Sacred Words of Lord Akshobya – Guhyasamaja Tantra Commentary

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(By Tsem Rinpoche)

Dear friends around the world,

This post is just for those who have been initiated by a teacher into the Guhyasamaja tantra. Otherwise please do not read or continue.

I have placed here as it is available in all Tibetan libraries, temples and universities. Many of the texts have also been translated into English. But it is a tantric code, so those not initiated are not to read or study it. So why have it here? Easier for those who do have the initiations to find information here and practice.

Tsem Rinpoche

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Guhyasamaja (Secret Assembly) is another very profound set of teachings by Lord Buddha within the highest class of tantras. According to one tradition, the Guhyasamāja Tantra was taught for the first time by the Buddha in the form of Vajradhara to Indrabhuti the King of Oddiyana, also called King Dza.

As with most tantras, there are different traditions and transmissions. Perhaps the oldest surviving lineage is the Jñānapada Tradition (ye shes zhabs lugs), which goes back to Buddhaśrijñāna (late 8th century). The most important historically is the Ārya tradition (gsang ‘dus ‘phags lugs) which is based on commentaries attributed to Nāgārjuna, Āryadeva, and Candrakīrti. ‘Gos Lotsawa Khug pa lhas btsas originated a transmission in Tibet, as did Marpa Lotsawa. The Sakya tradition received both transmissions. Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug tradition, considered the Guhyasamaja (Secret Assembly) to be the most important of the tantras and used the Ārya tradition as a template for interpreting all the other tantric traditions.

SACRED WORDS OF LORD AKSHOBYA

A Memorandum on the Visualisations Guide to the First Stage of the Path of 32 Deities of Guhyasamaja According to the Arya Tradition

By AKHU SHERAP GYATSO
Translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa
Translation project sponsored by the Gere Foundation, New York, 1999

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(SALUTATIONS)

(1b) Namo Guru Shri Guhyasamaja mandala deva ganashranam gacchami

May I be protected by the lord endowed with ‘seven aspects,’ the master-magician who permeates the entire space with ‘oceans of cloud’; you’re the spectre of pure and perfect worlds born of untainted great bliss, the indivisible sacred body-mind. Even a single hair from your bodily pores destroys an army of evils, you perceive all phenomena without ever rising from your equipoise; Surely to seek this ‘method of attainment’ is most worthy of effort, Once we’ve witnessed the great wonder of this path.

The fully enlightened Buddha—the incomparable master, the king of the Shakyas—first generated the mind of awakening; in the middle, he gathered the accumulations (of merit and wisdom) for over three innumerable aeons; and finally, he attained perfect enlightenment. He then taught 84,000 sets of discourse. Insofar as this is true, there is an agreement between the systems of sutra and tantra. (2a) However, according the sutra tradition, (the Buddha) is said to have become fully enlightened in the Sambhogakaya form in the akhinishta (perfect Buddha realm) when he was in his last life as a Bodhisattva on the tenth ground. From there, while residing as a Sambhogakaya endowed with the five definite characteristics, the Buddha manifests simultaneously in a multitude of emanations to the billions of world systems. This, then, is the received standpoint.

In contrast, according to the tantra system there is an acceptance that full enlightenment can take place both within the human and the deva realms—i.e. they can be either a human being or a deva, a celestial being. On this view, (it is believed that) when our Buddha Shakyamuni) was in his last life as a Bodhisattva, just before his full awakening in akhinishta he entered the path of tantra via ‘intermediate state’. At that point, at the invocation from all the Buddhas of the ten directions the goddess Thigle Chogma was called forth and the Bodhisattva was conferred the third (i.e.secret) initiation in actuality. Thus he entered the Guhyasamaja path and attained the pure ‘clear light’ and arose into the illusory body. (2b) Again, he entered into clear light and re-emerged as an ‘illusory body’ thus actualising the union of the learner’s stage. Subsequent to this, at dawn he was conferred directly the fourth (word) initiation thus leading to his full realisation of the ‘union of no more learning’, the state of being that is endowed with the seven aspects of (the malefemale) union.

Amongst the multitude of emanations that Buddha manifested in realms equal to the limits of space, in our world, i.e. on earth, he displayed such events as entering the womb of his mother, being born, excelling in the athletic skills, engaging in the physical penance, and so on, as mentioned in the sutra teachings. Although there is no explicit mention (in the tantras) of the Buddha’s deeds of sitting under the bodhi tree and conquering the maras, the references in some other tantras about conquering the maras by assuming the forms of “the wrathful deity victorious over all three realms” and the red and black Yamantakas can be seen as the Tantric version of this deed.

The following events, (i) the realisation of the ‘actual’ clear light at midnight as a result of being conferred the third initiation in its nakedness, (ii) the full awakening displayed at dawn on the 15th day of the fourth month subsequent to the conferment of the fourth initiation, and (iii) turning the three wheels of dharma and the four classes of tantra, constitute the process by which how the Buddha, in his form as Shakyamuni, taught the tantras on this earth. Generally speaking, it is said that as far as the teachings of the tantras are concerned there is no period of decline caused by fluctuations for they are being taught throughout all time. For example, the Ten Grounds Sutra states:

The Buddhas never go beyond sorrow; The dharma (sun) too will never set.

(3a) Similarly, The Sacred Names of Manjushri states:

The Buddhas of the past have taught this; The Buddhas of the future too will teach this; and it’s being taught again and again by the fully awakened ones of the present.

So, although it is difficult (categorically) to assert that according to the Tantric teachings there can be no ‘dark era’, but it must be accepted only provisionally in relation to general conventions. But if we accept these provisional notions too literally, it may lead to all kinds of contradictions and inconsistencies. To put it briefly, all the teachings that the Buddha has given can be subsumed into the two classes of sutras and tantras. For those who are inclined towards the ‘initial’ (path), the conducts of ‘detachment’ have been taught. For those who are inclined towards the ‘vast’ (path), the conducts of the ‘grounds and perfections’ have been taught. For those who are inclined towards the ‘profound’ (path), the conducts of ‘attachment’ have been taught. Of these, the first is the ‘listener’ and ‘selfenlightened Buddhas’ vehicle, the second, the great vehicle of the sutra teachings, and the third, the vehicle of Tantra. Amongst these, the discourse about the attainment of Buddhahood in a single lifetime is a concept unique to Tantra.

Within the tantras, there are four classes corresponding to the levels of the aspirants. Although all qualified tantric aspirants are capable of taking attachment into the path, depending on the levels of faculty of the practitioners there are differences. For example, the practices that present the path by emphasising the external such as washing, anointing and so on over the inner yogic meditation belong to Performance Tantra. (3b) These are taught to those aspirants who are capable only of, and not more than, taking into the path attachments generated through exchanging of glances between oneself and the visualised goddess. Similarly, those practices that present a path in terms of an equal emphasis on both the external rituals and inner yogas belong to Action Tantra. These are taught to those who are capable of, and not more than, taking into the path attachments generated through exchanging of glances and playful games with one’s visualised goddess. Furthermore, those practices that present a path that emphasises inner yogas over external rituals belong to Yoga tantra. These are taught to those aspirants who are capable of taking into path attachments generated through looking at, laughing with, and holding the hands of one’s visualised goddess but not the attachment generated by actual sexual union with the consort. Finally, the practices that present a path that emphasises only the inner yogas and is not dependent at all upon external rituals belong to Unsurpassed Yoga Tantra. These (teachings) are taught to those aspirants, who are not only capable of taking into the path attachments generated through looking at, laughing with, holding hands of the goddess, but have also the ability to take into the path attachments generated from the bliss of actual act of conjoining the two sexual organs. Since there is nothing beyond this (class), it is called the “unsurpassed yoga tantra.”

