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1. Essential Precious Segments of the Inconceivable Secret Tantra
Source Text of the Holy Dharma Pacification of Suffering⁵²
Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo (1820–92)

The Sanskrit title is Ālikāliguhyacintāmahātantrakhaṇḍa.

The Tibetan is Ā li kā li gsang ba bsam gyis mi khyab pa chu klung chen po’i rgyud kyi dum bu.

Segments of the Ālikāli Inconceivable Secret Great River Tantra

Homage to the Conqueror, Lord of Secrets.

The Ālikāli Inconceivable Secret Great River Tantra is like the king of tantras, the grandmother⁵³ of scripture, the universal treasury of secrets, the key to esoteric instructions, the root of the methods of accomplishment, and a drop of stainless elixir. Of its twenty-four chapters, the tenth chapter, which presents the five paths of practice, is extracted here. It has three topics: a brief presentation, an extensive explanation, and a summary of the section.

CHAPTER TEN

I. BRIEF PRESENTATION

A. QUESTION OF THE ASSEMBLY⁵⁴

Then the gathered assembly asked: “In taking up the practice of the path, what is ‘the path that is like a snail’s trail’?”⁵⁵

B. THE TEACHER’S REPLY

The Transcendent Conqueror instructed the gathered assembly:

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“Once you have discovered the path of bliss, the profound Secret Mantra,

absolute faith in the path of suffering is abandoned.

Once you have discovered the path of the profound supreme guru-path,

attachment and fixation to the path of bliss are abandoned.

Once you have discovered the path of realizing your mind as the guru,

all effort and endeavor are abandoned.”

Thus he spoke.

II. EXTENSIVE EXPLANATION

A. FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE ASSEMBLY

Again, the venerable Lord of Secrets asked: “Oh Master, Transcendent Conqueror: What is the profound path of Secret Mantra? What is the supreme path of the guru-path? What is the ultimate path of realization?”

B. THE TEACHER’S EXTENSIVE REPLY

To that, the Teacher gave an extensive explanation in three parts: the profound path of Secret Mantra for those of lesser capability to traverse through the four empowerments; the supreme path of the guru-path for those of average capability to traverse the five paths through faith and devotion; and the ultimate path of realization for those of superior capability to engage the fruition through innate mahāmudrā. The first of these has three parts: preliminaries, main practice, and branches of the path. The preliminaries have two parts: general and specific. [4]

1. PATH FOR THOSE OF LESSER CAPABILITY

A. PRELIMINARIES

1) GENERAL PRELIMINARY

He addressed them thus:

“Listen to me, all you sublime beings. When you please a guru and your mindstream is matured,…”

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2) SPECIFIC PRELIMINARY

“…in a secluded place reduce physical and verbal activity.

On a comfortable seat, develop the awakening mind

and make offerings to the gurus and Jewels.”

B. MAIN PRACTICE

This has four parts.

1) VASE EMPOWERMENT FOR THE PATH OF CREATION PHASE

“Afterward, meditate fully on the extensive or concise deity mandala,

and finish the offerings, praises, and recitations.”

2) SECRET EMPOWERMENT FOR THE PATH OF WINDS AND INNER HEAT

“The body has three channels and four cakras.

Fanned by the winds, the fire of inner heat is ignited

and the refined essence of five elements pours into the central channel.”

3) TIMELESS AWARENESS OF WISDOM EMPOWERMENT FOR THE ACCELERATED PATH OF THE MESSENGER⁵⁶

“When one finds a qualified spiritual partner,

the wheel of bliss draws afflictive emotion onto the path.”

4) PATH OF MAHĀMUDRĀ

“That state of ultimate reality, the awakened mind,

is observed, relaxed into, and conceptual roots are uncovered.”

C. BRANCHES OF THE PATH

This has six instructions.

1) ILLUSORY BODY

“Meditation on illusory body,”

2) TRANSFERENCE

“training in transference through the path of winds,”

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3) ENTERING THE RESIDENCE [OF ANOTHER’S CORPSE]

“consciousness entering a residence,”

4) LUCID CLARITY

“recognizing lucid clarity,”

5) DREAM

“and the instructions on dream,”

6) INTERMEDIATE STATE

“which conquer the city of the intermediate state.”

Additionally, the guru yoga that informs all of them,

“Guru yoga is auspicious for all of these.”

