods and humans,
Such as those enjoyed by Brahma, Indra and Rudra,
And the [worldly] guardians of the world,
There is nothing in this triple world system
That is not brought forth by helping others.
And then the text goes on, but what Nagarjuna is
explaining here is that, in reality, anything that pertains to our
experience of happiness, anything that is good in the world,
either directly or indirectly is the result or consequence of
actions and thoughts that are beneficial to others.
In contrast, all the consequences of any actions and
thoughts that are harmful to others bring about ones own
downfall and all the other undesirable consequences that we
see in the world. The text goes on to say that even birth in the
hell realms and so on all of these are consequences of
engaging in actions that are harmful to other sentient beings.

24
So in brief, you know, Shantideva presented this view in
his Guide to the Bodhisattvas Way of Life, where he says that if
one does not exchange self and others and begin to cherish the
welfare of other beings, then not only will one not attain
Buddhahood but even in this lifetime there will be no
happiness. All the experiences of happiness, even in this
lifetime, are in one way or another consequences of actions
that are beneficial to other sentient beings.
Therefore if one can reflect deeply, one will truly come to
appreciate the value of these two teachings the teaching on
emptiness that we spoke about, which pertains to
understanding a deeper nature of reality, and the teaching on
altruism which is bodhichitta, awakening mind.
So, when you are able to adopt a path that is a
combination of these two practices, then clearly, as Shantideva
says in his Guide to the Bodhisattvas Way of Life, By mounting
the horse of bodhichitta, the awakening mind, one overcomes
any sense of weariness or tiredness and then can travel from a
place of joy to a place of joy. What sane and intelligent person
would not take joy in making such a journey?
This is truly powerful because if you really think deeply
as a practitioner, if you are able to really implement these two
principles, the principle of understanding the nature of reality
and the principle of altruism, then clearly a new chapter opens
where your whole journey in life becomes a journey toward
happiness, a true joy. Therefore one can truly relate to the
sentiments expressed in Shantidevas text when he says that:
As long as space remains
As long as sentient beings remain
May I too remain
And dispel the miseries of the world.
Then you can relate to that kind of sentiment and truly
have a sense of what a genuine and deep, tranquil and happy,
and joyful mind must feel like.
So then we read from stanza eighty-six, where Nagarjuna
writes:

25
86. When through practice it becomes firm, (He is talking
about bodhichitta)
Then alarmed by others suffering,
The [bodhisattvas] renounce the bliss of concentration
And plunge even to the depths of relentless hells.
87. This is indeed amazing, praiseworthy it is;
This is the excellent way of the sublime;
That they give away their own flesh
And wealth is not surprising at all.
88. Those who understand this emptiness of phenomena
Yet [also] conform to the law of karma and its results,
That is more amazing than amazing!
That is more wondrous than wondrous!
So, if one can train ones mind along these lines, on the
basis of the teaching on emptiness and altruism as outlined in
this text, then clearly one will be able to bring forth the
optimal potential that lies in the human mind and will make
ones human intelligence most meaningful and will have
achieved and served ones purpose. In this way one will be
able to cultivate the greatest amount of courage and also the
greatest degree of altruism. And once you are able to do those
things, then truly the expression making ones human
existence meaningful would come to be real.
Then we read from stanza one hundred three:
103. The single taste of compassion is merit;
The taste of emptiness is most excellent;
Those who drink [the elixir of emptiness] to realize
Self and others welfare are conquerors children.
104. Bow to them with your entire being;
They are always worthy of honor in the three worlds;
These guides of the world reside
As representatives of the Buddhas.
So, I think, Buddhist practitioners, practice these lines.
Then they will become genuine followers of Buddha. And not
only followers but also representatives of the Buddha. So let

26
us try to put them into practice and implement them in
practice.
The Buddhist teaching states that as practicing Buddhists
at the initial stage, we have to cultivate wisdom through
learning, on the basis of learning, and once you have cultivated
the learning, then on that basis you have to use critical
reflection and contemplation so that you arrive at the second
level of understanding, understanding derived through
reflection, and then finally we have to cultivate understanding
derived from personal meditation practice.
So, time is a major factor. Dont expect some big change
within one week. It is unrealistic. So try, try, try. Then
months, months, years, years, decades, then eventually there
will be some changes in our mind, particularly in the
emotional field. Then you really feel that these teachings are
really powerful weapons to destroy to eliminate the
ultimate sources of our problems, suffering or pains. So the
more we reduce these negative forces, then the positive forces
also gain more strength. As a result, our lives become
meaningful, joyful. And from the Buddhist viewpoint, not only
this life but life after life, then eons, eons, eons, like that.
Thank you.

27
Transcribed from DVD recording, compiled, layout & cover
design by Suzan Doan October, 2009. Edited by Natalie
Hauptman & Tom Griffin February 2010.
Compiled, Layout & Cover Design by S. Doan.
Printing is made possible by the Vietnamese Community
and friends.
With heartfelt thanks to Natalie Hauptman and Tom Griffin
for editing; to Lisa Hallstrom & Heidi Kaiter for going over the
transcription; to Khenpo Migmar and Geshe Jamspal for giving
support on the Sanskrit and Tibetan terminologies.
Published in English and Vietnamese for free distribution.
Prajna Upadesa Foundation
www.prajnaupadesa.org
Contact: info@prajnaupadesa.org

28

Dedication
As glorious Manjushri knows as does Samantabhadra, I
dedicate all my own merits so that I may train myself by following
them.
As dedication is highly praised by the Buddhas of the three
times, I dedicate all these roots of virtue for perfecting the Deeds
of the Excellent.
At the moment of my death, may all my karmic obscurations
be removed that I may see the Buddha of Boundless Light
Amitabha face to face and go to his Blissful Pure Land Sukhavati.

29

30

Khai Th ve Bo e
Tam
(BO E TAM THCH)
Tac gia: Thanh Long Tho

c Dalai Lama th 14 luan giang.
Cac anh ch em tam linh va huynh e Phat t Viet
Nam than men. Toi that s hanh phuc c noi
chuyen ay ve mot ban van quan trong do Ngai
Long Tho viet, trong truyen thong ao Phat Phan ng,
gan nh xem Ngai la v Phat th hai. Toi ngh tac
pham cua Ngai rat noi tieng v tac pham cua Ngai
thc s ky dieu. Va qua cach viet cua mnh, Ngai
luon a ra quan iem thong qua ly luan, khong ch la
cac trch dan t nhng li cua c Phat ma bang
ly luan trnh bay ro rang.
V cach trnh bay cua Ngai qua con ng ly luan
nen tat ca nhng ngi i theo Ngai, cac mon e
than can nh Ngai Aryadeva (Thanh Thien),
Buddhapalita (Phat Ho), Bhavaviveka (Thanh Bien), tat
ca v ai hoc gia, cac bac thay v ai nay luon luon
giai thch giao ly cua c Phat qua ly luan. Do vay
toi rat hanh phuc co c hoi tiep xuc vi ban van
nay.
Cac Phat t Viet Nam eu la nhng mon o hay
ngi nam gi cung truyen thong Phan van nh Ngai
Nagarjuna (Long Tho). Do vay, thc s chung ta la
nhng mon o hay ngi nam gi dong truyen
Nalanda. Nalanda la ai Trung Tam Hoc Tap cua Phat
Giao An o.
Tinh hoa cua ban van bao gom hai ieu: Long V
Tha Vo tan va Chanh Kien. Chanh kien hay tr tue,

