Vienna, October 1987
The special methods of the Vajrayana
aim at bringing the appearances, which we generally experience as impure, to
a pure level. The central point of this transformation is the understanding
that only on the relative level do all phenomena appear as we experience them.
On the absolute level, they don't have any real existence - they are nothing
but a dream, an illusion. If one understands the true essence of all things,
this in itself becomes the experience of their purity.
One cannot transform impure experiences into pure ones just by reciting a mantra
in order to change phenomena. It is also not through some special substances
possessing such powers, or through offerings to some gods who in return help
us. All this has nothing to do with what is happening in the Vajrayana. What
it is all about is developing the understanding that the world of appearances
does not present itself as confusion; it is our clinging to things which brings
up confusion. In order to experience the purity of all things, there is nothing
more to do than to understand that on the relative level things appear due to
various conditions and due to dependent occurrence, but on the absolute level
they are not truly existent. These two aspects are not separate from each other.
What is meant by "impure appearances" or "pure appearances?"
"Impure" refers to our belief that things are real and exist independently
from each other. The belief that things are truly existent is an extreme view
which is not correct because the true nature of all things is emptiness. If
one wants to recognize the emptiness of all phenomena one cannot just accept
what one is told. In fact, it would be very difficult to understand the true
nature of things simply by talking or hearing about it.
It is not the mere appearance of things which brings about confusion, it is
the way we relate to things and cling to them as being real. Because things
in themselves are empty, they are beyond the categories of arising and ceasing.
The fact that they appear is the aspect of unobstructed self-expression. The
various methods of the Vajrayana are used in order to understand that.
For the practice of the Vajrayana, one needs the view that things only appear
on the relative level but in their true nature they are not really existent.
Nevertheless, one still believes things are real. These are the two different
perspectives, and what it is all about is to connect both of them so that they
are not constantly contradicting each other. The different Vajrayana methods,
as for example the meditation on Buddha aspects (Tib.: yidam, lit.: mind-bond)
and mantras are used to bring these apparent contradictions to an end.
Among the "three roots" of the Vajrayana - lama, yidam and protector
- it is the lama who is the most important; yidam and protector are manifestations
of the lama. The mind of the lama is the Dharmakaya, the emptiness of space.
The yidams appear out of it as an expression of the mind's inherent compassion
and clarity. Thus they do not have the kind of true existence as is attributed
to worldly gods.
The reason that the yidams appear in manifold forms, for example peaceful and
wrathful, is that the disciples have different attitudes, views and aspirations.
In order to meet these different wishes, there are different appearances of
the yidams as an expression of the compassion of the lama. The yidams also appear
in so many different ways in order to symbolize that the whole spectrum of our
clinging to impure appearances is purified.
Now, we have a dualistic perception and are always thinking in dualistic categories.
Therefore, we are not able to relate to the ultimate yidam and we need something
which represents him. The many forms of the yidams which we know from pictures
are in that form symbols for the ultimate yidam. The meditation on the yidam
deities is divided into two phases, the so called developing phase (Tib.: Kjerim)
and the completion phase (Tib.: Dsogrim). The meaning of it is as follows.
All appearances arise in a mutual dependence. Something arises at a certain
time, stays for a while and disappears again. The two phases of meditation are
used in order to symbolize that the principle of arising and disappearing is
carried on to a pure level. The arising of a deity symbolizes that the clinging
to the arising of the commonly experienced world is purified. The developing
phases have different elements: first one visualizes oneself as the deity, then
one visualizes the deity in the space in front of oneself, one makes offerings
and praises, etc. The reason that one visualizes oneself first as the yidam
is the following: we all consider ourselves as being very important. If now
somebody tells us, "You are not really existent," then this is difficult
for us to understand and to accept. In the developing phase one deals with it
in a way that one does not think about whether one exists or not, but one simply
disregards this question and visualizes oneself in the form of the deity. If
one visualizes oneself as the deity, while being aware that the yidam is an
expression of complete purity, the clinging to an "I" disappears naturally.
The visualization of the yidam in space in front of oneself works in a similar
way. Now we cling to all the outer objects we perceive. In the developing phase
one imagines the whole outer world as the palace of the yidam. The yidam is
in the middle of the palace, and all beings appear in the form of the yidam.
By visualizing the impure appearances in their pure form one overcomes the clinging
to them.
