‘Question and answer’ oral instructions of the Wisdom Ḍākinī to Tilopa
Shrī vajraḍākinī namo!
Tilopa asked the wisdom Ḍākinī: what is awakening [Buddha]? The wisdom Ḍākinī responded:
Tilopa! When the mind looks at mind, the ‘looker’ is mind, the ‘looked at’ is also mind.
Like space gazing at space, both the ‘gazer’ and the ‘gazed at’, are naturally dissolved in purity.
When thoughts are lucidly clear, that is spontaneously accomplished awakening [Buddha]. Actual manifestation of realization is also awakening [Buddha]. Abiding on the path is also awakening [Buddha].
Likewise, by severing the four ‘demons’ [māras] of conceptualization, with no birth nor death in the mind, that is the dharmakāya. Tilopa, understand this!
By severing the root basis of mind, since one doesn’t even merely think of mental constructs, at that time, uninterruptedly day and night, decisively strive for the 13th level of the Vajra Holder, Tilopa, understand this!
Tilopa then asked: How is the yoga of clear luminosity of death and the clear luminosity of present moment mixed? The Ḍākinī answered:
“The present moment clear luminosity is when the mind is looking at mind, the beholder and that which is beheld, those two, like gazing into the centre of space, like space free from clouds.
At the time of death, at the time when the outer and inner breath has ceased, the death clear luminosity arrives like space without clouds. By the power of pure looking, that which is called ‘bardo’ will be completely absent. Tilopa, understand this!
from ‘Wisdom Dakini’s Oral Instructions on the Bardo to Tilopa’
Dakini Translations Website – Adele Tomlin
What a truly wonderful teaching! When I first read it I felt the presence of the Dakini and Tilopa, as if I was there as it unfolded. What a marvelous display this nature of mind conjures up.
Recognising the nature of mind
Tilopa asked the wisdom Ḍākinī: what is awakening [Buddha]? The wisdom Ḍākinī responded:
Tilopa! When the mind looks at mind, the ‘looker’ is mind, the ‘looked at’ is also mind.
When Tilopa asks what is awakening, what is this Buddha state, the wisdom Dakini’s answer is so clear and direct. When you search for this nature of mind, this Rigpa, what is searching? Look at this that searches, and what is the nature of this looking, this looker? Don’t look with attention, that aspect of mind which focuses like a laser light, which looks one dharma at a time, and knows things conceptually. Instead, relax back into the spacious awareness, that which holds all simultaneously, which does not differentiate between them, and allow yourself to see from this wide open awareness that which searches for mind. Then know this that looks at mind, allow yourself to ‘see’ this that looks.
Still resting in this wide open awareness, allow what is looked for to come into view. Don’t collapse down into a laser like attention, but from this wide open luminosity, allow what you are looking for to arise within the vastness. This mind, the looked at, comes into view.
Go back and forth between the looker and the looked at. What does not change when you do this? What is the nature of this that looks and is looked at? These are both mind, in the teaching above. Mind’s nature it’s often called. Original mind in the Mahamudra tradition. That which is always there, regardless of whatever seems to arise or cease. Like the looker or the looked at, which seem to arise or cease. They are not the nature of mind itself, but merely the content of mind, mind’s display.
Don’t overly focus with that narrow, concentrated type of attention – it’s hard to see the nature of mind that way. Don’t allow your mind to be scattered, to be lost in thoughts and other arisings. Just relax, and allow your awareness to be open and gently inclusive of all. Right there, rest and relax, and mind’s nature may show itself to you.
Then don’t grasp it and try to hold on to it. Just allow it to be. If it drifts away then that’s ok. It will find it’s way back into view if you relax.
Like space gazing at space, both the ‘gazer’ and the ‘gazed at’, are naturally dissolved in purity.
When you let go of tight focus, and let go of being scattered, then minds nature can show itself, or reveal itself. Both ends of that dualistic solidity then fade away – both the self and the object or other. In their place is a vast, open purity, which has a natural luminescence, or knowingness. It is indeed like space gazing at space – openness being open to openness, or reflecting back the openness. Or open awareness simply aware of itself, without any sense of this and that, self and other, looker and looked at.
Luminous emptiness, with nothing to be done
When thoughts are lucidly clear, that is spontaneously accomplished awakening [Buddha]. Actual manifestation of realization is also awakening [Buddha]. Abiding on the path is also awakening [Buddha].
