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         3.1.Chapter 1  Introduction to Tibetan Secret Schools        

                                      Chapter 1

              Introduction to Tibetan Secret Schools

1.1  Overview

1.1.1  Tibetan Secret Schools

What mentioned in this book about the teachings of Tibetan Secret Schools are those propagating in the world nowadays, those teachings do not mean the true secret gist in the Buddha dharma that can really make the practitioner realize the true secret meaning and see the true reality of the universe. At the very beginning, the main purpose of Tibetan Secret Schools was to help people attain peaceful and joyful conditions in both mind and body through the help and empowerment from all buddhas, bodhisattvas, dharma-protecting dragons and heavenly beings, so that people can free themselves from hindrances during the practice. Therefore, at that time Tibetan Secret Schools only provided the practice methods and ceremonies that were used to ask for dharma-protectors’ help via mantra chanting, rather than the firm structures of present Tibetan Secret Schools. Nowadays the sophisticated doctrines and firm structures of Tibetan Secret Schools are in fact gradually formed by the ancient tantric (esoteric and heretical) founders who added many heretical teachings into the doctrines throughout the long history. Those Tibetan tantric gurus (teachers) mixed up many heterodox views and the theory of Couple-Practice Tantra into Buddhism, but in Buddhist terms. They linked up all the tantric theories about sexuality with the couple practice as the gist of main teachings, and finally generated the current scope of Tibetan Secret Schools. Those are not like what Buddha Sakyamuni has said during the three rounds of dharma transmission on the right practices, which are perfect for all three-vehicles (sound-hearer, solitary-realizer and bodhisattva). Their teachings are diametrically different from the true Buddha dharma in the exoteric Buddhism and the earlier teachings in the sutras of four Agamas, which already have many hints to cover the gist of all three-vehicle dharma. Therefore, it is evident that all the teachings in Tibetan Secret Schools come from the fantasies made and amended by later successors with ordinary people’s mind scopes. Those teachings do not belong to the real Buddhism taught by Buddha Sakyamuni.

The doctrines of Tibetan Secret Schools are actually absurd, weird and beyond common sense. They are the kinds of religions filled with ambiguous sermons and weird practices, and essentially have nothing to do with the real Buddhism.  The tantric versions of Liberation-way and Buddhahood-way also completely depart from the authentic doctrines in the Buddhist scriptures. Those wrong theories and teachings seriously misguide people and let many practitioners go astray and attain nothing even through long-time practice. In addition, their followers always indulge in the flawed conditioned dharma of the worldly desires; the more they practice, the worse they become. They cannot salvage themselves from getting endless cyclic rebirths, or even worse, may fall into the three evil paths and get endless suffering. Therefore, the teachings of Tibetan Secret Schools have caused severe harm to their followers.

However, very few people realize such a serious matter. Some practitioners in Tibetan Secret Schools may know it, but they dare not to uncover those secrets in fear of being insulted, attacked, or even killed by other fellow practitioners (as that often happened in Tibetan history). They cannot but keep silent, never daring to speak it to the public, not to say writing on documents. That is why the real face beneath Tibetan Secret Schools is still unknown to the general Buddhist learners. Even some senior intellectuals in modern era, like Chen Lu-an (a famous Taiwanese official) and others, are deceived by their beautiful surface, without any vigilance to discover the fact.

 

Nowadays, it is an era full of overwhelming and well- organized information. Most of the practitioners are highly educated and without problems to understand the basic Buddha dharma. If someone is willing to uncover the absurd fact of Tibetan Secret Schools regardless of their influential force, and make those dharma-kings, living-buddhas and rinpoches (learned persons) in Tibetan Secret Schools do not have any legitimate reason to refute, that will significantly benefit all Buddhist practitioners since the secret aspects of the tantric doctrines are clarified and well-known. Then, the exoteric Buddhist learners will have the ability to distinguish the heterodox views in Tibetan Secret Schools, and, on the other hand, will have the correct knowledge and right view of the true Buddha dharma. Hence, this disclosure will prevent them from going astray. Furthermore, the tantric practitioners, including dharma-kings and rinpoches, will be willing to convert their minds back to the true Buddha dharma. Then, the situations of falling into the wrong way, being unable to get enlightenment after long-time practicing, or wrongly regarding the conscious mind as the enlightenment and committing the severe deception, will be eliminated. Eventually, the history of the ancient Indian authentic Buddhism being ruined by the secret schools will never repeat in current days. The Buddhist doctrines will be gradually purified. It will be the blessing for Buddhist learners in the coming millennium, since the real Buddhism can be securely delivered without pollution from those tantric devious views.

