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19860331IT – file 4 of 6

0:00:05.2…(laughter) ...which one is it? I am sorry – Oh Chamgön Rinpoche, ok

0:00:47.6 Dutch Translation, discussion in Dutch

0:02:36.1 Finished? Okay. Now that is the point 13: the person who should be practicing. From our point of view, the life we have, the opportunity we have, we are perfect to be Vajrayana practitioners. From that point of view. But from our individual point of view, whether one can prepare oneself or not is a totally different matter. I don’t think it is recommended to wait until you are really fully prepared and then try to do something. No. Even the Samadhi development and even all the preliminary development at the Lam Rim level, are able to be brought in simultaneously when you have a Vajrayana practice already with you. Almost all of them we can bring simultaneously in.

0:03:50.6 For example, understanding of emptiness. You should have some idea of the true understanding of emptiness and even the development of the methods, etc, all of them you will be able to do simultaneously. Therefore, it is strongly recommended not to wait. If you wait too long, saying that you don’t have the development yet right now and you can do Vajrayana later, you will not get any benefit. Particularly I mentioned to you the female tantra and particularly Vajrayogini, where you have really tremendous benefit that you can obtain through it, you will not be able to obtain, if you keep on waiting until you have the full-fledged Lam Rim development. That’s why it is worth to make a mess out of it. You can some way to find and to skip it later. That’s what it is.

What else? Anything else important from this? Okay.

0:05:19.9 Dutch translation

0:06:32.8 Now point 14. This is now the general system, what we call ching. That’s how it works, what it is. What should I say? I can’t find the right words in English. I can’t say it’s the rules, but it’s the normal system how it works. It’s not the outlines. We are going through the outlines and are up to point 14. It’s the structure.

0:07:04.4 the normal sort of structure, how it works. That is what we call in Tibetan ching. Now, that is very important. The first is how the person has become fit to be practicing Vajrayana. It is only by obtaining a full-fledged initiation. First is the initiation. I do not know whether the word initiation, the translation itself, is correct or not. That’s what everybody is using. But let’s borrow that term and call it initiation.

In order to make you ripe, the initiation is done.

0:08:31.6

After obtaining initiation, keep your commitments. There are two systems. The mind ripened through initiation is developed through teachings. You can count it that way normally. But here I am counting different. I am not counting what other people have to do to you, but more importantly, what you have to do yourself. So in order to ripen your own mind you take the initiation. Then keep the commitments. If you keep the commitments that itself is enough. Even if you can’t do much but keep your commitments perfectly, that itself is enough in order to develop siddhihood.

Tibetan

How are you going to get siddhihood? In English that is some kind of powers or benefits. If that is not based on the initiation, but on how much you can keep the commitment, it shows that the commitments are the basis of the siddhihood or power you can obtain.

After obtaining powers what can you do for yourself and others?

These are the three major points to talk about. First is initiation, second is keeping commitments. I can’t go into what the commitments are here. You have to learn that separately, but still generally I can mention it. Whether you get any siddhis or benefits at all or not, depends on the commitments. The ultimate benefit is enlightenment. That is also a siddhi. You may think of siddhis as small little powers here and there. No, even ultimate enlightenment is also siddhihood. So that all depends on keeping the commitments. Then after obtaining siddhis what can you do for yourself and others.

0:12:04.5 Now first is initiation. What is initiation? How does it work? Why is it necessary?

Tibetan – Few people who have no initiation and read certain books here and there and obtain certain information try to practice and teach it. Even though it is possible for some of them to gain a small little benefit here and there, but both teacher and listener, the moment they die,

lopön lobma zhi ma tang

ngö drub tap de nya wa dro

will definitely go to hell. Therefore, it is better to put all efforts into getting an initiation. I think the word “initiation” is wrong. I feel really uneasy with this word. Empowerment – yes, it is sort of an empowerment.

0:14:08.4 Let me say why I think initiation is wrong. What do you understand by initiation in your normal language?

