Toh 2344The Song that is a Treasury of Dohās on the Karma Mudrā, Caṇḍalīkā

Exposition of the Scripture "The Song that is a Treasury of Verses on the Karma Mudrā" (Karma-Caṇḍālikā-Doha-Koṣa-Gīti)

Context

This work belongs to the Tengyur, the Treatise Collection, a sacred part of Tibetan Buddhadharma that preserves the treatises and commentaries of enlightened Indian masters. The scripture is composed in the form of doha, verses or songs, a form of transmitting profound Dharma in a vivid and memorable way in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

The name "Caṇḍālī" does not indicate merely an ordinary woman, but is a symbol of inner energy, the dynamic intrinsic power within Tantric practice. The term "Karma Mudrā" refers to one of the highest mudrās in the Tantric path, concerning the relationship between mind, subtle energy, and bodily action, used to guide consciousness beyond ordinary limitations.

Main Content

This scripture presents verses of instruction on the path of practice based on understanding Karma Mudrā, a profound Dharma method of Tibetan Buddhism. The content focuses on the way in which the actions or "karma" of human beings, body, speech, and mind, when united with wisdom concerning the empty nature (śūnyatā) of all phenomena, become tools of liberation rather than binding chains.

"Treasury of verses" (doha-koṣa) suggests that these teachings are a treasure, filled with inexhaustible value for the practitioner. These verses teach that the cycle of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are not truly different; the difference lies only in the way our mind perceives. When the mind is trained through the Karma Mudrā, when every action is performed with complete mindfulness and understanding of the empty nature of the agent, those very actions become the path to attainment.

The section highlights that no action is absolutely "bad" or "good" if it is performed with a mind free from attachment, free from greed, and free from aversion.