This is a translation of the Tibetan Root-text: Mahayanauttaratantrashastra (Tib. Gyu Lama). by Maitreya through Asanga
THE BUDDHA
Homage to the Buddha
The state of a Buddha has no beginning, middle or end. It is perfect peace.
Buddhahood itself is fully self-awakened and unfolded (by means of non-dual,
primordial wisdom). Having attained enlightenment a Buddha fearlessly shows
the path of permanence (of the Dharmakaya) in order to bring realisation to
those without realisation.
He wields the supreme sword of knowledge and the vajra of compassion and cuts
down the sprout of suffering. Also he destroys the walls of doubt which are
surrounded by the thick forest of the various mistaken views. In front of the
Buddha I bow down.
The state of a Buddha is endowed with two kinds of benefit, the benefit for
oneself and the benfit for others:
· It is non-composite, spontaneously present and not realised through
external conditions.
· It is endowed with knowledge, compassionate love and the capacity to
help sentient beings.
Buddhahood is non-composite, because by nature it is free from beginning, middle
or end. It is said to be spontaneously present, because it is perfect peace,
possession of the Dharmakaya.
It is not realised through external conditions, because the self-cognizant primordial
wisdom is to be realised by oneself.
It is knowledge, because it is realisation of the three previous qualities.
It is compassionate love, because it shows the path.
It is the capacity to help sentient beings, because it removes the suffering
and the obscuring states through primordial wisdom and compassion.
The first three qualities make up the benefit for oneself, the latter three
the benefit for others.
THE DHARMA
Homage to the Dharma
The Dharma is neither non-existent, nor existent, not a combination of existence
and non-existence, nor something different from existence and non-existence.
It cannot be examined nor pointed out through definitions and it can only be
understood by self-cognizing wisdom. It is perfect peace.
The Dharma is stainless, illuminating by the light of primordial wisdom. It
completely overcomes all attachment towards (attractive) objects, aversion towards
(unattractive) objects and ignorance towards (neutral) objects. In front of
the true Dharma, which is like the sun, I bow down.
The Dharma has the characteristics of the two truths, the Truth of Cessation
and the Truth of the Path:
· It is inconceivable, without the two (roots of samsara) and non-conceptual.
· It is pure, illuminating and has the capacity to be a remedy against
obscuring states.
The Truth of Cessation is freedom from attachment and the Truth of the Path
is the method which removes the attachment. The Dharma can be summarised into
these two aspects. One should know that these two have three qualities each
which are presented in the above order. The Dharma is inconceivable, because
it cannot be analysed by ordinary thinking (in terms of the four alternatives),
because it cannot be expressed through words and because it can only be understood
by the wisdom of realised beings (the Noble Ones).
It is without the two, because (karma and obscuring states have been) pacified.
It is non-conceptual, (free from the causes of obscuring states).
Also the Dharma has the three qualities of being pure, etc..(Purity means being
free from disturbing emotions and habitual tendencies, illuminating means to
be free from conceptual obscurations and the capacity to be a remedy means that
it functions as an antidote against all obscuring states.) Therefore it is like
the sun.
THE SANGHA
Homage to the Sangha
Because they have realised the Clear Light-nature of the mind, (the Bodhisattvas)
see that the obscuring states have no essence at all. Therefore, after having
perfectly realised the peace which is the ultimate selflessness in all sentient
beings, they see that all beings are pervaded by perfect buddhahood.
The Bodhisattvas have mastered intelligence which is free from veils. Their
primordial wisdom has as its object the completely pure nature which is present
in limitless sentient beings. In front of the Sangha I bow down.
The non-regressing Sangha of the wise have unsurpassable
qualities, because through the pure vision of their primordial wisdom they see
· everything just as it is,
· everything to its full extent and
· the inner wisdom (the source of the other two).
Because they have realised the true nature of all phenomena (skr. Dharmata)
which is the pacification (of all mental fabrications) in sentient beings, they
possess the wisdom of everything just as it is. This is completely pure by nature,
because the obscuring states never existed from the very beginning.
By means of their intelligence which realises the ultimate objects of knowledge
they see that the true nature of omniscience (the Buddhanature) is present in
all sentient beings. Therefore they possess the wisdom of everything to its
full extent.
Such realisation is perception which is based on non-dual insight (the inner
wisdom).
· It is pure, because it is the stainless sphere (the Dharmadhatu)
· which is free from attachment and cognitive obscurations.
· Because this pure vision of primordial wisdom is very close to the
unsurpassable wisdom of buddhahood,
the Noble Ones, who do not fall back (into samsara), are a refuge for all sentient
beings.
(The first three qualities are called 'qualities of insight', the latter three
'qualities of liberation'. If these two headlines are added to the six qualities,
they make up eight qualities altogether, in the same way as it can also be counted
in the two previous parts about the Buddha and the Dharma.)
The reason for presenting three objects of refuge
The three objects of refuge which are the teacher, the teaching and the students
(Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) are presented in terms of those who strive for the
three kinds of activities according to the three vehicles.
(The presentation of the three objects of refuge corresponds with the practitioners
of the three vehicles in the way that the refuge of the Buddha is for the practitioners
of the Mahayana vehicle, the Dharma for the Pratyekabuddha vehicle and the Sangha
for the Shravaka vehicle. These practitioners strive for the three kinds of
activities in the way that those who have devotion towards the Buddha regarding
him as the supreme among human beings can reach the same state by accumulating
positive potential through making offerings, prostrations, etc.. Those who have
devotion towards the Dharma regarding it as the supreme among all teachings
which is completely free from obscuring states can practise the Dependent Occurrence
and in this way reach the state of an Arhat.
And those who have devotion towards the Sangha regarding it as the supreme among
all communities, because it is a perfect assembly, can enter the Sangha and
reach the respective realisation of the Shravaka vehicle.
Normally individuals develop on the path by starting out on the Shravaka vehicle
entering the Sangha, then they go on to the Pratyekabuddha vehicle practising
the Dharma and finally they progress to the Mahayana vehicle, the ultimate vehicle,
opening up for the state of a Buddha. So the reason for presenting the three
objects of refuge is the threefold benefit for the three categories of practitioners.)