Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his response to the letter from a student by presenting an account of the descent of the Manasaputra as put forth in The Secret Doctrine that may offer an explanation for the disjunction between sense perception and conceptual cognition. He goes on to outline Aurobindo’s philosophic standpoint as being an integration of the Vedantic and Tantric points of view rather than an integration of the Vedantic and the Buddhistic formulations. He then addresses a portion of the letter dealing with Aurobindo’s conception of the Divine Person and the Buddhist notion of the One Mind or Suchness. Wolff concludes by offering a critique of the dialectical relationship between sense perception and conceptual cognition in light of the analysis by the Buddhist logicians Dignaga and Dharmakirti that bears upon the “unutterable” relationship between the Vedanta and Buddhism.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff responds to a letter from a student who poses a series of questions concerning the aesthetic versus the theoretic approaches to yoga presented in Northrop’s The Meeting of East and West. He begins by contrasting three approaches to the thought process: apologetic, logical, and postulational. He then suggests that the distinction between the aesthetic and theoretic orientation may be based more on racial factors than on geographic location. He goes on to point out that Buddhism is not a fixed dogma and raises the question as to what new growth might come into the Buddhist current from modern Western thought. Wolff continues by addressing a portion of the letter that describes Indian metaphysics as orientated neither to the aesthetic continuum nor the theoretic continuum, but rather to the introceptual order of cognition. He submits that while Sri Aurobindo made a significant contribution toward the meeting of the East and the West, he did not adequately understand the development of pure mathematics, which is the true genius of the West. He proceeds by discussing the intermediate zones of consciousness not realized during his own Mystical Awakening and to differentiate between the orientation to nirvanic withdrawal and to transforming the development within the evolution. He concludes by describing his fifth Realization as occupying a position midway between that of Buddhism and the Vedanta.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff suggests that “neutral reservation of judgment” is a better attitude to take with respect to that which we do not yet have certainty than the attitude of “over-credulity” or “over-skepticism.” He goes on to emphasize that progress toward Fundamental Realization is the most important thing to be attained not only for oneself, but also for the redemption of a suffering humanity and the transformation of the whole of Sangsara itself. He stresses the importance of faith and confidence in seeking to realize a state of Consciousness that may be known by identity but cannot be proven conceptually, and he calls upon men and women of courage and daring to enter the yogic path. Wolff then describes the proper attitude that a sadhaka must have toward his guru and relates Sri Aurobindo’s experience in selecting his guru.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff begins a commentary on the generation and significance of his mandala. He describes the circumstances which led to its development, but then proceeds to introduce an extended parenthetical discussion on the meaning of Space as Pure Consciousness that pre-exists all objects and all selves.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff reflects upon the interpretation of Buddhism as leading to simple annihilation. He explores the meaning of the ‘self’, and acknowledges that from the standpoint of our relative consciousness, Buddhism denies the existence of the subject to consciousness and the object of consciousness; but, he maintains that Buddhism does not deny the existence of Pure Consciousness itself from which all selves and gods are derived. He goes on to assert that with the Realization of Nirvana only a former kind of consciousness has been blown out or annihilated and that all subjectivity and objectivity remains potential within the nirvanic Consciousness. He considers the implications that this has for the office of the Great Renunciation in the sense of both the redemption of humanity and of serving the ends of the evolution. Wolff then examines two statements from Buddhist sources, not seeking to prove that one position is false while the other is true, but to find a way in which the two statements can be reconciled. Wolff suggests that the notion of matter as conceived by Koot Hoomi in The Mahatma Letters and the notion of the “One Mind” as given by Padma Sambhava in the Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation can be resolved by introducing the notion of “Consciousness-Substance,” and he proposes that the approach to its Realization can be made from either side.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his discourse on the Tri-Kaya by reviewing the two approaches to the understanding of the Tri-Kaya presented in The Voice of the Silence and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. He suggests that the apparent incompatibilities may be due to one sutra being oriented to an advanced yogin who is able to reach the vestibule of Nirvana during their lifetime, while the other to all creatures who at the moment of death are not only given an opportunity to attain the Dharmakaya, but to realize the Tri-Kaya. Wolff then outlines the difficulties encountered by the aspirant in accepting the Clear Light of Pure Consciousness offered at the moment of death and concludes by affirming that if the attitude of love and compassion has been established in the consciousness of the pilgrim, it can be done.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his discourse on the Tri-Kaya by reviewing the two approaches to the understanding of the Tri-Kaya presented in The Voice of the Silence and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. He suggests that the apparent incompatibilities may be due to one sutra being oriented to an advanced yogin who is able to reach the vestibule of Nirvana during their lifetime, while the other to all creatures who at the moment of death are not only given an opportunity to attain the Dharmakaya, but to realize the Tri-Kaya. Wolff then outlines the difficulties encountered by the aspirant in accepting the Clear Light of Pure Consciousness offered at the moment of death and concludes by affirming that if the attitude of love and compassion has been established in the consciousness of the pilgrim, it can be done.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his discourse on the Tri-Kaya by comparing the point of view put forth in The Voice of the Silence with that found in The Tibetan Book of the Dead. He reviews the schematic statement of the after-death opportunities to accept the Clear Light presented in The Tibetan Book of the Dead and submits that this presentation, which urges one to accept the Dharmakaya out of love and compassion for all creatures, appears to be a radical contradiction of the statement in The Voice of the Silence, which urges the aspirant to renounce the Dharmakaya out of love and compassion for all creatures. He then proposes a resolution of this apparent contradiction by suggesting the possibility of attaining a consciousness in which one is Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya at the same time. He continues his analysis of the Tibetan text by calling attention to its use of the terms ‘rig-pa’ and ‘shes-rig’ and by reviewing his own use of the three forms of cognition, namely, perception, conception, and introception. He notes that introceptual cognition would correspond to the conception of rig-pa, and shes-rig, or consciousness of phenomena, would correspond to both perceptual cognition and conceptual cognition. He concludes by offering a clarification of the nature of the Dharmakaya.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff begins a discussion on the subject of the Tri-Kaya by suggesting a correlation of the three vestures of a Buddha, namely, the Nirmanakaya, the Sambhogakaya, and the Dharmakaya with the three fields of action known as Sangsara, Nirvana, and Paranirvana. He goes on to describe the nature and function of the Nirmanakaya; and he concludes by reading a selection from The Voice of the Silence outlining the possibilities and responsibilities of the two paths known as the Dhyana and the Arya path in which the Great Renunciation of Nirvana is formulated.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his discourse on the Tri-Kaya by reconsidering certain implications that follow from statements made in the previous discourses. He reviews the status of the Nirmanakaya as found in four volumes: The Secret Doctrine, The Voice of the Silence, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines. He then addresses the problem growing out of a statement in The Tibetan Book of the Dead regarding the union of the inseparable states of consciousness rig-pa and shes-rig; he suggests that it might be understood by considering the notion of rendering that which is conscious in one sense as also conscious in another sense, and he submits that this distinction reveals the meaning of our whole evolution.