essence of vajrayanabuddhism

7/28/2019 Essence of VajrayanaBuddhism

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Opening the door to DHARMA

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The Essence of Vajrayana Buddhism

During Buddhas time, Vajrayana Buddhism was not publiclyknown or practiced. The teachings and instructions were

privately taught to a select group of individuals in indefinite places. Approximately 800 years after Buddhas passing, greatmasters such as Guru Rinpoche, who is regarded as the second Buddha in Vajrayana, Atisha, Nagarjuna and Asanga, widely

propagated these teachings. Today, these practices are widely practiced and the tradition or lineage remains very much aliveand intact in Tibet.

Unlike Tibet, South East Asia has been introduced to theVajrayana practices in a very different manner. As a result of teachings and practices being given by unqualified teachers, at aninauspicious time, to disciples who have misunderstood its

meaning, most beginners have a misconception about the practice. To them, it is something very exotic, related to magicand mysticism. Some of them have actually approached manyRinpoches seeking mystical experiences.

Actually, Vajrayana is nothing like this. The Vajrayana teachingswere taught by the Buddha himself, to liberate us, just like theTheravada and Mahayana traditions. And thus, like the

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Theravada and Mahayana traditions, it teaches you to liberate

yourself. It is not about miracles and magic tricks. It is true that if we sincerely practice, we will develop many qualities. But theseare called qualities, similar to the Buddhas qualities, and notmagic. Magic is the art of illusion - it is not real. On the other hand, Buddhas qualities are genuine.

Setting the foundation

Vajrayana Buddhism is the diamond vehicle. Vajra literallymeans having the indestructible quality of a diamond, and yanameans the vehicle or path. It is also commonly called Tantrayana, Mantrayana or the secret practice.

To follow the Vajrayana tradition, we must practice the lesser,middling and superior paths 1. These paths are all interrelated and complement each other. They should not be viewed as beingindependent or superior to each other. It is not possible for the

practitioner to enter the Vajrayana path without first masteringthe Hinayana and Mahayana teachings, as Vajrayana itself is a

practice of the three yanas. It is not a different sect or cult of Buddhism, or a new religion.

When we build a house, we need a foundation, four pillars and aroof. The foundation or a set of pillars alone does not make a beautiful house. It is the combination of everything. Hence, theHinayana and Mahayana teachings are the pillars that support theVajrayana teachings. As they are all interlinked, it would beincorrect for us to regard these teachings to be inferior to theVajrayana. They are important in their own ways, and are to beequally respected, as they too contain the Buddhas precious

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teachings. In fact, to doubt and deny the Mahayana and to

belittle those who follow the Hinayana are cited as 2 of the 18root downfalls of Bodhisattvas.

Sometimes, due to our ignorance, we misunderstand manythings, and we perceive things to be different from what theyactually are. Ultimately, all things are equal. There is no pure,there is no impure. There is no right, and there is no wrong. Theyare all equal in Dharmakaya. For Buddhas, hell is heaven, and

heaven is hell - there is no difference. That is why we mustrespect every religion and every individual.

Vajrayana the secret practice

Vajrayana is also called the secret practice or the secretyana, because the more secretive the practitioner is about his

practice, the better his achievements. The more he publicizes, theless blessings he receives. Secondly, there are also uncommon

practices such as the protector practice or the practice of channelsand chakras. If these were made public, it might cause those whohave no faith and who do not understand, to misconstrue theactual meaning. For example, when people think of Buddhas,they have an impression of serenity, peace and beauty. However,some images of protectors who are actually manifestations of Buddhas, look wrathful and grotesque. If the public were to seethem, they might criticise or misunderstand Vajrayana Buddhismaltogether, leading them to create negative karma. This is whyVajrayana, in particular the advanced practices, has to be secretly

practiced.

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Mantrayana - the power of a simple word

How can a mantra bring so much benefit to those who chant it?

We might as well ask, how can a simple thoughtless word makeyou angry and a kind word make you happy? Words contain a lotof meaning and can be used to bring joy or pain. For instance, if you were to say, Oh, you are such a nice honest person, it willimmediately make the recipient happy to hear it. But if you were

to say, Oh, you are dishonest, or You are fat and ugly, thereaction will be totally different. If spoken words such as thesehave so much power to create harm or good, why not mantrasthat have been blessed by the Buddhas?

