THE JO-NAN-PASobjectivity."^54 Since it is the essence of Word, it is called sabdatattva, meaning
that it is the true essence of the Word. What is called 'supreme" (mchog) is the
Self of the orh ( orfz gyi bdag iii d); in fact, orh is known as the proper-nature of all
words and all things (artha); and it is the Veda.^55 It constitutes the means of
comprehending the Veda which is present as a series of syllables and words; and
it exists as the form of this [Veda]. The Sabdabrahmavadins add that this
brahman, the supreme iitman, constitutes the obtaining of the supreme dharma-
of-result, felicity (abhyudaya) and the summum bonum (nibSreyas), and that it is
not perceived by the inner-organ. 56
Similarly, the Jo nan pas teach that the permanent, stable and eternal taught
under the name of 'sugatagarbha'-the Divinity of absolute-Meaning (don dam
pa 'i lha), mantra, tantra (rgyud), mm:u!ala, mudrii, etc.-[6a], the Perfection of
the supreme self-which is totally pure, has the qualities of the Forces (bala),
etc. existing inherently since the beginning, and exists since the beginning per-
vading all the static and mobile world-is the Existential-Nature constituting the
foundation of all that is the relative ran ston.
Thus, just as the firthika proponents of the sabdabrahman maintain that all
entities (bhiiva) are transformations of the Word and that they possess its proper-
nature, the Jo nan pas also consider that the permanent and stable which per-
vades all that is static and mobile is the Essential-Nature of all. There is
therefore not the slightest difference between these two theories.
Moreover, the way in which the Jo nan pas teach how Liberation is obtained
does not appear to differ from the tlrthika Saqikhya philosophers. The Sarnkhya
postulates 25 categories and maintains that amongst them 24 are material (jada)
while the 25th is cognition (ses pa) or consciousness (rig pa ), permanent and
stable, the proper-nature of the sentient-being which pervades all that is static
and mobile, is unconditioned and is the self of proper-nature free from the
actions of going, coming, etc. When the purufia of cognition and consciousness
has a desire for the enjoyment (bhoga) of an object, the pradhiina manifests all
the aggregates of transformation; the budd hi which is of a material nature then
becomes inclined (zen pa: abhinivis-) to this, and the purufia has the enjoyment
of the object of inclination. Thus, while the solitary purufia of cognition and
consciousness has never before been perceived in the condition of the cycle-of-
existences (sal]lsiira), by reason of the inclination together of the puru[ia and the
objects of enjoyment, it finds itself turning about in sal]lsiira [6b] and experi-
ences Pain (dul)kha).^57 Thereupon one practises meditation, and when its con-
stant habit has been achieved, the desiring inclination that the puru[ia has for
objects diminishes more and more. Because it is observed by the divine-eye
(divyacak$us), the pradhiina no longer manifests the transformation-aggregate
because of shame; and the transformations are first reabsorbed in that from
which they were originally produced, and the transformation is finally tranquil-
lized in the nature of the pradhiina.^58 As the pradhiina exists in a potential state
without ever being manifested,^59 all these perceptible evolutes from it having a
worldly nature clarify themselves like a rain-bow in space; and the self or