The Pure and Perfect All-Encompassing Mind

Serie: Dzogchen Texts Translation

The Pure and Perfect All-Encompassing Mind

kun ‘dus

Introduction

Along with The Perfection that Cuts through Everything, The Sublime Monarch and The Pure and Perfect Mind, Light of the Three Dimensions of Existence, this text is one of the ‘Four [so-called] Minor Teachings’ that Shri Singha taught at Bairotsana just after the transmission of the ‘Five Ancient Translations’.

Tradition gives it several titles: The Precious All-Encompassing (rin chen kun ‘dus), The All-Encompassing Primordial Evidence (kun ‘dus rig pa), The All-Encompassing (kun ‘dus) and The All-Pervading Primordial Evidence (kun tu rig pa).

The title we have chosen comes from the colophon of the edition of mtshams brag that we are translating.

These texts require transmission from a qualified teacher before they can be studied and put into practice. However, if you have not yet received the transmission, you may simply read them.

“From nature which is the abode of the state of ultimate Reality,

The great sovereign manifestation, omnipresent as space,

Is the radiance that masters desire through the illusory play of skillful means”

In Indian: Sarva ata

In Tibetan: kun ‘dus

In English: The Pure and Perfect All-Encompassing Mind

Homage to the Victorious One, the state of bliss free from doing!

As from the very beginning the Body of Reality completely and totally withdrawn

Transcends objects, classifications and concepts,

The extremes of existence, non-existence and emptiness are one within the primordial space.

There are many different views of the single primordial space,

Therefore the thinking mind that strives and desires appearances is the disease of dissatisfaction.

From nature which is the abode of the state of ultimate Reality,

The great sovereign manifestation, omnipresent as space,

Is the radiance that masters desire through the illusory play of skillful means.

Thus the diversity of phenomena is mere appearance.

Because of the simple appearance of the diversity of phenomena,

All conventions are the supreme path to Enlightenment.

Because there is certainty of the quintessence as the supreme Enlightenment,

How could there be an object shaped by subject-object duality?

Even though perceptions may be at the level of conventional reality,

Not the slightest object can be certified [1].

In clarity with no certifiable object,

Even if it could be certified, it is still objectless, like space.

Within the great skillful means of the sovereign heart that fulfills all that is desired

And unceasingly fulfills spontaneously all wishes,

The yogi for whom primordial knowledge arises

Does not have to reach the supreme ground, which is spontaneously accomplished.

Since the clarity-luminosity of primordial knowledge arises for him,

All latent defects without exception

Present themselves clearly from the beginning without the darkness of conceptual limitations.

Such is this great vehicle, like the rising of the sun in the sky!

For there is no grasping of objects of meditation,

To grasp them is to suffer. [2]

Within the natural mastery of primordial evidence without the support of meditation,

Even if one meditates, everything is flawless within the matricial space.

Without forcing [3] anything, all hopes are fulfilled within the matricial space.

The great treasure of the direct instruction of equality

Is all-embracing and naturally perfect in everything.

Therefore, there is no need to fix on a progression with definite sequences.

Since it is the great primordial nectar

It cannot be achieved by seeking it elsewhere.

It is the primordial space spontaneously attained without effort.

Greatest path of Enlightenment of all,

All thoughts and activities are primordially pure.

Whether illusory or not, nothing is corrupted.

It brings everything together and yet appears nowhere.

In it shines the enlightened presence of the Victorious Ones of the three times.

Thus ends ‘The Pure and Perfect All-encompassing Mind’.

[1] dam du bcas pa, pratijñāta   BACK

[2] sNga ‘gyur bka’ ma shin tu rgyas pa variant: ‘Meditation that attaches itself to the self or to bliss is suffering.’ BACK

[3] bkol    BACK