Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Geshe Pema Tsering opens this 56-minute commentary with a frank admission: neither he nor most students will accomplish the tantric path this lifetime — and that is precisely why studying it now still matters, to plant imprints for a future life when conditions are ripe. He then maps the four-part structure of Highest Yoga Tantra practice: receiving empowerment to become a suitable vessel, keeping vows and commitments pure, practicing the generation and completion stages, and attaining Buddhahood as the result. The session dwells on the hierarchy of vows — the eighteen bodhisattva root downfalls and fourteen tantric root commitments — explaining that any root downfall destroys all related vows, while secondary vows can be restored through confession. He closes with the promise that practitioners who protect their vows intact can reach enlightenment in seven to sixteen lifetimes, even without intensive meditation. Suitable for students who have received or are preparing for Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment.
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File: 18 2006 01 26 G and P.mp3
UUID: 69c914a6-b52c-46f0-8a95-61f20590f902
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Grounds & Paths (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2006-01-26
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 56.0 minutes
Words: ~3,113
So now we have to start all over again. Maybe if maybe we should close the door. So you both of you, you were not here when he started teaching Highest Yoga Tantra. Is that right? Yeah.
And I So then I’m say that the Tantric teachings, they are very important. And if we practice them, then that’s if we fail to practice them, that’s very bad. And if do not practice them properly, then it’s going to be, of course, going to be hard, They’re going to be difficult. But the tantric teachings, the tantric path is a path that can lead one to enlightenment in one lifetime. And because of that, it is it is very, very important.
So then so then says, in order to practice tantra, what do we need? We need we need we need to to receive an empowerment. And before in order to receive an empowerment, we need to have, how do say, develop the mind of enlightenment and we need to have an understanding of emptiness also. So then if if we want to receive a Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment, then there are many vows involved in taking this empowerment. They are the bodhisattva vows that are necessary in order to take this empowerment, and then there are the tantric vows and commitments themselves that are necessary.
Then what Gela said is from the beginning, first is that so then we we, having realized, generated the mind of enlightenment, having having, gained a good understanding of emptiness, then we take we receive the empowerment, and then we and then we have to protect well all the devotion commitments that are involved in receiving a Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment. Now if we if we protect the vows and commitments as well, all, I mean, all the vows and the commitments well, then even if we do not meditate much, then we still we are going to accomplish realize the path of Tantra, and we are going to accomplish the siddhis and so forth. Now if we don’t protect well, those all these vows and commitments, then Gela says, no matter how much we meditate, we will not accomplish anything. And then, Gela quoted a verse, which says, if if in keeping, in keeping with, how say, with moral discipline, then enlightenment is attained. Not keeping with moral discipline, then nothing is attained.
So then, again, I was saying that because of that, because of all those those vows and commitments that we have to keep and everything that is involved in taking Highest Yoga Tantra initiation, then it is all very difficult. I mean, we, Geshe-la said, he himself hasn’t, any deep realization of of of, compassion, of, the mind of enlightenment and and emptiness. So we, people like us, who do not have, this realization of of, the mind of enlightenment and emptiness for us is is very difficult to to accomplish the tantric path. Then because of the great amount of vows and commitments that we have to keep, because of that also, it is very difficult. And then mentioned only in the Bodhisattva vows alone, there are eighteen root downfalls, eighteen vows, root vows.
And the first one of them, which is not to praise oneself and not to belittle others and so forth, those are all very difficult to keep. And and most most people, how to say, who take these vows are not able to keep them. Those who can keep these vows are very few. So then Gela is saying to us, people like us, and people like Gela himself, he says, no matter how how much ever we practice, how much we meditate, and we say we’re practicing Tantra, we meditate on Tantra and so forth. But people like us, we will not be able to accomplish anything in this life.
So then so then Gela goes on to say, so because it is very difficult, because of all these these reasons, it is something very difficult to accomplish, and we will not be able to accomplish. But still, because the tantric path is so important, then we should thinking, meditating on the mind of enlightenment, and then thinking as much as we can about emptiness, then we should listen and reflect upon the tantric teachings in order to leave imprints on our mind streams. And besides that, I mean, besides studying tantric for this purpose, then there is nothing there is no how do you say? There’s no thinking about accomplishing or attaining any great feats or siddhis by by our practicing the tantra right now. But in order to plant this imprint, that’s how we should that’s the attitude we should have now in in studying tantra.
So then thinking of future lives, aiming at at our future lives, then we we should listen and reflect on the tantric teachings, and and, think over them again and again in order to plant these imprints. And then in the future, in another, in the future lifetime, we will meet with a qualified, teacher, and then we will be able to keep the vows, and we’ll able to practice and accomplish the tantric path. So then Geshe-la is explaining, like, just like, for example, who was able to attain enlightenment for the practice of tantra in one lifetime. There were many others who did the same, who accomplished enlightenment in one lifetime through the practice of tantra. But it was not just in this life; in many, many previous lifetimes, Geshe-la is saying, they planted imprints on their mind streams.
