Читать книгу Essence of Vajrayana - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso - Страница 15

Bringing the Three Bodies into the Path

THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF GENERATION STAGE

This has six parts:

1 What is generation stage?

2 Bringing the three bodies into the path

3 Checking meditation on the mandala and basis Heruka

4 Generating the mandala and Deities of the body mandala

5 Adorning our body with the armour Deities, inviting and absorbing the wisdom beings, and making offerings

6 The actual generation stage meditation

WHAT IS GENERATION STAGE?

Generation stage is defined as a realization of a creative yoga that purifies the three basic bodies and causes the three bodies of the path to ripen. It is called a ‘creative yoga’ because its object is generated, or created, by a mind of pure concentration. For example, when we perform self-generation as Heruka, there appears to our mind a form of Heruka with a blue-coloured body, four faces and twelve arms; and this object is generated by our mind through the force of correct imagination. However, even though it is generated by mind, it exists. If we continue with this meditation, our mind will become more and more familiar with the object, and eventually we will attain the actual body of Heruka; but if we do not first create it with our mind we will never accomplish the actual body of Heruka in the future. In the same way that an artist begins with a rough outline of a picture and then continues painting until the picture is completed, so our generation stage meditation can be likened to an artist drawing a rough outline of a picture, and our completion stage meditation to the artist completing the picture.

When through the force of generation stage meditation the form of Heruka appears to our mind, this is an actual form. It is a form that is a phenomena source, a form that appears only to mental awareness. Later, when our concentrations of generation and completion stages are completed, we will attain the actual form of Heruka, which we can see with our eye awareness. What was previously a form that is a phenomena source will now have become a form that is a form source, an actual object of eye awareness.

It is not only in Tantra that Buddha teaches how to generate objects with our mind that later become objects of the senses. In the Vinaya Sutras he says that monks who wish to overcome desirous attachment should visualize the ground covered with skeletons and see all things as impure. Some monks who practised this meditation sincerely saw skeletons directly with their eyes and impure things wherever they looked, and as a result they developed the strong wish to escape from samsara. We cannot say that their minds were wrong awarenesses, because the skeletons they saw were generated by pure concentration. To begin with, the skeletons were forms that are phenomena sources, but for the monks they later became actual form sources. In a similar way, people we dislike appear to us as unattractive but, if we later change our mind about them and come to like them, their appearance will also change and they will now appear to us as attractive. Only our mind has changed, but due to our mind changing the forms that appear to it also change. This shows how everything depends upon the mind. By contemplating these points we can understand what is meant by calling generation stage a ‘creative yoga’, and we can see how it is possible to generate ourself as Heruka through the power of pure concentration.

The definition also indicates that generation stage purifies the three basic bodies and causes the three bodies of the path to ripen. The three basic bodies are ordinary death, ordinary intermediate state (Tib. bardo) and ordinary rebirth. Ordinary death is known as the ‘basic truth body’. It is not the actual Truth Body but is the basis for attaining the actual Truth Body because it is the basis for the practice of bringing death into the path to the Truth Body. Similarly, ordinary intermediate state is called the ‘basic enjoyment body’ because it is the basis for attaining the actual Enjoyment Body through the practice of bringing the intermediate state into the path; and ordinary rebirth is called the ‘basic emanation body’ because it is the basis for attaining the actual Emanation Body through the practice of bringing rebirth into the path. These three basic bodies are the bases to be purified. They are purified indirectly by the yogas of generation stage and directly by the yogas of completion stage.

For as long as we do not purify our ordinary death, intermediate state and rebirth, we will remain in samsara and there will be no possibility of our attaining Buddhahood. Up to now we have experienced these three states one after the other without interruption, like the turning of a wheel; and because of this we are trapped in samsara experiencing continuous suffering and problems. If we purify ordinary birth, death and intermediate state, there will be no basis for us to experience suffering – we will have attained liberation.

Even in the Sutras it says that we need to cut the continuum of birth, death and intermediate state. What will happen if we cut the continuum of ordinary birth? Will we disappear and become like empty space? This is impossible. Even if we cut the continuum of ordinary rebirth, the continuum of our mind will remain; but instead of being thrown into a samsaric rebirth through the force of karma and delusion, we will take rebirth through choice, either in a Pure Land or, out of compassion, in the human realm. It is the suffering of uncontrolled birth and death that will cease.

How do we purify ordinary death, intermediate state and rebirth? Ordinary death is purified directly by the completion stage realization of ultimate example clear light; ordinary intermediate state is purified directly by the completion stage realization of illusory body; and ordinary rebirth is purified directly by the completion stage yoga of the gross Deity body attained after the realization of illusory body.

