Buddhist Meditation
|
Four
Anandas
|
Four
Sunyatas
|
Four
Cakras
|
Four
Moments of Feeling
|
ANANDA
(bliss)
|
SUNYATA
(voidness)
|
FROM
HEAD TO THROAT
|
VICITRA
(stimulus)
|
PARAMANANDA
(transcendental
bliss)
|
ATISUNYATA
(vast
voidness)
|
FROM
THROAT TO HEART
|
VIPAKSA
(elaborated
reflex)
|
VIRAMANANDA
(wonderful
bliss)
|
MAHASUNYATA
(great
voidness)
|
FROM
HEART TO NAVEL
|
VIMARDA
(final
response)
|
SAHAJANANDA
(simultaneously-born
bliss)
|
SARVASUNYATA
(all
voidness simultaneously wisdom)
|
FROM NAVEL
TO REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS
|
VILAKSANA
(after
consummation with awareness of all potentialities)
|
1. Why is the
Heruka-Form Used?
The reasons
for this are written in detail in Professor Guenther's book, The Tantric View
of Life. Here we shall confine ourselves to some simple reasons.
Principally, the
answer to our question is that inwardly, the female energy is the expedient
force, while the corresponding male energy is the wisdom-force. The outer
bodies are the reverse of this: The female body is associated with wisdom while
the male represents the aspect of skillful means and compassion.
Mr. Chen said,
"Female breasts and hips are attractive. Whatever is beautiful represents
wisdom, for beauty and wisdom are both attractive. Contrasting with this, the
female's inner energy represents expedient force, because of this, even a single touch-sensation by a man can result for him in seminal discharge.
Even fainting can come about from contact with a powerful dakini.
The male is
complementary, and though his outside aspect represents skillful means, his
inner energy is the wisdom-force. This we see since the outer body is usually
not beautiful, only the male organ being attractive, while the inner energy is
quickly excited and easily leads to a discharge. This is because the
wisdom-force energy acts abruptly if the male lacks strong patience to hold in
the semen during the love action. Only through the median channel will this
energy become true wisdom, and the way for it to pass is through the
reproductive organ, called the "lower gate." The upper gate is the
nose, and these two gates must be balanced: This results in true wisdom. In the act of love with the lower gate, one takes advantage of
the female expedient energy. At that time the median channel is easy to open.
All this
constitutes the main reason why the heruka form is used.
We should
also note that the yogini will receive wisdom-energy from the male and in this
way, through vajra-love, both help each other toward
Perfect Enlightenment.
Mr. Chen then produced
three sheets giving answers to the question, "What are the reasons why the
highest Buddha-position can be attained by the practice of vajra-love?"
These are the answers he gave to an American Buddhist:
a. When we
receive the third initiation (wang), we have the right to practice vajra-love,
and the reason for this is as follows:
First of all,
everything—whether good or evil by nature—is
voidness. Hinayana affirms the voidness of self but not that of dharmas. In the
Lesser Vehicle, the stress is very much upon the keeping of the precepts both
by the monks and by lay people. Within the monastic discipline of this vehicle,
a man neither touches nor even looks upon a woman.
In the
Mahayana, it is known that all dharmas are void and a lay follower of the
This is the
reason according to the doctrine of sunyata.
b.
Enlightenment is attained by the highest wisdom, which penetrates the lowest
lust and subdues it. Nothing should be left outside this wisdom. If there
remains something which cannot be subdued by wisdom, then this wisdom is not
the final, perfect one.
c. The
negative method of destroying lust is by following the way of lust and using it
to destroy itself. For instance, when we see a robber, we should follow after
him to seize him. If we want to get a tiger-cub, we must go to the tiger's
cave. When we are poisoned, there are medicines which are themselves poison but
are used as effective antidotes. As another instance, when we fall down we
should take advantage of the support offered by the same earth to get up.
It is through
lust that we acquire a human body. When we are in the intermediate state we see
our future parents engaged in the love-action and, loving the mother, we find
ourselves entering her womb, that is, if we are to become a man; a female will
be jealous of the future mother and try to get the love of the human father—and
in the same way enter the mother's womb. Thus, we must understand that the
cause of our unending transmigration is our own ignorance combined with the
sorrow of desire.
Therefore,
according to our examples, whether we want to continue as a human, become a
heavenly person, or attain Buddhahood, we should in all cases take just this
same way of lust.