31
c hieu la Shunya (tanh khong). Do o hai ieu tren
la chu e chnh.
Vay bay gi muc tieu la g? Cac li ch nao phat
xuat t hai ieu nay?
Trc tien, long v tha em en sc manh t ben
trong. Chung ta co the quan sat nhng ngi giau
long v tha va long bi. Thai o cua ho rat rong m
nen de dang giao tiep vi ngi khac. Khong nghi
ng g na, ho la ngi nh vay, toi ngh toan bo
c hanh cua ho eu rat chan that va rat lng
thien. V ieu o em lai niem tin. Niem tin em lai tnh
ban. Tnh ban em en s hoa hp. Chung ta la nhng
sinh vat co tnh xa hoi, do vay cuoc song hang ngay
cua chung ta tuy thuoc vao rat nhieu ngi. Do o
cang nhieu tnh thng nong nhiet ngi ta cang nhieu
hanh phuc trong 24 gi. Va ngi o luon cam thay
c ban hu bao quanh, cung la anh ch em vi nhau.
Neu thai o tinh than o la loai thai o ngay
ngo, t ky trung tam cc oan th kho co the bieu
hien c s chuyen bien chan that c. Ket qua
la s nghi ng, khong tin tng se khi sinh. Cuoi
cung ban cam thay mnh b bao quanh bi ngi thu
ch hay khong tin tng, ket qua la ban se cam
thay co n. ieu nay cc k ngc lai vi ban chat
con ngi. Do vay, khi noi ve long v tha, khong noi
ve kiep sau, khong noi ve niet ban hay Phat qua, n
gian la kinh nghiem nhieu hn ve long v tha trong
chnh cuoc song nay se c nhieu hanh phuc hn.
Va v tinh than chung ta hanh phuc hn nen than the
cung tr nen manh khoe hn.
Bay gi en chu e khac: S hieu biet ve
Shunya, hay thc tai toi hau. Thc ngha cua tanh
khong la y ngha cua s phu thuoc lan nhau (nhan
duyen). Khai niem o rat, rat hu ch e phat trien
cai nhn toan the. Trong thc tai, moi s eu phu
thuoc lan nhau. Ngay ca sc khoe cua chung ta cung
lien quan en nhieu th. Tam thc an bnh cung vay,

32
cung dnh lu en nhieu s vat. Neu noi tren phng
dien the gii, van e moi trng, con ngi vi nhau
va vi cac sinh vat khac, tat ca eu phu thuoc lan
nhau. V the, e biet c hnh anh toan dien nay,
khai niem ve s phu thuoc lan nhau la rat co ch. Do
vay oi khi toi noi vi nhng ngi khong phai ao
Phat nhng ngi khong quan tam en ao Phat
xet tren kha canh ton giao - trong thc te co nhng
truyen thong khong phai ao Phat, chang han nh
truyen thong ao C oc, ao Hoi, neu gia nh ho
thuoc ve truyen thong o th tot hn hay e ho gi
truyen thong cua ho. Trong luc o, quan iem phu
thuoc lan nhau nay mac du xuat phat t the gii
cua ao Phat nhng co the ap dung cho tat ca moi
ngi trong cuoc song chung ta. Nh the, khai niem
rong ln se lam tam chung ta rong m. Bang cach
nay, viec lam cua chung ta tr nen thc te hn.
Co nhieu van e chung ta ch nhn vao mot goc
o n gian, goc o hep va mot loai nguyen nhan
hay yeu to n gian roi co gang giai quyet ma thieu
cai nhn tong the. Do o, trong thc te, nhieu s viec
dnh lu vi nhau nhng cach x ly cua cac ban ch
nhn hay nham vao mot phan nen hanh ong cua
cac ban khong thc te. V vay e em lai thai o
hien thc hn, s tiep can thc te hn, ieu quan trong
nhat la biet thc te. Muon biet c thc te, cach
nhn toan dien la rat can thiet. The nen giao ly nay
bao gom hai th, hoc thuyet ve s phu thuoc lan nhau,
tc la mot loai kha canh khac cua s phu thuoc lan
nhau la s vo nga, hay hien tng tng thuoc khong
co that.
Hai ieu nay, cung nh long v tha lien quan en
tam nhiet thanh, khai niem ve s phu thuoc lan nhau
nay lien quan en tr tue, giong nh mot thc pham
cho nao bo, hay s thong tue, khai niem nay rat hu
ch nh thc pham hay nhien lieu cho long nhiet thanh,
giao ly ve long v tha nay la rat co li.

33
Truyen thong cua Phat t Viet nam, toi ngh chu
yeu thong qua truyen thong Trung Quoc, phai vay
khong? Hoac co the en trc tiep t An o, nhng
trong phan ln trng hp toi ngh eu qua truyen
thong Trung Quoc, va sau o la Han Quoc, Nhat ban,
va Viet Nam, cac ban van nguyen thuy chu yeu la
cac ban van cua Trung Quoc. Nh vay ao Phat Trung
Quoc hay truyen thong Trung Quoc theo toi ngh bat
au the ky th hai, th ba, th t. Truyen thong
Tay Tang bat au vao the ky th bay. Do vay,
chung toi la nhng e t tre hn cua c Phat.
Cac ban gia hn. Do o vao luc bat au, toi luon
gi li chao en nhng Phat t Trung Quoc cung
nh Phat t Viet Nam. Cam n cac ban.
Va sau o truyen thong ao Phat tre nhat la
ngi My, cac Phat t tre nhat.
Ban van chung ta ang hoc co ta e la Luan
giang ve Tam Chanh Niem Tnh Giac. Va ve mat
nguon kinh ien cua ban van ac biet nay la do
Ngai Long Tho viet, o la nguon kinh ien cua Hien
giao cung nh cua Mat giao. Nhng gia hai nguon
hien va mat nay, nguon ban au thc s la giao ly
tantra cua Kim Cng Tha, do o mac du thuat ng
bo e tam, tam chanh niem tnh giac c s dung
chung trong ca hai giao ly hien giao va mat giao,
thuat ng bo e tam ay hay tam chanh niem
tnh giac co y ngha ban au theo giao ly Kim Cng
Tha v ban van goc ma Ngai Long Tho viet luan
giang nay thc s la nam dong trch dan t chng
hai cua Tantra Guhyasamaja c c Phat Vairocana
(Ty Lo Gia Na) tuyen thuyet. V the ban van mang
tieu e Luan giang ve Tam Chanh Niem Tnh Giac,
ay tam chanh niem tnh giac thc s am ch bo
e tam, tam chanh niem tnh giac c hieu theo Kim
Cng Tha, noi rieng trong tantra du gia cao nhat,
o tam chanh niem tnh giac c hieu ve mat tnh

34
quang vi te, tam tnh quang toi hau1, ca hai eu cap
o cua giai oan hoan thien va ac biet la cap
o cua s hp nhat tnh quang va huyen than. Va
ay la y ngha chu yeu cua thuat ng tam chanh
niem tnh giac.
Do o khi chung ta noi ve s luan giai ban van
cua Kim Cng Tha, ac biet vi cac tantra, noi chung
co hai pham tru chnh cua tantra c nhac en nh
tantra hien va tantra mat. Tantra hien nh Kalachakra
tantra, nhng tantra mat bao gom cac tantra v du nh
Guhyasamaja Tantra, o la nguon cua ban van ac
biet nay do Ngai Long Tho viet. Do o, trong tantra
mat, giong nh Guhyasamaja Tantra, tham ch y ngha
cua mot thuat ng n gian co the dien dch theo
nhieu cach khac nhau.
Chang han, ngi ta s dung phng phap giai
thch viec cau thnh hay ap dung nhng g c biet
nh bon cach thc hay sau ranh gii, nen trong mot
thuat ng n gian c giai thch theo nhieu cach
khac nhau cac trnh o khac nhau. Va ay, v du
Guhyasamaja la nguon goc chnh cua ban van ac
biet nay va cua Guhyasamaja Tantra (B Mat Tap Hoi
Tantra), tantra goc co sau nguyen ly giai thch, ma
nam a c dch sang tieng Tay Tang. Do o nam
nguyen ly nay co the s dung va mot cha c
phien dch. Cho nen, ay khi Ngai Long Tho giang
giai ve bo e tam, tam chanh niem tnh giac, Ngai
khong ch luan giai ve trnh o cua Kim Cng Tha
ma con cap o giai oan hoan thien, s hieu biet
ve bo e tam hay tam chanh niem tnh giac di
dang tam tnh quang la cap o cua giai oan hoan
thien.
1 chu thch cua ngi dch (clear light la mot trang thai thay
biet s vat thc s ung nh no la no, tng ng vi giai oan
kien ao [bat thoai chuyen], tc giai oan th ba trong nam giai
oan)