The clear light of completion stage is known as the ‘path truth body’, the illusory body of completion stage is known as the ‘path enjoyment body’, and the completion stage yoga of the gross Deity body is known as the ‘path emanation body’. We cause these three path bodies to ripen by practising the three bringings of generation stage. The generation stage yoga of bringing ordinary death into the path to the Truth Body causes the completion stage realization of clear light to ripen; the generation stage yoga of bringing ordinary intermediate state into the path to the Enjoyment Body causes the completion stage realization of illusory body to ripen; and the generation stage yoga of bringing ordinary rebirth into the path to the Emanation Body causes the completion stage realization of the gross Deity body to ripen. The final result of purifying the three basic bodies by means of the three path bodies is the attainment of the three resultant bodies – the actual Truth Body, Enjoyment Body and Emanation Body of a Buddha.

The Emanation Body is the gross body of a Buddha, the Enjoyment Body is the subtle body of a Buddha, and the Truth Body is the very subtle body of a Buddha. The Heruka that is imputed upon his gross body is called ‘Emanation Body Heruka’, the Heruka that is imputed upon his subtle body is called ‘Enjoyment Body Heruka’, and the Heruka that is imputed upon his very subtle body is called ‘Truth Body Heruka’. The very subtle body of a Buddha, Truth Body and Dharmakaya are synonymous.

BRINGING THE THREE BODIES INTO THE PATH

This has three parts:

1 Bringing death into the path to the Truth Body

2 Bringing the intermediate state into the path to the Enjoyment Body

3 Bringing rebirth into the path to the Emanation Body

BRINGING DEATH INTO THE PATH TO THE TRUTH BODY

Bringing death into the path to the Truth Body is a yoga, similar in aspect to the experience of death, that has the divine pride of being the Truth Body. We begin this practice by absorbing all external environments and their inhabitants. This helps us to overcome ordinary appearances and conceptions, and causes dualistic appearances to subside into emptiness. It also creates the cause for the inner winds to gather into the central channel, thereby laying the foundation for us to attain the clear light of the Truth Body.

Previously we dissolved Guru Heruka into our root mind at our heart and transformed our root mind into spontaneous great bliss. We now think that our root mind of great bliss is appearing in the form of a blue letter HUM at our heart, and we imagine that this letter HUM radiates powerful rays of light that reach all worlds and their beings. Everything melts into light, which gradually gathers back and dissolves into our body. We feel that all worlds and their beings have dissolved into us.

At this point we imagine that we experience the first of the eight signs that arise at the time of death, the mirage-like appearance. This sign arises due to the dissolution of the inner wind supporting our earth element. We meditate on this experience for a while, and then we imagine that our body gradually dissolves from below and above into the letter HUM at our heart. We think that nothing remains apart from the letter HUM, and we imagine that we perceive the smoke-like appearance that arises due to the dissolution of the inner wind supporting our water element. After meditating on this for a while, we imagine that the ‘shabkyu’ at the bottom of the letter HUM gradually dissolves upwards into the main letter HA, and that we perceive the sparkling-fireflies-like appearance that arises due to the dissolution of the inner wind supporting our fire element. After meditating on this for a while, we imagine that the main body of the letter HA gradually dissolves upwards into the horizontal line at its head, and that we perceive the candle-flame-like appearance that arises due to the inner wind supporting our wind element beginning to dissolve. After meditating on this for a while, we imagine that the horizontal line gradually dissolves upwards into the crescent moon, and that we experience the mind of white appearance that arises due to the complete dissolution of the inner wind supporting our wind element. After meditating on this for a while, we imagine that the crescent moon gradually dissolves upwards into the drop, and that we experience the mind of red increase that arises due to the dissolution of the inner wind supporting the mind of white appearance. After meditating on this for a while, we imagine that the drop gradually dissolves upwards into the nada, and that we experience the mind of black near-attainment that arises due to the dissolution of the inner wind supporting the mind of red increase. At this point we should feel that nothing exists apart from the nada. Then the nada itself gradually dissolves from the bottom upwards, the lower curve dissolving into the middle curve, the middle curve dissolving into the upper curve, and finally the upper curve dissolving into clear light emptiness. We imagine that we experience the eighth sign, the mind of clear light that arises due to the dissolution of the inner wind supporting the mind of black near-attainment.

At this stage, while we are meditating on the emptiness of all phenomena, one part of our mind should be contemplating four points: (1) we imagine that our mind is experiencing great bliss; (2) this mind of great bliss is mixed inseparably with emptiness; (3) this union of great bliss and emptiness is the Truth Body, the basis for imputing Heruka’s I; and (4) on this basis we strongly think ‘I am Truth Body Heruka.’