To explain this apparent
paradox, Mr. Chen spoke as follows:
Among
non-Buddhists (in Taoism and Hinduism for instance), a divine love is
emphasized, but this is not the vajra-love of Buddhism. If we follow precepts
which forbid certain actions (as in the case of bhiksus and bhiksunis, who
cannot have sexual intercourse), though this is good as far as it goes, still
the seeds of lust lie in the eighth consciousness, and whenever they have a
chance, they are sure to germinate. From the viewpoint of ultimate liberation,
this way is not good—it is a way of
repression. The Mahayana follower has a better way (but, we should note, it is
founded upon initial practice of the Hinayana method). He is able to meditate
upon lust and the love-action in sunyata. Thus, while he is engaged in this
practice, no woman will be able to lure him. But when his sunyata concentration
is disturbed, then the demon of lust may easily arise again. Thus we see that
this too is not the way for its ultimate destruction. For this reason, there
are in Vajrayana many mental and physical methods to actually enlarge the
sorrow of lust and thus to finally destroy it. In practicing such methods, the
more pleasure that the disciple experiences, the more he or she attains the
meditation of the great voidness. According to the degree of pleasure derived
from the practice of vajra-love, the more profound is one's knowledge of the
void, and the better one's chance is to penetrate that lust and subdue it
without any seeds remaining. That is why vajrayogini is so important. She is
the mother who enables us to destroy the seeds of lust—she
is truly called "Lust-destroying Mother."
Truly, we may
say that when we escape from the attractions of a woman, it is only a temporary
escape of lust. If we meet a woman in our own room when other persons are not
present, a monk may still keep his precepts, but he does not enjoy the
experience. In the case of an advanced yogi, would it not be better for him to enjoy
the experience and use it, rather than escaping from it? When an advanced
practitioner meets a woman with whom he may enjoy sexual intercourse, they can
mutually help each other in union towards the highest goal—Buddhahood.
In this yogic enjoyment, neither can her love disturb our voidness meditation,
nor can she take away our semen. Would this not be the best way for the
destruction of lust?
Is there
anything more distasteful or more full of affliction
than sexual intercourse? The Vajrayana recognizes this fact and offers many
methods in the position of consequence of Buddhahood. Everyone must take good
note of this: Just as when one is sick then a doctor's advice is necessary, and
as we are all sick with the poison of lust, the guru's instructions are not
merely necessary, they are absolutely essential. A little poison taken without
the advice of a physician may cause the patient to die; in the same way, trying
out these methods without adequate preparation in the other yanas and the
personal teaching direct from one's guru may cause one to die spiritually—it
may cause one directly to know the meaning of the word "hell." But
the poison administered by the wise doctor may cure our illness, and it is the
same with the practices taught to us by our guru, who thus gives us the
medicine to cure our sickness of lust. This is the way of the Buddha, the great
Physician who cures us.
d. To untie
the heart-knot and clear it of obstructions, the yogi must first practice
vajra-breathing. For this practice he requires the help of a yogini.
The
heart-cakra has many ties around it and the outside one is made by the
all-pervading energy (Appendix I, Part One, A, 5, e). This all-pervading energy
has its central point in the secret wheel. From this cakra the energy extends
to the four limbs. It travels by way of the psychic channels and every
additional channel-wave makes further accumulations around the heart-cakra.
Thus, to open the heart-cakra, first untie the outside knot. The love-action,
which opens the secret wheel and releases the all-pervading energy, can shake
the heart-cakra and untie its outside knot until it has completely opened.
e. All the
cakras must be opened by the wisdom-energy so that the median channel runs
unobstructed through all the wheels. With the opening of each wheel, there is
the attainment of a corresponding stage of the bodhisattvas' path to
Buddhahood. If the lower gate is opened, the first and second stages are
attained, while the opening of the second wheel corresponds to the third and fourth
stages of the bodhisattva, and so on.
f. It is said
by the Yellow Sect that the holy light of the Dharmadhatu will only appear upon
the occasion of vajra-love but not also in the Great Perfection, as held by the
Nyingmapas.
Mr. Chen afterwards gave
a note on this matter. He said with a laugh, "It is very strange: The
Gelugpas say that you must use a dakini for the holy light of the Dharmakaya to
appear. But before one may practice in this way, they rightly stress that there
are many, many preparations to make. Tsong-khapa stresses this very much but,
we should note, he himself never practiced vajra-love, as he was a bhiksu. So
really the Gelugpas never practice vajra-love at all; on the other hand, among
the Nyingmapas (who allow two methods as we have related above), one finds many
bad lay-lamas who pretend that their consorts are for this yoga, but actually
they are just taking advantage of the teaching and enjoying their wives like
ordinary men!"
g.
Every good karma to save sentient beings is found upon the altar
of the female reproductive organs. There is a very powerful and effective
function of this altar. Why? Because every event is void in nature and is
composed of the male-female function. All void things function by these
principles: The yab (father) and the yum (mother).
