YAMANTAKA SELF INITIATION
TEACHING BY GESHE TEGCHOG
NALANDA, 1985
Self Initiation commentary lent to me by Jhampa fall 1992
YAMANTAKA SELF INITIATION - TEACHING BY GESHE TEGCHOG, NALANDA, 1985
Part 1
THE SOURCE
Buddha Shakyamuni is said to be the originator of the Yamantaka Tantra. The story goes that the Buddha taught the tantra and manifested the form of Yamantaka at a place west of Buddhagaya, India, known at the time as Luktre. This particular place had been cherished and taken care of by many dakinis, who, it is said, spirited away the tantra given by the Buddha. Thus the Yamantaka tantra was lost for many years.
Centuries later a disciplinarian and academic from Nalanda monastery known as Lalita Vajra, born in a village called O.di.bi.shi., was studying a tantra called Jampal Tenkye and came across the name "Dorje Jigje pag pa," which means "the vajra terrifier terrifies". He became obsessed and determined to find and learn this lost tantra. After seeking without success for twenty years, his perseverance finally paid off. He achieved a vision of Manjushri who told him to go to the west.
Lalita Vajra finally arrived at a place called Odikanaling and met the kadroma, the dakini Ro.lang.ma who was the consort of Yamantaka. From her Lalita Vajra received the teachings, initiation, and rituals of Yamantaka. After a three month meditation in a cave, he accomplished the results of his search. He memorized the texts and received permission to bring the tantra back to India.
Because of the difficult nature of the tantra, Lalita Vajra and many other scholars such as Shantipa later wrote extensive commentaries. The root text was later translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan by three authors from Tibet, Ra, Kyu, and Shang. Later yet, other Tibetan commentaries were written, and finally, Lama Tsong Khapa studied these texts and went through in detail the origins of the root tantra of Yamantaka, relying mainly on the text written by by Lalita Vajra himself.
CLASS OF TANTRA
In the four classes of tantra, the Yamantaka Root Tantra belongs to the Highest Yoga Tantra, is very similar to Father tantra but also includes subjects of Mother Tantra, and has five specific attributes uncommon to other classes of tantra and therefore considered very blessed and capable of giving results very quickly. Very high Lamas such as Tsong Khapa, Kedrup, and others devoted themselves to Yamantaka as their uncommon yidam. Such high Lamas have said that the Yamantaka Root Tantra should be practiced because it is very rare, a subject appearing only to those with merit and with a certain amount of karma.
THE FIVE SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES OF YAMANTAKA
1: At the time of the fifth degeneration, sentient beings are said to be very lazy, have wrong views, and unable to observe their vows. They are ignorant in understanding scripture, and are disrespectful. They are elevated by desire, have little merit, and have a very short life. Thus, they are very disadvantageous to practitioners. Having Yamantaka as a yidam is protection from harm by such beings.
2: Yamantaka holds in his hands a fire stove and entrails symbolizing that within the Yamantaka practice one can attain the illusory body and the clear light taught in Father Tantras such as the Guhyasamaja Tantra.
3: Yamantaka holds a khatavanga symbolizing the achievement of the exalted wisdom of inseparable bliss and void taught in Mother Tantras such as Chakrasambhara, Heruka and such.
4: Yamantaka's fire stove also symbolizes an incredible particular powerful wisdom which blazes like fire, and the uncommon special visualizations for psychic heat.
5: Manjushri, the deity who is the essence of all the wisdom of all the Buddhas, must be relied upon to attain perfect enlightenment. Also, the Yamantaka practitioner is happily taken care of by Manjushri because there are two vajra holders. The vajra holder at the casual time which is to visualize oneself as Manjushri and do other practices, and the vajra holder at the resultant time symbolized by the ninth face of Yamantaka, both of which are included in the Yamantaka practice.
All of Yamantaka's hands are in the "threatening mudra" which means he commands or has power over all the gods who are with him in the transitory world and beyond the transitory world because he possesses all the things concerning mother and father tantra. The implement of the man on the stick symbolizes that practitioners of Yamantaka with any kind of heavy karma, even the five heinous crimes, the ten negative karmas and so forth can be purified. The two horns symbolize that Yamantaka practice contains the two causes, method and wisdom, of attainment of the Rupakaya (form body) and Dharmakaya (formless or truth body).
These attributes were explained by Manjushri to Tsong Khapa. Jetsun Rendawa, Tsong Khapa's guru had asked Tsong Khapa to petition Manjushri regarding a path that would lead one to enlightenment within one life time. After a lengthy meditation, Tsong Khapa saw Manjushri and was given the explanations of the implements and the symbology of the tantra.
QUALITIES OF THE PRACTITIONER
The practitioner should not be superstitious or have broken pledges, should avoid creating the cause of ripening karma, and should do the practice secretly. He should be warm hearted and affectionate toward miserable beings, and be well grounded in the common practices common to great, medium and small beings. He does not require full realization within these three scopes, but should have some degree of understanding.
