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Mandala of Vajrayogini

Preliminary Explanation

The commentary to the Highest Yoga Tantra practice of Venerable Vajrayogini consists of the preliminary explan­ation, the main commentary to the generation and completion stages, and the dedication. The first of these, the preliminary explanation, has seven parts:

1 Generating a correct motivation

2 The origin and lineage of these instructions

3 The benefits of these instructions

4 Biographies of past Buddhist practitioners who gain­ed realizations through practising these instructions

5 The qualifications necessary for practising these instructions

6 The four special causes of swift attainments

7 What are outer and inner Dakini Lands?

GENERATING A CORRECT MOTIVATION

These instructions concern the extraordinary spiritual path of Tantra, or Secret Mantra, which is the quickest and most profound method for attaining great enlightenment. We should rejoice in this precious opportunity to study these instructions which, if put into practice, can lead to full enlightenment within one short human life. However, studying these instructions will be truly meaningful only if our motivation is pure. If we read this book merely out of intellectual curiosity we will not experience its real meaning. To receive the maximum benefit from these instructions, each time we study or practise them we should begin by generating a pure, altruistic motivation. We can do this by reciting the following prayer three times while concentrating on its meaning:

I and all sentient beings, the migrators as extensive as space, from this time forth until we reach the essence of enlightenment,

Go for refuge to the glorious, sacred Gurus,

Go for refuge to the complete Buddhas, the Blessed Ones,

Go for refuge to the sacred Dharmas,

Go for refuge to the superior Sanghas.

We should then recite three times:

Once I have attained the state of a complete Buddha, I shall free all sentient beings from the ocean of samsara’s suffering and lead them to the bliss of full enlightenment. For this purpose I shall practise the stages of Vajrayogini’s path.

THE ORIGIN AND LINEAGE OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS

The two stages of the practice of Vajrayogini were originally taught by Buddha Vajradhara. He manifested in the form of Heruka to expound the Root Tantra of Heruka, and it was in this Tantra that he explained the practice of Vajrayogini. All the many lineages of instructions on Vajrayogini can be traced back to this original revelation. Of these lineages, there are three that are most commonly practised: the Narokhachö lineage, which was transmitted from Vajrayogini to Naropa; the Maitrikhachö lineage, which was transmitted from Vajrayogini to Maitripa; and the Indrakhachö lineage, which was transmitted from Vajrayogini to Indrabodhi. This commentary to the generation and completion stages of the Highest Yoga Tantra practice of Vajrayogini is based on the instructions of the Narokhachö lineage.

THE ORIGIN OF HERUKA TANTRA

At one time this universe was controlled by the worldly deity Ishvara. His mandalas and lingams existed in many places in this world, the most important ones being in the twenty-four holy places. Ishvara’s followers sacrificed innumerable animals as offerings to him. This greatly pleased Ishvara and in return he helped them to obtain wealth and worldly success, but he obstructed anyone who tried to attain liberation or enlightenment. Under the influence of Ishvara the people of this world slaughtered thousands of animals every day, thinking that they were performing virtuous actions. In reality however they were accumulating heavy negative karma and depriving themselves of the opportunity to attain liberation.

The Heroes and Heroines of the five Buddha families found this situation intolerable and asked Buddha Vajradhara to intervene. Buddha Vajradhara manifested in the form of Heruka and through the power of his blessings subdued Ishvara and transformed Ishvara’s mandalas, or worlds, into Heruka’s mandalas. The other Deities of Heruka’s mandala subdued Ishvara’s retinue by converting them to followers of Heruka.

Heruka did not reabsorb the mandalas, his pure worlds, that he had emanated in the twenty-four places in this human world but left them intact, and to this day beings with especially pure karma are able to see these mandalas and the Heroes and Heroines who abide within them. For practitioners of Heruka and Vajrayogini these blessed places are particularly powerful sites for meditation.

After subduing Ishvara and his retinue, Heruka expounded the condensed, middling and extensive root Tantras of Heruka. Of these, only the Condensed Root Tantra of Heruka has been translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan. Buddha Vajradhara also expounded many explanatory Tantras, which are commentaries to the root Tantras, and a number of these have been translated into Tibetan. It is in these root and explanatory Tantras, especially in the forty-seventh and forty-eighth chapters of the fifty-one chapters of the Condensed Root Tantra of Heruka, that Buddha Vajradhara gave clear instructions on the practice of Vajrayogini.

THE LINEAGE OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS

The first Guru in the lineage of these instructions is Buddha Vajradharma and the second is Buddha Vajrayogini. Vajra­yogini transmitted these instructions directly to Naropa, who diligently put them into practice and as a result gained great realizations. Although Naropa had many disciples he kept his practice of Vajrayogini secret, transmitting it only to two brothers from the Nepalese town of Pamting, now called Pharping. He recognized that the Pamtingpa brothers, Jigme Dragpa and his younger brother Ngawang Dragpa, had a particularly strong karmic connection with these instructions. Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen and other famous Teachers have remarked on the fact that even Naropa’s most famous disciple, the great Tibetan Master Marpa, did not receive these instructions.

