Vajrakilaya - A Complete Guide by Garchen Rinpoche - Chapter 3
Return to Buddhism, Vajrakilaya, Vajrakilaya - A Complete Guide by Garchen Rinpoche Table of Contents, Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche
“ (VkGarR)
PART TWO
Experiential Instructions on the Practice of Vajrakīla
CHAPTER 3
Lineage Supplication Instructions
Having established some context and background for these teachings, we can now turn our attention to the practice text itself, which begins with a supplication to the masters of the lineage. It is titled Melodious, Māra-Destroying Vajra Song: The Lineage Supplication That Encompasses the Buddha-Word and Treasure Transmissions of Vajrakīla.* 1
Within Secret Mantra mahāyoga, there can be found the subdivisions of Tantra and sadhana. The sadhana class is further subdivided into the section of the Buddha-word (kama) and the section of treasures (terma). In the beginning, there was the lineage of the Buddha-words. It came in successive stages from Buddha Vajradhara, through Vajrapāṇi, Master of the Secrets, to Tilopa, Nāropa, Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa, and so on. This is the Secret Mantra tradition of the Latter System. Later, in Tibet, Guru Rinpoche concealed the Dharma teachings as treasures to be brought forth by treasure revealers of future generations. Thus, from his era onward, there appeared the treasure tradition of the Earlier System. The Vajrakīla Lineage supplication is addressed to the masters of both the Buddha-word and treasure lineages.
It is an extremely meaningful Kagyü text that was composed by Jamgön Kongtrül. From the Lineage supplication alone the totally complete, sublime intent of all Vajrakīla Practice can be understood. However, its import is not limited to the Deity Vajrakīla, as it presents the entire path of Buddhist practice.
First, when supplicating the Lineage Masters to receive their blessings, it is good for practitioners to have some understanding of the origins of this transmission lineage, which were described previously.
Although the life stories of the Lineage Masters are beyond the scope of the present work, it is worth noting that Prabhahasti and Vimalamitra were among the eight Indian knowledge holders. Prabhahasti, who had received the transmission of Kīla Activity, was one of the teachers of Vajra Thötreng Tsal (a.k.a. Guru Rinpoche). Vimalamitra and Śīlamañju were contemporaries of Guru Rinpoche. Together, these three ācāryas helped to codify the Vajrakīla Practices and their commentaries. Further, ”Queen of Great Bliss“ referred to in the text is Yeshe Tsogyal. She is also “the māra-subduing queen” whose speech is praised in the colophon of the Practice Manual.
Since the accounts of the lives of great Siddhas are so inspiring, I encourage students to read the Liberation stories of the Vajrakīla masters named in the Lineage supplication and Empowerment text.
View, Meditation, and Conduct
The Buddhas' blessings are ever present. Even so, the practitioner must express his or her wish to receive them. Through making sincere requests, one engages one's connection with the Three Jewels and Three Roots, opening the door for them to bestow the bounty of their blessings. Thus, through supplicating the Lineage Masters, one expresses one's aspiration to do as they have done by attaining the fortress of the view, crossing the abyss of meditation, and seizing the life force that is conduct. From the perspective of the Earlier System, this triad of view, meditation, and conduct is of essential importance.
There are countless commentaries that clarify many different aspects of the view, meditation, and conduct according to the needs of those of high, middling, and lesser faculties. For those who want to understand the inner meaning of the Lineage supplication, what is important is not so much the words but, rather, the key points to be meditated upon. Therefore, I would like to offer a bit of explanation of the stages of the grounds and paths from the perspective of practice using my own personal experience as a reference.
In the first verse, one calls by name some of the masters of the Buddha-word lineage — the lineage of the profound view — and supplicates them as follows:
To the Buddha-word lineage I pray:
primal Küntuzangpo–Dorje Chang,
five families' blood-drinking herukas,
great Lekyi Wangmo, Prabhahasti,
Vajra Thötreng Tsal, Vimamitra,
Queen of Great Bliss, māras' subduer,
Śīlamañju, worship's great object,
lord and subjects, you the twenty-five,
in particular, Nanam and Chim,
Shübu, Rongzom, and the clan of Khön —
may I gain the fortress of the view!
In brief, “the fortress of the view” is the Buddhas' Teachings, namely, the scripture and reasoning of Madhyamaka, the mahāmudrā of the Latter System of Secret Mantra, and the Dzogchen of the Earlier System. If these three are summarized, they are the exclusively clean, actual condition of the mind itself. To whatever degree one is able to realize the mind's nature, there will be a corresponding degree of confidence and freedom from doubt.
How does this lack of doubt arise? Some meditators gain confidence through tenacity of mind, experiencing the hardships of intensive practice, as did Milarepa. However, most give rise to freedom from doubt through the interaction of the guru's blessing with their devotion.
Practitioners can ascertain for themselves whether they are free from doubt. If one continually looks outward in search of answers to questions, it is difficult to arrive at such freedom. On the other hand, when one meditates on the mind itself, one understands, “This is it; there is no doubt.” In this way, when one determines for oneself that the Buddha nature is the causal basis of Buddhahood, the fortress of the view is gained.
Until that fortress has been attained, one must cultivate assurance in conventional Bodhicitta — that is, love and compassion for all who have not yet realized the mind's nature. Precious Bodhicitta protects the mind from afflictions. When one is never parted from the thought “I want to become able to benefit sentient ones day and night without interruption,” assurance in the view is close at hand.
One should begin to nurture conventional Bodhicitta first by contemplating the kindness of loved ones, then by cultivating patience for those enemies who despise one. By one's practicing in this way, conventional Bodhicitta free of bias will gradually become stabilized. This conventional, or fictional, Bodhicitta leads to the realization of ultimate, or truly factual, Bodhicitta, “the fortress of the view.” Once the two types of Bodhicitta have become stable, one will not give rise to anger even if someone takes one's life.
In addition, attaining the fortress of the view can be understood in three stages that accord with the paths of individual Liberation, Bodhisattvas, and Secret Mantra. From the perspective of individual Liberation, when one engenders great belief in the undeceiving and incontrovertible nature of karma, the fortress of the view has been gained.
For someone engaging in the practice of conventional Bodhicitta, the fortress of the view should be understood as follows: When one has absolute certainty in the notion that every sentient being without exception has been one's parent and that the mind set on benefiting others is the cause of Buddhahood, one will cherish that mindset like one's own life force. This is the incontrovertibility of cause and effect on the inner level. Through it, one attains the fortress of the fictional view that is conventional Bodhicitta.
Once this fortress of the conventional view has been gained, when one sees the actual condition of the mind, one engenders trust in the view that is the nonduality of self and other. This is the fortress of the ultimate, or truly factual, view. Because these sorts of understandings arise naturally during practice, there is no need to regard the view as something distant.
In the context of Secret Mantra, when one comprehends this fortress of the truly factual view, every outer object that appears is like an illusion, not existing as a separate entity. Together with this freedom from dualistic grasping comes the arising of pure perception, in which self and other become divinely manifest, appearing like Deities with rainbow forms, like the reflections that appear from a faceted crystal. Such experience is the attainment of the fortress of the view from a Secret Mantra perspective.
The term fortress refers to a great conviction free from any doubt about the preciousness of Bodhicitta. It is a confidence beyond change or transition. Regardless of what others may say or what conditions may occur, from one's own side, no uncertainty can arise. When one has such freedom from doubt about the view, the fortress has been attained. At the outset, it is all right if one only gives rise to this sort of confidence provisionally based on circumstances. Eventually, it will become stable and unconditional.
The Abyss of Meditation
When the fortress of the view is attained, self and other, samsara and Nirvana, love and compassion are all seen as circumstantial and illusory. At this juncture, the perilous abyss of meditation is encountered. The path of meditation is perilous because when difficulties arise in practice, the meditator can give rise to sudden, unmitigated afflictions.[1] Thus, in the second verse, one supplicates the masters of the lineage of treasures — the blessing-practice lineage — with these words:
To the treasure lineage I pray:
Chökyi Wangchug, plumed Rigdzin Gödem,
Sanggye Lingpa, Drime Dorje, and
Rinchen Palzang, self-freed Padma Ling,
Düdül Nüden, Dzamling Dorje Tsal,
Ratön, Choggyur Lingpa, and the rest —
may I cross meditation's abyss!
This treasure lineage has manifested on the basis of the Bodhisattva Vehicle and the Secret Mantric Vehicle, with its emphasis on Deity visualization and Mantra recitation. In this context, if one wishes to stabilize the view, it is important to do so not only under good conditions, such as during meditation sessions, but also when one meets with great obstacles and negative circumstances, which are referred to as “the abyss of meditation.” Thus, in all daily activities, no matter what one is engaged in, one should seek to cultivate mindful awareness and the clear appearance of the Deity. Once these become stable, whatever one encounters can be brought onto the path without one falling under the power of adverse conditions.
Each individual can check the degree of his or her own realization by looking at how he or she responds to negative circumstances. When meeting with unfavorable conditions, one perceives the limit of what has been accomplished through spi[[ritual practice. Once one has reached a certain level of the view, one no longer falls under the power of pleasure, pain, or any other such experience. One is fit to cross the abyss of meditation when mindful awareness cannot be influenced by outer circumstances and when knowing is self-sustaining.
The abyss of meditation can also be understood in different ways according to the Three Vehicles. From the perspective of individual Liberation, the abyss is faced when one separates from heedful, mindful awareness — specifically, mindfulness of the incontrovertibility of cause and effect mentioned earlier. As a result, there will occur faults, such as vinaya defeats and downfalls, in one's actions of body, speech, and mind.
From the causal Great Vehicle perspective, four root downfalls to the Bodhisattva's Vow are taught. These downfalls are (1) praising oneself and disparaging others with attachment to gain or respect, (2) failing to help someone who is suffering when one is able to do so, (3) failing to forgive someone who has apologized, and (4) making false claims about one's own attainments. In brief, these four are subsumed within the root downfall of forsaking sentient ones, which can be understood in the following way:
During daily activities, passion, aversion, ignorance, and the like sometimes arise between friends or between guru and disciple. For example, when someone returns one's generosity with harm, one tends to become resentful, thinking, “Even though I have treated him well, he is mistreating me.” Such a juncture is the meditational abyss to conventional Bodhicitta. Since the root downfall of forsaking sentient ones can occur if one falls under the power of these afflictions, the Bodhisattva must guard his or her mind. In order not to be influenced by self-grasping, one should recall the instructions from The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, taking care not to allow one's Bodhicitta and altruism to be wasted.
Even if sometimes one's altruistic intent is involuntarily lost, one should recognize that one has become angry, thinking, “This is not right! I have really lost Bodhicitta!” In this way, by acknowledging and laying aside such faults day and night without interruption, one can restore conventional Bodhicitta. Thus, it is said that conventional Bodhicitta is like a gold chain: although it is easily damaged or broken, it is also easily repaired.
In other systems, such as that of individual Liberation, if one's vows become corrupted, whether or not they can be restored depends on the presence or absence of self-grasping. Since all beings are afflicted by self-grasping, the vows of individual Liberation are not subject to restoration — either they are preserved or they decline.