Principally we meditate on emptiness, but without forgetting these four points. Sometimes, without forgetting emptiness, we can emphasize meditation on the experience of great bliss, or we can emphasize meditation on the Truth Body, or meditation on the divine pride that thinks ‘I am Truth Body Heruka.’ We emphasize one point but we do so without forgetting the other three. Through this meditation we can transform our experience of death into the experience of the clear light of great bliss, the quick path to the Truth Body of a Buddha. For this reason, this meditation is called ‘bringing death into the path to the Truth Body’. This meditation is very powerful and performs the following functions: (1) it helps to overcome ordinary appearances and conceptions; (2) it causes dualistic appearances to subside into emptiness; (3) it indirectly purifies ordinary death; (4) it causes the completion stage realization of clear light to ripen; (5) it is a collection of wisdom; and (6) it sows in our mind a powerful potential to attain the actual Truth Body of a Buddha in the future.

Khedrubje said that even if we do not complete our training in generation stage and completion stage before we die, if we have experience of the meditation on bringing death into the path to the Truth Body of Heruka we will be able to remember it when we die and, as a result, our consciousness will be transferred to Heruka’s Pure Land. For sincere practitioners this meditation is the real transference of consciousness; they do not need to practise other types of transference.

Many practitioners have strong ordinary appearances and conceptions because they lack experience of emptiness, and due to this they experience great difficulties in their practice of Highest Yoga Tantra. If we do not understand emptiness, we should study qualified books such as The New Heart of Wisdom and Ocean of Nectar and listen to instructions from qualified Teachers. Without realizing emptiness there is no basis for authentic meditation on bringing death into the path to the Truth Body, and so it is not possible for us to cut the continuum of samsaric sufferings.

BRINGING THE INTERMEDIATE STATE INTO THE PATH TO THE ENJOYMENT BODY

Bringing the intermediate state into the path to the Enjoyment Body is a yoga, similar in aspect to the experience of the intermediate state, that is attained after bringing death into the path to the Truth Body, and that has the divine pride of being the Enjoyment Body.

After meditating for a while on the divine pride that thinks, ‘I am Truth Body Heruka’, one part of our mind should think:

If I remain in this state, living beings will not be able to see me and so I will not be able to help them directly. Therefore, I will arise in a Form Body for the benefit of all living beings.

For ordinary beings the dream body arises out of the clear light of sleep, and the intermediate state body arises out of the clear light of death. For completion stage practitioners the illusory body arises out of the realization of the mind of clear light; and for Buddhas the Enjoyment Body arises out of the clear light of the Truth Body. Therefore, at this stage in the meditation we imagine that we arise out of the clear light of the Truth Body as Enjoyment Body Heruka.

The Enjoyment Body can take many different forms. For the purposes of this meditation we imagine that it arises in the form of a tiny nada suspended in space. The nada is white with a reddish tint. It has three curves, and its upper tip is extremely fine. The three curves of the nada represent the body, speech and mind of the intermediate state being. In this meditation it is not necessary to focus on the aspect of the nada; rather we should emphasize developing divine pride, thinking: ‘I have purified the body, speech and mind of the intermediate state. Now I am Enjoyment Body Heruka.’ We meditate on this experience for a while. Through this meditation we can transform our experience of the intermediate state into the experience of the illusory body, the quick path to the Enjoyment Body of a Buddha. For this reason this meditation is called ‘bringing the intermediate state into the path to the Enjoyment Body’. It indirectly purifies ordinary intermediate state, causes the completion stage realization of illusory body to ripen and sows in our mind a powerful potential to attain the actual Enjoyment Body of a Buddha in the future.

BRINGING REBIRTH INTO THE PATH TO THE EMANATION BODY

Bringing rebirth into the path to the Emanation Body is a yoga, similar in aspect to the experience of rebirth, that is attained after bringing the intermediate state into the path to the Enjoyment Body, and that has the divine pride of being the Emanation Body.

While in the aspect of the nada in space, we should think:

Although I have arisen in a Form Body, the Enjoyment Body, only highly realized beings can see it. If I am going to benefit ordinary beings directly, I also need a gross Form Body. Therefore, I will take rebirth as an Emanation Body Heruka.

With this motivation we look down through space and see the place where we will take rebirth. First we observe the protection circle, which consists of the vajra ground, fence, tent and canopy. These are composed entirely of indestructible five-pronged vajras, the nature of Heruka’s exalted wisdom. The vajra ground is vast, and is surrounded by the vajra fence, which is square in shape, also vast, and very high. On top of the vajra fence is the vajra canopy, which serves as a ceiling. Above this is the vajra tent.

The vajras in the east are dark blue, in the north green, in the west red, and in the south yellow. They are joined together with no intervening space, like the shell of an egg, so that nothing can penetrate them. Around the outside – above, below and all around – powerful fires of the five wisdoms, white, yellow, red, green and blue in colour, swirl counter-clockwise. Everything is the nature of the indivisible bliss and emptiness of Heruka. Our mind, the nada, observes the protection circle, regarding it as the Pure Land of Heruka in which we will take rebirth.

