Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 58-minute commentary by cataloguing the common siddhis a practitioner must accomplish before reaching enlightenment in the three lower tantras — far-sight, invisibility, flying, immortality, and the ability to cure any disease. He anchors these powers doctrinally in a verse from the Bodhisattva Way of Life: all practices, including the siddhis, serve to deepen wisdom realizing emptiness, and method and wisdom reinforce each other mutually. The session then maps how the three lower tantras differ from the perfection vehicle and Highest Yoga Tantra in enhancing that realization — through siddhi accomplishment and blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas rather than incalculable generosity practices or taking desire into the path. The commentary closes by resolving an opponent’s objection about shared practice across vehicles, distinguishing the coarse body of practice common to all Mahāyāna from the subtle practices unique to Tantra. Suited to students working through a structured commentary on tantric grounds and paths.
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File: 08 2005 11 10 G and P.mp3
UUID: 637e411c-e6f6-48b6-ab18-faba90dee62f
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Grounds & Paths (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2005-11-10
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 58.5 minutes
Words: ~3,043
So now we we give rise to a good motivation. And and so we’re thinking in order to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, and we’re going to engage in listening and studying and and in practice, meditation. And then thinking like this will give rise to to this motivation then in right now. Oh, yeah. So then we started already with the way to attain siddhis, right?
You all have the text, right? So we were we read through the first, paragraphs. We are in the third and the fourth one now, supreme attainment by means of the three lower tantras. So I’m going to I’m going to following Geshe-la’s explanation of of the the Tibetan text. I’m going to read the Tibetan text for you.
Okay? So the text is saying, in the three lower tantras, in order to achieve the the supreme siddhi, and Geshe-la says the supreme siddhi is enlightenment itself. So in order to achieve the supreme siddhi, one has to attain first the ordinary worldly siddhis, okay, the worldly powers. Okay? It depends they depend on attainment of the Supreme siddhi depends on first attaining the worldly siddhis, okay?
And then in the High Saga Tantra, well, the attainment of the Supreme siddhi does not depend on first attaining the worldly siddhis. It’s just it suffices to engage in the generation and completion stage uninterruptedly. By meditating on them uninterruptedly, it’s enough to attain the Supreme siddhi, as it says in the commentary, the great commentary of the Kālacakra Tantra. Okay? So then so then in the stages, in the secret stages of the tantric path, okay, to enlightenment, it says first, how to say, the origin, the source of the siddhis, are first to keep the vows and the Samayas, the tantric commitments to keep them pure, okay?
The English says more or less the same thing, right? Then Geshe-la says that so first thing, how do say, which is the root and the foundation for the attainment of the siddhis, you’re going to say is keeping the vows and commitments pure, keeping and protecting them well. And by not protecting them, not protecting these vows well, not only will one not be able to accomplish the siddhis, but also because not keeping these vows and commitments well involves actually implies breaking them and one will end up being born in the lower realms. So whilst protecting the vows and commitments, then one engages in the yogas with signs and without signs, four times a day, four sessions, right? And one puts effort in the practice of this until proficiency.
And the word here is Nupa, which was translated as, where was it, Potency, right? Potency. Well, attains potency by well, one against proficiency and gets against proficiency in these practices and attains achieves the goals of these practices, like stable, I’d say, calm abiding and special special insight and I would say, wisdom, I would say, a mind that comprehends emptiness and everything that follows from these meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings. So one attains proficiency in them. Okay.
So then when okay, then when establishes proficiency in the yogas with and without signs, then one accomplishes, achieves the siddhis, which are the common and the uncommon or the common and the extraordinary cities. And in this way and this is the way one progresses on the path of the three lower tantras. And this one has to know. I’m going to briefly explain, explain, when it says in the end, one has to know it to be this way. That means this type one has to read, study the texts that explain these three lower tantras.
And then after understanding after studying and understanding them, then once engages in this practice as it is stated here in stages. And then the following sentence will say that the Wind Yoga and the Recitation Yoga and the Deity Yoga, one cannot say that one progresses on the path of the three lower tantras by mixing them all together or practicing them all together. Okay. When this one cannot say such such a thing. So and, meaning that after having studied the scriptures, then one has to engage in stages.
So first, when how do you say? One keeps the vows and then then one engages in the yoga of signs and without signs and and so forth. Not all at once mixed. And this one. And this is what is said in the status of the path, the great exposition on the status of the Tantric path.
So then we came back on the text. And so in the text, it says at first, okay, one keeps the vows. And then the second sentence, it says one practicing one practices the four sessions of the Yoga with Signs and without Signs. And then the third sentence, it says then one accomplishes, attains the common and the uncommon siddhis, okay? So Geshe-la was telling me what are these common siddhis, for example, what are the common siddhis that we have to attain?
