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1. Blaming Everything on a Single Culprit

FROM THE JEWEL GARLAND OF DIALOGUES, CHAPTER 6

Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna

[28] Once, when Father Atiśa and his son were staying at their residence at Nyethang Or, Drom made three prostrations to Atiśa and, recollecting his mind’s way of apprehending phenomena, and so on, stated,

“Sentient beings are brought about through these causes: ignorance, craving, and appropriation. Mental formations and becoming serve as their conditions, while their effects are consciousness, name and form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, birth, and aging and death. So it is these three alone—causes, conditions, and effects—that turn the wheel of impurity throughout the circumference of space. Covering all our own defects with our palms, we point out all the faults of others with our fingers. Disciples do not implement the guru’s words, and sons do not listen to what their fathers tell them. O great master, such an evil era has dawned and remains present. Although the impure cycle of the twelve links of dependent origination is the experience common to all sentient beings, the beings of this degenerate era are each participating individually in this common error [by which they fall into the impure cycle], so they remain in it. Since it could potentially benefit one or two seekers in future generations, please give a brief explanation of the twelve links of dependent origination.”

The master replied, “I will explain this now as we lift our robes above the mire.”

“Well then, what is the root of bondage?” asked Drom.

Atiśa replied, “It is grasping to a self.”

“What is this grasping to a self?” inquired Drom.

“It is wanting all good qualities for oneself alone and wanting others alone [29] to take on all bad things.”

Drom requested: “Then please explain it in such a manner that we can say, ‘This is self-grasping.’”

Atiśa: “Regarding the superimposition of self-grasping, where could one find anything of which it could be said, ‘This is it’?”

Drom: “In that case, please explain how it wants all kinds of things for itself and shifts all unjust blame onto others.”

Atiśa: “Upāsaka, why do you need to ask me? It pervades sentient beings. You know this, so why do you need to ask? Still, I’ll say that both attachment and hatred are sometimes labeled as self-grasping.”

“Master, is there anyone who has such grasping?”

Atiśa countered, “Where would that one be?”

“It must be that this is within one’s own mental continuum,” suggested Drom.

“Upāsaka, but what is one’s own mental continuum?”

“It must be that which has the grasping of wanting all kinds of things,” replied Drom.

Atiśa: “I agree.”

“Well then, where is this self-grasping located?” inquired Drom.

Atiśa: “I have never seen anything that doesn’t have parts. I don’t know of any spatially located thing that is not located anywhere. Nor do I know the color or shape of something that is without any essential nature.”

Drom then asked, “If this is so, how can something so feeble exist?”

Atiśa: “Can’t one perceive the water in a mirage, a double moon, horses and elephants in a dream, and so on?”

“Master, but those must be delusive appearances.”

Atiśa: “I accept that. But if self-grasping is present, doesn’t it create 21attachment and hatred? Dogs bark at an empty bowl in a deserted place, and one’s mindstream becomes totally deluded without any basis in reality.”

“Master, in light of such analogies, it seems as if self-grasping itself has never existed,” said Drom.

Atiśa: “Why do you say, ‘it seems as if’? That must be the case.”

“Master, well then, do the pitfalls of the three miserable realms of existence, the positive qualities of the fortunate realms, and the ethical norms of what is to be accepted and to be rejected exist?”

Atiśa: “Does the dreamer of dreams exist?”

“Master, that’s different. I don’t create my dreams. They occur as lies. Birth in the fortunate realms and the miserable realms, and the ethical norms of acceptance and rejection are created.”

Atiśa: “Who creates them?”

Drom: “They must be created by the mind.”

Atiśa: “That’s what I say, too. But dreams are also created by the mind. Upāsaka, if they weren’t created by the mind, who would create them? Would they be created by someone else? If they weren’t created by anyone else, and if they aren’t created by the mind, Upāsaka, then you have lied about a lie itself. The objects in dreams are deceptions that are entirely empty of self and other. Likewise, everything that is to be accepted or rejected, such as the miserable realms, must be emanated by the mind itself, which then engages in accepting and rejecting.”

Drom: “Well then, self-grasping is the root of attachment and hatred, so please tell me, is that one’s own mind?”

Atiśa: “What is the color of the mind?”

Drom: “I’ve never seen it.”

Atiśa: “Then what kind of shape does it have?”

“Master, I’ve never seen it.”

Atiśa: “Well then, since neither its color nor shape is determined, [30] and also since it’s never been seen with the eyes, that indicates that it does not exist as a form. So set it aside as being empty of form. Upāsaka, does the mind have a sound that is pleasant or unpleasant, loud or soft?”

“Master, I’ve never heard it.”

Atiśa: “Well then, since it in no way appears as a pleasant or unpleasant sound, loud or soft, and so on, it is not heard by the ears. If it had a sound, it should be audible to the ears, but it isn’t. Now since the mind is also devoid of sound, set that aside. Upāsaka, do you find that the mind has any odor, whether fragrant or foul?”

“Master, I’ve never detected any smell of the mind or odor coming from it.”

“Drom, if it had an odor, there’s no doubt it would have been smelled with the nose. Now since it is not detected with the nose, that indicates that the mind is devoid of smell. So set aside this emptiness that is the absence of smell. Drom, is there some kind of taste to your mind, be it savory or unsavory?”

Drom: “Whatever may reach me from the master’s speech, how could I ever have a metric by which to judge whether it tastes good or bad when eating mind?”

“Drom, so are you saying there is none?”

“Master, how can the mind ever be eaten, and how can its taste ever be experienced?”

“Drom, this indicates that your mind is not a taste. If it were, the tongue would experience it. Since it is not experienced with the tongue, this indicates that it is not a taste. So set aside its absence of taste as well. Drom, what kind of tactile quality does your mind have: smooth or rough?”

