THE MYTH AND MAGIC OF VAJRAYANA

Tibetan Buddhism

Three Turnings of the Wheel

First Turning: in Deer Park, SarnathTeaching: 4 Noble TruthsBasic Vehicle/HinayanaPractitioners: Shravakas (Listeners) and Pratyekabuddhas

(Solitary Realizers); Fruition: Arhat (“Foe-destroyer”)Second Turning: at Vulture Peak Mountain, Rajgrih

Teaching: Emptiness (shunyata) and compassion (bodhichitta)Great Vehicle/MahayanaPractitioners: Bodhisattvas; Fruition: Buddha

Third Turning: at various times and placesTeaching: Mantra and buddha natureDiamond Vehicle/Vajrayana“Result vehicle”: Taking the result as the path

The Four Noble Truths

1. The Truth of Suffering (dukha)Birth, old age, sickness, and death

2. The Truth of the Origin of Suffering Karma and ignorance (avidya, marigpa)

3. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

4. The Truth of the Path

The Eightfold Noble Path

1. Right view 2. Right intention 3. Right speech4. Right action 5. Right livelihood 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration

Three Higher Trainings

Ethics:refraining from 3 physical non-virtues: killing, stealing,

sexual misconduct4 verbal non-virtues: lying, divisiveness, harsh speech, meaningless chatter, 3 mental non-virtues: greed, wish to harm, and wrong view

Concentration/meditationShamatha (calm abiding): Analytical meditation and resting meditationVipashyana (clear seeing)

Wisdom (Skt. prajna, Tib. sherab)

Tibetan

Canon:

“Kangyur”

The Words

of the

Buddha

Mahayana (Great Vehicle)

Second turning of the wheelKey teachings: Shunyata (emptiness or openness)

and bodhichitta (heart or mind of enlightenment)Practitioners: BodhisattvasThe path: The five paths and the ten levels (bhumis)Literature: Prajnaparamita (The Perfection of Wisdom)Fruition: Buddhahood

Two Types of Obscurations and Identity

Emotional obscurations Identity of the individual

selflessness of the person- Imputed self- Instinctive self

Cognitive obscurations Identity of phenomena (dharma)identitylessness of things

Bodhichitta

“The heart of awakened mind”Def: The wish to attain enlightenment for the

sake of all sentient beings.Aspirational Bodhichitta:

The four immeasurables – love, compassion, joy, equanimity

Engaged Bodhichitta:The six perfections: Generosity, discipline, patience, joyful diligence, meditation, wisdom

Four Immeasurables

Immeasurable love: wishing happiness and the causes of happiness - Antidote to enmity (and attachment)

Immeasurable compassion: wishing freedom from suffering- Antidote to anger (and pity)

Immeasurable joy: wishing all sentient beings never to be separated from happiness- Antidote to jealousy

Immeasurable equanimity- Antidote to indifference and prejudice (and clinging)

Samsara and Nirvana

Samsara (Skt.; lit. “wandering”) = Cycle of rebirthNirvana (Skt.; lit. “blowing out,

extinguishing”)

Spread of Vajrayana in Tibet

3rd-11th century development of Tantra in IndiaEarly transmission in Tibet: 7th cent.

= Nyingma School King Songtsen Gampo (609-649?) Trisong Detsen (754.797) Ralpachen (815-836)Second dissemination (from 978 onwards) Rinchen Sangpo, Atisha, (founder of Kadampa) = eventually Sarma (“New”) Schools

Later Dissemination

Ascent of Mongols in 12th century = priest-patron relationship with Sakya

1249 treaty Godan – Sakya Pandita1st Compilation of Kangyur and TengyurTsongkhapa (1357-1419)15th century: Gelukpa ascent to power1578 Sonam Gyatso meets Altan Khan =

establishment of Dalai Lama title5th Dalai Lama (1617-1682), “Great Fifth,” First