Thus, the potential for easy restoration is a special quality of the Bodhisattva's Vow. By practicing as described, understanding one's own anger from the perspective of love and Bodhicitta, one will immediately be able to acknowledge faults and afflictions, apologize, and lay them aside. In this way, confident in the fortress of the view, one can continually restore the vow day and night whenever one encounters the abyss of meditation and falls under the power of obstacles.
From the perspective of the fruition Great Vehicle, Vajrakīla Practice is the beneficial antidote to the three types of obstacles — outer, inner, and secret. Outer obstacles take the form of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, fires, or tornadoes, which occur through imbalances of the four elements. Outer obstacles also manifest as accidents like airplane crashes. Some examples of inner obstacles are imbalances of the channels and wind energies — which can emerge when engaging yogic practices — as well as different kinds of illnesses. Finally, the secret obstacles of confused thoughts are the various afflictions and delusions that arise in the practice of mahāmudrā — confusions that are difficult to clear away with other antidotes.
In order to understand outer obstacles from the perspective of Secret Mantra, one should consider the following: The outer five elements that make up the container and contents are all divine in nature. Similarly, sentient beings are truly endowed with the Buddha nature at the very basis. Thus, all outer objects are inherently pure. When sentient ones, earth, water, rocks, trees, and the like are perceived as ordinary, a root downfall to the Secret Mantra vows occurs. Such impure appearances manifest only due to the power of one's own afflictions. Thus, a practitioner of the Secret Mantric Vajra Vehicle encounters the abyss of meditation when perceiving impure appearances. By maintaining mindful awareness, one should recognize and lay aside the obstacles of impure perceptions.
After entering the path of Dharma and practicing for many years, some people fall under the power of inner obstacles and adverse conditions. Sometimes their relationship with a spiritual master deteriorates when they perceive faults and contradictions in that virtuous friend's conduct. In addition, sometimes they experience various physical illnesses and the like.
Such problems in one's relationship with the guru arise from not having maintained well the samaya with virtuous friends in former lives. Even so, these kinds of adverse conditions can become goads to spiritual accomplishments. It is said that however profound one's practice is, there will be correspondingly great obstacles on the path. Through sustaining the view, it is possible to become victorious over such obstacles, transforming them into siddhis. When one maintains this view, whatever great or small obstacles arise, one will be heedful not to fall under the power of even the slightest thought or affliction. In this way, all outer and inner obstacles will be rendered harmless.
Thus, the principal issue is the secret obstacle of confused thoughts. In this regard, Milarepa sang, “Among evil forces, thoughts are the greatest.”[2] All harmful forces emerge from thoughts alone. For example, if one has a bad dream due to karma and imprints, one can give rise to a lot of superstitious thoughts about it, seeking out divinations and grasping at the possible meanings in such a way that the problem becomes bigger and bigger. In this way, something that was actually nothing to begin with becomes an obstacle capable of causing actual harm. This is a fault of being unable to subdue thoughts.
It is said that when one has a good dream that indicates accomplishments, it is best not to tell others about it. If it is disclosed, the accomplishments can disappear. Conversely, when one has a nightmare, one should recognize it as confused thinking and simply abandon it. In this way, practitioners should place in equanimity all judgments of good and bad. The best way to reverse any ill effects of dreams and bad omens is to recite the approach mantra of Tārā or other Deities. If one sets aside all concepts about one's dreams, not disclosing them to others, they will be unable to do any harm at all. Through bringing down the secret obstacles of confused thinking in this way, there is no question that outer and inner obstacles will also be dispelled.
In his Treasury of Experiential Pith Instructions, the all-knowing Longchen Rabjam points to another way in which the abyss manifests, with the words “Just before siddhis are attained, all kinds of obstacles arise.”[3] This occurs through the stirring-up, or provocation, of latencies. Throughout this and former lives, one has accumulated negative actions that have not yet ripened into suffering. Such negative imprints abide in the ālaya, or underlying consciousness, as latencies. For example, if one has an underlying biliary disease, it may not actually manifest until one consumes fatty foods.
Although such latencies tend to be suppressed in the context of individual Liberation, their provocation is a necessary part of Secret Mantra practice. It is not as though some guru or master steps forward with the intention of provoking a practitioner. Rather, such provocation occurs as a natural consequence of one's own practice. Through blessings, hidden, latent illnesses or afflictions are stirred up. As they rise to the surface, they can be cut off, or liberated.
When one fails to take advantage of the opportunities presented by these junctures of provocation, one falls under the power of afflictions and they become obstacles. For this reason, practitioners should continually cultivate the heedful, aware mind that recognizes such secret obstacles to be signs of accomplishment. The supreme method of maintaining this recognition is the first of the Four Kīlas, that of primordial awareness-rigpa. Although these four will be explained in detail a bit later in the Lineage supplication, for now, it is sufficient to know that the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa is the view of mahāmudrā.
In this regard, in The Supplication in Seven Chapters, the Lotus-Born Guru who was victorious over all obstacles describes his own experience when practicing in the Yangleshö cave: “Hindrances and obstructive forces were liberated by Vajrakīla; mahāmudrā siddhi was attained in that holy place.”[4] Through accomplishing mahāmudrā, foremost among all attainments, one will accomplish the two objectives. This means that by attaining the dharmakāya, one's own purpose will be fulfilled. Then, from the dharmakāya there will spontaneously emerge the form kāyas (rūpakāya) — that is, the Saṁbhogakāyas and Nirmāṇakāyas. Through these outer manifestations of Enlightened speech and form, the purposes of others will be fulfilled.
If one can bring illness, affliction, and other obstacles onto the path through recognizing provocation and liberating it in the moment, one will attain a great, high ground. This is the occasion at which the abyss of meditation and the life force, conduct, come together.
The Life Force That Is Conduct
The third verse is addressed to some of the other Great Masters of the Vajrakīla transmission lineage, the lineage of vast conduct. In brief, the entirety of conduct can be subsumed within the instruction to “abandon harm to others and its cause, accomplish help to others and its cause, and become adept at the pure perception of the vessel and contents.”[5] With the following words, practitioners supplicate for blessings to sustain the conduct:
To the Dharma keepers, transmitters, I pray:
Ma, Nyag, and the eight named Glorious,
Nub, So, Zur, Odren, Lang, Venerable
Ācārya Nuru, Langlab Jangdor,
four supreme and honored disciples,
Darchar, Rinzang, Rogchal, Terdag Ling,
Venerable Chagme, and all the rest —
may I seize the conduct, the life force!
Here, I should mention that the words of this verse appear differently in different editions of the Tibetan text. Sometimes the text reads, “May I seize the system (söl) that is conduct!” This notion of conduct being a system, or a custom, accords with the conventional meaning. It refers to the proper ritual engagement of various physical and verbal activities, such as playing musical instruments, chanting, and practicing mudrās, or hand gestures, and dance. The desire to practice well such outer ritual trainings with body, speech, and mind is a means of gathering vast accumulations of merit that will bear fruit for lifetimes. To practice in this way is an inconceivably great result that resembles the cause. If one performs the ritual practices properly, one seizes the system that is conduct. Conversely, if one performs them carelessly or incorrectly, the system is not retained. This conventional outer-level reading of these words is of primary importance for beginners.
Other editions read, “May I seize the life force (sog) that is conduct!” The notion of conduct being one's very life force accords with the ultimate meaning. This reading is of principal significance for a disciple who has seen the ultimate truth and holds the view.
Since both readings are acceptable, one can understand this line in two different ways. One should consider one's own experience and determine based on individually discriminating awareness which reading is more suitable.
With regard to the latter reading, conduct is the means whereby one maintains the two types of Bodhicitta under all conditions, even at the cost of life. In the best case, having understood factual truth, one will experience phenomena as follows: All sights will dawn as the Deity, appearance-emptiness. All sounds will be heard as mantra, sound-emptiness. All thoughts will be known as the play of primordial wisdom, awareness-emptiness. When sights, sounds, and thoughts manifest purely, the life force is truly being retained.
Having comprehended the view and traversed the abyss of meditation, one seizes the life force, conduct. That is to say, as one cultivates the view, one encounters the abyss yet does not fall under the power of conditions and obstacles, which invariably arise during the conduct of daily activities.
Such conduct is conditioned by two types of thoughts: virtuous or unvirtuous. In other traditions, it is said that there exist indeterminate thoughts, which are neither virtuous nor unvirtuous. However, if one really investigates, that which is called “indeterminate” is merely very subtle happiness or very subtle suffering. Thus, Dharmarāja Jigten Sumgön taught that there is no such thing as indeterminate thoughts. Since they are the nature of ignorance and delusion, they are nonvirtue. To maintain a view that is not overpowered either by happiness or by suffering and that transcends the duality of virtue and nonvirtue is conduct.
In this regard, it is said in The Ganges: An Experiential Pith Instruction on Mahāmudrā, “Your own mind, beyond color or form, is untainted by the black and white phenomena of evil and virtue.”[6] Here, the word black refers to the suffering and ill-being caused by nonvirtue. White refers to ease, happiness, and all that is virtuous. The moment one gives rise to clinging to pleasure, the mind becomes obscured.
Sometimes, even when a practitioner is aware of the dividing line between virtue and nonvirtue, he or she consciously chooses to abandon virtuous conduct in the moment in order to indulge in what appears to be pleasure. For example, while enjoying heedless banter among friends, one may experience a moment of awareness — realizing that one has been engaging in divisive speech, harsh words, or gossip. Even though one knows better, one decides to suppress the wisdom of the inner guru in order to continue frivolous misconduct. Despite having had the extraordinary advantage of hearing and contemplating the teachings, by clinging to the deceptive pleasure of distraction, one throws away meditation in the moment. One willfully disregards the Dharma that has been taught by the guru.
This active ignoring is a misdeed graver than misconduct arisen from mere ignorance. Since karmic causality is incontrovertible, such choices that obscure the mind invariably ripen into suffering. A further downfall occurs when one abandons conventional Bodhicitta, ignoring the effects one's actions of body and speech have on others, especially those who are vulnerable or of lesser faculties.
Thus, even though one may realize an exceedingly profound view, the conduct must not be lost in the view. It is for this reason that Guru Rinpoche instructed practitioners of Secret Mantra, “The view is even loftier than the sky, yet karmic causality is even finer than flour.”[7] Understanding this, meditators must unify the view and the conduct. This is accomplished outwardly by maintaining the conduct of individual Liberation — preserving personal discipline and refraining from any action that would harm others. Inwardly, one upholds the Bodhisattva's Vow by never separating from love and compassion. Secretly, one maintains the Mantric commitments by realizing the nonduality of self and other. In this way, having renounced gross misconduct, true practitioners should identify and then abandon ever subtler deviations from the conscience that is a manifestation of the inner guru.
In brief, clinging binds one to samsara. The person who becomes fettered by pleasure will definitely be bound by suffering. Conversely, the individual who is not bound by happiness cannot be bound by hardship. Some of the qualities of the mind not fettered by ill-being are expressed in The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas:
Though I may lack sustenance, be [[constant]]ly abused, stricken by grave [[illness]] and [[evil]] [[spirit]]s, in return to be undaunted and to take upon [[myself]] all [[wayfarer]]s' mis[[deed]]s and [[ill]]-[[being]] is the [[Bodhisattvas' practice]].[8]
Thus, whether one is experiencing pleasure or pain, if one does not part from the truly factual view, one recognizes both happiness and suffering to be concepts. When a concept is recognized through the view, regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, it is liberated. In this way, to bring afflictions, suffering, and illness — as well as bliss and happiness — onto the path is to retain the life force, conduct.
