No More Learning

As Chag's translation phrases it "While by your achievement itself," explaining that you should perfonn [the conducts] as your wealth allows, [29. ? bl which intends that this teaches the two latter conducts. One should not interpret the two latter conducts of this text [as being the same as] the two conducts of the Community. In this {Buddha Union] text, the [Teacher] asserts that the former conducts being set down as three are in fact two, from the perspective of the intentions involved; the intention of engaging in desire and the intention of learning the embodiment. The first of these is the threefold engagement by a person with intense thirst and lust, with the intention of the conduct with what- ever desirable objects are desired, while experiencing only through the organs, through the organs and samadhi both, and only through samadhi; [these three] explained respectively as the intentions to engage in the three [conducts], elaborated, unelaborated, and extremely unelaborated. As the Root Tantra Seventh Chapter declares:
And :
In regard to all enjoyment of desires, Resorting to them at your pleasure, By that sort ofunion [practice],
You will quickly attain buddhahood.
All enjoyment of desires,
You should resort to them at pleasure, By the union of your own deity,
You should worship self and other.
Do not recite while eating almsfood, Do not take pleasure in begging -
544 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp Enjoying all desires,
Recite not losing the elements of mantra.
The first of these verses means that the yogi/or should practice as s/he pleases according to his or her faculties, engaging in elaborated conducts. The second means that in terms of the unelaborated, one should satisfy by worshiping self and other by the samadhi of one's own nature with the five sense objects for tasting bliss as one desires. The third means [294a] that, with the "eating of almsfood" as an example, not to recite [mantra] by engaging in seeking and so forth like someone going begging. Not only should you not be attached to begging but your body should abide without craving even food, which is the way to engage in the extremely unelaborated conducts. This is asserted in accordance with the explanation in the Illumination ofthe Lamp. Relying on the statement in the former case "to engage in accordance with one's faculties," it is inter- preted as revealing the three intentions with which one engages in the
conducts .
Here the main thing is to engage with sense objects aiming for the
purpose of the nondual, communion, great bliss wisdom, as is explained above as similar for all three conducts. You can understand by what the Root Tantra says:
The passionate one who desires intuitive wisdom Always resorts to the [five] objects of desire . . .
-that this is not engaging only for the sake of the organs. Engaging in sense objects thus becomes the art of freshly producing enlightenment spirit where there was none before, maintaining [the already produced] without loss, and maximizing it even more, this is enjoying ceaselessly as one pleases according to one's inclinations and desires; and this is the same for all three conducts. So the two [verses' two] lines that begin with "desire" and the third that begins with "enjoying all desires" are similarly
that they teach the three conducts. The passage, from "begging and so
stated. Thus in order for those teachings not to be redundant, it is said
forth. . . ," rejects the obstacle to meditating the path 1294hl caused by dis- traction from activities of seeking and getting, due to excessive craving for food. It is not rejecting always practicing from the point of view of understanding the nature of desire objects, so the statement that "you should be content just by keeping the body maintained" means you should
Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 545
maintain the body without harming the increase of its elements, and does not just mean keeping one's life sustained. That such a way is not a dis- tinctive characteristic of the third conduct can be known from the section in the Sixteenth Chapter where you depend on the food of the unelabo- rated. As for not interpreting this to refer to merely sustaining your life, you can know that by analyzing the necessity in general, that you should always rely on desire objects.
As for the intention to learn the embodiment, while the former [conducts done with the intention of engaging in desires] keep the senses focused on the sense objects, here [the three are] the learning of the deity in the context of the first conduct, the learning in the context of mere mind in the second [conduct], and the intention of meditating on void- ness in the third [conduct] . Here the Illumination of the Lamp Seventh Chapter explains that the general, hidden, and ultimate meanings of the enjoyment of sense objects apply to [the occasions of] the three conducts.
In the context of the path, [Chandrak. Irti] interprets [the enjoyment of desires in the three conducts] as respectively referring to [first,] the stages from single-mindedness up to the beginner's achievement, [second,] the stages from body isolation up to the magic [body], and third, the stages of clear light and communion. By learning the elaborated conduct, while meditating the desire objects as divine with the intention to medi- tate engaging with desire objects, you meditate the five objects from form to texture as from Vairochana to Ak? hobhya and offer [each] to [its] own clan deity. And while each object has inferior, mediocre, [29SaJ and superior [qualities], they are the same when meditated as divine, so still you worship with the five supreme [sense objects]. Otherwise, Chandra- kirti states in the Illumination of the Lamp that the goddesses such as Lochana, or the meditating on the five Vajra [sense object goddesses,
Ropavajra, etc. ], should be enjoyed while seeing all of them as the enjoy- ments of Vajradhara. Thus, as for the statement of the three ways, in answer to the question, "through desire for passionate wisdom, what are you going to do by that reliance on sense objects in all paths of the con- ducts? " it is stated:
"Please the bodhisattva! Desire the sun of enlightenment! "
The Illumination of the Lamp says that this means that, having pleased the bodhisattva of the eye and other sense organs you should satisfy the
546 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
(female] "bodhisattvas," [the goddesses] of the four elements and the sun, the (buddhas of the] five aggregates; so it is for the purpose of expanding one's senses, elements, and five aggregates. As for offering to one's own clan deity, it is to take Vairochana and so on as the chief, and is not just that alone. It teaches that you should worship with the supreme objects, intending that, as to the aspect of whatever object meditated as divine, when you directly enjoy it, your sense organ with its support will expand if it is attractive, and will not expand if it is otherwise [unpleasant], so you should worship [both kinds] with the supreme [qualities in mind]. When you meditate the five objects as the four goddesses Lochana and so on, you identify Mamaki as both in the vajra and jewel clans, so you
meditate her as both sound and texture.
