简体 | 正體 | EN | GE | FR | SP | BG | RUS | JP | VN                 The Truth of Tibetan Buddhism Home | GUEST BOOK | LOGIN | LOGOUT

                                            Chapter 3

                  The bright-drop and Chi of Tibetan Secret Schools

 

3.1  Bright-drop and Chi

 

The practices of bright-drop and Chi (the energy-flow in the channel of a human body) are very important in Tibetan Secret Schools since they are closely related to the practices of meditative concentration, consciousness transference, Couple-Practice Tantra of attaining Buddhahood, the realization of fruition, etc. Starting from the state of an ordinary person up to “Buddhahood”, all the practices are linked with bright-drop and Chi. Thus, the bright-drop and Chi play very important roles in tantric practices.

The bright-drop, Chi, and Couple-Practice Tantra of Highest-yoga became three basic tantric practices during the later period of Tibetan Secret Schools. They are tightly related and called the “Buddhist samadhi” (meditative concentration) by tantric practitioners. Usually, the practitioners should complete the practices of bright-drop and Chi before they can receive the secret empowerment of the dual operations of bliss and emptiness and do the further practice of Couple-Practice Tantra. Therefore, the bright-drop and Chi are necessary practices for the future cultivation of “attaining Buddhahood in a lifetime”.

As stated in The Six Yogas of Naropa:

The human life locates in the central-channel and the central-channel, with white outside and red inside, locates in the spine. There is a swelling (called a “joint” sometimes) in the central-channel. The overall shape of the central-channel is like a snake swallowing an egg. The snake is like the central-channel and the egg is like the swelling. There are three swellings and they should be burned by the abdomen heat. When a man has sex with his wife, enjoys the sexual bliss, and wants to ejaculate, the entire Chi in the central-channel will gather at his secret place. If he is about to ejaculate, he should separate his body from his wife and keep his semen inside. Without ejaculation, he can make his body stronger and enjoy the sexual bliss. But if he cannot hold on and has ejaculated, all his previous achievement will become in vain. Only the wise persons who are able to avoid ejaculating can practice this method. ^{[62: 64-65]}

In general, tantric practices require practitioners to complete the cultivation of bright-drop and Chi before they can perform the real Couple-Practice Tantra with their practicing mates. Thus, the bright-drop and Chi are very important practice methods in Tibetan Secret Schools. I will give further details on the union of bliss and emptiness of Highest-yoga Tantra in Chapter 8 and 9.

Most of tantric gurus advocate that one should perfect the practices of bright-drop and Chi before one can take the secret empowerment and do the real Couple-Practice Tantra. But, that is not always necessary. For example, The Lotus Born said that one can practice bright-drop with a female consort if one still cannot progress after long-time practice on bright-drop and Chi.

A male practitioner may perform the action-seal (to perform Couple-Practice Tantra with a female consort) to make progress on the practice of bright-drop. During this practice, he should choose a sixteen-year-old girl with thick lotus (vulva), fat breast and slim waist, who can make him generate happiness and clearly visualize his and her deities. … Then, the practitioner will be able to perform the real dual operations with his Vajravarahi (female consort) from night till dawn without resting. His sexual organ will become powerful and big, and his channel-realm can operate orderly. These are the main teachings. ^{[34: 553-554]}

After fulfilling the practices of bright-drop and Chi, the practitioners can easily achieve the inner heat concentration (Heat-yoga, gtum-mo). By those achievements, they can then practice the union of bliss and emptiness of Couple-Practice Tantra, and attain Buddhahood in a lifetime. Hence Yogi C. M. Chen said:

One will be able to attain Buddhahood in a lifetime if one practices inner heat on the deity’s body and practice luminosity (bright rainbow light). … If one fulfills Heat-yoga, the other five kinds of dharma will be subsequently achieved.  Therefore, it is so important to practice Heat-yoga!’ ^{[32: 242]}

The practices of Chi and Heat-yoga in Tibetan Secret Schools are slightly different from the Chi-practices of Taoism and fist technique which I learned in my youth. In addition, there are many publications about the Chi-practice of Tibetan Secret Schools available already. Therefore, I will not describe the details about tantric Chi-practice in this book because my main purpose is to clarify dharma. For further details on Chi-practice, readers can refer to The Esoteric Books on the Practicing Methods of Tibetan Secret Schools Vol. I - V, edited by Mr. Lv Tie-gang and printed by Beijing Mandarin Publisher, The Esoteric Breathing Practices translated by Marpa, or Yogi Chen's Literary Work Collections, by Yogi C.M. Chen.

