Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The question of whether Tantric consort practice requires an actual partner — or only a visualized figure — anchors this 27-minute Q&A with Geshe Pema Tsering. He distinguishes action seal (an actual consort) from wisdom seal (a visualization), then draws a sharp line between ordinary sexual union, which operates through coarse consciousness and attachment, and the same act performed by a highly accomplished practitioner at the stage of mental isolation — where subtle consciousness free of attachment realizes emptiness, compassion, and bodhicitta simultaneously. He cites the root text: action seal is only permitted from mental isolation onwards, and premature practice risks rebirth in lower realms. For practitioners already studying completion-stage Highest Yoga Tantra.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 36 2006 05 18 G and P.mp3
UUID: bb81f6a3-7bcf-49c2-bf4c-ccfb5eb4209e
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Grounds & Paths (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2006-05-18
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 27.0 minutes
Words: ~1,314
Maybe I I didn’t ask I didn’t ask the question clearly. So, I I was then saying, I guess, I did whilst in in in union with with with a woman or with a man men and women in union, or at the time of falling asleep, or at the time of fainting, then that gross consciousness is is ceases. And then those those subtle consciousness arise. Does that answer your question? Half of it.
Half of it, isn’t it? Can can you just tell me again? Because I’m I lost it. No. It it actually does answer it because if I can go if I know this motion happens when I go to sleep, it’s gross consciousness.
But then but then but then Geshe-la was explaining this now in the in the in the context of the time of the basis, those things that happened not for practitioner. And you are asking the relationship of of the time of the path, which is having an actual consort. And then this when you’re talking about action seal, then you’re talking about the time of the path. And what what I thought, you know, I didn’t understood this, that I was asking. So then, I was then saying, so then as for as for the action seal, we again, I was then saying, we practice with the action seal in order to accomplish the mind of the union of bliss and emptiness bliss and emptiness.
And then Geshe-la says, in order to accomplish that, you have to cease with gross consciousness also. Okay? So then Geshe-la says in the so then all all of this, in all this context, then the same thing happens. The gross consciousness ceases, and then subtle one comes about. And then the same goes for the subtle ones, and then the white appearance ceases, and then a more subtle one of red increase comes about, and then the red increase ceases, and then the near-attainment comes about and so forth.
Yes. Okay. Yes. So then So then so then well, I was explaining that you are asking a question about the English word to consort. Geshe-la was then explaining so then Geshe-la is then explaining.
So then when we talk about the ko means consort. consort. Yeah. You said it? You said it again?
Yeah. You can Tantric and they have the the Buddha was, like, consort with the woman. You can show that one. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. That’s action seal. Okay. So this it’s just sort of one you imagine or an actual So then so then the action seal is an actual real woman, can I always explain, is an actual real woman or man?
And then wisdom seal, in other words, there’s the wisdom seal, which is something that you visualize. Imagine. Imagine. Yeah. It’s just a name.
It’s just a name. Just a name. Yes. So it’s a difference between someone who takes on an actual woman. So Yes and no.
Mean Yes and no. Listen. Because the people who are doing that, they’re doing without any attachment or they’re doing because they are trying to accomplish enlightenment. You know? But sex.
This What’s the word? So then so then what was explaining trying to explain in a respectful way the whole point in question here. So for a practitioner of no. For ordinary people to engage in sexual union, then when they are doing that, they are doing that with attachment. They are doing that with a coarse mind, a coarse consciousness, so with attachment.
Now when the when the when sorry. It’s my mobile. Sorry? It seems like you’re breaking up the song. Me?
Oh, this it sounds like music. It’s ridiculous. I forgot to turn it off. What did you say? Oh.
And when when the when the practitioner of higher yoga tantra of this level of competence, Geshe-la was explaining, is is engaging in union with a consort, engaging union with an actual woman, he is doing that not with a coarse mind. He’s doing that through through with a subtle consciousness, using a subtle consciousness that has no attachment, a subtle consciousness that on top of all that has also realized emptiness. But not only that has realized love great compassion, has realized mind of enlightenment and all that. So there is there is a difference. There’s a big difference.
So there is sexual union, but it’s different for ordinary beings and for practitioners who who reach this level of proficiency in highest level Tantra. Do you understand? Is that clear? That’s a method. It is.
Yes. Yes. Special very special technique of of highest yoga Tantra to accomplish enlightenment. Very sounds very unique. Yeah.
I don’t know. I didn’t get it. Where is it? Where is it? So I was asking the first part of the question.
I was I didn’t get to the to the second part. So I was so then we use you you said you said it, then we engage in the the consort to release to loosen the the knots of the heart. And I said, no. At this stage, then the knots have been already loosened. And winds are already have already entered the central channel.
They’re already abiding. They are then dissolving. They are at the stage of dissolution. So says if we are if we are ordinary beings, then all that comes is attachment. All that’s generated is attachment.
But then if we are if we are practitioners of that level, then what comes at that stage, at that with this practice is the bliss bliss of bliss and emptiness. But the analysis, there’s just not any bliss. It’s a it’s a very, very, very subtle bliss a very, very subtle mind. So is the is the wisdom is the that constitutes that that that that that wisdom consciousness of inseparable bliss and emptiness. And then I said, then there is bliss.
Bliss is present, and then realization of emptiness is present in the same consciousness. Does that answer? So then, well, it is Geshe-la says this is completely unrelated to that consciousness, the very subtle wisdom of that perceives the inseparability of bliss and emptiness, because that is very subtle. So it’s completely unrelated to that, and it’s it’s a very gross consciousness of attachment. And as attachment is is it is an afflictive emotion, is an object of abandonment, and it just perpetuates more and more attachment.
And this is, again, as as was even stated in the text, as as was said in the text in this text, that is is even causes causes us to be born in hell realms. As Geshe-la just mentioned, quoting the the the text, the text said that if in in the stage in the generation stage, we rely on an actual on an action seal, then there is this great danger of falling into lower realms. So we then we must rely on the wisdom seal. Do you remember that from the text? Also, also, the author stated here that the limit for practicing with an action is from having attained mental isolation, mental isolation onwards.
You remember that? So then so then at the stage of of mental isolation, at the point of mental isolation, one has already accomplished, brought to perfection, and completed both the coarse and subtle generation stages. And one has completed physical isolation. One has completed body isolation. One has completed in the verbal isolation also.
And then one has then to has has have accomplished the mental isolation. And then before that, without having accomplished that, there is no action seal. So then if that is that being so, Geshe-la says, that being so, or that he just said being so, then when ordinary beings get together, there’s nothing nothing like this can come about. Okay?