The Pamtingpa brothers passed these instructions to the Tibetan translators Lokya Sherab Tseg and then Malgyur Lotsawa. It was Malgyur Lotsawa who translated the Condensed Root Tantra of Heruka from Sanskrit into Tibetan. Through his kindness many Tibetans in the past became great Yogis and Yoginis, and today many people have the opportun­ity to study and practise the Heruka and Vajrayogini Tantras. Malgyur Lotsawa himself reached the supreme Union of Vajradhara and attained Dakini Land in that life.

From Malgyur Lotsawa these instructions were passed down in unbroken succession to Je Phabongkhapa, and then to the most Venerable Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche, holder of the lineage. It was from this great Master that I, the author, received these instructions.

From Buddha Vajradharma to Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche there have been thirty-seven lineage Gurus. The lineage of these instructions is unbroken and the blessings passed down from Buddha Vajradharma are intact. Each lineage Guru attain­ed complete experience of these instructions, thereby ensuring that their power has not decreased. These instructions are completely authentic and are clearly presented. If we put them into practice with deep conviction and joyous effort we will definitely gain realizations. We should know that Buddha Vajradharma, Buddha Vajradhara and Buddha Shakyamuni are the same person with different aspects. Vajradhara is the manifestation of all Buddhas’ minds, Vajradharma is the manifestation of all Buddhas’ speech, and Shakyamuni is the manifestation of all Buddhas’ bodies.

THE BENEFITS OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS

It is said in the Condensed Root Tantra of Heruka that the benefits to be gained from engaging in the practice of Vajrayogini are limitless and that a thousand voices could never fully enumer­ate them. Here we will consider ten principal benefits.

BY PRACTISING THESE INSTRUCTIONS WE QUICKLY RECEIVE GREAT AND POWERFUL BLESSINGS

When we practise these instructions we quickly receive great and profound blessings from all the Buddhas. These blessings help us temporarily, and eventually enable us to attain the ultimate goal of full enlightenment.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE A SYNTHESIS OF ALL ESSENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS

The instructions on the practice of Vajrayogini are a synthesis of all the essential instructions contained within the Tantras of Heruka, Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja. All the essential points of the stages of Secret Mantra are included within the practice of Vajrayogini.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE EASY TO PRACTISE

The instructions on the practice of Vajrayogini contain concise and clearly presented meditations that are relatively easy to practise. The mantra is short and easy to recite, and the visual­izations of the mandala, the Deity and the body mandala are simple compared with those of other Highest Yoga Tantra Deities. Even practitioners with limited abilities and little wisdom can engage in these practices.

BY PRACTISING THESE INSTRUCTIONS WE CAN SWIFTLY ACCOMPLISH ATTAINMENTS

Many great Teachers such as Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche have said that through the practice of Vajrayogini those with only middling fortune can attain Dakini Land in this life. Those with greater fortune will attain this with ease, and even those with lesser fortune can attain Dakini Land in the intermediate state between death and rebirth. If we continually recite Vajrayogini’s mantra we will remember the mantra when we are dying, and then, as if in a dream, we will hear Vajrayogini and her retinue of Dakinis calling us and inviting us to her Pure Land. In this way Vajrayogini will guide us through death and the intermediate state and lead us to the Pure Land of the Dakinis.

It is said that even those with the least fortune who do not attain Dakini Land in the intermediate state will be led by Vajrayogini to her Pure Land within seven lives. Even if such practitioners find themselves in the deepest hell, Vajrayogini will bless their minds and cause their previously accumu­lated virtuous actions to ripen. In this way they will be released from hell and guided directly to the Pure Land of the Dakinis.

Thus through keeping our commitments purely and practising these instructions sincerely we can attain Dakini Land in this life, in the intermediate state, or certainly within seven lives. ‘Dakini Land’ refers to the pure world of Heruka and Vajrayogini, commonly known as ‘Keajra Pure Land’ or ‘Keajra Heaven’. A detailed explanation of Keajra Pure Land can be found in Part Two of Modern Buddhism. As our main commitment we should emphasize practising the nineteen commitments of the five Buddha families, an explanation of which can be found in Condensed Six-session Yoga, in Appendix II.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDE A SPECIAL BODY MANDALA PRACTICE

Body mandalas are not included within all Deity practices. A practice that contains a body mandala is more profound than one that does not, and the most profound of all body man­dalas is that of Vajrayogini.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDE AN UNCOMMON YOGA OF INCONCEIVABILITY

The uncommon yoga of inconceivability is a special method, unique to the practice of Vajrayogini, whereby we can attain Dakini Land within this life without abandoning our present body. The sadhana or ritual prayer for the attainment of the Pure Land of Keajra, The Uncommon Yoga of Inconceivability, can be found in Appendix II.

