The treasury of knowledge, books 9 and 10 journey and goa (117)

596 - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE 439· This term is used in the tantras to distinguish the model of twelve levels (plus the thirteenth, that of complete enlightenment) from that found in the siitras {of ten levels plus the elc:Venth level ofbuddhahood, Total nlumination) 440 The web ofMagical Display is, in fact, the name for what was originally a very large text that the Indian master Vimalamitra (c eighth century) divided into a cycle of eight separate titles The text referred to here is likely the extensive version of the tantra 441 The aforementioned moon of bodhicitta, the center of masculine essence in the very crown of the head 442 Source not identified 443 "Enhancement• refers to an element ofpractice that employs specific methods that accelerate one's progress beyond what it would normally be by one's relying on the basic meditation techniques alone 444· The term "spiritual deportment• (Tib brtul zhugs; Skt vrata) refers to means by which one engages in certain modes of behavior as expressions of, or ways of enhancing, one's inner realization, rather than merely adopting certain rules to govern one's actions The Sansktit word vrata derives from the root vr (to choose); the equivalent Tibetan term is glossed as meaning that one "brings an end• (brtul) to ordinary and inferior conduct and "engages• (zhugs) in a more spiritually constructive form of behavior 44S Aryadeva, Lamp That Integrates Conduct, (Toh I 803 ), Dg T., rGyud, vol Ngi, p I 88,lines 4-7 446 That is, the Buddha Sakyamuni 447· That is, the Mahayana approach 448 That is, the Vajrayana approach 449· GatheringofSecrets, (Toh 442.), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Ca,lf 90a-I48a The Gathering ofSecrets is the source tantra of the Guhyasamaja cycle and the father tantra class 4S o Adonl:ment ofthe Vajra Heart Essence, (Toh 4S I), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Cha,lf 36a-s8b 4SI Equal Union with All Buddhas, {Toh 366), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Ka, ff ISib-I93a 452 That is, the cycles of Guhyasarnaja, Buddhasamayoga, Cakrasaqwara, and Hevajra 4S 3· A Share ofMantra, (Toh 42.9 ), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Nga, p so8,l I through P·SI3,l.I 4S4· Padmavajra, Accomplishment ofSecrets, (Toh z.z I7), Dg T., rGyud, vol Wi, p 44, I 3· 4SS· The Sansktit term avadhuti (Tib kun 'dar ma), which is a name for the central subtle: channel, literally connotes "shaking off everything; here interpreted as meaning shaking off or eliminating, all duality and (figuratively) holding to the: middle course s The conduct of the Vajrayana is grounded in, and incorporates, that of the basic approach (which emphasizes the principle of harmlessness and the Mahayana approach (which emphasizes that of altruism) 4S 7· In the Sarma, or historically more recent, schools of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the tantras of the highest class, Anuttarayoga, are further classified into father NOTES - 597" tancras, mother tancras, and nondual tantras While the schools differ slightly in which tantras they assign to which category, as a general rule "father tancras• are those that emphasize the methods of the stage of development and the attainment of the state of illusory body 45 That is, the goddess of vajra form embodies the experiences of all mundane forms that one sees; the goddess of vajra sound, those of all mundane sounds that one hears; the goddess of vajra fragrance, those of all mundane odors that one smdls; the goddess ofvajra raste, those ofall mundane flavors that one rastes; and the goddess of vajra t9uch, those of all tactile sensations that one feels 45 9· For example, the goddess of vajra form might bear a mirror or a lamp; the goddess of vajra sound, a musical insuument; the goddess of vajra fragrance, incense or ·a bouquet of flowers; the goddess of vajra raste, a dish of fine food; and the goddess of vajra touch, a scarf of fine silk 460 Aryadeva, Lamp That Integrates Conduct, (Toh I 8o3), Dg T., rGyud, vol Ngi, p I88,l through p I87,l 5· 46 I The Tibetan term phyag rgya here does not seem to be used in the usual sense of "consort" but rather in the sense of practitioners "standing in" for deities as their symbolic presences 46 Ibid., p I I ,line through p 92 ,line I 463 Equal Union with All Buddhas, (Toh 366), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Ka, p 3Io, lines 5-6 464 That is, the fi~al three of the nine situations initially arrived at The extremely undaborate mode, being an entirely internal process ofmeditative absorption, does not apply to a group situation 46 5· Guru Lhochokpa (Gu ru Lho phyogs pa, "the guru from the south," that is, India?) was one ofraranatha's masters, to whom the latter dedieated several ofhis Vajrayana works 466 Well-Sealed Locket, (Toh 38 I), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Ga,lf 73 b-I 58b 467 Vajra ofDelight, (Toh 4I7), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Nga, p I 3,l 468 Source Tantra ofthe Circle ofBliss, (Toh 368), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Ka, p 466, I 3· The lines in the source read: · One should gain realization through striving for as long as necessary at activities associated with meditative warmth, 469 As aspects of conduct in the Vajrayana, there are various ways of gazing that can be cultivated as means of benefiting others; such gazing techniques are outward expressions of inner realization, rather than mere physical gimmicks 470 These are discussed in Book IO 47 I That is, the experience of primordial uniry for one who has attained the fifih path, that of no more learning, as distinct from the anticipatory experience undergone by one who is still training on the path of meditation 472 The Vajrayana approach is often discussed as twofold-the path offreedom (which emphasizes the nonthematic phase of the stage of completion, and hence involves teachings and meditation that focus on the very nature of mind) and the path of skillful means (which emphasizes the thematic phase of the stage of completion) The practices of the path of skillful means involve those termed "one's own 598 - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE body endowed with skillful method" and "another's body as the source of sublime intelligence." 