So he was telling me all the siddhis. I wrote them before because I was talking with him before the class, and I was telling him, this is very difficult. And he says, well, if it was easy, then everybody would be able to be enlightened very fast. So the cities are the siddhi of the pills, what is called the essential pills. Then And then the how do say?
The siddhi is the siddhi that’s, how to say? It’s like the Superman’s x-ray sight, you know? Like, you can see far away, you can see everything. Through things, you can see everything. Well, it’s not It’s saying, isn’t it?
It’s saying, yes. As you can see far away and That’s . And the underground siddhi. That means you can go yeah. It means you can Like a mold.
Sorry? Sorry? Like a mold. No. A mold is a He has the karmic siddhi, a siddhi that is impelled by his karma and his afflictive emotions to go underground.
So then there is this special siddhi that you can, something like going under the underground, sorry? I think that’s it, yes. I think that’s it, yes. Then there is the the of the sword. Then there is the siddhi of flying in the sky.
There’s the the siddhi of invisibility. There’s the siddhi of immortality, and there’s the siddhi of being able to destroy any disease or sickness. Yes. And Geshe-la was saying, he was reading to me one by one, he says, we have to accomplish this one, and we have to accomplish this one, and have to accomplish we have to accomplish this one, we have to accomplish each and every one of them, you know, I was saying. And and then I said, well, this is pretty difficult.
Yeah. He said, well, if it was easy. I think your apologies for superheroes. Superheroes. It’s true.
Superman. Then there is another division of this common siddhis, which is which states that there are nine common siddhis. So the first one that I read was the division of eight common siddhis. Now there’s this division of nine. So then there is the division of again, there’s the siddhi of the sword and the underground siddhi and the farsighted siddhi and are many of them are the same, but there are three of them that they don’t have the former division.
So one of them is the siddhi of being able to stop someone from fighting or from causing harm and then being able to benefit it. That was the one that I was having trouble to understand. And I must confess, I don’t fully understand what it is. But stopping from harm to be done and then being able to accomplish benefit after having being able to stop the harm. Then there is the siddhi, which is the treasure, the treasure siddhi, which is a siddhi by which you can get everything you need of material possessions or treasures or food or whatever.
And then there is the siddhi of swift feet. Yes. Swift feet. So you can, like, travel very fast. And so those are, yeah, other three siddhis that we do not have in the former division.
Then, yes. Then so this was the third sentence of this paragraph, we’re talking about the CDs. And then the last sentence is saying again, again, was going for the last sentence again. The wind yoga, the recitation yoga, the repetition yoga and the deity yoga, the one should not think or take it that they are to be practiced together combined. They have to be practiced each one of them in stages.
First one, then the other, but not mixed together. Okay? This one? Yeah. That’s what it says in the English one.
Then so then we went through the text in the next few lines, and it’s just saying, so what is the reason that one must accomplish the ordinary cities before one is to accomplish the supreme cities in the three lower classes of Tantra. Then the reason for that is, as is stated in the Bodhicaryāvatāra, okay? It says so, the text itself. So this all branches, the root verse says, all these branches, the Buddha said they are for the purpose, they are for the sake of wisdom. This is the root verse, right?
So then, Geshe-la explained, so all these branches is referring to all these practices such as meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings on loving kindness, meditation on compassion and the practice of generosity and practice of morality and all these activities, they are for the sake of enhancing one’s understanding of emptiness. Then, again, I explain that in the same fashion as it is in the root verse, right? So all of this the first line of this verse of the Bodhisattva Way of Life says, all of these branches, right, all of these divisions. And then the second line says, the Buddha said they are for the sake of emptiness, right, of wisdom, right? Then so Geshe-la is saying, so all of these branches, what is under this category of all of these branches is also all these siddhis, all these ordinary siddhis, they are also under this category.
They are also part of all of these branches, okay? Everybody is following good? What, sorry? Yes. No, what I mean is there many what are we?
Where is it? I just lost. Okay. There are many teachings that the Buddha gave such as meditation, some loving kindness and compassion and generosity and morality and so forth. So all of these teachings and then this is the root verse, right?
So all of these teachings, they are for the Buddha said they are for the sake of So then so what what is meant by all of these teachings? And again, I’m saying so. It’s meditation of in kindness, compassion, generosity, and so forth, but also the ordinary cities, they are meant by all of these cities, okay? Okay. Yes.
They are also for the sake of increasing our understanding of wisdom as the other practices practices also. That’s a good question. Can we save this question for the end? Yes? Can you remember it?
Yes. Okay. Just soon, soon. Okay. Then then Then then you Then so then we have method and wisdom, right?
So wisdom is the wisdom that realizes emptiness, and method are all these other practices, right, of generosity and the cities also. They are under the category of method, okay? So then Geshe-la is saying, so in the same way as, okay, the siddhis, the accomplishment of siddhis may help to increase one’s understanding of emptiness. One’s understanding of emptiness help to increase one’s proficiency in the or powers in the cities. And they go helping each other.