WE CAN PRACTISE BOTH GENERATION STAGE AND COMPLETION STAGE TOGETHER

In practices such as Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja, practi­tioners can meditate on completion stage only after they have gained experience of generation stage; but in the practice of Vajrayogini we can train in completion stage meditations, and even gain certain completion stage realizations, while we are still training in generation stage.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ESPECIALLY SUITABLE FOR THOSE WITH STRONG DESIROUS ATTACHMENT

In general it is difficult for those with strong desirous attachment to practise Dharma, but this is not so with the practice of Vajrayogini. Throughout this world there exist countless eman­ations of Heruka and Vajrayogini manifesting as ordinary men and women. These emanations help pure practitioners of Vajrayogini to transform their desirous attachment into the spiritual path. If such practitioners conscientiously keep their commitments and faithfully practise the eleven yogas, eventually they will meet an emanation of Vajrayogini manifesting as an attractive man or woman. By causing desirous attachment to arise in the practitioner, that emanation will bless their channels, drops and winds. Then, by entering into union with the emanation, the practitioner will be able to transform his or her desire into spontaneous great bliss. With this blissful mind the practitioner will meditate on emptiness and eventually eradicate all delusions, including desirous attachment. In this way he or she will swiftly attain full enlightenment. Just as fire that is produced from wood eventually consumes the wood that produced it, so too Tantric bliss, which is devel­oped from desirous attachment, eventually consumes the desirous attachment that gave rise to it. This skilful method of transforming attachment into the spiritual path was adopted by Masters such as Ghantapa and Tilopa.

The essence of Highest Yoga Tantra practice is to generate a mind of spontaneous great bliss and use that blissful mind to meditate on emptiness. We attain the mind of spontaneous great bliss by gathering the inner winds into the central channel through completion stage meditation. For completion stage meditation to be successful, the channels, drops and winds of our body must be blessed by Deities. We accomplish this through generation stage practice.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE FOR THIS DEGENERATE AGE

The practice of Vajrayogini quickly brings blessings, especially during this spiritually degenerate age. It is said that as the gen­eral level of spirituality decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult for practitioners to receive the blessings of other Deities; but the opposite is the case with Heruka and Vajrayogini – the more times degenerate, the more easily practitioners can receive their blessings.

Whenever Vajradhara expounded a Tantra he emanated the mandala associated with it, but after completing the discourse he would usually reabsorb the mandala. For example, when he expounded the Root Tantra of Kalachakra he eman­ated the Kalachakra mandala, and when he had finished he reabsorbed it. However, he did not reabsorb the mandalas of Heruka or Vajrayogini. These mandalas still exist at various places throughout this world, such as in the twenty-four holy places. Because of this, human beings in this world have a special relationship with Heruka and Vajrayogini and can quickly receive their blessings. Furthermore, in the Root Tantra of Heruka Vajradhara promised that in the future, when times became spiritually degenerate, Heruka and Vajrayogini would bestow their blessings on those with strong attachment.

In general, as the number of lineage Gurus of a Deity’s practice increases, the blessings of that Deity take longer to reach practitioners; but the greater the number of lineage Gurus of Heruka and Vajrayogini, the more quickly practitioners receive their blessings.

VAJRAYOGINI’S MANTRA HAS MANY SPECIAL QUALITIES

In the Root Tantra of Heruka Vajradhara says that we can gain attainments merely by reciting Vajrayogini’s mantra, even with poor concentration. Nowadays this is not possible when reciting the mantras of other Deities. However, we need to have very strong faith in Vajrayogini and her mantra if we are to gain realizations by mantra recitation alone.

If we think deeply about the benefits and special qualities of these instructions we will realize that we now have a very precious opportunity to study and practise them. We will generate a feeling of great joy which will give us great confidence in the instructions and encourage us to put them into practice.

BIOGRAPHIES OF PAST BUDDHIST PRACTITIONERS WHO GAINED REALIZATIONS THROUGH PRACTISING THESE INSTRUCTIONS

Many people have accomplished the highest attainments through Vajrayogini practice. Of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas of ancient India, many gained their attainments through the practices of Heruka and Vajrayogini, and since the time when these Tantras were introduced into Tibet many Tibetans have also gained similar realizations. It is still possible to emulate these practitioners and accomplish the same attainments.

There now follow brief biographies of five great prac­titioners who received special care and guidance from Vajrayogini and as a result reached Dakini Land.

LUYIPA

Luyipa was a great Indian Mahasiddha who relied upon Heruka and Vajrayogini. One day, on the tenth day of the month, he went to a charnel ground to meditate. When he ar­rived he saw a group of men and women having a picnic. One of the women gave him a piece of meat, which he ate, and as a result his mind was blessed and instantly purified of ordinary appearance. He attained a vision of Heruka and Vajrayogini, and realized that the men and women were in reality Heroes and Heroines. His previous pure practice of Vajrayogini had caused her to manifest as the woman who offered him the meat. In this way Vajrayogini helped him to attain both outer and inner Dakini Land.

GHANTAPA

The Mahasiddha Ghantapa lived deep in a forest in Odivisha (present-day Orissa) in India, where he engaged in intensive meditation on Heruka and Vajrayogini. Since he was living in such an isolated place his diet was poor and his body became emaciated. One day the king of Odivisha was out hunting in the forest when he came across Ghantapa. Seeing how thin and weak he was, the king asked Ghantapa why he lived in the forest on such a poor diet, and encouraged him to return with him to the city where he would give him food and shelter. Ghantapa replied that just as a great elephant could not be led from the forest by a fine thread, so he could not be tempted to leave the forest by the riches of a king. Angered by Ghantapa’s refusal, the king returned to his palace threatening revenge.

