CyzSkRoot

Jewel Treasure of the Dharmadhātu
chöying rinpoche’i dzöd
by Omniscient Longchen Rabjam
with the autocommentary
Treasury of Citations
Root Verses & Commentary Translated by
Lama Chönam and Sangye Khandro
Light of Berotsana Translation Group

Title

In Sanskrit: dharmadhātu ratna koṣa nāma
In Tibetan: chos dbyings rin po che’i mdzod ces bya ba

Introduction

Homage to glorious Samantabhadra!

From the beginning, these self-accomplished, most wondrous phenomena,
the self-occurring wisdom of clear light bodhicitta,
are the original treasure of whatever exists as the universe, inhabitants, saṃsāra, and enlightenment.
I prostrate to this unwavering freedom from elaboration.

Profound expanse of the sun and moon, vehicle of the highest peak of the king of mountains.
Profound expanse of spontaneous clear light, the vajra essence.
Profound expanse of naturally sustaining without effort or achievement.
Listen carefully as I explain this superb teaching that infinitely pervades from the beginning.

Chapter 1

How Samsāra and Enlightenment Never Move from the Dhãtu

The basis for all that arises is this profound expanse of spontaneous presence.
The essence is empty, and its nature is unobstructed.
Nothing has ever existed, yet from it everything appears.
Although samsara and enlightenment self occur from the profound expanse of the three kayas,
this blissful realm of the dharmatā never wavers from the dhãtu.

In the changeless, great, profound expanse of the natural, sky like mind
is the miraculous, profound grace of indeterminate manifestation.
Everything is just the adornment of the dhãtu.
All outer and inner movement is the unobstructed power of bodhicitta.
Even though there is nothing, this appears as everything.
Hence, this is the wondrous miracle of sublime appearance.

All outer and inner appearances of the forms of sentient beings
are ornaments of the dhãtu arising as the mandala of the wisdom kayas.
However many sounds are heard without exception
are ornaments of the dhãtu arising as the mandala of wisdom speech.
Even all ordinary thoughts, changeable conception, and non conception
are ornaments of the dhãtu arising as the mandala of wisdom mind.

Of the six classes of beings and the four ways of taking rebirth,
not even as much as a particle ever moves from dharmadhãtu.
Even the existence of the six objects of dualistic phenomena
is like nonexistent, magical appearances in dharmadhãtu.
In this transparent, primordial, great, open expanse free of support,
appearances arise as the self radiant ornament of the dharmadhãtu just as it is.

Any appearance or sound in this great continuity of the dhãtu
is the unwavering spontaneous evenness of dharmakãya bodhicitta.
Having never transformed or changed from the primordial state of natural emptiness,
all that appears is this self occurring, wisdom dharmatã
as the effortless, single whirl of the profound expanse of ecstasy.

Self radiant, unwavering sambhogakãya
is whatever appears simultaneously as natural spontaneous presence.
Without being influenced, uncontrived, equal splendor pervades.

From the many unmingled manifestations that arise,
the miraculous wonder of self-occurring nirmãnakãya
never moves from Samantabhadra as freedom from activity.

Within flawless bodhicitta, there is no precipice,
and even the effortless three kãyas are spontaneously perfect
while never moving from the dhãtu, spontaneously present and uncompounded.
Even kãyas, wisdoms, and activities are naturally perfect.
This grand accumulation, complete from the beginning,
primordially arises in the great, profound expanse.

In this unchangeable pure realm, spontaneously perfect from the beginning,
even seeing the true nature from within the dharmadhãtu
is the unobstructed, all-knowing state that arises as the ornament of the dhãtu.
Without attempting to establish anything that abides from the beginning,
this superb dharma resembles the sun in the sky.

From the beginning, within the spontaneously present dhātu,
samsāra is Samantabhadra, and enlightenment is Samantabhadrī.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, from the beginning, there is no samsara or enlightenment.
Appearance is Samantabhadra, and emptiness is Samantabhadrī.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, from the beginning, there are no appearances or emptiness.
Birth and death are Samantabhadra, and happiness and sorrow are Samantabhadra.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, there is no birth, death, happiness, or sorrow.
Self and other are Samantabhadra, and eternalism and nihilism are Samantabhadra.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, there is no self, other, eternalism, or nihilism.

