Notes to Chapter IV 495 stable [understanding of the] unborn nature of things or has attained powers, has been given dispensation, is following the directive of a spiritual master, or to avert an impediment [to one’s life] (TV, vol Ca, f 156a4-6) 247 Manjushriyashas’s Essence Ornament of the General Procedure for All Secrets, f 234b6-7 248 Dakinisamvara Tantra (Ỉ›kinısa˙varatantrar›ja; mKha ’gro ma’i sdom pa’i rgyud) (Toh 406), f 243b3-4 249 These are the first initiations in the Kalachakra system The first seven of the eleven initiations are the water, diadem, silk ribbon, vajra and bell, conduct, name, and permission initiation The uncommon vase and the other three (secret, pristine-awareness-through-wisdom, and word) initiations form the first set of higher initiations in the Kalachakra Tantra See note 148 250 By Manjushriyashas, ff 237a7-238b2 251 The yoga of the seminal essence (binduyoga, thig le’i rnal ’byor) here refers to the meditation in which one first transforms oneself into the deity while clearly visualizing the vital points of energy Then, holding the energies at the navel, one causes the seminal essence or glorious essence (dpyid thig) to melt and descend The subtle yoga (suksmayoga, phra mo’i rnal ’byor) refers to the meditation in which one focuses the mind on the subtle implements of the five buddhas visualized in the center of the five points of energy (Dharmashri’s Commentary on the Three Vows, f 287b1-2) These are yogas that are largely part of the phase of completion called selfconsecration (rang byin rlabs) See Kongtrul’s discussion of the different traditions of the completion phase in IOK, Book VIII, chapter III, pp 210-275 252 Burning black sesame seeds in a ritual for which the main deity is the male Vajradaka (rDo rje mkha’ ’gro) 253 See note 185 254 Vajrasattva (rDo rje sems dpa’, lit “Adamantine Being”): in another context the progenitor of all buddha families, here Vajrasattva stands as the epitome of purification deities Depicted as a white male deity, holding the vajra at the heart with the right hand and the bell on the hip with the left, he sits on a moon disc placed on a lotus The methods of meditation and mantra recitation in relation to Vajrasattva vary according to different traditions For examples, see Geshé Rabten’s The Preliminary Practices of Tibetan Buddhism (Burton, Washington: Tusum Ling Publications, 1974) and Kongtrul’s Lamp of the Definitive Meaning of the Great Seal (Phyag chen sngon ’gro bzhi sbyor dang dngos gzhi’i khrid rim mdor bsdus nges don sgron me) (dPal spungs: 1844); Reprinted in Rumtek, Sikkim: Dharma Chakra Centre, 1975 Samayavajra (Dam tshig rdo rje, lit “Adamantine Pledge”): considered to be an aspect of Vajrasattva specifically linked to the purification of the transgression of tantric pledges 496 Buddhist Ethics 255 The special higher initiations are the pristine-awareness-through-wisdom initiation and word initiation 256 Self-blessing or self-consecration (sv›di˝˛h›na, rang byin rlabs): meditational practices belonging to the causal phase of completion (rgyu’i rdzogs rim) where the adept focuses on the mystic heat (me), seminal essence points (thig le), or letters (yi ge) within the central channel Kongtrul explains: It is natural that wherever the mind is directed, right there the winds gather Thus, through meditation focusing on those [above mentioned] objects, the winds first gather, then remain, and finally dissolve into the middle of the focal point of energy (’khor lo) upon which one’s meditation is directed When the winds dissolve, many special modes of dissolution of the levels of subtle and gross seminal essences and bliss [resulting from] the melting [of seminal essence] are produced (IOK, vol II, Book VI, chapter IV, pp 685-686) The stages of self-consecration generally refer to the relative aspect of the completion phase of the Highest Yoga Tantra that has two aspects, the meditational practices related to the ca˚˜›lı or mystic heat and those intended for the attainment of the illusory body (sgyu lus) See