Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Visualizing an entire mandala and its deities inside a tiny drop in the central channel — Geshe Pema Tsering likens the task to seeing houses inside a television set. In this 58-minute commentary on pages 23–24 of a highest yoga tantra text on grounds and paths, he first addresses whether calm abiding must precede clear appearance of the deity and divine pride (helpful but not required), then explains how the yoga of the subtle drop works differently across four types of practitioner. He describes how concentrating the mind on the drop at specific points along the channel causes the winds to stabilize there, and notes that — unlike in the sūtra vehicle or lower tantras — the many mixed visualizations of highest yoga tantra strengthen concentration rather than disrupting it. For practitioners with highest yoga tantra initiation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 38 2009 02 16.mp3
UUID: cb9a3334-908c-4a6f-a46e-0871725f6b3c
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Grounds & Paths (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2009-02-16
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 58.6 minutes
Words: ~3,603
Then thinking that in order to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, and we are now going to listen and and reflect on the teachings on the grounds and paths of secret mantra in order to and then and then engage in the practice of secret mantra, and then we think may we then do that for the sake of achieving enlightenment for the for for all sentient beings, for the sake sentient beings. And that’s how we should give rise to the motivation. Okay. Is this okay if you if you don’t if you don’t listen the what can I if you don’t cannot hear what can I say? He says.
That wasn’t on the tape. So then I already we are on page twenty three of the English translation. Right? Today, I already double checked the Tibetan translation with the English one and and mostly agrees. Okay?
So, basically, what Geshe-la is saying that I is is basically what what is already written in the text. It starts from from among the two clear appearance and divine pride when meditating on. So it it says in Tibetan, it says from from the two, while meditating in the clear appearance mandala of the of the basis of the mandala and the and the the deities of the mandala. Then while again by again and again meditating on the aspects of the mandala and the deities of the mandala, then one mainly meditates like this, mainly meditates on the, how do say, analytical meditation. Okay?
So then and then the next sentence goes on to explain that on top of, how to say, the clear appearance, then one thinks that, I am actually this and that. Right? I am the deity and the mandala and everything. One one thinks sinking in this way, one gives rise to the to the divine pride, one one needs to give rise to the divine pride. And by doing by giving rise to the divine pride in this way, then one is meditating on both.
The Tibetan say the Tibetan says that one is is doing both. And then Geshe-la explains both here means is referring to both meditating on the clear appearance and then in the divine pride. In order to meditate on divine pride, one needs to meditate on both clear appearance and the divine pride. Without the clear appearance, one cannot meditate on the divine pride. Okay?
So then the next part of the of the the text okay. So okay. Yeah. So it’s it’s a gloss. Okay.
So it is saying that so in order to to that to give to give the the clear appearance, to give rise to the clear clear appearance, one does not necessarily need before that to have accomplished calm abiding. So the text the Tibetan text says one could could have accomplished, one might need to accomplish but it but, again, I explains that is it’s it’s a it’s a difficult contraction here. It says, so one must need to accomplish and then or not. So one must accomplish it or not. And then in the English, it came it came here.
In order to generate a clear appearance, it doesn’t one does not need to establish calm abiding focused on the face. Anyways, the meaning is the same. So if and, again, I explained. So if one can accomplish calm abiding before, giving rise to the clear appearance and the and the and the divine pride and can abide one pointedly in the clear appearance and the divine pride, then that’s good, but it’s not necessary. Okay?
So then the next sentence okay. The next sentence is is referring to the deities. Right? So so the text is saying, if one does not familiarize oneself by stages from from every from each deity with each deity, it is not that one won’t be able to give rise to the clear appearance of the deities. Okay.
So that’s the literal translation of the Tibetan, okay? So I’m Geshe-la explained. So in a certain mandala, there are many deities, and then one can visualize each deity in stages, but it is not necessary. One can to be honest, one can visualize all of them at the same time and and and and then give give rise to the clear appearance of all all of them at the same time. Not necessary.