In Tantric
Buddhism:
Yab stands
for the male, signifying great compassion and expedient means;
Yum stands
for the female, symbolizing wisdom and the great voidness.
Concluding these
reasons, Mr. Chen again warned all who might think of practicing these methods:
In this
meditation, the most essential thing is the identification of pleasure and
sunyata, and there is a most necessary warning which must indeed be heeded: If
one has no attainment in the sunyata meditation, then one must not try to
practice the third initiation methods.
Padmasambhava
said: "My secret path is very dangerous; it is just like a snake in the
bamboo, which, if it moves, must either go up or come down." There is no
middle way here, either by this method one gains Full Enlightenment or else one
falls straight into hell.
2. On Vajrayana Precepts:
"During the last
few nights, said Mr. Chen, "I have had some special instructions in my
dreams. My guru the Karmapa Rinpoche appeared, his room very full of fruits and
flowers, some of which I offered him. Very clearly he said to me: 'You should
present the Tantric precepts as they are explained in your book, not in the
usual way of instruction in
Mr. Chen produced a
handsome silk-covered Chinese work, saying, "This is my book—the one the Karmapa Rinpoche referred to. In it,
all the precepts of the Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana on the subject of lust
and love are collected and classified. This subject has never been discussed by
the Tibetan writers but my Essays of Qu Gong Zhai (the book's title) have been
very much praised by some Chinese. They described it as a very fragrant work
since at the time of reading it they noticed a sweet perfume in the room. Also,
when I was writing it I could smell this fragrance quite strongly." Said Mr. Chen, turning over its pages, "It is the beloved Manjusri
Mahasattva who appears here on the frontispiece; the book is protected by Wei Tuo
as well—his picture guards
the book's last pages."
"Alas! In the
Tibetan anuttarayoga works which are translated into Chinese, such as some of
the wang rituals, I have never seen anywhere mention of the fourteen Vajrayana
precepts. This is strange," said Mr. Chen. "Only the Mahayana
precepts have been emphasized and gurus instruct their disciples to learn and
practice these, but do not advise them regarding the Vajrayana silas, although
these are extremely important."
a. The
fourteen Vajrayana precepts. In our homage, one of the five great vajra-herukas
is called "Secret-Accumulation Vajra" and his ritual is one of the
anuttarayoga practices now known by the Chinese. But in connection with this,
the Vinaya (Hinayana) and the bodhisattva silas (Mahayana) are spoken of, but
nothing is said about the fourteen silas of the Adamantine Vehicle. It is just
the same in other Chinese works—they are all
silent about the esoteric precepts. Even in the Ngag-rim of the Yellow Sect,
these are not discussed. I managed to read about the tradition of these silas
and then afterwards got them as a special instruction from my Gelugpa guru. But
at that time I had not yet obtained the third initiation so he only bestowed
upon me the transmission of the precepts but not their real explanation.
"In
Why are these
precepts neither written in Tsong-khapa's book nor explained upon the occasions
of Tantric initiation? This is because the fourteen are mostly concerned with
the identification of sunyata and pleasure; because it would be necessary to
mention the details of vajra-love, these precepts are kept secret.
If a rinpoche
is also a great scholar, he may be able to give other explanations, but it does
happen that disciples are told the words of the precepts, but not their
meanings. For instance, one sila, the fifth one, says: "You should not
lose your bodhicitta." This, however, does not mean the common bodhicitta
of the Mahayana. It is the fifth precept and this has a secret meaning; the
proper explanation is: "You should not discharge your semen." Even if
scholars are learned, they will seldom give the hidden meanings.
To take
another example, the ninth precept states: "You should not doubt the
purified Dharma." Purification in the Hinayana and sublimation in the
Mahayana has long passed, so what does that precept mean? The sorrow of lust
has been purified by the Lesser Vehicle practices, where the opposite sex is
thought of as very dangerous and one's own physical body is analyzed to see the
nature of the thirty-six corrupt parts (see Ch. IX, E, 1, a, i). Following this comes the attainment of a meditative body and its
subsequent sublimation in sunyata, so it is no longer a flesh body. Further,
the physical body (realized as sunyata in the Mahayana), becomes transmuted in
the Tantra of the growing yoga (see Ch. XIII, Part One, D), when one attains a
Buddha-body. This body, purified and with an opened
median channel, is the body used in vajra-love. In this initiation even the
name "penis" is not given to the reproductive organ; it is called a
"vajra." The practices of yoga, therefore, do not resemble human
love, one other important difference being that in Tantra the semen is retained.
