Tantric Techniques (89 page)

Authors: Jeffrey Hopkins

Tags: #Health & Fitness, #Yoga, #Body; Mind & Spirit, #Meditation, #Religion, #Buddhism, #General, #Tibetan

It is not correct to assert that the two Mah
ā
y
ā
nas differ by way of having or not having cultivation of the path without abandoning desire, because both vehicles teach the cultivation of paths free from desire. For it is said in S
ū
tra that there are times of allowing impure deeds and so forth as a branch [of the path] related to the special purposes of others, as in the case of the Brahmin Khyi’u skar ma.

Our Own System

That which abides in the class of being distinguished by [1] being Mah
ā
y
ā
na and [2] having cultivation of a path according in aspect with the form body (
r
ū
pak
ā
ya
) of a buddha is the definition of the Vajra Vehicle. This is established by texts of Highest Mantra as well as the lower tantras. The
Vajrapañjara Tantra
says:

If emptiness were the method Then buddhahood could not be.

Since other than this cause, no effect exists, The method is not emptiness.

The conquerors teach emptiness

For the sake of reversing adherence to self In those who seek the view of self

And in those who have turned away from all [right] views.

Therefore, it is called “the circle of the ma
ṇḍ
ala.” It is a binding of the method of bliss.

Through the yoga of buddha pride, Buddhahood is not distant.

A Teacher possesses thirty-two major marks As well as eighty secondary marks.

Therefore, by that method it will be attained.

The method is to bear the Teacher’s form.
b

a
See Bu ston, p. 31.6-32.5.

b
P11, vol. 1, 223.4.4-7.

374
Tantric Techniques

In his
Engaging in the Means of Self-Achievement
(
Ā
tmas
ā
dhan
ā
- vat
ā
ra
), the master Buddhajñ
ā
nap
ā
da cites passages in the
Ornament for the Mah
ā
y
ā
na S
ū
tras
(
Mah
ā
y
ā
nas
ū
tr
ā
la
ṃ
k
ā
ra
) and the
Condensed Perfection of Wisdom S
ū
tra
(
Sañcayag
ā
th
ā
prajñ
ā
p
ā
ramit
ā
s
ū
tra
) setting forth the explanation that the methods of giving and so forth conjoined with the wisdom realizing selflessness are the highest me-thod of achieving a form body.
a
Then he says, “However, this is not so because other than accustoming to a dissimilar cause, there is no cultivation of a path that accords with the manifestation of full enlightenment.”
b
The meaning is that the method of achieving a form body explained in the Perfection Vehicle to be the highest is not the highest method of achieving a form body, because the Perfection Vehicle does not have cultivation of a path that accords in as-pect with a form body, the fruition.

What is the highest method of achieving a form body? In order to indicate that deity yoga which is a nonduality of the profound and the manifest is the method, [Buddhajñ
ā
nap
ā
da’s]
Self-Achievement
says, “As with selflessness, meditate on the entity of the vast in the mode of nondifference.”
c
The master Ratn
ā
kara
śā
nti gives a similar explanation in his
Commentary on D
ī
pa
ṅ
karabhadra’s “Four Hundred and Fifty”
(
Guhyasam
ā
jama
ṇḍ
alavidhi
ṭī
k
ā
).
d
The master Abhay
ā
kara also explains the mode [of cultivating a form body] in this way in his
Clusters of Quintessential Instructions
(
Ā
mn
ā
y
ā
mañjari
).
e
Ś
r
ī
dhara says in his
Innate Illumination, Commentary on the Difficult Points of the Yam
ā
ri Tantra
(
Yam
ā
ritantrapañjik
ā
sahaj
ā
loka
):

It should not be said that [form bodies] will arise by way of methods of giving and so forth and through the power of prayers. When one is doubtful concerning the nature of enjoyment (
sa
ṃ
bhogak
ā
ya
) and emanation bodies (
nirm
āṇ
ak
ā
ya
) that are not meditated upon, how could one become certain? If someone says, “Still, they will arise by the power of prayer,” then, since one could manifest [a truth body] without meditating on selflessness, what is accomplished by the fatigue of meditating upon it? If

a
P2723, vol. 65, 28.2.6 through 28.3.5.

b
P2723, vol. 65, 28.3.5.

c
P2723, vol. 65, 28.4.8.

d
P2734, vol. 65, 173.5.2-4.

e
P2710, vol. 55, 180.2.8 through 180.3.1.

The First Pa
ṇ
-chen Lama’s Reformulation
375

someone says, “[A truth body] arises through meditation,” then what fault is there with the two bodies of enjoyment and emanation? Why are these not meditated upon? Therefore, even those abiding in the Perfection Vehicle accept a buddhahood having a nature of the three bodies. They are manifested through meditation upon them.
a

He finds this similarity: to achieve the two, the truth and form bo-dies that are the fruitions, if one is to be achieved by a path according in aspect with it, then the other must equally be so achieved, and if not, the other also is not. Then, regarding their achievement, the great adept
Ś
r
ī
dhara, to prove his point, quotes:

The cause of achieving buddhahood Is buddha yoga.

Is it not seen that in every way

The fruition is similar to the cause?
b

Also, Vinayadatta says in
Rite of the Great Illusion Ma
ṇḍ
ala
(
Mah
ā
ma-y
ā
ma
ṇḍ
alop
ā
yika
):

Meditating that one is a form body and a truth body, O, enlightenment is definitely attained.

If a truth body is attained through the concentration of a Conqueror

Should one not meditate on a body of form?
c

It is also established [that the definition of the Vajra Vehicle above is consistent with the lower tantras] because it is clearly said in the first section of the
Compendium of Principles
(
Tattvasa
ṃ
graha
):

If one cultivates a buddha body With one’s own subtle atoms

Of body, speech, and mind as vajras,

One becomes a complete buddha.
d

[This method] is also clearly described in the commentary on this,
Śā
kyamitra’s
Ornament of Kosala
(
Kosal
ā
la
ṃ
k
ā
ratattvasa
ṃ
graha
ṭī
k
ā
), as well as in
Ā
nandagarbha’s
Illumination of Principles
(
Tattv
ā
loka
) and