Looking with New Eyes: The Lenses of the Three Visions

What are the Three Visions?

The Three Visions are three ways of perceiving reality. They are part of a path of self-knowledge and inner transformation deeply rooted in one of the major schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, the Sakya school. Through specific practices, this path helps us recognize our suffering, cultivate qualities like compassion, and open up to a deeper and more liberating perception of existence.

These visions are based on ancient —simple but powerful— verses by an Indian master named Virupa, who lived more than a thousand years ago:

For sentient beings with afflictions,

vision is impure.

For the meditator absorbed in transition,

vision is of experience.

For the ornamental wheel of the body, speech, and mind

awakened and inexhaustible of the Sugata,

vision is pure.

Who was Virupa and why does he inspire us?

Virupa was not a conventional teacher. Despite being a great scholar —abbot of an important monastery in India— he went through a spiritual crisis that made him deeply reconsider his path. After overcoming it, he became a mahasiddha, a type of practitioner who often breaks norms and transmits the Dharma (the Buddhist teaching) in unpredictable but transformative ways.

He named himself Virupa, which means “the ugly” or “the deformed”, as an act of rebellion against the aesthetic and social conventions of his time. But despite his appearance and eccentric attitude, wherever he went he would spark wisdom and spiritual commitment in those who met him.

That’s why we at Casa Virupa carry his name: because we want the spirit that goes beyond appearances and moralism —the spirit of this teacher— to inspire our way of sharing the Dharma.

A complete path to transform ourselves through honest recognition

The text The Beautiful Ornament of the Three Visions, written in the 16th century by Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub, starts from Virupa’s verses to develop a practical guide that has been transmitted to this day within the Sakya school. This school —one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism— is known for its combination of scholarship and living practice. Its central teaching is the Lamdre, or “path that includes the result,” within which we find the Three Visions.

The path begins with a very realistic observation: our usual way of seeing the world is tainted by attachment, aversion, and ignorance. This is the so-called impure vision, the first of the three. But it is not the endpoint —it’s the starting point: if we recognize that we suffer and that our suffering has causes, we can begin to change.

The text invites us to cultivate a critical and lucid attitude toward our habits of suffering. It also reminds us of the good fortune of having a human body, of living conditions that allow us to listen, reflect, and meditate, and encourages us to make use of it before it’s too late. It begins, then, with an honest and committed look at reality.

Awakening to a new way of perceiving

With practice and dedication, we can move toward the vision of experience, a second way of seeing the world. Here, our mind begins to transform: we cultivate compassion, the desire for liberation and to help others, and we gain a more direct experience free from habitual distortions.

Finally, the text opens the door to the pure vision: a radically liberating way of perceiving, characteristic of those who are fully awakened. Here, body, speech, and mind no longer function to reinforce the ego, but as instruments in the service of the liberation of all beings. It is the culmination of the Vajrayana path —tantric Buddhism— where the world itself becomes an expression of awakening.

Why is this text so valuable?

According to Lama Norbu, teacher at Casa Virupa, this text is not only rigorous and complete, but also profoundly accessible. Its structure —starting from suffering rather than high ideals— makes it especially honest and transformative. And he’s not the only one who thinks so: Gongma Trichen Rinpoche, Lama Norbu’s main teacher and one of the heads of the Sakya school, says it is like a ladder for fortunate practitioners, like a priceless medicine, and even more precious than a jewel that grants all wishes.

Do you want to experience it yourself?

From July 18 to 24, you’ll have the opportunity to practice this teaching in depth. Lama Norbu will lead a retreat at Casa Virupa to integrate the Three Visions through contemplation, study, and meditation. The retreat will also be based on another foundational text: Clarifying the Sage’s Intent, by Sakya Pandita.

If you are looking for a clear, deep, and committed guide to walk toward a new way of living and seeing, perhaps this summer is your moment.

More information and registration here.