Audience: to introduce you to something new

Rimpoche: Is that right? Then it is the right word in that case. But I feel that people have some kind of different understanding of this word initiation. They say “I have been initiated”, as though they have been baptized. It is not like that. That’s what I am trying to get to. They baptize you together and bury you and wash you together and all this sort of thing. You die together, are born together, all that is not it. That is slightly different. If you get that idea, no, it is totally different.

0:15:18.0 Let me get to it. But whatever the ritual of the initiation may be, it is necessary. Why? Without that, whatever you do, you are not creating anything good. You are creating a direct cause for not only you but, even though you may get some small benefit, also your disciple to go to hell together.

lopön lobma zhi ma tang

ngö drub tap de nya wa dro (spelling???)

0:15:59.0 That’s what it is. That’s because you are playing with something you are not authorized to play with. You are doing something you are not authorized to do. So you have to get authorization and permission. Everything has to be done very carefully. That’s why initiation is necessary. That’s number one.

Number 2: from whom should you get initiation? That is important. As I told you: the person whoever gives you a full-fledged initiation in Vajrayana is a Vajra master. The Vajra master is the most important master. The first tantric downfall is insulting your Vajra master or not properly respecting your Vajra master. So it has become very important for me – let it be me. The most important for me is my Vajra master. Proper devotion and proper practice in relation to the Vajra master is the basis of all my Vajrayana development.

0:17:56.2 So it is of my Sutrayana development. That is very important. Therefore, should you take initiation from any Tom, Dick and Henry who is available in the street? If you can develop good devotion and look at everything in a wonderful way, fine, go ahead and do it. Sure, why not? But if you have problems in yourself – these are all points for me, not for others, because it is of concern to me – if I am able to adjust with my mind whatever happens to that person, if I can always give respect and the Vajra master treatment, then okay, I can take any Tom, Dick and Henry. But in case I cannot, I should know better before I do.

0:19:06.3 Once I have taken initiation, then I am caught (or in court??- poor audio) What are the qualities? How do I check? What are the methods of checking? Do I check that like an advertisement in the newspaper or publicity pamphlets or posters? What do I do? I do not check the advertisements in the newspaper and the publicity pamphlets and posters. To tell you the truth: if I see advertisements in the newspaper, I would rather avoid the person. True, I tell you. In my case, if it is advertised in the newspaper I will avoid.

0:20:08.6 That’s because – anyway, I will not go into that. Earlier, people used to go and search for their spiritual master. They really did. The great Marpa Lotsawa, Ra Lotsawa, and so on, all the great earlier Tibetan masters, have gone year after year, mile after mile and searched for their Vajra master. And finally, I told you how Ra Lotsawa found Guru Chab drug ??. Who was going to listen to Guru Chab drug, the man who broke the law and had no arms and legs? Really, that’s it. Same with Naropa and Tilopa and Maitripa, you name it. Look at the 84 Mahasiddhas, the 80 Indian and 4 Tibetan Mahasiddhas. All of them have gone and searched and walked for years together and finally found. Today, it is the other way round. You sit in your comfortable living room. The advertising pamphlets will reach to you by post. I do not know. I really can’t say. Anyway, that’s what it is.

0:22:11.4 Maybe we have a good excuse. We call it “degenerate age”. Let’s blame it on the degenerated age.

0:22:47.4 Dutch translation

0:28:22.6 I believe we have to have a peepee break for 5 minutes

0:28:25.1 Now the qualities of the person who is fit to be Vajra master

There are lots of different explanations on this. I try to deal with whatever I can.

First: lopön lu yi jang chub, the great Vajra yogi, has mentioned two qualities: the Vajra master of the preliminary development and the Vajra master of completion stage. To prove that he said

De zhin shig pa dor je yi

Tek par lo pön nam ye sung

Ching ne sang nga tso wo chir

Chin ne sam ten lang sho war (???spelling?) 0:29:19.0

Two masters are recommended:

one who says lots of mantras

and one who is doing a lot of meditation

That’s what it is. It works, he says. What does that mean? Saying mantras here means that if you are at the level of development stage you have to very strongly concentrate on your sadhana. You have to keep on saying your sadhana and doing your mantra constantly, carefully. So that’s the indication of the development stage.

