Samten Migdrön
Encyclopedia
Samten Migdrön is a Tibetan text of historical importance for the historical relationship of Dzogchen
and Zen
as well identifying the view of its author, Nubchen Sangye Yeshe. The Samten Migdron was recovered amongst the Dunhuang texts.
Namkhai Norbu et al. (1986: p. 23) identify Nubchen Sangye Yeshe as the author of a treatise, Samten Migdrön (Tib. bsam gtan mig sgron).
Dalton (2003: unpaginated) in his introduction to the Anuyoga
literature of the Nyingma
states that:
Samten Gyaltsen Karmay wrote on the Samten Migron.
):
Dzogchen
According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
and Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
as well identifying the view of its author, Nubchen Sangye Yeshe. The Samten Migdron was recovered amongst the Dunhuang texts.
Namkhai Norbu et al. (1986: p. 23) identify Nubchen Sangye Yeshe as the author of a treatise, Samten Migdrön (Tib. bsam gtan mig sgron).
Dalton (2003: unpaginated) in his introduction to the Anuyoga
Anuyoga
Anuyoga is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism...
literature of the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
states that:
Nubchen Sanggyé Yeshé is renowned for having preserved a number of tantric lineages through the so-called “dark period” of Tibetan history (roughly 842-978 C.E.), when state-supported monastic Buddhism fell into decline. Nubchen authored many works, including the Lamp for the Eye in Contemplation (bsam gtan mig sgron), an extensive discussion of early Tibetan contemplative systems.
Samten Gyaltsen Karmay wrote on the Samten Migron.
The Total Sphere in Six Aspects
In the Samten Migdron, the 'Total Sphere' (thig le chen po) is described as having six aspects:- 'Sphere of the Ultimate Dimension' (dbyings kyi thig le)
- 'Sphere of the Purity of the Ultimate Dimension' (dbyings rnam par dag pa'i thig le)
- 'Sphere of Dharmata' (chos nyid thig le)
- 'Wisdom BinduBinduBindu is a Sanskrit term meaning "point" or "dot". The feminine case ending is bindi which denotes a small ornamental, devotional and/or mystical dot that is cosmetically applied or affixed to the forehead in Hinduism....
' (ye shes thig le) - 'Sphere of the All-Beneficient (SamantabhadraSamantabhadraSamantabhadra , is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism associated with Buddhist practice and meditation. Together with Shakyamuni Buddha and fellow bodhisattva Manjusri he forms the Shakyamuni trinity in Buddhism...
)' (kun tu bzang po'i thig le) - 'Sphere of Spontanous Presence' (lhun kyi[s] grub pa'i thig le)
Extract and English rendering
Karmay (2007: pp. 107–108) renders an extract of the Samten Migdron in English as follows (Tibetan set in Wylie has been included in References for probity, culled from page 108108 (number)
108 is the natural number following 107 and preceding 109.- In mathematics :One hundred [and] eight is an abundant number and a semiperfect number...
):
"Now, as for expounding the doctrine of Atiyoga, the excellent vehicle, the best and topmost yoga, the mother of all conquerors, its name is the Great Perfection. Why? Because it gives detailed teaching with a view to imparting direct understanding of the principle of this non-sought spontaneity with regard to all existential elements. The sense of the spontaneous essence, which is the innermost treasury of all vehicles and the great "universal grand-father" [spyi myes], is to be experienced directly by "self-awareness" [rang rig pas], but not as a thing to be kept in mind. It is to be made clear to the "self-awareness". How one is to know of it? In this vehicle of the high yoga, there is nothing that can be measured by the discriminative self-intellect as expounded in the tantras, authoritative works and precepts. Why is it so? Because all the so-called elemental particles have never grown new feathers or changed their colour from the beginning. It is the Buddha-nature, the "sphere of the great circle" [thig le chen po'i klong] of the "self-awareness". Who then has seen this as an object? Who has demonstrated the logic for seeing it? To what doctrine does one entrust it? With what cognition does one cognise it? All the elements are non-conceivable, because separately they have no substance."
Commentary
- Khenchen Palden Sherab has written a commentary on the Samten Migdron entitled: Opening the Eyes of Wisdom