35
Nh vay, khi chung ta noi ve tam tnh quang tren
giai oan hoan thien, ve c ban chung ta ang noi ve
s hp nhat bat kha phan cua tnh giac chanh niem
va tanh khong. ay chung ta co hai kha canh, mot
la kha canh oi tng, o la oi tng, tc tanh
khong, c kinh nghiem bi tam tr tue. Cai kia la
chu the ang kinh nghiem tanh khong o, la chu the
tnh quang. S lien quan gia hai cai nay va nguyen ly
hieu biet ve bo e tam c em vao ban van nay
bi ngi au tien trc nhat la Ngai Long Tho, o
la oi tng tanh khong hay oi tng tnh quang.
Khi chung ta noi ve giao ly cua oi tng tam
tnh quang, c ban la chung ta noi ve giao ly cua
c Phat ve tanh khong, c trnh bay trong nhieu
bai thuyet phap khac nhau, va t quan iem cua he
thong giao ly hien tong (sutra). V du theo Kinh
Sandhinirmocana (Kinh Giai Tham Mat), Lam Sang To
Khai Niem cua c Phat, chung ta nhan ra ba lan
chuyen phap luan.
Lan chuyen phap luan th nhat la giao ly ve
T Dieu e, lan th hai c thiet lap chu yeu bi
giao ly ve Tr tue Vien man, tc Kinh Bat Nha Ba La
Mat (Sutra Prajnaparamita Kinh ai Tr o). Trong hai
lan chuyen phap luan nay, c Phat trnh bay chu
yeu ve oi tng tnh quang, o la giao ly ve tanh
khong. Va sau o Samtim Vairochana Sutra nhac en
lan chuyen phap luan th ba, c noi en nh s
phan biet ro rang ve cac ban chat khac nhau. Va
ay, mot phan phu cua lan chuyen phap luan th ba
bao gom cac sutra nh Tathagatagarbha Sutra (Kinh Nh Lai
Tang), Kinh Tinh Tuy cua Phat Qua. Trong cac giang
day nay, them vao oi tng tnh quang cua tanh
khong, c Phat cung giang day chu the tnh quang
cua tr tue.
Va do vay, giao ly Kim Cng Tha oc nhat vo
nh cho trnh bay cho ta thay oi tng tnh quang,
tc tanh khong va chu the tnh quang cua tr tue

36
c hp nhat bat kha phan va nh o trnh bay
mot con ng khien hanh gia co the tiep can s
giac ngo qua s hp nhat bat kha phan cua oi
tng tnh quang cua tanh khong va chu the tnh
quang cua tr tue nay.
Noi chung, s hp nhat cua phng tien va tr tue
la phan rat thiet yeu cua con ng ao Phat en
giac ngo. ac biet trong boi canh Kim Cng Tha, s
hp nhat gia phng tien va tr tue c em vao s
hp nhat bat kha phan, o trong mot s kien
rieng biet cua trang thai tam thc, ca hai tr tue va
phng tien eu hien dien. V no c em vao s hp
nhat bat kha phan.
Do vay, ban van bat au vi s trch dan t
tantra goc Guhyasamaja:
Moi thc the eu khong co that...
Va trong o cach Ngai Long Tho giai thch dong
nay la trnh bay s hieu biet thc s rang trong giao
ly cua c Phat bat c quan niem nao ve mot so
loai thc the co that, co s hien hu oc lap eu b
loai bo. Do vay, ve mat lch s co nhieu suy luan
cua cac hoc phai t tng triet hoc khac nhau. Ngoai
tr giao ly cua c Phat, moi hoc phai t tng
cua An o co ai eu mo ta mot so khai niem ve
nguyen ly vnh cu lien quan en t nga (atman) hay
mot so loai linh hon bat diet. Cac ac tnh cua linh
hon bat t nay c hieu khong giong nh cac ket
tap (uan) cua than va tam, o la nen tang cua
ban nga c nhan len, ban nga c ngh la n
nhat, mot thc the rieng le. Va, khong giong nh
nhng uan von vo thng, ban nga c ngh la
thng hang va vnh cu. Khong giong nh nhng
uan phu thuoc vao nhng anh hng khac, ban nga
lai c ngh la oc lap. Do o, khai niem ve mot
nguyen ly vnh cu, la nhat the, bat diet va oc
lap c mac nhien cong nhan.

37
The nen Ngai Long Tho viet dong au tien nh s
bac bo loai nguyen ly vnh cu nay, trong ca hai lien
quan en ban nga va lien quan en nen tang cua
khai niem ve ban nga, o la than va tam chung ta.
Noi chung, v trong y thc ngay th cua chnh chung ta,
khi ngh ve khai niem toi hay ta, khai niem xuat
hien nh the xuat phat t than chung ta, hoac xuat
phat t tien trnh tinh than cua chung ta. Do o, Ngai
Long Tho ch ra rang khong ch chnh ban nga nay
c gan cho, la co that ma con da can ban tren
khai niem ve ban nga xuat hien, o la than va
tam chung ta, cac ket tap tinh than va vat chat cua
no, cung khong co bat c s hien hu oc lap nao
(vo t tanh).
Ke tiep chung ta oc dong 2 va 3, ban van viet:
Hoan toan loai bo moi chu the va oi tng,
Nh la nhng ket tap (uan), nguyen to (ai) va
giac
quan (thc);
Trc tien, ay Ngai Long Tho nhac en cac
quan iem cua hai trng phai kinh ien cua ao Phat
An o la Vaibhasika (Ty Ba Sa Luan Bo) va
Sautrantika (Kinh Lng Bo), ca hai trng phai kinh
ien cua ao Phat An o khong phai ai Tha nay
chap nhan giao ly cua c Phat ve vo nga la loai
bo khai niem t nga, tc nhat the, bat bien va oc
lap nh a quy cho trc ay. Va tren het ho cung
loai bo khai niem ve bat c loai ban nga nao lam
chu than va tam chung ta.
Trong nhan thc ngay th ve ban nga cua mnh,
chung ta cam giac ben tren, vt tren tien trnh than
va tam cua chung ta co ngi nao o hay ieu g
o c goi la cai toi ma bang cach nao o s
hu ieu nay vi ngi ma tien trnh tam thc va
than the thuoc ve, cai toi nay v ly do nao o oc
lap vi cac nen tang nay, the nen loai khai niem
ve ban nga cung b loai bo. Do o, theo hai trng

38
phai nay, giao ly cua c Phat ve s vo nga c
hieu di dang khong co ban nga t ay u, va
ban nga oc lap.
Tuy nhien, hai trng phai nay thc s chap nhan
rang khi e cap en nen tang cua khai niem ve
ban nga la qua trnh than va tam, th chung khong
giong ban nga, chung co s hien hu thc te. Du
no la qua trnh cua than hay tam, chung eu thc s
hien hu. S hien hu thc s nay co the at nen
tang tren s hieu biet thc tai sau xa hn. ay,
trc het chung ta noi ve tien trnh tam thc va
hien tng than xac, v o la hai lanh vc trc tiep
em lai kinh nghiem ve hanh phuc va au kho cua
chung ta. Khi noi ve hanh phuc va au kho, la moi
quan tam chnh cua nhng chung sinh nh chung ta,
chung ta noi ve chu the kinh nghiem, o la tam
thc va qua trnh tam ly, c xem nh nhng yeu to
cau tao cua vat chat, roi sau o qua nhng ket tap
ln hn phat sinh en mc o vi te cua the gii vat
chat ma chung ta kinh nghiem.
Tng t, khi ban luan en y thc, lanh vc cua
tam, ho hieu s hien hu cua y thc di dang cac
phan t toi hau bat kha phan nh nhng n v cua
nhan thc, loai chuyen ong cua nhan thc, qua s
ket tap tao ra s lien tuc nay ma chung ta kinh
nghiem nh y thc kinh nghiem.
Do vay, ay la ieu ma hai trng phai Phat
giao co cua An o Vaibhashika va Sautrantika ngoai
bon phai khong phai Mahayana (ai Tha) cho la thc
tai cua chung ta. Le d nhien, s hieu biet ve thc tai
nay sau o b bac bo va phe phan bi Phai Duy
Thc, o la phai Chittamatra hay Duy Tam. Va theo
Phai Duy Thc, ho tranh cai vi khai niem ve thc tai
than the c hp thanh hay c lam bang cac
nguyen to khong the phan chia, nhng hat c ban. Do
o, theo phai Duy Thc, s tranh luan la: bat chap
chung ta chia nho vat chat ti bat ky mc o nao,