Dalai Lama to rule over a unified Tibet with Mongol protection

The 12 Links of Dependent Origination Metaphor

1. Ignorance 2. Karma/formations 3. Consciousness 4. Name and form 5. 6 senses 6. Contact 7. Feeling 8. Craving 9. Grasping 10. Becoming 11. Rebirth 12. Old age and death

Blind man Potter Monkey Boat w/ 4 passengers House w/ 6 openings Couple kissing Man w/arrow in eye Man takes drink Man picks fruit Pregnant woman Childbirth Corpse

The Wheel of Life: The 12 Links

3 Kayas (Bodies)

Dharmakaya (“Embodiment of Truth”)Ultimate state of nirvana; no form

Sambhogakaya (“Embodiment of Enjoyment”)Form of light; not accessible to ordinary beings

Nirmanakaya (“Embodiment of Manifestation”)

Physical emanation

3 Types of Nirmanakaya

(acc. to Ray)1) Fully enlightened Buddha, e.g. Buddha

Shakyamuni2) Realized human being, e.g. tulkus3) Created objects, e.g. stupa

Philosophical system (tenet)

Drubtha (grub mtha’)siddhanta

“established/final conclusion”

Three Prajnas (or Wisdom Tools)

Wisdom of ListeningWisdom of ContemplationWisdom of Meditation

The Four Seals: What Makes You a Buddhist or Not a Buddhist

1. Everything compounded is impermanent.

2. Everything tainted is suffering.3. All phenomena are empty and devoid of self.

4. Nirvana is peace.

Four Buddhist Approaches

YANA SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

KEY MASTERS

Hinayana Vaibhashika (Tib. chedrak mawa, Particularist)

Vasubandhu (4th century)

Hinayana Sautrantika (Tib. dodépa, Followers of Sutra):- According to scripture- According to reasoning

Vasubandhu

Dignaga (480-540 CE)Dharmakirti (7th century)

Mahayana Chittamatra (Tib. Sem tsampa, Mentalist)/Yogachara (Tib. naljor chöpa, Practitioners of Yoga)

Asaoga (4th century)Vasubandhu

Mahayana Madhyamaka (Tib. Uma, Middle Way)-Svatantrika (Uma rang gyüpa)-Prāsaogika (Uma tal gyurwa)

Nagarjuna (2nd century)Bhavaviveka (500-570)Sāntarakrita (700-785)Candrakirti (600-650)

The Two Truths

“The doctrines that Buddha taught are based upon two truths: Worldly conventional truths and truths that are ultimate

objects.Those who do not know the distinction between these two

truthsDo not know the profound suchness in Buddha’s teachings.”

Nagarjuna, Treatise on the Middle Way

Conventional truth (samvpti-satya, kundzob denpa)

Ultimate truth (paramartha satya, döndam denpa)

The Two Truths for the Vaibharika

“When objects are destroyed or mentally dissected,

They can no longer be identified by the mind.Such things like pots or water, are relative;All else besides is ultimately existent.”

Vasubandhu, Abhidharmakosha

5 Skandhas (Aggregates)

= What constitutes a personForm - Outer form: E.g. five elements: wind, fire,

etc. - Inner form: the body and its organsPerception: The sensory perceptionsFeeling: Positive, negative, or neutralFormation: mainly thoughts/concepts (51

types)Consciousness: 6 consciousnesses of eye, ear,

nose, tongue, touch, and mental perceptions

The Two Truths of the Sautrantika

“Here, what is genuinely able to perform a function

Is what genuinely exists.Everything else is seemingly existent.These are explained as specifically

characterized and generally characterized (chi dön) phenomena.”Dharmakirti, Commentary on Valid Cognition

Sautrantika (Followers of Sutra)

Relative truth: Generally characterized (concepts)

Absolute truth: Specifically characterized (the objects we directly perceive)

Concepts are not problematic in themselves – it is our confusion about them. We do not see concepts accurately, just as they are.

Sautrantika

Sautrantika following scriptureSautrantika following reasoning (Dharmakirti

and Dignaga)Perception is a two-step process: In the first moment, the senses perceive the object directly, without any concepts. In the second moment, concepts enter in and we label.

