Tantric Techniques (51 page)

periods of countless eons and so forth, whereas here [in Mantra] one is completely purified in a single lifetime, in seven births, or sixteen births.

Abandonment of afflictive emotions:
Afflictive emotions are naturally abandoned through pledges of color and shape and through treating all [phenomena] as special objects.

Unsurpassed contemplation:
This is applied to exalted body, speech, and mind. Through applying unsurpassed contemplation to exalted body, four qualities are generated: (1) quickly overcoming predispositions for the proliferation of the ordinary, (2) quickly overcoming the fruition of karma, (3) engendering great collections of merit, and (4) naturally entering into the selflessness of phenomena. [To describe those four:]

1. Through overcoming conceptions of being ordinary and thereupon abiding in an exalted Buddha body, one overcomes conceptions of an [ordinary] body of beginningless time as well as name,
   a
   lineage, and so forth.
   

2. A divine body is the supreme path for [achieving] a union of calm abiding and special insight; hence, when that meditative stabilization [which is a union of calm abiding and special insight] is attained, the effects of earlier actions are quickly overcome. The
   Vairochan
   ā
   bhisambodhi Tantra
   says:
   b
   

   [Through] the ripening here of fruitions The effects of karmas are attained.
   

   When adepthood is attained, Karmas are overcome.
   

   Because the mind is without its own thingness
   c
   And because the causes of effects have been abandoned,
   

   One is freed from karmic births. Births are like space.
   

3. Through mindfulness of Buddhas and having faith upon recognizing Buddhas and making offerings with resources,
   

   

   a
   Read
   ming rigs
   for
   mi rigs
   (13.1) in accordance with the
   Medium-Length
   version, 622.1.
   

   b
   rnam par snang mdzad chen po mngon par rdzogs par byang chub pa rnam par sprul ba, mah
   ā
   vairocan
   ā
   bhisa
   ṃ
   bodhivikurvat
   ī
   ;
   P126, vol. 5.
   

   c
   rang dngos med
   (13.3).
   

   218
   Tantric Techniques
   

   

   collections of merit are always produced. Also, when meditation of a divine body has become manifest, all phenomena are understood as just appearances of one’s own mind, and moreover, understanding that even the mind is not established aris-es. Through this and since pristine wisdom is generated in the mental continuum of one with merit, such serves as a cause of pristine wisdom.
   

4. For this reason, meditation of a divine body involves natural entry into the meaning of the selflessness of phenomena.
   

Through applying unsurpassed contemplation to exalted speech, there are twelve qualities: (1) reciting the word of a Conqueror, (2) mindfulness of doctrine, (3) having faith upon knowing the doctrine, (4) achieving [the utterance of ] true words of speech,

1. attaining method, pristine wisdom, and mindfulness due to possessing wisdom, (6) attaining one-pointed meditative stabilization,
   

(7) offering to Superiors, (8) bringing about the welfare of transmigrators, (9) deities becoming close and one’s speedily achieving them, (10) all phenomena coming under the control of the magic of letters, (11) generation of knowledge of all sounds as like echoes, and (12) naturally entering into the selflessness of phenomena. [To describe these:]

1. Through reciting one syllable of a secret essence [mantra] of a One-Gone-Thus, one attains qualities that cannot be rivaled even by reciting profound and vast s
   ū
   tras.
   

2. and 3. Mindfulness of doctrine and having faith upon knowing the doctrine are due to again and again remembering the pow-er of secret mantra and the arising of the faith of conviction and trust in the power of secret mantra.
   

1. Achieving [the utterance of ] true words of speech is due to the mantra words of one who has achieved repetition, these not be-ing surpassed by anyone.
   

2. Attaining method, pristine wisdom, and mindfulness due to possessing wisdom is due to the fact that through the power of secret-mantras, knowledge-mantras, and retention-mantras one attains [respectively] wisdom and method, wisdom and pristine wisdom, and wisdom and mindfulness.
   

