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Becoming a Total Person

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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The first level of Tantra is Kriya Tantra, or bya gyü in Tibetan. The practice of Kriya Tantra emphasizes rituals, which are very important to observe precisely and clearly. For instance, it is important to observe cleanliness. People who practice Kriya Tantra are supposed to engage in ritual bathing and wash their bodies five or six times a day. They must also stick to a strict vegetarian diet. The deities who are visualized are mostly peaceful, and the relationship between the deity and the practitioner is one in which the practitioner plays a subservient role. The practitioner sees the deity as the master and him- or herself as the servant.

In Tantrism we have hundreds and even thousands of deities, but they all belong to what are known as Buddha families. Three different Buddha families are mentioned on the level of Kriya Tantra: the Padma, or Lotus family; the Vajra family; and the family of the Buddhas. Of course, all the Buddhas are included in the Buddha family. The principal deity of the Lotus family is Avalokiteshvara, and the principle deity of the Vajra family is Vajrapani.

In order to practice the visualizations and engage in the sadhana or practice of Tantra, one needs to receive the proper empowerment, or abhisheka. According to Jamgön Kongtrül the Great, the Sanskrit word abhisheka derives from two different sources. The first is abhikensa, which means “sprinkling.” This is part of every single empowerment that we receive and symbolizes the purification of the defilements. The other word is abikenta, which means “putting something into a container.” Jamgön Kongtrül says this means that when the mind has become cleansed of the defilements, the qualities of wisdom can be put into it, and that therefore the real connotation of abhisheka is empowerment. It is through receiving the empowerment that one’s practice becomes effective. Jamgön Kongtrül says it is therefore extremely important that we abide by the proper procedure for imparting and receiving these empowerments. It should be done very precisely, because without empowerment one’s practice cannot be effective. Through the imparting and receiving of empowerment, a certain kind of relationship is established between the teacher and the student. This relationship becomes transformed at that point, and from then onward it is no longer ordinary or insignificant. Jamgön Kongtrül says that it is comparable to marriage vows. Just as the relationship between two people can be transformed through a marriage ceremony to mean something different from what it meant in the past, so too can the relationship between teacher and disciple be transformed.

There are two different types of empowerments on the level of Kriya Tantra. The first is the empowerment of sprinkling water, and the second is the empowerment of the crown. The empowerment of sprinkling water uses a vase, and the empowerment of the crown is conferred with the mudra of the crown rather than with an actual crown itself. The deities visualized within the context of Kriya Tantra consist of two different types, because they can be visualized in either a full or a symbolic form. Instead of visualizing a deity with the hands, face, and feet of a fully developed body, one can visualize the deity symbolically—as a vajra, for instance. The deity can also be visualized in the form of a letter of the Tibetan alphabet. For example, one can visualize the heart syllable, which is considered to be the same as visualizing the deity itself. However, at the Kriya Tantra level, the relationship between the practitioner and the deity is essentially one of inequality. We see ourselves as being deluded, while the deity is worshiped as having all the power to impart to us.

Charya Tantra


The practitioner then proceeds to the next stage, which is Charya Tantra, or chö gyü. Charya Tantra emphasizes the importance of both meditative states and ritual observances. Charya means “ritual practice” and deals with physical postures and the recitation of mantras, but it also involves the mental aspect of meditation, which is developed through visualization practices. When one practices the visualization of deities on the level of Charya Tantra, it is no longer based upon the same sense of inequality that defined Kriya Tantra. The deities are seen more as friends than exalted beings to be worshiped, even while having nothing in common with the practitioner in terms of qualities. When it is said in the tantric teachings, that we visualize ourselves as a deity, it says that we should also develop something, which is called “divine pride.” This means that we should develop confidence, rather than pride in the conventional sense. Everything that we are looking for is already inside us, if we only knew how to tap into these resources.

The deities are also classified in three Buddha families on the level of Charya Tantra, known as the families of body, speech, and mind. Except for the names, there seems to be no difference between the actual deities belonging to these Buddha families in Kriya and Charya Tantra. There is a slight difference with regard to the empowerments, because there are five empowerments instead of two. When a student is ready to practice Charya Tantra, he or she needs to receive these five empowerments, which consist of the empowerment of sprinkling water, the crown, the vajra, the bell, and the name.

In Charya Tantra the deities are visualized as having two aspects, relative and absolute. Sometimes the absolute aspect of the deity is called the purity aspect of the deity, while the relative aspect or impure aspect is the actual visualization of the deity itself. The absolute nature of the visualized deities is understood to be no different from one’s own Buddha-nature, or the nature of mind. The basic point is that the visualization of the deities is not absolute, because the deities are a projection of the mind.


Anuyoga Tantra


From Charya Tantra one moves onto the next level, which is Anuyoga Tantra, or jesu naljor gyü. On this level, one relies less and less on relative truth and aims more toward absolute truth. As with Charya Tantra, one needs to receive five empowerments to practice the Anuyoga Tantras. These are the empowerment of sprinkling water, the crown, the vajra, the bell, and the flower. On the Anuyoga tantric level, it is said that one must have developed bodhichitta and taken the Bodhisattva vow, for without it one cannot continue the practice. Anuyoga Tantra practice involves dealing with delusions and defilements directly, so that they can become transformed into the five wisdoms. The five Buddha families are actually the symbolic representations of these five wisdoms.

In the Mahayana teachings, particularly those belonging to the last turning of the Wheel of Dharma, five levels of consciousness are discussed. The first level is alayavijnana, or “storehouse consciousness.” This storehouse consciousness retains all the karmic propensities. In some ways it is comparable to the unconscious as this is understood in the West. These karmic propensities or tendencies are called pagchak in Tibetan, and varsana in Sanskrit. Pakchak literally means “existing in a hidden way,” or not immediately conscious. So these pakchak, or karmic traces and dispositions, operate on the level of the storehouse consciousness, and the storehouse consciousness becomes transformed into what is called mirrorlike wisdom.

The second level of consciousness is called the ego-mind, which is nyön yid in Tibetan, or manovijnana in Sanskrit. Because of these karmic propensities, the experiences of our senses are filtered through the ego-mind, or our own subjective viewpoint in relation to how the ego views the world. The ego-mind is seen as the seat of the notion of the self, and any kind of self-centeredness or egocentricity arising from this notion. This ego-mind becomes transformed into the wisdom of equanimity.

The next level of consciousness is what we normally mean by consciousness, the mind that thinks, feels, and experiences at a conscious level on a moment-by-moment basis. This is transformed into discriminating wisdom.

Lastly, the five sense consciousnesses, or five sensory impressions that give us information about the external world, become transformed through the process of Anuyoga Tantra into all-accomplishing wisdom.

All this is made possible because of the fifth wisdom, called the wisdom of dharmadhatu, or the wisdom of dharmakaya, which is nothing other than Buddha-nature itself. Buddha-nature is the basis of both the samsaric and nirvanic experience. Therefore, the realization of Buddha-nature manifests as this wisdom of dharmadhatu (ultimate reality) or dharmakaya. Through the practice of Anuyoga Tantra, one uses these techniques to deal with delusions directly.

When understood properly, these very delusions can be transformed into wisdom, and therefore the delusions are the very material that constitutes what we mean by wisdom. That at least is the tantric understanding, which is likened to the alchemic process of turning lead into gold. One does not make a sharp distinction between what should be abandoned and what should be cultivated. If one knows how to deal with things that normally give rise to delusions, one can in fact give rise to insight and wisdom instead.

Sometimes, tantric practitioners are compared to peacocks, not because of their arrogance but because of the Indian myth that peacocks live on poison. Just as the peacock is able to use poison as food, a capable tantric practitioner should be able to take the five poisons of attachment, anger, jealousy, pride, and ignorance, and transform them into the five wisdoms.

Generally speaking, human beings have five poisons, but usually one poison will predominate. One may have anger as the main problem, or pride, or jealousy. The five poisons correspond to the five Buddha families. For example, the Buddha of the Padma family, which is red in color, represents the transformed energy of desire. There is a positive spiritual potential corresponding to each particular poison, and this can be developed through working with the energy of that poison. Of course, not everybody belongs to the same Buddha family, but still one would need to engage in the types of practices associated with all the Buddha families. However, the teacher may recommend that one do a particular practice because one needs to work with a particular poison. Another way of explaining it is the transformation of what we call the five psychophysical constituents, or the five skandhas, into the five wisdoms. There is nothing that one needs to abandon; rather, one can make use of everything in order to achieve enlightenment.


The final level of Tantra is Mahanuttarayoga Tantra, which is the “supreme yoga,” and this we shall discuss in the next chapter.


SUPREME YOGA TANTRA

Becoming a Total Person


THE FINAL LEVEL OF TANTRA, Mahanuttarayoga Tantra, or la-me chenpo’i gyü, is considered to be the supreme level. It is also the most difficult one to practice. Unlike the other Tantras, on this level the practitioner deals directly with his or her conflicting emotions through practices such as the visualization of wrathful deities. In Mahanuttarayoga Tantra effort is made constantly to look at what is frightening, what is intimidating, what produces sexual desire, and so on, and to attempt to link these experiences with more liberating spiritual experiences, in order to see these very energies as expressions of wisdom. For that reason, one visualizes deities in sexual union and the like.

Visualizing wrathful deities stirs up emotions more than visualizing peaceful deities. These wrathful deities can be very intimidating. They are usually adorned with skulls and wear animal skins and things of that nature. However, all this must be understood symbolically, and one needs to understand what these symbols represent in each specific practice. The deities have a certain number of heads or a certain number of limbs for a specific reason, and the same applies to the animal skins or hides that they wear. Human skin, for example, can represent desire; a tiger skin can represent hatred; an elephant skin can represent ignorance. I’m simply giving these as examples, because these symbolic meanings are not fixed in relation to particular images. They vary from practice to practice and from deity to deity, so that one has to understand the symbolic meaning in each particular context. In all these practices, the emphasis is upon bringing about some kind of marriage between the sacred and the profane. With that understanding, one takes the necessary empowerments in the Mahanuttarayoga Tantra, as with the previous Tantras. The first empowerment is the vase empowerment, and the first part of this consists of the empowerment of sprinkling water, which symbolizes the purification of the defilements. Then the empowerment of the crown is given; according to Mahanuttarayoga Tantra, the significance of this empowerment is that the practitioner has to find out to which Buddha family he or she belongs. The crown of that particular Buddha family is then placed on the head of the practitioner, in a symbolic way. The other part of the vase empowerment consists of placing a vajra on the practitioner’s head, to symbolize the inseparability of emptiness and compassion. In addition to all this, a new name is given to the practitioner, which symbolizes the fact that the practitioner is being “reborn.” These empowerments are all considered a part of the vase empowerment.