39
chng nao vat chat con hien hu, no phai co mot
so khai niem ve thanh phan, v khong co bat ky y
thc ve nh hng v tr, th toan bo khai niem ve
vat chat b sup o.
The nen, neu cac ban phan tch theo cach hat c
ban bat kha phan nay se khong ng vng, v the
ho loai bo no lc hieu c ban chat cua thc tai
mot cach rut gon va dng len t hat c ban bat
kha phan nay. V the, Cittamatra, tc phai Duy Thc
tham ch loai bo thc tai vat chat ma chung ta kinh
nghiem. Sau o cau hoi khi len, Bay gi cho rang
chung ta thc s kinh nghiem the gii vat chat ...
chung ta thay hoa; chung ta thay bnh va con na,
lam sao chung ta co the? va... chung c lam bang
th g? S hieu biet cua phai Duy Thc la nhng
ieu nay thc te ch la s m rong cua chnh nhan
thc chung ta von la ket qua t thien hng thoi
quen ma chung ta tao ra trong tam mnh, sau o xuat
hien nh mot phong chieu ra ngoai nh the co mot
thc tai vat chat ben ngoai. Do vay ay la cach phai
Duy Thc phe phan quan iem ve thc tai cua
Vaibhasika va Sautrantika.
Ke tiep chung ta oc cac dong con lai cua tantra
goc, ban van viet,
V tnh bnh ang vo nga cua moi hien tng,
Nen tam hanh gia la s bat sinh bon nguyen;
That tanh cua tam la tanh khong.
ay, Ngai Long Tho trnh bay quan iem cuoi
cung, o la theo phai Madhyamika (Trung Quan Tong)
hay Trung ao, ho bac bo quan iem cua phai Duy
Thc v qua s phan tch cua phai Duy Thc, mac du
bac bo s hien hu noi tai cua the gii vat chat
ben ngoai, nhng ho chap nhan rang the gii ben
trong cua chu the kinh nghiem hay y thc co s hien
hu that s nh mot so loai hien hu oc lap noi
tai. Ngai Long Tho noi do the gii vat chat ben ngoai
khong ton tai lau dai, khong ng vng nen khi cac

40
ban a no ra e phan tch va tm kiem cac nguyen
to hp thanh toi hau cua chung da vao thc tai
cua chung theo cach o, hay tng t neu ban lai lay
y thc hay tam e ap dung phan tch nh vay th
chung ta se khong the tm thay loai hien hu thc s
cung nh s hien hu noi tai, ngay ca y thc ma ban
biet. Hn na, mot van e cua viec at nen tang cho
khai niem trong mot so loai cua hien hu noi tai la
khong co s giai oc thc s e oi pho vi s
bam luyen lien quan en chnh kinh nghiem cua mnh.
Qua s bac bo thc tai cua the gii ben ngoai, ngi
ta co the ngan chan bam luyen vao nhng oi tng
ben ngoai, nhng neu cac ban phan nao cu the hoa
kinh nghiem ben trong cua mnh th khong co s giai
oc chong lai s bam luyen va chap gi co the
xuat hien oi vi kinh nghiem cua the gii ben
trong.
The nen giao ly cua Ngai Long Tho trnh bay s
phu nhan khong ch ve the gii vat chat ben ngoai
cua s hien hu thc te ma con vi the gii ben
trong cua kinh nghiem. Trong o, giao ly ve tanh
khong c trnh bay hp ly qua toan bo hnh anh
cua thc tai. Va trong thc te, giao ly ve tanh khong
qua toan bo hnh anh cua thc tai la noi dung chu e
chnh cua Kinh Tr tue Vien man, giao ly va tat ca
ieu nay ch ra rang goc re cua luan hoi, hay s vo
minh cua chung ta, thc s la s bam chap vao hien
hu thc te cua moi hien tng, ac biet la s hien
hu thc s cua chnh ban nga cua mnh tren nen
tang cua khai niem san co ve viec toi la toi.
Do vay, trong kinh van cua c Phat, chung ta noi
ve s bam chap vao s hien hu thc s cua con
ngi va bam chap vao s hien hu thc te cua
hien tng. Gia hai ieu nay, s chap bam vao hien
hu thc s ve con ngi la nguyen nhan nen tang
cua s luan hoi cua chung ta; ac biet la ay,
khong ch la mot so ngi khac ma ung hn la s
bam chap vao hien hu thc s cua chnh cam giac

41
ve cai toi hay ta cua cac ban. ieu nay c cho
la s bam chap ch ky, cac ban quen vi viec bam
lay cam giac cai toi cua chnh mnh. Trong thc te,
ay la mat xch au tien trong chuoi thap nh nhan
duyen, o chung ta nhan ra vo minh, s vo minh
nen tang, la moi noi ket au tien trong chuoi noi
ket o. Do vay, no tr nen rat quan trong vi ngi
co tinh than khao khat e hieu tanh khong cua con
ngi va trong trng hp nay, ieu quan trong la co
c s hieu biet ve tanh khong cua t than y
thc. V khi chung ta noi ve khai niem hay y thc ve
ban nga hoac con ngi th con ngi hay ban nga
c nh ro tren nen tang cua cac ket tap than
va tam. Qua trnh nay thc chat la s lien tuc cua
tam thc phuc vu nh nen tang chu yeu cho khai
niem ve ban nga va con ngi cua chung ta, v the
viec hieu c ban tanh cua y thc tr nen vo
cung quan trong. ac biet, neu cac ban xem xet giao
ly cua Tantra du gia cao nhat, giao ly nay thc s
nhan manh viec thien nh ve s trong khong cua
tam, v hieu c s trong rong cua tam nay nen
hieu c ban tanh cua tam, tr thanh phan cot
yeu e hieu c tanh khong. Va trong giao ly Kim
Cng Tha co s nhan thc ve cac bnh dien cua y
thc vi te khac nhau, mc o y thc tho, vi te va
mc o cc vi te, va khi hanh gia thien nh ve ban
tanh cua tam di dang vien dan mc o cua y
thc vi te va thien nh tren tanh khong cua no. V
du, Ngai Thanh Thien, e t cua Ngai Long Tho, trong
luan giang ve nam giai oan cua Ngai Long Tho, c
goi la Ban Tom Tat ve s Tu Hanh, hay Ban Tom
Tat ve cac Hanh, ay Ngai Aryadeva (Thanh Thien)
trnh bay giao ly ve tanh khong bon nguyen tren
nen tang cua s thien nh tren tnh trong khong
cua tam, ban tanh cua tam. Va v tam la khai niem
can ban cua ban nga, va ban nga la chu the kinh
nghiem ket qua cua nghiep, ban nga la tac nhan
cua hanh ong, va e thc s phu nhan s bam
chap vao ban nga nay, hanh gia can phu nhan s

42
chap bam vao y thc v o la nen tang cua khai
niem ve ban nga va con ngi.
Ban van viet nh sau,
Giong nh ch Phat ton quy, ch ai bo tat
a phat trien tam ai chanh niem tnh giac va
con na,
T iem nay tr i, Ngai Long Tho trnh bay bo
e tam quy c (thong thng), s thien nh ve tam
chanh niem tnh giac thong thng.
Khi Ngai Long Tho giang giai giao ly cua c
Phat ve tam tnh giac chanh niem trong mot cau ke,
Ngai anh le ch Phat va sau o trong oan ke th
hai Ngai thc s trnh bay, ay oan ke viet,
2. S nuoi dng tam chanh niem tnh giac cua
c Phat
e khong b che am bi nhng nhan thc, nh
Ban nga, cac ket tap (uan), y thc, va cac th
khac
Phai luon c ac tnh hoa bi tanh khong.
Do vay, ay nhng g Ngai Long Tho trnh bay
la tam chanh niem tnh giac, la s nhan biet trc
tiep cua tanh khong, la khong co bat c nhan thc
cua khai niem ve cai toi nao. ay, Ngai phu
nhan khai niem t nga cua ngi khong phai tn o
ao Phat.
Sau o khi noi ve quan niem cua cac uan, Ngai
phu nhan trng phai Phat giao nh Vaibhasika va
Sautrantika a trnh bay khai niem ve s hien hu
thc s cua cac uan, va khi Ngai noi rang quan niem
ve y thc la s trong rong, la Ngai phu nhan quan
iem cua Phai Duy Thc. Sau o Ngai noi rang that
tanh cua bo e tam nay that s la tanh khong. Tuy
nhien, ch vi nhan thc ve tanh khong nay khong
tr thanh tam chanh niem tnh giac toi thng,

