Toh 2319The Lamp of the Basis: Sameness

Explanation of The Lamp of the Basis: Sameness

Context

The Lamp of the Basis: Sameness (Samatāvastupadīpa) is preserved in the Tengyur, the Treatise Collection of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, belonging to the Mahayana branch. This is a profound philosophical work, written in the form of a treatise on fundamental questions of the Buddhadharma, especially focusing on the concept of “sameness” (samatā) in understanding and practice.

In the context of the Northern Tibetan tradition, “basis” (āśraya) is not merely a theoretical foundation, but also the profound recognition of the nature of mind and phenomena. This scripture is considered a “lamp” (pradīpa) guiding those who seek a comprehensive understanding of the teachings. It reflects the doctrinal tradition of Tibetan Buddhist masters, who unite wisdom (prajñā) with skillful means (upāya).

Main Content

The scripture teaches that sameness (samatā) is one of the most fundamental characteristics of ultimate reality. This is not sameness in the ordinary sense, regarding all things as identical, but the recognition that all phenomena, though they may appear different in the phenomenal world (saṃvṛti), share a single nature inseparable from emptiness (śūnyatā) and the quality of Mind.

The scripture emphasizes that sameness is the opposite of discrimination and bias, the sources of greed, hatred, and delusion. When the mind realizes this sameness, it frees itself from patterns of knowledge and fear created by discrimination. This is not unconsciousness, but a state of heightened wakefulness, in which the mind looks directly into the relative nature of all things.

The basis of this practice lies in recognizing that if one thing is empty (śūnya), then all things are empty. If the Buddha mind does not distinguish between living beings and non-living things, between purity and impurity, then these distinctions exist only in our conditioned mind.