Tantric Techniques (86 page)

Although those having the Hearer and Solitary Realizer lineages do not make effort on their own path for the purpose of attaining buddhahood, their paths should not be held as hindrances to becoming fully enlightened, because their paths were taught as a means of establishing these persons in buddhahood. The
Sa
ṃ
pu
ṭ
a Tantra
says:

Through many doctrines There is one liberation,

Just as by the flow of rivers, there is the sea.

Therefore, many [forms of liberation] are not observed.

Also, the
Expression of the Ultimate Names of the Wisdom Being Mañju
ś
r
ī

(
Mañju
ś
r
ī
jñ
ā
nasattvasyaparam
ā
rthan
ā
masa
ṃ
g
ī
ti
) says:

The deliverance of the three vehicles Abides in the fruition of one vehicle.
a

Divisions of the Mah
ā
y
ā
na

This section has two parts: the division of the Mah
ā
y
ā
na into two and a detailed explanation of the divisions of entry into the Vajra Vehicle.

Division of the Mah
ā
y
ā
na into two

This section has three parts: number of divisions, meaning of the individual divisions, and the reason for the division.

Number of divisions

Ś
raddh
ā
karavarma’s
Introduction to the Meaning of Highest Yoga Tantra
(
Yog
ā
nuttaratantr
ā
rth
ā
vat
ā
ra
) says, “There are also two bodhisattva vehicles, a vehicle of the stages and perfections and a Se-cret Mantra Effect Vajra Vehicle.”
b
Mantra Vehicle (
mantray
ā
na
),

a
Textual note at 4b2: the Peking edition reads
theg pa gsum gyi nges ’byung ni
.

b
P4536, vol. 81, 154.5.7.

364
Tantric Techniques

Secret Mantra Vehicle (
guhyamantray
ā
na
), Effect Vehicle (
phala-y
ā
na
), Vajra Vehicle (
vajray
ā
na
), Method Vehicle (
up
ā
yay
ā
na
), and vehicle of becoming purified through a path involving desire are synonyms. Similarly, the Perfection Vehicle is also called the vehicle of becoming fully purified by a path free from desire and the Cause Vehicle (
hetuy
ā
na
). The
S
ū
tra Revealing the Secret
, as quoted in Jñ
ā
na
ś
r
ī
’s
Eradication of the Two Extremes in the Vajra Vehicle
(
Vajray
ā
- nako
ṭ
idvay
ā
poha
), says:

When the wheel of the causal doctrine, Connected to causes, has been completely turned, The Effect Vehicle, the short path,

Will arise at a future time.
a

Similarly, in mantra texts it is also called the scriptural collections of the knowledge bearers (
vidy
ā
dh
ā
rapi
ṭ
aka
) and sets of tantras (
tantr
ā
nta
).

Meaning of the individual divisions

Secret Mantra Vehicle

There is a reason for calling the spontaneous Cause-Effect Vehicle or Mantra Vehicle, “Secret Mantra,” because it is secret to those who are not vessels of it and is achieved in a hidden manner. Also, it is called mantra, meaning “mind protector,” because
man
in the Sanskrit word
mantra
means “mind,” and
tr
ā
ya
means “protection.” The continuation of the
Guhyasam
ā
ja Tantra
says:

Minds arise through the cause Of a sense and an object.

That mind is said to be
man
.

The meaning of
tr
ā
is protector.
b

The Mantra Vehicle is called a vehicle because of meaning progression. When divided, there are two: cause vehicle or that by which one progresses, and Effect Vehicle or that to which one progresses.

Effect Vehicle

The Mantra Vehicle is also called the Effect Vehicle because it is a vehicle, or means of progressing, that involves cultivating a path

a
P4537, vol. 81, 159.3.4

b
69c-70b; P81, vol. 3, 200.4.2.

