Various Aspects of Tantra
by His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche
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|  Kyabje
Trijang Rinpoche (1901-81), the late junior tutor of
His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, was also the root guru of Lama Yeshe, Lama
Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe
Rabten, Geshe
Dhargyey and many other great twentieth-century
teachers of the Gelug tradition. He was the main disciple
of Pabongka Rinpoche
and editor of Liberation
in the Palm of Your Hand. The above excerpts
are from a teaching given to Western Dharma students
in Dharamsala. Translated by Gavin Kilty. Prepared by
Michael Lewis. Printed in From Tushita, edited
and published by Michael Hellbach, Tushita Editions,
1977.
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The relationship between Buddhist and Hindu tantra
Although some scholars have maintained that
Buddhist tantra was derived from Hinduism, this is not correct.
This theory, prevalent among those who adhere to the tenets
of the Hinayana, is based on a superficial resemblance of
various elements of the two systems, such as the forms of
the deities, the meditations on psychic channels and winds,
the fire rituals and so forth. Though certain practices, like
the repetition of mantras, are common to both the Hindu and
Buddhist tantric traditions, their interpretation—their
inner meaning—is vastly different. Furthermore, Buddhist
tantra is superior because, unlike Hinduism, it contains the
three principal aspects of the path: renunciation, bodhicitta
and the right view of emptiness.
As even animals want freedom from suffering, there are non-Buddhist
practitioners who want to be free from contaminated feelings
of happiness and therefore cultivate the preparatory state
of the fourth meditative absorption. There are even some non-Buddhist
meditators who temporarily renounce contaminated feelings
of happiness and attain levels higher than the four absorptions.
However, only Buddhists renounce all of these as well as neutral
feelings and all-pervasive suffering. Then, by meditating
on the sufferings together with their causes, the mental defilements,
they can be abandoned forever. This explains why, even though
non-Buddhists meditate on the form and formless states and
attain the peak of worldly existence, they cannot abandon
the mental defilements of this state. Therefore, when they
meet with the right circumstances, anger and the other delusions
manifest, karma is created and they remain in cyclic existence.
Because of this and similar reasons, such practices are not
fit to be included in the Mahayana. They resemble neither
the practices of the common sutra path [Sutrayana, or Paramitayana]—which
comprises renunciation, yearning for freedom from the whole
of cyclic existence; the wisdom correctly understanding emptiness,
the right view, which is the antidote to ignorance, the root
of cyclic existence; and bodhicitta, the mind determined to
reach enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings—nor
those of the exclusive Buddhist tantric path of the Great
Vehicle [Vajrayana, Tantrayana, or Mantrayana].
The Origin of Tantra
The tantras were taught by the Buddha himself in the form
of his supreme manifestation as a monk, as the great Vajradhara
and in various manifestations of the central deity of specific
mandalas. The great beings Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Vajrapani
and others, urged by the Buddha, also taught some tantras.
In terms of the four classes of tantra, the Kriya [Action]
tantras were taught by the Buddha in the form of a monk in
the realm of the thirty-three gods on the summit of Mt. Meru
and in the human world, where Manjushri and others were the
chief hearers. The tantras requested by the bodhisattva Pungzang
were taught in the realm of Vajrapani. Others were taught
by the Buddha himself and, with his blessings, Avalokiteshvara,
Manjushri and Vajrapani. There were also some that were spoken
by worldly gods.
The Charya [Performance] tantras were taught by the Buddha
in the form of his supreme manifestation in the celestial
realms and in the realm called Base and Essence Adorned with
Flowers.
The Yoga tantras were taught by the Buddha when he arose in
the form of the central deity of each mandala in such places
as the summit of Mt. Meru and in the fifth celestial realm
of desire.
