MANUSCRIPTA BUDDHICA

JOINTLY PUBLISHED WITH THE ASIEN-AFRIKA-INSTITUT

EDITORS
HARUNAGA ISAACSON FRANCESCO SFERRA

NAPOLI
UNIVERSIT DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI LORIENTALE

2014

SERIE ORIENTALE ROMA

FONDATA DA GIUSEPPE TUCCI
DIRETTA DA
GHERARDO GNOLI()

Vol. CVII

NAPOLI
UNO

2014

ASIEN-AFRIKA-INSTITUT, UNIVERSITT HAMBURG

UNIVERSIT DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI LORIENTALE

MANUSCRIPTA BUDDHICA
2

TheSekanirdea ofMaitreyantha(Advayavajra)
withtheSekanirdeapajik ofRmapla
CriticalEditionoftheSanskritandTibetanTextswith
EnglishTranslationandReproductionsoftheMSS

Edited by
Harunaga Isaacson and Francesco Sferra
WithContributionsbyKlaus-DieterMathesandMarcoPassavanti

NAPOLI
UNIVERSIT DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI LORIENTALE

2014

PublishedwithgrantsfromtheDipartimentodiStudiAsiatici,
UniversitdiNapoliLOrientale,
andfromtheMinisterodellUniversitedellaRicerca

ISBN978-88-6719-068-3

PrintedinItalyStampatoinItalia
Finitodistamparenelmesedifebbraio2015
StampaAGFsrl-Roma

Dedicated to
Raniero Gnoli and Alexis Sanderson
Two Masters of Tantric Studies

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments.................................................................................

11

Abbreviations and Bibliography...............................................................................

13

1
2
3
4

13
14
33
39

Abbreviations,Acronymsetc.............................................................................
PrimarySourcesinSanskrit...............................................................................
PrimarySourcesinTibetan................................................................................
SecondarySources..............................................................................................

Introduction
1

MaitreyanthaandRmapla.TheirLivesandWork......................................
1.1 Maitreyantha............................................................................................
1.1.1 Maitreyanthas Life...............................................................................
1.1.2 Maitreyanthas Work............................................................................
1.1.3 Maitreyantha asaTeacher...................................................................
1.2 Rmapla...................................................................................................

59
60
60
71
82
85

TheSekanirdea andtheSekanirdeapajik......................................................
2.1 LinguisticandStylisticFeatures...............................................................
2.2 PlaceinIndianBuddhistTantricLiterature...........................................

91
92
94

TheSekanirdea andtheSekanirdeapajik inTibet........................................

3.1 TheTibetanTranslationsoftheSekanirdea andSekanirdeapajik.....
3.2 TheImportanceoftheSekanirdea andSekanirdeapajik for
TibetanBuddhism....................................................................................

113
113

DescriptionoftheManuscriptsUsed................................................................
4.1 ManuscriptsoftheSekanirdea.................................................................
4.1.1 K1............................................................................................................
4.1.2 K2............................................................................................................
4.1.3 K3............................................................................................................
4.1.4 K4............................................................................................................
4.1.5 K5............................................................................................................
4.1.6 K6............................................................................................................
4.1.7 K7............................................................................................................
4.1.8 R..............................................................................................................
4.2 ManuscriptsoftheSekanirdeapajik.....................................................
4.2.1 Ca............................................................................................................
4.2.2 Pt.............................................................................................................

120
125
125
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
133
137

Contents

EditorialPolicyand Relationship Between the Witnesses...............................

5.1 TheSekanirdea..........................................................................................
5.2 TheSekanirdeapajik..............................................................................
5.3 TheTibetanTranslationoftheSekanirdea.............................................
5.4 TheTibetanTranslationoftheSekanirdeapajik.................................

143
143
146
150
151

Conventions........................................................................................................
6.1 ConventionsintheSanskritText.............................................................
6.2 ConventionsintheTibetanText.............................................................
6.3 ConventionsintheEnglishTranslation..................................................

155
155
157
158

Text
1

ConspectusSiglorumandSymbols....................................................................
1.1 SanskritSources........................................................................................
1.2 TibetanSources.........................................................................................
1.3 SymbolsandSigla......................................................................................

161
161
161
162

CriticalEditionoftheSanskritText..................................................................

165

CriticalEditionoftheTibetanTranslation.....................................................

205

AnnotatedTranslation......................................................................................

255

Appendices
1

ReadingTextWithoutCriticalApparatus........................................................

337

SourcesandParallelPassages............................................................................
2.1 IntroductoryRemarks..............................................................................
2.2 Sources,ParallelsandCitationsoftheSekanirdea.................................
2.3 SourcesandParallelsoftheSekanirdeapajik........................................

361
361
361
363

ASummaryandTopicalOutlineoftheSekanirdeapajik
byBumlabar(by Klaus-Dieter Mathes)............................................................
3.1 Introduction..............................................................................................
3.2 Bum la bars Notes on the Summary and Topical Outline of
Amanasikra Works...................................................................................
3.2.1 TheSummaryandTopicalOutlineoftheSekanirdeapajik.............
3.2.1.1 TheTopicalOutlineinTibetan..........................................................
3.2.1.2 TranslationoftheTopicalOutline.....................................................

367
367
376
377
377
380
385
385
386
391

TibetanTextandEnglishTranslationofthe*Caturmudropadea...................
4.1 IntroductoryRemarks..............................................................................
4.2 Text............................................................................................................
4.3 Translation................................................................................................

The Apabhraa Verses Quoted in Sekanirdeapajik ad Sekanirdea 22......... 399

5.1 Introduction.............................................................................................. 399
5.2 OtherSourcesandReferences................................................................. 400
5.3 ExtentandMetre...................................................................................... 401
5.4 Interpretation........................................................................................... 402

Some Remarks on the Evidence for Maitreyanthas Teaching

a Non-Tantric Mahmudr................................................................................

411

The Life of Maitreyantha/Advayavajra in Kaiser Library MS 142................... 421

7.1 IntroductoryRemarks.............................................................................. 421
7.2 Text............................................................................................................ 424
7.3 Translation................................................................................................ 426
7.4 Reproductions........................................................................................... 429

The Life of Maitrp/Maitreyantha from a Thirteenth-Century Tibetan

Hagiography (MS 1095 of the Tucci Tibetan Fund) (by Marco Passavanti)......
8.1 IntroductoryRemarks..............................................................................
8.2 Paleographic and Orthographic Remarks (fols. 7v1-12v9)......................
8.3 Translation (LGR fols. 7v1-12v9)...............................................................
8.4 Reproductions...........................................................................................

431
431
432
433
443

The Illustration of the Succession in the Lineage of the Golden Rosary

of the Precious bKa brgyud Masters MS 424.1 of the Tucci Tibetan Fund
in the Library of the IsIAO (by Marco Passavanti).............................................. 449
9.1 DescriptionoftheManuscript................................................................. 449
9.2 Reproductions........................................................................................... 453
Reproductions

K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
K7
R
Ca
Pt

(NAK3-360=NGMPPB22/24)....................................................................... 461
(NAK1-1697/5=NGMPPB31/6).................................................................... 465
(NAK5-45=NGMPPA915/3).......................................................................... 469
(NGMPPE1474/4=IASWR MBB I-108).......................................................... 473
(NAK5-46=NGMPPA132/2)......................................................................... 479
(IASWR MBB I-50).............................................................................................. 483
(NAK5-47=NGMPPA915/5).......................................................................... 487
(IsIAO3.7.35)..................................................................................................... 491
(CambridgeUniversityLibrary,Or.149)......................................................... 495
(St.Petersburg,occ a , Ind.172)................... 515

Indices
IndicPersonalNames..................................................................................
TibetanandChinesePersonalNames..........................................................
IndicWorkTitles................................................................................................
TibetanWorkTitles............................................................................................
IndicToponyms..................................................................................................
TibetanToponyms.............................................................................................
GeneralIndex.....................................................................................................

563
566
567
572
574
575
575

Contributors.................................................................................................................