Mr. Chen then
recapitulated:
From the
Hinayana meditations, we come to the Mahayana, when the human organ becomes
sunyata. From sunyata meditations, one passes on to the five
wisdoms and the five elements, forming the vajra. This vajra, which is
not at all like the ordinary human organ, may then enter the lotus of the
dakini, and at that time one's power of meditation must be maintained. If one
cannot maintain the spiritual power during vajra-love, then whatever is done at
that time is not this meditation.
These are the
various reasons why this practice is called a holy and "purified
Dharma," and this, according to the precept, we "should not
doubt."
b. The eight
precepts. This second group of Tantric silas also are not often discussed in
Outwardly,
the eight precepts may not seem connected with our subject, but their inner
meaning relates to this third initiation. For instance, one of the precepts
reads: "If a person with faith asks you a question about the Dharma and
you refuse to reply or tell the questioner not to ask, then this is a great
sin." In this precept, the request seems just to concern the Dharma and
nothing particular is said about the Dharma of vajra-love. That the question in
the precept really refers to this, is kept secret.
Sometimes this is so great a secret that even certain gurus do not know the
true meaning here.
c. When one
may and may not practice.
"I am sorry to say," said Mr. Chen, "that I do not know Tibetan very
well and that many Tibetan gurus were not proficient in Chinese. My translator
for discussing these matters with my teachers was a young bhiksu, so for this
reason alone they would not discuss third initiation. He replied, 'If you can
practice this vajra-love yoga without any leak (discharge) occurring, you can
go to any woman.' So in
"I came to the
conclusion that first one should study and practice all the other yanas and
yogas very deeply. Only after this would one be able
to take up these methods with success."
"Furthermore, only
after I had tried to practice vajra-love did I discover the twelve kinds of
discharge, so that my guru's advice was quite correct, but unfortunately at
first I did not realize that the word 'discharge' had so many meanings. In my
book, I have collected together from many sources all the twelve meanings of
this term. As far as I know," said Mr. Chen, "there is no other place
where they are all found together."
The first
four kinds of discharge pertain to the body, where energy leaks in these four
ways: As discharge of semen through the seminal duct, as exhalations through
the mouth, as perspiration through the pores of the skin, and as urine through
the urethra. These are called the "four leaks of the body."
The four
leaks of the mind. During vajra-love, if a mind arises dominated by human love,
then this is the first mind-leak. Not only does a thought of human love
constitute a leak, but also the slightest lustful craving (trsna). Third, if
avidya (ignorance) rules the mind, this is a leak. Lastly, if false views
condition one's ways of thinking, this is a serious leak of the mind.
How can one
accomplish meditation so successfully that these four leaks cannot occur? It
seems almost impossible! It means that first one must have attained success in
sunyata meditations. If there is no sunyata attainment, then these four, in
particular, very easily leak. A Kargyupa treatise discusses these a little, and
on this subject it is better than the Ngag-rim, but it was not my fortune to
see the former before I began the third initiation practices.
Four leaks
remain and these concern energy and, therefore, speech. In Tantric philosophy,
speech always corresponds to breath and inner energy
mixed.
Mr. Chen now described
the five kinds of inner energy (prana) and their four leakages:
Upward-moving
energy: If one talks of love with a dakini during one's yogic love practice,
then this energy is leaked away. It is not good to talk; the whole vajra-love
process should be carried out in silence.
Downward-moving
energy: This concerns the vajra-love action of penetration and withdrawal. The
rhythm should be slow and the penetration sometimes deep and sometimes shallow,
not always quick and deep like that of the common lustful person. If one
practices only quick and deep action, then this is a leak of the downward-moving
energy.
Energy of the
navel: This energy abides in the lower half of the body. If one frequently
changes the posture for vajra-love—and there are
many different positions for its practice—then
this energy is leaked away.
All-pervading
energy of the body; in yogic love-practice, there are four events: The descent
of the pleasure, retaining the semen, taking up the semen, and making the semen
pervade everywhere in the body. If one practices too long and repeats some of
these steps again and again, then a leak will occur of this all-pervading
energy. One should only meditate on sunyata during the whole process, and there
is no need to repeat its parts.
"These four leaks
of energy-speech are my own opinion," said the yogi, "and although
there is no basis for them in the works of the ancients, still they are quite
reasonable."
This
completes the twelve leaks, but there is yet another energy.
The fifth energy never leaks away during yogic love; otherwise one would die
from it, for this energy is the very life energy (jivitendriya) itself. If it
were easily leaked, then it would also be easy for people to die, but, for most
people, death is not so easy.
"Since my
experiences in
d.
Classification of precepts
"I have made a list
here of all these various precepts," said Mr. Chen picking up his book."
