Appendix 1 - The Great Seal teachings of the Dakpo Kagyu

[Full title: Untitled note on the Great Seal teachings of the Dakpo Kagyu; Chandra 632; Chengdu 846; Roerich 724.]

Thus this sub sect known as the dpal dags po'i bka' brgyud does not represent the Lineage of the Word, but represents that of the Meaning (don). (The word) “meaning"means here the "Lineage of understanding of the immaculate 'Great Seal' (Mahāmudra)." The Teacher from whom was obtained the understanding of the "Great Seal" (Mahāmudra) should be called the mūla guru (rtsa b'a'i blama), or the "Original Teacher". The understanding of the "Great Seal" (Mahāmudra) should be considered to correspond to the sampannakrama degree (rdzogs rim), because during the time of Lord Mar pa and the Venerable Mid la the wisdom of the "Inner Heat" (gtum mo'i ye shes) was produced first, and through it was produced the understanding of the "Great Seal" (Mahāmudra).

Dags po rin che produced an understanding of the "Great Seal" (Mahāmudra) in those ādi karmikas (las dang po pa) who had not obtained initiation. This is the system of the Prajñāpāramitā.

Further, dags po rin po che said to dpal phag mo gru pa:

"The basic texts of our doctrine of the "Great Seal" is the Mahāyana Anuttara Tantra composed by the Blessed Maitreya,"

Dpal phag mo gru pa in his turn transmitted it to Lord 'bri khung pa, and by reason of this numerous expositions, the Mahāyana Anuttara Tantra are found in the works of Lord ‘bri khung pa and his disciples.

In this connection the Dharmasvāmin sa skya pa maintained that the term "Great Seal" (Mahāmudra) is not found in the text of the Prajñāpāramitā, and that the knowledge of the "Great Seal" represents knowledge born of initiation only.

But in the Tattva avatāra^[1] composed by the ācārya Jñānakīrti (ye shes brags pa) it is said that

"the wise ones who practise the Prajñāpāramitā (doctrine) can attain the knowledge accompanying the "Great Seal" (Mahāmudra), even on the stage of a pṛthag jana, after having meditated on the samatha and vipasyana (mind concentration and transcendental analysis). This is the sign of the Irretrievable State."

In the commentary on the Tenth Tathatā^[2] composed by Sahajavajra (lhan cig skyes pa'i rdo rje) it is clearly stated:

"By nature it is a Pāramitā, but is associated with the Tantra. By name (it is) Mahāmudrā (Great Seal). The knowledge of the Ultimate Essence which has the three above characteristics..."

(Thus the term Mahāmudrā is found in the Prajñāpāramitā), and sa skya pa must be wrong.

Therefore the "Great Seal"of the Prajñāpāramitā of the Lord sgam po pa was described by Lord rgod tshang pa as being a doctrine of mnga' bdag Maitrīpa. The "Great Seal" (Mahāmudrā), which belongs to the Path of the Tantra, was also expounded by Lord sgam po pa to his "Inner" disciples. From the birth of Lord mar pa to the present Fire Male Ape year (me pho spre'u 1476 A.D.) 465 years have passed so it must be understood (Mar pa was born in 1012 A.D.). This is the end of a brief account of the sects known as the bka' brgyud pas of Lord mar pa, and in particular of the bka' brgyud pas of dags po.^[3]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

de khona nyid la 'jug pa, Tattvāvatārākhyasakalasugatavācasaṃkṣiptavyākhyāprakaraṇa, Tg. r Gyud, No. 3709 (R).

[2]:

De kho na nyid bcu pa'i 'grel pa, Tattvadaśaṭīkā, Tg. r Gyud, No. 22 S4 (R).

[3]:

Present day Tibetan scholars, especially those belonging to the dge lugs pa school, do not admit the Mahāmudra doctrine as belonging to the Sūtra class. However in a treatise entitled "dge ldan phyag rgya chen po", “The Mahāmudra Doctrine of the Yellow Sect"/ it is maintained that there had existed a Mahāmudra doctrine belonging to the Prajñāpāramitā class).