By fixating upon the non existent as existing,
delusion is named, while remaining just like a baseless dream.
Attachment to the true reality of samsara and enlightenment is ridiculous!

Everything is Samantabhadra as this great, spontaneous presence
that has never been deluded, is presently not deluded, and never will be.
So, samsara is just a name that is beyond existence and non existence.
There is nowhere that anyone has ever been deluded,
no one is presently deluded, nor will they be in the future.
This is the wisdom of the three realms of original purity.

Since there is no delusion, undeluded phenomena do not exist. From the beginning, this spontaneously self occurring, great pristine awareness
was not liberated, is not being liberated, and will not be liberated.
Enlightenment is just named, just as no one was ever liberated.
There will be no liberation because from the beginning, there is nothing to be released.
Like perfectly pure space, this is free from falling to the direction of restrictions.
Such is the wisdom of the fully liberated, transcendent state of original purity.

In brief, from the spontaneously accomplished openness of the inner dhātu,
even whatever arises as the dynamic, unobstructed manifestation of samsara and enlightenment,
at the moment of arising as samsara and enlightenment, has never existed.
Even whatever dreams occur from the unobstructed power of sleep
actually do not exist and are just self-awareness’ bed of ecstasy.

Let the great expanse of spontaneous evenness pervade.

From the Jewel Treasure of the Dharmadhātu, this completes the first chapter that reveals how samsāra and enlightenment never move from the dhātu.

The basis for all that arises is this profound expanse of spontaneous presence.
The essence is empty, and its nature is unobstructed.
Nothing has ever existed, yet from it everything appears.
Although saṃsāra and enlightenment self-occur from the profound expanse of the three kāyas,
this blissful realm of the dharmatā never wavers from the dhātu.

In the changeless, great, profound expanse of the natural, skylike mind
is the miraculous, profound grace of indeterminate manifestation.
Everything is just the adornment of the dhātu.
All outer and inner movement is the unobstructed power of bodhicitta.
Even though there is nothing, this appears as everything.
Hence, this is the wondrous miracle of sublime appearance.

All outer and inner appearances of the forms of sentient beings
are ornaments of the dhātu arising as the maṇḍala of the wisdom kāyas.
However many sounds are heard without exception
are ornaments of the dhātu arising as the maṇḍala of wisdom speech.
Even all ordinary thoughts, changeable conception, and nonconception
are ornaments of the dhātu arising as the maṇḍala of wisdom mind.

Of the six classes of beings and the four ways of taking rebirth,
not even as much as a particle ever moves from dharmadhātu.
Even the existence of the six objects of dualistic phenomena
is like nonexistent, magical appearances in dharmadhātu.
In this transparent, primordial, great, open expanse free of support,
appearances arise as the self-radiant ornament of the dharmadhātu just as it is.
Any appearance or sound in this great continuity of the dhātu
is the unwavering spontaneous evenness of dharmakāya bodhicitta.

Having never transformed or changed from the primordial state of natural emptiness,
all that appears is this self-occurring, wisdom dharmatā
as the effortless, single whirl of the profound expanse of ecstasy.
Self-radiant, unwavering sambhogakāya
is whatever appears simultaneously as natural spontaneous presence.
Without being influenced, uncontrived, equal splendor pervades.

From the many unmingled manifestations that arise,
the miraculous wonder of self-occurring nirmāṇakāya
never moves from Samantabhadra as freedom from activity.
Within flawless bodhicitta, there is no precipice,
and even the effortless three kāyas are spontaneously perfect
while never moving from the dhātu, spontaneously present and uncompounded.
Even kāyas, wisdoms, and activities are naturally perfect.
This grand accumulation, complete from the beginning,
primordially arises in the great, profound expanse.

In this unchangeable pure realm, spontaneously perfect from the beginning, even seeing the true nature from within the dharmadhātu
is the unobstructed, all-knowing state that arises as the ornament of the dhātu.
Without attempting to establish anything that abides from the beginning,
this superb dharma resembles the sun in the sky.

