This two-volume publication explores the complex philosophy of Mahāmudrā that developed in Tibetan Dwags po Bka’ brgyud traditions between the 15th and 16th centuries CE. It examines the attempts to articulate and defend Bka’ brgyud views and practices by four leading post-classical thinkers: (1) Shākya mchog ldan (1423‒1507), a celebrated yet controversial Sa skya scholar who developed a strong affiliation with the Karma Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā tradition in the last half of his life, (2) Karma phrin las Phyogs las rnam rgyal (1456‒1539), a renowned Karma Bka’ brgyud scholar-yogin and tutor to the Eighth Karma pa, (3) the Eighth Karma pa himself, Mi bskyod rdo rje (1507‒1554), who was among the most erudite and influential scholar-hierarchs of his generation, (4) and Padma dkar po (1527‒1592), Fourth ’Brug chen of the ’Brug pa Bka’ brgyud lineage who is generally acknowledged as its greatest scholar and systematizer. It is an important academic work published in the Vienna series WSTB and is divided into two volumes: the first offers a detailed philosophical analysis of the authors’ principal views and justifications of Mahāmudrā against the background of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist doctrines on mind, emptiness and buddha nature; the second comprises an annotated anthology of their seminal writings on Mahāmudrā accompanied by critical editions and introductions. These two volumes are the result of research that was generously funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) from 2012 to 2015 under the supervision of Prof. Klaus-Dieter Mathes. The project was entitled “‘Emptiness of Other’ (Gzhan stong) in the Tibetan ‘Great Seal’ (Mahāmudrā) Traditions of the 15th and 16th Centuries” (FWF Project number P23826-G15). (Source: WSTB Description)
Citation
Higgins, David, and Martina Draszczyk. Mahāmudrā and the Middle Way: Post-Classical Kagyü Discourses on Mind, Emptiness and Buddha-Nature. Vol. II, Translations, Critical Texts, Bibliography and Index. Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde 90.2. Vienna: Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien Universität Wien, 2016.
Volume One
Acknowledgement 12
Introduction 14
Current State of Research 17
Politico-Historical Background 22
Doctrinal Background 25
Navigating the Middle Ways 29
The Nature of Liberating Knowledge 41
Shākya mchog ldan 44
Shākya mchog ldan and the Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā Tradition 45
Life, Writings and Influences 51
Madhyamaka and the Dialectic of Emptiness: Rang stong and Gzhan stong 57
The Three Natures (trisvabhāva) 65
The Two Truths (satyadvaya) 67
Mahāmudrā and Buddha Nature 74
Direct Perception and Nondual Wisdom 101
The Great Seal in Shākya mchog ldan’s Mahāmudrā trilogy 109
Mahāmudrā: What it is and What it is Not 109
Madhyamaka, Mantrayāna and Mahāmudrā 116
Mahāmudrā and What Remains (lhag ma : avasista) 121
The Problem of Cessation 124
Contested Methods of Realization 127
Responses to Sa skya Pandita’s Criticism of Bka’ brgyud Mahāmudrā 131
A Philosophical Defence and Justification of Mahāmudrā 131
Defending Mahāmudrā Views 135
The Self-sufficient White Remedy (dkar po gcig thub) 135
Mental Nonengagement (amanasikāra) and the Fire of Wisdom 139
Concluding Remarks 145
Karma phrin las 148
Overview 149
Life, Writings and Influences 156
Madhyamaka Approach 159
Extant Writings 168
Views of Reality 169
The Compatibility of Rang stong and Gzhan stong 169
The Two Types of Purity 181
Buddha Nature Endowed with Qualities 184
On the Unity of the Two Truths 200
“Thoughts are Dharmakāya” 210
Understanding Coemergence: the Inseparability of Samsāra and Nirvana 217
Concluding Remarks 223