The Vajrapanjaratantra states:

To the inferior, the Performance Tantra…

Similarly, the Tantra of Union states:

Laughing, glancing and holding hands…

The meaning of these verses and also the passage

Like insects, the tantras are of four kinds,

suggest that just as tree-born insects eat away into the tree so, in the present context, the wisdom of simultaneous great bliss generated from attachment and its likes consumes attachment and attendant emotions. Many people misunderstand this idea of ‘taking attachment into the path’ thinking that actual afflictions are turned into aspects of the path. This, however, is not the case. Afflictions such as attachment is brought into the path as a source of impetus thereby transforming these into favourable conditions.

As a sutra states

As the manure of Shakya town becomes fertiliser…

Although, the transformation of attachment and its likes as aids on the path can be effected at high levels of realisation the Perfection vehicle, on the Tantric path this can be achieved even at the beginner’s stage. (4a) The manner in which this takes place is as follows. At first, even when attachment and its likes arise one ensures that they do not fall under the control of ordinary negative impulses. Then due to the power of a surging experience of emptiness negative emotions subside, while the force of the path increases thus acquiring powerful capacity to destroy the opposing forces of the path.

As regards the Unsurpassed Yoga Tantra, the earlier Tibetan masters list three categories: i) father tantras, ii) mother tantras, and iii) nondual tantras. The Sakyapas identify Hevajratantra as an example of the ‘nondual’ tantra, while the Jonangpas list Kalacakratantra as a ‘nondual’ tantra. Thus, depending upon what they considered to be their preferred tantra, they identify it as the ‘nondual’ tantra and hail it as supreme. However, such standpoints are fraught with contradictions. In contrast, the great master Tsongkhapa maintains that the ‘father’ in ‘father tantras‘ and ‘method’ in ‘method tantras‘ refer to the illusory body. Similarly, the ‘mother’ and ‘wisdom’ in ‘mother tantras‘ and ‘wisdom tantras‘ refer to clear light. Thus, those tantras that emphasise the attainment of the first are father tantras, while those that emphasise the attainment of the latter, are mother tantras. Furthermore, when one speaks of the ‘nondual method and wisdom tantras‘, ‘method’ here refers to the pristine cognition that is the union of great bliss and wisdom realising emptiness. Hence, there is a great deal of difference between this and the earlier understanding of nonduality. Tsongkhapa has stated that since a Unsurpassed Yoga Tantric text must necessarily has its subject-matter the wisdom of indivisible bliss and emptiness, all Unsurpassed Yoga Tantras are (by definition) ‘nondual’ tantras.

Earlier Tibetan masters maintain that those tantras which begin with “Thus have I heard once” as father tantras, while those begin with the passage “When the supreme secret is propounded” as mother tantras. (4b) Similarly, some maintain that those tantras that involve the descent of the wisdom beings done through (visualising) male deities are father tantras, while those done by female deities are mother tantras. The great master Tsongkhapa in his Great Exposition of Tantra and other works has refuted many of these viewpoints. Once you become aware of this point you will develop great certainty in our (preferred) standpoint.

There are three types of ‘method’ tantras. For example, the Guhyasamajatantra is a tantra of ‘desire(-transmuting)-method’, for when this Tantra is enumerated it states “One thousand Guhyasamaja.” Then there are those tantras for whose wrathful activities there must be the causal motivation for compassion, while for immediate impetus one requires harsh emotions. And the tantras that teach the path of such a transformation are tantras of ‘anger-(transmuting)-method’. This includes such tantras as the red and black Yamantakas. The great master Tsongkhapa has stated that there exist occasions when desire and anger can be taken as aids on the path. However, as far as delusion is concerned, except for the transformation of the attendant factors there are no occasions when delusion itself can be taken on the path. Because of this, Kyapgön Dorjechang has said that the statement that Aralitantra is a Tantra of ‘ignorance-(transmuting)-method’ should be understood as referring to taking on path the consciousness of sleep and dream states.

Generally speaking, four types of Guhyasamaja have been taught, namely that of the i) literal meaning, ii) general meaning, iii) hidden meaning, and of the iv) ultimate meaning. And, since all tantric paths are contained in them, they are called the root of all tantras. Also, as the words and meaning of all the sutras converge upon this tantra, it is called the ‘jewel ornament of all sutras’. It is said that Segyü Dorjechang once told Künkhyen Jamyang Shepa that if one understands the Guhyasamajatantra, he understands all the sutras and tantras. (5a) Furthermore, whether or not the essences of the Buddha’s teachings survive depends upon the survival of the study and practice of Guhyasamatantra.

For example, the Sacred Words of Manjushri states:

At that time and period

when this essential point can be heard,

it’s said that at that time

Buddha’s precious doctrine remains too.

Therefore, it is critical that we all strive hard at this juncture, when we have not only met with the secret mantra vehicle but also the teachings of the Guhyasamatantra. We are supposed to have had the fortune of encountering the sutra and tantric teachings of the second Buddha (Tsongkhapa). But the masters have said that if we do not meet with the teachings of Cakrasamvara and Guhyasamajatantra, we have not encountered the complete doctrine of the great Tsongkhapa. Even when one endeavours in the study of the five treatises, it is the tantras that one must eventually arrive at. As stated by Tsongkhapa “Whatever you have taught…” in sutra system all teachings including those on the four truths must finally converge on the teachings on emptiness. This does not mean merely that these teachings must relate to means of understanding and cognising emptiness, but that they must also be understood in terms of perfecting the path of emptiness. Therefore, it is essential that we realise without mistake the ‘limit of reality’s sphere’— i.e. emptiness—on the basis of fusing the innate mind with emptiness as if merging the two indistinguishably into a ‘single taste’. So, the statement that all sutras converge on emptiness must mean that they converge on the attainment of the ultimate aspiration (of the tantra).