3. In dependence upon vajra repetition and so forth, one-pointed meditative stabilization is attained.
   

4. and 8. Through emitting light rays, one makes offerings to
   

Bu-tön Rin-chen-drup’s Stimulating Catalogue
219

Superiors and brings about the welfare of transmigrators.

1. Through the power of emitting and withdrawing [hand-symbols such as vajras, and so forth], obstructions are purified, due to which deities become close, and one quickly attains feats.
   

2. When one attains [constant] observation of the forms of letters, all appearances are seen in the nature of letters, and one can demonstrate the magic of letters.
   

3. The pledge of repetition is to know sounds as like echoes; therefore, through the power of familiarity all sounds are naturally known as like echoes.
   

4. Having attained [constant] observation of what is repeated, one knows all phenomena as just appearances of one’s mind, and knows the mind also as without inherent existence. Because of that and because it is said, “Even through reciting once this essence [mantra] all ill deeds are definitely burnt away,” and so forth, obstructions are extinguished through repetition, and when they are extinguished, pristine wisdom is engendered, whereby one achieves the quality of naturally entering into the meaning of selflessness.
   

Through applying unsurpassed contemplation to exalted mind, all qualities are achieved. This is because at all times and on all occasions one is not separated from viewing all phenomena as like illusions, and due to this afflictive emotions are abandoned without difficulty and attitudes fancying that one is virtuous are discarded, whereby all supramundane marvels are attained.

Objection:
This is also asserted by the Proponents of the Middle Way School of the Definition Vehicle. It is said, “Do not have a mind fancying, ‘I am set in meditative equipoise and [then] rise,’” and “The Conqueror said that taking cognizance of wholesome practices
a
is like eating good food mixed with poison.” Hence, it is said that all phenomena are to be viewed as like illusions.

Answer:
That is true, but there [in the Definition Vehicle] since one is not bound by [Tantric] vows, one is very loose, whereas here [in the Mantra Vehicle] if one does not meditate such, this is posited as allowing the pledge of exalted mind to deteriorate, due to which, fearing this, one does not ever become separated from meditative stabilization, and even if one does, one restrains [such

a
chos, dharma
.

220
Tantric Techniques

distraction] and confesses it. Therefore, just as the exalted mind of a One-Gone-Thus is devoid of conceiving inherent existence, so a M
ā
ntrika’s consciousness is also released from conceiving inherent existence and is indivisible from realizing [all phenomena] as hav-ing the single nature of being like illusions; hence, it is called the “Vajra [or Diamond] Vehicle.” Also, it is faster than other paths.

Unsurpassed deeds:
Three [types of ] unfavorable deeds are abandoned. With respect to deeds that diminish capacity, it is said:

Through resorting to hard asceticism [and] vows of restraint

Achievement does not come,

But if one resorts to all desired resources, Achievement quickly comes.

Hence, through practicing virtue strongly upon having nurtured the body and made the mind joyful, achievement comes. How could yoga be achieved with a degenerated body and joyless mind! Qualities of purification, and so forth, are taught for those of little men-tal power who, through nurturing the body and thereupon practicing virtue, cannot eradicate the afflictive emotions. Here, in consideration of those with great mental power, it is permitted to make use of desire.

With respect to activities causing distraction, it is said:

If you want the supreme enlightenment, You should not read books

And should not circumambulate monuments. If you do, it is difficult to gain enlightenment.

Therefore, since the main cause for achieving enlightenment, the sought-after fruit, is the mind, initially the mind should be brought under control, and other activities should not be done. Having abandoned elaborative deeds, one should meditate just mentally with nonelaborative deeds. This is the supreme method.

With respect to deeds of conceiving inherent existence, it is said:

Make use of the five fleshes and the five ambrosias In order to abandon conceptions.

Because cleanliness, uncleanliness, and so forth are bonds of conceptualization, one should, having abandoned conceptions of cleanliness and uncleanliness, use them upon blessing them into a