In order to accomplish this, one must have a view that is self-sustaining — that is able to hold its own. Never parting from mindful awareness throughout all one's activities, one avoids falling into dependency. In this regard, Jigme Lingpa said, “As long as aware knowing does not lose its autonomy, nothing more than this is needed.”[9] This is simple to understand. The view, meditation, and conduct — the fortress, the abyss, and the life force — are complete within not allowing autonomous knowing-awareness to lapse.
Stated another way, if the fortress of the view has truly been gained, the life force, conduct, is retained and the abyss of meditation traversed. Both meditation and conduct are integrated within the single method that is assurance in the view. This is an absolutely essential point.
From a yogic perspective, one maintains the conduct by stabilizing mindful awareness together with the clear appearance of the Deity. Never parting from vigilant mindful awareness, one identifies the coarse and subtle thoughts that arise when sitting or going about — during all one's activities throughout the three periods of the day.
Likewise, throughout the night, one recognizes the dream state and apprehends the luminosity of deep sleep. When day and night become indistinguishable and the mind remains uninterruptedly free of distraction throughout every action, one will have perfected the activities of body, speech, and mind. Whatever one does will spontaneously accomplish the benefit of others, all activities will become merit, the dream state will manifest as luminosity, and so forth. In this way, one will retain the life force that is conduct.
In brief, all the dualistic distinctions of conventional truth fall away within the actual condition of the mind itself. In this context of nondual awareness, Lord Milarepa expressed the ultimate qualities of the view, meditation, and conduct:
The view is free of scripture and reasoning.
Meditation is free of experience.
The guru is free of compassion, and
the disciple free of devotion.[10]
The fourth verse elaborates the Deities who make up the mandala of Vajrakīla with the following lines:
To Kīla's divine mandala hosts I pray:
Vajrasattva, who's comprised of peaceful and
wrathful families' illusory displays,
Dharmevajra, Master of the Secrets, and
Dorje Namjom who cuts out confusion's root.
In general, all the Vajra-family Deities are combined within Vajraku[[māra. In particular, Vajraku[[māra is the extremely wrathful great personage in whom are gathered together peaceful Vajrasattva, wrathful Vajrapāṇi (the ”Master of the Secrets,“ also named Dharmevajra), who appears in both the Earlier and Latter Tantric Systems, and the one who is known in the Sutra System as Vajravidarana (Dorje Namjom). Indeed, the five families of the victorious ones — all the Buddhas of the ten directions and three times — are subsumed within Vajraku[[māra, who is described next:
Dharmasphere-born body of compassionate wrath,
actor of a hundred moods, the blazing, great
māra tamer, god who's perfected as one
the activities that suitably tame beings,
Glorious Great Vajraku[[māra, most supreme,
space and wisdom's union, Khorlo Gyedebma,
ten strengths and perfections, ten wrathful pairs' mode,
falcon hosts, gate guards, almighties, and oath-bounds —
may I conquer māras completely!
All demonic forces are subsumed within the four māras, which are elaborated in subsequent verses. As the essence of the body, speech, mind, attributes, and activities of all the three times' Buddhas, Vajrakīla is completely victorious over the māra of the aggregates, the māra of afflictions, the māra of the lord of death, and the māra of the son of the gods. Understanding this, one can truly supplicate him with the words, “May I conquer māras completely!”
The Four Kīlas
These four māras are associated with the Four Kīlas. That is to say, the utterly secret kīla of unfurled and pervasive primordial awareness, the inner kīla of immeasurable compassion, the secret kīla of Bodhicitta, and the outer material kīla of signs are the means of prevailing over the four māras. All the characteristics and inner meaning of the yidam Vajrakīla are subsumed within the Four Kīlas. Furthermore, since all the practices of the Bodhisattva Vehicle and the Secret Mantric Vehicle are complete within these four, they are of extreme importance.
The principal among them is the first one, the kīla of unfurled and pervasive primordial awareness. This is also referred to as the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa or, less commonly, as the symbolic kīla of blessing. In the context of mahāmudrā, the view is often termed primordial awareness. In a Dzogchen context, it is called rigpa. However, the essential meaning is the same. It is the ultimate factual Bodhicitta referred to in the following verse:
Self-arisen rigpa's mastery — the
blue-black weapon — shines forth in place of
life force as primordial wisdom-wrath.
When the dharmasphere is planted with
all-pervasive wisdom's kīla, may
all dualistic concepts be cut off!
This kīla of unfurled and all-pervasive wisdom is connected with the fortress of the view that was explained earlier. There is but one primordial awareness-wisdom, the singular mind of all the Buddhas' omniscience. Rigpa is seeing the mind itself, the actual condition that is mahāmudrā. It is knowing the union of clarity and emptiness to be nondual. This kīla has the quality of transparency. That is, since it represents the scattering of all thoughts and emotions through mindful awareness, it renders every apparently substantial thing unobstructive. By abiding within this nature of mind, one is able to liberate afflictions spontaneously. In this way, whatever negative conditions one meets are brought onto the path instead of becoming impediments.
This kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa has three aspects. The first is the kīla of the expanse. The empty expanse is like the outer sky, which is a metaphor for the inner mind. The second aspect is the kīla of wisdom — the view of mahāmudrā, which scatters all thoughts and afflictions. Finally, when meditating on the nature of mind that is mahāmudrā, one's mind merges with the outer sky. Thus, one realizes that rigpa — the basis of mind — and the expanse are singular in essence. This unified expanse-rigpa is the third aspect, the kīla of nonduality, the supreme among all kīlas.
Since no new teaching is being presented here, it is important that practitioners not become overwhelmed by terminology. What is being explained are things one regularly practices already. For example, when meditating, one experiences nondual clarity and emptiness, through which one understands that there is no difference between the outer sky and one's inner mind.
When a thought or emotion arises from within that state, the mindful awareness that recognizes it is the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa. The moment the thought has been recognized, it is liberated in its own place, like a bubble on the surface of water that appears for a moment and then bursts. In this way, the thought has been struck by the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa. Whatever may arise — a thought, an affliction, grasping at things as real — when it is liberated in its own place, it is the dharmakāya into which it has been liberated. This scattering of thoughts through mindful awareness is what is to be practiced continually. It is nothing other than the basic meaning of mahāmudrā and Dzogchen. For those who have already been introduced to this view, it is not necessary to say much.
Those who have not should consider well these words:
Self-arisen rigpa's mastery — the
blue-black weapon — shines forth in place of
life force as primordial wisdom-wrath.
In order to understand their meaning, first it is necessary to distinguish clearly what rigpa is. When one looks at the mind with the mind and recognizes that a thought has arisen, one must discriminate between the thought and that which recognizes the thought. Rigpa is not the thought itself; rather, it is the knowing aspect that is capable of apprehending the thought. It is that which recognizes whatever appears in the mind. It immediately knows whenever an affliction has arisen. It is the vigilant mindful awareness referred to in The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas:
In brief, whatever [[course]] of [[action]] [[one]] takes, [[one]] should ask, "What is the [[state]] of [[my]] [[mind]]?" [[Accomplishing]] others' [[purpose]] through continually [[being]] [[mindful]] and vigilant is the [[Bodhisattvas' practice]].[11]
If one looks directly at that knowing awareness, inquiring into what it is or where it is, it immediately vanishes, having become like space. When one turns the mind back upon itself, there is no mind to be seen. Although it pervades everything, it is not an object of investigation.
If I were to ask who among you recognizes rigpa, some would respond, “I don't recognize it.” Yet rigpa itself is the very one that gave rise to the thought “I don't recognize it.” It is the knower of one's own nonrecognition. The moment one tries to identify that knower, it disappears. Since that knowing awareness is the nature of emptiness, it is invisible. Not even the Buddhas can see it. In this way, one should understand the mind to be the union of clarity and emptiness. Clarity is the knowing awareness that recognizes whether or not thoughts or emotions are arising. Emptiness is the transparency of that awareness. It is all-pervading, like space. If one asks how rigpa has manifested, it is spontaneously arisen — not created by anyone or anything at all. Thus, the text refers to it as ”self-arisen.“
Since it is the dividing line between samsara and Nirvana, the difference between mastery and nonmastery of self-arisen rigpa should be understood.* 2 This can be clarified by distinguishing between consciousness (namshe) and primordial awareness (yeshe), each of which has a knowing, cognizant quality (she). The consciousness is that which knows how to do various activities. It also distinguishes among the superficial appearances of outer objects. In the state of non-mastery, when one does not perceive the actual condition, the mind manifests as consciousness — the ordinary life force. All sentient beings — those with and without forms — have this consciousness that is conjoined with self-grasping in its impure state. Lacking self-recognition, consciousness manifests as the notion of an “I,” the cause of all the innumerable sufferings of birth and death in cyclic existence.
Conversely, when the knowing aspect of consciousness is used to look at its own face, then that knowing aspect becomes like space, the nondual union of clarity and emptiness — the actual condition of the mind that is mahāmudrā. In this way, when cognizance is turned back on itself and recognizes itself, it becomes primordial awareness, the causal basis of the Buddhas. In the scriptures, it is said, “Since it has been present from the beginning, it is called 'primordial.' Since it is all-knowing, it is called 'awareness.' ”[12]
This is the wisdom of individual reflexive rigpa referred to in the Prajñāpāramitā literature. When one has understood the actual condition of the mind, the entire container and contents — samsara and Nirvana — are known as the nature of wisdom, the domain and the play of primordial awareness. They are all-encompassing purity without the slightest taint.
By seeing this, one knows one's own mind to be Buddha. Thus, one will know every sentient being to be a Buddha at the fundamental ground. Once this has been understood, one has seen the singular basis, the underlying life force of every phenomenon of samsara and Nirvana. Such experience becomes a cause for developing belief. From the perspective of autonomy, which was explained earlier, the root of all Empowerment and independence is to give rise to adamantine reflexive awareness.
It is said in The Aspiration of Samantabhadra, “If just that is known, such is Buddha; if not, such is a sentient one drifting through samsara.”[13] Similarly, Milarepa said, “When this is not comprehended, it is ignorance. When it is comprehended, it is self-knowing primordial awareness.”[14] This is the meaning of the first kīla. In the beginning, one must understand rigpa. Having understood it, one will know everything. This is the meaning of the phrase ”Everything becomes liberated through knowing the one.“[15] From this — the actual condition of the mind — every other quality arises. Compassion spontaneously increases and one becomes able to eliminate afflictions. This is what is meant by self-arisen rigpa's mastery.