The Anuttara tantras were also taught by the Buddha. In the
land of Ögyan, having manifested the mandala of Guhyasamaja,
he taught this tantra to King Indrabodhi. The Buddha taught
the Yamantaka tantras at the time of the subduing of the demonic
forces, when they were requested by either the consort of
Yamantaka or the consort of Kalachakra. He taught the Hevajra
tantra when he arose in the form of Hevajra in the land of
Madgadha at the time of destroying the four maras; it was
requested by Vajragarbha and the consort of Hevajra. Having
been requested by Vajrayogini, the Buddha manifested as Heruka
and taught the root tantra of Heruka on the summit of Mt.
Meru, and when requested by Vajrapani, taught the explanatory
tantra. As for the Kalachakra tantra, which was requested
by King Suchandra, a manifestation of Vajrapani, the mighty
Buddha went to the glorious shrine of Dhanyakataka in south
India and, manifesting the mandala of the Dharmadhatu speech
surmounted by the mandala of Kalachakra, taught it there.
Although he appeared in many different manifestations, the
tantras were actually taught by the enlightened teacher, Lord
Buddha.
What happens during an initiation
There are many differences, some great and some small, in
the initiations of each of the four classes of tantra. Therefore,
one initiation is not sufficient for all mandalas. When receiving
an initiation from a qualified master, certain fortunate and
qualified disciples develop the wisdom of the initiation in
their mind streams. Otherwise, sitting in on an initiation,
experiencing the vase, water and other initiations, will plant
imprints to listen to Dharma in your mind but not much else
will happen. Still, you need an initiation if you want to
study tantra. If the secrets of tantra are explained to somebody
who has not received an initiation, the guru commits the seventh
tantric root downfall and the explanation is of no benefit
whatsoever to the disciple.
The relationship between sutra and tantra
Regarding renunciation and bodhicitta, there is no difference
between Sutrayana and Tantrayana, but regarding conduct there
is. Three kinds of conduct have been taught: disciples who
admire and have faith in the Hinayana should separate themselves
from all desires; disciples who admire the Sutrayana should
traverse the stages and practice the perfections; those who
admire the deep teachings of the Tantrayana should work with
the conduct of the path of desire.
From the point of view of the philosophy, there is no difference
in emptiness as an object of cognition but there is a difference
in the method of its realization. In the sutra tradition,
the conscious mind engages in meditative equipoise on emptiness;
in tantra, the innate wisdom, an extremely subtle mind, is
involved—the difference, therefore, is great. The main
practice of Sutrayana, engaging in the path as a cause to
achieve the form and wisdom bodies of a buddha, is the accumulation
of wisdom and merit for three countless eons and the accomplishment
of one’s own buddha fields. Therefore, Sutrayana is
known as the causal vehicle.
In tantra, even when still a beginner, one concentrates
and meditates on the four complete purities that are similar
to the result—the completely pure body, pure realm,
pure possessions and pure deeds of an enlightened being. Thus,
tantra is known as the resultant vehicle.
The Four Traditions
With respect to sutra, the explanation of the Hinayana and
Mahayana is the same in all the four great traditions of Tibetan
Buddhism. Also, as far as the preliminary practices are concerned,
there are no differences apart from the names. In the Gelug
tradition they are called “the stages of the path of
the three scopes”; in the Kagyü they are known
as “the four ways to change the mind”; in the
Drigung Kagyü as “the four Dharmas of Dagpa and
the five of Drigung”; and the Sakya refer to “separation
from the four attachments.” [Kyabje Rinpoche did not
refer to the Nyingma tradition here.]
With respect to tantra, the individual master’s way
of leading the disciples on the path depends on his experience
and the instructions of the root texts and the commentaries
of the great practitioners. Accordingly, the entrance into
practice is taught a little differently. However, all are
the same in that they lead to the final attainment of the
state of Vajradhara.
Notes
1. For details of the concentrations and the formless absorptions,
see Lati Rinbochay & Denma Lochö Rinbochay. Meditative
States in Tibetan Buddhism. Translated by Leah Zahler
& Jeffrey Hopkins. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1997.
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