This is followed by the secret empowerment, which is called secret mainly because it empowers one to practice the visualization of deities in union. The significance of union, of course, is the coming together of the dualities of subject and object, or wisdom and emptiness, or compassion and wisdom. To symbolize the experience of bliss that is the result of this union, one is given medicinal blessing pills as part of the empowerment. The mandala associated with the vase empowerment is the external mandala, constructed of sand or painted on canvas. The mandala of the secret empowerment is not physical at all, but mental. This is because the vase empowerment is received in order to eradicate the defilements of the physical body, whereas the secret empowerment is intended to eradicate the defilements of speech.

The third empowerment is the empowerment of wisdom, which enables the practitioner to engage in such practices as tummo, or “mystic heat yoga.” The main point here is to transform the sexual energy through these practices. The way that this is achieved depends upon the practitioner, or upon whether he or she is a monk or nun, celibate or noncelibate. In any case, the basic aim is to realize great bliss through the transformation of sexual energies. In the practice of mystic heat, for example, even as practiced by celibates, the mystic heat is made to rise from the navel center up through the central channel, until it melts what is called the bodhichitta or “life essence,” and then it descends again. As the life essence descends through the central channel, one experiences different types of bliss at different levels. When practiced with a partner it is called karma yoga, and when practiced by celibate people it is called jnana or wisdom yoga. In either approach, the same objective is attained.

The final empowerment is called the empowerment of logos, or word. Through the transformation of sexual energy one attains the experience of bliss, and through the experience of bliss it becomes easier to overcome the duality of subject and object. As this experience of bliss becomes more refined it is transformed into what is called great bliss, or mahasukha. (Sometimes it is also called co-emergent bliss). This great bliss coincides with the realization of the nature of mind, or the realization of Mahamudra. From this perspective of Mahamudra, the nature of mind has three aspects—bliss, emptiness, and nonconceptuality.

The fourth empowerment is essentially symbolic, because it does not empower the person to do any particular practice. The empowerment of the logos or word is a symbolic gesture pointing out the nature of the mind. The culmination of the practice has to do with transcending any subtle forms of attachment that may remain in relation to the blissful experiences associated with the practices of the third empowerment. One also realizes that the deities that one has visualized, the mantras recited, and the other practices undertaken, were just expedient methods, and that all these deities actually represent nothing other than the spiritual qualities that are already innate in the mind itself. So there is total transcendence of all conceptual fabrications.

In this way, the four levels of Tantra lead the practitioner through different stages of self-realization. Unlike the methods of the Sutrayana, Tantrism uses emotional conflicts as well as concepts in order to go beyond delusion. The way the concepts are used is through the practice of visualization, and as one becomes more acquainted with these visualizations they become more and more complex and demanding. Instead of abandoning concepts, however, one uses them. At the same time, one uses the conflicting emotions in order to transform them into their corresponding wisdoms. As with all other Buddhist practices, it is said that we must approach these practices step by step. We must prepare ourselves for these practices or else some of the more advanced stages can be overwhelming or disturbing to the mind rather than helpful.

It should be emphasized that we need to have proper guidance to practice these tantric methods. Because Tantrism is so expedient and so effective, if we miss the point with Tantra, its methods would do far more damage than a misunderstanding of the sutric methods would incur. However, if we do the practices properly and go through the various stages before undertaking the practices of the Mahanuttarayoga Tantra, then our efforts will be helpful not only in this life but also in the intermediate state after death. All the frightening beings that are described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo thödröl), for example, are the same as the deities visualized in the Mahanuttarayoga Tantras. That does not mean that the deities we encounter in the intermediary state would be exactly like the deities we might have visualized. But through repeated use of visualizations, we remind ourselves of the fact that these deities are the product of our imagination rather than something real, possessed of independent existence. This realization could help us at the time of death.

As the teachings point out, just because we know that the frightening experiences that occur in sleep or dreams are only mental illusions does not mean that we have the capacity to control them while we are actually experiencing these things. However, through the practice of dream yoga—which is a part of the Mahanuttarayoga Tantra practices—it is possible to have control over our dreams right now. We can have lucid dreams and actually realize that it is all a dream while we are dreaming; therefore, if we are having frightening experiences at the time, there is nothing to be frightened of.

In a similar way, the practices of deity visualization are helpful for realizing the nature of the mind. If this is realized, we would be able to recognize what is going on even during the experiences of the intermediary state. During the practice of Mahanuttarayoga Tantra we visualize the most frightening deities we can imagine, in order to acquaint ourselves with the dark side of our own consciousness. The most frightening, most grotesque, most revolting beings are realized, all with the symbolic meaning of spiritual qualities.

When we say that the deities are projections of the mind, that does not mean that the deities do not have a certain kind of power in themselves. I think that kind of interpretation comes from the Western understanding that everything external to the mind is more real than anything in the mind. But this is not necessarily the case. For example, the delusions of a psychotic are only in his or her mind, but those delusions have a very powerful influence on that person. This is also true with the use of visualizations, which can be very powerful images for the mind, in this particular case with the healing process. In Buddhist terms it is expressed this way: from the ultimate point of view the deity is a projection of the mind, but from the relative point of view, because the deities are projected outward, they do have some kind of existence of their own. Therefore, they can have some influence on the mind of the practitioner on the relative level. We should not think that because everything is mental there is no point in doing any of this, that it is all a waste of time.

The aim of tantric practice is to bridge the gap between the conscious and the unconscious, the sacred and the profane, and all other dualities. Only when we do this can we appreciate the purpose of visualizing deities ripping flesh with their teeth, feasting on a human heart, drinking blood, and things of that nature. It provides a method for becoming a total person, because we are able to acknowledge all that is undesirable and disturbing. That, I think, is what becoming an enlightened person is all about.


THE SIX YOGAS OF NAROPA

Dealing with Conflicting Emotions


THE SIX YOGAS were given to the Indian siddha Naropa as an adjunct to his daily Mahamudra meditation. These yogas consists of mystic heat, illusory body, dream, clear light, bardo, and transference of consciousness. The Six Yogas are designed to help practitioners deal with conflicting emotions of various kinds. It would not be appropriate to talk about the Six Yogas in detail here because for that one would need to have taken the necessary empowerments and completed the preliminary practices. However, I can explain the nature of these practices and the reasons why a practitioner may choose to engage in them. Before embarking on the practice of the Six Yogas, it is essential to complete both the common and uncommon preliminary practices. The common preliminaries consist of contemplation of impermanence, karmic cause and effect, precious human rebirth, and the sufferings of samsara. The uncommon preliminary practices include prostration, vajrasattva, mandala, and guru yoga.

Having successfully completed the required preliminary practices, the yogi or yogini can embark upon the Six Yogas of Naropa. According to the traditional teachings, mystic heat yoga is most suit-able for individuals with immense energy and dedication. Dream yoga and the yoga of clear light, on the other hand, would be the most appropriate for someone who has a lethargic disposition. The yogas are practiced in relation to one’s own predilections, habit patterns, and psychological makeup. The practice of mystic heat, for example, is an effective tool for working with sexual lust, whereas illusory body yoga is recommended for people with aggressive tendencies. For those who are disposed toward mental obscurations and defilements, the yoga of clear light is used as an antidote. Bardo yoga is practiced in order to prepare ourselves for our inevitable demise and postmortem state of bardo. Transference of consciousness is practiced because of the separation of body and mind at the time of death. Through this practice, it is possible to become familiar with that experience of transference of consciousness while one is alive.

In and through the practice of these Six Yogas, the yogi or yogini is able to generate the experience of great bliss (mahasukha). Ordinarily we experience our desires as the source of attachment and fixation. But through practice, it is possible to transform what is base and constricting into something that is sublime and liberating. Then the psychophysical energy pathways (nadis), psychophysical energy current (prana), psychophysical energy center (chakra) and life essence (bindi) begin to function at their optimum level, thus affording the practitioner a hitherto unknown strata of psychosomatic health and vigor. The six doctrines of Naropa therefore represent the most efficient way of deploying skillful means (upaya) in tantric practice, precisely because each yoga is designed to deal with a particular type of emotional conflict (klesha).


MYSTIC HEAT YOGA (Tummo)


In order to transform sexuality into spirituality, mystic heat is practiced. Here, ordinary bodily and sexual pleasure is transformed into great bliss. This experience of bliss leads to the realization of the ultimate reality, or emptiness. The spiritual experience of bliss is inseparable from emptiness. This is accomplished through training the energy pathways, psychophysical energy, and life essence. There are three main energy pathways, one in the center, one on the right, and one on the left. The right and left energy pathways represent the male and female elements. There are also five psychophysical energy centers stationed at specific points in the body. The crown chakra is stationed in the head region and is known as the chakra of bliss. The chakra of pure indulgence is stationed at the throat center. At the heart rests the chakra of mental effusion. At the navel rests the chakra of creative manifestations and at the genitals lies the chakra of pleasure.

The crown chakra is referred to as the center of bliss. Even during ordinary sexual intercourse—according to tantric medicospiritual systems—bliss descends from the crown region. The throat chakra has earned the name of pure indulgence because we ingest food and drink through this aperture. The heart chakra is referred to as the center of mental effusion because it is from here that feelings such as attraction and aversion emanate. The navel chakra is known as the center of creative manifestations because herein lies the creative life force. Even the warmth of the body is supposed to flow to its extremities from this region, considered to be the creative source of the life force itself. The genital chakra is known as the center of pleasure. In the teachings it is said that in normal circumstances the experience of pleasure descends from the crown center, through the throat center and navel center to the genital center where the sexual energy is released. However, through tantric practice, the sexual energy is deliberately retained and reversed rather than released. The practitioner does not lose control. This reversal of the sexual energy is what produces great bliss. This kind of self-control takes a great deal of practice, of course.

