Part 2d - How, by awakening the gotras, liberation is attained

As described:

When the wakening of these gotras rouses the two bodhicittas,
The compassionate manifestations that are established by that
Are accumulation of merit within the relative,
The three empowerments of the vase and so on,
And the practice of the pure developing stage.

The empty absolute nature is accumulation of wisdom,
This is the fourth empowerment, completion, and mahamudra.
When we meditate well, by development of the two stages,
The kleshas turn to wisdom. Happiness grows and grows.
By this the obscurations of dharmadhatu are cleansed.
The sun of dharmakaya and rupakaya is seen.

In naturally pure and essentially spotless mind itself, the holy wisdom of buddhahood, the apparent aspect, the primordially existing spontaneous presence of the luminous nature of mind, exists as the qualities of the rupakaya of buddhahood.

This is taught by many examples. The qualities of the aspect of emptiness, dharmakaya, are explained everywhere in the sutras and tantras by the example “being like space.”

The inseparability of these two is the good dhatu of dharmas. Since it is changeless it is the “naturally existing gotra.” After its defilements are purified, by manifesting its full-blown buddha qualities, it is called the “developed gotra.” Its root, self-awareness wisdom, is luminosity.

When those two gotras are awakened by the two accumulations being gathered, defilements of the two gotras are purified. The buddha qualities are made capable of appearing. Ultimate rupakaya with its buddha qualities is attained.

Just as the six perfections are classified in terms of the two accumulations, so are the stages of development and fulfillment. The Net of Illusion (sgyu ‘phrul dra ba) says:

Development and fulfillment are the two accumulations,
Those of merit and wisdom, as well as the three empowerments,
Plus the fourth, that of the nature of suchness itself.
There are other ways of dividing, going beyond all measure.

The first three empowerments, or abhishekas, are the vase, secret, and prajñajñana abhishekas. Producing the purity of the developing stage, these are the accumulation of merit. The developing stage includes all meditations with complexity on the mandalas of deities and so forth.

The fourth, the precious word-empowerment, producing the purity of the fulfillment, perfection or completion stage, is the accumulation of wisdom. The fulfillment stage includes all meditations on luminosity and so forth that are without complexity.

By these purifying defilements of the gotra, as the sun emerges from dark clouds, self-existing buddhahood comes forth from the coverings of the kleshas.

As for the extensive explanation, the gotras were previously taught. The stages of secret mantra will be explained below, so they will not be dealt with here.