For this reason, Vajrayana is also called "Mantrayana". Bychanting mantras, we will purify all the impurities of our body,speech and mind caused by ignorance, hatred, desire, attachment,

jealousy and so forth, as the wisdom, power or blessings of thedeity exists within the mantra itself.

Furthermore, there is tremendous benefit when we recite withsincere devotion, accompanied by a visualization of the deity asvisualization is an integral part of Vajrayana. There are peoplewho recite mantras without concentration or devotion - like a

parrot singing a song. If this is how you practice, you willachieve nothing, even in a million years! In order for your

practice to be effective and profound, you should concentrate and visualize.

Buddhists regard this age as the Dark Age because the world is incrisis. There are outbreaks of epidemic, famine and war everywhere. During this period, it is believed that our devotion,

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efforts and practice will deteriorate. For example, a long timeago, great practitioners like Milarepa, Marpa and Atisha had totravel a great distance to find their teachers and to obtainteachings. But now, teachers take on the role of traveling to meetthe students! This is why it is called the Dark Age - not becauseour intentions are bad, but because our merit is decreasing. Inthis period, it is important to recite a lot of mantras and to

practice as much as possible.

Are you sui table for Vajrayana?

I am often asked how can one tell whether one is suitable to practice the Vajrayana. You will know this through your ownexperience. For instance, when you listen to Vajrayana teachings,or when you see Vajrayana activities and the different forms of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, do you feel devotion in your heart? If you cry or have goosebumps when you see a certain lama, or while you are carrying out particular practices, and mostimportantly, if you have a sense of belonging, this clearly showsthat you belong to the tradition.

The Vajrayana student

To enter the Vajrayana path in the first place, one has to haveaccumulated a lot of merits. Once you have decided to follow theVajrayana tradition, it is essential to find a good teacher.

The Vajrayana student must possess the following qualities.Firstly, he must have a sharp intelligence to understand the

practices and the teachings. Next, he must practice the Hinayana

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and Mahayana traditions, as they form the very basic and essential foundation of Vajrayana. Thirdly, his mind should beripened by initiations i.e. the practitioner must have matured hisunderstanding through initiations and accept Vajrayana practiceas his main practice. Finally, he must maintain the major and secondary vows 2.

If a practitioner possesses these qualities, it is possible for him to become enlightened within a lifetime. For example, Milarepa had

murdered 36 people at the instigation of his mother. Feelingrepentant, he searched for his guru Marpa. Through his profound devotion and commitment to Marpa, he was able to purify all hisnegative karma, and became enlightened in that lifetime.Similarly, we too can become enlightened if we are able to

preserve all the major and secondary vows, possess all thequalities that a Vajrayana practitioner should have, and mostimportantly, if we have unshakeable devotion towards our guru.

Vajrayana Buddhism in brief

In Vajrayana Buddhism there are four kinds of tantra KriyaTantra, Charya Tantra, Yoga tantra and Anuyoga tantra. Thereare many choices available to practitioners of all capacities. Inorder for a practice to be successful, it must match the capacityof the individual. If this is matched correctly, then the methodsand techniques will be easier for the practitioner to adopt.Furthermore, the practitioner does not have to go through anytrial by fire rituals in order to practice. You just need a cushionand a place to sit comfortably.

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As in everything we do, it is important to find the right balance inhow much one practice. It is advisable not to practice excessivelyor irregularly. One should practice to the best of ones ability

because it is not the quantity, but the quality that counts. Over practicing may also cause you to lose interest altogether, whichwill be harmful in the long run.

Of gurus, yidams and protectors - the three roots

In the Hinayana and Mahayana traditions, we take refuge in theBuddha, Dharma and Sangha. In Vajrayana, there are threeadditional aspects of refuge, which comprises the three roots.They are your guru, yidam and protector.

In Vajrayana, it is believed that the entire blessing comes fromthe guru. It is impossible to attain enlightenment without thegurus blessings, as the guru is the embodiment of Buddha,Dharma and Sangha. Therefore, it is essential to look for a good teacher because the teacher is the heart of any practice. A sayinggoes that if you perceive your teacher as a Buddha, you willreceive the blessings of a Buddha. If you see him as aBodhisattva, you will receive the blessings of a Bodhisattva. If you look upon him as a friend, then you will only receive the

blessings of a friend.

