Chapter One
Confidence not Faith
The Vajrayana Mi-zong (Zhen yan) Path
“Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name
May thy kingdom come.
May thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
It may come as a surprise to see these words introduced first in a book dedicated to the Tsung mi meditation practice of Vajra Dakini, but it is introduced to those of the west unfamiliar with the Vajrayana of Mi-tsung to show the relationship between Buddha Dharma in the esoteric gradual path and traditional religions. That prayer, the lord’s prayer, is you see what we call a Sadhana not a prayer and when it is put in the Budha dharma style you will see why.
We would say as a Sadhana:
My True Nature which is within me hallowed be thy existence.
May that Way be realized.
May the True Nature be practiced on this earth as it is within us.
Furthermore in religions the participants would put their hands together with the palms touching. In Buddha Dharma that particular gesture is called Namakara. That gesture which religious people make is a Mudra which is a symbol of devotion. In Buddha Dharma we use that Mudra and many more with different significance. But within Buddha Dharma, although we use the word “devotion” it is neither a supplication or worship. It is a acknowledgement of the “Awe and Joy” experienced in the presence and knowledge of Truth.
Since it is clear what Sadhanas and Mudras are, what equivalent is there in religions for our Mantras? Well in Islam. Before each chapter one recites continually the words in Arabic which translated means:
“In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”
That is a Mantra. We might say “Om Mane Padme Hung”. That is one of the elementary Mantras we may use in Buddha dharma, declaring at its most simple level:
“May Body and Mind, separated by Ignorance, be joined once more by the subtle energy of Compassion.”
Perhaps now you can see that the concepts of Sadhanas, Mudras and Mantras are really quite universal and should not be considered mystical or magic. But what of the Mandala which appears so complex to those unfamiliar with them. Let us de-mystify the idea of Mandala by declaring that when it is used in practices it more profound, but in concept identical to the devotional, not ornamental, use of the Christian cross, representing Jesus the Nazarene, the Jewish Magen David representing the lineage of David, the precious Islamic symbolism of the inscription "Nasr um min Allah", the complex Masonic seal, the Hindu Dharma wheel and the Jain Hand.
But as in Islam, Chan and Mi-tsung it is considered that while symbolism is acceptable to open the doors to an inner consciousness of Unity, any devotion to any image or set of words is incorrect and unacceptable.
Clearly all Sadhanas, Mantras, Mudras and Mandalas are then of little utility if they are used with superstition or as vulgar ornaments of faith and with shallow prayer. Each of these may be practiced, using the symbolism at either a mundane, general or profound level. In the Buddha Dharma of Mi-tsung as in Chan we only teach the practices in a profound way, for to do otherwise is to loose the opportunity to discover one’s true nature as a human creature. We have chosen here to present the most complex and profound practice of the Mi-tsung version of the Indian Vajra Dakini together with her Sadhana, Mantra, Mudra and Mandala.
Each of these is a specialised form of Meditation which may be used separately or together. But the word meditation today has become a catch-all for any practice of sitting with back straight in a lotus or half lotus position or the recitation of any phrase that purports to be transcendental in nature. We must make clear that the popular forms of Meditation which have as their aim relaxation or the reduction of stress are not Buddha Dharma. Basically we can divide our meditations aimed at the dissolving of Identity or the attainment of an Awakening into four basic types:
Concentration (Samatha)
Reflection and Absorption (that for example used in Vipassana)
Contemplation (optimally that used in Chan)
Transformational Absorption (that used in the Vajrayana meditations of Mi-tsung).
We can further subdivide these forms into two further divisions in order to better understand their function and actual practice, structured (Samatha and Vipassana) and unstructured (Chan and Chen Yen).
In all of these practices and others not here mentioned understanding developed within a supra-intellectual practice relevant to the development of a perception which is beyond cognitive intellect and mere words. In other words there is the necessity of a penetrative understanding. In each case this understanding at the level that each can attain is developed out of the only base available which is formal knowledge and mundane intellect. All also recognise the importance of the arousal of a compassion which is universal and must also arise from the mundane compassion practiced and recommended in society.
Often the word faith is used, but faith in the true Dharma meditative contexts is not the blind religious faith which is presented usually, but a confidence in the innate quality of the human creature, the Buddha Nature. Far from being a vague and undefined human process it is an operational system basic to all life. The Buddhist schools that express this ideal perfectly are those of the Ch'an and those of the Chen Yen.