591

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

3
a Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik
by Bum la bar
klauS-DieTeR MaTheS

3.1 Introduction
Recently, there surfaced in lhasa a set of 151 volumes with old manuscript texts of
great importance for the Bri gu bka brgyud school. They were collected and published as facsimiles probably in Xining 1 with the new cover title dPal bri gu bka brgyud
kyi chos mdzod chen mo (Great Dharma Treasure of the Glorious Bri gu bka brgyud
[Tradition]). 2 according to the present Chetsang Rinpoche, the main part of this collection must have been already compiled under the direction of the 17 th Bri gu abbot
kun dga rin chen (1475-1527). 3
The second volume (kha) of this Dharma Treasure contains a short text called a
Summary [and] Topical Outline of the Twenty[-Five] 4 Amanasikra [Texts]: Notes
Taken by Bum la bar (Yid la mi byed pai i ui bsdus don sa bcad bum la bar gyis zin
bris 5 bugs so). 6 in the same volume we nd a till now unknown subcommentary to
*Sahajavajras *Tattvadaakak by Ti pi Bum la bar. 7 So far i have not been able to
identify a Ti pi Bum la bar, but Bu ston Rin chen grub (1290-1364) mentions in his
record of received teachings (gsan yig) a certain Bra bo Bum pa bar (or Brao Bum
la bar in the Blue Annals 8). This Bum la bar was one of the seven men from dBus and
gTsa who received mahmudr teachings from Maitrpas (c. 1007-1085) 9 disciple
Vajrapi. 10 Gos lo ts ba gon nu dpal (1392-1481) provides the additional information that this happened at Chu go in gTsa. 11 if our Ti pi Bum la bar was the one who

Cf. Srensen and Dolma 2007: 9.

The cover page of the individual volumes has
Bri gu bka brgyud chos mdzod.
3
See Bri gu gdan rabs, p. 183.
4
There is a history of this cycle in the Bri gu bka
brgyud chos mdzod (vol. ka, fols. 173v6-178r4) called Yid
la mi byed pai chos skor i u rtsa lai lo rgyus.
5
The manuscript reads ris.
6
kun dga rin chen (?) (ed.), Phags yul bka brgyud
grub chen go mai do hai skor bugs so (Bri gu bka
brgyud chos mdzod , vol. kha), no place, no date, fols.
80v5-89r3. The sa bcad of the Sekanirdeapajik is on
fols. 80v5-82r5.
2

7
Bri gu bka brgyud chos mdzod, vol. kha, fol. 186r4:
[] de id bcu grel di ti pi bum la bar gyis bris .
8
Cf. Roerich 1976: 857.
9
Cf. Tatz 1994: 65.
10
See Bu ston Rin chen grub, Bla ma dam pa rnams
kyis rjes su gzu bai tshul bka drin rjes su dran par byed pa
es byar bugs so (a.k.a. Bu ston gsan yig), pp. 1147-1152:
phyag rgya chen po grub si gi brgyud pa ni rdo rje cha
bya sems blo gros rin chen a ba ri pa mai tri pa rgya
gar phyag na rdo rje de la dbus gtsa gi mi bdun te bla ma
bra ti grai o brgyad ston chu stag tshal gyi al sa ri
mo ba reg thos pa dga bra bo bum pa bar dge bes eu
ro pa e dri mi rnams te [].
11
Cf. Roerich 1976: 857.

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

belonged to these seven men, the summary and topical outline of the Sekanirdeapajik
go directly back to Maitrpas disciple Vajrapi.
The twenty (or twenty-ve ?) amanasikra texts are one of the three cycles of indian
mahmudr works, the other two cycles being the Seven Sections on accomplishment
(Grub pa sde bdun) and the Six Works on essential [Meaning] (si po skor drug). This
Tibetan classication already existed at the time of Bu ston Rin chen grub. however, in
the Bu ston gsan yig the Amanasikra Cycle consists of twenty-six works: twenty-two are
by Maitrpa and four are related commentaries by Maitrpas disciples Rmapla,
*Sahajavajra and Vajrapi (but according to the colophon, the Kudrinirghtacint
[No. 25] was composed by Maitrpa, and only translated by Vajrapi). Twenty-one of
the twenty-six texts listed by Bu ston are contained in the Advayavajrasagraha, 12 and
thus available in the original Sanskrit. 13 Bu ston does not include the Mlpattaya
Sthlpattaya (P 3087, aVS 3). another text from the Advayavajrasagraha, the Caturmudrnvaya (P 3069, aVS 7), belongs for Bu ston to the Cycle of Six Works on essential
Meaning. 14
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

P 3094
P 3073
P 3085
P 3074
P 3076
P 3077
P 3078
P 3079
P 3080
P 3081
P 3082 & P 3091 15

Amanasikrdhra
Kudrinirghtana
Tattvaratnval
Madhyamaaka
Sahajaaka
Svapnanirukti
Mynirukti
Apratihnapraka
Tattvadaaka
Yuganaddhapraka
Premapacaka

12
actually, the Advayavajrasagraha consists of
twenty-three works (if one follows the Tibetan tradition and counts the Kudrinirghtana and its ippinik
as two separate texts).
13
The twenty-three works of the Advayavajrasagraha are (according to the edition of Shastri):
(1) Kudrinirghtana (P 3073); (2) Kudrinirghtavkyaippinik (P 3075); (3) Mlpatti Sthlpatti; (4)
Tattvaratnval (P 3085); (5) Pacatathgatamudrvivaraa (P 3087); (6) Sekanirdea (P 3097); (7) Caturmudrnvaya (P 3069); (8) Sekattparyasagraha (P 3088);
(9) Packra (P 3090); (10) Mynirukti (P 3078);
(11) Svapnanirukti (P 3077); (12) Tattvapraka (P
3086); (13) Apratihnapraka (P 3079); (14) Yuganaddhapraka (P 3081); (15) Mahsukhapraka (P
3084); (16) Tattvaviik (P 3095); (17) Mahynaviik (P 3093); (18) Nirvedhapacaka (P 3083); (19)
Madhyamaaka (P 3074); (20) Premapacaka (P 3082 &
P 3091); (21) Tattvadaaka (P 3080); (22) Amanasikrdhra (P 3094); (23) Sahajaaka (P 3076).
14
The relevant passage in the Bla ma dam pa rnams
kyis rjes su gzu bai tshul bka drin rjes su dran par byed pa
es byar bugs so (pp. 1162-1171) is as follows: a ma na si
ka rai skor sgra la skyon spo ba yid la mi byed pa ston pa
las da po pai bya ba ston pa lta ba an sel thun mo gi
lta ba ston pa rin po chei phre ba sags kyi lta ba ston pa
dbu ma drug pa spyod pa ston pa lhan skyes drug pa lta

aVS 22
aVS 1
aVS 4
aVS 19
aVS 23
aVS 11
aVS 10
aVS 13
aVS 21
aVS 14
aVS 20

ba dpes bstan pa rmi lam es bstan spyod pa dpes bstan sgyu

ma es bstan lta bai don gtan la bebs pa [] rab tu mi gnas
pa gsal bar ston pa spyod pai don gtan la bebs pa de kho
na id bcu pa thabs da es rab dbyer med ston pa zu jug
gsal ba sna sto dbyer med ston pa dga gcugs la pa sas
rgyas da sems can dbyer med du ston pa mi phyed pa la pa
bskyed rdzogs tha mi dad du ston pa bde chen gsal ba ga
zag gsum gyi rtogs thabs ston pa de kho na id rab tu bstan
pa ga zag gsum gyi sgom thabs ston pa theg chen i u pa
sku gsum ston pa de kho na i u pa lhai rnal byor sogs
ston pa de bin gegs pai phyag rgya la pa thun mo da
sags ston pa do ha ti chos thams cad rnam par dag pai
don ston pa ra bin la pa dba gi dgos pa bstan pa dba
gi dgos pa mdor bsdus pa dba gi lag len ston pa dba gi
pra kri y (text: kr ta) dba bza an byed pa dba es
bstan de rnams mai tri pas mdzad pa bka bskul gyi chos
bi la slob dpon r ma p (del. ra) las mdzad pai dba
bskur es bstan gyi grel pa slob dpon na de kas mdzad pai
de kho na id bcu pai grel pa slob dpon ba dzra p is byas
pai lta ba an sel gyi dran pa da rdo rje tshig gis te chos
sna i u rtsa drug po de ni ma na si kyi skor .
15
The compilers of the bsTan gyur did not recognize that the Thabs da es rab rtse ba la pa and the
dGa gcugs la pa are simply two different Tibetan
translation of the same text, the Premapacaka (see
above, introduction pp. 84-85 n. 106).

