Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 48-minute session, Kyabje Rinpoche maps empowerment structures across all four tantric levels—the five vase empowerments in action and performance tantra, their expansion in yoga tantra, and the four in highest yoga tantra—then distinguishes major tantric systems: father tantras like Guhyasamāja emphasize method, mother tantras like Heruka emphasize wisdom. The core teaching pivots to the three principal aspects of the path (renunciation, bodhicitta, understanding emptiness) as the essential foundation for tantra practice. He unfolds each: what renunciation means, bodhicitta as the commitment to attain Buddhahood for all beings, and understanding emptiness as what transforms deity visualisation from imagination to signless practice. A teaching story about Changkya Rinpoche illustrates why these foundations matter more than tantric technique itself. Particularly helpful for those beginning to explore tantric Buddhism or considering how to prepare for practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1989-02-25 – 2B – Introduction to Tantra – KR.mp3
UUID: 48358bfd-d86f-4e30-a7fd-ab110ba304e2
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Tantra Introduction
Date: 1989-02-25
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,509
It was the water empowerment. That should be the vase empowerment. Okay? Vase empowerment or the pot empowerment. Vase empowerment.
Within the pot empowerment, there are two sections. There is the common and uncommon empowerment. So within water empowerment, there is the common and uncommon. Within common, there are five levels of common empowerments. The first is water.
The second is crown. The third is vajra. The fourth is bell. And the fifth is name. Within the category of uncommon empowerment, there is one empowerment.
It’s called the vajra master empowerment. So, as a preliminary to Vase empowerment, a preliminary to the Vaz empowerment, So, if we talk about just the empowerment of action tantra first. Within action tantra, there are only there is the as we said, as was explained, there is the vase empowerment. And then within vase empowerment, is the common and uncommon empowerment. Within the common empowerment, is only of these five, there is only the first.
That is the water empowerment. As a preliminary to that water empowerment, there is an empowerment which is called the flower garland empowerment. So therefore, there are three within action tantra. The preliminary empowerment of water garland, then the water empowerment, and then the vajra master empowerment. So I made a mistake.
Okay? Within this action tantra, are three empowerments. But it’s not the vajra master empowerment. There’s no extraordinary empowerment in action tantra within. There is the water empowerment and the crown empowerment.
The water empowerment and the crown empowerment. And as a preliminary to that, there is the flower garland empowerment. So there are these three empowerments. So in action tantra, there is the vase empowerment. And the vase empowerment has those five divisions we talked about.
There are two divisions of common and uncommon. Here in action tantra, within the common, you take the water and the crown and as a preliminary to that, the flower garland empowerment. So there’s a total of three empowerments which are taken in action tantra. So, then the second level tantra, performance tantra, the empowerment are the same as was mentioned in respect to action tantra. And with respect to the third level of tantra, yoga tantra, whatever has preceded is taken for granted that it will be involved in the higher empowerment.
So therefore, we can assume that the water empowerment, the crown empowerment are given. But additionally, the Vajra empowerment, the bell, and the name are also given along with the extraordinary empowerment of the vajra master. As one clarification, in some tantras, within the performance tantra, the five types of vase empowerments are given. But within our tradition that we’re following, these five types are not given. So within the traditions which flowed from India, there are very many varieties of methods for granting empowerments.
Within the particular lineage of the empowerments that we’re discussing here, there are only these two levels of empowerment within the Vaz empowerment. Within the highest yoga tantra, are the four levels of empowerment, the vase, secret, wisdom, knowledge, and word. Within in the three lower tantras, we can divide those tantras into those practices with sign and without sign. Whereas in the highest yoga tantra, the practice is divided by way of the generation stage and the completion stage. So these are the two paths of the highest yoga tantra are the path of the generation stage and the path of the completion stage.
So additionally, there are many discussions of types. Also, So there are within, for example, the action and performance tantra, are vast arrangement of the different types of tantra even within these two levels of tantra. For example, the of tantra, for example, the Guhyasamāja type, which is exemplified by Kālacakra, the Wheel of Time tantra. There is the Lotus type, which is exemplified by Chenrezig, the practice of Avalokiteśvara. There is the Vajra type, which is exemplified by Mahākāla.
