The essence of Garab Dorje's message or
kerygma is found in his last testament delived to Manjushrimitra after
the master had passed into Nirvana by way of attaining the Rainbow Body
of Light, the culmination of the practice of Dzogchen. Having dissolved
his physical body into pure radiant energy and fading into the clear
open spaces of the sky, he reappeared as a resurrected Body of Light in
the guise of a sixteen year old youth inside a rainbow sphere of light
suspended in the middle of the cloudless sky. This last testament or
final posthumous communcation ('das-rjes) is known as "The Three
Statements that Strike the Essential Points," (Tshig gsum gnad brdeg),
and represents the quintessence of the Dzogchen teachings.
In the nineteenth century in Eastern Tibet,
the famous master Patrul Rinpoche wrote a brilliant commentary on these
three statements, together with the contemplation practices relating to
them, entiled "The Special Teachings of the Wise and Glorious King,"
(mKas-pa shri rgyal-po' khyad chos). In this volume these important
Dzogchen texts of Garab Dorje and Patrul Rinpoche are translated from
the Tibetan into contemporary English. Notes, commentaries, and glossary
of Dzogchen terms are also included.
TRANSLATION OF THE LAST TESTAMENT
OF GARAB DORJE:
The Last Testament of Garab Dorje: "The Three
Statements that Strike the Essential Points<' from "The Posthumous
Teachings of the Vidyadharas."
NAMO GURUVE!
Homage to that confidence deriving from
understanding one's own state of immediate intrinsic Awareness!
This state of immediate intrisic Awareness
(called Rigpa) is uncreated and self-existing. Its mode of being
represents the essence that is the primordial Base. Everywhere the
manner in which it arises in response to external appearences, which are
themselves diverse, is uninterrupted and unobstructed. Moreover, all the
phenomena that appear and that exist, arise (spontaneously
self-perfected) within the field of the Dharmakaya. Whatever appearences
may manifest therein are directly liberated after their arising due to
the presence of one's own state of immediate Awareness (rig-pa).
As for the real meaning of this: All of the
enlightened states, which consist of non-dual knowledge that is
primordial awareness (ye-shes), present within the hears of all the
Sugatas are, in fact,encompassed within this single unique state of
immediate intrinsic Awareness found within every individual sentient
being.
In order to inspire Manjushrimitra, who had
fallen down senseless upon the gound (when his master had dissolved his
physical body into space at the end of his life), this Upadesha, or
secret oral instruction, consisting oif "The Three Statements that
Strike the Esential poiunts," was revealed by the master Garab Dorje.For
the purpose of eliminating all concepts relating to both Samsara and
Nirvana (in the mind of his disciple), that is to say, his belieivng
that either of them are actual self-existent in theri own terms, this
exceeding excellent and well-demonstrated last testament was revealed at
the time of the masters's death (and resurrection). It should be
concealed and preserved within one's own innermost heart! A!
Indeed, this state of immediate intrinsic
Awareness is beyond all conception (by the intellect), being something
uncreated and unconditioned. ATI!
This Upadesha, which unhesitatingly reveals
the state of immediate intrinsic Awareness, whcih represents the
capacity of the Primordial Base that is the Dharmakaya, is as
follows:
"One is directly introduced to one's
own rel nature," that is to say, one is introduced directly and
ultimately to one's own real face or nature that is intrinsic Awareness,
the state of immediate pure presence (rig-pa). And, furthermore, its
nature is revealed, in actuality, to be completely pure from the very
beginning (ka-dag). It is just this state of immediate Awareness that is
introduced here, in the same way, as for example, that anger (when faced
and recognized) can be liberated by itself.
"One directly decided upon this
single unique state," that is to say, one discovers directly for
oneself, (in the midst of a multitude of diverse experiences), this
single and unique state of intrinsic Awareness, wherein one is aware in
every respect, without there being any sense of duality of of subject
and object remaining.
"One then directly continues with
confidence in liberation," that is to say, one continues, directly in
the stae of contemplation with full confidence in the automatic (and
effortless) process of self-liberation (of whatever thoughts and
appearences arise). And, because of that, one's own Awareness finds
itself inherently liberated on its own (without any intervention by the
discursive intellect or by anything outside of itself).
There exists no single sentient being who,
in terms of the elf-manifesting of this in trinsic Awareness, does not
find him- or herself inherently liberated.One's own individual state of
existence (or condition of interior awareness), on the one hand, and the
states of other things in the outer world which are presented to one's
consciousness as external appearences, on the other hand, come to
encounter each other and become integrated. (This represents a direct
immediate intuition without there being any duality of subject and
object, a primordial awareness or ye-shes) But, where this is not
understood by the individual, then oneself and other things (the "I",
which is one's own interior awareness, and the "others", which are
external appearences)are perceived as arising in a dualisitic (and
Cartesian) fashion of interior subject and external object.
This single Upadesha, or secret oral
instruction (given above), for self-liberation in an immedaite and
straightforward fashion is unique (among all the spiritual paths to
enlightenement), and its contary does not exist anywhere (in terms of
efficacy). It alone is sufficient for liberation. ATI!
[Excerpted from The Golden Letters by John
Myrdhin Reynolds]