There are
eight precepts drawn from the Hinayana and fourteen from the Mahayana. In the
Tantra, there are also fourteen plus eight. To these
we add the twelve leaks, plus the precepts of the five Buddhas and their dakinis—altogether
then more. Finally, there are four precepts of the Dharmakaya in Chan which are
also found in the teaching of mahamudra. (See Chenian Booklet
No. 47.) Altogether in this book, then, there are a grand total of 70
precepts from the different yanas.
"I have classified
them according to yanas and then dealt with each precept under four different headings." Mr. Chen showed his book to the listener and
writer. Along the top line were written the original precepts. The second row
of characters contained, he said, accounts of those who had actually practiced.
Then followed the real meanings of the preceptual words—"We shall only talk about a few instances
from this line," the yogi said. "The fourth line shows very clearly
how the precept of the first line may be broken."
In this way,
the contrast between actions in the different yanas is clearly brought out.
There is no actual contradiction among them, for all the precepts emphasize
right conduct, but the meaning of this differs on the various levels.
For example,
a Hinayana precept states: "Even though you are a layman, you should not
have sexual intercourse at the wrong time or in the wrong place." Now all the yogi's conduct in the Vajrayana is meditation, he or
she never leaves it either by day or by night, practicing diligently in action.
Thus, for the yogi practicing vajra-love, there is no wrong time and no wrong
place. According to the eight Vajrayana precepts, meetings of yogis and yoginis
for the purpose of worship and making offerings should be conducted decorously,
with no squabbling between them. Such gatherings take place in a temple, and,
according to the Hinayana precept, that would undoubtedly be a "wrong
place." In the Vajrayana, however, it is quite in order—provided
that the union is carried out in the correct yogic manner. There seems to be a
contradiction but really there is none; it is just an instance of the
relativity of conduct: What is good sila in one yana may be quite the reverse in another.
Now we should
examine more clearly the true meanings of these as for meditation—for
this is our subject. If one has no doubt about this purified Dharma, then, as
we have explained, one should diligently practice it. However, and this cannot
be said too many times, one must accompany one's actions with sunyata
meditation and completely identify this with whatever pleasure arises. A right
dharma, which is not an act of lust, may be done at any time. One may therefore
perform vajra-love at the holy Tantric altar.
This precept
is broken if one makes love in a human way, lacking purification and skill in
sunyata. It is also broken if the Holy Pride of Buddhahood is not present all
the time. Even if the time and place are both auspicious, but the dharmas have
not been purified and lust dominates one's practice, then still the precept is
broken.
Let us take
another example, this time from the Mahayana. In the bodhisattva silas, it
says: "Neither hurt your enemies nor love your friends." But the yogi
practicing the third initiation is bound to love his friends (the dakinis). How
is it, then, that he does not break this Mahayana precept? In the yogi's
meditation, love has already been identified with sunyata and is therefore not
common, human love. As his love is not selfish or human, the precept is not
broken.
On the other
hand, common persons who try to practice vajra-love lack the absolutely
essential basis of sunyata-realization. They have never tried practicing the
three wheels of sunyata (see
In my book
every precept on the subject is examined thus. Having seen apparent
contradictions between the Vajrayana spirit and the words of precepts in the
two lower yanas, we now examine a case where two Tantric precepts appear to
clash.
One, the
thirteenth, says: "If you do not obey the command of your guru to practice
the rites of the third initiation when he orders, then this precept is
broken."
On the other
hand, that precept seems to be contradicted by the fifth among the fourteen:
"If you lose your bodhicitta then this precept is broken."
Suppose that
one practices in accordance with the guru's instruction but is unable to
prevent a discharge—then the fifth will be
broken. When this meditation is practiced properly, a discharge will not occur,
but if semen is lost, one should not go to the guru and say, "Oh, this is
a very bad meditation!" One should speak to the teacher in this way:
"First permit me to make very good foundations and when these are strong,
then I shall practice. Please wait! I shall aim at attainment after the
conditions for it are fulfilled." In this way neither of the precepts is
broken; indeed, both may be perfectly observed.
Another group
of precepts is found in the teaching of mahamudra, where there are four laws of
nature which are not very widely known:
First, one
should not hold on the truth too tightly—this
corresponds to realization of sunyata, to non-reality.
Second, keep
the mind always as vast as the Dharmakaya.
Third, be
alone—this is the nature of the Dharmakaya.
Fourth,
always maintain a natural mind; no force is needed.
These four are
very hard to keep without a realization of the Dharmakaya. In mahamudra they
are explained in this way, but their correspondences with vajra-love are never
mentioned.
e. The act of
vajra-love. These sections correspond with the four mahamudra precepts given
above.
First, if the
semen is lost during the act of vajra-love one should meditate upon its
non-reality. If great pleasure results from the act, then this pleasure must be
identified with non-reality.