Kongtrul’s lengthy discussion of the various traditions of the completion phase in IOK, Book VIII, chapter III, pp 210-275 257 The Ancient Translation School enumerates nine ways of spiritual development (theg pa’i rim pa dgu): those of the proclaimers (Ÿr›vaka, nyan thos), the solitary sages (pratyekabuddha, rang rgyal ba), and the bodhisattvas (bodhisattva, byang chub sems dpa’) (which belong to the indicative [mtshan nyid] or causal [rgyu] way); Kriyatantra (bya ba’i rgyud), Upayatantra or Charyatantra (upa’i rgyud, spyod pa’i rgyud), and Yogatantra (rnal ’byor gyi rgyud) (the three outer tantras); Mahayoga (rnal ’byor chen po), Anuyoga (rjes su rnal ’byor) Atiyoga (shin tu rnal ’byor) or Great Perfection (the three inner tantras) Kriyatantra, Upayatantra, and Yogatantra are known as outer tantras, as their focuses of practice and abandonments, antidotes, and so forth resemble those of the outer Indicative Way Mahayoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga are known as inner since through these ways the very nature of mind spontaneously manifests as the mandala of pristine awareness and its dimensions; thus, perfection is not sought somewhere else but is seen as one’s own natural pristine awareness According to the great perfection system, all paths to freedom fall into these nine ways, and all these nine are encompassed by the Way of Great Perfection Because of the swiftness and depth of the techniques of the various systems of tantra, in particular mahayoga, anuyoga, and atiyoga, they are known collectively as the Way of Skillful Means (thabs kyi theg pa) For a detailed discussion of these nine spiritual ways, see Dudjom Rinpoche’s The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1991) (henceforth cited as NSH) 258 Concise Heruka Tantra, in NG, vol Ra, f 20b3 259 See note 316 Notes to Chapter IV 497 260 Lilavajra’s Shimmering Light on the Pledges, f 36b1-2 Lilavajra (sGeg pa’i rdo rje) was a disciple of the great master Lalitavajra (Rol pa’i rdo rje) from Oddiyana He committed to writing the many instructions that his master had brought from that land Lilavajra was in turn the master of Manjushrishrijnana 261 On the six masters, or the six roles of a master in the case of a master who performs all roles, Longchenpa explains these five: the master who leads (’dren pa’i bla ma) is the preceptor who confers the novice ordination (more generally, the first teacher to encourage and introduce one to the teachings, explain the benefits, give the vows of refuge, etc.) The master who opens one’s mind (shes rgyud ’grol ba’i bla ma) is the one who explains the teachings and by doing so breaks the “shell” constraining one’s intelligence The master who imparts the secret instructions (man ngag ston cing lung ’pog pa’i bla ma) is the spiritual friend in the presence of whom one takes the commitments of awakening mind More generally, it is one who teaches the essence of view, meditation, and action; here, transmission (lung) of secret instructions refers to the empowered words spoken by a master of the three lineages (the intentional lineage of the buddhas, the symbolic lineage of the awareness-holders, and the aural lineage of ordinary individuals) The master who restores infractions (nyams chags skong ba’i slob dpon) is the one to whom confession is made The master who confers initiation and pledges is the one who initiates one See Dispelling Darkness in the Ten Directions (Phyogs bcu’i mun sel) (Published by Dilgo Kyentsé based on Adzon Drukpa [a ’dzom ’brug pa] redaction), a commentary on the Guhyagarbha Tantra, f 278a1-b1 On the master who is a leader of all (spyi’i bla ma), Dodrup Chen III Jikmé Tenpai Nyima’s General Meaning of the Guhyagarbha Tantra (gSang ba snying po spyi don) (NKG, vol 35/ci) explains that he is a master revered by all as a holy person, from whom one has received a measure of his kindness This is a master who is not directly spoken of in the tantras (f 82b1) Similarly, Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoché comments: A “leader of