Property:EncodedPosZhenRangNotes
B
Though+he+didn%27t+explicitly+equate+his+position+with+Rangtong%2C+he+was+certainly+a+vocal+opponent+of+D%C3%B6lpopa+and+his+Zhentong+view. +
C
He+predates+this+debate. +
This+assertion+is+applied+retroactively+since+he+predates+the+category.%0A%2A%22bCom-ldan-ral-gri+of+sNar-thang+monastery+is%2C+according+to+T%C4%81ran%C4%81tha%2C+a+forerunner+of+the+gzhan+stong+tradition+established+by+Dol-po-pa.+bCom-ldan-ral-gri%2C+in+his+RGV+commentary%2C+does+not+systematically+teach+the+gzhan+stong+doctrine+%28and+is+not%2C+of+course%2C+aware+that+he+would+later+be+considered+a+gzhan+stong+forerunner%29%2C+but+he+does+expound+some+fragmentary+elements+that+possibly+fink+him+to+the+gzhan+stong+position+of+Dol-po-pa%22.++%5B%5BKano%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BBuddha-Nature+and+Emptiness%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+342.%0A%2A%22Given+Rikrel%27s+interpretation+of+the+%27%27Uttaratantra%27%27%2C+it+is+no+wonder+that+later+Jonang+scholars+would+retrospectively+include+him+in+the+Jonang+lineage+of+other-emptiness+transmission%2C+even+though+he+does+not+employ+terms+such+as+%22other-emptiness%22+and+%22all-basis-gnosis%22+%28%27%27kun+gzhi+ye+shes%27%27%29%2C+which+would+become+crucial+for+D%C3%B6lpopa%27s+presentation+of+tath%C4%81gata-essence.%22+%5B%5BWangchuk%2C+Tsering%5D%5D.+%27%27%5B%5BThe+Uttaratantra+in+the+Land+of+Snows%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+30. +
D
Deems+zhentong+as+conventional+truth+and+the+lowest+form+of+emptiness+and+rangtong+as+the+ultimate+truth.+%5B%5BWangchuk%2C+Tsering%5D%5D%2C+%5B%5BThe+Uttaratantra+in+the+Land+of+Snows%5D%5D%2C+p.+79. +
He+was+not+the+first+to+use+the+term%2C+but+he+was+the+one+to+define+and+make+it+a+central+feature+of+his+innovative+philosophical+position%3A%0A%2A%22According+to+traditional+Tibetan+accounts%2C+the+revolutionary+theory+that+the+ultimate+is+not+%22empty+of+an+own-being%E2%80%9D+%28%27%27rang+stong%27%27%29+but+%E2%80%9Cempty+of+other%E2%80%9D+%28%27%27gzhan+stong%27%27%29+arose+in+D%C3%B6lpopas+mind+during+a+K%C4%81lacakra+retreat+at+Jonang.+Lhai+Gyaltsen+informs+us+that+D%C3%B6lpopas+realization+was+connected+with+the+%27%27K%C4%81lacakratantra%27%27+and+the+construction+of+the+great+%27%27st%C5%ABpa%27%27+in+Jonang%2C+which+was+consecrated+in+1333.+One+of+the+first+works+in+which+D%C3%B6lpopa+expressed+his+new+zhentong+understanding+of+the+Buddhist+doctrine+was+his+famous+%27%27Ri+chos+nges+don+rgya+mtsho%27%27.+His+last+major+work+was+the+%27%27Bka+bsdu+bzhi+pa%27%27+%28%27%27Bka%27+bsdu+bzhi+pa%27i+don+bstan+rtsis+chen+po%27%27%2C+%27%27The+Great+Reckoning+of+the+Doctrine+That+Has+the+Significance+of+a+Fourth+Council%27%27%29%2C+which+can+be+seen+as+a+final+summary+of+D%C3%B6lpopas+views.%22+%5B%5BMathes%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BA+Direct+Path+to+the+Buddha+Within%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+75. +
F
Affirms+that+the+mind%27s+true+nature+is+not+empty+of+its+own+qualities%2C+but+he+does+not+use+the+term+zhentong.+Draszczyk%2C+%22A+Eulogy+of+Mind%E2%80%99s+Connate+Qualities%2C%22+2015%2C+p.115 +