What you reap from your practice, depends very much on howyou regard your guru and the level of respect you give him.Ultimately, everything depends on your perception of him. Thisis extremely important in Vajrayana. If we were to study and

practice on our own, it will never get us anywhere no matter how

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much effort we make. In order to realize the ultimate truth or thetrue nature of your mind, you need your gurus blessings.

The yidam is the deity with whom you have a close affinity from previous lifetimes and is an essential part of your life. The yidam bestows the following eight accomplishments 3:

1. Power to create pills that can sustain life withoutconventional food for a long period,

2. Power to create an eye lotion, which can extend ones vision,3. Power to walk underground without obstruction,4. Power to ride on a flying sword,5. Power to fly,6. Power to become invisible,7. Power to prolong ones life; and,8. Power to heal diseases. 4

Through your yidam practice, you will also realize the truenature of your mind.

The protectors, dakinis, gods and goddesses protect us bothexternally and internally from harm. Externally, we will be

protected from all kinds of non-being harms. Internally, we will be protected from the five poisons such as hatred, desire,attachment, and other obstacles such as those causing us to fallasleep while practicing.

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Bodhicitta, skilful means and wisdom

Bodhicitta is the practice of the awakened mind. As human beings, we are self-centred. We work hard to earn money for ourselves. We even pray only for our own benefit. However,when we possess Bodhicitta, or the awakened mind of a Buddha,our mind will constantly consider the welfare of others strangers, enemies and those dearest to us.

Why is it important to have Bodhicitta? These beings, who wenow perceive to be strangers or enemies, have actually been our parents in our previous lives as we have undergone rebirth manytimes. We should not remain insensitive to their sufferings. Justas you worry and feel troubled for your loved ones, so should you feel the same for these strangers and enemies. Therefore,

by practicing for all sentient beings, our practice is directed toreduce the sufferings of all sentient beings. This is called theBodhicitta practice. By practicing in this way, an ordinary merit

becomes extraordinary. Just as a drop of water by itself willevaporate quickly while one in an ocean will never run dry, anordinary merit will be finished in a matter of time whileextraordinary merit continues to increase perpetually. This is thedifference between an ordinary practice and an extraordinary

practice.

Besides Bodhicitta, we also need to have skilful means and wisdom 5. The joining of skilful means and wisdom istraditionally symbolised by the deity with a consort - the femalesymbolising the wisdom aspect, and the male symbolising themethod aspect of the practice 6. Skilful means and wisdomcombined, produces the awakened mind of a Buddha, whichfrees us from confusion and misconception.

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Generation & completion s tage in brief

In order for the practice to be successful, you must receive thecomplete initiation, instruction and transmission for the particular

practice you are undertaking.

There are three important steps in any yoga practice. The first isto visualise oneself as the deity. The second is the inner practice,which works with the subtle, pure or illusory body. Finally, there

is formless meditation. These three steps makes up the generationand completion stage.

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The construction of a deity in our mind is the generation stage.For example, when we practice Vajrasattva, we must first freeourselves from ordinary thoughts. Then, we begin the generationstage by visualising a beautiful white lotus on our crown with aflat moon lying in the middle of the lotus. On that flat moon isVajrasattva who is white in colour. The letter HUNG standsupright in his heart with the 100-syllable mantra surrounding itand revolving clockwise. He holds a vajra in his right hand and a

bell in the left. He sits in the posture similar to Taras and his big

toe touches your crown. When you recite his mantra, whitenectar comes down from his heart and through the toe, filling and purifying your body. Imagine that all the negativities created by physical acts comes out from the lower part of your body in theform of sweat, worms, sludge, blood and pus and dissolves intothe earth.

The nectar then flows back up to touch Vajrasattvas toe. Again,visualise that the negativities created by wrong speech and wrongthoughts are purified, and we concentrate on this . So this iswhere the shamatha and vipasanna meditation techniques comeinto play. Shamatha meditation means to concentrate with a one-

pointed mind i.e. if youre concentrating on the BuddhaVajrasattva, then you should not have any other thoughts exceptfor this image. On the other hand, a meditator using thevipassana technique will focus but remains aware of what he isdoing at the same time.

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Once the visualization is finished, one progresses to thecompletion stage. The completion stage eliminates our attachment to the deity. If one develops attachment to Buddha, itis similar to having attachment to anything else. Any kind of attachment, good or bad, brings sufferings. Hence, the generationstage builds your dream house; the completion stage tells you,Hey, this is not real, so dont get too attached!

