shri singha's pith instruction to Padmasambhava

When I, Guru Padmasambhava of Oḍḍiyāna,
Was eight years of age, my faith awakened.
I went before Guru Shri Singha,
Offered gifts and requested teachings.

The guru said, "Train you mind in the tripitaka."
Therefore, in the eastern direction of Vajrasana I studied the sutras. In the southern direction I studied the vinaya. In the western direction I studied the abhidharma. In the northern direction I studied the paramitas. Then I went before Shri Singha, offered gifts and studied the entire tripitaka.

I asked him to please accept me. The guru replied, "Son, you must first train your mind in the teachings of secret mantra [Vajrayāna]."

Thus, in the country of Oḍḍiyāna I studied the three yogas. In the country of Sahor I studied mahayoga tantra and the mind section of dzogchen. In the country of Nairanjara I studied Kilaya. In the country of Singha I studied Padma Maheshvara. In the country of Vasudhara I studied kriya. In the country of Nepal I studied Yamantaka. In the country of Merutse I studied Mamo. In Vajrasana I studied the eight heruka sadhanas. In the country of Lantsha I studied Guhyasamaja, consisting of the four sections of father tantra and mother tantra.

Having realized all phenomena to be merely dream-like, illusory, unreal and false, I went before the guru who was expounding the Dharma to a gathering of 5,500 people which included a number of kings.

When I arrived, Guru Shri Singha said, "What do you want, novice?"
I replied, "I have studied the teachings of secret mantra extensively. Now I would like to receive teachings from you."

Guru Shri Singha said, "You are a learned man who has first, studied the pitaka and second, studied the secret mantra. Now let this gathering disperse."

He then said, "You understand that all phenomena are false, but this does not help anything. This understanding, that everything is dream-like, illusory, unreal and false should be assimilated in your being. Without taking it to heart it becomes mere platitude. This does not result in enlightenment."

I said, "If that is so, then please give me a teaching on taking it to heart."

[Shri Singha demands a mandala offering and then gives a practice to do]

I practiced in this way and some experiences arose, such as no sensation of the body, no sensation of the inhalation and exhalation of breath, the feeling of being able to move unimpeded through appearances and the feeling "I cannot die." When these experiences occurred, I felt proud and related them to the guru.

The guru said, "It is extremely foolish to take pride in being touched by a master's blessings and regard that as enough. Now go to a solitary place and do not create any mental fabrications whatsoever."

I went to a solitary place and for one year tried not to create any mental fabrications whatsoever. Some experiences arose, such as feeling that "Emptiness is appearance! Appearance is emptiness! Appearance and emptiness are indivisible! There is no duality regarding buddhas and sentient beings! There will be no evil deed committed even if I were to engage in nonvirtue! There will be no benefit even if I were to engage in the ten virtues!"

Regarding these as satisfactory, I related them to the guru.
He said, "It is foolish to be satisfied with meditation experience. If you think that appearance and emptiness are indivisible, you should be detached from appearances. Are you? If you think that buddhas and sentient beings are indivisible, you should honor and serve sentient beings to the same degree as you would the buddhas. Do you do that? If you think, 'I will have no karmic ripening even if I engage in the ten nonvirtues,' you should be able to accept the ten nonvirtuous actions of others directed towards yourself - even if you yourself are killed. Can you do that? If you think, 'Even if I were to engage in the ten virtues there would be no benefit,' you should not have any sense of joy when you are benefitted by others who are practicing the ten virtues - even if your own life is saved. Do you? Now, go again to a solitary place and let your body remain like a corpse, let your voice remain like that of a mute and let your mind remain like the sky."

I then went to a solitary place and practiced in that way, whereby eight experiences arose:

An experience of clarity, utterly lucid without any inside or outside, manifesting as wakefulness and emptiness without difference, whether my eyes were open or closed.

An experience of emptiness, totally open and empty with no clinging to inside or outside and with the mind not dwelling on anything whatsoever.

An experience of bliss, which was like melting butter and became totally free and exhilarating, with no thought of having a body or mind.

A state without clinging to various sense perceptions, yet still tainted with a lack of presence of mind.

A state of wakefulness being like the sun shining in the sky.