Within Ch'an it is the apex of all Buddhist understanding no representation of the Buddha is needed in practice and at best are a simple and expendable tool to assist in practice. The Chen Yen Vajrayana or Mantrayana model attains the same flexibility in its meditations by using some structure also as a tool to aid practice, but that structure is not central to the system. One of the great differences between Chan and Chen Yen is that Chan is a direct approach to Awakening through a contemplative entry at both the barrier of human perception which is conceptualization and the indescribable are beyond the last conceptualization. Chen Yen is a gradual approach in which flexible ritual practices lead the way gradually to an access point. While this approach is Vajrayana and stems from the same source as Tibetan forms of Vajrayana it is quite different in the methods of presentation
Chen Yen sees the principle of Enlightenment in every manifestation in every part of the gradual path and as such the practices are represented in a symbolic manner generally but not always in the form of Buddha Dharmakaya or aspects of Buddha Dharmakaya, which are said to be present in every phenomenon. This Dharmakaya aspect of the Buddha which has eternal and unchanging existence is the pure Life Force, the Buddha Nature. The teachings of Buddha are seen as being generated from this Life force and not the other aspects of Buddha and as such it is this aspect alone which is the essence of all practices.
This Life force is the foundation of the “being” of all things in the universe. "Dharmakaya Buddha is then represents the final Awakening to the truth of the Buddha Nature and Emptiness and as such is the symbolic universal aspect of Gautama Buddha and indeed all sentient creatures.
It is important to understand that Chen Yen does not accept that there is skandha Identity that can be preserved through rebirth nor the belief that a Buddha can actually manifest in human form.
This Dharmakaya Reality itself can, however, be touched and makes itself apparent through the senses. The illusions of Samsara, the world of precious Illusion in which we live, then are rather like letters in a text, which can be understood if one can understand the language. But the truth is obscured by the human stained Identity and so Samsara too is stained. The Illusions can be restored to their pristine beauty by a direct Awakening to that truth in the Contemplation of Chan or Tao, but it is the mantra, mudra, and mandala that are a most efficient language to experience this Dharmakaya if one can only advance gradually. But these practices must never in any way be interpreted phenomenologiclly as they are only tools using symbolic representations of the true nature of things which are really impermanent and empty of any essencial reality.
In Japan, the Japanese incorporated aspects of their native Shinto religion into Chen Yen when it was introduced into Japan along with the central figure of the five Buddhas, Maha-vairocana (Dainichi), whose Shinto name meant "Great Illuminating Sun". This innovation had mundane identification with the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, the most important Shinto deity (神, kami) . This was a natural local incorporation as the Illuminating sun well represents, if not precisely, the idea of Dharmakaya reality, or at least the path leading to it. Unfortunately there is always a danger of personification as time passes, so that today we indeed find the unjustified invention of the legend (believed by many as truth) that the teachings (really inherent within the life force) were passed from Mahavairocana through a succession of pseudo-historical patriarchs.
Nevertheless, every valid and correct Chen Yen practice contains in it the promise of the potential full realization of Awakening in this lifetime.
Because of the flexibility therefore inherent in the system, like Chan, there is adaptability and a divorce from hierarchical priestly domination and presents the idea that although scriptures are important the Awakening is found beyond those scriptures. So while Chan declares that the ultimate state of Buddhahood cannot be experienced by the cognitive mind and that only a direct experience is viable, Vajrayana Chen Yen holds that it can be experienced with “esoteric” rituals which involve the use of these mantras, mudras, sadhanas and mandalas.
Visualization and the use of statues and painted images are part of the ritual, but deification of Buddha is not. So it is the Mantras and Mandalas (mandara) that assume importance. Each of these is a karma-mandala (羯磨曼荼羅 ) representing the activities of the deities in the multi-dimensional form. But it is important within Chen Yen that all rituals and ceremonies be fully and completely understood by practitioners for to expect less is to enter into the folly of superstition, and mindless ritual and ceremony that Buddha himself warned against. There is then no blind acceptance of images or rituals unless it is clear that they can do precisely what they are intended to do. This means that rituals are not sold in the marketplace, but are reserved only for those who are ready to perform them.
Mandalas may use anthropomorphic representations; the vows of the particular deity in the form of articles they hold or their specific mudras and the seed-syllables or bīja concepts which were traditionally Indian in nature, and represent various energy aspects of any mind generated deities life force, which actually represents your own life force,
All Practices are based upon six concepts related to the Life force essence which it is admitted as permitting that all the beings (true minds) are inherently fearless and pure.
Fearlessness to be kind [善無畏]
An absorption – It is the practice of the Three Mysteries (secrets of body, speech and mind) in connection with sacrifices representing ones own Identity to Satyadevata [本尊], a deity specifically chose for a meditator (a yiddam) which is a representational symbol fo his meditation through which the three mysteries are internally absorbed. Those accomplished in this practice are said to be fearless in case of danger and trouble.
Fearlessness with respect to physical body [身無畏]
Liberation from the Idea of Body Existence – It arises from absorption in the Satyadevata essence of the Mandala, called the pure and radiant light, which strengthen resolution and perseverance dissolving suffering.
