Opening the Door to Certainty

Bokar Rinpoche was born in Western Tibet in 1940 and is considered by his peers as one of the greatest meditation masters of our times. The brief text he has written for his disciples is presented here as Opening the Door to Certainty. Short and compact, Opening the Door to Certainty is a condensed version of the Ninth Karmapa's work, titled The Ocean of Certainty.

The Karmapas are as well known in Tibet as the Dalai Lamas. They have headed the Tibetan Buddhist Karma Kagyu lineage of reincarnate masters since the 12th century and are the direct successors of Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa.

The Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (1556-1603) wrote several works on meditation. His most comprehensive and renowned text is The Ocean of Certainty (Ngedon Gyamtso). This voluminous book, not yet translated into any Western language, is a major classic of the Kagyupa School. It is generally used by the lamas to teach meditation.

The term certainty (or absolute truth, absolute meaning, definitive meaning, true meaning) used in the title of the texts mentioned above designates the direct understanding, through experience, of the absolute nature of the mind beyond the psyche and its fluctuations, beyond concepts and emotions, beyond birth and death, and beyond space and time. The term is also used in a parallel way with the pedagogic meaning (or pedagogic truth) referring to the methods used in the psychological or conceptual domains to aid in the understanding of certainty. Certainty is thus linked with absolute truth and wisdom, whereas the pedagogic meaning is associated with relative truth and skillful means.

Certainty is furthermore an equivalent term for Mahamudra, a Sanskrit word signifying great seal or great symbol. Bokar Rinpoche introduces Mahamudra in the following way: The subject of our study is Mahamudra. Mahamudra is also the mind. We call the mind that which knows, feels, and produces suffering, happiness, thoughts, sensations, feelings, and so on. We will study this mind and work upon it. Do not think of Mahamudra as another reality, like something on a higher plane than ourselves. Mahamudra is not in the sky while we are on earth. Mahamudra is not elsewhere. We are never separated from Mahamudra, although we do not recognize it. The purpose of Mahamudra is not to bring us something new but to introduce us to that which we already have. Mahamudra meditation allows us to internally grow accustomed to what we have discovered within ourselves through practice following the instructions we have received; it enables us to continuously remain within this awareness.

The Tibetan word Chagya Chenpo, meaning Mahamudra, is defined as the nature of the mind, clear light, and emptiness comprising all phenomena of samsara and nirvana.

Bokar Rinpoche's text is so concise that its reading by a novice risks leaving the reader with a feeling of great confusion. In fact, Opening the Door to Certainty is not intended to develop and clarify the meditation and approach to Mahamudra, rather it serves as a reminder for those who are already engaged on the path. Written in verses, the text is easy to memorize and recite ritually. Bokar Rinpoche composed this work at the request of students. It is intended to help students easily recall the various aspects of the path, showing them the exact place of each point, and inviting them to progress and deepen their understanding.