Buddhism Arrives in Tibet

Feature Section bodhi volume 8 • No. 4 11

Two Songs
by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche began a one-year retreat in late March 2006. Earlier that month, Rinpoche visited the sacred place of Chakrasamvara called “Arbuta” in Rajasthan, India. There he simultaneously composed these two songs of realization, alternately singing one verse from one song and then one from the other, until both were completed. The songs were transcribed by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Ari Goldfield.

The day before Rinpoche left for his retreat, he instructed that anyone who asked for his teachings during his absence should be given these two compositions.

The Three Perfect Purities in Connection with the Five Poisons Self-Liberated

NAMO GURU NAGARJUNA YE

The true nature of all phenomena is beyond the extremes of concepts,
And conventionally, dependently arisen appearances are undeniable,
Skillful guide, this is the way you teach the path of the two truths in union,
With great respect I bow to you, supremely noble Nagarjuna.

When you excellently know the middle turning’s teachings on perfect and complete purity,
Fabrications of clinging to attributes dissolve in their own place,
All reference points and assertions are self-arisen and self-free.

If perceived and perceiver existed from the start, that’d be the extreme of permanence,
If duality didn’t exist from the start, that’d be the extreme of extinction—
Since these views of permanence and extinction are difficult to clear away,
You should enter the path of the middle way, free from these extremes.

The original fabrications of perceived and perceiver
And the original nonexistence of dualistic fabrications
Are just the same as the extremes of permanence and extinction,
So perceived and perceiver are simply pure and free from the start.

When perceived and perceiver are themselves imperceptible from the start,
Then logical analysis is also imperceptible,
So logical analysis has no ground and no root—
How can groundlessness and rootlessness be analyzed or not?

When the practice of desire, anger, and stupidity’s perfect purity
Is connected with the practice of the five poisons’ self-liberation,
It is excellently shown that sutra and mantra’s profound point is the same.

Composed by Dechen Rangdrol, March 20, 2006, Arbuta, India.
Translated by Ari Goldfield.
 

Luminous Clarity, Buddha Nature, in Connection with Bliss-Emptiness Mahamudra

NAMO GURU ASANGA YE

To the unequalled teacher, mighty Shakyamuni,
And the lord of the tenth ground, supreme Maitreya,
With my three gates filled with great respect, I prostrate.
I shall explain Buddha Nature, luminous clarity.

The subject of the final turning’s Sutras on the Essence
Is mind’s abiding reality, Buddha Nature itself,
Spontaneously present, not produced by causes,
Self-arisen and self-free, clarity-emptiness, fixation-free.

Mind’s essence is empty of duality’s fleeting stains,
Beyond duality, ordinary mind is not empty.

Beyond permanence and extinction is luminous clarity,
Permanence and extinction don’t exist in this basic nature,
Affirmation and negation’s stains don’t cover it,
So it is explained to be self-arisen and self-free.

This bliss-emptiness, self-awareness, inexpressible,
When described is luminous clarity, great bliss,
And when left undescribed, it is the same bliss-emptiness—
How amazing! Join this with the great secret path.


Composed by Dechen Rangdrol, March 20, 2006, Arbuta, India.
Translated by Ari Goldfield.