Of the six classes of beings and the four ways of taking rebirth,
not even as much as a particle ever moves from dharmadhātu.
Even the existence of the six objects of dualistic phenomena
is like nonexistent, magical appearances in dharmadhātu.
In this transparent, primordial, great, open expanse free of support,
appearances arise as the self-radiant ornament of the dharmadhātu just as it is.
Any appearance or sound in this great continuity of the dhātu
is the unwavering spontaneous evenness of dharmakāya bodhicitta.

Having never transformed or changed from the primordial state of natural emptiness,
all that appears is this self-occurring, wisdom dharmatā
as the effortless, single whirl of the profound expanse of ecstasy.
Self-radiant, unwavering sambhogakāya
is whatever appears simultaneously as natural spontaneous presence.
Without being influenced, uncontrived, equal splendor pervades.

From the many unmingled manifestations that arise,
the miraculous wonder of self-occurring nirmāṇakāya
never moves from Samantabhadra as freedom from activity.
Within flawless bodhicitta, there is no precipice,
and even the effortless three kāyas are spontaneously perfect
while never moving from the dhātu, spontaneously present and uncompounded.
Even kāyas, wisdoms, and activities are naturally perfect.
This grand accumulation, complete from the beginning,
primordially arises in the great, profound expanse.

In this unchangeable pure realm, spontaneously perfect from the beginning, even seeing the true nature from within the dharmadhātu
is the unobstructed, all-knowing state that arises as the ornament of the dhātu.
Without attempting to establish anything that abides from the beginning,
this superb dharma resembles the sun in the sky.

From the beginning, within the spontaneously present dhātu,
saṃsāra is Samantabhadra, and enlightenment is Samantabhadrī.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, from the beginning,
there is no saṃsāra or enlightenment.
Appearance is Samantabhadra, and emptiness is Samantabhadrī.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, from the beginning,
there are no appearances or emptiness.
Birth and death are Samantabhadra, and happiness and sorrow are Samantabhadra.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, there is no birth, death, happiness, or sorrow.
Self and other are Samantabhadra, and eternalism and nihilism are Samantabhadra.
In the profound expanse of Samantabhadra, there is no self, other, eternalism, or nihilism.

By fixating upon the nonexistent as existing,
delusion is named, while remaining just like a baseless dream.
Attachment to the true reality of saṃsāra and enlightenment is ridiculous!
Everything is Samantabhadra as this great, spontaneous presence
that has never been deluded, is presently not deluded, and never will be.
So, saṃsāra is just a name that is beyond existence and nonexistence.
There is nowhere that anyone has ever been deluded,
no one is presently deluded, nor will they be in the future.
This is the wisdom of the three realms of original purity.
Since there is no delusion, undeluded phenomena do not exist.

From the beginning, this spontaneously self-occurring, great pristine awareness
was not liberated, is not being liberated, and will not be liberated.
Enlightenment is just named, just as no one was ever liberated.
There will be no liberation because from the beginning, there is nothing to be released.
Like perfectly pure space, this is free from falling to the direction of restrictions.

Such is the wisdom of the fully liberated, transcendent state of original purity.

In brief, from the spontaneously accomplished openness of the inner dhātu,
even whatever arises as the dynamic, unobstructed manifestation of saṃsāra and enlightenment,
at the moment of arising as saṃsāra and enlightenment, has never existed.
Even whatever dreams occur from the unobstructed power of sleep
actually do not exist and are just self-awareness' bed of ecstasy.

Let the great expanse of spontaneous evenness pervade.

From the Jewel Treasure of the Dharmadhātu, this completes the first chapter that reveals how saṃsāra and enlightenment never move from the dhātu.

Chapter 2

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... The nature of dhātu is spontaneously present from the beginning,
always pervading with no outside or in.
Beyond edges, above or below, directions or borders,
with neither freedom nor constriction, awareness is like the pure, stainless sky.
This profound expanse is free from imagination, thought, emanating, and gathering.