Upon the vajra ground from a letter YAM comes a blue bow-shaped wind mandala; upon this from a letter RAM comes a red triangular fire mandala; upon this from a letter BAM comes a white circular water mandala; and upon this from a letter LAM comes a yellow square earth mandala. The wind mandala covers the entire vajra ground, the fire mandala fits within the bow of the wind mandala, the water mandala fits within the triangle of the fire mandala, and the earth mandala fits within the circle of the water mandala. We visualize the earth mandala as vast because it is the earth upon which stands Heruka’s mandala. All four elements are the nature of Heruka’s omniscient wisdom.

On top of the earth mandala from a letter SUM comes Mount Meru, which is square in shape, made of jewels and extremely high. The eastern side is white, the northern yellow, the western red and the southern blue. When Buddha first emanated the mandala of Heruka, he did so on top of Mount Meru, which is why we visualize the mandala on top of Mount Meru.

On top of Mount Meru from a letter PAM comes a sixty-four-petalled lotus, which covers the entire surface of the mountain. The petals in the east are white, in the north green, in the west red and in the south yellow. Upon the centre of this lotus is a huge crossed five-pronged vajra. The central part of the vajra is blue, square in shape, and forms the vast floor of the mandala. The five prongs in the east are white, in the north green, in the west red and in the south yellow. The centre of the vajra is completely covered by an eight-petalled lotus. The petals in the four cardinal directions are red, the petals in the south-east and north-west are yellow, the petal in the south-west is green and the petal in the north-east is black. In the centre of the lotus is a moon mandala, white with a reddish tint, which has arisen from the Sanskrit vowels and consonants. We, in the aspect of the nada in space, observe these developments below us.

The protection circle, the four elements, Mount Meru and the sixty-four-petalled lotus symbolize the place where we will take rebirth as an Emanation Body. The vajra symbolizes the mother’s body, and the eight-petalled lotus her womb. The white moon with a reddish tint symbolizes the union of the father’s sperm and the mother’s ovum. Its nature is wisdom but its substance is the white drops of Father Heruka and the red drops of Mother Vajravarahi. The white part of the moon is Heruka’s mirror-like wisdom, and the red part is his wisdom of equality.

With the motivation to benefit all living beings, we, the nada in space, develop a strong wish to be reborn inside this union of Father Heruka’s sperm and Mother Vajravarahi’s ovum. Through the power of this motivation, we descend through space to the point just above the moon. Then, gradually, a drop develops from the nada, a crescent moon from the drop, a horizontal line from the crescent moon, a letter HA from the horizontal line, and a shabkyu from the letter HA. In this way a letter HUM develops in the centre of the moon. It is white with a reddish tint, and is the size of a man.

The nada descending to the centre of the moon symbolizes conception in the mother’s womb, and the development of the HUM symbolizes the development of the baby inside the womb. The HUM is the nature of Heruka’s wisdom of individual realization. We now think that we are just about to be born.

We visualize five-coloured lights radiating from the letter HUM in all directions, filling the whole of space. At the tips of the light rays are Deities of Heruka’s mandala, who come to the crowns of all living beings and grant them empowerment, completely purifying their two obstructions. They all attain the state of Heruka, and their environments transform into Heruka’s Pure Land. Then all these beings and their environments melt into light. At the same time, all the Heroes and Heroines are invited from all the Buddha Lands throughout the ten directions. They melt into red and white bodhichittas, and mix with the beings who have melted into light. This light gathers inwards until it dissolves into the nada of the HUM. As a result our mind, in the aspect of this HUM, becomes the nature of spontaneous great bliss. All worlds and their beings, and all Buddhas in the form of Heroes and Heroines, have dissolved into this HUM. This is Heruka’s wisdom of accomplishing activities.

Now the moon, vowels, consonants and HUM transform into the supporting mandala and supported Deities of Heruka, which appear fully and simultaneously. We imagine that we can see everything – the protection circle, the mandala and all the Deities – perfectly clearly, and we think, ‘Now I have been born as Emanation Body Heruka’, and meditate on this feeling for a while. The protection circle, mandala and Deities, appearing fully and simultaneously, are Heruka’s wisdom of the Dharmadhatu. Although they appear as forms, in reality they are the nature of Heruka’s omniscient wisdom.

Through this meditation we can transform our experience of rebirth into the experience of the gross Deity body, which is the quick path to the Emanation Body of a Buddha. For this reason it is called ‘bringing rebirth into the path to the Emanation Body’. It indirectly purifies ordinary rebirth, causes the completion stage realization of the gross Deity body to ripen, and sows in our mind a powerful potential to attain the actual Emanation Body of a Buddha in the future. It is also the principal method for attaining rebirth in Keajra, Heruka’s Pure Land.

Dingkiwa