The yogi or yogini transforms the ordinary energy pathways into their purer and more liberating counterparts. The mystic heat is practiced to generate heat, and from heat, bliss is produced. It is also said that apart from the spiritual realizations that may result from this practice, one can also expect to enjoy a tremendous sense of well-being, brought about by equalizing the elements. Also, as a result of having practiced mystic heat, one is no longer affected by extreme elements of heat or cold.


ILLUSORY BODY YOGA


The practice of illusory body yoga enables us to work with our aggression. Through this practice we can realize the nonsubstantial nature of aggression and thereby realize the illusory nature of things. There are several ways to contemplate illusion. The first is to contemplate physical objects, the second is contemplation of speech, and the third is contemplation of mental cogitation. Contemplation of physical objects means regarding them as similar to dreams. When we are dreaming we may have the feeling that we have met so-and-so, lived in such-and-such a house, and so on. Upon awakening we realize that what we dreamed about was all illusory. Likewise, everything that looks solid and impenetrable in the phenomenal world is in reality non-substantial and devoid of essence. This is what is realized through this yoga.


DREAM YOGA


Dream yoga practice has the benefit of producing lucid dreaming so that we can become conscious of our dreams while we are still asleep. In that way, even dream experiences can be used to foster our spiritual progress, and no time is wasted during both waking and sleeping hours. This practice has two components, the recognition of dreams as dreams and the realization of dreams as illusory. By becoming familiar with these two components of dream yoga, the yogi or yogini develops the capacity to transform dreams at will. Thus, a nightmare may be transformed into a pleasant dream. Except for dreams that are portents of future events and the like, most dreams are seen to be the product of our karmic inheritance and its habitual tendencies. There is an inextricable relationship between deity yoga (visualization of deities) and the practice of dream yoga at night. Both deal with mental images, which are very important for understanding how the mind’s many permutations work.


CLEAR LIGHT YOGA


As the yogi or yogini becomes more proficient in dream yoga, he or she is able to maintain awareness during dream experiences, without yielding to the powerful pull of stupor and sloth. Through clear light yoga, the yogi or yogini develops immense mental perspicacity and clarity as a result of the diminishing influence of ignorance.

So practitioners of the Six Yogas do the mystic heat and illusory body yogas during the day, and meditate on dream yoga and the yoga of clear light at night. Mystic heat and illusory body yogas, as already mentioned, act as antidotes for excessive desire and aggression. Dream yoga is formulated to dispel mental stupor and heaviness. We supplement this practice with the yoga of clear light. The result of these practices is mental clarity and perspicacity, so that the yogi or yogini is able to maintain a sense of awareness both day and night. It is through these practices that we are able to transform the five poisons and realize Mahamudra. Six Yogas are the method, and the Mahamudra is the goal.


BARDO YOGA


The practice of bardo yoga has four divisions: the natural bardo of this life, the painful bardo of dying, the luminous bardo of dharmata, and the karmic bardo of becoming.

Bardo simply means “in-between.” The natural bardo of this life includes everything from the moment of birth to the time of death. Thus, this life is sandwiched in between birth and death. According to Buddhism, life itself consists of a continuous series of birth, death, and rebirth. In this sense, the emergence of a fresh thought, a new life situation, or a novel experience also represents birth. When these fade into only faint memories, or into the unconscious, that is death. The reemergence of similar life/mind experiences represents rebirth. We therefore have to accustom ourselves to our own mortality in the natural bardo of this life. If we succeed in doing that, then we have already prepared ourselves for the painful bardo of dying.


The Painful Bardo of Dying


The painful bardo of dying has two divisions. These are the dissolution of the sense faculties, sense organs, and outer elements (jung wa), and the dissolution of inner mental events (sem jung). According to the tantric medical system, life is initially formed through the coming together of the five elements. These same elements sustain the life thus acquired. They are also responsible for the cause of death. The harmonious functioning among the elements is therefore essential for the perpetuation of life. When the elements stop functioning together, this signals the advent of the painful bardo of dying.

Along with the dissolution of the elements is the gradual withdrawal of psychophysical energy from the body. As a result, the dying person experiences difficulties with normal bodily functions. The first thing to go is the body’s ability to digest food. They are no longer able to take normal food or drink and start to labor with breathing. They can no longer move their limbs at will, and they lose voluntary control over their bowels. The mind becomes delirious and confused.

Also included in the inventory of the dying person’s afflictions and woes is the dissolution of the five elements. The earth element provides the body with its solidity and strength. At the time of death, however, this element dissolves into water, which results in progressive weakening of the body. The neck cannot support the head, the legs can’t hold the body upright, and so on. Apart from these obvious physical signs of approaching death, there are corresponding mental signs. The mind becomes dull, opaque, and confused.

Then the water element dissolves into the fire element. Since the water element supplies the body with its much-needed fluid, the dissolution of this element not unexpectedly leads to dryness of the mouth and tongue. The tongue also becomes stiff. Mentally the dying person becomes agitated and anxious.

This is followed by the dissolution of the fire element into the wind element. Physical signs include a chilling of the mouth and nose as the heat of the body vanishes at this point. One’s mind slips in and out of consciousness and has difficulties in recognizing or identifying things.

This gradual and painful process of dissolution culminates in the wind element dissolving into consciousness. The dying individual begins to breath erratically, with long exhalations and difficult inhalations. Mentally he or she begins to hallucinate. The nature of these hallucinations is determined by one’s life experiences and karmic inheritance. The sense faculties and sensory apparatus cease to function, so that he is no longer capable of apprehending sensory objects at all, or at best misapprehends them.

When the senses have ceased to function altogether, the consciousness dissolves into the element of space, at which point the dying person stops breathing. It is mentioned in the literature on the death and dying process that there is still some lingering warmth remaining in the heart region at this point. It is also said that in certain rare circumstances the dying person may be revived and brought back to life. Apart from these unusual exceptions, this is where the demarcation line between life and death is drawn. Consciousness is wrenched from the body through the force of one’s karma, and the process of dissolution of gross and subtle thoughts comes into effect. At the onset of this fading of thoughts, the deceased begins to perceive apparitions of whiteness, redness, and blackness.

The tantric literature explicates two types of life energy sources. These are known as life essence and reside in two different locales. One type of energy source is the male life essence, inherited from one’s father and located in the cortex. The female energy source is inherited from one’s mother and dwells in the navel region. The male essence is white, while the female essence is red. At the time of death, owing to the movement of the psychophysical energy, the male life essence that is located in the crown area is forced to move downwards through the central energy pathway, which then produces the perception of whiteness in the deceased. A whiteness comparable to the moonlight is said to appear. Then there is an upward movement of the female life essence, which resides in the navel region. This produces apparitions of redness comparable to the hue of the sun’s radiance. Through the collision of these two types of life essence at the heart chakra, the dying person experiences blackout and is now dead, a disembodied being.


The Luminous Bardo of Dharmata


The apparitions of the white and red lights are referred to as phenomenal luminosity, while the experience of clear light at this juncture in the postmortem state is known as ground or ultimate luminosity. These two forms of luminosity are present in the mind itself in the form of Buddha-nature. As all the defiling factors of the mind have ceased for a very short time, the deceased is provided with the opportunity to recognize his or her innate nature. The Buddha-nature is present in everyone, so that we cannot extricate ourselves from it, yet that does not mean that we can recognize it when the time comes. It is for this reason that practices like the Six Yogas are undertaken.

The cultivation of insight into the nature of the mind is known as son luminosity, and what is innately present in the mind is known as mother luminosity. If the deceased is able to seize this precious moment and realize that the experience of luminosity in that situation is the same as knowing one’s own nature, then there is release from samsaric bondage. Failure to recognize one’s own nature in this instance would lead to all forms of mental anguish. Visions of beings with wrathful appearance, with multiple heads and multiple limbs, make their appearance in the bardo. It is not only frightful apparitions that terrorize the pitiful bardo being, however. The deceased is also subjected to the most frightening and dreadful sounds that one could possibly imagine.

After a period of enduring this agonizing mental torture, the deceased is mercifully rendered unconscious through the sheer intensity of the experience. All the previous manifestations disappear, and he finds himself in a radically different environment where the surroundings are translucent, iridescent, and imbued with light. This is a world populated by peaceful beings who are regal and beautifully adorned. This is followed by visions of spectacular displays of five-colored light.

There is one key point that the deceased has to pay attention to throughout the journey in the bardo, so as not to be taken in by the bardo apparitions: He must see that these apparitions are products of his own mind and therefore devoid of any objective reality. The tantric practice of visualization—which includes deities of both peaceful and wrathful nature—is seen as an extremely useful tool for acquainting ourselves with these various forms of mental projection. If we can recognize that the apparitions of the bardo are the product of the mind, then we can find liberation in the bardo itself. Otherwise we will be reborn, owing to our unresolved karmic history. Then the karmic bardo of becoming takes effect.


The Karmic Bardo of Becoming


Where and to whom we are born, and what sort of physical characteristics and mental propensities we have, are in large measure determined by our actions in the previous life and our attitudes at the time of death. Just as it is possible to reduce the pain of dying through spiritual practice, so too is it possible to lessen the trauma of birth by taking birth with consciousness and awareness. This is the way that highly advanced and realized beings are supposed to take birth.


TRANSFERENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS


The yoga of transference of consciousness (phowa) involves transferring one’s consciousness into a higher state. The idea is that through this training the yogi or yogini will be able to eject the consciousness through the crown chakra. Such a practitioner is able to exercise voluntary control over the mind-body system.


