The Four Yogas of the Generation Stage (4/5)

Those who have advanced to the Bodhisattva grounds are able to accomplish myriad activities, such as practicing the six paramitas, delivering sentient beings on an inconceivable scale, even purifying their own negative karma, and so on, all through the power of meditation. 

Whereas ordinary people are often left exhausted, having to use our words to spread the Dharma and actions to benefit sentient beings, but with limited results.

A person’s body, speech, mind, and activity make up the whole person. Likewise, a Buddha’s body, speech, wisdom, and activities to free sentient beings from suffering encompass all the qualities of the Buddha. 

Not only tantra but sutra also acknowledges that ultimately the body of a sentient being can be the body of the Buddha, the words of sentient beings can become the words of the Buddha , the defiled minds of sentient beings the wisdom of the Buddha, and the activities of sentient beings the Buddha’s activities to deliver all to liberation, but sutra offers no specific method to make such a transformation. 

On the other hand, many skillful means are available in tantra to free sentient beings from suffering. Through the four yogas, which are unique to Vajrayana, the body, speech, mind, and activities of sentient beings can be transformed into those of the Buddha.

Deity yoga engages creative visualization as a skillful means of personal transformation through which the practitioner (sadhaka) visualizes a chosen deity (yidam) as part of a mandala or refuge tree in order to transform their experience of the appearance aspect of reality. 

Yoga of Deity’s Form

This is essentially a visualization of the deity’s physical form and mandala. Through this visualization, the body of a sentient being can be transformed into, made to manifest as, or purified as the body’s original state—the body of the divine.

Most people are troubled by two problems: one is not being able to visualize clearly, and the other is not being able to keep the mind still during sitting meditation.

A discursive mind needs samatha meditation as its antidote. If the visualization is not clear, it is because one is either not doing the visualization practice satisfactorily or does not understand the visualization method and technique. 

A brief introduction to this method was given in my discussion on the Vajrasattva practice in the Luminous Wisdom Series, but I shall repeat it here and focus on the key points.

At the outset of practicing the generation stage, we need an external object to help with visualization; otherwise, it would be quite hard to just rely on our own imagination to form a deity image, something only people of superior faculty can achieve. 

However, the situation today is quite absurd. Regardless of the individual’s capacity, everyone practices visualization like a person of superior faculty, without the help of any external object; the result can be nothing but failure.

Here, the external object is a thangka. When we do the Vajrasattva practice, we need a thangka of Vajrasattva. First, look at the thangka to visualize the deity; next, without looking at the thangka, practice the visualization by memory; and lastly, transfer the deity image on the thangka to our own body, that is, visualize our own body as that of the deity. Just do this step by step. 

There are three ways to visualize the details of the image. The first is for people of superior faculty. One just visualizes directly in the mind without any external assistance. For example, when visualizing the third eye on the forehead of the wrathful deity, the vision will appear clearly in the mind right away.

The second is for people of average faculty. When doing visualization, one does not rely on a thangka but instead on one’s own voice or words by muttering to oneself: the deity’s eyes have five colors, the pupil in the center is very dark, then white, finally red, and so on. 

It is not necessary to follow any sadhana; just using plain words will do. Visualize as the words are spoken. It has the same effect as doing visualization while reading the sadhana—reading without visualization is not effective, whereas visualizing without reading is hard to do. Be sure to speak slowly.

The third is for people of inferior faculty. In this case, one must rely on a detailed picture of the parts to be visualized. For example, photograph or scan the deity’s eyes, enlarge them, and print out the picture fit for visualization. Then repeatedly practice visualization as mentioned above.

Four is when a person who is truly practicing the generation stage should visualize this way rather than just generate a blurred image or indistinct outline of the deity during visualization, as we normally do.

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

The Three Samadhis of The Generation Stage (3/5)

The Three Samadhis

According to the tantras of Nyingmapa, the generation stage consists of three types of samadhi: the samadhi of thusness, the samadhi of universal manifestation, and the causal samadhi.

Through the three samadhis, the three phases in samsara, it's the death, intermediate state, and rebirth. 

These three phases can be transformed into the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya of the Buddha. The three kayas are the fruition, the three samadhis are the path, and the three phases in samsara are the impure ground.

The Samadhi of Thusness. 

Thusness means realm of truth (dharmadhatu), nature of reality (dharmata), emptiness, and luminosity. The samadhi of thusness is meditation on emptiness. Once the pre-meditation steps of taking refuge, generating Bodhicitta, and praying to the guru have all been completed, practice the samadhi of thusness. 

If one has attained realization, just abide in the state of realization, but not too long. One who has not gained realization should maintain firm belief in the view that the nature of all phenomena is emptiness; this is said to be a similar version of the samadhi of thusness—not real samadhi, only close to it.

Through the samadhi of thusness, death can be transformed into or purified as dharmakaya, a practice that is unique to tantra. Although the sutra also practices emptiness, it does not have the power to purify, only to eliminate defilement, because it lacks the tantric view. 

Another function of the samadhi of thusness is to destroy the view of eternalists. For in the subsequent practices, all the mandalas of the Buddhas are also perceived to be of an empty nature; nothing exists permanently. Therefore, the samadhi of thusness is able to abolish the eternalist view.

The Samadhi of Universal Manifestation

Universal manifestation refers to phenomena, primarily great compassion. After the completion of the samadhi of thusness, practice great compassion toward sentient beings who have not gained realization of emptiness; it need not be long.

One of the functions of the samadhi of universal manifestation is to transform the bardo body into or purify the body as sambhogakaya. 

Although the sutra also practices great compassion, it does not have the ability to purify because it lacks the view that sentient beings are Buddhas already. Another function of the samadhi of universal manifestation is to eradicate the nihilistic view. 

When a realized practitioner practices great compassion and loving kindness while in the enlightened state, compassion and loving kindness are in union with emptiness and at once illusory; when the view of Vajrayana is added, this practice is empowered to effect transformation or purification.

If the first two samadhis are missing, a practitioner who is undertaking the practice of the wrathful deity will develop attachment to the wrathful deity due to ignorance of the void nature of the deity; absent compassion, if such a person holds the wrong view or mistaken aspiration at the time of death, he or she may end up being a demon or evil spirit with supernatural power in the next life, causing great harm to sentient beings. 

This is why the two samadhis are indispensable. If all the generation stages can be practiced around the framework of these two samadhis, there will be no room for mistake because the practice is based on emptiness and compassion.

Visualization not based on the view of emptiness and compassion is also practiced by non-Buddhists; some of these visualizations are quite powerful as well, but they do not lead to liberation. 

In other words, with no concept of emptiness nor foundation in compassion, one cannot attain any supramundane accomplishment in the deity practice. 

The Causal Samadhi

Attaining Buddhahood is called the resultant stage. As we have not yet attained Buddhahood, it is called the causal stage. In actuality, all phenomena are the mandala of the Buddha; cause and result are inseparable, but there is still a discrepancy between cause and result on the surface.

The causal samadhi covers a very broad range, including visualizations of all the peaceful and wrathful deities.

*Footnote 

For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors.

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind. 

Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest. 

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 16 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.