The person should have received initiation of Yamantaka, and observe the vows and pledges, at least being very aware. To observe them purely would be very difficult, but if the vows and pledges are broken, the practitioner should have regret and make effort to confess and renew the vows.
The practitioner should have a good motivation or attitude which is the mind in relation to the tantric path which means to think "I am going to meditate on this practice in order to attain the unified state of Yamantaka during this lifetime so I will be able to lead all other sentient beings to this state also."
FOUR CAUSES OF QUICK ATTAINMENT OF SIDDHIS
1: One should have an irreversible faith in the gurus and deities.
2: One should have no doubt about the qualities or teachings of the
gurus or deities.
3: One must have single-pointed thinking to attain the state of the
deity, an attitude which is never lost.
4: One must be "Extremely Secret" and keep your practice secret,
not telling people that Yamantaka is your deity or that you are
doing this practice.
THE MEDITATION PLACE
If you have good concentration, you can meditate in a cemetery. Or near a single tree, by the side of a river, or at a cross-roads. If your concentration is good enough you can meditate at dangerous places where it is difficult to live, where devils are present and so on. Whether you meditate in such sites or not, it is good to meditate in a place where holy beings have previously meditated. If such a place is unavailable, then choose an isolated place which is comfortable for your mind.
For good meditation upon the deity, you should have a statue or picture. Also, the two washings should be performed, the external cleansing of your body with water, and the internal washing of cleansing yourself of negativity and broken vows and pledges. For your cushion you should use a corpse. If you cannot find one, imagine sitting on a dead body. You could place a drawing under your seat. After washing there is a special white powder( cremation powder from the fire) to put on your naked body, or you can imagine the washing and powdering. You should face the southern direction, and if this is not possible, imagine so. And if you are not in a cemetery, imagine that you are. Your meditation practice should begin at midnight.
SELF ENTRY
To do self entering of Yamantaka, first one has to do the Gaden Lha Gyama, The Hundred Gods of Tushita, finishing with a large repetition of Avalokiteshvara, Great Treasure of Boundless Compassion.... Then the four lined prayer beginning with Oh Precious Root Guru... in which the second line has to be changed in three places, the first, second and third repetition. The first line has to be "upon the crown of my head", which means inviting Lama Tsong Khapa to abide or sit upon the crown of one's head. The second repetition has to be "sit upon the lotus of my heart, " which is a request for Lama Tsong Khapa to sit upon one's heart chakra. The third repetition is to ask him to sit inside one's heart.
The self entry has several phases. First, the mandala is generated, one then makes offerings and praises to the generated mandala and finally one takes initiation from them. The self generation and the generation of the deity in the space before oneself are not to be considered different. Self-generation means ourselves generated as the deity. The front generation is the deity in the mandala visualized in front of ourselves. Yet they are one entity. Thus the front generation should not be thought of as different from oneself.
MEDITATION SUBJECT
Generation Stage
Preliminary
1. Requesting the lineage gurus, necessary for receiving
the blessings which are dependent upon the guru.
2. Bless the vajra and bell.
3. Bless the inner offering and preliminary torma and offer
to Yamantaka, Gods of the white side, and protectors.
4. Bless offering for self generation.
5. Meditation on Vajrasattva.
Actual Practice
REQUEST TO THE LINEAGE GURUS
The lineage gurus are visualized in two ways, above the head or in the space in front of you. In the market assembly, a lotus is visualized above the head. In the center is a moon disc upon which stands your root guru in the aspect of Yamantaka around which are all the lineage gurus from Vajra Vetali onwards in a clockwise progression. All are to be visualized as clear and bright in the nature of light. While saying the prayer, receive light from each which purifies negativity, eliminates all adverse conditions to your dharma practice, and also brings all amicable conditions together. Imagine the power of their blessings removes sickness, demons, and negative karma. Imagine that you are receiving all collections of goodness, especially the power to meditate on the subjects of this sadhana. Then they are absorbed to the root guru, Yamantaka, into the moon, lotus and then yourself.
The stacked lineage of gurus begins with Yamantaka on top, the secession of gurus in the form of Yamantaka to the root guru in the form of Yamantaka on the crown of your head. As the prayer is recited, receive purification and blessings from each with their name. Thus they are absorbed in order into you.
The short Yamantaka sadhana has four lines of request to the lineage gurus, you should still try to visualize them all, the only difference is that in the long sadhana there are verses for each of the gurus. Both sadhanas have the instantaneous transformative generation.
INSTANTANEOUS TRANSFORMATIVE GENERATION:
This is done because we must be in the aspect of the deity to bless the vajra and bell which cannot be done in our ordinary aspect. Thus we generate ourselves as the deity out of the exalted wisdom of great bliss and void. Imagine that your old aggregates vanish into blue light and all the environment, phenomena other than your aggregates, become emptiness. From out of the emptiness appears a multi-colored eight petaled lotus, red petals in the four main directions, yellow in the south-east and north-west, green in the south-west, and black in the north-east. In the center is a sun disc upon which is your mind in the state of exalted wisdom realizing all phenomena in the nature of emptiness of true existence and sustained by great bliss. This mind, the union of bliss and void, is like the primary substance which now takes the aspect of solitary Yamantaka, one face and two arms.
