..續本文上一頁parated from the external world and give rise to and manifest kindness and goodness instead. Rangjung Dorje taught about the essence of the Tathagatas, one could also say Sugatas and called the treatise The Sugatagarbhashastra.

　　Sugata means “gone to bliss.” In order to win the peace of bliss, it is necessary to follow in the footsteps of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In this regard, a spiritual teacher who has attained wisdom and bliss can - through setting examples, presenting instructions, and offering guidance - show the way. Can ordinary beings reach the same goal the Buddhas have attained

　　 Just as the Buddhas and Sugatas tread the path and have gone to bliss, every living being can because the Buddha nature is innately ours.

　　The term Sugata refers to bliss, which, in turn, points to suffering and pain. The term Tathagata, in contrast, means “one gone like that” or “one gone thus.” This means that when a Bodhisattva has realized Buddhahood, he or she has not only gone to bliss but has naturally manifested his or her true nature - bountiful virtues and values of lasting worth.

　　All living beings possess the Buddha nature, the pure essence. Everyone can attain a state of bliss that opens and yields ineffable qualities. How

　　 By meditating. There are the Dzogchen and Mahamudra meditation instructions in the Buddhist Tradition. One needs to receive these instructions from an authentic spiritual master and guide, someone who can reliably show the way. If one receives meditation instructions, understands them perfectly, and knows how to practice, then no difficulties will arise. If one does not understand the instructions clearly, then practice will be very difficult. This is the reason why the instructions on the Buddha nature were given.

　　In the commentary to this text, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye the Great stressed the importance of knowing why one engages in meditation practice. The reasons are presented in the teachings on the view, which is won by studying the texts. He stressed the significance of practicing meditation with the correct view, otherwise one would resemble someone who tries to climb a steep mountain cliff without any hands. Similarly, he compared someone who has won certainty of the view but does not meditate with a rich person who hoards his wealth out of miserliness. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye wrote that if one practices both disciplines, namely gains certainty of the view by studying the instructions and meditates properly, then a disciple resembles a bird flying through the sky with two wings fully in tact. He tells us that the right wing of the bird is meditation, the left wing is knowledge, and when both wings are healthy the bird can fly freely. This is the reason why the Third Karmapa wrote the treatise on the Buddha nature, so that living beings are inspired to attain unity with their own brilliant treasure, ever present and true.

　　2. Why Shastras Were Written & Nine Categories of Shastras

　　In general, the discourses presented by Lord Buddha are collected in the Kangyur, “The Translation of the Buddha”s Word,” or sutras (Sanskrit for the Pali word sutta, “scripture”). The three traditions of Buddhist scriptures are the Theravada, the Chinese, and the Tibetan. In particular, the Chinese masters emphasized the sutras and criticized the shastras (bstan-bcos in Tibetan), the “written commentaries” by Buddhist masters that are collected in the Tangyur, “The Translations of Teachings”; they said that they are not valid. The Vajrayana masters of Tibet always recognized and honoured the importance of the shastras because the scholars who composed them did not write something different than Lord Buddha”s words. The Tibetan version of the Tangyur consists of more than 100 volumes.

　　The vast co…

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