For those who are unskilful, or whose minds are untrained, such practices of transformation are impossible. For this reason, the Yogis and great meditators of the past have said that to attain the realizations of Secret Mantra, one’s mind should first be controlled by training in the Sutra stages of the path. Without building this firm foundation, there is absolutely no way to attain a pure experience of Secret Mantra.
Revealing these instructions of Secret Mantra can be dangerous for both the Spiritual Guide and the disciple, if either is not properly qualified. At the very least, they should both have an appropriate motivation. A Teacher should reveal these methods only out of the great compassionate intention to spread the holy Dharma for the benefit of others. To reveal these methods out of attachment to the happiness of this life – wishing to achieve fame, gifts, and so forth – would be a cause for taking rebirth in the deepest hell.
It would also be dangerous for the disciple to receive the empowerments and instructions of Secret Mantra if he or she did not strive to keep the vows and commitments; wished only an increase in reputation, possessions, and so forth; or merely desired to collect information for academic purposes. Any of these, or similar worldly motivations, would result in nothing but future suffering.
It is very important, therefore, that both the Spiritual Guide and the disciple have controlled minds and an impeccable motivation. Even though we may call ourself a Buddhist and take refuge in the Three Jewels every day, these alone are insufficient qualifications for the practice of Secret Mantra. We also need to generate the highest of all motivations – the precious mind of bodhichitta – and dedicate ourself solely to benefiting others. Therefore, whenever we meditate on Secret Mantra, we should begin by generating bodhichitta while reciting the following prayer:
For the sake of all sentient beings
I will drink the nectar of this instruction
So that I may attain Buddhahood within this life
Through the profound path of Secret Mantra.
There now follows an introduction to Mahamudra in general and to this text in particular. Mahamudra is a Sanskrit term composed of two parts: ‘maha’ meaning ‘great’ and ‘mudra’ meaning ‘seal’. In the Sutra Mahamudra system, great seal refers to emptiness. In King of Concentration Sutra Buddha says:
The nature of all phenomena is the great seal.
Here, ‘nature’ refers to the ultimate nature of all phenomena, which is their emptiness, or lack of inherent existence. This emptiness is called the ‘great seal’ because phenomena never move from the state of lacking inherent existence. In general, all Buddhists assert four views:
(1) All products are impermanent
(2) All contaminated things are the nature of suffering
(3) All phenomena are selfless
(4) Only nirvana is peace
Because these views are irrefutable, they are called the ‘four seals’. Of these, the third is known as the ‘great seal’. Since emptiness is the nature of all phenomena, it is called a ‘seal’, and since a direct realization of emptiness enables us to accomplish the great purpose – complete liberation from the sufferings of samsara – it is also called ‘great’.
In the present text, Mahamudra meditation is explained not according to the Sutra system but according to the completion stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. In this system ‘great’ refers to spontaneous great bliss and ‘seal’ refers to emptiness. Therefore, in Secret Mantra, Mahamudra is the union of spontaneous great bliss and emptiness.
According to Secret Mantra, Mahamudra is divided into two stages: causal-time Mahamudra and resultant-time Mahamudra. Causal-time is the time spent on the path leading to full enlightenment, and so causal-time Mahamudra is the Mahamudra practised prior to the attainment of Buddhahood. Resultant-time Mahamudra is the Union of No More Learning, which is the actual state of Buddhahood.
Causal-time Mahamudra is divided into two successive stages: the Mahamudra that is the union of spontaneous great bliss and emptiness, and the Mahamudra that is the union of the two truths. The first union occurs when the subjective mind of spontaneous great bliss realizes emptiness as its object. The object, emptiness, is the same in both Sutra and Secret Mantra; what differs is the mind realizing this emptiness. It is the subjective mind of spontaneous great bliss that makes Secret Mantra meditation superior to Sutra meditation. Realizing emptiness with the mind of spontaneous great bliss is the quickest method for attaining full enlightenment.
It should be noted that the spontaneous great bliss of the completion stage of Secret Mantra is not the same as ordinary pleasure experienced at the height of sexual embrace. Spontaneous great bliss is experienced only when, through the force of meditation, we cause the winds to enter, abide, and dissolve within the central channel and, as a result, the white drop melts and flows through the central channel. Using spontaneous great bliss to realize emptiness was the essential heart practice of the great Secret Mantra Masters of ancient India, such as Saraha, Nagarjuna, Tilopa, Naropa and Maitripa; and of the great Tibetan Masters, such as Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa and Je Tsongkhapa. As in the past, so today – the Secret Mantra meditator’s supreme path to perfect enlightenment is the union of spontaneous great bliss and emptiness.
The second stage of causal-time Mahamudra is the Mahamudra that is the union of the two truths: the conventional and the ultimate. In this context, the pure illusory body is known as ‘conventional truth’ and meaning clear light as ‘ultimate truth’. Assembling these two truths simultaneously within one person’s continuum is known as the ‘Mahamudra that is the union of the two truths’. This Mahamudra is the ripened fruit of the Mahamudra that is the union of bliss and emptiness. Causal-time Mahamudra therefore contains both a cause and a result. Through the force of accomplishing this two-stage causal-time Mahamudra, we will attain the resultant-time Mahamudra, or actual Buddhahood possessing the seven pre-eminent qualities of embrace. This concludes the explanation of the general paths of Secret Mantra.
Manjushri
THE SOURCE OF THE LINEAGE FROM WHICH THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE DERIVED
All the meditations included within this present text come from Conqueror Vajradhara and the great Secret Mantra Masters of ancient India. These techniques were passed from the Indian Masters to the Tibetan Masters, and have been handed down to the present-day Teachers in an unbroken lineage from Spiritual Father to Spiritual Son.
Although Mahamudra meditations were practised by the ancient Indian Masters, the particular system of Mahamudra presented here is a ‘close’ lineage transmitted by Conqueror Vajradhara to the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri, who in turn transmitted it directly to Je Tsongkhapa. Thus Je Tsongkhapa was the first human Master in this particular lineage.
The Gurus of the close lineage of Vajrayana Mahamudra are as follows:
Vajradhara
Manjushri
Je Tsongkhapa
Togden Jampel Gyatso
Baso Chokyi Gyaltsen
Drubchen Dharmavajra
Gyalwa Ensapa
Khedrub Sangye Yeshe
Panchen Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen
Drubchen Gendun Gyaltsen
Drungpa Tsondru Gyaltsen
Konchog Gyaltsen
Panchen Losang Yeshe
Losang Trinlay
Drubwang Losang Namgyal
Kachen Yeshe Gyaltsen
Phurchog Ngawang Jampa
Panchen Palden Yeshe