Four Dharma of Gampopa. Part IV, The Confusion Dawns as Wisdom

I will briefly explain the nectar of his speech that is renowned as “The Four Dharmas.”

These say:

[“Grant your blessings so that]

1) Dharma turns into dharma

2) Dharma turns into the path

3) The path dispels confusion, and

4) Confusion dawns as wisdom.”

As for entering that path, it is [a path] that entails being preceded by a maturing empowerment. Thus, its steps are as follows. [Those who are suitable for it] obtain the empowerment that possesses definite explanations, which wash away the stains of their three doors and establish their karmic fortune. They guard the primary and secondary samayas like their eyeballs and apply themselves to the yogas of the creation and completion stages, through which they attain the heat that is not outshined by the afflictions and so on. Having thus engaged in the conduct for their own welfare in elaborated, unelaborated, and extremely unelaborated ways, they become able to take care of others [too] by way of subjugating them or taking them under their care through the conduct that is victorious in all directions. Through such a path, they will accomplish [the state of] Buddha Vajradhara in just a single lifetime.

This path, through the creation stage, relinquishes clinging to the vessel and its content as being ordinary. Through the completion stage of non-dual bliss-emptiness, the three appearances are cleansed. Hence, all the hordes of thoughts without exception are fully purified, through which the path has been supremely accomplished.

In general, through cultivating the uncommon path of the Mahayana, since none of the adventitious stains—the aspects of confusion—are seen as something to be relinquished, they will surely dawn as wisdom. However, in particular, through this direct path, you do not see any nature of the entirety of confusion, so that the display of wisdom will be instantly realized through the power of blessings. Therefore, [Gampopa] fourthly taught this instruction that “confusion dawns as wisdom.”

The Lamp That Illuminates the Four Dharmas by the Fourth Shamarpa, Chökyi Tragba Yeshé Balsangbo From: Straight from the heart was written by the fourth holder of the red crown, Chokyi Tragba Yeshe Balsangbo, upon being faced with a request by Desangba, whose mind’s shining over the three scriptural collections has expanded infinitely, and Lama Sangye Sangbo. It was composed so that there is no contradiction between the words of lord Gampopa just as they are and the way in which they were accordingly condensed into a basic stanza and then ascertained through a commentary.

Subham, may it be auspicious!