So these are the different types of tantras found even in the lower levels of tantra, and this is a very vast there’s a vast division of categories. Within highest yoga tantra, there’s also a vast categorizations of tantras, but we can subsume them all under the two classifications of mother and father tantra. For example, mother and father tantras. Guhyasamāja is a father tantra. Heruka is a mother tantra.
So the method for establishing mother and father tantra is based upon the factor of method and wisdom. For example, the Guhyasamāja tantra emphasizes the methods, the factors, the practices which emphasizes the practices of the method side. Therefore, it is classified as father. On the other hand, Heruka emphasizes the practices, the accumulation of wisdom. Therefore, it is classified as Mother tantra.
This is the division of Mother and Father tantra according to method and wisdom. Mother is associated with wisdom, father with method. So, to go further in this particular direction explaining some of the intricacies of tantra is not allowed unless to those practitioners who have received the empowerment. It’s of no benefit to the student having not received the empowerment. It’s also not good for the teacher to present this material.
So, you know, tantra is something which is very precious, something which is extremely important. If we engage in this practice, it’s extremely beneficial. So it’s necessary to develop a faith and conviction in the Tantric practice. In order to actually engage in the practice of tantra, it is necessary as was mentioned by the Master Tsongkhapa, where he said the basis for tantric practice is the three principal aspects of the path, the paths of renunciation, the awakening heart, and the correct view of emptiness. If we should have a rough understanding, an intellectual understanding of these three principal aspects of the path in order to engage properly in the practice of tantra.
So, as was mentioned previously, taking the example of a car, in order to drive the car, in order to go quickly along the road, we have to have a complete set of conditions. For example, we need good tires. We need petrol. We need an engine. We need a good driver.
If some of these were missing, then there’s no way we’re going to be able to drive quickly down the road. But if all these factors are brought together and complete, then there’s no problem. Drive down the road very quickly. So with respect to the second principal aspect of the path, is the bodhicitta, the awakening heart. From the text by Maitreya, in which it describes the definition of an awakening heart or as it’s usually not usually, they use the term mind generation.
Mind generation is defined for the benefit of others. The desire for complete, supreme enlightenment. This is the definition of mind generation. So, what does that mean? That we are seeking to attain a parinirvāṇa.
And this is concomitant with Buddhahood, to attain Buddhahood, whereby to eliminate the suffering of all sentient beings. This is brought about by placing them in the bliss of liberation. In order to actually bring that about, we ourselves have to attain Buddhahood. And so, the mind generation is the commitment. You know, one thinking, committing oneself, I must attain Buddhahood.
Whereby, in order to eliminate the suffering of all beings, placing them in the bliss of liberation. It is this thought, this commitment, which we term mind generation of the awakening heart. So, you know, if we look at the actual situation, how we can begin to express this thought. Within the great vehicle, when we talk about self and other, that I am only one. Others are infinite, equal in number to space, as the vastness of space.
Therefore, beginning to understand that to mainly orientate ourselves, concern ourselves with others since they are greater in number. And what we mean by concerning ourselves with other, that is the thought to benefit them and bring them happiness. And therefore developing the attitude whereby to bring about the happiness of all sentient beings in order to liberate them, attaining the enlightenment for their benefit. This wish to benefit others, to bring them happiness is what we’re developing as a kind heart. So we develop a kind heart that is simply developing the attitude of wishing to benefit and bring happiness to others.
But thinking in this way that we ourselves, that this is not sufficient. The thought that it would be nice or wishing to help others, wishing to benefit others. Developing this further in strength and say, I think that we’ll be developing a willingness to accept responsibility for others’ benefit, for others’ happiness. This is what’s termed exceptional resolve, resolving that I myself will take on the responsibility of benefiting all sentient beings, bringing happiness, eliminating the suffering of all sentient beings. Then we look at the actual situation that we’re in.
I can’t even presently do that even for one sentient being. I can’t eliminate the suffering of one sentient being. I can’t bring complete happiness to even one sentient being. And looking around at who has such the ability to be able to bring this about in fact. And then we understand that only a Buddha has this potential to eliminate the suffering of others and place them in complete happiness.