Each one, one by one stages. Okay? So then and then it is also said, is okay, like like it is in in the in the English translation that one does not need to to be familiar or to become familiar with the correct meaning. And then what was translated as perfect meaning, and it’s I asked Geshe-la, what what does that mean? And he says, it’s symptoms.
Emptiness. Okay? This one. This. So then and then the next sentence.
Okay? Yeah. Okay. So next it says if one puts our mind or or thinks again and again or visualizes again and again. And the And from appearance.
Okay? And, again, I explained so by by familiarizing and then once visualization gets gets once visualization gets better and better. But it is said, but what is it? One will not find stability or not one one will not be able to abide on that how to say, tempo. One will not be able to abide in that with stability or one won’t be able to the word is is actually is translated as is a word is tempo, which means either reliable or stable.
So this is an adjective form of, how would you say, stably? Did you say that? No. With With stability. Okay.
Abide with the stability on that. It’s okay? This is Hold on. You’re following So if if one does not have calm abiding, then one will not be able to abide with stability or solidly or or Yeah. And then the text goes on to say that if we cannot abide with stability or have a stable abiding, then one won’t be able to arrest the ordinary appearances and the ordinary mind of of ordinary appearances.
Okay? And then the next sentence goes on to say that, in the context of the generation stage, definitely accomplish calm abiding, even that one must do so, one does so by the yoga of the subtle drop. Okay. Does that accord? Is that okay?
And then Geshe-la explains that in higher yoga tantra, one does that through this yoga of the subtle drop, while while in the in the lower tantras, one does that in a different way. So the way of a calm abiding is different from the from the three lower tantras. I do. I hope so. So then so then I’m going to what should I do first?
So it’s like this. So the complete meditation on on the on the supporting mandala and and the the deities of the mandala inside a subtle drop or the meditation of the hand implements with the hand implements of the deities within, again, within this subtle drop. So this meditation is not practiced by the beginners, nor is it practiced in the context of the individual with just a little wisdom. Okay. And then Geshe-la explained.
So that’s meditation of the mandala, of the supporting and supported mandalas inside the subtle drop, that is the, how to say, the yoga of the subtle drop. Okay? Okay. So it’s very much like it is in the English translation. So the text is saying the complete meditation of supporting mandala and the supported mandala, which are the deities of the mandala within into a subtle drop or the meditation of the deities with all the hands implements and gestures and so forth within again, this sort of drop and so forth.
So it is not practiced in the context context of both the beginner and the individual with little power over wisdom. And then gonna explain in the previous sentence, it was mentioned the yoga of the subtle drop that was mentioned. And then gonna explain, so the yoga of the subtle drop is this meditation of the supporting mandala and the deities of the mandala within a subtle drop. Yeah. And then the text goes on to say that so the it is from from the individual who has a little power over wisdom onwards to the individual has perfect power over wisdom that this meditation is practice, a meditator of the meditation of the yoga of the subtle drop.
And then the text goes on to say that in the context, in the situation of of at the time of the first the the beginner and the the one with the individual with little dawning of wisdom, then one So then one in the context of this the the first two, which are the beginner and and the the individual with the of wisdom. So one, they they they meditate on the hand implements, which are, for example, the vajra, a vajra, for example, both the top of the central channel or the or the or the end of the lower end of the central channel, or they meditate on the subtle drop on holding the subtle drop with the mind. But not on the supporting mandala and the supported deities within the sort of drop. Just a sort of drop alone. Okay?
So then and then So then in the context of the first two, the beginner and the the individual with little dawning of wisdom, then the what is called the the meditation on the subtle drop is mainly for the sake of accomplishing a visualization of the deity, a clear appearance of the deity. And for stopping with mental sinking and mental excitement. Okay? Does that agree with what we have here? Yeah.
So yeah. It’s this okay. It’s it’s it’s it’s like the English says. So it is what is mainly meditation on the on the on the generation of the deity, which is realizing the deity for the sake of of arresting or for stopping, sinking, and excitement. Okay?