An experience of the body being like a mist, lacking both object and substance of physical action.

A feeling of recognizing neither self nor others.

A feeling that all sentient beings must be aware of the meaning of mind-essence to the same extent as myself.

Delighted with these experiences, I related them to the guru.
He said, "There are three occasions in dzogchen: the 'occasion of spontaneous presence,' the 'occasion of inconceivability' and the 'occasion of great bliss.' Of these three, your experiences are the the 'occasion of spontaneous presence.' After having remained in freshness, the inconceivability and the great bliss will manifest. Samsara is beguiling and the mind is gullible! Do not be attached to meditation experience but expand your mind."

"How is one supposed to expand one's mind?" I asked.

The Guru Shri Singha replied, "There is no difference between buddhas and sentient beings other than their scope of mind. What is called 'mind,' 'consciousness' or 'awareness' is of one identity [are the same]. The mind of a sentient being is limited. The mind of a buddha is all-pervasive. So develop a scope of mind which is like the sky. The sky has no limit to the east, no limit to the south, no limit to the west and no limit to the north."

I then went to a solitary place and developed a scope of mind which was like space, whereby these convictions arose: a mind without any projection or dissolution of thoughts, remaining exactly as it is placed - an utterly one-pointed wakefulness and emptiness. This is precisely what is called one-pointedness.

A complete absence of clinging to substantial things - a total openness with mind not dwelling on anything whatsoever. This is precisely what is called simplicity.

A feeling of, "What else can there be? However I look it is the same! There is nothing to abandon or accomplish! This is precisely what is called one taste."

A feeling of, "What else is there to search for? This is it whether one meditates or not! There is nothing whatsoever to practice! There is no thing to be cultivated through meditation! This is precisely what is called nonmeditation."

I had the powerful experience of feeling that, "There cannot be anything beyond this! The two form kāyas originate from dharmakāya, so these manifold manifestations of sights and sounds are like a flame and it's light! There is no preceding impulse for the inhalation and exhalation of breath! Without creating anything, manifold expressions still manifest! This is unchanging like the essence of space! Not even the slightest dualistic mind is occurring! This is exactly it!"

I had these experiences of feeling vivid clarity, total purity, complete openness, all-pervasiveness - utterly encompassing, totally free and completely diffused. The experience of clarity felt like the sun rising in the sky. The experience of emptiness felt like space. The experience of bliss felt like an ocean. I had a variety of experiences which felt like the waves on the ocean or like clouds in the sky. When these occurred, I related them to the guru.

Guru Shri Singha said, "The natural condition of things is devoid of something to be experienced. So what are you experiencing? What is it that experiences? What are you so elated about? I myself do not experience anything. Have you achieved something superior to that?

Your experiences are an achievement which differs from that of the buddhas and of the three times. Fixating on having an experience should be recognized as being seduced by Mara.

All your experiences are contrived and result from fabrication. They will still come and go. They will not enable you to face difficulties. They are but a blanket of good concepts. You have not untied the knot of conceptual thinking. It is like having a latent sickness within. You might be blissful at present but it will not help. Since you have not penetrated to the core, the zombie of confusion still walks around.

If you regard meditation experience as paramount you cannot resolve the view while submerged in concepts. If you allow yourself to become fascinated by a fraction of samadhi, thinking that there is nothing higher and regard it as the perfection of samadhi, you will not cut through the activity of conceptual thinking. You will not exhaust the layers of meditation experience and the dirt of ignorance will not be purified.

For each meditation experience there is a temporary fascination. Perceiving them to be the only truth, you will become obscured. By obscuring the reality which is utterly free from attachment and transition, the instance of attachment and transition have turned these blissful results of yours into nothing but straying.

If you cling to clarity and regard it as the highest, you achieve the highest state in a realm of form. If you cling to the emptiness experience of nonthought and regard it as the highest, you achieve the highest state in the formless realm. If you cling to bliss and regard it as the highest, you will attain nothing but the highest state in the realm of desire. This will not result in attaining unexcelled enlightenment, the supreme siddhi of mahamudra."

"If this is so, how should I train?" I asked.