Direct Perception (acc to Sautrantika)

as opposed to inference

Sensory perception (non-conceptual)Sense consciousnessSelf-awarenessYogic perception

Main Points (Sautrantika)

Consciousness is self-aware (rang rig) and other-aware (shen rig)

We perceive the external world indirectly through mental representations

There is a clear distinction made between perception and concepts

The three times are imputed.

Four Buddhist Approaches

YANA SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

KEY MASTERS

Hinayana Vaibhashika (Tib. chedrak mawa, Particularist)

Vasubandhu (4th century)

Hinayana Sautrantika (Tib. dodépa, Followers of Sutra):- According to scripture- According to reasoning

Vasubandhu

Dignaga (480-540 CE)Dharmakirti (7th century)

Mahayana Chittamatra (Tib. Sem tsampa, Mentalist)/Yogachara (Tib. naljor chöpa, Practitioners of Yoga)

Asaoga (4th century)Vasubandhu

Mahayana Madhyamaka (Tib. Uma, Middle Way)-Svatantrika (Uma rang gyüpa)-Prāsaogika (Uma tal gyurwa)

Nagarjuna (2nd century)Bhavaviveka (500-570)Shāntarakrita (700-785)Chandrakirti (600-650)

Does the External World Exist?

Vaibhashika: The partless particle is real and the momentless moment is real.

Sautrantika: I perceive it, so it must exist.Chittamatra: Only mind exists, the external

world is illusory like a dream.Madhyamaka: Conventionally, there is no

argument with ordinary people. Ultimately, things are neither real nor unreal, but interdependent.

Something is ultimately real when it is

Permanent (takpa)Singular (chikpu)

Independent (rangwang)

Mind Only

“The … realms of existence are merely mind.”Buddha, in the Perfection of Wisdom

(Prajnaparamita) in 8,000 Verses

“The world is led by mindAnd drawn by mind.All phenomena are controlledBy one phenomenon, mind.”Buddha, in the Collection of Related Teachings

Refuting the Partless Particle

“When six other particles are joined to it,The subtle particle will have six parts.If the six all simply converge together,Then even compounds will be infinitesimal.”

Vasubandhu, Twenty Verses

Eight Types of Consciousness

1-5) Five types of consciousness of the senses:• Consciousness of the eye• Consciousness of the ear• Consciousness of the nose• Consciousness of the tongue• Consciousness of the body6) Mental consciousness7) Afflicted consciousness or emotional mind: the subtle

grasping which produces all the ignorance, destructive emotions and confusion of samsara.

8) Allground consciousness (alaya): it is neutral, neither positive nor negative.

Main Points of Chittamatra

No material objects can ultimately be established, only mind.

There is no duality between perceiver and what is perceived.

To establish all things as being the mind destroys the whole mechanism of samsara and thus leads to liberation.

Three Natures (Chittamatra)

Imputed nature (kun tag): the false, that which is labeled or projected, e.g. the self, “mine”, names, etc.e.g. Thinking Robert de Niro is really the Godfather

Dependent nature (shen wang): mind and mental events of the beings in the three realms,

the perception of the eight types of consciousnesses, sense objectse.g. The images, colors, movements on the screen

Ultimate nature (yong drup): the completely existentSelf-awareness, nondual cognition devoid of object and subject

e.g. The light bulb in the film projector that makes everything else appear

Chittamatra’s Two Truths

“Perceived objects and perceiving subjects’ duality is relative.

Consciousness that is empty of duality is genuine.

This is the presentation of the mind-only school.”

Jamgon Kongtrul, Treasury of Knowledge

“The whole purpose of Madhyamaka

is to provethat everything we think is

wrong.”

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

No View, No Fault

“If I had a position,Then I would be at fault,But because I have no position,I can only be without fault.”

Nagarjuna, Refutation of Objections, Verse 29 

Ten Questions the Buddha Answered With Silence

Is the universe eternal,not eternal,finite,or infinite?After death, does a Buddha continue to exist,not continue to exist,both,or neither?Are the body and the “self” the same entity,totally separate and different entities?