Nomzi khenpo and Blo-bzan-grags-pa Zam Lam, the authors of The Six Yogas of Naropa, once gave the following oral pithy instruction:

After completing the practice of abdomen heat, one can then practice normal stages. As mentioned previously, one should guide the Chi into the central-channel, and then into the joint. The joint is composed of two bowl-like semi-spheres. The upper white one is the moon and is made of one’s father’s semen, and the lower red one is the sun and is made of one’s mother’s blood. The joint was born in this shape at the very beginning of life in the womb and one’s life locates inside it like a bird in a cage. … When abdomen heat burns, both the white and the red semi-spheres melt and merge together. At the beginning, the white encloses the red since the white is stronger. After that, the red becomes stronger and encloses the white instead. … Now let me talk about how the Chi enters the avadhuti (the joint in the central-channel) during practicing. The life, hides inside the avadhuti, is also called the heart. But this heart is the heart of life rather than the physical heart. What I am teaching is the way toward the bright illusory-body which is very unique and has been well described in Guhyasamaja tantras. After the Chi is gathered in the central-channel and squeezes the bright-drop to ascend, one can see (by visualization) the white descend from top, and then the red ascend from bottom. Afterward, both the white and the red combine together and one feel dark gradually like sunset. After that, one will become totally ignorant of everything like an idiot. Then, the joint of the white and red suddenly opens slightly and the bright-drop flies out like a bird escaping from a cage. One can see the slightly yellow light just like sunshine in the morning. At that time, the one who has practiced frequently will be able to think about: “I am dead; my death is impermanent; and all dharma is empty.” Upon those three notions arising, one can see a seed-syllable appears in emptiness. The seed-syllable then turns into the deity and the deity emits light from his heart to plead with the wisdom buddha to merge into one’s body. … The meaning of emitting light from the deity’s heart is actually to “open for the light”. Once the opened light shines on the wisdom buddha, the buddha will notice one’s pleading and arrive at one’s place with a ray of light. At that moment, Dza Hum Bam Ho melts into the deity’s body in union. … The gist of the practice is to cultivate the mind. Only with the tranquil mind, one can possibly become a buddha. Initially, one feels extremely dark and is totally ignorant of everything. Then, the life flies out and one can see the bright light. During that time, one should visualize oneself as a buddha and emits light from one’s heart to plead for all buddhas’ empowerments. After empowered by buddhas, one is able to emit light to benefit sentient beings. All mentioned above is the essence of both the preliminary and the main practices. If one understands all those practices, one will know all the meanings of ritual mantras when one chants them; otherwise, it will be meaningless to chant. If one still cannot achieve after long-time practice, one should work hard on visualizing hugging a female consort because it will help one achieve quickly. During this visualization, the mind of all happiness will concentrate at a single place, and the Chi will melt into the central-channel and descend to the secret place. One should use the Chi to push and squeeze the bright-drop so that it can arrive at the secret place and then ascend back. When the bright-drop ascends, one should keep mouth closed and disperse the bright-drop into branch channels. That is, one should perform the Chi-ke-seal (Original author’s note: closed fists with the index and the little fingers stretched out), cross both arms in front of chest, look upwards to see the Hum seed-syllable above head, and chant “Hum” for twenty-one times with strength on hands and feet. … Afterward, one releases hands, feet and the whole body; and the Chi can be dispersed to each part of the body. If the Chi is dispersed completely, one’s body will be benefited; otherwise, one will get serious illnesses soon or even lose one’s life. The teachings mentioned above only belong to the main practice rather than the preliminary one. ^{[62: 209-219]}

Many places of above passage are very irrational and absurd. Due to limited space, I would like to comment only on the tantric Chi-practice (the method of practicing semen and Chi). In my youth, I had cultivated the Chi-practice and Heat-yoga, so I can confirm they are attainable. There are some people who want to strengthen their bodies and live longer have attained those too. But I do not encourage people to practice them for Buddhist cultivation. Some practitioners, because of weakness, may practice Chi to make their bodies stronger for continuing with Buddhist cultivation. But those achievements have totally nothing to do with the practices for Buddhahood. We should not take the Chi-practice as the root of becoming a buddha.