The method of entry into this practice was explained by the wisdom ḍākiṇī Niguma to Nāropa as follows: “As long as the spark of wisdom is weak, one must time and again feed the flame of mindfulness.”[16] This means that when one first glimpses the nature of mind, it is like a weak spark. When the strength of awareness is feeble, thoughts and afflictions can overpower it, just as a log can snuff out a small flame. Since it can be easily extinguished at that stage, vigilant mindful awareness and afflictions appear to be two different things. Therefore, in order to eliminate afflictions, one needs constant diligence in meditation. The method to strengthen the flame of awareness is compassion conjoined with wisdom. As one continually cultivates it, the spark becomes a flame, which increases in strength by burning each arising thought as fuel. Eventually, rigpa becomes like a powerful fire that consumes without discrimination whatever it touches, liberating every thought — great and small — into primordial awareness-wisdom. Finally, one sees that awareness and afflictions are not two. This is what Lord Milarepa meant when he sang, “When afflictions and primordial awareness are no different, one has mastered the full measure of realization.”[17]
The afflictions themselves are the nature of emptiness; they themselves are wisdom. Through mindful awareness alone, all the five afflictions are dominated. Even though one may feed five different sorts of kindling to a fire, they are all equally and without distinction transformed into flame. Aversion is nothing other than mirrorlike wisdom; lust is individually discriminating wisdom. In this way, afflictions and wisdom are not separate.
For example, if one recognizes that one has suddenly become very angry, the knowing aspect of the mind that gives rise to the recognition is rigpa itself. If that rigpa maintains its autonomy, one will not follow the affliction of anger or its associated thoughts and emotions. There will be no need to argue or fight. In this way, the fuel of afflictions is consumed by the fire of rigpa; one becomes free of the affliction merely by abiding within rigpa.
Mastery, then, is the capacity of the knower to recognize the mind's diverse expressions without wavering. Since, through recognition, thoughts are liberated on arising, there is no need to fear afflictions or to think they are bad. Such fears and doubts arise only due to nonmastery.
In the development stages of Vajrakīla, this quality of mastery takes a form. It appears as the blue-black-hued weapon referred to in the text. The weapon is a metaphor for the visualized HŪ, the seed syllable of every Deity. Those who have not yet understood rigpa can naturally experience selflessness through cultivating ongoing awareness of the HŪ syllable, which scatters self-grasping and causes one to forget the body. As the HŪ is the nature of empty awareness in the aspect of a flame, it burns away the “I,” giving [[rise to the experience of selflessness. The moment one thinks of the seed syllable HŪ, all other thoughts and emotions temporarily cease. Although some cannot yet feel this, they will eventually be able to experience it through cultivating the visualization.
At present, one should utilize this method of the seed syllable. As long as one remains in the state of nonmastery, meditating on or verbalizing the HŪ syllable can cut off and destroy whatever thoughts or emotions arise.
In connection with these lines from the Lineage supplication, there is a special Secret Mantra method for accomplishing mastery. It is described in the extensive Vajrakīla Practice manual with these words:
HŪ! The wrathful vajra cuts off aggression.
In the depths of space there dawns a dot,
a great and blazing blue-black weapon
shining forth in place of life force.
Visualize it in the core of your heart.[18]
It is said that one should engage this visualization to scatter or destroy self-grasping and accomplish the kīla of unfurled and pervasive wisdom. While one imagines the HŪ syllable in one's heart center, there clearly appears in the depths of space a blue-black HŪ or a blue-black vajra like the dawning of a bright star. From it appears a sudden bolt of lightning. The instant its brilliant light shines forth, it strikes the mirrored HŪ or vajra at one's heart, igniting it like explosives that blow one's body to particles. This completely destroys dualistic consciousness and clearly distinguishes mind from body. The mind that grasps at a self is destroyed together with the body. What remains is luminosity, the indestructible mind that is the Buddha nature, abiding like space. Empty and cleared out yet brightly vivid, it is totally unfurled, pervading everywhere. It is said that those of highest faculties should meditate in this way.
Another method that uses the HŪ syllable to scatter thoughts and emotions is as follows: First, one should cause the HŪ to appear clearly in the mind. Then, when intense bliss or a forceful affliction such as great suffering arises, if one shouts “HŪ!” the wind energies will conjoin at the navel, causing them to enter the central channel. This is similar to exclaiming the syllable “phaṭ!” in Dzogchen practice.
Having experienced how shouting “HŪ!” causes thoughts and emotions to scatter, one will search for the next thought to disrupt. By dispersing thoughts again and again, finally one will recognize and abide within the post-attainment that is rigpa. Generally, one distinguishes between the “equipoise” of formal meditation sessions and the “post-attainment” that is every other post-meditative experience. However, Liberation on arising occurs when rigpa has seized and is holding its own place. This is the post-attainment that is rigpa — a state in which equipoise and post-attainment are indistinguishable. One should try this method for oneself, meditating and investigating whether a powerful thought or emotion can be dispersed through exclaiming “HŪ!” Then one will understand the potency of the HŪ syllable.
Wherever one goes in the world, one can witness people's bodies being destroyed by violence, accidents, disease, and famine. However, in all those cases their self-grasping minds remain unharmed. In order to accomplish the destruction of self-grasping, one must destroy thoughts and emotions, since it is those very thoughts and emotions that created the body in the first place. One who becomes skilled at scattering thoughts now will become able to destroy self-grasping in the future.
The blue-black weapon that is the seed syllable is extremely powerful. Since it is the union of emptiness and compassion, it destroys the self-grasping that causes beings to wander the six realms. It demolishes karmic habits, leaving clear rigpa in its wake. Even though a bomb can wreak terrible destruction and a few together could wipe out the entire planet, they could never destroy self-grasping or karmic habits. It is only by means of the weapon of Bodhicitta taught by the Buddhas that this can occur. Thus, the seed syllable is even more powerful than an atomic bomb. For these reasons, it is referred to as a ”great weapon“ in the extensive Vajrakīla sadhana. This ability of the seed syllable to scatter all thoughts and dualistic view is the quality of rigpa. This is what is meant by “the kīla of unfurled and pervasive primordial awareness.” That kīla is none other than Vajraku[[māra himself.
Referring to the mastery of self-arisen rigpa, the text says,
…blue-black weapon — shines forth in place of
life force as primordial wisdom-wrath.
Here, the term life force is not the ”life force, conduct“ explained earlier. The life force mentioned here is the notion of an “I,” the doer who engages in worldly, samsaric activities. It is the aforementioned consciousness. For example, when one experiences hunger, pain, or peril in a dream, even though the body is lying comfortably in bed, the mind's experience of hunger or peril is exactly the same as in the waking state. It is due to the imprints of self-grasping that such dramas are played out in the dream state. That self-grasping consciousness is the life force referred to here. If one investigates whether or not a self is truly present in these dreaming and waking experiences, one finds that there is none. There really is no “I.”
However, if one cannot scatter these experiences of self-grasping during the waking and dreams of this lifetime, the sufferings experienced in the bardo will be far more intense than those of this life. Lacking any physical form, one will manifestly endure the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of the three lower realms as though one had a body.
Understanding this, it is wise to investigate how the self came into being. It is something all sentient ones have entirely fabricated. If one thinks there is an “I” — a self — then that self is one's own creation. If one leaves it in its own place without attaching a name to it, then it can neither be said to exist nor to not exist. When one believes there is an “I,” then it is present. When one does not, it is absent. The entire six realms have come about through beings' belief in a self. It is only due to the imprints of karmic habit that one reconstructs a self after every death. Within the mind's pure nature, there is no self or other to be found. While abiding in that nature, one loses the “I.” As soon as one emerges from that, the “I” is reassembled. So, one is recreating it moment by moment.
Due to grasping at a self, all beings fear death. But the body is not the self. One day the body will disintegrate. When it dies, does the mind also die? No, the mind is deathless. So, for the practitioner, once the body has been destroyed, the HŪ syllable arises in place of self-grasping consciousness — the ordinary life force. In this way, the kīla of unfurled and pervasive wisdom liberates the māra of the lord of death by seizing the ordinary life force of sentient ones. The only thing that remains, then, is wisdom — the space-like clarity-emptiness that has the same essence as the dharmakāya. Thus, one arrives at the post-attainment that is rigpa. This primordial awareness-wisdom is the Buddha nature itself. It is Vajraku[[māra.
This wisdom that destroys thoughts and afflictions has a fierce quality, which spontaneously manifests as the flame heaps that surround wrathful Deities or as the flaming sword of Mañjuśrī. The symbolic meaning is that when one has realized the essence that is rigpa, whatever thought or affliction arises is immediately burnt away or cut off, leaving pristine mind in its wake. This is how the five afflictions are transformed into the five wisdoms on arising. The purpose of practicing wrathful Deities, then, is to realize mahāmudrā. Vajrakīla and Yamāntaka are extraordinary methods for realizing the view. In this way, one should understand the “primordial wisdom-wrath” that emerges to replace life force to be none other than Vajraku[[māra himself.
The words of the Lineage supplication continue,
When the dharmasphere is planted with
all-pervasive wisdom's kīla, may
all dualistic concepts be cut off!
In this regard, Milarepa said, “The learned who understand do not see consciousness; they see primordial awareness.”[19] This primordial awareness-wisdom is like space in that it suffuses everything, even apparently solid material forms. For this reason, the kīla of unfurled, pervasive primordial awareness is referred to as ”pervasive.“ Lacking any obstruction or hindrance, it is completely dispersed, without any substance to be grasped at. This is what is meant by the term unfurled. For example, the bodies of all sentient beings are pervaded by mind. If not, the body is a corpse. Yet, if one tries to pinpoint where the mind is located, one cannot identify any single object, as mind is invisible and spread out everywhere. Thus, the terms pervasive and unfurled should be understood in this way.
This kīla of unfurled, pervasive primordial awareness is the view of mahāmudrā, of Dzogchen, as well as of the scripture and reasoning of Madhyamaka. Although it goes by many names, it has but one meaning — the actual condition of the mind in which there is no distinction between mind and the space of the dharmasphere. By abiding therein, one transcends dualism.
For example, if one observes the mind closely when meditating on the HŪ syllable, there is no dualistic grasping. Thus, that which is called “primordial awareness” is nonduality. When one has been introduced to the actual condition of mind — when one comprehends the rigpa that is like space without center or limits and abides therein — one understands the nonduality of self and other. This is also referred to as the view of inseparable samsara and Nirvana, the view of the single taste.
In general, when one speaks about the nonduality of self and other, it is possible to understand it clearly from a conceptual perspective. Yet it is only by engaging the actual practice that one can have a direct experience of the real condition that is the sky-like mind. Through such experience, self-grasping and ego boundaries dissolve, eliminating the separation between self and other. In this way, the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa shuts down dualistic concepts. Through continually engaging the practice, one can habituate a direct experience of the view. Once one has finally attained mastery, thoughts and emotions will no longer do any harm. One will no longer need to apply any antidote, as the mind will naturally abide clear and empty like the sky. When every thought that arises is understood to be rigpa, all thoughts become empty. In this way, the kīla of unfurled and pervasive wisdom is planted into the sphere of phenomena.
Although many words are used to explain this kīla of pervasive wisdom, in the end understanding does not come from concepts. It arises only through turning the mind inward on itself. By doing so, one will penetrate the meaning. In this regard, Milarepa said, “Do not try to resolve phenomena; resolve the mind.”[20] Since investigation of the outer phenomena of samsara and Nirvana is without end, a lot of talk and conceptualization bring only limited benefit. In brief, the fruit of having mastered rigpa is that all dualistic concepts will be cut off.
