Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 47-minute talk from March 1989, the Dalai Lama lays out the essential prerequisites and structure of tantric initiation. He begins with the critical practice of examining a teacher’s qualifications before receiving empowerment—a step mandatory in the tantric path but not in sūtra studies. He then details the role of mandalas (sand, cloth, concentration, and body) in the empowerment ceremony and explains how each is used across the four levels of tantra. The teaching moves into ethics as the foundation for empowerment: observing the ten non-virtues minimally, though lay vows or monastic ordination provide stronger bases. He addresses the vow-taking process itself, emphasizing the crucial difference between tantric and sūtra traditions: tantric practitioners must investigate whether they can genuinely keep their vows before taking them, due to the severe consequences of vow-breaking. The final section explores the four bodies of the Buddha—nature truth body, wisdom truth body, complete enjoyment body, and emanation body—and how the wisdom truth body’s omniscience enables the form bodies to teach sentient beings. A discussion of ethical consumption of meat and dedication practices concludes the session.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1989-03-04 – 3B – Introduction to Tantra – KR.mp3
UUID: 239b4185-9552-4133-af8b-d4485f76ad16
Teacher: HH Dalai Lama
Collection: Tantra Introduction
Date: 1989-03-04
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,502
So it’s, you know, it’s it’s necessary as a preliminary to receiving empowerment from a particular lama, spiritual master, to to examine his qualifications, to examine as to whether you would be able to follow his or her instructions. The it’s the Dalai Lama has said that, you know, we have received empowerment from a particular teacher, then then then it that master is one of our lamas. And we we are obligated in some way to to to follow his or her instructions if possible. But before that, having before that, then even though we should examine, for example, we can we can go to teachings that this teacher has given, that this teacher is giving, Listen to this teacher, see whether they’re how they’re giving the teachings, whether they’re qualified, whether you have a feeling that you would be able to follow the instructions of this teacher. It’s it’s it’s just as in the case of in this before having received the empowerment, it’s as if an official as giving us some kind of instructions, some government official.
They say that well, you should you would is giving us some you should do this or that. And we we don’t necessarily have to follow that that order. We can examine it and and see whether it’s suitable to be done whether we want to do it or not. But once having taken empowerment then it’s there’s not it’s it’s not that is not the proper time to examine the instructions or the or the qualifications of the teacher. So we we have to make this examination before we actually attend the the empowering ceremony, not afterwards.
If, you know, having once we receive the empowerment from it, from a tantric lama then we have to hold him as our teacher in our mind. It and this within the and and within the root vows of tantra the very first vow is to we must hold our Tantric teachers in respect and to, to, to break this this vow is, extremely, negative action. So within the the Kadampa tradition, one of the the ancient lineages of of teachings in Tibet, Kadampa, Kadam. They they they they’re of the the thought that one should have very few tantric teach lamas that this was best. But when it came to the teachings and for example, Lamrim graduated path, then the more teachers that you had the better.
So at the actual attendant attending the empowerment, it’s necessary to enter into the mandala. And there are four types of mandalas. There is the sand mandala, cloth mandala, concentration mandala, and body mandala. And upon, having these mandalas blessed by the presiding master then the, empowerment is given. So of these four types of mandalas, it’s only within highest yoga that a sand mandala is made use of.
Whereas the so the the sand mandala is made use of only in highest yoga tantra whereas the the second cloth mandala is made use of in all the four tantras, the levels of tantra. And this is for example, the the mandala is drawn or painted on a cloth and we and there are occasions during the ceremony where where the the student would would offer a flower to the to the cloth mandala. So it said that in the in the text that in order to receive the empowerment is necessary to observe ethics and there are various levels of ethics. There is the ethics of observing the abandonment of the 10 non virtuous actions. Then above that, there’s the the ethics of a the lay vow holder.
Then there’s the novice, and finally the fully ordained monk. Now, it’s said that of these, the best foundation or basis for taking, receiving empowerment, of course, is the fully ordained monk. Then, as one progresses down, then, a novice layperson, and finally observing the abandonment of the 10 non virtuous actions. And this is a, a prerequisite for actually receiving empowerment as a minimum basis foundation. So with respect to the the holding the observation of lay vows, And within the lay vows there are five abandonments.