368

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

Nirvedhapacaka
Mahsukhapraka
Tattvapraka
Mahynaviik
Tattvaviik
Pacatathgatamudrvivaraa
*Dohnidhinmatattvopadea
Packra
Sekattparyasagraha
*Sakiptasekaprakriy
Sekanirdea
Sekanirdeapajik by Rmapla
*Tattvadaakak by *Sahajavajra
Kudrinirghtacint by Vajrapi (or Maitrpa?)
Vajrapada by Vajrapi

P 3083
P 3084
P 3086
P 3093
P 3095
P 3087
P 3092
P 3090 16
P 3088
P 3089
P 3097
P 3098
P 3099
P 3075 17
P 3100 18

aVS 18
aVS 15
aVS 12
aVS 17
aVS 16
aVS 5

aVS 9
aVS 8

aVS 6

aVS 2

Originally, each of these amanasikra works was Maitrpas reply to a different question. 19
in the Bri gu bka brgyud chos mdzod, the cycle of amanasikra works (Tib. yid la mi
byed pai chos skor) is found in the rst two volumes (from vol. ka, fol. 173v6 up to vol.
kha, fol. 89r2). This section is introduced by a history of the Twenty-Five Texts of the
Amanasikra Cycle (Yid la mi byed pai chos skor i u rtsa lai lo rgyus) and concluded by
a Summary and Topical Outline of the Twenty[-Five] Amanasikra [Works]. all
Maitrpa texts of this cycle, except the Packra (No. 11), are contained in this section.
The Vajrapada (No. 26) and the Sekanirdeapajik (No. 23) have been placed further
down, but still in the same volume. This is somewhat surprising because the rst summary and topical outline of the Amanasikra Cycles is on the Sekanirdeapajik and not
only the Sekanirdea. But as in old collections, the arrangement of texts is a little loose.
in between the amanasikra texts, we nd very valuable short commentaries and historical information on some of these texts. These insertions usually lack a title and a
colophon with the authors name. To the title of the last text in this section, however,
the remark notes taken by Bum la bar is added. it is thus reasonable to assume that
these insertions were composed by Bum la bar as well.
The index to the Amanasikra Cycle in the Bri gu bka brgyud chos mdzod is as follows:
Vol. ka
173v6-178r4
178r4-182v2

16

Yid la mi byed pai chos skor i u rtsa lai lo rgyus

De kho na id rin po chei phre ba (Tattvaratnval, Yid la mi byed pai chos
skor, 20 No. 3)

This text is missing in the Bri gu bka brgyud

chos mdzod. all other Maitrpa works in the Amanasikra Cycle are found from vol. ka, fol. 178r4 till vol.
kha, fol. 63v1 (see below).
17
The lTa ba an sel gyi dran pa is in fact the same
text as the lTa ba an sel gyi bka grel, i.e., the Kudrinirghtavkyaippinik contained in the Advayavajrasagraha.
18
Within the four works ordered by Maitrpa,
karma bkra is chos phel (a disciple of ko sprul Blo
gros mtha yas [1813-1899]) lists *karopas commen-

tary on the Caturmudrnvaya instead of the Vajrapada

(see Mathes 2011a).
19
Bri gu chos mdzod, vol. ka, fol. 4r5-6: de nas mai
(text: me) tri pas lta ba rab tu mi gnas pa bsgom pa yid la
mi byed pa la sogs pai dam bca mdzad pa la so soi dris
lan gu phran i u rtsa la byu la slob ma rnams kyi yid
la mi byed pai chos skor i u rtsa la es pai tha sad byas
so .
20
according to the Bla ma dam pa rnams kyis rjes su
gzu bai tshul bka drin rjes su dran par byed pa es byar
bugs so (see above).

369

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

182v2-199v4 a commentary on the Tattvaratnval (no title, no author)

199v4-200v3 Do h ni dhi (text: Dho ha di) es bya ba de kho na id kyi (text: kyis) man
ag (*Dohnidhinmatattvopadea, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 18)
200v3-6
Concluding remarks on the Dohnidhi and introduction to the
Amanasikrdhra
201r1-202v5 Yid la mi byed pa ston pa (Amanasikrdhra, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor,
No. 1)
202v5-203v1 a commentary on the Amanasikrdhra (no title, no author)
203v2-4
an introduction to the Kudrinirghtana
203v4-210v3 lTa ba an pa sel ba (Kudrinirghtana, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No.
2)
210v3-211v4 lTa ba an pa sel bai dran pa (Kudrinirghtacint, Yid la mi byed pai chos
skor, No. 25)
211v4-214v1 Las da po pai bya ba mdor bsdus pa (by Maitrpa)
214v1-5
an analysis of the Kudrinirghtana (no title, no author)
214v5-216v6 dBa skur es par bstan pa (Sekanirdea, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No.
22)
216v6-217r2 a short survey of Maitrpas works on empowerment (no title, no
author)
217r2-220r3 dBa gi (text: gis) dgos pa mdor bsdus pa (Sekattparyasagraha, Yid la mi
byed pai chos skor, No. 20)
Vol. kha
1v1-13v4
13v4-14r5
14r5-6
14r6-17r5
17r5-25r2
25r2-4
25r4-v4
25v4-26r4
26r4-v4
26v4-27r3
27r4-v2
27v2-4
27v4-28r4
28r4-29r4
29r4-v1
29v1-30r3
30r3-31r3
31r3-v2
31v2-32v1

dBa gi (text: gis) bya ba mdor bsdus pa (*Sakiptasekaprakriy, Yid la mi

byed pai chos skor, No. 21)
si po kun la btus pai rab tu byed pa (Peking bsTan gyur, No. 3146)
Maitrpas mahmudr view (no title, no author)
De bin gegs pa lai phyag rgya rnam par bad pa (Pacatathgatamudrvivaraa, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 17)
a commentary on the Pacatathgatamudrvivaraa (no title, no
author)
a pith instruction (no title, no author)
dGa gcug (text: bcug) la pa (Premapacaka, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor,
No. 11)
Mi phyed la pa (Nirvedhapacaka, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 12)
a commentary on the Nirvedhapacaka (no title, no author)
dBu ma drug pa (Madhyamakaaka, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 4)
lHan cig skyes pa grub pa (Sahajaaka, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 5)
a commentary on the Sahajaaka (no title, no author)
Theg pa chen po i u pai lo rgyus by Rmapla
Theg pa chen po i u pa (Mahynaviik, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor,
No. 15)
Tshigs su bcad pa i u zu jug gi (text: gis) don rgyas par bad pa (no
author)
The story of the Tattvaviik (no title, no author)
De kho na id i u pa (Tattvaviik, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 16)
The story of the Mahsukhapraka (no title, no author)
bDe ba chen po gsal ba (Mahsukhapraka, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor,
No. 13)
370

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

32v1-33r1
33r1-34r1
34r1-v1
34v2-6
34v6-35v1
35v2-36r2
36r2-6
36r6-37r1
37r1-5
37r5-v5
37v5-38v1
38v1-60v4
60v4-61v1
61v1-62r2
62r2-4
62r4-v4
62v4-63v1
63v1-5
63v5-64r1
64r1-65r6
65r6-79v1
79v1-80r5
80r5-89r2
[]
119v3-123v3
[]
197v4-218v5

bDen (= bDe chen) gsal bai dgos pa (no author)

The story of the Yuganaddhapraka (no title, no author)
Zu du jug pa rab tu bstan pa (Yuganaddhapraka, Yid la mi byed pai
chos skor, No. 10)
Zu jug es bstan gyis brjod byai gtso bo (no author)
rMi lam bstan gyi (text: gyis) lo rgyus (no author)
rMi lam es par bstan pa (Svapnanirukti, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No.
6)
The story of the Mynirukti (no title, no author)
sGyu ma es par bstan pa (Mynirukti, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No.
7)
a commentary on the Mynirukti (no title, no author)
The story of the Tattvadaaka (no title, no author)
De kho na id bcu pa (Tattvadaaka, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 9)
De kho na id bcu pa es bya bai bad pa by *Sahajavajra (*Tattvadaakak, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 24)
The story of the Apratihnapraka (no title, no author)
Rab tu mi gnas pa gsal bar ston pa (Apratihnapraka, Yid la mi byed pai
chos skor, No. 8)
an explanation of non-abiding (no title, no author)
a story of the Tattvapraka (no title, no author)
De kho na id rab tu bstan pa (Tattvapraka, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor,
No. 14)
The intention of the Tattvapraka (no title, no author)
a presentation of false views (no title, no author)
Ma rtogs pa rtogs pa byed pa by Maitrpa (Peking bsTan gyur, No. 3145)
Title according to the colophon: Chos thams cad rab tu mi gnas par ston
pai (text: pa) de kho na id tshigs su bcad pa phyed kyi (text: kyis) grel pa
by Maitrpa (Peking bsTan gyur, No. 3144)
Descriptive headings of the Yid la mi byed pai chos skor (no title, no
author)
Yid la mi byed pai chos i ui bsdus don sa bcad by Bum la bar
rDo rje tshig by Vajrapi (Vajrapada,Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 26)
dBa bskur ba es par bstan pai bka grel by Rmapla (Sekanirdeapajik, Yid la mi byed pai chos skor, No. 23)

The label Cycle of Amanasikra Works for this collection of texts by Maitrpa and
his disciples hints at a particular understanding of mahmudr meditation, which not
only involves becoming mentally disengaged, but also directly realizing emptiness or the
true nature of mind. Such a practice is based on Maitrpas Madhyamaka view of complete non-abiding (Tib. rab tu mi gnas pa, Skt. apratihna) and can even be engaged outside of the strict tantric context of the succession of the four seals. The possibility of such
a non-Tantric mahmudr practice is indicated in Rmaplas Sekanirdeapajik 21 and
clearly addressed in *Sahajavajras *Tattvadaakak. 22 here, *Sahajavajra claims that

21

See above, p. 320, and also Mathes 2007: 554-

556.