Rigpa is not something exotic. It is already present as the knower of whatever happiness, suffering, and afflictions are arising in one's own mind. In the state of nonmastery, even though one may recognize the afflictions in one's mind, one cannot liberate them. Thus, they condition karmic accumulations that result in suffering. However, once one has attained mastery of rigpa, one becomes able not only to recognize afflictions but also to render them impotent and eliminate them. In this way, as one abides in ultimate factual Bodhicitta, every thought and emotion of duality and separation will be cut off.
The Kīla of Immeasurable Compassion
Second is the kīla of immeasurable compassion, which is nothing other than conventional fictional Bodhicitta in its immaterial aspect. The verse on the second kīla begins as follows:
Skandhas, dhātus, [āyatanas] — the
three seats — pack the vajra channel wheels.[21]
There is much that is taught about the three seats — the aggregates (skandhas), elements (dhātus), and sense fields (āyatanas). Even so, it is possible to understand them simply by apprehending a single point. In general, people vaguely conceive of the self as a complete whole that includes the body and mind. For example, one can consider an automobile, which can be thought of as a single thing. However, when just one small electrical circuit in the car is not functioning, the entire vehicle can be rendered useless. Similarly, practitioners should conceive of the body as a composite that has come about due to numerous causes and conditions. If one slight cause or condition is removed, the body as we know it ceases to be. When the compounded phenomenon of the body is understood in this way, it deconstructs one's grasping at embodied forms. This is how to understand the basic meaning of the aggregates.
The subtle body is one aspect of the entire body-mind continuum. It includes the cakras, which are comprised of the channels. Although sentient ones' aggregates, elements, and sense fields are pure at the very basis, that purity is not realized by ordinary beings. Thus, they perceive the composite body of flesh and blood in its unripe, impure state. When the mind of the perceiver is impure, the aggregates, elements, and sense fields of the body-mind continuum appear ordinary. One cannot attain Liberation through the methods of Secret Mantra without comprehending the fundamental purity of the container and contents.
Since the mind is the Buddha nature and the three seats are fundamentally pure, every impure appearance is merely a temporary circumstance along the way. When one cultivates great love and compassion, they become conditions for recognizing the basic purity of the gross and subtle bodies. Just as wood turns into fire when it meets with a flame, so too the bodies and speech of sentient ones transform into pure Deities and mantra when the mind meets with Bodhicitta. Similarly, through the mind's contact with Bodhicitta, thoughts and afflictions are transformed into primordial awareness. Thus, that which is called ”purity“ is emptiness — the realization that all perceived things and their defining characteristics ultimately lack any true existence.
One should understand the elements to be outer manifestations, the aggregates to be inner manifestations, and the sense fields to be secret ones. The five aggregates are (1) form, (2) sensation, (3) cognition, (4) formatives, and (5) consciousness. Functioning on the level of mind, they parallel the five afflictions — (1) passion, (2) aversion, (3) ignorance, (4) pride, and (5) jealousy — which are by nature the Tathāgatas of the five families when perception is pure. Likewise, the elements function on the level of the body, which is comprised of the five elements of (1) earth, (2) water, (3) fire, (4) wind, and (5) space. Thus, the heap of elements is by nature the mother-consorts of the five Tathāgatas. The sense fields are the interaction of the six sense faculties — the (1) eye, (2) ear, (3) nose, (4) tongue, (5) body, and (6) mind — with the six outer objects of the senses. These outer objects are (1) forms, (2) sounds, (3) smells, (4) tastes, (5) tactile objects, and (6) phenomena. In this way, the entire outer container and inner contents are nothing other than the naturally pure Buddha couples of the five families, who are spontaneously present in the cakras of the subtle body.
These pure channel wheels are dependent arisings. They are referred to in the text as being vajra, or “adamantine.” Here, the term vajra points to their empty nature. In this regard, although the mind is empty, it is endowed with clarity. Thus, it is not a mere nothing. Just as Saṁbhogakāya manifestations arise from out of the dharmakāya, so too the empty channel wheels that are packed with Deities emerge from the mind that is the union of emptiness and clarity.
The text says that the vajra channel wheels are filled to capacity with the ”three seats.“ The aggregates, elements, and sense fields — naturally complete within the body-mind continuum — abide as the three seats, which are the nature of the holy hundred families of peaceful and wrathful Deities. In brief, these three are the seat of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the seat of the female knowledge-consorts and goddesses, and the seat of male and female wrathful ones. Simply put, since innumerable divine hosts ceaselessly come forth like particles in a dust storm or like snowflakes in whirling flurries, they need a place to dwell. Surrounded by light rays, they densely pack one's aggregates, elements, and sense fields. Since these are the natural dwelling places of the Deities, their innate purity is introduced when one receives Secret Mantra Empowerment.
This primordial purity is also explained in The Aspiration of Samantabhadra, in which it is taught how the five wisdoms dawned from the singular essence of mind itself and how all the other Buddhas came forth from those five wisdoms:
[[Rigpa]]'s unencumbered clarity [[aspect]] has [[one]] [[essence]] with [[five]] [[wisdom]]s. From their [[maturation]], the primal [[Buddha]]'s [[five]] [[families]] e[[merge]]d. As the [[wisdom]]s further expanded, the [[forty]]-[[two]] [[Buddhas]] arose. As the [[five]] [[wisdom]]s' dynamism dawned, the [[sixty]] blood drinkers e[[merge]]d.[22]
This arising in stages of diverse Enlightened manifestations from the single point of awareness itself is described in texts that elaborate the benefits of receiving Empowerment into the one hundred families of the holy peaceful and wrathful Deities. I would encourage those who have access to such texts to study this point in greater detail.
One will not reach a clear understanding of the above through a lot of talk. Rather, one should develop confidence in the main point, which is expressed in the next lines of the Lineage supplication:
Unelaborated consciousness
is fulfilled as the vajra, Great Bliss.
What this means is that the bodies of oneself and others — all sentient ones — are pure at the very basis. Likewise, the ordinary consciousnesses of beings, when free of elaboration, are fundamentally the Buddha nature. This “unelaborated consciousness” is great, nondual bliss beyond transition or change. “The vajra, Great Bliss” is the dharmakāya. All impurities are merely adventitious, transient events, arisen through self-grasping like water in which ice floes have temporarily appeared. Thus, one recognizes that the false perception of impurity has arisen from fleeting self-grasping alone. Although that self-grasping causes beings inconceivable sufferings, those sufferings are illusory in nature. Once sentient beings have become separated from their self-grasping, they will attain the status of the Buddhas.
When this vast understanding dawns, one takes ultimate Refuge. On the conventional level, one spontaneously gives rise to love and compassion, thinking, “It is only due to transient circumstances that beings have become crazed.” Such compassion brings manifest benefit to sentient ones. Through it, one becomes able to free self and others from ill-being. In this way, one sees that the connection between Buddhas and sentient ones is forged on the basis of love and compassion. Thus, the verse on the kīla of immeasurable compassion concludes,
When the six wayfarers are struck by
measureless compassion's kīla, may
they possess compassion's great lifeline!
In general, practitioners can experience a little bit of compassion when encountering someone who is suffering. But when one actually considers the four mind-changing contemplations, again and again reflecting on the sufferings of the six classes of wayfarers, one sees that not a single being escapes samsaric pain. Because of this, it becomes impossible to have bias — feeling compassion for this one, but not for that one. Wherever there is space, sentient beings can be found. As it says in The King of Aspirations for the Conduct of Samantabhadra,
The extent of sentient ones
so too do my aspirations
reach as far as their karma and afflictions.[23]
Since beings are coextensive with space, one must again and again contemplate the Four Immeasurables, cultivating compassion for all beings without exception. Within this contemplation, sometimes it becomes unnecessary to cultivate anything. This is because the instant one sees the mind's nature, that mind pervades everywhere through its own natural force. Then, although one may encounter someone who is suffering greatly, it may seem surprising how unnecessary it is to generate any special compassion for that individual. In this regard, the liturgy of Mañjuśrī Yamāntaka says,
Self from others can't be cleft; thus, there's
no real object of compassionate aid.[24]
At this juncture, even though one does not actively cultivate compassion, compassion is also not lost.
It is just this sort of boundless compassion that arises for sentient beings when one experiences the all-pervasive mind, the nondual union of emptiness and compassion. That is to say, as soon as one gets a glimpse of the mind's nature, one recognizes self and other to be fundamentally one. Likewise, one understands that all the suffering of sentient beings is merely the delusion of not perceiving the mind one has just seen. As a result, immeasurable compassion spontaneously arises. Thus, Milarepa said in his Hundred Thousand Songs,
When one has understood emptiness, compassion arises.
When compassion has arisen, there is no self or other.
When self and other are absent, others' purpose is accomplished.[25]
One should never part from this kind of immeasurable compassion for all sentient ones. This is what it means to plant the kīla of measureless compassion into wayfarers. It is this kīla that binds sentient ones to the Buddhas. In this regard, the power of one's love can pervade only as far as the scope of beings one is able to fathom.
When planting the kīla of measureless compassion into the six classes of wayfarers, although the Liberation itself is instantaneous, on the level of conventional fictional appearances, each sentient one will be freed from samsara gradually and in stages according to his or her individual karma and fortunes. For example, since they are free of the bonds of karma, all the Buddhas are like a vast ocean of free-flowing water. Conversely, the collective karmic accumulation of sentient beings — oneself and others — is like a great snowfall. When the sun shines, although the finest snowflakes and the thinner accumulations will melt first, the thicker patches of snow and ice will eventually melt away as well. Similarly, each time one gives rise to the sunlight of immeasurable compassion for sentient ones, it benefits the collective, gradually melting away beings' total karmic accumulation. The thicker patches are merely grosser accumulations. In the end, they will all be melted by the same sunlight, becoming fluid again. Since compassion is the warmth that brings about this change, even when Buddhahood has been attained, one must continue to cultivate it.
Since all Buddhas and all sentient beings share the singular basis that is Buddha nature, one has an innate connection with all beings. That connection is strengthened through the cultivation of love and compassion, which are able to clear away the adventitious defilement, the fault of self-grasping. Thus, ”compassion's great lifeline,“ referred to in the text, is like the cord that binds together the beads of a māla. The mind of anyone for whom one feels compassion will become the same as the mind of the one cultivating compassion. It is through giving [[rise to Great Compassion for the six classes of beings that one will become able to melt the ice of self-grasping, thus establishing beings on the ground of the Buddhas. By understanding how the connections among beings are strengthened through affection, one will become confident of one's ability to bring manifest benefit to others.
The important point is that one actually generates love for sentient ones. When meeting someone I have never met before, I cultivate love, recalling that even though we may not have met in this life, at some time in the past this person has been a kind parent to me. By practicing in this way, one can truly learn the meaning of the oft-recited words “every sentient one — mothers who equal space.”[26] By considering this well, one can cause one's love to pervade all beings everywhere.
It is said that before appearing as Prince Siddhartha, Lord Buddha took five hundred pure and five hundred impure births. The purpose of those births was to accumulate love through acting in accord with the six transcendent perfections. It was on the basis of this accumulation of immeasurable love for all beings that he finally attained the state of Buddhahood. Once one has understood the qualities of the Buddhas' love, one will know it to be the supreme means of benefiting sentient ones.