And that if one can observe the complete abandonment of the five, then this of course is best. But it’s not necessary to have to observe all five of these. One can observe four, one can observe three, two, one. That’s they’re all satisfactory. So recently, you know, Rinpoche gave the refuge vows and this is the foundation for all future takings of vows.
Without this without the refuge vow as a foundation, one cannot proceed to take any types of higher vows. Therefore, there’s a great benefit to be derived from taking refuge vows. It’s extremely it’s an excellent thing to do. With in taking the higher vows within the four levels of tantra action, the first the lower two, action and performance. It’s necessary to take the bodhisattva vows, but one does not take tantric vows.
And so in taking the the bodhisattva vows, one takes the the the complete set of of root root and secondary vows. As preliminary to taking the Vows, one should examine the vows to see if one thinks that, if you think that you can observe them. Investigating the vows, for example, the 18 root vows of the Bodhisattva. If upon actually taking them, one does not observe them, we don’t have a stable basis for the vows and they’re a we lose the vows. So this within the tantric vehicle, this also this this investigative investigatory process before actually receiving the the vows extends also to the tantric vows.
That one should examine them to see whether one can observe the abandonments which are necessary. If one does not think one can then it’s you don’t take the vow. Because of the reason this this is extended so this this, system, examining the vows before taking them, is is found within the tantric vehicle because of the great danger of not observing one’s vows. In the sūtra system, it’s said that one does not one does not investigate the vows before one takes them. But in the tantric system, the Buddha said that, due to the great danger, one should, to see what to to check up, examine, to see whether you can observe the abandonments or not.
The the ultimate attainment of of the tantric vehicle is the same as within the perfection vehicle. Now, there’s there’s, say, the four bodies of the Buddha. The four bodies of the Buddha beginning as a nature nature truth body, wisdom truth body, the complete enjoyment body, and emanation body. The the first two, the nature truth body and the wisdom truth body are the truth body fulfilling one’s own welfare and the the latter two, enjoyment complete enjoyment body and the emanation body are the form body fulfilling the welfare of others. So the the nature truth body is the is the factor is is it the nature truth body is a true cessation.
It is the factor of the factor it is the factor of the abandonment of all faults and it is a dharma jewel. Among the three Three Jewels, it is a dharma So it’s has so they know it the nature truth body is the the abandonment of all faults. It’s a true cessation and of the three types of jewels. The Three Jewels, it’s a Dharma jewel jewel of Dharma. The wisdom truth body is the is the mind of the Buddha which which is able to has the understands all knowable phenomena that is omniscience.
It is a it is a Dharma jewel and it is the brings the about is the truth body bringing one’s own welfare? So such a mind is able to know all phenomena both, you know, however vast and however however profound, both conventional and ultimate directly. It is in such a way as a means of being able to prescribe what would be necessary to lead a particular disciple. Because it’s able to know all phenomena, it understands all phenomena, it’s referred to as the exalted wisdom, knowing all phenomena. Okay.
So, the Dharma, the truth body acts as the cooperative condition for all constructive activities of sentient beings and Buddhas. So, the the the truth body acts as the cooperative condition for all constructive or skillful karma that we create for both sent for all sentient beings in Buddha. Okay. So if you have some questions, we’ll take some questions. True.
That’s a nature body. Nature body. Wisdom truth body. Complete enjoyment body. Emanation body.
Em emanation. Emanate emanation body. The first two are the are the truth bodies. The latter two are the form bodies. So the latter two emanation body and complete enjoyment body are Buddhists who have taken embodiment and present themselves as beings, embodied beings.
And because these embodied beings teach others, therefore, they’re referred to as embodiments for the welfare of others. Whereas, for example, in the the nature truth body is referred to as a a body bringing about one’s own welfare since it since it represents the factor of having eliminated, or abandoned the the faults for oneself within oneself. Therefore, it’s referred to as a, embodiment for one’s own welfare. And also with respect to the wisdom truth body, it since it is able to, is an exalted knower of all phenomena, for oneself, therefore it referred to it is also an embodiment for one’s own welfare. Yeah.
