Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s6.t5: Way of Great Perfection
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s6.t5
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Way of Great Perfection
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It is the core doctrine of the Ningmapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It originated from Tantrism of Indian Buddhism and was formed in “the pre-propagation period” of Tibetan Buddhism and developed in “the post-propagation period”. In terms of overall content, it inherited tantric thoughts of Indian monks including Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra as well as collected Buddhist thoughts and tantric heritance of the eminent Tubo monks including Virocana was promoted by great monks of the Ningmapa sect, and formed “great perfection” with independent system of profound doctrines and practice verification gradually.
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“Thuvu bkwan blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma” explained great perfection: “it means birth, death and nirvana of all things in the current world reach perfection and completion in the light voidness, so it is named perfection. There is no superior way to be free from birth and death so it is named greatness.” It can be seen that “great perfection” is bright and clean intelligence of human beings for open way and abandonment of impurity of passions and is the inborn pure disposition of all beings. That is to say material movement and change processes of all things in the world as well as birth and death are generated or eliminated in the state of bright and clear voidness of spirits (thoughts) of human beings so that their spirits can be proved clean and pure in this way, people can cultivate according to dharma, so that their spirits will not be polluted and they can reach an ideal realm of voidness and cleanness. If people can treat with this clear intelligence or clean spirit and realise it by special ways, they can obtain nirvana and realise “attainment of Buddhahood in this life”.
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As an independent systematic doctrine, the connotations of “great perfection” are mainly composed of “sems sde, klong sde and man ngag sde”. “Sems sde” means that heart can be realised in three aspects: Essence, shape and field. For example, pure heart essence, bright heart nature (shape) and broad heart field (function). This is a complete and true heart. True heart is Buddha heart so it can be seen that everyone has Buddha heart. Therefore, “Thuvu bkwan blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma” pointed that “sems sde” shows state, only self heart and heart nature can present natural wisdom, and there is no other way except natural wisdom. The skill to attain this way is similar to the great hand seal sect, which can show environment, while “sems sde” is to seek the ultimate reality of cleanness and purity for
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[Figure: The documents on Dayuan manfa published by the zhongguo Sichuan minzu chubanshe.]
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intuitive conditioning power and heart essence. ” It can be seen that any external environment comes from self heart while heart shape shows natural wisdom and no better dharma can be sought without it. Although there similarities between “sems sde” and great hand seal of the new sect in the process of cultivation, but specific methods or measures differ greatly, for example, great hand seal uses heart to show environment while “sems sde” is intuitive essence voidness.
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In view of “region”, “klong sde” means broadness and all-embracing, and it is a kind of dhamata realm.
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“Man ngag sde” proposes that all things including samsara and nirvana shall be attributed to dhamata of voidness or persistence with intelligence of being free from acceptance or rejection and non-differentiation of dual combination, and bright and clear intelligence free from influences of conditions and feelings of samsara and nirvana, so that the superior concept of body of self-enlightened Vajra-sphota is attained. Meanwhile, it proposes three concepts including purity of substance characteristics, enlightenment of self nature and broadness of great pity, and thinks that the essence of substance is immortal and immaterial, and substance is pure; the voidness and wonderful phase don’t hinder explicit knowledge, and self-nature is enlightened; the voidness and wonderful virtues can show impure and pure phenomena, which is broad great pity.
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From the perspective of schools of Tibetan Buddhism, only the Ningmapa sect inherited the old Tantric traditions, and other schools belonged to the new tantric system. Ningmapa sect promoted or practice Tantric heritance, which originated from the old Tantric traditions in the 8^th century CE, while the doctrines which were promoted and practised by the schools such as Gelug sect, Kagyu sect, Sagya sect and Jonang sect originated from the new Tantric system in late 10ᵗʰ century CE.
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As the school inheriting the old Tantric doctrines, the Ningmapa sect took the lead in differentiating doctrines of Sakyamuni. The whole Dharma is divided into nine vehicles: "nyan thos, rang rgyal, byang sems, kri ya, Au pa, yo ga, bskyed pa ma ha yo ga, lung Aa nu yo ga and rdzogs pa chen po Aa ti yo ga" etc and the first vehicle "nyan thos" is graded to the ninth vehicle "rdzogs pa chen po Aa ti yo ga" to gradually reach the supreme realm of great perfection. As one of the main founders of old tantric heritance, Vimalamitra had profound influences on the Ningmapa sect which was the pyramidal Buddhist or cultivation system, especially played an important role in forming the thought of great perfection.
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(*Kalsang gyal*)