The antidote to beings' suffering is the Four Immeasurables — measureless (1) loving kindness, (2) joy, (3) compassion, and (4) equanimity. These four are subsumed within the kīla of immeasurable compassion. The actual condition of the mind itself is inseparable from great love and compassion. It enables one to provide sentient beings with the lifeline that will draw them out of samsaric suffering. One who gives rise to Great Compassion for all those who grasp at a self will become able to set them on the path of emancipation. By doing so, one will attain the status of a Buddha for oneself while simultaneously fulfilling the aims of others.
This second kīla has a great connection with the practice of the sadhana, in which one visualizes the Deity and recites his mantras. One should give rise to certainty that through engaging the four branches of approach and accomplishment, one can liberate innumerable sentient ones. In this way, one should understand how beneficial the kīla of immeasurable compassion is.
Thus far, I have explained the first two kīlas, which parallel the two truths. The kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa is ultimate truth and the kīla of immeasurable compassion is conventional truth. By understanding these two, one will understand all dharmas.
The Kīla of Bodhicitta
The third of the four stakes is the kīla of Bodhicitta. It is cultivated based on the Four Immeasurables. It refers to conventional Bodhicitta, the red and white constituents that abide within the physical body. Since it is the substantial cause of samsara, this seed essence is often regarded as a fault. However, because it is the basis for realizing the nondual wisdom of bliss and emptiness, it is also the substantial cause of Nirvana. Thus, for the yogin who mixes lust with primordial awareness through the practices of the channels and wind energies, it is the city of the vajra body, the Deity mandala in which all the channels are ḍākiṇīs and all the seed essences are vīras, or heroes.
What is the relationship between the seed that abides in the body and Bodhicitta? Delight, bliss, love, and compassion for others are the nature of Bodhicitta and also the nature of the physical seed essence. These two are completely intertwined. When the seed essence degenerates, it leads to inconceivable faults, such as illness and a decline in life span and personal magnetism.
Conversely, if it is not allowed to degenerate, it gives rise to physical bliss and emotional love and happiness. In this way, discriminating wisdom and longevity increase. For yogic practitioners, these constituents become the cause of realizing the rainbow body, through which the progressive stages of the four yogas of mahāmudrā can be instantaneously realized.
The seeds of a Buddha's Three Kāyas are innately present in each of us. The subtle channels are the seed of the Nirmāṇakāya; the wind energies, the seed of the Saṁbhogakāya; and the seed essences, the seed of the dharmakāya. Because these seeds abide within the precious human body, they are the physical bases for engaging the trainings of the channels and wind energies. By training in these yogas according to the stages of development and completion, the yogin can attain the status of the Buddhas' Three Kāyas. Such results are supported by yogic practices — like those taught in the Six Yogas of Nāropa — that rely on the body of a partner. In the context of Secret Mantra Empowerment, disciples are introduced to some of these teachings, which Lord Milarepa referred to as the ”oral instructions of the hearing lineage.“
When the impure aggregate — this immature compounded body — matures, it will ripen into the pure illusory body, which is uncompounded like a rainbow. From that will arise the Buddhas' perfectly complete knowledge and love. For those who understand the meaning of the indwelling channels and constituents in the context of the development stages, oneself and one's partner are not ordinary but are the clear appearance of the father-mother consorts. Their union symbolizes the ultimate great pleasure of inseparable emptiness and compassion. When practitioners unite sexually, maintaining sacred outlook and liberating inner afflictions through mindfulness, impure channels and winds are transformed into pure primordial awareness. By sealing the kīla of Bodhicitta with the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa, such yogic practice can ripen into the result — the attainment of rainbow body or the accomplishment of the Saṁbhogakāya in the bardo. Such maturation is a bliss beyond change or transition. Through it, innumerable Saṁbhogakāya and Nirmāṇakāya emanations who act for the sake of sentient ones spontaneously manifest. Thus, the Lineage supplication reads,
Symbols,] meanings, signs[27] — the union of
wisdoms with the kāyas — radiate and
gather dreadful, blazing wrathful ones.
Every aspect of a Deity's appearance can be understood on the three levels of symbol, meaning, and sign, which function on the secret, inner, and outer levels, respectively. If, for example, the Deity carries a khaṭvāṅga, the implement itself is the outer sign. The severing of the three poisons by its three prongs is the inner meaning. The realization of Tathāgatagarbha, the Buddha nature, by one who has overcome affliction in this way is the secret level of symbolic meaning.
Similarly, the sexual union of the father and mother Deities is the outer sign. Their mutual experience of Great Bliss is the inner meaning. Inseparable, nondual bliss beyond transition or change is the secret symbol.
Thus, every ornament, implement, and expression of the Deity is endowed with these three aspects, which represent the qualities of his inner mindstream — facets of body, speech, mind, attributes, and activities. No matter how numerous they may be, they are all subsumed within the union of kāyas and wisdoms, the nondual unity of clarity and emptiness. The outer bodies of the Deities are empty by nature. The natural expressions of primordial awareness, they are the manifest physical signs of the mind's inner accomplishment.
As for the Three Kāyas, the word ”wisdoms“ refers to the dharmakāya; ”kāyas,“ to the Saṁbhogakāyas; and the “dreadful, blazing wrathful ones,” to the Nirmāṇakāyas. The last two of these comprise the rūpakāyas — the form bodies who make themselves known on the levels of body and speech. All the myriad divine assemblies within the mandala of Vajraku[[māra have come into being through the Bodhicitta of the Buddhas. The father and mother Vajraku[[māra are the physical manifestations of the two types of Bodhicitta — all the Buddhas' compassion and emptiness. Through the union of these two emanate their innumerable children, the Saṁbhogakāyas and the blazing wrathful Nirmāṇakāyas.
In addition, the term kāyas refers to the outer stages of development, and wisdoms to the inner samādhi of the completion stage. In this union of development and completion, countless tiny wrathful ones simultaneously radiate out and gather back. Thus, the text continues,
When the mother's sky is planted with
Bodhicitta's kīla, may clouds of
emanations, foremost heirs, stream forth!
On the outer level of signs, the father and mother consorts appear as two. Thus, ordinary beings project their sexualized desires onto the Deities in union. However, on the inner level of meaning, the couple are the nondual union of emptiness and compassion-bliss. Thus, on the basis of the consorts' relationship, nondual wisdom can be realized. Finally, on the symbolic, secret level, there manifests the union of appearance and emptiness. That is to say, once the inseparable union of emptiness-compassion has been realized, from that union will spontaneously appear innumerable rūpakāya emanations who pervade the vast expanse, acting for the welfare of all sentient ones.
One should understand how this relates to the accomplishment of each of the Three Kāyas. Through visualizing the divine father-mother couple replete with signs according to the development stage yogas, one will conquer the māra of the aggregates and will realize one's own body as Nirmāṇakāya. By engaging the inner yogic practices of the channels, wind energies, and seed essences on the basis of the development stages, one brings the afflictions — chief among which is lust — onto the path. Finally, when one has cultivated the stages of development in conjunction with Bodhicitta and pure perception, they will ripen into the Saṁbhogakāya in the bardo. Thus, innumerable Nirmāṇakāya emanations will be sent forth for beings' benefit. Such rūpakāyas emerge through the force of interdependent arising. This is the meaning of the words “may clouds of emanations, foremost heirs, stream forth!”
Finally, afflictions arise due to the psychophysical aggregates. That is to say, out of the māra of the aggregates manifests the māra of afflictions. When, through the view, afflictions are transformed into the five wisdoms, the māra of afflictions will be conquered and the dharmakāya realized.
Stated differently, by realizing unelaborated consciousness — the Buddha nature — and by cultivating the stages of development, one liberates one's own mind and body. Then, one becomes capable of liberating others through whichever means are appropriate for them. This brings us to the discussion of the fourth kīla.
The Material Kīla of Signs
Having realized the previously described view that is the union of emptiness and compassion, one can then engage all-encompassing Enlightened activities by means of the material kīla of signs. Thus, the text reads,
Sentient contents of existence grasp
at three poisons and appearances;
yet as vajra wrathfuls they're complete.
When harmdoers are pinned by material
kīlas of signs that won't let them go,
may the pangs endured be finalized!
At the very basis, all sentient ones are established “as vajra wrathfuls.” This is a sign that all beings are endowed with Buddha nature. The entire outer container of this universe and all its inner contents, sentient ones, are innately pure. However, under the influence of circumstantial karmic winds and confused propensities, all the appearances of samsara arise and beings cannot free themselves from suffering. Thus, the text says they ”grasp at three poisons and appearances.“
The words ”material kīlas of signs that won't let them go“ refer to the sādhaka not forsaking sentient ones. Through compassion, one holds on to those beings who suffer from the three afflictive poisons, not releasing them. The water dragon (makara) on the material kīla is symbolic of this. It is said that once the water dragon locks its jaws onto its prey, it cannot open them again. This is an example of how the Bodhisattva holds with compassion all sentient ones who are subject to karma, the three poisons' afflictions, and their attendant sufferings without releasing them from his or her love until they have been liberated from samsara.
The point is that every sentient one must be freed from the three poisons. In order to accomplish this, there exist both peaceful and wrathful methods. Peaceful methods are like using water and detergent to wash dirty clothes or like administering medicine to cure an illness.
Beings who cannot be liberated through such peaceful means require something like invasive medical interventions that accord with magnetizing and destructive activities. Thus, it is said that one must have the kīla of wisdom-rigpa for one's own sake and have the material kīla of signs for others' sake.
Outwardly, this material kīla — which has been taught through interdependence — refers to the different types of stakes fashioned in various shapes from different materials. Since the material kīla has the form of a peg or a stake, it can be used symbolically to strike or to pin down vital points in those to be subdued. The word ”signs“ denotes the ornamentation on the physical kīla. Inwardly, the four kinds of material kīlas accord with the Four Activities — pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and, like the one mentioned in this verse, destructive. As for materials, silver is related to pacification, gold to enrichment, copper to magnetization, and iron to the destructive activities of suppression, incinerating, and casting weaponized torma.
In brief, these Four Activities are methods of liberating sentient ones. Just as medical treatments can be mild, average, or intense depending on the severity of the illness, so too Enlightened activities are appropriate to the corresponding affliction. Planting the material kīla of signs into harmdoers through destructive activity is like an invasive surgery that is necessary to treat a severe illness. It is taught that the compassion required for wrathful, destructive activities is even greater than that required for peaceful ones.
Such obstructors and harmdoers have exceedingly dense obscurations and perverted aspirations. Even though they possess the Buddha nature, it is only through violence that they can be separated from their afflictions. For such arrogant ones, it is unbearable to be forcibly drawn into the triangular incarceration pit and liberated from self-grasping through the blissful dance of the father and mother in union. Here, it is important to note that sādhakas should not think they are liberating only the afflictions of harmdoers and oath transgressors. Rather, they should recognize their own afflictions, looking at the jealousy, aversion, and so forth in their own minds, since these are indistinguishable from outer harmdoers and oath transgressors. This collective mass of one's own and others' afflictions is then drawn in and liberated on the basis of the material kīla.
After delusion (flesh), lust (blood), and aversion (bones) have been offered as a Gaṇacakra to the mandala of Deities, harmdoers have finally been freed of self-grasping, emerging as divine children of father and mother Great Glorious Vajraku[[māra. In this way, one should eliminate afflictions and purify obscurations, establishing harmdoers in the pure Buddha Fields. This so-called Liberation offering is one of the various methods of Liberation to be found among destructive activities.