473· Vajra ])aka, (Toh ,370), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Kha, If 1b-12.5a The Vajra /)aka is the explanatory tantra of the Cakrasa!Jlvara cycle Discussions of typology (particularly relating to women as potential consorts) are found in both Buddhist and Hindu tantric texts, discussions that parallel those found in the Indian secular tradition of erotic literature, such as the Kamasutra 74· The lines cited by Kongtrul are not found in the Well-Sealed Locket 475· The four maras are personifications of forces that bind the mind to Sa!Jlsara and thus are "deadening influences" (mara from the root mr, "to kill"), creating obstacles to one's pursuit of positive ethical conduct and spiritual progress They are: ( 1) the mara of affiictive mental states; (z.) the mara of the mind-body aggregates, which are products of fundamental ignorance, karma, and affiictive states, and render one subject to illness, aging, and death that are beyond one's ability to control; (3) the mara of the Lord of Death, in that one's ordinary state of existence entails mortality, thus imposing a finite limit on one's lifespan; and (4) the mara of the "gods' child; which impedes the ability of one's mind to function in higher states of meditation (the term refers to the traditional belief that the children of gods in the realm of desire are jealous of humans' attempts to progress spiritually and transcend Sa!Jlsiira, and so create obstacles to that progress) 476 The term "roaming through various realms" is a key idiom in the descriptions of conduct and spiritual deportment found in the mother tantras 477· The terms "tancras of sublime intelligence; "mother tantras; and "tantras of the yoginis" are synonymous 478 This expression is a euphemism for one's spiritual consorts 479· Literally, "from those of the brahma1}a class to those of the ca7Jt/.dld class." The descriptions of consorts were based on the ancient Indian social order that was the original milieu for these teachings and were translated literally as such into Tibetan According to Monier-Williams,A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 3, ca1}t/,ald (fern ca1}t/.dld) is defined as "an outcast, [a] man of the lowest and most despised of the mixed tribes:' 480 Much of the literature concerning spiritual consorts is devoted to descriptions of what characterizes the "ideal" consort; as Kongtrul points out, while this is considered relevant for practitioners of the stage of development, such issues are of no concern for the true practitioners of the stage of completion 481 These teachings are transmitted by the Kagyii schools ofTibetan Buddhism, the Drukpa Kagyii in particular Based on teachings from Indian masters such as Tilopa (988-1069 C.E.) and Maitripa (tenth century C.E.), as well as those of the Tibetan master Milarepa ( 105 2.-113 C.E.), they were collected as the Oral Lineage of Cakrasarrzvara (Demchok Nyengyii), primarily by Milarepa's student Rechung Dorje Drakpa (Io8s-1161 C.E.) and his followers, and were codified in their present form through the writings of such masters as the fourth Drukchen hierarch, Perna Karpo (1 52.7-1592 C.E.) 482 This term can refer to women who are literally born in any of the gathering places sacred to tancric practitioners, or to woman practitioners who are engaged in the stage of completion 48 That is, women who are engaged in practice of the stage of development NOTES - 599 484 That is, both consorts born in pure realms arid those born of mantra 48 The traditional literature describes certain nonhuman kinds of beings serving as consorts for Vajrayana practitioners Y~i is the feminine form ofy~a; yak!)as and yak~is arc a kind of nature spirit As Monier-WUliams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, notes, 38, "though generally regarded as beings of a benevolent and inoffensive disposition, they are occasionally classed with PHacas and other malignant spirits, and sometimes said to cause derponiacal possession." 486 Vajra.oJDelight, (Toh 4I7),,Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Nga, p I4, I I 487 These are stages in the p~ocess of visualization in which a psychological barrier to the encroachment of negative forces is established and one's form as the deity is marked at various points with syllables or small forms of deities to enhance the ' sense of protection 48 According to Dudjom Rinpoche, The Nyingma School ofTibetan Buddhism, vol 2., I I 9, in the Mahayoga approach this threefold purity consists of "the purity of the outer world (snod dag-pa), the purity of its inner contents, that is living creatures (bcud dag-pa) and the purity of the components, bases and activity fidds forming the mind~stream (rgyud rnams dag-pa)." 