2. AVERAGE CAPABILITY PATH

This has three parts: the yoga of the acts, which are the basis; of the procedures, which are the conditions; and of the result, freedom from action.

A. ACTS, WHICH ARE THE BASIS

1) THREE LEVELS OF VOWS

Since the conferral of empowerment happens first, it is the act that endows the recipient with three levels of vows.

“Once you enter the profound, supreme guru-path,

please the benevolent one and solicit kindness.”

2) KEEPING THE SIX INTERNAL CODES OF YOGA FROM DETERIORATING

These are: not to supplicate gods, not to request powers from demons, not to waste vigor on this life, not to hand over your autonomy to anyone, not to let secrets pass from your lips, and not to raise dirty rags on the tip of the victory banner.

“Do the four-session yoga in a secluded place.”

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B. PROCEDURES, WHICH ARE THE CONDITIONS

This has two parts: a general presentation of the main segments on the path and a specific presentation of the special transmission of subsequent authorization.

1) GENERAL PRESENTATION

In general, there are five topics: mind training on the path of accumulation, austerity on the path of application, subsequent conduct on the path of seeing, equal flavor on the path of meditation, and freedom from action on the ultimate path. However, all of those can be subsumed into the three main points on the path: the preparation of going for refuge and arousing the mind of awakening; the main body of how to confer empowerment on one’s mindstream; and the concluding topics of the indications of success on the path along with the trainings to maintain.

A) PREPARATION: REFUGE AND AROUSING THE MIND OF AWAKENING

“Go for refuge, arouse the mind, make offerings, dedications, and aspirations.”

B) MAIN PRACTICE

(1) THE WAY TO SAY THE SOUNDS, INTEGRATING THE LETTERS

“Appearance, sound, and thought are purified in the Victor’s pure land

by the akṣa⁵⁷ mantra circle, which dissolves into oneself.”

(2) MEDITATING ON THE FOUR CAKRAS IN THE SPECIAL VISUALIZATION OF THE FOUR EMPOWERMENTS

“In imagining the letters progressively in the four places,

accomplish enlightened body, speech, mind, qualities, and activities.”

(3) PRACTICING EQUIPOISE AND POST-MEDITATION ATTAINMENT IN THE SPECIAL INTRODUCTION TO THE ROOT [5]

“Looking at mind, even if your gaze changes,

totally cut off concepts and look at mind’s essence.”

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C) CONCLUDING TOPICS

Evidence of success on the path along with the trainings can be learned from guidebooks and so on.

2) PARTICULAR PRESENTATION: HOW TO EVOKE THE GURU’S SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IN THE SPECIAL SCRIPTURAL TRANSMISSION OF THE SUBSEQUENT AUTHORIZATION

This has ten parts.

A) APPROACH⁵⁸ TO INTEGRATE THE MAIN FOUR EMPOWERMENTS

“The secret essence, the mantra of guru accomplishment,

recited one million times conveys one to the abode of awareness holder.

Oṃ āḥ hūṃ hrīḥ

This sublime essence to integrate the four empowerments

is the mantra that turns the Dharma king’s wheel.

It empowers the beginning and end of all mantras

and engenders all the qualities of the four mudrās.”

B) APPROACH ON THE PATH OF ACCUMULATION

“The four syllables gu ru sid dhi

are the essence of the approach stage that resolves the path of accumulation.

With this mantra rosary of the precious queen,

one drinks the oceanic waters of the guru’s enlightened intent.”

C) APPROACH ON THE PATH OF APPLICATION

“The four syllables sid dhi pha la

are the essence of the close approach that resolves the path of application.

Being the mantra of accomplishing the seer’s staff,

it increases signs and qualities of the path immeasurably.”

D) APPROACH ON THE PATH OF SEEING

“The four syllables ji na mi tra

are the essence of the attainment stage that resolves the path of seeing.

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This cleansing mantra of the brahman’s purity

eliminates the turbidity of the final mental stains.”

E) APPROACH ON THE PATH OF MEDITATION

“The four syllables pra ma na ye

are the mantra of the great attainment stage that resolves the path of meditation.

This essence of increasing the householder’s charity

eliminates dependent concepts through great equal flavor.”

F) APPROACH ON THE ULTIMATE PATH

“The four syllables bhu hu ku ru⁵⁹

are the essence of the enactment stage that resolves the ultimate path.

Being the mantra of receiving the captain’s gem,

it swiftly nourishes everyone — oneself and others.”

