2. Hevajra Tantra, as a Buddhist Tantric Literature

As has been already noted that all Highest Yoga Tanta texts share certain common characteristics, such as the mandala rites, consecration rituals, practise of self generation as a deity and so forth. A careful study of "Guhyasamaja Tantra and "Hevajra Tantra, reveals their similarity in philosophy as well as in the way of practice. The "Guhyasamaja Tantra, is one of the earliest extant Buddhist Tantras which was composed evidently before the 7th century A.D. Later works like the Guhyasiddhi of Padmavajra and the Jnanasiddhi of Indrabhuti acknowledge "Guhyasamaja Tantra, as the highest authority. Guhyasamaja means a secret society, which, it is believed, was the organisation which first introduced tenets of Vajrayana into Buddhism. They are said to have been introduced in an assembly of the faithful by Lord Buddha who is called here Sarva-Tathagata-Kaya-Vak-Citta. The "Guhyasamaja Tantra, deals mainly with yoga and anuttarayoga and incidentally with mandalas. Its chief aim is to explain the Tathagatas as also of the phenomenal world, and how to realise it. According to this text, the truth is Vajra or the oneness of the universe in which there is 79 -

no distinction between a man and a woman, or even between a wife or sister or mother. Kaya or body, Vak or speech, and Citta or mind are called tri-vajra. It puts forward a quick and short method for realising Buddhahood and for the attainment of miraculous powers such as killing an enemy with magical rites, causing rainfall in a drought, etc., and methods for the attainment of siddhi, which is of two kinds, ordinary (samanya) and extra ordinary (uttama). It sets forth six angas of Yoga, omitting the first three of Patanjali and adding anusmrti.116 All these characteristics are to be found in 'Hevajra Tantra, these features of of "Hevajra Tantra, are discussed in detail along with illustrations from the text in chapter III. In the following paragraph the points of similarity between "Hevajra Tantra, and "Guhyasamaja Tantra are elucidated. In this context it must be mentioned that "Hevajra Tantra, admits being influenced by preceeding Buddhist Tantras such as "Sarvatathagata tattvasamgraha. [Hevajra Tantra] What need is there to say much more! Perform the mandala ritual as prescribed in the Tattvasamgraha. (II.5.57)117 [Hevajra Tantra] In accordance with the injunctions bestow the consecrations previously revealed in the appropriate mandala. The worship and the supplication should be performed there as prescribed. (1.10.25)118 [commentary of 1.10.25] Worship and supplication refers to the worship and supplication of the guru. 'As prescribed' means as prescribed in the Tattvasamgraha and other works. (Yogaratnamala)119 The consecration and mandala rites along with the rituals of guru puja(worship) as presented in "Hevajra Tantra, are similar in nature not only to what has been recommended in "Tattvasamgraha, but also to 116 N.N. Bhattacharyya, History of the Tantric Religion, pp.61-62. 117 kim bahuna pralapena yatha tattvasamgrahe mandalavidhis tatha kartavyam// (Hevajra Tantra (Study) part 2, p.256) 118 prakasitas tu ye seka vidhivad dadyat svamandale/ puja cabhyarcana caiva yathakhyata tathatra ca// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) ,part 2, p.131) 119 puja 'bhyarthana guroh p.134) • yathakhyateti Tattvasamgrahadau// (Hevajra Tantra (Study) part 2, www 80