I hope that it has become clear to the reader that in Tantrism one can make use of a variety of situations and circumstances for the path, practiced in terms of either inner mental states or external environmental conditions, including our delusional states of mind. There is hardly anything that cannot be used to further one’s spiritual powers if used correctly and if one is initiated into proper tantric method of practices. Of course, my description of the tantric path and its practices has been very general. To follow the tantric practices one must receive the authentic transmission from a guru whom one can trust. According to Tantrism, without the proper authorization and transmissions it is not possible for the initiate to prosper spiritually. In other words, such an individual will not realize the acquired siddhis of an enlightened being. By following the sutric approaches one can become an Arhat and Bodhisattva, and by following the tantric path one can realize the state of a tantrically realized being, or mahasiddha.


MAHAMUDRA AND THE NATURE OF MIND

Going beyond Duality


THE CONCEPT OF MAHAMUDRA is very important in Tibetan Buddhism, particularly in the Kagyü tradition to which I belong. The word literally means “great seal” or “great symbol.” Mahamudra basically refers to ultimate reality, to shunyata, or emptiness, but it also refers to the very nature of the mind. Ultimate reality, which is Mahamudra, is all-pervasive and nondifferentiated, neither subject nor object. That concept is not different from the nature of the mind itself.

From this point of view, the nature of the mind is different from the mind to which we normally refer in ordinary discourse. Usually, when people talk about the mind, they mean the mind that thinks, wills, and experiences emotions. When we talk about the nature of the mind, we are talking about something that goes beyond all that. Because the nature of the mind is indistinguishable from ultimate reality, which is emptiness, it no longer relates to the thinking process or the process of willing or the process of the experience of emotions. It goes beyond that. Therefore, the nature of the mind and ultimate reality are known as Mahamudra. There is that sense of non-duality.

In order to understand Mahamudra, we need to place it in the context of the Buddhist tradition generally.

From the point of view of Buddhism, the ultimate aim is to achieve nirvana or enlightenment. Nirvana is achieved as a result of having purified the mind, having overcome certain defilements and obscurations of the mind that afflict consciousness. As long as there are defilements such as anger, jealousy, and all kinds of egocentric tendencies, then sentient beings, including human beings, continue to experience a sense of dissatisfaction, frustration, and suffering.

These defilements exist in the first place because we generally have a very misguided way of understanding ourselves, of understanding the nature of what we consider our own self. We generally tend to think that the self is something immutable, lasting, and unchangeable. Based on this mental construct, we see everything from the point of view of a very stable, unchanging, permanent self. Of course, this can manifest in relation to various philosophical and religious ideas regarding the nature of the self and the notion of the soul, but it need not have anything to do with philosophy or religion.

Even if we do not believe in the immortality of the soul, almost all of us have the notion that it is “I” who feels happy, who feels sad, who experiences joy and unhappiness, and that there is something called the self that endures the varieties of experiences that we have. I may feel good or I may not feel good. I grow old. There is the feeling that there is some essential “I” that endures all these experiences. The experiencer who has the experiences is somehow more permanent than the experiences themselves.

When Buddhism talks about egolessness or selflessness, it does not mean that ego as such does not exist at all, as an empirical thing. Of course it does. However, our almost instinctive feeling that says there is something called ego with a permanent endurance is a simple mental construct; ego, like everything else, is impermanent. We must understand the self from the point of view of the Middle Way. A Buddhist does not deny the existence of the ego or of the self. The self exists on the relative level, but the self as an ultimate entity, as some kind of unchanging, permanent thing, does not exist. That does not mean that people do not have egos or that ego is totally illusory.

I think some people have interpreted the Buddhist notion of selflessness or egolessness from that point of view. A Buddhist would say that the self is an aggregate, a skandha. We tend to think that the self is somehow distinguishable from our memories, emotions, thoughts, and attitudes. Somehow or other, the self remains at a distance, observing all these things going on or enduring these experiences. But Buddhists say that the self is the memories, thoughts, concepts, emotions, and attitudes. Put them together and you have a self. And if we take away all of that—in Buddhism we do this as an exercise—if we dissociate ourselves completely from our body, our memories, thoughts, emotions, attitudes, background and experiences, what remains? Nothing. We are something or somebody precisely because we have those things. They form an aggregate. Without them, we are nothing. That is emptiness.

It has been said that Western thought talks about the ego, while Buddhism teaches the nonexistence of ego. But even Western psychology does not make any reference to the concept of soul or any unchanging entity. So there are similarities there. Western psychology also talks about building up the ego, whereas Buddhism teaches how to break down the ego. But Buddhism also talks about building up self-confidence and feelings of self-worth. Buddhism does not say that, through the experience of egolessness, we should feel nothing, that we should feel bad about ourselves. Rather, through understanding the self to be impermanent, a real appreciation of it can be attained. The self is therefore something that can be transformed rather than something static.

As long as we do not have that understanding, we continue to grasp things, hold on to things, cling to things, because this tendency that human beings have, in terms of clinging to the self, automatically leads to clinging to other things, things outside the self. As long as human beings have the tendency to believe in a permanent self, then automatically we want to obliterate anything considered to be threatening to that notion of a self, or we want to pursue those things that we believe promote the solidification of that notion of a self. These are the two fundamental tendencies that develop from the notion of clinging to the self: aversion and excessive desire. Even aversions are a form of clinging. Clinging can manifest even in the form of clinging onto the idea of being resentful of someone, clinging to the notion of not being able to forgive, not being able to accept certain things, holding onto our feelings of hostility and resentment of other people. Desire can be either positive or negative, but clinging, grasping, and craving can never be positive. Clinging to anything, at least from a Buddhist point of view, is always unhealthy. But we must have desire to even be able to operate as human beings. Even from a spiritual point of view, unless we have the desire to sit on our cushion and meditate, we will never get anywhere. Unless we have the desire to attain enlightenment or become a Buddha we will never get anywhere. Unless we have desires, nothing can be achieved.

From the Buddhist point of view, there is nothing basically wrong with having the desire to have a good family, to want to look after our children, to want to have a good relationship, to want to have a good partner in life, to want to get a good job, or even to want to keep our job. The problem arises when those desires become exaggerated. When desires become transformed into forms of clinging and grasping and, at the same time, manifest in the form of craving, then it becomes a problem.

I think it is important to realize that Buddhism does not promote the idea of abandoning desires altogether. What Buddhism encourages is the idea that all forms of craving, grasping, and clinging, which are exaggerated forms of desire, have to be abandoned, because they ultimately cause suffering and unhappiness.

We may think that clinging or grasping would promote our happiness. Such misguided ideas come from having a mistaken notion about the self, from thinking that the self is a permanent, enduring entity, rather than realizing that the self—just like the experiences that the self endures—is impermanent and mutable, and therefore ephemeral. So, if we are to overcome the experience of suffering, then we must have proper insight into the nature of the mind, or into the nature of the self, because as long as we cling to this mistaken notion about the self we will experience varieties of suffering.

This is why meditation is so important. Through meditation, we become more aware of all this. As we become more and more aware of our tendencies, even without making any deliberate effort to drop certain habits, they will naturally drop away. In fact, if we try too hard to drop certain habits, they just become more solidified. Awareness is more important than actually making too much effort. If we try too hard to be nice, we end up not being nice! We become nice by becoming more aware of not being nice, rather than by trying too hard to be nice.

We must have a proper understanding of impermanence. A real appreciation of impermanence comes from realizing the impermanence of the self. What we regard as the self, which we think is unchanging and immutable, in fact is always in process. That could be seen as a good thing. Real transformation of the self can take place because the self is not some kind of immutable, unchanging entity. Otherwise, any kind of change or transformation in the self would only be apparent, not real, if the real self were something unchanging and permanent. The reason we need to gain proper insight into the nature of the self is precisely because real, lasting happiness comes from just that: having insight into the nature of the self, into the nature of the mind, and realizing the misconception of an unchangeable, permanent, enduring self.

All kinds of delusions and obscurations of the mind arise with this misconception, which in turn inhibit us from experiencing and perceiving reality. So, right from the beginning, Buddhism has emphasized the importance of purification of the mind, of how important it is to eradicate the defilements and obscurations of the mind and to gain proper self-knowledge, because that is the only way that real, lasting happiness can be attained. That same emphasis exists in the later Mahayana teachings, and also in the teachings of Mahamudra.

I have repeated some of these ideas because the teachings of Mahamudra make sense only in relation to understanding these fundamental Buddhist insights. Buddhism says that there are two veils: the veil of conceptual confusion and the veil of emotional conflict. Our thinking and our experience of emotions are intimately related; we cannot separate the two. Because of certain misconceptions regarding what we understand ourselves to be—for example, the notion that there is something called an enduring, permanent self—all kinds of emotional conflicts follow. When we change the conceptual structures of the mind, even emotions become transformed.

In the West, we have the notion that emotions and thoughts are very different and completely opposed to one another. From a Buddhist point of view, this is not true. What we believe in and how we think have a direct influence on the emotions we experience. Fundamentally, all our beliefs are tied up with our notion of the self. A Buddhist would say that our very dogmatic attitudes toward things or people—for example, toward people who belong to other religions or other races—reflect our own notion of the self. Things are seen either as threatening or as something that would help consolidate the notion of the self. But once that whole idea of the self as being an enduring, permanent entity is overcome, all the defiling tendencies of the mind subside, both on the conceptual as well as the emotional level.

The nature of the mind is not different from our thinking mind as such, yet they are not identical. Ignorance exists because we do not have insight into the nature of the mind. The nature of the mind is no different from the nature of the thoughts and emotions that we have; but because we do not have insight into the nature of the thoughts and emotions, we do not have insight into the nature of the mind.

How do we gain insight into the nature of the mind? Awareness is the key. When we meditate, we shouldn’t think, “Why do I think about these trivial things? Why do certain emotions arise? Why do certain negative thoughts and emotions keep arising?” Not to judge them to be bad or terrible things that we have to get rid of, but simply to be aware of them is the Mahamudra approach. From the Mahamudra point of view, if we judge certain things to be bad or terrible, that is a form of clinging as well. We should just be aware of what arises in meditation.

The nature of the mind is said to be completely nondifferentiated and spacious, and is the source from which all of our experiences arise. It is not differentiated, in the sense that the nature of the mind, unlike our thoughts and emotions, does not exist as an entity.