What is the purpose of Liberation through destructive activity using the material kīla of signs? It is to emancipate the unfree, leading sentient beings out of the three lower realms and into the three higher ones, where they are then guided to some degree of renunciation, virtue, and an understanding of cause and effect. In this way, they can give rise to the mindset of individual Liberation. Those who have trained within that path are then led to generate Bodhicitta. Having cultivated the outlook of the causal Great Vehicle, they can gradually engage the resultant practices of Secret Mantra. In this way, sentient ones of the six classes are guided step by step to higher states of being. Thus, the realms of hell denizens, pretas, and animals are gradually emptied out and all those beings take birth as humans who can listen to the Dharma. These are the methods whereby beings can attain emancipation in stages.
Ways of Understanding the Four Kīlas
In summary, the Four Kīlas are related to the view, meditation, conduct, and activities in the following ways: First, the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa signifies the view. It is said that every mandala is naturally established through assurance in the view. Second, having established the mandala of samādhi through the kīla of immeasurable compassion, one engages the actual practice of meditation. Third, the kīla of Bodhicitta establishes the mandala through the wisdom of nondual bliss-emptiness. Since one must train in the yogas of the channels and wind energies when manifestly cultivating the kīla of Bodhicitta, one should understand this kīla to be conduct. Finally, having established the compounded, material kīla as the reflected mandala of the Deity, activities are made totally complete.
The Four Kīlas can also be understood in terms of the different types of beings who are best suited to accomplish them. Since practitioners are referred to as vessels of the teachings, among Vajrakīla sādhakas, there are different types of vessels who are better suited to accomplish one or another of the Four Kīlas according to their different dispositions. While receiving this teaching, one should consider which sort of individual one is. This is something one must recognize for oneself; it is not for anyone else to determine.
First, the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa is to be accomplished by the sky-like individual. Superior and magnanimous, this sort of person has a very intelligent mind and sharp faculties. When such a person is introduced to rigpa's liveliness by means of Empowerment, the moment he or she recognizes the essence that is the kīla of reflexive primordial awareness, that kīla has been planted. Whoever has seen reflexive wisdom has planted the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa into the ground of the dharmasphere, severing all dualistic grasping.
Second, the kīla of immeasurable compassion is accomplished by the person who is stable and unwavering like a mountain, has faith and Great Compassion, and delights in accomplishing others' purpose. Having trained in the Four Immeasurables for the sake of self and others, this individual generates and upholds the commitment of unsurpassed Bodhicitta. Once such a disciple has received Secret Mantra Empowerment, then it is suitable to bestow on him or her the foremost Pith Instruction of activities. Through planting the kīla of compassionate emanation into the ground that is sentient ones, this type of sādhaka brings the purposes of self and others to their end point.
Another text mentions the existence-kīla of the development stages in relation to the kīla of immeasurable compassion. The type who accomplishes it is quite proud and has a stable mind. It is said that this mountain-like individual attains the supreme and common siddhis through practicing the stages of development.
So, the second kīla has two categories. The first is the person who attains realization through Great Compassion alone. The second is the individual who attains realization based on the development stages unified with compassion.
Next is the kīla of Bodhicitta. It is to be accomplished by the person who is very diligent and has great lust like the kalantaka bird. Being introduced to Great Bliss by means of the third Empowerment, this individual cultivates the yogas of the channels and wind energies, relying on a consort endowed with auspicious marks. Recognizing desire as inseparable Great Bliss-wisdom, this practitioner brings ultimate truth to its final point by planting the kīla of Bodhicitta into the ground that is the lotus. Thus, this kīla of Bodhicitta is the means of bringing desire onto the path through yogic practice.
Finally, the individual who is like a sandalwood tree will eradicate all faults through the fourth kīla, the material kīla of signs. This sort of person maintains resolute discipline, has a vast intent to guard and benefit the Buddhas' Teachings, and is good-hearted. When, having received Empowerment, such an individual practices the Deity's approach, accomplishment, and activity engagement, he or she will give rise to certainty about the entire container and contents being the mandala of Vajrakīla — the certainty of knowing things as they truly are. Together with this realization, such types will be able to accomplish whatever activities they set their minds to — particularly, destructive activities — by planting the material kīla of signs into the ground that is enemies and obstructors. Thus, the material kīla of signs is the means of bringing aversion onto the path.
Here, it is important to note that the only possible danger in practicing wrathful sadhanas is for those people who are already of an angry disposition. One must understand that the wrath of the wrathful Deity is one of love and compassion and not confuse this with the wrath of aggression.
The scriptures explain four different types of substances for accomplishing the Four Kīlas. First, for the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa, one should practice using the divine kīlas, a rock crystal, a mirror, or other similar things as supports. Here, the term divine kīlas refers to all the material kīlas set out within the material mandala. Second, the kīla of immeasurable compassion is accomplished through the development stages' Deity visualization, Mantra recitation, and samādhi, using sentient ones as the object of meditation. Its accomplishment substances are the material kīlas of the Four Activities, which are included within the divine kīlas and are the physical manifestations of immeasurable compassion. Third, the kīla of Bodhicitta is accomplished through the emanating out and gathering back of light rays. As supports, one should use a kapāla, or skull cup, with auspicious marks for the accomplishment container as well as a vajra and lotus. Finally, the accomplishment substances of the material kīla are twofold. During approach, the implement of a material kīla and mustard seeds are required. During accomplishment, an effigy yantra becomes the receptacle of an obstructor's life force and serves as the support. Such yantras — also called liṅga — are diagrams, which can include the targeted individual's name and likeness. They are sometimes very elaborately drawn and are used for destructive activities.
The Four Māras
When engaging the practice of the yidam Vajraku[[māra, who is all the Buddhas of the ten directions and three times gathered together, one supplicates that complete victory over māras, or demons, be attained. The final fruition of the view, meditation, and conduct will be the total conquest of the four māras. Although these four can be explained in two different ways according to the vinaya or according to the chö practice of the Latter System, the meaning in the Lineage supplication accords with the vinaya and with the words of Lord Buddha. These four māras are (1) the māra of the aggregates, (2) the māra of afflictions, (3) the māra of the lord of death, and (4) the māra of the son of the gods. Because these māras cause all the Three Realms' sentient ones to wander in the vast ocean of samsaric sufferings, it is important to understand their meaning. In brief, since they rob sentient ones of happiness, all sufferings are māras.
The first of them, the māra of the aggregates, leads to the second. That is, by grasping at the psychophysical aggregate, one gives rise to the māra of afflictions, the second of the four. Then, having accumulated karma through afflictions, one experiences great suffering at the time of death. This is the third māra, that of the lord of death. Finally, for the duration of one's embodied life, one grasps at life's pleasures. Having become distracted by such grasping, one finds no leisure to engage that which is truly meaningful — the practice of the authentic Dharma. This is the māra of the son of the gods.
Ultimately, there is no māra to be found. All outer demons, obstructors, and those who lead astray arise from the self-grasping and three poisons in the mindstreams of sentient ones. Thus, the actual māra is nothing other than inner thoughts and afflictions. It is important to understand that whatever hardship or suffering one is experiencing at the moment, it is the result of negativities one has accumulated in the past, not something caused by others. All afflictions are completely conquered by discerning intelligence — the nature of Vajraku[[māra's heart-mind — which manifests as the ability to recognize afflictions as faults. Each of us has in his or her mind a bit of the aware intelligence of Vajraku[[māra. Using that awareness to turn away from negative actions of body, speech, and mind is the means for attaining future ease and happiness.
In The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, it is taught that all māras arise from self-grasping. That is to say, on the basis of grasping at an “I,” one gives rise to afflictions, karma, and their subsequent sufferings. The sole antidote to this is the cultivation of Bodhicitta. Conventional Bodhicitta is the mind wishing to accomplish others' benefit, and Ultimate Bodhicitta is meditation. So, by cultivating love, compassion, and awareness, one creates the causes of future happiness. There will be no error when practicing in this way.
The first māra is that of the aggregates. As previously described, the aggregates are the heap of psychophysical components that constitute a sentient being. Since this single māra amounts to cherishing the body, it is the source of the entire world's suffering. People toil day and night without respite in order to accumulate millions, yet, in the end, all that work is only for the purpose of keeping the body comfortable with food, clothing, lodging, and the like. In brief, the māra of the aggregates is all the considerations for this life alone. This māra gives rise to the suffering of being continually without leisure.
Furthermore, while one is embodied, one experiences illness, physical pain, and so forth. These experiences create imprints in the mind — imprints one carries even beyond death, after the consciousness has separated from the body. So, even when there is no longer any physical basis for pain, due to the power of self-cherishing imprints, one continues to experience pain, illness, hunger, and the like as though one had a body. Indeed, sufferings are experienced even more acutely through the mental body of the bardo than through embodied form.
When one considers the dream state, in which one inhabits a body conditioned by self-grasping, such imprints become obvious. The method of conquering this mental body is to practice the development stage yogas, visualizing the illusory form of the Deity, which is like a rainbow. Through such practice, one forgets the gross body of flesh and blood, together with its karma and imprints. As soon as the ordinary body has been forgotten, the mind itself spontaneously manifests as the Deity. If, in this very moment, the clear appearance of the Deity is visualized, the body is immediately transformed into the Deity. The accomplishment of the Deity will happen for anyone who dispenses with the gross body. Since this can be easily achieved by means of the material kīla of signs, it is said to liberate the māra of the aggregates.
Through stabilizing awareness of the Deity, one begins to reverse ordinary propensities of embodiment, the māra of the aggregates. When the Deity always remains in one's awareness — when one never forgets the Deity — karma and physical propensities will be entirely purified. This is what is meant by these lines:
The aggregates' māra, conquered, is
When the mind is liberated from the imprints of embodiment, that which is called the ”aggregate“ spontaneously manifests as the Deity's clear appearance. This creates the conditions to become a Buddha in the Saṁbhogakāya during the bardo and brings about the transformation of afflictions into discerning intelligence.
For example, when my companions and I were in prison, we all experienced inconceivable hardships. As the sufferings were often unbearable, many people committed suicide. The Communist guards used to taunt us, saying, “You lamas are supposed to be a Refuge for others, but you can't even protect yourselves!”
However, in spite of the hardships, the virtuous friends among us — like Khenpo Münsel — were immeasurably happy. In their inner experience, they were joyous regardless of outer conditions. This is because they had reached a state free of self-grasping — a state in which appearances had become like dreams. To whatever degree cherishing of the body is cleared away, one will regard phenomena as correspondingly illusory. In this way, on the outer, inner, and secret levels, our gurus manifestly attained Liberation from suffering.
Although we were required to do hard labor every day for twenty years, Khenpo Münsel didn't experience a single day of work. Naturally and without effort, he obtained this sort of independence, which enabled him to spend his days in practice. He and his cell mates recited the Seven-Line Supplication one hundred thousand times. He even held Gaṇacakra offerings. The Chinese guards treated him well and were known to beat those who criticized him. When people denounced him, in the end the negativity would turn back upon the denouncers themselves.