all” is a master upon whom all followers of a particular system must rely The teacher may be remote or close Buddha Shakyamuni is the “remote master” to be relied upon by all Buddhists, while Garab Dorjé is an example of a remote master to be relied upon by all practitioners of great perfection An example of the “close teacher of all” would be a universally respected master, such as the present Dalai Lama 262 Lilavajra’s Shimmering Light, f 36b2 263 Ibid., f 36b2-4 264 Ibid., f 36b7 265 Jadral Rinpoché explains mantra in this context in the following way: rtsa means root mantra; skyed means generation mantra; and las sngags, action mantra Root mantra refers to one of the root mantras of the five Dhyani Buddhas, O± HÚ± TRAM H¿Ê AØ, for example An example of a generation mantra, so 498 Buddhist Ethics called because through this the deity is generated, is O± VAJRA VAIROCANA An example of an action mantra is SARVA SIDDHI HÚ± , or one of the mantras associated with the four charismatic activities: for the pacifying activities, ⁄fiNTI± KURU SVfiHfi; for enriching, PU¡≥ IM KURU SVfiHfi; for domineering, VA⁄AM KURU SVfiHfi; and for fierce, MfiRAYA (these last are listed in Aryadeva’s Commentary on the Clear Lamp, f 166a5) 266 Lilavajra’s Shimmering Light on the Tantras, f 37a2-3 267 Lilavajra includes among the pledge substances the special offerings to the Three Jewels, food offerings (torma) and collective offerings, the skull-cup (the wrathful container), the ritual dagger, the lotus (the peaceful container made of precious substances), secret substances, tantric instruments, and the mandala Moreover, the sound of the yogin’s bell and small drum should not be heard by others (Shimmering Light, f 37a3-4) 268 The indivisibility of the two superior truths (lhag pa’i bden pa gnyis dbyer med) refers to the indivisibility of the superior ultimate and superior relative truths as explained in particular in the Mahayoga To realize such indivisibility means to realize that all appearances are but the very nature of one’s mind, i.e., the indivisibility of emptiness and appearances Here, the two truths are called superior (lhag pa) because the way to realize the two truths in Mahayoga is superior to the way taught in the sutras (IOK, vol II, Book VI, chapter IV) 269 This point is elucidated in Kongtrul’s Commentary on the Hevajra Tantra: The ultimate queen (btsun mo) is supreme transcendent wisdom Her seminal essence or fluid (Ÿukra, khu ba) is non-dual pristine awareness This pristine awareness is not given but “stolen” by the cultivation of the exalted path as the skillful means The relative queen is the yogin’s consort Her seminal fluid is not given, but is drawn up and “stolen” by the strength of breath control (f 219a4-5) Of the two types of queens, the ultimate one is emptiness; her “seminal fluid” is the correct realization of the meaning of emptiness (f 299b5-6) The relative queen is of two types: the consort’s body and one’s own body The first refers to the mantra-born and the other kinds of consorts Her seminal essence or fluid is the white and red seminal essences (bindu, thig le) drawn up and stolen by the power of wind control One’s own body, which embodies skillful means, consists in the thirty-two channels of the four focal points of energy (cakra, ’khor lo) in the central channel (avadhÒtı, rtsa dbu ma) The seminal fluid is the bliss experienced as the seminal essence descends through the focal points of energy or the central channel (f 300a1-3) 270 Five poisons (emotions) (pañcavi˝a, dug lnga): desire (r›ga, ’dod chags), hatred (dve˝a, zhe sdang), ignorance (moha, gti mug), pride (m›na, nga rgyal), and jealousy (ı¸sy›, phrag dog) The Shimmering Light on the Pledges distinguishes between the five ordinary and five perfect poisons The five ordinary poisons are the five negative emotions, just as they are In this system, these are not to be viewed as enemies, as proclaimers view them Why is this so? Being empty of any nature, phenomena not truly exist as objects to be forsaken Thus, it is