The long version of the Guhyasamajatantra has not been translated into Tibetan. The meaning of this Tantra must be explained in terms of the hermeneutics of the ‘six boundaries’ and ‘four modes’. For example, the provisional meaning of Vajradhara (Dorjechang) is said to be the deity who holds in his hand the symbol vajra. (5b) Yet, the definitive meaning is that he upholds within the vajra of pristine cognition, which is an indivisible union of bliss and emptiness. Thus the first level of meaning requires further interpretation to arrive at its final meaning. Similarly, the statement

In the vast plain of wilderness

ornament (the site) with flowers and fruits…

This can mean that one’s place of meditation in the wilderness should be ornamented with flowers, etc. Or, it could mean that one’s body—which has been isolated of all prana winds due to the dissolution of all winds into the central channel—is beautified by minor and major noble marks of the illusory body. The first is the meaning at the level of generation stage and is thus (1) provisional, while the second is at the level of perfection stage and is thus (2) definitive. There is also the (3) literal meaning when the meaning is understood only within the bounds of linguistic convention. There is also the (4) nonliteral reading when a specific meaning is stipulated even though there is nothing in the linguistic convention, which suggests such meaning. For example, the Sugathas (the Buddhas) have stipulated the meaning of the ten syllables such as KO, TRA and KHYA. In the context of the Unsurpassed Yoga tantra, they are said to refer to the ten winds, while in the context of the yoga tantras they refer to the various names of Vajrapani. There is then the (5) intentional reading, whereby what is intended is something else (to what is stated on the surface); i.e. it is said in an elliptical manner. For example, in the sutras it has been stated that “Father and mother are to be killed”, etc., and also “Ascertain this as essence, though there is none”, etc. In such cases, the meaning of the tantras are taught by means of intentions. Finally, there is the (6) non-intentional reading in that what is taught on the surface is to be taken at its face value without any elliptical reading. There are thus six boundaries.

There are four modes of interpretation. There is first the (1) linguistic meaning in that what is taught is at the level of conventional linguistics. The level of significance that is common to sutra and Tantra, to both lower and higher vehicles, and also to both generation and perfection stage, is said to be the (2) general meaning. There is also the (3) hidden meaning in that both sutras and the tantras teach topics which are said to be concealed. For example, there is the ‘concealing the mind in appearance’ referring to the teachings of the ‘three isolations’. Those which present the characteristics of the ‘seal’ (i.e. the consort), and the method of engaging in sexual union with such a seal are said to conceal the principles of desire. And those, which present the illusory body, are said to conceal the relative truth, the illusory body. Thus, there are three ‘concealments’. (6a) The (4) ultimate exposition is the presentation of the illusory body and clear light, themes that are not found in the lower classes of tantra. This is called ultimate because illusory body is the ultimate culmination of all winds, while the ultimate culmination of all cognitive states is the ‘clear light’ mind of the Buddha’s omniscient wisdom.

‘Disciple-exposition’ is given in private on the basis of a one-to-one instruction, while the “public-exposition” is aimed generally at all members of the targeted audience. Of the five classes of disciples—i.e. (i) Utpala flower-like, (ii) Pundarika flower-like, (iii) lotus-like, (iv) sandal wood-like, and (v) jewel-like—the first four are eligible as target audience for ‘public-exposition’ but not for ‘disciple-exposition’. The last type is stated to be appropriate for both modes of instruction. These days even a disciple at the level of the sandal wood type is extremely rare. Although the ‘disciple-exposition’ is popular within the Sakya teachings, if there are qualified teachers and students the Gelukpas are also not impoverished of this level of instruction. Sectarian sentiments do not get one anywhere; what is required is to rely on the instructions of the teachers. We need to understand the meaning of the tantras through the application of the hermeneutics of ‘six boundaries’ and ‘four modes’ and apply this to a combined study of the five great explanatory tantras. The great Tsongkhapa says:

The essential points of the path lie sealed in the root tantra

within (hermeneutics of) ‘six boundaries’ and ‘four modes’.

By following the explanatory tantras‘ guide

and Guru’s instructions they become known, it’s been taught.

There is no separate set of writings called ‘Guru’s instructions’; rather one must rely on the great treatises of Nagarjuna and his spiritual sons for the knowledge of how to interweave the ‘root’ and ‘explanatory’ tantras. Therefore, Tsongkhapa continues with the following:

By grasping this point, …

I’ve found all essential points of the perfection stage.

It is therefore important to combine the reading of the root tantras with its explanatory tantras on the basis of Guru’s instructions. (6b) For this it is necessary first to develop some (intellectual) understanding of the two stages (of the tantra) in order to correctly engage with tantra. My teacher, the protector Vajradhara, told me that the Seventh Dalai Lama Kelsang Gyatso has stated that this is the significance of Tsongkhapa’s point that is made in his summary of the Four interwoven commentaries about how one’s entry into the Tantra must be preceded by a study of the five stages.

There are two sections to my exposition of the path of the two stages: (I) The origin stories of the tantras; and (II) the stages of the actual instruction of the experiential guide.

I. The origin-stories of the tantras

There are many different ways in which the present Buddha (Shakyamuni) has taught the tantras. The Guhyasamaja root tantra opens with the following:

Thus have I heard once: The Buddha abided inside the womb of Vajra Queen,

the essence of body, speech and mind of all tathagatas.

The above (passage) relates in the following order the context, the perfect congregation, the mandala of the mantra, and the mandala of Guhyasamaja and is (therefore) subject to four modes of explanation. The literal exposition must be related to the origin of the teaching of the tantras. Thus, (the statement) “Thus have I heard once” indicates the time when the tantra was heard. There are three ways in which we can understand the time of the hearing of the tantra, namely (i) that it was heard at one time, but other at other times, (ii) that it was heard instantaneously within a single instance, and (iii) that it was heard at one time, but never at others. (The expression) “The essence of the body, speech and mind of all the tathagatas” is an epithet for Vajradhara, and it is in this sense that the Guru is said to be the ultimate embodiment of all refuge. To “abide in the womb of the Vajra queen” means that the Buddha was seated within the celestial mansion inside the triangular mandala of dharmadhatu (i.e. the expanse of reality). (7a) Being within a single-pointed meditative equipoise on emptiness he has destroyed all afflictions (hence the word) the ‘womb’ indicates space. This is analogous to (statements we find in the sutras like) “He was immersed in the meditative absorption called ‘the profound illumination’.” (The statement) “Beyond and far beyond description” pertains to the congregation; the first qualification (i.e.’beyond’) relates to the congregation, while the second (i.e. ‘far beyond description’) expresses the immeasurable qualities of the congregation. The (expression) ‘mantra mandala‘ subsumes the mantra goddesses into nine numbers and thus reveals the signs of the essential points of the path of great bliss. The (expression)”Guhyasamaja mandala” narrates how the tantra was taught by creating a mandala in response to (the verses) “That which originates from the encompassed secret…“, which make the request to teach the mandala of great bliss. This is the literal reading based on the actual words of the tantra.

