Uttaratantra: Detailed Presentation of Enlightenment

Chapter Two: The Enlightened State 

Chapter two is the chapter on enlightenment, the state of total purification and growth, the highest bodhi or purified state. This is in 73 verses and discusses the topic in eight points.

The Essential Nature of Enlightenment

The first of these is the essential nature of enlightenment, and this refers to its purities. It’s referred to in terms of clear light. Clear light as both a deep awareness (ys-shes), a mind and clear light as a riddance (spang-ba), a state of being rid of something; however, the usual term is “abandoned.” I don’t particularly like that term “abandoned” as it sounds as though we’ve abandoned it and left it somewhere else, but “riddance,” we’re rid of it. This is referring to the voidness side, corresponding, of course, to the third and fourth noble truths: clear light as a mind being the ultimate true pathway mind, and clear light as an object being the ultimate state of riddance or voidness. Remember, we had this presentation of – it’s particularly emphasized in the Gelug tradition – the voidness of true existence and the removal, or separation (bral-ba), from all the fleeting stains, comes down to the same thing; it’s known as the double purity (dag-pa gnyis-ldan) of mind of a Buddha.

The Causes for Enlightenment

The second point is the causes for enlightenment, referring to what is it that will allow us to attain it. This is referring to what will get rid of the two obscurations, the obscurations that are the disturbing emotions and the obscurations that prevent omniscience. The two types of deep awareness that we have will get rid of those obscurations. There’s the deep awareness during total absorption (mnyam-bzhag ye-shes) on voidness, which is like space, and that would be a cause for getting rid of the obscurations that are the disturbing emotions (unawareness of voidness, grasping for true existence, and so on). Then, there is the deep awareness of the subsequent attainment phase (rjes-thob ye-shes), which is on voidness that is like an illusion, in which we focus on all appearances being like an illusion, that they are nevertheless void of true existence. That helps us and acts as a cause for getting rid of the obscurations that prevent omniscience (knowing all phenomena). What’s included there in that set of obscurations is the appearance-making of true existence; by seeing that everything is like an illusion, that helps us to get rid of the obscuration of making appearances of true existence.

The Resultant State of What Enlightenment Is Parted From

The third point is the resultant state, and this is explaining what the state of enlightenment is parted from, what it is separated from. This is explained in terms of the nine examples that were given in the previous chapter – of a Buddha in a muddy lotus, and so on. The various types of disturbing emotions and fleeting stains are explained using those analogies from the previous chapter.

The Influences of Enlightenment

The fourth point is referring to its influences, and this is saying that the enlightened state is of meaningful benefit to oneself and others. For oneself, one has the Svabhavakaya, which is the state of being utterly freed from the two obscurations, so that’s of meaningful benefit to ourselves. Then for others, what’s of meaningful benefit is the Deep Awareness Dharmakaya that encompasses everything and everyone and is fully purified.

It’s quite interesting; these points are all referring to Dharmakaya, two aspects of Dharmakaya: the first four points as well as the fifth point, which will come next. Often, we hear of Dharmakaya being for self-benefit of oneself, and the Form Bodies for benefit of others. However, here we get within Dharmakaya the two divisions: the Svabhavakaya is of benefit for oneself, and the Deep Awareness Dharmakaya is for the benefit of others.

The Endowments of Enlightenment

The fifth point is its endowments, in other words, the characteristics or qualities that it has. These are the characteristics that are the basis for it being of meaningful benefit to self and others. For that, there is a discussion of 15 qualities of the two Dharmakayas. These are that it is unimaginable, constant, stable, serenely still, auspiciously immutable – these types of characteristics, which are then explained in the text.

The Permeation of Enlightenment

Then, the sixth point is its permeation, how it permeates various things – everything. This refers to the three aspects: profound, extensive and its great identity nature. These are the terms that are used in the text. It’s profound: it permeates everything in terms of its profundity – is referring to the Deep Awareness Dharmakaya and the Essential Nature Dharmakaya, in other words, the two Dharmakayas. Each of these is presented with five distinguishing features. Then, the extensive aspect that permeates is referring to the Sambhogakaya, the Body or Corpus of Full Use, and that also has five distinguishing features. Next, its great identity-nature (bdag-nyid chen-po) that permeates everywhere is referring to the Corpus of Emanations, in other words, Nirmanakaya, which has the 12 deeds of an enlightened being, so it explains and lists those 12. Nirmanakaya also possesses the four sealing points for labeling an outlook as being based on Buddha’s words (lta-ba bka’-btags-gyi phyag-rgya-bzhi), the four seals of Buddha’s teachings, which are how it teaches and permeates everything, that all affected phenomena are nonstatic; everything associated with confusion is suffering; all phenomena lack true identities; and that nirvana release is stillness and constructiveness. Here is where we have the basic discussion of the Buddha Bodies.

The Constancy of Enlightenment

The seventh point here is referring to the constancy of the enlightened state. That’s referring to the extent of time in which all three of these Buddha Bodies are eternal. Here the text gives ten reasons why all three of them are eternal.

Enlightenment’s Nature beyond Imagination

The eighth and final point is referring to its nature being beyond all imagination. This is the nature of how the three Buddha Bodies exist, and it gives six reasons why the nature of the three Buddha bodies is beyond imagination. That completes the second chapter.

There are many, many lists in this. They are very fond of the lists, but the Tibetans didn’t make all this up. This style of giving lists is Indian.

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