Though the three [conducts] are thus explained, the chief sense ob-
ject is the sense object of the wisdom [consort], so you should meditate the latter two [sense objects, taste and texture,] as chief. As for the way of [295bl putting this into practice, the Seventh Chapter [of the Commu- nity] states:
Constantly unite your mind
To form, sound, taste and so on; This concentrates the secret essence Of all the buddhas.
And the Illumination of the Lamp explains that you should always day and night develop the mental orientation toward meditating objects as divine and this is the usually hidden art that is the means of attaining the exalted state of buddhahood, hence the "concentrated essence. " Thus, in meditating the five objects as deities, by meditating continuously, specifi- cally making [yourself] see forms and so on as deities, you must first pro-
duce a stable experience [of those objects as deities].
Furthermore, you visualize that the Ropavajra goddess, emerging
from the transformation of all the inner and outer material sense-media, holds in her lotus soft hand a mirror which she beholds with a calm eye, and her pearl necklace pendant hangs on her swelling breast, her blouse slightly loosened to reveal her beautiful torso-so from looking steadily at her form, you contemplate the arisal of great bliss. Likewise sounds are created as Shabdavajra, singing sweet songs and playing on the lute; scents are created as Gandhavajra, dancing and holding a jeweled vessel filled with scents such as saffron, eaglewood, snake-essence sandalwood,
Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 547
and camphor, pervading everything with excellent scents; tastes are created as Rasavajra, holding precious vessels of gold and silver filled with various tastes and divine elixirs; and J:! 9tiaJ textures are created as Sparshavajra, adorned with all signs, with the three [brow-]creases of fierce intensity, with a slender waist and wide navel curling clockwise, with exquisite lower torso and pelvis, her movements slow and graceful, her face completely smiling and gazing [at you] with passionate eyes. In this way you contemplate the expansion of great bliss by enjoying forms, sounds, scents, and tastes and engaging with textures through mutual embrace. Those ways of meditating can also be employed with Lochana and so on, and you should analyze whether you must meditate [her] as like Vairochana, very beautiful in form and the three middle [buddha goddesses] as having hand signs as above, and whether the fifth [buddha goddess] holds textures of superior clothes. One would think that for each of them one should meditate the different members of the clan in common .
When one practices like that, first of all, bliss is produced in the mind, and then gradually, indirectly, the body endowed with the sup- ported sense-faculty expands; since the Lord of Reasoning [DharmakTrti] said:
When this transforms, those also Are experienced as transforming
- that is, when the mind becomes extremely blissful, the body also is seen to gain a good glow, and so samadhi becomes the cause of expansion that expands the body's elements. Such being the case, the jasmine-like en- lightenment spirit increases, and the melting bliss samadhi increases, and by meditating voidness with it the supreme realizations of the perfection stage are completely produced, and their root of virtue is developed. Once such samadhi becomes stable, [29(,bJ when the senses directly enjoy the five sense objects, you realize the samadhi previously meditated, and by restraining the attitude of ordinariness which is the counteragent of great bliss-that is said to be the supreme discipline of the system of this
path that binds the door of the senses.
This is the intention of meditating the conduct with the sense ob-
jects, from the beginning of meditating the path for as long as one cannot develop the voids by dissolving the energies into the dhati by the power of meditating the penetration of the vital points of the body. Further,
548 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
when you unite bliss and void by dissolving the energies into the dhati by the power of such meditation, as long as you cannot eclipse the sign habit elaborations, it is called "the intention of the elaborated [conduct]. " Though the creation stage practitioner lacks the two latter conducts from the point of view of meditation and intention, they have all three types of conducts from the point of view of the measure of elaborations concern- ing objects and activities.
This instruction must be implemented from the beginning of the creation stage, as it is extremely important for the beginner. From the time when you can develop the voids as the energies dissolve by the power of meditation, for as long as you have not attained the fourth stage clear light, you develop the previously trance-induced voids, and in the aftermath context, you create yourself as Vajradhara and you seal with the three voids both conducts engaged with sense objects, and you enjoy them in the mode of offering them to Vajradhara. In comparison with the former, your elaborations of signs are slight, but you have not directly realized thatness, so your meditational intention is to learn the unelabo- rated conduct. Furthermore, from the point of view of meditation and intention, [297a] while you have neither the elaborated nor the extremely unelaborated conducts, you do have all three conducts from the point of
view of ritual activities and so forth.
From the time of attaining the learner' s communion, for as long as
you have not attained the nonleamer's communion, in the aftermath occa- sion, you seal your engagement with sense objects with the development of the direct realization of thatness, and you are liberated from the seeds of truth insistence and sign habit elaborations, and so have the meditation and intention of the extremely unelaborated conduct. Both this and the former [conducts] have the meditation and intention for the sense objects to dawn as deities. This [conduct], though it lacks both the two previous conducts from the point of view of meditation and intention, if you clas- sify it from the point of view of activities and so on, it is like the previ- ous, [more advanced practitioner' s conducts] .
[VI. B. 3. c. ii. c' - The method of learning the conducts I
The third has two parts: [ 1 '] The way of achieving the elaborated and unelaborated conducts; and [2'] The way of achieving the extremely unelaborated conduct.
? Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 549 IYI. B. 3. c. ii. c'l ' - The way of achieving the elabomtcd and unclaboratcd
? conduds l
The first has two parts: [a'] Common procedures [for both]; and
[b') Particular procedures [for each]. [VI. 8. 3. c. ii. c'l 'a? -
? As for the place where these two conducts are achieved, from the old translation of the Integrated Practices quote of the [Buddha} Union:
Further, practice [anywhere] in the three realms, Or in a pleasure garden.
And from the Patsab translation:
The three worlds are your pleasure garden.
And the Chag translation:
Practice in a holy place,
Or in your own pleasure garden.
