Feature of the Expert, Glorious King: Also Known as "The Three Lines That Strike the Key Points and Auto-Commentary by Patrul Rinpoche

65 Pages·2011·3.12 MB·English

by  Tony Duff

THE FEATURE OF THE EXPERT,
GLORIOUS KING:
“THREE LINES THAT HIT
THE KEY POINTS”
ROOT TEXT AND COMMENTARY
BY PATRUL RINPOCHE
TRANSLATED BY TONY DUFF
PADMA KARPO TRANSLATION COMMITTEE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Translator’s Introduction ............................. vii
Patrul Rinpoche’s Root Text in English .................. i
Patrul Rinpoche’s Commentary in English ................ 5
Glossary .............................................. 25
Tibetan Text ........................................... 37
Index .................................................. 51
v

TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION
The root text and commentary to it translated here are key texts in the Dzogchen
tradition of the practice of “The Thorough Cut” (Trekchö). The root text
was written by the great master Patrul Rinpoche who then wrote his own small
commentary to it. The two are very popular amongst Dzogchen practitioners
these days for the practice of The Thorough Cut.
This text is regarded as a difficult text to translate. Firstly it is a Dzogchen
text with the unique terminology of that tradition. Secondly, it is very full
of meaning and importantly, it is full of meaning not only at the level of the
words but also in how the words are put together (the syntactic level). Thirdly,
there is a strong poetic quality throughout which is wonderful to read in the
original but hard to get into English, and made harder by the first and second
difficulties.
There are a few translations of this text now available in English. They capture
the meaning of the words for the most part but tend to lose of the literalness
of the text with concomitant loss of the several layers of meaning contained
in the arrangement of the words and phrases, i.e., they lose much of the syntactic
meaning. In doing so, the poetic quality of the original has not usually been
well captured. This translation attempts not only to be correct in presenting
the basic meaning of the words—to the extent that English currently can convey
the rich vocabulary of Dzogchen—but also attempts to capture the further
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viii TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION
levels of meaning present in the original by translating the original as literally
as possible. With that as the ground, I have enjoyed bringing out the poetic
sense of the original and my editors report with satisfaction that this seems
to have happened without loss of the original meaning at all levels.
This text and translation has a very pure lineage. The commentary makes
the lineage down to the author, Patrul Rinpoche, clear. From there, the lineage
for this translation came down to the great masters Tulku Ugyen Rinpoche
and H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche who were the root gurus of my own guru,
Tsoknyi Rinpoche III. He heard this text and explanations of it many times
from them as did his brother, Ven. Mingyur Rinpoche. Having translared
Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s instructions many times over a period of several years,
I was asked by Bruce Blake of the U.S.A. about the text just prior to an eight
day retreat on The Thorough Cut with Tsoknyi Rinpoche and seventy students
from around the world; this created an auspicious connection and the translation
flowed easily and smoothly. The whole translation was checked from top to
bottom several times and importantly, any disparities between the draft and
other translations into English were carefully checked to ensure a final, correct
translation. Additionally, I received further instruction on the subject from
the Ven. Mingyur Rinpoche prior to completing the translation and also have
heard other sets of instructions from other great masters on the text.
A glossary has been provided for terms that otherwise might not be obvious.
However, this text, like most Tibetan texts, is not intended to be understood
simply by reading the words. This needs to be said because, in the West espec-
ially, in modern times when there is a strong emphasis on education of the
rational mind, there is a strong cultural habit of thinking that one should be
able to pick up a book and read it and comprehend it. That is not the case
here. This text can only function as a support for the oral instructions from
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TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION ix
a qualified teacher with a lineage. Therefore, I have not made an attempt to
write a commentary myself or even add copious notes to the text. The translation
is faithful enough to the original that any Tibetan teacher who is qualified
could teach the text using this as a basis and hence provide the necessary mean-
ixings for the students.
The Tibetan text is also provided to assist those seriously studying the text.
You might find that our Illuminator Tibetan-English Dictionary will be of
considerable help in understanding the Tibetan terms. You will find a great
deal of Great Completion vocabulary and explanation in the dictionary. You
will find the dictionary and other texts of interest on our web-site at
http://www.tibet.dk/pktc.htm.
My best wishes to all of you.
May you preserve the state!
Tony Duff
Padma Karpo Translation Committee
21st June, 2008
Swayambunath, NEPAL
ix

THE FEATURE OF THE EXPERT,
GLORIOUS KING:
THREE LINES THAT HIT THE KEY POINTS1
Homage to the Guru.
The view is Longchen Rabjam;
The meditation is Khyentse Ozer;
The conduct is Gyalwa’i Nyugu.
When you practice like that,
Buddhahood in one life presents no difficulty
And if not, still rational mind is happy A LA LA.
For the view, Longchen Rabjam,
The three line’s meanings hit their key points.
First, relax your mind and stay there,
Neither elaborating nor concentrating, without discursive thought.
While in the state relaxed and dwelling evenly,
Suddenly strike rational mind by exclaiming a PHA(cid:241)—
Its force is delivered sharp and short, E MA HO!
Nothing whatsoever, blankness;
Blankness has transparency;
The transparency’s inexpressible.
Identify the dharmak(cid:243)ya rigpa!
Introduction to oneself; that is the first key point.
2 THREE LINES THAT HIT THE KEY POINTS
Then, whether there is proliferation or dwelling,
Anger, attachment, happiness, or sadness,
At all times and in every circumstance
The recognized dharmak(cid:243)ya is apprehended and
The previously-known mother luminosity joins with the son.
Stay in the state of the inexpressible rigpa factor.
Dwelling, bliss, clarity, joy—again and again destroy them.
Let the letter of means and prajñ(cid:243) suddenly descend.
Equipoise and post-attainment are not distinct;
Session and inter-session are not distinguishable;
One remains continuously in the inseparable state.
Nonetheless, until finality is obtained
Abandoning frivolity, cherish meditation.
Practice should be done in defined sessions.
At all times and in every circumstance
Preserve the one dharmak(cid:243)ya’s shifting events.
Decide that there is nothing other than that.
Decision on one thing; that is the second key point.
At that point, attachment, anger, happiness, sorrow, and
Every single one of the adventitious discursive thoughts
Are self-recognized in the state without ensuing trace.
By apprehending the factor of liberation, the dharmak(cid:243)ya,
They, for example like a drawing on water,
Self-shine-forth-self-liberate without discontinuity.
Whichever one shines forth it is food for bare rigpa-emptiness;
However it moves it is the liveliness of the dharmak(cid:243)ya king;
Traceless, it is self-pure A LA LA.
The way of shining forth being like before compared to
The way of liberation being distinct is a major key point.
Without this, meditation is the path of confusion;
With this, non-meditating is the dharmak(cid:243)ya state.