Fearlessness to no-self [無我無畏]
Generates of the profound understanding that all forms of deities, which are tools of meditation, are in fact of dependent origination, and without substance. This knowledge allows use but does not give rise to any attachment.
Fearless to no-Dharma [法無畏]
This is the Liberation from Dharma delusion – with the understanding that the Five Skandhas are generated by the illusion of dependent origination. This understanding shows that all dharmas are empty in nature. Through visualizations of Stayadevata in Samadhi, there arises the insight that illusion though adorned with appearance, is empty.
Fearlessness to no-self of Dharma [法無我無畏]
This practice is the generation of an understanding of the Emptiness of all Dharmas -- all phenomena are “seen· as manifestations of the virtues and merits of their own mind/consciousness, so the illusion of Dharmas is free from the domination of Identity and available for the true integration of Sunyata with Samsara.
6. Fearlessness to absolute equality [平等無畏]
Upon Awaking there is Awareness of the Wisdom of the formless significance of the Life force and the form of transforming the Life Force in Bodhisattvahood.
Now these six states of fearlessness may be represented in many ways, but here they are pertinent to the Vajra Dakini which is central to this text and in particular to the Vajra Dakini sometimes refered to as Vajra Yoguini, the Yiddam (central meditation figure) chosen symbolizing the impulse which directs the meditator to the gate of the Emptiness of Emptiness. The portal of the Life Force.
It is these six forms of fearlessness which are generated from ones own Life Force and take form in the useful illusion of the Dakini Presence when it is manifested as the Yiddam. Whenever then there is the presence of a Dakini there must be an awareness of these six forms of fearlessness.
If one enters by enter into personifications then faith arises, which is an error. If one enters with faith uppermost then superstition and personification enter. If one maintains confidence in the Buddha Nature and an awareness of the six forms of fearlessness then there is no error.
Now lest the reader fall into the common error of destroying historical connections in order to better serve sectarian practice, let us bear in mind the error of separating the Buddha dharma from its Indian cultural roots. A legend has been developed in Tantric Buddhism that the Universe was dominated by the deity Ishvara. His mandalas were used and indeed animals were sacrificed in his honor as an offering. But Ishvara it is claimed gave them his subjects all the worldly things they demanded in exchange for this form of devotion but opposed all attempts to reach an Awakening. Through his actions the world became degenerate in this respect. The heroes of the five families of Buddha, it is said, could not tolerate this so they asked Vajradhara to intervene.
Actually the truth is that as shown explicitly in the Atharva Veda which says that Ishvara is an epithet of the Supreme Spirit Braman, hardly a degenerate spirit.
Anyway the one version of modern Tantric Buddhist legend declares that Vajradhara manifested as Heruka and with his powers subdued Ishvara and transformed all the mandalas of this deity into his own. All the deities then were immediately transformed into followers of Heruka.
In Chen Yen we consider this legend a tawdry transformation, a sectarian act, and to the contrary admit association with our Indian heritage without the necessity of entering directly into their belief systems. The nobility of their practices we use and transform, but with honest dignity.
In mi-tsung the principal mandalas used are the Garbhadhatu Mandala and the Vajradhatu Mandala. The Garbhadhatu Mandala, of the womb-embrio, simbolizing the feminine principal, the principle of absolute truth relative to the Life Force. Vairochana appears in the centre representing the Basic nature of Sunyata (Emptiness).
The Vajradhatu Mandala is the kingdom of penetrating wisdom. Here that Wisdom the masculine principle, is also symbolized by that the aspect of the dhyani-buddha Vairochana. He appears with a crown of five Buddhas and presents the “Uttarabodhi” mudra of Wisdom
But these mandalas are not known in the west, where the great Vajra Dakini mandala is paramount along with the Heruka mandala. It is for that reason that we present here the Mi-tsung understanding of the Vajra Dakini Mandala of the Feminine principle, showing its correct use entering with the energy of essence, without mind attachment or a clinging to Identity or superstition. It is extremely important that this Mandala be fully understood profoundly by all practitioners together with the associated Mantra and the Sadhana of the same name which is best used by those unable to enter the Mandala with an absorption which is progressively more complete..
Footnote
Mi-tsung flourished in China, starting with the arrival of Subhakarasimha (637-735) from India during the reign of T'ang dynasty. Subhakarasimha translated the Mahavairochana Sutra which expounded the teachings. Two other monks who played a key role in the growth in China were Vajrabodhi (670-741) introduced the concept of Mandalas to the Chinese, while Amoghavajra said to have initiated three T'ang emperors into the practices
The practices were later superseded by Lamaism, which had developed a more popular version appealing to the mundane senses.