Henceforth, it is a meaningful and significant task to uncover those heterodox views of Tibetan Secret Schools. All the venerable Buddhists should not just wait and see without taking this matter seriously. That is my genuine purpose to write this book. I hope that all the elders, the venerable, the esoteric or exoteric practitioners, and the dharma-kings of Tibetan Secret Schools will understand my sincerity to salvage all beings. Let us carefully examine the essentials of Tibetan Secret Schools and their heretical views, abandon prejudices, and collaborate with each other to contribute to the everlasting dwelling of the real Buddhism in this world, thus we will benefit the present and the future practitioners.

Moreover, all the tantric learners must deliberately think about the following: “What is the main purpose of my learning the tantric dharma?” If it is for strengthening the body and enjoying the mundane sexual pleasure, you do not have to care my words and just do it. But if your purpose is to learn Liberation and Buddhahood ways, you must give up the tantric dharma, and transfer your mind back to the exoteric immediately. Do not stay in Tibetan Secret Schools any more, since what you have learned are only heretical methods. If you insist on staying there, you must wait until Tibetan Secret Schools are converted back to the righteous and orthodox ones. Otherwise, you must be on the wrong way and attain nothing from your practice; or even worse, you may break bodhisattva’s severe precept since you practice Couple-Practice Tantra, a sexual misconduct. And, from the retribution, it implies that to practice the tantric dharma is to take one’s future in the risk of sufferings in hell for limitless eons, since the proclamation of attaining Buddhahood in a lifetime leads to the karma of committing a severe deception. That is why I should pervasively persuade all practitioners in Tibetan Secret Schools to investigate thoroughly their purposes to learn the tantric dharma. After deliberately and calmly thinking about the purpose, they can make a decision and select the right way to go. That is certainly what a wise man should do. If the tantric practitioners recklessly slander me or the true Buddha dharma without reading through this book, they are unwisely tied up with emotional impulses, since they make criticism prior to thorough understanding the contents.

 

Plenty of devious views and heretical teachings exist in Tibetan Secret Schools. To sum up, there are two major views: the Theory of No-cause (Ahetukaditthi) in Advanced Middle-Way School (Prasangika Madhyamika), and the theory of attaining Buddhahood in a lifetime via Couple-Practice Tantra in Highest-yoga. In addition, a variety of peculiar or weird practices exist in their dharma. Tibetan Secret Schools traditionally collect all sorts of strange practices originated from heretical or secular schools and put those weird and devious methods together to fabricate their version of practices (such as nectar, the yoga of consciousness transference, etc.), and regard those as some measures for the realization in the Buddha dharma. In fact, those practices have nothing to do with the real Buddhist practices. Since those weird conducts are against the theories and practices of the Buddha dharma, Tibetan Secret Schools are entitled the weird religion.

 

Moreover, the views, practices, conducts, and fruitions of Tibetan Secret Schools are all fictitious. These empowerments are practically meaningless. The yoga of consciousness transference advocates that the dakini (female sky-walker) will carry the practitioner’s original consciousness to sky-walker’s pure land or the ultimate-bliss pure land. Such a thought is illusory too. The saying in The Great Sun Sutra or Sarva-tathagata-tattva-samgraha Sutra is even more fictitious: “The accomplishment of visualization from the deity to the buddha is equivalent to the attainment of Buddhahood.” The practice of pleading for nectar is related to the conditioned method of the desire-realm and has nothing to do with the real Buddha dharma. Furthermore, the methods like the five kinds of nectar, etc. are very absurd and obscene. They are far away from the real Buddhism.

It is a groundless talk to say that the physical body is the dharma-body (dharmakaya) upon becoming a buddha through this physical body. The cultivations of the Chi-practice and inner heat are not the Buddha dharma. The followings are some other illusory thoughts from heretical schools: visualizing the central-channel and the bright-drop as the bodhi mind, identifying the bright-drop as the Alaya consciousness (the eighth consciousness) which keeps the sentient being alive and maintain a life form, and trying to attain four-dhyanas (four-meditations) and eight-samadhis (eight-concentrations) through cultivating Vase-chi yoga. Those completely depart from the Buddha dharma.