Often it is compared to space. Space itself is not an entity, but it is because of space that clouds and other phenomena arise. Clouds have definable characteristics, whereas space itself has none. But space makes it possible for the clouds to be there in the first place. Sometimes the mind and its nature are compared to waves on the surface of the ocean and the ocean depths. One may perceive the waves, the activities on the surface of the ocean, but not actually realize the stillness and infinity of the depths of the ocean. Yet the nature of the waves and the nature of the depths of the ocean are the same thing, they are both water.

In a similar way, our thoughts and emotions have the same nature as the nature of the mind, but because of our ignorance, we cannot appreciate that. Psychologists and others try to understand the mind in relation to its definable characteristics, to thoughts and emotions. But there is another way of understanding the mind, which has to do with understanding the nature of the mind.

Maybe I should put it another way. From the Mahayana point of view, we talk about two levels of truth—the relative and the absolute. Absolute truth is emptiness. What that means is that things do not have enduring essence. There is no such thing as a substance that we can identify as being the essence of all things. On the other hand, this does not mean that things do not exist. The nature of all the chairs and tables that we perceive, for example, is emptiness. The problem is that we don’t perceive the emptiness of the chairs and tables; we don’t realize that they lack enduring essence. To realize that, we need to come to understand that emptiness does not exist over and above all these objects, but exists as their very nature. It is the same with the mind. We understand the nature of the mind through understanding the nature of our thoughts and emotions.


MAHAMUDRA MEDITATION

Allowing the Mind to Rest in Its Natural State


THE TEACHINGS OF MAHAMUDRA are drawn from two streams of Mahayana thought, one being the Yogachara system and the other the teachings of the Shunyavadins, who promoted the idea that ultimate reality is emptiness. Within the Buddhist tradition we say that we need to eradicate certain defilements and obscurations of the mind in order to realize ultimate truth or ultimate reality. The most effective way to achieve that goal is through the practice of meditation.

We have already discussed the two different types of Buddhist meditation, shamatha and vipashyana. Conventionally, the meditation of tranquillity is presented in a way that suggests that, as the mind becomes more focused, the meditator can enter into different levels of concentration, or absorptions. As discursive thoughts subside, the mind attains different levels of absorption. Once we have perfected shamatha, if we then engage in analytical vipashyana meditation, thinking no longer gives rise to conceptual confusions but produces insights.

Through shamatha, by focusing our mind on an external physical object or the breath, we are able to practice mindfulness, and with mindfulness comes awareness. When you are learning how to meditate, if you do not focus your mind on the breath or some kind of physical object but think, “I’ll just be aware of what’s going on in my mind,” it doesn’t work. That is why it is important to practice shamatha, so that stability is achieved. Then, when awareness develops from that stability and that mindfulness, the clarity aspect of the mind becomes manifest.

It is said that Buddhist meditation is different from other traditions only in relation to the practice of the meditation of insight. Other traditions also have techniques of quieting the mind, of helping the mind to become more focused. But it is through the practice of the meditation of insight that we realize there is no such thing as an enduring or permanent self and there is no enduring essence in physical and mental phenomena or in physical and mental properties.

Mahamudra also makes use of these two different techniques of shamatha and vipashyana, but it is not considered important to go through different levels of absorptions or concentrations. It is sufficient for us to have stabilized the mind. Even if we have not achieved any ultimate state of concentration, or have not managed to obtain any level of absorption, nonetheless the mind has become more stable and less susceptible to distractions. We can then proceed with the meditative practice of insight.

The meditative practice of insight according to Mahamudra is quite different from the conventional approaches. In the Mahayana tradition, one normally uses the analytical method to understand the lack of essence in all things, realizing that everything that exists in the physical and mental realm is a product of causes and conditions. This leads to a conceptual understanding of emptiness, which in turn leads to the direct experience of emptiness. But Mahamudra teachings say that if we were to focus on our mind itself and realize its nature, we would realize the nature of everything else.

The normal sutric approach of Mahayana uses external phenomena as objects of meditation, whereas Mahamudra uses the mind itself as the object of analytical meditation. But even in relation to the mind, Mahamudra does not analyze the mind in order to realize that it has the nature of emptiness. Rather, through contemplation, by allowing the mind to be in its natural state, the mind reveals itself to have that nature. So we do not need to have a conceptual grasp of the fact that the nature of the mind is empty. If the mind is allowed to be in its natural state and if all discursive thoughts subside, the nature of the mind itself is revealed as being empty of enduring essence.

In a normal context, when we engage in the practice of meditation we use different antidotes for different obstacles. According to Mahamudra, we should not be too concerned with the obstacles or with the use of the antidotes in order to quieten the mind. We should have a general sense that all obstacles that arise in meditation can be divided into two categories: stupor or drowsiness, and mental agitation.

With stupor, the mind is not disturbed by the agitation of discursive thoughts or emotional conflicts, but it has no sense of clarity. It becomes dull, and sometimes, of course, this is followed by sleepiness and drowsiness. Mental agitation is easier to detect, because our mind has fallen under the influence of discursive thoughts, distractions, emotional conflicts, and the like.

Instead of using different antidotes to control the mind in these situations, the Mahamudra approach recommends two methods: relaxation and a tightening-up process. If the mind has become dull, we should tighten it with the application of mindfulness. We should try to regenerate and refuel the sense of mindfulness of the meditation object, whatever it happens to be. If our mind is agitated, we should not apply too much mindfulness but should loosen the mind—in a sense, let go of mindfulness, or whatever it is that we are using in order to make the mind more focused.

This applies to our posture also. If our mind has become dull, we should straighten our spine, expand our chest, and tighten the body, though not too rigidly. If mental agitation is present, we should relax our posture so that we feel looser, and we should focus our mind on the lower part of the body.

The practice of mindfulness is called trenpa in Tibetan. It literally means “remembrance.” Before awareness arises in meditation, the meditator has to learn how to focus the mind, which is achieved through the practice of mindfulness. We use a particular object in order to practice mindfulness. When mindfulness is practiced for a period of time, awareness arises as a product of mindfulness.

In Mahamudra teachings on shamatha, as beginners we first use some external object, such as a piece of wood, a pebble, or any kind of physical object in our visual field, and concentrate on that. Whenever the mind becomes distracted, through the use of mindfulness we remember to return to that object of meditation. After having done that for a period of time, we can use our own breath as the object of meditation. We apply mindfulness to the incoming and outgoing breath. In order to help with this process, we can even count the breaths, up to five, or up to eleven, or whatever sequence we choose. Each pair of breaths—outgoing and incoming—is counted as one. Counting helps the mind to be more focused on the object of meditation, which in this case is the breath. If we lose track of the counting when the mind wanders, we return to the beginning and start again.

When we have been able to do this with some success, then we move on to using the mind itself as the object of meditation. We try to be mindful of thoughts and emotions as they arise, without labeling them or judging them, but simply observing them. As this observation continues, mindfulness becomes transformed into awareness. So, if distraction arises, one becomes aware of that distraction; if dullness or stupor is present in the mind, one becomes aware of that; if mental agitation is present, one becomes aware of that. With the practice of meditation of tranquillity, the mind becomes more stabilized.

When we contemplate the mind itself and let the mind be in its natural state, then apart from mental stability, there must also be a sense of clarity. It is not sufficient that the mind has become stable; it is also important for clarity to be there. In Mahamudra teachings these aspects are described as ne cha, the aspect of stability, and sal cha, the aspect of clarity. A mind that is stable but without clarity is deficient. Both mental clarity as well as stability have to be present. If we pursue this, then even when thoughts and emotions arise, the stability and clarity of the mind are not disturbed.

To maintain mental clarity whether the mind is calm or agitated is the best form of meditation. Meditation does not mean that one’s mind should always be calm or empty of thoughts and emotions. If a sense of mental stability or clarity is there even when the mind is in movement, that is the ultimate goal. For our aim is not to eradicate thoughts and emotions but to be able to maintain that sense of awareness, in movement as well as in a restful state. Mahamudra teachings use expressions like ne gyu rik sum. Ne means the mind when it is stable, when it’s not agitated; gyu means the mind when it is in movement, when thoughts and emotions arise; rik means awareness, that sense of mental clarity; sum means three. So awareness is present whether the mind is in a state of rest or in a state of movement. It makes no difference.

When we achieve that, we realize the nature of the mind. Through awareness, we realize that the nature of the mind has the dual characteristic of being empty yet luminous. In terms of its emptiness, the nature of the mind is not different from nonmental things such as tables and chairs, because the nature of the table and of the chair is emptiness, and the nature of the mind is also emptiness. But in terms of the clarity aspect, the nature of the mind is different from non-mental things, because the nature of the mind is not only empty but luminous at the same time.

From this point of view, the nature of the mind is realized when the mind makes no distinction in meditation between mental agitation or a state of restfulness. Then the mind is left in its natural state and thoughts and emotions become self-liberated.

It is also said in Mahamudra teachings that we should not think of thoughts and emotions—particularly the negative ones—as being things we must eradicate. If we are able to realize the nature of these thoughts and emotions, we understand the nature of the mind itself. The teachings compare the relationship between the nature of the mind and the delusions to a lotus blossoming from mud, or to the manure used on a field. Just as a lotus blossoms in the mud, just as the farmer has to make use of smelly and repulsive manure in order to cultivate a field, similarly wisdom is attained not through eradication of the defilements and obscurations of the mind but from realization of their very nature.

There is a Tibetan expression: nyönmong pangwa gong rol na, yeshe gyawe ming yang me. Nyönmong means “the obscurations of the mind”; pangwa means “to abandon”; gong rol na means “over and above”; yeshe means “wisdom”; ming yang me means “not even a name.” Basically it translates as: “Having abandoned or eradicated the delusions and conceptual confusions of the mind, one cannot speak of wisdom. Wisdom is attained not from the eradication of the defilements but from understanding the nature of the defilements themselves.”

