Buddhist Essential Principles & Practices in a Whole System

Non-Yana

Chan paves no way, leaves no traces, it is said: a Chanist goes the way of a bird. It is also said by the Chinese ancients that they did not like to hear the word Buddha or Buddhism.

2-Doctrines

Exoteric Doctrine

Esoteric Doctrine

2-Yanas

Yanas in the Position of Cause

Yanas in the Position of Consequence

3-Yanas

Hinayana

Mahayana

Vajrayana

6-Yanas (Eastern Tantra)

Sravakayana

Pratyekayana

Bodhisattva yana

Kriya Yoga

Carya Yoga

Yogic Yoga

Anuttara Yoga

9-Yanas (Western Tantra)

Sravakayana

Pratyekayana

Bodhisattva yana

Kriya Yoga

Carya Yoga

Yogic Yoga

Mahayoga

Anu-Yoga

Adhiyoga

12-Yanas (Nyingmapa Tantra)

Sravakayana

Pratyekayana

Bodhisattva yana

Kriya Yoga

Carya Yoga

Yogic Yoga

Mahayoga

Anu-Yoga

Adhiyoga

Simdhi

Numdhi

Mangadhi

15-Yanas (Nyingmapa Tantra)

Sravakayana

Pratyekayana

Bodhisattva yana

Kriya Yoga

Carya Yoga

Yogic Yoga

Mahayoga

Anu-Yoga

Adhiyoga

Simdhi

Numdhi

Mangadhi

Anuttara adhi yoga

Jeadhiyoga

Nyandhiyoga

4-Sunyatas

That of personality in mentality of human beings

That of both personality and dharma in mentality of visualized Buddha-body

That of both personality and dharma in mentality of visualized Buddha-body

That of both personality and dharma in both mentality and materiality in the visualized or accomplished Buddha-body

5-Right Views

That of non-egoism of personality

That of: 1. Only idealism (not ultimate) 2. The middle samapatti (ultimate)

That of sahaja prajna of Dharmakaya

That of great perfection or of natural purity

4-Universal Causations

That of Karma

That of: 1. Alaya (not ultimate) 2. Tathata (ultimate)

That of Dharmadhatu including both mental elements and material elements

5-Bodhicittas

1.That of good will 2.That of conduct 3.That of victorious significance

4. That of Samadhi

5. That of Kunda (wisdom drops - white and red)

4-Great Initiations

Some ordinations but not Tantric initiations

Common Tantric Initiations but not the great ones

The 1st great one

The 2nd & 3rd great ones

The 4th great one

Some special simplified highest beyond the four great ones

Essential Practices

1. Silas A Pancasilas B Darmabhadra, Karmamarga C Silas of Bhikshu, Bhikshuni, Siksramana, Sramanerika, Upasaka & Upasika 2. Dhyana & Prajna A 4 noble paths B 37 Bodhi C 9 Meditations on Death D 5 Meditations to settle the disturbed mind & be rid of 5 poisons E Non-egoism of personality

B.T.L.M. (Besides The Left Mentioned) There are 12 causations to be meditated on both ways, direct & reverse

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas A of Bodhicitta B of those won by evils. C 5 mulapattis of the King. D 5 mulapattis of the officials or officers. E 8 mulapattis of the entering into the Mahayana F 46 Apatis G Ethics leading to working for the benefit of others. 2. Dhyana and Prajna A Meditate on 18 Voidness B 10 or 6 Paramitas C Many good deeds for others D Meditate on 10 Mystic Gates E 5 paths & 10 Bhumis or stages F Learn Pancavidya; they are sabda, Cikitsa, Hetu Adhyatma and Silpakarmasthana.

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas A 3 Samaya B Vajra Silas 2. Dhyana & Prajna A 18 ways to serve Buddhas B 6 holiness & 4 outer branches of repetition C Life wind practice D Non-egoism of personality & dharma in visualized Buddha-body & his pure land (more stress on A & B above)

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas same as left. 2. Dhyana & Prajna A 6 holiness & 4 inner branches of repetition. B Life Wind practice C Non-egoism of personality & dharma in visualized Buddha-body and his pure land (more stress on B & C above)

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas same as to the left 2. Dhyana & Prajna A Garbhadhatu repetition; among them the visualization of Five Elements Pagoda is the important one. B Vajradhatu repetitions; among them the visualization of Five Forms of Buddha-body is the most important one. C Homas