Karma pa Mi bskyod rdo rje 226
Overview 227
The Differentiation and Identification Models 229
Reconciling Affirmation and Negation 238
Life, Writings and Influences 242
Blending Mahāmudrā and Madhyamaka 250
Emptiness and Hermeneutics of the Three Turnings 253
Core Soteriological Ideas and the Role of Philosophical Distinctions 265
Buddha Nature 269
Nature of Reality 275
Nature of Mind 277
The Problem of the Remainder (lhag ma : avasista) 299
On the Prospect of a Groundless Ground 314
On Whether or Not a Buddha has Wisdom 320
Mahāmudrā as Mental Nonengagement (amanasikāra) 325
Concluding Remarks 341
Padma dkar po 342
Overview 343
Life, Writings and Influences 347
The Basic Framework: Mahāmudrā and the Unity of the Two Truths 350
Emptiness and the Hermeneutics of the Three Turnings 352
Hermeneutics of Mahāmudrā as Ground and Path 356
The Two Faces of Mahāmudrā: the Modes of Abiding and Error 357
Mahāmudrā as the Mode of Abiding (gnas lugs phyag chen) 359
Mahāmudrā in the Mode of Error ( ’khrul lugs phyag chen) 363
Yang dgon pa on the Two Modes of Mahāmudrā 369
Padma dkar po’s Transposition of Yang dgon pa’s Distinction 376
Interpretations of the Mahāmudrā Distinction 378
Mahāmudrā and the Unity of the Two Truths 382
Asymmetrical Unity and Rival Truth Theories (Jo nang and Dge lugs) 385
The Ground of Truth 393
Path Mahāmudrā and Liberating Knowledge 398
Nonconceptual Knowing in the Shadow of the Bsam yas Debate 399
Three Strands of Amanasikāra Interpretation in Indian Buddhism 403
Padma dkar po’s Three Grammatical Interpretations of Amanasikāra 413
Responding to Criticisms of Amanasikāra 422
Concluding Remarks 426
Final Reflections 429
Volume Two
Shākya mchog ldan 10
Introduction: the Mahāmudrā Trilogy 11
1a. English Translation of Gzhan blo’i dregs pa nyams byed 14
1b. Critical Edition of Gzhan blo’i dregs pa nyam byed 26
2a. English Translation of Grub pa mchog gi dgongs pa rnam nges 34
2b. Critical Edition of Grub pa mchog gi dgongs pa rnam nges 43
3a. English Translation of Zung 'jug gi gru chen 48
3b. Critical Edition of Zung ’jug gi gru chen 71
Karma phrin las pa 86
Perspectives on Rang stong and Gzhan stong 87
1a. English Translation of Dri lan yid kyi mun sei 88
1b. Critical Edition of Dri lan yid kyi mun sei 91
A Mystical Song of the View Proclaiming the Mode of Being 94
2a. English Translation of the Yin lugs sgrog pa Ita ba’i mgur 95
2b. Critical Edition of the Yin lugs sgrog pa Ita ba ’i mgur 98
A Vajra Song 100
3a. English Translation of the Rdo rje mgur 100
3b. Critical Edition of the Rdo rje mgur 102
Karma pa Mi bskyod rdo rje 104
Critique of ‘Gos Lo tsd ba’s Separation of Buddhahood and Buddha Nature 105
1a. English Translation of Rgan po’i rlung sman (excerpt) 105
1b. Critical Edition of Rgan po’i rlung sman (excerpt) 109
Some Criticisms of Shākya mchog ldan’s Buddha Nature Epistemology 111
2a. English Translation of Rgan po ’i rlung sman (excerpt) 112
2b. Critical Edition of Rgan po’i rlung sman (excerpt) 115
Two Minds in One Person? A Reply to the Queries of Bla ma khams pa 117
3a. English Translation of Bla ma khams pa ’i dris lan mi gcig sems gnyis 118
3b. Critical Edition of Bla ma khams pa’i dris lan mi gcig sems gnyis 120
A Trove Containing Myriad Treasures of Profound Mahāmudrā 122
4a. English Translation of Zab mo phyag chen gyi mdzod sna tshogs ’dus pa’i gter 123
4b. Critical Edition of Zab mo phyag chen gyi mdzod sna tshogs ’dus pa’i gter 134
Mental Nonengagement as Unconditioned Mental Engagement 143
5a. English Translation of Sku gsum ngo sprod rnam bshad (excerpt) 144
5b. Critical Edition of Sku gsum ngo sprod rnam bshad (excerpt) 147
Amanasikāra, Emptiness, and the Tradition of Heshang Moheyan 150
6a. English Translation of Dgongs gcig ’grel pa VI (excerpt) 151