That is why in Mahamudra teachings the phraseordinary mind” (thamal gye shepa) is used. Realizing the nature of the mind, or Buddha-nature, does not involve getting rid of anything that exists within the mind. It comes from realizing the nature of this very mind that we have: the mind that thinks, wills, anticipates, and feels. The problem lies not in having thoughts, feelings, and emotions, but in not understanding their nature. Through the practice of meditation, the mind becomes more stabilized and there is a sense of mental clarity. Then, when the mind is left to itself, if awareness is maintained as thoughts and emotions arise, those thoughts and emotions reveal the nature of the mind as much as the mind that is at rest.

From the Mahamudra point of view it is important not to try to force the mind to become more focused. We should simply use the very gentle methods of tightening and loosening, so that the mind can be in its natural state. If we try to use techniques of concentration, it is said that the mind is in fact not left in its natural state. We should allow the mind to be in its natural state, without any contrivances.

Pang lang dang drelwa is another phrase used in Mahamudra teachings. Pang means “to abandon”; lang means “to cultivate”; dang drelwa means “free from”: “Free from any thought of cultivation of positive mental qualities or abandonment of negative thoughts and emotions.” Our mind should be free from such concerns. As long as the mind is plagued by these tendencies of wanting to shun or abandon certain aspects of the mind that we find undesirable, and wanting to pursue and cultivate the more positive aspects of the mind, the mind is not left in its natural state and its nature becomes obscured by interference.

So the very simple technique of letting the mind be should be conducted with the use of either tightening or loosening the body and mind. Even these two different methods should not be done with extreme deliberation or effort. Another expression in Mahamudra teachings is “letting the mind be in its natural state effortlessly.” That effortlessness comes from not judging, not thinking that the thoughts and emotions that arise have somehow disturbed the mind or upset the meditation; but realizing that as long as our mind is focused and there is a sense of awareness, no matter what arises in the mind—whether the mind is stable and at rest or in a state of movement with thoughts and emotions arising—we can realize the nature of the mind.

In this way, in the Mahamudra teachings tranquillity and insight are practiced together. The meditation of tranquillity is initially practiced in order to stabilize the mind. Then, gradually, by shifting our focus from meditation objects, such as external physical objects or the breath to the mind itself, the clarity aspect is developed. When we engage in meditation, these two aspects are present: the mind is stable and yet at the same time luminous. The mind is stable even when thoughts and emotions arise, insofar as awareness is not lost. Stability of the mind is judged not by whether the mind has thoughts and emotions, but by whether awareness is present. When that occurs, the third aspect of the nature of the mind—which is called bliss—becomes manifest.

Ultimately, the nature of the mind has three qualities. First, it is empty. Second, even though it is empty, it is luminous, unlike the emptiness of physical things or entities. Third, when our mind is stabilized and we can maintain awareness even when the mind is busy with thoughts and emotions, bliss is experienced. During meditation, when stability and clarity are established, bliss follows, because our mind is no longer disturbed even when thoughts and emotions arise. That is the bliss aspect. Obviously, it does not mean that we become “blissed out”!

According to Dzogchen teachings, or what is sometimes called Maha Ati in Sanskrit, the nature of the mind has the three aspects of emptiness, clarity, and “creativity.” The nature of the mind may be empty and luminous, but that does not mean that thoughts and emotions cease to have any relevance. Doing meditation for a number of years does not mean that thoughts and emotions stop arising in the mind, but they no longer disturb the mind, which is seen as the creative aspect. In Dzogchen, it’s called tsal, which means “creative” in terms of our experiences. Everything in the experience of samsara and nirvana comes from the creative aspect of the mind, in the sense of the mind being the producer of all kinds of experiences, both good and bad. As Saraha says: “The nature of the mind is king of all creators, because all our experiences of both samsara and nirvana arise from that.” Everything is mind-dependent; even our perception of the external physical world is dependent on the mind.

The nature of the mind itself is called Mahamudra, because mahamudra, or “great seal,” means that nothing exists outside of it. Everything is contained within Mahamudra itself, because the emptiness aspect is the same both in physical and mental phenomena. It is allencompassing.

FOUR YOGAS OF MAHAMUDRA


Because the Mahamudra path is understood as promoting the instantaneous path rather than the gradual path, it is often said that by remaining in one’s natural state of mind one will realize Mahamudra in that instant. This sort of statement should be qualified by saying that a Mahamudra practitioner who has gained insight into the mind has not necessarily gained insight into final Buddhahood. The practitioner still has to be concerned about deepening that realization. As with most things in ordinary life, we may realize the importance of something, but that initial recognition is not sufficient to sustain us; with subsequent development, that initial recognition has to be cultivated, fostered, and worked with so that it can become mature as time goes by. For this reason the Mahamudra tradition includes the notion of the “four yogas”: the yoga of one-pointedness, the yoga of nonconceptuality; the yoga of one taste, and the yoga of nonmeditation.

1. The yoga of one-pointedness is attained through the practice of shi-ne or shamatha, the meditation of tranquillity. As we all know, our mind is in a constant state of agitation—frantic, quick-to-judge, and impulsive in thought and behavior. Through this practice these mental states and behaviors become settled.

Our mind at the beginning is compared to a waterfall; we have no control, and we can’t decide what we should believe in or choose which emotions to experience. They are seen as given, already present. Through tranquillity meditation, we become more aware of that state of being; with the practice of mindfulness, we begin to become more aware of ourselves, not only in terms of our beliefs, emotions, attitudes, and feelings, but also in terms of our behavior. These inner mental states get translated into our external physical behaviors. We can then observe what sort of mental states are beneficial for our growth and what sort of states are not beneficial; how they generate fear, anxiety, frustration, or feelings of self-worthlessness.

By becoming aware of such mental states and behavior, we are able to exercise more control and are not at the mercy of our feelings, emotions, thoughts, and attitudes. The mind then becomes more stable and relaxed as we learn to be more flexible, receptive, and generally less paranoid. The samsaric mind is a paranoid state because of its characteristic fear, anxiety, and insecurity, always worrying what other people think of us, whether they understand or appreciate us properly, and so on.

These kinds of thoughts that we harbor can come to rest through the practice of tranquillity meditation. So the torrential speed of the waterfall is now reduced to a meandering river. Our thoughts and emotions flow more easily now, and their impact is not so great as it was in the past. Thus we learn how to handle and express our thoughts and emotions, so that our meditation becomes a means of self-empowerment. We are no longer victims of our thoughts and feelings; in fact, we learn how to work with them. Like a gentle flowing river, we learn how to flow with our thoughts and emotions without being carried away by the current.

Finally, with shi-ne practice, the state of one-pointedness is attained, in which we realize that these thoughts and emotions arise from and disperse back into our natural state of being. This is like all the different rivers flowing back to a common destination—the ocean. We may have our own idiosyncratic, individualistic thoughts, emotions, and feelings, but they all have the same origin and they all disperse back into our own natural state of being. Hence the paranoid samsaric mind either ceases to operate or has no enduring influence.

In that way, as mentioned earlier, in Mahamudra meditation, one does not reject thoughts and feelings, but one becomes aware of them and relates to them. Also, knowing that the so-called mental defilements in fact have their origin in our natural state of being, knowing that they disperse back into the natural state of being, allows us to have confidence in ourselves so that negative thoughts and emotions have no power to disturb us. We have literally made peace with ourselves. This is how the yoga of one-pointedness is attained.

2. The yoga of nonconceptuality is not about just overcoming inhibitions and constrictions regarding our experiences in terms of emotions and feelings, but has to do with how we think, what we think, what we believe, and what we believe in. As it is said in the teachings, the experience of emotions and feelings lands us in our samsaric condition; that means we ourselves can find liberation from our self-imposed bondage. But we need to go further because in the context of Buddhism the practitioner learns how to overcome not only emotional afflictions, but also conceptual confusion, in order to obtain omniscience.

According to Buddhist teachings, including Mahamudra, as human beings (not as members of a particular race, religion, or culture), we subscribe to many misconceptions. For example, any human being from anywhere would have the idea that there is a self-existing, incontrovertible self; or may believe in political or religious ideas or systems as eternally, perennially true, detached from concrete, individual, social, environmental, political conditions. Now, according to these teachings, nothing we believe in or feel passionate about has any intrinsic reality.

On this level of the yoga of nonconceptuality, we are not asked to stop thinking or not to believe in anything; rather we must relinquish our fixations about what we believe in. In the West, we may believe in such things as feminism or democracy, but as Buddhists, although we may subscribe to ideas that we feel close to and have an affinity with, ultimately we should be nondogmatic about them. All issues or ideas are contingent upon external factors such as cultural, social, religious, or political climates of the times.

This is why the early Buddhist teachings themselves are referred to as a raft that we use to cross the ocean of samsara. The raft is important, but reaching the other shore is even more important. The yoga of nonconceptuality means that the practitioner learns how to rise above conflicting belief systems; while being able to subscribe to some and reject others, one even rises above those that one does subscribe to. As Buddhists we do believe in liberation or Buddhahood, yet even this belief system is something we learn to rise above.

3. The yoga of one taste is concerned with the realization of the coexistence of contingent worldly states of being and the liberated, untarnished, immaculate state of freedom and enlightenment. Having attained the state of one-pointedness and having realized nonconceptuality, the practitioner has to realize that he or she is still subject to conditioned existence. In other words, we still must work with the phenomenal world. We have to address social issues, personal issues, political issues, and spiritual development in a very concretely and manifestly material environment. We come to understand that the material world that surrounds and envelops us is not separate and distinct from the transcendental world of spirituality. Ultimate truth is present in everything that we come in contact with. It has to be stressed that what we realized in the yoga of nonconceptuality has not led us to ignore the world or dismiss our experiences of that world as insignificant. The empirical world and the transcendental world have the same nature because the ultimate truth is present in both, and in all of our experiences. That is, whether deluded or enlightened, there is just one flavor, one taste.

4. The yoga of nonmeditation (or the yoga of no more learning) refers to the enlightened state, and this yoga is self-explanatory. One is no longer on the path: the traveler has finally come home, reached his or her destination, and realized the ultimate truth. However, I would like to point out that attaining Buddhahood and understanding the ultimate nature of things does not mean the enlightened person does not need to formally learn anything, such as French or about the philosophy of Kant. To realize the nature of reality and to understand things on the empirical level of everyday life are quite different. Of course, these two worlds are not in opposition, as mentioned in connection with the yoga of one taste. However, it is evident that one who has attained the ultimate truth will not automatically be well versed in all fields of knowledge. Thus, “no more learning” simply means that there is nothing more to learn about the true nature of existence.

