The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Page 63
Vajrakīla rdo-rje phur-ba
One of the eight foremost meditational deities according to the ‘means for attainment ’ class of Mahāyoga. Vajrakῑla is dark blue in colour with three faces and six arms, the central pair of hands holding a ritual dagger (Skt. kῑla). Often the lower part of his body is also visualised in the form of a ritual dagger, the three facets of the pyramidal blade representing the transformation of delusion, attachment and aversion. Vajrakῑla is representative of the natural expression of buddha activity.
Vajrakumāra rdo-rje gzhon-nu
An aspect of the meditational deity Vajrakῑla. See under Vajrakīla.
Vajrapāṇi phyag-na rdo-rje The embodiment of the spiritual power (bala) and skilful means of all the buddhas as visualised in the form of a meditational deity. Vajrapāṇi is generally depicted as being wrathful in aspect, holding a vajra in his right upraised hand and a skull-cup in his left. In peaceful form Vajrapāṇi is also one of the eight male bodhisattvas among the forty-two peaceful deities. See Appendix Two.
Vajrasattva rdo-rje sems-dpa’
Vajrasattva, or in literal translation ‘the spiritual hero of indestructible reality’, has two principal forms. Firstly, in the context of the Guhyagarbha tantra, and related texts, he is identified with the peaceful male buddha Akṣobhya-Vajrasattva. See Appendix Two. Secondly, in the context of the preliminary practices (sngon-’gro) of meditation, the recitation of Vajrasattva’s Hundred-syllable Mantra (yig-brgya) purifies negativities, obsurations, transgressions, and downfalls (see Chapter 1). In this latter context, Vajrasattva is visualised as white in colour, dressed in the silken garments and ornaments of a bodhisattva, and holding a vajra in his right palm close to the heart and a bell in his left hand close to the left side of his hip. Sometimes, both forms of Vajrasattva are integrated in a single practice, as in Chapter 5 of the present work, where practitioners first visualise the white form of Vajrasattva, before visualising the forty-two peaceful deities, including Akṣobhya-Vajrasattva, within their hearts. As a lineage holder, Vajrasattva is credited with the transmission of Atiyoga into the human world, appearing in the form of the deva Adhicitta (lhag-sems-can) before Prahevajra (dga’-rab rdo-rje) in a vision. According to the Great Perfection, Vajrasattva is sometimes used synonymously to indicate the Buddha-body of Reality, and as such is identical to Samantabhadra.
Vajrayāna rdo-rje’i theg-pa
See Vehicle of Indestructible Reality.
Vehicle theg-pa, Skt. yāna
The term ‘vehicle’ suggests a dynamic momentum leading to the attainment of nirvāṇa. Although from one standpoint there may be as many vehicles as there are thoughts arising in the mind, the sacred teachings are classified into distinct vehicles according to their power. Accordingly, the expression ‘two vehicles’ refers to the distinction between the Lesser Vehicle and the Greater Vehicle, the expression ‘three Vehicles’ or ‘three causal vehicles’ refers to the vehicles of pious attendants, hermit buddhas and bodhisattvas. The division into ‘nine vehicles’, which corresponds to the Nyingma classification, includes the three causal vehicles of the pious attendants, hermit buddhas and bodhisattvas, and the six resultant vehicles of Kriyātantra, Ubhayatantra, Yogatantra, Mahāyoga, Anuyoga (rjes-su rnal-’byor-gyi theg-pa), and Atiyoga (shin-tu rnal-’byor-gyi theg-pa).
Vehicle of Indestructible Reality rdo-rje’i theg-pa, Skt. Vajrayāna
The Vehicle of Indestructible Reality comprises, in the Nyingma classification, the six resultant vehicles of the tantras, so-called because the indestructible and imperishable realities of buddha-body, speech and mind are fully realised and manifested when the continuum of the ground is transformed into the continuum of the result by means of the continuum of the path. See under Tantra. It is also known as the Vehicle of Secret Mantras (Skt. Guhyamantrayāna) because engaging in this path ensures the protection of the mind from dualistic perceptions and conceptions. See Mantra.
Vidyādhara rig-’dzin
See under Awareness Holder.
Vinaya ’dul-ba
The Sanskrit term vinaya, literally meaning ‘discipline’, refers to the monastic discipline maintained by members of the Buddhist community, including the ethical codes which regulate the life of fully ordained monks and nuns, as well as probationary nuns, novice monks and nuns, and male and female laity. The collection of Śākyamuni Buddha’s discourses which elucidate and define the principles of these ethical codes (including the administrative guidelines for running a monastery) is known as the vinayapiṭaka, which is one of the three primary collections of discourses comprising the Buddhist canon (Skt. tripiṭaka). Based on different interpretations relating to the subtler points of the Buddha’s discourses on vinaya, there emerged, in ancient India, several distinct schools, including the Sthaviravāda, Sarvāstivāda, Mahāsaṅghika and Sammitῑya. The vinaya tradition which became predominant in Tibet is that of the Sarvāstivādins. See Vows and Prātimokṣa.