However Butön, in his ‘history’ of Guhyasamaja, reports on an origin story (of the tantra) as told by the past Tibetan masters, a story that appeals to the Tibetan mind. On this account, Indrabhuti—a king from the Western part of India—saw many monks running back and forth and many unusual animals flying in the sky when the fully Enlightened Buddha turned the wheel of dharma on this earth. In the morning they were going from east to the west, and in the evening, from west to the east. He wondered what the significance of the vision was found that it relates to the ‘hearers’ (disciples), who are part of the circle of congregation around the Buddha Shakyamuni who lives in central India, towards the east from where he was. And the moment (Indrabhuti) had the wish that this great teacher who possesses such perfect congregation appear at this very instant, the Buddha knew this and instantaneously arrived along with his retinue. The King requested the Buddha to teach a method for enlightenment without having to discard the acts of sensuality. The Buddha dissolved his appearance as the one ‘free of attachment’ and assumed the form of a universal monarch. He thus initiated the king into the mandala of Guhyasamaja and taught him the tantras and gave the pith instructions. The king, together with his retinue attained full enlightenment within a single lifetime by following the path of glorious Guhyasamaja. The king then revealed the dharma to all his subjects each of whom became enlightened and departed to their own Buddha realms. At that very site a ‘naturally-arisen’ celestial palace of Heruka came into being. The land was then overrun by water forming a vast sea filled with nagas (i.e. serpent beings). Vajrapani gave dharma teaching to the nagas from amongst whom the males became the heroes and the females, the heroines; thus they became enlightened. Later a town was formed on the site where the sea dried and it is the presentday Udyana (modern day Swat valley in Pakistan) of which Visukalpa was one of the kings. (He) imparted the complete instruction to Naga-born Yogini, who was originally a nagin and later became a yogini and a member of the lineage. From her the lineage passed on to Saraha and then to Nagarjuna and so on. The following verses record the lineage:

The compiler Vajrapani who collected all the secrets,….

to Chandrakirti and so on, the masters of the lineage…

As the following verses intimate, the personages who are responsible for bringing the transmission of this instruction to Tibet are the great Lotsawa Rinchen Sangpo, Patsap (Nyima Drak), Chak (Lotsawa), etc. (Thus we find in the sadhana the following:)

By the force of aspirations to uphold the Buddha’s sublime dharma…

(8a) Amongst many of these great translators the most reknown (in relation to Guyhasamaja) were Marpa Lotsawa and Gö Lotsawa. Lodrak Marpa Lotsawa Chökyi Lödrö sought teachings from such masters as the great pandita Naropa and from him recieved all the tantras and their associated pith instructions. Although he received the teaching on the exposition of (Candrakirti’s) Clear Lamp the transmission of this text never got established. Tsongkhapa takes Marpa as a valid authority (on Guhyasamaja) and cites the few passages attributed to him. Marpa had disciples such as the ‘four pillars’, and if we are to judge by Milarepa’s Hundred Thousand Songs (Marpa’s teachings) are authentic. As regards Ngogtön Chödor and Metön of Tsangrong (region), the Treatise (Tsongkhapa’s Lamp Thoroughly Illuminating the Five Stages) makes a reference to certain ‘commentary of the tantra by Ronyam Dorje, the Khampa disciple of Tsur,’ etc. It also makes such references as “Ngok says this” and “Me states that,” thus giving the impression that, on the whole, the works of these masters are valid though they may not reflect a high level of clarity and depth. Marpa was apparently very strict with his instructions so that he gave mostly one set of practices like tumo (inner heat) to each of his students, which resulted in his teachings becoming dispersed. It appears that although the tradition of undertaking the practice all five stages on one seat did exist (in Tibet) this was not well known. The tradition became almost extinct until Tsongkhapa wrote his Completion of the Five Stages on (one) Sitting. Further to provide more extensive exposition (of perfection stage) Tsongkhapa wrote Lamp Thoroughly Illuminating, thus going into great depth and detail the meanings of many of the terms and the practices that they pertain to.

In works such as The Four Interwoven Commentaries, although Gö Lotsawa’s Thousand Doses in One is treated as authoritative (by Tsongkhapa) there are parts (Tsongkhapa’s works) where the actual wording of the text is not followed to its letter. So it seems that on the exposition of the five stages Gö Lotsawa does not carry quite the same authority as Marpa Lotsawa. Gö Lotsawa, who is known (also) as Gö Khukpa Latse, was born in Tanak, a region in the Tsang province. (8b) He is reputed to have studied with seventy-two Indian masters. On the cycle of texts related to Guhyasamaja, he studied especially with the prince Meghavegin, one Nagakoti from the fortress of Nepal, one Cahadu from the city of Nepal, and one Kalasamayavajra. From all of these masters Gö received complete expositions of the root tantra and commentary on the two stages. Thus both Marpa and Gö Lotsawa possessed the transmissions of the initiation, commentarial guide, exposition of the root tantra and also the exposition of (Candrakirti’s) Clear Lamp. Nevertheless, owing to the extensiveness of their approaches it has become the received view that the transmission for the commentaries on the two stages came through Marpa, and the exposition of the root tantra and Clear Lamp, through Gö Lotsawa. Because of this, Tsongkhapa has stated in his Shoots of Analysis that Marpa’s tradition excels in instruction, while Gö’s system excels in exposition. With respect to initiations there are lineages stemming both from Marpa and Gö Lotsawa. Therefore, Butön Rinpoche received both these lineages in their entirety from his teacher Phakpa Ö. The great Tsongkhapa received from his teacher Rendawa and Khyungpo Lhepa, a student of Butön, the transmissions of all the teachings related to Guhyasamaja available in Tibet belonging to traditions of both Marpa and Gö. This is not limited to the teachings of Guhyasamaja alone; in fact, there is no instruction, which existed in Tibet that Tsongkhapa had either not received, or known about, or subjected to careful scrutiny. Therefore, the tradition of great Tsongkhapa excels in all systems of exposition.

During the early dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet, because of the presence of Shantarakshita and his disciple (Kamalashila) the philosophy is believed to be that of Svatantrika-Madhyamaka. Kamalashila refuted the rhetoric of ‘sudden’ and ‘gradual’ approaches introduced by the Chinese monk Hvashang Mohoyen which led the then monarch (Trisong Detsen) to making a pronouncement decreeing that the philosophy of Nagarjuna be upheld as supreme. (9a) As tantra was practised in secret during the reign of Trisong Detsen gradually corruption of tantras occurred whereby often the instructions ware passed on simply from a father to son. This led to an atmosphere of moral decline such that people had no restraint over indulgence in excessive womanising and alcohol abuse (on the pretext of Tantric practice). The monarchs of Ngari, Lha Lama Yeshe Ö and his nephew, were deeply suspicious of these tantras and so began creating new translations of sutras and tantras from India. The old literature, though adulterated, were not totally abandoned but classified as the old tantras and are extant to this day. Although Guhyasamaja tantra was translated during the earlier dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet, Marpa and Gö translated it afresh. In the realm of philosophy, Hvashang propagated a false view during this early period. Thus Tsongkhapa writes in his Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path the following: “During the period of early dissemination of the doctrine…”

Even Tsongkhapa himself held this view of ‘non-thinking’ focussed on the indiscernible reality’ during the earlier part of his life. It is said that once at a prayer congregation at Kyormolung, while meditating on the four-fold emptiness from the Heart Sutra such as “form is empty”, and so on., Tsongkhapa became totally immersed in meditation. He was found left behind leaning on a pillar even when everyone has departed from the temple. Today one can see this pillar, which is now known as ‘the pillar of meditation.’ That in early part of his life Tsongkhapa was inclined towards the above philosophy of ‘non-thinking’ is evidenced from numerous references to this view in Golden Rosary . Gungthang Rinpoche states that there are also similar indications of this other early writings of Tsongkhapa such as his Expressions of Sadasharudita’s Realisation. Later Tsongkhapa met with Lama Umapa, who acted as a medium for Manjushri and from whom later Tsongkhapa were to receive many teachings. Tsongkhapa asked Manjushri:

“Does the view of non-thinking represent the philosophical standpoint of Prasangika-Madhyamaka or Svatrantika-Madhyamaka?”