that which has been prescribed in "Guhyasamaja Tantra. The following illustrations reveal the common features of the "Hevajra Tantra, and " Guhyasamaja Tantra. [Guhyasamaja-Tantra] A distinction of three initiations is prepared in this Tantra, to wit: initiation of the flask as the first; the second, as the secret initiation; insight-knowledge, the third; and the fourth, precisely the same. (18.111-112)120 [Hevajra Tantra] In the Diverse is the First Joy; in ripening is the refined Joy; in the dissolving is the Joy of Cessation; and in the Signless is the Innate Joy. In the order of the four consecrations, Master, Secret, Wisdom and after that the Fourth thus, the Joys are to be experience. (II.3.9-10)121 Next it can be observed that the process of meditation as recommended in "Guhyasamaja Tantra is echoed by "Hevajra Tantrad. - [Guhyasamaja-Tantra] A yogi must practise on two levels Ordinary and Supreme. The Ordinary level consists of four types of Mindfulness and the Supreme consists of the knowledge of the Nectar like Wisdom. The first of the four Mindfulness is the revelation of voidness; the second is the drawing together of germ syllables; the third is the perfection of the image: the fourth is the invariant (=letter) placement. This construes Ordinary practise. The practice of the Six Yogas is the content of the Supreme practise. without the practise of the Six Yogas one can not attain the Supreme Nectar like wisdom. Individual Converge (Pratyahara), Individual meditation (dhyana), Life effort (pranayama), Retention (dharana), Recollection (anusmrti) and Meditative equipoise (samadhi) are the Six Yogas. (18.136-140)122 120 abhisekam tridha bhedam asmin tantre prakalpitam/ kalacabhisekam prathamam dvitiyam guhyabhisekatah//111/ prajna-jnanam trtiyam tu caturtham tat punas tatha/112a// (Guhyasamaja-Tantra 18. 111-112), S.Bagchi (ed.), Guhyasamaja Tantra or Tathagataguhyaka, BST. No.9 (Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1965), p.129, II.23-26. 121 vicitre prathamanandah paramanando vipakake/ viramanando vimarde ca shajanando vilaksane//9/ acarya guhya prajna ca caturthan tat punas tatha/ anandah kramaso jiyeyas catuhsecanasamkhyaya//10// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) , p.183) 122 samanyottama bhedena seva tu dvi dvidha bhavet/ vajra catuskena samanyam uttamam jnanamrtena ca//136/ prathamam sunyatata-bodhim dvitiyam bija-samhrtam/ trtiyam bimba nispattis caturtham nyasam aksaram//137/ ebhir vajra catuskena seva samanya-sadhanam/ uttame jnanamrte caiva karyam yoga sadangatah//138/ seva sadanga yogena krtva sadhanam uttamam/ sadhayed anyatha naiva jayate siddhir uttama//139/ pratyaharastatha dhyanam pranayamoatha dharana/ anusmrtih samadhisca sadango yoga uccyate//140// S.Bagchi (ed.), Ibid., p.132, II.1-8. - 81 -

· [Hevajra Tantra] Firstly, emanate Friendliness (maitri), secondly, emanate Compassion (karuna), thirdly, emanate Joyfulness (mudita) and finally, emanate Equanimous Detachment (upeksa). Then after that: firstly the Awakening to Voidness, secondly the Collecting of the Seed-syllable, thirdly the Manifestation of the Physical Form and fourthly the Placing of the Letter. (1.3.1-2)123 [Hevajra Tantra] In the First phase of Six-phased Yoga the yogi should emanate black, in the Second red, in the Third yellow, in the Fourth green, in the Fifth blue and in the Sixth white. In this order the yogi should emanate the Six-phased Yoga, and then, the culmination of the Joy of Cessation thus. (1.8.21-22)124 In Hevajra Tantra, just as in "Guhyasamaja Tantra, the path of spiritual practise is divided into two stages. They are called stage of Generation and Completion instead of the Ordinary and Supreme stage. The difference in name does not mean that the practise recommended by the two Tantras is different "Guhyasamaja Tantran. The practise recommended in the generation stage of "Hevajra Tantra, and that in the ordinary stage of "Guhyasamaja Tantra is identical. Both recommend the emanation of Voidness, collection of seed syllable, manifestation of Physical form and placing of the letter. However it is not quite the same with the Completion stage of "Hevajra Tantra, and supreme level of Guhyasamaja Tantra. Though both recommend the Six yogas as the essential practise of this stage and without mastering the Six yogas one can not attain the Body Speech or Mind of a Buddha, but the Six yogas are not described in the same manner in the two texts of Tantra. While "Guhyasamaja Tantra, mentions each stage of Six yoga by a specific name and a particular feat that is to be specialized and accomplished in that level, (such as pratyahara is to be achieved in level one of Six yoga); it is not quite so in "Hevajra Tantra. Here the yogi is advised to 123 prathamam bhavayen maitrim dvitiye karunam tatha/ trtiye bhavayen muditam upeksam sarvasesatah//1/tasmat punar api/ prathamam sunyatabodhim dvitiyam bijasamgraham/ trtiyam bimbanispattim caturtham nyasam aksaram//2// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) , pp.37-38) 124 prathame bhavayet krsnam dvitiye raktam eva ca/ trtiye bhavayet pitam caturthe haritan tatha//21/ pancame nilavarnan ca sastame sukladehikam/ sadamgam bhavayed yogi viramantam punas tatha//22// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) , p.91) - - 82 · -

• emanate a particular colour in each of the six levels of the Six yogas such as black in level one and so forth. This does not mean that the two texts are prescribing very different kinds of Six yogas, it seems more logical to accept the view that "Hevajra Tantra, mentions the practise of emanating special colours at different levels of the Six yoga practise in addition to the Six yoga practise recommended by "Guhyasamaja Tantraj. This can be deduced from the fact that the Six yoga practice recommended in Kalacakra Tantra (much later tantra) is identical to the one mentioned in "Guhyasamaja Tantra. The 'Hevajra Tantra, clearly amplifies the views and methods found in the "Guhyasamaja Tantra, and emphasizes the direct experience of the Innate (sahaja) and the Great Bliss (mahasukha) which characterise the Mahamudra Accomplishment.