Relationships between Two Objects in Anuttarayoga Tantra

Berlin, Germany, February 7, 2002

[As background for this discussion,see Relationships between Two Objects in General.]
Natural Inseparability, Joined Inseparability, and Unified Pairs
Two facts about the same attribute of an object share the same essential nature (ngo-bo gcig). They are
inseparable (dbyer-med), in the sense that when one is the case, so is the other. The two facts, however, do not
necessarily have to be naturally or innately inseparable (rang-bzhin dbyer-med).
The two truths about something (bden-pa gnyis), as defined in Madhyamaka, are naturally inseparable. A blissful
awareness (bde-ba) and an awareness of voidness (stong-nyid, emptiness), on the other hand, are not naturally
two facts about an understanding of an object. They need to be joined (sbyor-bcas) through the power of
meditation.
Simultaneously Arising
Two inseparable (dbyer-med) items simultaneously arise with each other (lhan-skyes). Whenever one arises, the
other arises inseparably with it. Just as the inseparability of the two items may be natural or may be joined by the
power of meditation, the same pertains to simultaneous arising.
From the Gelug point of view, blissful awareness, cognition of voidness, and clear-light cognition (od-gsal)
need to be made to arise simultaneously. The three do not naturally arise simultaneously with each other. We
need to join blissful awareness and cognition of voidness together on the path, through applying the
progressively more intense four joys (dga-bzhi) to deep awareness (ye-shes) of voidness. Consequently, our
cognition becomes progressively more subtle and we reach the clear-light level of cognition. We do not merely
access the clear-light level, however. Greatly blissful awareness (bde-ba chen-po) inseparable from cognition of
voidness now simultaneously arises with each moment of manifest clear-light cognition.
From the Nyingma viewpoint of dzogchen (rdzogs-chen, great completeness), the clear-light level of pure
awareness (rig-pa) naturally arises simultaneously with a blissful awareness and reflexive deep awareness (rangrig ye-shes) of its own void nature.
Unified Pairs and Joined Pairs
The relationship between the two items of a joined inseparability may be that of a unified pair (zung-jug, unity,
unification) or of a joined pair (zung-brel), although the term zung-jug sometimes appears as a general term for
both relationships.
In the case of a unified pair, the two members are both attained for the first time with the actualization of the
unified pair. For example, in the unified pair consisting of a purified illusory body and an actual clear-light
cognition of voidness, both components are achieved for the first time with the actualization of the unified pair.
In the case of a joined union, at least one of the members is attained before the actualization of the union. In the
case of the joined union of shamatha and vipashyana, for example, we achieve shamatha before the union. With
the attainment of vipashyana, we simultaneously attain the joined union of shamatha and vipashyana.
Analysis of the Unified Pair: Purified Illusory Body and Actual Clear light
Consider the case of a unified pair (zung-jug) comprised of a purified illusory body (dag-pai sgyu-lus) and an
actual clear-light cognition of voidness (don-gyi od-gsal) in general Gelug anuttarayoga tantra. A purified
illusory body is purified of the obscurations preventing liberation (nyon-sgrib). An actual clear-light cognition of
voidness is nonconceptual in the deepest sense.
The natal source (rdzas) that functions as the obtaining cause (nyer-len-gyi rgyu) for a purified illusory body is
an unpurified illusory body (ma-dag-pai sgyu-lus). The natal source that functions as the obtaining cause for
actual clear light is comparative clear-light cognition of voidness (dpei od-gsal).