(Manjushri replied:) “Neither!”

“What must I do then?”

(Manjushri replied:) “Take what I teach you as a seed. Pray to your Gurus by viewing them as inseparable from Manjushri; (9b) undertake an in depth study of the great Indian treatises, and engage in practices of purification and accumulation of merits. If you combine these three elements well you will attain a flawless view in a not too distant future. And, if the are in conflict with the great treatises, it is the so-called oral instructions which need to be discarded. Never abandon the great treatises.”

Therefore through the combination of the above three factors Tsongkhapa acquired the perfect view of ‘profound emptiness’. However it is said that he did not reach the culmination of his understanding of Tantra until he reached fifty. It cannot be the case that Tsongkhapa was not versed in the exposition of tantra. Rather this pertains to the statement that a thorough knowledge of the ‘limits of reality’s expanse’ is dependent on Tantra. This is because, in order to engage spontaneously in the acts of serving others while abiding unstirred within a meditative equipoise on the ultimate nature of reality, it is essential to cease conceptual thoughts that lead to objectification. This cessation can be achieved by absorbing into the central channel all gross and subtle winds, which cause the occurrence of these conceptions. And it is only in the tantras , not the sutras, where this process of dissolution is taught. Therefore we can say that Tsongkhapa’s philosophical analysis did not reach its culmination until he gained experiential understanding of Tantra. After this, he wrote many works of great eloquence and significance.

The stages in Tsongkhapa’s realisation of the paths of Tantra are described in the following verses (in the Secret Biography of Great Tsongkhapa):

The verse “As chief of the Manjushrivajra mandala …” relates the realisation of the practices of Guhyasamaja; the verse “When engaging in the approximation of Great Bliss Wheel, …” relates the story of his realisation of Cakrasamvara; and “By the yoga of combined tranquil abiding and insight, …” narrates the account of how Tsongkhapa received the experiential lineage of Yamantaka practice. The verse “Manjushri, in person, imparted to you…” tells us how Manjushri gave instructions to Tsongkhapa on a daily basis. Because of this Tsongkhapa gained insight into many difficult points of both sutra and tantra, many of which were not understood by past Tibetan masters. Perfect realisation occurred in Tsongkhapa, which then led to the founding of a new tradition never seen before in this ‘land of snows’. (10a) Therefore, as Maitreya was prophesised by Buddha Shakyamuni and the king Candrabhadra by Kalachakratantra, Tsongkhapa’s coming too has been foretold.

Although the Jonangpa and others have extensive discourse on Kalacakra owing to their shortcomings in the understanding of emptiness they are felt to be lacking. Tsongkhapa, on the other hand, undertook an in depth and comprehensive study and contemplation of both the sutra and Tantra leading to a settled understanding. However not contented by the understanding alone he put into meditative practice the knowledge he had gained, thus he attained high stages of learning and meditation. Amongst past Tibetan masters there were many who not only had the lineage of the exposition of the tantras like Guhyasamaja, Cakrasamvara, Mahamaya, Hevajra, Den shi, and so on, but also implemented these into serious meditative practice. There is no doubt that masters like Marpa and Milarepa, who had attained the state of union in their lifetimes, had perfect understanding of the sutras and tantras. Yet owing to certain factors, be it related to the mental faculties of the audience, there are many aspects in their instructions where (at times) clarity and precision are lacking. Thus there is no one like Tsongkhapa when it comes to the presentation of the essential points of the difficult themes in general of sutra and Tantra, and in particular the instructions pertaining to ‘illusory body’ and ‘clear light’.

Not only did Tsongkhapa experience the vision of Manjushri earlier, also at Ölka where he was immersed in meditative retreat he had the mystical experience of his heart being pierced by Manjushri’s sword from which stream of nectar flow into his heart. Tsongkhapa felt satiated by a pervasive experience of pure bliss. Amongst his retinue he saw many faces, some familiar and some not, all opening their mouth to the nectar. There were at the head of the congregation Gyaltsap and Khedrup. (10b) He saw that in the mouth of some large quantity of nectar was received, in some a little, and yet in others none at all. This was perhaps a prophesy about how, if one follows this great master, even the simple generation of profound admiration in the Buddha could lead someone to liberation. (As Abhidharmakosha states) “The Buddha’s doctrine is of two kinds…”, the scriptural teachings of the Buddha must be upheld through study and contemplation, while the realisational teachings must be maintained through practice and meditation. Without a combination of these two it is said that the teachings of the Buddha can not survive. A successful perpetuation of this lineage is dependent on the survival of the sangha community. It is because of this that Tsongkhapa instructed his disciple Jestün Sherap Senge to establish a tantric community. Thus Sherap Senge founded Gyüme (i.e. Lower Tantric College) in central Tibet, while his student Dulnakpa founded Segyü monastery in the upper regions of Tsang province. Sherap Senge handed his charge to Jinpa Pelwa. It was Gyüchen Kunga Dhöndup, a great scholar and an adept and a student of both the two teachers of Gyüme, whose extensive teaching activities related to tantras in the upper regions of central Tibet, which led to the founding of the present day Gyütö (i.e. Upper Tantric College). According to a popular account, it was the jealousy of some small-minded people, which caused Gyüchen to depart to the upper regions of central Tibet. Coincidentally, the congregation at Gyüchen’s exposition of the Guhyasamajatantra numbered exactly the number of deities of the mandala! These two colleges came to be known as Upper and Lower Tantric Colleges of central Tibet. Earlier it was the Segyü monastery of Tsang and Gyüme which were known as the Upper and Lower monasteries. The members of these two monasteries – Gyüme and Segyü – used to traditionally observe the rainy season retreat, during the second half of the monsoon, together at Chumik Lung. This custom abruptly came to an end when the ruler of Tsang stirred conflicts (in the region). The monks of Segyü were unable to visit Chumik Lung, but the monks of Gyüme continue to this day to spend their rainy season at Chumik Lung.

(11a) At one time when the monks of the Gyütö monastery were performing certain rites sponsored by a lay devotee, a young boy of the family kept noticing in the chanting a frequent mention of a deity with ‘three faces—yellow, black and white—and six arms.’ He immediately thought that this must refer to a little image, which the family has on its altar that he thought perhaps ought to be offered to the monks. It was the statue of yellow Zampala with three faces and six arms. The family offered the image to Gyüchen Kunga Dhöndup. The monks offered regular ablutions to the image and the financial base of the monastery flourished tremendously. The statue remained as part of the Gyütö monastery’s icons and was later transferred to Phuphor. It is said that once when Gyütö monastery was based at Ramoche a dog stole the image and dropped it in the garden of Lhalu house! Apparently the VIIth Dalai Lama Kelsang Gyatso saw a rainbow shooting up into the sky from this site and sent someone to check it. They found the statue, which was then retrieved and reconsecrated by the VIIth Dalai Lama and later returned to Gyüto. Whatever the truth, this story tells us something about the quality of the statue itself.

