..续本文上一页igniting a fire by rubbing two sticks against each other. Eventually, the fire that was lit by rubbing the sticks burns both sticks, too. In the same way, correct and incorrect thoughts and ideas, that are illusions, are burnt in the fire, too, i.e., when there is freedom from concepts of elimination then there is freedom from what brought on the elimination, namely the remedy.

　　Freedom from conceptualisation of suchness and the idea of a result

　　Suchness refers to the true nature of the mind. Freedom from concepts about suchness means not even having the thought that the nature of the mind could be this way or that. There is freedom from even pondering a result.

　　The changeless essence according to the Tradition

　　At that time the flowers of the physical signs blossom

　　In the one who has the body of space.

　　The three phases of impurity, both purity and impurity

　　And of complete purity are respectively:

　　(The phases) of beings, Bodhisattvas,

　　And the Tathagatas.

　　Though this is what is said, Buddhahood is not newly created.

　　As it was before, it is the same after.

　　It is the changeless Buddha nature.

　　The “change” is becoming free of the stains.

　　We learned that the immaculate and true essence of each and everyone, which is the Buddha nature, is changeless, but due to the strain while toiling to unearth and reveal its qualities it seems as though it had been newly attained, which is not the case. At the time of the result, the flowers, i.e., the physical signs of the qualities of Buddhahood, blossom in the body of space, which is like the sky. This means that when the true nature has been realized, when the Buddha nature has manifested, then there is freedom from all ideas and thoughts about it. The flowers that manifest - in the body of space - are the thirty-two principal and eighty secondary signs of enlightenment.

　　Three phases of existence

　　The Buddha nature abides in three phases of existence: during the impure phase, during the pure phase, in which case some impurities have been eliminated, and in the state of complete purification. The first state is that of ordinary beings. The second is the state of Bodhisattvas, and the third is that of a Buddha, a Tathagata. The scriptures describe these three phases of being in relation to the thirty-two qualities of the unsurpassable dharmakaya and the thirty-two qualities of the wonderful rupakayas. These sixty-four qualities are not newly acquired or ever foreign to the true nature abiding deep within every single being. They exist at Buddhahood - just as they did in the past and present - since the Buddha nature is ever-enduring.

　　Two aspects in time

　　One aspect of the changeless nature is called “natural purity,” the other is called “freedom from incidental stains.” During the ordinary and impure states, the Buddha nature is present and unaffected by any stains, since it is by nature pure. When it is cleansed of what concealed it, then the marvellous Buddha nature is free of anything that obscured it. The only difference between the two aspects in time is when the true nature was obscured and when not.

　　As it was before, it is the same after.

　　It is the changeless Buddha nature.

　　The “change” is becoming free of the stains.

　　11. Refutations and Proof

　　The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, continued with the next section that deals with refuting and proving incorrect and correct views, respectively. There is a deeper meaning to refuting and proving views than just finding faults with others. For instance, some treatises on the Buddha nature may have grammatical or interpretative errors, and those faults need to be corrected. Mistakes may be small, they may be big, but they may not be, which is the reason why refutations and proof is carried out, to avoid reiterating errors …

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