PLACING BUDDHAHOOD WITHIN REACH

A Teaching Manual
Forming Part of the Sadhana Cycle
of the Peaceful Form of Manjushri

His Holiness Jigmed P'huntsog Junguay

PLACING BUDDHAHOOD WITHIN REACH

A Teaching Manual
Forming Part of the Sadhana Cycle
of the Peaceful Form of Manjushri

Ngawang Lodro Tsungmed

[His Holiness Jigmed P'huntsog Jungnay]

Translated from the Tibetan by Richard Barron

To Manjughosha, primordial lord protector, simulta­
neous intrinsic awareness and emptiness,
I pay homage with the realization that you and I are
beyond ordinary coming together or parting.
I impart this advice, these direct transmission
instructions on key points, to my heart children:
Let them in turn not let this slip away, but rather
put it into practice!

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 Fortunate people, first and foremost you should
reflect as follows:
"At this point I have attained the precious state
of human existence with freedom and opportunity,
which is difficult to come by whichever of three
points of view I consider-its causes, traditional
metaphors to illustrate its rarity, or the relatively
few numbers of such rebirths. This allows me to
accomplish any of the goals of the three types of
spiritual individuals I undertake. And that is not all,
for I have met with qualified spiritual mentors who
have imparted to me the advice of the profound
Buddhadharma. In this situation, in which there are
such abundant supportive circumstances, I will not
indulge in slacking off in my practice of the sacred
teachings of the Buddhadharma." With such thoughts
you should make this resolve again and again.
Being aware of the facts that this body which is
your working basis will certainly die, that you have
no knowledge of when death will occur, and that
nothing counter to the B uddbadharma will be of
benefit when you do die, you should reinforce your
resolve to practice in a virtuous manner swiftly.
Once you are dead, you do not become naught;
rather, you must follow in the wake of our positive
and negative karma, infallibly experiencing plea­
sure or pain, respectively. You must be especially

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certain in your mind that all the vast and enduring
suffering of cyclic existence is unbearable, resolv­
ing to practice in an extensive way the teachings of
the Buddhadharma that can bring. freedom from the
otherwise limitless cycle of ordinary existence.
As well, you should pray to your gurus and cho­
sen deities with the thought, "Grant me your bless­
ings that these three resolves may be accomplished!"

Next, given that the taking of refuge is the sole

factor that serves as the foundation of the entire
spiritual path and that brings you into the Buddhist
fold, you should meditate as follows:
Clearly visualize that in the sky in front of you,
within a vast expanse of utterly lovely white clouds
and rainhow light, is your root guru in essence,
appearing in the form of Manjushri, the aspect of
pristine awareness, the array of his magical display
of attributes as described in the main text of this
cycle.
Make the following resolve according to the usual
sutra tradition of taking refuge: "From now until I
become the essence of enlightenment, I will rely
only upon you. Putting whatever you say into prac­
tice, I, together with the companions who share my
view and conduct, will exert myself until we all
come to share a good fortune equal to your own." As

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well, formulate the extraordinary intention for tak­
ing refuge in this particular path, of maintaining
awareness of your own self-cognizing intrinsic
awareness, the supreme state of original purity, as
the epitome of the hero Manjushri in the definitive
sense. Without losing this resolve, recite the follow­
ing lines [from the sadhana], accumulating as many
repetitions as you can:

1�·.,!�.,-, •.,111. -r111--· !Q.,·�·Sli1

ZHI YING KA DAG ... KY AB SU CHHI
The ground of being as basic space, original
purity, ... my own true nature.

Further to this, give rise to the enlightening

attitude of bodhicitta. Cultivate intense compassion
until tears spring from your eyes, thinking, "Why
shouldn't sentient beings, experiencing limitless and
constant suffering, be free of that suffering? I will
attain the sacred state of buddhahood, which pro­
vides the capability to liberate all beings. Since it is
only the Great Perfection approach of sheer clarity
that constitutes a path to accomplish this easily and
swiftly, without requiring a long process of gather­
ing accumulations, this is the approach I will put
into practice." While remaining in an imperturbable

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state of rest, free of limits, recite the following lines
[from the sadhana]:

li�a.·Q.l!�·�i:.· o1'"1"'. .::l 111"1·,;ij"i·�1

LO BUR T'HRUL NANG ... SEM KYED DO
In the illusory city of adventitious appearances
based upon confusion ... a freedom from
limitation.