Virtuous Action dge-ba, Skt. kuśala
Both virtue and its opposite, non-virtue (Skt. akuśala, Tib. mi-dge-ba) are defined in terms of both motivation and the consequences of the action. In order for an action to be defined as either virtuous or non-virtuous, there are certain prerequisite features which must be present. These are: motivation, the actual execution of the act, and the conclusion. An act is non-virtuous if it is: 1) motivated by negative intentions; 2) committed by the agent in a sane mind and with full knowledge; and 3) the person derives a sense of satisfaction from having accomplished the act. Such actions can be physical, verbal, or mental. Broadly speaking, non-virtuous actions are categorised into the following ten types: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct (which are the three physical actions); lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and meaningless gossip (which are the four verbal actions); and covetousness, harmful intent, and distorted views (which are the three mental actions). An act is considered virtuous if it either passively refrains from the ten recognised types of non-virtuous action, or actively engages in acts for the sake of others with an altruistic motivation.
Visionary Appearances snang-ba
According to the terminology of the Great Perfection, there are four successive visionary appearances experienced through the practice of All-surpassing Realisation (thod-rgal). These are: the visionary appearance of the direct perception of reality (chos-nyid mngon-sum-gyi snang-ba), the visionary appearance of increasing contemplative experience (nyams gong-’phel-ba’i snang-ba), the visionary appearance of reaching the limit of awareness (rig-pa tshad-phebs-kyi snang-ba), and the visionary appearance of the cessation of clinging to reality (chos-nyid-du ’dzin-pa zad-pa’i snang-ba).
Vital Energy rlung, Skt. vāyu
In the tantras and related medical traditions, it is said that there are ten kinds of vital energy or subtle winds which flow through the 72,000 energy channels (Skt. nāḍῑ) of the body. These sustain life and include the energies which support various conceptual states within the individual’s mind. At the subtlest level, subtle mind and vital energy are thought of as a single entity. The ten kinds of vital energy comprise: five inner vital energies (nang-gi rlung lnga) which influence the body’s inner motility, and five outer vital energies (phyi-’i rlung lnga) which have specific effects on the outward motility of the body. The former are the vital energies associated with the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space) and their respective colour-tones (yellow, white, red, green, blue). The latter comprise life-breath (Skt. prāṇa, Tib. srog-’dzin), muscular movement (Skt. vyāna), digestion (Skt. samāna), semiotic/vocal movement (Skt. udāna), and reproduction/waste disposal (Skt. apāna). The movement of vital energy through the energy channels of the subtle body is refined in the context of the perfection stage of meditation. Ordinarily, in the case of individuals who have not cultivated such practices, both vital energy and subtle mind are diffused via the right and left energy channels and thereby come to permeate the entire network of the body’s minor channels. This dissipa
ted vital energy is known as the vital energy of past actions (las-kyi rlung) because it is activated by dissonant mental states, and the influence of past actions predominates, obscuring the inner radiance of the subtle mind. However, when the practices of the perfection stage of meditation are applied, the knots which block their combined movement through the energy centres (Skt. cakra) located on the central energy channel are untied and both vital energy and subtle mind enter, abide and dissolve within the central energy channel of the body (Skt. avadhūti) and then the non-conceptual inner radiance arises, for which reason it becomes known as the vital energy of pristine cognition (ye-shes-kyi rlung). On a physical level, it is important, according to the Tibetan medical tradition, that vital energy remains in balance with bile and phlegm, which are collectively known as the three humours, if sound health is to be maintained.
Vows [of Buddhism] sdom-pa, Skt. saṃvara
Sets of precepts or injunctions voluntarily adopted in the course of Buddhist practice which facilitate an individual’s progress on the path to enlightenment. These include short-term vows, such as the one-day vows, lifelong vows, such as the monastic vows of a fully ordained monk or nun, and perpetual vows associated with the Greater Vehicle, which are to be maintained over a succession of lifetimes. All such vows may be subsumed within three categories: the monastic vows of the prātimokṣa, the special vows of the bodhisattvas, and the special commitments (Skt. samaya) undertaken by practitioners of the tantras. See Prātimokṣa and Commitment. The special vows of the bodhisattvas, exemplified by the Sūtra of Ākāśagarbha, extol that bodhisattvas must be careful to maintain their altruistic vows, expressed in the verses of the four immeasurable aspirations, and to avoid nineteen specifically enumerated root downfalls (Skt. mūlāpatti) and forty-six transgressions (Skt. duṣkṛta). In all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the prātimokṣa and bodhisattva vows and the commitments of the tantras are fully integrated.
Vows of the Buddhist Laity dge-bsnyen-gyi sdom-pa
See under Prātimokṣa.
Water Libation chu-gtor
A specific purificatory offering of water, the rites of which were introduced to Tibet from India by Atiśa during the eleventh century.
Way of Secret Mantras gsang-sngags[kyi theg-pa], Skt. Guhyamantrayāna
The ‘way of secret mantras’ is a synonym for the Vehicle of Indestructible Reality (Skt. Vajrayāna).
Wind rlung, Skt. vāyu
See Vital Energy.
World-system ’jig-rten-gyi khams, Skt. lokadhātu
See Three World-systems.