As for Tsongkhapa’s teachings, he reverses the sequence of the practice for Buddhahood-way. He advocates that Buddha Sakyamuni’s sutras of consciousness-only during the third round of dharma transmission are the non-ultimate dharma. On the other hand, he takes the sutras of General-phenomenon-wisdom of middle-way (madhyamika) during the second round of dharma transmission as the ultimate dharma. Fellow practitioners of Gelug School all accept Tsongkhapa’s teachings with faith. In Presentation on the Illustration of Secret Meaning for Entering the Middle-Way, Tsongkhapa adopts exoteric Buddhist scriptures to verify his point that ‘there is no the seventh (Manas) or the eighth (Alaya) consciousness.’ But he quotes the sentence out of context and misunderstands the real meanings taught by Buddha during the third round. Tsongkhapa is entirely unaware of ‘what taught by Buddha in those sutras of consciousness-only during the third round is exactly All-seed-wisdom that a practitioner must learn after realizing the middle-way prajna and General-phenomenon-wisdom.’ Nevertheless, he brings a false charge against All-seed-wisdom in true consciousness-only, which has definitive meanings, as the non-ultimate dharma. Based on this heresy, he negates the existence of the seventh and the eighth consciousnesses in order to avoid people’s accusing him of un-enlightenment. However, he does not know what taught in the middle-way prajna is exactly the nature of middle-way of the eighth consciousness – Thus-come-store. He wrongly proclaims the gist of prajna, saying ‘all dharma is empty’ but leaving out Thus-come-store. Tsongkhapa totally misunderstands the true view of prajna that ‘all dharma being empty is based on the eighth consciousness – Thus-come-store.’ He is only an ordinary person who does not know and never realizes prajna.

 

Moreover, Tsongkhapa sets up the qualification of guru for Gelug School – whether a person’s feces and urine are fragrant or not. Such a teaching is totally absurd. In the secret empowerment mentioned by Tsongkhapa, the four kinds of secretions gushing out from four different channels in the bodies (i.e., the fragrant feces, the fragrant urine, the semen and the obscene liquid generated from the sexual activity performed by the male guru with his wife or another female consort inside the altar) are put on those disciples’ tongues. They call ‘those kinds of tastes can bring forth the wonderful-bliss samadhi.’ How absurd those are! In his teachings, the final stage of Highest-yoga is to attain and hold the lustful pleasure during the dual operations of the couple practice. He proclaims that if the practitioner can keep this situation, experience the dual operations of bliss and emptiness, and realize the union of bliss and emptiness, this practitioner has attained Buddhahood. Those tantric followers believe and receive his teachings without any doubt. We cannot but question if those tantric practitioners are really wise in common sense? Even a worldly wise person can tell those absurdity, how come the Buddhist learners with their main purpose to learn wisdom cannot? Although the practitioners of Two-vehicles (Sound-hearer and Solitary-realizer) have less prajna wisdom, they are very clear that they should cut off the greed of the desire-realm. How come Tibetan Secret Schools with their unsurpassed tantras beyond three-vehicles are greedily clinging to the desire-realm cravings? Those tantric practitioners advocate that they are ‘using desires as the antidote against desires,’ but actually going far away from the three-vehicle Buddha dharma. They are certainly not the wise people.

As for ‘Bodhisattva’ Candrakirti of the ancient India and Tsongkhapa of Tibet, they both negate the existence of the seventh and the eighth consciousnesses with their personal intents, causing the three-vehicle Buddha dharma to fall into the theory of nihilism and no-cause. It is not only a problem of absurdity, but most seriously that they ruin the root of the Buddha dharma and defame the bodhisattvas. By the definition in The Lankavatara Sutra, as said by Buddha, such a person is ineligible for Buddhahood. But the tantric practitioners have received those teachings with faith and negate both the seventh and the eighth consciousnesses. Those followers are in fact fulfilling their sins after the steps of their unenlightened patriarchs.

Such Tibetan Secret Schools, beginning at the ancient India, expanding to Tibet in the middle centuries, and spreading to the whole world nowadays, continuously promulgate various wrong and perverse views to damage the true Buddha dharma. However, only very few people understand such a serious matter; and nobody dares to uncover those secrets or makes any speech to the public. Through long-term destructions in various manners by Tibetan Secret Schools, the real Buddhism had suffered hugely and had to roll over places by places to finally dwell on this land. However, the essentials of the dharma are almost extinguished; and only very few people understand the true meanings in the three-vehicle dharma expounded by Buddha Sakyamuni. On the verge of no living space available to deliver the orthodox teachings nowadays, how can the true Buddha dharma be further destroyed by Tibetan Secret Schools? How can we stand the doctrines of the true Buddha dharma being substituted for various heterodox views of non-Buddhist paths by Tibetan Secret Schools?

