Discover why the Buddha's extraordinary qualities remain mysterious—not from concealment, but from our limited perception—exploring impermanence, nonduality, and the liberating power of the Buddha's speech.
Buddhas in Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka.
Photo by Matt Dany.
In this episode of 84000’s Teachings on Sūtra series, Raktrul Rinpoche (Dotulku) offers a beautiful and thought-provoking teaching on the Mahāyāna scripture The Secrets of the Tathāgata, drawing closely on The Secrets of the Realized Ones (Toh 47). The event took place on Lhabab Düchen, the auspicious day commemorating the Buddha’s return from the god realms after teaching his mother during the rains retreat. As Rinpoche explains, the significance of this day lies in the Buddha’s descent back into the human realm to continue guiding beings with compassion.
Rinpoche explores the paradox of the Buddha’s “secrets,” emphasizing that they are not hidden through intentional concealment, but remain mysterious due to the limited perception of ordinary beings. Through references to this and other sūtras, he reflects on the extraordinary qualities of awakened body, speech, and mind, and how the activity of the realized ones arises spontaneously for the benefit of others. The teaching highlights Vajrapāṇi as a central figure who reveals these mysteries to the assembly, and invites practitioners to deepen their own path by contemplating the vast compassion and wisdom of a fully awakened mind. The session concludes with a wide-ranging Q&A on themes including impermanence, nonduality, and the liberating power of the Buddha’s speech.
Raktrul Rinpoche (Do Tulku Rinpoche) was recognized at age 17 as the 5th Raktrul Rinpoche, trained for eleven years at Dzongsar Institute, and now teaches Buddhist philosophy across Asia and Europe with an interactive, unconventional, and humorous style.