There are two types of completion stage with signs and without

signs. The completion stage with signs works by using inner yoga and the subtle or very pure body, which is incorporated inthe Six Yogas of Naropa. Completion stage without signs reststhe mind directly in the nature of the mind as in the Mahamudra

practice.

Now, dissolve the visualisation of Vajrasattva into the HUNGand then the HUNG disappears into oneself. After that, just

imagine that Vajrasattva or your guru is at your crown. Hence,there is nothing there to get attached to as there is nothing to hold on to in your mind.

So this is the practice of generation and completion stage in brief.

Sealing the merit

Finally, we must always dedicate to seal or preserve the merits of the practice. In order for the dedication to be extraordinary, youneed to free yourself from the three-fold conceptions of I (the

person dedicating), you (the recipient of merits) and there being merits to dedicate. Having these thoughts that the I,you and merits are real will make it an ordinary dedication.

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When these thoughts are absent, the dedication becomes more profound as no attachment is involved.

About the self-service concept

Buddha Sakyamuni said, I can show you the way, but you haveto practice to attain liberation. If you dont practice, even theBuddha cannot help you. A patient seeking a cure for an illness

needs to consult the doctor and take the prescribed medicine.Similarly, if you want to be free from samsara, you have to practice the Dharma personally. It cannot be done on your behalf.If it were possible to practice for someone else, Buddha would have done so instead of leaving us here in samsara.

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Questions & Answers

1. Student: How does an ordinary merit become extraordinary?Rinpoche: As beginners, when we practice, we always

expect returns - I give you $1 in return for $2.Due to this, whatever merit we obtain has lesseffect. When Buddhas and Bodhisattvas help us,they never think about reward as there is no

emotion or self-interest involved. We too can practice in this way once our practice has reached a higher level. Right now, having not perfected our practice, it is impossible for us to do so - butat least we can try to emulate the Buddhas so thatone day it will become a reality. In order to

perfect this practice, we also need a correctunderstanding of both emptiness and bodhicitta,

because when two hands are apart, it produces nosound.

2. Student: Why is the protector practice important? There isalso a practice, where the yidam manifests as theDharma protector. If this is so, why do we need separate practices for both the yidam and the

protector?Rinpoche: Are you saying that you dont need a separate

protector practice because the yidam will servethe same purpose? There are two ways to explainthis.

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In relative truth, there is the yidam, the protector and the guru. But in reality, the guru is theembodiment of the three jewels. The guru can also

become the protector and the yidam. This is animportant concept.

3. Student: What happens when we break our samaya?Rinpoche: The word samaya means an unbreakable

promise or bond. In Vajrayana, those with whomyou have attended teachings and initations areyour vajra brothers and sisters. So you should respect each other. If you hate or carry outnegative acts against each other, you will break your samaya. Once your samaya is broken,whatever practice you are undertaking will not beattainable due to this broken bond.

4. Student: Those of us who attend teachings in many placeshave taken on many practices and have heavycommitments. When we attend more teachings,we have even more commitments. As lay

practitioners, we have limited time, as we alsohave to work. So how can we possibly cope whenwe have to practice 24 hours a day?

Rinpoche: When you practice guru yoga, visualize the mainguru as all the gurus together. For example, youcan visualize your guru in the form of Vajradhara,Tara or Mahakala, or in the form of all the other gurus. Thats how we can visualize and practice,

because if we have to practice each guru

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separately, it may take a very long time. Guruyoga is for the guru. So if you wish to add other gurus in, it is acceptable, as they are allinseparable.

5. Student: What is vipasanna?Rinpoche: Vipasanna literally means seeing as it is - nothing

extra. By way of reasoning, through logic, we try

to work out a subject, such as: Is there inherentexistence? Is there solidity? Does an object trulyexist? Does mind exist? Then we go through thefollowing analysis - for example, we label a bunchof petals as a flower but it doesnt really haveinherent existence. If I pluck each of the petalsoff, after some time the form of the flower hasdisappeared. Or the mind itself, where does it

come from? If I search for my mind, where is it?Is it inside or outside the body? What is its color -red, blue or purple? If it has color, then it should also have a shape is it round or square?Eventually, you will arrive at the conclusion thatyou cannot find anything. On that finding, yourest your mind. This is called vipassanameditation.