Yamantaka's face is that of a buffalo manifesting great wrath. He holds a curved knife and a skull cup. His body is black, it is not solid or obstructive, but transparent and in the nature of light. His right leg is bent and his left is outstretched, the gap between his feet is 5 hand spans. (One tha is the distance between the thumb and the little finger when outstretched). The base of his nose and forehead are wrinkled with wrath. His eyebrows are blazing, his nostrils flared and red like red-hot iron pipes. His three eyes are wide and surrounded by red veins which indicate the great bliss circulating in his body. His mouth is opened wide with a ferocious expression baring his four fangs and his tongue is moving. His two horns have flames at their tips, his palms and soles have red spots of blood on them and the nails are as strong as iron. His body and limbs are heavily muscled and he is wearing the six bone ornaments. They are
1. Head Ornament: An elaborate structure of bones forming wheel and other shapes. Both sexes wear the same type of crown, mainly it is a wheel upon which is a five spoked vajra at the hub. There are five "togams" or heaps of bone which represent the five dhyani buddhas at the five forward spokes of the wheel.
2. Earrings: Each has a small wheel with six spokes of bone.
3. Necklace: Has a wheel at the throat with 16 spokes of bone.
4. Pairs of bracelets, armlets, and anklets and other ornaments at the shoulders and knees.
5. Chest ornament: At the heart in front is an eight spoked wheel and a second eight spoked wheel at the back. These are connected by links of bone going over the shoulders.
6. White human ashes: Only worn by make deities.
There is another ornament, not included in the six called a "kerag" (apron) which is a belt worn by both male and female deities. It has a sixty-four spoked wheel at the navel, an eight spoked wheel at the back, and two six spoked wheels at the hips, connected by a chain of bone. Female deities wear a mala of human skulls around their necks which hangs down to their knees. Some texts say it goes down to the ankles. The male deities have a similar mala but the human heads are fresh and bleeding, and strung together with human entrails. This mala is called a "tosha" (necklace). The female has the "five mudras" (they are not called five bone ornaments") and a kerag and tosha as well.
The crown ornament has a wheel symbolizing the chakra of great bliss at the crown and represents Akshobya. The ear ornaments represent Amitabha. The necklace represents Ratnasambhava and it's wheel symbolizes the throat chakra. The Bracelets , armlets and anklets represent Vairocana. The chest ornament represents Vajradhara and it's wheel symbolizes the heart chakra. The kerag represents Amoghasiddhi and it's wheel symbolizes the navel chakra. When we visualize that we are wearing these bone ornaments we have a natural sense of pride, like when we take a good bath and put on our make up.
BLESSING THE VAJRA AND BELL
The "meaning vajra and bell" refers to the exalted wisdom of bliss and void. The "symbolic vajra and bell" are the instruments we use in order to remind ourselves to not be separated from the blissful exalted wisdom realizing emptiness. Thus we bless the vajra and bell at the beginning of the ritual because we use them constantly and they will constantly remind us of the meaning which they represent.
A bell with a rosary of vajras around it's rim is a "Vajrasattva bell". It can have either a five spoked or a nine spoked half vajra as the handle. A bell with jewel strands hanging around it is a "Bell of Brave One". A "Bell of Tathagata" has Vairocana's face in the middle of the handle, it does not have a rosary of vajras around the rim. Another bell has Ratnasambhava's face and a rosary of precious gems around the rim. The one having Amithaba's face has a rosary of swords. These are the four types of Tathagata's bell.
The empty space inside the bell symbolizes emptiness of true existence, the clanger symbolizes the great blissful wisdom of the resultant time, and the sound symbolizes the sound showing non-true existence.
With the bell and vajra together, the vajra can symbolize Vajrasattva, the bell his consort, and holding them in the right and left hands symbolizes the state of seven kisses. Also, the vajra symbolizes the male organ the the bell the female organ.
The central part of the vajra symbolizes the lower part of the energy channel called the duti (nerve). It has eight angles signifying the eight energy channels at the secret jewel chakra. The clanger of the bell symbolizes the duti of the female consort, this is not the clitoris, it is deeper, it is the female channel which enters the make urethra. If a bell is properly make the clanger should have eight angles signifying the eight energy channels in the secret chakra of the female consort. The "Symbol of usual action" is performed when we first take up the vajra and bell. We brandish the vajra in the eight directions and also the bell in the eight directions. Placing the vajra in the eight directions symbolizes that the eight energy channels of the female are opened, ringing the bell in the eight directions symbolizes that the eight energy channels of the male are "moved". The top half of the bell being a vajra symbolizes the union of male and female. When we make the mudra of embracing with the vajra and bell in our hands, it signifies that we have experienced great bliss with the heat of tumo (psychic heat) and the climax of the red and the white substances functioning.