371

22

See Mathes 2008a: 40.

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

the ten stanzas on reality are pramit pith instructions, which accord with the tradition
of Mantrayna. 23 Based on this and on *Sahajavajras remark 24 about Sekanirdea stanza
36 25 that mahmudr here refers to the pith instruction on the reality of mahmudr, Gos
lo ts ba is then able to claim in his Blue Annals:
in [the Tattvadaaka and] the *Tattvadaakak composed by *Sahajavajra, a wisdom
that realizes suchness is clearly explained as possessing the following three particular [features]: in essence, it is the Pramit[yna]; it accords with the Mantra[yna];
and its name is mahmudr. Therefore, rGod tshang pa, too, explains that rJe sGam
po pas pramit-mahmudr is [in line with] the assertions of the master Maitrpa. 26

What Gos lo ts ba precisely understands by these mahmudr instructions that

accord with the Mantrayna becomes clear in the explanation of the Cycle on the
Method of the Drop of Stainless Mahmudr (Phyag rgya chen po dri med thigs pa phyag
bes kyi skor) in the Chapter on the later Transmission of the sDug bsal i byed teachings:
The teachings of the later [sDug bsal i byed] transmission were called Cycle on the
Method of the Drop of Stainless Mahmudr. [The term] mahmudr denotes here
the very mahmudr system of Maitrpa, because Dam pa sas rgyas (d. 1105) had
been a personal disciple of Maitrpa. Stainless refers to genuine teachings.
Method means that there is a path of realization that slightly differs from the other
teachings. [Dam pa sas rgyas] called it Pramit[yna] in essence and in accordance with the secret Mantra[yna]. in the commentary on Maitrpas Tattvadaaka,
too, this tradition is found [and described to belong to] the Pramityna; its conduct, which accords with the secret Mantra[yna], is similar to explanations in the
Hevajra[tantra]. Since it is not based on deity yoga and lacks the sequence of the four
seals, [*Sahajavajra] taught that it does not [belong to] the secret Mantra[yna]. it
is obvious that [the system of Dam pa sas rgyas] is in accordance with this. 27

23

in his introduction to the *Tattvadaakak,

*Sahajavajra thus claims: having presented in detail
the stages of penetrating the meaning of non-abiding
in accordance with Prama, Madhyamaka and
authoritative scriptures (gama), [Maitrpa] wished to
compose brief pramit pith-instructions, which
accord with the tradition of the secret Mantra[yna]
(TaDadP, 1v4-2r2; TaDaP, 176r4-5: [] tshad ma da
dbu ma da lu a rnams gis dir rab tu mi gnas pai a don
la jug pai rim pa rgyas par b bstan nas b gsa c sags kyi
c
tshul da c rjes su mthun d pai pha rol tu phyin pai e man
ag mdor bsdus pa byed par dod pas []).
a
P gi grub pai b P e bar rtogs pas c P omits d P
thun e dP pa dag gi
24
in his commentary on stanza 7cd of the
Tattvadaaka (see Mathes 2008a: 39).
25
SN, p. 5812-13: One who does not abide in [the
domain of] the remedy, is not attached to reality, and
does not even desire the fruit, nds mahmudr (pratipake sthito naiva tattvsakto pi naiva ya grddhya
naiva phale yasya mahmudr sa vindati ).
26
Gos lo ts ba gon nu dpal, Deb ther son po,
ed. 1984, vol. 2, pp. 84717-8481: de kho na id bcu pai

grel pa (text: brel ba) lhan cig skyes pai rdo rjes mdzad par
ya o bo pha rol tu phyin pa sags da rjes su mthun pa
mi phyag rgya chen po es bya bai khyad par gsum da
ldan pai de bin id rtogs pai ye es gsal bar bad do de
bas na rje sgam po pai pha rol tu (text: du) phyin pai
phyag rgya chen po ni ma bdag mai tr (text: tri) pai bed
pa yin par rje rgod tsha pas kya bad do .
27
Gos lo ts ba gon nu dpal, Deb ther son po, ed.
1984, vol. 2, p. 11335-16: brgyud pa phyi mai chos rnams la
phyag rgya chen po dri med thigs pa phyag bes kyi skor es
pai mtshan btags phyag rgya chen po ni dam pa sas rgyas
mai tr (text: tri) pai dos slob yin pas mai tr (text: tri) pai
phyag rgya chen po de id yin dri med ni dam pai gsu
rnams la bya phyag bes ni bstan pa gan rnams da cu
zad mi dra bai sgrub pai sra (text: sras) yod pa la zer
de ya o bo pha rol tu phyin pa gsa sags da rjes su
mthun pa es bya ste mai tr (text: tri) pai de kho na id
bcu pai grel par ya lugs de pha rol tu phyin pa yin pa la
gsa sags da rjes su mthun pai spyod pa bya tshul kyei
rdo rje las bad pa da dra ba ig byu lhai rnal byor la
brten pa ma yin i phyag rgya bii rjes su gro ba med pas
gsa sags ni ma yin no es gsus pa de da mthun par
sna .

372

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

This assessment of Maitrpas teachings that are not specically Tantric has been
taken over verbatim by the otherwise very critical dGe lugs pa master Thuu bkwan Blo
bza chos kyi i ma (1737-1802). 28
Nevertheless, the Amanasikra Cycle contains three texts on empowerment. in a
short appendix to the Sekanirdea in the Bri gu bka brgyud chos mdzod, we are told that
apart from these Maitrpa gave a teaching on how empowerment is performed and
composed a text called Pure empowerment (dBa rnam dag):
Students asked the master [Maitrpa] how empowerment is [explained] in terms of
pith instructions. Thus he composed the *Sakiptasekaprakriy. Since they [also]
asked for the meaning of empowerment, he composed the Sekattparyasagraha.
having been [further] asked about [its] performance, he gave a detailed teaching
on the performance [of empowerment]. Distinguishing between a good and bad
[empowerment], he composed the Sekanirdea. 29 having been asked about the purity of empowerment, he composed the Pure empowerment. Other texts are not
found. Since the Sekanirdea is a commentary on the Caturmudr[nvaya] from the
Cycle of Six Works on essential Meaning (si po skor drug) it comes before [the
other ones], so does the *Sakiptasekaprakriy. 30

The *Sakiptasekaprakriy is a manual on how to perform the traditional sequence

of four empowerments, usually referred to as vase, secret, prajjna, and the fourth
empowerment. This manual is not contained in the Advayavajrasagraha, but is found
in the dPal spus as well as in the Bri gu edition of the Amanasikra Cycle. in both
Tibetan editions, it is ascribed to advayavajra, i.e., Maitrpa. in his Sekattparyasagraha,
Maitrpa explains the meaning (ttparya) or purpose 31 of the four empowerments with
particular emphasis of the six empowerments of the vase empowerment. as a commentary on the Caturmudrnvaya the Sekanirdea begins its presentation of empowerment
with the succession of four seals. This means that Maitrpa starts here directly with the
third empowerment. in Bu stons record of received teachings we are told that the
Sekanirdea was composed in order to distinguish good from bad empowerments, 32 and
it could be that the rst six vase empowerments do not differ in good and bad empowerments. On the other hand, it is not completely out of the question that an empowerment in Maitrpas system could start directly with the prajjna-empowerment. in his
Nairtmypraka, Maitrpa thus explains the ordinary creation stage as an optional
practice, and not as a necessary requirement for the subsequent stages:
Possessing the pride of being Nairtmy one is identical with her. here, in order to
perform the six-branch yoga, she must be cultivated in the colours black, red, yellow,
green, blue and white in due order. 33 in accordance with the increasing vividness of
28