The other who is meditating means the one who doesn’t have to keep on saying mantras and doesn’t have to do so many things, which means he has quite well developed, which means he is on the level of the completion stage.

0:30:39.5 These are the two recommended, according to Lopön Lu-i Jang chub.

0:30:57.5 Dutch translation

Now the second is according to the Vajra mala tantra, gyü dorje trengwa.

Zhi wo la se lä la she

Nga dang nel jor chog ga she

De ne la ma ngön par nga

Tsul trim ta gye jin pa tong

Sö dang tsön dru cho dang ne

Nyen dang tsen dang gong la shö

She rab den zhen so la ke (spelling???)

The vajra master will be able to carry out all the activities of peace, prosperity, power and wrath. He knows the mantra and has the yoga practices. That is the recommended Vajra master.

The person should be pure in his own commitments, very generous, have a lot of patience, be enthusiastic, who has himself been doing a lot of meditation, is intelligent and knows how things are to be prepared.

These are the qualities recommended in the Vajra mala tantra, the gyü dorje trengwa.

0:34:00.3 Dutch translation

0:34:58.0 Okay, now next is (reads in Tibetan from root tantra)… in the dön dam nyien pa, it says that because of this degenerated age we will never be able to find a perfect Vajra master who doesn’t have faults. (reads in Tibetan from root tantra)… …Therefore you will never be able to find a perfect one. So (reads in Tibetan from root tantra)… …..when you compare the qualities and disqualifications, they should have more qualities than disqualifications. These are the persons fit to be Vajra masters, these days, in the degenerated age. I am quoting from the root tantra itself.

0:36:24.1 Dutch translation

0:36:59.2 Then if you go into the Lama nga chu pa, the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion, they give all the different qualities such as being stable, well – behaved and all these qualities. In the Lama Chöpa the qualities mentioned in the Lama nga chu pa are also mentioned.

GO SUM LEK DHAM LO CHEN ZÖ DHEN DRANG

YO DHANG GYU MAY NGAH DHANG GYÜ SHEY SHING

DHE NYI CHU ZUNG DRI DANG CHË KHE PEI

DOR JE DZIN PEI TSO LA SÖL WA DEP

Wise and patient, your three doors are well controlled.

Without pretension or deceit, you understand Mantra and Tantra.

Skilled in arts and teaching, you have twice ten qualities.

Oh Lord of Vajra Masters, from my heart I pray!

There are two sets of 10 qualities, inner and outer qualities. First, the three doors are well behaved. The guru has to be broad-minded and have good patience, be straight forward, without pretense. Some people pretend, even though they don’t know, trying to show that they know this and that and that. Some people will do that in a tricky way, that’s what it is. So there should not be any tricks played. They should know the tantra and mantra. Both sets of 10 qualities should be there, in addition to what we mentioned. So there are inner and outer qualities.

0:41:21.9 These qualities are mentioned in the Vajra essence tantra.

Khyil khor de tsi chak kya dang

Tang dang dub tang de ju dang

Gyen tsi chü pa le jur dang

Lab du wa yin am pa ni

Chi yi di nyi tü yi no (Spelling???)

The person must know the mantra, must have Samadhi, must know the mudras, must know what to act, how to sit, how to say the mantras, must know how to do the fire pujas, must know how to do the offerings, must know how to do the other activities,. There are lots of other activities besides fire pujas, etc.. They must know the mandalas.

In addition, whatever you have delivered out you must be able to collect back. These are the 10 outer qualities, the first set of 10 qualities. This is something you should memorize. In Tibetan it’s only 4,5 lines. Very often you see they are talking about the 2 sets of 10 qualities, but they don’t count them.

Actually, the Lama Chöpa has all the qualities mentioned in it, except it doesn’t give you in detail the two sets of 10 qualities.

0:44:59.7 Dutch translation

The inner 10 qualities

0:45:46.5 You must know the “two returns”, which means to be able to return any obstacles you can get, through torma or through chakras. Also you must know about the secret and wisdom beings. Also the person must know the ritual of the separation. There are different rituals called “separation”. If you have a wrathful activity, you must know the individual who must be wrathfully handled can be separated from his protectors. There are lots of those activities: separation activities, and activities of combination. If you can separate, you have to be able to put the combination together. Combination can be both. To help, you have to have a protector to give it to them, and to destroy you not only have to know how to separate from their protector, but you have to combine for this individual to be destroyed, with some wrathful destroyer.