Or in the separate translation of the Tantra [itself]: Practice in your own place
Or in a pleasure garden.
As in all these, you should practice in your own abode or in a pleasure garden, a place agreeable to your mind, free from any L297bJ ill-destined persons.
As for how to get your house together, you should make it a three storied deity house made of glazed brick, with four doors, four comers, and four porticos, adorned with various ornaments such as jewel decora- tions. Otherwise an earthen house with a strong fence wall adorned with ornaments. Those two are the excellent and the inferior [kinds of] houses, though they should be the same in having three stories; so the latter should not be some sort of three level earthen cave. Therein, as for the process of adorning through worship; on the first floor are the kitchen and the gathering areas, on the second floor you should arrange the lutes and
song and music equipment, and the upper floor, as above explained, you should adorn with the jewel ornaments, the bells and yak tails and canopies and so on, since it is the place of the gathering of supremely fortunate
Common procedures <for hoth)l
550 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
yogis and yoginis of multifarious glories. Up to there the two [later] con- ducts are similar.
If there you engage in elaborated conduct, set up twenty variegated lotus seats covered with cloths with one more for the chief. If it is unelabo- rated, set them up according to the number of the gathering. As for the change of costumes of the yogis and yoginis, according to the explana- tion of the [Buddha] Union and as explained in the [Community] Six- teenth Chapter:
Of the body, speech, and mind vajras, Meditating the body, speech, and mind, Do that by one's own natural way- Thus you will attain accomplishments.
- and in commentary on that:
"One's [own natural] way. . . " is doing
it by the very change of costume, not just [298al by meditating.
Thus the yogi/nis of three vajras when they performs the discipline of the science [consort], this is explained for them and their consort seal. As for the substance of the mask, the Great Translator's and Patsab's version of the Integrated Practices and the separate translation of the [Buddha] Union state "the nature of the element and life and arisen from a root," about the latter of which, Chag's translation "a living being, [and] arisen from a root" is better. This means you should make the mask out of precious elements such as gold or silver, or human bone and so on animal products, or from the root of a tree and so on. The Illumination of the Lamp explains that you should make it out of wood etc. As for the form of craftsmanship, it can either be poured in a mold, carved in relief, manu- factured by beating, or painted. You should make it according to the deity as far as faces and arms, etc. , color, and symbolic implements. As the old
translation of the Integrated Practices and the Chag translation say: Surround it with the seal,
Who practices oriented toward one ' s deity
-they explain that you do not need the seal who serves as the science [consort] of this [deity]. Nevertheless, as Patsab['s translation] says:
Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 55 1 The masks of one ' s deity
Do bring forth the seal of accomplishment
-so the masks of one's deity do occasion the accomplishment which is the costumed seal. which is the meaning of "surround. " Also the separate translation of the {Buddha] Union :
You should perform with the seal of achievement In the costume of your deity. [ 298h l
The Integrated Practices old translation says:
Poured or carved, Manufactured or painted, Images of various forms,
Thus conceive the marked seal.
The "marked seal" here is not explained as "masked," since it is clearly expained in the Tantra to be the marked seal's symbolic implement. Thus, Patsab's translation [separating images and marked seal with] "images of various forms and. . . " is preferable.
The Integrated Practices old translation says:
Instructing well the consorts,155
Endowed with your own deity,
The fortunate one is marked by his/her own seal. Thus conceive the group mandala.
The meaning of the first phrase is like what is stated in the separate trans- lation of the Tantra, "similar to your own deity. " As for how it is similar, you should understand it according to Patsab's translation:
By the masks of your own deity Practice well with the consorts.
155 Though the word is bud med rnams, "women," I transite "consorts," to mke this appli- cable as instruction for a yogini as well as a yogi, which the tradition maintains as theoreti- cally possible if practically only rarely done. The inflected Sanskrit and Tibetan grammars rarely rsort to gender-differentiated pronouns, and when they do, the male by grammatical rule stands for both male and female, as the English "man" generically includes women in the category of humankind. In what follows form the Buddha Union, the goddesses etc. cannot so easily be neutralized in gender.
? 5 5 2 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
However, "instruct well" is a preferable translation. This arrangement of the places of yogis and yoginrs who are costumed according to the number of deities of the mandala is called "the group mandala. " In the [Buddha] Union Root Tantra it is stated that here the disciple is given empowerment.
Further, [there is] the yogi/or who is the agent of conduct in the center of the mandala; and the four consorts respectively in the east, south, west, and north of the first row of that are established as the four god- desses, Sariwaramaya, Ahosukha, Drpa, and Shashr. The last of these are translated by Chag as "ri bong can" [Shashr, i. e. , Moon]. These [299a] are consorts for accompanying the conduct.
In the clockwise direction in the quarter directions from the south- east there are four consorts who are established as the four goddesses, Buddhabodhr, Dhannachakrr, Tridhatuvijayr, and KamaQkushi.
Outside of those in the second row also clockwise in the quarter directions from the southeast there are four consorts arrayed as the four goddesses, Lingbuma, Gyumangma, Gyucgigma, and Gyutugpoma, the latter three of which can be recognized from the seal section of the [Buddha] Union as Piwangma, Ngadumma, and Dzangama. 156
Outside of those in the third row also clockwise in the quarter direc- tions from the southeast there are four consorts arrayed as the four god- desses, Vajrapu? hpa, Vajragandha, Vajradipa, Vajral). jali, holding, respec- tively, flowers, incense, a fine lamp, and a conch vessel full of perfume.
In the third row clockwise from the east157 in the doors are four consorts standing in the form of Ashvasya, Vajrashukarasya, Vajraloka, and Rajal)pranashanavetala, whose [name] means of "zombie having died and become dust. " The other sixteen are recognized by the meaning of being consorts with whom one is to engage.