Such was the king’s anger that he summoned a number of women from the city and told them about the arrogant monk in the forest. He offered great wealth to any one of them who could seduce him and force him to break his vows of celibacy. One woman, a wine-seller, boasted that she could do this and she set out for the forest to look for Ghantapa. When eventually she found him she asked if she could become his servant. Ghantapa had no need of a servant, but he realized that they had a strong relationship from previous lives and so he allowed her to stay. Ghantapa gave her spiritual instructions and empowerments and they engaged sincerely in meditation. After twelve years they both attained the Union of No More Learning, full enlightenment.

One day Ghantapa and the former wine-seller decided to encourage the people of the city to develop a greater interest in Dharma. Accordingly, the woman returned to the king and reported that she had seduced the monk. At first the king doubted the truth of her story, but when she explained that she and Ghantapa now had two children, a son and a daughter, the king was delighted with the news and told her to bring Ghantapa to the city on a particular day. He then issued a proclamation disparaging Ghantapa, and ordered his subjects to assemble on the appointed day to insult and humiliate the monk.

When the day came, Ghantapa and the woman left the forest with their children, the son on Ghantapa’s right and the daughter on his left. As they entered the city Ghantapa was walking as if he were drunk, holding a bowl into which the woman was pouring wine. All the people who had gathered laughed and jeered, hurling abuse and insults at him. ‘Long ago’, they taunted him, ‘our king invited you to the city but you arrogantly refused his invitation. Now you come drunk and with a wine-seller. What a bad example of a Buddhist and a monk!’ When they had finished, Ghantapa appeared to become angry and threw his bowl to the ground. The bowl sank into the earth, splitting the ground and causing a spring of water to appear. Ghantapa immediately transformed into Heruka and the woman into Vajrayogini. The boy transform­ed into a vajra which Ghantapa held in his right hand, and the girl into a bell which he held in his left hand. Ghantapa and his consort then embraced and flew into the sky.

The people were astonished and immediately developed deep regret for their disrespect. They prostrated to Ghantapa, begging him and the emanation of Vajrayogini to return. Ghantapa and his consort refused, but told the people that if their regret was sincere they should make confession to Mahakaruna, the embodiment of Buddha’s great compassion. Through the deep remorse of the people of Odivisha and the force of their prayers a statue of Mahakaruna arose from the spring water. The people of Odivisha became very devoted Dharma practitioners and many of them gained realizations. The statue of Mahakaruna can still be seen today.

Because of Ghantapa’s pure practice of Heruka and Vajrayogini in the forest, Vajrayogini saw that it was the right time for him to receive her blessings and so she manifested as the wine-seller. Through living with her Ghantapa attained the state of full enlightenment.

DARIKAPA

King Darikapa was another of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas. He received empowerments and instructions on Heruka and Vajrayogini from Luyipa. Luyipa predicted that if Darikapa were to abandon his kingdom and apply great effort in the practice of Vajrayogini and Heruka he would swiftly attain enlightenment. Darikapa immediately left his palace and wandered from place to place as a beggar, practising meditation at every opportunity. In a city in South India he met a wealthy courtesan who was an emanation of Vajrayogini. The woman owned a large mansion and she took Darikapa in as her servant, where he worked for twelve years. During the day he performed menial tasks in and around the house, and at night he practised Luyipa’s instructions. After twelve years he attained the fifth stage of completion stage, the union that needs learning. It is said that Darikapa and the courtesan’s entire entourage of fourteen thousand all attained the Pure Land of Keajra with their human bodies. In this way Darikapa received the guidance of Vajrayogini.

KUSALI

A novice monk called Kusali also came under Vajrayogini’s care. One day, while travelling along the banks of the River Ganges, he met an old leper woman in great pain, who wanted to cross the river. Kusali was overcome with compassion for her. He bound her onto his back with his upper garment and started to ford the river but, when they were half way across, the leper woman transformed into Vajrayogini and led him to Dakini Land.

PURANG LOTSAWA

Purang Lotsawa was a great Teacher who lived near Shiri Monastery in western Tibet and who had many spiritually advanced students. When he became aware through various signs that he was ready to attain the Pure Land of Keajra, he dug out a small cave in a hillside where he planned to live in solitary retreat. As he entered the cave at the start of his retreat he announced that if he left before attaining the Pure Land his throat should be cut by the Dharma Protectors. He told his assistant to seal the entrance of his cave, leaving only a small hole through which food and drink could be passed.

Some time later a Tantric Yogi accompanied by eight women arrived and asked to see Purang. The assistant turned them away, but that evening, when he told Purang about the visitors, Purang told him not to dismiss anyone who asked to see him. The visitors returned the next day and so the assistant showed them to the cave. Suspecting that they were not ordinary people, he looked for a place to hide so that he could see what would happen, but by the time he had found a suitable place the visitors had unaccountably entered the cave. The assistant crept up to the small hole in the side of the cave and looked in. The cave was full of radiant light. The eight women were sitting in a row with the Yogi at one end and Purang at the other. The Yogi was rolling letters of gold, which he passed to the women. They in turn passed them to Purang, who appeared to be eating them. Purang became aware of his assistant looking through the hole and shouted at him to go away. The assistant left immediately. Later, when he returned with Purang’s supper, Purang was sitting alone with no sign of the Yogi or the eight women. That night Purang went to Dakini Land, the Pure Land of Vajrayogini.

