Category: Artifact

From “The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa”
Translated by Garma C.C. Chang.
excerpts from Appendix,
subsection:  “THE CENTRAL TEACHING OF TIBETAN TANTRISM”

A brief summary of the essential teachings of Tibetan Tantra is given [herein].

It goes without saying that this brief summary is less than adequate to represent the vast and comprehensive contents of the Tibetan Tantra.

One cannot expect, therefore, to glean from these brief lines more than a hint of the essential, underlying principles.

Tibetan Tantrism is a form of practical Buddhism abounding in methods and techniques for carrying out the practice of all the Mahãyana teachings. In contrast to the “theoretical” forms of Buddhism… Buddhist Tantrism lays most of its stress on practice and Realization, rather than on philosophical speculations. Its central principles and practices may be summarized as follows:

1. That all existence and manifestation can be found in one’s experience, that this experience is within one’s own mind, and that Mind is the source and creator of all things.
2. That Mind is an infinitely vast, unfathomably deep complex of marvels, its immensity and depth being inaccessible to the uninitiated.
3. One who has come to a thorough realization and perfect mastership of their own mind is a Buddha, and that those who have not done so are unenlightened sentient beings.
4. That sentient beings and Buddhas are, in essence, identical. Buddhas are enlightened sentient beings, and sentient beings unenlightened Buddhas.
5. That this infinite, all-embracing Buddha-Mind is beyond comprehension and attributes. The best and closest definition might be: “Buddha-Mind is a GREAT ILLUMINATING VOID AWARENESS.”
6. That 
   • the consciousness of sentient beings is of limited awareness;
     
   • the consciousness of an advanced yogi, of illuminating awareness;
   • the consciousness of an enlightened Bodhisattva, of illuminating-void awareness;
   • the “consciousness” of Buddha, the GREAT ILLUMINATING-VOID AWARENESS.
7. That all Buddhist teachings are merely “exaltations,” preparations, and directions leading one toward the unfoldment of this GREAT ILLUMINATING VOID AWARENESS.
8. That infinite compassion, merit, and marvels will spontaneously come forth when this Buddha-Mind is fully unfolded.
9. That to unfold this Buddha-Mind, two major approaches or Paths are provided for differently disposed individuals: the Path of Means, and the Path of Liberation. The former stresses an approach to Buddhahood through the practice of taming the Prana, and the latter an approach through the practice of taming the mind. Both approaches, however, are based on the truism of the IDENTICALITY OF MIND AND PRANA¹ (T.T.: Rlun.Sems.dWyer.Med.), which is the fundamental theorem of Tantrism.
   The principle of the Identicality of Mind and Prana may be briefly stated thus: The world encompasses and is made up of various contrasting forces in an “antithetical” form of relationship – positive and negative, noumenon and phenomenon, potentiality and manifestation, vitality and voidness, Mind and Prana, and the like. Each of these dualities, though apparently antithetical, is an inseparable unity. The dual forces that we see about us are, in fact, one “entity” manifesting in two different forms or stages. Hence, if one’s consciousness or mind is disciplined, tamed, transformed, extended, sharpened, illuminated, and sublimated, so will be his Pranas, and vice versa. The practice that stresses taming the Prana is called the “Yoga with Form,” or the “Path of Means.” The practice that stresses taming the mind is called the “Yoga without Form,” or the “Path of Liberation.” The former is an exertive type of Yoga practice, and the latter a natural and effortless one, known as Mahamudra² (phyag rgya chen po, “great seal”).

(1) The Path of Means: The main practices of the Path of Means contain the following eight steps:

1. The cultivation of altruistic thoughts, and basic training in the discipline of the Bodhisattva.
2. The four fundamental preparatory practices, which contain:
   • One hundred thousand obeisances to the Buddhas. This practice is for the purpose of cleansing all bodily sins and hindrances, thus enabling one to meditate without being handicapped by physical impediments.
   • One hundred thousand recitations of repentance prayers. When properly performed, this cleanses mental obstructions and sins, clearing out all mental hindrances that may block spiritual growth.
   • One hundred thousand repetitions of the prayer to one’s Guru of the Guru Yoga Practice. This brings protection and blessings from one’s Guru.
   • Making one hundred thousand Special Offerings. This will create favorable conditions for one’s devotions.
3. The Patron Buddha Yoga, a training for identifying and unifying oneself with a divine Buddha (such as The Nobel Lady Tara) as assigned to one by his Guru. This Yoga consists of mantra recitations, visualization, concentration, and breathing exercises.
4. The advanced form of breathing exercises and their concomitant and subsidiary practices, including the Yogas of Dream, of Transformation, of Union, and of Light – generally known as the Perfecting Yogas.
5. Guiding the subtle Prana-Mind (T.T.: Rluñ.Sems.) into the Central Channel, thus successively opening the four main Cakras (“psychic” centers) and transforming the mundane consciousness into transcendal Wisdom.
6. Applying the power of Prana-Mind to bring about or to vanquish at will, one’s death, Bardo, and reborn state, thus achieving emancipation from Samsara.
7. Applying the power of Prana-Mind to master the mind-projection performances.
8. Sublimating and perfecting the Prana-Mind into the Three Bodies of Buddhahood.

