Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Kyabje Rinpoche opens this 47-minute session by asking who has received the highest yoga tantra empowerment—only a handful respond. Rather than teach tantra directly, he lays out Tsongkhapa’s framework: two paths to Buddhahood, the perfection vehicle and the swift tantric path. Tantra is the quick way, but requires three prerequisites first: renunciation, awakening heart, and correct view of emptiness. He anchors this through vivid analogies: a car needs engine, fuel, and driver; enlightenment requires wisdom and method in both vehicles, though they work differently. He traces Śākyamūni Buddha’s path from the perfection vehicle to highest yoga tantra empowerment, which finally enabled enlightenment. The key difference: tantra uses subtle blissful awareness and meditates on divine mandalas now, as buddha-like practices, rather than only upon reaching enlightenment. For practitioners building foundational understanding.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1989-02-18 – 1A – Introduction to Tantra – KR.mp3
UUID: 74cb54f0-e903-436b-b176-57f9ad7b61b3
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Tantra Introduction
Date: 1989-02-18
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,677
How many have received the highest yoga empowerment? Highest yoga empowerment? The highest how many have received the highest yoga tantric empowerment? For example, So how many have received, those are some of the major empowerments or initiations. So how many have received such a type of initiation?
One, two, three, four. Yeah. This for yeah. As example, the ones we just listed in other words. Yeah.
Kālacakra. Dukyi Khorlo. So it’s it’s quite it would be proper to to present an introduction to tantra. That’s what we can do. But to actually teach the various methods of making use of tantra, it’s only it’s prerequisite that you have the specific empowerment or initiation.
So yeah. So for now, it’s sufficient that one in order to just simply present a introduction to tantra that one have some faith in Buddhism in general and to aspire to developing faith in tantra, the vehicle of tantra. So we should try to adjust your motivation developing the intent that I’m going to listen to this teaching on the vehicle of secret mantra in order not simply to establish all sentient beings and complete peace and bliss, but to do it very quickly, as quickly as possible. So the the great master Tsongkhapa said, for those who are intent upon Buddhahood by means of the great vehicle, there are two paths which they may follow. If we were to ask what are those two paths, then the they are the path of the of the perfection vehicle and the and the profound path of tantra.
So of these two vehicles, where they may refer to them, for example, by the by the terms Vajra vehicle, secret mantra, or tantric vehicle. These are all the same the same names different names for the same path. They have as their prerequisite the perfection vehicle, the various practices of the perfections as a prerequisite to engaging in the practices of tantra. So as the the perfection vehicle is a prerequisite for the the tantric vehicle and within the great vehicle, in order to develop the perfection vehicle, engaging in the various practices of the perfection vehicle. That is, the basis of the perfection vehicle is the development of love and compassion, and developing the motivation of the awakening heart.
And the foundation for developing the awakening heart are the six perfections, the perfections of generosity, ethics, patience, effort, meditative concentration, and wisdom. So the those who engage in the three practices, the perfection vehicle are subsumed under the three types of capacities of practitioners. And there and if we were to abbreviate their their practices, we would they could be abbreviated into the three principal aspects of the path, the paths of renunciation, the awakening heart, and the view. So it’s necessary for us to develop the three principal aspects of the path as a preliminary to at least to gain some rough understanding, under of the the correct view, the awakening heart and renunciation, the renunciation, that we have to have some understanding of exactly what each of these entail, what they mean, that this is, understanding the the categorization and what is what is entailed by these each of these three paths. So the the master talks about a the order of progressing through the various, vehicles.
And within the, the perfection vehicle, the three paths are termed the common vehicle. The the the perfections not the perfections, the the paths of, renunciation, awakening heart, and correct view. That is to say, understanding of emptiness. That one, gradually unfolds these, develops these in one’s mind, kinda coming to an a rough understanding of what these each of these entail. And having done that, then one is, can go on to engage in the vehicle of of a tantra.
Having having developed a in one’s mind, a rough understanding of these three principal aspects of the path, then one attends an empowerment, takes an empowerment, and upon upon that receives an explanation of how to engage in the practice of tantra and and thereby is engages in meditation on the practice itself. So this is the the order of progressing through these paths. So it is said that the the tantric path is the quick method by which we can progress to Buddhahood. It is quite often termed the quick path. And it has its as its basis, the three principal aspects of the path, the paths of renunciation, awakening heart, and correct view of emptiness.