After you have accumulated as many repetitions

as you can, immeasurable rays of light shine from
the heart of the object of refuge, touching you and
all sentient beings, purifying all effects of harmful
actions and obscurations so that no trace remains.
Imagine that your own body, too, fades into light
and is absorbed into the heart center of the object of
refuge, and so rest in equipoise without grasping.
For the guruyoga practice, clearly visualize the
guru as before. Think, "Henceforth, in all lifetimes,
even in dreams I will seek no other source of hope
than you, my gracious guru in whom the sources of
refuge all unite. Rather, I will rely entirely upon you
as my source of refuge. To you I offer my body, my
personal wealth, and all my limitless virtue through­
out the three times. As I acknowledge and confess
without exception the harmful actions and failings

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accumulated throughout beginningless time, I pray
that you will ripen and free my mindstream. I pray,
grant your blessings that I may follow the path of
the Great Perfection of sheer clarity to its utmost,
attaining your level, 0 sublime guide!" With these
thoughts in mind, pray one-pointedly with the fol­
lowing lines:

l���-��·t·�-11·a.a;i=.·c r ifj 1w·41-11-f�-51�·�i:i·1r i:it�t

ZHON NUI KU LU CHHANG WA PO
YE SHEY DRON MEY RAB TU GYAN
Endowed with a youthful form, splendidly
adorned with the lamp of pristine awareness,

1a.£�-��-��-14C1J·14�·��·c:i1 1a.1.�-Q�·"\si=.�·Q1·Cl\..r�·i:i·a.�c:i'l1
JIG TEN TI MUG MUN SEL WA
JAM PAI YANG LA SOL WA DEB
you dispel the darkness of ignorance in the
world: I pray to Manjushri.

From the three places on the guru's form come

three rays of light-white, red and dark blue-which
are absorbed into the three places on your own form.
The ohscurations of your body, speech and mind are
purified; the limitless positive qualities of enlight-

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ened form, speech and mind become evident. Fi­
nally, imagine that the guru dissolves into light. that
is absorbed into you, and rest in a genuine state of
equipoise beyond the ordinary rational mind.
When you arise from that state again, you should
conceive of the world of all possible phenomena as
being of the essential nature of the guru and dedi­
cate the roots of virtue toward enlightenment.

Then, for the stage of completion, meditate that

in the center of your body (which remains in its
ordinary form) is the central channel, reddish blue
and about the thickness of a bamboo arrow shaft.
The upper extremity reaches the crown of your head;
the lower extremity closes off a few inches below
your navel. To the right is the red rasana channel,
to the left the white lalana channel; their lower
extremities join that of the central channel in the
shape of a Tibetan cha (,t,) syllable, while their
upper extremities enter your nostrils. Expel the dregs
of your breath. As you inhale, the subtle energy of
wind enters your nostrils and passes through the
rasana and lalana channels. In the region below
your navel at which the three channels come to­
gether is the chandali fire of pristine awareness; its
base is stable, its point sharp, it is extremely hot to
the touch and is about the size of a barley grain. As

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the subtle energy touches this, it blazes into a large
tongue of flame. Your gross physical body that is
subject to destruction, and even the subUe channels,
subtle energy and bindu-all this is incinerated with
no trace remaining, and fades away to the point that
there is no fixed frame of reference.
From that empty state you yourself appear in the
form of Manjuvajra. This form is transparent inside
and out, somewhat like an inflated balloon, and in
its center are the three parallel channels and the
four energy centers (chakras), as well as the small
shaft of fire in the region of the navel. Clearly
visualize that in the top of the central channel there
is a white HANG (;) syllable turned upside down,
which expresses the essential nature in which all
buddhas unite, and the mere recollection of which
has the ability to give rise to simultaneous bliss and
emptiness.
The subtle energy that you inhale through your
nose touches the small shaft of fire; from this a tip
of flame like a large needle moves upward, touching
the HANG in the crown of your head so that it drips
onto the flame. As the tongue of flame blazes more
greatly, nectar flows down continually. The flame
and the bindu chase one another up and down, as it
were, filling the four chakras in succession. You
experience the four degrees of joy and the pristine

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awareness of the four degrees of emptiness. In this
state in which the ultimate degree of pristine aware­
ness lhat unites bliss and emptiness has hecome
evident, you should rest for as long as you can and
then finally dedicate the virtue.