Finally, even though the Mahamudra tradition is being presented as being different from sutric Mahayana and tantric Mahayana, Takpo Tashi Namgyal, in the text Moonbeam, states clearly that the Mahamudra approach can be practiced independently of Tantra, without receiving tantric empowerment or even initiation. This is a distinctly unique practice to lead the practitioner to ultimate realization. It is true that one engages in tantric practice to realize Mahamudra; however, Mahamudra does not make use of deity practice, visualization, or recitation of mantras. The orientation of Mahamudra practices lies in trying to realize one’s true nature. In that way Takpo Tashi Namgyal and others make it very clear that Mahamudra can be practiced and cultivated separately from tantric Mahayana.

At the same time, it has to be stressed that Mahamudra is often undertaken alongside sutric and tantric Mahayana practices. Takpo Tashi Namgyal also states that even though the Mahamudra system itself belongs to the so-called instantaneous approach to enlightenment, nonetheless, even within this system itself, it is gradual, and this is understood in relation to the four yogas of Mahamudra. The four-yoga system can be understood in relation to the five paths and the ten stages of the Bodhisattva, as described earlier. For example, the path of accumulation and the path of application of the sutric system correspond to the yoga of one-pointedness. The yoga of nonconceptuality corresponds to the path of insight. The yoga of one taste corresponds to the path of meditation in the sutric system. The yoga of nonmeditation corresponds to the ninth and tenth stages of the Bodhisattva, or the path of no more learning, which culminates in the eleventh bhumi or stage, which is equated to the attainment of Buddhahood.


To conclude, we can see the integrated nature of the whole spectrum of Buddhist philosophy and practice, even while there is variety and difference in terms of view and practice. I think it is very important to appreciate the underlying sense of unity and not think that one particular school of Buddhism, or one set of practices, is contradicting another. Tantric visualizations of deities are forms of normal meditation, which is made very clear in the Buddhist texts. Focusing on the visualization of deities is part of shamatha meditation; visualizing a deity as being translucent and not a substantial entity is an aspect of vipashyana meditation. What the Buddhist texts clearly indicate, but what some people fail to understand, is that it is important to see how one form of Buddhism has developed from another, instead of thinking that there were major revolutions taking place throughout its history.


INDEX


 
abandonments, four

abhisheka (empowerment). See also empowerment(s)

the absolute, nirmanakaya of

absolutism

Buddha’s rejection of

as way of viewing the world

absorption, four levels of

accumulation, path of. See preparation, path of

Achala, embodiment of samadhi

action

vs. intention

skillful and unskillful

aggregate (skandha), self as

agitation. See drowsiness and agitation

Ajivikas

Akanistha, sambhogakaya manifested in

alayavijnana (storehouse consciousness)

alcohol and other intoxicants, precept of abstaining from

ambiguous family, category of

anatman (insubstantiality)

anger, patience and

anitya. See impermanence

antidotes to the obstacles to meditation. See also stages of tranquillity meditation

Mahamudra and

Anuyoga Tantra

Buddha families in

empowerments in

five consciousnesses and wisdoms of

apparitions, in bardo state

application

as antidote to nonapplication

path of (see application, path of)

application, path of

contemplations on cessation of suffering

contemplations on origin of suffering

contemplations on path out of suffering

levels of attainment

meditations on truth of suffering

artifacts, nirmanakaya of

Asanga

Atisha, on insight and compassion

atomism

attainment, levels of

audience, as auspicious coincidence

auspicious coincidences, of sambhogakaya

Avalokiteshvara

embodiment of compassion

aversion, as clinging

awareness

as antidote to drowsiness and agitation

vs. effort

 
bardo yoga

karmic bardo of becoming

luminous bardo of dharmata

natural bardo of this life

painful bardo of dying

Berkeley, Bishop George, idealism and

birth, nirmanakaya of

bliss

aspect of mind

chakra of

great

as quality of Buddha-nature

relation to stability and clarity

as sambhogakaya realm

sexual

bodhichitta (heart of enlightenment)

aspects of

Bodhisattvas generating

relative

Bodhisattva(s)

aspiration to enlightenment and

bodhichitta and

commitment of

compared with Shravakas

compassion as primary aspect of

Mahayana Buddhism and

mythological

spiritual paths of

as spiritual type

body

meditation on foulness of

mindfulness of

power and enrichment of

brahmaviharas. See divine abodes

breath, as focus of meditation Buddha

awakening of

on independent existence vs. nonexistence

on shunyata

teachings of

three aspects (kayas) of

Buddha families

in Anuyoga Tantra

in Charya Tantra

five poisons corresponding to

in Kriya Tantra

Buddhahood. See enlightenment

Buddha-nature

bliss quality of

both immanent and transcendent

concept of

great self quality of

as inherent holiness

nature of its existence

permanence quality of

purity quality of

qualities of

relation of five families to

Tantra and

Buddhism. See also Mahayana Buddhism; Theravada Buddhism; Tibetan Buddhism

founding of

Hinayana

ka teachings

Madhyamaka school

Sarvastivada

tenjur teachings

 
causality. See karma

chakras, mystic heat yoga and

Chandrakirti

change, suffering of

Charya Tantra

Buddha families in

deities in

empowerments in

Chittamatra, misunderstanding of. See also Yogachara

clarity, of mind

clear light yoga

coexistence, limb of

compassion

Avalokiteshvara as embodiment of

as divine abode

dualistic notions regarding

ever-present manifestation of

four modes of manifesting

intention of

limb of infinite

Mahayana Buddhism and

as primary aspect of Bodhisattva

relation to wisdom

in terms of meeting the appropriate object

that has been requested

that manifests spontaneously

concentration (dhyana), four stages of

conditioned existence, suffering of

conditioned phenomena, three marks of

conditioned things, mindfulness of

conduct, as paramita

consciousness

altered states of

dissolution of

five levels of

three levels of

yoga of transference of

contemplation(s)

on cessation of suffering

of illusion

on origin of suffering

on path out of suffering

on truth of suffering

conviction, as antidote to laziness

creative aspect, of mind

creative manifestations, chakra of

crown chakra

cut-off family, category of

 
death. See bardo yoga

deities

in Charya Tantra

from sutric perspective

visualized in Kriya Tantra

wrathful

delusion(s)

emotional and conceptual aspects of

three levels of consciousness and

three root

dependent level of reality (paratantra)

desire

excessive

relation to suffering

sensual, as hindrance

Dharma, turnings of the Wheel of

dharmadhatu, wisdom of

dharmakaya

form bodies arising out of

as formless aspect

relationship among the three kayas

as spontaneously arisen unconditional state

twofold purity of

dhyana (concentration), four stages of

Dignaga, on independent existence

direct experience, contrasted with patient acceptance

discontentment, necessity of

dissatisfaction. See suffering

divine abodes (brahmaviharas)

limitation of practice of

dream yoga

drowsiness and agitation. See also lethargy and drowsiness

obstacles to meditation

duhkha. See suffering

dying, painful bardo of

Dzogchen, teachings on the nature of the mind

 
earth element, dissolution of

ego. See self

egocentric mind

egolessness. See also selflessness

as absence of self

vs. nonexistence

ego-mind level of consciousness

Eightfold Noble Path

elements, dissolution of, in death

emotions

distinguished from feelings

relation to thoughts

toxic

empowerment(s) (abhisheka)

in Anuyoga Tantra

in Charya Tantra

imparting and receiving of

in Kriya Tantra

in Mahanuttarayoga Tantra

emptiness (shunyata)

aspect of mind

as lack of inherent existence

Mahayana view of

meditation on

neither independent existence nor nonexistence

energy, as paramita

enlightenment

available to anyone

Bodhisattva relationship to

Buddha-nature as capacity to attain

paths of (see paths of enlightenment)

relation of Sutra and Tantra to

seven limbs of

as yoga of no more learning

enrichment. See power and enrichment

equanimity

as antidote to overapplication

as divine abode

wisdom of

equipoise, resting in, stage in tranquillity meditation

eternalism. See absolutism

ever-going, power and enrichment that is

excellence of worldly spiritual qualities, level of attainment

 
false speech, precept of abstaining from

families, five. See also Buddha families

fatalism, karma and

feeling(s)

distinguished from emotions

mindfulness of

female life essence

fire element, dissolution of

first Noble Truth. See suffering: truth of forgetfulness, obstacle to meditation

form and formless realms

form body. See also sambhogakaya

arising out of dharmakaya

Four Noble Truths. See also suffering

contemplations on

realizations associated with

fourth Noble Truth. See suffering: path out of

Freud, Sigmund

fulfillment of one’s wishes, power and enrichment of

fullness, limb of

 
Gampopa

generosity

as paramita

three aspects of

genital chakra

giving. See generosity

great self, as quality of Buddha-nature

 
happiness

anger and

path of preparation and

relation to suffering

search for

Harvey, Peter, on postponement of enlightenment

hearer family, category of

heart chakra

heat. See also mystic heat yoga

level of attainment

Hinayana Buddhism, narrow goal of

hindrances to meditation

holiness, source of

the holy, the idea of

Hopkins, Jeffrey, sex in Tantra and

 
ignorance, as cause of suffering

illusion, contemplations of

illusory body yoga

ill will, as hindrance

immersion, limb of

impermanence

mark of conditioned phenomena

meditation on

of self

inclination, as antidote to laziness

infinite compassion, limb of

infinite consciousness, level of absorption

infinite space, level of absorption

insight, four foundations of

insight meditation (vipashyana)

four foundations of mindfulness and

Mahamudra teaching and

as paramita of wisdom

relation to tranquillity meditation

insubstantiality, mark of conditioned phenomena

intention vs. action

interdependence, obstacles to comprehending

 
interdependent origination

Jamgön Kongtrül the Great, empowerments and

Jnanamudra, sexual bliss and

 
ka (teachings of the Buddha), three aspects of

karma

fatalism and

fluidity of law of

intention vs. action

Karmamudra, yogic practice of sex

karma yoga

karmic bardo of becoming

kayas, three. See also dharmakaya; nirmanakaya; sambhogakaya

aspects of Buddha

relationship among

Kriya Tantra

Buddha families in

deities visualized in

empowerments in

 
law of karma, fluidity of

laziness

antidotes to

obstacle to meditation

three types of

lethargy and drowsiness. See also drowsiness and agitation

as hindrance

life essence, two locales of

limbs of enlightenment

qualities of sambhogakaya

of supernatural powers

Lobsang Lhalungpa, sex in Tantra and

logos, empowerment of

lojong, practice of compassion

Lokayatas

loosening, Mahamudra method

loving-kindness, as divine abode

loving-kindness meditation

lucid dreaming. See dream yoga

luminosity

aspect of mind

in bardo state

luminous bardo of dharmata

lying. See false speech

 
Madhyamaka, school of the Middle Way

Madhyanta-vibhanga, on obstacles and antidotes

Mahamudra

approach to obstacles and antidotes

bliss and

insight meditation and

realizing the nature of the mind

relation to Tantra teachings on stability and clarity

teachings on tranquillity meditation

as ultimate reality

yogas of (see Mahamudra, four yogas of)