The great Tsongkhapa grounded his exposition of the Clear Lamp on the basis of an interweaving of four explanations, the tradition of which is still alive today. As regards the lineage of the commentary on the two stages he has passed on the transmission to all of his principal disciples so there exist many lineages. In particular the manner in which these teachings were imparted to Khedrup Rinpoche is recorded in the biography (of Tsongkhapa). During the day expositions of sutra and tantra were given, while at night the instructions on the stages of generation and perfection were given. This is recorded in the miscellaneous writings (of Khedrup) found listed in the contents of (his collected works). Therefore Khedrup Je received all the essential instructions as if the contents of one vase was transferred into another. He then compiled his notes on the five stages (of completion) in his Twenty Short Pieces, and wrote an extensive work on the generation stage of Guhyasamajatantra. With respect to perfection stage, it is difficult for anyone to supersede Tsongkhapa’s own writings, especially his Lamp Thoroughly Illuminating and the Completion of Five Stages in one Sitting. (11b) From Khedrup Rinpoche, the lineage passed through Se and Ensapa, while from Sherap Senge, the lineages passed through the upper and lower Tantric colleges and thus flourished. It is due to the contributions of these masters that the teachings of tantra survive up to the present day without any degeneration.

Many successive masters of Segyü appeared, of whom Gyüchen Könchok Yarphel lived well beyond eighty years of age. However no successor emerged amongst his students who could carry on the lineage of oral transmissions and thus Segyü monastery went through a period of decline. It was reported in the Fifth Dalai Lama’s autobiography that once the monks of Segyü were invited to perform rituals at the potala palace. The great Fifth posed several questions to which Gyüchen gave spontaneous responses, which impressed the Dalai Lama, except for one question pertaining to cakhar ritual. So the Fifth Dalai Lama repeatedly spoke highly of Segyü monastery, and this is believed to have contributed to an increase in their renown. Around this time it is said that Gyüchen performed the rites of Kalarupa exhorting the protector to help attract suitable disciples. Gyüchen is said to have exclaimed that unless the time has come for the lineage of Se to come to an end I must have successors for I am already eighty! (Finally) Gyüchen had four disciples, who became known as the ‘four vajra brothers.’ Gungthang Rinpoche says that he had heard it from his teacher Yongzin Rinpoche that as Gyüchen did not want many students, he was extremely strict with their number.

Cankya Rinpoche and the previous Jamyang Shepa (Ngawang Tsöndru) were teacher and disciple around this time. They agreed that if the opportunity is missed to receive the instructions while Segyü Könchok Yarphel and Könchok Gyaltsen — the master of Tashi Lhünpo — were still alive there might be the danger for many of the lineages of the Geluk oral traditions to disappear. Thus Cangkya Rinpoche received extensive teachings from Könchok Gyaltsen and also some instructions related to Cakrasamvara and Guhyasamaja from Segyü Dorjechang. (12a) The previous Jamyang Shepa took these transmissions from Cangkya Rinpoche; he also went to Gyüme and received the transmissions of the Ensa tradition from the then Ganden Throne-holder Lodrö Gyatso. The year following his trip to Gephel, Jamyang Shepa felt ill on his way to Segyü and stayed at a nearby town. Se Dorjechang sent him food and clothes and asked him to come to see him the next day. Jamyang Shepa left early on the following day (to see him). At their meeting he offered a scarf with five interwoven colours and bowed at the feet of Gyüchen. Jamyang Shepa then spoke to Gyüchen stating that he is offering this scarf to request for the entire transmission of the Geluk oral tradition. He then went on to make the following statement:

“Everything depends on how one relates to one’s Guru through thought and deeds. Who would listen to teachings given for the sake of wealth accumulation? And the talk about the size of offering is of interest only to the mundane people! Of course, if the disciple does have something to offer then certainly it must be offered as in the story of Marpa sending Ngog to fetch even his goat with a broken limb.”

At this meeting Gyüchen asked Jamyang Shepa a number of questions pertaining especially to Madhyamaka philosophy. The responses pleased Gyüchen greatly. When requested to give the entire transmissions of Cakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja, and Yamantaka, Gyüchen said that he can’t give all three but only one. He asked Jamyang Shepa to chose one; Jamyang Shepa requested for the teachings of Guhyasamaja. This pleased Gyüchen even more. He told Jamyang Shepa that the choice is flawless for if one understands Guhyasamaja one understands the whole of sutra and tantra. “I shall now give you the entire teachings of Guhyasamaja,” said Gyüchen. Thus Jamyang Shepa received the entire lineage. Although such was the strict instruction of Gyüchen, but because Jamyang Shepa stayed for more than a year (at Gyüchen’s) the circumstances were such that he also received teachings on Cakrasamvara and Yamantaka as attested to by his notes. (12b) He also received the transmissions of many other teachings.

When Jamyang Shepa was leaving, Gyüchen asked him to ensure that there will also be tantric division when he establishes a large monastery in Amdo. Gyüchen gave Jamyang Shepa a yellow robe and a mandala base which had the inscription ‘offered at the presence of Vajradhara’, and was studded with a conch in the middle and many shells around it representing the thirty heaps with the Mt. Meru at the centre. This was a good omen for it symbolised the establishment of a new base. The mandala was later given to the Tantric College and used to this day to make the mandala offering in the teaching courtyard. The History of (the Teachings of) Yamantakatantra states that in Amdo two centres of Tantra made great contribution towards the flourishing of the dharma. This is a reference to Gönlung monastery and its tantric division. Jamyang Shepa also requested the dharma king of Midröl to establish a tantric centre in Serkhok. It is said that the reason why tantric centres flourish in the branch monasteries of Jamyang Shepa is that he is believed to share the same continuum of mind with Tsongkhapa. It is also due to the auspiciousness of spreading the teachings that unite the view of emptiness with tantra. This is, at least, what the tantric master Chogdrup Tsang and Geshe Rinchen Chösang used to say.

Although one would expect Jamyang Shepa to succeed to the throne of Ganden, he concentrated much of his energy in upholding the scholarly tradition of the five great treatises. He therefore assumed only the abbotship of Gomang College and the monastery at Phabongkha retreat. One of Jamyang Shepa’s spiritual sons Gendün Phüntsok, who was believed to be an emanation of Sherap Senge, assumed the position of Ganden throneholder. He was also responsible for committing to woodblock print the four interwoven commentary of Guhyasamaja. He also turned the great stupa of Tsongkhapa into a golden monument. (13a) He was also responsible for raising the appropriate funds from the government to institute the rites of Cakrasamvara as part of the regular practices of Gyüme monastery. The story of the Segyü lineage can therefore be told through the interrelationship of masters and disciples and how it reflects the wonderful auspiciousness of the bond.

