2.3. Internal Initiation

Secret Mantra is a case of using imagination as the path; thus, one imagines that the entire world system appears in glorified aspect as the sport of the exalted wisdom of undifferentiable bliss and emptiness a union of method (immutable great bliss) and wisdom (realization of emptiness). These appearances having the nature of being the sport of undifferentiable bliss and emptiness are the offerings. The area should be considered as the complete inestimable mansion and environment of the Supramundane Victor, Hevajra, having the very nature of exalted wisdom. The first step in the preparation, or enhancement, of the practitioners is for the practitioners to adjust their motivation so that it is properly qualified. Compassion and the special kind of altruism, called Bodhichitta in Sanskrit along with wisdom called prajna, these two mental developments form the ground or foundation without which one cannot perform any tantric practice. It is very important to realize the nature of suffering. As long as one has this type of physical body under the influence of contaminated actions (karma) and afflictive emotions (klesha), something will bewrong. The most important factor is good motivation. The purpose is to bring about sentient beings' welfare; the means to accomplish this is to attain Buddhahood. In the initiation ritual, the practitioners must express their true and sincere motivation to follow the path for the benefit of all sentient beings. A request for initiation with the motivation of seeking personal 246 (Hevajra Tantra (Study) part 2, p.120) 152 -

happiness in this life, or to prevent disease or to achieve success in a certain venture is to be condemned. Though Tantra can provide the yogi with various feats, they are mentioned in Hevajra Tantras, they should not be the motivating force behind the Tantric rituals. These feats are the natural consequences of the practice. [Hevajra Tantra] The technical proficiency of this tantra is known to be manifold. this tantra teaches the Gazes, how to attract, the great Secret Sign Language, how to paralyze, how to driveaway and the magical power of paralyzing an army. It teaches the correct method of generating the Yoginis, their location, and their source. It is proficient in the science and technique of the correct method of manifesting the deities. (1.1.8-9)247 Those altruistic persons who have the faith and are seeking that which transcends the world the state of the Three Buddha Bodies, are fit to enter a mandala and should be allowed to do so. At this time it should be considered in meditation that the master and the principal deity of the mandala are not different. It is meditated that: Rays of light from my heart, clarified as Hevajra Father and Mother -draw in the practitioners individually; they enter the main deity's mouth and dissolve in the Mother's lotus. This for the yogi is like taking birth as a child of his chosen deity, Hevajra. In imagination, he has to visualize the master as Hevajra in Father and Mother aspect, that is to say, in union with his consort. Rays of light, spreading out from the hum at the heart of the master who appears as Hevajra, draw each of the practitioners into the mouth of the master,passing down through his body into the womb of the Mother. There, the practitioners turn into emptiness.248 [Hevajra Tantra] The first among these techniques is one method, the method of generating the Heruka, for it is by utilising the existent itself that men are liberated, O 247 dristyakrstimahachomam samarthyam bahuvidham viduh/ stambhanoccatanam caiva sainyastambhabhicarukam//8/ yogininam yathanyayam utpatti sthiti karanam/ samarthyam jnana vijnanam devatanam yathodayam//9// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) , p.9) 248 His Holiness the Dalai Lama, (tr., ed. and intro. by) Jeffrey Hopkins, Kalachakra Tantra, pp.174-175. 153