Therefore, it is important to understand that all the elements of the developing
phase have a symbolic content. Without this understanding, for example believing
the deity to be truly existent, one just confuses oneself in the meditation
and even increases the illusion. If one uses the various developing and completion
phases of the yidams, it is important to know the meaning of their different
forms. Why, for example, does one visualize 16 arms, four legs, etc., if two
are actually enough? To believe that we must visualize this because the yidams
actually look like this would be a misconception. To believe in the true existence
of the yidam is a little bit ridiculous and very confusing. Instead of that,
one should understand that there is something which is purified and something
which is a method of purification. The visualization of an yidam with four arms,
for example, is a symbol of purifying our general way of experiencing things
in so-called fourfold categories. For example the four elements and everything
else we believe to appear in a fourfold manner. The three eyes of a yidam symbolize
the overcoming of our way of thinking in threefold categories. For example the
three times. The same applies to all the other details of the deity; all of
them have the meaning to purify our common clinging to the world of our experiences.
Without this understanding, one ends up in the meditation full of misconceptions.
One either holds things to be true or to be not existent at all. That is how
one enters an entirely wrong path, which does not have anything to do with Vajrayana
or Buddhism as such. To believe the yidams to be truly existent and not understand
that they are symbols of the purification of our conceptual ideas about the
experienced world only increases concepts further. It has the effect that the
illusions, which one already has, become stronger, which can then lead to the
experience of fear during the meditation or to the appearance of thoughts which
one does not know how to deal with. Therefore, it is so important in the meditation
practice, especially in the Vajrayana, to acquire the right view.
How does this right view look? It is the understanding that the relative appearance
of things and their ultimate reality are a unity, that they are not separate
from each other and not contradicting each other.
The developing phases of the yidam-deities correspond to the relative truth,
the way things appear. The completion phases correspond to the principle that
ultimately things are not truly existent. At the same time one needs the understanding
that both form a unity.
The completion phases are used to avoid falling into the extreme view of believing
things to be truly existent. The developing phases avert the extreme view of
believing things to not exist at all, to only be empty. The understanding that
both form a unity gives rise to the understanding that everything is the union
of joy and emptiness. By meditating in this way, through the application of
the yidam practice, the relative and the ultimate achievements can be obtained.
In that sense, the yidam is called "the root of accomplishments."
The protectors, "the root of activity", can bee seen as the manifold
expression of the yidams, which again are the expression of the Dharmadhatu
mind of the lama. The meaning of the protectors, since the Vajrayana is a very
profound path, is to protect one from the many conflicting circumstances and
hindrances which may appear while being on that path. One relies on the protectors
to pacify and eliminate these hindrances. Yidams and protectors are very important
in the Vajrayana, however the lama, the root of blessing, is the most important
element. The reason is that only through the lama can blessing and inspiration
enter ones own mindstream.
All elements which are used on the Vajrayana path have a profound meaning. The
body of the yidam is the unity of appearance and emptiness, the mantra is the
unity of sound and emptiness, and the mind is the unity of awareness and emptiness.
If one applies these elements to one's own practice, by abiding completely in
this awareness, one can let the pride of the deity arise in oneself. But in
order to do so one has to understand the real meaning of these things. It is
not about simply visualizing oneself as the deity, because by the mere visualization
one does not achieve this understanding.
Practitioners have to understand three things. The view is that both kinds of
reality make up an inseparable unity. For the path, the understanding that method
and wisdom are a unity is important. Concerning the fruit, one needs the understanding
that the two kayas which are achieved are a unity. Especially when practicing
Mahamudra or Maha Ati, the understanding of these three elements is very important.
Otherwise, one cannot realize the fruit through this practice.
What about the so called "ultimate yidam"? Chenrezig (Loving Eyes)
for example appears in a very specific form, with four arms, etc. Nevertheless,
this is not the ultimate aspect of this yidam; it is just the way he appears.
The ultimate yidam is the awareness that Chenrezig's expression is the compassion
of all Buddhas.
The form Dorje Phagmo (Diamond Sow) has is a symbolic form. The ultimate Dorje
Phagmo is that the space of phenomena is the highest transcendent wisdom, the
mother of all Buddhas which gives rise to all Buddhas. She is the paramita of
wisdom.
Kagyu Life International, No.4,
1995
Copyright ©1995 Kamtsang Choling USA