(2) The Path of Liberation, or the Yoga without Form, is the simplest and most direct approach toward the Buddha-Mind. It is a natural and spontaneous practice, bypassing many preparations, strenuous exercises, and even successive stages as laid down in other types of Yoga. Its essence consists in the Guru’s capability of bringing to his disciple a glimpse of the Innate Buddha-Mind in its primordial and natural state. With this initial and direct “glimpsing experience,” the disciple gradually learns to sustain, expand, and deepen his realization of this Innate Mind. Eventually one will consummate this realization to its full blossoming in Perfect Enlightenment. This practice is called Mahamudra.

1. The first glimps of the Innate Mind can be acquired either through practicing Mahamudra Yoga by oneself, or through receiving a “Pointing-out” demonstration from one’s Guru. The former way is to follow the Guru’s instructions and meditate alone; the latter consists of an effort by the Guru to open the disciple’s mind instantaneously. Both approaches, however, require the continuous practice of Mahamudra Yoga to deepen and perfect one’s experience.
2. The central teaching of Mahamudra consists of two major points: relaxation, and effortlessness. All pains and desires are of a tense nature. But Liberation, in contrast, is another name for “perfect relaxation.” Dominated by long-established habits, however, average persons find it most difficult, if not entirely impossible, to reach a state of deep relaxation; so instructions and practices are needed to enable them to attain such a state. The primary concern of Mahmudra, therefore, is to instruct the yogi on how to relax the mind and thus induce the unfolding of Primordial Mind.

Paradoxically, effortlessness is even more difficult to achieve than relaxation. It requires long practice to become “effortless” at all times and under all circumstances. If one can keep their mind always relaxed, spontaneous, and free of clinging, the Innate Buddha-Mind will soon dawn.

(3) The Path of Means and The Path of Liberation, exist only in the beginning stages. In the advanced stages these two Paths converge and become one. It is to the advantage of a yogi, in order to hasten spiritual progress, to either practice both teachings at the same time or use one to supplement the other. Most of the great yogis of Tibet practiced both Paths, as did Milarepa.

Notes

1. Prana: a Sanskrit term, equivalent to the Tibetan term Rlun. and to the Chinese term Ch’i, conveying various meanings: air, energy, vital force, breathing, propensity, and so forth. An exact translation of this term into English is extremely difficult. (Note 2, ch 3) Prana-Mind: According to Tantric teaching, mind and Prana manifest as two aspects of a unity. Mind is that which is aware; Prana is the active energy which gives support to the awareness. Who masters the mind automatically masters the Prana, and vice versa. The aim of any system of meditation is to control or master the Prana-Mind. An accomplished yogi is one who has mastered his Prina-Mind.
2. Refers to:  1. “All phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable.” 2. A body of teachings representing the culmination of all the practices of the New Translation schools of Tibetan Buddhism

T.T.: Tibetan Transliteration

Name and Attributes of Her Twenty-one Emanations

Name of Tara*	Her Color	Her Hand Object	Her Activity according to Outer Level
1. Nyurma Pamo	red	conch shell	swift, heroic liberation from sufferings
2. Loter Yangchenma	white	mirror	sound of peace, harmony, truth, and wisdom
3. Sönam Tobché	golden	wish-fulfilling jewel	increases merit and prosperity
4. Tsugtor Namgyalma	golden	nectar vase	increases life force and longevity
5. Wangdü Rigié Lhamo	red	bow and arrow	magnetizes beneficial wisdom essences
6. Jigjé Chenmo	dark red	phurba/dagger	subdues invisible beings, mental disturbances
7. Zhengyi Mithubma	blue-black	flaming sword	destroys internal and external artifices
8. Zhengyi Migyalma	dark red	flaming vajra	destroys maras, subdues illusions
9. Sengdeng Nagchi	green	dharma wheel	protects from all outer and inner fears
10. Jigten Sumlé Gyalma	rich red	victory banner	subdues worldly distractions, arrogance
11. Phagma Norter Drolma	orange-red	treasure vase	gives wealth, removes sufferings of poverty
12. Tashi Donjé	gold/yellow	infinite knot	inner and outer balance, timely seasons, harvests
13. Yallé Gyalma	dark red	open vajra	stops warfare, enmity; heals destruction of anger
14. Thronyer Chen	blue/black	tung shing/pestle	crushes subtlest negativities and obstacles
15. Rabhima	rich white	small vase	purifies greatest evils and obscurations
16. Rigngag Tobjom	red	double dorje	destroys bad intentions and their source, ego
17. Pagmé Nonma	orange	golden stupa	stops violent activites such as robbery, hunting
18. Maja Chenmo	white	rabbit-marked moon	protects against outer and inner poisons; protects infants and children
19. Dugkarmo	white	white umbrella	protects from nightmares, disputes, curses
20. Rito Loma Jonma	saffron	za ma tog	dispels epidemics and deadly illness
21. Lhamo Ozer Chenma	white	golden fish	protects life force, brings inner radiance;protects animals

* Each name is prefixed by an honorific title, either Jetsün Drölma or Noble Lady Tara.

“Meditation is not on the level of the object but on that of the subject…”

from “Introduction to Tantra” By Lama Thubten Yeshe