The next morning the assistant took Purang his breakfast but found the cave empty. Although he was convinced that Purang had attained Dakini Land he was afraid that others might think that he had been the cause of Purang’s disappear­ance. To allay such suspicions he called together a number of people and showed them that the seal to Purang’s cave had not been broken. Although some people were convinced and believed that Purang had attained Dakini Land, others still suspected the assistant of murder.

To resolve the matter a Tibetan translator was sent to Nepal to consult a famous Vajrayogini practitioner who had great powers of clairvoyance. After the translator had explained what had happened to Purang, the Nepalese practitioner replied that on the day of the disappearance, while in meditation, he had seen through his clairvoyance that Purang had been invited to Dakini Land by a Hero and eight Heroines. The Hero was Heruka and the eight Heroines were the eight Goddesses of the doorways of Heruka’s mandala. As a result of Purang’s pure practice, Heruka and Vajrayogini had come to his cave and taken him to Dakini Land.

Many great practitioners of the Gelug tradition such as Takbu Tenpai Gyaltsen, Drubchen Cho Dorje, Changkya Rolpai Dorje, and many of their disciples have attained Dakini Land. Such things happen even today. For example, in recent years there was a Tibetan layman called Gonche who lived in eastern Tibet in a place called Chatring. To all appearances he was an evil man, always fighting and stealing, and generally engaging in many negative actions. The Chinese invasion of Tibet eventually forced him to flee from his motherland. One day, on his journey into exile, he saw a boat crossing a stretch of water carrying about thirty Chinese soldiers. He shot holes in the boat, causing it to sink, and all the soldiers drowned. When he finally reached the Nepalese border he joined the Tibetan resistance.

Some years later, as an elderly man, he travelled to Dharamsala in India where he visited Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche, who advised him to abandon all negative actions and to devote himself to spiritual practice. From that day Gonche’s mind changed. He developed strong regret for all his past harmful actions and promised to practise Dharma sincerely. Some time later, Trijang Rinpoche gave a Vajrayogini empowerment to a large group of his disciples, and Gonche was among them.

Trijang Rinpoche advised Gonche to go to Nepal to do a long retreat on Vajrayogini. Receiving material assistance from his family and spiritual advice from some local Geshes, Gonche entered into retreat; but during his retreat he died. At the time of his death many people saw a rainbow above his retreat hut. Three days later he was cremated and this time a rainbow appeared over the funeral pyre. These rainbows were seen by the local people as well as by the monks who had assembled to pray for him. High Lamas said later that the rainbows were signs that Vajrayogini had led Gonche to her Pure Land while he was in the intermediate state.

Many female Vajrayogini practitioners have also attained enlightenment through this practice. These accounts of the attainments of past practitioners demonstrate the great value of the practice of Vajrayogini and are a source of inspiration for our own practice.

THE QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY FOR PRACTISING THESE INSTRUCTIONS

Before we can practise the two stages of Vajrayogini Tantra we must have certain qualifications. Through the study and practice of the stages of the path, Lamrim, we should have gained at least some experience of the three principal aspects of the path: renunciation, bodhichitta and the correct view of emptiness. These are sometimes known as ‘paths common to both Sutra and Tantra’. Once we have built the foundation of experience in the common paths we are qualified to enter the special path of Tantra. The gateway to Tantric practice is empowerment. Before we can engage in Vajrayogini practice we must receive from a qualified Tantric Spiritual Guide the empowerment of Heruka, and the empowerment of Vajrayogini in her sindhura mandala. These empowerments place special, virtuous potentials on our consciousness which, when nurtured by subsequent spiritual practice, eventually ripen into the realizations of generation stage and completion stage. During the empowerments we take certain vows and commitments, which we must observe scrupulously. Upon this basis, if we practise Vajrayogini’s instructions continuously and sincerely we will receive all the benefits mentioned above.

THE FOUR SPECIAL CAUSES OF SWIFT ATTAINMENTS

To gain swiftly the realizations associated with Vajrayogini practice we need four special causes. These are:

1 Having unwavering faith

2 Having wisdom that overcomes doubts and misgivings concerning the practice

3 Integrating all our spiritual training into the practice of one Yidam, or Enlightened Deity

4 Practising in secret

HAVING UNWAVERING FAITH

We should not become discouraged if after only a few days or months of intense effort we do not attain any special results. We should train consistently, with unshakeable conviction in the benefits of our practice. Our practice should be like a broad river that flows steadily and continuously.

HAVING WISDOM THAT OVERCOMES DOUBTS AND MISGIVINGS CONCERNING THE PRACTICE

We should have a clear understanding of the eleven yogas of generation stage and of the meditations of completion stage. In general, whenever we practise Dharma we should first overcome all doubts about the instructions we have received and reach clear conclusions about them. By listening to and studying complete and correct instructions we develop the wisdom arisen from listening, and through thinking about the meaning of the instructions we develop the wisdom arisen from contemplation. Only then can we proceed to meditate single-pointedly on the conclusions we have reached.

