340 Buddhist Ethics their support The essence referred to in “seizing the essence” or “holding the essence” is the great bliss which is the inseparability of emptiness and compassion Mandala are of three kinds: the mandala of the awakening mind (in its twofold aspect of relative awakening mind or the seminal essence which is the basis for the secret initiation, and ultimate awakening mind, the basis for the fourth initiation), of the bhaga (or “lotus” of the consort, the basis for the pristine awareness through wisdom initiation), and of the body (this last is not an actual mandala) The progenitor of all mandala is the inseparability of emptiness and pristine awareness, free of all mental fabrications This mandala embodies all forms of deities who are of the nature of bodhichitta, indivisible emptiness and compassion Externally, this is represented by a mandala of powdered colors or a painted textile, also called a mandala (Cluster of Secret Instructions [Sa˙pu˛atantrar›ja˛ık›mn›yamañjarı; Man ngag snye ma/ dPal yang dag par sbyor ba’i rgyud kyi rgyal po’i rgya cher ’grel pa man ngag gi snye ma] [Toh 1198], ff 82b4-83b6.) The physical body is called a mandala as it is the place where bodhichitta (indivisibility of emptiness and compassion) is seized In the body, bodhichitta is in the form of the letter HAM at the crown of the head, the basis of great bliss, the essence That essence, which is indivisibility of emptiness and compassion, is the unsurpassable mandala (f 212a5-7) See Kongtrul’s detailed discussion and classifications of mandala in IOK, vol II, pp 660-666; and Pema Karpo’s Three Vows (TV), vol Ca, ff 102b6-7a3 38 According to the CFVD, f 20b2-5, the drawing of the mandala (dkyil ’khor ’bri ba) involves several activities: purifying the outer and inner ground and taking possession of it; striking interferences with the three-blade dagger in order to eliminate them; sealing the cardinal and intermediate directions; preparing the deities; applying lines of measure and colored sands; completing the ritual of the vase and actualizing the mandala Proper performance of familiarization (bsnyen pa) means to have practiced the deity yoga and related rites 39 Initiation (abhi˝eka, dbang bskur ba) According to Kongtrul, abhi˝eka is derived from seka meaning to scatter or sprinkle (gtor ba) Just as an environment is cleansed by sprinkling water, the pure nature of the mind will emerge when the mind’s impediments or impurities (sgrib pa) are “cleansed by sprinkling,” i.e., eliminated Another term for initiation, abhi˝ikta, is derived from ˝ikta meaning to pour The initiation is like pouring the potential for pristine awareness into the clean vessel of a pure mind Fusing these two etymologies, initiation comes to have the meaning of “purification through pouring and sprinkling,” i.e., by pouring and sprinkling pristine awareness onto a candidate purified through the common (bodhisattva’s) commitment, a pure seed is planted in the fundamental consciousness (kun gzhi), etc., and the candidate is thereby made fit According to another etymology, abhi˝eka means to authorize Just as a king is authorized to assume his throne through a ceremony of investiture, the candidate through the four initiations—vase, secret, pristine awareness through wisdom, and word initiation—is authorized to practice, respectively, the phase of generation (bskyed pa’i rim pa); the ca˚˜›lı (gtum mo) or inner heat; the circle of Notes to Chapter I 341 the ma˚˜ala (dkyil ’khor gi ’khor lo), i.e., the action seal (karmamudr›, las rgya) and, as an auxiliary, the imaginary seal or pristine awareness seal (jñ›namudr›, ye rgya); and the great seal (mah›mudr›, phyag rgya chen po) He or she is further authorized to hear and teach the tantras and engage in activities to accomplish the common and uncommon attainments Initiations from a temporal perspective are three: the initiation of the causal preparation (smin byed rgyu’i dbang) of the candidate; the initiation of the experiential path (nyams su len pa lam gyi dbang), including the self-initiation and principally the experiential cultivation of the subject matter of the initiation until the final result is reached; and the initiation of the result (’bras bu’i dbang), i.e., the supreme initiation called the great light (’od zer chen po’i dbang) which must precede the attainment of enlightenment (IOK, vol II, Book VI, chapter IV pp 656660) For an example of the initiation procedure, see Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, The Kalachakra Tantra, Rite of Initiation for the Stage of Generation, edited and translated by Jeffrey Hopkins (London: Wisdom Publications, 1985) (hereafter cited as KT) 40 Tantra of Consecration (Suprati˝˛hatantrasa˙graha; Rab gnas kyi rgyud) (Toh 486) Citation not found 41 According to the CFVD, f 20a, mandala (dkyil ’khor) are of three kinds: the body, speech, and mind mandala Contemplation (ting nge ’dzin) is divided into the initial training, the triumphant mandala, and the triumphant ritual act The seal (phyag rgya) is divided into two, the hand seal (gesture) and inner (i.e., mental) seal The stance (stangs stabs) is of many types, such as the “network of bees” (bung ba’i dra ba), one of the two stances of a single foot (rkang