Shunyata

Def: emptiness of inherent existence Three fundamental principles to prove

shunyata:a) Impermanence and changeb) Lack of unitary existence (nothing is just

one, self-contained entity, everything is composed of many parts and particles)

c) Lack of independent existence (for example, things are defined in relation to each other)

Beyond Existence and Non-existence

“Existence” is the view of permanence,“Non-existence” is the view of extinction,Therefore, the wise do not abideEither in existence or in non-existence.Nagarjuna, Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle

Way

Wisdom

“When real and unreal bothAre absent from before the mindNothing else remains for mind to doBut rest in utter peace, from concepts free.”

Shantideva, Way of the Bodhisattva

The Five Great Madhyamika Arguments

The investigation of the essential nature: ‘neither one nor many’

The investigation of causes: the diamond splinters (or vajra slivers)

The investigation of results: refuting existent or non-existent results

The investigation of both causes and resultsThe investigation of interdependence

The Four Extremes

“There is no existence nor non-existence,Neither both nor not both.Those who are free from the four extremesAre referred to as “Madhyamikas”.”

Ornament of the Middle Way

Interdependence

“There is not a single thingThat does not arise interdependently.Therefore there is not a single thingThat is not emptiness.”

Nagarjuna

Arising: Examining the Cause

If things truly exist,they have to be produced, or arise, either

from themselves,from something other than themselves,from both of these, orWithout a cause.

Refutation

“Not from self, not from other,Not from both and not from neither—Not from any entity at all anywhere,Is there ever any production.” Nagarjuna, Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way

“Since things do no arise from self, other, both, nor without cause,

They have no inherent nature at all.”Chandrakirti

Shunyata = Possibilities

“If emptiness is possible,Then everything is possible,But if emptiness is impossible,Then nothing else is possible either.”Nagarjuna, Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle

Way

Divisions of Madhyamaka

SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

KEY MASTERS

Madhyamaka “Middle Way” Nagarjuna (2nd cent)Aryadeva (3rd cent)

SUBSCHOOLSPrasangika “Consequentialist” Buddhapalita (6th cent)

Chandrakirti (600-659)Shantideva (8th cent)

Svatantrika “Autonomous School” Bhavaviveka (500-570)Rangtong “Self-Empty”Shentong “Other-Empty”Yogachara Synthesis of

Chittamatra and Madhyamaka

Shantarakshita (700-785)Kamalashila

Why Holding on to a Self Leads to Suffering

“When there is a self, one believes there is other.

From these images of self and other come attachment and aversion.

As a result of getting wrapped up in these,All possible faults arise.”

Dharmakirti

Perfection of Wisdom

“Form is emptiness,Emptiness is form.Form is no other than emptiness,Emptiness is no other than form.”

From the Sutra of the Heart of Transcendent Wisdom

Interdependence: Beyond 8 Extremes

“Everything that arises interdependently isUnceasing and unborn,Neither non-existing nor everlasting,Neither coming nor going,Neither several in meaning nor with a single

meaning.”Nagarjuna, Introduction to Fundamental

Verses of the Middle Way

Fruition

“What is without abandonment, without attainment,

Without annihilation, without permanence,Without cessation, and without arisingIs said to be nirvana.”Nagarjuna, Fundamental Treatise on the

Middle Way

Divisions of LineagesLINEAGE KEY MASTERSBonNyingma “Ancient” or “Old

Translation”Padmasambhava

SARMA “New Schools”Kadam Atisha

(arrived in Tibet 1042)Kagyü “Oral Lineage” Tilopa (988-1069),

Naropa (1016-1100)Marpa, MilarepaKarmapas

Sakya “Gray Earth” Virupa (9th or 10th C), DrogmiSakya Panditas

Gelug “Way of the Virtuous” Tsongkhapa (1357-1419)Dalai Lamas

RIMÉ “Non-sectarian” Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Tayé

Separation from the Four Attachments

If you are attached to this life, then you are not a Dharma practitioner.