6b. Critical Edition of Dgongs gcig ’grel pa VI (excerpt) 153
Padma dkar po 156
Distinguishing Gnas lugs phyag chen and ’Khrul lugs phyag chen 157
1a. English Translation of Phyag chen rgyal ba’i gan mdzod (excerpt) 157
1b. Critical Edition of Phyag chen rgyal ba’i gan mdzod (excerpt) 168
Three Grammatical Interpretations of Amanasikāra 175
2b. Critical Edition of Phyag chen rgyal ba’i gan mdzod (excerpt) 176
Refuting Sa pan’s Equation of Mahāmudrā with Heshang’s Chan Meditation 179
3a. English Translation of Klan ka gzhom pa’i gtam (excerpt) 180
3b. Critical Edition of Klan ka gzhom pa ’i gtam (excerpt) 188
Response to Nam mkha’ rgyal mtshan’s critique of Padma dkar po’s Amanasikāra 194
4a. English Translation of Shar rtse zhal snga’i brgal lan (excerpt) 195
4b. Critical Edition of Shar rtse zhal snga’i brgal lan (excerpt) 197
Amanasikāra in the Context of Nonreferential Meditation 199
5a. English Translation of Snying po don gyi man ngag (excerpt) 199
5b. Critical Edition of Snying po don gyi man ngag (excerpt) 201
Bibliography 202
Abbreviations of Canonical Collections, Journals, and Online Sources 202
Primary Sources: Indian Works 202
Primary Sources: Tibetan Works 207
Secondary Sources 218
Index 232
David Higgins and Martina Draszczyk's Mahāmudrā And The Middle Way is a study of four Tibetan philosophers from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who attempted to forge a middle way between contemporary doctrinal extremes regarding Mahāmudrā and buddha-nature theory. Three of the four authors were Kagyu: Karma Trinle Chokle Namgyel, the Eighth Karmapa, and the Fourth Drukchen Pema Karpo, and one was Sakya, Śākya Chokden, who was, late in life, a student of the Seventh Karmapa. The four authors did not agree with each other, all finding their own ways to steer, as Higgins and Draszczyk put it, "a middle course between the Scylla and Charybdis of eternalism and nihilism."
All four authors studied were "scholar-yogis," -- philosophers who were also keenly interested and accomplished in the meditative practices of their traditions. Higgins and Draszczyk position the four as responding to the doctrinal extremes of the Geluk and Jonang traditions, the first representing nihilism of Tsongkhapa's interpretation of Candrakīrti, and the second being Dolpopa's teaching on gzhan stong. All four wrote in an era in which Geluk Prasangika was becoming dominant, in a language that suggested an anti-Tantric polemic; Geluk and Sakya authors were rejecting Saraha, an Indian saint whose writings form part of the Mahāmudrā canon. Certainly the two hierarchs of Kagyu traditions could not afford to leave their central doctrines undefended. This perspective is true to the authors studied, but it should be noted that followers of the Geluk or Jonang would certainly not accept the label of extremism, and would -- and did -- view the authors' positions as intellectually naive.
Still, the four attempts at reconciliation between doctrinal poles are a needed corrective to the many studies in which the extremes are presented as contradictory; for all four authors the philosophical binaries were complementary and integral to the practice of Buddhism. They each advocated for an intellectual inquiry of emptiness using the language of negation favored by Geluk and mainline Sakya teachers, paired with or followed by a meditative engagement with positive-language doctrines of buddha-nature and the natural luminosity of mind. The great debates of the era between Madhyamaka and Yogacāra, gzhan stong and rang stong, analytical or meditative approach, Sudden vs. Gradual Enlightenment, and so forth, were for these authors not issues of either / or but matters of synthesis and balance.