Therefore the lineages of both Se and Ensa are (fully) present in the tradition of ‘guide‘ on the two stages which stems from Jamyang Shepa. In Sera Lobsang Norbu’s biography he narrates an account of how he once requested Jamyang Shepa to give teachings on the generation stage of Yamantaka. Surprisingly, in response, Jamyang Shepa who exclaimed “What is wrong with taking teachings on the perfection stage as well” reprimanded him for this? So he requested for the commentary on the perfection stage too. Jamyang Shepa told him that although he himself and the great Kaushri and Thangsakpa all received the transmission from the Segyü Dorjechang, he should impart to Lobsang Norbu certain instructions, which were not channelled through the other two masters. Though Thangsakpa received the teachings on Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja from Segyü Dorjechang, he took Guhyasamaja initiation and in depth guide from Jamyang Shepa. There exists the incredible story of how the two masters (Jamyang Shepa and Thangsakpa) revealed to each other the body-mandala deities during these teachings. Shok Dönyo Khedrup too went to receive teachings on the two stages of Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja and Cakrasamvara from Jamyang Shepa when Jamyang Shepa was staying at Gephel as an ordinary monk and a hermit. It is said that Jamyang Shepa was rather busy so he gave a short version of these teachings and encouraged Dönyo Khedrup to take more extensive instructions from his student Thangsakpa. We find this story in the biography of Dönyo Khedrup. After Jamyang Shepa’s return to Amdo Thangsakpa and Dönyo Khedrup became most well known. So in many literature of lineage masters Jamyang Shepa’s name appears to have been left out. (13b) But as clearly attested to in the VIIth Dalai Lama’s Record of Teachings Received both Thangsakpa and Dönyo Khedrup received their lineage from Jamyang Shepa.

The master who is responsible for subsequent flourishing of these teachings is Pönlop Jhampa Rinpoche. It is said that Jhampa Rinpoche once went to see Jamyang Shepa at Gomang with the thought of taking teachings. However, on that day there were important dignitaries like the Lhasang Tsang paying a visit. So it was only possible to have a meeting but not receive teachings. Yet because of the efforts he put into the seeking teachings he felt deeply inspired and blessed. It is said that because of this experience Jhampa Rinpoche would always offer a cup of tea for any new person who came to attend his teachings. Jamyang Lama Sönam Wangle tells this account. From Jhampa Rinpoche, the teachings were transmitted to Södrak Dorjechang, then through to Nyendrak Dorjechang, and to Jamyang Lama Sönam Wangyal. I did not receive the lineage from Jamyang Lama Sönam Wangyal. My own teacher Kyapgön Dorjechang gave brief teachings on the two stages of Cakrasamvara and Guhyasamaja both in central and Tsang provinces of Tibet, and also at Chin in Mongolia. But in our monastery only the tradition of the two stages of Yamantaka exists but not that of Cakrasamvara and Guhyasamaja. This is unfortunate and we must strive to re-establish these. Nyendrak Dorjechang did give a guide on the generation and perfection stages of Guhyasamaja; but as I was in the middle of my doram examination I could not go. Apart from this I have not heard of any teaching on the guide of the generation and perfection stages being given here at our monastery. This meant that when I became the deputy abbot of a tantric college I had still not received the transmission of the guide on the two stages. This was truly embarrassing. So I pleaded Drakar Rinpoche, who was already seventy years old, to come and stay for a period of more than a month to teach. I received many teachings such as the two stages of Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja and Cakrasamvara, especially of the ‘five-deity’ mandala.

(14a) Drakar Rinpoche would impart every aspect of the teachings he had received from his own teacher, including the hand gestures and manners of speech, without any omission or exaggeration. He would say that instruction is something that needs to be kept hidden from others. But when being given to others, it must be given in its entirety. He said: “In the past there was no need to actually recite the sadhanas undertake the practice of Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja and Cakrasamvara. It was adequate simply mentally review the stages of meditation to impart the transmission of the guide. These days I know neither the sadhana nor the guide by heart! The meditators living in the mountains will know these by heart.” Saying these he pledged that in his next life he would be a hermit who had dedicated his life for practice. This is how he would tell his own story with such humility.

Drakar Rinpoche had received the transmission of the guide on the two stages of all three Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja and Cakrasamavara three times from Phurbuchok Pönlop Rinpoche. There are notes based on these teachings. Apparently Phurchok Rinpoche quite often followed a custom of teaching Path to Bliss in the spring, Sacred Words of Manjushri in autumn, and these autumn teachings will be followed by commentaries on the two stages of either Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja or Cakrasamvara in turn. First Hortsang Sertri Rinpoche, who was a classmate of Drakar Rinpoche and knew him well, was asked to attend the teachings. I too began taking teachings at the same time. He (Drakar Rinpoche) lived like an ordinary monk wearing simple clothing, robes and shoes made of rough wool and walking about in halting steps. When approached by strangers asking questions he would simply respond “who knows? But this is what I have heard so.” Since he was not very forthcoming many regarded him as someone who was not learned. Nevertheless when he does teach he would often do so straight from memory. (14b) Thus many of the past scholars and adepts had gained realisations from taking to heart the profound instructions and have also imparted their insights to their disciples. The disciples too attained high levels of realisation and have taught to their students and so on. So not only the lineage of the teachings thrived but also realised masters ornamented the country like pearls strung together to form a rosary. Rik Dratsang, after showing the literature of the Se and Ensa traditions, had once exclaimed “Observe this! There is a rosary of (masters who have attained) the union of beyond learning.” So there have been in the Geluk contemplative tradition many great beings who have attained full enlightenment within their lifetime. Also the instructions on the guide to the stages of generation and completion were given only to one or two genuinely qualified disciples, who then upon gaining experience, instructed others. This is unlike the present practice whereby such teachings are given in public as if (setting out a stall) in a market. The instructions too were conducted (in the past) according to the level of the disciple’s mind so that what is taught is immediately put into practice.

When certain mastery is gained only then the instruction for the next section is given. This is the appropriate way in which one should receive the guide. Today (entire) instructions are given in one stretch so it is very rare to see guide being conducted in the ideal way. Manipa Sherap Tashi laments for this situation in some of his songs of experience.

Nevertheless we owe great debt to masters like Cangkya Rölpai Dorje and Jamyang Shepa who helped disseminate these teachings widely to many students. The transmission of the guide on the two stages of Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja and Cakrasamvara all come from the lineage of Jamyang Shepa. According the oral tradition belonging to this lineage there is the following saying: “The instruction should come through a lineage of Gurus uninterrupted such that there are no dogs intervening between human beings, no ghosts intervening between gods The power of the blessings shall be poignant and as fresh as if the breath of the Dakinis is still warm.” So the lineage has come to us through successive Vajradharas.

(15a) Today it may be rare to encounter a pure lineage, but then that it is the age when the dharma goes from north to north. And it is due to the great kindness of Künkhyen Lama Jamyang Shepa and his spiritual disciples that we have the good fortune to have the opportunity to listen to these instructions to our heart’s content. It is difficult to determine why someone like myself ends with the role of playing verbal games with tantra. Perhaps we have truly reached an end of an era! Of course I do not have any profound realisation but due to the blessing received from my teacher Kyapgön Rinpoche, who has instructed me to teach, and due to the kindness of many teachers who are truly enlightened and also due to the kindness of many good colleagues, my ears have been conditioned by the sacred words of the masters. So I am today playing a role similar to a parrot repeating the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM!