And then So then and then the next sentence goes on to say that having having through okay. If I translate this literally, okay, as I got with according to Jeffrey Hopkins dictionary. Okay. So through involvement with the subtle drop. Okay?
Then one the accomplishment of of abiding how do you say, by making the mind stable through involvement with the subtle drop. Okay? This is very literal translation I’m giving you. So it’s the accomplishment of abiding by how to say, making the minds stable through involvement with a subtle with a subtle subtle drop. So this comes about, it is that this is only done from the third in the context of the third practitioner onwards, which is the one with little over wisdom of the four we we we mentioned before in the last teaching, you remember.
So in the English version, whereas it says, establishing the stable abundance of the mind encompassing everything in a subtle drop. It is not well, I don’t know what to say. What can I always explain is that the meaning of what is being translated a fluid involvement involvement with a subtle drop or establishing the stable of the mining compassing everything in the subtle drop? Mind the mining compassing everything in the subtle drop. Compassing the thing is a subtle drop.
So, Geshe-la says that So then, Geshe-la says that after after having accomplished, having always continuously meditated on the subtle drop, one one accomplishes, one one, how to say, easily easily brings this it it brings the the subtle drop to mind. One get it gets one’s mind involved within the subtle drop or with the subtle drop. So Geshe-la says, so first one one makes the mind involved in in the sort of drop, then makes the mind stay in within the subtle drop, and then makes the mind stable within the subtle drop. So then in the context of the first two practitioners, Geshe-la says, this this the first two two practitioners, they are they are getting their mind involved in this subtle drop. And then later on, it will make it the mind abide and then and then make it stable.
Is not established. Okay. So then it’s a long sentence, a long paragraph is the page twenty four is the first paragraph of page twenty four. Okay. So it’s saying, even though in the context of the beginner, calm abiding is not established.
Okay. So that’s it’s okay. Then it is said by some of those amazingly long sentences. There’s a field of complexities. So is the by meditating So that if if one So then if one if one vigorously or energetically or forcefully, how to say, holds the mind with a letter in a subtle drop or with implements hand implements in both the top or the lower end of of the the central channel or the tip of the nose or the top of the head, or at the at the navel or at the heart, etcetera, etcetera.
Then by meditating on the on the place of meditation or end in the object of stability of the place. And again, well, what I’m I’m I’m I know it’s a very bad translation, my translation, which is a. And, again, I explained, so this by meditating on this on this implements in certain places of the body, which is the top of the head or the tip of the nose or or the bottom of this the lower end of the central channel and and navel, etcetera, by meditating on the hand implements or letters and so forth, then one will by stages, one will how to say, create the This one. This. We create this, how to say, conditions of of of the the the wind for the wind to abide also in these places within the central channel.
In stages when we’ll do that. So Geshe-la explained, so if one can concentrate in these places with this implements or whatever it is and whatever places one is meditating within the central channel and whatever implements or or letters or whatever, if one can concentrate one’s mind there, if one can put sets one mind to abide there, then eventually, the wind that accompanied that mind will abide there too. Okay? You understand? Okay.
So there was what was What is this? What what what I translated as as the conditions will be a helping condition for for for the wind to abide. And Geshe-la was explaining actually, it’s the cause. We’ll cause the wind to abide there too. Okay?
Was it the word is is condition. So I’m gonna explain. So that in this in here is is is the same as cause causes. Okay? And then the text goes on to say, okay, in the next paragraph.
So even though the objects of observation of analytical meditation are many and they are mixed. So the wind by stages will be subdued. I mean, yeah, the wind will be subdued by stages. Because of what? By by the power.
The what was the mind? By the mind. So yeah. This one. Then one one will be able one will be able quickly arrest the agitation of the mind by meditating on the on the conqueror mandala and and so forth.
And then we’ll we’ll have this power to subdue, how to say, in stages, the wind. And Geshe-la briefly explained, so then if one can can put the mind visualized on the drop inside the central channel and make the mind abide there, then one one can do that and the wind also is abiding there by doing that, then at that point, one attains what is called the the calm abiding. Okay? And then the text goes on to say that this system for accomplishing concentration, it is different here from from what is explained in the in the sūtra vehicle and in the three lower tantras. Okay?