H
Hodor.+Hodor+HODOR+hodor%2C+hodor+hodor%2C+hodor%2C+hodor+hodor.+Hodor+hodor%2C+hodor.+Hodor+HODOR+hodor%2C+hodor+hodor%2C+hodor%2C+hodor+hodor.+Hodor+hodor+-+hodor+hodor+hodor+-+hodor%2C+hodor.+Hodor+hodor%3F%21+Hodor+hodor+HODOR%21+Hodor+HODOR+hodor%2C+hodor+hodor...+Hodor+hodor+hodor%3B+hodor+HODOR+hodor%2C+hodor+hodor.+Hodor.+Hodor+hodor+HODOR%21+Hodor+hodor+hodor+hodor...+Hodor+hodor+hodor.+Hodor. +
L
This+is+a+tricky+issue%2C+as+he+generally+predates+this+categorization+though+he+does+use+the+term%2C+sparingly%2C+in+some+of+his+writings%2C+though+not+in+the+same+way+that+it+would+come+to+be+characterized+by+Dolpopa.+Though+some+traditional+scholars%2C+such+as+Kongtrul%2C+consider+him+a+zhentongpa%2C+this+is+not+a+common+Nyingma+view.++For+relevant+discussions+of+this+issue+see%3A+%0A%2A%5B%5BMathes%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%5B%5BA+Direct+Path+to+the+Buddha+Within%5D%5D%2C+pp.+98-99.%0A%2A%5B%5BWangchuk%2C+Dorji%5D%5D%2C+%5B%5BThe+r%C3%91i%E1%B9%85-ma+Interpretations+of+the+Tath%C4%81gatagarbha+Theory%5D%5D%2C+pp.+174-178. +
M
It+is+not+entirely+clear+that+he+would+identify+with+the+Rangtong+view%2C+but+he+seems+to+have+issues+with+Zhentong%2C+as+Brunnh%C3%B6lzl+points+out%3A%0A%22Also%2C+the+emptiness+taught+in+the+buddha+nature+s%C5%ABtras+and+the+Uttaratantra+is+not+%22the+emptiness+of+one%E2%80%99s+being+empty+of+something+other%2C%22+which+is+said+to+be+the+worst+kind+of+emptiness+in+the+%27%27La%E1%B9%85k%C4%81vat%C4%81ras%C5%ABtra%27%27%2C+but+corresponds+to+this+s%C5%ABtra%E2%80%99s+%27great+ultimate+emptiness+of+the+wisdom+of+the+noble+ones.%27%22++%5B%5BBrunnh%C3%B6lzl%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BWhen+the+Clouds+Part%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+310. +
Though+his+view+is+nuanced+and+he+at+times+wrote+from+both+perspectives.+Following+are+some+examples+of+these+variations.%0A%2AHe+aligns+his+view+with+N%C4%81g%C4%81rjuna%2C+but+seems+to+assert+rangtong+in+terms+of+the+relative+and+zhentong+in+terms+of+the+ultimate%2C+as+Duckworth+quotes+Mipam%27s+%27%27Lion%27s+Roar%27%27%3A%0A%22First+it+is+necessary+to+ascertain+the+lack+of+intrinsic+nature+of+all+phenomena+in+accordance+with+the+scriptures+of+the+protector+N%C4%81g%C4%81rjuna%3B+because+if+this+is+not+known%2C+one+will+not+be+able+to+ascertain+the+manner+that+relative+%5Bphenomena%5D+are+empty+from+their+own+side+and+the+manner+that+the+ultimate+is+empty+of+what+is+other.+Therefore%2C+one+should+first+ascertain+the+freedom+from+constructs+which+is+what+is+known+reflexively.%22+%5B%5BDuckworth%2C+D.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BMipam+on+Buddha-Nature%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+71.%0A%2AHowever%2C+Mipam+is+also+quoted+as+stating%3A%0A%22In+the+tradition+of+self-emptiness%2C+since+there+is+only+the+ultimately+nonexistent%2C+an+ultimately+existing+phenomenon+is+impossible.+In+the+tradition+of+other-emptiness%2C+what+is+ultimately+nonexistent+is+the+relative%2C+and+what+is+ultimately+existent+is+the+ultimate+itself.