Thuu bkwan Blo bza chos kyi i ma, Thuu

bkwan grub mtha, ed. 1984, p. 167: lugs de pha rol tu
phyin pa la gsa sags da rjes su mthun pai spyod pa bya
tshul kye rdo rje las bad pa da dra ba ig byu [] lhai
rnal byor la brten pa ma yin i phyag rgya bii rjes su gro
ba med pas gsa sags ni ma yin no .
29
The Tibetan has here dBa rnam es which can
only be the dBa es par bstan pa (see below).
30
Bri gu bka brgyud chos mdzod, vol. ka, fols.
216v6-217r2: ya slob ma rnams kyis slob dpon la man ag
da brel bas dba ci ltar us pas dba mdor bstan mdzad
dba gi (text: gis) dgos pa us pas dgos pa mdor bsdus
mdzad dba gi lag len us pas lag len pra khrid mdzad

dba bza an an byed pas dba rnam es mdzad dba

gi (text: gis) dag pa us pas dba rnam dag mdzad es so
gan rnams yig cha ma res la dba bskur es bstan ni si
po skor drug gi phyag rgya bii don grel yin pas go du so
(text: sos) la dgos (text: dgos) pa mdor bsdus ni di ltar
ro .
31
This is according to the Tibetan translation of
ttparya as dgos pa or dgos pa.
32
Bla ma dam pa rnams kyis rjes su gzu bai tshul bka
drin rjes su dran par byed pa es byar bugs so, p. 1166: dba
bza an byed pa dba es bstan.
33
lit. [] the colours black, red, yellow, green,
blue and white must be cultivated in due order.

373

Klaus-Dieter Mathes
meditation, she rst appears as the full-moon covered by clouds. Then, as a result of
[a meditation, which is] more vivid, she appears as an illusion. Then, as a result of
an [even] more vivid [meditation] she manifests as if in a dream. immediately after
that, because of the maturation of [meditations] vividness, the mahmudr yogin,
who has attained [a state] in which dreams and the waking state are not different, is
successful [in this practice]. This is the creation stage.
alternatively, the bodhicitta that arises from the union of the penis and the vagina
and has the nature of great bliss, located in the middle of supreme [joy and joy of]
no joy (i.e., co-emergent joy), that itself with the nature of fteen parts, should be
instantly seen as having the nature of the fteen yogin s, who appear with the previously mentioned colours and attributes. This is because it has the nature of the ve
skandha s, four elements, six objects, body, speech and mind. This is the profound
creation stage. 34

in other words, if Maitrpa considered it possible to directly start with karmamudr

practice, then an empowerment could also start on this level, or even further advanced,
so that a mahmudr empowerment 35 outside of the system of the four seals, or even
a direct introduction into the nature of mind, 36 does not seem altogether implausible.
This after all would be what Gos lo ts ba gon nu dpal and Thuu bkwan Blo bza
chos kyi i ma mean by a tradition which is not based on deity yoga and without the
sequence of the four seals.
Of particular interest is the story of avaripas empowerment in the history of the
Twenty-Five Texts of the Amanasikra Cycle. at age fty-three, Maitrpa went to see his
prophesied guru avaripa in the mountainous area of rparvata. The critical scholar
rst did not trust in the teachings of avaripa, and a yogin in the company of avaripa
had doubts whether Maitrpa would be a qualied recipient, whereupon avaripa and
his entourage disappeared. after Maitrpa had been searching for the guru again for
some time, he found him and received empowerment. The way the empowerment was
bestowed must have been quite unusual so that Maitrpa did not immediately trust it. it
can be ruled out that this initial reluctance reected a general reservation about everything tantric because at this time Maitrpa had already received ve years of vajrayna
education with Rgavajra. 37 in the following, avaripa is said to have bestowed an
empowerment only with a golden vase in his hand. This was either followed by instructions on the four seals, or a song with mahmudr pith instructions:
holding a golden vase in his hand, [avaripa] gave [Maitrpa] an empowerment. Bal
po [asu] 38 said that after the empowerment, [avaripa] gave instructions on the

34
Nairtmypraka, fols. 262v-264r (unpublished
edition of the text by harunaga isaacson), quoted
from Sekanirdeapajik : Notes (3), handout July 4th,
2007: nairtmyhakram udvahan nairtmysamo bhavet atra ca aagayogavyavasthrtham anukramea kraraktaptaharitanlauklavar bhvany tatra bhvanprakaraprakramea prathama meghasachannapracandravad bhti tato pi prakarn myvad bhti
tato pi prakart svapnavat prakate tadantara
prakaraparipkt svapnajgradaayor abhedaprpto mahmudryog sidhyati ity utpattikrama anyatra bolakakkolasayogn mahsukharpi paramaviramamadhyagabodhicitta jyate yat tad eva pacadaakaltmaka
jhaiti prvoktavaracihnasasthnapacadaayoginr-

pa payet tasya hi pacaskandhacaturdhtuaviayakyavkcittasvabhvatvt iti gambhrotpattikrama .

35
in his commentary on the Caturmudrnvaya,
*karopa refers to the fourth empowerment in this way
(see Mathes 2009: 90).
36
See Sekanirdeapajik on stanza 31, where reality is said to be directly experienced through an awareness, which is attained through the kindness of a genuine guru ([] tattva pratyakam anubhta syt
[] sadgurupdaprasdavitter jeyam).
37
See Brunnhlzl 2007: 126.
38
Bal po asu was a Nepalese disciple of Vajrapi.
See Schaeffer 2005: 63.

374

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

four seals, [but] according to Ti pu [pa] 39 [avaripa] sang [the following] song [of]
commitment (*samaya):
When the natural mind has been puried,
The gurus qualities enter your heart.
Realizing this, Saraha sang this song
Though he has not seen a single tantra, a single mantra.
When the gurus words have entered your heart,
it is like seeing a treasure in the palm of your hand. 40
On the path of becoming mentally disengaged (*amanasikra)mahmudr
Do not entertain any hopes for any fruition whatsoever.
if you realize the true nature of mind by yourself, this is mahmudr.
What appears in this way is nothing outside your own mind.
having bestowed an empowerment in such a way, Maitrpa did not believe [in it]
and harboured doubts. 41

it should be noted that avaripas song is fully in line with the tradition of Sarahas
dohs. in fact, the rst six verses are found in Sarahas Dohkoagti, while the verses 7
and 8 are nearly identical with the following passage in Sarahas (or avaripas) *Mahmudropadea: 42
as to [the path on which] you should not beome mentally engagedmahmudr
Do not entertain any hopes for any fruition whatsoever. 43

The *Mahmudropadea continues:

a mental state of hope has never arisen,
What is the use then of things abandoned and attained?
if there was something to be attained through anything
enough of [these] four seals on which [yogins] depend! 44

While Bal po asus version of the story requires a more tantric context, Ti pu pas
account suggests that in his empowerment, avaripa merely pointed out the true nature of mind. This depends on the gurus qualities and the purity of the disciples mind

39

Ti pu pa was a direct disciple of both Nropa

and Maitrpa (Roerich 1976: 437).
40
The rst six verses are identical with Sarahas
Dohkoagti (cf. Shahidullah 1928: 1399-12: iamaa
sabbe sohia jabb gurugua hiyae pasa tabb eba amae
mui sarah ghiu tanta manta a ekka bi chiu ; and
ibid., p. 13126-27: ja gurubuttabo hiahi pasa ihia hatthahia bia u dsa).
41
Bri gu bka brgyud chos mdzod, vol. ka, fol. 176v14: [] gser gyi bum pa phyag du bsnams (text: snams) nas
dba bskur ste de ya bal poi bed pas dba bskur bai rjes
la phyag rgya bii gdams ag bstan zer ti (text: te) pui
bed pas dam tshig mgur (text: gur) du bes pa gug
mai sems ni ga tshe thams cad sbya gyur pai de tshe
bla mai yon tan si la jug par gyur di ltar rtogs nas
mda bsnun glu len te sags da rgyu gis kya ma
mtho o bla mas smras pa ga gi si ugs pas lag

pai mthil (text: thil ) du gnas pai gter mtho dra yid la
mi byed phyag rgya chen poi lam bras bu ga la ya re
ba ma byed cig ra gis sems id rtogs na phyag rgya chen
po ste di ltar sna ba di ya ra gi sems las logs na med
ces dba bskur bas mai tri pas yid ma ches ste the tshom
(text: tsom) skyes pa da .
42
The *Mahmudropadea is sometimes attributed
to avaripa.
43
Do ha mdzod phyag rgya chen poi man ag,
es don phyag chen mdzod, ed. by va dmar pa Mi pham
chos kyi blo gros, fol. 79v1: yid la byar med phyag rgya
chen po ni bras bu ga dua re bar ma byed cig.
44
Ibid., fol. 79v1-2: re bai sems ni gdod nas ma skyes
pas spa da thob pai dos po ci ig yod gal te ga gis
thob pai dos yod na bsten pai phyag rgya rnam bis ci
ig byed .