"Bring forth your original mind and then come back to see me!" he replied.

"Well, into what should I put effort?" I asked.

"All your effort should be put exactly into effortlessness!" he answered.

"How should I practice samadhi without effort?" I asked.

"Noble son, do not hold temporary experiences to be the highest. Do not cling to them. Do not watch objects and do not watch the mind. Do not do a lot of things and do not give rise to desires. Do not harbor needs and do not entertain despair. Leave your mind exactly as it is. Let your mind rest like the center of space," he said.

I then went to a solitary place and practiced exactly in this way. My previous experiences became nothing but layers of concepts and were completely extinguished. I realized natural mind, totally unobscured by any defects or virtues - utterly free from a basis of anything to be meditated upon or anything to cause confusion. I realized that if this natural mind were cultivated, nothing whatsoever would be produced, and if not cultivated, there would be no confusion. I realized it to be natural mind devoid of any defect, naked and vivid wakefulness. Realizing this utter openness, totally fresh, the same taste of all the phenomena of samsara and nirvana, I related this to the guru.

The guru said, "The original nature, the uncompounded dharmakāya, is exactly this pure and naked natural mind devoid of something to be cultivated or something which causes confusion. Now, do not obscure yourself with further craving! Bring the 'old craver' to the state of desirelessness!

By sustaining a state known as 'Never meditating and never apart, never separate from the nature of nonmeditation,' you will attain the supreme and common siddhis. Now, is there anything upsetting you?"

"There is nothing making me upset as I have no faults or regrets concerning my samaya," I replied.

"Are you displeased?" he asked?

"I am just a little displeased," I answered.

"If you are displeased, you have hope. If you are pleased, you have fear. If you have hope and fear, you have dualistic fixation. That will hinder the nondual wisdom of great bliss, the undefiled fruition. Without thinking this is either fault or a virtue keep to the practice of nonduality. From now on, just continue without coming back to see me!"

I then practiced in the town of Oḍḍiyāna and did not have the slightest thought of asking for teachings, of offering my experience, of virtue or nonvirtue, of good or evil. I simply went wherever I went and sat however I sat. I became just like a corpse.

Then the guru arrived and said, "Aren't you going to prostrate to me? Aren't you going to present your realization to me?"

"This is not 'not prostrating' and I do not have even a hair tip of understanding to offer you. It is now like the trace of a bird flying in the sky," I replied.

The guru said, "That realization can change, do not abandon it! Without separating from that realization go wherever you wish. Keep your conduct in accordance with the tripitaka. Keep your meditation in accordance with the secret mantra. Keep your view in accordance with dzogchen. Fulfill the aims of sentient beings like a wishfulfilling jewel. Sustain numerous worthy disciples. Although you have no desires always make offerings to the gurus, yidams and dakinis. You will become one who the eight classes of gods and demons attend like a servant." Saying this, he departed.

Thereafter, I took to heart the fact that all things are dream-like and illusory and that the mind itself is beyond birth and death. I had visions of the deities of the eight heruka sadhanas, the eight classes of gods and demons became my servants and I wandered through many Indian regions benefitting beings.

Later, when (King Trisong Deutsen was) building Samye, the eight classes of gods an demons were causing obstacles. I told them, "It is not good to make obstacles, for the king's intention is as excellent as gold!"

The gods and demons retorted, "Why don't you come here yourself, master."

I then went in person to the Land of Snow and on the way I met with the messengers (of King Trisong Deutsen who were sent to invite me).

I, Padma of Oḍḍiyāna
Followed Guru Shri Singha.
This, his final instruction,
Liberated me, Padma.
Though not liberated by the tripitaka or secret mantra,
I was liberated by this secret teaching.
May all the worthy ones also be liberated through this.
May this final and direct introduction
Of Guru Shri Singha
Meet with a worthy person who possesses former training!

This is concealed in the Lotus Crystal Cave.
I entrust it to you, Shampo [one of the native spirits of Tibet who pledged to guard his treasure teachings],
In case an unworthy person comes.
There is no instruction like this in the world.
Samaya
Seal Seal Seal
Seal of entrustment
Seal of secrecy
Ithi

Via Kyle at Dharma connection