English
These three are established through opposite means, not contradictory. If it is the wisdom of the pure realm, then all three must be present. Because these three are established through the mere difference in how they establish activities. Because the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya are established through the mere difference in the activities they accomplish. From the eighth bhumi onwards, having abandoned the manifest clinging to reality and become accustomed to non-conceptual wisdom, one gains mastery, and thus is equally capable of establishing the distinct activities of these three. Here, there are distinctions among the four maras: the five aggregates of contaminated appropriation are the coarse skandha mara; all afflictive obscurations are the coarse klesha mara; the son of the gods who delights in power is the coarse deva mara; and the aspect of the cessation of the life force due to the power of karma and afflictions is the coarse death mara. And the subtle skandha mara is the aggregates taken due to the power of ignorance, the ground of habitual tendencies, and uncontaminated karma; the subtle habitual tendencies of ignorance are both the subtle klesha mara and the subtle deva mara; and the aspect of inconceivable transference at death is the subtle death mara. In which stage of the path are the four maras destroyed? If considered from the perspective of the Lesser and Greater Vehicles, after attaining the Arhatship of the Lesser Vehicle and the eighth bhumi, one destroys the various coarse klesha maras. After the Seeing Path and Joining Path practitioners of the Lesser Vehicle obtain the sign of non-retrogression, they destroy the coarse deva mara. After attaining the Remainderless Nirvana of the Lesser Vehicle and the Seeing Path of the Greater Vehicle, one destroys both the coarse skandha mara and the coarse death mara. Completely destroying the four maras and attaining Buddhahood are simultaneous. As it is said in the Prasannapada: "As you attain enlightenment, you destroy the four maras." And also in the commentary, it is said: "Completely destroying the four maras is Buddhahood." This was done by one named Shedrup (Explanation and Accomplishment), and later it was printed when Khenpo Tashi Dargye conferred the Geshe Lharampa degree in the monastery. The essence of the excellent explanation of the commentary on the fourth chapter is condensed.