..续本文上一页d great knowledge and realization of the sutras, and Rangjung Dorje demonstrated great knowledge and realization of the tantras.

　　Rangjung Dorje was a master of the Kalachakra teachings. He had the experience, realization, and clear knowledge of the movements within the body, of the nadis (“the channels”), the vayus (“the subtle winds”), and the bindus (“the subtle essences”). He understood them quite clearly as they are taught in the tantras and composed the text, The Deep Inner Meaning - Zabmo-Nangdon. Here he described all the highest tantras, the Anutaratantras, which are comprised of the father, the mother, and the non-dual tantras. Since Rangjung Dorje had mastered the Kalachakratantra, he understood astrology and therefore the movements of the sun, moon, and stars on the basis of his knowledge of the nadis, vayus, and bindus within the body. He therefore composed astrological texts based upon the Kalachakratantra, which clearly explained the movements of celestial constellations. These texts are exceptional because they illuminate the movements of the planets, solar system, lunar eclipses, etc.

　　Rangjung Dorje wrote two treatises, which are branches of the Zabmo-Nangdon. These two shastras are Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom and The Teaching on the Tathagatagarbha, the text presented here. In the first shastra, the Glorious Third Karmapa showed the difference between the various types of consciousness and wisdoms; in the latter he showed how the Buddha nature is present within all living beings.

　　1. An Explanation of the Title

　　All living beings born in the world see it as their birthright and duty to experience happiness. But they experience the suffering of ageing, sickness, and death. Alternating between surprise and disappointment, the only liberation from anxieties arising from dual experiences that burn continuously is recognizing and removing own imperfections and evolving instead of remaining self-involved. His Holiness the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, therefore wrote

　　The Treatise entitled: “A Teaching on the Essence

　　of the Tathagatas (The Tathagatagarbha)”

　　Let us look at the Sanskrit word tathagatagarbha, which is de-dzhin-gshegs-pa”i snying-po in Tibetan, to understand well what letting go in order to release the true nature means, which is the goal. The Sanskrit means “the womb,” garbha from the root word garbh, “to conceive” (which in pure Sanskrit can also mean “the interior, embryo, foetus”) of the Tathagatas, i.e., “the place from which they are born.” Tathagata is comprised first of the syllable tatha, which means “in that manner, in that way, so, thus.” The second half of the word has been interpreted to be both gata, “gone,” and agata, “come,” as the same result comes from the combination of tatha with either word. However, gata as the conclusion of the compound word normally has the meaning of “to be” something or somewhere, so that the term would mean “one is thus” or “like that.” Therefore, although the Sanskrit can mean, “to be in such (a state or condition),” it has been glossed and translated literally as “one who has come and/or gone like (the previous Buddhas),” i.e., a Buddha. The Chinese translation of the term tatha followed the interpretation “one come in that way,” while the Tibetan de-bzhin-gshegs-pa followed “one gone in that way.” The word garbha was translated into Tibetan as snyging-po, which means “essence,” so that the Tibetan term literally means “the essence of the Tathagatas” instead of “the womb or embryo of the Tathagatas.” The Standard English translation of either the Sanskrit or Tibetan is “Buddha nature.”

　　The Third Karmapa wrote the treatise that explains the Buddha nature so that disciples and pupils let go of the sense of being se…

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