"The meditations in
this section are all within the third initiation, but this process belongs to
the fourth, as we shall see. How can a meditator be expected to keep this
precept? Retaining the semen during the sunyata meditation may lead on to the
practice of the fourth initiation; if it is lost, the precept is not in this
case broken, though the practice is not good."
Second, hold
the semen in the organ. To do this, one must maintain a samapatti upon the
vastness of the sky. If one can do this, the meditator will avoid seminal
discharge and any of the reproductive organs. The samapatti under these
conditions will cause the semen to dissolve.
Third, take
the semen up, identifying pleasure and sunyata. This state of non-dualism
fulfills the meaning of "alone" in the third mahamudra precept.
Fourth, the
semen should then be made to pervade the whole body; this must be done
naturally and without force so that the fourth precept is not broken.
"I have given only
selections from the different precepts (together with their interpretations),
for," said Mr. Chen, turning over many pages of his book, "there is
no room to deal with them all here." He said humbly, "I have gathered
them together and earnestly tried to practice them, but I tearfully confess
that in most people's practice, breaches of the precepts are often
committed."
"In
"However, we
repeat, if a person receives the third initiation from his guru and is
well-prepared by his previous training in the other yogas and yanas, then there
will be no danger for him."
"However," the
yogi warned very seriously, "if one performs vajra-love without the
necessary initiations and preparations, then one will fall straight into
hell!"
There are
many practical methods for the third initiation, but here we will only give the
main principles, that is, the perfect identification of the four pleasures with
the four wisdoms. The practical methods themselves must be obtained from a
guru.
3. The Four Sunyatas
in the Vajrayana
The meaning
of sunyata in the Mahayana and that in the Vajrayana are quite different,
though in "Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines," they are listed by the
editor as though the two were comparable. They differ just as the idea of
sunyata in the Hinayana and the Mahayana differs. Evans-Wentz has stated
(p.206) that the third degree of sunyata in the Vajrayana (all-voidness) is
equivalent to the thirteenth voidness (the sunyata of phenomena) in the
Mahayana list of eighteen. We should not be confused by their names, thinking that
because those seem similar, that they actually represent the same reality. His
equation is not correct, for Mahayana sunyata, as we have seen, lays more
stress upon mentality, lacking a balancing emphasis on materiality. On the
other hand, the four sunyatas of the Tantra concern the heavy sorrows of the
five poisons and the material elements.
Mahayana
samapatti of sunyata is done while sitting quietly engaged in mental practice;
Vajrayana samapattis of sunyata may be practiced during the vajra-love act when
excitation is of physical forces great. It is when the semen is actually being
secreted that it is necessary to attain and hold these four sunyatas.
Summing this up, the
yogi said:
In all three
yanas there is the same sunyata, but Hinayana doctrine retains the notion of
small particles, while the Mahayana concentrates on meditating with the mind.
How these contrast with active Tantric meditation when mentality and
materiality are blended!
4. Lines from
the Ode, "Always Remember"
I wrote this
long poem at the request of some friends. A person we knew had meditated for
100 days without any positive results and, disheartened, had gone away. The
poem was requested as some good advice for him. After it had been printed in
Mr. Chen then translated
his poem, giving between the lines his own commentary, here placed in
parentheses.
"Tantric
Vinaya is like keeping precepts in the breaking of them."
(In Hinayana,
the precepts are used as an escape from non-virtue; one "hides away"
in sunyata in the Mahayana; but in the Vajrayana, one tries to keep the
precepts while breaking them. This is very difficult, and can be done only
after keeping the precepts pure in the other two yanas.)
"Tantric
samatha is like getting life from death."
(The deeper
one enters ordinary samatha, the more like death the state of the yogi becomes.
But in Vajrayana, samatha is like the most vivid life, for one obtains some
functional salvation from this highest samatha. In the concluding sections of
the chapters on the yanas of cause, I have given a guide for the yogi's
practice. However, I do not give one for the highest Tantra because here, one
is always meditating—at every time, in every
place. Wherever one happens to be is the mandala; whatever words one utters,
these are the mantric syllables. As to the mind, bodhicitta is constantly
present. In dream, sleep, work, or exercise, the meditation must be maintained.
Therefore, there is no need to give a schedule because this meditation is in
the position of consequence.)
"Tantric
wisdom uses the position of consequence as the position of cause."
(Here one
uses the wisdom of the final truth as one's instrument, and from this some
functional salvation is reached. Tantric methods are always in the position of
Buddhahood. It is quite different from Mahayana, in which sunyata seems to be
the end of all things. In the Tantra, both the mental and material are
integrated causes of salvation.)