From the unborn dhātu, all miraculously born appearances
are uncertain and without any dimensions whatsoever.
There is nothing to be indicated and no material sign
pervading all directions in the skylike nature
as unborn spontaneity free from before, after, beginning, or end.

The essence of saṃsāra and enlightenment is bodhicitta.
Having not occurred, this unborn and uncertain spontaneity
did not come from anywhere, has not gone anywhere.
Profound bodhicitta is impartial to past and future,
without going or coming, yet still pervading anywhere.

There is no beginning, end, or center, just this dharmatā as it is.
In the pure nature of this pervading expanse of spacelike evenness,
beyond the projections of linear time, there is no beginning or end;
there is no birth, cessation, or material sign.
There is no coming or going; and free from indication, there is no "this is it."
There is no effort-based achievement in the absence of activity.

There is no direction or center in the ground of this nature as it is.
This unceasing, aimless continuity is the profound expanse of evenness.

All is just dharmatā's nature of evenness,
with not even one thing that does not remain in this profound expanse of evenness.
In bodhicitta, one is equal, and all are equal,
pervasively equal in this unborn, spacelike evenness.
So, this even nature is an unending continuity.

Spontaneously present, without direction, all-pervasive castle;
without above, below, or between, from the beginning, a profound, expansive castle;
without direction, all-containing, unborn dharmakāya castle;
changeless, spontaneous, jewel-like, secret castle;
all that exists as saṃsāra and enlightenment are from the beginning simultaneously perfect as this castle.

Upon this directionless and all-pervasive terrain,
bodhicitta's castle is impartial in saṃsāra and enlightenment.
With the majestic, lofty tower of dharmatā's vast, profound expanse,
this natural uncreated maṇḍala transcends the four directions.
The entry gate is wide open and free from gradual effort.
In the castle adorned with the ornaments of spontaneous wealth
dwells the self-occurring wisdom monarch seated on his throne.
All gathering and emanating of wisdom's unobstructed appearances
serve as the ministers who govern the objective domain.
Self-abiding samādhi is the sacred queen, and
self-arising wisdom mind is the princes, princesses, and servants.
This maṇḍala of profound exaltation is nonconceptual self-radiance.

From within natural, unwavering freedom from thought and expression,
there is mastery over whatever exists as the phenomenal outer universe and inner inhabitants.

This open kingdom of the dhātu is utterly vast.
If settled in this domain, everything is dharmakāya.
Without ever wavering from singular, self-occurring wisdom
beyond effort or achievement and sustained from the beginning,
this great, spherical bindu without edge
is awhirl in the profound, indistinguishable expanse.

Even the six realms and the pure lands of the buddhas
are none other than within the dharmatā nature of space.
As a single taste within self-cognizant bodhicitta,
saṃsāra and enlightenment are subsumed within pristine awareness.
In this jewel treasure of the dharmadhātu, the source of everything,
enlightenment is spontaneously present from the beginning,
without being sought.
So, the dharmakāya is unchanging pervasiveness without object.
The sambhogakāya is the entire appearance of the universe and its inhabitants.
The nirmāṇakāya is self-arising, like the reflection of form.
There are no appearances not perfected as ornaments of these three kāyas.
So, everything arises as the manifestation of enlightened body, speech, and mind.

Even all countless pure lands of the sugatas without exception
occur from this mind's nature, the trikāya's profound expanse.
Even the cities of the six realms that are the nature of saṃsāra
are mere reflections arising from the dharmadhātu.
Even the various appearances of birth, death, happiness, and suffering
resemble the performance of miracles in this profoundly expansive mind.

In nonexistence, in existence, and in phenomena, there is no basis.
So, therefore, they are mere temporary, circumstantial occurrences,
like clouds in the sky.
The essence that has no existence or nonexistence is beyond ending,
subsumed within this great, sole bindu free from fabrication.

The mind's essence, the bodhicitta, like the stainless sky,
has no birth, death, happiness, or suffering.
With no partiality based upon substance, this is free from the phenomena of saṃsāra and enlightenment.
This cannot be indicated by saying "this is it" because the profound, spacious sky is extremely open.
Unchanging, not transforming, and spontaneously uncompounded,
having awakened in the clear light vajra essence,
everything is the self-occurring buddha field of flawless exaltation,
the spontaneous equanimity of the essential state of supreme awakening.

