GENERATING THE SUPREME GOOD HEART, BODHICHITTA
The practice of Mahayana refuge includes developing renunciation and compassion, both of which are essential causes of generating bodhichitta. The more we train in Mahayana refuge, the stronger our bodhichitta becomes.
The root of bodhichitta is compassion. The principal method for developing compassion is contemplating the suffering of others and developing a wish to free all living beings from their suffering. We need to develop this compassionate wish again and again until it arises spontaneously, and continuously influences all our thoughts and actions.
Compassion induces a superior intention. Realizing that simply wishing to free others from suffering is not sufficient, we make a definite decision to act to free them ourself. We then think, ‘To liberate all living beings from their suffering I must first attain enlightenment myself. Only then will I have the power to bring lasting happiness to all other living beings.’ This strong desire, rooted in compassion, to attain enlightenment to benefit all living beings is bodhichitta. When it arises spontaneously in our mind we enter the actual Mahayana paths. Je Tsongkhapa said that to enter the Mahayana it is not enough merely to study Mahayana teachings; the only gateway to the Mahayana paths is actually to generate the spontaneous mind of bodhichitta.
We should generate and enhance our mind of bodhichitta by reciting the bodhichitta prayer from the sadhana. This prayer contains the practices of aspiring bodhichitta, engaging bodhichitta and the four immeasurables. The phrase ‘Once I have attained the state of a complete Buddha’ refers to the practice of aspiring bodhichitta; the phrase ‘I shall free all sentient beings’ refers to immeasurable equanimity, indicating that our compassion embraces all living beings without partiality; the phrase ‘from the ocean of samsara’s suffering’ refers to immeasurable compassion; the phrase ‘and lead them to the bliss of full enlightenment’ refers to immeasurable love and immeasurable joy; and finally the phrase ‘For this purpose I shall practise the stages of Vajrayogini’s path’ refers to engaging bodhichitta. By practising the two stages of Vajrayogini’s path we are actively engaging in the methods to attain enlightenment for the benefit of others.
The purpose of reciting prayers is to remind ourself of their meaning. Because our mind is weak in Dharma understanding we must rely upon the support of verbal prayers. Just as a feeble, old person needs a walking stick, so we need to recite prayers to remind us to improve our bodhichitta.
Before practising Secret Mantra we should train well in Lamrim, the stages of the path common to both Sutra and Tantra; and in particular we should become familiar with the methods for generating bodhichitta. The main foundation of successful practice of the two stages of Vajrayogini is to have developed the three principal realizations – the three principal aspects of the path: renunciation, bodhichitta and the correct view of emptiness. In addition to these we need to engage in the preliminary practices. Just as we need a firm foundation to build a good house, so we need the firm foundation of training in the preliminaries and in the three principal aspects of the path if we are to be successful in our Secret Mantra practice. If our practice of the generation and completion stages of Secret Mantra has such a firm foundation it will become a quick method for attaining enlightenment.
Our present state of mind is not permanent. It can change into either a negative mind such as anger or a positive mind such as the altruistic wish to attain enlightenment. At present our bodhichitta may be artificial because it is generated with effort, but with practice we can transform our primary mind into a real bodhichitta that arises spontaneously. However, we cannot develop compassion and bodhichitta merely by listening to teachings. We should be prepared to spend a long time training in the methods to develop them, both in and out of meditation. More detailed explanations of going for refuge, generating bodhichitta, and so forth can be found in Modern Buddhism and Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Throughout our practice of the two stages of Vajrayogini we should continue to improve our bodhichitta. We should not discourage ourself by thinking that we cannot practise Secret Mantra because we have not yet developed bodhichitta; we can train in both simultaneously. If we practise Secret Mantra and Lamrim together we will eventually gain realizations of both simultaneously. For example, if we sow an apple seed and a pear seed at the same time and we water and nourish them equally, they will grow together and ripen together. Similarly, from now on we should begin to practise both Secret Mantra and Lamrim, and in the future we will accomplish their results together. These two practices are like friends who help and support each other. Both are indispensable if we are to progress to full enlightenment.
Tantric teachings explain special methods to improve our bodhichitta and our understanding of emptiness. For example, there is one practice called ‘generating the mind of all yogas’ which is explained during Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments. To generate this mind we first generate great compassion focusing on all suffering sentient beings and then develop a strong wish to attain Buddhahood for their sake. This is conventional bodhichitta. Without losing this wish we then remember that all phenomena lack inherent existence. This is ultimate bodhichitta. At our heart we visualize our conventional bodhichitta in the form of a very small moon cushion lying flat. At the centre of the moon cushion we visualize our ultimate bodhichitta in the form of a white five-pronged vajra standing vertically. Imagining the moon and vajra to be firm, stable and radiating light, we hold this visualization without distraction for as long as possible. We should recall this experience constantly throughout the day.
For skilful meditators the practices of generation stage and completion stage are the supreme methods for improving their conventional and ultimate bodhichitta.
RECEIVING BLESSINGS
As mentioned before, the Gurus, Yidams and Buddhas are emanations of Guru Vajradharma’s mind, the assembled Dharma Jewels are emanations of his speech, and the assembled Sangha Jewels are emanations of his body. With this in mind we recite from the sadhana the special request prayer to receive the blessings of the Three Jewels.
We imagine that as a result of making these requests with strong faith, the assembly of Sangha Jewels melts into white light. This light dissolves into our crown and our body receives the blessings of Guru Vajradharma’s body. The assembly of Dharma Jewels then melts into red light. This light dissolves into our throat and our speech receives the blessings of Guru Vajradharma’s speech. The Gurus, Yidams and Buddhas then melt into blue light. This light dissolves into our heart and our mind receives the blessings of Guru Vajradharma’s mind. By receiving these blessings all our faults and negative actions of body, speech and mind are purified, and our actions of body, speech and mind transform into spiritual paths.
INSTANTANEOUS SELF-GENERATION AS VAJRAYOGINI
After receiving the blessings of Guru Vajradharma’s body, speech and mind we imagine that the entire world and its inhabitants melt into light and dissolve into our body. Our body also melts into light and slowly diminishes in size until finally it dissolves into emptiness. This resembles the way in which all the appearances of this life dissolve at death. We meditate single-pointedly on emptiness without permitting any conventional appearance to arise. We imagine that our mind mixes completely with emptiness and we develop the recognition ‘I am Truth Body Vajrayogini.’ This practice is called ‘bringing death into the path to the Truth Body.’
From the Truth Body we instantly transform into an oval of red light about twelve inches high and six inches wide, standing vertically on an eight-petalled lotus and a sun cushion. This resembles the way in which the body of the intermediate state being arises out of the clear light of death. We develop the recognition ‘I am Enjoyment Body Vajrayogini.’ This practice is called ‘bringing the intermediate state into the path to the Enjoyment Body.’
The red oval of light, in nature our own mind, now increases in size and transforms into the Emanation Body of Vajrayogini. We develop the divine pride ‘I am Emanation Body Vajrayogini.’ This resembles leaving the intermediate state and taking rebirth. This practice is called ‘bringing rebirth into the path to the Emanation Body.’
If we wish to practise Vajrayogini Tantra daily but have insufficient time or ability to practise