When you are lost in dualism then thoughts and other arisings of the mind appear entirely solid and dense. They fill your entire awareness. You could say that you become them – there’s nothing else there in awareness. Awareness contracts down into this arising and the thought is what you are at that moment.
But when you rest in that nature of mind then thoughts are lucidly clear. They are utterly transparent. So much so that you can’t say they are truly there. They are empty and non-arising. Yet at the same time these thoughts do seem to be there – somewhere – where? There and not there. Neither or both – take your choice. They are beyond either.
When thoughts are lucidly clear there’s little to be done – this is indeed awakened mind at that moment. Mind is vast and clear, pure and open, and thoughts display as if by magic – not even ripples in mind as that is too solid. Like apparitions. A magical display.
When realisations arise, these are awakening. When deep experiences arise, these are awakening. Resting there, abiding in this nature of mind – this is awakening. Even lost in solid, contracted down thoughts, with strong self and other – this is awakening – though that’s another story!
Likewise, by severing the four ‘demons’ [māras] of conceptualization, with no birth nor death in the mind, that is the dharmakāya. Tilopa, understand this!
The four demons or maras referred to here are:
- Kleśa-māra: The embodiment of all the unskillful emotions like greed, hate, and delusion.
- Mṛtyu-māra: The representation of death and the cycle of rebirth.
- Skandha-māra: The entirety of the conditioning of the human experience, represented by clinging to the ego.
- Devaputra-māra: The deva of the sensuous realm who tried to prevent Gautama Buddha from attaining enlightenment.
When you recognise and rest in this nature of mind then these four mara’s cannot be found. Klesha’s are pelluci and transparent as if not truly there. Allowing these to self-liberate in the mind that does not grasp they gradually fade away with less incentive to arise again.
Where is death, in this timelessly aware open luminosity, where arising and ceasing does not register, even though this magical display seems to appear?
Where is karma and conditioning, the this and then that, when your Dharmakaya nature of mind is just vast, open emptiness, timelessly present?
How can the grasp of sensuality grasp and bewitch you, when this magical dream is just that – all dreamlike and without any substance at all?
This original purity of mind, empty and vast, luminous and ever expressive. Dharmakaya nature of mind.
By severing the root basis of mind, since one doesn’t even merely think of mental constructs, at that time, uninterruptedly day and night, decisively strive for the 13th level of the Vajra Holder, Tilopa, understand this!
Cutting off the roots of solidity, and dualistic grasping, then only the magical display of this luminous emptiness remains.
Just rest here, uninterruptedly, with nothing further to be done.
The 13th level of the Vajra Holder refers to the 13th Bhumi, in one of the Bhumi categorisations.
Tilopa then asked: How is the yoga of clear luminosity of death and the clear luminosity of present moment mixed? The Ḍākinī answered:
“The present moment clear luminosity is when the mind is looking at mind, the beholder and that which is beheld, those two, like gazing into the centre of space, like space free from clouds.
Tilopa wants to know how these two types of practices of recognising the clear luminosity are related, and mixed?
The Dakini tells him that in the present moment, in what we call life we can relax into this open, empty awareness we’ve described above, and allow all solidity and dualistic projections fade away. You won’t find a centre or periphery to this open spaciousness. There’s no place to be found. Similarly, you won’t find past, present or future – there’s no time to be found in this luminous emptiness. Just vast, primordial purity, shining forth like a cloudless sky.
At the time of death, at the time when the outer and inner breath has ceased, the death clear luminosity arrives like space without clouds. By the power of pure looking, that which is called ‘bardo’ will be completely absent. Tilopa, understand this!
When you die, then clear luminosity shows itself – can you recognise it? Can you recognise the manifestations in the after life Bardo’s as the display of your own nature of mind? Can you find a Bardo itself, as a thing, an existence, something to grasp?
Here and now, and in the Bardo of death there’s nothing to be found, other than this nature of mind, and it’s natural display of illusory appearances.
Recognise it and rest in it now.
And recognise and rest in it at the time of death.
May all beings awaken and be fully liberated!
Read Adele Tomlin’s translation of this wonderful teaching, and more at her Dakini Translations and Publications website (this translation is half way down the page):