It is most important that while we are engaged in Dharma practice our concentration should be single-pointed. If we practise with a distracted mind and do not gain realizations it is not the fault of Dharma, Buddha or our Gurus. Even when we are not engaged in formal meditation we should be able to focus our mind clearly on any virtuous object we choose. If our mind continually wanders to a multitude of extraneous objects our progress will be hampered. As we begin to control our mind and gain the ability to direct it at will, we will experi­ence results from our meditation and make swift progress along the spiritual path. Our mind should be like a fine, well-trained horse that is powerful but easy to control and direct. Such a horse will take a rider wherever he or she wishes to go, whereas an unruly horse will follow only its own wishes and disregard the wishes of its rider.

Once we can direct our mind to a specific object and keep it focused on that object we will have a well-controlled mind and our life will not be wasted through distracted thoughts. Even in worldly activities, success comes only as a result of single-minded concentration, so how much more important is strong concentration for successful Dharma practice? In Dharma we gain realizations only by practising with single-pointed concentration, and this is possible only if we have understood the instructions thoroughly.

INTEGRATING ALL OUR SPIRITUAL TRAINING INTO THE PRACTICE OF ONE YIDAM, OR ENLIGHTENED DEITY

Je Tsongkhapa showed how all the essential practices of Tantra can be included within the practice of a single Yidam. Following Je Tsongkhapa’s instructions, later Teachers composed the Vajrayogini sadhana, the ritual prayer that we now practise. When we practise this sadhana we practise the essential meaning of all the Tantras.

Our progress towards gaining Tantric realizations will be seriously obstructed if doubts and dissatisfaction cause us to switch continually from one Deity to another. We should be like a wise blind person who relies totally upon one trusted guide instead of attempting to follow a number of people at once. There is a traditional Tibetan analogy that illustrates this point. Tibetan farmers used to allow their cows to roam freely during the day, mixing with the cows belonging to other farmers, but every evening all the cows would return to the right farm. If a blind person wished to go to a particular farm, all he or she had to do was to hold on to the tail of a cow that belonged to that farm. If he did this he would definitely reach the right farm, but if he kept switching from one cow to another he would soon be completely lost. Similarly, by following the practice of one particular Deity wholeheartedly we will definitely attain enlightenment, but if we keep switching from one to another we will never reach our goal, no matter how much effort we make.

During his stay in Tibet the Indian Buddhist Master Atisha met the renowned translator Lama Rinchen Sangpo and was greatly impressed by his knowledge of Dharma. One day Rinchen Sangpo invited Atisha to visit him to discuss Dharma. Atisha realized that Rinchen Sangpo was a very erudite scholar and said to him, ‘You are such a wonderful Teacher that it seems unnecessary for me to stay in Tibet.’ Rinchen Sangpo then showed Atisha his four meditation cushions and four different Tantric mandalas. Atisha asked why he had four cushions and four mandalas, and Rinchen Sangpo replied that every day he practised in four sessions. The first session, on the first cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of an Action Tantra Deity; the second session, on the second cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of a Performance Tantra Deity; the third session, on the third cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of a Yoga Tantra Deity; and the last session, on the fourth cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of a Highest Yoga Tantra Deity. Atisha asked why he did not incorporate all these Deity practices into one sadhana, accomplishing the mandalas of all these Deities within the mandala of one Deity. When Rinchen Sangpo asked how he could do this, Atisha exclaimed, ‘Yes, I do need to stay in Tibet!’

Atisha advised Rinchen Sangpo that when he was visualizing the mandala of his personal Deity he should invite all the other Deities together with their mandalas to dissolve into his personal Deity and mandala. By maintaining the recognition that his personal Deity was the synthesis of all the Deities of the four classes of Tantra he could complete the practices of all other Deities by completing the practice of his personal Deity. Atisha used to say, ‘Some of you Tibetans have tried to accomplish a hundred Deities but have failed to gain a single attainment, while some Indian Buddhists have gained the attainments of a hundred Deities by accomplishing the practice of just one.’

Although we should concentrate on the practice of one particular Deity we should not neglect to practise others if we have a commitment to do so. For practitioners who are dedicated to the practice of Vajrayogini, who see it as their main practice, and who are striving to gain generation stage and completion stage realizations by depending upon this practice, there is a special method to keep their commitments to other Deities. This involves realizing that all Tantric Deities have the same nature, differing only in appearance. For example, suppose that such a practitioner, in addition to his or her daily Vajrayogini practice, has commitments to recite the long sadhanas of Heruka, Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja every day. If he recites the words of all these sadhanas every day he will have little opportunity to do any serious meditation. His Tantric practice will be largely verbal, and although he might place many virtuous imprints on his mindstream he will not attain genuine experience of meditation, and so the real purpose of Deity practice will be lost. For this reason, great Masters such as Atisha, Je Phabongkhapa and Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche advise serious Vajrayogini practitioners to integrate all their Tantric practices into the Vajrayogini sadhana by realizing that all Tantric Deities have the same nature, differing only in appearance.