The yeah. Okay. And then the next paragraph says that in the context of of the the Sūtra vehicle and in the three lower tantras having even though one has found or have one has obtained is fully characterized calm abiding. So by doing too much, if one does too much analytical meditation, then that part that was previously stable, the part of the mind, that aspect of the mind that was previously stable through the calm abiding meditation will diminish, It is this is said. So Geshe-la says that too much analytical meditation will harm the calm abiding.
Okay? In the in this in this other systems. Okay? The Sūtra Viggo and the three lower tantras. But in this context, in the context of the higher yoga tantra, how to say, not having obtained or accomplished calm abiding, one engages in in many and and mixed analytical meditations and visualizations and visualizations and visualizations and visualizations, even and even one does meditate in so many and mixed analytical meditations and visualizations and visualizations and visualizations and visualizations.
This one will make one’s aspect of abiding stable. So Geshe-la says that this is said. Right? So Geshe-la Geshe-la says that in the context of highest yoga tantra, by doing many and and all these various and mixed analytical meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings, one actually will will benefit that aspect of abiding. This one.
Okay? Benefit one one will will help. Right? Will help this this aspect of So then having completed with the course generation stage, then in the context of the third individual individual practitioner, so if one has arrived in the context of the third individual practitioner, the one with little power over wisdom, then one must having involved one’s mind in the yoga of the subtle drop, then one makes one one’s mind stable by meditating by meditating on the subtle. Okay?
And then the subtle, Genna explains, is meditating on the mandala, the supporting mandala and the supported deities of the mandala within the subtle drop. Okay? Is that is that the case here? What is it? Because when I’m on a level, it was a reset.
Think it means stability for a compass and. This one. Then so then okay. So I asked Geshe-la again. I’m not sure how much it accords with the English version we have here.
So what Geshe-la is telling me that this better means that is having accomplished the course generation stage, having done it, okay? Then in the context of the third individual, which is the one with a little power of a wisdom, then one having by involving one’s mind with the subtle with the subtle drop, then one makes it stable stable by meditating on the subtle, which is meditating on the supporting mandala and the supported deities of the mandala within the subtle drop. So that’s what Geshe-la explained to me is the meaning of what is written in in the Tibetan. Okay? So then it was it was mentioned first in the in the previous sentence.
I don’t know why why is this? So then in the first, it was saying about meditating on the subtle on the lower end of the central channel. And then later on, the second sentence of this paragraph, which which is which is mentioning the upper opening. Okay? And then again, it says, so then having if one obtains stability, if one is stable on the upper opening, on the subtle of the upper opening, then one has we consider one has attained calm abiding.
And when one achieves stability on the subtle of the upper opening. So when he’s meditating on the drop with the with the mandala and so forth in the upper opening, and then Geshe-la was explaining so and not only that, but in the open opening, the lower opening, and in the navel, and in the heart, and all the secret points, and all the six secret places. This one? Loss. Channel.
Yeah. No. Not all at the same time. So then again, again, was planning to meditate on the subtle drop in the center channel, and so at the top or or the lower end or in the heart or in the navel or in the throat. In any of those places, you come?
Yeah. You do that in stages. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, they would start it really.
Just So then the central channel is like is like the stem of the flower. And then one imagines that the the central channel is like the stem of the flower. And then and then inside that stem, one thinks of this imagines the subtle drop and meditates in different locations. So then and then when it meditates on the subtle drop and inside the subtle drop, all the mandala and the deities, and that’s very difficult. So it’s like it’s like, again, inside the the television, we see the houses and everything.
So it’s like imagining something which is very, very big inside something which is very small. Then it says inside the inside the eye, the eye is very small, but inside it, there is all these things that that that that that that come to it. So and then you have to think in this way. We stop here today. Okay.
It’s quite a past eight. Okay. Which is the