 For example, the tantric gurus wrongly regard the semen and Chi as the roots for Buddhahood.

Semen is the most valuable human treasure. It is not difficult for one to become a buddha by using semen well. Through the functions of semen, one can become a buddha with numberless embodiments in the future. ^{[62: 79]}

Whether or not one can become a buddha or live long totally depends on semen, so we should cherish it. When semen is formed, it is stored in a small pool near testicles. The semen fills up the pool every seven days. A practitioner had better not ejaculate; it is the best without any ejaculation forever. When practicing in wintertime, one can take a kind of medicine to prevent ejaculation within three days. Without taking the medicine, it will be hard for one to avoid ejaculating in the dream. Ejaculating in the dream is a symptom of demon visiting. Thus, one should not have any lustful desire and should not speak of nonsense. One should treat the young female like one’s sisters and the old female like one’s mother or aunts so that one will not have any lustful desire and thus can avoid ejaculating. Without any ejaculation, then one can become a buddha. ^{[62: 89]}

However, the embodiment buddhas manifested in the Buddha ground are never from the achievements of practicing semen and Chi. They are actually from the achievements of four dhyanas (meditations) of observing, simmering, permeating and practicing, measureless samadhis, and perfecting the realization of the all-seed-wisdom. Therefore, all the attainments of realization proclaimed by ancient or modern gurus totally violate Buddha Sakyamuni’s doctrines. Those are all from the gurus’ illusory thinking, and exaggerated by their successors blindly. Such claims are absolutely not the true Buddhist realization.

Many people in Tibetan Secret Schools falsely regard semen and Chi as the roots to become buddhas, and all ancient and modern tantric gurus have the same heretical view too. Why are they trapped in this heretical view? It is because the basic doctrine of Tibetan Secret Schools is totally wrong. They falsely regard the great-seal in the dual operations of bliss and emptiness as the way to Buddhahood, and name it Highest-yoga. With this kind of wrong basic teaching, it is very difficult for all tantric patriarchs and learners to prevent from the heretical view. Their dharma is evil from the basic theory and is not the Buddha dharma at all. Nevertheless, they are so proud of the main practice of Couple-Practice Tantra for becoming buddhas in a lifetime. They think that practice is very unique and superior to exoteric Buddhism. Thus, it is almost hopeless to expect Tibetan Secret Schools to correct their doctrines.

Moreover, concerning the root of life, tantric gurus always mistake it for “the bright-drop stored in the central-channel” and entirely misunderstand the Buddha dharma.

 

The human life locates in the central-channel, and the central-channel, with white outside and red inside, locates in the spine. There is a swelling in the central-channel. The overall shape of the central-channel is like a snake swallowing an egg. ^{[62: 64]}

 

There are three major channels going along the spine. The middle one is the central-channel, which is the most important. The other two locate on both sides of the central-channel, called the left-channel and right-channel respectively. There are many other branch channels, which branch off those three major channels, all over the body. The “joint” in the central-channel is called “avadhuti” in Tibetan, since its shape is like a joint. Two bowl-like semi-spheres combine together to form it. The upside is white and the downside is red. This is the place where the life is stored. The wind (Original author’s note: the consciousness) from outside also accumulates here. If this joint moves slightly, one will get sick. If this joint opens, one will die. There are three knots at a distance of two fingers above and below the joint respectively. When one fulfills the main practice, the clear-light from one’s mind can untie these knots. Thus, one’s soul can enter or exit easily. However, ordinary people’s knots can be untied by their souls only when they are about to die. At that time, the soul exits but cannot return again, and then the person dies. ^{[62: 97-98]}

 

No matter which method you practice, it is very important to understand the reason why eighty kinds of wind Chi become twenty-five kinds after entering one’s body, and then become three kinds finally. It is the best if the wind Chi melts into the central-channel. It is also very good if it melts into the navel chakra. The life exists everywhere in the whole body rather than just in one place. But the life in the central-channel is the headquarters and the most important one. For instance, the life also exists at one’s secret place and its leaving can kill the person too. ^{[62: 117]}