But we can only engage in the path of tantra if we have this, the ability, the potential or ability. And this ability arises through dependence upon developing the three principal aspects of the path. So those who seek to engage in tantra without having developed this ability of some at least some understanding of the three principal aspects of the path do not have the ability to make use of the quick path. So and this ask a question. It’s if, in order for a car to go very quickly, upon what does it depend?
What upon what ability or what capacity does this this ability to go quickly depend upon? So just in the same way that a car, even though it may have the potential to go quick quickly, it depends upon at least three three components. That it has to have an engine, it has to have petrol, and it has to have someone who operates the car, the driver. So, likewise so even though it may have the potential of one of these is missing, then the car is not gonna get anywhere. Likewise, in trying to progress to the to the place of Buddhahood by means of the Vajra vehicle, it’s necessary that we have the even though we may have the ability, the capacity, without the three components of renunciation, awakening heart, and seeing deeply into the nature of reality, there’s no way that we’re going to be able to progress to the path along the path to Buddhahood even though the the potential might be there.
Then on the other hand, if in fact we have these three components that are complete — the three components of the motor, the petrol, and the driver, then we can operate the car in such a way that we can arrive at our destination very quickly anywhere we want to go. And likewise, the Vajra vehicle has the potential to take us to our destination of Buddhahood very quickly. If we have the three complete components of renunciation, awakening heart, and seeing deeply into the nature of reality, then we can quickly arrive at our destination of Buddhahood. So just in the way, the measure of having the prerequisites for driving a car are the motor, the petrol, and the driver. That also within the measure of the ability to engage in the practice of secret mantra is having the preparations of the three principal aspects of the path, which are to be developed by means of the perfection vehicle.
Just as in in if we’re walking to some destination, we have to depend upon our two legs. Without both of our legs, we would have a difficulty in getting to where we want to go. Likewise, in traveling to Buddhahood, we have to make use of the two legs of wisdom and method in order to arrive at our destination. So just in the same way that we need within the perfection vehicle, we need both the both wisdom and method. Likewise, within the mantra vehicle, we also need wisdom and method.
So it is said in in the case of Śākyamūni Buddha that as he was practicing prior to his actual attainment of Buddha, that first he engaged in the perfection vehicle. And he, know, engaged in the various practices of the perfection vehicle until he actually had attained the the last, or that is to say, the tenth of the 10 grounds. And there’s a progression. He attained the tenth of the 10 grounds. And he entered into a meditative stabilization on infinite space in in order to, finally seeking to attain Buddhahood.
But, he was he was aroused by, the various other Buddhas saying that that in this way, through this means, you you cannot attain your final destination of Buddhahood. And they they aroused him from his meditative stabilization, telling him that in order to actually achieve Buddhahood, he must enter into the great, he must enter into a secret mantra vehicle. He cannot do it by simply by the perfection vehicle alone. So it was at this time that upon seeking to Arouse the Buddha from this meditative stabilization, that the Buddha to be, they aroused him from this meditative stabilization saying that by merely engaging the in the perfection vehicle, you will not attain Buddhahood, that you have to engage enter into the Vajra vehicle.
They then bestowed upon him all the Buddhists gathered together and bestowed upon him the empowerment of there are four levels of empowerment. There’s for example, the first is the vase empowerment, then the secret empowerment, and the third is the wisdom empowerment. And they did they at that time, did he they bestowed upon him the wisdom empowerment, and through this, he was able to manifest Buddhahood. And this is now celebrated as the enlightenment of the Buddha, you know, known as Saka Dawa. On the fifteenth day of the of the month of Saka Dawa, the enlightenment is celebrated.
It was necessary that he achieved Buddhahood through the mantra vehicle. So just as as as the Buddha himself in in achieving achieving his goal of Buddhahood, Practice the perfection vehicle and then cap that off with the mantra vehicle. Likewise, for us, having practice within the perfection vehicle that that we must eventually enter into the mantra vehicle because simply through the perfection vehicle, one cannot attain Buddhahood merely by that path. So we ask, what is the difference between the perfection vehicle and the mantra vehicle?