An unpurified illusory body is not yet purified of the obscurations preventing liberation. A comparative clearlight cognition of voidness is comparatively nonconceptual. Although, before attainment of the path of seeing,
it serves as an example (dpe) of clear-light nonconceptual cognition, it is still conceptual on the unconscious
subtlest level.
The simultaneously produced causes (lhan-cig byung-bai rgyu) of the unified pair and of the natal sources of
its two components are the energy-wind and mental activity that comprise them when they exist. In the case of a
unified pair, the simultaneously produced causes are the subtlest clear-light levels of energy-wind and mental
activity. In the case of the two natal sources, the simultaneously produced causes are subtle levels of each,
slightly grosser than the subtlest clear-light level.
The energy-wind and mental activity of each of the three occasions are two facts about the subtlest continuum of
an individual: they have the same essential nature, but different logical isolates (ngo-bo gcig ldog-pa tha-dad).
They are naturally inseparable and naturally arise simultaneously with each other. Nevertheless, the energy-wind
and mental activity of each occasion are different (tha-dad) from those of the other two occasions. They are not
the identical (gcig) energy-wind and mental activity.
The unified pair does not constitute a natural inseparability; it arises from the power of meditation. The natal
sources for each of its components, on the other hand, are neither naturally inseparable, nor joined together by
the power of meditation. In fact, when either an unpurified illusory body or a comparative clear-light cognition
of voidness arises in a mental continuum, the other cannot simultaneously arise.
Through the power of meditation on voidness, we purify the two natal sources of the obscurations preventing
liberation. Consequently, a purified illusory body and an actual clear light cognition of voidness simultaneously
arise inseparably as a unified pair. At the time of the unified pair, the unpurified illusory body and comparative
clear-light cognitions that served as the obtaining causes for its components no longer exist.
Thus, a purified illusory body and an actual clear-light cognition of voidness have the same essential nature,
although different logical isolates. They are the two truths (bden-gnyis) about the mental continuum of an
anuttarayoga practitioner who has achieved a true stopping (gog-bden, true cessation) of the obscurations
preventing liberation. They are the two truths about such a mental continuum, however, only during total
absorption on voidness (mnyam-bzhag, meditative equipoise).
An unpurified illusory body and a comparative clear-light cognition of voidness, on the other hand, do not share
the same essential nature and do not illustrate the two truths about something.
The Basis for the Actualization of Something and the Basis for the Nullification of Something
The devoid-form (stong-gzugs, void-form) and unchanging blissful awareness (mi-gyur-bai bde-ba) of
voidness that substitute (dod-thub) in Kalachakra for a purified illusory body and an actual clear-light awareness
of voidness in general anuttarayoga do not constitute a unified pair.
In a unified pair, each component has its individual basis for actualization (sgrub-gzhi). The basis for the
actualization of a purified illusory body is the subtlest energy-wind, while the basis for the actualization of an
actual clear-light cognition of voidness is the subtlest clear-light mental activity.
Note that the voidness of a purified illusory body as an absolute absence (med-dgag) or nullification of its true
existence is not the basis for the actualization of that illusory body. The purified illusory body is the basis for
the nullification (gog-gzhi) of its true existence in other words, the basis for its voidness (stong-gzhi).
In the case of Kalachakra, unchanging blissful awareness is the basis for the actualization of the devoid-form that
arises simultaneously with it. Ultimately, both have the same basis for actualization. Both are actualized from
clear-light mental activity.
Same Similar-Family Cause
Moreover, devoid forms and unchanging blissful awareness share the same similar-family cause (rigs-drai
rgyu).
A similar-family cause is one that is in the same family of phenomena as its result and, in a sense, serves as the
model for its result. For example, the model of a vase is the similar-family cause for both a clay vase and a

visualized vase, although the two vases have different natal sources. The model of a vase, a clay vase, and a
visualized vase are all in the same family of phenomena vases.
The term family (rigs) here is the word for caste, Buddha-family, and Buddha-nature. For example, each of the
five types of deep awareness (ye-shes lnga, five Buddha-wisdoms) is a Buddha-nature factor (sangs-rgyas-kyi
rigs) and generates a Buddha-family. Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, Tara, and Hayagriva are all Buddha-figures of
the lotus Buddha-family. They all share the same similar-family cause or model, in the sense that they are all
representations of a Buddhas individualizing deep awareness (so-sor rtogs-pai ye-shes).
In general Gelug anuttarayoga tantra, illusory bodies and blissful clear-light cognitions of voidness have
different similar-family causes.
(1) The similar-family cause of an illusory body in general is the deep awareness of subsequent
realization of voidness (rjes-thob ye-shes, post-meditation exalted wisdom).
(2) The similar-family cause of a blissful clear-light cognition of voidness in general is the
deep awareness of total absorption on voidness (mnyam-bzhag ye-shes, exalted wisdom of
meditative equipoise).
In other words, the meditations that we practice as the model for achieving illusory bodies and clear-light
cognitions of voidness are different classes of meditation. The former is meditation focused directly on
superficial truths; while the latter is meditation focused directly on deepest truths.
In Kalachakra, on the other hand, devoid-forms and unchanging blissful clear-light cognition of voidness derive
from the same similar-family cause the deep awareness of total absorption on voidness. The meditations we
practice as the model for achieving each are the same.
Same Functional Nature
An item has the same functional nature (rang-bzhin) as something else if it exists and functions in the same way.
For example, five aggregate factors of body and mind (phung-po, Skt. skandha) comprise each moment of our
ordinary experience, while five types of deep awareness, symbolized by five dhyani Buddhas, comprise each
moment of a Buddhas experience. Dhyani Buddhas are the principal male figures of the Buddha-families.
The Sakya tradition explains that the five aggregates and the five types of deep awareness both arise from clearlight mental activity as the causal alaya continuum (kun-gzhi rgyui rgyud, the causal everlasting continuum of
the all-encompassing foundation). Another name for the causal alaya continuum is the ultimate alaya (mtharthug-gi kun-gzhi, ultimate all-encompassing foundation).
When clear-light mental activity is obscured with unawareness (ignorance, confusion), it gives rise to moments
of experience comprised of five aggregates. When, as a Buddha, that activity is completely purified of all
obscurations, it gives rise to moments of experience comprised of five types of deep awareness. Both sets of five
function similarly to comprise experience. Thus, they have the same functional nature. Because of that, the five
aggregates have the same functional nature as the five dhyani Buddhas.
The Sakya tradition refers to this relationship between the five aggregates and the five dhyani Buddhas as the
natural inseparability of samsara and nirvana (khor-das dbyer-med). It is not the case that through the power of
meditation we need to join the two sets of five inseparably. We need merely to realize what is already the case.