0:47:29.0 Then also both activities through tormas and both activities through vajra recitation. Then wrathful activities, through normal ritual and consecration and generating of the mandala. These are the 10 qualities.

Vajra recitation here does not mean mantra recitation. There is a separate vajra recitation. Normal ritual activity is things like making offerings, etc.

0:48:49.5 Dutch translation

0:50:15.2 Now, these are the two sets of ten qualities, the outer and inner qualities. The inner are sometimes referred to as secret. Now the question really rises? Can you really find such a master now? The answer given by Tsongkhapa is no. It is very difficult now. According to Tsongkhapa’s Ngag Rim Chenmo (like the Lam Rim Chenmo in Sutra, Tsongkhapa written the Ngag Rim Chenmo for Tantra) and also according to Khedrub je’s (one of Tsongkhapa’s disciples) gyü te gyatso dü tsi,

The first quality: In the essence of it, the person [wanting to teach Vajrayana] must have obtained the initiation and must have the unbroken lineage.

That is the first quality. Now these are the qualities that really concern us. So, unbroken lineage.

The second quality: the person must be keeping their commitments, especially during the period of giving initiation, he or she must have the vajra vows. That’s why, before you give initiation to others, you take the self-initiation. This is the reason why.

0:52:34.6 The third quality: Out of both sets of ten qualities, whatever is necessary for initiation, they must know. That includes the mandala activities.

The fourth quality: The person must have done the nyen ba, which is translated as retreat. But it is not really a retreat as you normally think. In this retreat you are saying the mantra and you become closer to the yidam. That is what nyenba really is, which we now translate as “retreat”. Nyen ba means making happy, bringing closer. It brings the individual closer to the yidam. Our understanding of retreat is that we don’t go outside, don’t see people and don’t talk. But why do you lock your doors? You cut external contact and try to build contact close to the yidam. That’s what the whole idea is.

There should be five qualities here.

The fifth quality: The person must know the rituals of the initiation and also the mudras of the initiation and if possible, they should be good at it. Otherwise, at least they should know about it.

Now the question of retreat is also very important. What does retreat really mean? As I mentioned, getting closer to the yidam. But how? There are retreats done by time, by numbers, and by signs. These are the three ways of doing retreat. Sometimes people have a time limit, like six months. Sometimes there are a number of mantras prescribed to be said. Each individual thing has a different system. Sometimes you meditate until a sign comes.

Other retreat may not be counted.

0:55:58.8 So such a retreat has to be done. Out of these three, the signs retreat is most important. If you have a sign of getting closer to the yidam, particularly if you are seeing the yidam, having conversations, or your torma catching fire or having smoke from your torma, these are the signs of getting your retreat done well. So, if you don’t have a lot of numbers said or if your time is not so long, even then it’s okay. If you sit in retreat for just three days and your torma starts catching fire, okay, that’s a good sign. You can stop, it is perfect. But if you put kerosene there and start a fire, that’s not right, you can’t do that. It has to really burn by itself.

0:57:04.9 If not, then the next important retreat is the numbers, not the time. You may sit for six months and say no mantras. If you say only 100 a day, then in six months you have 6,000, but that will not do. So you have to say the required number. So most probably, until you have said the number of mantras properly, you cannot carry out any activity.

In addition to that, if you are giving initiation, when your numbers retreat is completed, you have to check with your deity, your yidam, whether you are allowed to do it or not. So you have to keep a dream. If you have not been permitted to do this you have to wait for a dream. In the dream, if you have no signs of stopping, then you can consider that as not stopped, though not yet permitted either. So you may be able to carry this out. These are the basic five qualities of a Vajra master that Tsongkhapa has mentioned in the Ngag Rim Chenmo, as well as Khedrub je and the gyü te gya tso dü tsi by Sumpa Khenpo.

