..续本文上一页an term tha-mal-gyi-shes-pa, which means “ordinary mind.” It is possible to directly see the nature of one”s own mind through the practice of Mahamudra or Dzogchen. Without insight, there is the ground with all the latencies of ignorance. All delusory appearances, all correct and incorrect thoughts, all conceptualisations arise within the ground. There is a very subtle movement, referred to as “winds,” arising from conceptualising, from thinking, which Rangjung Dorje described in the lines,

　　The movement of mental events, correct thoughts

　　And incorrect thoughts are the cause of that arising (of samsara and nirvana).

　　Again, first there is the ground of ignorance and from that there is the subtle movement arising from conceptualisations, which in turn gives rise to the movements that stimulate the mind. When a practitioner realizes the ground, then there is the wisdom, the power, and the great compassion of a Buddha. As long as somebody does not recognize the ground, there is delusion and all that follows. The ground of both delusion and liberation is called alaya, the Sanskrit term for “universal ground.” The Tibetan translation for alaya is kun-gzhi, “basis of all.” The Third Karmapa wrote,

　　The conditions for their causes is taught to be the alaya (the universal ground).

　　In classical Sanskrit, alaya means, “home, house or abode,” as in Himalaya, “the abode of snow.” It is from the root-word ali, “to come close to” or “to settle in.” While in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit it can mean “a habitation,” this term also has the meaning of “a fundamental” or “ever-enduring basis.” The Sanskrit word therefore can also have the negative meaning of “attachment.”

　　Another description of the Buddha nature is “location,” the location for both samsara and nirvana.

　　“Location”

　　The “location” is the Buddha nature.

　　Incorrect conceptualisation is completely located within the mind”s purity.

　　Samsaric conceptualisations arise due to a deluded state of mind, and the basis of delusion is the Buddha nature, which is also called “the essence of the Jinas.” The Jinas are “the victorious ones.” The Tibetan is rgyal-ba”i-snying-po, “the essence of the Jinas,” which is synonymous with de-gshegs-snying-po, “Tathagatagarbha.” The Sanskrit equivalent would be jinagarbha. In the chapter, When Did Samsara Begin

　　 When Will It End

　　 the Third Karmapa explained that everything is located within the Tathagatagarbha. As it is, there is the Buddha nature as well as incorrect conceptualisations. Where is the basis for incorrect conceptualisations

　　 In the Buddha nature. There is no other condition for incorrect conceptualisations than the Buddha nature.

　　Changcha Rilpa”i Dorje was a Gelug scholar who gave meditation instructions and spoke about the time he was sitting on his mother”s lap as a child and always looked for her elsewhere, without realizing that she was so very near. His older brother told him, he turned around and saw her. In the same way, we preside in the vast expanse of dharmata, the Sanskrit term for Tibetan chos-nyid, “the essence of reality, the completely pure nature that is ever present.” But we focus our attention on appearances that arise and seek truth elsewhere, without realizing that it is ever so near. If we look inwards, we can see it. Even while deluded or when so many thoughts dash through our mind, we are in the true nature – we cannot ever be anywhere else.

　　“Exists”

　　This purity that exists in that way

　　Exists, but is not seen due to ignorant conceptualisation.

　　The fifth description of the Buddha nature is that it exists in the present moment. One may wonder whether it undergoes any changes or transformations. No, it does not. It is pure and is always immaculate, but due to the delusions arising from the ground of ignora…

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