 

If nobody comes to wipe out the force of evil, distinguishes the right from the wrong, and proclaims the ultimate meanings of the dharma, then, the old story in the ancient India that Buddhism was ruined by the secret schools will happen again in current days. The terrible result will mislead billions of Buddha’s followers. Eventually, there will be a day the essentials of the Buddha dharma are extinguished forever in this world when all Buddha’s followers pervasively receive and accept those heterodox methods with faith.

However, very few people understand such a serious fact.  For those people who know the fact, but under the threat of Tibetan Secret Schools, they do not dare to uncover the secrets. Being aware of the terrible influence, I publish the book – Behind the Facade of Tibetan Buddhism, Vol. I – IV with the hope that the fact of Tibetan Secret Schools can be revealed to the public and all the Buddhist practitioners can follow Buddha Sakyamuni’s true teachings.  Therefore, I will not feel ashamed to see Buddha after my death, be reborn at wherever assigned by Him at that time, and spread His true teachings again.

　

1.1.2  The sources for citation

The framework of this book is mainly based on The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre) – Original Verses (Gatha), Vajra Stanzas, and the Gatha’s Remarks, which was translated into Chinese by Dharmaraksa; its original version, Diamond Verses of the Path and Fruits, was prepared by Virupa (a patriarch of Sakya School in the ancient India) and elaborated by Sakya Pandita. There are other auxiliary references, such as Tsongkhapa’s Extended Treatise on the Progression of the Esoteric Path (or called Great Exposition of Tantra) and many tantras, treatises or writings (refer to Bibliography in Appendix of this book). I choose The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre) of Sakya School is due to its plenitude of the tantric doctrines, as well as its good structure. And it covers most of the teachings of current Tibetan Secret Schools. However, since the description of the tantric secret meanings in it is usually brief and obscure, lots of additional elaborations are supplemented by other books of other schools. As for those oral pithy instructions on the secret methods in each school, those are already well exposed in scattering tantras or books prepared by their gurus. What necessary is only to link them up according to the required order. Basically, The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre) acts as the framework of my review – this is the first thing I would like to mention.

 

Next, there are some supplementary materials from the following references: Extended Treatise on the Progression of the Esoteric Path (by Tsongkhapa), Six Yogas of Naropa (by Nomzi khenpo – Blo-bzan-grags-pa Zam Lam), Yogi Chen's Literary Work Collections (Bending-Forearm School) (by Yogi C.M. Chen), etc. In addition, I also refer to the doctrines of all Tibetan Secret Schools while preparing my work. Each book mentioned above has its respective features. The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre) is specialized by its orderliness and completeness. Six Yogas of Naropa covers the completion stage and the oral pithy instructions to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. Extended Treatise on the Progression of the Esoteric Path is one of the authoritative works. And Yogi Chen's Literary Work Collections contains more clear and detailed explanations. In fact, all doctrines of Tibetan Secret Schools mix together and make very few differences. (Notes: (1) Dharmaraksa, the Chinese translator of The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre), is originally named Tseng Ching-chung. (2) Sakya-Pandita is the fourth-generation patriarch of Sakya School. (3) Originally, the contents of The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre) were assembled into eight big volumes. Later on, Jamyang Khyentse, the first-generation patriarch, called an assembly council for further supplements and general summaries. He had learned the tantric dharma from over 300 gurus, and had been honored as the top fruition from rebirth. (4) Jamyang Khyentse had assembled The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre); and Dharmaraksa had translated it into Chinese. Their efforts give me a great help to convert Tantric Buddhism back to the right way. They both are really worthy of getting merits and virtues.)

 

Although there are over 200 volumes of books about Tibetan Secret Schools on hand, I merely cited some representative ones as my supporting documents. For instance, Six Yogas of Naropa is a representative one due to many oral pithy instructions in it. Yogi C.M. Chen has promoted the way of secret schools and wrote the literary work collections to elaborate Highest-yoga. He totally disclosed the mystery of the tantric dharma, allowing the Buddhist practitioners to easily understand the real face and identify the wrong views of the tantras. Because of their great contributions, now I can have the opportunity to correct the evil thoughts of Tibetan Secret Schools. For these reasons I select them as my major cited sources. On the other hand, some other literal works are for reference only, since those are just plagiarized from the works done by previous patriarchs or gurus, making no big difference with each other.

As for ‘Master’ Khedrupje, he just follows Tsongkhapa’s conventions and always argues irrationally. His works distort and accuse the view of the emptiness of other from Jonang School, so as to suppress the thoughts of Thus-come-store of Jonang School. The contents in his books, such as in Broad Illustration on the General Structure of Tantra Families, are almost the same as those of Tsongkhapa’s. Therefore, his books are not cited here. For those works by current gurus of Tibetan Secret Schools, most of them are just plagiarized from the works done by ancient patriarchs, so I do not cite them. All the references are listed as ‘Bibliography’ in Appendix. In order to support my criticisms, I cite many passages from those books, together with the respective cited location specified at the end of each passage.