43
khong tr thanh bo e tam, v the Ngai viet oan
ke th 3, Ngai viet,
3. Vi mot tam tham nhuan long bi
Phai no lc trau doi [tam chanh niem tnh giac
Do o, quan iem tam tnh giac chanh niem
ay la s nhan biet trc tiep cua tanh khong, c
bo sung hay cung co bang bo e tam, tam chanh
niem tnh giac v ngi khac. Do vay Ngai viet,
Ch Phat, cac ang hien than cua long ai bi
eu lien tuc phat trien tam chanh niem tnh
giac nay.
T oan ke th t tr ve sau, Ngai Long Tho trnh
bay nhng phe bnh ve quan iem- khong- phai- ao
Phat.
Neu ban suy ngh sau hn ve nen tang cua quan
iem-khong-phai-ao-Phat ve khai niem ban nga ,
chung ta co the lien he kinh nghiem rieng cua chnh
mnh, khi khao sat (trong s hieu biet ngay th cua
mnh) cach chung ta nhan thc s hien hu cua chnh
mnh nh nhng ca nhan va cai toi, chung ta biet
rang neu ngh ve s hien hu tiep dien lien quan
en than the, chung ta co khai niem hay trc giac ve
tuoi tac cua than the. V du, neu ban hoan toan
trng thanh en mot o tuoi nao o hay mot thi
iem nao o trong cuoc song ban, ban khong co cam
nhan rang than nay giong nh than toi co khi toi
con nho. Do vay, phan nao ban thc s chap nhan
mot cach t nhien qua trnh tuoi tac cua than ban.
Tng t, oi vi moi quan he vi tam, neu ban
ngh ve trang thai hien hanh cua tam ban a co li
ch nh trai qua kinh nghiem lau dai qua s giao duc
chnh quy... ay mot lan na, chung ta khong cam
thay rang tam thc trng thanh ma toi co lai
giong nh tam khi toi con be. Do o, lien quan en
than va tam, chung ta co cam giac no la s lien
tuc, phc tap v.v.. Tuy nhien, khi lien he en khai

44
niem cai toi cua chung ta, dng nh no lai hoan
toan khac. Khi suy ngh ve chnh mnh, v du, neu co
gang nh lai kinh nghiem t thi con rat nho, chung
ta nhanh chong noi rang, Khi toi thi gian o
Do o, khi chung ta s dung cung thuat ng toi
va keo dai no suot quang thi gian nay, va cho
rang nh the ca nhan nay a i qua s chuyen trang
thai thi gian. Nh vay, khong giong than va tam, khi
no xuat phat t khai niem cua ban nga, chung ta
co loai khai niem ve tnh duy nhat nay. Chung ta cam
thay ch co mot viec, the nen chung ta co the hieu
c tai sao cac triet gia quy cho cai mot hay tnh duy
nhat nay cho ac tnh cua ban nga.
Tng t, khi quan sat than va tam, chung ta cam
thay than nay la cua toi, toi co t duy va cam
xuc va v..v... Chung ta cam thay nh the ben tren
qua trnh than va tam chung ta, co ai o hay ieu g
o c goi la cai toi hay ban nga, la ngi s hu
cung la ngi trai qua nhng kinh nghiem, la ngi
chu s hu ma nhng loai qua trnh nay thuoc ve.
Chung ta cam thay v ban nga la ngi chu s hu
hay ngi kiem soat qua trnh nay, qua trnh nay tuy
thuoc vao ban nga nhng khong the ngc lai c.
Ban nga bang cach nao o oc lap vi ieu nay.
Do o, trong cach nay chung ta co the thay quan
niem triet hoc ve ban nga la nhat the, bat bien va
oc lap, vay lam sao loai quan iem triet hoc nay co
the xuat hien. Tng t, cac trng phai khong phai
ao Phat tranh cai rang phai co ieu g o goi la
ban nga, v khi cac ban thay ieu g o bang mat,
theo ban nang ban khong cam thay mat toi thay
ieu nay, ma ung hn la t tng theo ban nang
khi len toi thay ieu nay. The nen, chung ta co
cam giac rang bang cach nao o cac giac quan cua
chung ta giong nh nhng canh ca va nh con ng
e at ti, qua o chung ta kinh nghiem the gian. Va
ay ieu c goi la ban nga, tham gia vao the gian

45
qua nhng canh ca, o la cac giac quan. No la loai
ly do ma cac trng phai kinh ien khong phai ao
Phat mac nhien cong nhan khai niem ve mot ban
nga oc lap, vnh cu.
Nh a nhac en trc ay, t ke th 4, Ngai
Long Tho ch trch quan iem khong phai ao Phat ve
ban nga va trong ke th 9 chung ta oc,
9.Neu la mot thc the, no se khong thng con
V cac thc the luon luon chuyen bien;
Va oi vi nhng thc the vo thng,
Ta khong phu nhan.
Do vay, nhng g Ngai Long Tho trnh bay ay
trong bai ke ket thuc oan ac biet nay la neu
cac trng phai khong phai ao Phat mac nhien
cong nhan ban nga la thng con, bat bien va oc
lap th lam sao moi tng quan gia ban nga nay co
the c cho la bat bien, oc lap va vi cac uan,
cac nguyen to cua than va tam luon bien oi, th
lam sao giai thch c moi lien quan gia hai ieu
nay?
V vay, Ngai Long Tho bien luan rang, giong nh
than va tam trai qua mot qua trnh thay oi, nen ban
nga hay khai niem cua con ngi (a c nh ro
tren than va tam) cung phai chu thay oi. Va trong
thc te, theo Ngai Long Tho bien luan rang, neu
chung ta khao sat ky lng cach khai niem cua ban
nga van hanh trong chung ta, th o la s cong nhan
nay.
V du, khi chung ta noi Khi toi con tre, khi toi
gia, khi toi au om, va khi toi hanh phuc, khong hanh
phuc, v.v.. ay nhng g xay ra la cac thuoc tnh
cua trang thai tam va than ma chung thuoc ve,
hoac tre hay gia, benh tat hay khoe manh, tat ca
thuoc tnh nay cung c quy cho va tr thanh thuoc
tnh cua con ngi, nh vay ban nga a c nh ro.

46
Mat khac Ngai Long Tho giai thch rang neu ban
nga la hoan toan oc lap, th lam the nao ban nga
oc lap nay co the tng tac vi qua trnh than va
tam a cung nhau tao ra s hien hu cua ca nhan
nay? V the nhng g giao ly ao Phat giang giai la
thc tai cua ban nga, s hien hu cua ban nga va
con ngi ch co the c hieu di dang ieu g o
ngau nhien, ieu g o phu thuoc vao cac ket tap
cua than va tam, cac qua trnh tam thc. Do vay,
ung nh cac ket tap cua than va tam la vo
thng, ban nga hay con ngi c nh ro tren cac
qua trnh nay cung vo thng.
Va sau o Ngai Long Tho giai thch rang, tuy bac
bo ban nga thng hang nay, o la s oc lap,
nhng cung khong ham y phu nhan s hien hu cua
con ngi, s hien hu cua mot so loai trung gian. o
la ieu tai sao Ngai viet; oi vi nhng thc the vo
thng mac du ban nga nh mot tac nhan b phu
nhan la oc lap, ngi ta van co the duy tr khai
niem ve trung gian hay con ngi la vo thng.
Sau o, t bai ke th 10, ta oc,
10. The gian nay khong co ban nga va nhng th
nh vay
Lai hoan toan b khong che bi cac khai niem
Ve nhng ket tap, nguyen to va thc giac, va
Chu the va oi tng.
ay ban nga va nhng th nh vay bao gom
moi ac tnh hoac thuat ng chung c s dung e
ch ca nhan hay con ngi. Va nh vay Ngai Long Tho
a phu nhan khai niem ve cai toi va t nga, sau
o tiep tuc phu nhan cac trng phai ao Phat nh
a giai thch trc o, ac biet ay la s hien
hu thc te cua cac uan, ai v..v... Phan nay cua
ban van tiep tuc en bai ke 22.
Do o trong bai ke 22 cua ban dch chung ta, viet
22. Ve mat chu the va oi tng,

47
bat c nhng g xuat hien en y thc,
tach khoi nhng nhan thc ve chnh chung, th
oi tng ben ngoai chang hien hu bat c ni
au.
ay s trnh bay cua Ngai Long Tho la phe
phan theo phai Duy Thc, quan iem ve thc tai cua
cac trng phai kinh ien cua ao Phat An o, cac
trng phai duy thc, Vaibhashika va Sautrantika. Va do
vay, Ngai viet rang tach ri khoi nhan thc ve
chnh chung, oi tng ben ngoai khong hien hu
bat c au.
Trong oan ke 25, chung ta oc,

2. e vt qua s chap bam vao ban nga
[c Phat] day ve cac uan, ai, va con na,
Nh an tru trong [trang thai] duy thc,
Nhng ngi ai thien duyen ve sau cung phai xa
(giao ly] nay.
Nhng g c trnh bay ay la tien trnh phat
trien cua cai thay. Trong giai oan au tien cac ban
bac bo khai niem ve ban nga cua nhng ngi
khong phai ao Phat va sau o chap nhan thc tai
cua cac uan v.v.. Sau o, t quan iem cua giao ly
Duy Thc, ho cung phu nhan ngay ca s hien hu
thc te cua cac uan nay. va t oan ke 26 chung ta
oc,
26. Vi ngi theo phai Duy Thc, cho rang
The gii a dang nay c thiet lap bi tam
Vay ban tanh cua tam o la g?
Gi ay toi se giang giai iem nay.
T iem nay tr i, Ngai Long Tho trnh bay s
hieu biet cua phai Duy Thc ve ban tanh cua thc
tai. Trong Phai Duy Thc, a bac bo s hien hu thc
te cua the gii vat chat ben ngoai, ho chap nhan s
hien hu thc s cua y thc, va v the theo phai