+My+tradition+is+clear+in+the+%27%27Rapsel+Rejoinder%27%27%2C+the+tradition+propounding+self-emptiness.%22+%5B%5BDuckworth%2C+D.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BMipam+on+Buddha-Nature%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+74.%0A%2AMipam%27s+position+depends+on+the+definitions+used+for+these+terms%2C+as+Duckworth+points+out%3A%0A%22When+we+consider+Mipam%E2%80%99s+depiction+of+emptiness+in+light+of+the+categories+of+%E2%80%9Cself-emptiness%E2%80%9D+and+%E2%80%9Cother-emptiness%2C%E2%80%9D+we+can+see+that+according+to+Khenpo+Lodr%C3%B6+Drakpa%E2%80%99s+definitions+of+a+proponent+of+self-emptiness+%28claiming+a+non-implicative+negation+as+the+consummate+ultimate%29+and+other-emptiness+%28claiming+wisdom+as+not+empty+of+its+own+essence%29%2C+Mipam+is+a+proponent+of+neither+self-emptiness+nor+other-emptiness.+However%2C+according+to+Lochen%E2%80%99s+definitions+of+self-emptiness+and+other-emptiness%2C+we+see+how+Mipam+can+be+said+to+be+a+proponent+of+both+self-emptiness+and+other-emptiness%21%22+%0AAnd%2C+later+on%2C+%0A%22It+is+clear+that+Mipam+defines+himself+as+a+proponent+of+self-emptiness%E2%80%94as+one+who+propounds+that+there+is+nothing+ultimately+existent%E2%80%94in+accord+with+his+definition+of+the+term.+%5B%5BDuckworth%2C+D.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BMipam+on+Buddha-Nature%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+74.
S
He+predates+the+distinction+but+is+clearly+in+line+with+the+rangtong+perspective. +
T
Technically+he+was+more+of+a+precursor+to+this+view%2C+though+as+an+important+teacher+to+D%C3%B6lpopa%2C+especially+for+the+%27%27Five+Treatises+of+Maitreya%27%27+it+is+no+wonder+that+the+latter%27s+view+is+heavily+indebted+to+Rinchen+Yeshe.+See%0A%2A%5B%5BWangchuk%2C+Tsering%5D%5D.+%27%27%5B%5BThe+Uttaratantra+in+the+Land+of+Snows%5D%5D%27%27%2C+pp.+35-36.%0A%2A%5B%5BBrunnh%C3%B6lzl%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BWhen+the+Clouds+Part%5D%5D%27%27%2C+pp.+308-309. +
%2AHe+never+actually+uses+this+term%2C+so+this+is+a+later+attribution+imputed+on+to+his+exegesis+of+the+RGV+and+other+works+by+his+commentators+such+as+Karma+Trinlepa+and+eventually+Kongtrul%2C+which+is+labeled+the+Zhentong+Tradition+of+the+Karma+Kagyu%2C+which+differs+considerably+from+D%C3%B6lpopa%27s+tradition.+See+%5B%5BMathes%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BA+Direct+Path+to+the+Buddha+Within%5D%5D%27%27%2C+pp.+54-57.%0A%2AFor+more+on+the+difference+between+the+Third+Karmapa+and+D%C3%B6lpopa+see+%5B%5BMathes%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BA+Direct+Path+to+the+Buddha+Within%5D%5D%27%27%2C+p.+69-70.%0A%2ASee+also+%5B%5BBrunnh%C3%B6lzl%2C+K.%5D%5D%2C+%27%27%5B%5BLuminous+Heart%5D%5D%27%27%2C+pp.+95-109. +
He+predates+the+category%2C+but+as+Stearns+remarks%2C+%22Tsen+Kawoch%C3%A9+.+.+.+is+often+thought+to+be+the+first+Tibetan+to+have+taught+what+later+came+to+be+known+as+the+Zhentong+view.%22+See+%5B%5BStearns%2C+C.%5D%5D%2C+%5B%5BThe+Buddha+from+Dolpo%5D%5D%2C+pp.+42%E2%80%933+and+pp.+88%E2%80%939. +