The essential meaning of the practices of all Highest Yoga Tantra Deities is the same – to transform ordinary death, intermediate state and rebirth into the three bodies of a Buddha. This transformation is accomplished first in the imagination using the meditations and visualizations of generation stage, and then in reality by controlling the subtle winds, drops and mind through completion stage meditation. All the methods necessary to do this are contained within the practice of Vajrayogini. With this understanding, committed Vajrayogini practitioners should apply themselves wholeheartedly to the generation and completion stages of Vajrayogini, knowing that by doing so they are fulfilling the real purpose of all their commitments to other Deities, even if they neglect to say the words of the sadhanas of other Deities.

This advice should not be used as an excuse for laziness. Its purpose is to give dedicated practitioners more time to concentrate on their personal Deity practice and thereby gain the essential realizations of all Deity practices. For those who are not yet able to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the practice of a particular Tantric Deity it is better that they con­tinue to recite the words of all the sadhanas to which they have committed themselves.

PRACTISING IN SECRET

If we do not conceal our practice from others the blessings we have received during the empowerments will be dissipated. Talking openly about our meditation experiences is a fault. It may cause us to develop attachment to being respected and praised by others. Such attachment to reputation is a mara – a demonic interference that is a serious obstacle to pure Dharma practice and spiritual attainment. A good reputation may help us to obtain external wealth and possessions, but these things deplete our merit and are obstacles to gaining the internal wealth of pure Dharma realizations. The attainment of bodhichitta, the attainment of the six perfections, and the realizations of generation stage and completion stage are our real wealth; we should not waste our merit on external posses­sions. As Shantideva says in Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life:

I, who seek liberation, have no need for wealth or a good reputation

For they only keep me bound in samsara.

It is helpful to recall these words frequently. We should remain indifferent to our reputation while acting in accordance with Dharma. The equilibrium of our mind should not be disturbed by praise or blame, gain or loss. If we are attached to these things we will constantly be distracted from our spiritual practice. We will waste energy trying to acquire possessions and a good reputation, and when we fail in these endeavours we will become overly disheartened. For these reasons it was the custom of the ancient Kadampa Teachers and of Je Tsongkhapa to praise others but to declare their own faults and limitations.

Talking carelessly about our meditation experiences or practice attracts hindrances and obstacles, just as talking openly about our wealth attracts thieves. Although we should strive assiduously in our practice of Tantra we should not reveal our practice to others. There are only two exceptions to this rule: we should confide in our Gurus, and we can discuss aspects of our practice with friends engaged in similar practices provided that they have faith and keep their commitments purely.

If we create these four special causes and fulfil all the conditions for successful practice that have been explained, we will definitely gain realizations quickly through practising the instructions of Vajrayogini.

WHAT ARE OUTER AND INNER DAKINI LANDS?

In general, ‘Dakini’ refers to a female Tantric Deity, and in this context is synonymous with Yogini and Heroine. Outer Dakini Land is beyond the world of ordinary experience. It is the Pure Land of Buddha Vajrayogini and Buddha Heruka, known as ‘Keajra Pure Land’. A Pure Land is a world that is free from true sufferings. Nowhere in samsara is without true sufferings, because the samsaric environment itself acts as a condition to experience suffering. Ordinary beings are born in samsara without choice and continually have to experience dissatisfaction and misery. However, if we purify our mind we purify our experience of the world and thereby attain a Pure Land free from all suffering.

There are different Pure Lands associated with different Buddhas. Dakini Land is similar to the Pure Lands of Tushita and Sukhavati, except that Heruka and Vajrayogini’s Pure Land is the only one in which beings can receive teachings on Highest Yoga Tantra and put them into practice.

When through Vajrayogini’s guidance those who are very old and infirm reach her Pure Land they will no longer experience the sufferings of old age and sickness. All signs of their old age will disappear and they will be transformed into sixteen-year-olds of great beauty and vitality, enjoying an endless lifespan. All the enjoyments they desire will appear spontaneously. They will never be reborn in samsara again, unless they choose to for compassionate reasons. Everyone who reaches this Pure Land will receive teachings on Highest Yoga Tantra directly from Heruka and Vajrayogini and thereby attain enlightenment quickly.

Outer Dakini Land can also be explained in terms of an individual practitioner’s personal experience. From this point of view we attain outer Dakini Land by completing the practices of the generation stage of Vajrayogini. During our training in generation stage meditation we visualize our body as the pure body of Buddha Vajrayogini, our immediate surroundings as the mandala of Vajrayogini, and our world as Dakini Land. If we engage in generation stage practice continuously, the ordin­ary, impure appearances to our mind will gradually diminish and finally cease altogether. Once we have gained a firm realization of generation stage we will experience only pure appearances and our world will be transformed into Dakini Land. The great Teacher Tenpa Rabgye said that Dakini Land is not some faraway place, nor is it necessary to disappear from this world to reach it.

Pure appearances are experienced only by realized prac­titioners. It is generally accepted in both Sutra and Tantra that the world appears to our mind as faulty, imperfect and unsatisfactory because our mind is impure – polluted by the delusions and their imprints. In Ornament for Clear Realization Venerable Maitreya says that when the minds of sentient beings become completely pure, their environment becomes a Buddha’s Pure Land.