Therefore, developing the intention that I must attain Buddhahood myself in order to realize my resolve to bring about the happiness and eliminate the suffering of all sentient beings. That only a Buddha, that a Buddha has this capacity, this ability, that whatever they do is a means of bringing about happiness, eliminating suffering. Therefore, commitment to attaining Buddhahood for the benefit of others is the development of awakening heart. But as a preliminary, as a prerequisite to the developing of a awakening heart, we ourselves have to develop the intention to liberate ourselves from suffering, to attain the happiness of liberation. Seeing the situation of cyclic existence in which we’re bound in, its suffering nature, developing the determination to emerge from existence.
This Without this preliminary, this prerequisite, then there’s no way that we can actually sincerely seek to benefit others to release them from their suffering, to help them to emerge from cyclic existence. That first the realization is based upon one’s own intention for oneself to be released from suffering, and then based upon this, going on further and developing the same attitude toward others. So initially, we ourselves have to develop the determination to develop renunciation. So initially, developing renunciation, the determination, that oneself wants to seek liberation from the cyclic nature of our existence, wanting to be released from suffering to find the happiness of freedom. Then extending this to all sentient beings, understanding that all sentient beings are just like myself.
They were exactly the same. They want happiness. They don’t want to suffer just like myself. Developing the determination to free them from their suffering, to place them in the happiness of liberation, and therefore developing the intention, the commitment to attain Buddhahood in order to bring this about in developing the second principal aspect of the path that is the awakening heart or bodhicitta. So the generation of the awakening heart is the method aspect of our practice.
But as it says in a discourse of the Buddha that method by itself is a bondage and wisdom by itself is a bondage. That each by themselves cannot serve, each alone, they say, that each of them taken by themselves cannot bring us to our goal. That is the goal of Buddhahood. Method by itself is not sufficient to attain Buddhahood. That it must be conjoined with wisdom.
And here we’re talking about the wisdom which understands the non true existence of all phenomena. That phenomena lack inherent existence, true existence. Therefore, our practice of method must be combined with the view. It is by means of this combination of method and view, understanding of emptiness, wisdom, that we can eliminate all the various faults. We can abandon all that’s necessary to be abandoned, which obstructs us from attaining Buddhahood.
So, we have to have both method and wisdom. We have to have some understanding of these three principal aspects of the path if we’re going to engage in the practice of tantra. Initially, in our practice, we developed the motivation of the awakening heart in beginning our practice as the doorway of our practice. Then the thought to liberate all sentient beings from their suffering. Then there is a section in the practice in which it is said that all things become empty and we arise from this emptiness as a deity.
Now without the understanding of emptiness, then there’s no practice of tantra. Without the motivation of the awakening heart, there’s no practice of tantra. So it’s necessary that we have an understanding of these three principal aspects of the path before we engage in the practice of tantra. So just as when we’re building a house that we need the various building materials such as bricks and cement, sand, etcetera. Likewise, in the practice of tantra, need all the prerequisite materials in order to practice it well.
So there was once a Lama spiritual teacher was given a teaching on tantra and empowerment, Changkya Rinpoche. During this teaching that he spoke extensively on the three principal aspects of the path, renunciation, bodhicitta, and the correct view. And one of the people who was attending this teaching began to criticize the teacher since he was talking about the three principal aspects of the path so much and he wasn’t talking about tantra. And one of the great realized students who was at that teaching said, What you’re saying is quite incorrect. That’s not a valid criticism that the capacity or the ability to practice tantra is necessary that it be based on the Three Principal Aspects of the path.
So unless we develop the basis, then there’s no sense in talking about the tantra itself. So it take maybe ten or fifteen minutes and have questions and answers. So, if you have some questions. Ruby? So, when one meditates on the deity, if it’s conjoined with realization of emptiness, then this is a practice of signlessness.
When one meditates on the deity and this visualization is not conjoined with the realization of emptiness, then this is a practice with sign. So it depends on whether there’s realization of emptiness or not. If there is, then it’s signless. If there isn’t, then it’s with sign. So there’s the difference between one can simply visualize oneself, imagine that one is a deity in body and mind.
But there’s this practice, but one can couple that practice with the understanding of emptiness and the illusory quality of this appearance. This would be the difference between sign and signlessness. You think what? By what? Visualizing yourself as a deity and imagining these four purities that this may be a cause for what?
Do you get out of touch with reality?