gcig gi rkang stabs) See Kuladatta’s Compendium of Activities (Kriy›sa˙graha; Bya ba bsdus pa) (Toh 2531), f 288b7 Mantra (sngags) is of three types: secret, awareness, and recollection [Seated] posture (’dug stangs) refers to the lotus, vajra, wrathful, and bodhisattva positions Recitation (bzlas brjod) comprises the wrathful muttering, vajra muttering, muttering connected with emanations, and muttering connected with blocking energies Fire offering (sbyin sreg) refers to the four types in connection with the appeasing, enriching, domineering, and destructive activities Worship (mchod pa) and food offerings (gtor ma) refer to outer, inner, and secret offerings Dissolution (slar bsdu) refers to the ritual of requesting the departure of the pristine awareness mandala and the dissolution of the visualized mandala 42 Dombipa, Ten Essential Points (DaŸatattva; De kho na nyid bcu pa) (Toh 1229), f 37a3 43 The ten, according to Dombipa, are as follows: (1) The wheel of protection (srung ba) refers to meditation on the tenspoked wheel upon which reside ten wrathful deities (2) The initiation (dbang bskur) refers to the conferral of the four initiations: the vase, secret, pristine awareness through wisdom, and fourth initiations (3) Foods offerings (gtor ma) refers to offerings to the worldly protectors 342 Buddhist Ethics (4) Recitation (bzlas) refers to recitation of mantras and the related visualization of the purification of beings (5) The rite of separation (dgar ba) refers to the fierce act of annihilating evil beings who perpetuate unwholesome deeds (6) The first reversal (bsgom pa’i phyir bzlog pa) of expelling through meditation refers to dispatching interfering forces through visualization and mantra (7) The second reversal (bris pa’i phyir bzlog pa) of expelling through drawings refers to the preparation of a drawing of a wheel of wrathful spokes with mantras to be worn around the neck (8) Actualization of the mandala (dkyil ’khor sgrub pa) refers to the merging of the actual mandala with the mandala of colored sands (9) The threatening rite (bsdigs sbyor) refers to the fierce ritual (associated with Buddha Akshobhya) of striking the dagger when the attainments from one’s own practice are delayed in order to threaten the buddhas or deities and get their attention forcefully (10) Requesting the departure (gshegs su gsol ba) refers to the meditation in which the pristine awareness mandala returns to the buddha fields, after which the colored sand mandala is gathered into a container and thrown into a river that flows to the ocean (Dombipa’s Ten Essential Points, ff 37a-41a.) Dombipa gives dgar ba (rite of separation) as the fifth essential point and bsdigs pa’i sbyor ba (rite of threatening) as the ninth, while Kongtrul has bsgom pa (meditation) and sdig sbyong (purification of evil actions), respectively 44 Tantra in Five Hundred Thousand [Lines] (rGyud ’bum lnga’i dgongs pa) refers to one of the two original (and no longer extant) tantras of Hevajra, the other being the Tantra in One Hundred Thousand Lines (rGyud ’bum ba) The Means of Accomplishment of the Blazing Jewel mentioned here is a sadhana of the Hevajra class of tantras 45 Prajnendraruchi, Means of Accomplishment of the Glorious Blazing Jewel King of Tantras (Ratnajvalas›dhana; Rin chen ’bar ba zhes bya ba’i sgrub pa’i thabs) (Toh 1251), f 214a5-6 46 Nucleus’ Ornament/ Indestructible Nucleus’ Ornament Tantra (Vajrah¸day›la˙k›ratantra; rDo rje snying po rgyan gyi rgyud) (Toh 451), f 58a4 The ten outer fields (first set of ten) are enumerated in this tantra as follows: Mandala, contemplation, seal, Stance, seated position, and recitation, Fire offering, worship, ritual, And dissolution These fields are explained in Tsongkapa’s Commentary on the Fifty Verses on Devotion to the Master: Fulfilling the Aspirations of Disciples (Bla ma nga bcu pa’i rnam bshad slob ma’i re ba kun skong) (vol Ka of the Collected Works of Tsongkapa, f 8a48b1) as follows: (1) Mandala refers to the form and formless mandala; Notes to Chapter I 343 (2) Contemplation refers to the three contemplations, the initial union of the deity yoga, [the triumphant mandala, and the triumphant act]; (3) Seal refers to the various seals of the deities; (4) Stance refers to five stances—the left leg drawn in and the right leg extended, the reverse, the shanks of the legs held straight, legs apart mimicking the wings of a bird, and the soles of the feet together (See Anandagarbha’s Illumination of Reality [Sarvatath›gatatattvasa˙grahamah›y›n›bhisamayan›matantratattv›loka-karın›mavy›ky›; De bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi de kho na nyid bsdus pa theg pa chen po mngon par rtogs pa zhes bya ba’i rgyud kyi bshad pa de kho na nyid snang bar byed pa] [Toh 2510], vol Li, f 254b2-5); (5) Seated position refers to the vajra posture, etc.; (6) Recitation refers to the [meditation on the] deity in conjunction with various styles of repetition of mantra; (7) Fire offering is of four kinds, [appeasing, etc.]; (8) Worship consists of offerings and praises to the deity; (9) Rituals refers to protection, invitation of the deities, etc.; (10) Dissolution refers to the concluding act of requesting the deity to depart 47 f 58a3-4 48 Tsongkapa (f 8b1-2 of his