489 Two Sections, (Toh 4I7 and 48I), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Nga, p 12., lines 6-7, p I 3, 1.6, and p 36,! S· 490 The five symbolic ornaments ofbone are the earrings; wheel; armlets, bracelets and anklets (counted as one); sash; and necklace The sixth ornament is the bone ash smeared on the body 49 I Such insignia are symbolic of deeper philosophical truths For example, the skullcup (which is indicative of death and mortality) expresses the impermanence, and ultimately the emptiness, of all things 49 The symbolism and methodology of the Vajrayana approach is rooted in a process of transcending the dualistic constructs of the mind's ordinary way of functioning This requires that one's ingrained presuppositions about the world be called into question, often by rather confrontational means Developed in the ·ancient Indian cultural context, with its emphasis on ritual purity in spiritual matters, the Vajrayana teachings drew on much that culture held to be unclean or taboo; hence the reference to one's ingesting (if only metaphorically) or otherwise using such substances as meat or bodily fluids and waste products The five kinds of meat are those of elephant, human, horse, dog, and cow (even the eating of beef-to say nothing of the other four!-was proscribed by the Brahmanical culture of ancient India) The five kinds of "nectar" are feces, urine, menstrual blood, semen, and human marrow 493· Vajra ofDelight, (Toh 4I7), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Nga, p 14, lines 2.-3 494· This is Book 5, Part of the Treasury of Knowledge; sec Kongtrul, Treasury of Knowledge: Book Five: Buddhist Ethics, 2.1 5-3 o6 495· That is, the public display of such texts In the source, the preceding line, "Always eliminate naive affirmation and nihilistic denial," reads, "Always avoid examining students and explaining teachings; which given the source, cannot be taken literally 496 The first four lines arc found in the Origin of Sublime Bliss, (Toh 373), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, vol Kha, p 2.94, lines s-6 I have not been able to locate the remaining lines in the citation 497· The most powerful of the Vedic gods 6oo - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE 498 Well-Sealed Locket, (Toh 38I), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, val Ga,p 2.I7,lines 4-5, and Two Sections, (Toh 4I7 and 4I8), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, val Nga, p I4,1ines 4-5 499· Origin ofSublime Bliss, (Toh 373).Dg K., rGyud 'bum; val Kha, p 58o,l 5oo This visualization exercise parallels the fire ritual in which ladles (embodied in the hands) are used to pour offering substances (embodied in the food and drink) into the fire pit (that is, the mouth), where they are incinerated (as the fire of Ca!).Qali in the subnavel region transforms the food and drink into nectar that is offered to the deities of the body ma!).qala) so I Note that, in keeping with the Vajrayiina principle of transformation based on an appreciation of the innate purity of everything, the commitments may run counter to what is commonly thought of as "spiritual" behavior 502 Padmavajra,Accomplishment ofSecrets, (Toh 2.2 I 7), Dg T., rGyud, val Wi, p I, lines 4-5 503 The implication is one of realizing the unity of what is manifest and its ultimate narure Such a uniry is not a simple negation-"emptiness" in the sense of an unqualified negation-but an appreciation of the rich dynamic that embraces the relative and ultimate levels of truth simultaneously, without these contradicting or mutually excluding one another 504 "Fourth" in ~he sense that it is the concern of the fourth stage of empowerment in the highest level of tantric practice 5o That is, the three modes of conduct referred to below 506 Nagarjuna,FiveStages, (Toh 18o2.), Dg T., rGyud, val Ngi,p IOI,lines s-6 The source reads: Knowing how to distinguish what perceived phenomena are by nature, one relies on the fourth aspect-suchness Whoever does not train in the three aspects wUI not swifi!y attain the fruition Although sticks of wood hold the potential for fire, it will not occur unless they are rubbed together; similarly, without the training leading to enlightenment, it wUI not occur in this lifetime 507 That is, the elaborate, unelaborate, and extremely elaborate modes soB That is, the goal state of the sravaka approach 509 Source Tantra ofthe CircleoJBliss, (Toh 368), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, val Ka, p 463, 3· s IO Two Sections, (Toh 4I7 and 4I8), Dg K., rGyud 'bum, val Nga, p 2.8,! I I This term may refer to women who have gained attainment through their spiritual practice, or to feminine manifestations of the sambhogakaya The masculine form is r,laka I As noted before, the Vajrayiina teachings aim to take one beyond the confines of ordinary conceptual biases based on dualistic consciousness This ofi:en results in such seemingly shocking statements, although these are not intended to be taken literally as guidelines of conduct for those whose minds are still within this dualistic mode I These are standardized rituals of song and dance, as distinct from the spontaneous singing and dancing mentioned earlier as being part of this level of conduct  ... emphasize the methods of the stage of development and the attainment of the state of illusory body 45 That is, the goddess of vajra form embodies the experiences of all mundane forms that one sees; the. .. the nonthematic phase of the stage of completion, and hence involves teachings and meditation that focus on the very nature of mind) and the path of skillful means (which emphasizes the thematic... phase of the stage of completion) The practices of the path of skillful means involve those termed "one's own 598 - THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE body endowed with skillful method" and "another's