The Illumination of the Lamp Fifteenth Chapter states that you should make the mandala with the mandala rites of the context of the
156 If the Sang rgya? ; mnyam sbyor exists in Sanskrit, one would have more confidence about these names in Sanskrit - Sarhvaramllyll, Emahosukha, Dipll, and Shashi ; Buddha- bodhT, DharmachakrT, TridhlltuvijayT, and Kam! lQku? hT; Dhvaninala. Bahutantrr, Ekatantrl, Ghar;tatantrr (also VTnll, DundubhT, Mrc,1a? ;tgT).
157The text says "southeast," but the doors are in the cardinal, not quarter, directions, so I have emended.
? Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 553
unelaborated conduct of the creation stage, and such [ 29911 1 is the position of the Master Go; [yet] it is preferable to perform [the rites] by drawing well the mandala with water colors. If you are an unelaborated yogi/nT of the Community, draw the Community mandala with water colors, and enter with costumes and masks that conform to the size of the group, setting each deity in its place.
IVI. B. 3. c. ii. c'l 'b' -
The second has two parts: [i'l The elaborated rites; and [ii'J The unelaborated rites.
1 VI. B. 3. c. ii. c 'l 'b 'i ? - The el aborated rites I
Granted that the Noble father and sons do not state clearly that the Esoteric Community practitioner should perform the elaborated and un- elaborated rites in such a way, they do advocate the performance of the elaborated conduct from the point of view of the Community. As for per- forming it, [considering] how it is performed, [it is] granted that some people say you should perform it adding two goddesses in the male and female yogi/ni costumes to the twenty goddesses explained in the {Buddha]
Union. Nevertheless, the Integrated Practices states that you should per- form it together with the disciple included in the same clan; thus the rites of the mandalas of the {Buddha] Union and the Community are not in common. Therefore, if you perform the elaborated conduct with the system of the Community, you must do it adding the elaborations such as seal and seal response explained in other Tantras, keeping them equal to the number
of deities of the Community.
If you perform it according to the [Buddha] Union, together with the
yogi/nis of the two stages, meditating voidness objectified as ultimate reality, then you create [the mandala] with complete characteristics, begin- ning with the stacked elements and mount Meru, on top of which emerge the lotus and variegated vajra-cross producing the earth base, up to the 1300al measureless mansion with vajra pinnacle, containing the deity seats. Then you create Vajrasattva, etc. , whichever lord, by the process of self- consecration, and you sit in the manner of being lord of the mandala and then create the retinue, creating twenty consorts in the actuality of such and such a goddess, and they themselves each create themselves in such a manner. The Integrated Practices only expresses that much in words, it
? ? ? Particular procedures ( for each) !
554 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
is clear that you must fill in the procedure by such things as previously meditating the defense wheel and bringing in the wisdom heroes.
Then, you engage with desire objects; first preparing by remember- ing that you have the nature of the pattern of true samadhi, thinking "I must satisfy the transcendent buddhas abiding within my body mandala! " First engage with visual, audial, and olfactory objects. Then, as for engag- ing with tastes, purify, transmute, and blaze your foods, remember your natural inner fireplace and eat with the attitude that you are offering burnt offerings to the mouth of the samadhi hero. Thereby it will be easily di- gested and will become an elixir practice. Thus by food and drink you satisfy the aggregates and elements of your physical vajra body. Finally,
the way of engaging with textures, within the twenty together-engaging and after-engaging goddesses, take a seal as you please who is skilled in the arts of desire, and place her on your lap. Thinking, "Relying on this one, I will achieve completely the great seal accomplishment!
" [300b] create a stable determination, engage in the process from coupling with her up to stimulating the channels, and you abide in the action of union endowed with the posture of your own clan.
Here. the Integrated Practices states that you should use postures such as the transcendent, vajra, jewel, lotus, and action [clan postures], which is the system of the death-transition of each specific lord. Then from the friction of the vajra and the lotus, all the transcendent buddhas, who are the actuality of the aggregates and so forth, melt the vowel and
consonant enlightenment spirits down from the 72,000 channels begin- ning from the crown, like streams of water cascading down a mountain cliff. Then, with [the mind] descending by the stages of generating dis- passionate luminance, passionate radiance, and semi-passionate immi- nence, finally each yogi/ni introspectively comes to realize the actuality of transcendent wisdom, universal void clear light. This is principlally explained according to the system of the [Buddha] Union, explained as
the experience of the four joys falling from the crown to the jewel-tip. However, it is not that this system does not also, as will be explained below, [teach] the generation of the four voids through the process of dissolving into the heart center. Here, as for the statement that the yogi/ni who attains the supreme performs the wondrous deeds of punishing and upholding in that very group mandala from the door of the six clans, it is mostly [referring to] the time after attaining the learner's communion; and those deeds are stated in the [Buddha] Union.
Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 5 5 5
Thus, at the end of cultivating the creation of the orgasmic [wisdom- intuition] by relying on the consort seal, (30tnl arising from that, the lord who is the actuality of great bliss, in order to teach strongly the great arali play, which quickly gives rise to the Dharma of fulfilling the aims of self and other, there is the stage of performing the dance of the buddha-music. Together with the yoginis, the lord shows seal-gestures, the science [consort] shows a response to that seal-gesture; and so by the gesture and the gesture response, the worship and the worship response, the dance and the dance response, and the song and the song response, and by those physical and verbal signs the symbolic conventions are performed. When the Integrated Practices explains the latter two [con- ducts], except for the brief mention of seal-gesture and seal-gesture- response and worship and worship-response, does not mention the others, so they must be known from other [sources]. As for the need for perform- ing those, the Integrated Practices says that it is for the sake of not letting the mind tum elsewhere and to mutually delight each other, meaning that the mind should not deviate from great bliss, and to mutually increase the bliss.