From the Jewel Treasure of the Dharmadhātu, this completes the second chapter that reveals phenomenal existence arising as pure realms.

Chapter 3

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... All is contained in bodhicitta.
There are no phenomena other than bodhicitta.
So, all phenomena are the nature of bodhicitta.
The metaphor for bodhicitta is the sky.
Bodhicitta arises without cause or object,
so without remaining, this is beyond thought and expression.

To say "the dhātu of the sky" is merely the metaphor.
If the metaphor itself cannot indicate what this is,
how is it possible to reflect upon or express the meaning of the metaphor?
Know that this is just an example of the nature of purity.
The meaning is self-awareness bodhicitta, like the sky.

This is not an object of thought; it is beyond indication and expression.
Undisturbed, self-radiant pervasiveness of the profound expanse of clear light
is uncreated spontaneity that is not broad, narrow, high, or low.
This is the spacious expanse of the essence of awakened dharmakāya.
The indication is that anything whatsoever arises from unobstructed power,
but whenever it arises, there is no source and no one that arises.
What is said to arise is only a name. If examined, it is like the sky.

All is contained in great, impartial evenness,
the pervasive expanse of the profound nature that cannot be grasped.
The characteristic of self-occurring wisdom that is free from direction
is definitively revealed through the examples of metaphor, meaning, and indication.

In possession of the three great nails, all is included and
is as pervasive as the sky, so naturally there is no differentiation.
Within the inner dhātu of great, pervasive evenness,
all is primordially equal with no past, future, or in between.
This is the transcendent state of Samantabhadra and Vajrasattva.

Bodhicitta is like the heart of the sun,
naturally illuminating and uncompounded from the beginning.
There are no phenomena of obscuration, just spontaneously present transparency.
In this nonconceptual state of dharmatā, there are no fabricated phenomena.
In its emptiness, it is dharmakāya; in its clarity, it is sambhogakāya; and
in its radiance, it is nirmāṇakāya since all three kāyas are without separation.
From the beginning, all sublime qualities are spontaneously perfect,
having never been obscured by the darkness of faults.

In the past and the future, the three times are unchangingly the same.
All buddhas and sentient beings are pervasively the same.
Therefore, it is said this is self-occurring bodhicitta.
In its unobstructed power, anything whatsoever can arise,
such as the outer universe and inner inhabitants, whether conceived of or not,
including whatever exists as the various phenomena of beings.
Even all that arises does not actually exist,
resembling a mirage, dreams, echoes,
magic, reflections, a city of gandharvas,
and optical illusions that are deceptive lucid appearances
as mere momentary phenomena with no basis or support.
Realize that they are only passing apparitions.

From the nature of spontaneous bodhicitta,
the miraculous, unobstructed manifestations of saṃsāra and enlightenment arise.
Since all these miracles are contained within the dhātu,
know that they never move from within the primordial state.
Here, all is within bodhicitta.
One is complete, all are complete, and without doing anything, all meanings are complete.
Natural, spontaneous perfection is self-occurring wisdom.
Bodhicitta is only due to the circumstance of appearance and nonappearance,
apart from which nothing exists as phenomena within saṃsāra and enlightenment.
Yet, from the natural movement of that unobstructed power,
the various phenomena of saṃsāra and enlightenment arise as manifestations.

From the moment of their arising, forms are naturally empty,
appearing to be born from the unborn.
From the moment they appear, nothing arises.
Although not ceasing even though appearing to cease,
this not ceasing is empty, magic form.
From the moment of remaining, there is nothing that appears to remain.
There is no basis for an abider, so within this state of no coming and going,
whatever appears to arise does not exist in that way.
So, saying "nonexistent" is nothing but a name.

Whatever is apparent is self-arisen from the unobstructed power.
Saying "interdependent circumstances" is just an attempt to express the nature.
Whenever appearances arise from the unobstructed power,
there is no direction or partiality of arising or not arising.
Even the gesture of unobstructed power itself has no substance.