Student: What should we do with our breathing?Rinpoche: Breathe normally. This method of meditation does

not involve breathing techniques. Just use your mind and let it rest on that particular finding.

There is a difference between resting your mind on nothing and resting your mind on a finding. It

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is important to maintain this finding in your mind for as long as possible because once you have had this experience, after some time it will justdisappear as it is not maintained. Therefore, it isextremely important that you hold onto thatexperience to prevent you from losing it.

In Vajrayana, there is a tradition of showing youthe nature of your mind. Once the teacher shows

you the nature of your mind, probably 1 or 2 outof 100 people may be able to grab that moment. If you do, that is very good. But if you do not

practice after experiencing this, then you will loseit altogether. To prevent this from happening, tryto maintain it as long as possible. And eventually,it will become a realization.

In vipassana meditation, one investigates by wayof reasoning. Dont just accept the conclusion,Oh, the mind does not exist and thats it. Onehas to have a heart felt belief by way of reasoning.Sometimes, when we hear something, we may not

be truly convinced. So we have to investigate for ourselves in order to be fully convinced.

6. Student: Can you explain how we should practice Tara?Rinpoche: There are many levels of Green Tara. Some are in

higher tantra, some in kriya tantra. Kriya tantrameans action tantra. As the emphasis of kriyatantra is on external practices such as purifyingthe body, speech and mind, it requires you to

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observe external cleanliness such as taking ashower, not eating the five meats, not drinking thefive nectars and not visualizing deities in consortform. So, if you can, before practicing Tara, donteat meat. But in higher tantra, you can eat meat,drink the five nectars and visualize the deity inconsort forms. In most kriya tantra practices, it isadvisable to refrain from eating meat before you

practice.

7. Student: Why do we need to send the deity back after practicing? If the yidam or protector is supposed to help us, why do we need to send them back?Cant they remain with us all the time?

Rinpoche: As our thoughts are generally limited, in certain practices, we follow a formality of inviting and

sending the deity back. You cant keep them withyou all the time. Its like inviting a guest for dinner. Do you want the guest to remain with youall the time? It is the same here. If there is nostatue or tangka, we will ask them to return totheir pureland. But if there is a statue, then wedissolve the deity into it. Generally, there are 2ways to do so, either step by step or instantaneously. But it is important for you tounderstand that the deity is actually within you.

8. Student: Can I use my protector as a bodyguard?Rinpoche: No, you cannot use the protector as your

bodyguard - it is different. If you approach it in

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this way, then you will ask the protector to buylottery for you!

The protector is not a human protector like asecurity guard. The protector or yidam doesnthave to be with you all the time. They can beelsewhere but they can still protect you. BuddhaSakyamuni is not physically here, but when werequest for his blessing, hes always with us. It is

the same concept. So, even though you have sentthe protector back, this doesnt mean that they arenot with you. They may not be physically withyou, but they can still protect you.

9. Student: How should I visualize when I chant the deitysmantra?

Rinpoche: When you are chanting any mantra, you have tovisualize the deity in front of you, and you mustgenerate strong devotion. As you recite themantra, think that the deitys blessing comes toyou in the form of light, purifying the impuritiesof body, speech and mind.

10. Student: I know a monk in Sikkim who believes thataccumulating merit in Sikkim itself is worthhundred thousand times more than building up thesame merit outside of Sikkim. Is this true?

Rinpoche: I have never heard of this but many renowned masters believe that when you practice in holy

places, the merit will be more than reciting in

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places which are not considered holy, like Africa, places where Sakyamuni Buddha and Bodhisattvas have not visited. As SakyamuniBuddha was born in India, many regard it asextremely blessed. Holy places contain a lot of

profound positive energy, and hence, the meritgenerated is stronger. But Im not sure whether itis a hundred thousand times stronger.

11. Student: If someone is sincere, honest and kind but lazy,can he still be regarded as a good Buddhist?

Rinpoche: If you are lazy, then you are not a good Buddhist!Having good qualities of honesty and sinceritydoes not justify laziness. Perseverance and diligence are essential qualities of a Buddhist

practitioner, so of course you cannot be lazy!

12. Student: Why do we need to perform pujas or even chant?Rinpoche: Because we never practice so we have to do

pujas!

The Essence of Vajrayana Buddhism was taught at the Karma KagyudBuddhist Center, Singapore during the Grand Vajrasattva Puja on 18 March1997.

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essence of vajrayanabuddhism

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