You should totally engage in the conduct day and night, by the previously explained meditation and intention, meditating the orgasmic [wisdom] in trance relying on engagement with desire objects, and arising from that in the aftermath engaging with deire objects through many elaborations concerning the seal consort and so forth. If you perform the elaborated conducts with the system of the Esoteric Community, at the end of meditating according to the performances of the two stages, hav- ing established on thirty one seats in the deity places yogis and yoginis equal in number to the thirty-two deities with thirty-two costumes, [311JhJ
after having enjoyed the five desire objects as taught above, you should add the elaborations of performing the seal-gestures and the gesture responses. The procedure of the rites will be explained [below].
The unelaborated ritesj
The Integrated Practices teaches three ways of the unelaborated conduct; if you cannot completely make the condensed mandala for the unelaborated conduct due to insufficient wealth, you should perform the unelaborated conduct with the five thatnesses together with the five seal consorts; or, if you do not have that, you should perform the unelaborated
? [VI. B. 3. c. ii. c'l 'b'ii' -
556 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
conduct together with a single consort. Or, if you have sufficient wealth you should perform the unelaborated conduct having completely created the condensed mandala. Then, if you cannot create the condensed man- dala completely, it is a question of having or not having all the equipment such as costumes and so on for the yogis and yoginis equal in number to the deities, it is not a matter of performing or not performing the medi- tative rites in the complete mandala. Since the Illumination of the Lamp Fifteenth Chapter states, in the context when the Ak? hobhya yogi/ni per- forms the unelaborated conduct together with his/her seal consort, that the deities of the mandala meditated as the Ak? hobhya mandala should adorn the mandala, the meditation of the full deities of the mandala is the same in all three forms of the unelaborated conduct.
Thus, in the water-color drawn mandala, the arrangement of the thirty-one variegated lotus seats covered with cloths as the deities' places and the [302aJ twenty-three yogis and nine yoginis arrayed with the deity costumes is the expansive unelaborated. As for the medium unelaborated, the conduct of the thatness of the five secrets, the Illumination of the Lamp Root Commentary Fifteenth Chapter states that you should place day and night the practitioner meditated as Vajradhara on the central seat and four consorts well learned in Mantra and Tantra visualized as the actualities of the four goddesses Lochana etc. on the seats of Lochana etc. [On the other hand,] the Integrated Practices states that four consorts with the forms of the four goddesses Rupavajra etc. should be placed in
the four quarters, and one consort with the form of Sparshavajra should abide upon your lap. If you only have five consorts, then it is obvious you have to choose between those two [options]. The Sixteenth Chapter [Illumination of the Lamp]'s explanation that the three clan yogi/nis should practice with Lochana, Mamaki, and Pandaravasini is cited by the Integrated Practices as a source for the unelaborated conduct with a single consort. Thus, it is not definite that the lord's consort seal should be created as only Sparshavajra, which should also be understood with regard to the other two [forms of the] unelaborated conduct. Therefore, if you perform the medium unelaborated, you should place five variegated lotuses covered with cloths in the center of the mandala and in the inner four comers; or, you should place the five seats and six costumes on the second row four corners [and in the center]. If you perform the con- densed unelaborated, you should use two seats and two costumes.
Chapter Xi- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 557 Then, as for the actual stages of the rite, the Integrated Practices
states: 158
There create the measureless mansion with the vajra jewel pinnacle, purify the outer seal consort, f. \02hl and you should practice the great seal [embrace] together with the disciple included within one clan. The process of that is, first only, understanding ultimate reality, then arising by the process of self-consecration, emitting and then internalizing Ak? hobhya, you abide as the very lord
and master of the mandala.
As for the way of creating the retinue, Patsab's translation of the Inte-
grated Practices is clear:
Then, having visualized the deities of the mandala such as Vairochana, the retinue unwaveringly free of any notions of ordinariness who serve as members of your own body mandala, you should propitiate the whole mandala circle.
[It goes on to] state that:
Then, together with your seal consort you enter ultimate reality by the stages of holistic holding and serial disso- lution [samadhis]. Then the goddesses, Lochana, etc. , exhort you with the verses "You the vajra mind," and so on, you arise instantaneously by the self-consecration stage, and, in order to experience the supreme joy, with the nine aesthetic moods, you first engage with form, sound, scent, and taste, and then with texture, taking whichever consort, such as one of the butcher caste, and uniting with her.
158 This quote closely corresponds to the extant text (CW, Tib. p. 636), as do the follow- ing passages identified as from the Patsab translation, which could either be paraphrase or quite likely alternate translation, not available to us. It is very close to the existing text in general terms.
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There. it is not clear in fine detail about just how you perform the rite of prime union. The position of Master Go is that [right] from the defense wheel [visualization] you should completely meditate the prime union, claiming that to be the position of Tsunmojen and Trinshugjen,I59 and the creation stage practitioner should follow the evocation by using the three rite creation and so on, [303aJ while the perfection stage practitioner should use the instantaneous creation. There are also explanations in other treatises that you should use instantaneous creation in the self-
creation context, once you have completed the creation stage.
In regard to the tendency of the Integrated Practices statements, they are suitable for both the Vajradhara and Ak? hobhya practitioners; in general, they serve for the taking [whichever] as chief from [among] the six clans, and are similar for both stages. As for creating the measureless mansion on the peak of Sumeru, it was explained previously in the con- text of the Mother Tantras, but is unnecessary here. The creation stage practitioner in this [Esoteric Community] context is capable of producing the distinctive orgasmic [wisdom intuition] by means of the four joys in
all three occasions, the prime union, the entry into clear light at the end of the supreme mandala triumph, and the reliance on the actual science consort upon arising therefrom; therefore this is not the same as other [Tantras ' ] creation stage occasions.