G) APPROACH IN THE REMOVAL RITE⁶⁰

“The four syllables hya va da te

are the essence of approach, attainment, and enactment rites of removal.

Being the mantra of Umadevī’s illumination,

it gives rise to all interconnections for brilliant awareness.”

H) APPROACH IN ENHANCEMENT

“The four syllables e vaṃ ma ya

are the essence of the four doors that generate wisdom.

Being the mantra of the four great kings and four continents,

it throws open the secret treasury of the glorious knot.”⁶¹

I) APPROACH IN CLEARING OBSTRUCTORS

“The four syllables maṃ kha la vo,

being the mantra that accomplishes access to guidance,

closes the gaps and clears obstacles on the five paths

and is the essence of accomplishing one’s desires.”

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J) APPROACH OF INTERDEPENDENT CONNECTION

“The six syllables pa ca na pi ka ra⁶²

are the basis for accomplishing the connection to the path’s life-force.

Being the mantra of the Steadfast Earth Goddess,

it gains you the excellent seat of accomplishment.”

C. FREEDOM FROM ACTION, THE YOGA OF THE RESULT

This will emerge naturally as the activities of the four kāyas enact enormous benefit for oneself and others. [6]

3. THE PATH OF ULTIMATE REALIZATION FOR THOSE OF SUPERIOR CAPABILITY

This has three parts: the preliminaries, the main practice, and the conclusion.

A. PRELIMINARIES

1) THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS THE SUPPORT FOR PRACTICE

“An excellent person with faith who has accumulated merit…”

2) THE PATH TO PRACTICE

This has four parts.

A) PATH OF RENUNCIATION

“…enters the path of diligence with disenchantment,”

B) DEVOTION

“is blessed with the devotion that is like meeting the actual Buddha,”

C) MIND OF AWAKENING

“clears away beings’ sufferings with a resolute mind of awakening,”

D) SACRED PLEDGE

“and accomplishes with conviction what the guru commands.”

B. MAIN PRACTICE

This has four parts:

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1) WISDOM: RESOLUTION THROUGH SEEING

“For wisdom of the root, look to your own mind…”

2) METHOD: PRACTICE THROUGH MEDITATION

“…and heighten realization that is without doubts”;

3) CLEARING AWAY OBSTRUCTORS AND CONDUCT THAT ENHANCES

“I proclaim that you will be a second buddha.”

4) HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THE RESULT IN ONE LIFETIME

“The essence is the great path of realizing wisdom.”

C. CONCLUSION

This has two parts:

1) PRESENTATION OF INDICATIONS OF SUCCESS ON THE PATH

“The byproducts of the journey are unlimited realizations and qualities.”

2) CONCLUDE WITH THE UTTERANCE OF PRAISE

“Mantra’s distinctive feature is the wondrous direct path,

the unerring specialty of the profound guru-path.

It will benefit future generations — this I proclaim.”

After saying that, he looked at the Lord of Secrets.

III. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER

The tenth chapter presenting the practice of the five paths from Ālikāli Inconceivable Secret Great River Tantra.

Chapter Seventeen

ON EMPOWERMENT AND SACRED PLEDGE

This has three parts: the question, the response, and the summary of the chapter.

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I. THE QUESTION

Then the Lord of Secrets said this to the Transcendent Conqueror: “Transcendent Conqueror, in order for those with karma and good fortune to fully mature their mindstreams, please explain extensively the mandala rites and parameters of keeping sacred pledges.”

II. THE RESPONSE

A. SETTING THE SCENE

Taking flight like a swan, the Conqueror settled in full lotus in space by the lakefront and addressed them thus:

B. THE ACTUAL RESPONSE

This has four parts.

1. THE WAY TO CONFER EMPOWERMENT IN COMMON WITH SECRET MANTRA

“Entourage of the great mystery, listen to me.

In order to progressively mature future fortunate ones,

I will explain the mandala of three ultimate empowerments of the Book. [7]

The master with the essential [wisdom] and the receptive disciples assemble,

and ritual supplies are collected in a place that accords with the source tradition.

Once the approach is fulfilled, in the morning of an auspicious day,

perform the rites of the ground, gridlines, and colors, and the prelude.

[Disciples] supplicate from outside, and [the master] inquires about their obstacles.

As they develop enthusiasm, the disciples enter inside.