The tantras in Tibetan Secret Schools can be divided into two categories – the ‘sutras’ and the ‘tantras.’ The sutras pertain to their so-called ‘buddhas.’ They include those listed in the esoteric section of Taisho Tripitaka, such as The Great Sun Sutra, The Diamond Peak Sutra, etc. However, those sutras were collectively created by many tantric patriarchs during the late period of ancient ‘Buddhism’ in India, and then compiled and amended through quite a long time. They fabricated the story that Bodhisattva Nagajuri found those sutras, which are Buddha Vairocana’s teachings, from an old iron tower. However, all sutras of three-vehicles never have such a prophecy. All the doctrines mentioned in the tantric sutras conflict with the doctrines in all sutras of Liberation-way and Buddhahood-way. Those contradictions will be described in detail afterward. Those tantric sutras are also the important sources cited in this book.

 

The ‘tantra’ family was created by the patriarchs of Tibetan Secret Schools, including Maha Vairocana’s Manifestation of True Enlightenment Tantra, Four Vajra Throne Tantra, Extensive Explanation on the Bodhi Mind Shastras, Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, etc. Those tantras, listed in the secret schools of Taisho Tripitaka, also include the mantra chanting methods and rituals. In summary, all writings about the tantric theories or practices by the tantric patriarchs belong to tantras, no matter declared to be the sutras from ‘buddhas’ or not. Those tantras are also parts of my references in this book, except those rituals for practice due to nothing to do with the doctrines.

 

However, the tantras family can be further categorized into four divisions or seven divisions. The traditional four-division tantras in Tibetan Buddhism include Action, Performance, Yoga, and Highest-yoga. As for the seven-division tantras, there are three more tantras: Discrimination Tantra (derived from Performance Tantra), Second-toga Tantra (from Yoga Tantra), and Great-yoga Tantra (from Expediency Father Tantra or Wisdom Mother Tantra of Highest-yoga Tantra). There is another category as the six-division tantras. This category further divides Highest-yoga Tantra in the four-division tantras into Father, Mother and Non-dual Tantras; together with other three tantras – Action, Performance and Yoga, there are totally six divisions.

Action Tantra primarily focuses on taking refuge, purifying the body, and setting up the altar. Performance Tantra emphasizes the offerings to one’s guru to accumulate one’s merits and virtues in order to be qualified for the further learning – the cultivation of one’s external behaviors such as one’s body and speech, and mantra chanting. Yoga Tantra aims mainly at the practices of the expedient yoga and ‘Samadhi’ (Father Tantra), while also covers the wisdom yoga (Mother Tantra). For instance, The Auspices of Tantra Kings and Extensive Explanation of the Secrets is the representative work of Father Tantra; The Supreme Bliss Exercise Tantra, describing the exercise of women’s bliss, represents the major teachings of Mother Tantra. Highest-yoga Tantra focuses on the practices of both expediency and wisdom (joint exercise of Father and Mother Tantras), and the non-duality of them. Highest-yoga Tantra means that it is the best, beyond all other tantric practices. It is exactly the joint sexual practice performed by a couple of male and female practitioners. They enjoy the so-called dual operations of bliss and emptiness, and the union of bliss and emptiness during the sexual practice. All of those methods in Highest-yoga Tantra, including Father and Mother Tantras, belong to Couple-Practice Tantra, and must be practiced by the male and female couple.

Tsongkhapa further divided Father Tantra of Couple-Practice Tantra into four tantras: embracing, holding hands, talking and smiling, and gazing. He stated in Extended Treatise on the Progression of the Esoteric Path:

