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This translation of a crucial Dzogchen text is provided solely for your personal reference, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Please do not reproduce or distribute this version elsewhere, as it was translated from Tibetan using Gemini Pro 2.5. Since I do not read Tibetan (I am only conversant with English and Chinese), I am unable to verify the correctness of this translation. If you are proficient in Tibetan and can provide feedback regarding its accuracy, please feel free to contact me: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/p/contact-us.html
Herein lies The Lamp That Dispels Darkness, the pith instruction of directly pointing to the nature of mind according to the tradition of the elderly realized ones.
Homage to the Lama and Mañjuśrī, the Bodhisattva of pristine consciousness (gnosis).
Without needing extensive study, reflection, and training, by cultivating the nature of mind according to the tradition of pith instructions, most ordinary village mantrikas, with little effort, attain the vidyādhara levels and accomplish the profound path.
Furthermore, when one rests this very mind in its natural state, without thinking anything at all, and maintains a continuous stream of mindfulness within that state, at that time, a neutral, indeterminate awareness, a murky, dense darkness, arises. When, within that, no vipaśyanā (special insight) of knowing this or that has arisen, from that aspect, lamas designate it as 'ignorance' (avidyā). From the aspect of not knowing how to express or identify 'it is like this, it is that,' it is named 'indeterminate.' Because it is inexpressible what it abides in or what it thinks, it is labeled 'ordinary equanimity'; in reality, it is abiding ordinarily and spontaneously within the state of the kun gzhi (all-basis). Although one must give rise to non-conceptual pristine consciousness by relying on such methods of equipoise, such a state where the pristine consciousness of recognizing one's own nature has not arisen is not the actual basis of meditation. As it is said in the 'Universal Aspiration': 'Utterly unconscious (devoid of active thought), dense (thom me ba), that itself is ignorance, the cause of delusion.'
Thus, when such an awareness, unconscious (devoid of active thought), inert (ma ’gyus), and dense (thom me ba), is experienced by mind (sems), by settled looking at that very agent that is conscious of that state and the agent that abides without thought, vidyā, free from movement and thought, without inner or outer, thoroughly transparent, like clear sky, [arises]. Although there is no duality of experienced and experiencer, one gains certainty in its own nature, and if the thought arises, 'There is nothing other than this,' then, because it is inexpressible by thought and word as 'it is like this,' it may be designated 'primordial clear light, free from extremes, beyond expression,' and 'vidyā'. Because the pristine consciousness to which one has been introduced has arisen, the cloying, dense darkness (dmu thom me ba) is cleared, and just as when dawn breaks one sees the inside of a house, confidence (nges shes) regarding the dharmatā (nature of phenomena) of one's own mind has been born. This is called 'the pith instruction for breaking the shell of the egg of ignorance.'
When realized in this way, due to the cause and condition of the dharmatā's suchness abiding primordially in its natural state, one knows it to be uncompounded and unchanging throughout the three times, and not even an atom of mind that is other than this is observed. Although the former murky, dense darkness is inexpressible, certainty is not gained because one does not know what to express. Although the essence (ngo bo) of vidyā is inexpressible, certainty regarding the inexpressible meaning, free from doubt, is gained. Like one without eyes and one with eyes, the manner of inexpressibility of these two is very different. The distinction between the all-basis and the dharmakāya (truth body) is also condensed in this key point. Therefore, regarding 'ordinary awareness,' 'non-mental engagement,' 'beyond expression,' and so forth, there are both authentic and inauthentic versions. If one ascertains the key point of 'similar terms, superior meaning,' one will find the experiential realization of the profound Dharma's intent.
When resting in the natural state within the nature of mind, some try to sustain mere clarity, mere awareness, and rest in a state of thinking 'this is the clarity of mental consciousness.' Others fixate on a vacant emptiness, as if awareness has become empty. Both of these are attachments to experiences of grasping and apprehended, aspects of mental consciousness. At that time, by settled looking at that very subtle continuous stream of conceptual-holding awareness that apprehends clarity as clarity and emptiness as emptiness, the support of the consciousness (vijñāna) that clings to apprehended and apprehender is uprooted. Nakedly and vividly, certainty is gained in the natural state of clarity-emptiness, free from center and extremes. If a clear, lucid state arises, that is designated 'the face of vidyā'. It is the arising of naked pristine consciousness, vidyā free from the husk of experiences involving grasping. This is called 'the pith instruction for cutting the net of conditioned existence.' Likewise, vidyā, free from the various husks of intellectual analysis and experiences, like a grain of rice, should be recognized through the gateway of the dharmatā's natural state, its self-clarity.
