Three gateways to liberation

The three gateways to liberation (Tib. རྣམ་ཐར་སྒོ་གསུམ་nam tar go sum; Wyl. rnam thar sgo gsum) are features of all phenomena which provide a means to realize their absolute nature. They are:

1. emptiness (Skt. śūnyatā; Tib. སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་, tongpa nyi; Wyl. stong pa nyid)
2. absence of characteristics or attributes (Skt. animitta; Tib. མཚན་ཉིད་མེད་པ་, tsen nyi mépa; Wyl. mtshan nyid med pa)
3. wishlessness, absence of expectancy (Skt. apraṇihita; Tib. སྨོན་པ་མེད་པ་, mönpa mépa; Wyl. smon pa med pa)

Alternative Translations

• three gates of emancipation
• three doors of deliverance
• three approaches to liberation (Dorje & Kapstein)
• three avenues/ doorways to liberation
• three doors of perfect liberation (Padmakara in Treasury of Precious Qualities)

Further Reading

• Kangyur Rinpoche, Treasury of Precious Qualities (Boston: Shambhala, 2001), Appendix 10, pp. 347-8

External Links

• The Excellent Path of the Great Vehicle: How to Meditate on the Three Gateways to Liberation According to the Mahayana by Rongtön Sheja Kunrig