The
last line of the poem reads:
"If
a little mistake is made, one will fall into hell. Always remember this."
5. Conclusion
If one has
already passed through and accomplished the previous yanas' meditation, then
there will be no danger in the practice of the third initiation. Here we have
outlined the principles; it is necessary to get the actual details from a
personal teacher.
B. Meditations of the Fourth Initiation
There are two
sections here, the first dealing with the main meditation and the second with
its subsidiary practices.
1. The main
practice is called: "Meditation of the identification of the maya-body and
the holy light."
When the third
initiation meditation has been accomplished, both the median channel and the
heart-wheel will have opened, as we have seen. In the heart wheel the body of
wisdom is formed by identifying wisdom-energy with mind. This is called the
maya-body and is the source of the sambhogakaya.
With the help
of the dakini in the third initiation, the yogi forms this maya-body, which is
certainly not a body of flesh but (as its name suggests), it is a magical body,
capable of being expanded or contracted without limit. Now, this maya-body must
be identified with the holy light of the Dharmakaya.
An
accomplished guru will know when this holy light has become manifest to a third
initiation disciple, and he will explain the significance of the experience.
This is the initiation of the actual Dharmakaya of truth.
As to the
ritual of this initiation, what occurs is that during the act of vajra-love,
the holy light appears between the vajra and the lotus (the male and female
reproductive organs). At that time it should be observed and explained. If the
third initiation practice is not accomplished, then the experience of the
Dharmakaya initiation, witnessing the holy light, cannot arise.
However, if
this were the only way, then the fourth initiation could never be experienced
by bhiksus, as they do not use a noble consort. For them there is another way: A bhiksu who has well practiced the first and second
initiation and established his realization of sunyata, can skip over the third
initiation with its dakini practice and directly meditate on the holy light.
This view is held to by the Nyingmapa, Sakyapa, and Kagyupa schools, though the
Gelugpa say that one must practice the third before the fourth initiation. We
need a concentrated chapter to discuss the mahamudra special practices of the
fourth initiation.
Here ends the
account of the main meditations in all four initiations of the anuttarayoga
Tantra. Now we add some material on the subsidiary practices.
2. Subsidiary
Meditations
We do indeed
thank Evans-Wentz for his very valuable works and the six meditations he
describes in them—though we have only
talked about one. Now we shall choose from those which remain and our readers
will see why these have been selected.
a. Dream.
Before going to sleep, one should practice the sunyata meditations (see Ch. X, Part
One, D). From this practice will come the holy light,
a state of meditation without thoughts or disturbance from dreams; a perfectly
still sunyata experience.
Then one
should try to receive a dream, and when one is obtained, it must be recognized
as a dream while still dreaming. After this one should learn
to transform one's dreams at will while dreaming, and finally to fly in the
dream-state to the
Why have we
taken the dream-doctrine first? We have already meditated before sleeping on
the six similes of sunyata, in the last one of which, voidness is likened to a
dream (see Ch. X, Part One, D, 2, a). With a basis of this practice, upon
meeting with dreams, one can learn to recognize them as dreams.
Beyond the
sunyata meditations, there are some Tantric methods. Visualize a red A in the
throat-wheel. The redness of the bija causes blood to flow plentifully in that
region, resulting in strong pulsations affecting the psychic channels, which at
that point easily vibrate. A itself, as mentioned
before, signifies sunyata. Further, the two arteries to the left and right of
the windpipe may be pressed, resulting in the experience of many dreams.
Readers may
see more on this method in Evans-Wentz's "Tibetan Yoga and Secret
Doctrines," where it is given in his Book III, Chapter III.
b. Bardo: The
intermediate state. This has three stages of practice with light: White, black,
and red.
The whole
practice is detailed in a Nyingma book, the Bardo Thodol (also edited by
Evans-Wentz as The Tibetan Book of the Dead). During life one should read this
over and become familiar with its contents. There is no need to practice
specially its mandalas, etc., provided that the main practices which we have detailed
are carried out. Then, at the time of death, one should be quite prepared, and
with the aid of a good lama to read the book aloud while one is dying (to give
additional guidance) one will certainly attain liberation.
c. Phowa: Transference
of consciousness. This may be practiced if the median channel is clear and the
red and white bodhicitta practice accomplished. Simply meditate upon the
essence of the five elements and the five wisdoms and gather these together in
one point, in the heart-wheel. Then utter HI. This will cause the essence to be
sent out through the Buddha-hole in the crown of the head to the wisdom-Buddha
visualized on the head. This hole is to be carefully distinguished from the
Brahma-randhra, used in Tantric Hinduism, which is four fingers' widths from
the forehead back along the skull and is usually marked by a slight transverse
depression. It is the intersection of two of the skull-bones.