And then in that last life, they accomplished Then then, again, we ourselves, in order to plant an imprint to so that we can meet the path of tantra again and accomplish the path of tantra in the future lifetime. So in order Okay. In order to plant this imprint, now we are going to thanks, Julian. Now we are going to we we we study, we listen, and we we reflect on the tantric teachings. So then that’s So Gela is saying so that’s that’s how we should do.
Gela is saying that Geshe-la himself personally is not able to accomplish the tantric path in this life. He doesn’t know about us, any of us personally, if we are if we are capable or not. But he thinks that himself, he knows that he cannot do that. He thinks that most of us are not able to accomplish the path in this life. Then but even though even though it is like this, because Gela was asked to teach tantra, then and then he in order to plant the same imprints on on everybody’s mind streams, then he’s giving this teaching so that we can, in a future lifetime, accomplish accomplish the tantric path.
So then now we start, with the text itself. So we are on page, eighteen. And we start, so then, the way to progress on the path of highest yoga tantra, it has two divisions to each. The first is the general system of highest yoga tantra and the second is the Kālacakra system. The guy is saying that, there are many, different, tantra teachings which are which are called the the which are called the general, tantra teachings.
And then, of the many varieties of tantra teachings, there is the Kālacakra tantra, which has, uncommon features to it. And because it has because of these uncommon features, then it is classified it has it is put on a different category, in its own category. And then because of this, we have two divisions two main divisions of tantric teachings, the general and the Kālacakra. So then, for example, in the the general tantric systems, there are there are the Chakrasamvara, the Vajrabhairava, the Yamāntaka tantra, the Guhyasamāja tantra. I forgot what was the last one.
Anyway, Geshe-la is saying Geshe-la is giving examples to say that there are many different tantras that are under the category of general tantric systems. So then so then and then besides those general tantric systems, then there is the Kālacakra, which is a special tantric system. Then of the general system of highest yoga tantra, there are four divisions to it. So the first is becoming a vessel suitable to meditate on the path. Then secondly, keeping the vows and commitments pure.
Then thirdly, how to practice the path and fourth, the way to manifest the results of the practice. So then, Geshe-la is saying, the first one, the first topic, which is becoming a vessel a vessel suitable to meditate on the path, Geshe-la is explaining that, not everyone is, is, suitable to meditate on the Tantric path. One, has to become suitable for that. And in order to become suitable, one has what is necessary to become suitable is to receive an empowerment. So then Geshe-la explained.
Then the second topic, he’s giving a brief explanation, which is the keeping the vows and commitments pure. So again, Geshe-la says there are many vows and commitments involved. There are the for example, the eighteen, root vows, bodhisattva vows. There are the fourteen root, tantric commitments and so forth. So then, what we have to do, to keep them pure is not to practice their opposites.
To practice the opposites of these vows is is to break them. So for example, if if there is a vow of not to kill, and if we kill, then we are breaking this vow. Then the third topic, which is how to practice the path. Then Geshe-la explains, this topic involves an explanation of the generation stage and the completion stage. Then how to practice the path, then we meditate on the generation stage and meditating on the So then the last topic, the fourth one, the way to manifest the results of the practice, if we accomplish the generation stage and then we accomplish the completion stage, then the result that we obtain is is the enlightenment of a Buddha, is Buddhahood.
So if so the way this topic which explains the will explain how when we meditate both on the generation and the completion stage, how we how how Buddhahood comes about. Did did you understand? So then, we start then with the first, topic of this four, which is becoming a vessel suitable to meditate on the path. Okay? So we have a you have an English translation, and I have the the Tibetan.
I’m going to follow Geshe-la’s explanation of the meaning of the Tibetan version, and you can compare with your English translation. Okay? So the text the Tibetan text according to Geshe-la’s explanation of it says that, then from the the scriptural sources of the Tantric having obtained an explanation and a commentary, having studied the the the sources, this scriptural sources of the Tantric systems, and have you obtain an explanation from a qualified from a realized person, a person has realized the path of the Tantric systems, then one enters any suitable mandala of Highest Yoga Tantra and then Geshe-la says it could be et cetera. And then one then obtains the empowerment of this of the respective mandala, one is entering. And if one does does such, then one becomes a suitable vessel to to meditate on the path.
And then if not only that, but if one wants to complete the practice, then one has to receive all the four empowerments. One must receive all the four empowerments. This one? So then in regards to the vase empowerment, the mandalas that are involved used to obtain the vase empowerment are the painted mandala, the sand mandala, and the body mandala. And for some special trainees or students or disciples, then there is the absorption mandala, the concentration mandala.
So it is thus in this way it is stated in the text. It is explained in the text. And these are the four mandalas involved in the vase empowerment. So then we get into a part of the Tibetan text, which was not translated into English. So you don’t have you don’t have on this text.