“Master, I have never experienced anything like a tactile quality of the mind.”

“Drom, why is this so?”

“What sort of metric could there be for assessing the tactile quality of the mind?”

Atiśa: “With incorrigible sentient beings there are many cases of there being no rules.²⁸ The fact that the mind is not an object of tactile experience 23indicates that it is devoid of tactile qualities. So set aside the mind that is not a tactile sensation, either. Well then, Drom, if it were an object of mentation, of what sort would it be?”

“Master, for there to be an object of mentation, there must be an immediately preceding condition for its faculty. Without there first being an object of its faculty as an immediately preceding condition, it could not be an object of mentation.”

Atiśa: “It could also come about from a conceptual fabrication.”

“Master, even a fabrication must be preceded by a habitual propensity. Furthermore, isn’t it going too far to say that because [the mind] isn’t an object of any of the five sense faculties, the five objects don’t exist?”

“Upāsaka, what are you saying? I have not given an account for all objects within those [five]. Rather, I have only counted your mind as something in addition to them. For if the mind is among them, then when you observe it, it should exist as a form, be heard as a sound, and so on. Since it doesn’t appear as any of those things, where is the mind located? Upāsaka, ordinary people would all give up and say with a dismissive wave of the hand, ‘I’ve never seen such a thing with my eyes, heard it with my ears, smelled its odor, or tasted its flavor, nor does it exist anywhere within the domain of mentation.’ You, on the other hand, are someone who has been ripened by the practical instructions of sublime gurus, received siddhis from your personal deity, and who practices the three baskets of scripture in one sitting. So you should not impute branches and leaves where there is no basis [of a tree].

“Since I am a son of Avadhūti, I know that in this way all things are the mind, and I know that the nature of existence of the mind is just like that. [31] Now even if one’s faults are exposed, they are the mind. Even if one is praised, that is the mind. Whether you are happy or miserable, it is the mind. Given that all of these are equally the mind, whatever faults are revealed in your mindstream—which appears to be a self even though no self exists—crush them and proclaim it. There’s no point in concealing faults that are not determined to exist inside a cave that is not determined to exist. There’s no point in letting them become poisons that will cause illness. 24There is no point in fixing the number of illnesses at five. You would only sever the life force of liberation that way. There is no point in casting yourself into the three miserable realms. Even though dreams are deceptive, there’s no need to dream of suffering.

“Drom, expel all these deceitful defects. If the trace of having purified these faults is positive, that’s fine, but if not, that’s not good. Insofar as they are equal in being the appearances of a deceptive mind, if everyone else is pleased when praised, then offer praise and let it go. You, in whom there is no one who seeks, should not seek out the mistakes of someone else. Insofar as they are equal in being concealed, conceal your own fine qualities, too. When the time comes for it to be necessary, it will come. Insofar as they are equal in being proclaimed, proclaim the fine qualities of others. Others will be pleased, so they won’t accumulate negative karma on your account. This also has the benefit of toppling the cornerstones of the mental afflictions of attachment and hatred. Once you have established individually whatever fine qualities others may have, then praise them. Upāsaka, do you understand everything to be the mind?”

Drom: “Yes, I do.”

“Well then, do you understand the nature of existence of the mind?”

Drom: “I do.”

Atiśa: “So why have desires for this mind? Be content. Many sentient beings appear, yet it is true that they are none other than your mothers and fathers who have cleaned your runny nose with their mouths and your excrement with their hands; they have given you kingdoms and nurtured you with delightful gifts. At times, they have abandoned you, but then they have cared for you again. They have all, without exception, been your fathers and mothers who have rejoiced when you are freed from difficulties and when you find good fortune.

“The fact that you display such fine qualities is due to the kindness of your guru. In general, it is your guru who continuously shows you the kindness of fulfilling your eternal longing, and it is your parents who have 25shown you the kindness of granting you joy and happiness in this life. So, you should recognize their kindness and try to repay it.

“For this, serve your guru with reverence, offerings, your spiritual practice, and so on. In order to repay the kindness of your parents, cultivate immeasurable loving-kindness, immeasurable compassion, immeasurable joy when they are happy, and immeasurable impartiality, free of bias toward those who are close or distant. For the benefit of all beings who have been your mothers, do everything you can to attain buddhahood, and, casting off uncertainty, intently focus on your spiritual practice. Ridding yourself of all obstacles such as sleepiness and dullness, strive with enthusiasm.

“Drom, when we speak of ‘recognizing the kindness of others and repaying it,’ it all comes down to cultivating the four immeasurables from loving-kindness and compassion onward, stabilizing your bodhicitta and increasing it to ever higher levels, and steering your parents’ course with the oars of aspiring and engaging bodhicitta. So, once you have abandoned your selfish desires pertaining to this life, this facsimile of desire, the thought of longing to guide your parents, is the intention that desires to repay their kindness. This is what we call ‘recognizing the kindness of others and repaying it.’”

[32] Drom: “Though the master has expressed many fine points, they can be summarized as follows:

“Acknowledge your own faults,

but do not seek out others’ mistakes.

Conceal your own fine qualities,

but proclaim those of others.

Forsake the gifts and veneration of others,

and always relinquish arrogance and renown.

Have few desires, be content,

and repay the kindness of others.

Cultivate loving-kindness and compassion,

and stabilize your bodhicitta.

There is nothing more than this.”

Atiśa: “So it is. When well summarized, everything is included there.”

This concludes the sixth chapter from The Jewel Garland of Dialogues, “Blaming Everything on a Single Culprit.”

Translated by B. Alan Wallace and Eva Natanya

28. Tib. khrims. This is the same Tibetan word translated just above as “metric,” so there is a pun here.