The Great Chariot

by Longchenpa | 268,580 words

A Commentary on Great Perfection: The Nature of Mind, Easer of Weariness In Sanskrit the title is ‘Mahāsandhi-cittā-visranta-vṛtti-mahāratha-nāma’. In Tibetan ‘rDzogs pa chen po sems nyid ngal gso’i shing rta chen po shes bya ba ’...

Part 2 - There is no realization by the divisions of doctrine

Therefore, in this case,

Here what use are many kinds of different doctrines
Or, likewise, a multitude of thoughts, expressions and concepts?
Within the true meaning are neither “established” or “unestablished.”
It has no limit or center, no divisions of vehicles.
Completely pure like the sky, without any partial bias,
When, within this state, there come to be confusions
Of mentally imputed existence and nonexistence,
How can what is inexpressible be explained?
We only exhaust ourselves in that which has no meaning.[1]

The nature, mind itself, the way things really are, transcends speech, thought and expression. Therefore, it cannot be realized by the thoughts and expressions of doctrine. Since it has no duality of established and nonestablished and no center and limit, it cannot be classified as a “doctrine.” The manner of the sky-like nature is completely unlimited. That is, it does not fall into partiality. The All-Creating King says:

All dharmas have the characteristic of space
The characteristic of space is that itself.

Trying to think about this that is unthinkable by conceptual mind is confusion. For this there are no words and letters. The same text says:

Though there may be imputed meanings of words and letters,
Since it has no imputed meaning of words and letters,
It is suchness that is the equality of nonthought.
Moreover, that abides as realization of space.

As for this, whose meaning is unthinkable
It has abided like space from the very beginning.

As this is inexpressible and cannot be explained, it excludes natures that can be expressed in words. The same text says:

How can that which is inexpressible be explained?

Also:

The confused extremist path conceives of I and ego.
Those seduced by fools to practice a Dharma of concepts
Have no time they finish and no time of realization.
How will dharmata be found by seeking dharmas?

Thus all dharmas should be known as peace, pure of nature, and beyond the natures of complexity.

The Precious Lamp of The Three Jewels Sutra (dkon mchog ta la la’i mdo) says:

The Tathagata is eternal Dharma that is unborn
All the various dharmas are like the Sugata.
Those with the mind of a fool who grasp at characteristics
Practice in the world the Dharma of nonexistence.[2]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Or in doing what is useless.

[2]:

Nihilistic emptiness.

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