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Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
Quote of the Week
November 12, 2010
Space and Awareness, Inseparable
The true nature of the mind is luminosity. This is also emptiness. At first,
it is difficult to recognize this inseparability of clarity and emptiness.
Therefore, when you are introduced to the true nature of the mind, you
are often first given the instructions for recognizing the mind's true nature
as luminosity, or clarity. Later, you are given the instructions for recognizing
it as emptiness. In actuality, the true nature of the mind is the inseparability
of luminosity and emptiness. They are not different. But to facilitate
recognition, different pointing-out instructions-the instructions introducing
you to the nature of your mind-are given separately. Though you may be first
given the instructions concerning luminosity and the instructions concerning
the emptiness of the mind, in essence they are one. The only reason for doing
this is that it is difficult for people to recognize this inseparability of clarity
and emptiness, or luminosity and emptiness, at the beginning.
In the rangtong tradition [the empty-of-itself or empty-of-self tradition], the
pointing-out instructions in regard to emptiness are mainly given. In the
shentongtradition [the empty-of-other tradition], the instructions in regard to
luminosityare mainly given. But ultimately, these two are inseparable. This
can be called the inseparability of space and awareness....The sixteenth
Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rikpe Dorje, said the ultimate view or the ultimate
realization is the inseparability of space and awareness. Conventionally,
the terms space and awareness are used. These are different aspects, but in
essence they are inseparable.
-From Mahamudra Shamatha and Vipashyana, Rocky Mountain
Shambhala Center, 1991, p.154-5. Translated by Elizabeth Callahan |
