The Treasure of the Lotus Crystal Cave Author: ERIK PEMA KUNSANG & MARCIA BINDER ScHMIDT THE DIRECT INSTRUCTIONS OF SHRI SINGHA When I, Guru Padma of Uddiyana, was awakened at eight years of age, I went before Guru Shri Singha, provided my offering and plea for dharma transmission. My Guru said, “Cultivate your mind through the Tripitaka.” Therefore, in the eastern direction of the Vajrasana, I learnt the Sutra-pitaka; in the southern direction, I learnt the Vinaya-pitaka; in the western direction, I learnt Abhidharma; and in the northern direction, I learnt the paramitas. Thereafter, I went before Shri Singha, made my offerings, and studied the complete Tripitaka. I pleaded with Guru to accept me. My Guru responded, "Dear son, you must first practice the true mind with the teachings of Mantrayana." Thus, in Uddiyana, I practiced the three tantra yogas; in Sahor, I worked on Mahayoga tantra and the Mind Section of Dzogchen; in Nairanjana, I practiced Phurba (Vajrakilaya); in Singha, I studied Padma Maheshvara; in Vasudhara, I studied the Instruction Section of Dzogchen; in Nepal, I practiced Yamantaka, in Merutse, I studied Mamo; at the Vajrasana, I practiced the Eight Heruka sadhanas; and in Lankotsha, I studied the four sections of Guhyasamaja Yabyun . After I realised all phenomena are merely dreams and illusions, they are unreal and mendacious, I went before Guru who was preaching to a gathering of 5,500 people, amongst whom many were rulers of Kingdoms. When I approached, Guru Shri Singha said, "What do you want, neophyte?" I replied, "I have embodied the teachings of Mantrayana extensively. Now, I wish to receive teachings from you." Guru Shri Singha said, "You are well-learned, you have studied the Tripitaka, then the Mantrayana. Now let’s dismiss this assembly." He continued, "You have understood that all phenomena are deceptive, however this is of no help. This realisation of all is a dream, illusory, unreal, and deceptive must be integrated into your continuity-consciousness. If this is not deeply rooted within your true self, it is just a cliché, and you will not be able to attain Buddhahood. I replied, "If that is so, please bestow me with a teaching that can be imprinted into my true mind." Guru replied, "Make your mandala offering!" I made a mandala from a measure of gold dust and offered it to Guru. Guru Shri Singha said, "Now, be in front of me. Keep your legs in lotus position, form the Dhyana Mudra with your hands, and keep your spine erected and straight. This is the essence of the bodily form. With both your eyes, glare upwards at the vast Universe. This is the essence of the meridian form. Constrict your lower breath(qi) and suppress your upper breath (qi). This is essence of wind (qi) form. Visualize an E (སེ) inside a red bindu position at the nirmana-chakra at your navel center. Visualize a BAM (བྃ) inside a white bindu position at the mahasukha-chakra of your crown center. This is the essence of bindu form. Focus your mind on the BAM (བྃ). With the blazing fire from the E (སེ), BAM (བྃ) is being melted. Thereafter, the white and red bindu merge together in the position at dharma-chakra of your heart center. This is the essence of the mind form. Let both white and red bindu become smaller and smaller in size, until your mind gets into the state of emptiness. This is the essence of complete form of samyak-sambodhi" I followed the practice and some awareness arose, such as: My body faded into nothingness, there was no inhalation and exhalation of breath, it felt like I was able to move through any matter without restrictions, and there was a feeling of immortality. When these experiences arose, I went to inform Guru with much pride. Guru said, "It is extremely foolish to take such pride in the blessings of the Guru and be contented. Now go into quietude, and reframe any thoughts." I went into quietude and for a year, refrained from creating any thoughts. Some sensations arose, such as the feeling that "Sunyata is Rupa! Rupa is Sunyata! Rupa and Sunyata are inseparable! Buddhas and sentient beings are non-dual! There is no consequence even with unvirtuous acts! There is no benefit even by engaging in all ten virtues!" Satisfied with these sensations, I related them to Guru. He commented, "It is foolish to be contented with Dhyana sensation. If you agree that Rupa and Sunyata are inseparable, you should be detached from Rupa. Are you? If you agree that Buddhas and sentient beings are non-dual, you should respect and serve sentient beings in the same degree as you will to Buddha. Do you? If you deem that, “There is no consequence even with unvirtuous acts,” you should be able