Discussant Vajra also agrees the point of the four tantras in Explanation on the Secrets of Union. In Chapter 11 of Vajra’s Awesome and Splendor Tantra, it first illustrates the differences among Greed Tantras of Expediency Tantra, and then concludes: “This clarifies the embracing with each other, and the differences among those tantras. Hence, holding hands, smiling, and gazing should be known in the similar way.” This saying can explain the teachings, and tell the differences among the four tantras. At that time, those tantras are also named as Smiling, Gazing, Holding-hands, and Embracing or Couple-union (the union of the male and the female sexual organs). … Since the pleasure produced by smiling, gazing, holding hands or embracing is taken as the way, it is also usual to think of the craving for desire as the way of practice. For example, The Twenty-fifth Ear of Grain states: “The four tantras of Action, Performance, Yoga, and Highest-yoga are represented by smiling, gazing, embracing and holding hands. Thus in Action Tantra and others, sometimes the deities in gazing manifest both the wisdom and expediency methods with greedy desire; sometimes by smiling, holding hands, embracing, or even by couple-union.” Also as described in Chapter 3 of Later Discrimination, “with smiling, gazing, embracing, and couple-union, there are four kinds of tantras.” Discussant Stillness states: “It is called the four just because the tantras of Action, Performance, Yoga, and Highest-yoga mean smiling, gazing, embracing, and couple-union. Thus in Action Tantra and others, there are the deities of ‘expediency and wisdom’ revealing the smile, gaze, embrace, or couple-union, depending on their greedy desires.”

 

As mentioned in Explanation on the Secrets of Union by Discussant Vajra: “The smiling, gazing, holding hands, etc., indicate that the greatest sexual tactile bliss of non-discriminating mental state is induced via listening to the laughing, gazing at the desired one, holding hands, or performing copulation. (Their minds abide in a mental state of greatest sexual bliss without conscious discrimination.)  The worm is used as a simile describing the state of reaching such subtlest great bliss to realize the nature of emptiness, with no more outflows of emotional defilements. (This will be further illustrated in Chapter 9.) Just like a worm eating the tree since born there, the subtlest Samadhi generated from the great bliss is conducive to cultivating the nature of emptiness. (In the Samadhi state of a unified mind produced by the lustful sexual bliss, one should cultivate the nature of emptiness from ‘the nature of dependent arising in all phenomena being empty.’) … By means of the craving for desire that embraces the female consort (a female sex-mate in Couple-Practice Tantra) as a way to bring forth bodhi, the male practitioner in Highest-yoga Tantra practices through touching a female consort’s real body, or only by visualizing a female consort in his own mind if without a real one, will generate the bliss from those greedy desires like smiling, etc. Those are all regarded as the right way. (They take the greedy desires in Couple-Practice Tantra as the right way to attain Buddhahood.) In the lower three tantras, a practitioner can conditionally practice with a wisdom concubine. (The female practitioner’s sex organ will bring forth the wisdom for the male practitioner during practicing Couple-Practice Tantra.) Thus, in a broad sense, the joy generated via desire touching is regarded as the way. The practitioner in Yoga Tantra is not allowed to practice the union of the male and the female sexual organs. Except for the touch of sexual organs, the practitioner still can have the bliss generated from touching hands and embracing as the way of Yoga Tantra. In both Action and Performance Tantras, the practitioner can only enjoy the bliss generated from smiling and gazing as the way, without any touch. The meanings of ‘building up the four tantras in Highest-yoga Tantra’ are illustrated as above.” [21: 44-46]

 

In Tsongkhapa’s writings, there is another method to define the four-division tantras – using the expediency method of desire as the way to practice the view of emptiness-nature and Heaven-yoga:

To observe and handle lots of external affairs is the key point of Action Tantra. To keep the external affairs and the internal concentration in balance, not handling too many external affairs, is the key point of Performance Tantra. To abide primarily in the internal concentration, and let go most of the external affairs is the key point of Yoga Tantra. Not to handle the external affairs at all and to be able to generate Highest-yoga is the key point of Highest-yoga Tantra. In summary, to make progress of cultivation through external affairs is Action Tantra; to keep balance between the external affair and the internal concentration is Performance Tantra; to emphasize on the internal concentration is Yoga Tantra; and to dwell in the yoga that no other can surpass is Highest-yoga Tantra. [21: 47]

　

1.1.3  Mostly about Tibetan Secret Schools

Nowadays, the so-called esoteric Buddhism mostly refers to Tibetan Secret Schools. They consist mainly of the four schools – Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug. Hence, the tantras prepared by the patriarchs of these four schools are the major sources of this book. Due to their differences of the doctrines in detail, I could not describe them one by one. By reserving the gist of their teachings, I summarized their tantras with given examples, but left aside the minor differences among those schools. As for Japanese Esoteric Buddhism (the esoteric Buddhism of Japan transmitted from China in Tang Dynasty), since it is deeply rooted in Japanese community as a common social faith, neither trying to spread outside Japan nor negatively influencing the true dharma of Buddhism, it is not a matter of my concern. In addition, Japanese Esoteric Buddhism does not deliver Couple-Practice Tantra. By these reasons I left them out of my book. On the other hand, Tibetan Secret Schools, due to their heretical views, obscene practice methods, spreading worldwide, and seriously destroying the true Buddhism, have become my main concern in order to illustrate and protect Buddha Sakyamuni’s true dharma. Those are the reasons why I criticized Tibetan Secret Schools rather than Japanese Esoteric Buddhism in this book.

