Two obscurations

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Two obscurations (Tib. སྒྲིབ་པ་གཉིས་, dribpa nyi; Wyl. sgrib pa gnyis) — emotional and cognitive obscurations.

In essence, they are the opposite of the six paramitas, as described in the Gyü Lama:

"Thoughts such as avarice and so on,
These are the emotional obscurations."

Their cause is grasping at a personal ego, or the “self of the individual”.

They function to prevent liberation from samsara.

In essence, they are thoughts that involve the three conceptual ‘spheres’ of subject, object and action. The Gyü Lama says:

"Thoughts that involve the three spheres,
These are the cognitive obscurations."

Their cause is grasping at phenomena as truly existent, or, in other words, the “self of phenomena”.

Their function is to prevent complete enlightenment.