 

There is a seminal-drop with the size like a soybean in the central-channel. When one practices Chi, this seminal-drop can ascend or descend along the central-channel. This soybean-like seminal-drop is the “joint” mentioned before which contains one’s life. The central-channel is just like a tube of pen. The wind Chi enters it to push the seminal-drop up or down accordingly. When one performs consciousness transference, the seminal-drop opens slightly and the life leaves it. Then, this life will move up along the central-channel, exit one’s body from the crown aperture, and can go anywhere following one’s will. This life is in fact our consciousness—or another name as the folk saying, the soul. ^{[62: 136]}

 

The central-channel with the shape like a bamboo tube is empty inside and has a tiny channel-point in it with a size only like a mustard seed. This tiny channel-point is the heart of life. But this heart is not the physical heart. The physical heart is big but this heart of life is tiny. This heart of life is actually inside the physical heart. Upon death, the physical heart still stays inside the body, but this tiny heart of life leaves the body. It is also said “The shape of this heart of life is like a upside-down seed-syllable ‘Hum’ in the dharma chakra of the central-channel; the remaining portion of the central-channel is not the heart of life. The leaving of seed-syllable ‘Hum’ means that the heart of life leaves. When the heart of life leaves the body, the person dies.” ^{[62: 141]}

 

The image that one visualizes should be inside one’s body rather than outside. Practicing like this way for quite a long time, one can then move the point following one’s will. Namely, the point follows one’s will and is able to go to any place inside the body. This point is the seminal-drop mentioned previously and its size is as big as a soybean. The seminal-drop is not normal semen. It is like a point of light of a blaze, and one’s life is stored inside of it. It can be called the point, life, bright-drop, or seminal-drop. Actually, they all mean the same thing. ^{[62: 143]}

 

Now let me talk about how the Chi enters the avadhuti during practicing. The life inside the avadhuti is also called the heart. But this heart is the heart of life rather than the physical heart. ^{[62: 210]}

 

In order to learn this method, one should cultivate the main practice first so that the Chi can melt into the central-channel. The Chi is the consciousness actually. ^{[62: 125]}

The first consciousness transference is the method of transferring one’s own life (Original author’s note: the consciousness) through the crown aperture to some other places outside the body. This is the greatest and supreme method of the highest school, which any other school does not have. ^{[62: 315]}

Such teachings contradict each other so that the readers do not know which one is correct. Those prove that the tantric patriarchs describe the consciousness simply based on their illusory thinking rather than their actual realization of the root consciousness—Alaya. They totally misunderstand the entity of the eighth consciousness. In addition, they are completely ignorant of the true meaning of the root of life. In fact, the root of life is manifested by the eight consciousnesses, the fifty-one mental functions and the eleven kinds of form-dharma altogether. It never corresponds with both the conscious mind and the true mind, and is only a set name by human; thus, it is also called “the dharma not interactive with the mind.” Eventually, the root of life is not a real dharma and never exists in the world.

When a person is living in the world, we say this person has a life or a root of life. But in fact, the reason why a person can survive is because of the fruition of one’s karmic seeds, which are made from one’s previous lives and stored in the Alaya consciousness rather than in the bright-drop or central-channel. The bright-drop is never the root of life either. The practitioners of Tibetan Secret Schools wrongly regard the semen, Chi and bright-drop as the roots of life, and thus treat those like precious treasures. Therefore, in order to live longer for practicing the dharma or even to become buddhas, they practice Chi with the hope of “keeping the semen inside and making it strong.” Those are all illusory thoughts.

It is not possible for people to live to the age of one hundred through practicing Chi only. If people want to live longer in their next lives, they should care for and be kind to all sentient beings rather than cultivate Chi-practice. We can easily confirm it by observing whether tantric patriarchs lived long or not. In summary, all of the semen, Chi and bright-drop are tantric gurus’ illusory thoughts and by no means the roots of life.

