– Jamgön Mipham
The Tantra of the Secret Essence states:
Completely perfect through the magical net,
Everything is sealed with supreme enlightenment.
As the secret reality ascertained,
The seal of the essence is difficult to transgress.
The word ‘seal’ derives from the Sanskrit term mudrā, which means either to implant and symbolize, or a seal that is difficult to transgress. This refers to the extraordinary means that symbolize the enlightened body, speech, mind, and activities of great beings. When something is implanted with such a symbol, it becomes an embodiment of it and is difficult to transgress.
There are three seals of the (1) ground, (2) path, and (3) fruition. As for the seals of the ground, the natural seal of reality is the primordial purity of the nature of mind. Within the state of the great seal, sights, sounds, and awareness dwell as the nature of the deity, mantra, and dharma body.
The temporary seal of the path is used to refine one’s experience of this nature. To this end, one establishes body, speech, and mind to be the play of the three secrets. This is done within the state of vajra wisdom, the reality of mind, the great seal of co-emergent great bliss.
The ultimate seal of the fruition occurs when one has discovered all aspects of the body of self-occurring wisdom. At this point one acts with the inconceivable enlightened body, speech, mind, and activities for the welfare of all infinite sentient beings that fill the entirety of space.
In the development stage, there is the great seal of enlightened form, the dharma seal of enlightened speech, the samaya seal of enlightened mind, and the action seal of enlightened activity.
In the completion stage, the seals are explained in terms of (1) the support of a spiritual consort, (2) the path where the seals manifest, and (3) the fruition of the four wisdoms. First is the support of the spiritual consort. Here the dharma seal is emptiness, the nature of all phenomena. This feminine perfection of knowledge is the true spiritual partner. The action seal refers to everyone that appears in female form with long hair, breasts, and so forth. The samaya seal is the mudrā of wisdom, the goddess emanated from one’s own mind. The great seal is the empty form of the energetic mind, the nature of which manifests as the goddess. Sealing with these mudrās brings about the attainment of unchanging bliss.
Second is the path where the seals manifest. Here the action seal serves as the support for the attainment of great bliss, symbolic wisdom. This includes union with a spiritual consort. Through such acts one comes to experience a mere approximation of the great bliss of the basic space of phenomena. This experience is the dharma seal. The great seal is to be free of all conceptual thought and to directly experience the innate. That which appears out of this state as the mandala of enlightened body, speech, and mind in the ensuing attainment is the samaya seal.
This can also be applied to the four joys: joy, supreme joy, innate joy, and joyless joy. In the tantras, joyless joy is presented as the third stage. Nevertheless, here this refers to the state of joylessness that occurs once the pangs of desire have been exhausted. One may then wonder whether or not this contradicts the four joys as presented in all other scriptures. There is, however, no contradiction. Both systems hold that innate refers to an instant of wisdom that transcends any dichotomies of desire and non-desire, bliss and non-bliss. This occurs in the interval between the complete and total culmination of joy, which is brought about by bodhicitta descending to the tip of the jewel vajra, and the initial onset of desirelessness. Therefore, there is no contradiction in presenting the first three joys as four divisions, nor is there any contradiction in condensing the four joys into three instances. These correlations are discussed in Nāgārjuna’s Ascertaining the Four Seals.
Third is the fruition of the four wisdoms. Here the vajra body of appearance and emptiness is the action seal. The vajra speech of clarity and emptiness is the dharma seal. The vajra mind of bliss and emptiness is the samaya seal. The vajra wisdom of awareness and emptiness – the essential indivisible equality of all of these – is the great seal.
Hand mudrās serve to represent all the various forms of enlightened body, speech, mind, and activities of the wisdom deity. Since this also carries the meaning of non-transgression, here a general term is applied to a specific instance. The subclassifications of this division also encompass the four seals. The essence of the mudrā that is being shown is the samaya seal. Acts, such as transforming and releasing, are the action seal. Visualizing such things as the seed and reciting mantra is the dharma seal. Finally, one’s own presence as the form of the deity is the great seal.
The foundation of all mudrās that are held by joining the two palms together is to either join one’s palms or to perform the vajra gesture, which is made by interlacing the fingers and joining the palms. The foundation of all mudrās that are held with the hands apart is the vajra fist, in which the thumbs are placed inside and with the other fingers wrapped around them. Various root and subsidiary mudrās derive from these. Root mudrās include those of peaceful deities, such as those of the five buddha families, as well as those of wrathful deities. The various subsidiary mudrās include those of invitation, bestowal of empowerment, and making offerings. In a beautiful and elegant manner, such mudrās should be integrated with the revolving lotus, the dancing lotus, and other such mudrās. Once completed, they should be released with a snap of the fingers.
Seals can be classified in six ways according to scripture and the viewpoints of specific individuals. The first position holds that mantras and mudrās are differentiated in terms of their relation to ripened body or speech. In other words, a physical feature is termed mudrā, whereas a verbal expression is termed mantra. Hence, they state that such physical and verbal expressions are merely perceptible instances of the ordinary body and speech.
The second position holds that these are symbols that represent the enlightened body, speech, and mind of the victorious ones, just as meaning can be conveyed through a gesture of the hand or a name.