48
nay, s hieu biet thc tai cua y thc tr nen rat
can thiet va trong rieng phai nay a co nhieu bac
thay ve truyen thong nhan thc luan cua ao Phat
nh Ngai Dignaga (Tran Na) va Dharmakirti (Phap
Xng), va neu cac ban xem xet cac tac pham cua
Ngai Dignaga va Dharmakirti, toan bo he thong nhan
thc luan c xay dng tren s phan biet gia
nhan thc ve the gii ben ngoai ngc lai vi s
tnh giac t nhan thc. Va v thc tai cua the gii
ben ngoai, hay s co can c vng chac cua nhan
thc chung ta c at nen tang tren gia tr cua
chnh ban than nhan thc, s co can c vng chac
cua nhan thc sau o c at nen tang theo cach
gop phan cho nhng nhan thc nay, o la kha nang
t nhan thc. Va trong cach o thc tai cua y thc
hay tam c thiet lap trong trng phai nay.
Ke tiep chung ta oc trong oan ke 27,
27. Tat ca do tam tao,
c The Ton a thuyet
e giup ngi au tr thoat khoi s hai,
That ra khong phai chan ly cu canh.
ay Ngai Long Tho phe phan quan iem cua
Phai Duy Thc, va d nhien trong Kinh ien cua c
Phat nh Kinh Mi Cap o Dasabhumika (Thap a
Kinh), mac du co nhng dien dch khac biet va cung
trong Lankavatara (Kinh Lang Gia) co nhng trnh bay
dt khoat phan bac thc tai cua the gii ben ngoai
va thiet lap chan ly cua Duy Thc. Tng t, neu xem
xet luan giang cua Ngai Vasubhandu (The Than) ve
s Phan biet cua Trung Quan va cac Cc oan, o la
ban van cua Ngai Maitreya, mot oan ke ac biet
o khi Ngai Vasubandhu giai thch luan giang tren
ieu nay, Ngai phat bieu dt khoat rang mot trnh
bay noi ro qua trnh t duy la b la doi, b bop
meo lai thc s hien hu, va Ngai noi rang khong
ch van e cua hien hu ma con la khai niem ve
hien hu, la s hien hu noi tai. Trong tac pham

49
cua Ngai Vasubandhu, quan iem c trnh bay rat ro
rang rang theo Phai Duy Thc, y thc, nhan thc va
qua trnh tam thc thc s s hu s hien hu noi
tai thc te. Do o khi Ngai Long Tho va Phai Trung
Quan phe phan Phai Duy Thc, cac v khong phe
phan bang cach noi rang c Phat cha tng day
Duy Thc. S phe bnh nam cho ung la c Phat
co day ieu nay trong kinh ien nh Kinh Santim
Vairocana, Lam Sang To Y nh Cua c Phat, ay
giao ly ve tanh khong c giang ngha di dang
ng canh hoa nhng y ngha khac nhau ve tanh
khong. Ngai Long Tho noi rang khong phai c Phat
khong day Duy Thc, ma la c Phat ban giao ly
khong tieu bieu cho chan ly rot rao. Giao ly c
giang day cho mot muc ch ac biet. V the Ngai viet,
e giup ngi au tr thoat khoi s hai,
That ra khong phai chan ly cu canh.
Sau o trong oan ke 29, Ngai Long Tho viet c
Phat a day rang ngay ca tam cung rong khong, v
the Ngai viet,
29. Vi ngi ham thch ai tha
c Phat a day van tat
Vo nga trong bnh ang hoan toan
Va tam von bat sinh bon nguyen.
T oan ke 30, Ngai Long Tho phe bnh nguyen ly
c ban cua Phai Duy Thc, o la khai niem ve a lai
da, nen tang cua y thc. Ly do viec mac nhien cong
nhan khai niem y thc nen tang nay la e thc s
tm kiem nhan dang that cua con ngi. Va v co
nhieu trang thai khong chu tam ve hien hu nh khi
ngi ta met moi hay trong s ngng ngh sau v.v.. Phai
Duy Thc xac nhan rang phai co thc th tam e
ghi nh tnh lien tuc cua no, va v the neu chung ta
nhan s lien tuc cua y thc la nen tang cua ca
nhan hien hu, vay trong trang thai vo thc khi
khong co y thc kinh nghiem th se khong co ngi,
s lien tuc cua con ngi se gian oan. V the ay la

50
ly do tai sao Phai Duy Thc mac nhien cong nhan
khai niem ve a lai da thc, nen tang cua y thc. Tuy
nhien, khai niem nay b Ngai Long Tho phu nhan.
Tng t, khai niem ve s tnh giac t nhan thc, o
la thuoc tnh phi nhan thc cua y thc cung b phu
nhan. Sau o trong ke 39, Ngai Long Tho viet,
39. Ngi nhan thc nhan biet nhng g co the
nhan thc
Khong co nhng g co the nhan thc th khong
co nhan thc;
The nen tai sao khong tha nhan
Chu the cung nh oi tng hoan toan khong
hien hu?
Cac ban biet, nhng g Ngai Long Tho trnh bay
ay la khi chung ta co cac khai niem nh chu the
va oi tng, ngi nhan thc va oi tng c
nhan thc, o la nhng khai niem xuat hien tren
can ban lien quan lan nhau. No khong la trng hp
nhan thc xac minh oi tng. T than s nhan thc
c xac minh bi mot loai yeu to th ba o la s
tnh giac t nhan thc. V the Ngai Long Tho noi,
giong nh trong trng hp cac ban biet ve tac dung,
hanh ong va oi tng cua hanh ong, ca ba yeu
to ve hanh ong nay eu phu thuoc va nh ro lan
nhau. Ngi ta khong the xac nh mnh neu khong co
ngi khac. Do o, qua s phu thuoc lan nhau, ngi ta
co the xac nhan cac khai niem nay. The nen, ay
la ieu Ngai Long Tho trnh bay trong ke 39.
Khai niem phu thuoc lan nhau nay a c trnh
bay rat ro trong luan giang ve Mulamadhyamikakarika
(Can ban Trung Quan Luan) cua Ngai Nguyet Xng.
Ke tiep trong ke 58, tren trang 19, chung ta oc,
58. Khi noi ve tanh khong nh ban the [cua hien
tng]
Chang phai e xng thuyet oan kien

51
Quan iem cua Ngai Long Tho ay la giao ly
ve tanh khong trnh bay moi hien tng la trong
rong v chung eu phu thuoc, v chung khong co ban
tanh oc lap. Do vay tanh khong c trnh bay nh
chan tanh cua s vat. V chung la chan tanh cua s
vat va o la hien tng ma chung ta co the noi ve
chant tanh, the nen giao ly ve tanh khong khong
tao thanh mot dang oan kien v ay chung ta ang
noi ve tanh khong nh ban chat toi hau cua s vat
hien tai. Do o tien trnh nay c trnh bay rat ro
rang trong Tr tue Nen tang cua Ngai Long Tho ve
Trung ao, Mula madhyamikakarika (Can ban Trung Quan
Luan), ay Ngai giai thch y ngha cua tanh khong
di dang ly duyen khi, khi Ngai noi rang, v khi
nguyen a phu thuoc nen c day rang o la s
trong rong.
Do vay, ay Ngai xem y ngha cua tanh khong
va ly duyen khi la ngang nhau. The nen v tanh
khong la ban the toi hau cua s vat nen giao ly
ve tanh khong khong tao thanh dang oan kien.
Tng t, Ngai Long Tho viet,
Cung chang e xuat thuyet thng kien.
Nhng g Ngai Long Tho trnh bay ay la tanh
khong, o la ban the toi hau cua s vat, t no
khong thc s hien hu, t no la s khi nguyen
phu thuoc, nen khong giong nh Phai Duy Thc bac
bo ban tanh c gan cho tao nen hien hu thc s
cho tanh khong, trai lai trong giao ly cua Ngai Long
Tho, khong ch hien tng la trong khong ma tanh
khong cua hien tng cung la trong rong. Do vay,
ngi ta noi ve tanh khong cua tanh khong. Va v
the cung khong co s nguy hiem la ri vao thuyet
thng kien. Trong cach nay giao ly ve tanh khong
bao ve hanh gia khoi ca hai thuyet thng kien va
oan kien.
Chung ta oc trong ke 59,

