Selections from The Sword of Wisdom for Thoroughly Ascertaining Reality by Mipham Rinpoche (vegetarian) - Verses 1 to 68, Part 2 of 2

Today, we will continue with “Selections from The Sword of Wisdom for Thoroughly Ascertaining Reality by Mipham Rinpoche (vegetarian) – Verses 1 to 68.” Verses 35 to 68 “From a genuine perspective, all appearances Are now, and always have been, the same; And since a pure mind sees only purity, Their nature remains entirely pure. Real functioning things dependently arise, And what is unreal is dependently imputed; Therefore, both the real and the unreal Are empty by their very nature.”

“Within the conventional, there is that which We call ‘impure and narrow vision,’ because Reality and appearances do not coincide, And a vision in which things are purely seen. This makes two types of conventional validity, Like seeing with eyes that are human and divine. The difference between the two lies in their Essential natures, causes, results and functions. One is an undeceived cognition of limited scope, That arises from a correct perception of its object, Clearing misperceptions of things in a narrow field of vision, To bring a thorough apprehension of a given object. One is a pristine cognition of what is vast in nature, That arises from an observation of precisely how things are, Clearing misperceptions of objects beyond the imagination, To bring the result of wisdom that knows all there is.”

“This is the one truth, nirvāṇa, the limit of reality, It is the ultimate state of all phenomena, Enlightened being wherein knowing and known are inseparable, Pure wisdom experience, without limit or center. Once the excellent eye of discriminating wisdom Has opened to the profound and vast like this, One sees the noble path travelled by The bliss-gone Buddhas and their heirs, Those enlightened beings of mighty intelligence. This is the way of the sūtra and mantra vehicles, So difficult to find. When we have the opportunity, Let us not fail to gain the result! Possessing in this way the four reasonings, And endowed with the light of intelligence, Let us not be deceived by others, but investigate And be sure to follow the four reliances. If we do not have this understanding, Then, like a blind man leaning on his staff, We can rely on fame, mere words or what is easy to understand, And go against the logic of the four reliances. Therefore, do not rely on individuals, But rely upon the Dharma. Freedom comes from the genuine path that is taught, Not from the one who teaches it.”