The third holds that such symbols possess the ability to bring about the spiritual attainments of activity and wisdom. Hence, they are thought of as mere instances of infallible interdependent origination.
In the fourth position, mudrās and mantras are considered to be expressions of one’s own karma and, thus, included within ordinary body and speech. Nevertheless, such expressions are also recognized to manifest from the strength of the blessings of the thus-gone ones. Take, for example, the evil demon that was blessed by Mañjuśrī and subsequently gave teachings on the great vehicle. The sounds of his words were part of his own being, yet they also manifested from the blessings of the Noble One. Just so, those who hold this position consider mudrās and mantras to manifest from the blessings of the thus-gone ones, while being mixed with one’s own karmic perceptions.
In the fifth position, mudrā and mantra are likened to the moon’s reflection. When the moon’s reflection appears in a bucket of water, its image may seem to be in the water. Nevertheless, it is nothing more than the moon’s manifestation. Similarly, mantras and mudrās manifest from the blessings of the thus-gone ones and have the potential to bring about spiritual attainments. When those with samaya imagine themselves to be the deity itself and practice accordingly, a connection with the actual deity occurs in correspondence with their grasping. In this sense, mudrās and mantras function without fail, in the same way that an actual object can be brought about through grasping at an object universal. In a similar manner, those who hold this position think that the deity itself can be accomplished from these symbols.
The sixth position holds that mantras and mudrās are the manifestation of the ultimate form of the victorious ones, the great wisdom of totality. Wisdom appears in this way having been blessed by the power of compassion and aspiration, just as the mind itself may manifest as objects and forms due to habitual tendencies. Hence, those who hold this position consider mantra and mudrā to be divine in essence. In other words, they hold that there is no actual difference between mantra and mudrā and a deity that has attained the form of wisdom.
Each of these six is superior to the previous position. Those who hold the sixth position, which is supreme to all the rest, accurately understand the principles of mantra and mudrā. Hence, the principles of mantra and mudrā should be understood in this way alone.
We should now discuss (1) the reason for sealing and (2) the way to seal. First, as for the reason for sealing, in outer mantra, mudrās have three aspects. In terms of cause, they are emanated images of the utterly pure basic space of phenomena and great wisdom. In essence, they represent the infinite gateways to complete liberation. In terms of result, they have the potential to bring about all activities and spiritual attainments. Hence, mudrās are the signs of great beings. They cannot be transgressed or destroyed by anyone or anything. They are the extraordinary seal of the sovereign king of dharma and are able to accomplish all forms of buddha activity.
Therefore, when one’s being is sealed with a mudrā, it will be freed from its bonds. The city of ignorance, the great negative force, will be conquered. The body will be stable and negative forces will be completely unable to affect it. Empowerments that are bestowed will be attained and activities will be accomplished without going to waste. If one does not lose sight of their nature, the samayas will not degenerate. Furthermore, since mudrās also possess the symbol of the feminine, they are the hidden form of female deities. If they are shown to someone, they will be delighted by the very essence of samaya. Mudrās are used to seal for these and other reasons.
Mudrās also fulfill these same purposes in inner mantra as well. Nevertheless, according to this system they are primarily used to seal for the following reasons: Within the state of great wisdom – the spontaneously present mudrā – emanated mudrās are applied to rouse the awakened mind of great bliss, the indivisible nature of all bliss-gone ones and sentient beings, which dwells in the hearts of all beings. They also bring about the effortless attainment of extraordinary mastery and carry out various enlightened buddha activities for the benefit of other beings just as one desires.
Secondly, as for the way to seal, according to outer mantra, when the reality of one’s being is sealed with a mudrā that symbolizes the deity, one will actually become the deity through the power of blessings. This is likened to the seal of a royal decree, which cannot be transgressed once enacted.
In inner mantra, the mudrā is essentially the deity. As the mudrā seals the indivisibility of oneself and the deity, deity dissolves into deity; reality merges with reality; and wisdom revels in wisdom. Through this, one becomes the deity and the deity, in essence, becomes oneself. In this manner, methods are used to awaken and actualize the great bliss that dwells within.
Utilizing these unique methods allows one to accomplish all temporal and ultimate aims and carry out the activity of the buddhas. For this reason, they possess supreme qualities. In brief, by virtue of what they represent, mudrās subsume all dharmas of the ground, path, and fruition. This unique method of mantra is to be maintained by receiving the bestowed empowerment into a mandala and abiding by the samayas. As such, it should be kept completely concealed from others. Mudrā accords with the view and meditation and is a particular instance of conduct and accomplishment. Mudrā is also the single unsurpassed method for pleasing the deity, carrying out activities, and arousing the power of mantra. Hence, it relates to all paths.
In the ultimate meaning, all phenomena and all movements of body, speech, and mind are perfect and do not have to be transformed, bound, or released. As such, they are effortlessly perfected as the nature of mudrā. As stated in the Tantra of the Secret Essence:
When the supreme gathering of the great seal
Is joined with the endowment of means and knowledge,
Motionless and unmoving, everything
Dwells in the state of the great seal.
And in the Awesome Flash of Lightning:
When dwelling in a state of equality with the intrinsic nature,
All movements and motions
Are mudrā, so the hero has said.