Next, from among the three phases of the Great

Perfection approach-the preparation, the main body
of practice and the conclusion-the first phase con­
sists of the preliminary physical, verbal and mental
practices that lead one through the principle of the
three avenues of being.
To begin with, meditate that your body is a blue
vajra giving off sparks of fire. Once you have stood
in the vajra stance for a long time, at the point that
your body collapses helplessly and the flow of dis­
cursive thoughts is interrupted, rest in the natural
state that simply happens in and of itself and refresh
yourself. Practice in the above manner over and
over.
In the second place, [meditate that] within your
heart center intrinsic awareness as the indwelling
ground of being is present in the form of a blue
HUNG<\). From this proliferate countless tiny HUNG
syllables, one following after the other; these touch
the mountains, forests, buildings and so forth [in
the outside world], so that all of these become noth-

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ing but HUNGs. Further to this, these external
HUNGs are drawn into your body. Your own body,
too, becomes a HUNG. Finally, imagine these count­
less HUNGs fading away in basic space, and refresh
yourself in the natural state that simply happens in
and of itself. During all of these exercises you should
chant "bung" melodiously and in a drawn-out man­
ner.
In the third place, come to the decision that all
of samsara and nirvana is the phantasmagoria of
mind. By investigating whence this mind itself
comes, where it abides, where it goes, you determine
that inanimate material objects in their obvious forms
are made of atoms and undefinable subatomic par­
ticles. By coming to a definitive conclusion that
there is no definability or ground to any of these,
you reach the decision that they are without true
origin, duration or cessation. As for mind, if you
examine whether it bas a shape, color, sound, odor,
taste or tactile quality, it cannot be established to be
any of these whatsoever. As far as even its lucidity
and awareness are concerned, other than these being
merely describable in verbal terms, there is no means
to discover anything that constitutes some fixed point
of reference that can be determined to have exist­
ence in truth. In tearing down the makeshift hut of
clinging to the seeming truth of things, you will be

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led toward a certainty concerning the uUimate mean­
ing of the unreality of things.
As for the yoga of the four elements that leads
one through the principle of the three avenues of
being, you focus your attention on the sounds of the
earth, water, fire and wind as though your mind
were dissolving into these, and rest iii that experi­
ence. When it seems as though no ordinary thoughts
of grasping whatsoever proliferate, you should relax
in that natural state that simply happens in and of
itself and identify what I.he inherent nature of mind
is truly like.
As for delineating the gap between samsara and
nirvana, which leads one through the principle of
intrinsic awareness, you act out all the thoughts,
behavior and utterances of the six classes of ordi­
nary beings, just as they occur to you on impulse.
Should the proliferation of your thoughts intensify,
cut through them with a vigorous cry of "PHAT"
and look at the true nature of your consciousness.
Train over and over until you have discovered a
certainty in the fact that mind is groundless and
without fixed foundation. Finally, let.the three av­
enues of your being settle into an unwavering, genu­
ine state, and look at the essential nature of mind at
rest in the natural state that simply happens in and
of itself. In this way you will be led 'toward a cer-

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tainty regarding the view of nonconceptual dharma­
kaya.
Next, by engaging in peaceful conduct like that
of a shravaka, in the middle path of behavior like
that of a bodhisattva, and wrathful conduct like that
of a wrathful deity, within the context of the pre­
liminary practices you will embark on the path that
integrates calm abiding and penetrative insight in
such a way that these affect your mindstream, and so
practice restorative techniques.