 

Furthermore, sometimes I put notes in some clause of the cited passage by parentheses so that the hints of tantras could be more understandable. Actually I had never practiced Tibetan tantras in this life. But during my younger age, I loved to pursue all kinds of practice methods, including sitting meditation, fist fight, Chi-practice, and Taoist technique. In addition, after reading Headstream of Schisms and Sectarians by Thuhu in recent years, I had gradually experienced something of my past lives during my samadhi state or in the dreams. With these experiences, I knew that I had twice been the dharma-king of Jonang School. During those lifetimes, I could not but transmit the dharma of Kalachakra Vajra in order to cover my actual transmission of the true dharma of Thus-come-store. By the retrospective knowledge about the Kalachakra Vajra from my past lives, more or less, I could recover my perception of those secret meanings in the tantric dharma, and put some notes.

 

The theory and practice methods of Tibetan Secret Schools mentioned in this book, especially on the topics of secret empowerment and Highest-yoga, are somewhat obscene and lustful. I could not but describe the fact because they are the real face of Tibetan Secret Schools. Moreover, if not illustrating them in a clear manner based on the fact, but instead, by some implicit or veiled statements, I am afraid that some tantric gurus or superstitious followers will still grasp their personal fames and mundane benefits, purposely use sophisticated arguments for self-defense, and say that there is no such dharma in Tibetan Secret Schools. Then, Buddha’s followers may be wondering about the truth, and may misplace their confidence to believe what is unreliable. Henceforth, the heretical dharma of Tibetan Secret Schools will latently exist, and will be secretly and extensively promulgated within the Buddhist world. At that time, we will have no chance to expel them from the true Buddhism. In order for the general public to understand the real face of Tibetan Secret Schools behind their beautiful covers, I must make my statements clear and detailed according to the facts, regardless of the dilemma of describing the obscene teachings in those tantras. I sincerely hope the reader can understand it.

If someone wants to blame those obscene descriptions, one should blame the tantric founders who have ever fabricated their tantras in such a nature. Actually, it is not me who created those kinds of dharma, nor have I added any other dharma upon their teachings. The tantric practices are originally illusory and obscene in their nature. I never bring a false charge against them or put additional material on their dharma. What I am doing now is just telling the truth. Furthermore, in view that there are some Buddhist learners who are not well-educated, they may be more easily deluded by Tibetan Secret Schools. And if I describe those practice scenarios in an obscure manner, statements in this book will be unintelligible for them. Therefore, for those tantric keywords or terms with latent meanings, I clearly noted them by parentheses. Hence the connotative meaning in Couple-Practice Tantra inevitably becomes more obvious for all of us. That is the way I cannot help going in order to protect The World-honored One’s true teachings during the period of the degenerate dharma. I hope all intelligent people can witness it!

　

1.2  Bright-drop, energy-flow and Highest-yoga as the roots of practices in Tibetan Secret Schools

1.2.1  Bright-drop, energy-flow and Highest-yoga

In Tibetan Secret Schools, the practices of bright-drop and energy-flow (chi) are the bases to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime – to accomplish Highest-yoga through Couple-Practice Tantra. After completing the bright-drop and the energy-flow practices, the practitioner can then learn Highest-yoga. Moreover, through the cultivation of Couple-Practice Tantra in Highest-yoga, he may attain the ‘fruition of Buddhahood.’ Hence, bright-drop, energy-flow and Highest-yoga are the roots of the tantric practices. And the method to attain Buddhahood in a lifetime in Highest-yoga is taken as the gist of Tibetan Secret Schools. If readers are interested in the practice of energy-flow, they may refer to The Chi-Practice of Tibetan Tantric Schools.