We’ve said that both In both, it’s the same in the fact that we need wisdom and method. So both we have wisdom and method in perfection and wisdom and method in mantra, but the wisdom and methods, are different. Within the perfection vehicle, when we when we say when we talk about method, we’re referring to the awakening heart and compassion. These are method within the perfection vehicle. The wisdom is the wisdom understanding emptiness.
So as we said, there’s a there’s a difference between the wisdom and method as contained within the mantra vehicle. As far as the wisdom aspect, there, a very subtle blissful awareness is used to is made use of to realize emptiness. A very subtle blissful awareness is is is, made use of in order to realize emptiness. So this is the difference as far as wisdom is concerned. And as far as the difference in method within the perfection vehicle, it is, as we said, it’s awakening heart and compassion.
Within within the, within mantra, the the method is meditation on the circle of deities or the mandala of deities. So it’s it’s dependent upon the difference these two these differences of wisdom and method which make the mantra path such a more powerful and and are the reasons that we can posit for the ability of the quickness of the path. That it that the method and wisdom within found within mantra is much more vast and much more profound than that found within within perfection. So, you know, we’re talking about the difference between method and wisdom, within between the mantra and perfection vehicles within respect to the the method and especially within the highest yoga tantra. We said it was the meditation on the circle of deities.
And this is involved, if it’s explained in slightly more detail, it involves the practice of the four purities. And these four purities are that we imaginatively conceive of our our ourselves as a deity, that we are living in a within the central abode of a divine mansion, a celestial mansion, that we are making offerings, very divine offerings, engaging in various Buddha like activities, and that is radiating from our heart light and helping sentient beings and methods such as this. So the the four purities, that is to say that the purity of body, the purity of abode, the purity of resources, and the purity of activities. And these, within the perfection vehicle, these are not engaged in until one actually achieves Buddha. These are the actions of an actual Buddha.
But in the mantra vehicle, we are imaginatively engaging in these four activities within even before we achieve that state. Therefore, you know, these various activities that we’re that we just covered are within the perfection vehicle, they are not engaged in until we actually achieve Buddhahood. Not before we achieve Buddhahood within the perfection vehicle can we actually engage in these four types of purities. But it is the the, skillful method of the Mantra Vehicle that we take these what are future what will be future results and we practice them now. And this is for this reason that the that the Mantra Vehicle is often referred to as the resultant vehicle.
So within the mantra vehicle, there are four levels of mantra vehicle. There’s the there’s the level of action, performance, yoga, and highest yoga. Four levels of mantra or tantra. Action, performance, yoga, and highest yoga. In general, we can say that there’s a progression through these various through these four levels of tantra.
First, engaging the practices of action, then going on to practices of performance, then yoga, and highest yoga. But this is something in general. It is allowable to engage in the practice of mantra without necessarily progressing through these four levels of the mantra. So what is what is the difference? From what point of view are the differences in these four levels of tantra posited?
These four levels of mantra. It’s according to the difference of the disciple with respect to their their faith and aspiration. With the difference in the faith and aspiration amongst the different disciples, there is a difference in the level of mantra vehicle. So we’re beginning with this first level of tantra, action tantra, action tantra. For such a type of practitioner, you know, in his in his practice, you know, what type of mentality does he have?
Generally, we can say that this person amongst, if we look at it from the point of view of inner practice and outer practice, then he is mainly concerned with outer practice. And within the outer, that is perhaps external, external things. That is, he’s very concerned with the purity and cleanliness of external things rather than developing internal qualities such as meditative stabilization. So his the main practice is orientated to external things about him and very much in the sense of of cleanliness and purity. So maybe rather than aspiration, inclination, I think it’s a better word.
Inclination. Aspiration, inclination. I think it’s it’s a better translation. So his inclination is he’s externally inclined and very much to, with the mentality of of a sense of purity. So he’s his much of his practice would be in develop for example, keeping him his body very clean, keeping the things about him very neat and and clean, pure.
This would be very much the inclination of his practice, his mentality. On the other hand, a practitioner engaging in performance tantra would find a balance between external and internal, orientation. That he would engage in these these practices of external, externally, you know, keeping himself very clean as his environment. But it also would be equally balanced as with developing the qualities of meditative stabilization meditative stabilization within him. So there would be, an equality between inner and outer orientations.