Mr. Chen fetched his
ritual silver-lined human skull cup to show us these positions.
The
Buddha-hole lies four fingers further back and is, in
many people, marked by a slight circular depression. If the consciousness
leaves the Brahma-hole, one may go to heaven; whereas if it leaves from the
Buddha-hole, one gains complete liberation.
On another occasion, Mr.
Chen told a story about this meditation. He said, "When I was in
"Now, at that time,
I had already practiced the phowa techniques and obtained success in them, but
my wife had not yet practiced this meditation. It seemed to us that it would be
a good thing if she could obtain realization of consciousness-transference, for
then she might help our parents attain a good rebirth, in case they should die
while I was away."
"Therefore, she
began to meditate in seclusion in a room of our house. While this practice was
going on, my wife did not engage in or talk about household matters. Indeed,
the only time when she spoke at all was when we had gone to bed, and then only
about the meditation she was performing."
"Upon the table in
her meditation room we had constructed the mandala for phowa practice. As we
had no real jewels, some imitation stones were used. On the fourth day, as she
uttered the HI, one of these stones jumped up out of the mandala, rose a foot
or so, and fell back into place. She told me that night of her experience. I
said, 'Good, good. It means you will attain success in your practice!'"
"The next day, when
she again uttered HI, she felt some pain in the top of the skull. When she
showed this to me, I saw that the region of the Buddha-hole was swollen, and
that some blood was issuing out. Knowing the extent of her practice and seeing
these signs, I knew that in only five days she had achieved signs of
proficiency in this method for the transference of consciousness."
"During the
remainder of the time, she practiced the meditations to give long life, for
this is the customary precaution after opening the Buddha-hole. Unless this is
done, the yogi may die prematurely before many beings have been benefited by
his functions of Buddhahood."
"Later, while I was
in
Some books
have said that if there are only three signs then it is an undoubted sign of
success in phowa practice. These signs are: Swelling of the area around the
Buddha-hole, the opening of the bones at this point so that a blade of grass
can be inserted, and the emission of a little blood from the same place.
However, I do not agree, for these are but outward signs and we should
certainly judge according to inward realization. For the latter, there are four
conditions:
First, the
visualization of the Buddha on the head must have been perfectly accomplished.
Second, the
median channel must be open; otherwise there is no clear way out of the
Buddha-hole. Only through a median channel free of obstacles can the departing
continuity of consciousness realize the Dharmakaya and pass into the
Third, when
the syllable HI is uttered, it must contain the gathered forces from the
wisdom-energy. By the force of this wisdom-energy sound, one may go to the
Fourth, all the
elements and wisdom which are to be sent out must be gathered at the
wisdom-point in the heart. After this, one may experience death, or have the
feeling of death.
"I have had such an
experience," related Mr. Chen. "I had this feeling and I immediately
concentrated on the tips of my fingers, so as to disperse these gathered
forces, and this restored me to life."
"I have written a
long essay on this subject according to the three outward signs and, in
addition, thoroughly expounding these four inward conditions. This work, too,
has been published in
Finally,
among the six doctrines, two have so far not been described. Why do we not talk
more about the clear-light and maya-body? Outwardly, the maya-body is included
in the first initiation growing yoga, while inwardly it is the wisdom-Buddha in
the heart, practiced in the second and third initiation meditations. As for the
light practices, we are concerned with it in all the other five doctrines. So
we have no need to further discuss these two matters.
A little more
discussion is necessary, however, to show how the four
sorrows of the Hinayana meditations have developed in the Vajrayana:
In the third
initiation—Great Lust (vajra-love) is developed.
In the
sleeping-yoga—Great Ignorance is developed (ignorance and
sleep are akin).
When the
yidam is wrathful—Great Wrath is
developed.
In the
growing-yoga of the first initiation—Great Pride
is developed.
What remains?
Great Doubt; this we shall treat in the chapter on Chan.
In the
Tibetan Tantric practices, thus, we see that there are correspondences with the
first four Hinayana poisons. In Chan (and in mahamudra, which is its
equivalent), there is a correspondence with the Great Doubt as well, as we
shall see. Readers should refer to our diagrams (see the one in Ch. IX and
those two in Ch. X, Part Two).
"Finished!"
said Mr. Chen.
Some readers may find
themselves rather dizzy at these rarefied heights of attainment. To return us
to this world, before we close Bhante told two anecdotes which, while they are
related to our most serious subject, still made us all laugh. He said, "Do
you know, Mr. Chen, a Nyingmapa friend once told me that he had received a wang
in
"And again, others
tell stories that some Nyingmapa wangs are of such an exalted nature that one
may transmit them to others, without practicing them oneself!"