Commentary on the Fifty Verses on Devotion to the Master) states that the ten outer fields of expertise apply to the vajra master of the three lower tantras and the inner or secret fields are primarily characteristic of the vajra master of the Highest Yoga Tantra He explains the inner fields in the following way (f 7b5-8a4): (1 and 2) The two reversals consist of the rite of turning away negative forces [a] through contemplation of the ten wrathful deities, etc., and [b] through the drawing of [protective wheels] that are then worn by the practitioner around the neck; (3 and 4) [Knowledge of] the secret initiation and the pristine awareness through wisdom initiation implies knowledge of the vase and the word initiations; (5) Tearing apart the union [of body and mind] means to drive away the guardians of the enemies of the doctrine and then to implement destructive rituals, [i.e., by the power of concentration in order to terminate the power of enemies]; (6) Food offerings (bali, gtor ma) refers to offerings to the [worldly] protectors; (7) Vajra muttering refers to the mental and verbal vajra recitation; (8) The ritual of accomplishing the fierce act means that if the adept has been initiated, abides in the pledges and commitments, has practiced according to the prescribed means of attainment (s›dhana) for eighteen months or more and has had no results, he may strike the dagger to call upon the deities [to bestow attainments]; (9) The consecration refers to the blessing [of temples and so forth]; 344 Buddhist Ethics (10) Actualization of the mandala entails creation of the mandala of the deities in front, veneration, entering into the mandala, and receiving initiation and permission 49 Bla ma’i yon tan yong bzung gi rgyud Not identified 50 Commentary on the Buddhasamayoga (mNyam sbyor ’grel pa): The Dg.T lists several commentaries to the Buddhasamayoga Tantra (⁄rı Sarvabuddhasam›yoga˜›kinıj›lasambara; dPal sangs rgyas thams cad dang mnyam par sbyor ba mkha’ ’gro ma sgyu ma bde ba’i mchog) (Toh 366): two commentaries by Pramuditavajra (Toh 1659, 1660), one by Anandagarbha (Toh 1662), one by Indrabhuti (Toh 1661), and one by Shantimitra (Toh 1663), as well as other works on the sadhana It is unclear to which text Kongtrul is referring 51 This text (Toh 1198) by Abhayakaragupta is also a commentary on the Buddhasamayoga Tantra (Toh 366) 52 The two phases that comprise the path of the Highest Yoga Tantra (uttaratantra, bla med rgyud) The phase of creation (utpattikrama, bskyed rim): krama means phase; utpatti denotes artifice (bcos ma) In this phase, meditation is based on artifice or creation by thoughts (rtog pa) For this reason, it is referred to as a phase of imagination (brtags pa’i rim pa) or yoga of artifice (bcos ma’i rnal ’byor) Its special feature is the imagined creation of the mandala, in which the adept assumes the form of the main deity, modelled on the outer creation of the universe and inner experiences of death, the intermediate state, and rebirth The purpose of this phase is to purify ordinary appearances and clinging to ordinary appearances The essence of this phase is emptiness, appearance, and bliss represented by the form of oneself as the deity The completion phase (ni˝pannakrama, rdzogs rim): ni˝panna denotes ultimate (yongs su grub pa) and natural (rnal ma) In this phase, the adept cultivates what is already fully present and for which nothing is created anew He or she shifts the focus of practice to the subtle level of body and mind to effect the actual experience of innate wisdom Thus, this phase is defined as extraordinary pristine awareness that has arisen from the entering, abiding, and dissolving of mind and energy-winds into the central channel, as well as the causes and result of this awareness (Kongtrul’s IOK, vol III, pp 159-160) For a modern explanation of the creation phase, see H Guenther’s The Creative Vision (Novato, CA: Lotsawa Publications, 1987) 53 Mahayoga, Anuyoga, Atiyoga: the three sets of inner tantra in the Ancient Tradition (rNying ma), the outer being Action, Conduct, and Yoga tantras For a discussion of the characteristics of the outer and inner tantras, and in particular the relation between the three inner tantras, the phase of creation, the phase of completion, and the view, see H Guenther’s The Creative Vision, pp x-xv 54 Vajragarbha’s Commentary (rDo rje snying ’grel) is the title used by Tibetan authors to refer to the Commentary That Epitomizes the Hevajra [Tantra] (Hevajrapi˚˜›rtha˛ık›; Kye’i rdo rje bsdus pa’i don gyi rgya cher ’grel ba) (Toh 1180) and is so called as it was composed by Vajragarbha (rDo rje snying po) It is part of the ... to offerings to the worldly protectors 342 Buddhist Ethics (4) Recitation (bzlas) refers to recitation of mantras and the related visualization of the purification of beings (5) The rite of. .. and the right leg extended, the reverse, the shanks of the legs held straight, legs apart mimicking the wings of a bird, and the soles of the feet together (See Anandagarbha’s Illumination of. .. initiations; (5) Tearing apart the union [of body and mind] means to drive away the guardians of the enemies of the doctrine and then to implement destructive rituals, [i.e., by the power of concentration