The second phase, the main body of practice,

involves cutting through what is seemingly solid
into a state of original purity.
In settling this mind of yours in its own uncon­
trived place, when you look to its inherently uncon­
ditioned nature in an utterly relaxed manner, it is
atemporally and pristinely empty, free of fixed foun­
dation, free and all-embracing. Beyond distinctions
of outer or inner, limit or center, the inherent radi­
ance of mind is ceaseless, free of all ordinary dis­
cursive thoughts due to mental stirring or recollec­
tion. Through coming to a decision concerning this
ineffable ultimate meaning, you recognize that the
enlightened minds of buddhas of the three times and
the ordinary minds of impure sentient beings are all
entirely subsumed within the vast expanse of the

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pnstme awareness that is simultaneously intrinsic
awareness and emptiness, without any distinction of
better or worse. This is what is referred to as the
view of a mountain settling imperturbably.
While you are maintaining recognition of that
view and resting in the natural state that simply
happens in and of itself, there is nothing whatsoever
to cultivate in meditation, no fixed frame of refer­
ence that conceives of anything existing or not ex­
isting, being or not being. Nor is there any distrac­
tion, though there is freedom from the corruption of
analytical thinking about something to deny or
achieve. This integration of meditative stability as
the true nature of reality that happens of itself, and
penetrative insight of the inherent lucidity of one's
own true nature-this is refened to as the medita­
tion of the ocean settling imperturbably.
While you are maintaining the ongoing flow of
this meditation, as far as all the appearances and
awareness involved in the six aggregates of ordinary
consciousness are concerned, do not alter, manipu­
late, reject or indulge in these, but rather ensure
that you do not lose your inner stance of genuine­
ness, of simultaneous intrinsic awareness and emp­
tiness. This way, any apparent phenomena that mani­
fest as the dynamic energy of mind will neither help
nor harm you, but will become like waves subsiding

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into the ocean. This is referred to as the conduct of
apparent phenomena settling imperturbably.
In this way, during the first stage of familiarity,
that of recognizing intrinsic awareness, discursive
thoughts are freed naturally, like a knot in a snake.
In the following stage, when the dynamic energy of
that recognition is being perfected, no ordinary
thought patterns cause any benefit or harm, like a
thief breaking into a deserted house. Finally, when
stability has been gained, you will not find any
impure phenomenon in your experience even though
you search for one, for inherent, ultimate pristine
awareness has become evident. This is like the fact
that on the fabulous Isle of Gold there is no ordinary
earth or rock to be found. This is referred to as the
fruition of intrinsic awareness settling imperturb­
ably.

The third phase, the conclusion, involves sur­

passing the pinnacle in spontaneous presence.
In order to perceive intrinsic awareness-the
inner space of sheer clarity-directly, without the
ordinary rational mind speculating about it, the key
point of the body is that of adopting one of the
sitting postures of the three kayas. The key point of
speech is in fact that of refraining from speaking,
breathing gently through your mouth. The key point

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of mind is that of the "self-occurring lamp of tran­
scendent knowledge," the imperturbable state of rest
that cuts through what is seemingly solid.
Within this context, the key points of the objec­
tive environment are the sky free of obscuring ele­
ments and [a source of light) such as the sun, the
moon, or a lamp. The key point of the avenue of
experience involvcs gazing upward, downward or
off to the side.
The following are the key points of the visions:
the basic space of experience, termed the "lamp of
total purity," as a great expanse of deep blue space
ringed with light of five colors; the spheres of light,
termed the "lamp of emptiness," that appear as many
concentric spheres of light of five colors overlaying
one another; and in the center of these, the so-called
"vajra continuum of intrinsic awareness," like nu­
merous threads of gold adorned with garlands of
crystal beads. As you hold the latter strictly within
the bounds of the former, without wavering or vacil­
lation, you focus your subtle energy. vision and or­
dinary ideational consciousness as though these three
factors were dissolving into the vision.
Without any intellectual speculation, any ordi­
nary thought patterns concerning the characteristics
of the experience, you become familiar with it over a
long period. The clear perception of basic space, the