375

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

and not necessarily on the four seals. The fact that two contradictory versions of avaripas empowerment are reported in the history of the Twenty-Five Texts of the
Amanasikra Cycle convincingly suggests that in india there was already a mahmudr
tradition that was not specically Tantric.
3.2 Bum la bars Notes on the Summary and Topical Outline of Amanasikra Works
The text with Bum la bars notes contains seventeen topical outlines. at the end of
the outlines of the Sthitisamuccaya and the Prajjnapraka, Bum la bar is explicitly
mentioned. The index of these seventeen topical outlines is as follows:
Folio Nos.

Summary and topical outline on:

80r6-82r5
82r5-83v4
83v5-84r6
84r6-85r1
85r1-5
85r5-v2
85v2-4
85v4

Sekanirdeapajik
Sthitisamuccaya
Tattvaratnval
Caturmudrnvaya
Pacatathgatamudrvivaraa
Mynirukti
Svapnanirukti
*Prajopyadaypacaka (Peking bsTan gyur, No. 3091 = Premapacaka)
Apratihnapraka
Nirvedhapacaka
Mahynaviik
Tattvaviik
Tattvapraka
Yuganaddhapraka
Tattvadaaka
Vajrapada
Amanasikrdhra
*Prajjnapraka

85v4-86r1
86r1-2
86r2-4
86r5-v1
86v1-3
86v3-6
86v6-87r1
87r1-v3
87v3-4
87v4-89r2

it is noteworthy that Bum la bar noted down not only a summary and topical outline of the Sekanirdeapajik, but also of *Sahajavajras Sthitisamuccaya, Ngrjunas (?)
Caturmudrnvaya and Devacandras *Prajjnapraka. in the notes taken by Bu ston,
the latter three belong to the Six Works on essential [Meaning] (si po skor drug). 45

45
The six works on essential meaning (si po skor
drug) in the Bla ma dam pa rnams kyis rjes su gzu bai
tshul bka drin rjes su dran par byed pa es byar bugs so
(pp. 1157-1161) are the Dohkoa by Saraha (P 3068),
the Caturmudrnvaya by Ngrjuna (?) (P 3069), the
*Acintyakramopadea by *koali (P 3072), the *Cittvaraaviodhana by ryadeva (P 2669), the *Prajjna-

praka by *Devacandra (P 3070) and the Sthitisamuccaya by *Sahajavajra (P 3071) (si po skor drug la sa
ra has mdzad pai do ha mdzod klu grub kyis mdzad pai
phyag rgya bi pa tog tse pas mdzad pai bsam mi khyab
rya de bas mdzad pai sems kyi sgrib sbyo slob dpon de va
tsa ndras mdzad pai es rab ye es gsal ba slob dpon na te
kas mdzad pai gnas pa bsdus pa ste drug go ).

376

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

3.2.1 The Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik 46

The rst topical outline (sa bcad) in the notes taken by Bum la bar is on the dBa
rnam 47 es, which would be *Sekavinicaya in Sanskrit. however, the detailed subdivisions of the initial paragraph on the refutation of other text traditions especially the
one summarized under drag po (haha[yoga]) immediately show that what is analyzed
in this sa bcad is Rmaplas Sekanirdeapajik. dBa rnam es, therefore, is simply an
alternative translation of Sekanirdea. Bum la bar simply did not differentiate between
the Sekanirdea and its pajik, or included also the commentary in the Amanasikra
Cycle, just as Bu ston has done.
The following pages present the summary and topical outline of the Sekanirdeapajik in Tibetan and english translation. For the sake of clarity, all divisions and
subdivisions are numbered.
3.2.1.1 The Topical Outline in Tibetan
1
2
3
4
4.1
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.1.3.1
4.1.3.1.1
4.1.3.1.2
4.1.3.1.2.1
4.1.3.1.2.2
4.1.3.1.3
4.1.3.2
4.1.3.2.1
4.1.3.2.2
4.1.3.2.3
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.1.1
4.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.1
4.2.1.2.1.1
4.2.1.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.1

mchod brjod
bstan bcos [text: chos] rtsom pai rgyu
brtsom cher khes bskyus [text: kheu bskyus] pa
rtsa bai don dgrol ba
mchod par brjod pa
bsdus pai don
dgos don
yan lag gi [text: gis] don
brjod pa sgrai e va [text: vam] gyis chos kyi phyag rgya
la phyag bya ba
phyag tshal bai o bo dgos pa da bcas pa
e va [text: vam] gyi yi ge la phyag tshal bai rgyu [text
omits rgyu] mtshan
e va [text: vam] lu gis phon che ba
tshig don bad pa
mjug sdud
bris pa dbyibs kyi e va las rgya la phyag tshal ba
yul gyi [text: gyis] o bo
phyag tshal bai rgyu mtshan
dgos pa
gu
mtshon par byed pa pho ai lam las kyi [text: kyis] phyag
rgya
ra gi [text: gis] lus kyis skad cig bi go rim es pa
gan gu dgag par bstan pa
drag po
skad cig bi skye lugs bstan pa
lta ba gsum dba gis mtshon byar dod pai lugs
rnam med pa

46
Yid la mi byed pai i ui bsdus don sa bcad
bum la bar gyis zin bris, Bri gu bka brgyud chos

mdzod, fols. 80r6-82r5.

47
The manuscript reads rnams.

377

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

4.2.1.2.1.2.1.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.1.3
4.2.1.2.1.2.1.4
4.2.1.2.1.2.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.3
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.4
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.4.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.4.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.3
4.2.1.2.1.2.3.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.3.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.3.3
4.2.1.2.1.2.3.4
4.2.1.2.1.3
4.2.1.2.1.3.1
4.2.1.2.1.3.2
4.2.1.2.1.3.3
4.2.1.2.1.3.4
4.2.1.2.1.3.5
4.2.1.2.1.3.6
4.2.1.2.1.4
4.2.1.2.1.5
4.2.1.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.3
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.3
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.4
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.5
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.6

dba gis mtshon pai lta ba

bras bu lam du bag pai phyir sku bii rnam bag
mu bi da bral ba dbu mai lam don
de ams su len pai man ag
rnam bcad pa
dba gis mtshon pai lta ba
mu bi da bral ba dbu mai lam don
bras bu lam du bag pai phyir sku bii rnam bag
de ams su len pai man ag
yan lag da ldan pa
de dgag pa
rnam pa sgyu [text: rgyud] mar dod pa
dba gis mtshon pai lta ba
bras bu lam du bag pai phyir sku bii rnam bag
mu bi da bral ba dbu mai lam don
de ams su len pai man ag
khoi gu dgag pai thad pa
lu da gal ba
rnam ed [text: rnams id] rtog med kyi [text: kyis] phyogs la mi thad pa
rnam ed [text: rnams id] de gsum par byas nas ma rgyud
kyi [text: kyis] sgrub par bya ba gal ba
rnam ed [text: id] rtog par byas nas gsum par dod pa
mi thad pa
gnod pa ltar sna yin pas rtog med yin zer ba mi thad pa
lu don da gal zer bai lan gdab pa
rgyud dkrug pai dgos pa
lta ba gsum dba gis mtshon byar bag pai dgos pa
dba bskur an pa
kho gi [text: gis] gu dgod pa
de id dgag pai thad pa
rigs pas dgod pai tshul gyis mdor bstan pa
gti mug ma grub pai tshul gyis rgyas par bad pa
gan gyi [text: gyis] gu da mtshus pa
i ba da mtshus pa
khro da gnas mtshus par bstan pa
ra gi [text: gis] o bo mtshus pa
mu da bral ba mtshus pa
rig byed pa da mtshus pa
non gyis ye es i ma da mtshus pa
legs ldan ma da mtshus pa
mdor bstan pa
rgyas pa
sbyor ba bde ba khyad par can du gro ba
tshas pai de kho na id
ye es kyi o bo id
gro bai o bo gcig pa
ye es kyi byed pa rkya ma la sags pa
mon en spas pa