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas A 14 Tantric mulapattis B 8 Tantric sins are forbidden. C 5 silas of Buddhas D 5 silas of Dakinis 2. Dhyana & Prajna A The evolutional yoga (utpatti karma of Buddha's personality) 3 conditions: a. Holy pride, b. Clarity, c. Duration B Buddha's wind practice

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas same as to the left 2. Dhyana & Prajna A Perfect Yoga (Utpanna karma) wisdom energy , wisdom nerve, wisdom drops B Vajra love visualization (2nd initiation) & with Dakini (3rd initiation) C Six Secret Yoga in general (psychic heat, maya body, dream, light, bardo and Phowa; or five methods in particular of Guhyasamaja's Vajrajapa, Cittavisudhi, Svadhisthana Sukkabhisambodhi & Yuganadha; or six methods in particular of Kalacakra as Pratyahara, Dhyana, Pranayama, Dharana, Anusmrtri and Samadhi

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas same as to the left 2. Dhyana & Prajna A Mahamudra identifies with the four bliss. B Mahamudra identifies with the maya body. C Mahamudra in the final stage of Yuganaddha

B.T.L.M. 1. Silas of Dharmata as non-substance, great, aloneness, & naturalness. 2. Dhyana & Prajna A Checho B Torga (with stress more on Checho)

B.T.L.M. Stress more on Torga

B.T.L.M. Checho & Torga identify with the Guru's special instruction

B.T.L.M. All are based upon the secret and essential oral instructions of the accomplished Guru.

B.T.L.M. 18 essential volumes of the entire control of enlightenment

B.T.L.M. A The entire control of all controls of the highest perfect enlightenment B The highest oral instructino of full enlightenment in a rainbow -light body without death achieved in only one week

Breathings

1. Human breathing practiced thru its number, color with Samatha 2. Meditative breathing practiced in samapatti of non-egoism of personality and dharma

In Tantric repetition

In Tantric visualization

In 5 Forms of Buddha-body

In evolutional yoga

In wisdom nerve & wisdom energy

Identify with Mahamudra

Identify with Checho

Identify with Torga

with secret oral instruction

with holy light in samadhi body

in the wisdom body

in a rainbow-light body

Buddhakayas

No (Arhat)

No (not real Buddha)

1. Nirmanakaya 2. Sambhogakaya 3. Dharmakaya

1,2,3 & 4. Sahajakaya or Svabhavikakaya (the inborn body or the entity body)

1,2,3,4, & 5. Mahasukhakaya

Beyond the five at left there is a rainbow-like holy-light kaya without death as that of Padmasambhava.

Period to achieve in

1,2,3 lives

100 Kalpas

Three great Asamkhyeya-kalpas

16 lives

Within One Lifetime

Available Translations

The Golden Discipline, The Kalama Sutra, The Dhammapada, The Buddhabhasita Darmabhadra, Karmamarga Sutra. Hinayana Tripitaka has been translated completely by Pali Text Society of London and some translations by Ceylon Mahabodhi Society also.

Some important Mahayana sutras have been translated but most are incomplete. Avatamsaka, Surangama, Lankavatara, the great and the small Sukhavati sutras, the Bhaisajya Guru Vaidurya-Prabhasa sutra, Maha Prajna Paramita Hridaya, the great volume of Mahaprajna Paramita sutra, Vajra Prajna Paramita sutra, Saddharma Pundarika, Sraddatpada sastra, Mahayana Silas; about 4% of Mahayana texts have been translated.

The higher the Yana and its texts, the lesser are its translations. The four Tibetan books translated by Kazi Dawa-Samdup; among them the Six Secret Doctrines of Tibetan Yoga and the Book of the Dead are the important ones. Readers should study these texts but pass by the editor's introduction and explanations as there is some confusion and some mistakes. Mystic tales of Lama Taranatha, the Ten Thousand Songs of Milarepa, the Messages of Milarepa, Nispannayogavali, the introduction to Kalachakra Sekoddesa; the Hevajra Tantra, the Tara Meditation (See Chen Booklet New No. 79), the Yoga of Daily Life (See Chen Booklet New No. 71), the Four Foundations of Tibetan Tantra (See Chen Booklet New No. 70).

Source

By Yogi C. M. Chen
yogichen.org