English
Some scholars consider what the Buddhas speak as the Root Tantra, and what the expositors speak as the Explanatory Tantra, and there are many different views on this. But here, in our own system, it is held that what is initially spoken briefly is called the Root Tantra, and what is later explained extensively is called the Explanatory Tantra, and both of these Tantras are spoken by the Buddhas. These are explained through the means of the Buddha's authoritative statements or the Tantras themselves. How then to explain through the means of the Tantra's oral instructions? Regarding these Root and Explanatory Tantras, the authoritative oral instructions of the Lamas in the commentaries composed by the great chariots of Indian and Tibetan scholars and siddhas are reliable. Among them, in India, there are the Lesser and Greater Stages of the Secret Path of the Buddha, the Garland of Views, the oral instructions of the master Padmasambhava, the Root Text of Vimala, the Illuminating Lamp and its shorter commentary, the Precious Vajra Needle of Proud Vajra, the Extensive Commentary of Sunlight Lion, the Turquoise Field of the master Nagarjuna, the Stages of View of Ska-ba Pal-tsek, and so on. In Tibet, there are also the completely pure treatises composed by So, Zur, and Nub, and the three Zur, Me, and Nephew. In particular, there is the All-Knowing One's Dispeller of Darkness in Ten Directions, Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo's Rongtik, Yungton Dorje Pal's Yung Explanation, Drolmawa Samdrub Dorje's Droltik, Menlungpa Mikyo Dorje's The Glory of the Manifestation of Suchness, and so on. The condensed essence of all these is compiled by Mangthö Ngagi Wangchuk Chöpal Gyatso's Excellent Explanation, the Treasury of Jewels, the General Meaning, the Secret Lord's Oral Instructions, and the Commentary, the Secret Lord's Ornament of Thought, which are rich in words and meaning. These are the authoritative oral instructions of the Lamas, which are explained through the means of the Tantra's oral instructions. How then to explain through the means of the Tantra's reasoning? The scriptural statements do not contradict the oral instructions, and the oral instructions do not contradict the scriptural statements, and it is through excellent analysis and investigation of these two that valid reasoning arises. Thus, by establishing through these three kinds of valid cognition, all the general meanings of the beginning and end of the Tantra will be easily understood. As it is said in the Vajra Mirror of Illusion: "Whatever is measured by the authoritative statements, reasoning, and the measure of oral instructions, will cause the knowable to be comprehended." And Vimala