Because Khenpo Rinpoche was crippled by leg problems, for twenty years we always had to carry him to the toilet. However, once we were released from prison, miraculously, he could walk without any trouble at all. He had no further problems with his legs.
In this way, Khenpo Münsel had liberated the māra of the aggregates through the clear appearance of the Deity. One can gain similar accomplishments by means of Deity Yoga. However, if the māra of the aggregates is not conquered in this lifetime, much suffering will be experienced in the bardo. When this is understood, one will comprehend the potency of the development stages.
The Māra of Afflictions
The māra of afflictions is closely related to the māra of the aggregates. This was discussed previously in the commentary on the kīla of Bodhicitta. Through the stages of development, the bondage of the body is liberated. Then, through the experience of bliss-emptiness, the bondage of afflictions is liberated. Thus, the text says,
The afflictions' māra, conquered, is
marked with the seal of bliss-emptiness.
Every sort of affliction can be subsumed within passion and aversion. It is said that although it is relatively easy to liberate aversion, it is difficult to liberate passion. This is because aversion — and every other affliction — is complete within desire. Pleasure is the object of beings' desire. By habitually grasping at contaminated, exhaustible bliss, ordinary beings give rise to myriad sufferings.
However, the māra of afflictions is liberated through the kīla of immeasurable compassion, which itself is inseparable from the experience of uncontaminated bliss. That is to say, when the view is introduced, if it is truly recognized, one understands that bliss itself is the fundamental disposition of the mind. When, having understood this, one again and again habituates to the nonduality of self and other, it gives rise to the experience of changeless Great Bliss. Then, the pure portion does not degenerate; oneself and one's partner are mutually free of clinging. This is what it means to be ”marked with the seal of bliss-emptiness.“ Having understood the nature of bliss to be empty, one is free of self-grasping. When there is no grasping at a self, there is neither grasping nor clinging to one's partner. This realization of the view transforms not only grasping but every sort of affliction into primordial awareness-wisdom. The factor that brings about this transformation is mindfulness-rigpa. One who has understood the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa can master strong afflictions by recognizing them on arising. In this way, rigpa is like fire and afflictions are like fuel.
By understanding the true nature, one experiences an uncontaminated, inexhaustible Great Bliss, which is beyond transition or change. When the mind is completely free of grasping, such bliss spontaneously manifests. It is Samantabhadra, the Ever-Excellent One, the completely changeless, blissful nature of the mind itself. It continuously and spontaneously abides in the mind. Whenever it is seen, the mind is entirely without grasping. Thus, there is no space in which negative emotions can arise. Such is the true nature of unconditioned bliss, which conquers the māra of afflictions.
The third of the māras is that of the lord of death. As all sentient beings experience birth, aging, illness, and death, all are subject to the perils of dying. The fear of being separated from life force arises on the basis of self-grasping and can be observed even in small insects. As Milarepa taught, when there is self-grasping, there is death. As long as one remains unfree of self-grasping, one will not be free of the composite aggregate that is the body. Being unfree of the body, one will experience death again and again within the bardo. For example, one can consider the hell denizens who experience the sufferings of death many hundreds of times each day.
However, if one is without self-grasping, there is no grasping at the body. The rainbowlike form that emerges in place of the physical body is not subject to death. Thus, through realizing the actual condition of the mind, the Buddha nature, one comprehends the fact that it is beyond birth and death. From the perspective of Tathāgatagarbha, birth and death are known to be mere concepts conditioned by karma. Thus, the māra of the lord of death is conquered by the kīla of primordial awareness-rigpa. If this one kīla is seized, one will naturally master the other three kīlas. Similarly, if one conquers the māra of the lord of death, the other three māras will simultaneously be defeated. As Lord Tilopa said in The Ganges: An Experiential Pith Instruction on Mahāmudrā, “If the root of a tree with lush branches, leaves, and petals is cut, its ten thousand branches and hundred thousand leaves wither.”[28] This point is expressed in the following lines:
The lord of death's māra, conquered, finds
the Empowerment of immortal life.
Having cultivated the development stages during one's lifetime, one will arise in the bardo as the rainbowlike form of the Deity with ornaments. Thus, even though the gross physical body is subject to destruction, since the pure mind of rigpa is unborn, it cannot die. Understanding that the body is like old clothing that must be discarded, one becomes free of fear and of the suffering of death. This realization of the indestructible nature is itself the conquest of the māra of the lord of death, the Empowerment of immortality.
The Māra of the Son of the Gods
The fourth of the four māras, the son of the gods, manifests as being greatly distracted by the delights and comforts of this life. In general, beings have extreme clinging to pleasure, longing for the five desirables, which appear as diverse (1) forms, (2) sounds, (3) smells, (4) tastes, and (5) tactile objects. For gurus and virtuous friends like me, this māra also arises when we become distracted by fame and renown. Grasping at an “I,” we become carried away by the māra of the son of the gods. You guys give a lot of nice food and money, and this is the result! Since the actual Vajrakīla is mindful awareness, he helps one to recall, “I mustn't become distracted! I need to recognize that the māra of the son of the gods has arrived!” Thinking in this way, one will remember that such attachment and clinging create imprints of the pretas' mental outlook, causing suffering. Thus, one will give rise to an appropriate fear.
Since whatever ease and comfort one experiences at present are due to one's past loving actions of body and speech, they are composite phenomena, which are the nature of impermanence. Sentient beings' enjoyment of pleasures involves a wavering of the mind from the natural state. Because of that wavering, awareness is unable to hold its own seat. This state is characterized by outflows or leakage (zagche) of mind and wind energies. It is said that every bliss with outflows is a cause of suffering. This means that clinging to desirables starts out as pleasure but invariably ends up becoming pain.
In spite of this, accomplishment is possible in the future, since the kīla of Bodhicitta conquers the māra of the son of the gods. As the pure Buddha Fields are the spontaneously present nature of Bodhicitta, they are devoid of grasping or clinging. The “primordial purity” that is referred to in Dzogchen is rigpa. When one has realized the fact — the actual condition of the mind that is Buddha nature — all the qualities of the kāyas and pure fields come into existence of their own accord, like the rainbow reflections that appear when a ray of sunlight strikes a crystal. The spontaneously present nature of Great Bliss, their perfectly complete qualities of happiness and ease are inherent, appearing through neither effort nor exertion. Thus, the text reads,
May the gods' son's māra, conquered, yield
spontaneous attainment of the grounds!
By abiding in the actual condition of the mind, one becomes free of attachment to the five desirables. The mind's fundamental disposition, the dharmakāya, is changeless Great Bliss without transition. If one wants to understand this in detail, one should read Gampopa's Precious Garland of the Supreme Path, in which the ten characteristics of spontaneously produced Great Bliss are elaborated.
Although there is much that is taught on this topic, ultimately, when the disposition of the mind has been understood, all thoughts and emotions come to destruction. Then, one is without any suffering at all, as one knows bliss to be a concept and suffering also to be a concept. Within the fundamental disposition that is rigpa, there is neither happiness nor suffering. Thus, ”spontaneous attainment“ means that on the basis of having realized ultimate truth, one finally accomplishes a bliss beyond transition or change. This is the spontaneously present Great Bliss of Samantabhadra.
When, in this way, one has put a stop to grasping at illusory pleasures, the Bodhisattva grounds will be naturally accomplished. Having attained Buddhahood within the dharmakāya, one will circumstantially have dominion over all the vast and encompassing Saṁbhogakāya Buddha Fields, which are the spontaneously present nature of Great Bliss. Such bliss is unfabricated and beyond mundane constructs. As all the pure fields are nothing other than one's own perceptions, one will become able to enjoy and make use of them. This enjoyment is an aspect of the mind without limits and is the circumstantial meaning of ”spontaneous attainment.“
Likewise, diverse Nirmāṇakāyas who engage activities benefiting beings will manifest. Thus, the purpose of others will naturally be fulfilled through the accomplishment of one's own purpose. In this way, the māra of the son of the gods is conquered, giving [[rise to spontaneously present great delight free of effort, as is described in The Aspiration for the Pure Field of Great Bliss.
In this context, Earlier System practitioners speak of the four types of knowledge holders. Since the teachings on the four types of knowledge holders elucidate the grounds and paths, I would encourage you to study them in various texts.
In brief, this Lineage supplication alone elucidates the main points of Vajrakīla Practice, together with their fruitions. Through the stages of development, the body is ripened into the Deity, thus conquering the māra of the aggregates. Tasting the unconditioned bliss of the divine couple, one gains experience of bliss-emptiness wisdom, whereby afflictions are transformed into primordial awareness. Thus, the māra of the afflictions is conquered. By being introduced to the nature of mind, one realizes the fact of the view that transcends birth and death, thus conquering the māra of the lord of death. Then, abandoning grasping at the pleasures of this life, one gains mastery of the grounds and pure fields, accomplishing one's own and others' purpose. Thus, the māra of the son of the gods is conquered. This conquest of the four māras is the result of Vajrakīla Practice.
The Eight Qualities and Four Activities
The Lineage supplication closes with the following verse:
Swiftly may I manifest the eight
qualities and Four Activities!
Specially, having burnt the noxious hearts
of hinderers, foes, and obstructors with
fierce mantras — direct acts' fiery point —
may I gain Glorious Heruka's state!
Through engaging the practice of Vajraku[[māra, one will naturally and spontaneously accomplish the eight qualities and all the Enlightened activities of the Buddhas. These eight qualities are the eight kinds of powers referred to as ”common siddhis.“ They include clairvoyance, sorcery, miracles, the mythical eye potion, swift-footedness, and the like. The four Enlightened actions are the Four Activities carried out by the beings in the mandala: pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and destructive.
In particular, the “fierce mantras — direct acts' fiery point” signifies destructive activities — the methods for subduing harmdoers. The noxious heart of every hinderer, enemy, and obstructor is nothing other than the ignorance that is self-grasping and its attendant afflictions. As such, the afflictions of enemies and obstructors are the same as one's own. Through overcoming one's inner aggression and aversion, the outer aversion of every enemy will simultaneously be overcome. Thus, these lines refer to the burning away of self-grasping by the sharp kīla tip of discerning intelligence and compassion, which can cut through anything. The final fruition of this will be the attainment of Buddhahood — the supreme status of Great Glorious Heruka.
Finally, within this Lineage supplication, the meaning of all Vajrakīla Tantras is combined and both the Buddha-word and treasure transmission lineages are drawn together. Therefore, I encourage you to study it in detail and also to ask other spiritual guides the questions you might have about it.
Skip Notes
- 1 Henceforth, Lama Garchen Rinpoche quotes extensively from the Practice Manual and supplemental texts, which he has assembled into the work titled An Unelaborate Liturgical Arrangement of the Method for Accomplishing Vajrakīla. The complete translation of these texts is found in part 3 of this book.
- 2 What is translated here as ”mastery“ is tsaldzog in Tibetan. The term tsal means “liveliness” or “expressivity” and is synonymous with another term, nüpa, which means ”potential.“ Thus, it is the natural potential of self-knowing — the capacity of the mind to give rise to myriad thoughts and emotions and to be aware of them. Every gross or subtle thought or emotion that arises is merely the expressivity of rigpa. The second syllable, dzog, means ”complete.“ So, the term ”mastery“ refers to having brought to completion this lively, self-aware expressivity of rigpa.
” (VkGarR)
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