As for the supreme mandala triumph, once you enter the trance- union with the actual science consort, you create the habitat and inhabi- tant mandala in the mother's lotus. As for emitting Ak? hobhya, bringing
him into oneself after radiating [many emanations of] him and so on, and thus becoming Anger Vajra, it is in terms of two clans; and you should do it correspondingly in terms of whatever other clan [lord] as chief [deity]. Having emitted [the deities] from Vairochana to Sumbharaja and having dissolved them into the thirty-one male and female yogi/nis of your retinue you should imagine them as indivisible. By meditating your retinue with deity yoga you eliminate the pride of ordinariness, and so should not be disturbed by that concept [of ordinariness].
As for the meaning of [the deities'] becoming components of your body mandala, those members of the retinue [303hl are the members of
159 sPrin shugs can, presumably another adept with a tradition of personal instructions.
? Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 559
your body, visualizing the parts as of the nature of the [five] aggregates and so forth. Both you and your retinue should meditate in that way. In regard to [practicing] with the five seal consorts and with the one seal consort, you should dissolve the [visualized deities] into whichever are actually there, and in the case of those who are not there, you should do the same dissolving each into their own place. In regard to the expression "having pleased the entire circle of the mandala," the Chag translation has "having impassioned," which means that you have already reached the supreme mandala triumph and you have pleased the deities by uniting in trance with the actual science consort, from the point of view of the deities being parts of your body. It is not only [a question of] just having united and entered into clear light, but it also means adding the medita- tions of yoga through the two contemplations and creating the four voids through the door of compressing the wind-energy-mind into the heart center, as previously explained. That is to be understood as applicable to other contexts of trance-union, though [ultimately] it is connected to the perfection stage itself.
As for being exhorted by songs after immersing in clear light, you should visualize it in the extensive unelaborated [conduct], in the case where there are four consorts in the inner corner directions meditated as Lochana and so forth, actually exhorting with song meditated as the five Vajra [sense goddesses], and [to be visualized] in the case where there is but the single consort seal. Or else it is obvious also that it is also suitable that in the former case the four goddesses in this context are held with the pride of being Lochana and so on and so exhort [you]. Arising from that, as for the statement about enjoyment of the good, bad, and medium of the first four [desire-]objects, it obviously intends that from just this boundary of the path, the inferior objects serve as auxiliaries 1. 304al to your
inner bliss.
When you are in the first three occasions of the perfection stage,
and, having attained the beginning of the path of mind isolation, you are performing the conduct for the sake of the magic body, you can create it instantaneously without creating it from syllable and symbolic implement and so on. Above the measureless mansion, you create the intuition place, and on the occasion of compressing the visualization into clear light. it is compressed by the power of dissolving the wind-energies. Although both magic body [adepts] and learner's communion [adepts] can practice this,
there is a great difference [between them] in intensity of power.
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As for resurrecting from the void in the body of the primal savior, you can arise from the wind-energy-mind in conformity with the third stage magic body at the time of mind isolation. If you are a magic body [adept] it actually can be done, but when you enter the void while still not having realized the clear light, it does not serve to purify the magic body. When you arise, it is an arisal of the mind from the metaphoric clear light and is not an arisal in a new body. When you attain communion [in the future], there is no interruption of the homogeneity of the magic body, so [at this stage] you should enter into and arise from the clear light
basing [yourself] on the mind and not upon the magic body. Therefore, from both of those [stages], when you arise from clear light you should take up in your mind whatever [deity] body you already have [devel- oped] through the process of visualization.
As for maintaining the emanation body, you should create your coarse body as an emanation body by bring back together what was sepa- rated from the coarse body. Though you have attained [only a measure of] virtual conformity with the magic body, you can make it similar to the actual [magic body] in the experience of your mentality.
In those explanations, you should understand [their application to all three;] the occasion of the prime union [304hl, the creation of the orgas- mic [intuition] from union with the science consort at the end of the supreme mandala triumph, and the arisal from that and so forth. In the
[Root Tantra] Seventeenth Chapter Commentary, as it explains that, after the arisal upon exhortation with song, you uphold the pride of the four clans such as Vairochana and you perform the unions with all four god- desses, Lochan? and so forth, it is clear that here also you must perform that, the same in both stages. And that corresponds with taking those four goddesses as the consorts who unite with the chief [deity]. Further, those uniting consorts, since they serve as the science consorts of the lord, are also clearly engaging as Rnpavajr? and so on also. By that reason, in the
case of the medium and concise form of the unelaborated conduct, they are classified according to the number of the circle of science consorts and not according to the number of male [deities].
As for the Integrated Practices statement that you should perform relying on whichever of the five, such as low caste consorts and so forth, it is in terms of there being no certainty about caste for the perfection stage practitioner; the creation stage practitioner is explained as having a consort of his own clan. Whichever of the two clans are there, as for the
Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 56 1
actual conduct, having trance-united with the consort of your own occa- sion, you create orgasmic joy and meditate through uniting bliss and void: you do not meditate yourself as the lord [alone]. in a mantric body if a creation stage practitioner, and in a magic body if a magic body [adept].
There is no explicit explanation as to how often in a day you prac- tice this rite of the conduct, but since the Sixteenth Chapter Root Com- mentary states. in the context of the conduct, that you should make the secret offering while trance-united with the science consort in the four times, l-'05ul you should perform this in four sessions.
The [Buddha} Union states that the group circle rite, relying on the group mandala, should be performed once each year and once each month. The Integrated Practices, concerning its statement about the two latter conducts, as it is not referring to the conduct in the context of its explanation of the four boundaries when performing the conduct, its meaning is not an explanation of whether or not there is elaboration of time in the conduct that has arrived at the high path of the two stages relying on that scriptural reference. If you engage in the elaborated [con- duct] after engaging in textures, you perform from the perspective of your own specific meditation and intention concerning the seal gesture and its response; if you are [engaging in] the unelaborated [conduct], you do not perform [in that way]. Therefore, the old translation of the Inte- grated Practices wrote "here you should completely perform the arali," but the Patsab translation "cause the accomplishment of the arali" is better.