The following morning the mandala is drawn in stages —

a lotus palace for kriyā tantra,

a blazing wheel for caryā tantra,

a lattice palace for yoga tantra,

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a big or small source of phenomena for great yoga tantra —

all beautifully drawn up uniformly to the outer rim.

Place a proper vase in the center of the mandala.

Lay out fine offerings and substances around the mandala.

Once the seven total purities are made,

adopt the yogic gaze and visualize the protection circle.

Invoke the deities of the particular mandala

and perform the offerings, praises, and vajra recitation.

The awareness beings are brought down and they bestow blessings.

The disciples make offerings and then supplicate.

The seven vase empowerments are conferred in the east side of the mandala;

including whatever absorptions, mantras, and rituals are appropriate.

Four⁶³ secret empowerments are conferred in the south side of the mandala;

including the meditative absorption of an actual or imagined [consort], as preferred.

Three secret empowerments⁶⁴ are conferred in the west side of the mandala;

this includes whatever absorptions, symbols, and empowerment substances have been collected.

Two fourth empowerments are conferred in the north side of the mandala;

both the actual introduction and the conclusion.

Symbol empowerment, conclusion, the three special rituals,⁶⁵

and saying auspicious verses completes the four empowerments.

Please the heroes and ḍākinīs with the communal feast.

Offer torma to the Dharma protectors and realm protectors.

Offer the leftovers to elementals and minor spirits.

Gather up the mandala and make dedications and aspirations.

Since the deities and the guru are not two,

a single secret essence mantra accomplishes all purposes.”

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2. THE WAY TO CONFER THE ESPECIALLY ELEVATED EMPOWERMENT

“Oṃ āḥ hrīḥ hūṃ

Conferral of the supreme empowerment has special blessings.

In the ritual for conferring the Dharma empowerment on the mind,

go to an isolated place and level the ground.

Then place the Book upon a graveyard canvas.⁶⁶

Draw the design in the shapes of ālikāli.

Fill an authentic bhandha with elixir,⁶⁷

bless the Book in the center and set it down.

Encircle with the fifty root letters

sequentially on the seat of radiant jewels.

Set out all the charnel ground substances and offering substances

around the edges without distinction.

Then set up the feast and excellent tormas.

Invite the buddhas of the ten directions with retinues

and the lineage gurus.

With the idea that they are inseparable from the deities,

do long or short offerings and praises as appropriate. [8]

Once the blessings of the feast and tormas is done,

offer the approach of the five paths by vajra recitation.

Then the disciples, with delight and devotion,

offer gold, turquoise, horses, oxen, and so forth.

They polish a beautiful, jeweled mandala,

prostrate, toss flowers, and supplicate.

The guru teaches Dharma and the disciples’ enthusiasm is aroused.

Recount the lineage, go for refuge, and engender the mind of awakening.

The ultimate reality free of embellishment, the meaning of coemergence,

in the completed four empowerments is the vital point of ālikāli.

The precious Book confers the four vase empowerments;

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they are stabilized and the body’s stains are washed away.

The elixir in the skull confers the four secret empowerments;

they are stabilized and the victors’ spiritual practices are fulfilled.

The profound introduction confers the four third empowerments;

they are stabilized, the understanding of symbols arises.

The scriptural transmission of the mantra confers the four word empowerments;

they are stabilized and the guru dissolves into oneself.

The rules of engagement are the three meaningful vows

and to undertake the strict observance of yoga’s internal codes.

Do prostrations in gratitude and perform the communal feast.

Offer torma in order to please the command guards

and satisfy the elemental spirits with the leftovers.

Say the prayers of auspiciousness, dedication, and aspiration.

Relinquish concern for this life and turn toward the guru.”⁶⁸

3. THE WAY TO CONFER THE ROOT PURE AWARENESS EMPOWERMENT

“Bowing at the feet of the teacher and supplicating,

the rite of claiming the ground and so on are the preliminary rituals.

By the guru’s grace, the introduction strikes the vital point;

appearances shift and fixation on the body’s reality collapses.

Channels are freed,⁶⁹ winds controlled, and constituents are subsumed.

The warmth of bliss⁷⁰ brings afflictive emotion to the path.

Realization of unity and innate awareness awakens from within.

The guru’s grace consummates the four empowerments in the mind.

Pleasing the guru is what accomplishes the yidam.

Ḍākinīs gather and Dharma protectors enact enlightened activities.

The feast torma, king of offerings, is the guru offering ritual.”