Right? So I’m going to say it’s talking about the body mandala. And in order to to receive, to be empowered into the body mandala, then one has to one cannot mean, one cannot So one can only, receive the empowerment of the body mandala, the empowerment to enter the body mandala if one has received all four, empowerments, the vase empowerment and so forth. Without without the four of them, then one cannot enter the body mandala. So then the text goes on to say that not all Tantric practices involve, a body mandala or or or, ask for the empowerment of the body mandala.
So for example, the Chakrasamvara of Luipa. So then, for example, in the tantric process of the Chakrasamvara of Luipa, then the the empowerment is necessary. In the in the tantra of Vajrabhairava, then there is no body mandala. So in order to — Geshe-la explains — in order to practice the generation stage of the Vajrabhairava, there is no body mandala involved. And then, on the Guhyasamāja tantra, even though there is there is a body mandala, it is there is no empowerment involved. Okay?
So then the text goes on to say, which is, again, is not translated into English. Okay? Then, the three, first empowerments, which is the vase, the secret empowerment, the vase empowerment, the secret empowerment and the wisdom empowerment. It is said they they have respectively respectively, they have the the respective mandalas are the relative bodhicitta mandala, then the And then, and then, the third one, for the for the, wisdom empowerment is the is the ultimate bodhicitta mandala. This one?
Pardon? Ultimate. Ultimate bodhicitta. This one. So then now we go to the second topic, which is the keeping the vows and commitments pure.
Okay. Now you have now we will have probably the whole tax translate into English. So I’m going to read the explanation of the Tibetan tax. It says, so by the time of the moment if one keeps if one makes effort, making effort in keeping the vows and the commitments that were received, that were taken by the time of the empowerment. And then, while whilst making effort, in keeping them, one if one meditates, then one will, accomplish the siddhis, okay, the special feats, okay?
Now, if one does not keep the vows and the commitments, then even though one might make effort for many eons, then not only one will not accomplish the siddhis, okay, but one will also not even, how to say, not even hear the the words, happy migration or happy rebirth. And can I briefly say so, it will be very difficult even, not only one will not accomplish the siddhis, but will be very difficult to be reborn in the happy, realms? The moment one has received the empowerment, Having received the empowerment, then one immediately has to know, has to get to know all the trainings involved, all the vows and precepts involved. And then one has to one must keep, one must protect all these vows and commitments even at the cost of one’s life.
Okay? So then the text goes on to say that how to say, one has to put make strong efforts in not getting stained by how do you say, root downfalls, the special root down falls. Then and also, one has to make effort not to get stained by the other root downfalls. And if if they come about, if this if this downfalls come about, then through rituals of confession and of retaking of the vows and so forth, then one has to restore these vows and these commitments. Then Geshe-la explains that the special root downfalls are the fourteen root tantric commitments.
And for example, other root downfalls would be, for example, the eighteen root downfalls. Okay? And then explains that the special emphasis is put on the on the root downfalls because if any one of these is broken, if any one of these come about, then any other vow secondary or any other vow whatsoever that we have will be broken also. So again, Gela is saying, root downfalls, what are they? So for example, if one breaks a root downfall of the bodhisattva vows, if one incurs a root downfall in relation to the Bodhisattva vows, then all the Bodhisattva vows are broken, are lost.
And if one incurs a root down fall in relation to the fourteen Tantric root down falls, then all these vows, all Tantric vows and commitments are lost. Then Gela goes on to explain that other secondary vows and how to say, what will be translated as near abiding vows, near to the root vows, all right, vows that are near to the root vows. If those are broken, then no problem. Then we just go through rituals of confession and retaking of these vows and then we we purify and restore them. We purify the the downfalls and restore the vows.
And then having obtained all the empowerments, how to say, the total amount of empowerments and have completely obtained the empowerments, then if one is not stained by root downfalls and if one protects one’s vowels and commitments well, then even though one does not meditate much, then it won’t take more than seven to sixteen lifetimes for one to attain enlightenment. Such is said. Then on the other hand, if one does not protect one’s vows and one’s vows degenerate, then whatever other practices one engaging, be it meditation, visualization or whatever, then however much effort one puts on these other practices, then how to say, still one will fall into the lower realms, thus he said. So then if one wants to if one wants to know more about these topics, if one wants to find a more extensive explanation of these topics, then one has to look into the explanation of the fifty verses of Guru Devotion and in the explanation of the root downfalls and in another text, is called the Cluster of Siddhis. In such text, if one study such text, one will find more extensive explanations of these topics.
So then Geshe-la is telling us that because the text is is is directing us to read this study these texts of the explanation of the fifty verses of Guru Devotion and so forth. So then Geshe-la is saying that now we have a big homework, to do. Very difficult. So now we stop here today. Okay.