On the other hand, Tsongkhapa wrongly regarded the wind as the root of life:

Then, you should know: “The wind which enters or exits through the eyes, ears, mouth, navel, genitals, anus or pores is the life.” ^{[21: 79]}

Such a saying is also a kind of heresy and completely contradicts the Buddha’s teachings. Therefore, the learners of Tibetan Secret School should contemplate the following question: “What is the purpose of learning tantric practices?”  If the answer is for worldly purposes, they can continue with the practices of body-strengthening and the long-lasting lustful bliss; it will not matter as long as they can keep five precepts well and do not have sex with other people’s spouses. But if the answer is for learning Buddhist Liberation-way or Buddhahood-way, being wise persons, they should abandon the theories and practices of Tibetan Secret Schools.

　

3.2  Four kinds of bright-drop

Yogi C. M. Chen said:

 

Ancient people categorized “bright-drop” into four types: the material-drop, wind-drop, mantra-drop and wisdom-drop. The material-drop is male’s semen or female’s blood; the wind-drop is Chi; the mantra-drop is mantra or seed-syllable; the wind-drop and mantra-drop belong to the first three divisions of tantras; the last one, wisdom-drop, belongs to Highest-yoga Tantra. Do not mistake the last one for semen. Some ancient researchers had made the same mistake.  ^{[38: 673]}

 

Yogi C. M. Chen had his very unique view. He stated:

The male semen or female blood is the material-drop; the Chi from Chi-practice is the wind-drop; the visualized mantra or seed-syllable is the mantra-drop; as for the wisdom-drop, it should be practiced through the accomplishment of practicing the material-drop, wind-drop and mantra-drop, together with the visualization of melting the upper white and the lower red bright-drops and merging them into one.  Then, one should purify one’s material-drop through the dual operations of Couple-Practice Tantra in Highest-yoga Tantra. Finally, the purified material-drop combines with the merged bright-drop and becomes the so-called wisdom-drop.

Yogi C. M. Chen’s viewpoint on the tantric practice can avoid the contradictions mentioned in the previous section, and thus is very unique and beyond all other ancient and modern gurus’ viewpoints.

Among these four kinds of bright-drop, the buddha-body only has the wisdom-drop, which is the achievement from the second and the third empowerments of Highest-yoga Tantra. The lower end of the central-channel is the red bright-drop, which is the inner heat and wisdom-drop. The upper end is the white bright-drop, which is the great compassion realized from wisdom. The red bright-drop contains five-elements, but mainly the fire; the white bright-drop contains mainly the water. From the union of the water and the fire elements, the other three elements are created and five-wisdoms will arise for use. ^{[38: 673]}

But in fact, five-elements are not contained by the red bright-drop and the water is not contained by the white bright-drop either. Should five-elements be contained by the red bright-drop, then the white bright-drop would not contain the water element. It is not reasonable.  Moreover, the saying about five-wisdoms is not a correct teaching either. We will illustrate more about them later. The four-wisdoms of the Buddha ground such as The Wisdom of Great Mirror, etc. are by no means attained by the visualization of bright-drop, nor realized by the function of bright-drop during the dual operations of bliss and emptiness of Couple-Practice Tantra. Rather, they are attained by the practice and realization of all seeds in the eighth consciousness.

Yogi C. M. Chen said:

The form-aggregate, manifested from the external scene, is the formed bright-drop of five-realms. … The red and the white bright-drops are purified material; the white one, most preciously obtained from one’s father, locates at the upper end of the central-channel. It has the size as a seed of mustard, and is clear like glass. … The red one is Vajravarahi’s essence, also named as the spring bright-drop. … These two pure parts are the red and the white bright-drops mentioned in the praise.  Their locations, appearances, sizes, and colors have been exemplified.  The so-called fire-on-the-sea is to illustrate their heat and color.  Auspicious Heruka said: “The red part is Vajravarahi’s essence and is also named the spring bright-drop.”  These two depend on the eighth consciousness and life Chi. ^{[34: 414-415]}

The above saying is correct. The red and the white bright-drops are all material bright-drops and they should not be called the original consciousness—the Alaya consciousness. Both of them depend on the Alaya consciousness and life Chi, and hence are not the permanent indestructible things. This Alaya consciousness (true-suchness) is exactly the Buddha’s dharma-body.