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4. THE PARAMETERS OF KEEPING SACRED PLEDGE

“The whole ocean of vows explained elsewhere

are surely presented clearly for the sake of scholars.

If you wish to be respectable, avoid fully ripening negative actions,

refrain from despising all sentient beings,

place the guru and fellow disciples upon your head,

mentally abandon deceit, aggression, and passion,

and give up all meaningless activity.

Advocate this as pure sacred pledge to future generations.”

Thus he spoke.

III. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter 17 presenting the process of empowerment and sacred pledge from the Ālikāli Inconceivable Secret Great River Tantra.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The esoteric instruction of the essential meaning, instructions on view, meditation, conduct, and results has three parts: the question, the response, and the summary of the chapter. [9]

I. THE QUESTION

Then the gathered assembly respectfully held their palms together at their hearts and their heads and with sincere yearning supplicated so:

“Kye kye! Teacher of teachers, Transcendent Conqueror,

you have taught well the meaning of various vehicles.

For the sake of beings, please teach us now

that effortless supreme path of the ultimate meaning.”

Thus they supplicated.

II. THE RESPONSE

This has two parts: setting the scene and the actual response.

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A. SETTING THE SCENE

The Transcendent Conqueror straightened up his body on the lion throne and considered the gathered assembly with great love. He looked up at the sky and the buddha blessings caused all the realms of the world to totally quake. The entire billionfold universe filled with light and the sound of his response reverberated in space.

B. THE ACTUAL RESPONSE

1. BRIEF PRESENTATION

“View, meditation, conduct, and results;

these four are not different in practice.

When you know effortless natural liberation, you are a perfect buddha.

Generate certitude in the essential ultimate path.”

Thus he spoke, and the fortunate ones listened and took the meaning to heart. Thus the teacher and the assembly were of one mind.

2. EXTENSIVE TEACHING

This has five parts.

A. EXTENSIVE TEACHING ON VIEW

Then, purposefully they supplicated for the sake of future generations: “Kye! Transcendent Conqueror. What is the sequence of the view?” He replied:

“From nondual basic space and timeless awareness,

mind and mental events are labeled as dual.

From the dual phases of absolute and relative,

many patterns of subject-object clinging arise.

In regard to all phenomena of apparent existence, samsara and nirvana,

ordinary folks with normal behavior are bewildered.

Heretics who conceptually analyze existence and nonexistence are bewildered.

Śrāvakas who fixate on real things are the inferior types.

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Dualistic pratyekabuddhas will not gain a spiritual ground.

Cittamātrins who believe in true and false are fettered by beliefs.

Mādhyamikas who assert illusion do not eliminate faults.

Prāsaṅgikas without assertions are sophists.

Fixation on a view (or deity)⁷¹ is the demonic view.

Fixation on clarity is incredibly stupid.

Desiring bliss in afflictive emotions is the cause of suffering.

The essential meaning is not a lexical view.

This inexpressible coemergent timeless awareness

is none other than the imprint of merit accumulation, purification,

and the blessings of the realized guru.

Know that to depend on any other means is folly.”

B. EXTENSIVE TEACHING ON MEDITATION

Again, they queried, “Transcendent Conqueror, what is the process of meditation?” [10] He replied:

“The various forms are born from our minds.

Bodies, minds, objects, and all that appears

as support and supported manifests

in creation, completion, and total completion mahāmudrā.

This great meditation of no meditating,

however it is done, becomes realization.

The machinations of intellectual meditation are exhausting;

meditate with skillful methods for the sake of realization.

Meditation on things does not eliminate afflictive emotion;

meditation without things, however it is done, increases qualities.

Dualistic meditation does not address your doubts.

There is no meditating at all in the meaning of nonduality.

The bodhisattva’s way of sitting in emptiness

is observing, relaxing, and resting in one’s own ground.

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But as the gaze shifts, one enters pristine pure awareness.

All physical and verbal acts are abandoned.

The sun of ineffable compassion rises

in the sky of unimaginable realization.

This great certainty free of doubts awakens

awareness from within by the guru’s grace.”

Thus he spoke.

C. EXTENSIVE TEACHING ON MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCE

And again, they asked, “What is the process of experience and feeling?” He answered:

“This personal unreal mind that is unseen

is introduced by the guru without looking.

When one meditates a while without meditating,

many stories occur without telling.