Therefore, everything is always within this changeless nature.
Not even a single particle ever moves from being this bodhicitta.

From the Jewel Treasure of the Dharmadhātu, this completes the third chapter that reveals the symbolic indications for bodhicitta.

Chapter 4

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... The all-inclusive nature of bodhicitta
is not an appearance; it is beyond the phenomena of appearance.
It is not empty; it is beyond the phenomena of emptiness.
It does not exist; it is without sign or material substance.
Yet, it is not nothing while still pervading all saṃsāra and enlightenment.
This original dhātu of even splendor is neither existent nor nonexistent;
without direction or bias, there is no basis or substance.
Continuously unceasing, the profound expanse of awakened awareness
is not transforming; it is just the beginningless, all-embracing expanse of space.

There is no comparison to this meaning of self-occurring wisdom
that is unborn and unceasing, contained within the sole bindu.
All-pervasive and unlimited by judgment, there is absolutely no edge or direction.
Unshakable, even splendor is the heritage of the vajra essence.
This pervasiveness of the supreme dhātu does not gather or disperse
and is not within the domain of being characterized by words.
It is the province of discerning self-awareness that wells forth from the depths of prajñā.

A yogi who is free from the fabrication of thought and expression
determines that there is neither anything to be indicated nor not indicated.
Since meditation and the activity of meditation cannot be found,
it is not necessary to eliminate the enemies of lethargy or wild, conceptual elation.
From the beginning, fully abiding in the omnipresent dharmatā,
because there is no conception of self and other,
the three realms are effortlessly equal as pure realms.
The buddhas of the three times are just one's pure phenomena,
simultaneously within oneness without abandoning or accepting.
There is not even an iota to be gained from somewhere else.

All phenomena are clear in this great, profound expanse of mind's nature,
which never wavers even slightly from absolute equality.
There is neither out nor in, no arising or settling, and no distortion;
in the nature of bodhicitta, the darkness of limitation is dispelled.
With nothing whatsoever to abandon, errors are automatically cut off.
Even the manner of the various worldly phenomena of saṃsāric beings,
as well as the pure phenomena of buddhas' kāyas and wisdoms,
appear from the unobstructed power of either realizing or not
as unceasing manifestations that pervade the expanse of space.
Even realizing or not is nonexistent within dharmadhātu.
Realizing is the pure phenomena of the sugatas.
Not realizing is the karmic habit of dualistic ignorance.
Even whatever myriad appearances manifest have never moved from stainless space.

Bodhicitta is the basis of everything.
Therefore, whatever numerous, unobstructed characteristics arise
appear in the pure dhātu of the self-radiant dharmatā.
Nothing is discernable in this extremely open mode of awareness.
Transparent, self-occurring wisdom is an open, profound expanse,
luminous without outer or inner obscuration.
So, this great brightness of the mirror of self-knowing bodhicitta
is the precious wish-fulfilling jewel of the dharmadhātu.

Since everything naturally occurs without being sought,
this self-occurring wisdom is the glorious source of whatever is wished for.
The innumerable, great qualities of whatever exists
come from dharmadhātu and occur as dharmadhātu, arising unobstructed as the supreme method.
Since all of these are perfected in this unborn, stainless space,
all material existence is conquered in the profound expanse of emptiness bodhicitta.
All immaterial space is conquered in the profound expanse of self-awareness bodhicitta.

In bodhicitta, there are no appearances or emptiness from the beginning.
So, without becoming attached in nonduality, miraculous manifestations will occur beyond thought.
The timelessness of the three times is the space of unborn dharmadhātu,
which will never change and is never divisible as this is an uncompounded, profound expanse.
The buddhas of the three times are in stainless wisdom awareness.
Dualistic mind is conquered in this profound expanse of self-awareness bodhicitta.
There is no outer or inner, just the spontaneous spaciousness of the dharmatā.

From the Jewel Treasure of the Dharmadhātu, this completes the fourth chapter that reveals the nature of bodhicitta.

Chapter 5

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...