to accept others even when they have done all ten unvirtuous acts upon you, even if it may cost you your life. Can you? If you deem that, “There is no benefit even by engaging in all ten virtues!”, you should not have any sense of pleasure when others have provided you with benefits by engaging in the ten virtues - even if your life is being saved by others. Can you? Now, go into quietude again, let your body be akin to a corpse, your speech akin to that of a mute, and let your mind become that of space." I went into solitude and practised as being told, and experienced eight sensations: 1. Regardless of eyes opened or closed, there was a knowing of absolute clarity, borderless Truth, manifesting into nonduality of mindfulness and Sunyata. 2. An experience of Sunyata, totally open and empty, neither clinging to, in nor out of any matter. 3. An experience of bliss, as if like melting butter, being totally free and exhilarating, neither having a body nor a mind 4. In a state present to all senses but not clinging onto any with obsession, yet still get affected by spacing out 5. A state of mindfulness akin to the sun radiating in the sky 6. Body is like the mist, thus resulting in non-physical behaviour of object or substance 7. Sense of realising that there is neither self nor others 8. All sentient beings have the same awareness of mind-consciousness as mine Delighted with these experiences, I thus related them to Guru. He said, "There are three stages in Dzogpachengpo : spontaneous presence, the inconceivability, and Mahasukkah. Of these three, your experiences are of the stage of spontaneous presence. Upon holding this stage in clarity, the stages inconceivability and Mahasukkah will eventually appear. Samsara is captivating, the mind is naïve and innocent! Do not be attached to the bliss in meditation state but expand your true mind." "How can one expand one's true mind?" I asked. Guru Shri Singha replied, "There is no difference between Buddhas and sentient beings other than the level of greatness of one’s true mind. Thus, those that are called mind, consciousness or Buddha’s nature, are actually one. The mind of a sentient being is restricted; the mind of Buddha is omnipresent. Expand the boundary of the true mind like how the universe is and there will be no limit to just the four directions." Subsequently, I went into stillness, practiced and cultivated a true mind that is like space, whereby these faiths arose: "Such without any projection or dissolution of thoughts, remain exactly as it is a completely focused realisation and sunyata. This is precisely what is called One." "This mind is not attached to any object or incident – there is complete openness, no dwelling on anything. This is what they meant by detachment." A sense of, "What else can there be? Regardless of how I look, it is the same! There is nothing to abandon or accomplish! This is precisely what is called eka-rasa(one taste)." A sense of, "What else is there to seek? Whether one meditates or not, this is it! There is nothing whatsoever to practice! There is nothing to cultivate through meditation! This is precisely what is called non-cultivation." I then had the powerful experience of understanding: There cannot be anything beyond this! Two types of physical bodies (rupakaya) rooted from dharmakaya, thus all of sights and sounds are like flame and flare! There is no precedent before impulse for the inhalation and exhalation of breath! Even without any creation, various manifestations will still occur! This is like the unchanged nature of emptiness! Even the slightest dualistic mind did not arise! This is it! I experienced crystal-clear clarity, absolute purity, complete openness, complete encompassment – thoroughly embracing all, being completely free and completely fulfilled. The feeling of enlightenment is like the sun rising in the sky; the experience of Sunyata felt like emptiness; and the experience of bliss felt like an ocean. I experienced different consciousness, like that of the waves on the ocean and the clouds in the sky. When these consciousness arose, I conveyed to Guru. Guru Shri Singha answered, "There is not a need to experience the natural order of things so what is it that you are experiencing? What is it that consciousness? What is there to be proud of? I do not experience anything, has your achievement gone beyond this? "Your achieved experiences differ from that of Buddhas of the past, present and future times. Fixating on having an experience, should be recognised as being seduced by Mara. ''All your experiences are made-up as they are intentionally formed as a result. They will still come and go.