Mahamudra, four yogas of

nonconceptuality

nonmeditation

one-pointedness

one taste

Mahanuttarayoga Tantra

deities in

empowerments in

Mahayana Buddhism. See also Madhyamaka; Yogachara

Bodhisattva ideal of

compassion and

Hinayana contrasted with

Mahamudra contrasted with

view of emptiness

wisdom and

male life essence

Manjushri, embodiment of wisdom

May, Rollo

meditation(s). See also insight meditation; tranquillity meditation

associated with first Noble Truth

breath as focus of

for cultivating wisdom

fostered by Eightfold Noble Path

importance of

loving-kindness

objects of

path of

obstacles to

posture for

on selflessness

Western approach to

mental agitation. See drowsiness and agitation

mental effusion, chakra of

middle view. See Middle Way

Middle Way

the Madhyamaka school

rejecting absolutism and nihilism

Right Understanding and

mind. See also mind only

affective and cognitive aspects of

creator of samsara

Mahamudra and

mindfulness of

nature of (see mind, nature of)

perception of external world dependent on

power and enrichment of

stability and clarity of

thinking (see thinking mind)

mind, nature of

contrasted with thinking mind

realizing through Mahamudra

three aspects of

mindfulness

as antidote to forgetfulness

four foundations of

mind only, Chittamatra school

miracle, power and enrichment of

morality (shila). See also moral precepts

fostered by Eightfold Noble Path

guidelines vs. commandments for

inherent vs. theological

karma and

paramitas and

precepts and

training in

moral precepts (shila). See also morality

as paramita

three aspects of

mystic heat yoga (tummo)

 
Nagarjuna

on the Dharma

on emptiness and interdependence

on independent existence

independent existence vs. nonexistence and

on interdependence

on shunyata

Naropa, encounter with the intuitive

natural bardo of this life

navel chakra

nihilism

Buddha’s rejection of

as way of viewing the world

nirmanakaya

four modes of manifesting compassion

helping others

importance to sambhogakaya

as physical aspect of enlightened being

relationship among the three kayas

teachings and

three kinds of

nirvana

as freedom from desire

nonabiding

relation to samsara

Noble Truths. See Four Noble Truths

nonapplication obstacle to meditation

noncessation, limb of

nonconceptuality, yoga of

nonexistence, level of absorption

nonharming precept

nonmeditation, yoga of

nonperception level of absorption

nonsubstantiality

limb of

realizing

notional-conceptual aspect of reality (parakalpita)

 
obstacles to meditation. See also stages of tranquillity meditation

drowsiness and agitation

forgetfulness

laziness

Mahamudra and

nonapplication and overapplication

Ogmin, sambhogakaya manifested in

one-pointedness

stage of tranquillity meditation

yoga of

one taste, yoga of

ordinary consciousness

Otto, Rudolf, the idea of the holy and

overapplication, obstacle to meditation

 
pacifying stages of tranquillity meditation

pain, suffering of

painful bardo of dying

pancha-shila. See precepts

parakalpita (notional-conceptual aspect of reality)

paramita(s) (transcendental actions)

conduct

energy, vigor

giving, generosity

of meditation

moral precepts

patience

practice of

restraint

wisdom

paratantra (dependent level of reality)

parinispanna. See ultimate reality

path, concept of

paths of enlightenment

application

developmental vs. sudden illumination

Mahamudra meditation

preparation

seeing

patience

level of attainment

as paramita

three aspects of

patient acceptance, contrasted with direct experience

peak, level of attainment

perennial manifestation, limb of

permanence, as quality of Buddha-nature

physical objects, contemplation of

place

as auspicious coincidence

power and enrichment of

pleasure, chakra of

pliancy of body and mind, as antidote to laziness

poisons, five

posture for meditation

power and enrichment, eight types of

practices, common and preliminary

prajna. See wisdom

Pratyekabuddha, category of family

precepts, five

abstaining from alcohol and other intoxicants

abstaining from false speech

abstaining from sexual misconduct

abstaining from stealing

nonharming

preparation, path of

four abandonments

four foundations of mindfulness

four limbs of supernatural powers

pure indulgence, chakra of

purity, as quality of Buddha-nature

 
reality. See also ultimate reality

relation of empirical and ultimate

three aspects of

rebirth, karma and

reincarnation

resting stages of tranquillity meditation

restlessness and worry, as hindrance

restraint, as paramita

Right Action

Right Concentration

Right Effort, four aspects of

Right Livelihood

Right Mindfulness

Right Speech

Right Thought

Right Understanding

 
samadhi. See also meditation

Achala as embodiment of

sambhogakaya

eight types of power and enrichment

endowed with five auspicious coincidences

as form body

four modes of manifesting compassion

helping others

importance of nirmanakaya to

manifestations of

qualities of the limbs

relationship among the three kayas

teachings and

Vajradhara as manifestation of

samsara

condition of mind

relation to nirvana

Saraha

on balance in meditation on the nature of mind

Sarvastivada Buddhism

second Noble Truth. See suffering: origin of

secret empowerment

seeing, path of

self

desire and

great

impermanence of

misguided understanding of

selflessness. See also egolessness

meditation on

sense consciousnesses

sensual desire, as hindrance

sensuality, power and enrichment of

sex, Tantrism and

sexuality, transformation of

sexual misconduct, precept of abstaining from

shamatha. See tranquillity meditation

Shantideva

on anger and happiness

as Bodhisattva

shila. See morality; moral precepts

Shravakas

contrasted with Bodhisattvas

enlightenment and

as family category

Shravakayana, as synonym for Hinayana

shunyata. See emptiness

Six Yogas of Naropa

bardo yoga

clear light yoga

dream yoga

illusory body yoga

mystic heat yoga

transference of consciousness

skandha (aggregate), self as

skeptical doubt, as hindrance

snakes, response to Tibetans

space, dissolution of consciousness into

speech, power and enrichment of

spiritual faculties, five

stability, of mind

stages of tranquillity meditation

stealing, precept of abstaining from

storehouse consciousness (alayavijnana)

stupor. See drowsiness and agitation; lethargy and drowsiness

suffering (duhkha)

cause of

cessation of

mark of conditioned phenomena

meditation on

origin of

path out of

source of

three kinds of

truth of

supernatural powers, four limbs of

Sutra, compared with Tantra

sympathetic joy, as divine abode

 
Takpo Tashi Namgyal, Mahamudra and

Tantra. See also Tantrism

Anuyoga Tantra

Charya Tantra

compared with Sutra

Kriya Tantra

Mahamudra’s relation to

Mahanuttarayoga Tantra

Tantrism. See also Tantra

esoteric nature of

practicing

sex and

teacher, as auspicious coincidence

teachings

as auspicious coincidence

interpretive and definitive

ka aspects of

tenjur aspects of

tenjur (commentarial exegeses on Buddha’s teachings), two aspects of

Theravada Buddhism

contrasted with Hinayana

Shravakas and

thinking mind, contrasted with nature of mind

third Noble Truth. See suffering: cessation of

thoughts, relation to emotions

throat chakra

Tibetan Buddhism

disagreement concerning interpretive and definitive teachings

three yanasperspective on

tightening, Mahamudra method

time, as auspicious coincidence

tranquillity meditation (shamatha)

antidotes to the obstacles to

five obstacles to

hindrances to

Mahamudra teachings on

nine stages of

principles of practice

relation to insight meditation

transcendental actions. See paramita(s)

transference of consciousness, yoga of

Trungpa, Chögyam, on postponement of enlightenment

truth(s), relative and ultimate

tummo (mystic heat yoga)

 
ultimate reality (parinispanna)

Mahamudra as

relation to empirical reality

unconscious. See storehouse consciousness

Upanishads, absolutism and

 
Vairochana nine-point posture

vajra

Vajradhara, symbolic representation of sambhogakaya

Vajrapani

embodiment of will

vajrasattva, practice of Buddha-nature

Vajrayana, tantric system

vase empowerment

vigor

as antidote to laziness

as paramita

three types of

vigorous discipline stage of tranquillity meditation

vipashyana. See insight meditation

virya. See vigor

visualization of deities See also deities

 
water element, dissolution of

Wheel of Dharma, turnings of

will, Vajrapani as embodiment of

Williams, Paul, on postponement of enlightenment

wind element, dissolution of

wisdom (prajna)

associated with five levels of consciousness

cultivated by meditation

empowerment of

enlightenment and

fostered by Eightfold Noble Path

insight meditation and

Mahamudra and

Mahayana Buddhism and

Manjushri as embodiment of

as paramita

relation to compassion

wisdom yoga

wishes, power and enrichment of fulfillment of one’s

 
Yogachara

concept of Buddha-nature

three aspects of reality

three levels of consciousness

yoga. See also Mahamudra, four yogas of; Six Yogas of Naropa

karma

of transference of consciousness

wisdom


Source