However, Hevajra tantra wrongly stated:

The appearance of the physical semen is The World-honored One (Buddha) and its peaceful pleasure is the pleasure of craving. ^{[34: 415- 416]}

The learner should recognize Yogi C. M. Chen’s saying rather than the false one in Hevajra. As mentioned above, the white bright-drop locates in the four-leaf lotus of the great-happiness chakra on the head; the red bright-drop locates in the navel chakra and is Vajravarahi’s nature bright-drop.

The initial practice of bright-drop is to visualize the red and the white bright-drops:

The main practice of the unsurpassed secret school emphasizes abdomen heat. Abdomen heat locates inside abdomen and is the red material from one’s mother (Original author’s note: the red material is Tara, a goddess). One should practice to make both the white material from one’s father on the head melt and descend, and to make the red one melt and ascend. After melting, both the descending of the white one and the ascending of the red one will generate four kinds of joy. ^{[62: 51]}

That is the further practice of visualization after the achievement of visualizing bright-drop. It belongs to the gist of the first three divisions of tantras. As for the practice of bright-drop and Chi, please refer to Bibliography Volume 62 and 162 in Appendix of this book respectively.

After completing the visualization of bright-drop, one should further practice Vase-Chi Yoga so that one can break through the central-channel. I will elaborate on this portion in Section 3.3 later. After achieving both Vase-Chi Yoga and bright-drop visualization, one can make the bright-drop ascend or descend following one’s will. Without the practice of Vase-Chi, the white and the red bright-drops will never descend or ascend, and merge together; thus, the successive practices will not progress either.

About bright-drop, a tantric guru had such a delusion:

… I would like to present the details of the bright-drop practice, which I have never seen in Tibetan tantras, to the readers so that they can progress faster. The readers should know that the essence of the buddha’s body is bright-drop. The bright-drop is the crystal of dharma-body, the seeds of the great bliss of reward-body and the great kindness of countless embodiments. It is the most precious life. One will become Buddha Amitabha if this bright-drop is transferred (by the yoga of consciousness transference) into Buddha Amitabha’s mind; one will become a specific buddha if one’s bright-drop is transferred into that buddha’s mind. Therefore, one can become any buddha following one’s will. The bright-drop is the perfect and ultimate wisdom. One’s great bliss can reach the climax from it. It will result in the fruition of the great bliss wisdom body, i.e., the highest gist of Vajra-vehicle which the practitioners of Great-vehicle or Small-vehicle never dream about. ^{[38: 676]}

Tibetan Secret Schools wrongly regard the dependently arising bright-drop as all buddhas’ origins rather than the original Alaya consciousness (named true-suchness in the Buddha ground). They proclaim that all Buddha dharma is from bright-drop and only the obscene couple practice can achieve the ultimate Buddhahood. They totally misunderstand the true Buddha dharma and their tantric teachings completely contradict the bodhi way of the Buddha’s teachings. But all gurus of Tibetan Secret Schools do not know their teachings are totally wrong and consistently proclaim that their tantric practices are the supreme Buddha dharma beyond all others. This is a general misconception they have.

Another fallacy to uphold bright-drop is:

The above mentioned bright-drop and Chi are resulted from the manifestation of the worldly bodhi mind. They are the causes of the inherent wisdom and are called the vajra body. The real Hevajra said: “During the bliss with the female consort’s lotus (pudendum), the buddha has the excellent thirty-two major marks and eighty minor characteristics. It is the substantial nature of bright-drop.” Without bright-drop, there will be no bliss or functions, and of course no deity’s yoga bliss either. This bliss is exactly a buddha rather than a normal or unreal thing; it has the appearance of face and hands, the unchangeable great bliss entity, and the sentient being’s inherent fruition. It is important to fully understand these meanings. ^{[34: 427]}

As such, tantric practitioners falsely and overly endow the bright-drop from visualization, Vase-Chi or Couple-Practice Tantra with a too sublime position. And mistakenly treat it as the root of Buddhahood. It is truly against the right Buddhahood-way or Liberation-way because any kind of bright-drop is only a worldly matter.  Those bright-drops have nothing to do with Buddhahood-way and Liberation-way at all. As for the fallacy of consciousness transference, I will elaborate on it later.