basic spaciousness of alpha-purity, and there is no fault in saying that there is no
karmic cause and effect. But while we are yet caught in the net of hope and fear,
proud to be a Dzogchen yogin or yogini, presumptuous regarding our status, saying
that there is no karmic cause and effect, acting instinctively and impulsively,
doing whatever we like in body, speech, and mind, then by the force of inevitable
circumstances, we will be reborn into the limitless lower realms and suffer for
eons.
3.12 THE PERSPECTIVES OF BOTH SUTRA AND TANTRA AGREE IN REJECTING GROSS EMOTIVITY
In short, in both sutra and tantra, gross emotion is to be abandoned. In the Vinaya
it is said by the Buddha,
Whatever teaching is the cause of desire, directly or indirectly, and whatever
teaching is not the cause of separation from desire, that is not buddha-dharma,
and it is not the discipline, and I am not its teacher. I teach what frees from
desire and frees from the cause of desire and that is the vinaya.Whether it is the sutra or the tantra approach, however it is said, it should be an
antidote to desire, hatred, and ignorance. If it is not an antidote to emotion, no
matter how high or deep it is, it is a false teaching. There are many skillful means
or profoundly different methods in sutra and tantra to tackle emotional afflictions.
If there were not, then there would be no necessity to differentiate between sutra
and tantra. Concerning the manner of abandoning emotivity, in his commentary
upon Finding Comfort and Ease in Meditation, Longchenpa says,
In brief, reject emotivity through one’s personal vows, purify it in luminous
mind, and take tantra as the path: these three are one in the task of
abandoning emotional affliction, just as avoiding swallowing poison, treating
poison with medicine, and transmuting it by mantra are the specifics of
avoiding death by poison.Thereby, no matter what physical or vocal acts yogins and yoginis perform, they do
not permit their emotivity to grow overtly gross. Avoidance, neutralization, and
transmutation act as automatic antidotes to gross emotion. Such practice can
define the conduct of yogins and yoginis. If we fail to transcend desire, hatred, and
ignorance, no matter what method we use, we will be left with ordinary gross
emotivity, samsaric karma will accumulate, and suffering will follow us like
running water. So avoid boasting of high conduct and profound view and follow
the Vinaya:
Trust in karma and the maturation of karma and guard your vows like your
eyeballs. If you do not, you will burn in the lower realms.If we have any attachment to the experience of samsara or nirvana, suffering