Wrath drag-po’i las, Skt. maraṇakriyā
One of the four aspects of enlightened activity. The concept of wrath in the context of Buddhist tantra should not be understood in terms of even the subtlest egocentric violence or fierceness. Wrath here refers to the natural transformative process of buddha-mind, the aggressive natural transformation of the deep-seated conditioning which underlies mundane deluded consciousness and the concomitant psycho-physical aggregates, elemental properties, and sensory and mental processes. See Four Aspects of Enlightened Activity and Appendix Two.
Wrathful Deities khro-bo’i lha-tshogs
See Appendix Two.
Yakṣa gnod-sbyin A class of spirits of Indian origin who assume both male (yakṣa) and female (yakṣiṇῑ) forms. Frequently depicted as holding choppers, cleavers, and swords, they are said to inhabit mountainous areas and sylvan groves, and if propitiated in the context of a means for attainment (Skt. sādhana), they may confer the common accomplishment of swift-footedness. The Tibetan equivalent gnod-sbyin literally means ‘granting harm’, emphasising their more malign attributes.
Yama gshin-rje
See under Yama Dharmarāja.
Yama Dharmarāja gshin-rje chos-kyi rgyal-po
The embodiment of the forces of impermanence and the infallible laws of cause and effect. His fierce form is iconographically depicted holding the wheel of life’s rebirth processes (bhavacakra, Tib. srid-pa’i ’khor-lo) within his jaws, indicating that the nature of cyclic existence is in its entirety bound by impermanence and the laws of cause and effect. In the context of the intermediate state of rebirth (srid-pa’i bar-do) he personifies the process of confronting in death the nature of one’s past life’s actions and, based on the natural laws of cause and effect, he personifies the process of ‘judgement’ that determines the consequential outcome of such past actions. See Chapters 11 and 13 and the Introduction. Yama Dharmarāja is also the sixth of the six sages (thub-pa drug), who form one subcategory within the assembly of the forty-two peaceful deities. See Appendix Two.
Yeshe Tsogyal ye-shes mtsho-rgyal
Padmasambhava’s innermost Tibetan consort who became accomplished in the maṇḍala of Vajrakῑla. She compiled many of Padmasambhava’s oral teachings and concealed them throughout Tibet in the form of treasures (gter-ma) to be discovered by later generations.
Yoga rnal-’byor
The Sanskrit word yoga, literally meaning ‘union’, is interpreted in Tibetan to mean ‘union with the fundamental nature of reality’. In Buddhism, therefore, yoga refers to the methods through which the meditator unites with the qualities of the meditational deity in the context of the generation stage, and the nature of fundamental reality during the perfection stage, of meditation. In terms of the latter, it includes mental and physical practices, which refine the energy channels, and mature control of the vital energies and seminal points within the subtle body. These practices cultivate discriminative awareness, and the coalescence of emptiness respectively with the four delights, with inner radiance, and with non-conceptualisation.
Yogatantra rnal-’byor-gi rgyud
The third of the three outer classes of tantra, which form one subcategory of the six classes of tantra, and the sixth of the nine vehicles, according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Yogatantra emphasises meditation, rather than external ritual, and here, the meditator progressively refines an identification with the meditational deity.
Yogic Exercises khrul-’khor, Skt. yantra
A series of vigorous exercises, including yogic jumps (’bebs), performed in conjunction with specific visualisations and breathing techniques, which enable the meditator to develop the physical flexibility necessary for the subtle meditative practices of the perfection stage of meditation.
Yogic Jumps ’bebs
See under Yogic Exercises.
Yogin rnal-’byor-pa
According to the Tibetan definition, a yogin is defined as ‘one who seeks to unite with the fundamental nature of reality’. In other words, a yogin is one who intensively follows the spiritual paths outlined in the generation and perfection stages of meditation, as well as the Great Perfection.
Yoginī rnal-’byor-ma
A female yogin. In the context of the present work, the term most frequently refers to the twenty-eight Īśvarῑ who form one sub-category of the fifty-eight wrathful deities. See Appendix Two.
Thematic Index by Chapter
Chapter One
Natural Liberation of the Nature of Mind: The Four-session Yoga of the Preliminary Practice
COMMON PRELIMINARY PRACTICE
Meditation on the Four Themes that Turn the Mind Toward the Search for Liberation
UNCOMMON PRELIMINARY PRACTICE
Refuge Outer Refuge Inner Refuge Secret Refuge
Generation of an Altruistic Intention
Recitation of the Hundred-syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva
The Maṇḍala Offering
Prayer to the Lineage Teachers
Receiving the Four Empowerments
Chapter Two
A Prayer for Union with the Spiritual Teacher, [entitled] Natural Liberation, Without Renunciation of the Three Poisons
PRAYER FOR UNION
With the Buddha-body of Reality
With the Buddha-body of Perfect Resource
With the Buddha-body of Emanation
With the Three Buddha-bodies in Union
ASPIRATIONAL WISHES
Chapter Three
Root Verses of the Six Intermediate States
Intermediate State of Living
Intermediate State of Dreams
Intermediate State of Meditative Concentration
Intermediate State of the Time of Death
Intermediate State of Reality
Intermediate State of Rebirth