378

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.7
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.3
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.4
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.5
4.2.1.3
4.2.1.3.1
4.2.1.3.1.1
4.2.1.3.1.2
4.2.1.3.1.3
4.2.1.3.2
4.2.1.3.2.1
4.2.1.3.2.1.1
4.2.1.3.2.1.2
4.2.1.3.2.1.3
4.2.1.3.2.2
4.2.1.3.2.2.1
4.2.1.3.2.2.2
4.2.1.3.2.3
4.2.1.3.3
4.2.1.3.4
4.2.2
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
4.2.2.3
4.2.2.4
4.2.2.5
4.2.3
4.2.3.1
4.2.3.2
4.2.3.2.1
4.2.3.2.2
4.2.3.2.3
4.2.3.2.3.1
4.2.3.2.3.2
4.2.3.2.3.3
4.2.3.2.3.4
4.2.3.2.3.5
4.2.3.2.3.6
4.2.3.2.3.7
4.2.3.2.3.8
4.2.3.2.3.9
4.2.3.2.4
4.2.3.2.4.1

mtha da bral ba
ra gu gal ba
tathgatai [text: -ga] rgya
mi bskyod [text: skyod] pai rgya
mi bskyod [text: skyod] pai rgyai gnas skabs su grub na
rdo rje sems dpai rgya da [mi] gal ba
mi skyod pai rgya ni tathi dbugs dbyu ba chad yin pa
gnas du mar ye es skye ba de dgag pa
ra gu rgyas par bstan pa
lhan cig skyes pa
mdor bstan pa
rgyas par bad pa
lu don dgus in tu rgyas par bad pa
skad cig ma bi
rnam pa sna tshogs pa
mdo[r bstan pa]
rgyas pa
in tu rgyas pa
rnam par smin pa
mdor bstan pa
rgyas par bad pa
rgyud gal zer bai len pa
dga ba bi
bi poi [text: pai] las rgya rim pas dga bar bag pa
phyag rgya bii rgyu bras kyis rnam par bag pa
las kyi [text: kyis] phyag rgya rgyu mthun pai bras bu
chos kyi phyag rgya rnam smin gyi [text: gyis] bras bu
phyag rgya chen po dri med pai bras bu
de dag gis (inserted in dbu med: samaya-)mudr skyes bu
byed pai bras bu
de rnams kyis bras bui don bsdus te bstan pa
phyag rgya chen po ma gtogs pai phyag rgya re re la dga
ba bi bir gag pa
mdor bstan pa
rgyas par bad pa
las rgya bad zin pai tshul gyis da mi chad pa
chos kyi [text: kyis] phyag rgyai dga ba bi
phyag rgya chen po la dga ba bi mi bag pai thad pa
yid la mi byed par bstan pa
skad cig gsum mi byu bai thad pa
mtshan mai mtha da bral ba
chad pai mtha da bral ba
rtogs pai khyad par bstan pa
rtog pa da mi rtog pa o bo cig pa
ra gis rtogs pa gan la ston pa
rten brel mya an las das pa
ma skyes par rtogs pa phyag rgya chen por rtogs pa
dam tshig gi [text: gis] phyag rgyai dga ba bi
dga ba bi

379

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

4.2.3.2.4.2
4.2.3.2.4.2.1
4.2.3.2.4.2.2
4.2.3.2.4.2.3
4.2.3.2.4.2.3.1
4.2.3.2.4.2.3.2
4.2.3.2.4.3
4.2.3.3
4.2.4
4.2.5
4.2.6
4.3
5

dga ba bii lhan cig skyes pa

thig le lhan cig skyes par bag pa
dei thad pai lu
lu don grel ba
es pai don
dra bai don
thig le la rtsod pai skyon spa
phyag rgya re re la skad cig ma re re bsdu bao
phyag rgya bi pa rnal byor [text: rnor] pha rgyud ma
rgyud kyis don bsdus pa
bsgrub pai las [rgya] log par rtogs pa bsal ba
yi dam lhai nus pa bstan pa
mjug bso ba
mjug [text: jug] don bstan pa

3.2.1.2 Translation of the Topical Outline

The numbers after each topic refer to the respective part of the Sekanirdeapajik.
1

2
3
4
4.1
4.1.1

4.1.2

4.1.3
4.1.3.1
4.1.3.1.1
4.1.3.1.2
4.1.3.1.2.1

Respectful praise 165.1-165.3

The gloss bya chub sems between mchod and brjod indicates
that one generates bodhicitta by praising lokantha, whose
nature is the dharmadhtu.
The reason to compose the treatise 165.4-165.5
according to the gloss skye ba ma po in front of bstan bcos
[text: chos]: [for the sake of] many beings.
eliminating the excessive pride of composing 165.6-165.7
explaining the meaning of the root text 165.8-203.4
Respectful praise 165.8-168.12
Summary 165.8-165.11
Below the topic bsdus pai don we nd the gloss dir mkhas,
which i take to refer the authors of the Caturmudrnvaya
and the Sekanirdea, Ngrjuna and Maitrpa (called Maitreyantha in the pajik). The summary of the respectful praise is thus a praise of these two masters.
The Purpose 165.12-165.13, stanza 1
This clearly refers to stanza 1 of the root text in which the
purpose of prostrating to the word eva and thus accepting Tantric empowerment on the basis of recognizing the
four joys and four moments is expressed by the common
phrase for the sake of attaining enlightenment.
The secondary meaning 166.1-168.12
Reverence to the dharmamudr in the form of eva as an
acoustic reality 166.1-167.7
The nature of [the object of] prostration (i.e., eva)
together with the purpose 166.1-166.3
The reason for prostrating to the letters e [and] va
166.3(yad ukta [])-167.7
E va in a long quote from a canonical source 166.3-166.22
The canonical source is the Devendrapariprcch
380

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

4.1.3.1.2.2

4.1.3.1.3
4.1.3.2
4.1.3.2.1
4.1.3.2.2
4.1.3.2.3
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.1.1
4.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.1
4.2.1.2.1.1
4.2.1.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.1.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.1.3
4.2.1.2.1.2.1.4
4.2.1.2.1.2.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.3
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.4
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.4.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.2.4.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.3
4.2.1.2.1.2.3.1
4.2.1.2.1.2.3.2
4.2.1.2.1.2.3.3

explaining the meaning of the [relevant] word 166.23166.6

Relevant is added on the basis of the gloss skabs la bab
pai. The relevant word is eva, the cause of the four joys.
Conclusion 167.6-167.7 (iti samudyrtha dhvanimayo
vykhyta)
Prostrating to eva in its written form, i.e., the karmamudr
167.8-168.12
The nature of the object [of prostration] 167.8-167.14
The reason for prostrating [to such an object] 167.15(nanu
kim anay namaskrtay [])-168.10
The purpose [of such a prostration] 168.10(kim artha
namaskurma [])-168.12
The main text 168.12(kdr [])-202.20
Karmamudr, the path of the spiritual consort, who makes
one realize [the goal] 168.12-189.15
ascertaining the sequence of the four moments through
ones own body 168.12-168.16, stanza 2
Teaching a refutation of other textual [traditions] 168.17184.3
Haha[yoga] 168.17-176.16
Teaching [their] tradition of how the four moments arise
168.17-169.7
The tradition of maintaining that the three views must be
indicated through empowerment 169.7-173.10
Nirkra[vda] 169.7-170.10
The view indicated through empowerment 169.7-169.14
Presenting the four kya s in order to take the fruit as the
path 169.14-170.4
Freedom from the four extremes [in accordance with] the
meaning of the Madhyamaka path 170.4-170.8
a pith instruction of how this is put into practice
170.8(caturthpy [])-170.10
Skra[vda] 170.11-173.5
The view indicated through empowerment 170.11-171.2
Freedom from the four extremes [in accordance with] the
meaning of the Madhyamaka path 171.2(etad eva [])-171.8
Presenting the four kya s in order to take the fruit as the
path 171.8-171.9
a pith instruction of how this is put into practice
171.9(lakaabhta [])-173.5
[The real fourth empowerment] is endowed with the
[seven] constituents 171.9-172.4
a refutation of this 172.4-172.20
Maintaining that forms are illusion[-like] 172.20-173.10
The view indicated through empowerment 172.20-173.9
Presenting the four kya s in order to take the fruit as the
path 173.10
Freedom from the four extremes [in accordance with] the
meaning of the Madhyamaka path 173.10
381