A Pure Land can be attained only by purifying the mind. Even when we have attained outer Dakini Land through a firm realization of generation stage we will still appear to others as an ordinary, impure being. Ordinary people cannot recognize that another person is in a Pure Land because they cannot perceive that person’s Pure Land and cannot share their experience of it. Someone once asked Milarepa in which Pure Land he had attained enlightenment and Milarepa pointed to his cave. The questioner could see only a cold, empty cave, but for Milarepa that cave was a Pure Land.

Because the minds of ordinary beings are impure, whatever appears to them is seen as ordinary. As ordinary beings with ordinary appearance we cannot experience anything as totally pure and perfect. Even an emanation of Buddha appears to us to have faults. It is because we have ordinary appearance that we view ourself and others as imperfect – subject to faults such as sickness and ageing.

According to Sutra teachings the root of samsara is self-grasping and the delusions that arise from it. However, according to Secret Mantra teachings the root of samsara is ordinary appear­ances and ordinary conceptions. The self-grasping recognized by Sutra practitioners is only a gross ordinary conception.

In this context, any being who is not a Buddha, and any environment, enjoyment, body or mind that is not a Buddha’s, is ordinary. Perceptions of these objects as ordinary due to impure minds are ordinary appearances, and the minds that conceive of objects in this way are ordinary conceptions. According to Secret Mantra teachings, ordinary appearances are obstructions to omniscience and ordinary conceptions are obstructions to liberation. Both ordinary appearances and ordinary conceptions have many levels of subtlety.

One of the main purposes of practising generation stage meditation is to overcome ordinary appearances and ordinary conceptions. We can overcome ordinary appearances by devel­oping clear appearance of being Vajrayogini, and we can overcome ordinary conceptions by developing divine pride of being Vajrayogini.

Because of our ordinary appearances and ordinary con­ceptions we experience an endless cycle of ordinary death, ordin­ary intermediate state and ordinary rebirth. This endless cycle, known as ‘samsara’, must be broken. Through gener­ation and completion stage practice we can purify the three ordinary states of death, intermediate state and rebirth, and thereby attain the three bodies of a Buddha.

When we gain a full realization of the generation stage of Vajrayogini we experience our environment as Dakini Land; and when we attain the illusory body in the aspect of Vajrayogini our body becomes the actual body of the Deity. When we attain full enlightenment in the form of Vajrayogini we become a newly born Buddha Vajrayogini, our place of residence becomes a newly developed mandala of Vajrayogini, and our world becomes a newly developed Dakini Land.

With a superficial realization of generation stage meditation we will attain only a similitude of Dakini Land. By gradually increasing the power of our generation stage meditation this similitude will be strengthened and stabilized and we will move closer to attaining actual Dakini Land. By practising the generation stage and completion stage meditations con-tinuously and enthusiastically we will complete the spiritual path by relying upon Vajrayogini.

At first we may doubt the existence of Dakini Land or doubt that it is possible to reach it. To overcome such doubts we can consider dreams. Sincere practitioners familiar with Vajrayogini practice may dream of reaching a Pure Land. In their dream they will see all places as pure and themselves as Vajrayogini. At that time they do not think they are dreaming; they believe they are in a Pure Land and therefore experience great joy and happiness. If they were to remain in that happy state without ever waking up it would be valid to say that, according to their experience, they were in Dakini Land.

Through studying the correct view of emptiness we can understand that everything is merely an appearance to the mind and, like a dream, merely imputed by conceptual thought. This understanding is extremely helpful for devel­oping conviction in the existence of Pure Lands. Clear and deep understanding of the nature of outer Dakini Land will help us to gain a firm faith in Buddhadharma. Through this we will practise with greater power and enthusiasm.

Inner Dakini Land is meaning clear light. We attain this only through completion stage meditation. Through completion stage meditation we develop spontaneous great bliss, and when this mind meditates on emptiness and gains a direct realization it is called ‘meaning clear light’. This is the fourth of the five stages of completion stage. When we attain inner Dakini Land through Vajrayogini practice we also attain outer Dakini Land. This is explained more fully later in this book.

The way to train in the two stages of Vajrayogini Tantra is explained in the instructions that follow. First there is an explanation of how to train in generation stage, and then there is an explanation of how to train in completion stage.

The instructions on generation stage are in two parts: an explanation of how to practise the eleven yogas of generation stage, and an explanation of how to attain outer Dakini Land through the practice of generation stage. The eleven yogas of generation stage are:

1 The yoga of sleeping

2 The yoga of rising

3 The yoga of experiencing nectar

4 The yoga of immeasurables

5 The yoga of the Guru

6 The yoga of self-generation

7 The yoga of purifying migrators

8 The yoga of being blessed by Heroes and Heroines

9 The yoga of verbal and mental recitation

10 The yoga of inconceivability

11 The yoga of daily actions

The instructions that follow explain how to practise each of these eleven yogas. We first need to study these instructions carefully to ensure that we understand clearly each of the yogas. Then, when we feel ready to put them into practice, we should begin with the yoga of sleeping and continue through to the eleventh yoga, the yoga of daily actions. If we repeat this cycle of practices every day, all our actions will be included within the eleven yogas.