If you are attached to existence (samsara), then you do not have renunciation.

If you are attached to your own interests, then you do not have the mind of enlightenment (bodhichitta).

If there is grasping, then you do not have the view.

Künga Ningypo (1092-1158)

Tantric Initiation

Vase initiation (found in all tantra sets)Secret initiation (only in highest tantra)Wisdom initiationWord initiation

= relation to 4 vidyadhara states= purpose to attain the 4 kayas (Dharmak.,

Sambhogak., Nirmanak., Svabhavikakaya)

4 CLASSES OF TANTRA

Action Tantras: Outer activities, purification rituals, e.g. fasting

Performance Tantras: Emphasize external activities and internal yoga, view of oneself as companion of deity

Yoga Tantras: visualizing oneself as actual deity. Emphasizes internal yoga.

Highest Yoga Tantras: Generation and completion. Subtle energies, winds, channels.

5 Buddha Families

Buddha Vajra Ratna (Jewel) Padma (Lotus) Karma (Action)

Name Vairochana Akshobya Ratnasambhava Amitabha Amoghasiddha

Color White Blue Yellow Red Green

Poison Ignorance Anger Greed Desire Envy/jealousy

Wisdom All-pervasive Mirror-like Equanimity Discriminating All-accomplishing

Position Center/East East/Center South West North

Mudra Teaching Earth touching Generosity Meditation Fearlessness

Symbol Wheel Vajra Jewel Lotus Double Vajra

Consort Tara Mamaki Lochana Pandaravasini Samayatara

Skandha Form Consciousness Sensation Perception Formation

Element Space Water Earth Fire Air

Bild durch Klicken auf Symbol hinzufügenTwo-armed Avalokiteshvara (Chenresig)

Bild durch Klicken auf Symbol hinzufügenThousand-armed Avalokiteshvara

The Fourteen Dalai Lamas

1st: Gyalwa Gendun Drubpa 1391-1474 2nd: Gyalwa Gendun Gyatso 1475-1542 3rd: G Sonam Gyatso 1543-1588 4th: G Yonten Gyatso 1589-1617 5th: G Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso 1617-1682 6th: G Tsangyang Gyatso 1682-1706 7th: G Kalzang Gyatso 1708-1757 8th: G Jampel Gyatso 1758-1804 9th: G Lungtok Gyatso 1805-1815 10th: G Tsultrim Gyatso 1816-1837 11th: G Khedrub Gyatso 1838-1856 12th: G Trinley Gyatso 1856-1875 13th: G Thubten Gyatso 1876-1933 14th: G Tenzin Gyatso *July 6, 1935

Bild durch Klicken auf Symbol hinzufügenThe Fifth Dalai Lama

(1617-1682)

Bardo (Inbetween States)

Acc. to The Tibetan Book of the Dead (lit. “Liberation by Hearing While Inbetween”):

The natural bardo of this lifeBardo of dyingBardo of suchness, which features the

experience of visions of various Buddha formsBardo of becoming, or rebirthBardo of dhyana (meditation)Bardo of dream (the dream state during

normal sleep).

The Bardo of Dying: Dissolution of the Elements

1. Outer dissolution: Earth and skandha of form dissolves into Water Fire Air Space2. Inner dissolution White and red element meet, natural

luminosity dawns

Phowa: Transference of Consciousness

Spread of Vajrayana

India: Vajrayana flourished in India until the 11th century. China and countries with Chinese influence (e.g. Taiwan): began

first half of the 7th century CE (close to Shingon). Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet and Himalayan region (Bhutan,

Sikkim, Ladakh)Japan: In 804 CE, the Japanese monk Kukai founded the Shingon

school of Vajrayāna Buddhism, which has continued to the present time. Also Tendai sect (Vajrayana influences).

Indonesia and Malaysia: established in the late 8th century, driven out by Islam in the 13th century.

Mongolia: began during the 13th century (Prince Godan), but revival in the 17th century and 20th century.

Nepal: Newari BuddhismRussia: especially Kalmyck region, currently revival.