The Lamp for the Eye of Contemplation: The Samten Migdron by Nubchen Sangye Yeshe, a 10thcentury Tibetan Buddhist Text on Meditation

863 Pages·2022·8.9 MB·English

by  DYLAN ESLER

The Lamp for the Eye of Contemplation
The Lamp for the Eye of
Contemplation
The Samten Migdron by Nubchen Sangye Yeshe, a 10th-
century Tibetan Buddhist Text on Meditation
DYLAN ESLER
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the
University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by
publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in
the UK and certain other countries.
Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America.
© Oxford University Press 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in
writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or
under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries
concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights
Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above.
You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same
condition on any acquirer.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022944580
ISBN 978–0–19–760990–3
eISBN 978–0–19–760992–7
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197609903.001.0001
To
’Khor-gdong gter-sprul
Chhimed Rigdzin Lama (1922–2002)
Who lit the Lamp
and
Lopon P. Ogyan Tanzin,
Holder of the bone lineage of Padma gling-pa,
Who kept it burning.

Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations and Symbols
General Introduction: The Text and Its Author
I.1. The text
I.2. The author
I.2.1. Birth
I.2.2. Travels and teachers
I.2.3. Conflicts in Tibet
I.2.4. Other activities
I.2.5. Death
I.2.6. The problem of gNubs-chen’s dates
I.2.7. Conclusions
I.3. Reception of the bSam-gtan mig-sgron in Tibet
I.4. Overview of scholarly research on the bSam-gtan mig-sgron
I.5. Textual observations
I.5.1. Overall structure of the text
I.5.2. On the use of citations
I.5.3. Doxographical assumptions
I.5.4. A remark concerning the glosses
Translation
1. Laying the Groundwork
1.1. Homage
1.2. The enumeration of the names of contemplation
1.3. The place
1.4. Making a commitment
1.5. The preliminaries
1.5.1. Listening to the doctrine
1.5.2. Obtaining the pith instructions
1.5.3. Miscellaneous preliminaries
1.6. Relinquishing attachment
1.7. Purging oneself of weariness
2. Getting Ready
2.1. The lineages of the various approaches
2.2. Obtaining the means
2.2.1. The means of the gradual approach
2.2.2. The means of the simultaneous approach
2.2.3. The means of Mahāyoga
2.2.4. The means of the Great Completeness
2.3. The four compatible reliances
2.3.1. The master
2.3.2. The consort
2.3.3. The books
2.3.4. The servant
2.4. Taking care of one’s body
2.4.1. The means of repelling contrary conditions
2.4.2. The requisites
2.4.3. Physical treatments
2.5. The defects and qualities
2.5.1. The defects
2.5.2. The qualities
3. Gaining Perspective
3.1. The means
3.2. The qualities
3.2.1. The qualities of comprehension
3.2.2. The qualities of meditating
3.2.2.1. Discursive examining
3.2.2.2. Non-discursiveness
3.3. The defects
3.3.1. Laying out the approaches
3.3.1.1. The gradual approach
3.3.1.2. The simultaneous approach
3.3.1.3. Mahāyoga
3.3.1.4. Atiyoga
3.3.2. Identifying the deviations of Tsen-min, sTon-mun, and Mahāyoga
3.3.2.1. The gradual approach
3.3.2.2. The simultaneous approach
3.3.2.3. Mahāyoga
4. The Gradual Approach of the Classical Mahāyāna
4.1. The view
4.2. Meditation
4.2.1. The four immeasurables
4.2.2. The two truths
4.2.2.1. Relative truth
4.2.2.1.1. Genuine relative truth
4.2.2.1.2. Non-genuine relative truth
4.2.2.1.3. The obscurations pertaining to relative truth
4.2.2.2. Absolute truth
4.2.2.2.1. The absolute truth that can be enumerated
4.2.2.2.2. The absolute truth that is free from
elaboration
4.2.3. Calm abiding and insight
4.2.3.1. Calm abiding
4.2.3.1.1. The defects and their antidotes
4.2.3.1.2. The qualities of completing calm abiding:
the four contemplations
4.2.3.2. Insight
4.2.3.3. Rectifying defects
4.2.3.3.1. The defects
4.2.3.3.2. The means of rectifying the defects
4.2.3.3.3. The qualities of rectifying the defects
4.2.4. Omens in one’s dreams
4.2.5. Purifying one’s obscurations
4.3. Conduct
4.4. The fruition
5. The Simultaneous Approach of Chan
5.1. The view
5.1.1. The explanations of the preceptors of contemplation
5.1.2. The arguments from the authoritative scriptures
5.2. Meditation
5.2.1. The means of resting
5.2.2. The means of resting and means of rectifying
5.2.3. Meditating on emptiness and meritorious action
5.2.4. Unifying calm abiding and insight
5.2.5. Dealing with defects
5.2.6. Simultaneous progress
5.3. Conduct
5.3.1. Four types of conduct
5.3.1.1. Conduct that responds to resentment
5.3.1.2. Conduct that is subsequent to conditions
5.3.1.3. Conduct that does not search for anything
5.3.1.4. Conduct that is compatible with the accumulations
5.3.2. The indications
5.3.3. Black and white deeds
5.4. The fruition
5.5. The tenfold superiority of the simultaneous approach
6. The Tantric Vehicle of Mahāyoga
6.1. The view
6.1.1. The view of phenomena as the configuration of awakened body,
speech, and mind
6.1.1.1. Appearances as the principial body
6.1.1.2. The five wisdoms of suchness
6.1.1.3. The inseparability of awakened body, speech, and mind
6.1.2. The view of phenomena as the enlightened mind
6.1.2.1. Characteristics of the enlightened mind
6.1.2.2. Searching for the enlightened mind
6.1.3. The view of the inseparability of means and sapience
6.1.4. The view of integral being
6.1.4.1. What is integral being?
6.1.4.2. Characteristics of integral being
6.1.5. The view of non-duality
6.1.5.1. Thusness as the non-duality of entities and emptiness
6.1.5.2. Non-duality as beyond limitations
6.1.5.3. The non-duality of cyclic existence and transcendence
6.1.5.4. The non-duality of intrinsic awareness
6.1.5.5. The non-duality of the two truths
6.1.5.6. The faults of duality
6.1.6. The view of equality
6.1.6.1. The equality of absolute truth
6.1.6.2. The equality of relative truth
6.1.6.3. The equality of the two truth’s inseparability
6.1.6.4. The equality of the five great elements and five Thus-
gone Ones
6.1.6.5. The equality of the eight consciousnesses and five
wisdoms
6.1.7. Reconciling the views of Mahāyoga
6.1.8. Seeing absolute truth
6.2. Meditation
6.2.1. The requirements of the approach
6.2.2. The causes of the approach
6.2.2.1. The pith instructions without support
6.2.2.2. The pith instructions with support
6.2.2.2.1. The pith instructions depending on the
upper door
6.2.2.2.2. The pith instructions depending on the
lower door
6.2.2.3. The pivot of the pith instructions
6.2.2.4. Gradual and simultaneous approaches to the
Mantrayāna
6.2.2.4.1. The gradual approach
6.2.2.4.1.1. The means of seating the body
6.2.2.4.1.2. The means of resting the mind
6.2.2.4.1.3. Comparing the sTon-mun and
the gradual approach of
Mahāyoga
6.2.2.4.1.4. Dealing with defects
6.2.2.4.1.4.1. Relinquishing
defects through
antidotes
6.2.2.4.1.4.2. Making defects
evident through
inspection