The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume Five (52 page)

Explanation of the Vajra Guru Mantra

I
N THE VAJRAYANA TRADITION,
which deals with energy, one speaks of three principles: body, speech, and mind. Body corresponds to matter, and mind to thoughts and space. Speech is that which links them together, which is energy. Meditating on the sound of mantras is one of the traditionally known ways of relating to this energy. The mantra creates an environment, a living environment of energy. This particular mantra,
OM AH HUM VAJRA-GURU-PADMA-SIDDHI HUM,
can be used in this way.

Generally, when a yogi recites a mantra, he or she does not think out intellectually the meanings of the Sanskrit words. In Tibet, and also in China and Japan, whenever a mantra has been introduced as a part of tantric teachings, it has been left in the original Sanskrit in order not to invite conceptualized translations of meaning. You just feel the sounds.

It is the same with colors. When you see a color, that color means something spiritually. When you hold a rock, that also means something spiritually as well as just physically. This kind of direct link, this direct feeling with nature, also takes place with sounds.

For instance, take the word
OM. OM
consists of three sounds. The first is
AH,
the sound of space, the sound of basic background. When you pronounce
AH,
it comes straight from the heart, a sort of hollowness and openness. The next sound is
OH,
which is the basic space being seen in terms of manifestation of energy from the
AH.
The energy begins to be formulated into something. Then
M
is the final manifestation into form, like giving birth. So
OM
represents open space and energy, communication out of open space and energy, and then the solid, vivid, colorful, phenomenal world, all of which is creation—
OM.

In this Vajra Guru mantra, we have at the beginning
OM AH HUM.
O
M
is the creation of form. A
H
is the same as at the origin of the
OM
—speech, sound.
AH
is supposed to contain all speech. Also emotive utterances of any kind—laughter
“HA HA”
or crying
“HOO HOO”
—all are contained in the word
AH.
Babies first say
“AH.”
The primal first vowel
AH
represents emotions and communication. H
UM
is piercing, penetrating. It represents the penetrating quality of mind, thought, intelligence.

Vajra
means “indestructible.” It is historically a synonym for diamond, a celestial diamond, the scepter of certain mythological gods. Next is Guru, Vajra Guru—indestructible guru or teacher. There are three aspects of the guru: the guru as superior, the teacher; the guru as spiritual friend; and the guru as environment. As the superior teacher, he is the one to whom you open yourself completely, surrender yourself, expose the negative and raw and rugged quality of the ego without hesitation, without being ashamed. It is surrendering in order to receive knowledge, becoming an empty vessel so that there is something to fill, something into which to pour the spiritual nectar. And the guru has the aspect of friend, because you must be able not only to surrender but to communicate. This is communication as equals, friends. You can communicate with the guru as a friend, meeting on the ground of friendliness, which is the open space of meditation. This is the meeting of two minds. Your mind is open to the open space, and the guru’s mind is open to the open space. That is the way of making your mind one with that of the guru.

The guru as environment is related to the idea of all-pervading energy. The happenings of life are manifestations of energy. This energy in the situations of life is a very powerful teacher. If you go too far, in the sense of not being receptive enough to learn from the experience of life, if you ignore this experience and go too far with the extreme emotional excitement of ego, then sooner or later you are going to be pulled back. This might take the form of accident, illness, or disaster—any sort of chaos. Whereas if you are able to see the first signal that you have lost touch with the life situation as teacher, then you will be able to tune yourself back into it. That is guru as environment.

Padma
means “lotus” in Sanskrit. It symbolizes compassion. The unshakable guru also grants the energy of compassion. Compassion grows within passion—desire, attachment. But that desire and attachment has now lost its clinging, the possessiveness of ego. Compassion creates more open space of communication. The lotus is grown in mud, but it itself is clean and pure, unaffected by the mud of possessiveness. Passion could be said to be imposing our desire on someone else, some other things, or on ourselves. Compassion is the opposite of that. Instead of imposing, you create space, you welcome the possibilities of love, the possibilities of exchange in the warmth of communication. In that way, you are able to help other people to help themselves. Compassion is inspiring other people as well as helping them. If you inspire them, then they will be helped, either physically or psychologically.

Siddhi
is a Sanskrit word which means “miraculous power” or “energy.” It is possible to perceive the play of energy as miraculous. When we speak of miracles, it does not mean such a thing as fire turning into water or the world turning upside down. Rather, a miracle is something happening unexpectedly, some situation developing unexpectedly. There will always be a scientific explanation. A miracle need not be illogical. It could be highly logical, highly scientific. But nonetheless it takes the form of an apparent accident. For example, our meeting here together could be called a miracle. Why did I alone have to come from Tibet, and why did you all have to be here? So a siddhi is a miracle in the sense of the sudden coming together of situations, assuming the guise of “accident.”

H
UM
as the last syllable in the mantra is similar to the
HUM
at the beginning, but it has the slightly different sense in this case of gathering energy. It is like the piercing through of an arrow, gathering energy in one-pointedness, penetrating. This is the penetrating quality of peace, related to its indestructible quality, and the penetrating quality of nowness: that which cuts right through the layers of ignorance and duality, passion, and desire. It cuts right through, penetrates right through—
HUM
—the sound of gathering together or penetration.