By the blessings of the realized guru

and the karmic carryover from previous merit,

perceived experience manifests to pristine pure awareness

as various visionary appearances; this I proclaim.

That realization that knows oneself by oneself,

the subsequent attainment of afflictions being pristine in basic space,

and clear recollection, the unimpeded realization of unreality:⁷²

that is what is meant by great timeless awareness.

In the mandala of the clarity of various appearances,

many deity hosts of pure awareness gather and emanate.

With the pure signs and marks of benefiting self and others:

this is the so-called unimpeded arising of qualities; this I proclaim.

From the levels and paths of developed qualities and purified faults,

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each fresh moment of the certitude free of doubts

brings the process of unimpeded experience and feeling.

This explains the so-called level of the Victor’s heirs.”

Thus he spoke.

D. EXTENSIVE TEACHING ON CONDUCT

Again, they queried, “Transcendent Conqueror, what is the process of conduct?” He replied:

“The patterns of known and knower, object and mind;

these two produce karma of body, speech, and mind.

All practice that truly takes cause and effect into account

is the conduct of forsaking harm to oneself and others.

The essence of all-ground mentation and the awakening mind;

these two produce all forms of total liberation.

Various endeavors in the area of training [11]

are the conduct to achieve one’s own and others’ happiness.

Those on the path of liberation receive ripening empowerment

that comes from the blessings of a qualified guru,

generate supreme persistence for the sake of sentient beings,

and develop abilities in the conduct of mantra.

The meditative absorption that purifies the view

and the experience of undistracted meditative absorption

carry the variety as allies and refine appearances.

When whatever you do becomes Dharma — that is the conduct.

Secret conduct, awareness conduct, communal feast conduct,

and conduct that is victorious in all directions,

if done properly according to the instructions

that connect to view and meditation, will ripen at the time of results.”

Thus he spoke.

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E. EXTENSIVE TEACHING ON THE RESULTS

Again, they asked, “What is the sequence of the results?” He replied:

“The consummation of renunciation and realization is dharmakāya,

the ancestor of all buddhas, Vajradhara,

identical to the mother of the victors of the three times,

forever regarding all sentient beings with compassion.

Total purity of intrinsic nature is the five buddha-family kāyas.

Blood-drinking Heruka who does not reject afflictive emotion,

Mother Nairātmya who is not sullied by attachment’s mud —

they bless all the fortunate, karmically destined ones.

The consummation of compassionate aspiration is nirmāṇakāya.

Principal guru of the three worlds, Śākyamuni,

master of the doctrine planting the victory banner of Dharma,

ushers sentient beings to be tamed to the path of freedom.

The path of pure appearance is great jñānakāya.

Unimpeded purity as sugata yidam deities

show up in any way to whomever is to be trained

and teach the tantras that enumerate mantras.

Beautiful in the three worlds with its gods,

single child of the victors in the ten directions,

equal in courage to all the buddhas —

when you become beings’ guru, that is the result.”

Thus he spoke, and once all the gathered assembly were completely ripened and he had totally liberated their mindstreams, he proclaimed that in the future he would gradually make them the regents of the Teacher.

III. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER

Chapter twenty-three of instructions on the four subjects of view, meditation, conduct, and results from the Ālikāli Inconceivable Secret Great River Tantra.

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[Colophon]

The instructions of the lord of beings, Dampa Sangyé, renowned as the Sacred Dharma Pacification of Suffering, is one tradition of the great chariots of the meaningful practice lineages. The source texts and esoteric instructions of path traditions that came from the early, middle, and later lineages are unimaginably extensive. However, this Ālikāli Inconceivable Secret Great River Tantra is like the basis or root of them all. [12] So of its twenty-four chapters, the essential ones are chapter 10, on the five paths, presenting the complete unerring path of all individuals, whether superior, middling, or inferior; chapter 17, on empowerment and sacred pledge, since it is necessary to mature one’s being through empowerment in order to practice the path; and chapter 23, which instructs through the four subjects of view, meditation, conduct, and results, since it condenses the introduction, view, meditation, practice, conduct, and results of the essential meaning for the individual who has received empowerment and practices. These three chapters, then, have been rendered into a single document just as they occur in the original scripture. Then just the rough meaning of this is clarified by notes. More detail can be gleaned from the commentaries and guidebooks of Shikpo Nyima Sengé and the father-son omniscient ones of Nyedo, and so forth.⁷³ Written by the monk who has listened well, Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo. Virtue!