As Geshe-la just said, they go helping each other. And ultimately, one, let’s see, achieves enlightenment. And so it’s like and Geshe-la again just mentioned also that by practicing both the methods and the wisdom, or accomplishing both the siddhis and emptiness, meditation on emptiness, then you have also by means of using the siddhis as a method, how to say, to accomplish, to achieve the union, what is called the union of method and wisdom, and ultimately achievement. Okay? Okay.
This one. Excellent question. Excellent question. Put it down. I’m I’m I’m eager to ask them myself.
So then we go into the next what is it? Okay. The next paragraph, which is I would say according to the perfection vehicle, right? This paragraph, it says so then it says, according to the perfection vehicle, one is made one becomes endowed with the power, with the ability to abandon the obscurations to omniscience, right, to knowledge, by the wisdom that realizes emptiness that was developed through the practice of generosity and the innumerable other practices in an, how to say, incalculable amount of time, okay, by practicing all this division of generosity and so forth, then this Wisdom Realizing Emptiness was made more powerful, was increased and then was able this Wisdom Realizing Emptiness was able to start abandoning the obscurations to Omniscience, okay? And then in the Highest Yoga Tantra enhanced by relying on the two on the union of the two bodhicittas, which is the ultimate and the relative bodhicitta, By taking into the path, the desire of the union of how do they translate that?
Of the union? Of yes. Well, let’s see. That’s exactly what it is, of the two sexual organs. Okay?
So then the text goes on to say that in the three lower classes of Tantra, it is not said that one, how to say, proceeds through the, I’ll say, innumerable practices of generosity and so forth through an incalculable amount of time, then in the as in the Pāramitāyāna, the perfection vehicle. Also, it is not said that one, how to say, gives rise to this, how to say, to this mind, to the special mind that that realizes emptiness as in the highest yoga tantra method for taking desire into the path by the union of the two sexual organs and so forth. Okay. So this this the text says this. Then what it says is that one one accomplishes, let me see.
What it says that one in the three lower classes of Tantra, one has to, how to say, enhance this mind realizing emptiness by skillful means, by other skill means, which are, for example, the realization, the accomplishment of the many cities, of the many common cities and being taken care of by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and higher Bodhisattvas and being blessed by them. And then, yeah, such skillful means. By such skillful means one enhances once how to say realization of emptiness in the three lower classes of Tantra. And then Geshe-la briefly said that the phrases here, the sentence here, it mentions the common cities first, and then it will mention one being taken care of and being blessed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. And then Geshe-la says, accomplishing the siddhis, and then and then the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will come to oneself and will look after oneself and and will will give blessings.
Just gonna briefly say that. You understanding? Okay. Okay. Oh, yeah.
Now we get into one of those very difficult. This is a Tibetan a language. So it says some opponents say what do they say? They say that it is not correct to say that the practitioners of Tantra do not need to practice the various innumerable divisions of practices such as generosity and so forth. Okay, some opponents is that how you say points?
Some opponents, they say that this is incorrect. As it was stated before in the text that we do not need it. Actually, what we need is to accomplish the siddhis and so forth, right? So some opponents say, no, this not correct. That from giving rise to the mind of enlightenment up to the practice of the six perfections, this training is common to both Mahāyāna vehicles, both the tantra vehicle and the Pāramitāyāna, the perfection vehicle.
So this is what some opponents say, right, So okay, I’m understanding what Geshe-la is telling me, okay? But it’s not making sense to me yet, but we’re going to get there. So what is what the text is saying and what Geshe-la was explaining to me is that what this opponent said is not correct, right? Because so why is that? Because the basis of practice only So then only the gross — this gross has a bad connotation.
What I mean is the gross. Yes, the gross body, not the coarse body of the path of practice of the six perfections and the mind of enlightenment as a basis for practice. So only the course body of this path of giving rise to the mind of enlightenment and this is perfections is common to both of them, to both the perfection vehicle and the mantra vehicle, right, to these three lower tantras. So I asked, so what is this coarse body? So the answer is, there is a coarse body and there is a subtle body of practice, meaning there are subtle practices, which the CDs and so forth.
So this the course ones, they are common to both. So both of them practice, but the subtle ones, only the Tantrikas, only the tantric practitioners practice. So that’s what is meant. Okay? So then the text goes on to say that the various divisions of practices such as giving and so forth, innumerable divisions and so forth, innumerable trainings of such practices, they are not the same as they have, but they are not the same for the lower tantras.
So then both the Brief Exposition of the Vast Enlightenment and the Illuminating Lamp, they state that. Okay, everybody is following okay? So we stop here today for the questions.