But you’re told to eat its meat? No. You’re told to eat its meat. To you’re allowed to eat its meat. Yeah.
Yeah. Okay. So if it seems to me illogical assumption that you can still eat meat and not kill it because if a 100 Buddhists will get out of the same butcher shop, in effect, they’re immoral for the Buddhist. So all the Buddhists here might be by me from different shops, but animals still being killed for that. So I I cannot it’s a direct cause and effect association, I suppose I can see.
Everyone. So So if one has if one has the motivation that that this that this buying meat, that this was killed particularly for you, then it’s not you’re not allowed to eat it. And as you said, if we if you know that meat has been killed in particular for you, it’s said that you’re not allowed to eat it. But in buying meat in general, then we cannot say that this meat was killed as particularly for you. That if I if Jampa were to go to the to the market and buy some meat, that that the that the killer that the butcher didn’t say, well, I’m killing this animal for Jampa.
So, you know, if you if you can if you cannot eat meat, this is best. But sometimes it becomes necessary to to go against this subtle or very fine points of the the best type of conduct that we could be engaging in into perhaps for one’s health. In such situations maybe we can we can because the more refined aspects of our conduct we could that perhaps it would be best to not to engage in it for our health. We we still, would continue to eat meat, but if it’s best not to eat meat. I mean, are we not creating conditions for animals to be live run as animals?
So the Buddha said that if someone for example were in retreat and if he were offered milk and meat that that through his abilities, you know we’re talking about a spiritual practitioner that through the power of, for example, of his having eaten that meat and drunk that milk through his dedication, if he has if he has that ability, the capacity, then, you know, they actually can recite mantras and they blow on the on the bones of the meat. It is said to actually benefit the animal which is which is given this meat or this milk. On the other hand, so there’s this benefit if it if it through the power of dedication and mantra. On the other hand, if someone doesn’t have this ability then even those who make offerings of milk and meat to such a person that that they are creating the causes to be reborn as that type of animal in the future. By by simply by offering it to someone who doesn’t have that capacity.
So, you know, it’s difficult if we don’t have this ability, this dedication that that no matter what we do, we’re going to bring it be bringing harm to other sentient beings, whether we’re eating meat or not. If we drink milk, for example, we may be depriving a calf of the milk from its mother. But just in general, when we eat rice, when we eat wheat, to raise this crop, many, you know, many, many sentient beings have been killed, you know, plowing the fields, preparing the fields, using pesticides that for for our sake and even eating wheat and rice that many sentient beings are killed. So we’re always incurring some kind of negativity and no matter what we do, if we don’t have this capacity of dedication. If but if we could be like, for example, Milarepa, who is said to have lives on dirt, then this would be the best thing that he could do.
Earth. Yeah. Earth. He ate earth, not dirt. This is a very vast explanation.
So in dependence upon the wisdom truth body, there arises the emanation and complete enjoyment bodies. Without the wisdom truth body, these two bodies could not arise. So first without the wisdom truth body then the the two form bodies could not arise. The complete truth body, complete enjoyment body and the emanation body. And without the these two form bodies then there’s no way to that the to make a connection with with the Buddhas, that this is the the means by which the Buddhas interact with with sentient beings through the through their giving the teachings of Dharma.
And, this is motivated by their love and compassion that they take embodiment and they teach the Dharma and that such beings as without this teaching of the Dharma then they would not arise to such beings as Maitreya, Mañjuśrī or Bodhisattvas in general that that all the realizations of the Bodhisattvas arise dependent upon receiving the teachings of the Dharma. And and by means of the realizations and the accomplishments of the bodhisattvas engaging in the very six perfections, motivated by love and compassion, for example, generosity, etcetera, that they able to cultivate the minds of vast sentient beings. And all that in in such a way that all, positive states, excellent qualities of sentient beings arise in dependence upon in in this way through the through the actions of engaging the six perfections of the bodhisattvas.