pointless to forsake the emotions in the same way that it is pointless to block the water in a mirage Notes to Chapter IV 499 Further, since the five emotions are primordially the nature of the five pristine awarenesses, they should not to be forsaken [but used skillfully], just as one must first get the seeds if one wishes to produce sesame oil Each emotion is the pledge of a buddha For instance, ignorance is the pledge of Vairochana Why a pledge? Because ignorance is not something to be abandoned Similarly, intrinsic awareness is not something to be attained In the sphere of reality these two are of one flavor (Dharmashri’s Commentary on the Three Vows, ff 274b4-275a6) The five perfect poisons are explained in the course of the text itself 271 The aggregates and the five male transcendent ones are associated in the following way: the aggregate of form (rÒpaskandha, gzugs kyi phung po) is Vairochana; the aggregate of consciousness (vijñ›naskandha, rnam shes kyi phung po), Akshobhya; the aggregate of feelings (vedan›skandha, tshor ba’i phung po), Ratnasambhava; the aggregate of perceptions (sa˙jñ›skandha, ’du shes kyi phung po), Amitabha; and the aggregate of volitions (sa˙sk›raskandha, ’du byed kyi phung po), Amoghasiddhi The elemental properties and the five female transcendent consorts are associated in the following way: cohesion (chu) is Mamaki (Ma ma ki); solidity (sa), Lochana (sByan ma); warmth (me), Pandara (Gos dkar mo); movement (rlung), Samayatara (Dam tshig sgrol ma); and space (nam mkha’), Dhatvishvari (dByings phyug ma) The five sense organs (pañcendriya, dbang po lnga), the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and skin, and the related five sense consciousnesses (indriyajñ›na, dbang shes lnga) are the male bodhisattvas Manjushri (’Jam dpal dbyang), Maitreya (Byams pa), Kshitigarbha (Sa’i snying po), Akashagarbha (Nam mkha’i snying po), Avalokiteshvara (sPyan ras gzigs), Vajrapani (Phyag na rdo rje), Nivaranavishkambhi (sGrib pa rnam sel), and Samantabhadra (Kun tu bzang po) The five sense objects (pañcavisaya, yul lnga), form, sound, odor, taste, and tactile objects, are the female bodhisattvas Lasya (sGeg pa ma), Gita (Glu ma), Narti (Gar ma), Mala (Phreng ba ma), Dhupi (bDug spos ma), Pushpa (Me tog ma), Aloka (sNang gsal ma), and Ghanda (Dri chab ma) The five colors and five pristine awarenesses are as follows: blue (for the vajra family) is Akshobhya’s mirror-like pristine awareness (›darŸajñ›na, me long lta bu’i ye shes), white (for the transcendent family) is Vairochana’s pristine awareness of the sphere of reality (dharmadh›tujñ›na, chos dbyings ye shes), red (for the lotus family) is Amitabha’s pristine awareness of discernment (pratyavek˝a˚ajñ›na, so sor rtogs pa’i ye shes), yellow (for the jewel family) is Ratnasambhava’s pristine awareness of equality (samat›jñ›na, mnyam nyid ye shes), and green (for the action family) is Amoghasiddhi’s aim-accomplishing pristine awareness (k¸ty›nu˝˛h›najđ›na, bya sgrub ye shes) See Khenpo Yönten Gyatso (a disciple of Paltrul Rinpoché), Commentary to [Longchenpa’s] Treasury of Enlightned Qualities (Yon tan rin po che’i mdzod kyi ’grel pa zab don snang byed nyi ma’i ’od zer), Collected Works of the Nyingmapas (rNying ma bka’ ma rgyas pa), vol Thi (Delhi: Dudjom Rinpoche, 1982-87) 272 Full citation is in Dharmashri’s Commentary on the Three Vows (f 267a4-b2) 273 This means, for instance, not to discourage someone from making a large ... (ı¸sy›, phrag dog) The Shimmering Light on the Pledges distinguishes between the five ordinary and five perfect poisons The five ordinary poisons are the five negative emotions, just as they are In... two are of one flavor (Dharmashri’s Commentary on the Three Vows, ff 274b4-275a6) The five perfect poisons are explained in the course of the text itself 271 The aggregates and the five male... from] the melting [of seminal essence] are produced (IOK, vol II, Book VI, chapter IV, pp 6 85- 686) The stages of self-consecration generally refer to the relative aspect of the completion phase of