The First Pa
ṇ
-chen Lama’s Reformulation
365

according in aspect with the four complete purities of buddhahood, the effect.
Ś
raddh
ā
karavarma’s
Introduction to the Meaning of Highest Yoga Tantra
says, “It is called ‘effect’ because of having the mode of completely pure body, resources, abode, and deeds.”

Vajra Vehicle

The Mantra Vehicle is called the Vajra Vehicle because of being a vehicle that is a means of progress depending on the Vajrasattva yoga of inseparable method and wisdom. Ratn
ā
kara
śā
nti’s
Handful of Flowers, Explanation of the Guhyasam
ā
ja Tantra
(
Kusum
ā
ñjaliguhyasam
ā
janibandha
) says, “With regard to being called the Vajra Vehicle, that which includes all the Mah
ā
y
ā
na is the six perfections. That which includes them is method and wisdom. That which includes them as one taste is the mind of enlightenment. That is the Vajrasattva sam
ā
dhi; just this is a vajra. Because it is both a vajra and a vehicle, it is the Vajra Vehicle, the Mantra Vehicle.” From the point of view of its internal divisions, there are two [Vajra] vehicles, cause and effect.

Others [wrongly] assert that the meaning of Vajra Vehicle is indicated by a passage in the
Stainless Light
(
Vimalaprabh
ā
), which says, “Vajra is the unchangeable and the great unbreakable. Just that Mah
ā
y
ā
na is the Vajra Vehicle. It is the union in one taste of the mantra mode and the perfection mode, having the nature of effect and cause [respectively].” Their assertion is not correct because the names and meanings used in that passage refer to an undifferentiability of the two, a form body that is empty [of matter] and the supreme immutable bliss, and such does not apply to the lower sets of tantras. The
Brief Explication of Initiations
(
Ś
ekhodde
ś
a
), says:

The cause is that which holds the form of emptiness. The fruition holds unchangeable compassion.

Emptiness and compassion inseparable

Are described as the mind of enlightenment.

Method Vehicle

The Mantra Vehicle is called the Method Vehicle because of being a vehicle that surpasses the Perfection Vehicle by way of many skillful methods.

366
Tantric Techniques

Sets of Tantras

There is a reason for calling the scriptural collections of the knowledge bearers “tantra sets” [literally, “continuum sets”]. For, the objects of discussion, the meaning tantras, are called tantras in the sense of being continuous, and the scriptural collections of the knowledge bearers take these as their main objects of discussion. In this way, the name of the object of discussion [tantra] is designated to the means of discussion [the scripture]. Also, because the scriptural collections of the knowledge bearers are collections of tantras, they are called “sets.” The continuation of the
Guhyasam
ā
ja Tantra
says, “Tantra is known as ‘continuum.’”
a

Scriptural Collections of the Knowledge Bearers

There is a reason for calling the sets of tantras the scriptural collections of the knowledge bearers, because Buddhaguhya’s
Condensation of the Questions of Sub
ā
hu Tantra
(
Subh
ā
huparip
ṛ
cch
ā
n
ā
matantrapi
ṇḍā
rtha
) says that they are so called due to teaching points of training and tenets of the bearers of the knowledge mantras.

In which scriptural collection are the tantra sets included?
Ś
raddh
ā
karavarma’s
Introduction to the Meaning of Highest Yoga Tantra
explains one way of including them in the three scriptural collections, as well as a second way of making them a fourth scriptural collection.
b
However, Ratn
ā
kara
śā
nti’s explanation of them as the scriptural collection of the sets of discourses (
s
ū
tr
ā
nta
) due to teaching condensed profound meanings is good, because [the
Questions of Sub
ā
hu Tantra
says], “Listen and I will expound in the mode of the Secret Mantra sets of discourses.” Furthermore, [the term] “sets of discourses” is mentioned many times in the tantras. The master Abhay
ā
kara’s assertion of a way to include them in all scriptural collections is also good because, although from the viewpoint of entity they are assigned to the sets of discourses, when divided from the viewpoint of internal divisions, there are also portions of the other two scriptural collections.