 

Based on false thoughts, the tantric patriarchs believe that after learning bright-drop and energy-flow, it is possible to accomplish four-dhyanas and eight-samadhis, and to obtain the mundane fruition such as ascending to the desire-realm, or even to the form-realm or formless-realm heavens. As stated in The Way and Its Fruit (Lamdre) – Vajra Stanzas, and the Gatha’s Remarks:

 

The practitioner can validate four-dhyanas and eight-samadhis through practicing the guiding way of energy-flow, realm-nectar and channel-syllable. He can also ‘merge himself into the great buddha-mother and the wisdom-paramita mother’s palace, perceive the dharma-body and cut off the double attachments.’ That means he will get enlightened, verify the dharma-body, and relieve himself from the attachments to self and others as well as the attachments to self and dharma. ^{[61: 371, 487, 492, 493]}

 

They also falsely believe that through the accomplishment of practicing bright-drop, energy-flow and visualizing channel-syllable, a practitioner can get away from three evil paths, attain the supra-mundane fruition and become an ‘un-deluded bodhisattva’ (detailed in [61: 478-491]). They misunderstand that the accomplishment of bright-drop and energy-flow can attain the wisdom from realizing prajna and leave both the object being eliminated and the  eliminating mind (detailed in [61: 494-495]). They also wrongly regard that it is possible to attain four pure lands through the energy-center (chakra) in the body (detailed in [61: 552-553]).

 

Furthermore, they mistake the visualized bright-drop for the bodhi mind. For instance, as stated by Tsongkhapa in Teaching King’s Victorious Extensive Explanation of the Fifth Orderly Progress of Caus-and-Effect on Illustrating the Virtue Torch Treatise: “After reaching the ultimate-ness of the rough and subtle generation stage, a practitioner can use the wisdom seal (mudra) to descend the bodhi mind from the top to the secret lower end (the glans of penis or clitoris; for female, the secret end sometimes indicate the orifice of uterus, or called ‘conch-like nerve’). …” In fact, the bodhi mind is the eighth consciousness (Thus-come-store) inherently existing in all sentient beings. With neither form nor appearance, how come this bodhi mind can be visualized as the bright-drop? The true bodhi mind always exists together with a sentient being’s eighteen-divisions of sense (six sense-objects, six sense-organs and six sense-consciousnesses), concurrently and pervasively. How come it can become the bright-drop to be accumulated in the physical heart by the practitioner’s visualization, or even to be descended to the secret lower root charka? Nevertheless, all Tibetan Secret Schools, including Kadam School at the beginning and the later four major schools, mistake the bright-drop for the true bodhi mind. That entirely violates the sage teachings in the three-vehicle scriptures.

 

All the ancient and present tantric gurus believe that they can accomplish the three-bodies (trikayas) and the four-wisdoms of the Buddha ground through the main practice of bright-drop and the supplementary practices of the cause empowerment, way empowerment, wisdom empowerment, unsurpassed secret empowerment and the visualization of channel-syllable (detailed in [61: 559-561]). In fact, those never belong to the Buddha dharma and have nothing to do with the way to Buddhahood.

 

About the oral pithy instructions, Milarepa said:

 

When accepting the oral pithy instructions, I feel like the salt dissolving in water. When the wisdom appears in my mind, I can free from the uncertainty of right or wrong and wake up from the deluded dream. When attaining the bliss from my deep visualization, I feel everything is free itself, just like the vapor disappears in the space. …When the wisdom of the original luminous-body appears, I find it is so clear like a mirror. …When conducting myself without gain or loss, I become more relaxed. …The environment and my consciousness are separated like the separation of the horses from the cows. The rope between my mind and the aggregate is cut. Thus, I have completely attained the yoga practice through the utilization of my body. [4(3): 480]

 

From the above instructions, what Milarepa discloses is to regard the consciously visualized luminous-body that stays in the union of bliss and emptiness as the attainment of Buddhahood. In this way, Milarepa has not yet realized the true bodhi mind, but takes the bright-drop as the eighth consciousness – Thus-come-store. He has not seen the way of Great-vehicle (Mahayana), let alone to attain Buddhahood. How come he can talk about the cultivation of fruition ground regarding to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime?

Since those ancient and present tantric gurus practice dhyana (meditation) or samadhi (concentration) via the methods of Great-seal of clear-light, bright-drop, energy-flow, and Couple-Practice Tantra, they certainly cannot realize four-dhyanas and eight-samadhis. Therefore, their levels of dhyanas must be very low because their conditions are never apart from the lustful desire of desire-realm. Whatever dhyana or samadhi they acquire is certainly not beyond the boundary of the desire-realm dhyana or samadhi. For instance, even the validation of the first-level dhyana must keep away from the lustful desire. Such practice methods in the ‘tantric dhyana or samadhi’ are all with illusory perception and belong to false thinking about dhyana or samadhi. They are far away from the real dhyana. Regarding the practice methods of bright-drop and energy-flow, I will illustrate them in Chapter 2. As for Highest-yoga, the bliss non-conceptual state, the dual operations of bliss and emptiness, the union of bliss and emptiness, etc., they will be detailed in Chapter 9.