As the masters say, “It is not adequate simply to be present in the congregation, you must listen well and take to heart what you have heard.” So ensure what you understand here today do not go to waste. You should integrate them within your mind; and through the combination of learning, contemplation and meditation you should make your life most purposeful. It is a fault if you do not listen well for you cannot understand if you do not listen with attention. And if you do not take the teachings to heart you cannot register anything. The length of the discourse should not matter. It is said when the Buddha spoke the following simple sentence “This is the truth of suffering,” many attained the fruits of realisation. The Buddha himself saw the truth and thereby experienced the entire stages of the path by responding to the simple call “Come here!” from Manjushri. The Buddha was ready for such a call because of the fruition of his past aspirational prayers and also having developed a genuine desire to seek emergence from the pervasive suffering of conditioned existence and seeing cyclic existence to be like an ocean of suffering. So for him the simple instruction “Come here!” signified a call to the shores of nirvana and to leave behind the realm of samsara. (15b) “These days if someone is addressed ‘come here!’, they will just turn their head and look back!,” said my teacher. Therefore sentient beings’ karma is like the vessel, the Buddha’s enlightened deeds, the clouds. And when right time and conditions are met new shoots will grow. It is this kind of auspicious meeting between the spiritual aspirants’ positive merits and the fruition of the Buddhas’ enlightened aspiration that is called a ‘fortunate aeon.’ There are said to be one thousand such aeons.

This realm (i.e. the earth), which appears negative but is positive and which seemed good but has also negative aspects is a place where the five signs of degeneration are replete. It is said this planet is found to be not capable of being tamed by many Buddhas. Thus it was Buddha Gyatsoi Dul who took it into his care. The (birth on earth now) is said to be inferior in that we are at a time when the lifespan is one hundred years and is on the decrease. Yet it is also (said to be) positive because the present human existence offers the chance of attaining Buddhahood within a single lifetime. Also, the instructions to attain Buddhahood, i.e. the teachings of tantra, are unique to the beings of the present era. So our existence has both positive and negative aspects. Tantra flourished also in central India; there are many stories of heroes and heroines present in Udyana, northern India. As it is said that the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras emerged from the south and travelled through paratani, and from north to north, Nagarjuna spread the teachings in South India. Judging by Milarepa’s songs, paratani appears to be a reference to the translator Rinchen Sangpo’s bringing of the dharma to the Ngari region (of Tibet). (16a) From there the teachings travelled further north.

As the line “The supreme object is taught so that supreme subject lies hidden” suggests, the stages of clear realisation remain the implicit subject matter of (even) the Wisdom sutras. So there is indeed a great meaning to Path to Bliss‘ identification of ‘expansive deeds,’ ‘the heart of profound path,’ and ‘the heart of hearts‘ with ‘illusory body’ and ‘clear light’. It was Marpa and Gö who brought tantra to the north, and when the time came for it to go further north masters like Mindröl Chökyi Gyalpo and the fifth Gyalse Dönyö Chökyi Gyatso brought it to the north of Machu river. Kalden Gyatso spread the dharma in the region of Rong; in particular, the successive reincarnations of Künkhyen Jamyang Shepa have propagated the perfect tradition of the union of sutra and tantra widely in this part of the country. It is truly amazing that we are living in such an auspicious time. You should therefore listen to the teachings with special motivation and make a pledge that in the least you shall not let this teaching session go waste. Your state of mind should not be such that when the qualities of the Buddha and liberation are mentioned you get impatient, but when the causes and conditions necessary for these attainments are mentioned you feel discouraged. Furthermore sealing your deeds with the appropriate dedication at the end is one way of making your existence purposeful; so constantly strive in this. In the past guide to the two stages were taught by Kadam masters in fragments and that individuals have gained partial experiences based on the practice of these teachings. However amongst these teachings there were some which did not accord with the instructions of Marpa and Gö, yet many others which did. It was Tsongkhapa who put into words the entire instructions without error; so today apart from few minor instances the scope for misunderstandings remains small.

(16b) If these teachings are heard from one’s Guru you are empowered to practice the instructions and you will also receive in your heart the blessings of the lineage masters of the root tantra. Segyü Könchok Yarphel once informed his teacher that despite having read many commentary texts many times, when the Guru teaches it feels as one is reading the text for the first time! His teacher, Gyüchen Könchok Gyatso replied that when the Guru gives the instruction it makes a great difference in helping one recognise (the nature of) one’s mind. One saying from the past masters of this oral tradition goes, “Even if you read a text on the guide to generation and complete stages hundred times, without Guru’s instruction it all remain mere words.” So by listening to teachings on the guide serves two purposes: It introduces to you the instructions, and you receive the transmission of the blessings. Even if you take only the reading transmission you receive the transmission, which empowers you. It is therefore a source of blessing and inspiration. Södrak Dorjechang has said that as out present age is the era of scriptural reading, even the transmission of reading makes contributions to the dharma. It also leaves in us positive imprints pertaining to the understanding of the meaning of these scriptures. Some people, without realising this point, assert things like “What is the use of listening if you cannot understand? To whom is the teaching being given?, etc.” This is like asking to an ordinary worldly person: “Why do you accumulate wealth? Whom do you aim to give all what you accumulate?”

In brief, as an ideal of one’s study, you should be able to discern all teachings of sutra and tantras as essential instructions. It is not possible to attain Buddhahood within a single lifetime on the basis of the sutra path alone. Some early Tibetans discarded tantra in youth when they were engaged in the sutra practice. In later part of their life when they engaged in tantra practices, however, they discarded (the ethical teaching of) vinaya. This is reported in (Jamyang Shepa’s) Great Exposition of Philosophical Tenets and in writings of early Kadam masters. So the tradition of practising sutra and tantra in one sitting is a distinctive characteristic of Tsongkhapa’s approach. To this day in central Tibet and in Tsang, there is a discouragement of reading Tantric texts in the scholastic monasteries. And in Gyüme Tantric College it is said that monks must not bring philosophical texts in their daily reading text carrier! In this monastery, however, right from the start Yamantaka sadhana was made part of recitations so the tradition of a comprehensive union of sutra and tantra , which is the true intention of the master himself (Tsongkhapa or Thangsakpa?), has been established. So it is important to ensure that the following aspirational prayer comes into reality:

May the monks be immersed in the three higher trainings,

may they be learned, industrious and their hearts filled with compassion and love,

may they penetrate well through reason the definitive

and provisional meanings of the scriptures,

and may the Buddhas teaching like the two stages flourish in this monastery.

May the face of the earth be filled with learned and adept masters

who, having trained in the common paths, possess the three vows,

and whose yogic practices of the two stages become like the king of mountains;

May they be realised through ripening empowerment and liberating paths of generation and perfection stages.

It is said that many of the tunes of the sadhanas of Cakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka were actually sung by the master himself (Tsongkhapa o Thangsakpa?). M y teacher told me that he has heard from senior monks of the monastery about the story of how the master when singing line “may the earth be filled with learned and adept masters” would perform specific hand gestures to go with the tune.

Source

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