An Introduction to Tantric Buddhism c7.37

c7.37

Padma-vajra in his *Guhya-siddhi* says that the wise should not think of existence ;—but he should also shake off the idea of non-existence ; in the conception of existence he has to admit the permanence of things ; and the conception of non-existence involves extreme nihilism. The reality is free from both existence and non-existence—it is the supportless *Nirvāṇa* purged of all blemishes : it is beyond the comprehension of even all the Buddhas who are endowed with the knowledge of the void nature,—in it there is neither the goer nor the going nor the place to be traversed : there is neither the thinker, nor the thought, nor the thinkable ; it is inexpressible,—indiscernible,—free from the taker and the taken ; it is indefinable, stainless—it is exclaimed to be the *Nirvāṇa*.² Thus the ultimate non-essential nature of the *dharmas* is its *Nirvāṇa* nature and this nature is not purely nihil; it is rather the ‘thatness’ of the things,—the cosmic oneness; it is the primordial source of all the *dharmas*, it is the seed of all entities. Its form is not known,—it is beyond the reach of speech,—it is beyond all sound, scent and taste,—it is beyond even the mind.¹ This ultimate truth is the knowledge, it is the pure *dharma-dhātu* as free from all phenomenalisation.² As the non-dual principle of supreme good the truth is pervading all the objects—all the universe.³ It is neither one nor many, nor is it one and many at the same time; it is waveless, unmanifested—all-pervading.⁴