52
59. Khi au vi vo minh va ket thuc vi tuoi
gia,
Tat ca qua trnh o eu xuat hien t
Moi noi ket cua thap nh nhan duyen,
Chung ta hay chap nhan chung giong nh giac
mong va ao anh.
Ngai Long Tho giai thch ay rang trong luc bac
bo bat ky khai niem nao ve hien hu thc s trong
giao ly ve tanh khong, ngi ta van co the duy tr
khai niem mach lac, thiet thc ve thc tai.
ay Ngai giai thch thc tai di dang ly
duyen khi. Ly duyen khi gan lien vi the gii
ben ngoai, ly duyen khi i oi vi the gii ben
trong cua chung sinh va d nhien, s khi nguyen cua
chung sinh c giai thch di dang Thap Nh Nhan
Duyen cua giao ly c Phat..
Do vay nguyen ly chnh c vien dan ay la
nguyen ly nhan qua, nen tren nen tang cua luat
nhan qua, Ngai Rolpai Dorje viet mot ban van c
goi la Bai Ca tren Cai Thay, Nhan ra Dien mao Ba
me cua toi hay Nhan ra Ba me cua toi, trong o Ngai
viet bai ke sau ay.
ay, Ba me trong y ngha cua tanh khong.
Tanh khong la ban the toi hau cua moi s, Ngai
nhac en tanh khong nh Ba me.
Do vay e cap en moi quan iem khac nhau cua
cac Trng phai ao Phat, Ngai viet nh sau, du t
than cac bai ke ma viec tung niem cua toi ve bai
ke co the co nhng li khong chnh xac. Ngai viet
rang viec a ra loai khai niem thong thng ve thc
tai ben ngoai co the c xac nhan, v the nhng
bac thay cua phai Vaibhashika va Sautrantika khong
can qua lo ngh khi cac v bac bo khai niem cua t
nga oc lap vi Vaibhashika va Sautrantika; hai trng
phai Phat giao, viec co khai niem manh me ve the
gii hien hu la rat quan trong. Do o, cac v quy

53
thc tai cho nhng hat c ban v.v.. nh chung ta a ban
luan trc ay. Nhng g Ngai Jang-gya noi la v ngi
ta co the co khai niem thiet thc ve the gii ben
ngoai nay, khong cong nhan thc tai cua chung trong
nhng nguyen to c tao thanh s bat kha phan,
trng cu, toi hau nen cac bac thay khong can lo
ngh.
Ke tiep, noi vi cac bac thay cua Phai Duy
Thc, Ngai noi rang mac du ngi ta khong chap
nhan khai niem kha nang t nhan biet nay, ngi ta
van co the duy tr khai niem gan ket cua chu the
va oi tng, nhan thc va oi tng c nhan
thc. V the cac bac thay cua Phai Duy Thc khong
can lo ngh qua nhieu.
Sau o Ngai tiep tuc va noi vi cac triet gia cua
phai Trung ao a nhan manh tren mot so khai
niem ve thc tai ben trong tren bnh dien quy c,
Ngai noi rang cac v cung khong can lo ngh, cac
ban biet, mac du bac bo bat c khai niem ve ben
trong nao, ngi ta van co the duy tr mot hieu biet
gan ket ve the gii cua ly duyen khi. V the cac
v thay cua Svatantrika Madhyamaka (Trung Quan Y T
Khi Tong) khong can lo ngh.
The nen nhng g Ngai Jang-gya noi ay la,
neu ngi ta thc s hieu giao ly cua Ngai Long Tho,
ac biet trong cach duy nhat a c viet bi cac
bac thay nh Buddhapalita va Chandrakirti, ngi ta se
co s hieu biet rat sau sac ve y ngha cuoi cung
cua tanh khong, o ngay ca dau vet bam chap
vao bat ky khai niem ve oi tng hien hu noi tai
nao eu b loai bo.
Tuy nhien, cung vi cai thay o, co mot khai
niem thiet thc gan ket cua thc tai ma nhan, qua
va moi s quy c van hanh trong o. V the neu
thc s khao sat ky lng th ngi ta thc s co the
tien en viec nhan ra trong giao ly cua Ngai Long
Tho rang ieu o thc s la phng phap va s giai

54
oc e chong lai viec bam chap tham can co e
vao ban nga ben trong chung ta, bam chap tham can
co e, sau sac vao thc tai hien hu.
Va, cung luc, ngi ta khong the ri vao dang
oan kien, ma ung hn la s duy tr khai niem thiet
thc ve thc tai, va do vay cung luc giao ly Ngai
Long Tho hoan toan thoat khoi bat ky khuyet iem
nao va c ho tr hoan toan bi nguyen nhan. V
the khi cac ban suy ngh ve nhng dong nay, d nhien
toi khong khang nh rang toi a nhan ra tanh
khong, nhng toi co the noi rang toi a nem c
mot loai mui v cua no, toi thieu c chut t, vay
khi cac ban nghien cu sau tren thc ngha cua tanh
khong va khi co c mot t mui v cua no, th ro
rang khi nghe nhng li giong nh tanh khong, no
xuat hien va gi len trong cac ban mot kinh nghiem
hoan toan khac, va neu khong th ngi ta co the
hieu sai giao ly cua Ngai Long Tho.
Giao ly cua nhng bac nh Ngai Long Tho khong
the xem nh bat c loai ly thuyet suong cua cac
giao s, nhng ngi a phat trien mot so loai quan
iem co tnh chat suy oan. ung hn giao ly cua
Ngai Long Tho ve tanh khong la giao ly lien quan
trc tiep en kinh nghiem cua chung ta, en s tm
kiem giac ngo cua chung ta.
Sau ay toi se chon ra hai ke ke tiep, ke 70, tren
trang 12, ke viet,
70. Tam hoan hy th that s an nh;
Tam an nh th khong nham lan;
Khong nham lan th hieu c chan ly;
Nh hieu c chan ly, ngi ta at giai thoat.
Va sau o, tren ke 72, chung ta oc,
72. Ngi khong hieu tanh khong
Th khong lnh hoi cac phng tien e giai thoat;
Nen ngi vo minh se luan hoi
Trong nguc tu hien hu cua sau bo chung sinh.

55
Do vay cho en iem nay, giao ly ve bo e tam
toi thng, tam chanh niem tnh giac tot bac a
c trnh bay.
T ke 73 tr i, bo e tam thong thng, tam
chanh niem tnh giac thong thng c trnh bay.
Do o, ay la nhng g toi nhac en nh long v
tha tai phan nhan xet m au.
Ke tiep trong ke 73 chung ta oc,
73. Khi tanh khong nay
c hanh gia thien quan,
Chac chan se phat khi trong ho
Long thiet tha mong muon li ch cho ngi khac.
Nhng g Ngai Long Tho noi ay la mot khi co
s hieu biet sau xa ve y ngha cua tanh khong, cac
ban se tien en viec nhan ra rang mnh co kha nang
tnh hoa nhng nhiem o cua tam. Mot khi nhan ra
co kha nang tnh hoa nhng nhiem o cua tam th
khao khat chan thanh tm kiem giai thoat khoi nhng
nhiem o cua tam khi len trong ban, va khi nhan ra
ieu o ban se nhan ra tat ca chung sinh khac eu
b bay rap trong luan hoi, nguyen nhan nen tang
luan hoi cua ho la tam vo minh bam chap va ban
nga hien hu va hien hu von san. Tuy tam vo
minh nay la nguyen nhan goc cua luan hoi, la trang
thai bop meo cua tam, nhng co the loai bo, co the
tieu tr va ton tai mot giai oc hung manh e tieu
tr no. Do vay, mot khi nhan ra ieu o, th long bi
chan thc cho tat ca chung sinh b bay rap trong luan
hoi v s vo minh se khi len trong cac ban. o la
ieu tai sao Ngai Long Tho viet,
Chac chan se phat khi trong ho
Long thiet tha mong muon li ch cho ngi khac.
Bay gi trong ke 76 viet,