As for the statement that you should eat in solitude, having cleansed and so on the five meats and the five elixirs, it is similar for all the con- ducts of the two stages.
As for the Integrated Practices statement that
All this should be perfected by the inner self itself, with- out binding of the consort, neither painting a mandala nor offering [in it] the symbolic universe, not performing external hearth fire sacrifice, not making stupas for placing clay images and so forth, not reading scriptures, abandoning physical asceticism, not performing prostra- tions to painted or wood or stone carved icons, not taking refuge in saints or hermit buddhas, and not relying on
any astrology and so forth . . .
562 ? Brilliant Illumination oj the Lamp
-this refers to the context of the conduct of the perfection stage; and does not include the context of conduct [on the creation stage; since it contains such a prohibition of] the binding of the seal consort [30Sb] and the painting of the mandala and so forth. By mistaking statements about not doing such things in the Community, and in many other Tantras, the Esoteric Accomplishment, and the Enlightenment Songs, and so on, it seems that many act even from the time of being a beginner in such a way that the sharp minded do not perform those practices instantaneously
and the dull-minded do them more gradually. I VI. B. 3. c. ii. c '2 ' -
conduct]
Second, as for which embodiment should perform this extremely unelaborated conduct, Tsunmojen explains it is only the perfection stage practitioner and Kanhapa declares it can be anyone on the two stages; of these two you should take the latter as preferable, according to the view of Master Go.
As for the place, you should use a solitary mountain, a riverbank, near a waterfall, and a charnel ground and so forth-you do not practice this in a three-storied house.
As for the companion to provide your food, you should get a crea- ture such as a forest spirit devotee, or a superior practitioner companion, or get your food from a large [monastic] community. As for the latter, Pa- tsab translates "by getting just your rice gruel from a minister," meaning that wealthy persons such as ministers should serve as patrons. If you can get a forest spirit devotee, since wealth comes with performing either the
elaborated or unelaborated [conduct], it is not definite that this [extremely unelaborated conduct] is performed only for the reason of lack of wealth of equipment.
? The way of achieving the extremely unelaborated
As for the particulars of intention, there are four. First is when as a
somewhat beginning practitioner you remember the beginningless suffer- ing of the life cycle and desire the bliss of nirvana, you should abandon all socializing, and finally you should meditate the notion of suffering even concerning the gaining of power t30ttuJ over the entire kingdom. Second, the two new translations are good, saying "you should destroy any entertaining of even anything as much as a grain of sesamum," which should be interpreted as not holding onto any accumulation of equipment
Chapter XI-Conduct Heightening Impact ? 563
such as a mere grain of sesamum, and you should not take it as meaning you should not identify the manifestations of the truth habits. Third, through your faith in meditating clear light as ultimate reality, you should not be concerned for your body and life. Fourth. you should not be ambi- tious for the minor mundane accomplishments or the eight great [mun- dane) accomplishments. because they can become distractions and causes for regression.
For a creation stage practitioner to perform the conduct, since s/he has the fully qualified spirit of enlightenment. granted s/he wants to attain buddhahood in general, since s/he performs the conduct with her/his mind attracted by common accomplishments, as long as s/he has not completed the creation stage and produced the perfection stages, except for the second intention, [s/he should focus on that, since] the other three apply only to the perfection stage practitioner.
As for the distinctions of the seal consort, the Integrated Practices says160 that, thus, abandoning the outer consort, you should perceive your- self uniting rather with the wisdom consort abiding in the heart center, thinking "thereby I will more quickly attain the vajradharahood," and you should perform the conduct only being alone, [meaning obviously that you should use] a wisdom consort. As for that wisdom consort, though Lak? hmi says that the creation stage practitioner brings forth the goddess with shape from within the heart center and the perfection stage practitioner unites with the wisdom seal just through his/her meditation on voidness, 1306bl it is rather the case that the perfection stage practi- tioner also unites with the wisdom seal as having the form of a goddess. The Illumination of the Lamp Fifth Chapter says that if you do not obtain
an actual consort, you should bring forth the mother of buddhas, Tran- scendent Wisdom, from within your heart and perform union with her; and proves [that statement] with reasons. The Sixteenth Chapter [Root Tantraj says:
Contemplatiing with the three syllable vajra, Visualize your own consort with your mind, Thereby the omniscient buddhas
Will doubtless be delighted.
160 The following closely paraphrases the canonical Tibetan (CW, p. 647).
? 564 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
The Commentary here says that this text teaches uniting with the wisdom seal, and that "contemplating with the three syllable vajra" means that a three vajra yogi such as Vairochana, who has no concern for any outer consort, brings forth as his seal the Vajradhatvishvari who dwells in his heart.
Thus, as for the explanation that "if you cannot find an outer con- sort, rely on the wisdom consort," it implies that the [reliance on a] wis- dom seal cannot produce the samadhi of great bliss as [well as] the reli- ance on an external consort, and this intends that if you do find an outer consort, you should do the opposite of the previous statement about abandoning her and relying on the wisdom consort. Further, it is like the statement of the Illumination of the Lamp Seventeenth Chapter-both new translations-that those whose minds are not stable in union with
the wisdom consort should rely on a physical consort. Though the old translation of the Illumination of the Lamp states that "you should rely on the physical consort when your mind is stable," the above translations are better.