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spheres of light and intrinsic awareness is lthc stage
of the first of four visions,] termed "the direct per­
ception of the true nature of reality."
These factors evolve, becoming clearer, more
stable and more expansive, so that there appears a
vision of immeasurable illumination, [the second
vision] termed "the enrichment of meditative expe­
rience."
Basic space is purified into a pure realm of
experience, the spheres of light are perfected as the
immeasurable mansion, and intrinsic awareness rip­
ens into enlightened embodiment. The radiance of
being that is entirely pure becomes evident, [the
third vision] termed "intrinsic awareness reaching
its fullest expression."
All the manifestations on the phenomenal level­
the limitless visions of enlightened embodiments
and aspects of pristine awareness-disappear, achiev­
ing a firm stance within the vast expanse of the
youthful vase body, the true nature of reality, [the
fourth vision] termed "the true nature of reality as
the point at which phenomena fall away."
Further to this, the array of the three kayas
reveals itself in all manner of ways within the realms
of beings to be tamed. This is the infallible result
inherent in the aspirations toward excellence that
have been an integral part of the process of gather­
ing the accumulations.
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 If you do not gain a consummate degree of sta­
bility in this approach during this lifetime, at the
point of your death imagine that your mind itself is
present as a white A (ti!) in your heart center. Pro­
pelled upward by your subtle energy, it is absorbed
into the heart center of your guru, who is seated
above the crown of your head. Imagine that the
guru, rises higher and higher, departing for the pure
realm of bliss. With this, perform the transferenc�
of consciousness while resting in equipoise, with
your own mind inseparable from the enlightened
mind of the guru.
Regardless of what appearances arise in the first
stage of the intermediate state after death, the bardo
of the true nature of reality-whether sounds, fields
.or rays of light, or the displays of enlightened em­
bodiments and pristine awareness-you should rec­
ognize these to be inherently self-manifesting ap­
pearances and remain present, holding to a firm
stance through the view of settling imperturbably in
the immediacy of that recognition. You should not
turn away from remaining present until all the mani­
festations of the dynamic energy of being have re­
solved into the vast expanse of the ground of being.
When, like dream images, visions arise during
the bardo of becoming, direct your devotion one­
pointedly on your deity and your guru; by focusing

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intently upon the key points of the direct transmis­
sion instructions above concerning the point of death,
you will be inspired to attain to an inherently self­
existing nirmanakaya pure realm.

Thus, Lhe key points that are the essence of this

text, Placing Buddhahood Within Your Reach,
welled forth from the vast expanse that is simulta­
neous intrinsic awareness and emptiness.
Most of the words found herein were contrived by
my ordinary intellectual mind.
Nevertheless, for a few beginners,
I felt that some small benefit might accrue, and so
set this down in writing.
By the virtue of this. may all beings who fill space,
without any exception,
gain inspiration as one in primordial basic space!

This was set down in writing by Ngawang Lodro

Tsungmed (His Holiness Jigmed P'huntsog Jungnay)
in a break between morning meditation sessions, in
the hermitage of the Asura Cave (also known as the
cave of Narayana), at the five-peaked mountain of
Wu T'ai Shan, a place sacred to the emanations of
Manjushri.

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 Some words in conclusion:
Once the vital essence of the enlightened intent of
the one thousand buddhas, the sublime guides,
has brought refreshment within the spacious reaches
of the three kinds of faith,
there is the definitive and sublime path that confers
dharmakaya, simultaneous and coemergent
intrinsic awareness and emptiness,
even upon the thoroughly deluded masses of
conditioned existence.
For this reason, this source book of the sublime and
noble path to total freedom
was by various quasi-magical processes produced as
the bounty that delights the fortunate,
an inexhaustible and noble gift of the Buddha­
dharma. Through the virtue of spreading this,
I pray that all beings never be separate from the
noble presence of this sublime one!

During the sixth Tibetan month of the earth

serpent year in this seventeenth sexagenary cycle
[that is, August of 1989}, the plates for printing this
teaching manual and related texts were fashioned
from the fourth most precious metal (iron). This was
sponsored by me, one called Jamyang Gyeypai Lodan
[Khenpo Namdrol}, who presents but a shadow of
being a practitioner in these modern times, but who
has received kindness again and again from this

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sacred lord of Buddhadharma, this magnificent
scholar, in the form of teachings on the classes of
tantra in general, and of the ripening empowerment
and liberating instructions for this teaching in par­
ticular. I pray that the sacred guru, the sublime
guide, may grant his blessings that above aspira­
tions made on that occasion be accomplished just as
I have formulated them!

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 Chagdud Gonpa/Padma Publishing
Box 279
Junction City, CA 96048-0279
(916) 623-2714

May all beings benefit!

Copyright 1993 by Chagdud Gonpa/Padma Puhlishing