0:58:56.2 All of them mention these things and even the rig dzin ga tön has recommended that. These are generally the qualities you look for.

0:59:13.4 Dutch translation

1:03:27.7 So these are now the “must” qualities of the Vajra master. Even among you, in the future, if anyone would like to become a Vajra master, then yes, really, you have to process yourself with these qualities and particularly it is very important that even if you have done your retreat, you have to see whether there are any objections from the yidam’s side. If there is an objection you will definitely get a dream, like you cannot cross a river or there is a mountain you cannot climb, all these sorts of funny, funny obstacles you will find.

1:04:22.4 Some people may not get an objection from the yidam’s side, however, it can shorten your life doing this. These people will get a sign of death such as wearing a red flower on the head, riding a donkey upside down, meeting a red buffalo, and all this sort of funny dreams you get, indicating that you can do it, but it will be at your own expense. So you should know what you are doing and what to do. So these are the must qualities and if you possess these qualities then you can become a Vajra master.

When you look for a Vajra master you have to also know these qualities and in addition to that I have mentioned that the Vajra master must have more qualities than disadvantages. You have to look. If you start from the mistakes point of view you will always find only mistakes. If you look from the good qualities point of view you will also find good qualities. But to be able to balance, if you find good qualities for the more important points and disqualifications for some less important points then I think nowadays it is ok.

1:05:58.1 Dutch translation

1:07:38.0 If you are looking from the disqualification point of view you always find lots of disqualifications. If you look from the quality point of view you always find qualities. This is also human nature. What you hear also depends a lot. When you hear something good you think about good. When you hear bad you think about bad. So you should not be influenced by hearing, by newspapers, by advertisement, but you should be able to see yourself. Now you know what to look for. So then you should look for yourself carefully and then when you find then take it. Okay.

1:08:31.7 Now, what does initiation really mean and how does it work? It is an introduction and entering the mandala. What is mandala? That is the real question? People may say it is the diagram of the deity, but no. When Buddha manifested in the form of Buddha Vajradhara he mentioned each different tantra. For example, look at Yamantaka. Buddha took the form of Yamantaka and introduced the palace, the place where Yamantaka lives. So that has been introduced. That is the actual mandala. Where does that palace come from? Is it on earth or where? Actually it is the wisdom palace. It is the purity of the individual person, part of the individual person’s purity. When you become enlightened that is taking shape as a house, a place, a sort of independent universe of its own. From the protection rim into the actual body of the principal deity – all is part of the purity of the individual who has taken this shape. You understand? The house is not an ordinary house, not built by cements, bricks and wood.

1:10:48.4 When you purify your non-virtues you gain merit. Those different merits – like there are 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva, etc, all these are taking shape. When they take a physical form it becomes parts of the mandala. If you look in the Yamantaka sadhana, Yamantaka has nine faces. Where do they come from? They are the nine different types of teachings. The two horns are the relative and absolute truth. Outside of the mandala is the protection rim. Then the cemeteries, then the vajra fence, then you come into the real Vajra house, then the principal, then in the case of Solitary Hero Yamantaka, there is only one single deity. Now, from here to there, everything is actually the purity of one individual who has obtained enlightenment. You understand? That purity has taken a different shape here, a different shape there. That has led to the whole diagram or actually the whole shape of the palace, the universe, the outer rim, everything.

1:13:00.0 That’s what actually the mandala really is. The purity of the individual taking the form of a house, or living quarters, and including the principal deity. That is the real mandala.

1:13:26.4 Dutch translation

1:15:23.7 Mandala in Tibetan is khil khor. Khil is center and khor is the retinue. Khil is the center, as well as principal and then there is the retinue. The principal and the retinue altogether is the mandala. That means if there are many deities, like the principal and other deities, then the whole thing is the mandala. Okay.

Now initiation means that you are introduced to the mandala and enter you inside. Not only are you introduced to the principal deity, you are also introduced to the other deities and you yourself are entered in. Now the difference, if you have initiation or not have initiation.

