Ridding Oneself of the Obscurations: Nyingma and Sakya

The Two Sets of Obscuration

There are two sets of obscuration (sgrib-gnyis, two sets of obstacles) that we need to get rid of forever (spang, abandon) from our mental continuums in order to attain liberation and/or enlightenment. They obscure the mind’s deepest nature and thus obscure the mind’s automatically arising deep awareness (ye-shes lhan-skyes, innate wisdom).

  • The emotional obscurations (nyon-sgrib) – obscurations that are disturbing emotions and attitudes and which prevent liberation.
  • The cognitive obscurations (shes-sgrib) – obscurations regarding all knowables and which prevent omniscience.

According to the Nyingma and Sakya explanations, the Svatantrika-Madhyamaka and Prasangika-Madhyamaka schools of tenets share the same presentation of the two sets of obscuration. The presentation derives from Maitreya’s Filigree of Realizations (mNgon-rtogs rgyan, Skt. Abhisamaya-alamkara).

  • The Gelug and Karma Kagyu traditions assert this presentation only for the Svatantrika tenet system and assert in common a different presentation of the two sets of obscuration for the Prasangika system.

Within the Nyingma and Sakya traditions, various masters explain specific details about this topic differently. Here, we shall represent Nyingma with the explanations given by Mipam (‘Ju Mi-pham) and Sakya with the explanations given by Gorampa (Go-ram bSod-nams seng-ge). Many consider them the mainstream assertions of their respective traditions.

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