Vajragarbha of great mercy. Men are bound by the bondage of existence and are liberated by understanding the nature of existence. O wise one, existence should be conceived through the understanding of non-existence and likewise the divine Heruka should also be conceived through the understanding of non-existence. (1.1.10-11)249 All phenomena are empty of inherent existence. This mind itself serves as the "substance" of yogi's appearance as Hevajra with one face and two arms. The mind, impelled by compassion and realizing the emptiness of inherent existence, transforms into a hum that itself transforms into a vajra that in turn transforms into a Hevajra, not with all the faces and arms of the principal deity of the mandala but with just one face and two arms. In "Hevajra Tantra, it is clearly stated how one is to generate oneself as Hevajra. [Hevajra Tantra] The mantra of the two-armed Hevajra is: om trailokyaksepa hum hum hum phat svaha. (1.2.7)250 [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. From the Seed-syllable ram the yogi should emanate the Solar Mandala in front of him. In the centre of the Solar Mandala he should emanate crossed-vajras originating from the Seed-syllable hum. He should emanate a balustrade and canopy formed from those crossed-vajras. (1.3.1-3)251 Without receiving master initiation one does not have the capacity to practice the tantric path. The process of initiation is parallel to the 249 prathamam tavad bhaved ekam herukotpattikaranam/ bhavenaiva vimucyante vajragarbha mahakrpa//10/ badhyante bhavabandhena mucyante tatparijnaya/ bhavam bhavyam bhavet prajna abhavam ca parijnaya/ tadvacchriherukam bhavyam abhavam ca parijnaya//11// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) , p.10) 250 dvibhujasya/ om trailokyaksepa hum hum hum phat svaha//7// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) . p.26) 251 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/ rephena suryam purato vibhavya tasmin nabhau humbhavavisvavajram// tenaiva vajrena vibhavayec ca prakarakam panjarabandhanan ca//3// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) , pp.37-39) 154 -

process of rebirth. A practitioner is reborn through the act of initiation or abhisheka. In fact the body is the School and the monastery the womb. The embryo comes into existence in the womb by the release of passion, it's enclosing membrane being the ochre robe. The one who instructs is the mother and the salutation is the birth with hands touching the head. the rules of conduct are the worldly activities. The recitation of mantra is the breathing of aham (which means I), a being in the Centre at the navel and ham in the Centre of Great Bliss [in the head]. Thus a monk is born, articulating mantra, naked and with shaven head and face. Having such components all beings are without doubt enlightened ones. The Ten Stages are the ten lunar months [of gestation] and thus all beings are Lords of the Ten Stages. (11.4.67)252 The seven empowerments also act as cause to reach seven Bodhisattva Ground(bhumi). a. The water empowerment leads and gives rise to the first ground, the Very Joyful (pramudita). b. The headdress empowerment gives rise to the second ground, the Stainless (vimala). c. The crown banner empowerment gives rise to the third ground, the Luminous (prabhakari). d. The vajra and bell empowerment gives rise to the fourth ground, the Radiant (arcismati). e. The thumb-vajra empowerment gives rise to the fifth ground, Difficult to Conquer (sudurjaya). f. the name empowerment gives rise to the sixth ground, the Manifesting One (abhimukhi). g. the empowerment of permission or initiation gives rise to the seventh ground, the Far Gone one (duramgama).253 The attainment of eighth to to the tenth ground depends on the empowerments received from a master at the Generation Stage and the Completion Stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. 252 nikayam kayam ity uktam udaram viharam ucyate/ vitaragad bhavet yonau jarayu jvalacivaram/64// upadhyayi tatha janani vandanam mastakanjalih/ siksapadam jagat krtyam mantrajapam ahan tatha/65// akaram yonicakrasya hakaram mahasukhasya ca/ jato bhiksur dhvananamantro nagnah sirastundamunditah/66// abhir smagribhih sattva buddha eva na samsayah/ bhumayo dasamasas ca sattva dawiabhumisvarah/67// (Hevajra Tantra (Commentary) , p.226) 253 Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Gelong Jhampa Kelsang (by tr.), A Commentary on the Kalacakra Tantra, p.8. - 155 -

After receiving the Vase empowerment one has the capacity attain the eighth Bodhisattva ground called the Immovable (acala). On attaining this ground a Bodhisattva can not regress or fall from the path. The ninth Bodhisattva ground is called the Good Intelligence (sadhumati). The tenth Bodhisattva ground, called the Cloud of Dharma (dharma-megha), is the highest of the Bodhisattva grounds. There is no place to go from there except Buddhahood.254 i