So taking the mantra as a whole, it is something like: “Indestructible guru, vajra guru, vajra teacher, vajra friend, please grant the miracle of compassion at this very moment, at this very point,” which is
HUM
This mantra is based on what is called the “mantra of the guru,” which is one of compassion and devotion, devotion in the sense of openness, as already mentioned in connection with the guru. In other words, the penetration of the awareness of the indestructible quality of the guru must open one’s heart, pierce through one’s heart and open it, open the closed, conceptualized, and confused boundary of ego and grant the miracle power of compassion, ultimate communication.

Foreword to

THE TORCH OF CERTAINTY

T
HE SPIRITUALITY OF
B
UDDHISM
is a nontheistic one. It deals with the ways and means of attaining enlightenment, discovering buddha within through the aid of great teachers and the diligent practice of meditation. It has always been emphasized that one does not purely practice the dharma, but one becomes the dharma.

The teachings of Buddha are divided into three sections: hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana. They should be methodically practiced in this order. If one does not begin at the beginning, there is a danger of provoking further confusion, of viewing practice as entertainment, which only causes greater arrogance and neurosis.

The pattern of the practitioner’s progress through the three yanas is as follows: First, one develops extreme exertion in uncovering one’s own neurosis. This one-pointed mindfulness brings the sense of one’s actual human quality. The second stage is marked by gentleness, allowing one’s energies to expand and be shared with the rest of sentient beings. Finally, one develops fearlessness and a sense of joy and penetrating insight, filled with immense devotion to the lineage and one’s root guru. This text, dealing with the preliminary practices of the vajrayana discipline, belongs to the third category.

I am very pleased that this authentic torch of certainty is available to those who are inspired to follow the vajrayana path. It was written by Jamgön Kongtrül the Great, whose reincarnation, Jamgön Kongtrül of Sechen, was my root guru. Those who are deeply inspired by this book should receive oral transmission from a living lineage holder. They should have a strong foundation in hinayana and mahayana as a prelude to entering the path of vajrayana. This is the way which has been taught.

Judith Hanson has put a great deal of energy and devotion into the translation of this text. The fruition of her effort is evidence of her karmic link with the Kagyü tradition.

Practice of the Four Foundations: An Interview

Before beginning a meditation session, the practitioner excludes all distractions. He may then set up an icon of the visualization used in that practice, for example, an image of Vajrasattva, a picture of the refuge tree, and so on.

Actual practice of the four special foundations involves the practitioner in an intense drama combining physical, verbal, and mental acts. As he chants each section of the liturgy, he visualizes the scene described in it, considers the significance of the prayers, and performs the ritual acts indicated. During all of this, he tries to focus his attention exclusively on the ritual.

To complete the practice, he must perform each of the four special foundations 111,111 times. Since taking refuge also includes 111,111 full prostrations, the total is 555,555. Hence, the practice is commonly called the “five-hundred-thousand.”

The following interview [May 18, 1976] with a leading teacher of Tibetan Buddhism focuses on the practice of the four foundations and its significance for modern students of Buddhism.

—Judith Hanson in
The Torch of Certainty

I
NTERVIEW WITH
C
HÖGYAM
T
RUNGPA
R
INPOCHE

Question: What are the four special foundations, and how do they fit into the whole scheme of Buddhist practice?

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche:
Every type of spiritual discipline, craft, or educational system has its beginning, middle, and concluding levels. The four foundations (
sngon ’gro,
literally “prelude”) are the beginning of the vajrayana discipline. Of course, the vajrayana is not the first but the third level of Buddhist practice, to be preceded by the hinayana and mahayana. But those who begin the vajrayana discipline do so with the four foundations.

According to tradition, the foundation practices require a lot of preparation. In the early days in Tibet, people had to have a great deal of training before practicing the foundations. This included basic training in tranquillity and insight meditation (
zhi gnas
and
lhag mthong;
Skt.
shamatha
and
vipashyana
), as well as some training in the mahayana, which included formally receiving the bodhisattva vow, and so on.

Q:
What is the function of each of the four special foundations?

CTR:
The four special foundations are an evolutionary process in which each event has a definite place. They could be connected with the four dharmas of Gampopa. In taking refuge, your mind begins to follow the dharma, which is the first dharma of Gampopa. Your attitude toward yourself and toward everything in your life becomes connected purely with dharma practice. There is no longer such a thing as a division between sacred and profane.

To begin to practice, you must first “give in” to the dharma completely. This is accomplished by doing prostrations, a process of complete surrender, of definite commitment. I don’t think anyone can begin vajrayana practice without that.

When you take the bodhisattva vow, having decided to go and having bought your ticket, you actually begin the journay—bodhichitta and the bodhisattva path. This is related to the second dharma of Gampopa, which is that your dharma practice can actually win success on the path.

When you do the Vajrasattva practice, having already surrendered, you have to purify and further acknowledge what you have surrendered. All the impurities must be purified.

After purification, something still remains—the pure person, which might contain some stain of arrogance, some stain of existence. In the mandala practice, you actually give everything, including the pure person. You offer this—the giver—as well as all the offerings, at which point, in a sense, you no longer exist.