56
76. Qua lanh hay d
Trong dang tai sinh may man hoac bat hanh,
eu xuat phat t viec giup chung sinh
Hay lam hai ho.
77-78 Neu biet da vao chung sinh
Chac chan at c trang thai vo song [Phat qua],
Vay chang ang ngac nhien ve viec
Bat c s thnh vng nao trong coi tri va ngi,
Nh Pham Thien, e Thch, Hac Thien,
Va nhng v bao ve cua the gian c hng,
eu do viec giup ngi khac.
Chang co ieu g trong tam gii nay
Ma khong em lai li ch v giup ngi khac.
Va sau o ban van tiep tuc, nhng g Ngai Long
Tho giai thch ay la trong thc tai bat c viec g
gan lien vi kinh nghiem hanh phuc cua chung ta,
bat ke ieu tot nao trong the gian, hoac trc tiep hay
gian tiep, eu la ket qua hay hau qua cua hanh
ong va t duy lam li ch ngi khac.
Trai lai, moi hau qua cua bat c hanh ong hay
suy ngh nao lam ton hai ngi khac eu em lai suy
sup cho chnh chung ta va moi hau qua bat hanh khac
ma chung ta thay trong the gian. Tom lai ban van noi
rang ngay ca viec tai sinh vao a nguc v.v.., tat ca
nhng ieu nay eu la hau qua cua viec tham gia
vao hanh ong gay hai cho chung sinh khac.
Tom lai, nhng g Ngai Santideva Tch Thien) trnh
bay trong quyen Hng dan cho i song Bo Tat ao,
Ngai noi rang neu ngi ta khong trao oi mnh vi
ngi khac va bat au nuoi dng hanh phuc cho
ngi khac, th khong nhng se khong at Phat qua
ma trong chnh cuoc song nay cung khong c hanh
phuc. The nen, moi kinh nghiem hanh phuc, tham ch
trong i nay eu la ket qua cua hanh vi lam li ch
cho ngi khac.

57
Do vay, neu co the quan chieu sau sac, ngi ta
se thc s tien en viec hieu ro gia tr cua hai giao
ly nay. Giao ly ve tanh khong gan lien vi viec
hieu sau hn ve ban the cua thc tai, va ke tiep la
giao ly ve long v tha, o la bo e tam, tam chanh
niem tnh giac.
The nen, neu cac ban co kha nang tiep nhan
con ng co s ket hp cua hai thc hanh nay, nh
Ngai Santideva noi trong quyen Cuoc Song Cua Con
ng Bo Tat, khi Ngai noi rang e vt qua bat c
cam giac met moi hay chan nan nao, ngi ta nen
ci con nga bo e tam, tam chanh niem tnh giac,
va sau o du hanh t ni hoan hy nay en ni hoan
hy khac, va ngi thong minh hay ngi khon ngoan
ha chang nhan lay hoan hy trong viec tham gia vao
chuyen du hanh nh vay hay sao?
The nen giao ly nay thc s hung manh, v neu
cac ban thc s suy ngh sau xa nh mot hanh gia,
neu cac ban co kha nang thc s thc hien ay u
hai nguyen ly nay, nguyen ly ve hieu biet ban the
cua thc tai va nguyen ly ve long v tha, th hien
nhien se m ra mot chng mi, o toan bo
chuyen hanh trnh cua ban trong cuoc song nay m
rong hng en hanh phuc, mot s hoan hy thc s.
Do o, ngi ta co the thc s hieu va thong cam
quan iem c dien ta trong ban van cua Ngai
Santideva khi Ngai noi rang,
Chng nao h khong con ton tai
Chng nao chung sinh con hien hu
Toi nguyen lai
Va loai tr au kho cua the gian.
V vay ban co the thong cam vi loai tnh cam
o va that s co c cam giac hanh phuc va an
nh, cam thay tam hoan hy.
Chung ta oc bai ke ke tiep, Ngai Long Tho viet,
86. Khi qua tu hanh at c kien co

58
Ngai ang noi ve bo e tam.
Va cung lo lang ve s au kho cua ngi khac,
Ch Bo Tat t bo hy lac trong nh
Dan than vao tan ay vo gian a nguc.
87. That ang tan than, that tuyet dieu biet bao;
ay la con ng toi hao cua bac sieu pham;
Viec cho i cua cai, than mang
Hoan toan chang co g ang ngac nhien.
88. Ngi hieu c tanh khong cua hien tng
nay
Ma van song thuan theo luat nhan qua,
Nh vay that la ky dieu hn tat ca ieu ky dieu!
ang than phuc hn tat ca nhng g ang tan
than!
Do vay, toi ngh neu hanh gia co the luyen tam
theo nhng dong nay, tren nen tang cua giao ly ve
tanh khong va long v tha nh a phac thao trong
ban van nay, chac chan hanh gia se co kha nang
em tiem nang toi u nam trong tam hanh gia va se
lam cho tr tue con ngi co y ngha nhat se thanh
tu va phuc vu c muc ch cua no. Trong cach nay
ngi ta se co kha nang trau doi c lng dung kh
v ai nhat va mc o v tha ln nhat, mot khi co
kha nang lam c cac ieu nay, th s dien ta ve
viec c lam ngi cua ban thc s ay y ngha.
Ke tiep chung ta oc t ke 103 tren trang 13,

103. Mui v duy nhat cua long bi la cong c;
V cua tanh khong th tuyet hao nhat;
Ngi nao uong c [cam lo cua tanh khong] e
thc hien
Li ch cho chnh mnh va ngi khac eu la con
cua
ang chien thang.

59
104. Hay em het than tam cua ban anh le cac
Ngai;
Cac Ngai luon la bac The Ton cua tam gii;
La ngi dan dat chung sinh trong the gian
Nh nhng hien than cua ch Phat.
Toi ngh, nhng hanh gia ao Phat thc hanh
cac dong nay se tr thanh mon o ch thc cua
c Phat. Khong ch la mon o ma con tieu bieu
cho c Phat, do vay chung ta hay co gang ap dung
va bo sung vao thc hanh. Het! (Ngai ci)
The nen, giao ly ao Phat a noi ro, khi thc
hanh ao Phat vao giai oan nhap mon, chung ta
phai tu dng tr tue qua hoc tap, tren nen tang hoc
tap va mot khi ban trau doi hoc hoi, tren nen tang
o cac ban phai s dung s quan chieu va suy niem
e co the at c trnh o hieu biet th hai, s
hieu biet bat nguon t quan chieu, va cuoi cung
chung ta phai trau doi s hieu biet xuat phat t viec
hanh tr thien nh cua ca nhan.
Do vay, thi gian la nhan to chnh. ng trong
mong mot so thay oi ln ch trong vong mot tuan,
ieu nay khong thc te. V the hay co gang, co
gang, co gang. Sau nhieu thang, nhieu nam, nhieu
thap nien, cuoi cung cung co mot so thay oi trong
tam chung ta, ac biet la trong lanh vc cam xuc. Khi
o cac ban thc s cam thay giao ly nay la vu kh
that hung manh e tieu tr, loai bo nguon goc cuoi
cung ve nhng van e cua chung ta, nhng au kho
hay gian kho. Cho nen ta cang lam giam nhng the lc
tieu cc nay th nhng the lc tch cc cang tang
trng, cang at nhieu sc manh hn. Ket qua la
cuoc song chung ta tr nen ay y ngha, va t quan
iem cua ao Phat, khong ch i nay ma con i
sau, roi t hang a tang ky nay sang a tang ky kiep
khac, nh vay o. Cam n cac ban.

60

























Vi li cam n chan thanh en Natalie Hauptman
va Tom Griffin ve viec bien tap; en Tue Phap Vit

61
dch; en Lisa Hallstrom & Heidi Keiter a xem xet ky
lng lai ban chep; en Ngai Khenpo Migmar va Geshe
Jamspal a ho tr ve nhng thuat ng tieng Phan va
Tay Tang; en Tm Diu Ph vn ng gy qu n tng, v
cng ng Vit Nam ng h ti chnh.
Ghi li t bn DVD ting Anh 10/2009. Ban dch Viet
ng: Tue Phap, 12/2009. Hieu nh lai 3/2010. Ch bin
Suzan Doan.

62

Hi hng

Nh c Van Thu va Pho Hien quang vinh a
biet, con hoi hng moi cong c e co the ren
luyen chnh con bang cach i theo cac Ngai.
Ch Phat ba i a tan than cao o ve s hoi
hng, con xin hoi hng moi nguon cong c e
vien man Nhng Hanh Vi Xuat Chung.
Vao luc chet, con mong moi nghiep che am cua
con c tieu tr e con co the gap c c Phat
Vo Lng Quang A Di a va en Coi Cc Lac cua
Ngai.


n Tng ting Anh v ting Vit.
Bn in c cng ng ngi Vit v bn hu thc hin
Prajna Upadesa Foundation.
www.prajnaupadesa.org
Lin h: info@prajnaupadesa.org