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THE SNOW LION BUDDHIST NEWS & CATALOG
301 pp., TRKN1
$29.95 Snow Lion special $23.96
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Cosmic Play of the Buddhas, Information about Treasury of Knowledge- Book One Book
In this excerpt from The Treasury of Knowledge- Book One: Myriad Worlds Jamgon Kongtrul illuminates some underlying characteristics of the nature of the universe and causes of creation.
The Avatamsaka Scripture and other scriptures introduce a grand cosmic play of infinite buddhas and bodhisattvas who are continuously engaged in teaching, demonstrating miracles, and practicing the ten perfections for the sake of others; they are concerned with the relative rather than with ultimate reality....
Scriptures of the Universal Way state that the infinite world-systems come into being not only because of the evolutionary actions of beings but also because of the interconnections between buddhas and sentient beings. The scope of such vast and intricate interconnections is astounding. These interconnections involve the compassion of the buddhas, the dispositions and destinies of sentient beings, the natural laws of the universe, and the vows of the bodhisattvas. Through the interdependence of these factors, myriad worlds appear in empty space. An absolute beginning of the universe is not posited in this system; instead, the universe is conceived as a cycle without commencement that repeats itself until all beings are liberated from the sufferings of cyclic existence.
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The text clearly states that the buddhas and bodhisattvas are instrumental in the manifestation of the universe. According to this view, the universe is therefore the ground and agency for awakening rather than a prison from which to escape. It is the playground for the miraculous powers of enlightened beings, the amphitheater in which the bodhisattvas practice their skillful means to help others overcome their confusion. At this point, Kongtrul introduces the concept of "bodhisattvas purifying buddha-fields" but does not explain it in detail. This is an important concept that is often discussed in reductive terms because its full import is otherwise difficult to grasp. It is explained to some extent by the Buddha in the scripture The Holy Teachings of Vimalakirti. In that scripture, the Buddha states that the buddha-fields in which the bodhisattvas practice are fields of living beings. This would seem to indicate that the buddha-fields are the living beings themselves, as well as the environments that they inhabit. In the course of their practice of the ten perfections, the bodhisattvas work to lead others to spiritual maturity by various means. Consequently, the bodhisattvas' aspirations to lead all others to complete awakening constitute an important condition in the process of the formation of world-systems. Once the worlds arise, the bodhisattvas enter all of them for incalculable eons in order to benefit the beings who are born in those worlds. In stark contrast to the Individualist's intention to escape the world and terminate cyclic existence by means of personal awakening, bodhisattvas actually contribute to the creation of new worlds in which they may fulfill their heroic vows to liberate all beings. Beings see the purity of the realms in which they dwell according to their own levels of inner purity, but the realms themselves are pure from the very beginning.
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More about the book . . .
In Tibetan religious literature, Jamgön Kongtrul's Treasury of Knowledge in ten books stands out as a unique encyclopedic masterpiece embodying the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were preserved in Tibet.
In his monumental Treasury of Knowledge Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé presents a complete account of the major lines of thought and practice that comprise Tibetan Buddhism.
This first book of The Treasury, which serves as a prelude to Kongtrul's survey, describes four major cosmological systems found in the Tibetan tradition—those associated with the Hinayana, Mahayana, Kalachakra and Dzogchen teachings. Each of these cosmologies shows how the world arises from mind, whether through the accumulated results of past actions or from the constant striving of awareness to know itself.
"In his monumental Treasury of Knowledge [Jamgon Kongtrul] presents a complete account of the major lines of thought and practice that comprise Tibetan Buddhism.... By studying Kongtrul's works readers will be inspired to emulate his great qualities of humility, dedication, patience and nonsectarianism."—The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies
"Upon seeing the Treasury of Knowledge, the first Khyentse Rinpoche, a contemporary of Lodro Thaye, said that it was so inclusive of all knowledge that it did not seem to be composed by a human being, but must have been written through the blessing of the dakinis."—Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
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More about the author . . .
Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé (1813-1899), a pivotal figure in eastern Tibet's nonsectarian movement, was one of the most outstanding writers and teachers of his time. In his monumental Treasury of Knowledge he presents a complete account of the major lines of thought and practice that comprise Tibetan Buddhism.
Books by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye
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