Merely knowing that fundamental nature of vidyā is not enough; one must stabilize the degree of habituation within that very state. It is crucial to maintain undistractedly the continuous stream of mindfulness while awareness rests in its natural state. When cultivating in this way, sometimes there is a dull non-conceptuality where one doesn't know what is what; sometimes a transparent non-conceptuality where the clear aspect of vipaśyanā has not emerged; sometimes an experience of bliss with attachment; sometimes an experience of bliss without attachment; sometimes various experiences of clarity with grasping; sometimes clear lucidity, undefiled and free from grasping; sometimes coarse, unpleasant experiences; sometimes smooth, pleasant experiences; sometimes meditation is scattered by following after extremely turbulent conceptual thoughts (rnam rtog); sometimes, due to not distinguishing between dullness and clarity, it is turbid, and so on. The arising of various unpredictable and immeasurable waves of conceptual thoughts habituated from beginningless time and karmic winds (las rlung) is like encountering various pleasant and perilous places when entering a long path. Whatever arises, maintain your own path without deliberate grasping. Especially when one is unhabituated, during times of agitated experiences where various conceptual thoughts blaze like fire, do not be disheartened by that, but maintain the continuity with appropriate tension and relaxation. Subsequent experiences such as attainment will then gradually arise.
At this time, in general, regarding the analysis of vidyā and ignorance, all-basis and dharmakāya, consciousness and pristine consciousness, when cultivating with confidence (gdeng) in the introduction (ngo ’phrod pa) based on experience through the lama's pith instructions, one should primarily apply the pith instruction that, just as water becomes clear if unstirred, by resting consciousness in its own place, its dharmatā, pristine consciousness, naturally clarifies itself. One should not proliferate the discursive activity of analyzing whether 'my object of meditation is consciousness or pristine consciousness?' with acceptance and rejection, or textual understanding and conceptualization, for that will somewhat obscure both śamatha (calm abiding) and vipaśyanā. When the degree of habituation in śamatha—the stable continuous stream of mindfulness resting in the natural state—and the habituation in vipaśyanā—knowing one's own nature as self-clarity—become firmly conjoined by their own power, the realization of the Great Perfection (rdzogs pa chen po), the self-arisen pristine consciousness that knows the primordially inseparable śamatha and vipaśyanā of the naturally abiding state and the natural clear light, will dawn. This is the pith instruction for abiding in equanimity, like space.
Similarly, the glorious Saraha said: 'Having utterly abandoned thought and objects of thought, abide in the manner of a thought-free child,' which teaches the methods of equipoise. And, 'By focusing on the lama's words and striving diligently,' which means if one possesses the pith instruction introducing vidyā, 'The co-emergent (lhan cig skyes pa) will undoubtedly arise.' Thus, the self-arisen pristine consciousness, vidyā, the dharmatā of mind, which is primordially co-emergent with one's own mind, arises. It is non-different from the dharmatā of all phenomena and is also the primordial ultimate clear light. Therefore, this way of cultivating vidyā, or the essence of mind, or the dharmatā—resting in the natural state and knowing one's own nature—is the pith instruction that condenses a hundred key points into one. This is also what is to be cultivated continuously. The measure of habituation is apprehended by the clear light of nighttime. The sign that it is the authentic path is the spontaneous increase of faith, compassion (thugs rje), and wisdom (prajñā). That realization is blissful and requires little effort is known through one's own experience. That it is profound and swift is ascertained by accomplishing it with great exertion and effort, and by comparing the measure of realization with those who have engaged in this or other paths. The fruition to be obtained by meditating on one's own mind as clear light is also this: when the obscurations of conceptual thoughts upon it and their latencies (bag chags) are self-cleared, the two kinds of knowledge (mkhyen gnyis) effortlessly expand, the primordial abiding state is attained, and the three kāyas (bodies of a Buddha) are achieved through natural perfection (lhun grub).
Profound! Secret! Samaya!
On the 12th day of the waxing moon in the Fire Horse month of Rabtses, for the sake of village mantrikas and others who mostly do not exert themselves in study and reflection but desire the practice of the nature of mind, in accordance with the easily understandable Dharma language of the direct experiential guidance (dmar khrid) of most elderly realized ones, this profound pith instruction was composed by Mipham Jampal Dorje. May it be virtuous! Maṅgalaṃ!