If you don’t have initiation it is like you are only praying from outside. Take Avalokitesvara or any other yidam. If you don’t have the initiation you are praying from outside only. If you are sitting in the house you hear somebody shouting from the outside. Let’s say a beggar comes and starts begging outside. It is just like that. The moment you have obtained initiation you are introduced to the person and they know you. So you don’t have to shout and pray from outside. You can walk in and sit down and talk to them and try to get things straight.

1:17:22.8 That’s even if you are just introduced. Not only is the yidam introduced to you but also you are classified and introduced as a family member. You become a family member. As a family member you can walk into even better than somebody who is known and is allowed to sit in and somehow belongs to. But you cannot do everything you want to, unless you gain the good confidence of the head of the family. Similarly, though you are introduced and are a family member you cannot do everything, if you have not done a proper retreat. You have not gained the confidence of the head of the family. And if you don’t have that I don’t think you can just decide and do things.

1:18:14.3 Just like that when you have not done the retreat, if you have initiation you can become family member and walk in and sit down and have a cup of tea, but you cannot make decisions more than that, if you have not gained the confidence of the head of the family. After the retreat you can do things, because you have gained the confidence of the head of the family and you can decide and do and undo things. Just like that.

1:18:53.4 Dutch translation

1:20:34.9 So that’s the real mandala. Nowadays we don’t have that mandala at all. We don’t have the actual purity of it. During the Buddha’s period, when Buddha was giving that particular tantra, at that moment he had manifested and thereafter he had dissolved most of them. Again, here an important point: certain mandalas are not dissolved. The Heruka mandala of both, the male and female, is not dissolved. It still remains open. Otherwise most of the mandalas are dissolved. That’s one of the reasons why Heruka practice is very important and the female in the case of Heruka is Vajrayogini. That’s why it is important. Looks I am making Vajrayogini publicity or propaganda (laughs). But it is really important.

I still have to talk a lot of things and time is running. What do we do now? I mentioned the actual mandala is not there. Nowadays, what do we have? We have seven different mandalas now.

One is a drawn mandala, which somebody draws on a piece of paper, a cloth or something. That is what we normally do now everywhere. It is the diagram that has been worked out and drawn. That’s the drawing mandala.

Second is the dü tsön, a sand mandala which you build on. It is colored sand powder which is built on the mandala. That’s where you had the Kalachakra on. That is also a right mandala.

Third is the body mandala. There are no drawings, no pictures, nothing. But it is visualized by the Vajra master who gives the initiation. He visualizes the mandala in the body and the Vajra disciple who enters into the mandala will also to through the visualization, which is the body mandala. You visualize the body in the form of the mandala, like in Heruka body mandala. You obtain the initiation and you are introduced by the Vajra master’s body into the mandala and you enter through it. That is the body mandala.

Then fourth is the meditative mandala. The vajra master will also meditate the mandala completely, only through visualization and meditation, not even on the body. The Vajra disciple will also meditate the same way, the same lines, the same drawings, everything together at the same level. Now both, master and disciple, have to be perfect for the meditated mandala.

1:25:09.7 The fifth is relative bodhicitta mandala. I don’t think I need to explain that here.

Then the sixth is the bhaga mandala is……..okay it’s all right.

Then the seventh is the absolute bodhicitta mandala.

So these seven mandalas are available today and you can do it. But the majorities of the initiations are done in the drawing mandala or sand mandala. And the drawing mandala is easy. Not only easy, but a lot less work. If you make a sand mandala you have to do a lot of different rituals and here you don’t need that. Also there is less chance that you make a mistake. It is already properly drawn and the measurements you know have no mistake. So for persons like me it is recommended to use the drawing mandala and if you are good enough and you are somebody who knows every measurement properly, then you may do the sand mandala. Otherwise it is much safer to do the drawing mandala.

1:27:09.8 Dutch translation

1:29:48.2 When such a mandala has been provided, then how do you enter the person into the mandala? Now the real initiation comes.

Preliminary arrangements

Actual entering in

I hope it’s not too detailed for you? When you introduce you introduce properly.

Preliminaries

Ground preliminary arrangements

Deity preliminary arrangements

Vase preliminary arrangements

Disciple preliminary arrangements

1:30:49.6 end of file