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

4.2.1.2.1.2.3.4
4.2.1.2.1.3
4.2.1.2.1.3.1
4.2.1.2.1.3.2
4.2.1.2.1.3.3
4.2.1.2.1.3.4
4.2.1.2.1.3.5
4.2.1.2.1.3.6
4.2.1.2.1.4
4.2.1.2.1.5
4.2.1.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.1.3
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.3
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.4
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.5
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.6

a pith instruction of how this is put into practice 173.10

it is appropriate to refute their textual [tradition] 173.11176.8
it contradicts canonical scriptures 173.11-174.8, stanza 3
Relaxation (vimarda) is not appropriate in the [third position, which is] non-conceptual 174.9-174.22
Taking relaxation as the third [moment] contradicts the
goal of the mother tantras 174.22(tath ca)-175.2
it is not appropriate to maintain that relaxation is in the
third [position] because [relaxation is something] conceptualized 175.2(tath [])-175.14, stanza 4
Because the invalidation [of stanza 3] is not valid, it is not
appropriate to say that [relaxation] is non-conceptual
175.15-176.2
a reply [to the objection that relaxation in the fourth position] contradicts canonical scriptures 176.2(tarhi [])-176.8
The necessity of deranging the order 176.9-176.12
The necessity of the presentation that the three views must be
indicated by empowerment 176.12(ki cettham [])-176.16
The bad empowerment 176.17-184.3
a delineation of their textual [tradition] 176.17-177.2, stanza 5
it is appropriate to refute this 177.3-184.3
a brief presentation by way of a delineation through reasoning 177.3-177.6, stanza 6
a detailed presentation [of this refutation] by [showing
that] bewilderment is not established 177.7-184.3
[The bad empowerment] is in accordance with other textual [traditions] 177.7-181.15
accordance with the aiva 177.7-179.4
a presentation of [its] accordance with [the system of]
wrathful [iva] 177.7-177.14, stanza 7
accordance with the nature [of bliss arisen from the union
of iva and akti] 177.15(tatsvarpam [])-178.2, stanza 8
accordance with [their] freedom from extremes 178.3179.4, stanzas 9-11
accordance with Vednta 179.5-181.15
accordance with Bhskara [for whom] wisdom [arises]
through suppression 179.5-179.13, stanza 12
accordance with the Bhagavat[siddhnta] 179.14-181.15
a brief presentation 179.14
a detailed [presentation] 179.14(prg uktam [])-181.15
a particularly blissful union 179.15-180.3, verses 13ab
Brahman-reality 180.3(sukha yad [])-180.8, verses 13cd
The nature of wisdom 180.9-180.12, stanza 14
[Brahman] being the single nature of the world 180.13180.16, stanza 15
Praising women, the cause of wisdom 180.17-181.5, stanza
16
abandoning attachment 181.6-181.9, stanza 17

382

A Summary and Topical Outline of the Sekanirdeapajik by Bum la bar

4.2.1.2.2.2.2.1.2.2.2.7
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.1
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.2
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.3
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.4
4.2.1.2.2.2.2.2.5
4.2.1.3
4.2.1.3.1
4.2.1.3.1.1
4.2.1.3.1.2
4.2.1.3.1.3
4.2.1.3.2
4.2.1.3.2.1
4.2.1.3.2.1.1
4.2.1.3.2.1.2
4.2.1.3.2.1.3
4.2.1.3.2.2
4.2.1.3.2.2.1
4.2.1.3.2.2.2
4.2.1.3.2.3
4.2.1.3.3
4.2.1.3.4
4.2.2
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
4.2.2.3
4.2.2.4
4.2.2.5
4.2.3

48

Freedom from extremes 181.10-181.14, stanza 18

[The bad empowerment] condradicts our own textual
[tradition] 181.15-184.3
The seal of the [four] Tathgatas 181.15-182.4, stanza 19
The seal of akobhya 182.4(te ca [])-182.19
if the seal of akobhya is established temporarily, it does
not 48 contradict the seal of Vajrasattva 182.19-183.4, stanza 20
The seal of akobhya destroys the reassurance [that the
rst four skandha s are] the Tathgatas 183.4(tem vso
[])-183.5
a refutation that wisdom arises when [bodhicitta] is in
various locations 183.6-184.3, stanzas 21-22
a detailed presentation of our own textual [tradition]
184.3(anena oa-[])-189.15
The co-emergent 184.3 (Peking bsTan gyur, fol. 167r1)
a brief presentation 184.3
a detailed presentation 184.4-184.10
a detailed explanation according to the various intentions
of canonical sources 184.10 (ayam eva crtha []; Peking
bsTan gyur, fol. 167r1)
The four moments (Peking bsTan gyur, fol. 167r1: da ni
rnam pas sna tshogs pa []) 189.1
[The moment of] the manifold (Peking bsTan gyur, fol.
167r1) 188.1
a brief [presentation] (Peking bsTan gyur, fol. 167r1)
187.9, stanza 23
a detailed [presentation] 187.9-187.15
a very detailed [presentation] 187.15-188.1
[The moment of] maturation 188.2-188.8
a brief presentation 188.2-188.3
a detailed presentation 188.4-188.8
a reply to the objection that [this] contradicts the tantras
188.9-189.2, stanza 24
The four joys 189.3-189.13, stanza 25
[These] four [joys] are taken together as joy on the level
of karmamudr 189.13(ete ca bhygany)-189.15
a presentation of the four seals as cause and fruit 189.16190.2, stanza 26
Karmamudrthe similar fruit 190.2(karmaa [])-190.6
Dharmamudrthe fruit of maturation 190.7-190.11
Mahmudrthe stainless fruit 190.12-190.16
Through these: samayamudrthe man-made fruit 190.17190.19
a summarized statement that they are fruit with respect to
the [preceding ones] 190.20
The presentation that each of the seals, except mahmudr,
has four joys 190.21-199.22

a negating particle must have been dropped.

383

Klaus-Dieter Mathes

4.2.3.1
4.2.3.2
4.2.3.2.1
4.2.3.2.2
4.2.3.2.3
4.2.3.2.3.1
4.2.3.2.3.2
4.2.3.2.3.3
4.2.3.2.3.4
4.2.3.2.3.5
4.2.3.2.3.6
4.2.3.2.3.7
4.2.3.2.3.8
4.2.3.2.3.9
4.2.3.2.4
4.2.3.2.4.1
4.2.3.2.4.2
4.2.3.2.4.2.1
4.2.3.2.4.2.2
4.2.3.2.4.2.3
4.2.3.2.4.2.3.1
4.2.3.2.4.2.3.2
4.2.3.2.4.3
4.2.3.3
4.2.4
4.2.5
4.2.6
4.3
5

a brief presentation 190.21-191.9, stanza 27

a detailed explanation 191.10-199.17
Karmamudr having already been explained, it will not be
repeated here 191.10
The four joys of dharmamudr 191.10(vcas dharmamudr [])-192.1, stanza 28
it is appropriate not to maintain the four joys in the case
of mahmudr 192.2-197.21
a presentation [of mahmudr] as becoming mentally
disengaged 192.2-192.12, verses 29ab
it is appropriate that the three [impure] moments do not
occur 192.13-192.15, verses 29cd
Freedom from the extreme of characteristic signs 192.16193.6, stanza 30
Freedom from the extreme of annihilation 193.7-193.15,
stanza 31
a particular presentation of realization 193.16-194.12, stanza 32
The conceptual and non-conceptual are one in essence
194.13-195.14, stanza 33
Teaching ones own realization to others 195.15-195.20,
stanza 34
Dependent arising is nirva 196.1-196.8, stanza 35
Dependent arising is glossed with conceptual (rnam rtog)
To realize that [the dependently arisen] has not arisen [in
reality means] to realize it as mahmudr 196.9-197.21
The four joys of samayamudr 197.22-199.17
The four joys 197.22-198.3, stanza 37
The co-emergent of the four joys 198.3(mahmudrtas
[])-198.21
Taking the drop as the co-emergent 198.3-198.6
a canonical source (Hevajratantra 2.5.68) justifying this
198.7-198.8
a commentary on its meaning 198.9-198.21
its denitive meaning 198.9-198.10
its provisional meaning 198.10(neyrtha ca [])-198.21
eliminating the fault of dispute about the drop 199.1199.17
Relating the four moments to the four seals respectively
199.18-199.21, stanza 38
a [concluding] summary [which relates] the yoga of four
seals to the father and mother tantras 199.22-201.8
Refuting false realization, [which is based] on the practice
of karmamudr [only] 201.9-202.16, stanza 39
a presentation of the power of the personal deity 202.17202.20, stanza 40
Dedication at the end 203.1-203.4, stanza 41
Conclusion 203.5-203.18

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