Like that, [307al there seem to be particular [choices made] according to the type of a person and the way of learning with a wisdom consort after first meditating the path. In this regard, the creation stage practitioner may indeed give up other elaborations, but the stage of the procedure is clearly similar, so one unites with the wisdom seal when completing the mandala triumph, generating the orgasmic joy by the processes of the
four joys and meditating bliss-void. Thereupon, you arise exhorted by the songs of the meditated goddesses, enjoying the food and the science consort's desire objects through your contemplative visualization. In the three occasions of the perfection stage, relying on the appropriate pro- cess of the procedure of the evocation, when you unite with the wisdom consort, by the force of your combining it with the perfection of the yoga of the inner winds, you cut off the many dualistic elaborations and realize a distinctively excellent four voids. Then again, from the process of com- pressing that gathers the wind-energy-mind in the heart center and the descent of the enlightenment spirit to the tip of the vajra, you have the ability to generate whatever possible of the four voids, but the main thing is to perform the previous [compression of the wind-energies in the heart center] .
Concerning this, the Integrated Practices' explanation of the aggre- gates' etc. subtle elements entering into wind-energy, that into mind, that
Chapter XI-Conduct Heightening Impact ? 565
into mental functions, and that entering into misknowledge and after that your meditating the clear light-all this is performed relying on the wis- dom seal; in the other conducts it is similar but relying on an actual seal. Nevertheless, here the statement of cultivating the sleep clear light itself is on the occasion of the conduct of the perfection stage, and that again, by this, by intermittent [J07bl meditation of clear light, it seems to mean that you meditate with a merging of the clear light with sleep. And it does not mean that you perform separate ways of meditation of the clear light as on other occasions, when not merged with sleep but in waking time, and when merged with sleep in sleeping time. This you can understand when you understand all the keys of merging.
Thus, when you practice by performing the conducts on the two stages, except for differences of degree of the four joys and the four voids, by both you entrance yourself and rely on union with the wisdom consort and cultivate the orgasmic [bliss] and clear light itself. When you cannot abide therein and so arise, again, relying on that consort and increase that meditation as before. Here, your creativity is extremely intense, you are averse to elaborations, and from the perspective of your intense faith in meditating the orgasmic [wisdom] you perform the con- duct as before; and this is called "the bhusuku conduct," because it is to maintain the conduct of eating, sleeping, and evacuating. As follows, the first syllable derives etymologically by adding syllables from bhufijana and gives you "eating food," sutana is explained as sleeping, and ku(isara is explained as evacuating by expelling excrement and urine. Except for just those three ideas, you abandon socializing, you don't consider body, sensations, objects, and senses, and you perform by merging sleep and clear light. Some also analyzed the bhu as coming from bhukta, again meaning "to eat. "
By such a perfection stage conduct, you will be caused to swiftly attain the magic body where your actual being transforms, the learner's communion vajra body, and the non-learner's communion vajra body. without requiring the other two conducts. Thus the Sixth Chapter Com- mentary states that the "bhusuku conduct" is the supreme conduct. The Integrated Practices often cites the extremely unelaborated 1 . \lllla l conduct
as what you should explain as being the process explained by the Cra;:;y
which occurs in the sixteenth chapter of the Vajra
Di? ? cipline Sarra
Essence Ornament Tantra. Concerning this. both new translations of the
,
Integrated Practice. . , follow the way and the process stated in the Tantra
.
566 ? Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp
and state "you should practice the extremely unelaborated conduct by the crazy discipline. " The Great Translator translates very well here "the Sotra that teaches the crazy discipline. " In that chapter, the conduct of the discipline is taught, that is said to be the "crazy discipline," and "taught" means "teach the crazy discipline," since this is not taught in the Explana- tory Tantras of the Community.
By engaging in the conduct according to both that Tantra and the Community, the goal to be achieved by that being practiced for six months is the exaltation of buddhahood; hence that is not the conduct of the creation stage.
The Integrated Practices declares that by learning the three con- ducts in a fortnight, or one month, or six months, the eight signs of the universal seal, such as subtle form and light texture, etc. , and the dream signs stated in the [Root] Tantra Fifteenth Chapter will emerge. You will achieve whenever those signs emerge, even before six months. In that regard, the eight masteries such as mastery of the body are supreme accomplishments, as the Chag translation says:
Subtle matter and light touch,
True attainment, true pervasiveness, Firm extreme illumination itself- Mastery 1308bJ itself and all fulfillment.
These eight are called the "eight excellences of mastery," and not the "eight masteries. " As to their meaning being explained by the previous, it seems that you cannot find an explanation of the eight excellences of mastery, so you should apply the explanation of the eight excellences of mastery by Avalokitavrata. Regarding that, such mastery involves the subtle causing the creation and destruction of the world of beings, the light causing of the creation and destruction of the world of things, and the ownership of the creation and destruction of both of them; so here the yogi/ni has the ability to emanate and dissolve those things.
The latter is shown by "true attainment. " Going wherever the mind thinks [to go] is indicated by "true pervasiveness. " Being worshipped by all elemental spirits is shown by one's appearing extremely illuminating and overwhelming all others by light and majesty. "Mastery" is having the power to [both] punish and support beings. As an excellence, developing the power of fulfillment is to possess "all fulfillment. " This is shown by
Chapter XI- Conduct Heightening Impact ? 567
the ability to get whatever you want to get, relying on abiding in fulfilled delight.
Attaining the supreme in less than six months refers to the attaining of the Ieamer's union. When you perform the conducts on the four occa- sions previously explained, since you practice until you attain your frui- tion, you do not calculate whether or not there is the elaboration of time.
Although you have practiced conduct thus by the two stages, if you do not swiftly achieve the fruition of each particular occasion, as for the way of being urged along I-? 09nJ each of the two stages, you should under- stand it from the Root Tantra Tenth Chapter Commentary and Naropa's Further Tantra Commentary.